Crack!

"Cough!"

She spat out a thick lump of blood.

Lexi, who seemed to have put on some makeup before she came here, now had blood smeared around her mouth, and her skin turned pale as she was slowly dying.

"M-monstrous bitch."

After uttering those words, the traitor Lexi closed her eyes.

Even though the extermination units were wearing cheat-like protective gear, they werent even able to inflict the slightest injury on Findenai.

"Sigh, they're tough as hell."

However, it was the same for Findenai. Despite swinging her axe several times, she was still unable to penetrate the protective gear worn by the extermination units.

In the end, she had to infuse mana into the axes impact to kill them.

It now felt more like she was striking something rather than swinging the axe.

And this protective gear would only come off automatically once the user died.

While it was called "Protection" as it couldn't be removed as long as the user was alive, for the Resistance who fought against them, it was more like cursed armor.

It was an item that showcased overwhelming defensive power, which became the main reason they had to avoid the extermination units of the Clark Republic.

Because it took ages to kill them, no matter how much you hit them.

"Your movements looked awkward because you were wearing this kind of thing."

Because Lexi had only worn this protection recently, it made her movements more awkward than before, enabling Findenai to finish her off swiftly. However, when facing the real extermination units, things were different.

"If we just keep pushing them, they'll have to eventually give up!"

"Give up, you vermin-like bastards!"

The extermination units had already rushed in, turning the inside of the tavern into a battlefield.

The wind was howling fiercely through the side of the bars wall which was blown off completely in an explosion. The entrance was left unattended as extermination units poured in through that opening.

Following the lead of the Doberman, they had been resisting, and that was why they had managed to hold on so far. But, the casualties were piling up.

Eventually, they too would be exterminated over time.

In order to survive, a decision needed to be made.

"Doberman, you idiot! Ill open the path, so help me!"

Doberman glanced at Findenai and nodded indifferently as she ran forward with the Protection Lexi wore on her hand.

Even in the middle of a crisis like this, whether it was because he was calm or because he simply had no other expression, he definitely instilled a sense of stability in his surroundings.

Findenai held her axe tightly, took a deep breath and charged forward.

Bullets flew from all directions on the battlefield and she used the Protection she held in her hand as a shield to deflect the bullets.

"It's the Scrapyard Nomads!"

"White Hair, Red Eyes! That is the level 1 wanted criminal, Findenai!"

Findenai glared at the extermination units, who recognized her and pushed forward.

She cleared the path with her axe.

As she swung her axe, the blade sustained damage with each strike, sending a tingling shock through her hand, and all she could do was knock down the extermination units without causing any fatalities.

Nonetheless, Findenai didn't look back to check if the fallen enemies had gotten up again or not. She just kept moving forward.

Doberman lent his strength to her, and the other Resistance members, who witnessed this, understood their intentions and followed closely behind.

After all, if they remained here, they would just be killed. So it would be better if they broke through together.

Regardless, it seemed like a strategy where severe losses were inevitable.

"When have we ever fought with our lives guaranteed!"

As they were accustomed to living on the brink of death every day anyway, the Resistance charged forward aggressively.

The options were always the same.

Either more died or...

Less died.

If they stayed still, it would just lead to more deaths. No, all of them would probably end up dead.

So, it was better to move in a direction where they'd have the least possible deaths.

Even if they were fools like this.

Even if these dimwits wanted to be honest, they always wondered if it was really possible for them to gain freedom from the Clark Republic.

Wouldnt it be better to prioritize survival for now?

Forged by the overwhelming tragedy from her childhood, this was Findenai's conviction.

She wanted to show the children who werent able to fight yet, the cowards who were paralyzed by fear and chose to remain bystanders, and her former comrades who had surrendered and laid down their weapons that they could still survive even in a place like this.

In this place, were these dimwits crying out for freedom.

"Gaaaaaahhhhh!"

Findenai's dark red, glowing eyes shone brightly. As her unique trait that allowed her to grow stronger as the battle raged on caused her body to heat up, she tightened her grip on the axe until it almost broke.

Crash!

"Ugh!"

The strike that had merely knocked down the extermination units before had now reached a level where it could completely blow them away.

"So impressive!"

"J-Just believe in Findenai and follow her from behind!"

"We can survive! We will make it out of here alive to fight for freedom once more!"

Upon hearing the propaganda-like cheers coming from behind, Findenai issued a threat as she continued to push forward.

"Nobody's saving you! Survive on your own, you morons!"

