"Wind Form Martial Art: Windkanone!"
The air shifts from Lennard's direction.
FWOOOOSH
A gust of wind carries dust into Lilia's eyes.
She shields them with her arms. The one that hurts the least.
FWOOOM FWWSSSSSH
The pressure change is both rapid and gradual.
"Lilia, hold on!"
Lilia peeks through to see Eihard, the one who just called her.
He's already gripping the barrier.
BWWWSSSSSH
A burst of air pressure slams her face, delivering a pocketful of dust.
"MY EEEEEYEEES!"
She wails, desperately grabbing the nearest thing—something metallic.
Her body hurls backward, yet she manages to hold on.
"Hrrrk! H-hey! I said hold onto something, not me!"
So she's holding Eihard. Probably his waist.
"S-sorry! Grabbed what I could!"
A loud slam and shrieks follow immediately after.
KSHAAAA
Then—
CRRRRK
Cracking barrier. One of her least favorite songs since she arrived.
Glass shattering rings in her ears as her body gets pushed backward.
Along with Eihard.
"Aaaaaaah!"
"Hyaaaah!"
The next thing she knows, she's lying face down in front of Eihard, breathing like there's no tomorrow.
"That bastard… to think he would go all the way…"
Lilia can feel it. The way he complains. The way he name-calls Lennard.
It carries a different weight from the first time she met him.
She can't help but smile a little.
"Lichterkaite!"
Frieda's call interrupts her thought.
She's glowing white, pointing her staff towards—
"The centipede! She got it!"
The words stream through her mouth before she finishes her thought.
"The dagger!"
Eihard commands, immediately pushing himself up.
"Roger!"
Lilia wraps her left arm around his shoulder, lifting him up.
A sharp pain from her spine screams protest, yet she keeps pushing.
A slight jolt from him as well. He's probably just as injured, if not more.
Yet he doesn't protest.
"...Thanks."
"Don't mention it~"
…
"Lennard!"
Rosa crouches in front of Lennard, now lying face down.
Breathing. No, wheezing.
The man before her just performed all those seemingly effortless, fluid movements.
"Haaah…. haaaaah…. I… I am alright…. Just a few reopened wounds… and some new broken bones…"
She glances at Frieda, who is giving her all. The white outline around her body flickers occasionally.
Not good.
He continues.
"It doesn't hurt that much… thanks to your potion…"
Satisfaction blooms in her chest.
A stale mana potion with a touch of lightning magic.
Her makeshift painkiller seems to be working.
Rosa clenches her jaw.
"I'll be back shortly… make sure you survive!"
He nods weakly, a satisfied smile on his face.
"Don't need…. to tell me twice…"
Rosa runs toward the centipede, leaving Lennard behind.
She's now a safe distance from the jet-black creature.
It stands with the same menacing poise as before, even as it thrashes around.
The lightning chains flicker, as if bending to its will.
She glances at Lilia and Eihard, struggling to reach the creature.
They are weakened. Severely so.
Lilia's dominant arm bends the wrong way.
Eihard's armor has inward dents on both his gauntlets and chestplate.
Can they use the dagger?
Are they even strong enough to deliver the killing blow?
Should I just do it myself?
Questions flood into her mind.
Each filling her with doubt. Wavering her decision to leave it to them.
Her mana is partially restored. Maybe still weakened by the void element.
A Vlitzdraiche is still possible. A gamble—can she kill it before the binds shatter?
The ground vibrates beneath her as the centipede continues to thrash.
The flickers become more frequent.
She points her staff toward the creature.
There is no other choice. It's now or never.
She takes a glance toward her limping friend once more.
Lilia, being carried—no, she and Eihard carrying each other, daggers already in their hands.
They haven't given up.
"Lilia…"
Rosa mutters, clenching her jaw.
Then their eyes meet. Lilia glances back as if she can hear her.
A thumbs up.
Leave it to us!
A voice of her echoes in her head.
In a situation this tense, she still manages to form a cheerful smile and a thumbs up.
Using her wrongly bent right hand.
Both of their balance wavers for a second as Lilia jolts, probably from the pain.
Eihard yells at her before they continue.
Soft chuckles escape from Rosa's mouth.
That's right. They haven't given up.
But something still needs to be done.
Rosa's eyes light up with newfound focus.
Weaken it. Don't agitate it. Think, Rosa. Think.
What can be done?
Time seems to slow as she conjures a list of spells.
All of her lightning spells are offensive. They'll only agitate the thing.
Heilen. Restorative spell. Not helpful.
Varriere. Defensive spell to conjure barriers.
Then her eyes twitch.
She remembers the sensation she felt when she threw the creature with the barrier she conjured.
She imagines it. The honeycomb panels forming a wall, pressing the creature against the cave wall.
Her body begins to glow a bluish hue. Still pointing her staff toward the centipede.
"Varriere!"
Panel after panel, hexagonal shapes begin to flicker unstably in and out of the air in front of the thrashing centipede.
Slowly, they form a wall of barrier.
