Divine Intervention… Or?

Slashes swung through the air, creatures snarled in pain, while blood and guts danced through the night.

One.

Two.

Three.

She continued to wipe them away, one by one.

Her katana was bathed in black blood, as was her armor. Her voice was filled with determination to survive the night, killing those who stood in her way.

But despite her unwavering spirit, there was a coward behind her.

"Gaaaaahh! Lumenta!"

Thomas lifted the Incantation Stone, flashing a bright light of mana toward the fiends behind them. They would all disperse into a cloud of poisonous gas, corroding nearby plants and life.

"We must hurry, quickly!" Shouted the samurai.

"What the hell is going on!? Why are there so many fiends?! We're surrounded by hundreds of them!!" Proclaimed Thomas.

"I do not know, but their numbers are steadily increasing the further we traverse the forest." Said Fumiko. "It may be wise to turn back, I believe we're heading into unknown territory."

"What the hell does that mean?! It's not like the fiends have any particular locations that they manifest in!"

There was a slight pause from the samurai as if she realized something. While they continued sprinting through the forest, Fumiko's tone of voice changed. "Fiends usually gather in large groups whenever Elder Fiends are nearby. From what I learned in my journey through the night; Newborn and Mature fiends feel safer whenever Elder fiends are close, and that is most likely the case as of now. There is no other logical explanation as to why they're manifesting so quickly."

"Fuck… fuck!!" Thomas closed his eyes, holding back the urge to scream in despair. "T-Then let's turn back! You're right, let's just turn around!"

"I'm afraid we cannot do that anymore."

He opened his eyes.

"W-What?! Why the hell not?!"

"There are approximately 300 of them behind us. They have grown even larger."

"…!!!"

Thomas' heart skipped a beat. His body ran cold, and his legs nearly gave out from fear alone.

He couldn't even muster any words.

"My magic eyes see the fiends and their horde continuing to get larger by the minute."

Born with the innate ability to see all magic, and increase one's perception, magic eyes were common across the world, and most notably known for combat. All races acquired them from evolution; ancestors in the past were unable to decipher spells, and use them more efficiently, always failing the most basic magic… but from the change in their behavior, and always infusing mana into their eyes for several generations, they eventually developed these special eyes.

Magic eyes granted them the ability to perceive and decipher spells. Some with trained magic eyes can even mimic spells that they see in most cases, but that requires intense training.

The ability to see from afar, and detect one's mana are common, and so is deciphering the number of enemies hiding in the shadows, depending on the skill of their eyes.

"…So, even Lumenta isn't enough?"

However… it wasn't all about deciphering magic and enhancing one's perception.

There were also unique magic eyes.

A rarity that is carried on through many generations to come. Some call these special eyes gifts from the Gods, while others say it is just from a strong bloodline.

But who truly knew which one was correct, because, in the end, those with special magic eyes can defy all odds, and save themselves from total annihilation.

Such as Thomas Ironheart.

He was by all means not useless.

It may appear that way from the outside, but truth be told, he was the one carrying them through the forest unharmed.

If there was a one in a trillion chance of something happening, it would always happen for Thomas.

Those were his Magic Eyes—

The Magic Eyes of Fortune.

Thus…

"Huh?!"

A bright light illuminated the sky. It was crimson, shining across the horizon. Something approached them… and it was fast.

"A meteor?!" Fumiko gasped in awe, turning around to face the Ironheart. "Thomas!" She grabbed him, pulling the bandit into her arms.

"W-What?!"

Thomas was flushed in his cheeks, momentarily, until she jumped to the side, diving into the bushes.

"Brace yourself!"

KABOOM!

It felt as if the planet was knocked out of orbit, but such was the impact of the meteor. Shockwaves traversed the forest, knocking down trees, and heat immediately incinerated the fiends, wiping them all out.

It was a massive earthquake that faded in seconds.

Thomas could only cover his ears while Fumiko peeked her head out of the bushes.

"…A meteor? Just… what are the chances of that happening."

