Every Arc Ends with My Death

Chapter 75: Alone in the Snow

Alistair said that?

"So?" Louie asked expectantly.

"His Grace is injured, but he will live." I attested.

He sighed in relief upon hearing my words.

"As for what you're supposed to do right now..." My lips pursed. "Soon, this place will turn into a battlefield. I need you to evacuate the residents inside the fortress. Can you do that, Sir Louie?"

The devil incarnate will wreak havoc in Chioni.

Many will lose their lives as collateral damage.

That much, I knew.

The idea that this story was born from my mind gave me a sense of guilt that gripped my heart.

After all, this wasn't just a novel anymore. It was a world where real people lived with their own stories to tell. That's why I felt a sense of duty to protect them. It's me who created this hellhole.

Therefore, this was my atonement.

"I understand." The knight replied without complaint. "And you? What will you do?"

"Well, good question." I took a deep breath and lifted my face to the skies, where the devil was levitating imperturbably. "I guess I will have to keep the enemy occupied. That's my role here."

I need to stall until the main character arrives.

Where are you, Haniel?

As planned, Louie and I parted ways. The grand duke's personal knight hurried back to the duchy in order to evacuate the residents to the fortress.

As for me, however anxious I felt, I drew my sword.

If it were Ellis, she would never back down from an enemy. This is her body and I stole her life, so I should at least honor the spirit of her knighthood.

Let's do this, Callista.

As I noticed earlier, Grand Duchess Averill was in the midst of a ritual. If I'm guessing correctly, the barrier surrounding her was manifested by Lilith.

The devil appears to be protecting her.

Does it have something to do with their contract?

I'm sorry, Runa. I thought to myself.

In order to prove my guess, I braced myself and decided to strike the grand duchess. Without an ounce of hesitation, I sprinted from my spot and swiped my sword against the purplish barrier.

As expected, my sword couldn't penetrate it.

In that split second, I tilted my head towards the direction of Lilith. A shiver ran through my whole body when I caught her chalk white eyes looking dead straight at me, veins bulking in her neck.

So I was right. She is protecting her.

There must be a reason why. Will she weaken or perish if something happens to the grand duchess?

The next thing I knew, Lilith was already attacking me with black magic manifested into a cluster of whips, swiping indiscriminately all over the place.

I ran with all my might, not daring to look back. I managed to evade the whips that came into my way by rolling over the snow and dashing in all directions. I didn't stop running, not even for a second.

"Puny human."

Lilith's voice thundered across the skies.

"You dare touch my lifeline?"