Chapter 149
Bibi brushed off the frost that had splashed on her face. The tent caught in the explosion had half-collapsed.
The entire guard who had sworn to protect her now drew their swords, showing killing intent toward Bibi. Even those who had maintained close bonds throughout their lives.
In that moment swallowed by despair, the final forgotten knight leaped in.
Damian.
Could there be such a twist of fate? The disciple of the woman she so despised now stood firmly protecting Bibi. Wielding just a humble wooden sword.
Nielin, who had been standing back, raised his sword. Slowly, smoke began rising from the blade. He had manifested sword aura.
Following the sword aura, ground vapor slowly rose. With sword aura manifested, it could cut even through hard magic creature bones and shells.
The wooden sword would clearly split in half like butter without offering any resistance.
It was a fight without hope of victory. Damian alone couldn't face all these soldiers including Nielin.
Bibi squeezed her eyes shut. Could there be such a twist of fate? That in the final moment, the one showing loyalty was not those who had been with her for decades, but a boy she'd met just days ago.
She suppressed the emotions boiling inside.
"...You'll die if you fight like this. At least you should escape."
Nielin walked toward Damian. Damian met him without pretending to hear Bibi's words.
Nielin's sword, imbued with sword aura, rushed at Damian.
Bibi squeezed her eyes shut.
Clang!
When the wooden sword and sword aura collided, a solid clang echoed out as if steel had met steel.
Bibi slowly opened her eyes. A different situation than expected was unfolding. He had blocked Nielin's strike with just a wooden sword.
Sparks flew as the swords clashed multiple times.
Though blocking Nielin's strike was impressive, holding out beyond that was impossible.
Because they had no intention of watching a one-on-one duel. The guard, with overwhelming numerical superiority, abandoned chivalry and began attacking together.
The mages in the rear started chanting.
While busy blocking Nielin, fireballs also flew at Damian.
When Damian displayed his reflexes to deflect the magical attack, Nielin seized the opening and thrust his sword.
This cut the skin near his left ribs. Blood sprayed lightly in drops.
Then Nielin's lieutenant joined in. It was a three-against-one situation plus magical attacks. Damian activated three bombs and dropped them at his feet. Whether deliberate or accidental, if they exploded like that it would be no different from self-destruction.
The bombs began glowing blue as mana condensed.
"Danger...!"
Before Bibi could finish shouting, Damian ran back, embraced her, and blocked the frost explosion with his body.
Frost wind blew in as if winter's north wind had suddenly struck. Though it seemed Damian would suffer fatal wounds taking the explosion head-on, he was only covered in white powder but otherwise unharmed.
Nielin and his lieutenants were covered in frost from the explosion and blown back. Damian whispered in Bibi's ear, "I didn't come here to die."
Damian grabbed Bibi's wrist and began to run.
If they truly harbored ill will and intended to betray the Duchess, they might deserve death, but since they were under the circulation system's control, killing them all wasn't the right choice.
For this reason, my fight became even more difficult. If I could have settled it all at once there, I might have somehow seen it through, but I had to avoid confrontation and find another way.
The guard immediately pursued us.
The chase was fierce. The knights, now changed beyond recognition as a guard, seemed unwilling to let us go.
I looked at Bibi's face. She was crying profusely while running.
"How could they... how could they..."
She seemed severely shaken emotionally, with all her trusted subordinates turning their blades against her.
"It's not betrayal. They're under something else's control."
I never expected this proud Duchess would sob so sorrowfully.
If before she was the Duchess of Yulisia Principality, now she was just the raw human Bibi.
Suddenly, ice needles flew in from the right. They had somehow caught up to our side.
I immediately changed direction.
Then a blazing fire eagle flew in, trying to peck at my eyes. When I struck it with my sword, it disappeared.
Though I changed direction several times, escaping pursuit seemed difficult.
We climbed a hill avoiding the encirclement. Looking back, the knights had somehow caught up right behind us.
Exactly like the scene from my dream.
So this is how we meet it.
