Swing!
A long blade descended from above without warning, aiming straight for the chest. It should have landed, but in the split second that remained, the Nathan-like creature spun ninety degrees, shifting its body to the left.
Seizing the opening, the creature immediately thrust its sword toward Infori's head. However, Infori trusted his instincts; they helped him move and dodge the attack by ducking his head.
(?!... That was close?!)
Without hesitation, Infori swung his sword again. He turned the blade horizontal, allowing him to strike from below—though it would ultimately prove futile.
Just as before, when the sword swung and struck the creature's body, the blade passed right through without inflicting any injury.
The creature launched a swift counterattack, delivering a left-footed kick at Infori, who was positioned below.
"Uh?!"
The kick was aimed straight at his head.
Bruk!
The powerful kick struck his head mercilessly. His body was lifted into the air before crashing down, his back slamming hard against the ground.
"Ack!"
Unexpectedly, Towa launched a surprise attack from behind. She tried to slash the creature's body, even though she should have known that the form before her was merely a void created by magic beyond her understanding.
His attack was in vain; the creature spun around and delivered a precise, swift kick to the right side of Towa's abdomen.
Bruk!
"Argh!"
His body was sent flying, slamming hard against the ground. Towa tumbled until he finally came to a stop right at the edge of a steep cliff. From where he lay, he could see the trees below. It was a long way down; a single freefall, and he might never see the world again.
"...?!" He breathed a sigh of relief, grateful to still be alive, even though his stomach now throbbed with intense pain. His body was still suffering from lingering aftereffects.
Yet, the situation was bound to get worse. "Huh...?" His eyes darted back to the creature, which still stood there, completely unscathed.
Then, the creature swiftly swung its sword downward—aiming straight for where Infori lay. Realizing this, Infori was forced to roll to the right. "Whoa?!" The sound broke the silence.
That movement caused the vertical slash—which should have struck him dead-on—to miss; the tip of the creature's blade drove deep into the ground.
CLING!
The creature was about to draw its sword.
Sensing an opening, Infori immediately straightened up and assumed a combat stance.
"Towa!" Elis called out.
Meanwhile, Elis and Tasya helped the injured Towa back to his feet.
"Are you okay?!"
"Unfortunately... Urgh... No."
They supported Towa by draping his arms over their shoulders; the impact of the blow had left him barely able to move. He could still walk, but he couldn't suppress the pain in his abdomen.
"We can't stay here—we have to go!" said Elis, panic rising as she realized the gravity of their situation.
Infori approached them then, instructing them to get away from the area.
"You three go on ahead; I'll catch up if I can."
"Wait, what? You're going to fight that thing!? How..?!" Tasya asked in astonishment.
"I didn't say I was going to fight it. Simply put, I'm buying you time to run. The current situation isn't in our favor, which is why I need you to leave here as fast as possible."
"But, sir—"
"Don't worry."
Left with seemingly no other choice, the three of them agreed to Infori's decision. While it looked like a suicide mission to them, Infori saw it as their only remaining option.
Their gazes still held traces of doubt.
Yet, beneath Infori's serious expression lay an unshakable conviction. He had weighed the risks. He knew the chances of success were slim, but as long as a possibility existed—no matter how small—he had no intention of backing down.
With a complex mix of emotions, Tasya took a deep breath before finally nodding. "...Alright."
Her reply sounded heavy, as if every word required a great deal of courage to utter. The others nodded as well; they would not dispute the decision of the person who had offered them a way out. The three of them finally turned and ran away from the spot, leaving Infori all alone. The sound of their footsteps gradually faded into the distance.
Infori realized that, despite his heroic actions, he too wanted to escape the situation. (Sounds pretty heroic, doesn't it... But it can't be helped. I'm the type of person who dislikes dragging others into my own troubles.)
He slowly turned his gaze forward, staring straight into the face of the creature imitating Nathan—a being that clearly had a specific objective.
(I know what it wants...)
Infori let out a soft breath.
"...Fine."
Now, there was no one left here for him to protect—except himself. For the moment, it was just him and the enemy standing a few meters away.
For some reason, the creature remained motionless after its previous attack.
Perhaps it was ready to listen to its enemy's taunts.
"Hey..." Infori called out. "You look like some old guy who just crawled out of a cave—someone who doesn't even know what an artifact is."
The creature remained silent, its cold stare devoid of any soul or thought.
"But rest assured, it suits a hollow being like you."
Having said that, Infori stepped forward—one step at a time. Despite the fear of a sudden attack, he held his ground firmly.
"I know what you want..."
He paused.
"...But I cannot give it to you."
The wind swept through the area, carrying dust and tiny particles between them.
The creature remained silent, giving Infori the chance to speak again.
"This is just a guess, but you seem like a remote listening device. It might sound strange—and I'm only speculating—but I suspect your creator can hear what I'm saying through you."
Infori remained wary of any sudden movements, but for the moment, speaking seemed like the right choice given that someone was likely listening in.
He might be taken for a madman, talking to himself like this.
But a guess is just a guess.
"If that's true... then listen to this," Infori said. He took a long breath before continuing. "I might be considered insane, but... let him hear it."
The creature remained motionless; there wasn't a single twitch. It was surprising; Infori had expected it to attack while he was rambling.
(Not quite what I expected...)
Infori quickly gathered his thoughts and phrased his words carefully.
"I will not hand over my precious Blades of Mirage to him."
Then, something strange happened.
The creature's body began to tremble faintly, as if the space around it could no longer contain its existence. In an instant, its silhouette fractured into overlapping, indistinct shadows before fading away.
The air where it had stood rippled softly, leaving behind a faint trace of distortion. In the blink of an eye, the creature vanished from sight—as if swallowed by space itself—without a single sound of footsteps.
Infori was utterly stunned; the creature had suddenly disappeared right before his eyes.
"...?!"
Struggling to process what had just happened, Infori scanned his surroundings, yet he saw no sign of the creature sprinting away or suddenly shifting position.
"Vanished...?"