Chapter 162 - Unintended Consequence

There was only red in Ren's sights now, crawling up and getting into a full-mount on the ex-argonaut as he began slamming his hands down against the man's face as if he were striking down with a mallet. Leo was unable to get any words out as the flurry of sharp blows filled his mouth with his own crimson fluid. 

Trying to block this assault by raising his arms, Ren simply drove his fists through this guard like a savage beast, honing in on the canvas for his painting of red. All Ren could think about in that moment was how good it felt to hit him, over and over while the man's face became dyed in red. 

Again, the battered man attempted to half this assault; grabbing onto Ren's wrist to hold back both of his bloodthirsty fists. 

Violence, however, found a way; with his fists withheld, Ren reared his head back before slamming his sturdy forehead directly against the bridge of the man's already shattered nose, forcing a fountain of clotted blood from his nostrils. A few more of these vicious headbutts weakened the grip on his wrists, soon Leo's hands fell entirely, allowing Ren to continue his fist-filled assault. 

Splashing against his skin, the warm, crimson fluid exuding from the newly opened cuts on the one-eyed man's face felt refreshing to Ren, the concept of red itself acting as further fuel to this fiery haze. 

Reinforcement clashing against reinforcement; Ren's proved to be superior as the man beneath him was reduced to nothing more than a punching bag, knuckles raining down from above. He was lost in this moment; his fists becoming drenched in blood as he continued to disfigure Leo's nose, only squelches and groans came out. 

"...Ren?"

A feminine voice, pierced through his trance of blood as he stopped for a moment, turning his head towards the source of it, huffing as he finally took a break from the relentless barrage. 

"Aiko?..."

Just seeing her brought tears to the rims of his eyes as he realized what he was doing; being witnessed in this savage state of his felt as if he was naked, his tainted thoughts exposed to the one he wanted to protect this cruelness from. 

"Why're you here?..."

He asked slowly with a trembling voice, knowing by the frightened look in the girl's eyes, mirroring the blood-covered man she saw before her. 

"...I...I woke up and you were gone so I followed your track…"

"Why?!"

As soon as she gave her explanation, Ren shouted out towards her, still mounted on the man whose face was more blood than skin at this point. 

"...Huh?"

"Why the hell did you come here?! I had this all handled--why?!"

The screams from him sounded as if they were tearing at his own vocal cords, saliva and blood spitting out from his lips as his words cut out from his mouth. Being on the receiving end of this, Aiko tensed up, trembling a bit at both the words and sight before her. 

"...I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Hearing the quiet, genuine words from her, Ren's eyes widened for a moment as his mouth was left agape. 

"...Aiko, I'm s--"

Before whatever he was about to say could leave his lips, a gargle of blood came from the man beneath him--squelched words following quickly. 

"...En...Sun Spear…"

From his stunned state, he couldn't react fast enough to the spell quietly cast by Leo, watching only as the man pointed his palm away from Ren, shooting out an arrow of flames away from the both of them. 

--Not me? Then who--

Turning his head, Ren almost didn't want to confirm the answer he found--watching almost in slowed time as the pillar formed of flames shot through the air, heading directly for the girl. 

"Aiko----!"

Yelling out with everything he had, reaching out with all of the strength he had--he wasn't nearly close enough to redirect the agile spell, only watching as the somber atmosphere was filled with a fiery radiance. Her eyes were locked with his; wide with fear and confusion as the spear directly collided with her abdomen, an ear and gut-wrenching squelch filling Ren's hearing as the spell pierced right through her stomach. 

It was a clear, gaping hole left in her abdomen, soon filled by an onslaught of rapid waves of blood leaving through the wound. For a moment, she stood, her head shaking side to side as did her body, soon falling over. 

"...Leo----!"

Filled with an absolute slew of emotions, Ren gripped the man's collar, looking at his blood-stained smile, letting out a laugh that came out as a few gargles. 

Rearing his fist back, planning to crush the man's skull here and now, Ren stopped as he heard the faint breathing of the girl. Without wasting another moment, he picked himself up, nearly tripping over his own feet as he rushed to her side, turning her over onto her back. 

"Aiko? Aiko! Stay with me!"

Placing his bloodied palm against her cheek, caressing it, he could feel the warmth of it quickly fading as her cheek began to lose its complexion. Keeling over, he tried to hold in the painful, scorching tears as they left his guilt-ridden eyes. 

"No! Not again-! I won't let another person die on me!"

Gritting his teeth after his pained yelling, he removed his cloak, wrapping it around Aiko before he scooped the girl up in his arms, beginning to retrace his steps back to the temporary base they had established, moving with such desperate haste that he nearly tripped over his own feet once again. 

--The fountain of resurrection...It'll heal her. I just have to make it in time. Please. Please. 

Running as fast as he could, following the stone-covered pathways that could lead to an easy loss of direction, Ren could feel her rapidly evacuating blood seep over his arms as he held her, grimacing as he felt this. 

--Faster. I need to go faster!

He focused his reinforcement in his legs, bursting forward with enough speed to shatter the stone under his boot, holding the girl tightly in his arms as he dashed onward. With a massive pillar blocking his path, he drew in a breath before leaping over it, the harsh landing sparking a sharp breath from the unconscious girl. 

"...Sorry, Aiko…"

A screech he knew well came into earshot, looking up to see one of the scaled birds of prey flapping its wings toward him. 

There was no avoiding its approaching presence; Ren adjusted his hold of Aiko, keeping her held with one arm as he gripped the hilt of Belus, continuing to sprint forward as he would soon meet the predator halfway. 

Keeping whatever patience he had left steady, he withheld his malice until the airborne monster came within striking distance, parting its sharp break as it swooped down for its meal. With a swift, almost unseen strike, he parted its head from its body, moving forward without ever stopping. 

Soon, the abandoned abode came back into view, guiding his step with further swiftness as a relieving feeling came over him, kicking open the decayed doors. 

The fountain of resurrection was a sight for sore eyes, finally catching his breath as he dipped the girl's body into the crimson liquid. Watching her body carefully; her pale, deathly complexion wasn't restored as she was doused in the fluids of rejuvenation. 

"Huh?"

Ren raised the girl back up--finding his stomach sinking and his heart dropping as the gaping wound in her abdomen was still very much present. 

--We already touched this fountain...The healing effects only occur once per fountain?...

It was the only conclusion he could come into with his hardly functioning mind, finding himself hyperventilating as he began to feel complete and utter despair in the face of this hopeless situation, looking upon the girl's anguished expression.