Fremy scoured the ruins, panting. She called out to Adlet again and again, but no reply came, and she couldn’t even pick up any sounds of battle. All the fiends scattered throughout the ruins wailed so loudly, it was impossible to isolate Adlet’s voice from among them.
It was a mistake to chase Hans , Fremy thought regretfully. They’d been so close to victory and had let it slip through their fingers so easily.
She was angry at Adlet for making the decision to go after Hans. No matter what he said, Fremy understood what was really in his heart. He’d done it to save her and had wound up caught in his trap.
“Fremy!” Nashetania ran up to her, Chamo following close behind. The three hid in the shadows while the slave-fiends kept watch over the area. They spoke quietly so as not to alert the enemy.
“It’s impossible to find Adlet now,” said Nashetania. “We were probably led in the wrong direction.”
What should we do? Fremy thought impatiently. By now, Hans could have already captured Adlet. Now that it had come to this, they had to just make a decision. “We’re going back to Dozzu and Rolonia. We’ll carry out the plan.”
Nashetania gave her a somber look. “But…that would be dangerous. Adlet might have leaked information about it.”
“If Adlet believed he knew anything, he would have given the signal to call off the attack. That’s why I gave him a firecracker. It hasn’t gone off, so that means nothing’s been leaked yet. Adlet isn’t too stupid to pop one firecracker.”
“…It’s still too dangerous.”
Fremy was aware. But if they just kept running like this, Adlet would be killed.
It was all her fault they’d ended up in this predicament. Fremy couldn’t handle the idea of anyone dying because of her, least of all Adlet. “If we have to retreat, we can still do that later. Right now, we have to do this, Nashetania.”
“Do this? Do what?” Chamo asked, her expression puzzled.
“We arranged a ploy to kill Tgurneu,” said Fremy. “We encountered a few obstacles that put it on hold, though.”
“If you’ve got a plan, then do it. Chamo’ll leave Tgurneu to you guys and kill Hans.”
“We intend to. Leave it to us—Tgurneu is going down.”
But Nashetania was still reluctant. “…I believe it’s no bluff that Tgurneu has a hold on your life.”
“I don’t care. I’ll throw away my life any time if it’s to kill that fiend,” insisted Fremy.
“…We would like to avoid the deaths of as many Braves as possible. We need you.”
“Even if I die, you’ll still have the others. That should be enough.” Fremy was about to head back to Dozzu with a reluctant Nashetania when she heard a voice coming from above. Looking up, she saw a white bird-fiend soaring through the air.
Fremy was surprised. She thought she’d killed all but two of the aerial fiends. The fiend crying out now was neither of those survivors.
“[Mëssage for the Braves! Adlet has fällen into Cómmander Tgurneu’s clutches!]”
A strange phenomenon occurred then. Fremy was certain the bird-fiend’s message was true, sure beyond a shadow of a doubt. Chamo and Nashetania looked at each other. It seemed the same thing had happened to them, too.
“[Now böth Fremy and Adlet are our höstages! A curse has been cäst upon him!]”
Fremy gulped. So Adlet had been captured after all. But Fremy had been thinking there still had to be a way to save him. The fiend’s message was her worst nightmare.
“[Listen wëll! If Cómmander Tgurneu dies, then Fremy dies, and if Fremy dies, sö does Adlet! Even if Ädlet is freed, the curse on him will nöt be úndone!]”
The fiend’s words were unbelievable. Fremy had no idea what ability Tgurneu had used on Adlet. The voice of the white bird-fiend carried a mysterious power, though, and Fremy couldn’t doubt it was true.
“What was that?”
“I believe that was the power of the Saint of Words.” Nashetania answered Chamo’s question. “I’d say an application of her power to prevent lies, most likely.”
Fremy raised her gun. She would shoot down that fiend, capture it, and then demand information about Adlet and Tgurneu. The moment she fixed her aim, though, the white bird-fiend gave a particularly loud screech, stopped flapping, and plunged to the ground.
Not long after, a slave-fiend of Chamo’s retrieved the body. It had shattered its own core with a claw. Having accomplished its goal, it had killed itself.
“That wasn’t a lie?” asked Fremy. “Not a technique to make someone believe a lie is truth?”