I continued moving uphill while deflecting magical attacks flying from behind with my sword.
The Duchess' tears didn't stop. She seemed to sense the end.
We had to stop our escape when we reached the cliff's edge while climbing the hill. Below flowed rapid currents. Behind, the knights quickly spread their formation to block the remaining escape route.
I faced the guard again with Bibi at my back.
Then Bibi spoke in a resigned tone, "Let's stop now."
"..."
"Death has been blocking my path since long ago anyway. It's just been hastened in an unexpected way. Step aside. Fighting like this will mean dying meaninglessly."
I maintained the standoff in silence.
"There's no chance of victory. What they want is me. One life of mine would end this. If it saves the innocent guard and your life, it's worth the exchange."
"No."
It didn't take long for Bibi to firm her resolve.
"Then... then... I'll jump myself."
Bibi started running barefoot toward the cliff's edge. She meant to throw herself off.
"...!"
I immediately turned and followed Bibi.
She threw herself off the cliff.
Without a moment's hesitation, I threw myself into the air too. And embracing Bibi, fell into the rapids.
***
Bibi coughed and spat out water. Sand ground between her teeth.
Still alive. That cursed fate hadn't taken her life in one breath but left her on this hellish earth.
She slowly crawled onto land.
Then suddenly remembering something, she looked around.
About ten paces away, Damian laid unconscious.
Bibi felt relief seeing him.
Strange tree roots were woven around his wrist.
At first, she thought she was seeing things, but the tree was sticking its branches in the ground and pulling Damian out of the water while holding him. At a speed slower than a turtle.
Bibi quickly grabbed Damian's other arm and pulled him out of the water.
Once moved to safety, that tree transformed into the shape of a wooden sword.
She sat on Damian's body and put her ear to his chest. His heart was beating. But he wasn't breathing. Growing urgent, she slapped his cheek.
The impact sound was faint, buried under the rushing water behind her, so she slapped harder.
"Wake up, wake up!"
When there was no movement, she imitated the vaguely remembered resuscitation method and pressed his solar plexus with her fist.
After pressing three or four times, Damian opened his eyes and spat out water.
When Damian actually opened his eyes, Bibi, startled, jumped up and created distance.
Damian rolled his eyes assessing the situation and spoke while lying down, "...You did well."
"If you had let me die, perhaps god's anger would have subsided. Why did you try to save me even at the cost of your life?"
Damian continued his words, "Both jumping into the water and opening my airway, you did well with everything."
"Answer my question!"
"...Before that, would you tell me why this land's god wants you?"
"...It must be because I interfered with the sacred ritual. And I was hated by god from birth anyway. So nothing strange about it."
Damian got up, gathered his wooden sword, wrung out his wet hair, and swept it back. Then checked his missing possessions. It seemed inhuman how he prepared for the next action without showing any signs of being drained or tired. He was more like an unfeeling zombie than a man.
He was still looking forward.
"Whether you like it or not, now there's only one path."
"...What other path could there be?"
It was questionable what hope remained. We couldn't win against the guard, and in this harsh environment where even basic survival wasn't guaranteed, what could we do?
"Since you're prepared for death anyway, there's nothing to lose in gambling once more here."
"..."
Damian picked up Bibi's hairpin buried in mud and handed it to her.
"I will fight the master of this land."
His action broke down Bibi's last psychological defense. Damian was firmly holding onto this cursed body that even she had given up on.
What could this man be thinking? Why is he trying so hard to save someone who had treated him badly?
Though she tried not to show it, something welled up inside her, making her squeeze her eyes shut.
Would he think the same after seeing my curse? Will he share god's malice? How would he react to facing this body cursed by god? Would he maintain such an upright heart even knowing that if he protected it with his life, it wouldn't last ten years?
Bibi deliberately loosened her shoulder straps. Then she slipped off her clothes down to her hips. Her upper body was left half-naked except for her underwear.
Standing at life's edge, she had nothing left to keep, nothing left to hide.
She turned around and showed the naked reality of her curse.