Volume II: Unforgiving Kingdom

Chapter XI: Chained Mercenary

Location: North Abandoned Road, 12th Floor, Goldenia

"Nope."

"Nothing here."

"Nuh-uh."

"Ugh! Where is it?!"

Feena laid on the ground in frustration. After she, Monika, and Ragna split up, she had searched relentlessly throughout the entire north area. However, she still up empty handed as she could not locate what she was looking for. The woman sighed as she threw her arms up in the air out of frustration.

"I could've sworn it was supposed to be here!" She complained to herself. "I've been through these tunnels plenty of times! It should've been somewhere here." She then sat up and sighed. "But then again I could be wrong. There were still people living all over this floor back then. So I could have the wrong area. Hell if that's how I'm think then worse case scenario is that it's in the heavy populated area..."

Feena hopped back up to her feet.

"But the more time I spend her sulking, the less I'm getting done. Alright. Time to get back out there!"

With that, Feena started walking off, preparing to leave the area and meet up with Ragna and Monika.

"I hope those two had better luck." She said to herself. "I couldn't find a single thing on this side." Feena puts her hands behind her head. "Oh well. No use worrying about it now. What happened, happened. Complaining really won't help."

Feena sighed deeply as she walked.

"Now that I think about it..." She said quietly. "I don't know how Goblin Mage is handling herself either. I just hope she'll be alright. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to that little girl. But then again... She's a lot older now than when we first met. Goblin Mage can probably take care of herself just fine..."

Feena shook her head and kept walking.

"No, not now." She said. "I should focus on finding a way out of here first. Then I can keep heading down to see Goblin Mage instead of just worrying about-"

Feena was cut off from her thoughts as she suddenly tripped while walking. Groaning as she got up, she looked down to see that there was apparently just a long, clean, metal chain lying on the ground. While on the ground, she turned around and examined the chain.

"What the hell is this?" She asked. "This thing looks like its brand new. That couldn't have just been here for a long time. Someone else must've been through here too."

Feena reached her hand out to try and grab it so that she could view it up close. However the moment she reached for it, the chain began to move very quickly. Immediately Feena jumped back up to her feet and watched. She watched as the chain was suddenly retracted to the top of the building that was behind her. Looking up she saw the source of this chain. There was a young woman who was clothed in very little attire. She wore a small crop top with shorts, that were decorated with blue, black, and white feathers. The woman had brownish hair and lime colored eyes. Surrounding her and the roof of the building were several chains. As Feena looked up at her, the girl smirked calmly as she stared down.

"Yo." She said to Feena. "What's up?"

"Another mercenary?" Feena asked herself. "Shit... That was quicker than I was expected... Wait, hang on..."

"So, you're Feena right?" The girl asked, getting Feena's attention.

"You know me?"

"Damn right. I mean come on. What merc' hasn't heard about you?"

"Well that is true. I..." Feena rubbed the back of her head was chuckling slightly. "was kinda famous across Riverbrandt, huh?" She then folded her arms and smiled. "If I'm correct, you're... "The Crimson Chain'... Grena's your name right?"

"Well what do you know? A famed celebrity actually knew about someone small like me."

"You sell yourself short. I've heard about you. People say you're really..." Feena sweatdrops. "Reckless with your work... Whenever you do something it's as if you're literally begging the law to come and arrest you."

Even Grena sweatdropped after hearing that, being slightly embarrassed upon hearing someone sum her up like that.

"But never mind the details." Feena said. "I take it you're here because of Her Highness' little announcement right?"

"Heh. You know it." Grena answered, hopping down from the building roof. "As big as a reward as that was every mercenary might as well be on your ass. And it just so happens I got here first."

"Careful. You already know who I am and what I'm about. I wouldn't go around picking fights like this if I were you."

"Too late for that. I pick fights with everyone."

"Why would you even take this on anyway? You're wanted to many reasons too."

"One thing of whatever the hell I desire. You expect me to pass that up?"

"What? You gonna use that to negate all your crimes."

"As if!" Grena laughed. "Do you know how destructive I am!? One day later, I'll be a criminal here again! I'm using that reward to make myself rich. That way when I sneak out of this kingdom, I can do whatever the hell I want!"

"Figures you'd be sneaking out too. Hey if that's the case, then do you-"

"West side. You came in the wrong direction."

"On the west..." Feena thought to herself. "That means that Ragna should have found the way out by now!" Feena then spoke out loud to Grena. "Hey, if that's the case why do we work together to get out of here?"

