Chapter 8: To Battle!

Chapter 8: To Battle!

~ Precia ~

For a moment, I feel like passing out, but then…

“IIIIIIIIIIIINTRUUUUUUUUUUUUDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERS!!!!!”

…Daddy yells. He should be far away. Why can I hear him? Did I hit my head too hard? Intruders? What does he mean?

Ugh, my head hurts…

I drag myself into a more comfortable position. It takes some effort, and I feel like passing out even more. If Daddy hadn’t yelled, maybe I would have passed out. Finally, I lean against the tree I crashed into. It’s not far away, but I walked as far as possible. I feel dizzy. I’m so tired, so exhausted… I don’t want to feel anything. I want to sleep. I want Daddy to say I’m a good girl when I wake up.

The other children told me about their daddies and mommies. Some of them get hurt like me, but many others are loved. What does it even feel like to be loved? I want to know… I feel like screaming, but only muffled cries come out. Why did it have to be me? Me, who can’t ever get anything right? Why do I have to be Daddy’s daughter? Why do I have to inherit the throne? I don’t want to… Can’t I just be a normal kid?

Suddenly, the urge to bawl my eyes out overcomes me. I try to let go, forget that I’m special, and be an ordinary child who’s hurt. For a moment, I just let it happen. The sharp cries suddenly escaping me pierce the calm atmosphere, replacing the forest ambiance. Instead of making things better, I feel worse and worse with every sob. Suddenly, I don’t want to be alone anymore. I want someone kind to find me here. I want them to tell me that my nightmare is finally over… But all I can do is slowly drown in my tears.

Then, without warning, my vision turns black. Loosely, I can feel the impact. I fell over. There’s dirt on my face. My world is spinning. I hit my head too hard. I’m going to pass out. I mustn’t pass out…

Maybe I can use healing magic before it’s too late?

I’m barely conscious. I attempt to concentrate my mana, but it won’t gather in the right places. I can’t heal my injuries… One last time, the pain and Daddy enter my awareness, but neither keeps me from drifting into an uneasy state of unconsciousness…

*

~ Dave ~

“I KNEW IT!!!”

The Demon Lord’s distant scream still echoes through the forest, startling several birds into flight. I’m not sure if it’s anger or fear that makes me yell at Kenneth. Possibly both.

“Screw the mission! Let’s bail out!”

Although I’m sure I made it sound like an order, no one prepares to run, Beatrix’s familiar zooming across the sky, looking for the girl.

“He won’t be able to trace my location unless he destroys the familiar I created,” the old witch explains. “In other words, he can’t find us even if he knows we’re here as long as this barrier remains intact. However, yell anymore and I won’t have a single bit of Mana left if they, perchance, bump into the barrier and a fight breaks out after all!”

“I’ll save her no matter what,” Berserker claims, emptying the bottle in his hand, which only seems to cement his determination. “I’ll do it on my own if I must.”

“We’ll do it together,” Kenneth says, trying to calm everyone down, including me and my growing temper. He raises his sword while keeping his cool. His leadership qualities vastly surpass mine, yet he always leaves the final decision to me. “Won’t we, Dave?”

Will we? Do I want to take responsibility for the deaths of my comrades if it comes to that? Do I want to repeat my mistakes?

“I know what you’re thinking, Dave,” Kenneth says quietly. “You’re no longer that adventurer. This time, no one is going to die. Trust them and protect them with all you have. The fate of our nation could be at stake.”

I know all that, but still… I never want to live through this hell ever again…

“I found her,” Beatrix's voice emerges from the dispersing fog in my brain. “She never got far and collapsed near the building at the forest's edge. We could be there in a minute or two.”

“If we want to kidnap her, then we need to do it now,” Kenneth points out. “The Demon Lord will also be there shortly, and I’m sure it won’t be long before he sends his own familiars to search for his daughter.”

Or us… I keep the thought to myself, though. Kenneth is right: The past is the past, and the present is the present. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance. We’d be stupid not to take it.

I want to raise my voice to make the order, but Berserker is already on his feet and running, tripping over a log in his inebriation. However, he’s back on his feet in no time and charges forward like a bull, the siblings in his tow.

“Don’t make me regret this…” I sigh as I grip my shield and sword tightly. “We take her and then get the hell out of here. Let’s hurry!”

No one has any objections, and I see Kenneth smile proudly at me briefly before sprinting after Berserker, Beatrix abandoning all attempts at keeping barriers up, for we’re now too spaced out. Cursing loudly, the mage casts a levitation spell, attempting to catch up.

What kind of leader am I if I’m not running at the front?!

Quickly, I take after them.

*

I can’t catch up to Berserker. When I arrive at the suspected location, the drunk giant has already arrived. He must have recklessly charged through the undergrowth, for nasty cuts cover his forearms. However, it doesn’t seem to faze him. In fact, I doubt he’s even noticed. He holds the demon child firmly in his massive arms, cradling her gently.

I’ve never seen Berserker so gentle. Beholding this surreal scene leaves me temporarily stunned. There’s a first time for everything, I suppose…

The mage hasn’t been lying; the child is out cold and covered in scratches and bruises. A dress that once must have looked gracious on her is reduced to rags.

We have no time to lose. We may have to treat the brat later.

“Ken, you carry her,” I wheeze after taking that several hundred-meter sprint at full speed while geared for battle. Even Berserker is ringing for air as he obediently places the kid on the scientist’s back. Beatrix immediately conjures up a magic rope, tying them together so Kenneth can swing his sword if he must. Regardless, I need Berserker and the others fully battle-ready, while Kenneth falls into the ‘must be protected’ category.

If anything, he’s backup.

“Now, outta here and quick!” I order, but I’ve hardly set into motion when a sudden booming explosion shatters the invisible barrier Beatrix quickly reestablished around us, followed by magic spells fired blindly into the forest, downing the odd tree but leaving us unscathed.

They’ve found us! Shit!

“Never mind that!” I yell as everyone congregates around me in a defensive stance. If the enemy has such firepower, range, and speed, there’s no way we can outrun them. Fighting is unavoidable. My heart sinks. Quickly, I give orders to my team.

“Ken, stay out of the fight at all costs. You protect the hostage!”

Kenneth immediately lowers his sword and takes the rearguard. He won’t object to my orders regarding combat, which isn’t his field of expertise.

“Beatrix, focus on magic defense. If you have enough mana to send hexes their way, go for it. I have full trust in your skill and judgment!”

The witch immediately proves she’s up to the task as the next round of spells repel at a freshly erected, anti-magic barrier.

“Lance, Lucy, you guys fight with me as always. You know the drill.”

“For the cute demon princess, I’ll do anythin’!” Lance announces, although his gaze suggests he’s trying to find conveniently positioned tears in the child’s dress, but not finding any. The two siblings take their positions immediately — Lance to the left and Lucy to the right.

“Berserker…”

“I’ll take on the Demon Lord himself,” the giant mutters through gritted teeth, his expression grotesque. “He’s mine!”

I was gonna assign him to keep Ken safe. Should I let him loose like that?

I don’t know if it’s the adrenaline rush or that I’ve never seen my team more ready to fight. Either way, the fear that made me hesitate earlier no longer occupies my mind. If Berserker is determined, I’m sure he can move a mountain or take on the Demon Lord, for that matter.

Didn’t Ken say he might not be as tough as everyone thinks?

“The tavern bill’s on me for the rest of the month if we make it out of this one alive!” I shout as the barrier breaks once again, and a group of demons charges towards us.

Please don’t make me regret this, guys. Don’t die on me, okay?

I raise my sword. Then, I roar.

“TO BATTLE!!!”