“Th-There’s just…too many of them,” she says. “I’ve never heard of a horde this size before!”
“Should we head back, Claire? We have to get the villagers away from here as quickly as possible!”
It’s clearly evident that my sister, who is always so strong and full of energy, has lost hope. There’s no way the two of us alone can take on a horde of this size. We had planned on doing what we could, but this was like pouring a cup of water on a volcano to extinguish the flames. The only thing left to do now is to warn the villagers, so they have time to escape. The village has a high possibility of ending up in shambles, but it’s a much better prospect than everyone dying instead!
“I’m not sure if we’ll both make it in time. Miku, you have to warn them! I’ll stay here and try to buy you some time…!”
“Don’t be absurd!”
“I’ll be fine! I promise I’ll escape if I get an opening, but you won’t make it in time otherwise! Go on! Go!”
I stare back into Claire’s deep red eyes and watch as one emotion after another flashes through them; determination, and then fear. I bite my lower lip, balling my hands into tight fists before wings of light spread from my back and I shoot off into the sky. Before I leave, I place a simple ward around the monsters that will hopefully give Claire brief respite. It will only last for less than a minute, but it’s better than nothing.
“I’ll come back for you; I promise.”
“Mm-hm. I’ll be here.”
We lightly bump fists before I fly off without a backward glance.
I’ll make it.
When I go all out, I’m incredibly fast! We did train pretty hard, after all! I can’t help but worry, though, and that’s why I have to hurry. I’m shy, slow, and not really good at anything. Will the villagers really believe someone like me…? Yes. They have to. More than anything, Claire’s life depends on it. I channel more magic than usual into my outspread wings and zip along at full speed toward the village. Just then…
“Huh…?”
Almost immediately after I take off, I spot someone. They’re quite a distance outside the village, and I’m confused why there might be anyone out here alone, in the middle of nowhere. Yet, here they are. Three of them, in fact. Among them, I can’t help but recognize that soft, silky blonde hair and those gorgeous facial features.
“Hey. Seems we meet again. I’ve got a lot of questions, but mainly: what brings you out here?” he asks.
“Wh-What brings ME…?” I stutter.
I hover in the air, puzzled, and he extends a hand out toward me.
“Let’s just say I have a bad feeling about something that I would prefer not to come true. Time is of the essence, huh? And now, you need our help. Is that about right, Miku?”
All I can do is nod, dumbfounded, as he says my name with a soft smile on his lips.
“So, you were right, huh?”
A shorter guy with black hair mutters sourly under his breath, almost incredulously, as I lead the trio of men, including Ektor, onward.
“Seems like Ektor’s arrogance is spot on once again, Macro! And you said he’s out of his mind!”
“You said the same, Rinny!”
“You both need a lesson in manners.”
All I can do is watch on, flustered, as the three men exchange snide remarks, laughing merrily all the while, despite the severity of the situation. I have a feeling the three of them are our only chance of successfully holding the monster horde at bay. They clearly wield considerable power by the way all the hairs on my body are standing on end.
On top of that, despite being demi-humans, they have the appearance of normal humans. Normally, demi-humans retain some features of their main race even while in humanoid form, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for them. The fact that they can disguise themselves so perfectly is further proof of the power they hold.
“You’re surprisingly useful, aren’t ya, little silver Foxie?”
“Bwah?!” I squeak.
“Rinny, knock it off! You’re talking like some sort of ruffian. I’m sorry, Miku. Rinny’s a harmless goof. He’s simply confirming the scope of your abilities, so no need to worry, okay?”
“Really?”
“He’s right, my bad. Could tell you possessed some sort of power, that’s all.”
The taller, muscular young man with tousled red hair speaks so roughly that it unconsciously puts me on edge. He corrects himself in a softer tone of voice, making me realize he isn’t such a bad guy after all. Still…with a guy so big and a voice so deep, I can’t help but be a little frightened!
“H-How do you know that?”
As I went to speak, my voice wavers. Ugh!
“You’ve scared her half to death! Rinny, you’re a barbarian.”
“Shut your pessimistic pie hole!”
“When all you do is yell, the words that come out lack intelligence.”
“You…!”
Both the redhead, who is quick to anger, and the shorter, black-haired boy, who constantly eggs him on, are terrifying!
This isn’t the time for any of this!
“Settle down, both of you. At least until we make it to the monster horde— What?!”
“Claire!”
Just as Ektor chides the two boys, a huge explosion erupts somewhere ahead of us, and we all look toward the source of the noise. My eyes sweep the sky for any signs of Claire, my body moving before I realize what’s happening.
Claire must have caused the explosion herself. She could have used the force of the explosion to send herself flying, as a means of escape.
It’s a dangerous tactic, though, as she could just as easily hurt herself in the process, and I can’t see her body anywhere!
She can only use offensive magic, meaning she won’t be able to break her fall, and the fall itself would be from too high up to land gracefully without any sort of help! I have to try and catch her before she hits the ground, but I’m not sure I can make it in time.
I immediately morph into my pure beast form, something I hardly ever do. As a fox, my body is bigger and stronger, meaning I might still have a chance. Wings of light sprout from my vulpine back and the wind sweeps my silver fur back as I shoot off into the sky.
“Wow… She’s gorgeous.”
“We don’t have time for you to stand around gawking, dummy Rinny!”
“Shut up! I’m moving!”
I can vaguely make out voices shouting from behind me as the trio begin to engage in battle with the horde. Speaking of which, Claire always warned me to never let anyone see my true beast form because of how sacred it is. Bad people with bad intentions might do unspeakable things to me. I can’t believe I went back on my word…but helping Claire right now is my top priority. There’s no way I can live without her!
“Claaaaaaire!!”
I spot Claire plummeting from the sky motionless, and I manage to snatch her torn clothing out of mid-air. Changing direction, I land on the ground some distance from the monster horde.
“Mi…ku…?”
“Claire! Claire! Hang on…! I’m gonna help you!”