God's an Adventurer: Volume I

Chapter 91- A Hero's Regret

Alruin sat up from the rubble surrounding him. The attack had caused very little damage to him but just the same, he had been caught off guard. He had just been thinking no one could possibly be strong enough to hurt him and just then that man had showed himself.

"Where did he come from?"

Was the masked man hiding, observing them from far this whole time or had he just showed up at the same time they happened to be walking towards the castle.

His guess was that this might be where he was standing by all along. Alruin thought back on the large concentration of shadows Sayu had killed and sighed in anger.

This should have let him know that there was something in the area. They had not faced a single force of creatures so big on their way here. The monsters were probably there as a front for the Shadow Manipulator to know when someone is approaching him.

He had allowed them to walk into that surprise attack and now they were engaged with the enemy.

Alruin stood up from the debris of the building that he had crashed into to. He looked towards the direction of the masked man and what he saw made him run as fast as his legs could carry him.

Sayu stood in front of the man, holding the hilt of a sword that was piercing her heart. Her mouth opening and closing as if trying to make a sound.

There was no time to understand what was happening, whatever it was didn't look good. He struggled with all his might to get there on time but all he could see was the waning light of life escape her eyes.

The flames of the sword made a hissing sound as blood sprung forth from her wound. Her white attire had a become tainted by the color of her blood escaping from her wound. It spread through it as she stumbled in place, trying to remain on her feet.

He staggered onto the ground only a few feet away just in time to see Sayu's eyes grow completely dim before she collapsed on the ground.

"D-dammit w-what the hell is this?! Get the hell back up this shit's not cool!" yelled out Hiromichi.

"A pity, I could feel my skills influence slipping. Just a little longer and she would have broken free. Can't use that for a while now can I?"

Alruin had a mixture of feelings towards seeing this. It wasn't so much because of his new fixation on Sayu, a girl he had barely met a few minutes ago, it was about seeing someone die in front of him. Had he the strength to stop this man, there would be no need to see her die, to see anyone die.

Alruin lifted himself from the ground once again. He would have to keep himself under control, show no more signs of emotional disruption. It would only cloud his mind if he was going to take on this person. He tried pushing Sayu's cold body that layed on the ground, motionless, away from his sight.

His attention turned to the masked man who was quietly staring back behind the mask.

Sword in hand and shield ready he spoke with a calm tone.

"To whom do I have the displeasure of talking to?"

"W-why are you asking him this shit! Don't you see what he did to her?! Swing at this asshole!" Hiromichi's words echoed loudly.

Behind the assertive demanding voice of his, Alruin could sense a hint of pain and frustration. Frustration that rose from his lack of strength, just like his own. They were different somehow though. Hiromichi's seemed to come from a friend who has just lost someone close while his own came from seeing the death of another. He ignored Hiromichi's demands, waiting patiently for a response.