After saying that, Findenai continued swinging her axe. Once the blade got completely damaged from overuse, she wielded it like a club, pushing through the extermination units.

At that moment, she didn't realize that her footsteps were guiding her back to the place she longed to return to.

***

"Gasp! Gasp!"

Findenai gasped for breath as she looked around. Having witnessed the sunset twice, she realized that two days had passed since then.

Her limbs felt sluggish, her breath was ragged with no sign of stabilizing, and her eyes stung due to the blood.

Feeling the extremely chilly air, she sensed that she had arrived near the Norseweden mountain range, but now, her legs refused to move.

She glanced back slightly to check. Perhaps it was due to her dulled senses or maybe not, she couldnt sense anyone chasing after her for the time being. So, she let out a sigh of relief.

With her body burning hot, Findenai finally knelt down and collapsed onto the ground.

Just for a moment.

She intended to rest just for a second.

"Haaaaaa."

She took deep breaths, and gradually, due to the fatigue, her eyes began to close. However, she clenched her fist tightly.

She couldn't afford to fall asleep here. She didnt know what would happen if she fell asleep here. She would either still be in the same place, or she would find herself in a Clark Republic underground prison or a labor camp once she woke up.

"Fuck."

Trying to find something to ease the pain, she rummaged in her pocket with her trembling left hand, only to find a single cigarette.

It was the cigarette she was biting on when she killed Lexi. The cigarettes from the Clark Republic were strong and addictive, so smoking one now probably could alleviate her pain to some extent.

As she stared blankly at the cigarette she had pulled out, she wondered if the promise she made with her Master Bastard would matter at a time like this, when she was on the brink of death.

Crush.

However, she surprisingly chose to crush the cigarette in half and threw it to the ground without hesitation.

"You damn Master Bastard! I dare you to not summon me using Necromancy if I die here!"

A slight bitterness lingered in her mouth. Though she didn't smoke the cigarette, she strangely felt a reduction in overall pain in her body.

It was an unfamiliar emotion, but Findenai felt invigorated to the point where she wondered if discarding the cigarette was the right choice.

"Hngh."

Thanks to that, she was able to twist her body and stand up again. She couldn't afford to stay still here.

She would soon reach the base where Darius' soldiers were stationed. If she just climbed a little further up the Norseweden mountain range, she would be able to rest comfortably.

And that damn Master Bastard of hers would somehow figure something out.

"Since he always manages to somehow solve everything."

This time, he would only need to treat her injured body; that wouldnt be too difficult.

It hadn't even been a week yet, so he still hadn't left for the academy.

Findenai took a step forward. Her feet still felt like anchors, but after a brief rest, she was able to endure this much.

With forced steps, Findenai began to climb the mountain, putting strength into her limp hand. Just as she was about to search for a stick...

Bang!

It was the chilling sound of a gunshot.

As if freezing her blood, the chill from the penetrating bullet quickly spread through her entire body. On the ground, was a pool of blood spread out like spilled tomato juice.

Wet and yet damp, what had just splattered was indeed hers. Findenai realized this a moment too late.

"Ah."

Thud.

This time, it wasn't voluntary; her knees buckled due to an external force.

Bang! Bang!

The bullets didn't stop there; another one pierced Findenai's back, causing intense pain.

Thump.

Finally, Findenai collapsed onto the ground, lying face down.

Blood gushed into her parched mouth.

"......Ugh."

She wanted to curse, but she couldn't even muster the strength to do that.

As her vision gradually lost focus, she heard voices murmuring.

"We have arrested the level 1 wanted criminal, Findenai of the Scrapyard Nomads."

"Gaaahhh, doesn't this mean that we've captured all the big shots of the resistance?"

"I guess so. Fortunately, we're the ones who got to finish it."

Within her fading vision, she could see extermination units wearing protective gear.

I thought I had managed to escape.

Moreover, they had captured all the big shots.

Did that mean Doberman and the others ended up being captured as well?

Stupid bastards.

Despite resenting that she had rescued them for nothing, Findenai still felt a bit worried when thinking about their safety.

"But indeed, she is quite pretty. You know, she's pretty famous."

"Tsk, hey. How about we take her in, treat her, and keep her alive for a few days to enjoy?"

"Wont that be a risky move?"

"What can she do if we cut off her limbs and pull out her teeth? It will be for the best if she becomes weak."

Now that she thought about it, she just remembered talking about buying aphrodisiacs for Master Bastard.

