Summoned and Unwanted

700 Those who leave and those who remain

‘I might be able to do it again. Just one more time, and it is over. One more time and I can leave what happens afterward to fate.’ Vincent thought with the resolve to open an escape route for the Dullahans to escape from.

“Trust in Awa... trust in me...” He said slowly while huffing between pauses.

Vincent looked at the wall in front of them and hoped the undead bear would take a longer time to react and close the wall with a new earth spike.

The more Awa distracted the undead bear, the lesser chance of being attacked by an emerging earth spike. This was the only hope Vincent had about creating a new escape route.

Three Dullahans approached Vincent. Their gaze was different than the other Dullahans. Their eyes were burning with the flames of resolve.

The three Dullahans lowered to one knee and announced, “We will stay and die by your side. We will listen to our clan leader’s orders and remain with our clan leader. That is what we consider a deed worthy of Valhalla.”

Vincent didn’t need to ask. He could see how determined they were to stay behind and support them in opening an escape route.

He nodded and told them, “Help me walk...”

The three Dullahans nodded once.

.....

One Dullahan took Vincent’s arm and placed it on his shoulder to support Vincent standing on his feet. The other two Dullahans stood beside Vincent as if they were bodyguards willing to risk their lives to protect Vincent.

Step after the other, Vincent reached the imposing and dangerous wall. One Dullahan stood on Vincent’s left side, and the other stood on Vincent’s right side. They used their bodies to shield Vincent from being attacked by the wall like the previous time.

Plow and Zero stood behind Vincent. They wanted to help, but one was small and didn’t have much time in her gigantification trait, while the other was still absorbing the seeds Awa had given it.

“Are you... all ready?” Vincent asked. He wanted to hear their resolve before attempting an action with a high chance of risking their lives.

“Yes, clan leader. We will risk our lives for you.” The Dullahan, helping Vincent to stand on his feet, said proudly and with a determined voice.

The other two Dullahans said unhesitantly with an unwavering voice, “I will do the same.” one after the other.

[Vincent. These three Dullahans are not the only ones acting courageously.]

[I can see many Dullahans gazing at you. If anything happens, I believe some will rush to your side. This is the impression I am sensing.]

[Nevertheless, the injury you sustained is quite bad, and I can not stop worrying about you. I hope the plan you committed to will work as planned.]

-Thank you, Kazumi, for always trusting and supporting me. My choice sounds crazy, and I will risk not only my life, but yours, Wolfie, Freerie, Bright, Watz, and Helle’s lives as well.-

-I do not know if my plan will work or not. But I need to do crazy to live. The more I risk, the more chances to survive I we will all have.-

Kazumi didn’t respond. She knew quite well the chances the mutated ego of Vincent, currently sealed under the emerald throne, remain sealed even if Vincent died and his soul vanished.

The low chance of Overload activating was reduced more than it was before. Only the future could tell. If Vincent died, he could die for real with no second chances this time.

Vincent touched the wall in front of him, filled with the determination to succeed. He closed his eyes, and before he began the process of storing an earth spike, he gave it his all to focus solely on the object his hand touched.

Momentarily, the earth spike turned green. The illumination caused the three Dullahans beside Vincent to become on high alert. They prepared to push Vincent aside and die in his stead.

Fortunately, what they feared and everyone behind them feared didn’t happen. The earth spike was stored, and there was no retaliation from the undead bear.

The Dullahans turned their gaze at the undead bear erecting earth spikes beside it, and a dark figure destroying them one after the other.

The fight gave them the impression of a bird attacking a person. A bird that didn’t give up and attacked relentlessly with the intention of stalling until its family could escape.

“Go... now...” Vincent said while his breathing was gradually becoming worse.

Amie and Lamin looked at each other. They nodded and turned, facing their people.

“My daughter is keeping the monster at bay. I am ashamed as a mother to say this, but we need to escape. We need to leave everything to my daughter and her man.” Amie said with a hint of regret in her tone.

“My sweet daughter is doing her best to let us escape. It is shameful, yes.” Lamin said before nudging his head and blinking his eyes to remain open.

