[Ariel PoV]
I have to be fast. There is no way the villagers and the children can withstand an assault from hundreds of monsters.
The soldiers there, too—I won't let them all be slaughtered; I won't let their struggles until now be in vain. I will not let this village suffer the same fate as Zamora Village.
— Crash!
Suddenly, the horse I was riding stumbled and fell. It is incredibly difficult to ride in the dark of night like this.
"Aarghhh..." I let out a cry of pain.
It felt as though my shoulder had fractured upon impact with the surrounding rocks. After mending it with magic, I pulled myself up and pressed on. Fortunately, the village was no longer far off; I could reach it in just a few minutes on foot.
However, upon returning to the village, I sensed something was amiss.
The atmosphere here was eerily silent, a stark contrast to when I first arrived with the others. There was no sound of monsters roaring, and it seemed the battle between the creatures and the soldiers had already concluded.
Slowly, I crept along the walls of the village buildings, peering at my surroundings. I heard the faint sound of footsteps behind me. Entering a building, I tried to hide from whatever creature was approaching. Four Lycanthropes were prowling this way, communicating in a language I didn't recognize.
Holding my breath, my heart hammered against my ribs, terrified that the four monsters would enter the very building where I was hiding.
"Woof! Woof!"
"Woof... Woof?"
They began to sniff the air, as if tracking a scent.
No, don't come closer! There's nothing here! Stay away!
Yet, the pack of beastmen began to enter the structure. What should I do? What can I do? They will surely find me here and try to devour me!
— Clang!
Suddenly, a sharp, ringing sound erupted from the west, causing the four Lycanthropes to abandon their search of the building.
— Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound returned—it sounded like someone striking an iron rod against a building pillar. I didn't know who it was, but their actions lured the Lycanthropes outside to investigate the source of the noise.
"Whew... I'm saved."
My breathing stabilized. After confirming there were no monsters nearby, I slipped out of the building to find the place where the children and villagers had been earlier. Shortly after, I located the building where I had last seen Dio, Sena, and the others. The windows were boarded up with wood. I tried knocking on the front door, but there was no response.
If I shouted for them, the monsters roaming nearby would surely come to investigate. But how could I enter if the villagers wouldn't open the door for me?
"Ah, isn't that a chimney?"
I spotted a flue rising high above the building. Activating the Axio spell, I leaped onto the roof and approached the chimney. I lowered myself into the shaft, holding my breath. My body tumbled down; I did my best to break my fall by bracing against the interior walls.
My feet finally hit the floor. My clothes were filthy, blackened by the soot that clung to me during the descent.
"Sterilize!"
I activated a purifying spell, causing the stains, sweat, and the unpleasant odor on my body to vanish instantly.
"Sister... Ariel?"
Suddenly, I heard familiar young voices. Dio and Sena ran toward me, accompanied by several other villagers.
"Sister Ariel! It really is you!" Dio ran up, looking overjoyed to see me.
"Ah, of course I came back," I replied, stroking the boy's hair. "How is everyone? What happened after we left?" I asked the adults.
"Sister Ariel... after you all departed..."
One of the villagers recounted the events. The soldiers sent to guard the village were vastly outnumbered by the attacking monsters. Consequently, shortly after we left with the first group of women and children, the monsters overran the defense and slaughtered the remaining soldiers. The villagers could only watch in silence as the last soldier was eaten alive.
"So, what is your plan now?" I asked.
Silence fell over the room. An elderly man approached me. He was Mr. Hughes—the Village Chief.
"As you can see, Sister Ariel, we have no food or water to survive here until tomorrow," he explained with a somber expression. "We have only two choices: attempt an escape or starve to death here."
If we tried to flee, the monsters would surely notice our movement. The nearest village was 20 kilometers away. There was no way we could outrun them for that distance. Someone would have to stay behind to distract them.
What could I do to help?
"Our only way out is to reach the docks at the river and escape by boat toward the Fortress City of Cataluna," Mr. Hughes said. "However, the docks are likely heavily guarded by those monsters. It's impossible for us to fight them all."
Everyone looked at me as if I were their Savior. I couldn't come up with insane strategies like Raul... I wasn't as strong or as brave as Brian... I was just a Priestess. My duty and my talent were only to heal. But now, everyone needed me; they were entrusting their lives to me.
"Mr. Hughes, we will head for the docks," I said. "How much time is needed for everyone here to board the boats?"
Mr. Hughes looked at a middle-aged man—one of the village fishermen.
"There are about 117 of us. It would take at least six boats and about ten minutes to board everyone," the fisherman said. "From what I remember, there are only five boats at the dock. Which means 17 people won't be able to sail."
Everyone looked at me again, as if I were the one to decide our next move.
"The nearest patrol post is 15 kilometers to the south. Can those 17 people reach it safely?" I asked.
"I think the adults could, but we would need people to hold off the monsters so everyone else can board, wouldn't we?" one villager noted.