Grena folded her arms. "Work together now, eh? What's in it for me?"

"You make it seem like I wouldn't be able to pay you off for helping me and the others out." Feena smiled, placing a hand on her hat. "Considering all of the jobs that I've taken over all of these years, a girl like me is bound to have a shit ton of money stashed away somewhere in Riverbrandt, right?"

"...I'm definitely listening."

"All I'm asking is that you maybe lend us a hand, do a favor or two for us, and I'm sure I'll be able to pay you back for your help. I know that I'd have enough to satisfy a mercenary like you."

Feena could tell that Grena was definitely into her idea. She then extended her hand out to the brunette in order to shake on a deal.

"Well?" Feena asked. "We have a deal?"

"Heh." Grena chuckled. "You drive a hard bargain Feena." She then grabbed onto Feena's hand for agreement. Suddenly her smile turned into a serious expression. "But do you really think I became a merc' yesterday?"

"H-Huh?!"

Faster than Feena could react, Grena's hand ignited into flames. Feena shrieked loudly as her hand had been set ablaze. She immediately started to roll around in the dirt, doing her best to try and put out the flames until she finally tried using wind. Doing so, she managed to successfully remove the flames from her hand.

"Ow! Shit!" she groaned and glared at Grena. "What was-"

"You're right. You obviously made a lot of riches." Grena responded. "But everyone know you give back everything that you earn to people who are in need of it. You're like a female Robin Hood across Riverbrandt." Grena cracked her knuckles. "In order words, you ain't got shit to bribe me with, now do you?"

Feena wanted to respond, but soon started laughing nervously.

"W-Well, I... uh..." she said quietly. "I could probably... earn enough to do just that after we leave..."

Grena merely deadpanned without saying a word. She grabbed hold of the chains that were around her and began spinning them around as all of them suddenly ignited. Feena jumped back as fire began to spread everywhere.

"H-Hey!" she called out. "What the hell?! You're gonna burn this whole place down!"

"Ah, who gives a shit?" Grena asked. "Nobody even lives in these dumps that used to be houses in the first place."

Feena groaned loudly and readied her crossbow, knowing that the only way she would get out of this would be to defeat the crimson chained mercenary in front of her. Grena let out a battle cry as she charged at Feena, still spinning her burning chains around. Feena loaded in several arrows with explosive ties to them, and fired, in hopes that the explosions would be enough to keep back Grena. the chained mercenary spun around her chains to cleave the arrows in two. The moment she did however, the explosives were ignited and blew up right in front of her. The impact of feeling one was enough to knock her back from her charge. Grena groaned and stopped spinning her chains, knowing that now they'd only cause her more trouble.

Soon, the flames around the chains disappeared. At that moment, Feena quickly rushed in, firing several explosive arrows at her opponent. Grena quickly responded by hopping into the air to avoid the explosions. The chained mercenary swung her arms around, causing one of her chains to wrap around a broken piece of a building. She used this and swung herself around, forcing Feena to turn around in order to fire. However this put the ranged fighter at a disadvantage as Grena began firing several fireballs from her palms. Feena rolled out of the way and used her abilities with Wind in order to gain some distance. Grena proceeded to follow after her, using her chains to swing from building to building.

As Feena continued to sail through the area with Wind, she noticed that Grena was still hot on her trail and shooting fireball after fireball. As Grena swung up to a building beside Feena however, the wind-using mercenary suddenly flung herself in the same direction and was running on the nearby wall in front of Grena. Taken by surprise, the chained mercenary was unprepared as Feena brought her heel down onto Grena's face, sending her crashing into the ground. Before Grena could get back up, Feena quickly shot herself downward, and threw a gust of wind straight into Grena's abdomen. She then stomped hard on the ground beside her, causing a gust of wind shoot up from underneath the chained mercenary and lift her slightly into the air. Feena then struck her with two wind induced kicks. As she went for a third one, Grena grabbed her leg and spun around, slamming Feena onto the ground. She picked Feena up with her chains and fired another fireball from her palm, colliding with Feena. Grena watched as her opponent was sent flying back into a nearby building. Grena quickly ran after her, swing from building to building.

