Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 147: Running Away- Part 3

Auriel crouched behind the thick stone wall at the village’s edge, her fingers itching to summon a teleportation spell. Sneaking out of this place should have been easy—she was a goddess, after all. A simple flick of her wrist, a spark of divine energy, and she and Lina would be long gone before anyone could stop them.

Or at least, that had been the plan.

Auriel exhaled and focused, reaching inward for her divine power. She willed it to surface, to ignite like it always did.

Nothing happened.

She scowled, trying again, pouring more concentration into the effort.

Still nothing.

A bitter taste settled in her mouth. You have got to be kidding me.

She clenched her jaw and tried one last time, but it was like grasping at smoke—her power simply wasn’t there. The realization sent a sharp frustration through her. She had known she was weakened after what happened with the dungeon, but she had never been completely drained like this before.

This wasn’t just exhaustion. This was different.

Auriel inhaled through her nose, forcing herself to stay calm. Fine. If I can’t use my powers, I’ll just do this the old-fashioned way.

She turned to Lina, who was standing beside her, silent as ever. The girl’s expression was unreadable, as if she wasn’t particularly concerned about their situation.

"We’re running," Auriel muttered, already moving.

Lina simply nodded and followed.

They crept through the shadows, weaving between narrow alleyways and abandoned side paths. The village was quiet this late at night, with most demons either asleep or too preoccupied to notice them. Auriel kept her steps light, her senses sharp, listening for any sign that they’d been spotted.

For a moment, it seemed like they were in the clear.

Then—

"Stop!"

Auriel’s stomach dropped.

An elder stood a short distance away, staring directly at them. His wrinkled face twisted in shock before quickly settling into determination.

"You think you can just leave?"

His voice rang out, firm and demanding.

Auriel cursed under her breath.

The elder narrowed his eyes, stepping forward.

"The goddess must remain here. We cannot afford to lose you."

Auriel gritted her teeth.

"Not happening."

The elder’s expression darkened.

"Then you leave me no choice."

Auriel felt it before she saw it—the unmistakable pressure of magic building in the air. The elder was preparing to cast something.

’Not good.’

Auriel grabbed Lina’s wrist and bolted.

"Run!"

They sprinted through the village, weaving through winding paths in an attempt to shake their pursuer.

But the elder wasn’t alone.

As soon as his voice rang out, other demons took notice.

More figures emerged from their homes, some still groggy from sleep, but their gazes sharpened as they registered what was happening.

"Don’t let them escape!"

Someone shouted.

Auriel swore under her breath. The last thing she wanted was to turn this into a full-blown chase, but it looked like she had no choice.

Her legs burned as she pushed herself faster, gripping Lina’s wrist tightly to keep her close.

The younger girl wasn’t struggling to keep up, but Auriel could feel the tension in her movements.

"Are you alright?"

Auriel huffed, glancing at Lina as they rounded a corner.

"I’m fine."

Lina answered, her voice steady.

Auriel was relieved but had no time to respond.

A sudden force slammed into the ground behind them, sending dust and debris flying. Auriel coughed, forcing herself to keep moving.

The elders were serious about stopping her—too serious.

The worst part? If she had her powers, this would be a joke. But without them, she was forced to rely on speed alone.

Unfortunately, even that wasn’t enough.

Within moments, their path was cut off.

Auriel skidded to a halt as several demons stepped into view, blocking the exit. More footsteps echoed behind them.

They were cornered.

Auriel’s mind raced.

’Think. Think. Think.’

One of the elders stepped forward, his expression grim.

"You should have never tried to leave, Goddess Auriel. We need you."

Auriel clenched her fists.

"I don’t belong here."

"Whether you belong or not is no longer the question. You are too valuable to let go."

Her frustration boiled over. She had never been the type to let others dictate her life. No one—not gods, not demons, not mortals—no one got to decide her fate for her.

And yet, here she was, powerless, outnumbered, and trapped.

’Damn it.’

Auriel refused to surrender. If they thought she would go quietly, they had another thing coming. She tightened her grip on her staff, ready to fight even if she had to rely on sheer willpower alone.

But before she could act—

A sharp gust of wind sliced through the air.

A blur of motion. A flash of silver.

And then—

The nearest elder was sent flying.

Auriel barely had time to register what had happened before a familiar figure landed in front of her, her sword gleaming in the moonlight.

Seraphina.

The demon’s tail flicked in irritation as she rolled her shoulders, casually planting her sword into the ground. "Honestly. You’d think the whole village would know better than to try and keep a god prisoner."

Auriel’s breath caught in her throat.

"Seraphina?"

The demon smirked over her shoulder.

"You really thought I was just going to let you leave without some kind of backup?"

Auriel blinked, still processing.

"But you—"

Seraphina cut her off.

"Yeah, yeah, I said I wanted you gone, but this?"

She motioned to the gathered elders.

"This is just pathetic." frёewebηovel.cѳm

The demons hesitated, clearly uncertain now that Seraphina had entered the fray.

"You dare interfere?"

One of the elders hissed.

Seraphina raised an eyebrow.

"You dare try to keep her here by force?"

She jerked her chin toward Auriel.

"Do you want to die?"

The tension in the air crackled. The demons, once so confident, suddenly found themselves second-guessing their actions.

Auriel, on the other hand, felt relief flood her chest.

Seraphina turned back to her with a lazy grin.

"Ready to go?"

Auriel exhaled. Then, for the first time in what felt like forever, she grinned back.

"Hell yes."

With Seraphina leading the way, they broke through the demon’s blockade. The elders, too shocked to act, hesitated just long enough for them to escape into the night.

Auriel didn’t stop running until the village was far behind them.

Finally, when they reached a clearing outside the village, they stopped to catch their breath.

Seraphina crossed her arms, shooting Auriel a look.

"You owe me for that one."

Auriel smirked.

"Put it on my tab."

Lina, still silent, simply watched them.

Auriel glanced at her, then at Seraphina, then back toward the distant village.

Finally, finally—

She was free.

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