kscans

Chapter 251 - The Siege of Miglutt and the Battle Against the Transferees

Komachi swiveled the turret of the 28cm howitzer, aiming it toward the Leafkraut Family estate. While we waited for the next barrage, we looked down upon the city from the top of the hill.

Both the northern and eastern sides of the city were wrapped in darkness and silence, but fires had erupted from Komachi's earlier bombardment. We'd even lit a bonfire to signal our presence, so the enemy must have long since realized that we'd used the cover of night to retake this government hill. I wondered if they could also see the flames and smoke billowing from their own stronghold.

Now, they would be forced to divert troops from their siege on the One-Land Family mansion in the south to deal with us. If they didn't, we would simply reduce their estate to ash with our one-sided shelling.

The enemy had their own Transferee, one who could demolish buildings with a giant battle-ax. He'd used it on Marina’s estate, but Special Skills required a massive amount of mana proportional to their destructive power, and they also had a cooldown period before they could be used again. My [Goddess Summon] took two days. I'd thought the time might shorten with experience, but it hadn't changed. I'd have to wait until tomorrow morning to use it again. How did the red-hooded man's 'Axe of Destruction' compare? I considered the possibility of it being used on the One-Land mansion.

Were there other Transferees besides him and Yuki fighting on the enemy's side?

"I wonder if this is how they conquered that fortified harbor..."

No one answered Komachi's murmur. I was lost in my own thoughts and let it pass, but she shot me a glare, her brow furrowed.

"Hey, I'm talking to you! The least you could do is answer!"

"Were you talking to me?"

"Of course I was. You're the only one here who gets references to our old world." She sniffed and turned her gaze back to the Leafkraut estate. Her partner, Takamura, was currently drifting through the Miglutt sky, suspended from a balloon and heading toward their mansion.

"You say 'fortified harbor,' but you've never actually seen it, have you?"

"I can imagine it!" Komachi shot back, but this place, while a hill, was only about fifty meters high. It was hardly what you could call high ground. I couldn't picture the harbor as it was a hundred years ago—strewn with naval mines and anti-submarine nets, its coast lined with cannons, its waters filled with a驻留 fleet. But since civilians lived there too, perhaps a similar night view was once visible from the mountains behind the city.

"They say elves are more skilled with magic than humans. You think they can block it like you guys did when you fought?"

"We were able to react that time because we confirmed the shot was coming. Basically, the only way to block a Special Skill is with another Special Skill. Even if there are Transferees in that mansion, they shouldn't be able to grasp the current situation." Komachi gave a small nod at my words.

"Firing!" she announced, raising her hand. As we covered our ears, she swung her arm down.

A deafening roar echoed through the air. The ground trembled slightly, and as I braced against the shockwave, I watched the Leafkraut estate.

Red flames shot up, followed by black smoke, and then a tremendous boom reverberated through the city. Komachi had hit her target on the first shot and was now thrusting her fist in the air. This made me wonder why Takamura had taken off in a balloon in the first place, but since no one else seemed to care, I decided to forget about it too.

I could see dark figures moving sporadically on the city streets. This was the fourth shockwave. They were probably growing anxious and fearful, hiding in their homes.

Next to me, Irisalie was observing the state of the city.

"Do you think Zeno and Clovis were in that mansion?" I asked. She shook her head and offered a faint smile.

"Zeno might have been. But not Clovis. He might even be heading this way with Yuki and the others, don't you think?" She tapped her chin with her index finger, feigning contemplation.

"Don't you have allies searching for you who might have snuck into that estate?"

"Not a chance. That's why I had her shell the Air-Ally estate first—because I knew there was no possibility of them sneaking in there. They know what this sound is. They even know how to defend against it. If they were inside the Leafkraut mansion, it wouldn't have gone up in flames like that." Still, I couldn't deny the possibility that they were exploring the mansion and didn't notice the cannon fire, or that they were engaged with the mansion's soldiers and couldn't put up a defense.

"Because of your methods, people uninvolved in the fighting are being caught in the crossfire and dying."

I studied Irisalie's expression. Was she trying to provoke me, to shake my resolve? It was too dark to see clearly, but her cheeks seemed drained of color.

"Do you want me to stop? You're right. It's an elven noble's home. Many of your kind will die. If I recall, your population is dwindling and on the brink of extinction, isn't it? And now, thanks to you, it's dwindled even more."

"My... responsibility?"

