Chapter 263 - The Battle for Migul and the Fight with Clovis
The square echoed with the clang of sword strikes, even more intense than before Racshell’s arrival.
The beastkin mobile unit had joined the fight between the Wandering People and the Crimson Brigade. In the midst of that chaos were Fam, holding Sameim, and Maira, who was treating them both. Before I could even move to rescue them, they were about to be swallowed by the vortex of battle, but Tursa quickly assessed the situation and ordered soldiers from his unit to protect them.
“Tursa, what about the church? Why are you here…?”
“The church has been liberated. This plan was your design, Mash-dono. However, leading an army to execute it requires skill and training. Myself, Lady Merianne, and you, Mash-dono… In other words, this location is our weak point.”
He couldn’t have predicted this exact situation, but he had the intuition of the dog-eared race’s strongest knight. Anticipating my mistake, he had moved his troops. After liberating the church, they didn’t return to Merianne’s main force but instead headed for us at the Crystal Garden.
His soldiers must have been at the height of exhaustion after fighting since yesterday. However, partly due to the element of surprise, the mobile unit’s morale was high, and their combat power and destructive force were tremendous. The Wandering People joined the fray, and together they began to push back the Crimson Brigade.
“Tursa, be careful. Their leader is a transfer student. He uses a special skill.”
“I will leave the true vengeance to you, Mash-dono.”
He smiled, his face twisting, and cut down an approaching enemy soldier with a single stroke.
I turned my gaze back to Clovis.
He stood with his sword hanging loosely at his side. Slightly behind him stood the adventurer-like man, and further back, the demon woman held her staff at the ready. Oi was still curled up with her back to us. She consistently refused to participate in the battle. If she was being forced to fight, it might be worth trying to persuade her.
And Yuuki was still collapsed. Oi’s special skill could heal physical wounds, but it seemed it couldn’t restore mana.
On our side, Mizuki stood next to me. Aira had moved back to protect the rear. Behind her, Cecily and Marmie were preparing spells.
Mizuki seemed to have completely regained her composure. She gripped her sword with a natural strength.
“I’m glad we got to hear Racshell’s side of the story,” Mizuki muttered.
“You mean about when we were transferred? I wish I’d never known. Because of her meddling, I really thought you had fallen for me…”
It was the height of arrogance. I felt ashamed and shut my mouth.
“There was nothing between us. It wasn’t because of anyone’s will or intentions. We’re together because of our own feelings. So this is fine.”
“Don’t just decide that on your own. My questions haven’t been answered! Why were you trying so desperately to shut Racshell up?”
“I don’t know. More importantly, what’s this about a way to return to our original world?”
“We’ll talk about that later. Right now, we’re talking about you. Don’t change the subject!”
“I forgot!”
Mizuki said, turning her sword toward Clovis.
“I’ll get it out of you someday.”
I too raised my katana to a ready position.
“Surrender. I can still use Goddess Summon. Even if one of you can use a special skill, you don’t have the power to defeat us.”
At my words, Clovis remained silent, merely tightening his grip on his sword. I watched his reaction as I slowly closed the distance.
“Also, about that Ark you’re trying to assemble. One of the stone tablets is in my storage. If I die, it’ll just reappear in some treasure chest in a dungeon somewhere. It’ll be a pain to wander around looking for it, won’t it?”
Clovis stared at me intently. Until now, he had completely looked down on me, acting as if I wasn't even in his line of sight. But now, I could feel his focus.
However, even after cornering him this much, he showed no signs of surrendering. He still believed he could make things go his way. His gaze was that strong.
“You are being deceived by the goddess Racshell,” Clovis said, breaking the silence.
“I’m not being deceived. In the first place, Racshell hasn’t given me enough information to be deceived by.”
“Come under my command. I can hear the words of the gods correctly. I can guide you correctly.”
“Correctly? You can hear the oracles of the Fifty Gods of the elves, was it? But you, who warns that the goddesses are deceiving us, how can you say that your god is the correct one?”
“I do not trust the words of the gods. I have lived in this world for over seven hundred years. I possess the wisdom of this world, and of the elven race.”
The clash of swords grew louder. The Crimson Brigade had us surrounded from a distance, so their battle with the mobile unit was taking place a little ways away from us. But as the fighting intensified, the battlefield expanded, drawing ever closer.
Come to think of it, Hyakka and the group they were fighting had disappeared. The group of adventurers who had been on the dais was gone too.
We needed to end this quickly. My hand gripping the katana was slick with sweat.
