"Ha...haa..."
Amidst heavy breathing, the girl could feel her heart pounding painfully. No matter how much she breathed, her body still craved oxygen, and her blood rushed with all its might.
She had also lost track of how far she had run.
She ran as if driven by an unseen force.
Her legs felt as heavy as lead, yet she knew that if she stopped, she would never be able to run again, so she kept going.
Her braided blonde hair bounced wildly, and her red eyes sought out light.
And when she couldn't bear it any longer and turned to look behind her, it had arrived.
"Kyah!"
With a loud crash, a bright light seared her eyes.
Overwhelmed by the shock, the girl collapsed onto the road.
Perhaps due to the momentum, she rolled and tumbled, hitting her body in various places before coming to a stop.
And then, when the girl managed to lift her head somehow, she was at a loss for words. What stood there were two dogs, roughly the size of humans.
But they were not ordinary dogs.
They emitted a dazzling light that illuminated the night. The flickering flames seared the girl's skin with immense heat.
It was not something as simple as being on fire. The flames themselves had taken on the form of monstrous dogs, looking down at the girl.
"Ah..."
The girl frantically tried to use magic, but she no longer had enough magical power to cast spells. Only a faint trace of magic ran futilely through her body.
She had already reached her limit.
The two fire dogs seemed to understand this and slowly approached the girl. Flames danced before her, the atmosphere scorched, and the heat warped the surroundings.
"Ha...ah..."
Her throat burned with heat waves, and the girl couldn't even scream.
Without the ability to use magic, she had no way to defend herself. Instead of being bitten, she would easily be incinerated by their bodies alone.
Faced with an inescapable future, she clenched her teeth.
Desperately, she held back the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
Even if she were to die here, she didn't want to show an embarrassing sight until the very end. So, the girl glared at the two dogs from the other side of their flames, which she presumed were looking at her with contempt.
As if mocking her, one of the fire dogs opened its mouth wide. Its bright red mouth, aflame, extended its neck as if to crush her small head.
Without wiping away the tears that overflowed uncontrollably, the girl continued to stare.
That's why she saw that moment.
The brilliant, scorching flames were instantly extinguished by a silver flash.
The fire dog couldn't maintain its form and exploded into sparks, illuminating the surroundings.
Bathed in the moonlight, a knight descended literally from the sky in front of the girl.
—Beautiful.
The girl, who had been shedding tears in fear of death just moments ago, held only that thought.
He wasn't particularly tall. His silver armor, which covered his entire body, was not overly thick, giving the impression of a stylish full-plate armor upon closer inspection.
A crimson cape fluttered from his left shoulder, and he held a bastard sword that had scattered the fire dogs in his right hand.
It wasn't just his appearance; his subtle movements, the magic that enveloped his armor, everything about him was exquisitely beautiful.
Growling like a snarl, the other fire dog backed away, wary of the silver knight.
In contrast, the silver knight showed no sign of movement. Silently, he turned his back on the girl and stared at the fire dog.
The fire dog endured the pressure for only a few seconds.
And with a howl, the fire dog leaped from the ground. It opened its flaming jaws wide and pounced on the silver knight's neck. Its fiery fangs would easily melt even regular armor and tear apart the person inside.
But in an instant, a silver flash was drawn in a straight line from below.
The fire dog was cut in half in mid-air, and the shockwave of the slash scattered the flames themselves.
There was no fight. For the silver knight, defeating the fire dogs was no more than brushing away dust.
"..."
With all the flames gone, in the silence that descended, the silver knight turned to the girl.
Through the eyes of his helmet, a faint emerald light served as his gaze.
The girl felt as if she were facing an ancient dragon. Such was the weighty aura emanating from the silver knight.
"Ah...who are you..."
With a scorched throat, the girl tried to utter some words.
Even though she shouldn't yet know whether this person was an enemy or an ally, such thoughts had already flown from her mind. She just wanted to hear that name.
But in the next moment, the girl would be left in astonishment.
"――!?"
The silver knight gently lifted the girl's body.
Then, with a graceful movement that belied the weight of his armor and the girl, the silver knight leaped into the air and swiftly left that spot.
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