I'M THE HERO

Chapter 6: To Safety

ZANARIA POV:

I flew at top speed toward the girl's location; the wind whipping against my face as I raced through the sky just as I was gaining ground, a sudden burst of dark energy erupted overhead, streaking across the night sky like a black comet. 

I instinctively raised a circular aether shield to block the attack but the force behind it was too much, the shield trembled, then shattered into a thousand shimmering pieces.

A shockwave of energy rippled through the air, sending me spiraling. Before I could recover, a winged warrior swooped in, her armor reflecting the faint light from the shattered shield, she wore a menacing helmet that concealed her face, and her long sword arced through the air with lethal precision.

I barely had time to react before the blade struck, a searing pain shooting through my left arm as the sword bit deep, the impact sent me crashing toward the ground, my body struggling to stabilize as I spiraled downward. It was clear I had stumbled into something far more dangerous than expected, and my only hope was to regroup and counterattack with one arm nearly useless and a winged warrior on my tail, the odds were quickly turning against me.

"An otherworlder should have appeared here. Did you kill her?" she hovered just above the ground, her sword pointed straight at me, her voice filled with authority and suspicion.

"What if It did?" I answered with a smirk, hoping to mask my fear with bravado.

"Then you'll meet death," she said without hesitation.

She moved with blinding speed, her sword striking from the left. I barely dodged it, my body reacting on instinct.

 As I took out my dagger and lunged for her neck, I was met with a force stronger than anything I could endure. 

A dark energy punch slammed into my stomach, sending me flying across the plains. I hit the ground hard, pain surging through my body, before I could even attempt to get up, I saw her standing over me, her blade pointed at my throat.

"Where is she?" she demanded, her gaze cold and merciless.

"Go to hell," I replied, spitting out the words through gritted teeth. 

Her blade swung down, sweeping through my neck with a single, decisive motion. 

I felt my head detach from my body, the sensation of losing control overwhelming me as my head flew through the air, before I could even process what was happening, she caught my severed head by the hair, her hands glowing with an infernal dark flame.

"Oh, girl, must you be safe," I thought, my last concern for the otherworlder as everything went black.

"The girl must be near. Search for any faint trace of mana," the winged soldier commanded with authority.

"Find her and bring her to me alive," she said with a strong voice that echoed through the night. Shadows burst from her back, forming into cloaked figures resembling assassins. They scattered in all directions, moving swiftly across the land, silent and nearly invisible. The winged soldier then glanced up at the moon. "The day you return won't be far," she said with determination.

RYAZANIA POV:

In the dream, a faceless man, bleeding from the waist down, fought like a knight with no way to escape, his clothes were torn, his sword shattered, but he stood defiantly against the onslaught. 

"If I am to die, I'll take you all with me!" he shouted at the dark figures surrounding him. 

The shadows rushed at him with ferocity, their weapons raised to strike...

I jolted awake from my slumber, my heart racing from yet another dream of that mysterious warrior. 

The small bonfire had burned down to embers, casting a faint glow. I could hear the distant rustling of the night, the wind carrying whispers from the plains. 

I knew that the dream was more than just a nightmare; it was connected to my journey in this strange new world.

The soldier who had shared her fire with me was gone, perhaps she was scouting or investigating something nearby. 

I looked around, my senses on high alert, feeling the tension in the air, I need to figure out my place in this world and how to survive, I knew one thing for certain: I wasn't safe. 

Out of fear, I instinctively drew my pistol, holding it high and trying to steady my trembling hands. I scanned my surroundings, my breath shallow and rapid, when a shadow figure, cloaked like an assassin, appeared behind me. 

Before I could react, it struck me down with a powerful punch to the back, sending me crashing to the ground.

"Arghh! It hurts!" I groaned, feeling a sharp pain spreading across my body, as I lay on the ground, the shadow figure rushed toward me, its movements fast and predatory, I fired my pistol in its direction, it moved with uncanny speed, dodging each shot as if anticipating my every move.

I struggled to get up, but before I could regain my footing, another punch to my stomach knocked the wind out of me, causing me to double over in pain.

I gasped for air, feeling my strength ebbing away. 

Just as I tried to lift my pistol again, a swift strike to my neck sent me into darkness, my senses fading as I fell into unconsciousness.

Narrator POV:

The shadow figure carried the girl away, intent on returning her to the winged soldier but before it could go back, a volley of aether shots struck, a soldier with golden hair and jade eyes stood on a high ledge, rifle in hand, aiming precisely at the shadow figure.

 He fired a rapid sequence of shots, each one striking true, and the shadow figure's core fragmented, its body dissipating into dark mist.

As the shadow dissipated, the otherworlder fell toward the ground, but the soldier was quick to act. 

He leaped down, catching her before she could hit the rocky surface. Without hesitation, he hoisted her over his shoulders, he launched himself into the air, heading swiftly to the nearest navigation point.

He flew with urgency, his senses alert to any further threats.

 The night air rushed by as he soared over the landscape, the girl hung limply across his shoulders, the soldier went for the nearest navigation point.

"One of them died," the winged soldier said in a stern voice. Her eyes closed as she focused on the energies around her, seeking any trace of the escaping soldier.

 It didn't take long before she found what she was looking for—the distinct aether signature of the soldier carrying the otherworlder.

"Found you," she murmured with grim satisfaction. 

Her wings spread wide, and she jolted into the air, accelerating so quickly that she became a blur, the night wind whipped through her feathers, the landscape below becoming a mere streak of color as she raced toward her target.

Her hand gripped the hilt of her blade, unsheathing it in a smooth motion as she cut through the night sky the blade's edge gleamed with an ominous light, reflecting the moon's cold glow, the winged soldier was not one for hesitation, and the distance between her and the soldier with the otherworlder was closing fast.

She flew with deadly intent, her movements fluid and precise.

 The soldier carrying the otherworlder might have thought he was safe, she would soon prove him wrong. 

She was a force of retribution, and nothing would stand in her way.