Chapter 7: A Fruitless Escape

“How lucky.”
I ran to Nahida, holding a fruit.
“Here, hurry and eat.”
I handed the fruit to Nahida.
Nahida hesitated for a moment, glancing up at me.
Noticing what she was thinking, I gave a small smile and stroked Nahida’s head.
“Don’t worry about me, just eat.”
“But….”
“You have to eat a lot to grow tall.”
“……”
After a moment’s hesitation, Nahida took a bite of the fruit.
Watching Nahida nibble on the fruit brought peace to my mind and body.
“My little sister really is the best….”
After Nahida finished the fruit, we started walking again.
We’ve wasted so much time that it wouldn’t be strange to see a Sage anywhere, at any time.
I didn’t show it on the outside, but inside, I was burning up with anxiety.
It’s a good thing we found a path; otherwise, we would have already been caught.
As we walked along the path for a while, I saw a person in the distance.
“A person, it’s a person!”
Overcome with joy, I grabbed Nahida’s hand and ran.
This makes things so much easier.
As we got closer, I could see an old man pacing about.
I tapped the old man on the shoulder and spoke.
“Excuse me, sir. Which way do we go to get to Gandharva Ville?”
The moment our eyes met, the old man suddenly started to cry.
I was taken aback for a moment, then the old man pointed north with his finger.
“If you go that way, you will see the ville….”
“Thank you!”
I glanced suspiciously at the old man, who was still speaking in a trembling voice, but I couldn’t afford to waste any more time, so I took Nahida’s hand and started walking.
In that instant, I felt a strong impact on the back of my neck, and my body collapsed helplessly.
“S-Sister!!!”
The whole world turned white, and I couldn’t think straight.
In my fading consciousness, the last thing I heard was Nahida’s desperate voice calling my name before I blacked out.

“Ah, ahhh. O great Lukkhadevata… have you truly left us?”
The Sage, who had been staring at the fallen Asara with lifeless eyes, turned his gaze to Nahida.
“So you’re the God of Grass…. How dare a thing like you….”
Nahida, terrified, was trembling uncontrollably as she glared at the Sage.
Terrified and barely able to support her own body, she stood in front of the Sage, as if to protect her sister no matter what.
“D-Don’t touch my sister!”
Even though she was a god, she had only just awakened, so the Sage’s power was more than enough to subdue her.
“L-Let go of me!”
“Do not worry, Lukkhadevata. I will surely save you.”
The Sage’s eyes were tinged with madness, glowing red.
“No matter what it takes, I will.”
Looking at the countless people from the Akademiya swarming around the Sage, Nahida thought.
If only, if only I had tried harder, could things have turned out differently?
But by the time she had that thought, it was already too late.
“Take them away.”
As Nahida despaired, countless hands began to slowly close in, restraining her.