There was a blue sky ahead, and the sun—which had just passed its peak—seared my eyes. I had apparently reached the opposite end of the meager woods. All I could see was a small hill beyond a wasteland with no obstacles in between. Dogs were barking behind me again; they had probably released a new pack. There were more orc roars than before as well. The force from the village had most likely recovered from its confusion and joined the chase.
I would die if I stopped here. It was all or nothing. I took off, sprinting as fast as I could. If I could reach the hill, I wouldn’t have to worry about being shot in the back for the time being. If my memories of when I’d flown here served me right, there was a larger forest just beyond it. If I could get there before they reached the hill, perhaps I would be able to shake them off.
Halfway up the hill, everything suddenly went south. Close to a hundred orcs had formed three lines right at the edge of the forest behind me, their guns at the ready. Turning toward the enemy, I deployed a shield of light from both hands and squatted on the spot. They fired, and I angled my shield in the hopes that the bullets would glance off.
A shrill screech pierced my eardrums as my shattered shield let off a flash like blue lightning. A bullet grazed my ear while countless others littered the dirt around me. I could feel my mana rapidly drain away. It took a few seconds for me to recover from the sounds, the lights, and the mana loss. It was evidently a bad idea to pour even more mana in to block the volley.
I made sure Kyel was alive just as a new line of orcs emerged from the smoke. As luck would have it, that barrage came from only one of the three lines. I immediately readied my defenses again. The enemy fired. The shield shattered just as it had before, but the bullets didn’t hit me. It seemed the shield angle was paying off. In no time at all, the third line was out in full force. I took a defensive stance with an even greater angle than last time.
Then the third volley hurtled toward me. The shield burst, but I was still in one piece. However, my head was spinning after having my shields broken one after another. I barely managed to move my unsteady feet as I turned my back to the orcs and ran off. Only a few more steps to the summit.
My final leap came at the same time as the sound of guns. A fresh batch of bullets passed over me as I slid headfirst down the slope. I could see a large forest ahead. There was still some way to go, but I was quite a bit faster than the orcs. Once they had finished reloading and reached the hilltop, I would be out of range. For now, it seemed I had surmounted the predicament.
But that didn’t mean I could just sit on my laurels. I immediately hoisted myself up and started running. I could only take a deep breath once I was behind those trees. I ran with all my might, but halfway there, I heard that sinister barking from behind.
Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!
Those hunting dogs again. I glanced back to see ten of them this time. They would catch up before we reached the forest. I tossed Kyel down on the spot and projected a spear from both hands, standing my ground. The dogs surrounded me, not giving Kyel a second glance. I stabbed at the nearest one. It backed off to try to avoid the blow, but now that I had unloaded some weight, I was faster.
First one down.
A second one rushed to its comrade’s aid. I took it out with the spear in my other hand. Keeping up that momentum, I cut down one dog after the next. I took out those brave and faithful hounds until not a single one remained, though their courage pained my heart.
I’d taken them down faster than expected. Perhaps I’d reach the forest after all, I thought, getting Kyel back over my shoulder. “Let’s go,” I said, only to realize that his eyes were fixed on something behind me. The orc soldiers were sprouting from the hill line. I shoved him behind me, formed a shield with both hands, and solidified my defenses.
First shot, done.
Second shot, done.
Third shot, just barely.
I would have a little time before the first line finished reloading. I needed to get as much distance as I could—but with the next step, I toppled sideways.
“H-hero?!”
Kyel untangled himself from me, shielding his broken leg as he propped me up.
“Thanks.”
I was back up, preparing for the enemy’s gunfire again. I curled up, making myself as small of a target as possible, sticking my hands out, and forming a shield, which fizzled out no sooner than it appeared.
Out of mana.
Kyel’s face filled with despair. I formed a spear instead of a shield—though it was only as long as a sword. That was the limit to what I could make now.
With a grin to cheer him up, I said, “It’s all right.” The despair disappeared from his eyes, but it was replaced with fear. Why? I was just trying to cheer him up.
Even so, he pulled a dagger from his waist and readied himself. Good, that’s the spirit. It would be quite a shoddy end, but that’s life for you. Why not go out like a hero?
The sound of a horn interrupted my thoughts.
I turned to see an unbelievable scene. The forest was rustling as horsemen emerged from it. Faced with a sudden cavalry charge, the orcs, who had made it halfway down the hill, fell into a panic, even throwing down the guns they had nearly finished loading. The ground rumbled as the horsemen raced past me with halberds in their hands, trampling down the fleeing orcs.
“Ha… Ha ha ha…”
From the look on his face and the weak laugh, it seemed that Kyel had resolved to meet his death. The sudden miracle had thrown his mind off balance.