Dimensional Descent

The location was dark. It was difficult even to see one's hand even if it was placed before one's eye.

Up above, the place the moon should have been was completely shrouded by dark clouds that rumbled every so often. However, even this rumbling couldn't mask the heavy breathing that pervaded the atmosphere.

At that moment, a group of men and women ran with everything they had. But, their speed was slow. Whether it was because of the disadvantageous terrain or the fact they were at the end of their ropes, both were reasons.

The group of 30 or so wore bits of torn linen covered in dirt and mud. It was impossible for fugitives to appear in the Border Region. The only explanation was that these few consciously chose to discard their armor.

At that moment, one of them suddenly stumbled and fell.

"Kid!"

An older man snapped his head around, reaching beneath the arms of the fallen knight and pulling him up.

He was the only one who stopped. It wasn't that the others were callous, but rather that they were under expressed orders not to.

"Jejejejejeje…"

An eerie laughter caused the blood of the group to run cold. They dug deep, pulling all the reserve strength they had left to power forward.

The forest they ran in could hardly be called as such. It looked as though a blazing fire had charred everything to ash. Let alone having canopies of greenery, the various trees didn't even have branches, they were made entirely of blackened and battered trunks.

It was one of the roots of these godforsaken trees that had tripped the young knight.

It was quite hilarious. Even as the young knight held back tears, unable to take his eyes off of the commanding officer who had come back to save him, he too found the humor in this situation.

He, a dignified Three Star Official Knight, had been beaten and battered to the point of tripping and falling. Not only that, but he had actually fractured his ankle and couldn't even walk on his own anymore.

"Captain, just leave me."

many sacks of potatoes twice your size I've carried in my life to reach my current strength? You're as

In the end, he could only

grew with each passing moment. And, despite the blustering of the Captain, he was falling further and further behind the group ahead of

his years of trained reflexes, he didn't even need to think

this point, the Captain knew that

setting down

I'll hold these bastards

knight

something he had learned as a mere Apprentice Knight. The only reason the older

he was completely

do it together,

and shielding the fracture in his foot. He pulled

something more, but the sharp wind of

arching beneath the night air. It became the only source of light in the

BANG!

couldn't help but change, how could

"Jejejejeje…"

that moment, a shadow slid out from the darkness. Even though it was just a few steps away from the pair, it was

a moment,

"Demon Lord!"

who it was, nor did he need to know. All he needed

young knight felt

going to go all out. When I engage him, turn back and

old knight stepped forward. The means of a knight truly weren't few. Amongst them, there were even techniques that could be used to overdraw one's potential. It was precisely such a technique that the

didn't give the young knight a chance to respond. His aura blazed, his arm bulging with muscles and

one motion, he hooked a hand behind the young knight, took a half spin, and sent him flying into

didn't have a kernel of truth to them.

next left the

"Oof…"