Still sinking further

Five weeks later.

I'd long since accepted that Oscar wouldn't come back—and I'd also given up on masking my feelings, so now my two companions saw me as the miserable wretch that I was. Rasbora hadn't tried to approach me again since I confessed my crimes. Good.

The only reason I kept dragging my feet over the sludge—forcing myself to get up every morning—was because stopping and becoming dead weight was the one way to sink any lower.

Today was no different—it shouldn't be.

The sun floated high up. We'd gotten down from our buffalos much sooner than usual and left them behind. With Betta at the front, we advanced while examining our surroundings.

Yellow tallgrass as far as the eye could see, swayed by the winds and adorning a myriad of bark-colored hills. The soil underneath was solid and mostly dry. No random puddles threatening to trip us up, which was becoming less the exception and more the rule the further north we ventured.

Our trek around the dreamy landscape continued for an hour or two. I almost allowed myself to enjoy it.

Until we found what we'd been searching for: a lone medium Cursed. The rumors had turned true, for once. An uncommon sight, since only greater Cursed lived alone as a general rule, so this one either got lost or was the sole survivor of its family—though not for long.

"There you go, Rasbora. Have at it," Betta said, hands on her hips.

"Aye." She advanced towards the creature, which had just noticed us and raised its pincers while clacking a low rumble.

I'd expected her to protest when she got told she'd fight it alone. Well, perhaps more like sulk, fidget or beg to not be forced with such a burden.

Yet here she was, standing alone against a medium tier Cursed—her battle experience little more than a farmer's and her Blessing not even meant for direct combat. Her hand gripped her mace and swung it at the creature with the resolve to fight with everything she had.

Rasbora flew back like a ragdoll at the first swing of her opponent. Betta cursed and dashed in to keep the animal distracted while I walked to the side to do the one thing I was useful for.

Broken arm, a few fractures along the shoulder and ribs, and some internal bleeding. Nothing serious.

The affected parts got covered in blue light when I began the healing. She wailed and twisted as I rearranged her insides.

"Sorry. I'll numb your pain perception before I continue." It had been a while since I'd done it, since skipping that part was faster and thus preferable during serious battles.

"No, it's fine. Ah can take it. Make it fast so ah can go back to fighting."

…

Whatever you say.

I focused on doing my thing the fastest I could.

Which was—still—slower than expected.

This could no longer be attributed to my low energy or sluggish demeanor—my healing was getting weaker. I was losing my Blessing. It had taken too long considering how much time I'd spent as a failure.

And at this point, I barely cared. What difference did it make for someone to kick you an extra time when you were already down on the ground?

If I got lucky and lost the entirety of my powers soon, we'd be forced to cancel the quest. It would be yet another failure to add to the pile, but at least I'd save myself from confronting what awaited at the end of this journey.

When I was done, Rasbora's wound had disappeared without a trace.

"Thank ya, Corydorin," she said while beaming. Why was she wasting her gratitude on me?

The girl rushed back to the Cursed and called out to Betta to let her take over. By the time they swapped, the animal's attitude had shifted. It no longer attacked Rasbora and instead kept the distance while moving around, probably looking for an opening to flee—but Betta always positioned herself in the way.

She hadn't hurt it visibly, but she must've made it aware of the fact that she could kill it the moment she so desired.

There was nothing the creature could do about it, even if it didn't want to fight anymore.

I watched this macabre game of tag without lifting a finger.

Not feeling a thing.

Nothing at all.

I wouldn't intervene.

Why would I? It wasn't like I'd be able to—

During one of Betta's sidesteps to cut its escape path, I used my magic to create a quagmire underneath, trapping her feet. Aid magic… to help the Cursed instead of my fellow Paladin. The animal rushed away at the chance, putting up distance at a surprising pace for its size.

Rather than chase after it, Rasbora looked at me, confused.

And rather than chase after it, Betta bolted at me when she realized I was behind this.

Here comes the strangling I was promised.

"What the fuck was that? Explain. Now!"

"Have you ever seen a pair of kids playing with a beetle? And how they just kill it when they get bored?"

"Why do I even bother asking?"

A burst of pain struck my stomach, forcing me to bend over. It was followed by a hit to my face. I lost balance and dropped on the grass.

