Chapter 204: Someone Precious

"I knew you were coming!"

His sword knocked upward the blade Stevie was bringing down. Then he swept it sideways. His sword cut a horizontal line across Stevie’s abdomen. Stevie immediately stepped back, but a red spray rose from the tip of the blade.

"Gyaa—!?"

Stevie’s voice rose — Stevie was hit!? His side was open! I thrust my sword into that opening. My leg would not move properly and the thrust did not fully extend. Yet I felt the tip of the sword enter flesh.

"You idiot—!!"

He roared and kicked me in the face, knocking me down. I tumbled and rolled backward. Damn it—! Only a cut!?

"This time, dieeeeee—!!"

Screaming, he tried to leap at me, but Lily charged in from the side. Lily’s sideways sweep collided with his sword. Even though my sword had entered him, his strength was still greater. Lily was sent flying, sword and all.

At that moment,

"Robby-sama! Hurry!"

From behind him Stevie clung to his leg. Stevie, still bleeding from her abdomen, leapt onto him. From Stevie’s hands a bariii!! of light erupted and his body glowed. Electricity? For an instant his eyes rolled back and his movement stopped; he lost his balance but did not fall, and with awkward motions he cut away the Stevie who had clung to him. Stevie’s back split open and a great spray of blood rose from it.

Now! Only now! With all my strength I thrust my sword toward his heart. Using my one working leg as a spring I dove into his chest. The sword was sucked into his chest; the tip slid smoothly without striking chainmail or bone and was swallowed by his chest.

"Guwah!"

His movement stopped. He looked at me with a face that asked what on earth had just happened. I twisted the sword and swept it sharply sideways. From the wound left by the withdrawn blade his blood erupted like a fountain. He leaned against me. At that moment he tried to raise his sword and stab me. From behind, Stevie grabbed and stopped that arm! When I stepped back he collapsed, and I saw Stevie riding on his back. She was covered in blood from head to toe! Her back was split wide open! White flesh was visible.

"Robby-sama..."

Stevie twisted one cheek as if forcing a bitter smile.

I leapt over him and ran to Stevie.

"Stevie!!!! Are you all right! The wound is shallow! Stay with me! Wait, I’ll put medicine on it!"

I rummaged through the mana bag — there should have been something, I should have had medicine, something, anything? The hands holding Stevie were steadily dyed with her blood.

"Damn it!!"

The man who had been fighting Lily, enraged, charged at me. Abandoning Lily, he came at me. I cut him completely in two through the abdomen. I sliced him open leaving only the spine.

"Stevie!!!!"

Lily’s scream rang out. When I looked at Stevie, Lily was already running to her. Lily pressed her hands to Stevie and cried,

"Stevie! Hold on, right now, right now, I’ll save you! Now — ’Healing’ ’Healing’ ’Healing’ ’Healing’!"

Lily’s full-power Healing was not working!? Stevie’s lukewarm blood kept flowing and flowing. Why, why!? The blood won’t stop!

"Stevie! Don’t dieeeeee—!!"

I shook Stevie. Praying for her to wake, to open her eyes, I shook her.

"’Healing’ ’Healing’ ’Healing’!!!!"

Lily cast the magic as if gone mad. Is it useless? Why? Why isn’t it working!? I shook her shoulders. Her head swayed and her blue hair swayed. There was no will of her own in it; she only swayed in time with my movements.

Because the light of Stevie’s life had gone out, the things she must have kept in her mana bag scattered into the air from midair.

"Stevieeeeee!! Stevieeeeee!! Wake uuuup—!! Open your eyes! Hey, hey, Stevie, don’t die, I don’t want to lose another precious person— Stevie... hey Stevie... don’t leave me behind! You said we’d live together supporting Robby-sama in the Mainz Kingdom, didn’t youuuu—!! Uwaaaaah—!!"

Lily, half-frenzied, shook Stevie. Stevie’s body wobbled, but there was no sign of her waking.

At the sight of Lily wailing I also cried out.

"Stevie!!!! Don’t gooo—!! Come baaack—!! Hey! Stevieeeeee!! This can’t be trueee—!!"

Tears fell in streams. I cried together with Lily.

"Robby-samaaaa— Stevie is—!!"

This was the first time I had seen Lily so completely distraught. The Lily who was always the very picture of calm, who taught me things with a smile, was now sobbing like a child and shedding tears. Looking at Lily made me feel that I had to do something. The blood-covered Stevie was right in front of me. Her face was dirty and closed.

"Hey, Lily... Stevie is dead... she’s not coming back... Isn’t it too pitiful for her to stay covered in blood like this? Let’s clean her up. We promised to celebrate her birthday together. Hey... Stevie... uuuu— Stevie, uuuuu... Lily, Stevie..."

When I said that Lily cried,

"It’s my faultuuu, uwawawaah—!! Because I, because I couldn’t move, I forced Stevie to overdo it!! I’m sorry! Aaaaah, I’m so sorry! No, no! Like this, if I, if I stay alive, I’ll only be a burden to Robby-sama, only cause troubleeel!"

Lily’s eyes had completely gone. Lily pulled a short sword from her mana bag, drew it from its sheath, and tried to drive it into her own throat!

"Lily! Stop!"

Lily’s movement was fluid; I was taken aback and my reaction lagged. The tip of the blade touched Lily’s throat before I barely managed to stop it. I gripped her hands and struggled with her.

"Robby-sama, I... am of no useee— please let me diiie!!"

I embraced the sobbing Lily and shouted,

"Lily, don’t die!! If Lily dies too, what am I supposed to do! If you’re not here, who will guide me! Watch me grow to adulthood! I’m relying only on you! Don’t die, absolutely don’t dieeeeee—!!"

I screamed. Lily was saying something, but her voice gradually grew quieter and she put her arms around my back.

When I looked at Lily’s face, her makeup had run from the tears and it was a terrible mess. But right now I could not let this person go — I could not release her! Lily was now trying to head for the same world as Stevie. I could not lose this person too! Stevie was precious, but Lily was equally precious!

I kissed her as if devouring her. Our teeth clacked together but I did not care. When I pushed my tongue into Lily’s mouth, her tongue answered. In the response of Lily’s tongue I felt Lily’s life. Lily’s tears and my tears mixed and ran down each other’s cheeks.

"Uh, uh, uh..."

While we kissed Lily was still sobbing. I do not know how long we continued. When I slowly separated from her, Lily was smiling through her tears.

Suddenly Lily’s sobs stopped. Thinking it strange I looked at her face; she was staring into empty space. I looked in the direction Lily was looking, but nothing was there. Only the trees of the forest and the sky. Yet Lily gazed blankly as if entranced. The tear-stained face had become an expression emptied of emotion. What’s wrong, Lily? Can you see something? Then Lily smiled just a little.

Lily returned her gaze from empty space to me and said,

"Robby-sama... uuuu... I am truly sorry. I lost control for a moment. From now on as well, I, Lily Page, will support Robby-sama for as long as I live. Please continue to take care of me."

Lily bowed her head deeply. I raised her up and embraced her once more. My tears fell onto Lily’s shoulder.

"Now, let’s clean Stevie up. It’s too pitiful to leave her like this. As a girl, we have to make her beautiful and bury her."

At Lily’s words I nodded firmly.

After that it took a little under an hour for the search party from the checkpoint to arrive.