". . . Is that the city of Asterium?"
I imagined the city would be magnificent, but it was falling apart.
"I've never seen such a beautiful city. The place where I live doesn't even compare to Asterium. I'll kill every demon that lives here."
Beautiful?
"Do you live in a pigsty?"
"Stop."
Lyra lowered my head.
"Yes, but it's a secret."
Hmm... I don't know about that.
"How many beautiful women live in this city?"
Dorian was putting together the pieces that had fallen off Mortar's body.
"If we find a woman in this city, it will be a memorable moment for the rest of our lives."
Looking down at the city from above, I could see houses with broken roofs, covered in dirt.
"Kaela likes men."
I like men, huh? You'll get what's coming to you. Just be patient...
"Dorian, here, take the head."
Donkey had Mortar's head in his mouth and handed it over.
"Are you cheating on Mortar?"
"No!"
"Rule number one for every man."
Dorian pressed his lips against Mortar's mouth.
"What is it?"
"Smack!"
He kissed her and...
"Always have more than one woman."
I don't want to be anywhere near Dorian when Cement shows up to take his woman back. On that day, the sun will go dark and someone will die.
"Impressive wisdom."
Donkey was completely captivated by Dorian...
"Creak-creak!"
"What are you doing?"
"Creak-creak!"
"Seraphine, I'm writing down the lesson I just learned."
"Writing it on the ground?"
"Chirp-chirp."
A cricket chirped.
"Donkey, you know how to write? If that's true, you're smarter than some people here, whose names I won't mention."
We need to...
"Hey!"
"Who's calling us?"
Seraphine started looking around.
We need to leave as soon as possible because it's going to get dark.
"Hey, down here!"
"Donkey, when did he get in front of us?"
"I don't know, Dorian."
In the end, we followed the directions that man gave us, so what's left?
"Come down here!"
Go down?
I looked down and saw the mysterious traveler.
At that moment, I felt the air brush against my legs. Ants crawled up my body. Little by little, I felt a tingling sensation in my fingertips.
The effort I had made climbing up had clearly damaged my ability to think.
My legs were trembling, and the pain from the beating I had taken returned.
Countless lashes across my back had made me forget reality.
My legs were trembling, and the pain from the beating I had taken returned.
"Ploft!"
I fell to my knees.
"Kaela, did a demon attack you?"
"I wish a demon had attacked me, but this is worse than that."
"What is it?"
How are we going to get down this mountain without dying? And how is that mysterious man down there? I never saw him pass us.
"Hey, how did you get to the other side of the mountain without passing in front of me?"
The veins in my delicate body were showing, and for a girl, that's horrible. What am I even saying? All this stress is messing with me...
"I'm a man!"
I screamed with all my strength, and my voice echoed through the mountains. The birds were startled.
"Come down here."
I'm exhausted.
"Let's go down already. I want to gain powers and defeat the demons."
"Stop shaking me."
"And I want to go out with all the girls in this city."
Wait...
"I want to open my salon and make every man bald."
Poor anyone who gets their hair cut by you.
"I'm ready to go."
Donkey was already at the edge of the mountain, ready to descend—the very same Donkey who didn't want to climb it.
"What the hell is wrong with you guys?! Before, you didn't want to go up, and now you're happily going down?"
I've never been betrayed and humiliated as much as I have today. And to think this is only the beginning of the journey.
"Kaela, have you ever heard that popular saying?"
"What saying?"
"Whatever goes up must come down."
Huh?
". . ."
"Hold on tight. I'm not responsible if anyone dies."
Donkey positioned himself, locked his hind legs, and began descending slowly.
We're going to die. I have to hold on to something. The terrain is full of rocks and holes.
Every two steps Donkey took, he went straight through a hole.
"Hey, Donkey, slow down! The cart is losing its bolts!"
"Stop screaming in my ear."
The floor of the cart was cracking down the middle.
Dorian won't stop stroking Mortar, and Seraphine?
She's not sleeping? What a miracle.
This is too good to be true.
And it really was.
"Lyra, don't... Do it!"
I tried. I swear I tried to stop the craziest person in my group from doing that again.
In slow motion, I watched the whip swing through the air, gathering momentum.
"Crack!"
The whip struck Donkey's back with a sharp, powerful snap. I heard his back crack.
"Hee-haw! Hee-haw!"
Donkey was startled, brayed, and...
"Pa-ka-ta! Pa-ka-ta!"
He took off like a race car.
"Hold on to something!"
Racing wildly down the mountain, smashing rocks beneath his furious hooves, the scene was horrifying.
Rocks flew in every direction, hitting the trees. The path was narrow, and one wrong move from Donkey meant certain death.
"Whoooosh!"
"Watch out!"
I dodged the bolt that had come loose from the front of the cart, but...
"Ow, my forehead!"
It hit Dorian.
"Pa-ka-ta! Pa-ka-ta!"
"Hahahaha! Forward, Donkey! Don't be afraid of death, because we're immortal!"
This girl is insane. Why did I ever become friends with her?
"Hey, Donkey, control yourself, or we're not going to survive!"
Donkey returned to his original nature—that of an irrational animal. He neither listened nor responded.
"Boom!"
"What was that?"
"Kaela?"
"The left wheel blew out."
"Seraphine, why are you so calm?"
"I... Look... calm?!"
The adrenaline and constant danger had pushed Seraphine to the brink.
"SCREEECH!"
The left wheel scraped against the ground, making it even harder for Donkey to control the cart.
I have to do something, but what? All my friends had completely lost it.
So I decided to entrust my life to fate and let it deal with the problem.
"Boom!"
"K..."
I knew it. Another wheel blew out.
"AAAGHH, HELP!"
The back of the cart swung from side to side. More pieces broke off until only part of it remained...
"Donkey, brake!"
Everyone screamed.
"I never learned how to brake. I only know how to go forward."
"AAAGHH!"
Why does this always happen?
"Whoooosh!"
We were launched into the air like a pile of shit.
I saw Lyra smiling.
Dorian and Donkey hugged each other.
Seraphine and Mortar spun through the air.
I just closed my eyes and surrendered myself to death.
"BAM!"
Damn it...