Inhuman – Part 03
“Aria!”
A silver whirlwind erupted around Cecily, mirroring her rising emotions.
The creature displayed astounding agility in evading Hannibal’s second and third strikes. It folded its thick hind legs and sprang up, vaulting over his sword and landing on the roof of a mud-walled stall. Such a leap was unimaginable for a four-legged creature.
For Cecily, this was a relief. At least no more citizens were in immediate danger.
“You’re not getting away!”
She assumed a thrusting stance, pulling her left side back and extending the rapier in her right hand. A fierce gust of silvery wind erupted from the sword’s tip and shot forward like an arrow, spiraling diagonally upward. People reeled back from the shockwave it produced. It looked as if a small hurricane was hurtling towards its target.
“What?!”
The violent wind swiftly dissipated. The creature stood unharmed atop the crumpled stall, anchoring itself by stabbing its front leg’s spear into the ground.
Cecily had seen this kind of power before. Penelope’s Infernal Blade.
Penelope, a follower of Charlotte Firobisher, a girl bearing imperial blood but had renounced her status, wielded a ballock knife, a blade that could nullify the abilities of other Infernal Blades.
The Inhuman had just done something similar. The wind Cecily had unleashed calmed upon touching its spikes. It nullified Aria’s powers. That meant only one thing.
“Is that an Infernal Blade?”
Each and every one of those blades on its back. While Cecily stood in stunned disbelief, the creature was already on the move. Using its spear legs for support, it kicked off with its hind legs and leaped, swiftly moving across the rooftops with mind-boggling agility. In seconds, it disappeared behind the buildings, vanishing from sight.
“What are you standing around for?!” Hannibal bellowed. “Evacuate the citizens!”
The knights jolted into action, finally snapping out of their daze.
“Contact the other district commanders. I’m going after the Inhuman. Anyone carrying jewel steel, with me! Cecily!”
She didn’t need to be told twice. Cecily took off right behind Hannibal.
As she ran, she called out to Aria, and a gentle breeze pushed her forward. The wind wove around her feet, turning each step into long, graceful strides. Her speed increased, faster than anyone else. This was a technique she had recently discovered by harnessing the power of her Infernal Blade.
By now, both citizens and visitors knew about the danger. Most had taken shelter indoors, so the only obstacles in her path were the rows of buildings, allowing her to keep track of the fleeing beast, albeit barely.
“Captain, what is that thing?” she asked, running beside him.
Hannibal didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed grimly on the direction the creature had fled.
“Go ahead.”
“What?”
“You’re faster than me with the Infernal Blade’s power. Go!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Cecily surged ahead. Was he panicking? Given the situation, it was natural, but there seemed to be more to it, like he was worried about something bigger.
She pushed the thought aside. Her current mission was clear: protect the citizens.
In the distance, a shape darted across the rooftops of small buildings with ease. Cecily dove into a narrow alley, hot on its trail.
The Inhuman’s movements were bizarre. It used its spear front legs to prop itself, its hind legs to launch itself forward, then glided belly-down as it landed, spears scraping the earth. It wasn’t running. It was vaulting. But each leap covered so much ground that it left the city behind in moments.
Cecily gave chase alone, sprinting with the aid of the wind from her Infernal Blade. She weaved through the city’s winding alleys, past deserted streets, and into the footpaths between rice fields. It had been difficult to track the creature within the city, but once they reached the farmland of the Seventh District, the open view made the chase much easier.
Just as her breath grew shallow, she reached the forest’s edge. A world coated in ash, where the sky split into two shades at the tree line.
The untiring beast bounded into the forest without hesitation.
Wait.
Then it hit Cecily. There was no doubt in the Inhuman’s stride, like it had a destination in mind. Was its entry into the city not a mere coincidence? Did it come for a specific reason, rather than simply wandering in?
She shook the question from her mind. She had never entered the forest, but she knew its dangers. Aetherial sickness. The high concentration of Aetheria in the air was harmful to humans. Without jewel steel, she had no way to protect herself.
