As they set out toward the western desert, they stopped to rest and have lunch among the thick trees and green grass. Oran and Theron went out hunting, while Rin and Leon remained behind to protect the girls. Leon lit a fire while waiting for Oran and Theron's return.
At that moment, the two hunters arrived, each carrying a rabbit—since the Green Plains region is famous for its abundance of rabbits. Celine and Mona stepped forward to cook the rabbits while the others sat and chatted.
"It seems that things are going smoothly; we haven't encountered any demonic beasts since the start of our journey, and that worries me," Rin expressed his concern.
Oran replied thoughtfully, "It is indeed strange—the portal opens every day at sunset, yet no demonic beasts come out of it. Could it be the calm before the storm?" Confusion was evident on his face.
Leon added firmly, "We need to be more cautious. There must be something waiting for us. We know nothing about this mysterious portal. Who knows? Perhaps there is an entire world inside it, filled with creatures far more powerful than these wolves."
Worry spread across everyone's faces, but it was soon forgotten as Mona and Celine finished preparing the food and Lina served the dishes. They all sat on benches made from dead tree trunks—with Celine sitting next to Rin, followed by Leon, then Theron. Mona was in the middle, with Oran and Lina on her sides. Everyone began eating.
After the meal, they lay on the ground to rest, gazing at the beautiful clear sky, which stirred memories of the past.
Yet only Rin and Leon had eyes devoid of life, staring blankly at the sky. Their battle against the Earth Calamity Wolf had taken a deep toll on them. Although their physical wounds had completely healed, the psychological scars still lingered. They had pushed beyond the limits of their human bodies, using every ounce of their mental strength until blood flowed from their seven orifices. They fought on pure instinct, like beasts, leaving their gazes devoid of any spark of life.
At that moment, the group packed their belongings and set off again toward their destination. They proceeded in three groups: Rin and Celine, Oran and Theron, and Leon with Mona and Lina. They traveled separately, and if they found a suitable place to camp, they would light a fire as a signal to the others.
As Rin and Celine walked side by side, Celine asked, "What do you plan to do in the future, Rin?"
He answered softly, "I will continue to kill these demonic beasts until they are completely eradicated… maybe then I'll be able to sleep. I no longer feel like myself; perhaps I'll find solace if these creatures vanish." Sorrow filled his face.
Celine looked at him resolutely. "I'll support you—I too want these creatures destroyed. They killed my mother and my siblings; now I have only my father left… We await our fate, be it death or survival."
Rin turned to her and said seriously, "I won't let you die; I'll protect you all. I won't allow another soul to perish. I will keep increasing my strength until no demonic creature can stand before me. Each of us has a destiny, but sometimes even fate can be changed. So, do not fear; we must not give in but fight until the end. So… smile."
Celine smiled gently. "I'm grateful to you, Rin, but you must shed that coldness on your face—you and Leon. I know you both have endured hardships, but you must continue to live and protect those you love. Can you promise me that you'll try to let go of that coldness?"
He looked at her and said, "I'll try."
She replied with a hint of frustration, "But that isn't a promise. Come on, let's make a pinky promise."
They each raised their little finger and made a pinky promise, then continued their search for a place to spend the night.
---
The sun set, painting the sky with its bloody hue, and the crimson moon appeared. Yet no signal came from the others.
At that moment, Celine spotted a cave and waved to Rin, who moved forward to take a look.
"What do you think? Isn't this a good place to spend the night?" Celine asked.
Rin replied, "It's good—and spacious too. It will accommodate our group. Let's send a signal to the others."
But before he could do so, Celine said with a smile, "Wait, Rin… before that, smile. We had such a pleasant time searching."
Rin looked at her, about to smile, when suddenly an arm shaped like a sword pierced Celine's chest, and blood gushed out like a fountain, splattering all over Rin's face.
His smile turned to shock, his eyes widening in disbelief, now stained with blood. He hadn't yet comprehended what had happened, for a group of the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes had surrounded both Celine and Rin without their noticing. This type of creature was slightly larger than a human, with a black back tinged with red and golden arms as sharp as blades, with crimson, saw-like teeth that evoked intense terror. They were known as the "Silent Golden Sword Centipedes," and Rin recognized them immediately, though he had not yet fully grasped the situation.
Celine collapsed onto his shoulder, her mind still unable to process the rapid events.
Rin caught her and whispered, "I fear I won't be able to keep my promise, Celine…"
He tore a piece of his clothing and tied it securely so he could carry her on his back. Then he drew his sword, raised his head toward the sky, his hair covering his eyes and his face still stained with blood. Before him, the horde of Silent Golden Sword Centipedes advanced relentlessly.
He charged directly at the Silent Golden Sword Centipede that had pierced Celine's chest, swinging his sword to slice it in half with one blow, as green blood spattered along his blade. The others gave him no time to catch his breath; wave after wave of the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes advanced, yet he struck them down mercilessly with successive blows, the green blood clinging to his sword as if a black void were absorbing it. It was utterly terrifying.
At that moment, Rin plunged his sword into the ground, and yellow lightning sparks began to flow from beneath his feet, as if rain were rising from the earth toward the sky. Every one of the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes within his attack range was torn to pieces, and green blood soaked the ground. Yet, despite this, the creatures seemed endless, their numbers continuing unabated.
An hour passed, and Rin was still fighting, swinging his sword without pause—each strike felling dozens. His combat efficiency had increased since his battle with the "Lightning Calamity Wolf," reaching 2000; but now, in this second calamity, it had exceeded 3500. With each blow, he absorbed the blood of the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes, which sharpened his blade and made the fighting smoother, as if he were slicing through butter.
