Forge and Steel

A tense silence fell over the battlefield as Valletta's grim expression met Finn and Hedin's sharp gazes. The palpable threat in the air was enough to make even the normally mindless spirit soldiers falter slightly.

"Hedin."

Finn's firm voice broke the silence, carrying a slightly angry tone. His gaze, fixed on Valletta, did not waver for a moment as he made a small gesture toward his companion.

"Hmph, I don't need you to point that out, little human."

With a disdainful snort, Hedin withdrew his arms from his cloak. His serious eyes, glowing with contempt, focused on Valletta. Raising a hand, mana began swirling around him, creating an electric current.

"Caelus Hildr!"

Hedin's powerful voice resonated like thunder as the air around him lit up. In the next moment, hundreds of lightning arrows formed around him, and with a small gesture from the mage, they were launched toward Valletta and the spirit soldiers with ferocity.

The battlefield erupted into chaotic lightning as the arrows streaked through the air, shining with a blinding intensity. Hedin's attack aimed precisely at the positions of Valletta and the spirit soldiers.

Valletta, her eyes narrowed and her expression grim, reacted immediately.

"Tch... as annoying as always." Her feet moved swiftly, darting to the side to avoid the first arrows that pierced the ground around her, leaving smoldering craters.

Like Valletta, the spirit soldiers also retreated quickly, moving away from Tsubaki's body, which remained writhing in agony on the ground.

"Raul."

Having driven the threats away from Tsubaki, Finn gestured to a young human with black hair who had remained at a safe distance.

"Take Tsubaki and run to Airmid."

Raul, a young human with black hair and brown eyes, looked at Finn with slight nervousness. However, he hesitated only for a second. Swallowing hard, he nodded decisively before rushing toward Tsubaki.

"Understood."

His footsteps echoed on the ground as he approached Tsubaki's injured body, lying barely conscious on the ground. Reaching her side, Raul quickly knelt down, evaluating her condition with a mix of concern and nervousness.

"T-Tsubaki-sama, forgive my rudeness." With an embarrassed expression, Raul carefully lifted her in a princess carry, trying his best not to cause her more pain.

"Arghh... brat, don't waste time and take me to Airmid."

Tsubaki's irritated tone managed to draw a small nervous smile from Raul, who, despite the gravity of the situation, still worried about improperly touching a lady.

"Yes, ma'am. Please hold on a little longer."

A loud crash shook the ground behind him, and Raul quickly turned his head. Valletta, covered in dust and wearing a twisted smile, had noticed his movements.

"Trying to escape with my prey, little mouse?" Her voice dripped venom as she took a step forward, raising her crimson sword.

Before she could move, an electric projectile grazed her face, forcing her to step back. Hedin, with a cold expression, extended a hand toward her.

"Your fight is with me, Valletta," the elf declared firmly. "You don't have time to entertain yourself with others."

Meanwhile, Finn positioned himself between Valletta and Raul, spear in hand and his stance firm like an impenetrable wall.

"Raul, move now. We have no time to waste," he ordered with authority.

Without looking back, Raul gritted his teeth and ran with all his might, moving away from danger with Tsubaki in his arms.

Valletta, her gaze filled with rage and frustration, watched Tsubaki's departure. She gritted her teeth so hard they seemed like they might break, her gaze seething with venom.

Her prey, already on the verge of her fangs, had escaped before she could savor its bitter end.

"Damn bastards!"

A scream full of rage echoed across the battlefield. Valletta trembled with fury. Her gaze, burning and full of murderous intent, fixed on Finn and Hedin, the ones responsible for frustrating her "fun."

"Barca! Give me another weapon!"

Her voice, laden with fury, resounded on the battlefield. Having dropped her weapons during the fight, Valletta, now unarmed, needed to regain her advantage. Without taking her eyes off Finn and Hedin, she extended a hand backward, expecting Barca to respond.

"Barca?!" Silence was her only answer. Valletta blinked, and an expression of confusion briefly replaced the anger distorting her face. Turning her head quickly, searching for her companion, she realized he was nowhere to be found.

