If they come after me, I can let it go. But if they harm the people around me — I will never forgive it.
'If I have to, I'll use this sword. I have lost enough people for one lifetime. I will not lose anyone again.'
Echi looked at Ian's body with cold eyes and turned away. No regret, no hesitation. She hadn't acted from rage — she had made a clear decision, seen it through, and hadn't been moved by the cursed sword's killing intent. There was a difference, and she knew it.
The life she had wanted to keep clean felt smaller next to the resolve to protect the people she loved. And chances didn't come twice.
Her steps as she walked away were steady.
She picked up the sword she'd thrown earlier, found a lantern nearby, and took flint and an oil bottle from where she knew they'd be — this had been her tent, after all. She sprayed the oil throughout, then lit the lantern's wick.
She pulled back the entrance flap and looked outside. The shadow soldiers had thinned considerably.
The monsters had grown enormous — she'd need to crane her neck to see their faces. Exactly where she wanted them.
She stepped out silently, moving her mana, and hurled the lantern back into the tent.
Glass shattered. Fire caught and spread.
The nearby monsters turned at the noise and the light, letting out shrieks like nails on stone, and moved toward the flames.
While they were occupied, she crossed the swamp without a sound.
Baraha's tent wasn't far. She didn't knock.
As soon as she stepped in, a large hand seized her by the collar and slammed her against the tent pole. A sword hovered at her neck — then jerked back in surprise.
"…Echinacea Roaz?"
Yellow eyes, wide open. She had let herself be caught on purpose, and she greeted him calmly.
"Hello, Senior Baraha."
"What are you doing here?"
"Could you let me go first?"
"Ah, sorry."
He released her, bewildered. Echi straightened her collar.
"Are you all right? Any injuries?"
"Just a scratch. Nothing serious. But...how did you know?"
"I saw it happen."
"Right... but what are you doing here? How are you inside the node?"
"I got pulled in somehow. Senior Ian came in with me, but I'm not sure where he ended up."
Baraha's expression shifted at Ian's name — something wicked briefly in his eyes.
"That bastard can go to hell. Actually — forget I said that. Forget about him, Echi. He can sort himself out. I don't have time for him."
"Understood."
Baraha wasn't a saint, and he wasn't going to search for the man who had thrown him into this. Echi nodded quietly. He pressed his lips together and spoke in a measured tone.
"Enough about that. Stay hidden here for now. From what I've been able to observe, the shadow soldiers keep the monsters occupied — as long as there are soldiers to eat, we should have some breathing room."
"And you, Senior?"
"This tent has no food. I'm going to check the others. We'll need supplies if we're stuck here a while."
"Have you been inside a node before?"
"No. But I know the basics. Hold out until it dissolves, then we're free."
He spoke plainly, glancing outside, then turned back to her. He took a breath.
"Don't worry. We're getting out of this alive."
His face was controlled, but the tension underneath was there. He gave her a small smile anyway — trying to reassure her.
Echi looked up at him for a moment, then asked quietly:"…Do you think we can actually hold out?"
"Of course. If you're scared, trust me. I can manage to keep one junior cadet safe."
He said it in a light tone and ruffled her hair with one large, warm hand.
[He has no idea who's protecting who here. Truly something.]
The sword grumbled. Despite herself, Echi smiled faintly.
"Thank you, Senior."
"No need. Now stay here and don't worry. I'll be back."
He started searching the tent for a bag to carry supplies. Echi watched him and thought.
'What do I actually do now?'
In her erased past, she had fought her way through a node's interior and waited for it to dissolve naturally. But she had also done research afterward — there were hypotheses about how nodes could be exited early. Unproven, but worth trying.
"Senior."
"Yeah?"
"I've actually been quite interested in nodes. I read some books about them before we came out."
"Really? Do you know something?"
His expression brightened. Echi nodded.
"It was just a hypothesis — but apparently nodes have a starting point. The place where RakiaGiosa cuts space; the origin of the wound."
"Hm."
"The hypothesis was that the starting point stays connected to the outside world. A node is separated, but not completely severed — after a while, it heals back. If the healing starts at the origin point first, then the starting point would be the closest thing to the outside world."
"…That makes sense. If it heals first, it reconnects first. So if we find the starting point..."
"We might be able to pass through it before it fully heals. Or even help it along."
"That's worth trying. Even if we can't pass through directly, waiting near it should at least shorten how long we're stuck. The problem is finding it."
"Did you see the node form?"
"No — by the time the alarm went off, it had already swelled. It looked like it started above the center of the camp, though."
"Then the starting point is probably close by."
Baraha's eyes lit up.
"Echi, if we make it out of here, it'll be because of you."
He clapped her on the back, perhaps a little harder than he intended in his excitement. She had let herself absorb it rather than dodge, and it hurt more than it should have. She fixed him with a half-scowl; he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Sorry. Got carried away."
"It's fine. Let's move — we need to find that starting point."
Echi turned toward the entrance.
Baraha looked from her narrow back to his own hands. The rain-soaked dress clung to her, making her look more slight than usual.
And yet she hadn't been trembling when he touched her. He heard himself speak before he'd decided to.
"Echi."
"Yes?"
Echi turned. She noticed the unease still sitting in his eyes and wanted to give back the reassurance he had offered her. She gave a small smile.
"But you said you'd protect me, Senior."
Her voice was even. Her expression, gentle. Something in Baraha's face softened unexpectedly.
Echi walked up to him and took his sleeve — her gloved hand small against his. She pulled him toward the entrance without hesitation.
"I'll trust you and feel safe. So trust me too. We'll get out of here together."
Baraha let himself be led forward. He stared at the soft pink crown of her head, lower than his shoulder, and answered quietly.
"…Right. Together, then, Echinacea."