Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 280: Arc 4, Act II, - 125: Cindering March Part IV
She was crashing down, her right leg and right arm could barely move and in that split second she had to stop her momentum- "THUD! CHHFFFF!!!"
"NGH!" Jotou groaned and yelled, her body flung into the air again; the spell was gone, but the speed at which she was flung kept throwing her forward, her adventuring attire breaking a lot of the blow.
With her body about to roll, she attempted to set her left foot down at the very least- "SNAP!" She let out a bloodcurdling cry as her foot snapped forward.
Her face took a dive and she pivoted to the side the best she could, "SPARK!" her body coated itself in electricity- "THUD! THUMP!" The side of her sparking head scraped against the earth as her body slid.
The sparks dissipated immediately and she coughed, spitting out blood; her mana had run dry. Her body tumbled and rolled, nearing the edge of the chasm.
Jotou managed to grab her sword into her intact left hand. She stabbed it into the earth as her body kept going. She desperately held onto the hilt, hoping to slow herself down as much as possible.
"CHF... Ting, TANg, Prngg..." Her sword came loose and she lost grip of it, letting it fly to one side. With her slowed down momentum, "Kickbolt," but not even a crackle of electricity sparked.
She couldn’t even feel her leg on one side, her foot on the other. Her hand dragged the weeds but pulled them out instead, the edge getting too close.
She dug her nails the best she could into the ground. However, her right arm as a whole was completely useless, leaving her tired and weakened left arm to stop her.
Jotou kept sliding and she felt gravity first pull her foot down, then both her legs as she was beginning to slid off, unable to grip herself back up onto the cliff.
Her palms grazed and collected dirt as she went off the edge and her body dangled off; her right arm went limp to the side. Slowly, second by second her left hand came loose. Jotou closed her eyes, not in frustration, but acceptance.
Shadows formed near the edge and Fumeko turned, bleeding out the nose and the sides of her lips. She blinked towards the edge with bubbled eyes and-
"Eagh!"
"Ngh!" Jotou’s shoulder stretched and she opened her eyes; her hand was caught by something. Or rather, someone. "...Detective," she panted.
Fumeko started slipping, there was no way she could take Jotou’s weight, "Spider Walk!" she planted her other hand on top and as much of her feet as she could as she lied down flat.
Fumeko’s nose shrivelled and she turned her head to the side, "CHOO!" she sneezed and coughed out crimson. Her teeth were red, "Jotou, get up!" she yanked as hard as she could, but her strength was faltering.
Jotou breathed slower and gulped. She smiled, "Wish I could Meko, I can barely move my limbs; my head’s buzzing."
Fumeko grunted, struggling to pull the blonde up.
Jotou watched her try her damnedest, "You did it," she uttered. Accompanied by a little giggle, "You did it detective; you teleported didn’t you?"
"Jotou! Please!"
"I, can’t move... What do you want me to hold onto detective? I’ve only got your hand," the warm smile remained.
Fumeko dug her shoes into the dirt, trying to gain some leverage. Jotou watched as dust and rock chipped off the edge and plunge past her...
"Meko, Fumeko... Please, stop."
"What are you talking about!?" tears ran down her cheeks as her voice squeaked, "I’m not letting you go! I’ll hold on for hours till they get here if I have to!"
"Then the internal bleeding will get me before the fall."
"This isn’t the time for jokes!"
"This cliff isn’t gonna hold-" Both of them heard distant blasts of lightning; Fumeko didn’t even attempt to look as Jotou glanced to the orange lightning flashing multiple times...
"Well, that’s that," the blonde’s lips curled up. "The last elite, down for the count I assume; not bad huh?"
"You," Fumeko gritted her teeth. "You always have to, GH! Take the stupidest, ngh! Risks and gambles, I swear!" Fumeko’s arm slipped down and she yanked it back up with Jotou.
"It’s how I operate~" Jotou chuckled. "We did it. We actually did it... Hell, it’s been fun in this world; so many things I did. I don’t think people’ll forget me either.
