"You're... not here to kill us?"
My mouth formulated into a gaping '0' as my eyes widened, instinctively stepping back as the person spoke, or rather, whispered their inquiry.
The purple-haired gal whom I've been holding onto stepped forward, letting go of my hand as her chest pumped forward, the previous shaking I'd felt in her limbs dissipating in a near-instant.
"I mean, the way you projected your killing intent, it seemed as if you would attack us at a moment's notice."
Her too, huh? What is it with everyone having this strange attentiveness to 'intent'?
Even when he first walked forward to present himself, it never felt for a moment that he had any intentions of harming us, although I too could feel a strange warmness overcome me at his mere presence.
Perhaps these guys are just more acutely aware than I am.
"Oh, I can assure you I had no intention of harming you, although you might've mistaken my residual arcana as killing intent, proofs of the worthy esteem you heroes hold!"
"What do you mean?"
Again, spoke the black-haired teen, his limbs spasming, fighting gravity with all of his being, just barely losing as his arm slipped after mere moments, his body following suit to making a resounding 'thud'.
"I'm sorry, I hadn't meant to go so hard, but your onslaught was just so sudden."
Following the conclusion of his apology by mere moments was an instantaneous shift in atmosphere, my skin lighting up to a luminescent green.
As soon as the corridor was lit up with green, my limbs began to bulge with life, veins popping out along my forearm as a deep red ran along different columns of my muscle and skin.
I look down at my palms, feeling the warmth and comfort engulf my entire body as minor aches in my joints attenuate and eventually disappear, every fiber of my being pulsing with vigor.
"What is this..." I mutter under my breath, my eyebrows contorting closer to each other with my eyelids half-closed as my puzzlement expresses through my face.
"This is Kido, a Way that I'm sure you'll get acclimated to once you've settled into this world, but for now, let us make haste to the king."
"Wait, you still haven't answered my question!"
The black-haired teen, now yelling, took his stand before his yellow-haired companion.
He knuckled his fists, veins protruding out from his skin with such great volume that the skin had to stretch itself thin.
"What exactly is this world? Why do I keep having this weird sensation when I'm standing next to you!"
His words tumbled out so fast that my head buzzed, my ears beginning to ring as each phrase slammed into my brain faster than I could process.
"Uh... I understand how restless you heroes must be, but I assure you, your questions will be answered in due time. But for now, I ask that you follow me."
The man's eyes were now closed, his palms open in front of him in a swaying back-and-forth motion. His mouth had a small smile etched into the crevices of his cheeks, invoking a warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest.
The teen relaxed his palms, the bulging veins returning to their normal state as the diffused red coloration in his wrists retreated.
"Al... alright."
All five of us summoned roughly formed into a line as we stood behind the man, a couple adopting neutral facial expressions while the rest of us--myself included--had creases in our temples, our eyebrows shot up, eyes narrowing in silent questioning.
The man quickly turned around, raising his arm up and gesturing his pointer finger forward.
As we all made our silent pursuit, my foot stretched before me as the tiles stretched, each heartbeat feeling twice as long. As this continued, an involuntary tightening of my chest formed.
"How long is this damn corridor?"
"I don't know, but I think it's in our best interests to comply with whatever this man says."
The two speaking were the redhead and the black-haired kid, the sound of grinding teeth pulsating from the girl's mouth.
He was right. Considering how easily this man was able to beat us down, even if we wanted, there's no way we could escape with our lives--although I don't like the prospect of my fate being victim to the passing whim of another.
I look a bit to my left, the feeling of blind curiosity overwhelming my being.
There stood the purple-haired girl, her eyes closed and her mouth forming a smile.
After what felt like mere moments, she opened her eyes, turning her head directly towards me and looking straight into my eyes.
I jolted my head back, quickly circumventing her eye contact and looking elsewhere in the opposite direction.
"You know, I never thanked you."
"Hm?"
The tension in my muscles dispelled as the first words came out of her mouth, my raised shoulders and straightened back relaxing into a more natural position.
"For saving me. I was frozen back there, yet you were able to grab my hand and escort me away from danger."
Her face was drooping, her eyes again closed.
Looking upon her resolute smile, a light, hopeful hand touched upon me and welled a happiness in me, remembrances of early life with my mother bubbling up in extremities of the soul I hadn't even known I possessed.
"Truthfully, I didn't do it for you. I simply thought that if I were able to drag you away to safety, I would've had better chances at survival than being by myself."
"Even so, I thank you. I've never had someone stick out their neck for me like that, and especially with such resolve."
Woah!
She stuck both her hands out, pulling in my own and softly embraced it.
I quickly retract my arm, the resultant inertia causing it to dash past the right side of my body.
"Y-Y-yeah, no problem..."
Grabbing my wrist with my right hand, I look down on where her hands contacted my own.
I'll never wash this hand again.
"Sire, I have brought the prophesized heroes before you now."
"Good, good, leave us Corien, and go tend to the fallen mages."
"Yes, my liege."
What lay in front of us was a large throne, a hulking, powerful man rested on it.