Chapter 254 - The Battle for Migul and the End of a Bloody Fight
The flames created by Zeno dyed my entire field of vision red.
Even trying to escape was impossible; the violent gale made it difficult just to stand.
The torrent of heat scorched my entire body, my vision distorted, and it felt as though even my thoughts were being incinerated.
And yet, as if that scene and sensation were a mere illusion, there was one person who walked with light footsteps.
Her wavy black hair was tossed about by the gale, and the veil that had covered her face was burned away by the flames, revealing her true features.
"Karpana…"
"Mash, stay by my side."
Karpana began to dance with graceful movements, as if she were wearing the torrent of flames like a robe.
She quietly raised her hands as if to hide her face, then gently spread her arms as if to melt into the flickering flames. In the midst of the intense hot wind, her figure wavered like a shadow puppet, and in the next moment, she had become a gust of wind herself.
She stood lightly on her toes on the swirling wave of fire that threatened to swallow everything, drawing a gentle spiral like a ripple. As if riding that melody, her black hair also swayed and danced, faintly dyed by the crimson of the flames.
The torrent of fire eventually began to flow along with her movements, changing its course as if it had gained a will of its own.
When Karpana spread her arms wide, the flames were guided into a swell, then calmed into gentle, undulating waves. She elegantly extended her fingertips, drawing in the flames as if to entangle them, and stood on her toes, spinning her body as if to wind them up.
The flames still raged, cutting off our escape route, but the scorching torrent subsided like a receding tide. The heat calmed, and my vision cleared.
"To sense the flow of mana and change its course… This is… the Dance of the Sun Priestess…"
Elisha murmured in astonishment.
Like her, I stared with my mouth agape, captivated by Karpana's dance.
"Mash, now!"
Karpana's voice brought me back to my senses. I gripped my sword and charged towards Zeno.
I swung down from a high guard in a diagonal slash, but it was easily parried. Undeterred, I struck a second and third time, but they too were parried.
Zeno wielded the two-handed sword with one arm, and while his movements seemed rough and careless at first glance, he accurately read my movements and stopped my attacks.
I tried to leap backward to reset, but at that moment, Zeno stepped in and slashed at me in response.
"Kuh!"
I barely managed to parry the sword, but my feet got tangled and I nearly fell.
"Die!"
Just as Zeno was about to bring his sword down, Ilisarie leaped in with perfect timing and deflected it. In the next moment, the two of them began a fierce exchange of blows.
I wanted to strike through a gap in their sword fight.
I watched for an opening, but Zeno skillfully used his body to prevent me from joining the fray.
Like Clovis, Zeno must have mastered multiple professions. He had mastered magic, and his swordsmanship was also at a master's level. It was something only a long-lived race like the elves could achieve. The only one who could stand against him was Ilisarie, another elf, but she too was beginning to be pushed back by Zeno's brute strength.
"Why… he should still have the wounds I gave him earlier…"
He must be under the effects of the physical enhancement magic he had cast on Samheim, and the immortality magic he had cast on his and Ilisarie's soldiers. His movements showed no signs of weakening.
I tried to shoot an Icicle with water magic, but it evaporated instantly due to the surrounding heat.
"Then… how about this?!"
I unleashed multiple water spheres with water magic. They burst like explosions, sending up strong pillars of fire and steam. Enduring the heat, I advanced through the steam and closed in on Zeno.
He was a little slow in tracking my movements. We swung our weapons at almost the same time.
A split second faster, I slashed Zeno's side in a horizontal sweep. A moment later, Zeno's sword swung, but its trajectory was off, and it sliced my cheek.
"Guh…"
With Zeno's muffled cry, his blood splattered in the mist. But my blow must have been shallow as well. Zeno didn't fall, but instead raised his two-handed sword for another attack.
Seizing the opportunity while Zeno's attention was completely on me, Ilisarie swung her rapier down.
Her sword cut deeply from Zeno's shoulder to his chest, and then, Zeno collapsed.
We stood there, panting with ragged breaths.
"…Mash, next time you have a plan like that, you should tell me beforehand."
Ilisarie muttered, looking down at the fallen Zeno.
The flames surrounding us hadn't subsided, but with the caster in this state, they would eventually die down.
"Are you sure about this? Zeno was your…"
Before I could finish, Ilisarie shook her head.
"It's fine. This way…"
Just as she started to speak, Zeno's body moved. He pointed his finger at Ilisarie. In that instant, her entire body was engulfed in flames.
"Ilisarie!"
In surprise, she reached a hand out towards Zeno.
I hastily cast water magic on her. But, just like before, the flames only grew stronger, burning fiercely and sending up a cloud of steam.
I just needed to get the flames clinging to her body off. I needed more water, enough to wash away even more intense flames. I tried to create more water with my magic.
"Mash, it's fine…"
Her voice was tinged with resignation. She backed away so the flames wouldn't spread to me.
"Don't be ridiculous! You're always saying whatever you want! Of course it's not fine!"
