kscans

Chapter 70 - The Defense of Nieren and the Battle Beneath the Light

"They must have entered through the hole above. And then, they were sublimated by the holy power of the church,"

Myra theorized. What part of a power that sublimates monsters was holy?

"Only humans come here to pray. I wish they'd limit that power to just people..."

There was no need to grant blessings to monsters that just happened to wander in.

"The gods bestow their grace equally upon all of creation,"

Myra said with a somewhat playful smile.

"Is that so? Next time, I'll tell Laciel to take better care of her followers."

"Are you sure about that? Your own power would weaken, Mash."

"It's fine. I can't get any weaker than I already am."

My arrows were almost gone, so I drew my katana.

In this space, the monsters wouldn't be able to fly freely.

"Is the priest okay?"

It would leave a bad taste in my mouth if he'd been killed while we were fighting outside.

"He's fine, he must have run. There are no bodies or bloodstains in this room,"

Cecily answered, raising her staff.

"Burn to ashes!"

Cecily launched a fireball. The swarm of Big Hoppers scattered to avoid it. The battle had begun.

"Famu and I will take the pink one. Mizuki and Myra, you take care of the small fry."

As I dashed toward the pink Big Hopper, Famu overtook me, getting in front. Before we were within sword range, the pink one leaped to evade our attack and clung to the ceiling.

"Kikuichimonji!"

Famu unleashed a vacuum wave, but the pink one leaped again, moving to a new spot. I shot a stone sphere from my Earth Magic at its new location.

It was a direct hit, but it didn't seem to do any damage. Famu switched to her kunai and threw them, but the pink one just leaped again, this time landing on the floor.

As I went to slash at it, a regular Big Hopper slammed into me from the side.

"Damn it!"

The fierce impact knocked me down, but I managed to get back up. Aira's healing magic immediately enveloped me.

I looked around and saw we were all fighting separately. Famu and I had been drawn out and were now isolated. Famu was still chasing the pink one, while Mizuki and Myra were fighting on opposite sides. Cecily and Aira were near the entrance, trying to support us, but a regular monster had slipped into the space between us and was about to attack them.

In front of me stood the one that had body-slammed me.

"Famu, just keep the boss busy. Prioritize defense. Change of plans. We're taking out the small fry first."

"Yes, Master!"

I heard Famu'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 get into a proper stance, the monster charged me again. I countered with a diagonal downward slash.

I felt the blade cut through something. But it wasn't enough to stop its charge. I was knocked down by the impact again.

The damage was less than when I was taken by surprise. I quickly scrambled to my feet.

The monster I had been facing vanished. Were there actual demonic entities mixed in with the living creatures? 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 down the other one. It, too, vanished.

"You okay?"

I asked.

"Not okay! I'm going to burn that pink thing, so hold it still!"

Cecily was furious.

The number of regular monsters was down to five. No more enemies seemed to be coming in from the hole in the ceiling. Dealing with it clinging to the ceiling was a pain, but once we finished off the regular ones, I figured taking down the pink one with all six of us wouldn't be too difficult.

Just then, the pink one, having slipped past Famu's attack, spread its wings and let out the buzzing sound to call its allies.

Space distorted, and five more Big Hoppers appeared from the warp.

"What?!"

Cecily, Aira, and I cried out in unison. It was a nightmare. At this rate, we'd be worn down to nothing.

"Mash, go to Famu! I'll protect Cecily. But don't expect any support from me."

"Mash, just stop that pink thing from moving!"

My body was enveloped in a soft light. The damage from the last body slam faded away. Spurred on by Aira and Cecily's words, I headed toward Famu.

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 room. It was a cylindrical space with a hemispherical roof. About forty meters in diameter and forty meters high.

The original building in my world was said to be made entirely of concrete, with thick walls for structural integrity. Was this one the same?

We needed to corner the pink one somewhere.

"Master, I've managed to land a few slashes, but it's tougher than the regular ones. My blades won't go through,"

Famu said, panting. Healing magic was restoring her, but the fatigue from the battle outside must be taking its toll. Still, her will to fight seemed undiminished.

"Famu, I have a plan."

"Yes?"

"We'll have Cecily snipe it."

"From where? The enemy is agile. It will dodge if it's within her line of sight."

As she spoke, Famu slashed at the pink one again. It easily dodged her sharp blow. The pink one showed no signs of going on the offensive. It was focused on defense, waiting for us to tire out.

To change the tide, we needed to stop its wings and legs, but that was the hard part.

Assuming the Big Hopper had compound eyes like a normal grasshopper, it would have a wide field of vision and excellent motion detection. Even if we attacked from behind a column, there was a high chance it would sense the magic.

"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 onto the roof, where she might be attacked by the Big Hoppers outside. Famu, I need you to protect her and get her there."