Make sure Daiyu writes me epically in the history books, alright? Go. Go tell Hotaru..." Jotou laughed, "Tell her she wins and I’m thankful for every moment I spent with her. That goes the same for you too-"
"Shut the hell up you paranoiac!!! Go say it to her yourself! Say it to me once you’re fine!" Fumeko furrowed her brows and cried tears onto the bloodied blonde below her.
Jotou’s face bruised, blood leaking out of the corners of her eyes and lips. With a voice of a songbird still, "Stupid Meko... We’re adventurers, this was always gonna happen at some point...
Honestly, I’m glad it’s me. I think I’ve cheated death plenty of times pretty well so far, wouldn’t you say?" the earth began to crumble more and Fumeko had to tug harder.
"Then you can do it again!"
"I would love to spite death detective, but I don’t want to drag you down with me... I can’t feel my body. You’ve used up your magic, otherwise you wouldn’t be bleeding this much.
So, if I drag you down, I don’t know if you can blink back up. You would have to let me go immediately and save yourself; which I don’t think you’re gonna do.
So, I’m trying to convince you to let me go now. Please, Fumeko... I’m so glad I met you; I really am lucky to get the greatest detective I’ve ever known.
You’ll find more friends. You’ll find someone else to love. You’ll uncover all of the mysteries of this world. You don’t need me for that and I’ve accepted the reality of the situation.
I understood the risks and I took it. Someone was bound to bite the dust. I want you to live. So why won’t you let me go?" tears ran down Jotou’s temples as she giggled.
"Because life’s worth fighting for; YOU said that. I’m not letting you go. I know you want to live!"
"You’re so adorable," she beamed.
"Keep saying whatever you want, this cliff’s still here!" as she said the cliffside crumbled apart more and more.
"Why would you try and save me, don’t be greedy," Jotou gritted her teeth, "You’re gonna die with me; don’t!"
Fumeko took a deep breath, pressing herself into the ground more as she pulled back, "You’ve saved me before. Don’t lose your confidence, don’t lose hope.
I want to eat delicious food with you while watching the clouds," she whimpered. "We can’t do that if we’re stuck here," she heaved and pulled.
Jotou smiled and giggled; either she found it cute or she was becoming delirious.
Fumeko couldn’t help but be infected by her smile, yet she still cried, "I like you a lot. You’re my first ever friend. I’m always on your side, even if you’re not on your own side!
Hotaru needs you. Asobi needs you. Daiyu needs you. I need you! Why would I not save you? Please, I can’t imagine my life without you. If I hadn’t met you..."
Through her memories, she recalled the day she first approached that blonde woman; the same Jotou Howllett that now she held so tightly...
Fumeko’s head and chest began to slip forward, her spell barely holding her up at this point as it began fading... Her fingers gripped Jotou’s hand much tighter as Jotou closed her eyes tight.
"I promised you on the day we met," Fumeko dragged her feet back, scraping her knees and elbows. Jotou could feel herself being lifted up by a smidgen.
"To help you through all of this," Fumeko concentrated on the spell as hard as she could, hoisting Jotou up, little by little with a weary arm. "Till the end!"
Jotou’s eyeline could see the top of the cliffside and her eyes bubbled. The blonde had to try; even if it would hurt like hell. "AHH!"
Jotou swung her broken arm by the shoulder, putting her weight on top. Fumeko could drag her up a little further, allowing Jotou to plant her chin on the edge and pull herself up.
"OWWW!!" Jotou’s body made it halfway up and she swung her left leg up, landing her broken foot on top. Fumeko dragged her all the way in with ease and sat up, pulling Jotou onto solid ground.
Jotou panted and winced, seeing whites around her eyes. Fumeko got up whimpering. Jotou faintly giggled, allowing Fumeko to give the glint of a proud smirk but the problem wasn’t over.
"Come on, we gotta get their attention as quick as possible. We need to get Hotaru or Feyan," Fumeko grabbed Jotou through the underside of her arms and began dragging her northwards, slowly but surely.
Jotou saw the face of a bleeding brunette and the bright blue sky. She smiled... "So stubborn... Thank you..." and that was all the strength she had left.
"Jotou? Jotou! I need to hurry!!!"
Her eyes closed.