Feena managed to pull herself back up. And just in time as she was able to roll out of the way of a flaming kick, courtesy of Grena crashing into the building from above. Pulling herself back up to her feet, Feena sprang into action and rushed at her opponent. When Grena turned back around to face Feena, she found a wind induced punch tagging her straight in the face. Knocked back a bit, she had no time to respond as Feena sweep kick her down. As Grena fell, Feena hopped into the air and spun around before delivering a dropkick to Grena's abdomen, causing the girl to wheeze. Feena quickly followed up by sending out a gust of wind that launched Grena upward across the area. As Feena landed she went wide eyed all of suddenly as she looked down. Her foot had been entangled into Grena's chains. The moment Grena found her self a good ways away from her opponent, the end of the chain followed, dragging Feena along with it.

As Feena shot straight up into the air against her will, she suddenly found Grena's knee collide with her chest. Using the chains, Grena kept Feena close to her. She then proceeded to open with a series of flaming kicks all over, then slamming her fist into Feena's face, sending the girl downward. Instead of hitting the ground, Grena yanked her chains once again and pulled Feena back around until she was back up to her. Grena proceeded to ax kick Feena down once more, then yanked her back up. The chained mercenary then let go of the chain and put her hands together, covering them in flames. When Feena came up to her, she knocked the woman higher into the air with her right fist, then shot herself upward with her left. Then she swapped roles with her hands, striking Feena with her left and propelling herself with her right. She continued to repeat this process till she moved above Feena. Suddenly Grena spun around, turning herself into a fireball and went straight down. She collided with Feena's back, and went straight downward. Just as the two were about to crash down in a fiery explosion, Feena managed to remove the chains around her feet. She shot out a gust of wind and blew herself away from Grena just in time, as the chained mercenary crashed hard into the ground.

"Aw man..." Feena said as she breathed heavily. "This one's not playing around."

Feena blinked as suddenly from the crash sight, Grena shot out. Still rolled up like a fireball she came rolling on the ground towards Feena like a fiery wheel. Feena immediately hopped into the air above her, but had suddenly been snagged along one of Grena's chains, dragging her along with the fireball that is the chained mercenary. Grena suddenly spun around slamming Feena into a wall and then dragging her around in a circular motion. The ranged mercenary could feel her face being smashed up against multiple walls as this went on. She slowly raised her loaded crossbow towards Grena and fired. The impact created an explosion that knocked Grena back but took Feena with her. As Grena got up, she looked over to see Feena grabbing onto one of her chains. Suddenly her feet slipped into the air as Feena swung the chain behind her, slamming Grena into a wall.

Suddenly Feena was forced to let go as the chain suddenly caught on fire, nearly burning her hands as it did so. Grena hung onto the top of a building with one chain and began swinging around another one like a whip in an attempt to strike Feena. The ranged mercenary quickly shot herself out of the way with a gust of wind and tried to head upwards to stop the attack. However, he speed was not fast enough as she was struck by the flaming chains and sent into the ground. Soon the chain stopped burning and wrapped around Feena, lifting her back into the air. Grena then proceed to drop kick her into the ground with a flaming heel. However the moment she did, Feena held out her hands and managed to catch her foot. Though she wanted to scream from the burning pain that she felt on her hands, she held her tongue. Feena began spinning around while holding onto Grena. As she spun in midair she sped up, soon becoming as if she was a small tornado. With the amount of wind surrounding her, she let go of Grena and kept spinning. As Grena was carried around by the tornado like furious winds around her, Feena prepared to strike. As Grena reached her fifth rotation, Feena lunged at her and threw a left jab straight at her jaw, sending Grena out of the tornado like a cannon and into the ground. Soon the winds stopped as Feena landing, flailing her arms around like a mad woman.

"H-Hot! Hot hot HOT!" She exclaimed. "Ow! Ow! This really burns!" Feena winced as she clenched her fists in pain. "Don't...! Grab fire with my bar hands! Even though that totally worked it's not worth it!"

Suddenly, the sounds of more flames igniting reached Feena's around she saw Grena rolled up into a ball of flames and rolling straight towards her like a stray tire. Feena fired a gust of wind and managed to fan away the fire that was all around Grena, however that did not stop the chained mercenary from reaching her. Grena soon headbutted Feena in the abdomen and knocked her back. As she came to her feet, she threw out her chains to grab Feena and pull her towards her. She then spin kicked the woman across the face and followed up by grabbing her with her chains once more. She slammed both her hands into Feena's jaw and knocked her back once again. Instead of grabbing her this time, Grena flicked her chains back and forth like whips and struck Feena several times.

"Firecrackers!"

Grena sent out a line of fire along the ground, creating a popping noise as it went along as if it was a firecracker. Just as it stopped right in front of Feena, a loud pop occurred as a large explosion happening right in front of the ranged mercenary, sending her flying backwards to a nearby building.

