Ren’s foot stepped onto the wooden planks of the suspension bridge.
Once both his feet were steady, he moved further along, followed closely by Fiona. The young noblewoman, who had been frail and sickly until very recently, had likely never experienced anything like this before.
(I hope she’s okay.)
Behind them, adventurers, knights, and the remaining examinees followed suit.
Faint, anxious murmurs from the boys and girls reached his ears from both ends of the bridge. However, he felt none of that trepidation from Fiona, who kept her hand reached out toward his coat right behind him.
Ren turned around to see if she was frightened, but he almost couldn't believe his eyes.
"Is something the matter?" Fiona asked.
Noticing Ren’s gaze, she looked exactly as she had before they stepped onto the bridge—entirely composed.
"N-no. It’s just... you don't seem afraid at all, Lady Ignat."
"I’m fine. I have a brave adventurer protecting me, after all. And besides..." Fiona let out a sudden, self-deprecating whisper. "I used to live every day not knowing if I would still be alive when I woke up. Compared to those days, this is nothing to fear."
As they crossed the bridge, she seemed lost in the memories of those difficult times.
Before long, the tension in Ren’s coat went slack as Fiona moved a step closer to him than before.
The suspension bridge groaned incessantly—creak, creak.
Eventually, they reached the center of the long span. The first members of the group had already begun to step off onto solid ground on the far side.
Then, Ren stopped dead in his tracks. Fiona stopped right behind him.
"...What was that?" Ren muttered.
"That wind..."
It was a strange breeze—at once a freezing gale and a draft of heat that carried the phantom scent of a battlefield.
As if catching their own reflections in a mirror, the two of them touched their cheeks in the same gesture. They rubbed their skin repeatedly, trying to confirm the reality of that inexplicable wind.
The distance between them and the knights ahead grew. Ren and Fiona remained near the center of the suspension bridge, their brows furrowed. Those following behind were now pressing close against their backs.
Ren was the first to notice the true anomaly.
He swallowed hard as he spotted a red glow emanating from the bottom of the canyon.
"Grab my hand."
Fiona didn’t ask why. She immediately responded to the urgency in his voice. She placed her hand over Ren’s without hesitation, and he gripped it back with equal strength.
This time, there was no sign of the purple lightning he had seen before.
Ren broke into a sprint.
"Run! Hurry!"
He shouted a sudden warning to those in front and behind them, alerting the distant knights and adventurers.
They looked back and frowned at Ren’s grim expression, but seeing him in such a visible state of alarm, they all began to run at once.
The disaster arrived almost simultaneously.
A massive heatwave surged up from the canyon, clashing with the blizzard and scorching the cheeks of those on the bridge. A crimson light followed, illuminating everyone from below.
"Hurry! This is bad!"
"Hey! What’s happening!? You’re adventurers, you should know!"
"How should I know?! If you value your life, just shut up and run!"
Panic-stricken voices echoed around Ren.
Not to be outdone by the heat, the blizzard intensified, white-out conditions threatening to swallow them. The bridge shook violently—not from the wind, but from some other powerful influence.
"Ha... ha..."
Fiona’s breathing against his back was ragged. He could hear the sheer desperation born of her terror.
"T-this is part of the final exam, right?! Tell me it is! It has to be!" one of the examinees cried out.
"Don't stop! Whatever you do, don't stop!" a knight shouted back, his voice strained.
The examinees were no longer looking at the scenery or fearing the height. Between the heatwave, the red light, and the erratic swaying, their only thought was to escape the bridge as quickly as possible.
But the mountain would not let them go so easily.
A Vortex of Flames extended from the canyon floor, snaking and crawling through the air.
As it approached, scattering crimson embers, Ren realized more were emerging. Several distinct pillars of fire asserted their presence, closing in on him and Fiona from all directions.
"Freeze!"
Fiona held out her hand, unleashing a blast of cold air that was far more frigid than the blizzard. The Vortex of Flames weakened for a moment, but it regained its momentum instantly, lunging at the two of them with renewed fury.
The crawling pillars of fire multiplied, swarming them.
No... not them.
(What is this fire? It’s like it’s only targeting her...)
Ren harbored the doubt, but in truth, he was certain. Looking closely at the approaching flames, their tips were clearly aimed at Fiona rather than himself.
But he didn't have time to dwell on it.
"Run, run, run! I told you to move!" an adventurer’s voice thundered.