"Betta, wait—"

"You stay out of this." She shut Rasbora's puny attempt at mediation. The girl wouldn't dare try again.

Now it was only me and my punishment.

Betta punched me again. I barely felt this one. She followed with a kick that dropped my head on the ground, then raised a foot to kick me—

"Enough!" Rasbora pushed her away.

…

Rasbora pushed Betta away.

Huh?

"What are you doing?" Betta didn't even sound mad but rather… baffled, perhaps more than me.

"S-sorry." Whatever had possessed Rasbora was nowhere to be seen now. Her head dropped and her hands fidgeted so fast they could spark a fire.

"Are you messing with me? You choose now of all times to grow a spine? And for him? You know what he did, why are you defending this walking waste of air?

"Let's just… calm down, please." Rasbora's trembling eyes lifted toward Betta, though unable to hold her gaze for more than a second at a time.

I could hear the pressure in Betta's clenched knuckles.

Then it stopped, and she grinned. She grinned and my shoulders shivered like I'd been left out on a bog overnight.

"Sure, I'm calm now," she said.

"R-really?" Rasbora barely dared look up from the yellow strands underneath, so she made the mistake of relaxing.

"Yeah. Now block this."

"Block—" Betta flew at her with a kick to the gut that sent her sprawling on the ground.

"Stand up," she said as she strode forward.

Rasbora replied with nothing but a wheeze. She was then lifted from under the shoulders and immediately hit again—thrown back to the turf.

"Just so we're clear," Betta said. "I'm not punishing you or venting out. I wanted to train you myself instead of relying on the bugs, but I was worried you wouldn't be able to handle it."

This time, Rasbora stood up herself and she even blocked the next strike—though that didn't stop it from breaking through her guard and knocking her down yet another time.

Betta continued. "So I'm glad you've grown some balls. I'll also forgive the pretentious oaf this one time, since his blunder got us to this situation."

My body started to move but froze when Rasbora grunted and stood again. She used her recovery magic to patch herself up then raised her guard. And this time, she held her gaze on Betta with an intensity I'd never before seen on that girl.

I hated that I recognized that expression.

The look of someone fighting to protect.

Divines damn it, Rasbora.

You should save such determination for real victims—for people who deserve it.

I wanted to intervene. Stop the stupid girl from further hurting herself, yet the part of me that knew that feeling refused to step on her resolve.

So I stood there and watched her get handled like a toy by a monster more terrifying than any Cursed.

Rasbora's nose was broken, leaking like an old roof. Blue spots formed around her face as it started to swell. One of her teeth flew out.

Yet the fire in her eyes didn't go out.

And as long as it didn't, Betta wouldn't stop—and I wouldn't stop her.

ᗢ⫘⫘⫘⫘𖦹⫘⫘⫘⫘♡

Rasbora woke up about an hour after the beating. She lay on the golden grass under a tint of red as the sun was setting.

Physically, her body was as good as new—nose fixed in place, no swelling or bruising to be seen. I'd even cleaned up the blood. This was the best treatment I could provide—but it only worked on physical wounds.

She'd have nightmares about today. Of Betta hitting her with the ferocity of a wild beast, disregarding any risk of lasting damage since it could all be healed anyway.

And all of this for what? For me?

"Did Betta hit ya any more after ah was out?"

My face tensed and I decided not to hide the bitterness.

"No, she left when you stopped convulsing after each punch."

"Ah, see. Then that's good."

Such a sweet, innocent smile. I'd seen it before—and I'd spit on the one offering it to me.

Thank you, Rasbora.

And I'm sorry.

"How about next time you mind your own fucking business?"

I tore up that smile, again.

"W-what?"

"I didn't ask for your help. Do you know how humiliating it is to have a rookie stand up for me? For a girl a decade younger to protect me from a woman half my height?"

I put every bit of bile and rancor I could into my words. It was easy—just had to take the disgust I felt at myself and point it outwards.

"Don't you ever do something like this again."

Before she had the chance to process any of what I'd said, I stormed out.

A few timid words tried to hold me back, but they were so weak I shook off their grip with ease.

I won't let you make the same mistakes as him, Rasbora.

You still have a life to lose.