kscans

Chapter 260 - The Siege of Miglutt and the Confrontation of the Dog-Eared

"So, negotiations have broken down." Clovis stated it as a fact, without a hint of disappointment, as if spitting the words out. In response, Famu readied her kunai.

"Mizuki, Famu, Myra and I will take the front. You fall back a bit…" I couldn't let Mizuki fight on the front lines while she was so upset. And I didn't understand the meaning of her tears. I wanted to grab her, hold her down, and demand to know everything she was thinking. But even if I did that, she wouldn't tell me everything. I remembered what Famu had said: 'It's not just one thing. There are many things to like, and a few to dislike.' I knew Mizuki had feelings for me and feelings for Yuuki. That was normal. It was natural. I tried to drill that into my own head, but her tears washed it all away. In the end, I wasn't seeing Mizuki for who she was. I hated that her feelings weren't entirely directed at me. I was disgusted with myself, but that honest feeling sat stubbornly in my core and refused to leave.

"Mash!" Myra's scream echoed through the plaza. When I came to my senses, Yuuki was right in front of me, his greatsword raised. I instinctively tried to parry with my katana, but I knew I wouldn't make it in time.

CLANG! A high-pitched metallic sound rang out. Myra had stepped in front of me, blocking Yuuki's greatsword. She tried to push him back, but he overpowered her, forcing her back instead. I finally snapped back to reality and lunged at Yuuki. But he must have read my move, because he quickly retreated. As if swapping places with him, Clovis lunged at me. I swung my sword in response to his movement, but he dodged it easily. Then, he raised his sword and closed in.

"Die!"

"Tch, I can't dodge it all…!" Whether I tried to retreat or block with my katana, his sword would reach me first. In that desperate moment, Famu leaped between us and blocked the blow. She tried to parry it with one hand, but she couldn't kill its momentum, and a lock of her bangs was sliced off, fluttering to the ground. She finally stopped the attack by crossing her kunai. But Clovis didn't stop there; he drove a kick into her stomach. Famu took the full force of the blow and was sent flying. I caught her just in time, but the impact sent me staggering, and I lost my balance.

"Famu, are you okay?!" Her eyes, creased in pain, shot upward and widened.

"Master, above you!" Following Famu's gaze, I looked up to see a ball of fire floating there, large enough to engulf me, Famu, Myra, and Mizuki. Behind Clovis and Yuuki, the demon woman swung her staff down. At the same time, the massive fireball came hurtling toward us.

"…I won't let you!" Mo's cry echoed from behind us, and a rainbow-colored, lens-like magical barrier appeared in front of us. It collided with the descending fireball and shattered with a violent crash. It didn't hold, I thought, bracing myself to shield Famu, but at the same time, the fireball vanished.

"Mash! Get a grip!"

"I know!" I yelled back at Cecily.

"I'm going in. Your movements are off. You can't see what's around you. Fall back with Mizuki." This time it was Aira's voice, and she charged forward with her mace at the ready. Cecily launched a fireball to keep the enemy in check, but Oi's magic barrier deflected it before it could reach them.

"So long-range attacks really are useless…!" I glanced around to assess the situation and realized that Famu, who should have been in my arms, was gone. She had circled wide, as if to disappear from everyone's sight, and was lunging at Clovis. His reaction was a fraction of a second too late, and for a moment it looked like her kunai would reach him first. But someone jumped between them, and Famu's attack was deflected. Fluffy, long hair. Peeking through it, familiar, pure-white, rounded, triangular ears drooped. It was a dog-eared girl.

"Sam!"

Sameim, clutching a dagger, had stopped Famu's attack. Famu leaped back, creating distance. Sameim pointed the tip of her dagger at her.

"Sam, why…" Famu whispered weakly at Sameim, who now stood blocking her path.

"Famu, there's something I have to do."

"And this is it?"

"Famu, I don't understand what you're doing either."

"Sam…" Famu's fingers trembled slightly. She bit her lip, about to say something, but then looked down at the cobblestones and fell silent.

"Hey, Famu!"

"Hmph, Master, would you please be quiet for a moment!"

"Famu!"

"What is it?" she snapped, clearly irritated, her gaze flicking toward me.

"Sameim is talking normally!"

"Huh?" Famu's mouth fell open. From her reaction, it was clear she hadn't known Sameim could speak either. She warily took a step back, trying to create more distance. But Sameim wouldn't let her, shuffling her feet to close the gap. As Famu took another step back, Sameim lunged. Famu parried Sameim's dagger with her kunai.

"Why were you pretending you couldn't speak?" Famu pushed Sameim back again. The force of it made Sameim stumble and fall. Famu didn't press the attack, just stood looking down at her. Sameim slowly got to her feet and raised her dagger.

"This girl was crying all the time. Unnecessary emotions and words were not needed." Clovis's words made Famu's eyes narrow. She turned and readied her stance against Clovis again.

"I won't forgive you!" Just as Famu was about to charge Clovis, Sameim once again blocked her path. The sound of metal clashing echoed.

"Sam, why are you siding with people like this?!"

