Angry shouts could be heard from the depths of the dark forest. While bearing the wild noises, Fi expanded the senses of his horns and ran desperately.
“What was that!”
“Shut up and run!”
As the young dragon shouted, a nervous group appeared in front of him. They had already detected the abnormality, and they were prepared with bows and hatchets in their hands.
“Urak! Enemies! Knights have entered the forest!”
“What!? Ganari! Fi, says enemies have come!”
Adara scowled for a moment and then quickly looked at the others.
“Everyone, firepots, oil, scatter whatever you have! Archers, be ready! Urak, take women and children and escape, far away!”
Even as they talked, the footsteps grew louder as they spread through the forest. And Fi sensed something strange within the sound.
“What is that? The footsteps are different… There is something else there with the knights!?”
Fi shouted, and then several kobolds dropped to the ground in order to confirm the vibrations.
“…Ganari! Probably, about twenty knights. Rest of footsteps is light. Thirty of them!”
“Alright. Fi, what else do you sense?”
Fi was surprised to be addressed by the leader, but he answered while focusing on his horns.
“Probably, aside from that…nothing…huh?”
Suddenly, he felt something else stimulating the core of his brain.
He knew something that was similar. He had to focus and listen more.
‘Silver circle that illuminates the earth, shine brightly upon the veil of night.”
A man chanted in a clear voice. It was magic to create light for visibility.
“It’s light magic! They have a magician with them!”
Just as Fi warned them, a cold blue light illuminated the dark forest.
“Everyone! Hide behind trees and bushes! Erase fires! Scatter in directions, without sound!”
Adara said, and everyone ducked low and ran. As Fi hesitated, not knowing who to follow, Urak grabbed him by the hand.
“This way!”
“Uh, yeah!”
As Fi began to run again, he heard a new spell being chanted.
“The blazing sun’s spear is in my grasp.”
“Behind you! Run behind trees so you don’t get hit!”
Everyone who could hear Fi obeyed. However, one who was slower than the others was hit by the golden light.
“Gah…”
“Father!”
“Don’t look back! Keep running!”
As the kobolds pushed and ran desperately, the footsteps grew closer. Behind the blue light, blades glimmered as they were unsheathed.
“Come forth from the Frost Moon, chilled and piercing one. The freezing silver blessing shall be the binding arrow that pierces all obstacles.”
The man’s voice filled the air like a death sentence. When the small dragon looked over his shoulder, he saw over fifty silver lights floating in the air.
“Everyone, RUUUUNNN!!”
As if to erase Fi’s scream, the arrows of light tore through the air and rushed towards the fleeing kobolds.
And then one of them changed trajectory and came towards him.
“Ah…”
Fi knew how powerful such magic was.
And as his body was bound with fear, he said the name as if holding onto something.
“Sheto…”
The name pulled out everything that was at the bottom of his heart.
Everything that he had built up until now. The life as Koji Itsumi. The days as a Hero. And the days where he lived as a dragon after returning to this world. Everything blew away.
‘It’s yours. Take care of it.’
He remembered the words and then unsheathed it without thinking.
“AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!”
The mithril blade glimmered with the red of the break arts. And the silver light bounced right off.
“…Hah. Hah. Hah…!”
His hand felt numb and his stomach hurt. Still, he was alive.
Beyond the darkness, the figures paused as if confused by what had happened. And then they began to circle around him from a distance.
Fi’s soul began to boil.
“…What is it…you!”
He gripped the hatchet with both hands, and as the red light enveloped his body, the dragon roared.
“What are you doing here!”