Chapter 70 - The Defense of Nielen and the Battle Beneath the Beam of Light
"They must have entered through the hole above. And then, they were sublimated by the holy power of the church," Maira explained. How can a power that sublimates monsters be considered holy?
"The only ones who come here to pray are humans, right? I'd appreciate it if that power was limited to them..." I really didn't think there was any need to grant blessings to monsters that just happened to show up.
"God grants blessings equally to all of creation," Maira said with a somewhat playful smile.
"Is that so? Next time, I'll be sure to tell Racshell to take better care of her followers."
"Are you sure about that? If you do, your own power might weaken."
"It's fine. I can't get any weaker than I already am."
Since I was nearly out of arrows, I drew my katana. In this space, the monsters wouldn't be able to fly freely.
"I wonder if the priest is alright?"
It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if he had been killed while we were fighting outside.
"He's fine, he must have escaped. There are no bodies or bloodstains in this room," Cecily answered, raising her staff.
"Burn to ash!"
Cecily launched a fireball. The swarm of Big Hoppers scattered to evade it. The battle had begun.
"Fam and I will take the pink one. Mizuki and Maira, clean up the minions."
I dashed toward the pink Big Hopper, but Fam shot past me, getting in front. Before she could enter the range of her sword, the pink creature leaped to dodge and clung to the ceiling.
"[Kikuichimonji]!"
Fam unleashed a vacuum wave, but the pink creature leaped again to move. I fired a stone sphere from my earth magic at its landing spot. It hit, but it didn't seem to do any damage. Fam switched to her kunai and threw them, but the pink creature jumped again, this time landing on the ground. Just as I was about to slash at it, a normal Big Hopper slammed into me from the side.
"Damn it!"
I took a heavy impact and fell, but somehow managed to get back up. Aira's healing magic immediately enveloped me. Looking around, I saw that we were all fighting separately. Fam and I had been drawn out and were now isolated. Fam was still chasing the pink one, while Mizuki and Maira were fighting on opposite sides. Cecily and Aira were by the entrance, trying to support us, but a normal Big Hopper had slipped into the space between them and the front line and was about to attack them. There was also the one that had body-slammed me right in front of me.
"Fam, just keep the boss busy. Prioritize defense. Change of plans. We're taking out the minions first."
"Yes, sir!"
I heard Fam's reply. I was worried about Cecily and Aira being surrounded, but I couldn't move until I dealt with the enemy in front of me. Before I could even assume a proper stance, the monster charged me again. I countered with a downward diagonal slash. I felt the blade slice through it, but it didn't stop the monster's charge. I was knocked down by the impact once more. The damage was less than when I was caught by surprise. I quickly stood up. The monster I was facing vanished. So there are monster-type individuals mixed in with the biological ones. I immediately turned to help Cecily and Aira. Aira was fending off two monsters with her mace. I slashed at one of them from behind. Seeing my move, Aira struck and defeated the other one. The monster disintegrated.
"You alright?" I called out.
"Not alright! I'm going to burn that pink thing, so stop it from moving!" Cecily was angry.
The number of normal Big Hoppers was down to five. There was no sign of more enemies entering from the hole in the ceiling. It was annoying when they jumped and stuck to the ceiling, but I figured that once we dealt with the normal ones, taking down the pink one with all six of us wouldn't be too difficult. Just then, the pink creature, having slipped past Fam's attacks, spread its wings and began to buzz, calling for its allies. The space distorted, and five more Big Hoppers appeared from it.
"""What?!"""
Me, Cecily, and Aira cried out in unison. It was a nightmare. At this rate, we'd just be worn down endlessly.
"Mash, go to Fam! I'll protect Cecily. But don't expect any support from me."
"Mash, just stop that pink thing from moving, whatever it takes!"
My body was enveloped in a soft light. The damage from the last body slam faded away. Spurred on by Aira and Cecily's voices, I headed toward Fam. But what could I do?
I looked at the hole in the ceiling. It couldn't be more than ten meters in diameter. We couldn't let the pink one escape through there. It would unleash even more disaster upon the city. I scanned the surrounding space. It was a cylindrical room with a hemispherical roof. The diameter was about forty meters, and the height was about the same. Its counterpart in our world was said to be made entirely of concrete, with thick walls to maintain its structural integrity. Was this building the same? We needed to corner the pink creature somewhere.
"Master, I've managed to slash it a few times, but it's harder than the normal ones. My blade won't go through," Fam said, panting, her shoulders heaving. Healing magic was restoring her, but the fatigue from the earlier battle must have been accumulating. Still, her will to fight seemed undiminished.
"Fam, I have a plan."
"Yes?"
"I'm going to have Cecily snipe this thing."
"From where? The enemy is agile. If it's within her line of sight, it will dodge."
As Fam spoke, she slashed at the pink creature. Even her sharp blow was easily evaded. The pink creature showed no sign of going on the offensive. It was focused on defense, waiting for us to wear ourselves out. To change the tide, we needed to stop the movement of its wings and legs, but that was the difficult part. Assuming the Big Hopper had compound eyes like a normal locust, its field of view would be wide and its motion detection superb. Even if she launched magic from behind a pillar, there was a high chance it would be detected.
"The hole in the ceiling. She'll snipe it from within the light. The best time would be when it stops to summon its allies. But to get there, she'll have to go out onto the roof, where she might be attacked by the Big Hoppers outside. I need you to protect her and get her there."
