Fremy looked down, apparently thinking, for a long time. Adlet remembered what Hans had said. Fremy lives in darkness. She don’t love no one, and she don’t trust no one. All she’s got in her life are enemies and people bound to become her enemies. That’s the world she lives in.
That’s not true, thought Adlet. She’s not like that.
She’s a totally different kinda critter—not like you. Yer thinkin’ about trust and friendship and comrades. Don’t assume you guys are just gonna understand each other.
Hans. I trust you, but you’re wrong about this. She and I can understand each other.
Time passed, and Adlet waited patiently.
“I understand you now,” said Fremy. And then Adlet saw—clear intent to kill in Fremy’s downcast eyes.
“!” A gunshot rang out. Adlet crouched, just barely dodging the bullet.
“I understand that you are my enemy,” said Fremy. Her eyes were filled with endless, deep darkness.
Mora dashed toward Hans. He was still restraining Chamo, leaving him unable to avoid her charge. Mora snatched Chamo away and then removed the restraints from the girl’s hands and mouth. Now free, Chamo expelled a deep breath as Mora handed her her foxtail.
“What’re ya doin’?! Do you have any idea how dangerous that gal is?!” Hans yelled.
“Listen, Chamo,” said Mora. “You keep an eye on him. Do not let him leave this temple.”
“Sure. Leave it to Chamo.” The little Saint smirked.
Mora grasped her shoulder roughly. “And I do mean watch him. I am not telling you to attack him—only move if he moves. If you do a proper job, I won’t become even angrier with you.”
“Oh…so you are mad, after all.” A cold sweat oozed down Chamo’s forehead.
“If you get out of hand again, next time you will get more than just a spanking,” Mora threatened.
“Okay…,” Chamo replied, hands over her bottom.
“Chamo, is Mora so strong she can scare even you?” Hans was surprised.
Chamo replied, “Chamo’s a lot more powerful than her, but…Auntie Mora is scary.”
Mora sighed deeply. Though she hadn’t done anything, a heavy sound echoed from her body. “Spirit of Mountains, give me strength,” she murmured, and then she opened her mouth wide and shouted. The sound was like an explosion. “PRINCESS! GOLDOF! FREMY!” It was more than just a shout. Her voice echoed manyfold, sounding throughout the entire forest.
“What the heck?!” cried Hans.
“It’s her mountain echo power!” explained Chamo. “Auntie Mora is the Saint of Mountains. She can do lots of stuff!” Hans and Chamo were both covering their ears and could barely hear each other talk.
“HANS HAS BEEN BEATEN! HE SURVIVED, BUT HE’S IN CRITICAL CONDITION! THE CULPRIT WAS ADLET! HE IS THE SEVENTH!”
Hans was shocked.
“KILL HIM RIGHT AWAY! DON’T HESITATE!” With that, Mora’s echo faded.
“What the hell are ya thinkin’?!” Hans was enraged.
Mora grabbed him by the collar. “Now the princess will steel herself. I know not what is on Fremy’s mind, but I doubt most deeply that she would allow Adlet to escape. Now he is without recourse.”
“You hag, are you—” Hans was about to say something when a snake-fiend wrapped around his arm.
Chamo spat out a few more fiends to hold him fast. “Auntie Mora, do we really need to half kill him?”
“Don’t be foolish. You need only restrain him.” Mora adjusted her collar and ran out of the temple.
“Wait! Wait, damn you!” Hans tried to follow, but he was unable to shake off the fiends. “Wait! Are you the seventh?”
Mora did not turn back toward Hans’s cries. She just dashed straight toward Fremy’s location.
Mora’s mountain echo had reached every part of the forest. As Fremy loaded her gun, she said coolly, “I see, then.”
Adlet shook with rage as he skittered here and there, keeping his body low to the ground. “What the hell are you doing, Mora?!” He looked at his hand. None of the petals of the flower crest were missing, but was Hans going to be okay? Adlet was worried that maybe something really had happened to him and that he was going to die. To make things worse, this meant that Adlet might have lost his final ally. Adlet prayed silently, Please, Nashetania. Please realize that was a lie.
Fremy manifested a roughly apple-sized lump of gunpowder in her palm. She tossed it up high in the air and made it explode. Adlet figured she was alerting Mora, Goldof, and Nashetania to her position. If he lingered, he would be surrounded, but if he headed to the temple, he’d run into Mora. What was he to do? Where on earth could he run?
“Your Highness, did you hear what Mora said?”
Nashetania was standing stock-still, stunned. It seemed that Goldof’s voice had not reached her ears. Next, they heard the sound of an explosion.
“That must have been Fremy,” said Goldof. “I’d wager she’s telling us Adlet’s position. Let’s go.”
“…” Nashetania just gazed in the direction of the fog-covered temple. “I’m sorry, Hans. You did nothing wrong.”
“Your Highness…”
“What have I been doing here?”
“Come on, let’s go.” Goldof took Nashetania’s hand and pulled.
But she just staggered and made no move to follow. Her eyes were still fixed on a point in space as if she was lost in thought. “Wait a moment,” she said.
“What is it? What’s on your mind?” Despite Goldof’s impatience, he was determinedly loyal as he waited for Nashetania.
Maybe a minute passed, and then she suddenly broke her silence. “Ah-ha!” Nashetania burst into laughter, startling Goldof. “Ah-ha! Ah-ha-ha, ah-ha-ha-ha!”
“Your Highness, please calm down! What’s wrong?”
Nashetania continued chuckling for a while. When her laughter