“I don’t believe the Saint of Words would have such an ability,” asserted Nashetania. “You should understand, too, Fremy, that it was telling the truth.”
She was right. They didn’t know what Tgurneu had done to Adlet, but it was a fact that Adlet would die if she did.
“…He was weak,” said Chamo. “So Adlet’s gonna die, too, huh? Well, too bad. Doesn’t matter how Tgurneu fights, we’ve gotta kill it. You’re okay with that, right, Fremy?”
“…Chamo.” Nashetania was wavering.
Fremy realized she was trembling. She squeezed her own shoulders tight.
✦ ✦ ✦
Tgurneu could just barely hear the dying cry of the white bird-fiend. It seemed it had fulfilled its duty properly.
The message Tgurneu had sent them was all true. If Fremy died, Adlet would die, too. Even now, Tgurneu was using its power to force Adlet to love her. His heart wouldn’t be able to withstand her death. He would either kill himself, or his broken heart would kill him.
But Tgurneu hadn’t told them everything. Fremy surely misunderstood. She must believe that, since Adlet had been captured, Tgurneu had put something into his body that would kill him instantly upon Fremy’s death. But that wasn’t the case. Tgurneu’s message had been true for some time.
But either way, Fremy had been informed that Adlet was in danger. She knew he would die if she did, so Tgurneu understood quite clearly what she would do now.
✦ ✦ ✦
“What, you’re getting cold feet, Fremy?” Chamo asked icily. “It’s so obvious. So obvious, it’s like, is Tgurneu stupid? It’s trying to buy time. It wants to kill all the Braves with the power of the Black Barrenbloom while we’re busy trying to save you and Adlet. We don’t have time for all this waffling. If you guys have a plan, do it now. Tgurneu’s gotta go.”
“…I know. I know that, Chamo.” But Fremy couldn’t move.
Fremy had told Adlet time and time again that they couldn’t afford to fear making sacrifices now. She’d told him to make sure they killed Tgurneu. But she’d always assumed that the sacrifice would be her. She’d been trying to tell Adlet not to put the others in danger in an attempt to protect her.
She’d never considered he would be a sacrifice.
“Are you gonna keep waiting until we all die, Fremy?” demanded Chamo.
“…The plan…” will go forward , Fremy started to say, but her mouth stopped, and then, other words slipped out. “…can’t happen yet.”
“…Chamo’s had it with you.” The diminutive Saint’s voice was filled with anger.
“The fiend said that if Tgurneu dies, I die, and it’s clearly about this…this red mark. It just said that I die if Tgurneu does, and Adlet dies if I do. So if I can cure this, we can kill Tgurneu without my death. And then, Adlet will be safe, too.”
“I agree that much is true,” said Nashetania. “But…”
“We’ve ignored it so far. But maybe there’s a way to undo it. Let’s go see Rolonia and have her really examine it one more time. She might find something, some way…”
“Whatever,” Chamo spat. “Chamo’s not expecting anything now. Chamo’s gonna kill Tgurneu. And Hans, too. You’re all nothing but idiots!” Chamo started leaving.
Nashetania called after her. “Take this, Chamo. If you find Tgurneu, please throw this in the air. We’ve agreed to all gather on that signal.” Nashetania handed the flash grenade tucked under her armor to Chamo. Scowling and grumpy, Chamo took it and slipped it into a belt pouch. Then, without a backward glance, she left the ruined building.
“Fremy, for now, let’s meet up with Rolonia to find a way to cure that red mark. Dozzu might know something,” said Nashetania.
Without a word, Fremy drew her gun and pointed it at Nashetania. “Spit it out. Everything.”
Nashetania’s eyes widened. She raised her one arm, indicating she wasn’t going to attack. “…Spit what out?”
“It looks to me like you two knew this would happen. You wanted me to be a hostage and Adlet to get captured. You were pretending to obey him to achieve that goal. I can’t see it any other way.”
“Fremy…”
“What are you plotting? Were you going to take advantage of our fight with Tgurneu to kill us all? Or is your plan for us to finish one another off?” Fremy aimed for Nashetania’s forehead. At this range, Nashetania would never be able to dodge it.
But Nashetania sighed quietly. “You’re a fool, Fremy.”