Okay, I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I don't really have a good explanation for why it did, except for a kind of mix between Writer's Block and a bit of procrastination. But, whatever the case, it's here now, so enjoy!
Rize didn't care how stiff Gowther had become as she clung to him in the midst of her tears. He was the only one she thought she could turn to, the only other person in the world who could make her feel better.
Gowther didn't seem to know what he was supposed to do. He stared down at Rize with a shocked expression, his arms pinned to his sides by her embrace. She was soaking the white of his shirt with tears, but it wasn't like it mattered much, anyway; his clothes were already battered and torn, probably from a recent battle.
At the thought, Rize gasped and sprung away from him, rubbing her eyes as much as she could in a frantic attempt to stop the tears. "I'm sorry," She gasped. "I'm sorry, I-I know this probably doesn't matter to you, b-but I-"
"Nonsense," King said softly, touching to the ground. Rize noticed that his hands were stained red, too, his eyes red from crying. Exactly what had happened with them here? "She was your mother. You have every right to grieve."
Rize shook her head, shakily getting to her feet. "No. No, not right now, I don't. This is a battle, and I'm wasting your time. You guys should go, I'll only get in the way."
"We can't just leave you behind!" Diane protested.
"She can stay with us." Rize turned to see a woman with dark hair, dressed in white and pink talking. "I assure you, we will protect your friend."
"You'd really do that?" Diane seemed impressed by the offer, and a blond man with heavily styled hair grinned, pointing to himself.
"You can count on us!"
"We appreciate it." King said. "But I'm sure Rize wants to stay with Gowther-"
"No." Rize said firmly. "Like I said, I'll only get in your way. Go without me."
King clenched his fists. "I'm not going to leave another one of my friends behind! What if something happens?"
"Then it'll happen, damn it!" Rize snapped. "Look, you guys need to go do what you came here for, and that wasn't babysitting me! I know I'm not strong enough to take on anybody here, so I'd only be slowing you down!"
"Rize-" A sudden, ear-piercing scream tore through the air, stopping the argument immediately. It didn't take long to see where it had come from. The dark haired woman from before, along with another woman with short, lavender colored hair were both writhing and screaming in agony on the ground.
"Wh-What the hell is wrong with them?" Rize muttered. Gowther stood up from where he'd been sitting after Rize had tackled him, running to the dark haired woman's side. His hands lit up with light, and he placed them on the woman's head. Her screams were cut off, but she still seemed to be in unimaginable pain.
"It appears to be some sort of spell." He said after a minute. "I assume it affects those only of the Holy Knights' New Generation forces."
"New Generation? What does-" Rize stopped when the lavender haired woman screamed again, so loud and shrill she had to cover her ears. Her skin began to bubble, as if boiling from the inside out, and Rize had to force herself not to puke.
It was a truly horrific sight to witness, the woman transforming into some sort of monster right before their eyes. Of all of them, King was the first to recover. "It's just like Dale!" He shouted. "When we fought him in Ordan!"
"Gowther, go Howzer and Rize. Get Guila somewhere safe!" Diane told him. Gowther stood, gathering the now unconscious woman in his arms and running out of the way, as Diane clashed with the monstrous thing and King rose to help her.
"Let's go!" The blond Knight, Howzer, shouted. He, Rize, and Gowther, carrying Guila, started running, although Rize had no clue where they were going. Gowther seemed to be leading them, and he ducked inside a darkened house.
"I'm gonna go help the others fight those things!" Howzer said before running off again in the opposite direction. Rize shut and locked the door behind them while Gowther set Guila down on a sofa in the center of the room.
"Is she going to be okay?" Rize asked, her voice feeble. She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the weakness in it.
"Yes." Gowther said. "She is merely unconscious at the moment. When she wakes up, she will be fine."
"How did you keep her from turning into...whatever those things are?" Rize wondered, sitting down next to him as they watched over the sleeping Holy Knight.
"It may prove difficult for someone unfamiliar with my power to understand." He said. "But I can attempt to summarize it." He adjusted his glasses. "I used love."
"You...what?" Rize felt her stomach clench. "I thought you just met her?"
"That is true. As I said, it is difficult to explain. But the important part is that I kept her from becoming a demon."
Rize looked down at her hands, surprised at the odd feeling in her chest. "I guess that's true. And besides, I'm not entirely sure I want to know exactly what you did."
Gowther stayed silent, but his expression remained the same. Seconds later, a groan filled the air, and Guila pressed her hands to her temples, like she had a headache.
"Where...am I?" She muttered, glancing up at the two figures above her. "Who are you?"
"My name is Gowther, and this is Rize." Gowther introduced.
"Gowther..." She sat up with a slight frown. "As in the Seven Deadly Sins' Goat Sin?"
"That would be me." Gowther agreed. "The Seven Deadly Sins, Goat Sin of Lust, Gowther!" He announced, standing up in order to make an odd pose.
Guila didn't seem fazed by Gowther's antics, looking away with an expression of something like shame. "I'm sorry. I tried to protect your comrade, Diane, but...I failed."
"No, you didn't fail." Rize assured her. "You were great. Whatever happened to you and the other New Generation wasn't your fault, and there was nothing you could have done to prevent it."
"Rize is right." Gowther said. "I was able to prevent you from transforming, but I could not stop the spell from affecting you entirely. However, you should be perfectly fine now."
"Thank you for saving me." Guila said, getting to her feet. "But we should go find everybody else and assist them in the fight."
"If you are fully healed, then I believe that is the best course of action." Gowther agreed. "Rize, you should stay here. The enemies we are facing today far exceed your own power, and you would be more help to us standing aside and aiding whenever you can."
Rize felt the sting of his words, but she knew they were true; she wouldn't be able to help by fighting alongside them, but she could help in smaller ways. She nodded, standing up while Gowther and Guila headed to the door of the house together.
"Stay safe." She told her, trying to keep her expression as stern as possible. Her pulse was roaring in her ears, but she didn't know, nor did she care much to, try and sort through whatever emotions she was feeling. She knew the death of her mother was affecting her, but she didn't know how to process anything other than that.
Gowther met her eyes as they reached the door. His expression remained the same, but Rize thought she could hear something else in his tone when he spoke, something like a mutual feeling of worry. "I will do my best to stay safe." He promised.
As they left, Rize sighed, sitting back down on the floor and putting her head back against the couch. She closed her eyes, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "You'd better." She whispered to herself. "Because if you get yourself killed, I will never forgive you."