"Ah, you've got to be kidding..."
I could have mistaken the word "despair" for having been invented just to describe this very moment.
A pool of blood was spreading slowly at my feet.
And lying beside it was what remained of Great Sage Agrippus.
His torso had been cleaved in two by Demon King Zoga’s greatsword. It was undeniable to anyone who looked—the Great Sage was dead.
The shock was overwhelming. I had never even considered the possibility that Great Sage Agrippus could be killed so effortlessly.
"Next, it's you."
Demon King Zoga pointed his index finger.
Nyau stood at the end of that gesture. I knew instantly that she was his next target. In that moment, a horrific image flashed through my mind: an image of Nyau being slaughtered by the Demon King’s hand.
"No..."
The word escaped my lips before I could think.
No... I couldn't lose Nyau.
"We're running!"
I grabbed her hand and pulled with everything I had.
"Kiska-san, I can't! If Nyau runs, there will be no one left to stop the Demon King!"
Nyau wouldn't budge. Despite my strength, she didn't move an inch.
Her eyes burned with fighting spirit. Unlike me, who had already given up, she intended to fight to the bitter end.
"I like it!! I've always liked the spirited ones!!"
Demon King Zoga’s laughter boomed.
"But small fry like you can't stop me!!"
With those words, the Demon King prepared to swing his massive blade with terrifying force.
"Nyau!!"
I screamed her name. At this rate, she was going to be killed—!
"Water Magic, Third Tier, Thick Fog Diffusion: Niebla!"
In an instant, a white, smoke-like haze erupted from Nyau and billowed outward.
Everything vanished behind the veil of fog. I couldn't see the Demon King, I couldn't see my own feet, and I couldn't even see Nyau, though she had been standing right beside me. I had no idea what she was planning.
"Kiska-san."
Suddenly, she was right there, her face inches from mine.
"Could you lower your head a little?"
"O-oh... okay..."
I lowered my head as instructed.
"—!"
A soft sensation pressed against my lips.
It took a few heartbeats for my brain to register that she was kissing me.
The kiss itself might have only lasted for a fleeting moment, but it felt so long that I thought time had stopped.
"Kiska-san, I love you."
Nyau whispered the words against my lips as she pulled away, her breath warm.
I tried to see her face, to read her expression. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, filled with a grim sort of resolve. I didn't understand why she looked that way.
I opened my mouth to tell her that I loved her too, but then I felt a light pressure on my chest.
She was pushing me away.
"Wind Magic, Fourth Tier, Air Injection: Inyeccion."
The moment the words left her mouth, my body felt weightless. I was suddenly launched backward, soaring through the air.
"Nyau!!"
I reached out instinctively, desperate to catch her hand. My fingertips grazed hers for a fraction of a second.
But she didn't take my hand.
Instead, her lips moved to form one last message.
By the time I realized she had mouthed "Goodbye," she had already vanished from my sight.
"Ah..."
I was flying through the sky, propelled by Nyau's magic.
Eventually, my trajectory curved toward the earth. As I hit the ground, I managed to roll, doing everything I could to minimize the damage to my physical body.
I couldn't immediately process what had happened.
Then, I looked up and saw the distant ramparts of Capital Larichmond. It seemed I had been sent all the way to the forest outside the city walls.
Ah, I see...
Nyu had sent me away to save my life, even if it was only mine. And now, she was facing the Demon King all alone.
"What the hell is this..."
I stood there, dazed, whispering to the empty woods. This wasn't what I wanted. Not at all.
"No..."
I wouldn't let this be the end. I refused to accept it.
I had to see her again.
I turned and began to run with everything I had. I ran like a madman, driven by the single, desperate need to reach Nyau once more.