But despite his growing strength, anxiety crept in. He had been carrying Celine the entire time, and her blood had soaked him completely. If this continued, she would die at any moment. Rin thought to himself, "I must get out of here quickly… but why do their numbers never decrease? I must act!"
He tried to recall what Oran had once told him:
"When you face an enemy, try to imagine using his style or energy against him."
But before he could think further, he felt a slight movement on his back. Celine opened her eyes with difficulty and, in a faint voice, said, "Leave me… I must be a burden to you. I'll die anyway—take care of the others instead…"
She couldn't finish her words, as she coughed up a mouthful of blood onto Rin's back.
His whole body trembled, and he froze in place for a moment, refraining from striking the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes. Then he said in a firm voice, "I will not abandon any comrade… I promise you that you'll be alright—just hold on a little longer!"
He bent into a stance to draw his sword from its sheath, closed his eyes, and concentrated all his energy. The winds gathered around him, and blood began to flow from his seven orifices. Then he began to count:
"One… Two… Three…"
With one swift strike, all the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes around him were torn apart—even the surrounding trees were split in half.
Yet the power he had used was overwhelming, and Rin collapsed directly to the ground, exhausted, with Celine still on his back.
In a weak voice, he asked her, "Did you see that? You'll be alright…"
Celine smiled faintly and said, "I saw it… Thank you, Rin…"
Then she closed her eyes once more.
Rin rose with a pale face, feeling for her pulse. When he confirmed that she was still alive, he finally sighed with relief. Then he resumed the ritual of absorbing the blood of the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes so that no violent reaction would occur. After he finished, his combat efficiency reached 5000.
He carried Celine in his arms and walked with her until they reached a nearby cave. He laid her down gently, then tore a piece of her clothing at her chest to examine the wound. He felt a bit of embarrassment, but he had no choice—if he did nothing, she would continue bleeding to death. He began by cleaning the wound, then bandaged it tightly.
He thought to himself, "It seems that the blow did not hit her vital organs; that is reassuring…"
But suddenly, another Silent Golden Sword Centipede burst out from inside the cave, charging toward Celine!
Rin acted swiftly and cut the creature in one blow. Yet he wondered in astonishment, "How did this happen? I had inspected the cave beforehand and killed all the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes!"
He advanced a little further inside and discovered a hole that extended underground. Then he realized that some of these Silent Golden Sword Centipedes had made their way up from below.
"These Silent Golden Sword Centipedes are more dangerous than I expected… I cannot neglect Celine even for a moment."
Rin quickly returned to her side, then went out to light a fire as a signal to the other group before sitting next to her against the cave wall. He tore off the upper part of his clothing and placed it over her to shield her from the cold, while he remained naked, despite the bitter chill.
Some time passed, yet no one from his group appeared. Anxiety crept in.
"What happened to them? I sent the signal already… Did the Silent Golden Sword Centipedes stop them too? Were they injured?"
But he quickly dismissed those thoughts, knowing that Oran and Leon were strong—and that Leon would not allow any harm to come to Mona and Lina.
Lost in his thoughts, he heard Celine open her eyes and look at him.
Rin smiled and said, "It seems you've awakened… Didn't I tell you that you'd be alright? I won't let you die."
Celine looked at him happily and said, "You kept your promise… I'm so happy… but why are you naked?"
He replied, avoiding her gaze, "I was worried about you getting cold, so I covered you with my clothes…"
She tried to get up, but felt pain in her chest and clutched her wound in agony.
Rin said with concern, "What are you doing? You've sustained a serious injury—go back to sleep!"
But she refused, taking his shirt from him and saying, "Take it, wear it… It's so cold; don't worry about me—I'll be alright."
She looked away, embarrassed by the sight of his naked body.
When Rin put his shirt back on, Celine spoke, "Where are the others, Rin? And who bandaged my wound? I would like to thank her for that."
Rin's face flushed with embarrassment as he stuttered, "I sent the signal already, but no one came… They must have encountered some difficulties."
Celine shook her head and said, "I understand that now, but… why does your face look so red? You look like a tomato!"
She began laughing despite her pain, but suddenly her expression changed as she realized something. She looked at Rin and asked, "Tell me, Rin… did you bandage my wound?"
Rin replied shyly, avoiding her gaze, "I'm… very sorry, but if I hadn't acted, you would have died…"
Celine's face immediately turned red upon hearing that, and silence fell over the place for a moment. After she calmed down a bit, she said softly, "It's alright… I understand. I'm truly grateful to you."
Rin looked at her seriously and said, "There is no need to thank me… Your injury was my fault, for I was not vigilant enough about the presence of demonic beasts."
Celine smiled gently and said, "It isn't your fault at all; do not blame yourself."
Suddenly, Celine's expression changed; her eyes widened, and then silence reigned over the place. But after a few moments, she smiled gently and said, "It's alright… I understand. Thank you, Rin."
Rin looked at her and said, "There is no need to thank me… Your injury was my fault because I did not detect the monsters in time."
She replied quietly, "That isn't your fault; do not blame yourself."
Then he asked, "Are you hungry?"
She shook her head in denial, but suddenly her stomach made a loud noise—causing her face to flush with embarrassment—while Rin smiled for the first time in a long while.
Celine looked at him and said, "You know, Rin? You have a beautiful smile."
Rin felt embarrassed and rose to prepare dinner, but with each step, his smile and the sparkle in his eyes faded—as if that warm moment had been nothing more than a fleeting dream in a merciless world.
Celine kept smiling until Rin brought dinner. He had caught a rabbit while searching with her for a place to camp and had roasted it. Then he offered her a tender portion to eat.
After dinner, Celine lay on her back while Rin sat beside her, leaning against the cave w
all. They spent the night together, and Celine knew that Rin could not sleep, so she closed her eyes, waiting for the dawn to begin their journey anew.
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