A Distant Reverie

Chapter 10

"Unhand my companions."

It was a simple demand, but the enmity behind those words hung heavily in the air. Suisei stared at Marine in disbelief as the pirate drew her second sword. Despite the silver-haired knight's warnings, Marine doubled down on her aggression, seemingly unfazed by her threat.

U-um?! Marine?!

Suisei swallowed nervously. She didn't dare look down, but the pair of weapons beneath her neck seemed to inch closer. She could feel the brief touch of coldness from the weapons' razor edge as they occasionally scratched her skin. The metallic scent of iron lingered dangerously in her vicinity, as if warning her not to do anything crazy. Suisei eyed the pair of guards that were keeping her in place. She had been chatting with them merrily just moments before entering the room, and now they were suddenly threatening to kill her.

I-I might actually die here...

The room was silent. Everyone had their eyes on Marine, while the pirate was glaring at the silver-haired knight with a depraved smile. The threat of Marine's words lingered in the air, like a curse that kept everyone abound. The pirate's earlier attempt to behead the guard next to her was fresh on everyone's mind—she was dangerous and unpredictable. No one knew what she was going to do next. Suisei could feel the nervous energy from the two guards beside her. Their hands were starting to tremble, and their weapons moved along with it. Suisei tried to keep as still as possible. The subtle shaking of the weapons wasn't enough to draw blood, but if they got too jittery—

Stop.

She tried not to imagine her death. She felt like she was about to go insane. Her heart thumped incessantly, pounding against her chest as if it were on verge of exploding. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but her mind desperately tried to keep her still. Suisei cursed her powerlessness. She didn't know what Marine was thinking. She wanted to scream. Partially out of fear, but also from frustration and disgust—that her fate in this room was ultimately in the hands of someone other than herself.

"...You think you're in a place to make demands?" the silver-haired knight finally said, breaking the tense silence.

"I do."

"Even when you're outnumbered and your companions are held hostage?"

"Of course."

"What a farce."

A violent wave of bloodlust spread throughout the room. Suisei shut her eyes, fearing the worst. But the bloody battle she pictured never came.

"...When did you realize?" A vague question suddenly escaped the knight's mouth.

"When you stopped fighting."

Marine's response was equally as vague. Suisei didn't know what was going on, but somehow it seemed neither party had the desire to continue fighting.

"I see, so your attempt to kill my guard was genuine," the silver-haired knight narrowed her eyes before letting out a derisive laugh. The pale blue glow radiating from her sword suddenly faded.

"Release them!"

The guards surrounding Suisei instantly lowered their weapons.

Huh?!

Before she could collect herself, Suisei felt her body give in. She slumped to the ground, her legs weak from the relief. Staring blankly, she watched as the remaining guards worked to remove Vesper from his restraints.

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"Will you finally stand down, Ms. Marine?" the silver-haired knight asked as she sheathed her sword. The jig was up. Marine had somehow deduced that this entire setup was just a test. With an uneasy smile, she kept her eyes trained on the pirate before her.