Otome grimaced as she wrenched the shotgun from the exoskeleton’s arm, the metal creaking as it gave way. She checked its chamber, then reached into her pouch to take stock of her remaining shells, counting only nine left. Her jaw tightened as she clipped the shotgun to a holster on her back.

  “We don’t have long before reinforcements arrive,” she murmured, eyes scanning the rooftops.

  I nodded, wrapping my arm more securely around her waist to support her injured leg. Nanik took a step forward, peering down over the edge of the art store’s roof. His eyes narrowed as he gauged the drop. The alleys below were dark and winding, twisting about the backstreets of Bakhlav like veins; it was empty, save for scattered gas lamps casting faint, flickering light. The rooftops in the distance formed a patchwork of shadows and illuminated chimneys, guiding us toward the forested horizon and our escape route.

  “Follow me.” Nanik took the lead. After his skirmish with Cedrick, it seemed his (all but little) excitement had been drained, returning back to his expressionless bearing.

  He leapt to the next roof with ease, landing softly and waving us over. I guided Otome along, our steps a little slower but steady, making our way across the narrow beam connecting the buildings. We continued like this, moving roof to roof, keeping low to avoid drawing attention. The sound of clinking bottles and the hum of Bakhlav’s nightlife echoed from the streets below, providing a cacophony of distractions.

  As we neared the edge of town, the gaps between the buildings grew wider, and Otome’s breathing grew more forceful.

  “Can you keep going?” I asked out of concern.

  “Yes… I’ll be fine.”

  Otome’s response didn’t really convince me, but what could we do? We’re still on the run, so taking a breather here could spell disaster.

  Nanik paused, glancing back as we reached the final roof, overlooking the forest.

  “Seems like we’ll have to descend here and head through the streets,” he said.

  I scanned the distance from the roof to the ground. It was about fifteen feet—not impossible, but also not quite ideal.

  “Alright, hold on to me,” I said, shifting Otome’s arm over my shoulder as we carefully lowered ourselves onto a creaky fire escape.

  krrk~

  Nanik climbed down ahead of us, and I helped Otome manage the last few steps. Her feet hit the cobblestone with a soft thud, and she groaned, gripping her injured leg.

  “Ah… I can still manage, so let’s move quickly,” Otome said, straightening up and loading a shell into her shotgun with a click. She gave a single nod with the faintest glint of determination in her eye, and we moved forward through the maze-like streets of Bakhlav.

  At the city’s edge, gas lamps gave way to overgrown paths as we approached the forest that lay between Cielmouth and Ardem. The cool, earthy scent of the trees greeted us, and with a shared glance, we slipped into the shadows of the forest, leaving the distant glow of Bakhlav behind.

  The forest around us was dense, shadows weaving through the towering pines like specters. Every crackle of underbrush set my heart pounding, nerves stretched thin as I darted my eyes in the dark, constantly checking for dangers behind us.

  We had ventured a fair distance from Bakhlav, but the silence of the woods was somehow more unsettling than the bustling city. Beside me, Otome’s face was pallid, her expression distant and troubled, as if she were standing on the edge of some dark precipice. She closed her eyes, drawing in a shaky breath.

  “Everyone,” she cracked, her voice a fragile whisper.

  “They can’t… Die.”

  Before I could respond, her legs gave in, and she slumped down. I barely reacted in time, catching her fall. I braced her shoulder and the back of her head as I lowered her down gently onto a patch of mossy earth. Nanik knelt beside us, quickly taking stock of her condition.

  “She’s pushed herself too far,” he said, shaking his head.

  “We should’ve given ourselves enough distance for now. Help me set up camp and let her rest—It would be best if we could get her to a doctor or support sorcera with some medical knowledge as soon as possible.”

  I nodded. We began working in silence, setting up a makeshift campground with what little supplies we had and whatever we could find around us. I propped Otome’s head on my bag, keeping her weapon within arm's reach, while Nanik gathered some dry branches, piling the branches on the ground. He knelt down, but paused, looking up and staring at me. Noticing his gaze, I looked back at him.

  ‘Why is he looking at me like that? …Oh! I’ve got it—this must be another one of his tests; he probably wants me to start the fire.’

  Thinking myself a genius, I hopped off, returning with a pointed stick I snapped from a branch. I stabbed it into the pile of branches, planting it into the ground.

  “Watch this, I’ve seen this in shows!”

  Propping the stick straight up vertically, I started spinning it between my hands as rapidly as possible. Normally, a tiny ember should’ve been lit, but, after a few attempts, I found that nothing happened. Frustrated, I kept trying to no avail. Nanik watched in silence as I struggled. Eventually, after tiring my arms, I gave up with a disgruntled pout.

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  “I can’t do it.”

  “...”

  Nanik, now sitting leisurely on the ground, slightly smiled in response. He stretched his hand out, pulling the stick from the pile.

  “Your technique was a sight to behold, but look,” he prodded the ground with the twig,

  “You’re supposed to do that on dry softwood, not damp, mossy floor.”

