Chapter 754: Queen and Savior
Haro had no time to object to his delusions because Erin Voldor was bound to recover from that sneak attack. Even if the two had a head start, Erin was far more powerful than the two combined. The issue was that they were unable to take the hidden bridge anymore.
"Where do we go now?" asked the forger while running on the highlands of Silver District. Haro squeezed her mind for an answer, but none came to mind.
"The bridge should be infested with knights waiting for any suspicious activity, and the hidden rope bridge cannot be revealed. So our only way is to fly over there."
"If I could fly, then I wouldn't have been caught in the first place," said Gray as he jumped over a boulder and stopped to take some breath. "Haa, I'm out of energy."
"Is being out of shape a part of the gentlemen's code?" asked Haro with shock, and the forger gave her the eye.
"Cut me some slack! I've been imprisoned for a month, so," said Gray as he took out a bottle and drank it. Haro stared at him with suspicion as he drank all of it. "It's a healing potion, not alcohol."
"A gentleman who doesn't heal others first," said Haro with judgmental eyes. Gray stared her up and down as if judging her physique.
"One of us has to carry the other, " Gray said before lifting her and dashing forward. A few seconds later, the boulder burst smithereens after a chain impaled it. "He's here! AAAA~ I don't want to die~."
"Stop whining and run faster!" said Haro as she looked back, taking out her astral bow. Then, she began to fire arrows at Erin, hoping to distract him.
It was useless to hide her signature weapon from him if he was going to kill them anyway. Erin attacked the arrows with his chains, destroying them with ease. Haro already had half of her mana because of what happened with the mansion, so she had to save what she could.
Gray suddenly tripped and fell, making Haro fall on the ground and roll. Before she could stop herself, Haro rolled off the edge and only managed to grab into the cliff in time to save herself from falling.
"What are you doing?!" shouted Haro with fury as she hung on the edge, her grip slowly slipping. She thought Gray was clumsy, but the next scene explained what happened.
A chain was wrapped around Gray's ankle as it raised him upside down despite his struggles to melt it. Erin was strolling toward them with leisure, but his expression was wrathful. Then, Erin glanced at her.
"You couldn't run far, could you?" asked Erin before he turned to the forger. "I want to rip you apart right here for what you did, but you are still valuable. So, I will take care of this woman first."
"Leave her alone! I am the one you want!" shouted Gray as he tried to kick the chains away, but they didn't budge. Then, he tried to melt his shirt, making it catch fire before he threw it at Erin.
The burning shirt fell to the ground as Erin simply side-stepped away from it. He stared at the forger with disdain before walking toward the cliff's edge.
Haro could feel her grip on the cliff slipping, and Erin stood in front of her. Then, he stepped on her fingers, which were already losing their strength. Haro winced as she stared at his expression, full of mockery and disdain.
"I would have wanted to see that face of yours, but I doubt I remember it," said Erin before he raised his foot to push her off the edge. "You and your pathetic heroism can perish here."
Haro stared at the man with resentment, with a crushing feeling in her chest. Although she did everything to recreate what happened with Night, Erin still won.
"Goodbye, bitch," said Erin as he stomped on her fingers, grinning from ear to ear. Haro preferred to let go of the edge rather than let him humiliate her, but something happened before she did. "Huh?"
Erin Voldor was confused as he flew in the air, straight toward the trench separating the two districts. The person who appeared behind him was a tanned woman with silver hair, with a figure that could ruin kingdoms.
"You are the little bitch, Erin," said the woman with a disgusted expression before she reached toward Haro and pulled her up. After the woman effortlessly carried her, Haro returned to safety. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"
"I, I, am," stuttered Haro as she stared at the smiling woman, whose beauty shamed the night sky. It was the first time she was attracted to someone else, not to mention a woman.
"That's good to hear. You did well so far," said the woman before she turned toward the hanging forger. "Are you going to stay up there like a fool?"
"These chains won't budge! Erin Voldor is still alive!"
"That is to be expected," said the woman before she crouched toward Haro and gave her a potion. "This is a healing potion. Drink it and retreat."
"Let me support you with my arrows," said Haro as she grabbed the potion. The woman gave her a sweet smile before nodding, making Haro relieved.
Cling!
A chain impaled the cliff they were standing on, and Haro gulped down the potion before running away. She took out her bow and stared at the woman standing without fear on edge, waiting for Erin's return.
"Just who is she?" muttered Haro under her breath, but Gray seemed to hear her words. He grinned toward her while upside down and spread his arms.
"She is the most beautiful goddess of all, our queen and savior, Rain!" said Gray with a worshiping and bewitched expression. Haro looked at him with disdain before turning back toward the battle.
Erin Voldor soared toward the sky using his chains to rise, hovering above them while glaring at Rain. Haro could tell he didn't recognize her, but he was furious. What she was confused about was that Rain didn't try to cover her face or wear a mask.
"Who are you?" asked Erin Voldor with a rageful voice. "Never mind, I will kill you regardless."
"Even if I said I'm your mother?" said Rain, and Erin Voldor flew with rage and sent multiple chains toward her. In response, Rain slapped them away before grabbing one of them and pulling Erin down, slamming him to the ground.
"You are far too young to challenge me, boy," said Rain as she strolled toward Erin and raised his head. "Try again in a thousand years."
Erin stared at her with fear before the chains grabbing Gray shot out to pierce Rain. Haro rushed to block the attack, but it was closer than she was. Rain dodged it by craning her neck, but that opening was all the berserker needed to run away. Haro enjoyed watching him run like a dog, but her bow was ready to strike.
"Leave him," said Rain, making Haro frown. "We cannot kill him because that would alarm the emperor himself. We still have a lot of things to do first."
"Things to do?" asked Haro while Rain walked toward Gray and picked him up over her shoulder, despite his objections and struggle. "Who is we?"
"I think you already figured out the answer, Haro Goldner," said Rain with a smile. "The real question is whether you will return to being their knight or join us to remove that bastard from power."
Haro was unable to answer, and Rain nodded before walking away. At that moment, an explosion that shook the Silver District came from the south bridge, where the Mansell Mansion was.
Rain and Haro turned to look at the source, and both were surprised to see a giant of flames towering over the city. However, his features and golden eyes revealed his identity despite being made of fire.
"Arthur Silvera," said Haro with surprise. "Why is he revealing himself like this? The citizens will see him in Ilios."
"That's his aim," answered Rain. "He wants them to know that change is coming to this land. Can I rely on you to confirm his identity to the people of the Silver District?"
"If I am found, then…" hesitated Haro, and Rain simply smiled and nodded. The woman then walked away toward the temple, where the hidden bridge was.
Haro stared at her departing back before turning back toward Arthur Silvera, who towered over the other buildings. He raised his arm to attack, and she realized he might be fighting against the Trinity Member who killed Captain Munro.
"His body!" realized Haro before she bolted back toward the mansion, wishing to save his body before it burned to ashes. At that moment, Arthur's attack landed, and the City of Helios shook due to the impact. As she ran, Haro realized that an hour after Arthur Silvera revealed himself, her life turned upside down.