Suna laid out five potions he had kept for himself. He had shared all of his, on the condition that he could keep five for himself. But Slea kept pouring potion after potion, and soon she began uncorking one of Suna’s own.

  “Stop!” Reki opened his mouth, only to be met by the cold glare of Slea, who kept pouring the potion into Noa's mouth.

  The rugby player gurgled and blood pooled like a fountain around his throat. Slea’s hand was marred with blood as she tried to stop the wound with only her left hand.

  “The potion will just leave through his throat,” Reki said.

  Slea bit her cheek, and she began to sob.

  “L-Lea…” Noa gurgled. The [Warrior]’s eyes started to lose their color, and they went cold.

  Suna shuddered, took a deep breath, and wrestled with his mind on what he could do.

  None of his skills would be useful… He felt his cloak pocket – vials of blue sloshed inside; they would not do anything.

  Then he gripped his cloak, and an idea invaded him. The problem now was that the health potion was escaping Noa’s throat despite Slea's attempt to close it.

  He shrugged off his cleric cloak and tore it apart into a smaller portions. Fabric wrapped around his hand, drawing a sharp gasp from Reki, who was about to let out a complaint.

  “Lift his head! Someone, come on!” Suna ordered.

  Pito and Min moved beside the bed. On count to two, they lifted Noa’s head, and Min took over Slea's hand to try to cover Noa’s throat.

  How did a level three Tiefling even do this? Noa should be the second strongest in terms of Strength stat. Those stats surely meant something, right? He had felt it just earlier, after all.

  Did some Tiefling become stronger somehow?

  Rune.

  That must be the answer–some just had more Runes than the others. Suna bit his lips as frustration crept in. This meant they still needed to worry about the Tiefling, especially when they had numbers. A war between them wouldn’t necessarily weaken them–it could make them far stronger.

  Suna shoved aside his train of thought–for now, healing Noa is the precedent.

  He wrapped the cleric's cloak around the [Warrior ]'s throat.

  If this didn’t work, he didn’t know what else could. He could only hope the Cleric’s fabric would retain the healing properties inside the rugby player's body.

  “I think that's tight enough,” Min said. Suna nodded, and he looked at Slea, who, with a shaky hand, brought the vial into Noa’s mouth.

  The potion slithered in.

  Cleric fabric reddened with blood, but it was a slow–unnaturally slow considering how grievous Noa’s wound is.

  After the second vial, Noa’s body was no longer as cold as before; in fact, his breath started to return.

  Slea, seeing this, kept feeding him potion after potion, using all of Suna’s potion. “Anymore?” She looked around.

  “Here,” Pito handed her three vials, and she uncorked them in a hurry and let Noa drink them.

  “I think that's enough,” Min said as she pressed a hand on Noa’s vein. “He’s breathing normally.”

  Slea let out a huge breath, then collapsed onto the floor.

  Min bent down, he steadied her shaking body, and her as she sobbed. “I thought he was going to die. He protects me and Min, the Tiefling, who suddenly comes from the window…”

  “He will be fine,” Min whispered into the [Mage]’s ear, bringing Slea’s head to her chest. “He will be fine,” Min repeated.

  Suna stood, wiping the blood from the bed cover. Around them lay the bodies of five Tieflings, sprawled with dagger and arrow wounds. Min had fought them all, somehow. Maybe it was her high Sense stat that allowed her to react so quickly. But that still did not allow her to sense the attack by the window.

  “Guys? I’m sorry to break this mood, but we were surrounded,” Pito called. The bald man stood by the window, and he peeked over.

  “What?” Reki took the other corner, and he massaged the bridge of his nose. “Great…” he muttered.

  Suna leaned beside Reki and looked down. About two dozen Tieflings with crossbows pointed up. But not all of them were facing this house; half of them were aiming at where the battle against the Drow Beastmaster took place.

  It's not bad odds, since all of them will still be at level three. With Reki here, they have a reliable shieldbearer; of course, they do not have Noa, but overall it's not a bad odds.

  But, Suna couldn’t help but wonder, was this a good decision? Coming here to deal with the Tiefling? It was his idea in the first place; meeting Pito made him think that he could strike a deal with the creature. But, now… Noa was on his deathbed thanks to his decision. They could just have fought their way out when they first met them.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Pito!” Suna shouted. “These Tieflings– you said about factions, I assume they’re not friendly?”

  “Friendly… These are the fourth and fifth faction members; they always dislike me because I can level up. But, they have never been so hostile enough to attack like this…”

  Suna nodded along, but what was important was his next question. He eyed Min, who stiffened in an instant. She understood, her eyes went to her bow, and Slea's mouth gaped open, before she shut it quickly, no doubt understanding. If Pito took the Tiefling side, then that would truly be dangerous.

  “So I assume you’re with us, right?”

  Suna did not spare a glance at Pito; he did not want his emotion to betray him.

  Just say yes…

  A second passed by, and his hold on the curtain tightened.

  Reki noticed. The office worker gave him a side look. Under his eye, there was an understanding, and he nodded slowly.

  “I—I like the Tieflings”

  Cold sweat trickled over his head, and Suna let himself fall into resignation; whatever happened would be for their survival.

  “But, they’re not the same faction as those who saved me. So they’re not part of the deal. The deal was that I would join you guys, and of course, give all my knowledge. In exchange, please help the third faction. I’m with all of you,” Pito finished.

  Suna's grip on the curtain loosened, and harsh weight went out of him like a vapor.

