Episode 444: The Fall of the House of Usher (4)

"Puh-ha!"

It was already midnight when Tudor and Bianca crawled out onto land.

The atmosphere is so cold that it freezes. The blowing wind is as sharp as a knife.

As I turned my head, I saw the House of Usher's mansion casting a gloomy shadow over the swamp overflowing with the evil spirits of the Red Death.

"catch."

"… … huh."

Tudor grabbed Bianca's outstretched hand.

The two ran down the mountain path holding each other's hands.

Food Deuk-

I could hear the sound of a bird flapping its wings behind me.

Tudor and Bianca ran frantically through the dead trees that sprouted as bare as the vertebrae of burned corpses.

I got scratched by the sharp branches and thorns and got wounds all over my face and body, but I had no time to think about such things.

Red death dancing with phosphorus and sulfur fire and water mist wandering over the swamp.

Tudor and Bianca ran through the darkness, relying on the saint's fading protection.

Food Deuk-

The sound of a bird flapping its wings could be heard a little closer.

at that time.

… thud!

Tudor stopped running and suddenly fell to his knees on the ground.

Bianca is surprised and supports Tudor.

"Tudor! are you okay?"

"… … "Umm."

Red energy continued to spread on the side where Bianca's arrow had passed.

Even if it was just a grazing, it was a serious injury.

Bianca thought for a moment and then spoke with a determined expression.

"Get on your back."

"… … ."

But Tudor shook his head.

"You never know when the devil will come after you. "I told you not to let down your guard until Bikir crosses the ridge."

"Do you think I'm letting down my guard now?"

"uh. "It seems that way."

Tudor quietly pushed Bianca away.

"Go first. "I will rest for a bit and then follow you."

"Don't be a dick."

Bianca closes the distance that Tudor pushed away.

She said, grabbing Tudor by the collar.

"You know what you're doing right now isn't cool at all, right?"

"I'm not doing that to look cool. "Do you still not know me?"

"So you know me?"

"… … ."

Tudor and Bianca's eyes remained locked for a while.

Tudor said in a low voice.

"That night. You saved me when my family almost lost their lives. "You risked your life too."

"… … ."

"Now it's my turn. I don't feel like walking anymore anyway. "Let me do something for you one last time."

A flame bloomed in Tudor's eyes, which had been dying out from blood loss and hypothermia.

It was the final light that only a being who sensed the end of life could emit.

… … however.

"If you have the stamina to talk nonsense, just go for a walk."

Bianca's eyes were even more overwhelming than Tudor's.

"That night. "It was I who saved you, but it was also you who saved me."

"… … ."

"Do you know how lucky I am to be alive? When I saw you still alive at the end of the place I ran to with my lungs bursting... … "Do you know how relieved and grateful I was at that time?"

Bianca grabbed Tudor's collar and pulled him close.

And he growled.

"So live. somehow. As long as I live, you live too. "After I die, it's up to you whether to search or not."

"… … ."

Tudor could not say anything to Bianca's threats that were not threats.

Soon, the two started climbing the mountain path again.

He used up all his mana a long time ago, and his body is full of big and small wounds from breaking through the mansion's traps.

Body temperature continued to escape from my drenched body.

Food Deuk-

I heard the sound of a bird flapping its wings again from behind me.

Now it really wasn't that far away.

"… … "Bianca."

Tudor, who was barely able to walk by relying on the window pole, opened his mouth in a dying voice.

Bianca also raises her head.

"thank you."

"… … What are you doing so ominously? "How dare you say hello in this situation."

"just. "I don't think I can do it now."

"Oh really!"

The moment Bianca turns her head.

thud!

Tudor fell to the floor.

"… … ."

Bianca looked at Tudor quietly.

And she, too, quietly sat down next to Tudor.

"… … okay. good job. "This was great enough."

There is no answer from the fallen Tudor.

Then, tears began to form in Bianca's eyes as she looked at Tudor.

Bianca's confident and confident expression quickly collapsed and she took on the appearance of an ordinary woman of her age.

She lowered her head, hugging Tudor tightly, who was breathing hard.

In the end, we couldn't cross the ridge we had promised, but we succeeded in luring the devil and setting off black fireworks.

It was a situation where I was prepared as it was not a plan made with the survival probability of the two used as bait in mind in the first place.

"thank you. "For being with us."

She pressed her lips to Tudor's mouth.

Food Deuk-

And a mysterious sound gets closer and closer.

Bianca raised her head with a determined expression.

Although I no longer had any strength left, I was determined to resist with all my might.

"I would rather die than lose my body to you!"

She stood in front of Tudor and raised her bow.

yet. Across the thick darkness, two burning red eyes can be seen.

Sprinkling an eerie red light, it was like seeing the dog of death from a grotesque legend come to life.

… … but.

fluttering-

The person who appeared in front of Bianca was not a devil, but a completely different being.

"You still look lively. thank god."

Bikir. The night hound emerged from the darkness.

Bianca's eyes widened.