"Just give it in will you?" Grena asked. "I'm dragging you back to the authorities one way or another you know."

Feena groaned as she pulled herself out of a building, but soon fell forward to the ground. "It's not worth it, dumbass!" She said as she slowly pulled herself up. "Even if you do turn me in for an award, they'll arrest you too!"

"What makes you think that? I'm just being a good citizen and doing my duty."

"Mercenaries and criminals like us can't hope to have the law on our side no matte what we do. Even if we're doing something that's for the law's benefit." Feena brought herself back up to her feet. "You are making a huge mistake here trying to take me in!"

"So what?" Grena folds her arms, her chains rattling as she did so. "If they try to catch me, I'll just leave 'em in the dust. The soldiers can try all they like, but they ain't gonna catch me."

"A lot of good mercenaries have said the same thing."

"You honestly think that those helmet-heads are gonna catch us on their own? I mean just look at Chat Noir! He's been robbing nobility blind for the past three years, and not even the best of the best have a lead on him."

Feena folds her arms. "While we're bringing him up, what the hell?! You and I both know him and yet you ain't turning his ass over! His bounty in Goldenia is almost as big as my bounty across Riverbrandt!"

"Please. Even if I ratted him out, they won't catch him. You know that."

Feena wanted to offer a rebuttal but was unable to, knowing that Grena was absolutely right.

"And 'sides that." Grena suddenly reignited her chains. "You a lot easier to take down than he is."

Feena chuckled. "I'm about to prove you wrong on that one."

As she made that statement Grena hopped into the air and shot herself forward on a blast of flames from her feet. She attempted to strike Feena with her chains, but missed as she rolled out of the way. The woman then wrapped her chains around a nearby ledge and swing around a building to move behind Feena. However by the time she came around she was met with a blast of wind that knocked her into the air. Watching Grena soar into the sky against her will, Feena began loading her crossbow with several explosive arrows. As Grena started to come down, she fired the arrows and then shot herself upwards into the air with a gust of wind.

Grena looked down as she saw the arrows heading straight for her. She spun her chains around in front of her in order to block the arrows. She managed to successfully keep the explosions a good distance away from her and then used them to ignite her chains once again. However she suddenly looked up upon hearing something from behind. Turning around, Feena's foot collided straight into her face, sending the chained mercenary downward due to the kick. Feena floated in the air and watch as her opponent went to the ground. Grena on the other hand intended to stop herself. She flung her chains out in all directions and latched onto whatever they could that was around. Because of this, Grena managed to form a small net that kept her slightly suspended above ground to prevent a hard crash. However, this soon worked against her as Feena came down with a punch straight in her gut. Grena wheezed, but didn't have time to react as Feena unleashes a flurry of punches into the woman's exposed stomach. Feena put both of her fists together and brought them down hard, forcing Grena downward, and forcing the chains to detach from wherever they were hanging on to. With a mighty crash, Grena hit the ground, groaning in pain as her body was shaking while getting up. Feena stood back a couple of feet and loaded her crossbow with more arrows.

Grena growled as she reignited her chains once more. Feena fired several more arrows from her crossbow as she did so. In response Grena slammed her fists on the ground and created a wall of fire that burned the arrows to a crisp upon woman then jumped through the flames herself and started to roll along like a wheel of fire in Feena's direction, her chains following right behind her as well. Feena shot herself into the air and jumped over Grena. When she landed, she placed her crossbow on her back and spun around to create a gust of wind that fanned the flames away from the chains, allowing her to grab them without immediately burning her hands. She attempted to hold Grena in place by doing so and succeeded, as she could no longer move forward. However that didn't stop the chained mercenary from suddenly changing directions and spinning the opposite was like a wheel going in reverse. Because Feena held onto the chains, she was defenseless as a fireball Grena slammed straight into her abdomen causing her to cough up blood as she was sent flying. The woman landed into a wall with her clothes now slightly burned due to the impact.