"Where the hell is...?" she muttered, her eyes scanning the battlefield frantically.

"If you're looking for your support, let me tell you he fled as soon as we got here," Hedin said, his tone dripping with mockery. A faint smile appeared on his face as he looked at Valletta with an expression full of amusement.

Valletta's jaw tightened, her fists trembling as rage flooded her again. "Damn coward! I'll kill him when I find him!"

"That," Finn interrupted, stepping forward with his spear in hand, "is if you manage to leave here alive, which doesn't seem likely."

At Finn's words, Hedin's face returned to a stoic expression. Showing not the slightest emotion, he drew a delicate sword from under his cloak. With deadly grace, Hedin walked toward Valletta, his expression indifferent.

"Don't underestimate me, you damned dwarf!" With a roar, Valletta pulled a small dagger from her back, lunging forward with a scream of fury, making it clear she wouldn't give up without one final fight.

...

"H-How... how bad are the damages?" Spitting out a small mouthful of blood, Tsubaki cast a weak glance at Raul.

Raul frowned at the effort Tsubaki was making to speak. Concern reflected in his expression, but he didn't hesitate to answer. "This isn't the time to talk about that. You have a serious wound in your abdomen and several broken ribs. We need to get you to Airmid immediately, or..."

"Tell me...!" Applying some force to Raul's shoulders, Tsubaki insisted, her gaze fixed on him, her tone demanding yet weak. Despite her frailty, her concern was so strong she couldn't stop herself from asking.

Raul, seeing Tsubaki's determination, sighed in frustration. "Tsubaki-sama... there's no time for this. If we don't get there soon, the wound could be fatal. You need to rest. The only important thing now is keeping you alive until we reach Airmid."

"Kid, don't make me hit you..." Tsubaki's voice, though faint, carried a tone of warning that didn't seem to lose its strength.

Raul gritted his teeth, feeling the pressure on his shoulder increase. Even though her body wasn't responding fully, her will remained unyielding. Under the pressure on his shoulder, Raul finally spoke, his tone more serious yet still filled with concern.

"Although the damage exceeded the limits my captain might have considered acceptable, it's still within boundaries. You don't need to worry, Tsubaki-sama."

Hearing the answer she wanted, Tsubaki finally seemed to relax. With difficulty, she nodded slowly toward Raul as her eyelids grew even heavier.

"L-Listen... I know this sounds a bit dramatic, but... if I die..." Her breathing became heavier, and her voice, though weak, remained firm. She kept looking at Raul, as if she needed those words to be heard. "...Do me a favor and tell my family that... I did everything I could..."

Taking a deep breath, a small smile appeared on Tsubaki's face despite the pain. "By the way... also tell Pyrion that if he doesn't find a partner, I'll torment him from hell."

Raul, startled by Tsubaki's words, felt a knot in his stomach. A sense of desperation overcame him. He couldn't let someone as brave and strong as Tsubaki die like this. Without thinking twice, he pushed himself to the limit, ignoring the pain in his muscles. His determination was unwavering.

"You're not going to die, Tsubaki-sama. I won't allow it!" he murmured softly as he ran with all his might, battling against time and fate itself.

Unfortunately, Tsubaki didn't hear Raul's words, as by then, her eyelids had closed, and with no more strength left, her consciousness finally faded.

Raul, feeling Tsubaki's weight increase, gritted his teeth in desperation. He pushed himself even harder. The sound of his footsteps mixed with the sharp pain coursing through his legs, but he refused to give in. With speed he'd never reached before, he drew closer to the main camp.

"The camp... it's close, you must keep going..." he told himself, like a mantra to maintain his pace.

Finally, after what felt like an endless sprint, Raul saw the first tents of the camp. His heart raced as he recognized the figure of the tent temporarily used as a hospital.

"We've made it, Tsubaki-sama. Please, hold on."