"Of course it is. If the elves of the Great Forest sent you here to plunge this city into a state of war, what kind of people are they? Your role was supposed to be putting out the fire. Yet, you seem completely unfazed by this situation. Isn't that because you orchestrated it yourself?" At my words, Irisalie's lips curled up ever so slightly.

"That's not quite right. The ones who instigated the rebellion were Zeno Leafkraut and Istvan Air-Ally. Istvan's goal is to strengthen human control over this city, with himself as king. He wants to suppress the city's independent spirit, reinforce ties with the Empire, and prepare for an invasion from the Demon Kingdom. Zeno's official reason is a backlash against the Star Union Family, which has long suppressed the Clovis family, and an expectation of reward for cooperating with Istvan. That's the gist of it."

"So Zeno's true reason for helping Istvan was the underlying conflict between the Star Union and Clovis families. The claim that this land originally belonged to the Clovis family. And if I remember correctly, you said you were here to stop the influence of Transferees on this world, and to secure and seal the contents of the Ark brought to this world—the stone tablets, the staff, and the Jar of Holy Oil."

The Ark was said to be on the lowest level of a dungeon in the Imperial capital. One of the stone tablets was taken from Akitsuki Uta's coffin by the Transferee Izaak, and the other, which was kept here in the government building, is now in my storage. The Jar of Holy Oil is a space connecting this world to others. The remaining staff was a scepter held by the emperor of the former empire, and is now said to be in the capital of the Demon Kingdom.

"I am not privy to all of their plans. They are a race that can hear the words of the gods. They are merely following those words."

"And you, bearing the will of the elven village in the Great Forest, cannot ignore that divine oracle. And because the Star Union Family are descendants of those exiled by the elves, you're siding with the Clovis family. Is that it?"

"That's right. For now, Mash, I am following you."

Her words made me frown.

"Following me? I thought you were monitoring me."

"If you think that, why haven't you restrained or banished me?"

"Because when Istvan, Zeno, and Clovis are dead, you're going to be the contact on the enemy side to end this war, right?"

"So you're treating me as a defector?"

"Well, you've literally defected from life, haven't you?" As I said that, Irisalie took my hand and placed it on her chest. I could feel a soft sensation and the beat of her heart.

"Are you truly immortal?"

"Probably the effect of Zeno's magic."

"Does that mean you'll die if the effect wears off?"

"I doubt it will come to that. The cause of death has been removed by the healing. But I can't use magic. It seems the immortality magic Zeno placed on this body wasn't designed with resurrection in mind. It remains active, constantly absorbing my mana. It's not a pleasant feeling." A rather inconvenient immortality, I thought. Was Irisalie on the verge of mana exhaustion? It sounded like the same phenomenon that occurs when I summon Laciel. And it meant she had tried to cast a spell at some point.

"Why did you let him cast a spell like that on you?"

"Curiosity."

"And sleeping with me, and sticking with me now?"

"Curiosity." She stared at me, and I moved the hand she'd placed on her chest.

"Hey!" Riley and Komachi, who had been watching us, shouted in unison.

Just as the second shot was fired, Maryanne arrived with her dog-eared knights.

"Istvan has split his forces and is heading for this government building," she reported. I nodded.

"What's their size?"

"Approximately one thousand men. Coming up the main stone staircase."

"So not their entire army?" If he sent everyone, the troops remaining at the mansion would strike his rear, catching him in a pincer. That's why he was leaving forces to surround the mansion. The One-Land army that had stormed the government building numbered five hundred. Those who escaped the surprise attack would have reported our numbers, so the enemy should know this.

"Alright, let's move to the next phase of the plan." Maryanne nodded at my words.

"Signal the ambush with a bonfire." At Maryanne's command, the dog-eared knights ran off.

"Alright, we should pull back too." Just as Komachi made the 28cm howitzer disappear, unfamiliar shadows emerged from the darkness. It was a group of six, dressed like adventurers.

"Who are you?!" Riley extended her claws and stepped in front of me protectively. Following her lead, Beers and Fang also gripped their weapons.

The woman leading the group pulled out her sword, a provocative smirk on her face as if mocking their stance. She looked to be around thirty, dressed like a warrior with a metal breastplate.

There were nine of us. We had the numerical advantage, but the woman's confidence likely stemmed from being a Transferee with a Special Skill. We backed away, creating distance between us and the group of six to avoid being wiped out by a surprise attack.

"Which one of you is the Transferee?" the woman asked, her eyes sizing each of us up. The only light here was the distant glow of the bonfire. I didn't think a stranger could pick us out.

