Chapter 25: Something that can never be compromised (8)

Dreamcatcher

Twisting threads into a web like a spider’s, feathers are firmly attached to it.

The dreamcatcher. According to legend, it was a gift from the spider goddess to a boy who stopped an old woman from killing a spider.

Feathers bring good dreams, while the woven threads act as a net to filter out nightmares, which vanish with the morning sunlight.

While not profoundly significant, it was a cherished object for the Unyielding Boulder.

“Ow!”

Catching dreams is no easy task.

Distracted by thoughts of the battle likely already underway, the uncertain outcome pricked the finger of the Unyielding Boulder.

A bead of crimson blood welled up at the tip of her thumb, dripping down uncontrollably when touched.

Was this a bad omen? Before she could quell her uneasiness, shouts from outside broke her focus.

“Sister!! Something terrible has happened!”

“Is this another prank? I told you I’m busy—”

“No! Hurry! The nun has collapsed!”

The shouting came from a village boy who had been playing downstream.

Beside him was a pale and blue-lipped Sera, the nun who had helped the villagers just days earlier.

“Good heavens! What on earth happened?”

“I don’t know… she floated down from upstream.”

The boy, on the verge of tears, pointed upstream.

Following his gaze, the Unyielding Boulder turned her head, only to see another person drifting downriver.

It was a black-haired man gripping a sword tightly in one hand.

He must have been Sera’s escort, though his attire today was unusual.

His white outfit, adorned with intricate patterns and decorations, suggested its fine craftsmanship despite being drenched and muddied by the river water.

“…Help…me…”

But there was no time for admiration.

The setting sun meant that their body heat would have been sapped by the cold river.

Hearing Sera’s distress signal, the Unyielding Boulder hurriedly moved both of them to the safety of a campfire.

“Surely not the Demon King…?”

Once the warrior was rescued and some time had passed, the Unyielding Boulder, hearing what had happened, spoke in disbelief.

She had anticipated that the Thunder Rushing Forward might resort to extreme measures with the warriors of the tribe.

But for the Demon King to descend? That was beyond any boundary of reason.

No matter how much discrimination and oppression they endured, choosing to become demons was a step too far.

“We don’t have time. Space near the fortress is already distorting… The Demon King will descend any moment now.”

“Thunder Rushing Forward… what are you thinking…?”

The fortress in the distance was already steeped in ominous energy, dyeing the sky a dark crimson and making the air shimmer like a mirage on a summer day.

While Thunder Rushing Forward was a chieftain with much support, it didn’t mean ordinary tribesmen willingly chose to become demons.

That would mean eternal slavery to destruction.

“Wait! What are you planning to do?!”

“I told you, there’s no time.”

The sound of a weapon being readied echoed as the hero rose to his feet, despite not fully healed from his wounds.

The Unyielding Boulder couldn’t understand the hero’s reckless determination to walk to his death.

“Are you crazy?! Look at yourself! You’re injured, and the space is distorted! How can you stop the Demon King’s descent?!”

“It’s not about whether I can or not.”

Reaching the fortress would already be a near-impossible feat.

Finding the exact site of the Demon King’s descent was even more unlikely, given the fortress’s spatial distortion from the intense demonic energy.

The hero’s body bore cuts from swords, bruises from shielding Sera as they fell into the river, and unseen internal damage.

Without divine protection, he was in no condition to face even a single demonic foe.

“In the capital… and the fortress… I should have protected Sera.”

Sera, who had fainted after sending the distress signal, was still unconscious. As the hero smoothed her hair, he spoke.

“But when I was about to lose my life and sight to a succubus, it was Sera who saved me. When the fortress fell, it was Sera who dove into the river to protect me. Don’t you think it’s ridiculous? I’m supposed to be the hero, but all I do is get saved.”

“So… you’re going to throw away your life for that?”

“It’s not just that. Natalia, Laura, and countless soldiers and adventurers are still at the fortress. It’s my duty.”

Saying this, the hero took out a red ring from his pocket and placed it on Sera’s hand.

The Tear of Fire—a gem known to burn only the sinful and the demonic.

Although he had deliberated long before buying it, imagining Sera diving into flames kept haunting him.

He had intended it as a gift but had been rejected outright.

“This feels a bit underhanded. But a final gift can be a secret, right?”

“Let’s go.”

He had no regrets now. Even if it meant dying, he was resolved to stop the Demon King.

But before he could take a step, the Unyielding Boulder stood in his way.

“I’ll go with you. Distorted space or not, I can find the right path. Actually, distortion makes it easier for me to lead you past the warriors to where the Demon King descends.”

With divine protection, the Pathfinder’s Blessing, the Unyielding Boulder wasn’t hindered by distorted space.

She could instinctively know where the distortion led, where obstacles lay, and where the Demon King’s descent would take place.

Their shared determination set them on the path toward the Demon King and Thunder Rushing Forward.