The sound was muffled by the roar of the blizzard and the heat, but the desperation was clear. Ren and Fiona, who hadn't stopped for a second, pushed themselves into a full sprint, gasping for breath as they neared the end of the bridge.
They were almost there. Some of the group ahead had already reached safety.
Then, Ren was forced to a halt.
"Huh?"
Fiona’s voice sounded hollow.
Suddenly, a bizarre pressure shook the very space around them, tearing Ren’s hand from Fiona’s.
Ren had been gripping her hand with everything he had, determined never to let go. He hadn't been careless for even a fraction of a second.
Yet, they were separated.
As if the blizzard had become a sentient monster of wind, a red wind tore between them. Fiona’s body was snatched up by that wind, flung over the railing and into the abyss.
It was as if an invisible force had physically abducted her.
At the same time, a violent explosion rocked the distance, and molten lava soared into the sky.
(What—?!)
Ren felt a presence. It was an aura far more malevolent and powerful than even the True Mana Eater Jelququ had displayed at the very end. Something truly monstrous was reaching out for them.
"Lady Ignat!"
"Sir... Adventurer...!"
He lunged for her, but he couldn't reach. Their fingertips merely brushed against each other as she was thrown into the void.
Ren didn't hesitate. He threw himself over the railing after her.
"What the hell is happening?!"
He plunged into the air. His first instinct was to use Nature Magic from his Wooden Magic Sword to catch her, but he aborted the thought the moment he saw the Vortex of Flames closing in on her. Fire surged from every direction to swallow her; any wooden vines would be incinerated instantly.
Instead, he summoned the Shield Magic Sword.
He knew nothing else would be enough to protect her.
"Forgive me for being so forward—!"
Ren pulled Fiona into a tight embrace and immediately activated the power of the Shield Magic Sword. There was no time to second-guess himself. He manifested a Mana Shield in mid-air, enveloping both of them to block the encroaching flames.
"Please... freeze!" Fiona cried out, casting her own spell.
She released another burst of cold air, suppressing the heat pressing against the Mana Shield.
All the while, they continued to fall. They plummeted toward the canyon floor, the suspension bridge receding rapidly above them.
"Ren-dono!"
A knight’s voice drifted down, but there was nothing they could do. From the corner of his eye, Ren saw the adventurers and knights on the far side dragging the remaining examinees to safety.
Meanwhile, Ren fought to maintain his defense. He gritted his teeth as he saw the Mana Shield nearing its breaking point.
(Even though this shield stopped a direct thrust from a Steel-Eating Gargoyle...)
This fire was on another level entirely. It was clearly no ordinary flame.
Eventually, the momentum of the vortex slowed, and the red light from the canyon floor began to dim. He didn't know why, but it gave them a window to escape.
He planned to use his Wooden Magic Sword to extend vines and swing them back to the bridge remnants—but then disaster struck again.
"Sir Adventurer!"
"Dammit...!"
A stray Vortex of Flames slammed into the suspension bridge, incinerating the section where they had been standing moments before. The bridge exploded and split in two. The heavy wooden structure began to sag and fall toward the depths. The knights still on the bridge screamed and scrambled to cling to whatever they could.
There were no examinees left on the span; thanks to the quick work of the guards, only a few knights and adventurers remained on the collapsing structure.
(The vines will just be burnt off if I try to aim for the front...!)
He couldn't reach the far side.
What about the rear—the side leading back to the fort?
(I can make it. That side is longer, so it'll hang closer to us. If I can just snag it, I can use my strength to pull us up!)
The fire wasn't currently targeting the rear section of the bridge. It was a gamble, but it was better than hitting the bottom of the canyon. If the fire moved there too, he’d just have to figure it out when the time came.
"Lady Ignat!"
"Yes!"
"I am going to get you back safely! Trust me!"
Fiona didn’t hesitate for a second.
"I do! I entrust everything to you—!"
Before she could finish, the space in front and to the sides of them erupted. More vortices of flames surged from the depths, and scattering lava dyed the world a brilliant, hellish red.
It happened at the exact moment Ren invoked his Nature Magic.
"Make it in time!"
While praying for the safety of the knights still clinging to the bridge, Ren swung his Wooden Magic Sword to protect the girl in his arms.
He peered down at Fiona, wondering if she was trembling, but her lips were set in a thin, determined line. She simply leaned her weight into him, placing her life entirely in his hands.