  “A-ah, I see…”

  I embarrassedly lowered my gaze, wanting to curl myself up and hide.

  ‘I was fooled!’

  After my laughable struggle, Nanik had started a fire by lighting up the base of the pile of branches with Sethnine. We descended back into silence, as I didn’t know what to converse with Nanik about. Perhaps I should’ve tried to get to know him better— but he’s always so reserved when it comes to matters regarding himself…

  The faint, crackling warmth of the fire offered a sliver of comfort as I kept watch, my eyes scanning the trees. Only now had I noticed that the forest was quiet, save for the distant hoot of an owl.

  Eventually, Nanik moved from his spot—seemingly from boredom—and settled down beside me. His face was calm but focused as his gaze swept over the trees.

  “We shouldn’t stay here for too long,” he said softly, glancing over at Otome, who’d been sleeping next to me.

  “Once she’s rested, heading over the border should be our priority. And finding the others.”

  “Okay… But is there something wrong with Otome?”

  “Not particularly. It’s just intriguing.”

  “Hm?”

  I leaned over Otome to look at her, whose brow was creased. She was repeatedly clasping her hands in her sleep, as if she were fighting some unseen battle.

  “Oh, that’s what you meant.”

  “Yes. You’re also like that.”

  ‘...Seriously?’

  I softly chuckled, reminiscing about all the days I spent at the base. Although Otome and I have been separated, it seemed like this familial “habit” had persisted.

  ‘It’d be nice if I could keep in contact with her after all of this is over.’

  Scuffle~

  I was going to ask Nanik what his plans were with Otome, but the crunching of leaves nearby interrupted my train of thought. The sound was sharp and deliberate, and it seemed like it was heading towards us.

  My heart leaped into my throat as I unholstered my pistol. I hurriedly pushed myself up off the ground, with one of my fingers on the safety, preparing for combat. My aim locked onto where the sound came from.

  Then, a pair of blue eyes crept itself into my view.

  “H-hold on! It’s us!”

  Victoria popped out, eyes widened and hands raised as she approached us.

  “You shouldn’t surprise others like that,” Nanik calmly reprimanded her.

  “Eep! I’m sorry…” Victoria shrunk like a scared puppy when she looked at Nanik, fidgeting with her fingers.

  Following her were 3 others: the cerulean-eyed archer accompanied adjacently by another person, who I hadn’t seen at Moon Dallah, clad in dark do-maru armor, and…

  “Farthington?”

  Trailing behind them was none other than our very own blonde-haired, suit-(and self)-loving narcissist. Seeing me, he grinned and gave a thumbs-up.

  “That’s me~. I had to take a detour earlier during the battle, and I just so happened to run into these guys, who also escaped in the same direction; warrior-dude told me to take them to wherever Otome was.”

  Farthington walked up to me, whispering into my ear,

  “But I couldn’t tell them I didn’t know where you guys went—that girl was sniffling like she was about to cry!”

  “Then how’d you find us?”

  “Shh! I… We just wandered around.”

  I could only sigh.

  ‘Is this guy a magnet or something? He probably couldn’t get lost even if he wanted to…’

  Victoria bounced over to where Otome was resting, her expression fraught with worry. She knelt beside Otome, her hands hovering uselessly over the unconscious woman.

  “Ah! Otome, no! This… this isn’t good Huranti,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

  “I can’t believe I haven’t learned anything to help with a wound like this. If this gets infected out here, we’re…” She trailed off, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood as tears welled in her eyes.

  “It’s alright, Victoria.”

  Huranti placed a comforting hand on Victoria’s shoulder, his own gaze solemn.

  “Please calm yourself. It’s only natural—you’ll learn in time. But for now, we need to rely on what we have.”

  Hearing the name sparked recognition in my mind.

  ‘Yes, that was Huranti with Victoria before… Then who’s the other guy?’

  Victoria kept her focus entirely on Otome. She was carefully examining the makeshift bandages we’d wrapped around Otome’s leg.

  “It’s not enough,” she murmured, shaking her head.

  “We don’t even have clean water. This whole forest… it feels like a breeding ground for infection.”

  “We’ll find a way. Otome’s not the type to go down so easily,” the man in black armor spoke for the first time, folding his arms as he stood behind Victoria.

  “We don’t have the luxury of time, Huairen!” Victoria snapped, her voice breaking. “If we don’t get her somewhere safe soon…”

  ‘Huairen? Given his attire, it looks like he’s from Kagakuni. Strange name…’

  Huairen stepped forward, glancing between all of us.

  “We’ll take turns carrying her if we need to. As she said, we need to press on and find proper shelter—or at least a clean water source.”

  I nodded, holstering my pistol.

  “Let’s pack up, then. We’ve wasted enough time already.”

  Together, we began breaking down the makeshift camp, though Victoria’s quiet lamentations stayed with me. Her guilt was palpable, and for the first time, I realized just how much Otome meant to her mercenaries; they were more like a family than mere coworkers.

  [Note: Do-maru armor is the one typically described when depicting subordinate samurais]