{3}“The Persistent Pursuer”

  ***

  The night sky above the Northern Limit Line was particularly full of stars. However, there were three people running desperately for their lives, with no time to appreciate the beautiful sky.

  "Professor! Got any more bombs?"

  At Professor Svetrinaha's question, Dr. Gernshvatz replied curtly.

  "They're fireworks, not bombs!"

  "Whatever they are, got anything else similarly dangerous?"

  "Hmph!"

  *RUSTLE*

  The doctor searched his pockets and pulled out another strange object. Looking worriedly at the black, crackling box, Rin asked.

  "What's that, Professor?"

  Instead of explaining, the doctor aimed the object directly behind them.

  *WHOOSH!*

  Suddenly, a flash of light burst from the box, and simultaneously, the pursuing Muwai screamed.

  "Kuakh!"

  "Haha! Success!"

  It stopped running and clutched its knee.

  *SIZZLE*

  Whatever it was, it seemed to have been exposed to intense heat, as smoke seeped between its fingers. It looked like it wouldn't be able to run for a while.

  "Phew!"

  "Huff! Haak!"

  The three people, who had been running out of breath, took this opportunity to catch their breaths. The doctor threw away the now extremely hot black box without hesitation and said.

  "Single-use distress signal."

  "...A distress signal, that thing just now?"

  "If you focus light into a single point, it doesn't spread and travels far! Then rescue teams can find us by seeing it!"

  "But what if someone gets hit by this and dies before that?"

  "Hmm. Didn't think of that."

  "Kuooooh!"

  The Muwai roared from a distance. At this more thunderous sound than before, Professor Sven said.

  "Tsk. Seems we've angered it too much."

  Looking back, they could see the Muwai charging with a completely different intensity than before. The three forgot about their labored breathing and started running again.

  ***

  They ran like that all night. The enraged Muwai couldn't catch up to them immediately because it had injured the same leg twice from Dr. Gernshvatz's "fireworks" and "single-use distress signal."

  Thanks to that, they could somehow maintain their distance even at the slow pace of a young girl and two elderly men. However, their stamina had long since reached its limit.

  And time had passed into dawn.

  The countless stars began disappearing one by one, and the sky was gradually brightening. In fact, it was already a miracle they had run this long with their stamina.

  "Huff! Huff! Ahhh! I can't go on!"

  Dr. Gernshvatz, who had been repeatedly falling behind for quite some time, said breathlessly. He stopped completely and collapsed onto the ground. This forced Rin and Professor Sven to stop as well.

  "Can't go! Won't go!"

  As the doctor lay down flat, Rin pulled at him.

  "Doctor! If you do this here, you'll die!"

  "Ah, don't care! Leave me behind!"

  He shook off Rin's hand and stubbornly refused. Professor Sven scolded him.

  "My good man! What are you doing? Get up quickly!"

  "Just leave me behind, Professor S! I can't run anymore!"

  "Doctor, please!"

  Even Rin's earnest plea was useless. Then suddenly, they felt a tremor in the ground and heard a monstrous sound.

  It was the sound of the Muwai charging (with its limping leg), having seen the group stop. Shock grew in Rin's eyes. Professor Sven removed one glove and opened his hood, then drew the sword he had been hiding on his back.

  "If only I were ten years younger..."

  Just as the Muwai reached right behind the three people.

  "Professor S! Move!"

  Dr. Gernshvatz pushed Professor Sven away forcefully. Then he jumped up from his spot and stretched his hand toward the Muwai in front of him.

  *CRACKLE!*

  "Kraaagh!"

  The Muwai that had its thigh grabbed screamed.

  Black smoke rose from the doctor's hand, accompanied by a buzzing sound like a swarm of bees, and sparked like lightning.

  *THUD!*

  The Muwai's massive body fell helplessly backward. Where the doctor's hand had grabbed its thigh, everything - from the leather clothes to the skin - was burned black. With its limbs splayed out and tongue hanging, Professor Sven said in astonishment.

  "Good heavens! Doctor! Was this your plan from the start?"

  "Aish! Running was too tiring!"

  "Professor, this is..."

  Looking at the Muwai, which now even smelled like grilled meat, Rin asked. The doctor took off his smoking glove, threw it away, and lay back down.

  If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  "Surprise handshake glove."

  "D-Doctor, were you planning to shake hands with someone wearing something like this?"

  "Don't worry. It's single-use."

  "No, that's not the issue..."

  "Anyway."

  Professor Sven lowered his sword tip and said.

  "Seems well resolved."

  "Yes."

  Rin felt greatly relieved at having overcome the crisis.

  "What now? We still need to find the other professors and the Snow People, right?"

  Professor Sven answered while helping Dr. Gernshvatz up.

