…Murderous intent.
Though it was as faint as a speck of dust in the wind, it was undeniably murderous intent.
With her back turned toward this spine-chilling aura, Amir did not tense up.
Instead, she loosely let go of the reins in her hands, allowing her body to relax and sway with the rising and falling of the horse’s back.
‘Come on, Histori. This time, I won’t be the first to move.’
— ‘Cut my back with your blade, and pierce the back of my neck with your fangs.’
Amir narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint, cold light flashing in her pupils.
‘I wonder what excuse you will find for yourself this time when I seize you by the neck.’
“…”
However, as the minutes ticked by, the stinging sensation Amir expected failed to arrive.
The murderous intent that had felt like a needle against her back existed for only a few seconds before instantly vanishing into thin air.
‘…She held back?’
Amir frowned with a hint of disappointment.
Why?
Was the flaw she exposed not large enough?
Or did the girl realize it was just a trap set for her?
Her mood grew troubled again.
Amir raised her hand and gently rubbed her forehead with her knuckles.
‘…It doesn’t matter. There’s no need to rush.’
As long as the journey continued and she was on the road to the United Kingdom with the girl, this sly fox would eventually show her tail.
After all, for the Demon Race, the thing they should fear most was facing a Priest of the Church, wasn’t it?
Whatever plot Histori was hatching, the only time she could act would be before they stepped into the United Kingdom.
“Um, Hero…”
Just then, Histori reached out one slender fingertip and tentatively poked Amir’s back.
“What is it?”
Amir’s voice remained steady, devoid of any emotional ripples.
“If we are going to the United Kingdom, I once heard the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Race mention a hidden shortcut north of the Demon King’s territory. It could significantly shorten the journey.”
As she spoke, the girl behind her gently removed her hood.
Her soft silver hair fluttered in the air like moonlight, and a few strands brushed against Amir’s cheek —
“Hero, if you need it, I can show you the way.”
A shortcut…
Was it?
A shortcut to the Borderline that only the Demon Race knew about.
Amir pressed her lips together slightly, then turned around and gave Histori a small smile.
“Sure, I’ll leave it to you then.”
***
Histori wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but after she pointed out the strange path, Amir’s enthusiasm for riding seemed to grow.
The sound of the horse’s hooves became more urgent, and the jolting became more intense, as if Amir couldn’t wait to reach that shortcut.
However, Histori no longer felt the urge to vomit; instead, she was sinking into an even deeper state of conflict.
**[The Demon King’s territory is surrounded by a 10,000-meter chasm. According to the normal route, the Hero would have to take you around a long mountain path to reach the Borderline.]**
**[However, there is indeed a shortcut to the north that leads straight to a town on the border.]**
“…So what kind of assassination opportunity is this? Are you asking me to take Amir to a crowded place and then look for a chance to stab her?”
**[Of course not. How could a common demon pose a threat to the Hero? No matter how many people gather, she would simply cut them down with a single swing.]**
**[The timing I’m talking about is before you enter the town—on that shortcut.]**
**[That suspension bridge across the 10,000-meter abyss that connects the Demon King’s territory to the town.]**
***
As the surrounding scenery grew desolate and the temperature dropped, a bottomless canyon appeared before them—a long, narrow scar that seemed to split the earth in two.
Suspended over this scar was a wooden suspension bridge that looked like it could collapse at any moment.
A few rough hemp ropes were tied to either end, supporting dark wooden planks.
On both sides of the planks lay a dizzying, 10,000-meter-deep abyss.
Amir pulled the reins, stopping the horse before the precarious bridge.
She turned around and looked calmly into Histori’s eyes.
“…Histori, is this the shortcut you mentioned?”
“I-I’m sorry, Hero…”
Histori scratched her nose, her face pale as she spoke.
“I only heard them say there was a shortcut here that could bypass the cliffs. I didn’t expect it to be such a dangerous suspension bridge.”
The horse beneath them took two tentative steps forward but quickly let out a few fearful breaths and retreated.
“Well, it seems this horse won’t be of any use. At this point, there’s no need to turn back.”
Looking at the swaying wooden bridge, Amir sighed softly.
She dismounted nimbly and reached out toward Histori.
“Come down, Histori. According to you, if we cross this bridge, there is a town on the Borderline on the other side?”
“Yes, that should be correct…”
Histori used Amir’s hand to jump down.
Although her feet landed on solid ground, she felt an inexplicable sense of weightlessness in her heart.
Amir gave Histori a small smile, then let go of her hand and took the first step onto the suspension bridge.
“Well then, let’s go. The bridge seems a bit shaky; do you need me to hold your hand?”
“N-No, Hero.”
Histori waved her hands quickly and forced a smile.
“I’m not that cowardly. This height… I’ll be fine.”
“…Is that so?”
Amir gave Histori a long, deep look, a meaningful curve touching the corner of her mouth.
She turned around and stepped onto the swaying wooden bridge without any hesitation.
*Creak… creak…*
Though the bridge made ear-piercing noises from time to time, it firmly supported Amir’s weight, allowing her to walk 10 meters out in an instant.
“…”
Histori stood at the start of the bridge, silently pursing her lips.
Amir couldn’t fly.
Even though she possessed the terrifying power to kill the Demon King, she was still fundamentally human.
So, as long as Histori used the Blood Blade to cut the ropes holding the bridge, no matter how fast Amir’s reactions were, it would be impossible for her to leap back to solid ground in that instant.
And below this bridge was a 10,000-meter-deep abyss.
Legend had it that this place had once served as an execution ground for the Demon Race, specifically used to execute those of the winged tribes who had committed grave crimes.
Their wings would be hacked off while they were still alive, and then they would be thrown from here, forced to feel despair during the long fall before finally being smashed into a pulp.
— Even the Hero, as long as she had no wings, would be unable to defy such a fate.
Amir seemed completely unaware of the danger.
She continued to take elegant steps, walking bit by bit toward the center of the bridge.
“What’s wrong, Histori?”
She looked back from dozens of meters away, showing Histori a soft smile —
“…Are you afraid after all?”
“…”
The whistling wind on the cliff blew Histori’s silver hair about.
She took a small step forward, stopped by the bridge post, and placed her fingers on the rope.
If she used the Blood Blade to cut the bridge now, Amir would fall to her death.
Gravity was a rule that all things in this world must follow.
Therefore, the Hero’s Blessing would not take effect; she would simply die by Histori’s hand.
After that, the Blood Contract the Demon King had placed on her would be automatically resolved.
Even without collecting the so-called Six Great Sacred Artifacts, she could continue to live.
A free, carefree life.
The only price was the black-haired girl she had known for only 1 day.
— The death of the Hero, Amir.