Grena however was not yet done. Still as a fireball she rolled her way towards her opponent before she could recover. As Feena started to pull herself out of the rubble she barely had time to look as Grena slammed into her once again, sending her through the wall and through the building entirely. Feena crashed into the ground as Grena landed behind her. No longer as a fireball she reignited her chains again and wrapped them around Feena. She slammed the ranged mercenary against the wall behind her and then into the ground before forcing her back up to her feet. As Feena stumbled forward, she was met with Grena's fists striking her in the jaw and stomach. Grena coated her left leg in flames and proceeded to jump upward. She delivered a harsh flaming kick to Feena's face and sent her flying across the ground. However before she could stop, she pulled Feena back with her chains once again. She kicked Feena into the air then forced her upward even further with a flame induced punch. She then went above Feena and forced her to the ground with a flaming elbow, causing a crater as she crashed into the ground. Feena groaned slightly as she sat up, and looked to see Grena swinging from another ledge via her chains. Before she could react in time Grena skid across the ground and sweep kicked Feena, propelling her upward slightly. She then kneed the woman down once again and wrapped her chains around the ranged mercenary. Grena spun around her chains, spinning Feena around as well and caused her to collide with every wall in the area. Soon Grena released Feena from her chains, flinging the woman into the top level of an abandoned building. Grena shot herself upward with a blast of flames and landed on the same level that she saw Feena crash into. However she was soon confused as she didn't see her opponent anywhere on that floor.

Suddenly a large explosion occurred from underneath Grena, sending her flying into the open air outside of the building. Before she could recover Feena shot herself out from the hole created by the explosion and kicked Grena across the face. She then proceeded to giver her a flurry of punches and kicks before firing a gust of wind that sent her into a nearby wall. As Grena fell from the wall, Feena rammed into her and headbutted her abdomen, sending her through the wall. Before she hit the ground however, another gust of wind sent Grena upward once more, in which Feena shot around behind her and kicked her through the other side of the wall once again. Grena rolled back to her feet but was soon met by another punch to the face by Feena, followed by several more before the ranged mercenary pulled out her crossbow at close range and fired an arrow to her feet, pinning her to the ground. She then spun around and rapidly kicked her all across her body before firing a gust of wind that removed the arrow and knocked Grena a good distance away from her. As Grena stood back up she could see Feena rushing in her direction to continue placing the chained mercenary on the defensive.

"Dammit..." She groaned while breathing heavily. "No wonder she's survived this long with such a bounty. Looks like I've got no choice but to use that."

Just as Feena managed to get close to her, Grena sprang back up and rushed at her. Quickly she held out her hands in front and spun around her chains, trapping Feena and igniting them at the same time. Feena looked around and saw that the chains had been spun into a cylinder like motion. The chains behind her soon wrapped together to enclose themselves and prevent Feena's escape. The one's in front of her closed slightly, leaving just a little room for Grena to do whatever it is that she plans to do.

"What the hell's she up to?" Feena asked herself.

"Gotcha now!"

"Huh!?"

Grena formed a large fireball in her hands and threw it into the chains.

"FLAMING CHAIN CANNON!"

Before Feena knew it, the fire went straight around the chains and grew stronger, to the point where the fire outside of the cylinder disappear and was sucked inside. As the flames spun around faster and stronger towards Feena, the chains behind her slowly started to open up. As it did so, a large cylinder shaped blast of flame shot straight out and gained a lot of distance, burrowing a large and long crater in the middle of the ground. As the flames eventually disappeared Grena could see Feena, who had been badly injured due to the intensity of the flames. Slowly the ranged mercenary tried to sit back up, coughing smoke out of her body as she did so. Although, the more she tried the weaker she felt. Soon her body felt like it just gave out as she fell back down to the ground, groaning in intense pain.

"You're all burned out now, Feena." Grena said with a smirk across her face.

"This..." Feena slowly spoke as she still did her best to try and move. "This... isn't it... I can-"

Grena suddenly wrapped another chain around Feena and flung the girl across the area, straight into a wall. Feena coughed up blood from the impact and was suddenly flung again into another wall.

"You can't hang anymore!"

Grena called out to Feena once again as she flung her through several buildings.

"You're out of energy now! If not, then use your wind to escape this!"

Feena suddenly found herself being spun around in a circle in the middle of the sky before Grena pulled her chains down ferociously, which forced Feena to crash into the ground below her as hard as possible. As she retracted her chains, Grena was surprised to see that Feena was still above to move, and actually muster the energy to stand.

"Still kicking huh?" Grena asked with a brow raised. "No matter. One more should keep you down."

Grena spun her chains into another cylinder, preparing to use her same attack once again. Soon the chains were back in the same position as earlier, ignited and all. Although instead of wrapping around Feena they floated front of her, as if they were a giant cannon being pointed in her direction.

"Once more!" Grena formed a ball of fire in her hands and chucked it into the chains. "FLAMING CHAIN CANNON! Take her down!"

Soon the ball of fire warped through the chains as it did earlier, increasing in heat, size, and intensity as it approached Feena.

