“Ngh!” Distracted by Nashetania and Dozzu, Goldof had left himself open to an attack from behind. Another three fiends approached him from the front. He raised his spear high, feinting a downward swing onto the one before him but then jamming the butt into the ground instead. He leaned on the spear, vaulting himself up with a wide leap, flying high and somersaulting in the air to land past the fiends. Then he charged toward Nashetania. Of course, he wasn’t going to kill her. He was planning to slay that stone lizard-fiend and then hit her in the jaw or stomach to knock her out.
“…Hee-hee.” Nashetania giggled, and blades sprouted up from the ground at Goldof. Most of them pinged off his armor, and the rest he deflected with his spear, but one managed to bite into his foot.
“Gah!” Goldof collapsed, and immediately, fiends rushed in around him to attack together. But still, he reached out toward Nashetania.
A blade stabbed up through the ground and skewered his outstretched hand. Blood streaked down the metal, dripping onto the ground. Why? he thought, rising and rolling to the side to dodge a fiend attack. He couldn’t get any closer. All he could do was keep on the defensive and run. “Your Highness!”
Nashetania ignored him and slapped the head of the stone lizard-fiend under her. The creature began a sluggish lope away from Goldof.
“Mister Goldof! Follow her, please!” Dozzu cried.
But the others were blocking Goldof’s way, and he couldn’t follow her. A few followed her in her retreat northward.
“Where are you going?! Nashetania! Nashetania!”
Dozzu shouted, but she didn’t even look back. She simply continued over a rock hill and out of sight.
The foes surrounding them were all powerful. It took nearly half an hour to finish off the whole group. Whenever Goldof tried to pursue Nashetania, they hounded him, trapping him in the area. Once they’d finally defeated them all, Goldof regarded Dozzu with a look of utter loathing.
“…What’s going on, Dozzu?” he demanded. The Helm of Allegiance was still telling him Nashetania was in danger. But it was clear that she was not anyone’s prisoner.
“Mister Goldof, is the Helm of Allegiance still ringing?” asked Dozzu.
“Yeah.”
“Then…Nashetania is still captive.”
“…Explain,” Goldof said, pulling a needle and thread from beneath his armor as he spoke. Still standing, he swiftly stitched up his wounds and pasted medicine on them to stanch the bleeding.
“Tgurneu commands fiends known as specialists. They’re tools that lack the ability to fight, but in exchange, each of them has a unique power that other fiends cannot imitate. One of these may be able to control humans. Controlling a human is very difficult, but it may be possible for them.”
“You’re saying…she’s being controlled? Do you have proof?”
“No. The powers of these specialists are a mystery. But I can’t think of anything else.”
Goldof tried to follow Nashetania northward, but the pain from the stab wounds she’d given him prevented that. He pulled a small metal bottle out from beneath his armor and swallowed a gulp. This medicine was another of the treasured hieroforms that had been passed down through Piena’s royal family. It didn’t heal wounds—it cleared pain and exhaustion so you could force yourself to fight. It was half medicine, half poison.
“I believe this fiend is probably like a parasite,” said Dozzu. “If we can remove it from her body, that should solve the problem.”
“Anyway…this means we have no option but to catch her.” Goldof hadn’t seen this coming. He couldn’t have imagined that he’d have to fight Nashetania in order to save her. But still, it wouldn’t be impossible. One-on-one, he was stronger than her.
The two of them began running northward. That was when Dozzu said, “Can you hear that, Goldof? Just a moment ago, a fight started north of here. I think it’s near the pit where Nashetania was captured.”
“What? Who is it?” Goldof listened closely. The noise coming from the Helm of Allegiance interfered, making it difficult to hear, but he could still just barely pick out the crack of gunshots. “I told them…not to come…” The others had followed him. He silently cursed Adlet. They should have just ignored Goldof and focused on crossing the ravine.
“The Six Braves must be fighting with Nashetania. We have to stop them. At this rate they’ll kill her,” said Dozzu.
As they ran, Goldof agonized. Adlet and the rest of the Braves were certain to kill Nashetania. He’d have to fight them to free her. They would never forgive him for that, and Goldof knew it. Even if Tgurneu’s fiend was controlling Nashetania, she was still their enemy. Goldof had feared this inevitable situation ever since they had set foot in the Howling Vilelands. Finally, the time to make a decision had come. His feet came to a halt. He couldn’t keep going when he still hadn’t reached any answers.
“What will you do, Goldof?” Dozzu stopped as well. The fiend seemed to understand Goldof’s dilemma. “I’m of the same opinion as Nashetania. If you say you can’t fight an ally, then there’s nothing for it.”
“Shut up,” said Goldof. Clutching his chest, he recalled the sound of Nashetania’s voice as she had cried for help through the Helm of Allegiance.
A fiery blaze seared his heart, screaming at him to kill all who would harm her. It was burning in him, urging him to go to Nashetania’s aid just like it had on that day six years ago. He’d always known he would have to destroy everything that would hurt her. “Let’s go, Dozzu. We’ll save her.”
“Thank you, truly. And I’m very sorry,” said Dozzu, approaching his feet. “Goldof, how many times have you fought her now?”
The sudden question confused Goldof. “The first time was during