"Bikir? W, how about here? "The meeting place is over the ridge, right?"

"I came out to meet you. Well, I took a bit of a risk."

After speaking, Bikir raised his hand.

Werewolves, ghouls, thick-backed centipedes, mountain turtles, griffins, etc... … In addition, several monsters had their throats cut and blood was dripping.

Bianca then realized that she and Tudor had come this far without being attacked by any monsters.

That was because Bikir had been silently cleaning the escape route until now.

When they first made the plan, they said they would abandon the two people, but in reality, Vikir cared about them more than anyone else.

"… … Bikir."

Bianca opened her mouth with a trembling voice, but Bikir waved his hand as if it was nothing.

Meanwhile.

Vikir turned his head and looked back at the trail of black fireworks rising above the Usher mansion.

Those fireworks mean one thing.

Roderick Usher is dead. He or she was put in a miserable situation, worse than death.

Bianca's explanation continued.

"Father is alive. However, due to the miasma of the Red Death encroaching on the entire mansion grounds... … ."

"I understand the situation at a glance. From now on, save your stamina to speak."

Eventually, Bikir approached the fallen Tudor.

Vikir, who checked the pulse, nodded.

"This is okay. "If you drink some potion and take a holy power poultice, you'll wake up soon."

"Well, can we do that? Go beyond the ridge... … ."

"It's possible if you just stay still."

"huh? What is that... … ?"

Bianca didn't even have time to question.

sudden!

Bikir lifted Tudor up and carried him on his back. And with Bianca by his side, he started running up the slope.

"Uh huh?"

Bianca was embarrassed, but soon closed her eyes tightly.

Bikir's strength and speed were so great that he was able to climb up the steep rock face in the blink of an eye even while carrying Tudor and Bianca on his back.

It was as fast as a bird gliding.

'… … 'Thank goodness.'

Bikir was also relieved by the current situation.

In original history, this was the place where Tudor died and where Bianca went crazy.

Usher's recovery operation.

According to the original plan, this would have happened much later than now, but this place was certain.

Before restoring the House of Usher, Tudor suffers a serious injury while trying to stop Bianca from being brainwashed by the devil. As a result, he is left alone, unable to break through the daylilies of the devil army, and after helping his allies take refuge, he dies a heroic death.

In the end, Bianca becomes delirious from the guilt of not being able to restore her family, and of having harmed Tudor, who had been by her side during her most difficult times, and who had been her lifelong childhood friend and lover, with her own hands.

… … But fate has changed.

Tudor survived, and Bianca's spirit also survived.

It was possible because Bianca was not brainwashed by Madeline at the critical moment.

"… … "I should thank Lovegood."

Bikir quietly looked at a brooch in Bianca's hair.

A hairpin with a pink heart-shaped brooch attached.

Also known as 'the shield of love'.

This was an artifact that Bikir obtained in the past when he participated in the university league.

To be more precise, Bikir received the Decarabia as an award for excellent performance in the university league.

At that time, there was a student named Merlini Lovegood who had better grades than Vikir, and the prize she received was this artifact called 'Love Shield'.

'The artifact I got is 'Love Shield'! It's a hairpin with a heart-shaped brooch! It is said that if you wear it, it will block any kind of powerful brainwashing or mental magic! However, it is said that it only works if the person you truly love is by your side!'

The effect of this artifact called the Love Shield is to block even the most powerful brainwashing at least once.

However, in order for this artifact to activate, there must be someone you truly love next to you.

'Perfume, skin lotion, shoes, belt, hat, sunglasses, shirt, bag, fountain pen, tie, wallet, sneakers, hairpin... … oh my god. There is also an artifact that was used as a prize in the university league. Also, what is this? 'It's the key to the carriage, right?'

In the past, Lovegood had sent this artifact he had received by mail to Vikir as a fan, and Vikir kept it well and handed it to Bianca before infiltrating the Usher family's mansion.

'Take this and go.'

A hairpin for Bianca, and red and black sparklers for Tudor.

Thanks to Bikir's preparations in case of an emergency, Tudor and Bianca were able to escape from the cruel wheel of fate.

"… … "Is this the first time I've seen your face?"

Vikir, who was looking at his own face in a puddle on the floor, turned his head.

Kkook-

I saw Tudor fainting and Bianca's hands clasped together as she looked at Tudor.

* * *

yet.

Vikir found a temporary camp on the ridge, took out a potion that had been placed in a hole covered with fallen leaves, and fed it to Tudor.

"… … omg? "Why am I still alive?"

When Tudor wakes up screaming loudly, Bianca bursts into tears.

Right then.

Food Deuk-

The sound of a bird flapping its wings could be heard from far behind.

Bikir climbed up the ridge and stood in a place overlooking the Usher family mansion.

just as expected.

[…] … Chase! … … We must find it!]Madeline's venomous voice and the sounds of the Usher knights moving began to be heard.

To Tudor and Bianca, whose eyes suddenly become harsh.

"Get ready."

Bikir opened his mouth.

"From now on, it's time to pay it all back."