“The ashes!”
Those two words were all Aria needed. A gust of wind enveloped Cecily as she plunged into the Ashen Woods, blowing the ash away from her. It wouldn’t stop Aetherial sickness, but it would at least keep her lungs clear.
The Inhuman had left an obvious trail. As it wove through the trees, the blades sprouting from its back sliced through the foliage, splitting trees and tearing apart the undergrowth. It had created an animal trail after just a single passage.
This was unfamiliar territory. Continuing the chase was unwise.
“We’re taking it down here, Aria!”
The stone in the rapier’s pommel pulsed with a silvery glow. A powerful tailwind pushed against Cecily’s back, launching her forward. She raced through the forest, her strides forcefully adjusted by the wind to match her furious pace. Branches clawed at her cheeks and shoulders, but she pressed on, closing the gap between her and the creature with lightning speed. And then, she saw its spiny back.
“Go!”
She thrust her rapier forward. A brilliant flash followed as a torrent of wind ripped through the foliage, cutting through grass and trees before swallowing the Inhuman whole. But just like before, the wind dispersed as soon as it reached the beast.
The wind swept away the ashes, briefly clearing Cecily’s view. Her breath caught.
“What the…”
Familiar figures loomed ahead. Ironically, the Inhuman, pushed by the wind, collided with one of them, before disappearing beyond the veil of ash.
“Lisa!”
Luke Ainsworth let out a roar that jolted Cecily back to her senses. The wind from the Infernal Blade cleared the ash from the area. The forest ended abruptly, dropping off into a sheer cliff. The Clawmark. Lisa fell alongside the Inhuman.
No sooner had she grasped what had happened than when she made her decision. Without breaking her stride, Cecily sprinted ahead, shouting as she passed Luke, “Find another way down!”
“Sto—”
Cursing her own recklessness, she threw herself off the cliff. Luke’s voice faded before she could hear the rest.
She wouldn’t have dared to jump if she had looked over the edge. Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate, the die was cast. No, she had thrown it herself.
The scenery blurred past her. Cecily began to fall freely, headfirst, breaking through layer after layer of ash. The immense wind pressure slammed against her, roaring past her ears. Her organs felt like they were sinking into her lower abdomen, and tears spilled from the unsettling loss of the ground beneath her.
Her right hand gripped the hilt of the rapier, clinging to it for dear life. The wind dried the tears from her eyes fast, but she pried them open to catch sight of two shapes plummeting below her.
“――――!”
Cecily tried to shout, but no words came out. But her comrade sensed it. She thought she heard her say it was reckless. So she responded. You can do it. I believe in you. The exchange took less than a second, but it was enough. Her beloved partner understood everything and chose to take the gamble with her.
The wind from the Infernal Blade erupted beneath Cecily’s feet. Is this what it feels like to be shot from a cannon? She fell at an accelerated speed.
This was no ordinary arrow. Transformed into a shell, Cecily barreled through the haze of ash, quickly catching up to the two figures. She wrapped her arms tightly around the girl.
Finally, she managed to call out her comrade’s name. “Aria!”
In an instant, the tailwind changed into a headwind, slowing her rapid descent. A violent gust struck Cecily’s face. The force was so strong that she thought her neck had snapped, and she nearly blacked out. Gritting her teeth to stay conscious, she curled her body protectively around Lisa’s small frame.
The trajectory of her fall shifted slightly. The crash came immediately after. While the Inhuman that plummeted straight down landed flat on the ground, Cecily and Lisa fell at an angle, crashing down at a distance and rolling dramatically.
Cecily realized she had lost consciousness for a very brief moment. When she awoke, her vision was a blinding white, and her entire body felt as if it had been struck by lightning, paralyzed. Gradually, her sight returned, but so did the pain. Cecily let out a thin scream, writhing in agony. Overwhelmed, she flung Lisa away from her arms and rolled about on the ground.
A ringing filled her ears, and her heartbeat pounded in her head.
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