“AAAHHHH!!!”

{WARNING: EROSION VALUE: CRITICAL}

Rieen rushed over.

The demon elf jumped away and dished out throwing knives.

Rieen took it with her body, knowing very well that it would end Trisha’s life if she tried to dodge.

Trisha’s entire back went numb, throbbing in pain she leaned against a supporting pillar.

Shaking, she crushed a gem to bring out a potion.

Rieen bought time for Trisha to heal.

“Not bad for a brat like you.”

Rieen said nothing. Maintaining an indifferent expression as she focused on defending against incoming strikes.

Some parts of her body had become numb to the effect of the demon’s weapon. She hoped that Trisha would get out of here ASAP.

“Angel, you should always watch your back.”

Rieen was shot from some unknown trajectory, she faltered.

The glint of a knife reflected in her eyes.

Ping!

The knife was deflected from the demon’s hand.

Rieen sharpened her senses, this opportunity Trisha had provided– ignoring the pain she drove her body against the demon.

Stabbing her blade into hirs abdomen.

In turn, she received a knee to the stomach. Rieen was flung to the ground.

Trisha threw down a consumable. A bubble walled her and Rieen off from the outside. The demon elf staggered.

Trisha pulled the trigger again.

A headshot. The demon scattered into particles of light.

“Rieen, are you alright?”

“Ran out of heals.”

Rieen sat with her back against the support. Grimacing, she forced a potion down her throat.

“Hey. How long is this going to last?”

“I don’t know.”

“it’s only been what? Not even a couple minutes and it’s already like hell..”

“Even so. Try your best to avoid dying.”

“I know..”

The demons had learnt their lessons from their previous failure. They were a lot tougher to deal with this time..

Crack.

“What do we have here?”

A brawny male demon swung down his bastard sword. The transparent bubble wall creaked.

“So you’re the one who set down these walls?”

“Rieen.”

“I know. Cover for me.”

Rieen staggered up, assuming a low stance.

The demon with the bastard sword outside grinned.

“Oi! Take him down!”

“Looks like I have company– ora!”

He threw down a single swing to sweep away the angels that tried to get close. They rolled on the ground or crashed into the wall.

Rieen dashed out.

Trisha fired her integration. Multiple ricochet bullets aiming at various vital points.

The demon figure disappeared.

“Nice one.”

How.. he just warped into the wall..?

Trisha quickly raised her integration, the gun body, and used it as a buck shield to fend against the powerful downward strike.

“Ugh..”

{WARNING: EROSION VALUE: DANGER}

“Trisha!!” Rieen stabbed against the transparent wall from the outside.

“You underestimate us demons.”

Creak.

The body of the gun integration began to crack from the force.

{WARNING: EROSION VALUE: CRITICAL}

Trisha squinted her eyes.

The sound of glass breaking resounded.

A shadow zipped by.

The demon swiftly shifted his focus and defended against the sudden strike. He was thrown into the air.

“Carry her away!”

Rieen dashed in and scooped Trisha under her shoulders.

Trisha watched as Areais’ back grew distant.

Another impact erupted.

Trisha forced herself not to dwell on the fact that she was almost the first one in the fleet to die and chugged another potion.

{EROSION VALUE: MODERATE}

She was reaching the saturation point. Consuming so much at one time, the body’s ability to absorb the healing properties will diminish, the potion’s effectiveness will soon drop to zero.

Yet..

The battle was still running its course.

“Trisha, you have to run. I’ll cover you here.”

[“Someone help bring Trisha out of the battlefield.”]

Rieen had to put Trisha down at a secluded alley. The demons were closing in again. Rieen pinged her location to everyone else.

Trisha rested a moment before she forced herself to stand up. The world was spinning all around her. The nausea was unsettling.

[“On it.”]

Trisha fell once. And then propped herself up again.

She felt a presence.

“Hey.”

“!!!”

BAm!

{WARNING: EROSION VALUE: CRITICAL}

“You think you're safe huh?”

She pointed her integration at the demon and fired.

He merely tilted his head, the bullet whizzed past him.

Jolting sparks, lacerations, and cracks on the surface of the gun, showing just how much damage had been incurred.

Trisha didn’t even have the energy and focus to make the bullet ricochet as she wills.

“Good night.”

The demon brandished his blade.

This was the end.

He swung down.

Trisha closed her eyes, thinking that she would return to the comfort of her room.

It didn’t happen.

She opened her eyes.

The demon in front of her had faded into sparkles of red light.

“Oh, so this is the angel?”

An elf demon sauntered in.

“You’re battered.”

“You..”

“Nice to meet you,” xe greeted.

“W-We’re.. enemies..”

“Enemies or not, our team is in charge of saving people, don’t sweat it.”

When she felt her body being lifted, she yelped.

“L-Let me go! Huh..?”

“Ara, you’re really cute,” the elf said.

The person lifting her in a princess carry..

“Luckily I got here on time. Tell your teammates that you’re safe. We’ll bring you to the Boundary. Questria.”

“Even though I’m supposed to be the aircraft carrier, he’s the one to boss me around all the time. Ain't that right?”

“I meant to tell you to cover for my back.. it’s not the time for jokes..”

.. It was Ivan.

Her ex.

“N-No. Just.. let me. I don’t need your help!”

“So stubborn.”

“There’s no way you’re going to get out alive in this condition.”

He looked into her eyes, unwavering in his decision.

“Why..” tears began to form in the corner of her eyes.

“You know it better yourself.”

“Tell your fleet if not they’ll get the wrong idea!”

Ivan, with Trisha in his arms, quickly made his way out of the alley. It was dangerous to stay there any longer. They bumped into a fleet of angels and demons fighting each other.

“What the hell..”

“She’s an angel!? You’re saving her for what?”

“Protect her!”

Questria signaled Ivan, he nodded.

Ivan kicked the ground and made a mad dash. Questria threw down a smoke bomb and ran in to create a diversion.