[18x FEATURED]
𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘺.
Born out of sadness and despair, demonic beings known as "Outcasts" seek to corrupt human souls, posing a threat to humanity's innocence. Raia Allen, a remorseless warrior and healer, joins t...
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The sound of the horse hooves pounding on the pavement and the rapid rumble of the wheels fades as the carriage skids to a halt, and Raia and Sunshine dismount from the horse-drawn vehicle. They push their way through the throngs of people and amble along the city's roadside stalls.
Sunshine's head turns side to side as she searches for potatoes with Raia in tow.
Their duty as Aragons does not include shopping, but when they ran out of potatoes, Sunshine insisted on going shopping and dragged Raia along with her. She thought it was the perfect opportunity to get closer to her, thus the two of them ended themselves in this crowded and noisy place.
Since they're not on duty as Aragons, they dress simply in order to blend in with the crowd.
Sunshine squeals with delight, and Raia assumes she's already found what she's looking for. She sighs as they come to a halt in front of a potato stall, where a tall man in a loose, long-sleeved tunic stands in front.
"Hello, beautiful ladies," the stall owner greets with exaggerated enthusiasm, and Raia lets Sunshine handle the shopping.
Raia examines their surroundings, her gaze roving for any sign of malicious presence. Not being on duty doesn't mean they can lower their guard. They are, after all, in a place swarming with people of various facades. One of them may not even be human in the first place.
She inadvertently places her hand in her chest, trying to detect any unusual sensations within her, but all she feels is hollowness. She can't get her mind off the incident in the hospital, where she felt a sense of warning against an unseen enemy. That is a useful skill, to be sure, but it was a terrible experience. A lost spirit's despair is nothing more than a nightmare. That was the first time Raia felt such strong emotion, to the point where she would rather heal someone and endure temporary pain than something that lasted a long time.
"Raia!" Sunshine's high-pitched voice interrupts Raia's thoughts. "I bought potatoes. Do you want to buy something? Would you like to go for a walk before we return to the headquarters?"
Raia looks at the bag of potatoes Sunshine is carrying. She opens her mouth to speak, but a scream cuts her off, and then a woman jumps off the roof of a small building nearby. Her skirt flutters around her as she lands on the ground, and she sprints to a full run.
"H-hey, that's –" Sunshine starts, wrapping her hand around her right wrist.
The woman spins and raises a palm, but Raia already summoned her Blessing. The crowd screams as Raia's flaming longsword leaps to life and slashes the sphere light.
She frowns. The woman is without a doubt a possessed Outcast. She must purify her before any of these people become her victims. But just as she's about to leap, a boy pounces on her, and she winces as her back slams into the hard ground.