They could get to the roof using the internal staircase. They wouldn't be attacked on the way up since they'd be surrounded by walls. The problem was when they emerged onto the roof. They would have to walk across the dome-shaped roof to reach the hole in the ceiling. If a fight broke out on the roof, the nimble Fam would be the most capable of handling it.
"Then who will keep the pink one busy in the meantime?"
Fam slashed again. The pink creature leaped behind us.
"I will."
"..." Her silence told me she didn't trust me.
"I know what you're thinking. But once Cecily is safe, Aira will be free to move. She can fight more fluidly, and we can reduce the number of minions. So please, make it quick."
"Understood."
"If there are too many enemies and you can't advance, don't force it. Come back, and we'll think of another plan."
Fam nodded and backed away.
I now faced the pink Big Hopper. I launched a stone sphere at its eyes. As the pink creature sensed it and began to move, I timed my slash to intercept it, but my blade cut through empty air. It was fast. It was about my height and twice my length. Despite being twice the size of a normal one, it moved with a weightlessness that was unsettling. I wanted to land at least one hit to support Cecily. As I was thinking that, a normal Big Hopper slammed into me from the right. I dodged the attack and, in the same motion, cut the creature down with a drawing slash across its torso. The entire sequence flowed perfectly. Getting cocky, I closed the distance to the pink creature. The pink one leaped backward. As I closed in further, it leaped over me and landed behind me. Suppressing my irritation, I crept toward the pink creature. Just as I entered the one-step, one-strike distance, the enemy leaped again. I jumped in response and swung my katana, but my blade met only air. I glanced around and saw Mizuki fighting alone, while Maira and Aira were paired up against the normal individuals. The number of monsters was down to four. The pink creature leaped far back and once again spread its wings and began to buzz. There was no signal that Fam and Cecily had reached the hole in the ceiling. I dove in and swung my katana. The monster's reaction was a split second too late, and my blade caught the carapace on its head. But the cut was shallow. I thought to land another blow as the monster retreated, but instead, it charged straight at me. I tried to block the attack with my blade, but I wasn't fast enough. As I fell, the monster pounced on top of me, pinning me down.
"Damn it all!"
I struggled, but its forelegs held me down, and I couldn't break free. With me immobilized, the monster thrust its sharp mandibles forward, trying to crush my head. I barely managed to pull my head back and dodge the blow.
"Mash!"
I heard someone shout. In that instant, the monster on top of me vanished. No, it hadn't vanished. Mizuki had come to my rescue. The monster had leaped away to dodge her attack, freeing me.
"Come on, get it together!"
I took her hand and got to my feet. Just then, I heard the sound of metal hitting the floor. Looking down, I saw a kunai. Mizuki pointed the tip of her sword at the pink creature.
"Honestly, after fighting the same enemy this many times, you'd think even I could learn how to beat it!"
"Huh?"
I looked around and saw that only two normal individuals remained, with Maira and Aira fighting them one-on-one. What am I, then, if I don't feel like I've grown at all? I had no choice but to ride Mizuki's coattails and pretend I'd grown too, pointing my own blade at the pink creature just like her. We both slashed at it simultaneously, and the pink creature leaped behind me. It was now right in the position where the Beam of Light was pouring down. It spread its wings and began to summon its allies. Mizuki rushed to press the attack, but I stopped her.
"Cecily!"
The moment I shouted, a massive fireball descended from the ceiling and rained down upon the pink Big Hopper.
"KISHAAAAA—!"
The monster's shriek echoed through the hall. Mizuki and I lunged at the dying creature and delivered the final blows. Maira and Aira had also finished off the remaining monsters.
The priest, along with Maira and Aira, was purifying the pink creature's remains. The priest had conveniently popped out as soon as our battle was over. I wanted to complain, but he was an old man, so I let it slide. Then again, I had also pushed my old body to its limits fighting. Fam and Cecily had returned as well.
"Hmph, hmmph!"
Cecily stood before me with a huge grin on her face. A real look of triumph.
"How were the monsters outside?"
I deliberately changed the subject.
"Hey, that's not what you're supposed to say! That's not it at all!"
Cecily put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. I wrapped my arms around her in a hug.
"You were amazing. That's our Cecily! You and your magic are the absolute best!"
"Gah! H-Hey, stop it! It's embarrassing!"
Cecily pushed me away with her arms and backed off. Then what did she want me to do? Aira stopped her purification rites to watch us. When she noticed my gaze, she quickly resumed her work.
"So, how was it outside?"
I was still curious, so I asked again. Looking around, I saw four magic seeds on the floor. I gathered them up. My eyes met the priest's. With a sigh, I gave him one as a donation. No doubt about it. This is the guy who touched Hyakka's butt.
"The monsters around the church have thinned out. It seems they've moved to other locations. We could see the whole city from the roof, and it looks like the entire place is under attack. But the center of the fighting seems to be the western wall," Fam reported.
"Does it look like it's ending?"
"I don't know. But it seems like it will continue for a while longer."
I nodded at Fam. I wondered if the Mateo Trading Company, the Wandering People, and Hyakka's group were alright. I was worried, but we couldn't leave here just yet.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, thank you very much. It encourages me. I'll do my best. And thank you very much for pointing out the typos.