Chapter 19: Which Comes First: The Betrayal or the Vow?

Hours had passed since then, and the chase between Chrono and me was still going.

My stamina had long since bottomed out. I was cycling through air intake and exhaust repeatedly, my legs moving by sheer force of will alone.

"Heh-heh."

Chrono watched me, letting out a delighted little chuckle. I wanted to punch that look off her face, but I wouldn't even graze her in this state. Even at my best, she’d just dodge and hit back twice as hard.

"Time to pick up the pace."

"W-wait... my energy is..."

Wait. What did I just say? Did I really just make an excuse?

"Hmm? I’m the one putting you through this, so I shouldn’t really talk, but don't get ahead of yourself."

She placed a hand on my back. I tried to resist, but my body wouldn't obey. A massive torrent of energy surged into me, and I felt my strength return.

"That was..."

"I shared some of my energy with you. Normally, I’d charge you loan-shark interest, but I’ll call it even this time."

She told me to watch. She picked up a dozen or so pebbles buried at her feet and began to roll them between her hands. Soon, the stones were a blur, moving between her palms at a speed the eye could barely follow. At top speed, they looked motionless, yet I could see a subtle rhythm in their movement—a slight variation in tempo.

"Especially since we’re on a snowy mountain."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Let’s go."

Once again, she left me in the dust. I chased after her silhouette desperately, and it felt exactly the same as before.

Through my hazy thoughts, I desperately tried to find the meaning in what she’d shown me.

"Especially since we’re on a snowy mountain..."

Exhaustion forced my gaze downward, and I saw the tracks my leader was leaving behind. They were packed much deeper into the snow than mine.

"Is that it?"

On a sudden whim, I tried to add more definition to my movements.

Step deep.

Keep my breathing shallow but broad.

Find a rhythm with my shoulders.

Move fast enough so the snow can’t catch my feet.

It felt like gears finally clicking into place. Slowly, I began to close the gap between us. Chrono looked back and gave me a small smile before increasing her speed just a fraction more.

"Haa... haa... ghh!"

"Good work. I suppose I pushed you a bit too hard."

I collapsed into the snow then and there.

"Stay here and rest for a bit. I have business just ahead."

"I'm... coming... too!"

"Yeah, yeah. I’ll bring you along."

She grabbed me by the back of my collar and dragged me forward. From a distance, it might have looked like a cat carrying its kitten, but the tension in the air returned almost instantly.

"You’re late."

"Burnatville?!"

The demon king, clad in his black armor, stood there waiting.

"What is that?"

"I found her. She won’t be an issue."

Why was Chrono White talking to him so familiarly?

No... Chrono was never on our side to begin with. The reason she had us investigate Bernatevil was so she could make contact with him herself.

"Ghh!"

I forced my recovered legs to stand, facing off against two overwhelming monsters.

"There’s a fly buzzing around you."

"She’ll be out of sight soon enough."