"Hahh… Hahh."
I was running at my absolute top speed, every step crashing against large, dry leaves and making a loud rustling sound. I panted heavily, feeling as if my lungs were about to burst. I was running to escape. My plan was simple: first, I had to find a small village where I could stay for a few days to lay low. Then, after gathering enough resources for my survival, I would head back.
But the main issue was that I didn't know any way back to Kraven other than the mountain caves. Time was limited; once the human army learned that the village had changed stakes, they would soon delete the entire village from the map.
Diana, please, you are my only hope for the village.
As I was running, I heard a sudden gust of wind coming from behind. It arrived with a sharp whoosh, carrying a pressure that felt terrifyingly familiar. Glancing back slightly, I saw that same white light aiming straight for my head. I threw myself to the ground, diving just in time to save my head from being chopped off.
Checking my surroundings, I knew it was clearly him. The forest trees behind me had been cleanly sliced down by that light.
Don't be kidding me, already?!
I turned back around. The shadows of the dense trees darkened my vision, but I could clearly hear the sound of calm footsteps approaching. He was getting closer with every single step.
"Damn it!"
My expression twisted into panic as I started running again. How was this possible? I knew the guy was strong, but was Rosella really too weak to hold him down a little longer? What happened to her? Who the hell was this guy?
My head was clouded with a million questions, but there was no time to think deeply. The only thing I needed to focus on was how to escape him. I might be smart, but against someone like him, I didn't even know what to do.
His attacks remained constant, and I barely managed to save myself as I ran aimlessly through the woods. Suddenly, the path led me straight to a mountain peak. I rushed to the edge and looked down. It was incredibly deep, but I could see a river rushing beneath it.
Finally, Captain Charles caught up to me. His hand rested on his sword hilt as I stood pinned against the corner of the cliff. Seeing that I had no place left to run, he let go of his sword and began to clap.
"Well, well. It seems your struggle ends here," Charles said. "Don't worry, I am not like the demons who enjoy tormenting humans. But I will not let you escape, either."
I took a deep breath, remaining highly cautious of my surroundings. At the same time, I thought about a dynamic from every game I had ever played—strong story players were often kept in the dark. There was a good chance he didn't know the kingdom was using demons as mana fuel. First, I needed to get him to lower his guard.
"So, are you going to let me live if I go with you?" I asked.
"Live? I don't think so," Charles replied. "Siding with demons and helping the Demon Queen escape is serious treason in the eyes of the kingdom. If you get lucky in court, you might get a quick death."
"I see. So there's no way to save my skin?" I paused, looking at him with genuine curiosity and worry. "What about Rosella? Will she be punished the same way?"
I may have used her to escape, but her throwing herself into danger to save me was entirely out of my calculations. I had planned everything so that it wouldn't affect her position, but now, I couldn't even imagine what they would do to her.
Charles sighed. "As for Rosella-sama, her title shall be stripped. But we cannot forget she was a member of the Hero's party who led us to victory. Death will not be given to her, but yes—a lifetime in prison is inevitable."
He took a step forward to approach me. I immediately took a step back toward the edge.
"Do you know about the mana extraction they are doing in the kingdom?" I asked quickly.
"Hm?" He stopped.
Did I hit the spot? Maybe he really didn't know about it. This was my best shot; if I told him the truth, he might at least let me escape.
"You mean this?" Charles asked.
He threw down a few small, palm-sized blocks. To me, having never seen one before, they looked like simple, colorful blocks. But they were clearly not simple at all—they were actively releasing a strange kind of energy.
"So, that means…" I stared at him, terror washing over me as my last resort failed.
"Now, enough talk," Charles said coldly. "Let's capture you first, and then we will calmly discuss the Demon Queen's whereabouts."
He took a swift, sudden step forward to catch me off guard. Reacting on pure instinct, I lifted my right hand, supporting my wrist with my left.
"Incendio!"
The moment I shouted the word, glowing red marks appeared on my hand. A massive blast of wildfire erupted forward, spreading outward with a violent recoil that threw me straight off the cliff corner.
Seeing a spell of such massive scale, Charles's eyes widened in sheer surprise. He quickly unsheathed his sword, stabbed it into the ground, and cast a protective barrier.
"Sanctuary!"
A diamond-shaped wall of light materialized around him, shielding him from the flames.
"Aree…?"
I watched the blast, noticing that even Charles seemed to be struggling against it. But then I blinked twice, realizing my field of vision was rapidly dropping lower and lower.
"Wait? Wait, wait, WAIT!!!"
My voice rose in pure panic as I fell from the cliff, plummeting directly toward the roaring river below.
What?! I knew Verixa said this was powerful, but I didn't know it was THAT powerful! I'm going to die… I'm going to die!
[Flashback: Back to the preparations, right after Tez cast his illusion magic...]
"Hmm, I still can't tell whether the illusion magic worked or not, but thanks anyway, Tez," I said, checking my reflection in a small hand mirror.
"Uhh-hmm… Now it's my turn to give you something, so lean down," Verixa said.
I did as she asked, bending down slightly. She placed her palm flat against my chest and cast a spell that radiated a deep, comforting warmth.
"Now, everything is done!" she said with a bright grin.
"What did you do to me? Put a curse on me?" I teased, trying to get a reaction out of her.
"Why would I put a curse on you?!" Verixa shouted, her voice rising in frustration. She began punching me in the chest, though her attack power was practically zero.
I grinned at her frustrated face. Suddenly, she leaned in closer and clutched my shirt tightly.
"Promise me you will return safely," she muttered.
"Haha… worried about me?" I teased again, gently placing my hand on her head. "Don't worry. I'm an expert at managing situations. I'll make it through somehow."
Present Day
I closed my eyes, accepting my fate as the rushing water surged up to meet me.
Slam!
"Hmmm," I muttered.
My eyelids felt incredibly heavy. Struggling to open them, the first thing I saw was a plain, white ceiling overhead. Confusion washed over me; I was absolutely certain I had been about to smash into the water's surface.
I tried to turn my head to check my surroundings and realized someone was holding my hand. Looking around, I found myself lying in a hospital bed. My eyes widened in shock as I saw a girl with the same dark hair as me sitting on a stool right next to the bed.
My mind reeled with utter confusion as I realized the truth: I had been completely transferred back to my original world.