Alicia and Hilda were running through the forest as fast as possible to put some distance between themselves and their pursuers.
Although they were getting tired due to the constant movement, neither of them dared slow down even for a second.
Suddenly, Hilda tripped on something lying on the ground and fell forward.
A sharp pain shot through her arm when she tried to support herself before collapsing face down onto the dirt.
"Ahhh!!!"
She screamed as tears rolled down her cheeks from the intense sensation of burning agony coursing through every nerve ending, along with a loud thumping inside her chest that was making it difficult for her to breathe properly.
"I-it hurts! I-I can't continue anymore! M-Alicia, just leave me here and continue on! I won't be able to survive either way..."
Hilda mumbled through gritted teeth as she rolled over onto her back while clutching her left arm with the other hand.
Seeing this scene, Alicia bit her lower lip before shaking her head in refusal.
"No! Don't say such things, Hilda! I won't leave you here! So please... stand up!"
Her voice trembled as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as well because she felt helpless about their current situation.
But still, she didn't want to give up no matter what happened and reached out to grab hold of Hilda's arm.
Just when she did that, though, Alicia sensed someone approaching them, and she whipped her head around in panic, her eyes widening when she spotted two men walking towards them.
Both men had hoods covering their heads, obscuring their features from sight.
However, their ominous aura made it clear to her that they were dangerous individuals who would not hesitate to kill anyone without a shred of remorse.
Alicia shuddered at the thought of being killed by these two strangers as her eyes darted around, looking for Nova desperately in the hope that he might help her somehow, but there weren't any signs of him anywhere.
"Hahaha! We finally found our last prey! With this, we can head back now without having to worry about anyone telling tales!"
The shorter of the two men cackled as he stared at the two frightened women and then turned towards his companion.
"Kill them both in one shot! Let's not waste time with these useless peasants!"
Without uttering a single word, the taller one raised his right hand in Alicia's and Hilda's direction while forming a ball of fire.
It created a massive burst of heat along with bright orange flames that illuminated the dark forest and lit up the surrounding area like daylight.
"Nooooo! Please don't kill us! I beg you... have mercy!"
Alicia cried out desperately when she realized what they were planning to do, but the man ignored her pleas as he was about to throw that ball of fire at her head.
However, just as he prepared himself to launch it towards them, the shorter man stopped him suddenly and stepped forward.
"Wait, hold your fucking horse there!"
"What the fuck is wrong with you!? Didn't you say not to waste time?" The taller one grumbled and lowered his hand, keeping the flaming orb hovering near his palm still. "Let's end this already!"
"No, no, no! There's a good reason for me stopping you from doing that." The other said while shaking his head furiously as his eyes locked onto Alicia's and Hilda's trembling bodies.
He pointed at Alicia first and then at Hilda and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Look at the two of them... They aren't regular peasants! They are just too beautiful! Especially the dark-haired woman! I bet she will be a fucking delicious toy! Why kill them before having a taste?"
The taller man frowned and gave the shorter one a glare as if he were trying to burn a hole through him.
He didn't like his attitude of always thinking about sex first before everything else.
Alicia's face paled instantly after hearing his words, realizing what he implied, and quickly glanced over in Hilda's direction, who seemed just as frightened as she felt inside.
Both women had already guessed what kind of cruel fate would befall them now because nobody else was around to protect or save them anymore.
The more Alicia thought about it, the more helpless she felt, as tears rolled down her cheeks and she turned to look down at her legs that were shaking like never before in her life.
She bit her lower lip so hard that it bled, cursing her uselessness inside her head for being unable to defend herself.
Then she looked back at them and opened her shaking lips in resignation.
"Please... spare us! I-I will do anything you want if you let us live! Anything at all! Just don't kill us... please... Isn't it better to have a willing person to... entertain yourselves? Instead of killing us after you're done with us..."
It took all of her willpower to utter those words out loud, which almost made her throw up even as she fought back her nausea while trying to appeal to their better side.
And to add insult to injury, she removed her dress right in front of them, baring her beautiful body that was covered in black lingerie to them, exposing herself so that they could decide on what to do with her.
Seeing Alicia suddenly stripping out of nowhere shocked Hilda, but after some thought, she understood what was at stake, and she did the same thing to beg for her life.
"Yes! Just like her, please don't kill me either! I... I promise I will do whatever you want as well!" She pleaded with them as she tore off her dress as well and threw it aside while shivering with fear.
"Oh my... This is why I told you to stop..." The shorter of the two men, who was called Thrasher, laughed excitedly as he approached Alicia and reached out to caress her face with his filthy hands. "Hahaha! I like how you think, woman! You're fucking smart enough to understand who is in control here!"