  "We just took different routes, but our destination is the same. If we go to that old research facility, we can meet... Watch out!"

  Suddenly, Professor Svetrinaha pushed the doctor away. The professor defended against something by holding his sword flat against his shoulder. Simultaneously, there was a 'clang' sound, and the professor's body was lifted into the air.

  "Kyaah! Professor!"

  Rin screamed. Professor Sven rolled through the snow after being thrown back several maard.

  "I'm fine! Quickly, get away!"

  What had thrown him was none other than the Muwai.

  "Not dead?"

  Dr. Gernshvatz stepped back hesitantly.

  The Muwai, clearly in considerable pain from its blackened leg, distorted its already frightening face grotesquely as it glared at the group. When it raised its weapon again, Professor Sven rushed back quickly. However, the Muwai's strike toward Dr. Gernshvatz was faster than his arrival.

  *CLANG!*

  "Wuek?"

  As if the sound wasn't what it had expected, the Muwai's body briefly stiffened.

  "Ow ow ow. You monster!"

  Dr. Gernshvatz was holding a shield as big as his back - where it came from was anyone's guess. It seemed he had blocked the previous attack with it too.

  "Doctor... what is that?"

  "A shield."

  "No, I know that, but..."

  *CLANG!*

  "Ahhh stop hitting, you cursed thing!"

  The doctor screamed at another struck blow. While the 'shield' was somehow undamaged by the Muwai's sword, the problem was the person holding it. The doctor felt intense pain in his waist and knees from just two blocks.

  "Over here!"

  Before the Muwai could make its third attack, Professor Sven quickly pulled the doctor and Rin away.

  *BOOM!*

  The missed strike buried deep into the snow and ground. The Muwai, seemingly more enraged, let out a monstrous cry while roughly pulling out its sword. Then it approached, dragging its limping leg. The leg seemed barely able to support its weight now. Because of this, while it had become incomparably more violent than before, its approach was far from smooth.

  *WHOOSH!*

  However, a Muwai was still a Muwai. Even with one leg damaged, there was no loss of strength in the hand wielding the sword. And once again, Professor Sven barely managed to pull the doctor and Rin away to dodge the attack.

  "At this age, it's hard to fight while protecting others! This won't do! I'll buy time, so Doctor, take Rin and go first!"

  "No! Let's go together, Professor!"

  "Let's go!"

  Dr. Gernshvatz forcibly pulled Rin, who was refusing. She was surprised at how much weaker than usual the doctor's arm felt.

  "Doctor, what's wrong?"

  "Ugh... I think I pulled my back. Go on alone!"

  *CLANG!*

  At the sound of clashing metal, both looked at Professor Sven.

  Surprisingly, the professor was engaging in close combat with the Muwai using just one sword. Having already experienced what happens when blocking head-on, his intense focus on the fight was evident even from a distance, with eyes wide open and every nerve on edge.

  "I can't fight for long! Run quickly, Miss Rin!"

  Then Dr. Gernshvatz grabbed Rin's shoulder.

  "Please listen, sweetie! Let us old folks do something worthwhile!"

  "..."

  He spread his arms wide to hug Rin tightly, then suddenly pushed her away. Then he adjusted his grip on the shield and joined the professor who was in the midst of fighting.

  "Didn't you hear me say to go too?"

  At Professor Sven's criticism, the doctor snorted.

  "Hmph! When have I ever properly listened to you, Professor S?"

  "Heheh. Well..."

  *CLANG!*

  The Muwai's next strike was blocked by the doctor's shield.

  "I'll handle defense. Professor S, attack freely. Then maybe we'll have a chance?"

  "Not sure."

  Professor Sven quickly checked behind with a side glance.

  ...

  Rin was nowhere to be seen. The doctor also looked back briefly and said.

  "I convinced her to go. For once she listened."

  "Well, that's one less worry, then."

  Though the situation was desperate, both men's expressions looked relieved.

  *CLANG!*

  "Hyah!"

  In the process of defending and attacking, the two elderly professors' bodies quickly showed strain. However, they had no internal worries, having protected Rin.

  The exchange didn't last even ten rounds. The doctor could no longer hold up his shield, and the professor, after swinging his sword about twenty times, was shaking severely in both hands and legs. The Muwai raised its sword triumphantly while dragging its limping leg. Seeing this, Professor Sven spoke as if resigned.

  "Actually, I quite enjoyed seeing your inventions all this time."

  "What? You're the first to praise them so nicely? Then let me show you one last interesting..."

  Dr. Gernshvatz, searching his pockets, tilted his head.

  "Huh? Where did it go? It was definitely here..."

  "Hey! You monster!"

  Suddenly, a young girl's sharp voice rang out. It came from behind the Muwai.

