𝙸𝚜𝚎𝚔𝚊𝚒 𝙶𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚆𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚐: 𝙵𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚎 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚁𝚒𝚜𝚎

Chapter 6 [What A Fool I Was...]

Blood choked her, the taste of metallic in her mouth. She wanted to cry out in pain. It felt like her spine and bone was broken. But she couldn't...it hurts even to breathe. She don't know how she was still alive.

Though even with the ringing, Tsubaki could still make out the faint sound of voices coming closer. She weakly unfolded her tired eyelids to see the blurry forms of her party members.

"So this is supposed to be the so-called champion? The hero destined to defeat the Demon King?" Madia's usual delighted purple eyes now looked down upon her in disgust. "Pathetic..." The mage pursed her red lips.

Owain nodded, "the King made a wise decision..." The blonde knight narrowed his eyes down at her vulnerable form. "There's no way these girls would ever be able to defeat the Demon King." He scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Hey, I'm not complaining," Ermes smirked. "We got to make a few bucks along the way," his amber eyes darkened in greed. Her heart twisted in rage and despair at this man.

"W-Why...." Tsubaki forced herself to ask as she was coughing out blood. Why what? She wasn't sure, she had so many questions yet she doubt she would stay alive long enough for them to be answered.

"Oh? You can still speak?" Madia mused, tipping her witch hat. "That's pretty impressive," her lips curved upward in ridicule.

Tsubaki dug her nails into the soil. "Wh-Why..." She asked again, red stains dripping from her mouth. She then hissed in pain when her face was roughly yanked forward.

"You know for a pretty face, you can be so fucking stupid," Ermes sneered as he held her face. His fingers dug painfully into her skin. Tsubaki's heart ached when she heard Madia's laughter at her with Ermes's insults. These people.

"Why else?! The King wanted you fucking dead." He scoffed, shoving her face away. "You really think that the King is gonna trust a couple of girls to defeat the Demon King?"

The dying girl's eyes widened at the cold truth. "H-He sent us to die...." She choked up on more blood. She wanted to curse herself for not realizing it sooner. Yet, these people played her well with nothing that seemed to be out of the norm.

"Finally!" Ermes chortled, shoving a finger to her face. "You're using your stupid brain..." She winced at the gesture. "...and with you four gone, the King can summon other champions," the black-haired mercenary sneered down at her. He snatched the divine sword, dangling before her mockingly. "They'll be more capable than some pathetic and weak little girls."

"Let's leave, those Arachnids would be returning anytime," Owain reminded. "We can leave her here to die," his rusted brown eyes glared down at her. "I doubt she'll make it out alive."

"Ooh, wait!" Madia gasped before scrambling towards Tsubaki's fallen form. She rummaged through the black-haired girl's body before her purple eyes gleaming at the familiar brown satchel. "We couldn't just leave money on her, like a corpse would need it," she laughed.

The three cold-heartedly left the dying girl behind. Tsubaki watched them leave with blood and tears trickling down her cheeks. Dammit, she was never gonna get home. She had trusted too easily in an unknown world. And now death for the consequence of her mistake.

A final teardrop fall her cheek, she felt before her world turned black.

'Ple-Please god no...I don't want to die.'

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The stench of blood was fresh in the air as giant monsters desperately seek the source of such delicious aroma. Their multiple eyes greedily caught the sight of the bleeding body. Yet, she wasn't alone.