“In other words, what you’re trying to do is nothing more than your own brand of justice. You said, ‘This world belongs to us who live in it,’ right? Many have died in this civil war. Were they included in your ‘us’? For that matter, we aren’t included in your ‘us.’ And neither is Yuuki, collapsed over there, or the girl cowering over there, right?”
“What I am saying is not wrong. I am concerned for the future of this world, and I am simply warning you.”
“Is that so? Well, sorry, but I’m going to protect my friends here. I’m going to protect my small world.”
At those words, the corner of Clovis’s mouth twisted.
“Then how about we settle which of us is right with a duel? The winner’s word will be law.”
“Whether we fight as a party or in a duel, I’ll just use Goddess Summon. No matter how much the damage escalates, I’ll slaughter every last one of you, including the mercenaries you brought.”
It was a proposal not even worth considering. I twisted my lips into a smile and returned his gaze.
“You went to the Adventurer’s Guild before coming here, didn’t you?”
Clovis’s eyes narrowed.
“What of it?”
“There were transfer students summoned by the goddess locked in the dungeon, weren’t there? Are they included among your comrades?”
“You…”
I glared at Clovis. The memory of Rinko and Airi’s wounded figures made anger well up inside me.
“If you agree to a sword fight, I will tell you how to suppress the effects of the slave crests placed on those two.”
Clovis took out two bracelets. They were the same as the ones Ilisarie had put on my arm yesterday. They looked to be made of brass, were wide, and had geometric patterns etched into their surfaces.
“The bracelets that disable magic, right? Do they also have the power to block the effects of a slave crest?”
“You catch on quick. If you fight me and win, you get both of these bracelets.”
Clovis nodded, but I couldn’t trust him. However, it seemed I had no choice but to trust him.
“We will each wear one of these and fight. We will each hold the key to the other’s.”
He tossed me one of the bracelets and a key. I reached out and caught them. They were cold and surprisingly heavy.
“So, if I defeat you, I can unlock the bracelet, and if I use this on Rinko and the others, it will seal the effects of the slave crests. Is that it?”
I hadn't noticed before, but there was a small hole in the bracelet. It must be a keyhole. The key also seemed to be made of brass. However, if I prepared the magic key from my storage in advance, this key would be unnecessary.
As I was about to put on the bracelet, Mizuki stopped me.
“There’s no need to accept a duel. We can just fight him all together and take them by force.”
“I know. I know, but…”
I looked at the buildings surrounding the square. Most of their windows were broken, their facades were cracked, and the plaster was peeling off.
From the shadows of those buildings, figures could be seen watching us. They were residents who had been confined to the buildings since yesterday by Clovis’s rebel army, forbidden from going outside. Amid the clamor of battle, they probably couldn't hear our conversation from this distance. However, considering the need to calm the situation afterward, I wanted to avoid anything that would look bad.
More than anything, I just didn’t like this guy, Clovis.
“His main skill is magic. He’s offering to seal that himself and fight.”
“But your swordsmanship relies on circulating your magic, doesn’t it?” Mizuki whispered.
I pressed the magic key I’d taken from my storage against the stone tablet, concealing it.
“Mash, if you’re accepting a duel, I’ll go. I’m stronger.”
“But you’ll lose the effects of your special skills, won’t you? Leave it to me.”
With that, I gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Clovis gripped his rapier and swung it in a practice motion, sweeping it across the ground at his feet.
A sharp sound of air being sliced echoed.
After pulling the sword back to his chest, he raised it in a ready stance, pointing it at me. Its tip glinted in the sunlight.
Levante and the Messiah group formed a circle, surrounding me and Clovis.
The demon woman kept glancing back at the battle between the beastkin mobile unit and the Crimson Brigade. The tide had turned decisively in favor of the mobile unit. That much was clear from the number of fallen mercenaries in red hoods.
On the other hand, the adventurer-like man watched us calmly. He possessed the skill to fight Maira on equal terms with a sword, and it felt like he still had hidden power in reserve.
I relaxed my grip, wiped the sweat from my hands on my clothes, and gripped the hilt again. It was a sword forged by Aidan and reforged by Petra. The hilt was now much easier to grip.
I exhaled deeply, then slowly drew air into my lungs. I remembered Merianne’s words and tried to channel the magic circulating within my body into the blade, but it didn’t work. This was the effect of the bracelet.
My eyes met Marmie's.
“…Even with just swordsmanship, Clovis is ten times stronger than Mash.”