There were internal stairs leading to the roof. They'd be safe from monsters inside the walls. The problem was when they stepped out onto the roof. They would have to walk across the domed roof to reach the hole in the ceiling.

If a fight broke out on the roof, the nimble Famu would be the most capable.

"Then who will keep the pink one busy in the meantime?"

Famu slashed again. The pink one leaped behind us.

"I will."

"..."

Her silence told me she didn't trust me.

"I know what you're thinking. But without having to protect Cecily, Aira will be free to move. We can fight more fluidly and reduce the number of grunts. So please, make it quick."

"Understood."

"If there are too many enemies and you can't get through, don't force it. Come back, and we'll think of another plan."

Famu nodded and fell back.

I now faced the pink Big Hopper alone.

I threw a stone sphere at its eyes. The moment the pink one sensed it and began to move, I lunged in for a slash, but my blade cut through empty air.

It was fast. It was about as tall as me, but twice as long. Despite being twice the size of a regular one, it moved as if it were weightless. I had to land a single hit to support Cecily.

As I was thinking, a regular one charged me from the right.

I dodged its attack and cut it down with a horizontal slash across its torso. The whole sequence of movements was surprisingly fluid.

Getting cocky, I closed the distance to the pink one.

It leaped backward. As I closed in again, it leaped over me and landed behind.

Suppressing my frustration, I crept toward it. Just as I entered the one-step, one-strike range, the enemy leaped again. I jumped in response and swung my katana, but my blade met nothing but air.

I glanced around. Mizuki was fighting alone, while Myra and Aira were fighting as a pair against the regular ones. The number of monsters was down to four.

The pink one took a large leap backward and once again spread its wings and began to buzz.

There was no signal yet that Famu 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 shield-like plate on its head. But the cut was shallow.

I thought to strike again as it retreated, but the monster charged me instead. I tried to block with my blade but was too slow.

As I fell, the monster pounced, pinning me down.

"Damn it!"

I struggled, but its front legs held me down, and I couldn't get free.

With me immobilized, the monster brought its sharp mandibles down, aiming to crush my head. I just barely managed to pull my head back and dodge the blow.

"Mash!"

I heard someone shout. At that moment, the monster on top of me vanished.

No, it didn't vanish. Mizuki had come to my rescue. The monster had leaped away to dodge her attack.

"Come on, get it together!"

She helped me to my feet.

Just then, the sound of metal hitting the floor echoed through the room. I looked down and saw a kunai.

Mizuki pointed the tip of her sword at the pink one.

"Honestly, after fighting the same enemy this many times, you can't help but learn how to beat it!"

"Huh?"

I looked around. Only two regular ones remained, and Myra and Aira were fighting them individually. What was wrong with me that I felt no sense of growth at all? With no other choice, I decided to ride Mizuki's coattails and pretend I'd grown too, pointing my own sword at the pink one.

We slashed at it simultaneously, and it leaped behind me.

It was right in the pillar of light. It spread its wings and began to summon its allies.

Mizuki rushed to follow up, but I stopped her.

"Cecily!"

I shouted, and at the same moment, a giant fireball rained down from the heavens onto the pink Big Hopper.

"KISHAAAAaaaaa!"

The monster's scream echoed.

Mizuki and I rushed in and delivered the final blow to the dying creature.

Myra and Aira had also finished off the remaining monsters.

The priest, along with Myra and Aira, was purifying the pink one's remains. He had just popped out of nowhere after our battle ended. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind, but he was an old man, so I let it go.

Though I'd fought my own aging body to the bone, too.

Famu and Cecily returned.

"Hmph, hmmph!"

Cecily stood before me, beaming with a huge smile. A classic smug face.

"How are the monsters outside?"

I asked, deliberately changing the subject.

"Hey! That's not what you're supposed to say. Not at all!"

Cecily put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest.

I pulled her into a hug.

"You were amazing. That's Cecily for you! You and your magic are the best!"

"Gah, s-stop it! It's embarrassing!"

Cecily pushed me away with her arms and stepped back. What did she want me to do, then?

Aira had stopped her purification to watch us. When she noticed my gaze, she resumed her work.

"So, what was it like outside?"

I was still curious, so I asked again. Looking around, I saw four Mana Seeds on the floor. I gathered them up. My eyes met the priest's. With a sigh, I gave one to him as an offering. No doubt about it. This was the guy who touched Hyakka's butt.

"The monsters around the church have thinned out. They seem to have 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 main battle seems to be at the western wall,"

Famu answered.

"Does it look like it's winding down?"

"I can't say for sure. But it seems like it will continue for a while longer."

I nodded at Famu. I wondered if the Mateo Trading Company, the nomads, and Hyakka's group were okay.

I was worried, but we couldn't leave here just yet.