"Haaaa!"
The panels move forward. Then abruptly stop—no, pushed back as it continues to thrash.
"Nnngh!"
She channels more and more mana. The barrier extends forward.
Panel by panel, forming a cage around the creature. Pressing closer and closer against the wall.
"Hyaaaaah!"
Rosa pushes harder. The creature doesn't give up. It thrashes even more wildly against the chains.
The chains flicker once again.
Hold in there… Frieda…
Krrrk!
Rosa's eyes twitch at the sound.
A crack already forms in the barrier.
Hurry up… Lilia… Eihard…
Hold on… me!
The cracking intensifies. The flickering grows more frequent.
The centipede thrashes wildly.
Rosa closes her eyes, squeezing all of her mana out.
"Haaah… haaaah…. a bit… more…"
Then she sees them.
Lilia and Eihard, leaning against the wall on each side of the creature.
Both daggers ready in their hands.
Lilia strikes first. The dagger makes contact with the metallic carapace.
Electric sparks envelope the body. The thrashing intensifies.
"Khhhh!"
Rosa feels the pushback on her barrier. The bottom half already shatters.
The light chains partially disappear.
Yet the push is now significantly lighter.
The creature doesn't thrash as much.
Jolt. Twice. Thrice.
The attempts are still there. The pushbacks still vibrate through her staff.
"Haaaaah!"
A heavy grunt erupts.
Clink
Eihard's dagger makes contact with the carapace. His gauntlet flickers with a red outline before it solidifies.
"HAH!"
CRRK!
Rosa snaps her gaze toward the sound.
She fears the barrier will finally shatter.
Yet what she sees surprises her.
The dagger is firmly planted into the carapace, cracking the outer shell.
The blade begins to glow reddish. Then brighter. Mild yellow. Bright yellow. As if it's melting.
"...huh?"
Eihard looks down, confusion on his face.
Then it starts to hiss.
Oh no.
"Everyone ge—"
BOOM
The carapace explodes, shattering the centipede into two segments, the binding, AND her barrier.
"Huaaah!"
"Hyaaah!"
All while hurling both Lilia and Eihard backward.
Eihard lands on his back. Lilia lands on her right side, rolling to her left in reflex while clutching her right arm.
"Ow! OW! NGHHH! This is wrong! The pain so wrong!"
KSHAAAAA
Without the barrier, the centipede segments move wildly.
The front half thrashes around, flickering between visible and invisible while hurtling toward Rosa.
"Varriere!" A single panel. Two. Four. Flickering.
The segment moves fast. Even faster.
It won't form in time!
She closes her eyes, bracing herself while crossing both arms forward in a defensive posture.
Then silence. No sound of thrashing. No impact. No barrier shattering.
Rosa opens one eye.
The segment, mandibles open, lies still near her barely forming barrier.
"Did I?…"
She moves the barrier forward, pushing the segment.
The segment drags lifelessly across the cave floor as blue-green liquid oozes out.
She looks further. Trails of the same liquid connect to the explosion.
Her eyes dart to Eihard, now slumped against the cave wall. Some of the liquid got on his armor.
Lilia lies on the other side of the exploded part, complaining about the pain.
Rosa grabs one of the stale potions from her satchel.
"Zuckvaunke…"
Zzzt
A spark flies from her hand to the vial.
Residual statics form around it until they settle.
Rosa is now a step away from Lilia.
Lilia is clutching her right arm, bent more wrongly than before.
Her lips tremble as she bites the lower part.
Tears stream from both of her eyes.
"R-Rosie… h-help…"
Twitch
Rosa feels a familiar tension on her temple.
"Hmmm… Want me to unbend your arm? Right now?"
"Eeeep!"
Thunk
"Ouch!"
The potion vial hits Lilia's temple.
"Drink it. Then stay still as I heal you."
Then Rosa's jelly knees catch up, making her slump to the ground right beside Lilia.
"Haaaaaaaaah…."
A long exhale. At the very least, she earned this right to complain.
"Looks like we did it, huh?"
A soft pop escapes from the cork as Lilia pulls it off with her teeth.
Ptoo!
"We did… despite everything… Somehow…"
The gulp echoes softly in Rosa's ears.
"Pwaaah! I think I am fine now!"
Her body shifts, before a jade gem bumps her forehead.
"Don't. Or I'll zap you."
"So unfair! Look at him! He gets a lover's treatment while I got a death threat!"
Rosa glances at Eihard. Frieda is gently tending his wounds.
A long sigh escapes her.
"...What do you want?"
"How about a hug? Maybe hug me when you heal?"
"No… Heilen…"
The jade staff begins to glow green along with Lilia's body.
Lilia's face melts…
"Hweeeeeeh~ What a heaven…"
Mpffft…
Rosa averts her gaze as a chuckle escapes.
She tries to hold it, but the giggles keep coming out.
"Hehe… hehehehe…. I just…. I can't believe it was you"
"Hm? What does that mean?"
Rosa clears her throat and lets out another sigh.
"It's nothing, really. Don't mind me."
