CHAPTER 19: RETREAT

"This time, all of you need to die!"

Time freezes once again. This time, Dark Reammut directly attacks Kairi. He was the dangerous one among all of them. Her long sword breaks apart into two long swords while her harp disappears. She jumps and swings her swords down on Kairi.

Before it reached her target, she was shocked by Kairi's eyes moving toward her. Her attack missed because Kairi moved a step to avoid her attack. His movement still looks slow but becomes better after he walks away backward.

"How can you...?"

Dark Reammut asked in astonishment. She wants to know how Kairi can move within her domain.

Kairi also does not understand. He could feel the time was stopping again and something alerted him to move. Step by step he was able to see Dark Reammut move to attack him. He dodged it on instinct.

He ran a few steps back. Dark Reammut didn't want to waste time. She again attacks him, swinging and stabbing. Kairi was able to avoid a few attacks but his stiff movement still let him get slashed by the swords.

The pain finally spread out from the last wound on his shoulder by Dark Reammut before. Kairi moves staggered. He actually forgot he got injured.

But, why did it not heal him too when he used the healing power?

His lack of attention gives Dark Reammut a chance to stab him in the stomach. Kairi groaned. He pushes the sword away while jumping back with all his strength. Unfortunately, he misstep and fell backwards. In a blink, Dark Reammut appears on top of him while her sword moves to kill him.

Kairi's eyes sharpened. He grabbed both swords before they reached his chest.

"You're truly annoying!" Dark Reammut said angrily.

Killing Kairi wastes a lot of time. Both strengthen their willpower. Kairi, who needed to save himself, slowly moved his right foot and slammed against Dark Reammut's body. Dark Reammut falls backwards. Kairi gasped at the pain his hands and body held.

Before Dark Reammut arrived again, he already stood up and ran towards Dark Reammut. He never fought a girl before but life over death overcame his guilt. Dark Reammut didn't want to be punched so she moved from side to side when Kairi attacked her.

She noticed that Kairi was not a fighter. There were lots of openings during his attack which made Dark Reammut laugh. In one of her quick attacks, sliding and kicking Kairi's legs make Kairi fall easily.

"This is the leader of the Bright Star? You truly are weak. I pity those underlings of yours." She stepped hard on Kairi's back when he tried to stand up.

It was true that Kairi's healing power was strong but it doesn't seem like Kairi was able to use other powers to attack her. If he was, she would have seen it by now. Unfortunately, she didn't know that Kairi had killed Dark Ries with his power.

"Damn it!" Kairi's cursed.

His body felt heavy because it was getting hard to move. The bleeding makes him lose some blood. His head rang with dizziness. Moreover, his aggressive movement has made his entire body feel a lot of pain.

Could he survive this ordeal?

Dark Reammut swords manifested in her hand. It had fallen and disappeared when Kairi kicked her before. She aims it behind Kairi's back.

"Farewell, leader of the Bright Star. May you sleep in peace." She smirked at him.

Before she could finally kill Kairi, something stunned her movement.

"You can't, Tucana!" A childlike voice sounded.

What the hell?! Her head suddenly felt a lot of pain because of the disturbance.

"You can't! You can't!" The voice shrieked.

Dark Reammut can feel fear and anxiety from the voice. It seems it wanted her to stop killing Kairi. For an unknown reason, blackness appears in her sight and makes her suddenly faint. Time moves normally again.

"Kairi!"

Aries, Virgo and Rafiz were in horror looking at unconscious Kairi and Dark Reammut behind him. Before they could run to Kairi, Dark Spincer appeared to take Dark Reammut onto his shoulder and his sickle attacked Kairi. Luckily, Pegasus made it on time and clashed his greatsword against him.

Dark Spincer growled with anger. These Bright Star brats were able to become stronger because of Kairi's healing light. Looking at Dark Reammut who was suddenly unconscious, he has to retreat first. He doesn't know what happened to her and he must leave to treat her. His body along with Dark Reammut disappeared after that.

