Hiss was grappling with the first Elding, and the second Elding was swiftly swinging its sharp claws behind him.

It was too late to defend.

Though his fingers were stiffened with terror, his legs moved automatically.

He plunged the end of the fishing rod into the stove, and the aged wood easily caught fire.

Just before the Elding pierced Hiss’s back with its claws.

I thrust the fishing rod where it touched.

Sizzle.

A vile rubberburning smell came with a bright red burn etched on the Elding’s blue skin.

With a painfilled cry, the Elding twisted back and retreated.

Hiss quickly took the opportunity to pierce the first Elding’s belly and scratch the second Elding’s skin.

Blue blood splattered all around. As it touched my face, my skin stung slightly with a sticky mucous and a sewerlike smell engulfed me.

The Elding writhed with a noise like nails on a chalkboard. The wound made by the harpoon was deep enough to pour out bluetinged mucous.

When lightning flashed again, the two Eldings were gone. They had fled, unable to bear their grievous injuries.

As the tension suddenly relaxed, my legs gave way, and I slumped down.

“Reina. Are you okay?”

Hiss quickly came over. I involuntarily forced a smile at his trembling eyes.

“I’m fine. But Hiss, this wound here [dash].”

I touched the wound visible between the tears in my shirt, where I’d been scratched by the Elding’s claws. Blood oozing from the wound quickly soaked my white shirt.

“Reina.”

Looking up at Hiss’s face, I found it frozen stiff.

But his gaze was not on my wounded shoulder, but beyond it.

That’s when the sound of wood being torn and split resonated above my head.

“Danger [dash].”

Hiss tried to pull my arm, but it was too late.

The Elding dropped through the broken ceiling onto my head.

The last thing I saw was its yellow, dripping fangs.

Even if I could move my legs, it was already too late to dodge.

I clenched my eyes shut and braced for the impending pain. Hopefully, it would be brief.

But all I felt was a suffocating weight on me; there was no tearing pain.

When I opened my eyes, someone was holding me.

“Hiss!”

Hiss, who had wrapped me tightly with his arms, seemed to be bearing the pain, breathing heavily.

We were able to quickly dodge and avoid a fatal blow, but as I felt Hiss’s back, I was met with hot blood.

The Elding was cackling and screeching a strange cry, lifting its head again in the distance, searching us in the darkness.

It would not miss this time.

“Hiss. Let go.”

I whispered urgently, struggling to break free, but couldn’t move under the heavy weight of Hiss pinning me down.

“Reina.”

Hiss called me between clenched teeth. While holding me with one arm, he fumbled with his other hand to find mine.

When our hands met, a harpoon was placed in mine. Hiss forcibly bent my rigid fingers to grip the harpoon.

“When the Elding attacks again.”

Struggling even to speak, Hiss gasped for breath.

“Stab it.”

It was absurd to hear from Hiss.

“What about Hiss?”

Using himself as a shield?

“What about Hiss.”

The Elding seemed to know we were cornered and was leisurely approaching. As the sound of its claws scraping the floor grew closer, I struggled harder to break free.

“Let go of this.”

Desperation made my breath come in choking gasps. But no matter how much I struggled, the arm binding me did not loosen but tightened even more.

“Stop it. It hurts.”

Even at this moment, Hiss grinned slyly and touched my eye with his bloodstained hand.

I blinked, and hot blood flowed in, but I could not close my eyes.

Hiss swallowed his ragged breath and whispered.

“I’m sorry.”
Before long, Elding was nearby. With a strange cry, Elding raised its head.

Kirian Istira, with a gentle but firm gesture, corrected the harpoon that was barely held.

“But this time, follow my words.”

“No[Dash]!”

Whether biting the tender flesh inside the mouth, the outcry that burst tasted of blood.

But there was nothing I could do.

With a loud bang, my body was pushed back, and my breath was ripped away. My vision spun, and everything scattered confusingly.

I soon awaited a piercing pain. But nothing was felt except for the chill of rainwater spreading over my face.

I didn’t even feel Kirian’s arms that were holding me tight.

Instead, someone was lifting me up. A slow voice fell from above my head.

“Sister.”

When the focus returned, the first thing that came into view was a familiar red eye.

That was enough. Seeing Kirian, the tension that had stiffened my entire body with relief melted in an instant.

It was an almost instinctive conviction.

Now, I am safe.

Now that I am by Kirian’s side, I am safe.

Only then did I think of the unseen Hiss. Frantically looking around, I still couldn’t find Hiss due to my trembling vision and darkness.

I tried hard to calm down. If Kirian was here, Hiss would surely be fine too.

“Hiss?”

At my desperate question, Kirian’s eyes sharpened for a moment.