The fire crackled from the impact crater, lighting up the area around them.

But to make matters more coincidental… rumbling was heard underground.

"…That noise?" Fumiko slowly stepped outside of the bushes, holding her katana in hand.

The rumbling continued to get louder… until it was finally revealed what was happening.

SPLISHHH!

Water shot from the ground like a geyser, filled with mana… and pixie dust.

It sprayed into the air, towering over the trees in the forest.

"…This water, it's infused with pixie dust?"

Thomas uncovered his ears from the sound of water. His trembling finally stopped, noticing Fumiko was gone once he opened his frightened eyes. "W-What's going on?" He finally gained the courage to crawl outside of the bush, glancing to his right. "Woah!! A geyser?!" He stood up, jogging next to the samurai who could only stare in awe.

"This… may be divine intervention." Said the samurai, baffled at the sight.

"…Yeah, it may be."

"A meteor from the sky, and a geyser of water infused with mana and pixie dust. Such is no coincidence."

"Maybe the Gods were with us all along."

"That may be the case." Said Fumiko, smiling through her mask.

"Oh, wait a second." Thomas used his magic eyes, deciphering the water down to its molecules. "I knew this water smelled familiar. It has the same aroma as the magical river in Dalvan."

"Dalvan?"

"Y-Yeah, it's one of the largest towns in Britana. They use the magical river near the town to create Dalvan Ale, King Arthur's favorite drink."

"Oh, I see." She chuckled through her mask. "I suppose that means we're near Dalvan if that is the case."

Thomas widened his eyes, realizing the same.

"Oh shit, you're right!! We mustn't be too far away!!"

"Indeed." Said Fumiko, huffing a sigh of relief. "I grow weary in my battle armor. It would be nice to clean my blade before I lay to rest."

Thomas smiled, bowing his head. "Thank you for this, Fumiko, I couldn't thank you enough for escorting me."

The samurai bowed her head as well, saying, "By all means, I'm glad I could help! This journey made me realize that my Goddess, Amaterasu, is with me until the end."

"Gods must really love their followers… don't they?"

No, all of this was just Thomas' luck, but saying that the Gods did it was most logical.

Not even Thomas knew of his passive Magic Eyes of Fortune.

"Most certainly." She huffed a deep sigh, turning around to approach a tree. "I will rest momentarily before we continue if you don't mind. I overexerted myself a bit too much."

"O-Oh, right! That's fine by me. This geyser will protect us from the fiends after all."

"Mm." Fumiko nodded her head to his words and sat down, leaning against the tree.

("There is something wrong… something very wrong.")

Thomas turned away from the samurai, looking up at the geyser in thought.

("Even if the Gods intervened, and saved us from imminent death, it doesn't take away the fact that an Elder Fiend is nearby.")

He gritted his teeth, twisting his expression into worry.

("Fumiko said it herself. A sudden increase of fiends is the sign that an Elder is nearby. I know the stories of those monsters. One Elder Fiend alone can take on an entire army of mages, and pose a threat even to Archmages in the Guild Hall.")

Thomas looked around him, cautious of his surroundings.

("If we leave this area, we're definitely gonna run into the Elder Fiend, there is no doubt about it. There is no way it didn't hear the meteor impact, and the sound of my screams the entire time. Damnit!")

Thomas clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms.

Blood started dripping between his fingers.

("What are we gonna do?! Think Thomas… think! How can I escape something like an Elder Fiend while making sure Fumiko is safe.")

He shook his head, slapping his face a few times.

"No, forget her."

"Hm?"

His voice spoke out loud, capturing the samurai's attention.

The bandit turned to face her, nervous in his expression. "O-Oh, it's nothing! Don't worry about it!" Proceeding to glance away, he crossed his arms.

("I'm just using her as a means to an end, I don't really care what happens. I'm a bandit after all, why should I give a shit about some random girl I know Jack shit about.")

Thomas nodded his head, prepping himself.

("I have no choice but to sacrifice her for my survival.")