Quintet Of The Boundaries

13 : Beyond Despair

Flames of unknown, flames that had once seperated me from a stranger. Flames that once scorched my chest. The purpose of it I had not known. But it had once warmed me up in the inside. Burned up this loneliness of mine and filled up the emptiness in my heart. It had burnt away the cold me.

Is this magic? No. This flame came out from nowhere and became one of my ally. An ally to me, a Nora but a Farsya. It was this flame which had kept me alive from the beginning. The flame of life. The flame which only the Sherperds of the Inferno would have.

In reality I was just a piece of trash who could not even save myself from a fall, letting myself to be mashed like a potato.

If I could just use my tails, none of this would happen. Even if it's just three, it would be good enough.

Even if it's just...

"Nanami!" A faint voice from above. That was Aina. She leaped off the roof just to come after me. Her face of regret was never shown to me.

"Lend me your power, Nanami." She grabbed my hand tight, our hands started to emit bright red light. It was like our life energy being bonded together.

My back started to feel hot when suddenly flames burst out from behind, making the shape of a wing. Same thing happened to Aina, having a wing of flames on her back. Both of us with only two wings had stopped us in midair.

"W...what is going on?" I muttered, being suprised.

"Thanks to you we're able to fly." Aina looked and threw me a smile.

"Are you both okay?! You're not dead yet, right?!" Mahiru's voice came into both of our heads.

"We're alright." Aina answered. "Let's land, Nanami."

"O-okay."

We decended all the way to the ground floor in an alley. The flames disappeared as our feet touched the ground. Aina fell onto her knees and began coughing again. My wound won't do any good. It made me harder to squat in front of Aina.

"We can't go on. At this rate, all of us will be killed. We should retreat, Aina."

Aina stood up. "Wait, someone's here." She spoke.

I observed nothing around me but brick walls. Not even any light. "Let's go somewhere brighter." Aina spoke and led the way. I followed her back to the main street of the building. What a relief to be at the brighter side again.

"...Why did you take the shot for me, Nanami?" Aina murmured as I was going to apply pressure on the wound.

"It's not a big deal. I won't die anyway."

"That's not what I mean."

"..."

"You may have an immortal body, but it doesn't mean that you have to be a human shield to anyone. What if one day your body doesn't heal anymore?"

"Are you telling me that...I should not protect anyone anymore?"

"No, that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

Our conversation was not over that Mahiru had intruded it. She informed that she was on her way down with Lea. I just hoped that no one was chasing after them.

"Once we regroup, we'll retreat." Aina told with her knees on ground.

"Aina! Don't tell me the drink was really poisoned!"

Her whole body fell to the ground, became immobilized due to the poison she took. Her consciousness was still barely with me.

"Looks like the poison did its job." Someone with a white cape emerged from the shadows to my north. Pink haired.