Pegasus let out a sigh of relief. He doesn't sense them anymore. It seems they finally got through the danger. His greatsword disappeared and he quickly walked toward his friends who surrounded Kairi.

"How is he?" He asked them.

"He lost lots of blood. We need to treat him."

Aries already took out various healing items and bandages. Rafiz helps her by removing Kairi's shirt. The wounds on Kairi scared him. His hands trembled when he put his hands on the opened wound on Kairi's stomach and shoulder. He needed to add pressure on it since it was bleeding profusely.

Aries pulled out a needle and a thread from her pouch. She has always carried it around since she might get injured too. Virgo helps her make a small fire from his lighter. She needs the fire to heat her needle before she could seal the open wounds.

After half an hour, all of Kairi's wounds were sealed and bandaged after putting medicine on them.

"Let's find somewhere to stay first. I think Klebian Town is nearby." Virgo told them.

All of them nodded. To ensure Kairi would not feel pained by his wounds, Rafiz has carried him horizontally. They quickly find the town and get a resthouse there. Kairi probably needs time to recover. Their journey to Syarantonia needs to stop for a while.

"I feel guilty..." Virgo said when Pegasus was with him.

They were going to buy dinner somewhere in the town while Aries and Rafiz guard Kairi.

Pegasus rolled his eyes.

"If I did not stop at Ryam Town, would Kairi not be in this mess?"

"Idiot!" Pegasus scolded. "The danger would come to them because of Rafiz. He killed the Deorc Star's underlings. The danger would come upon them sooner or later. By then, we might have lost and been defeated without knowing our leader was killed."

Pegasus didn't continue. Virgo should understand his meaning. Virgo's eyes brightened at his words.

So, it was fate who let him meet Kairi? He believes it.

"I want four-set chicken chop and mushroom soup, and one vegetable soup!" Virgo happily orders from a restaurant they have entered.

"Coming right up!" A waitress winked playfully at him.

Virgo replied with a chuckle while Pegasus took a seat far away from him. He doesn't want to be with these flirty idiots. Someone suddenly took a seat beside him.

"Virgo looks the same as always, huh?" A friendly young lady smiled at Pegasus.

Two young men also sit at the same table with them. Pegasus' eyes twitched.

Another three troublemakers also appear...

Three of them have their bodies covered in soldiers' metal plates and half-helmet on their heads.

"Libra, Cygnus, Eridanus, why are you all here in that... Get-up?" Virgo just noticed the three of them and came closer.

"Perseus said there is a movement from the Deorc Star around here so, we come to check out. Did you guys meet any of them?" Cygnus asked back.

"Didn't you guys get any information from Agi about us?" Pegasus and Virgo look confused.

"No. We just got back from the Jaider Kingdom before being dispatched again," Libra, the young lady, answered.

"What happened?" Eridanus asked. Seems something big happened while they were in their world.

Pegasus and Virgo look at each other before they turn back to face their comrades.

"Follow us later and you will understand..." Pegasus said before taking a little nap.

Tiredness has enveloped them since they left Ryam Town and not only for him but also for Virgo, Aries and Rafiz. Kairi was fortunate to lose consciousness and he can rest while they were busy guarding him.

After getting the food, they left towards their resthouse. Libra, Cygnus and Eridanus were stunned to see Aries while Rafiz looked at them dangerously.

"Dark Lordany?!"

Eridanus summoned his weapon. He almost went to attack Rafiz but Virgo and Aries stopped him.

"Wait! Stop, stop!" Aries shouted at him and the ready-to-fight Libra and Cygnus too.

"First of all, Dark Lordany is not our enemy anymore. He's our friend!" She stated.

"Next, see this."

She shows her memories while putting Kairi's too since she has seen it again because she did lose consciousness after getting attacked by Dark Reammut. So, she has no memories of what happened to everyone. She also added Virgo and Pegasus points of view from their location. She only could not see Rafiz's memories since Rafiz had a barrier around them.

After watching the memories like a thriller movie, Libra, Cygnus and Eridanus's sights fall on the unconscious Kairi. Their expressions look very astounded.

They have met their Bright Star leader!