"No, Mash, this is for the best…"
With those words, Ilisarie threw herself on top of Zeno. The flames surrounding her transferred to him, becoming a single, massive inferno.
"Guaaaaaah!"
Zeno's scream-like cry echoed.
The flames that still enveloped us raged on. Karpana was controlling them, so we were safe from the torrent in our immediate vicinity, but they showed no sign of weakening.
I wanted to call for help to save Ilisarie, but I couldn't think of a way to extinguish the flames. They would probably die out when he died, but Ilisarie's body wouldn't last that long.
Karpana was at her limit just stopping the vortex of flames. Seeking help, I looked at Elisha, but she just gripped her staff, her face grim as she shook her head.
Just then, the flames enveloping Zeno and Ilisarie vanished.
I looked back at them. Zeno pushed Ilisarie aside and slowly rose to his feet. The wound on his stomach I had just inflicted, the wound on his shoulder, were already closing. The arrow wounds he had received earlier had also disappeared.
He raised his head and glared at me. His once handsome face was now etched with deep wrinkles, his teeth clenched tightly, and the flames that should have been extinguished were raging in the depths of his eyes.
"Mash… I'll kill you…"
"The feeling's mutual. Zeno, I'm going to kill you."
Just as I was about to ready my sword in a middle guard, Zeno threw away the two-handed sword he was holding.
The sword flew like an arrow and pierced Karpana's side.
Her dance stopped, and she collapsed, crouching. The flames she had been suppressing roared back to life, dancing and closing in on us.
"Karpana!"
"Mash, I'll take care of her!"
Elisha ran to Karpana's side.
Then, as my attention was diverted to the two of them, Zeno moved. In his hand, Ilisarie's rapier had appeared from somewhere.
I raised my sword to block his swing, but I was a breath too late. The impact on my shoulder sent a jolt of intense pain through my entire body. Enduring the pain, I leaped back to create distance, but Zeno unleashed a fire spell at me.
"Damn it…!"
I instinctively covered my face with my arm to withstand the heat, but the heat never came.
Elisha had put up a magical defensive barrier. That barrier, too, was consumed by the heat and vanished.
I gripped my sword to counterattack. The cut I had just received ached, but then, the pain suddenly subsided.
It wasn't Elisha's healing magic. Karpana, lying beside her, had extended a hand and was looking at me.
"Mash…"
She managed to force out the word.
"This is a pain."
Zeno muttered, then pointed his finger at Karpana and Elisha.
"Like I'll let you!"
I quickly closed the distance and slashed at his arm. Zeno pulled his hand back, but my blade reached it first. His severed arm fell to the ground.
"I've fought an immortal man like you before. If I cut it off, it can't regenerate, right?"
"Are you sure about that…?"
Zeno laughed and glanced down at his missing arm. Then, flesh grew from within, and his lost arm was regenerated. He spread his new hand, then clenched it into a fist, testing its condition.
"What…?!"
I could only stare in stunned silence. It was a terrifying regenerative ability that surpassed even Takemura's vampiric immortality. We had to escape this vortex of fire immediately. But if he could regenerate endlessly no matter how many times I cut him, escaping this situation would be difficult.
I ground my back teeth together.
"Mash… it's not… infinite…"
Ilisarie's fingertips twitched, and she slightly raised her head.
"Ilisarie! Just lie still. I'll save you. Elisha is here too. I'll get you to the church right away!"
"Mash, it's not infinite. The immortality ability… depends on the user's own mana. Zeno… took in the magic seeds and is using them as power… The flow of mana… gah!"
Ilisarie arched back slightly, her eyes widened, and then her face fell to the ground.
A sword was sticking out of her back. Zeno casually pulled it out and flicked his wrist as if to shake the blood from the blade.
"You bastard…"
I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly. Then, with all my strength, I kicked off the ground and charged at Zeno. He casually blocked the blow and parried it aside.
I slipped past Zeno, then stumbled from the momentum. He brought his sword down on me.
A loud clang of metal rang out.
I blocked his sword with my blade, but his follow-up attack gave me no time to regain my footing, and I rolled onto the stone pavement. The pavement was hot, and I felt a searing heat on my skin. I couldn't leave Karpana and Ilisarie lying in a place like this. But the difference in our swordsmanship skills was obvious, and my desperation was only making things worse.
Zeno pointed his sword at me.
"Surrender. You will be my hostage and get me to a safe place. Do that, and I will spare your life."
"Don't be ridiculous! As if I'd help a guy like you…"
A faint smile played on Zeno's lips as he heard my words.
"Is that wise? The priestess of the Wandering People and the great bishop of Migul will burn to death in these flames."
I swung my sword and knocked Zeno's blade aside. Then I stood up.
"Even if you take me hostage, it'll be meaningless. You'll just be killed in the end. You're the one who should surrender. I'll plead with them to at least spare your life."
"You underestimate yourself. Hero from another world, sent by the goddess."
"Shut up! I didn't ask for this!"