First, I needed to get Maryanne, the overall commander, to safety. But she seemed eager for a fight, drawing her katana and stepping forward to take the lead.

"Hey, that's not your job. Remember your role!" I grabbed Maryanne's arm. Her eyes widened at me for a moment, but then she nodded.

"Please, be safe." She sheathed her katana, backed away, and then ran toward the government building.

"Hey, you think we'll just let her go?!" one of the enemies shouted, drawing a bow. Doris and Elisha moved into the line of fire, raising a defensive barrier.

"Tch. Fine, whatever. The one we have to take down is the Transferee. So, which one is it?" the woman said, licking her lips theatrically. I pointed at Takamura, who was flying toward us.

"Wait! Why did you tell them?!" Komachi yelled at me.

"What's the big deal? He's got that immortal Special Skill, right?"

"It doesn't work while he's flying!"

"It doesn't? Well, what are you doing, telling the enemy that?"

"Ugh, and here I am fighting for you..." The moment the enemy's attention shifted to Takamura, Riley and Fang moved simultaneously. Riley's claws and Fang's axe flew toward the woman at the front.

"Fools..." The woman took a step back, parrying the attack. But just then, as if timed perfectly, Beers closed in on her and swung his sword down.

"Too slow!" The blow I thought had surely landed was deflected by a defensive barrier from the enemy mage.

"Gah!" I couldn't tell whose cry it was. As Riley and the others tried to press their attack, the enemy archer loosed an arrow. Riley batted it away and charged forward again.

Her advance was stopped by a magical barrier that enveloped the enemy group. The semi-spherical wall looked like a transparent lens made of fluorite.

"You're the ones who attacked, and now you're gonna hide in a shell like that?!" Riley yelled. And at that moment...

"Special Skill, [Hedgehog Scale]!"

It wasn't the woman's voice. Someone else in her group had shouted it. Countless spikes shot out from the barrier surrounding the enemy, hurtling toward our three vanguards.

Riley and the others leaped back to retreat, but they couldn't dodge them all.

"Guaah!" Beers and Riley dragged Fang back as he collapsed to the ground. But they too had deep wounds where spikes had pierced their shoulders and sides.

"You guys, are you alright?!" As I called out, the barrier around the enemy dissolved, and the woman with the faint smile stepped forward slowly.

"Looks like your front line is already useless." I glanced at Irisalie. She showed no sign of taking up a weapon and had no intention of joining the fight. It would take time for Takamura to get back. Komachi's weapon was a crossbow. Elisha and Doris were healers, not the type to swing a mace like Myra or Aira. And Takamura was being targeted by the archer, unable to return to us.

Thinking I should have had Maryanne stay, I drew my katana and faced the woman, feeling utterly alone. It was likely they were part of the group that had been hunting Transferees at the Crystal Palace with Clovis during the day. I hoped they had already used their Special Skills, but they had pushed this far in. It was a faint hope.

"What will it take for you to back off?"

"We'll back off once we've snuffed out every last one of you," the woman said, shrugging playfully.

"You have no intention of stopping this fight?"

"In this situation, the only thing for you to do is beg for your life." With that, she took a deep breath.

"Special Skill, [Dark Howl]!"

Illuminated by the distant bonfire, the woman's faint shadow suddenly grew several times its size, its blackness intensifying until it stood up. It looked like a giant cloaked in hazy darkness.

"Be swallowed by the darkness and disappear!" At the woman's cry, the giant collapsed toward us as if to smother us in shadow. The arrow Komachi fired vanished as if buried in its body, and the barrier created by Elisha and Doris's magic was soundlessly consumed by the giant's darkness.

I swung my katana at the approaching behemoth. But the tip passed through its body as if cutting through mist. There was no way to dodge it now. As I stood there, simply watching it approach in a daze, I thought I heard the faint sound of hooves.

Just as the giant's body was about to crash down on me, an arm grabbed mine and pulled me up. When I realized what was happening, I was on a white horse. The pony-tailed girl controlling it from its back turned to look at me.

"Where've you been wanderin' off to! Was a real pain lookin' for ya," Hyakka said with a bright smile. The white horse galloped on, tearing through the giant's shadowy cloak before turning to face the enemy and letting out a sharp whinny. Following the white horse, Chihiro and the other members of New World appeared.

"You really did a number on my darling. I'll be sure to thank you properly for that!" Hyakka leveled the tip of her lance at the enemy woman.