“You think I’m going to lose?”
She nodded at my words.
“…So, don’t lose.”
Receiving Marmie’s words, which were hard to tell if they were insults or encouragement, I was about to assume a ready stance towards Clovis.
In that instant, the hem of his robe fluttered faintly, and in the next moment, he had closed the distance with a great leap. Like a ferocious crow swooping down on its prey, he instantly closed the gap between us and swung his sword.
I leaned back, and the tip of the sword passed just in front of my eyes. As I planted my back foot to regain my balance, Clovis brought his sword down on me.
I instinctively raised my katana to block the blow. A sharp metallic sound rang out.
As I tried to knock his sword away from the deadlock, Clovis’s knee shot out and slammed into my solar plexus.
“Kuh!”
The heavy blow sent me flying backward. I tried to plant my feet to avoid falling, but they found no purchase, and I landed on my rear. A flurry of follow-up strikes, one, two, rained down on me. I rolled away to evade them and got to one knee.
If Clovis had continued his assault, I planned to sweep his legs out from under him, but he stopped his attack, taking a moment to catch his breath and re-aiming his sword at me.
In that pause, I pushed off my knee and stood up. Just as I was about to ready my katana again, a sharp pain shot through my arm. I looked down to see my clothes torn and a deep gash carved into my flesh. I hadn’t completely dodged Clovis’s sword. Each of his strikes was sharp, like a flash of lightning.
The cold sweat trickling down my back told me that my ragged breathing wasn’t just from the continuous fighting since yesterday.
In contrast, Clovis was calm. He watched me with a quiet gaze that seemed to see through everything.
“Mash…”
The moment I heard Mizuki’s voice, Clovis’s body blurred.
He thrust his sword, sliding its blade along my own as it pointed at his heart.
His blade was inches from my throat when I twisted my body to dodge it, but a second strike immediately came down on my head. I blocked it with my katana.
We were in the same deadlock as before. This time, before he could land a knee strike, I twisted my katana and went to strike his face with the pommel.
Clovis’s face contorted slightly as he pushed me away to dodge. Then he retreated to create distance.
I didn’t let him get away and charged in, but he deflected my attack with his sword.
And then, the distance between us was restored.
I suddenly felt a pain in my head. I raised my hand and felt a slick wetness as blood dripped down my forehead. I hadn’t fully blocked his last attack.
“Clovis, you’re strong… but I’m going to be the one to win.”
“What are you talking about?! That’s not something you say when you’re out of breath and on the verge of losing!”
Instead of a reply from Clovis, a heckle from Cecily flew my way. I wanted to tell her to shut up, but my breath caught in my throat, and I had to stifle a cough.
Just then, Aira, next to Cecily, plopped down on the ground. Her dark eyes, staring intently at me, felt strangely nostalgic.
It was just like when she used to watch my training with Avea during our time with the caravan. Maira sat down next to her. Then Fam sat next to Maira. They had returned at some point. They didn’t look sad. Sameim must have pulled through.
Mizuki sat down close to them, and Cecily shouted, “Not fair!” and sat down too.
Only Marmie was left standing, looking bewildered by their actions. It was as if they had forgotten this was a battlefield. A smile involuntarily crept onto my face.
“Feeling confident, are we…?”
I turned my gaze back at Clovis’s words.
“Killing you will not eliminate the chaos, but it will eliminate the influence of the goddesses.”
“Killing one person isn’t going to change the world!”
I took a ready stance and slowly closed the distance. He was strong. He was confident in his victory. That’s why he didn’t press his attack, which would increase uncertainties, but instead chose attacks that had a low probability of him getting hurt.
When I entered his one-step, one-strike range, I raised the tip of my sword slightly, as if inviting him in.
Seeing this as an opening, Clovis kicked off the pavement and leaped forward. The tip of his blade glinted as it slid toward my throat.
It was a sharp, fast strike. However, its trajectory was identical to his previous attack.
I reached out with my left hand to grab the tip of his sword.
Clovis’s sword easily pierced my palm and continued toward my throat.
Enduring the searing pain, I twisted my body to dodge the strike, pushed my hand forward, and grabbed the hilt of Clovis’s sword.
“You bastard!”
Clovis roared and put all his strength into trying to pull his sword back.
With the katana in my other hand, I thrust it into Clovis’s stomach.
“You underestimated me. I’ve fought monsters way stronger than you time and time again!”
Clovis’s eyes widened. Blood trickled from his half-open mouth.
And then, his body crumpled to the ground.