Marina's group continued along a beaten path until finally they reached a point of interest.
A giant divider across the landmass separated lush green fields from a charred and burnt landscape.
"Sickening..."
Lira stared at the atrocious scene ahead of her.
"They prepared this much to deal with little old me, huh?"
Marina was standing next to Lira as they crossed forward into the ashen wasteland. Before treading forward, she used the life force from the grass to create a long wooden staff.
I won't be able to take life force from plants in this burnt landscape. So, having some to bring with me is ideal...
Lira often conjured a wooden staff to fight, and Marina took that as a sign to replicate it. There was no use learning from a master of the creation magic type without applying the knowledge being taught.
And so, they continued moving forward for almost an hour. Most of the soldiers began to cover their noses due to the residual smoke left behind.
"Well, if anything, our lungs aren't going to be great after all this is over," chuckled Lira as she tried to almost waft the smoke. "I hope the opposing party is struggling just as much... but I guess that's too much to hope for..."
Marina stayed silent until finally, in the distance, she saw it.
It's a person!
Everyone else seemed to realize as well, and as they closed in, they were able to have a better grasp on the situation. In front of them was a tall knight, and further back was an elegant carriage sitting a distance away.
"Where's the army?"
One of the soldiers in the front asked, confused.
But Marina started to widen her eyes. One hand brought itself to her own neck.
It's Trey.
It's Brother.
She took a breath in lightly.
I knew this could happen. I've already prepared myself for this.
"Hey! Isn't this a bit rude?"
Lira yelled off into the distance when the group finally came into earshot of Trey.
Trey rested his hand on his scabbard. His left hand was still fitted with his mechanical glove.
"How so?"
Trey calmly responded resoundingly.
"We come here with a giant force, and you underestimate us so much as to just come at us alone?"
"I wasn't the one who decided this."
Trey slowly drew his sword and pointed it at Marina.
"Hello, Sister. It's been quite a while, hasn't it...? Sorry, but I can't really reconnect in these circumstances... And old lady, I hate to be the bringer of awful news, but I am not the only one you will have to deal with."
"Huh?"
And then he disappeared.
"Dammit! At least chat for a bit like a reasonable person!"
Instantly, Lira dashed forward to try and bring herself away from the crowd, and then Trey reappeared in front of her like a blink of light, swinging his sword downwards.
Lira dodged to the side by the skin of her teeth, but Marina could not focus on her master and brother's battle. Instead, she was preoccupied with another problem; the group around her was all shivering.
What's wrong with them?
Marina traced the gaze of a random man beside her; he was staring backwards into the center of the group.
Everyone around her was doing the same, gazing back and shivering in fear.
Marina was a bit shorter than the average soldier and couldn't see over the crowd. Pushing through the soldiers, she moved back until she saw someone.
It was a man of noble stature; however, in contrast to the ashen battle zone, he was wearing bed robes. This person was someone Marina knew wasn't a part of the original group, but what fazed her most was the unnerving fear she felt staring into his light brown eyes.
She fell down to her knees.
I want to run away!
Let me go, please!
But the fear slowly shifted into a disgusting feeling of an alien object crawling through her skin. It was just one at first, but it quickly began to feel as if millions of tiny knives were crawling under Marina's skin.
Ripping her insides and cutting everything.
Make it stop!
Make it stop!
MAKE IT STOP!
MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT STOP!
NO MORE!
PLEASE!
MAKE IT END!
Her pupils were dilated as they looked across her skin. There was nothing wrong. It was as if her body was the exact same as before.
But the pain kept erupting as if she was being tortured.
Several soldiers around her began to scream and groan simultaneously with Marina, likely due to similar circumstances.
However, some of them were entirely unharmed, and instead of helping their allies or attacking the obvious intruder, they began to draw their weapons and attack the people in immense pain.
Shit! Am I going to die like this?
Marina, although gasping for air as the pain pulsed through her body, was still able to concentrate on the situation and recognize that there were traitors in the group.
The intruding man in bed robes then spoke.
"Where is the boy?"
"I have him, Lord Valter."
One of the soldiers who was unaffected by the pain was holding Thalen, who was knocked out and drooling.
Dammit! If we don't do something, it's over!
But immediately, as if responding to the situation, humongous wooden spikes erupted from the earth, penetrating the hearts of every single one of the traitors.
"Oh, how inconvenient. All you've done is give me the dirty work. Damned witch..."
Valter sighed.
A spike had been sent to hit Valter as well, but as if cowering in fear, it bowed downwards after poking out of the dirt before returning to whence it came.
"Well, I have decided to join the fray, myself ever so often." Valter sighed as he walked over to each remaining soldier with a small knife and began stabbing their necks as they writhed in pain. "However, sometimes doing work on your own is just more effective, isn't it?"
A few of the men, realizing they would need to bear the pain to make it out with their lives, tried to resist, wobbling to their feet while gripping their swords, spears, and axes.
It wasn't enough, though; the pain hindered their capability to fight, and Valter calmly sidestepped them as he slit their throats.
Marina was able to finally get a grasp on herself and move, but it took a few minutes of Valter cleaning up her allies before she brought herself to her feet.
I...I... Damn... It hurts... I need... to move...
Cast... magic...
The staff in Marina's hands then shifted into a vine that shot out towards Valter, but instead of aiming itself at him, it focused on the back he was carrying on his back, Thalen.
The vine grabbed Thalen, then whipped itself back to Marina while also causing enough movement to wake Thalen.
I can maybe use Thalen as a decoy, then run...
That's the only way I can escape.
Even Lira's attacks didn't work on him. How can I deal with it?
I feel bad using this boy, but I've not even known him very long.
What use does staying here to protect him make?
Either we both die, or I get a chance to make it out alive.
"Thalen, if we run back, we can go hide in a nearby forest. We need to head a bit east of where we came! If we run now, we can make it in time!"
Thalen, who had just awoken in a groggy state, nodded his head slowly as he got onto his own two feet from being flung a ways away from the vine.
Valter, who had realized what had happened, just snorted.
"You're delaying the inevitable. Do you think that boy is that important that I'll only be satisfied dealing with just him? Your brother wants to meet you very much, and I'm very much obliged to lend him a hand in it!"
Marina flinched for a second before turning her focus back to running away.
It's obviously just a taunt!
Both she and Thalen sprinted off in the opposite direction of the fighting. Valter was still dealing with the horde of soldiers howling in pain and couldn't divert his force toward chasing Marina.
Although he was dealing with the group casually, it was still a large number of people who—despite being partially disabled—could still put up enough of a fight to block him from proceeding.
Marina ran back without any hesitation.
Thank you, Master, but this is where I depart. I had an enjoyable time for the most part and will always remember these times.
But I never chose to be here.
So, I was never obligated to stay.
Thalen looked back quickly with an unreadable expression, but nonetheless kept up the pace beside Marina as they ran into the distance.