One Chance
This was no game. No joke.
It was real. She was facing a man who wanted to hunt her down with arrows and kill her. Failure meant only death.
One chance. I have to make it count.
Footsteps echoed from afar. Canna quickly crouched down and held her breath.
“The tracks end around here. She must be hiding nearby.”
Casil tracked her leisurely, a smile on his lips.
“You go deeper in and search. I’ll check this area.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If you find her, don’t kill her. Drag her to me. I’ll do it myself.”
A chill ran down her spine at the playful tone in his voice.
“Hmm, let’s see. I’m sure she’s hiding somewhere around here……”
Left alone, Casil hummed as he rustled through the bushes. Canna gripped the water bottle tightly.
Just a little closer.
“Maybe here?”
Thud. He jabbed the arrowhead mercilessly into the foliage, drawing nearer. Canna stared wide-eyed at the top of his head.
Just a little more.
“Or here?”
Almost.
“Then here?”
More……
“Not here either.”
Just a little, really just a little more……
“Here?”
He jerked his head up. Their eyes met head-on.
Now!
Canna tilted the bottle downward without hesitation. Water poured out in a rush.
“……!”
It hit.
The liquid exploded across Casil’s face. He squinted, frantically wiping it away.
“Damn it, what the hell are you doing!”
He swept back his wet hair and looked up at her with a crooked grin, letting out a hollow laugh.
“Hey. What are you doing up there instead of running?”
“……”
“Was pouring water on my face the best you could do?”
“……”
“Come down. I’ll let you live if you do.”
It was a lie.
Casil had no talent for martial arts. His archery skills, in particular, were abysmal. So his plan was to get the woman in front of him, create some distance, and shoot her dead.
Killing her once she lets her guard down will be even more fun.
Hiding his sinister thoughts, he smirked. The foolish woman seemed to believe him. She hesitated, then began climbing down the tree trunk.
“Ugh!”
She lost her balance and fell with a thud.
“Oh dear, that must have hurt.”
Instead of helping her up, Casil raised his bow. This was close enough to shoot.
Grinning, he drew the string.
“Well then……”
……Huh?
Casil’s face went blank. A strange sensation had just brushed his cheek.
At that moment—
“Ghk!”
Whoosh! A searing pain erupted across his face. He grimaced.
It was only the beginning.
Agony like burning flesh spread from his nape, back, and arms.
“Aaaagh!”
What the hell is this?!
Casil screamed and tore at his shirt.
His chest looked blackened and scorched, yet it was untouched—wet and smooth from the liquid, not burned at all.
“……!”
The pain raced downward.
Whoosh. The burning sensation scorched down his buttocks to his ankles in an instant.
Unable to endure the unnatural heat, Casil frantically stripped off his pants. Even then, shame made him shout at Canna.
“Damn it! Damn it all! Ack! Hey, turn your eyes away! Don’t look, grhk!”
Canna pushed herself up from the ground. She needed to run while he was distracted.
But—
Ugh.
The moment she stood, a sharp pain lashed through her leg.
She nearly screamed. She must have injured it badly when she fell from the tree.
No. Endure it. I still have to run.
As she turned—
“Your Highness?”
“……!”
Footsteps approached from afar. It was Physician Isaac and a massive man built like a bandit!
Recognizing the giant as Balix, Lord of Venecia, Casil’s face darkened. The humiliating sight of himself with his pants down flashed through his mind.
“G-get away! Don’t come closer!”
“Your Highness? Are you unwell?”
“Damn it, stay back! Aaaagh!”
At that moment, the pain reached its peak.
The agony of his flesh melting made Casil’s vision flash white. Pride no longer mattered.
“Help me! W-water, bring water! My body’s burning! It feels like it’s on fire, ack! Ack!”
Isaac and Balix rushed over in a panic. They examined the naked, thrashing prince from head to toe, but……
“It’s hot! So hot! Water, hurry with the water, aaaagh!”
What exactly was burning?
Isaac and Balix exchanged bewildered glances. While everyone was in chaos—
“Aagh!”
Canna charged like a wild ox and slammed into the prince’s chest!
He toppled backward. Seizing the opening, Canna snatched his bow and arrows.
“Stop! Come any closer and I’ll shoot!”
She drew the bowstring toward Casil. Isaac and Balix froze.
“Get up, Your Highness.”
“D-damn it, damn it all, aaah…… damn…… grk.”
The prince looked completely panicked, muttering curses in a frenzy. Canna took a deep breath and slowly backed away.
“Your Highness, come with me.”
“Hngh. Grk, grr……”
Even then, the sensation of his entire body melting in lava continued.
The violent pain brought ringing to his ears. Casil’s eyes were nearly unfocused. Mentally, he seemed on the verge of collapse, almost unconscious.
“I have the antidote.”
That snapped him back to clarity. So that wench had poisoned him!
“Y-you! What did you do to me?! How dare you—!”
“Shut your mouth and follow me.”
Canna threatened him with the drawn bow.
“If you don’t, there will be no antidote—and I’ll shoot.”
“Y-you cursed……!”
Casil sniffled and backed away after her. He had no choice.
“You two—don’t move from there.”
She glared at Isaac and Lord Balix.
“Try anything and I can’t guarantee His Highness’s life.”
She kept talking to maintain tension as she retreated.
If she could just get far enough away from them, she still had a chance. Alone with the prince, she would win.
She had both the weapon to threaten him and the antidote to save him. So……
“……”
Thud. Her back hit something. Canna looked up.
And met the knight’s eyes.
“……!”
She was subdued in an instant.
A hand shot out, twisting her wrist, while the other roughly struck the bow.
“Ugh!”
The brutal grip forced her to drop it.
“Your Highness, are you safe?”
It was Casil’s escort knight, the one who had vanished deeper into the forest.
“Forgive my lateness, Your Highness.”
He must have heard the screams and rushed back.
“Damn it, I’m—grhk! Do I look fine to you?”
He couldn’t hold it in anymore. Casil screamed.
“Aaaagh! Damn it, ack, my whole body hurts!”
Casil wiped the sweat from his face and took a deep breath.
“You insane bitch. Hand over the antidote right now. If you don’t, I’ll kill you.”
How ridiculous, Canna sneered inwardly.
If she gave him the antidote, he would kill her immediately. But until he got his hands on it, he wouldn’t dare kill her.
Damn it, I was caught too fast.
She had mentioned the antidote just in case she was captured, but this was far too soon.
And four against one? Four men against one woman!
“Hey, give me your sword!”
Casil snatched the knight’s sword, breathing raggedly.
“Hand over the antidote! If you don’t, I’ll cut off your hands!”
It was almost a scream. His eyes bloodshot, he roared at the top of his lungs, spittle flying.
“After your hands, your arms! After your arms, your legs! I’ll cut off all your limbs and leave you as nothing but a torso!”
He raised the sword high. The killing intent was real. Canna struggled, but the knight’s iron grip held her fast—she couldn’t escape.