“But letting our proud race die out is more of a shame than running for our lives. ” Lamin managed to say before all his strength left his body and his eyes closed. Lamin fainted in his wife’s arms after saying a thought-changing last sentence.

The Dullahans felt conflicted emotions after hearing Amie’s words. But after hearing Lamin talk how the clan’s survival was currently more honorable than death by combat, they all became convinced escape was the current best choice to pick.

A couple of the Dullahans grabbed the fainted Cefeyes from the ground. Two of them approached Amie and carried the fainted Lamin.

However, there was one that refused to be helped. When a Dullahan tried to carry the female Cefeye, she pushed him and fell to the ground.

When the Dullahan tried to help her again, she resisted, showing she didn’t want to be helped. She wanted to remain in the ruined Dullahan village where many of her race were dead, injured, fainted, or regaining their conscience.

Vincent, supported by a Dullahan, approached the female Cefeye.

“She can only... die when Awa dies... their life is connected...” He said while gazing at the female Cefeye slowly recovering from her internal wound.

“Can’t die? Does it mean this Cefeye wants to remain here?” The Dullahan questioned.

“It appears so...” Vincent answered while noticing the female Cefeye’s attention was in the direction of the undead bear and Awa.

“Most of us have escaped. Only a few of us are left.” Amie said from behind Vincent.

Vincent was helped to turn around. He saw Amie alone. Beside her was Plow looking at him with an anxious gaze, and Zero looking at him as if it was ready to act at a moment’s notice.

“Plow wants to stay with Vincent Vincent.” *Pho* “Plow promised to protect Vincent Vincent. Plow wants to do that.” *Pho!*

“Zero. Will. Protect. Master.”

Vincent nodded gently.

“Clan leader. Are you certain you want to remain here?” Amie asked.

“I will stay here... please move away from... this place... That is an... order...” *Cough, cough* Vincent coughed blood after using a lot of his energy to speak.

Amie frowned. She didn’t like to hear or listen to such an order. Not when Vincent showed signs of suffering from a life-threatening injury.

Amie wanted to believe her daughter could somehow return to her. It didn’t bode well for Amie to escape while leaving her daughter, and the man her daughter showed affection for to remain in this dangerous place.

Because of Vincent’s injury, Amie believed Vincent escaping alongside Awa was mostly impossible. She had seen enough of his condition to know his time wasn’t long.

Amie looked at Vincent and the three Dullahans beside him. She said, “Please do not die. All of you. Please return to us in one piece.” before turning around and leaving in a hurry.

“Wait!” *Cough, cough*

Amie stopped. She turned around and wondered why Vincent tried to stop her all of a sudden.

“Move... further away...” *Cough*

“If humans meet you... say my name...” *Cough*

“Say Baron Vincent Lionheart... asked to give you...” *Cough*

“A place to stay...” *Cough, cough*

Amie nodded. She could understand why her daughter would fall for a man who wasn’t a Dullahan. The man in front of her, even when his foot was a step closer to death by the second, he remained determined to help save their lives.

Amie left, thanks to Vincent creating a way to escape and Awa distracting the undead bear until everyone left. Now, Vincent, Plow, Zero, the female Cefeye, and three Dullahans remained.

*Cough* “Take me to the monster.”

“But clan leader!”

*Cough, cough* “Run after taking me... to the destination...”

“How can we abandon our clan leader?”

“Yeah! We cannot let our clan leader die alone. We will take you to Valhalla with us!”

[These Dullahans are more loyal than I thought. When they set their mind on something, they do not even mind losing their lives.]

Vincent appreciated such loyalty. However, he couldn’t let them remain beside him. Winning the gamble or not, the lives of the three Dullahans would be in danger.

In the darkness of the evening, a figure clad in black landed on the ground. After lowering the body, the dark knight jumped high up in the sky.

“Really?” The dark knight spoke to herself. From behind the helmet, a grin formed on her face.

A linear shadow-like rope shot from the leg attached to the undead bear. The leg was pulled back with great might, causing the body to propel at incredible speed.

*Boom* The undead bear was pushed to its side by half a meter by the impact of a mighty kick backed by a lot of momentum.