". . . Gotcha." Feena suddenly smirked.

"Wha-?!"

Before Grena could try anything, Feena sprang back and began to twist the wind around the chain cannon that Grena created. As the flames left the chains entirely Feena began to move the winds in a cylinder motion of her own, twisting the flames around entirely and at the same time allowing them into increase in intensity. Grena was stunned as she retracted her chains while stepping backwards. But before she could even register running away, Feena directed the winds toward her, bringing the flames along with it. Soon she realized what was going on; Feena had created a wind cannon.

"No. . . Way. . ."

"Flaming WIND CANNON!"

But by that time it was too late, the blasts of flames had consumed Grena and anything that was behind her. Once the flames were finished, they had burned a hole through several buildings that were in the way and left a large and deep trail where they went.

"Huh, well would you look at that." Feena said with a victorious look on her face. "Looks like a fire elemental..."

As for Grena, the woman had been burned badly. Her chains had wrapped around her body to reduce some damage but even still that didn't accomplish much. The woman laid on the ground completely out of it.

"...Has been burned out."

Feena sighed in relief and wiped her forehead as she sat down.

"Damn, that was too close." She said. "That first blast took a lot out of me that I'm shocked I even survived. Had I been with just a little less energy right there, I would not have been able to turn that second one against her."

"The hell happened here?"

"Yikes, looks like someone really has been over here."

"Search the area. See what's been causing such a ruckus."

Feena jumped up at the sounds of voices coming from nearby.

"Ah, crap." She winced. "All that noise definitely must've been heard by somebody. I need to move."

Feena was about to start leaving but the stopped as she looked back at Grena. Soon, she began to walk over to the chained mercenary, and proceed to take her into her arms.

"On my side or not, I can't just leave her here." She said. "They'd arrest a mercenary like her for sure."

Feena threw Grena onto her back and moved as quick as she could to get out of sight. Though, she didn't get very far, and ended up falling down at a nearby building, dropping Grena as she did so.

"Aw man..." She sighed. "I don't have the energy to get outta here..."

"Over there."

"Are those chains?"

Feena suddenly looked back and realized that Grena's chains were still dangling out, and had left a trail to their exact location.

"Shit!"

Slightly peeping out of cover, she could see at least 4 soldiers searching the area, two of them looking in her direction. She quickly snatched her head back in hopes that they didn't see her.

"Shit, shit!" She said to herself. "I can't afford to fight or run in this condition!"

"Hey, do you see that?" One of the soldiers asked as he looked at the chains on the ground.

"Who would leave perfectly good chains in a dump like this?" Another one asked. "I'll get them."

"Wait, what if its a trick?"

"We'll all check it out." A third soldier commented.

"Alright. Let's move men."

The soldiers had all started to walk over to the chains at once. Feena slowly drew out her crossbow, knowing that she would have to fight whether she wanted to or not.

"Hey... Feena..." Grena weakly said as Feena looked at her. "You can probably get out of here if you... leave me behind. Go ahead."

"What?!" Feena responded. "I'm not gonna let them get to you. You'll be arrested for sure!"

"We're mercenaries. We gotta... fend for ourselves before we fend for anybody else... Isn't that way you betrayed those guys the first time?"

"I know that. But... But not when you have people who truly cared about you. You can't betray them like that and not regret it. That's why I went back to rescue them. And that's why we're going through all of this."

"Why... why save me then?"

"You're a mercenary. Just like me. And honestly, it's not good to be a mercenary without having at least one person you can count on. That's why I'm bringing you along with us. . . If we can get out of her that is."

Feena could hear the soldiers getting closer.

". . . Thanks." Grena said.

"Thank me when we get away from these guys." Feena replied.

"H-Hey, behind-!"

"What is that?! Who's-?!"

Feena blinked and jumped up slightly as one of the soldiers came soaring past them and crashed into a nearby wall. Just as that soldier attempted to get up another one came sailing over his head and crashed into him from above, leaving them unconscious. This was followed by the sounds of two more bodies hitting the walls behind Feena and Grena.

"The hell?" Feena said in surprise.

"Hey! Feena! Is that you back there?"

Feena slowly stood up and stepped out into the opening, crossbow ready. Though she lowered it and smile upon seeing that the people that were standing out there were none other than Monika and Ragna. She soon attempted to walk over to them, stumbling a lot along the way.

"The hell happened to you?" Ragna asked. "It couldn't have been these guys right?"

"Well..." Feena smiled awkwardly as she fell back down to the ground. "It's a long story..."