Chapter 55
Inserting a Bookmark
“That Sonya… with that kind of firepower, she won’t last long.” Raiga groaned.
The wall of flames created by Sonya’s magic was stopping the rabbits’ advance while burning those at the front, but the horned, legless rabbits crawling along the ground kept increasing in number from the back.
“—Layla, pray… can you calm them down?” Stephan looked at me.
Raiga put me down on the ground.
“I’ll try.” I nodded firmly. This was a perfect opportunity to prove to them that I could be useful!
I clasped my hands and closed my eyes.
“Goddess of Light…”
As I whispered my words of prayer, I suddenly smelled blood near my nose. It was the scent of Jan’s blood on Raiga’s back. Humans really do bleed that much when they’re wounded… Was it from being bitten by those rabbits? That must have hurt terribly.
—What if all those rushing rabbits attacked Sonya at once?
I gulped, my throat echoing the sound, bringing me back to reality.
No, no, that’s not it. I have to calm the rabbits and help Sonya!
I steadied my pounding heart with deep breaths and closed my eyes once more.
“I wish—please calm those pitiful rabbits!”
I shouted the prayer loudly, as if shaking off the vivid image of red blood forming in my mind.
“—Huh?”
When I opened my eyes, the rabbits in the front row seemed to have stopped threatening for a moment, but it was only temporary. Other rabbits pressing from behind leapt over the now-calmed front row and headed straight for Sonya. Moreover, some of the rabbits were now turning their blazing red eyes toward us.
“—This is bad. They’re coming this way too. Stephan, what do we do?”
“…You take Layla and Jan, lead the way, and escape while drawing their attention. I’ll handle Sonya’s side somehow.”
Stephan drew his sword and ran his hand through his hair.
“Understood.”
Raiga lifted me up.
…Wait a minute, why isn’t it working very well!? I panicked. I had even managed to calm a dragon before, so this should be…
A chill ran through my mind.
—They’re going to think I’m useless…
“—I can… I can do a protective prayer!” I shouted.
I felt like I could do the prayer I had used when Stephan had attacked the dragon before. I didn’t want Stephan to go among those rabbits and end up covered in blood like Jan.
Theodor had said that one should pray with their own will for what they truly wished, and I didn’t want Stephan or Raiga to get hurt. For that reason, I could definitely pray.
“I see… but—” Stephan’s eyes showed hesitation.
Meanwhile, there was a rustling sound as some of the rabbits quickly crawled along the ground toward us.
I clasped my hands, closed my eyes, and prayed loudly:
“Drive away the evil from us and protect us!”
