Within Carne Village, the slaughter was still ongoing.
"Two more over there! After them!"
A soldier spotted two figures hiding in a corner and immediately shouted, spurring his warhorse toward them at full speed.
"Shouldn't we chase them?"
"Idiot. Why bother? Let him have his fun. We'd better hurry and see if there's anything valuable around."
"Since we're already here, we might as well skim a little profit."
"Yeah. It's just two kids. Nothing'll happen."
Hearing the shout, one soldier was about to rush over when his companion grabbed him.
He looked confused at first, but once he heard the explanation, he quickly understood.
Why waste time killing when you could be making money?
With that in mind, the two ignored the chase and headed straight into the villagers' homes, beginning to loot anything of value.
It was only an ordinary village, but who knew? There might be something hidden away.
It wasn't unheard of—magical items discarded by commoners who lacked magic power and mistook them for junk, only for someone else to pick them up and strike it rich.
If they managed to find even one magical item, it might not change their entire lives, but it would at least free them from the life of a common soldier and let them live comfortably for quite some time.
...
"Run! Go on, keep running! Want me to give you a little push?"
The mounted soldier sneered at the two fleeing figures ahead of him. He could have cut them down at any moment, but instead he followed at an easy pace.
He kept taunting them, deliberately wearing down their nerves. Watching their panic filled him with a twisted sense of satisfaction.
For soldiers hardened by years of war, killing was often the quickest way to vent. But for certain perverse types, tormenting their prey brought even greater thrill.
"Sis… I can't run anymore…"
"You can't stop. Just a little longer. Someone will come to save us."
Gasping for breath, Enri tightened her grip on her sister's hand as they staggered forward.
A deep gash tore across her back, blood flowing steadily down. The violent running, mixed with sweat, only made it worse.
Beneath the strands of hair clinging to her face, despair had already begun to show.
She knew she didn't have much time left. If this continued, even if the soldier didn't strike again, she would pass out from blood loss.
And once she lost consciousness, how could she and her defenseless sister possibly escape?
"God… please, at least let my sister live. I'll pay any price."
Enri prayed to an unseen god in her heart. It was the only thing she could do now.
Yet she knew better than anyone that gods probably didn't exist.
It was nothing more than the last illusion she clung to.
"Looks like they're at their limit. Shouldn't have cut so deep. Could've played a bit longer. What a waste."
Watching them slow down more and more, the soldier clicked his tongue in regret.
He had finally found such entertaining toys, and the fun was already ending. If only he had struck a little lighter.
Enri dragged her sister forward with what little strength she had left, but in her weakening state, she failed to notice the small stone beneath her foot.
That tiny pebble became the final straw.
Already at their limit, the two of them pitched forward.
They hit the ground hard. When they tried to push themselves up, their legs refused to cooperate.
The fragile rhythm they had barely maintained was gone. They had no strength left.
"Sister… are we going to die?"
"No. God will come and save us."
"Close your eyes. When you open them again, everything will be fine."
Enri pulled her trembling sister into her arms and whispered softly.
She didn't want her sister to die.
But now, she had no strength left to resist. All she could do was hold her sister close and quietly wait for death.
Her only hope was that the soldier would give them a quick end.
After all, her sister was afraid of pain more than anything.
But even that small wish was too much to hope for.
The soldier had no intention of ending his game so quickly.
"Don't worry. I won't kill you right away. We can play some other games."
"For example—if you can kill your own sister with your own hands, I might let you live."
"The chance to survive is right in front of you. So? Aren't you happy?"
The soldier dismounted, strode over, and crouched in front of them with a smile, speaking as casually as if he were chatting about the weather.
"I refuse. Do you really think I'd believe you?"
"And now you want us to kill each other? I won't do it. You demon."
Enri's face was deathly pale from blood loss, yet she still managed a bitter smile.
Sleepiness came in heavy waves, trying to drown her thoughts, but she clenched her teeth and forced herself to stay awake. She knew that if she fell asleep now, she would never wake up again.
She couldn't leave her sister alone to face this.
"Damn it, you ungrateful little wretch."
"I'm giving you a way out, and you still dare to defy me?"
The soldier's expression twisted instantly. He glared at them, snarling as he shouted.
This trick had never failed before. Every time, he got to enjoy a perfect little performance. And now it failed—failed on two insignificant civilians.
Unforgivable.
He would kill them. He would kill them right now.
Fury burning across his face, he slowly raised his sword, preparing to bring it down on the two girls who had ruined his fun.
He lifted the blade over his head, eyes locked on them, waiting for regret. Waiting for them to beg for one more chance.
But Enri, under his stare, only tightened her arms around her sister, squeezed her eyes shut, and waited.
The soldier's face darkened further. This time, he didn't hesitate. He swung the blade down.
"What a performance. Momonga, Blackie, what do you think?"
"Very entertaining."
"She's a good sister."
Just as the sword was about to cut into the two girls, voices spoke from behind them.
A hole of crimson and black opened in the air, and within it, three figures could be seen faintly, talking as if they were merely watching a play.
A hazy, horned silhouette seemed to be asking the others for their opinion.
"What is this?!"
The soldier stared at the opening in pure terror. He couldn't move. It was as if his body no longer belonged to him, frozen mid-swing.
Enri, who had been waiting for death, opened her eyes at his scream. When she turned and saw that blurred, horned figure behind her, a thought rose in her mind before she could stop it.
"A god!"