Raul pushed himself even harder, ignoring the exhaustion consuming him. Finally, he reached the medical tent, where several dwarves and medical assistants rushed to him, alarmed by the sight of Tsubaki in his arms.

"Captain!" The dwarves, members of the Hephaistos familia, panicked upon seeing their captain in such a state. They ran to her, their faces reflecting horror and concern. They gathered around Raul, frantically helping to transfer Tsubaki to a stretcher inside the tent.

"Please! Bring Airmid! If not, Tsubaki will die..." Raul said urgently, his voice trembling from exhaustion.

Without a word, one of the dwarves, his face tense and filled with determination, ran toward the tent's exit, desperately searching for the healer.

While waiting for Airmid, the medical assistants quickly gathered around Tsubaki, pouring magical potions over her wounds and carefully cleaning the lacerations. The atmosphere was tense as they tried to stabilize the Hephaistos familia captain's condition.

Shortly afterward, in what felt like an eternity, Airmid arrived. Her calming presence contrasted with the tension of the moment. Upon seeing Tsubaki on the stretcher, her face hardened, but she didn't lose her composure. She quickly approached, firmly pushing the medical assistants aside.

"Raul, step back!" she ordered without looking at the young man, as her hands began to glow with a soft green light. Her expression was serious, but her movements were calculated and precise.

Raul stepped back, his trembling legs barely holding him upright, but his gaze never left Tsubaki. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her. For a moment, the noise around him disappeared, submerged in a tense calm as Airmid began her work.

"The wound is deep... and the broken ribs are puncturing her lung," she murmured.

"There's not much I can do with normal healing magic," Airmid added after briefly examining her, her voice tense as she assessed the gravity of the situation. "These kinds of injuries require more than basic magic."

"Then, Airmid-sama?" the dwarves asked, visibly worried by the healer's words. They moved closer, anxiety palpable in their faces.

"Step back, please..." Airmid raised a hand, signaling them to move aside. Then, pointing to one of her assistants, she continued firmly: "Eina, my staff, please."

Eina, with a grave expression, hurried to hand Airmid her staff. When Airmid took it firmly, she directed a serious look at her.

"Eina, after I use my spell, I'll likely fall unconscious. I leave the care of the rest of my patients to you."

"Don't worry, Airmid-sama," Eina replied, her voice filled with respect and determination.

Airmid nodded and, with one last glance at her assistant, focused entirely on Tsubaki. She carefully raised the staff, closing her eyes as she began to gather a great amount of mana into it.

"Dia Fratel!"

The instant the word left her lips, a barrier of light enveloped everything within a five-meter radius, an explosion of sacred and immaculate brilliance that surrounded Airmid, giving her an almost celestial appearance. The light seemed to emanate from her as if her very existence was imbued with magic. In a flash, that light concentrated on Tsubaki, bathing her in its radiance.

Wrapped in the brilliant light, Tsubaki's wounds began to heal before everyone's eyes. One by one, the lacerations closed rapidly, her skin regained its color, and the damaged organs began to repair. The pressure on her chest from the broken ribs visibly decreased. Her face, once pale and almost cadaverous, regained a healthy tone, some life returning to her cheeks.

Her breathing, previously erratic and labored, returned to harmony. The intense pain she had been enduring gradually disappeared, as did the pallor threatening to consume her. Tsubaki's vitality slowly began to return to her body, as if the light itself was restoring her life.

The onlookers around her watched the process with profound awe, while her assistants observed with an almost devout shine in their eyes.

"She's... she's out of danger," were Airmid's last words before succumbing to mana exhaustion and falling unconscious.

Catching Airmid quickly, her assistants gently placed her on one of the stretchers.

"Captain!" Seeing their captain seemingly returning to life, the dwarves rushed to her with relief. Unable to contain their emotions, several of them shed tears of joy, caressing Tsubaki's hands.

Raul, still on the ground, exhausted, lowered his head as a deep sigh of relief escaped his lips.

"It's okay. I managed to fulfill the captain's orders."

...