"Eeeeh? Tell me! You can't just be cryptic about it and leave me hanging here! I need details!"
Rosa's smile—she just realized she has been making it—doesn't falter.
"Then… I'll just do this once, okay?"
"Ooooh? What's this? A special re—"
Lilia stops as soon as Rosa's hand finds Lilia's scalp. Stroking it tentatively.
Warmth creeps to Rosa's cheeks. She can't even bring herself to directly gaze into Lilia's eyes.
"Rosie…"
"Don't"
"Then… Rosa… the healing just stopped, you know?"
Her mana has indeed stopped flowing.
"Thanks…"
She mutters softly.
"Hm?"
Silence. Rosa's hand doesn't stop.
"You're going to make me say it twice, aren't you?"
"Not my fault I can't hear it"
Rosa lets out another exhale.
"...You're making that face"
"What face?"
"I know you have that smug smirk right now!"
"Whaaat? Nonsense!"
"Fine… FINE! Okay!? T-thanks for everything, I guess!"
"Pffft… what kind of thanks is that?"
Rosa buries her face in her hands.
"Shut it!"
She will never, EVER, do it again.
…
Fresh wind caresses Rosa's skin, drying off her sweat.
Quite far in front of her is a lake stretching out.
She can't tell where the other end of it is.
The water waves softly, reflecting the afternoon light.
The sun hangs low as the sky turns orange.
Quite the distance on her left is yet another abandoned shack, looking too small from where she stands.
On the edge of the lake is Frieda, clutching the staff.
Facing away from her toward the lake.
Quiet sobs muffled by the rustling of the nearby foliage.
Her shoulders are shaking. Golden hair waving with the grasses.
"I think we should leave her… for now…"
Lilia, still being carried by Rosa, mutters softly.
Her pink hair flows with the wind.
They, along with Lennard and Eihard who are carrying each other, turn their backs and head to the shack.
"Will she be alright?"
Lennard asks.
"After all those wards? I'll be surprised if any hermit or centipede can crawl past that! Rosie— Oof!"
Rosa bumps her elbow on Lilia's rib, gently. But it's enough to cut her off.
"Good thing the infuser is passively recharging. Otherwise, forget about the wards, even restraining that creature would have been impossible. She should be safe there for at least past dusk, even with the drain."
Lennard exhales in relief.
"Glad to hear it then"
"Lennard…"
Eihard calls. His voice is sharp. He continues.
"I haven't forgiven you yet."
"I know… I haven't forgiven myself either… Probably never will"
Lennard's jaw visibly clenches.
"But… if you're able to take my help… that's enough for me"
"Not like I have any choice"
"Even then, that is enough for me. As long as we both survive to sit with it…"
"...I might beat you up again"
"Then so be it. Next time, with our heads cleared up."
Silence. Rosa doesn't want to break it. Seems like neither does Lilia.
"I saw a place earlier… Sitting with it… might not be a bad idea…"
"We have time"
Both of them begin to shift direction.
"I'll check on you guys in around two hours. Try not to wander off too far. Even the wards have limits."
Eihard raises his hand, not looking back.
Lilia and Rosa continue to walk across the grassland edge of the lake.
Rosa still can't believe it. She is back outside. Safe.
All thanks to the badly injured girl next to her.
Maybe after all of that. Maybe after she managed to say it twice. Maybe she now could.
She opens her mouth.
She couldn't.
Her lips close with a sigh.
The quest slides into her mind. Void metal from the carapace should fulfill the bonus condition.
A list of ores in Lilia's note should meet the main objective.
She will be back safe and sound, hand over the result, and receive the coin.
She won't have to go questing for three months at least.
At least, she can focus on her shop.
She is one step closer to her dream.
Yet Frieda, Eihard, and Lennard come to her mind.
They lost someone. Because of the cave, the quest, probably the same person, they lost someone important.
She herself almost died. She almost lost Lilia.
Will she be able to live with money earned from blood?
Liesel is probably one of many.
"Rosaaa… Heyyy… Rosie~"
Something squishes her cheeks.
"You have three seconds"
"I called you five times. You didn't answer."
She pauses. Just briefly.
"I was… thinking of something"
"Well, obviously. You're making the face. Your eyes weren't quite forward either."
"That obvious?"
"That obvious~"
They continue to walk.
"I wonder if I should accept the reward"
"You mean the quest?"
Rosa nods. Softly.
"After the cave… I knew there were probably others besides me."
She grips Lilia's shoulder a bit tighter.
"But seeing how the cave took something important from Frieda, Eihard, and Lennard. Me and you. I can't see the gold the same."
Lilia keeps walking with her. She doesn't comment.
Rosa continues.
"What would you do in my position?"
"If I don't like the job in the first place, I won't accept it. Both the job and the rewards. But Rosa… you're not me."
Lilia pulls Rosa closer with her arm.
"You have your own problem. Your own dilemma. Your own… you. What do you want to do? Because either way, I'll be with you!"
"...So like always?"
"Like always!"