“…The princess… You’d…you’d kill…”
“You want to save her? Then I think you should hurry up. The other Braves as searching for her. They may be able to find her, too.”
“If…Adlet…finds her…” Goldof trailed off.
“Heh-heh-heh. I’m sure they’d kill her, of course.” Smiling, Tgurneu got close to him. “Hey, Goldof. Give me a good look at your face.”
“…What?”
“I like looking at humans’ faces,” Tgurneu said, examining Goldof’s. “They reveal many things to me: anger, panic, sadness, despair, and the last threads of faintest hope. I like seeing all of those feelings.”
“…”
“I love human emotion. By greeting someone, you create a connection. Through speaking, you can understand one another. You look at someone’s face, and you can pick up on what they’re thinking. I relish drinking in the feelings of humans I’ve defeated. That is what I fight for, and what I live for.” Tgurneu flicked its tongue out and licked Goldof’s cheek again. “I could kill you right now, but that wouldn’t be fun at all. I want to see your anguish, your confusion, and your regret. I want to give you the hope of possibly saving Nashetania so I can savor your despair when you fail.”
Goldof was looking for his chance to kill Tgurneu, but it didn’t seem to be the least wary of him.
“That’s a nice look on you. You—no, all of the Braves of the Six Flowers—are truly a wonderful spectacle.”
Dozzu said, “You can’t kill Tgurneu, Goldof. He would execute Nashetania at the same time.”
Hearing that, Goldof was unable to do anything but keep silent and bear it.
“Hey, Goldof,” said Tgurneu. “Do you think you can save Nashetania? You can’t unravel any of my plots, and you’re a mess after fighting Dozzu, to boot. I doubt you can fight anymore.”
“…You monster…”
“And what’s more, you’re fighting solo. You attacked the other Braves. If they see you, they’re sure to immediately come after you with deadly purpose. You’ve been terribly foolish.”
“…Goldof…” Dozzu said sadly.
“Yes, a good look on you. You’re truly incompetent. I love seeing your powerlessness.”
Tgurneu pulled away from Goldof, and then a fiend with the head of a crow and the body of a yeti approached it. The yeti-fiend stuck its hand down Tgurneu’s throat, withdrawing a fig from deep within and biting into it.
The yeti was now Tgurneu. It crushed the head of the snake-fiend it had been using as its body. Apparently, it was done with that one.
“Now, then, I suppose we’ll get going,” it said. “You should run, too, Goldof. Adlet and his friends will be coming soon.”
Goldof glanced beyond the hill. Tgurneu was right. Adlet would be after him and Dozzu, and if he stayed here, it would only be a matter of time before they found him.
“Dozzu,” Tgurneu continued, “you fry everything around here with your lightning bolts, and once you’re finished, rest for a while to heal. I know you can recover quickly. You should be able to fight again within an hour, I’m sure. After that, go kill the three in the crater. You can’t refuse.”
“Understood… Not that I have a choice,” said Dozzu.
“Indeed. See you, Goldof,” Tgurneu said, departing.
Left behind, Goldof remained in a daze. He had come here to save Nashetania. He’d meant to crush whoever it took in order to do that. But what was the reality? All along he’d been dancing in the palm of Tgurneu’s hand. The word incompetent echoed in his head. He couldn’t deny it.
“Goldof.” That was when Dozzu spoke to him.
“Dozzu…is what…Tgurneu said…true?” Goldof asked.
“It was all true—aside from just one thing.”
“Just…one thing?”
Dozzu looked Goldof straight in the eye and said emphatically, “You are not incompetent. You’re the most capable knight in the whole world. It’s not impossible for you to save Nashetania.”
“But…”
“Right now I cannot save her. You’re the only one who can.”
“I…”
“I swear to you: If you save her, we’ll immediately release Chamo. I swear this is no lie.”
“…Really…?”
“Now, please run. At this rate, Adlet and his companions will kill you. You’re our only hope. You’re her only chance,” said Dozzu.
Goldof trudged away, heading out of the gem’s area of effect. He hurt all over. Even moving was hard. The spear dangling from his grasp felt like dead weight.
Save…her.
Those were the only words racing through his head.
Running was impossible for Goldof now. The fake Nashetania’s blades had pierced his arms and legs. He’d endured Rolonia’s whip and Fremy’s bullets and burns from Dozzu’s lightning strikes. And the exhaustion seeped into his bones.
He forced himself onward through the barren land. About three kilometers from where he knew Chamo was, he stopped. The burns had left his throat parched. The pain and thirst alone made him feel like he would die.
“…The princess…”
He found a geyser and approached it. He figured for now he’d quench his thirst. But the moment he put his lips to the water to take a sip, agony shot through his tongue and nose. Moaning, he spat out the boiling water.
His knees hit the ground. He couldn’t move anymore.
He had to drink something. At this rate, he wouldn’t even manage to live through the next few moments. Plus, he had to treat the wounds from his fight with Dozzu. He wasn’t carrying much in the way of medicine, but still, something was better than nothing.
Goldof looked back. He had to return to the lava zone right away to rescue Nashetania—before Chamo died and before the others found him. He had a mountain of things to do. But he still couldn’t move.
He sensed a presence behind him. Ten fiends were licking their chops, watching him.
“Givén up yet, Goldof?”
“I’ll protect…her.” Goldof raised his spear and stood up. His body heavy like lead, he