"You wouldn't understand, Famu!" Sameim swung her dagger. Famu went on the defensive, parrying the attacks.

"Why?! We've always been together!"

"No! We're not together. You've changed, Famu…"

"I haven't changed! I'm still me!" Sameim bit her lip at Famu's words.

"…No." She squeezed the word out, her shoulders tense.

"You did change! That day, I changed, you changed, everyone in the village changed… we all changed!" Sameim lunged forward with a powerful thrust. Famu sidestepped it, twisting her body. In that instant, her kunai flashed and collided with Sameim's dagger. A sharp metallic clang rang out. Sameim's face contorted as she pressed her attack from an awkward position. Famu dodged her moves with light footwork. The difference in their skill was obvious. Sameim had been enhanced by Zeno's magic, but that magic was now gone. Famu, on the other hand, had only been an adventurer for about two months, but my 'EXP Up' special skill had made her stronger. She had a personality completely unsuited for combat, but she'd had the chance to learn from strong fighters like Aidan and Avea. And she had always stubbornly tried to keep up with me. She had already grown beyond the level of a beginner.

"Sam, we haven't changed. We've always been together. We can't change! We can't let something like that change us!"

"Shut up! You can only say that because you were lucky, Famu! You can act like that because you were saved! It's just that, but you act so high and mighty! Everyone in the village… Nick… he can't even talk anymore!" Sameim lunged forward with another thrust. An especially loud clang rang out. Famu had knocked Sameim's dagger into the air. It flew high before embedding itself in the cobblestones.

"Ah…" Sameim stared blankly at her own empty hands, her weapon gone. Famu also lowered her stance.

"Sam… I'm not high and mighty. The truth is, I'm ashamed that I was the only one Master saved. But the reason I can still be me is because everyone from the village is inside me. I have to keep being myself for everyone in the village… I understand that now… That's why… that's why something like that won't change me!" Famu's shoulders trembled as she wiped at her tear-filled eyes.

"Sam, tell me. Why are you standing there? Why do you have to point your sword at me…" Hearing those words, Sameim fell to her knees. She covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

"I… since that day, I haven't been able to take a single step forward. There's something I have to do. I have to…"

"Sam… What on earth are you…" Just as Famu moved closer to put an arm around Sameim's shoulder, Clovis raised his sword and brought it down on the two of them. I quickly rushed to their side and blocked the blow.

"Hey! Sameim is your ally, isn't she?!"

"She's just a slave."

"Don't screw with me! Haven't you ever held her in your arms?!" The warmth Famu had told me about resurfaced in my hands. I put all my strength into it and knocked Clovis's sword away. Just as I was about to attack again, the tall man lunged at me with his sword raised. If I dodged, Famu and the others might be cut down. I braced myself for the blow, but Myra intervened, slamming her mace into him. The man took a step back and grinned.

"Mash, I'll take this one." Myra readied her mace.

A fierce battle began between Myra and the man. He had been using a sword and shield, but he must have decided that wouldn't be enough to withstand the impact of the mace, because he switched to a two-handed grip. Myra swung her mace wildly, as if trying to crush everything in her path. I looked away from her fight and back to Clovis. He had switched places with the man and retreated, and now Yuuki stood before me.

"I hate everything about you. It was just a coincidence. You were just by Mizuki's side by pure chance, and she just went along with it." Yuuki thrust his greatsword forward, the blade flashing in the light. I responded by taking a ready stance with my katana.

"Like I care. Even so, Mizuki isn't going back to you. In fact, she was never yours to begin with." I glanced sideways to check on Mizuki. As I had instructed, she was standing with her weapon ready, protecting Cecily and Mo. She wasn't crying anymore, but she seemed to lack her usual energy. I had no idea what she was thinking. For now, I couldn't rely on her. The fight between Myra and the man seemed to be an even match. Beyond them, Hyakka and her group were engaged with another party. The sound of their clashing swords seemed to be growing more intense. I couldn't expect any support. Famu was behind me, holding Sameim. Sameim no longer seemed to have any will to fight. I sent a signal with my eyes for Famu to take Sameim and fall back. Standing next to me was Aira. We had the advantage in numbers. But magic and projectiles were being nullified. On the other hand, the magic from Clovis and the demon woman behind Yuuki could still reach us. Oi was behind them. To win this fight, we had to get rid of the effect of her special skill. Just then, the sound of many footsteps echoed, and the area around us suddenly became noisy. I frowned and tried to peer into the fog, but there was no need. A wind swept through the plaza, clearing the mist. The sight that revealed itself made my eyes widen. Unfamiliar armed soldiers, not the nomads, were surrounding us.

"When did they…? Where did they come from…" It wasn't a small number. It was an army. Their equipment wasn't uniform, but the length of the spears they held was consistent. And on their heads, they wore red hoods. I recognized one of the men. He was the one who had attacked me with Irisarie in the kitchen of the Star Union mansion.

"You were part of the Crimson Brigade…" The hooded man gave a cold smile at my mutter. Clovis and Yuuki showed no signs of surprise. They had been waiting for this mercenary group to arrive all along.