  "Miss Rin? Why did you come back?"

  Professor Sven called out hopelessly.

  "Ah! That's?"

  The doctor showed more interest in what Rin was holding.

  "That's my 'portable launcher'! When did you steal..."

  "That's not important right now, Doctor!"

  "O-oh? Right? S-sorry."

  The Muwai didn't even glance at the small girl who had suddenly returned and was shouting loudly. It seemed completely consumed by revenge for its disabled leg.

  "Over here, you monster!"

  Taking advantage of the Muwai's distraction, Rin threw something. No, more precisely, she 'launched' it. She was using the doctor's invention. The Muwai looked at Rin, surprised by the unexpected pain.

  *THWACK!*

  The second attack hit precisely on its injured knee.

  "Over here, you monster!"

  Her skirt was full of stones as she shouted angrily. Only then did the two professors understand why Rin had returned. And what she planned to do. Rin had never intended to run away from the start.

  When the doctor gave her that final hug, Rin had discovered his last invention hidden in his clothes and secretly took it. And she immediately understood its purpose.

  That cylindrical 'portable launcher' was a tool designed to launch anything of suitable size far away using an internal spring mechanism. So she had gone to find suitable objects to shoot. Though she had gathered these stones, they probably couldn't do significant damage to the Muwai. But they could certainly make it angry.

  "No, sweetie!"

  "Don't do this, Miss Rin! Run away!"

  *THWACK!*

  Another stone shot by Rin hit the Muwai's wound.

  Very precisely in the exact same spot as before. Rin's eyes widened in surprise at discovering a talent she didn't know she had.

  *KRAAAH!*

  Finally, the Muwai roared and turned toward Rin. It seemed thoroughly enraged. However, Rin didn't cower and persistently launched stones. And amazingly, she continued to demonstrate the feat of hitting the same spot every time.

  "Try to catch me, you monster!"

  There was a hint of awkwardness in her voice as she provoked the Muwai. But it was already enough to anger the Muwai.

  *THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!*

  The Muwai started running, forcefully stamping the ground with its injured leg. Rin felt something was wrong.

  "Huh? Oh no?"

  At that speed, faster than expected, Rin broke into a cold sweat as she got up. And just before running away, she shot one more stone while she still could.

  *THWACK!*

  Rin's final action was more than enough to direct all of the Muwai's anger toward her.

  "..."

  "..."

  Professor Svetrinaha and Dr. Gernshvatz watched her brave action with aching hearts. Though they desperately wanted to stop her, their bodies wouldn't cooperate. Right now, the two professors' stamina was barely enough to stand.

  "No! Sweetie!"

  "Miss Rin..."

  They desperately chased after Rin and the Muwai disappearing into the dawn mist, but lost sight of them after a short distance.

  ***

  *THWACK!*

  The last stone Rin had brought flew and hit the Muwai's forehead.

  "Huff! Huff!"

  Rin's breathing had become noticeably rough after running such a long distance. When she finally crested the hill with her last bit of strength, an unexpectedly open space appeared.

  *WHOOSH*

  Until now, she had been running only through narrow paths in the coniferous forest. Thanks to that, the large-bodied Muwai naturally fell behind, and Rin was able to maintain that distance.

  'This is bad.'

  Rin looked back anxiously. Even with an injured leg, a Muwai was still a Muwai. She wasn't confident she could shake it off in this wide open area. But the Muwai was too close to turn back to the coniferous area now.

  'Ugh! No choice!'

  She descended the slope with her legs feeling like they would cramp. Though she thought it would be a bit easier going downhill, it wasn't. Contrary to when her legs were fine, the strain on her legs was worse on the descent.

  *WHOOSH!*

  Rin hunched her shoulders at another gust of wind.

  'Cold.'

  Despite her body being heated from running such a long distance, she felt the cold intensely and clearly.

  'Is it because it's open ground? It's strangely cold.'

  It was too dark to guess how wide this area was. She felt utterly lost about how much further she needed to run to escape this place. Then, far beyond the ridge, she saw the sky glowing brightly.

  'It's morning already.'

  As rays of light rose over the ridge, the edge of the sun became visible. The sun quickly swept away the mountain's massive shadow and illuminated Rin as she ran. The ridge's shadow passed over Rin and rapidly receded in the direction she was running. As this happened, the open ground before Rin was bathed in light, revealing its massive form.

  "This is..."

  Two skies were reflected in Rin's eyes. One above, and one below. At the boundary between the brilliantly dawning sky catching the morning sunlight and the mirror-like reflected sky on the ground, Rin had no choice but to stop.

  And forgetting even that she was being chased, she murmured absent-mindedly.

  "Yuparuru."

  -To be continued-