"Your relationship with Marianne, your de facto commander-in-chief. And the man who will support House Starunion now that Augustus is gone… your presence in this city carries immeasurable weight."
"Augustus isn't dead!"
"What did you say?"
Zeno's eyes widened slightly.
"Your whole plan is falling apart! Besides, even if I did agree to your terms and help you escape, you have no intention of letting me or anyone else here live, do you? In the first place, even if you escape this place, your future is already lost. Give up and surrender, Zeno."
"You are the one making the wrong choice, Mash. I won't do you any harm. Trust me."
He held out a hand as if to make peace.
"Zeno, I'm going to defeat you. Karpana, Elisha, and Ilisarie are all my women. I'll save them with my own hands."
His eyes narrowed. Then he stepped on Ilisarie.
"Ilisarie has no interest in you. All she has is lingering feelings for me."
"I don't give a damn! Get your foot off her! I was the last one to hold that woman! She's my woman!"
I charged again. I'll cut him down, sword and all. I swung my blade down with that thought, but the blow was lightly parried. I pressed forward and swung horizontally. Zeno retreated, and my blade cut through empty air.
"Damn it, if only I could land one blow… just one…"
I advanced slowly, gripping my sword. My head was filled with blood and I couldn't think straight. Just one blow on Zeno. But that desire was just spinning its wheels in the face of our skill difference.
"This should be enough, right?"
Suddenly, I heard the voice of Ilisarie, lying on the stone pavement. There was no pain in it, only a cold detachment.
And she was holding Zeno's ankle.
"Traitor, let go of me!"
Zeno tried to pull his leg away, but Ilisarie wouldn't let go.
"You were the one who betrayed me first. And you're the one who made my body like this, Zeno."
Zeno raised his sword to strike Ilisarie.
"Like I'll let you!"
I poured my mana into the tip of my sword, kicked off the pavement, and ran. Then, I struck Zeno's sword. A high-pitched metallic sound rang out, and the rapier broke in two, its tip grazing Ilisarie's body as it stabbed into the pavement.
"Zeno, I'm going to verify for myself whether you've truly become immortal!"
I cut Zeno in a diagonal slash, and then I continued to swing my sword with all my might. Eventually, Zeno collapsed to the ground.
"Damn you, Mash, you're coming with me! I'll use all my mana to burn this entire area to the ground!"
"Shut up and die already!"
I delivered the final blow, and Zeno collapsed. But the flames surrounding us didn't weaken; on the contrary, they blazed even higher.
I sheathed my sword and lifted Ilisarie into my arms. Elisha, lending a shoulder to Karpana, walked over to me. The flames were burning higher than ever, closing in to swallow us.
We huddled together, trying to escape to a place with even slightly weaker flames.
"I will use a defensive barrier spell. But I don't know how long it will hold…"
Elisha entrusted Karpana to me. With both Karpana and Ilisarie in my arms, I was unable to move. Elisha looked at the scene, then raised her staff.
"I need to apologize to you, Elisha. I was the one who, blinded by the prospect of quick money, sold the magic seeds to Zeno."
She smiled at my words.
"I see. In that case, we must think of this fire as a trial and endure it to the end. Mash's choices must always be the right ones."
After saying that, Elisha cast a magical defensive barrier. The vortex of flames pressed in, threatening to crush it. The force of the fire was blocked by the barrier and didn't reach us, but the searing heat still stung our skin.
Sweat trickled down her cheeks, but it evaporated before it could reach her chin, leaving a river of salt in its wake.
"Mash… you called me your woman earlier, didn't you?"
Hearing her words, my arms, holding the limp forms of Karpana and Ilisarie, tightened.
"Elisha, it's not like that. You see…"
As I scrambled to make an excuse, she looked at me, shook her head, and smiled.
"No, it's just as I said before. When Maira told me about you, I was envious. I want to travel with you too. I want to pursue what you seek, together. I want to fulfill Racshell-sama's wish with you. I wanted to meet you before anyone else…"
"Elisha…"
"I was happy when you called me your woman. I want to be like Maira…"
The barrier Elisha had erected was about to break. The torrent of flames was melting it, trying to crush it. There was nothing I could do but hold Karpana, Ilisarie, and Elisha tight.
"Mash. No, Mash-sama. I'm sorry. But, even at a time like this, I… Elisha is happy…"
The flames crushed the barrier. The torrent descended, threatening to swallow us. I held them close, trying to protect them, closed my eyes, and lowered my head.
I was enveloped in flames.
I braced myself as a last act of resistance, but the moment never came.
I timidly opened my eyes. The torrent of flames had vanished as if it had been a lie.
In its place, a single girl stood before us.
"…I'm glad I made it in time."
She let out a deep sigh and slowly lowered the wand she had been holding. Her long silver hair swayed. She rarely showed emotion, but she must have been in a hurry. Her eyes were faintly moist with tears, and her porcelain-white cheeks were unusually flushed.
"…Mash. I finally found you."
"Marmie… I was looking for you."
Marmie started to run. And she leaped into my arms.