"No, I believe I can maintain a Barrier once we reach the docks," I told them.
However, I wasn't certain the Barrier would hold under the monsters' assault for ten minutes. I only hoped we wouldn't encounter too many of them there.
"Very well, if the plan is set," Mr. Hughes said. "It is better to try than to die slowly in this building."
After finalizing the plan, we dismantled the barricades on the main door. Once cleared, several men peered through the windows to scout the area.
"I think we can move now, Mr. Hughes," one said.
The Chief nodded. Several men exited first, followed by the women and children, with the remaining men guarding the rear. The docks were two kilometers from the village center. It would take us about half an hour to get there.
We tried to move silently. The villagers formed a makeshift perimeter to detect monsters as early as possible. We had been walking for 20 minutes; I was grateful we had only encountered small groups of monsters that we could simply bypass.
"Monster pack to the east, 100 meters!"
"Monsters approaching from the west, 120 meters!"
This was bad. What should we do? Sooner or later, they were bound to find us.
— Awoooo!
A wolf's howl echoed from the distance. It seemed they had truly found us.
"Move to the docks as fast as you can!" one villager shouted.
Everyone quickened their pace, no longer caring if their footsteps were loud. Glancing around, I saw several Lycanthropes closing in.
— Groooarrr!
From behind, I heard a deafening roar. I turned my head toward the source and saw a giant wolf, six meters tall, charging toward our group.
"Hurry! The docks are only a few hundred meters away!"
Several packs of Lycanthropes arrived. The men in the group began to fight back with whatever weapons they had.
"Run! Don't stop and don't look back!"
I heard the roar again; the giant monster was getting closer and closer. Shortly after, I could hear the sound of the river and see the docks along with the five boats moored there.
I turned around and gathered an immense amount of Mana in both hands.
— Groooarrrr!
The ground shook beneath the weight of the giant Lycanthrope's stride. It would be upon us any second.
"Everyone, hurry! Get on the boats! I will manifest a Barrier to stall these monsters!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
My heart raced. I was still waiting for the few men still fighting to enter the dock area. But they were too late. Three men were savagely killed by the giant Lycanthrope. I had no choice but to activate it now.
"Divine Magic: White Bubble!"
A hemispherical Barrier formed, sealing off the dock area. It prevented the Lycanthropes from reaching the villagers. I spread my arms, reinforcing the Barrier. My hands trembled as the giant Lycanthrope began pounding its fists against the wall blocking its path.
— Groooarrr! Groooarrr!
Ughhh... I have to hold it until the villagers have set sail. Glancing back, I saw two boats were still being boarded.
— Bam! Bam! Bam!
Cracks began across the Barrier. I feared my magic would shatter before everyone was aboard.
— Crack!
The Barrier broke. The Lycanthropes flooded the dock area, led by the gargantuan beast.
"Awooo!"
No, I won't let you hurt the children and the women, no matter what.
"Divine Magic: Chain of Revelation!"
Extending my hands toward the monsters, chains of light erupted from the ground, binding them. I had to hold them as long as possible.
— Grooarrrrr!
The giant Lycanthrope charged toward me... 40 meters... 30 meters... 20 meters... I had to use that spear.
"Sealing Magic: Lance of Longinus!"
A magic circle manifested beside me. A spear emerged and shot toward the giant Lycanthrope, pinning it through the shoulder. The monster was blasted back until it was impaled against a building. It thrashed, trying to free itself from the seal, but it was futile. Only the caster of the Lance of Longinus can release the seal.
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
More packs approached. I summoned more magical chains to bind them. My breathing became labored; my Mana was being drained rapidly. Blood began to trickle from my nose—a sign that my body could no longer sustain the strain.
"Sister Ariel! We're all aboard! You're the only one left!" the village children shouted.
I looked back and smiled at them. "You go on ahead! I can handle things here!"
It was a lie. If I released the chains, the monsters would chase the boats, and everything we had done would be for nothing. I had to hold them until they were far enough away.
My body grew weak. My grip on the chains faltered.
No, I must be strong. I must protect them.
"I won't let you prey on the villagers!" I gathered the last remnants of my Mana. "Divine Magic: Chain Crush!"
Suddenly, the chains binding the monsters tightened with lethal force, crushing their bodies. They were all dead... I had saved them...
But then, I saw fresh swarms of monsters arriving. They were endless. I reached out toward them, trying to activate my magic. But even as I shouted the incantations, no chains appeared.
I was out of Mana. My vision began to blur... I saw the pack running toward me.
Is this the end?
They were going to devour me, weren't they?
"And yet... I have no regrets..."
It was true. I had saved the villagers. They would survive because I held the line.
"I have no regrets at all..."
As I spoke those words, I lost consciousness and began to fall.
— Thud!
But instead of hitting the ground, my head landed against someone's shoulder.
"Good work, Ariel..."
The last thing I remembered before blacking out was the smile of a man with white hair and glowing green eyes in the darkness of the night.
"You truly are fit to be a Saint..."