Although Deus didnt believe her, it was true that they sold items like aphrodisiacs and perforated condoms harmful sexual productsas major commodities in the city where Findenai grew up.

That was how crazy this place, the Republic, was.

But more importantly.

These damn bastards.

How dare they covet her!

Findenai glared at them with her mouth wide open. Rather than facing such disgrace, she thought it would be better if she bit her tongue and died here.

She would only give them her corpse.

He will find a way to locate my soul, right?

Since Master Bastard had taken half of her soul, even if she fell asleep for a while, she would awaken again when the time came.

While holding onto that belief, just as Findenai was about to bite her tongue with her last bit of strength, a white snowflake tickled her nose.

"What? It's snowing?"

"But it's July now, isn't it? There's no way it would snow during this month, even in the Norseweden mountain range."

Feeling something strange, the extermination units looked up at the sky

[As you live your fleeting life, I think it is inevitable for you to live while bathing in the blood of others.]

A voice booming like thunder, overwhelming with its sheer intimidation, reduced the humans to mere specks with its presence alone.

[To consider that this is the nature of the world. I, too, accept it. However...]

Findenai realized that it was a voice she had heard once before, but she couldn't recall when.

Was it due to the lack of oxygen?

Or was it simply because her own brain was failing her?

She didnt know what it was.

Crazy bastard.

However, she could definitely tell that Master Bastard had done something anyway.

She immediately let go of the strength she had intended to use to bite her tongue, and her lips naturally curled up.

[How viciously must someone live for their resentment to overflow from the scent of blood to their very flesh.]

Huh?! Are you a beast?"

"A-a tiger? It's a tiger! Just shoot it!"

She slowly closed her eyes while listening to the screams of the extermination units, who foolishly chose their own demise.

[Do not enter my mountain with your dirty feet.]

***

A warm floor and a fluffy blanket.

Findenai, who woke up feeling the warmth of her surroundings, slowly opened her eyes. Although she couldnt feel any sensation in her body and had no strength, she was certain that she had been treated.

She could feel bandages wrapped around her entire body.

A soft feather pillow was placed below her head.

The view of downtown Norseweden could be seen from the window beside the bed.

The scent of warm herbal tea.

Only the sound of pages turning echoed in the quiet room.

Sitting cross-legged, Master Bastard was calmly enjoying reading a book.

"Are you awake?"

Deus, still focused on his book, asked casually. At that familiar sight, Findenai let out a wry smile and asked.

"How long has it been?

Although her sense of time was still vague, judging by how refreshed she felt upon waking up, despite the hardships she had gone through, it seemed like she had been asleep for quite a while.

"Half month."

However, Deus' answer was beyond what Findenai had assumed.

"Half month? Fifteen days?"

"Yes."

Findenai stopped herself before she blurted out, Didn't you say you would return to the academy in a week?.

For some reason, she didn't want to hear the answer, nor did she want to unnecessarily put Master Bastard in a difficult situation.

It was different from usual.

"You must be hungry. I've prepared a meal for you."

Deus closed the book.

Findenai, who was staring at him, hesitated for a moment before replying with a grumble.

"Ah, I want to smoke."

She suddenly blurted out that she was more eager to have a cigarette than a meal.

"Sigh."

Deus sighed and pulled out an antique flip-top box from his pocket.

Inside were around ten pieces of cigarettes, but he only picked one and handed it to Findenai.

"It's a less pungent and less addictive item, made by quite a famous artisan."

"......"

Slowly raising her upper body and leaning against the bed headboard, Findenai absentmindedly accepted it.

Then, after briefly glancing at Deus, she laughed and put the cigarette in her mouth.

"Give some fire."

She had no lighter or matches.

So, it was a very natural request.

Deus suppressed a sigh as he conjured a weak flame on his finger. Seeing that, Findenai, who bit the cigarette's tip on her lips, leaned towards the fire.

Spit.

The cigarette fell onto the blanket.

And as if her outstretched hand had slipped, Findenais forehead landed precisely on Deus chest.

"Ah, I lost my strength."

Obviously, it was an intentional lie that anyone would be able to see through.

"Then move."

Despite saying so, he didn't push her away.

Even if it was just momentarily, Deus supported Findenai, who appeared to be quite exhausted.

Until just a while ago, Findenai had felt parched and was craving a smoke.

But now, she felt calm.

Was it because of the unique, subtle scent emanating from Deus flesh?

Findenai closed her eyes calmly, burying her face a little deeper.

His scent penetrated through her dripping hair.

Surprisingly, at some point, she realized that she liked this smell.