Finally I arrived at the neighboring village. I glanced at the forest. The trees hadn't fallen—they had been cleanly chopped.
I entered the inn. A body lay on the floor. The head was severed. Hexclaw had already passed through.
I moved from house to house. Every door stood open. Every male resident lay dead, their bodies marked by deep, brutal slashes.
But at the last house, a dead body.
There's a familiar child shocked and shaking. The same child stood in my path a while ago.
"Papa..." His voice is overcome with grief.
I put my hand on his shoulder and said "Sorry, I'm late."
I left the house and thought about something.
*...I know what's next.*
—Lilia's point of view—
I felt... someone was watching us. "Mira, I feel someone watching us."
"You're just imagining things." "We should go home now. Before it gets dark." Mira said, confidently.
I stopped.
"Lilia? What's wrong?" "Mira- b-behind you!!" Mira turned around.
A sharp sound and warmth splashed across my face. Mira cried out and fell. Blood stained her shoulder. Her eyes were wide—she wasn't moving, but she was breathing.
I shook in disbelief. "Mira...? No this can't be happening." "Somebody- help us please!"
"Humans found..." It walked toward me, one blood-stained claw slowly rising.
Terror swallowed my voice "NO-" A flash of light erupted and Hexclaw was blasted in the face.
—Zerek's point of view—
Great. Late again. I should stop arriving at the wrong time.
Mira lay on the ground- I shifted my gaze at Lilia. "Run as fast as you can!" "Zerek, I can't move." Fear froze her body in place.
"Damn it." I said. "Pyre thrust!"
Hexclaw staggered back and screeched but didn't fall.
I quickly lifted Lilia like bridal-style and ran. "Zerek, where are you taking me? "...What about Mira?"
"She won't survive if we hesitate." I replied. Lilia feared. "...What kind of monster is that?" She asked "And who are you Zerek?"
"I'm a human." I replied.
I glanced back—Hexclaw was charging toward us at full speed.
We kept running while Hexclaw charged towards us.
"Heavier than expected," I muttered. "S-Shut-up!!" Lilia snapped, irritated and blushing at the same time.
"There's no time for that," she added. "The monster is still chasing us!"
A blade of compressed air tore through the forest beside us, cutting down several trees.
*An air slash...?* *If it directly hit us, Lilia would be killed.*
"Zerek! We reached the Stonehaven village." Lilia said. This is the place I stopped a while ago.
I stopped. "This is your chance to flee." I hurled Lilia upward.
"SCREW YOU!" she screamed as she flew.
I stared at Hexclaw. "You."