THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

"Guoh!!!"

"Ahh!!"

The clash between Farner and the monster is really intense. Each of their swords' clashes makes the air vibrates and the ground trembles. Every time Farner uses a light ray or any Angas script, the monster immediately shoots it down with his crossbow. That crossbow looks just like a normal one but it is shooting black bolts which must be made of Regas.

On my side, I feel weaker and weaker. The pain from my arm is still increasing and I can barely see in front of me now. I try my best to rely on the sound of the whip and evade it but it soon won't be enough. With a missing leg and a burnt arm, I am not in my best condition.

To top it all, I stopped using draconic energy ever since Farner came.

I remember Anriette's reaction and I don't want this girl to start questioning me, especially since she won't leave me alone until I tell her everything.. My mask is still on for now but we never know.

"Rah!!"

I knock over the whip and pounce on the monster but it just comes back again like nothing happened.

"Tch!!"

I use five bullets and two manage to pass through the whip's barrage. Hitting the monster's legs.

"Now!!"

As they explode, I signal Farner who immediately jumps. Her sword starts shining, like the first time we fought. Then she falls down on the monster with all her weight but he still manages to counter it, though he gets destabilized.

"Ahh!!!"

"Fucking…hero!!!"

Cladding his whole body in that dark energy, he pushes her back. I take advantage of it and pounce on him but…

"You will die first!"

Without even looking at me, his arm holding the crossbow turns to me and two bolts shoot from it.

"No, you don't!!"

Before I have the time to react, Farner appears in front of me and creates a dome of light. But the bolts break through the barrier and pierce her legs.

"Argh!!"

She falls down to the ground while screaming madly.

"Fuck!! Why did you do this?!!" I jump to her and try to carry her but another bolt comes and I knock it away.

"I could have protected myself!! Why did you do such a thing?!!"

What was the need to do this? At best, only one of those bolts would have hit me and it wouldn't have been a vital spot. I could have easily survived that so why? How stupid can you be?

"I don't want to see you suffer!!"

"What?!! What kind of reason is that?!! Are you stupid?!!"

"Who are you calling stupid?!!"

"INSOLENT FOOLS!!!"

The monster starts shooting even more bolts. Every time I knock off one of them, my raizen and my body tremble like they are about to break. I do my best to avoid breaking my wrist or I will be completely useless then. But, even so, I can't move from there. Not until she stands up.

***

"Can't you move yet?!!"

"No! my healing isn't working properly!!"

Glancing at the two wounds on her legs, I notice they are slightly burnt. Just like my arm. I see. He fucking uded that flame again.

"He used those black flames on you!! Focus all your Angas on healing or you won't be able to do it."

"I am trying!!"

"You shouldn't have done that to begin with!!"

"I told you already!! I-"

"Why would you do such a stupid choice?!!"

"DIEEEEE!!!"

"ARGH !! SHUT UP ALREADY!!"

I manage to knock back one of the bolts to the sender and launch a crescent bullet at the same time. The bolt hits his chest while the bullet explodes loudly on his head. I don't think I will be able to use the crescent bullet again or I will surely faint. I am so tired.

"KRIEEKKKK!!!"

"Now, Farner, flee!"

"What?!! I am not abandoning you here!!"

"Just go somewhere and heal yourself back!!"

"No, I won't and I can't move anyway!!"

"Just do it!!"

"KRIEKKKKK!!!"

Suddenly, the monster screams more loudly, more powerfully. It is so powerful my eardrums almost explode. What is it doing?

After its scream, I hear a noise. That noise, I would remember it anytime.

"Impossible!"

I look at the sky and among the rare stars that are trying to illuminate this moonless night, some suddenly get obscured by a round mass of black.

"He opened a portal with just his scream?!!"

"Ahahahaha!! DIEEEE!!"

The monster restarts shooting bolts at us and I smash them as best I can. But the bolts are faster now, stronger.

***

It hurts!! It freaking hurts!! Let alone my arm, those bolts hurt like hell. I manage to send off most of them but those who pass through pierce my body like a sheet of paper. One pierces through my thigh, another through my ribs, then one through the shoulder of my burnt arm.

Why? Why do I have to suffer like this? What am I trying to do here? This guy is way stronger than me, the obvious choice should be to run away. So why?

"Kevin!! Leave me and go!!"

Ah, I see now. It's because of you. You are the reason for all this. Just thinking about leaving you here makes my heart hurts and tighten like crazy. But why?

"I told you you made a bad choice. This is all your fault!!"

"Just zip it and leave!!"

"When you can't even stand up?!!"

"It doesn't matter!!"

"DIEEE ALREADY!!"

The sound of the portal becomes louder. It is about to open. I must make a choice now. A decisive one. My body won't hold out much longer. I will certainly die in the next five minutes if I stay here. Plus this guy is too strong to be beaten up anyway. Then the only plausible solution would be to...

"Please!! Just Leave and survive!!"

Leave? Abandoning somebody who is ready to give up her life for me? Ahaha….Ahahahaha!!! What a joke!!!

"Then I would be no different from them!!"

I counter the bolts as fast I can but another one pierces my stomach. Thankfully, it doesn't hit Farner who is right behind me.

Right, this is how it should be. If you truly care about somebody, you should give up your life for them. If you truly lov…love? Love…Wait, do I…Could it that…

"You are one persistent worm, you know that?!!"

The monster finally stops his bolts' bombardment and looks at me with his glowing red eyes.

"Farner, tell me something. Why did you try to save me?"

It raises his crossbow again but this time, the black flame appears in front of it.

"But everything has an end!!"

"Now is not the time for this!! Run away!!"

"Just tell me."

"Ahh, geez!! Can't you take a hint already?!!"

"DIE!!"

A single bolt is launched, then turns into a gigantic black fireball the size of a house. There is no way we can avoid this.

"It's because I LOVE YOU!!!! YOU BIG IDIOT!!!"

I see. That's it then. Love. It was the answer to all this. Then, I will answer in kind!! Even if I have to die here!! No matter the consequences, I will save you!! Right here!!! Right now!!

I place my raizen to the ground and right when I am about to use draconic power, a light appears. A wall of light, shaped like a bee's nest, receives the black fireball, which then explodes without any damage done to us.

"You guys have done well."