  “Say that faster, dammit, kid these days…” Reki shook his head.

  ‘What? Oh! I will never take these Tiefling’s side!” Pito spluttered. His head went down in a hurry as if to continue to prove he was on their side, but at that moment Suna caught a glint of steel—approaching.

  “Arrow!”

  Pito snapped his head toward cover beside the wall, smashing with a huge wince.

  Glass shattered, and three bolts blazed through to the room ceiling.

  “That was close,” Pito said, shuddering.

  “They’re attacking!” Reki shouted.

  Suna drew an arrow and peered at the window. When he was about to release a shot, six bolts went flying at him almost instantly. He ducked and shuddered when a piece of glass fell by his ear. Suna stood, and another volley of bolts came flying in. But he managed to release an arrow this time before ducking again.

  Another shard of glass fell by his head, and Suna just brushed it off.

  [You have Slain. Tiefling Lvl 3]

  [Level up]

  When he was about to stand and release another arrow, a shadow fell over him. A red demon stared down, and in its hand was a dagger--going straight down at him.

  Suna whipped the dagger away with his sturdy bow, and he tripped the Tiefling with a leg sweep. But it rolled by pushing itself with its shoulder and knocking Suna down, his head crashing against the wall.

  Suna’s head spun. Through the haze of a spinning world, he caught the sight of a dagger jabbing down at him. But the figure’s head suddenly snapped back, and the red figure was pinned to the wall with an arrow sticking through its cheek.

  “Suna, stand up!” Min shouted. The woman stood on the bed. Below her was Slea, who had already gotten Noa down beside the bed, and she began charging her magic.

  He drew his obsidian sword in time to block an overhand attack of a glaive. Steel grated, and Suna kicked the Tiefling, pushing it toward Pito--who then, with a roundhouse kick, sent the creature flying out of the window.

  A greatsword blitzed through, and the wall beside the window split open. A Tiefling jumped with its legs tucked and burst into the room. Suna moved reflexively, bringing his sword up, and his arm ached the moment his blade met the two-handed sword. Steel sparked. He pushed back, his own sword almost pressed against his throat.

  Pito flicked his staff up and crashed it down on the Tiefling's head with a loud thump. The demon's horn flattened into its brain, with blood burst out. Pito then swung his staff like a baseball bat and sent the Tiefling crashing out, pushing another one who was just about to enter.

  Suna quickly switched to his bow. Another Tiefling entered, and he shot it straight at its head.

  [You have Slain. Tiefling Lvl 3]

  Arrow parted the monster's head, and it fell two stories below. That bought time for Suna to load another arrow, ready to release at the next Tiefling.

  [You have Slain. Tiefling Lvl 3]

  He shot an arrow through another neck; the next one, however, was not one but three at once.

  Pito and Suna were about to continue their defense, but a voice cut them off.

  “Down!” Slea shouted.

  A blast of blue launched from her staff and disintegrated all three of the Tieflings along with their weapons. The room shook, and the window was no longer there; instead, a gaping hole formed–inviting the millions of shooting stars streaming in from high above.

  “Reki is overwhelmed! He was holding the stairs! I’m going to him,” Min shouted in quick succession of words.

  “Go!”

  She ran out of the room and swiftly began firing. They would get overwhelmed soon enough; the Tieflings could easily go to the others' room. Min and Reki would have to hold both hallways. But, it seemed the Tiefling were still focusing their attack on this side at least. Or so he thought… He peeked and fired in quick succession, felling one with an arrow piercing through its chest.

  Immediately, Suna stood again, and he only saw two Tieflings there.

  “There are only two down there,” Suna muttered.

  “The other room!” Pito said. He quickly moved outside, but Suna grasped his shoulder, stopping him.

  “What? Those two will get overwhelmed.”

  “Doesn’t mean we have to get trapped,” Suna said.

  “Suna? What are you talking about? You want to leave them?” Slea said, her grip tight on her staff, looking at him with a painfully obvious anger.

  “No, we’re not leaving anyone,” Suna said. He moved to Noa and called Pito to help. “Push him under the bed…”

  They did, and Noa was safely tucked with a blanket covering the rugby player.

  Suna turned to Slea and ordered. “Blow the wall to the other room.”

  He drew his obsidian sword and slung his bow, ready to charge at a moment's notice. Slea realised his plan and she asked. “Only one?”

  “Yes, let's do it one by one. Pito with me?”

  “Of course,” the [Monk] actually grinned, and he readied his staff, eager to start.

  Mana swirled around Slea's staff, and at times like this, Suna wished he had extra defense; he pretty much had no armor except his gauntlet. The shoulder armor he got had been torn in two. He realised he should have worn Noa’s armor, but it was too late; getting the [Warrior] up again will take too long.

  Slea released a beam of magic; in its wake, the wall crumbled into dust, and a loud groan of the house echoed. Suna dropped to one knee as the mini earthquake rumbled through. He steadied himself, trying to stand, but an aftershock made him fall.

  Pito, on the other hand, charged through the dust.

  Suna growled and stood, but a voice stopped him before he could follow.

  “Careful!”

  He gave a thumbs up and began wading through the dust to the next room. Inside, he was greeted by the sight of Pito smacking a Tiefling’s head into the wall, splattering the creature's brain into a smear of blood against the decorated wall.

  Suna sheathed his sword and switched to his bow. He smiled at the Tieflings, none of whom realized that he was there.