kscans

Chapter 72 - The Defense of Nieren: Levante vs. Men in Black

How should we fight? The enemy seemed to be waiting for us to make the first move. They weren't moving.

This would likely end in a clash of special skills. It should be over quickly.

"Mizuki, Famu, and I will take the front. Myra and Aira, please provide support,"

I said. The two of them nodded.

"What about me?"

Cecily asked.

"Do your usual thing. And drink a mana potion first."

Cecily nodded, and I handed them out, including ones for Aira and Myra.

"Famu and I will take Fang."

"I'll fight Task,"

Mizuki declared. I nodded to her.

"Famu, if you get an opening, aim for the priestess in the back."

Famu nodded.

As I drew my katana, Cecily launched a fireball at the Men in Black.

Famu, Mizuki, and I charged in right after it.

Almost simultaneously, our bodies began to glow faintly with the blessing magic cast by Myra and Aira.

A wall that looked like it was made of glass appeared in front of Fang and Task. It must be a magical barrier created by the priestess, Doris.

The fireball struck the barrier and erupted in a fierce blaze. Famu and I split off to the left to avoid it, while Mizuki went to the right.

Instead of the werewolves, the tall man in black, Kei, was waiting for us.

Famu and I slashed at him.

"Fools!"

Kei brandished one hand. "My special skill's power is modest, but I can fire it rapidly. Take this, Pile Rain!"

Three enormous spikes materialized in the air. They were about ten centimeters in diameter and over two meters long. Calling their power 'modest' was a sick joke. A direct hit would be fatal. As Kei swung his hand down, they shot toward us.

At this close range, dodging seemed impossible.

"Special skill, Yata no Kagami!"

Famu shouted. A glowing, circular plate appeared in front of us.

The launched spikes seemed to be absorbed into the plate, and in the next instant, they were repelled, flying back toward Kei.

"Gah!"

Two of the reflected spikes missed and embedded themselves in the wall behind them, but one pierced Kei's right shoulder.

Kei was thrown back by the impact and collapsed.

The mirror that had repelled the attack vanished. Famu, having used her special skill, fell to the ground. Had she used up all her mana, just like when I used Goddess Summon? As I thought that, my vision narrowed and turned black.

"Mash, the mage is using a mental attack! Keep your consciousness strong!"

So this was the mage Izaak's magic. Was that Aira's voice? Easier said than done. A heavy drowsiness was pulling my consciousness away.

Just as I was about to collapse like Famu, I came to my senses and held my ground.

"I've cast a mental defense blessing,"

Myra's voice came through clearly.

I gripped my katana tighter.

But Famu was still down. Doris rushed in, swinging her staff down to strike her. I barely managed to parry the attack with my katana.

I tried to counterattack, but she realized her disadvantage and retreated.

I used the opening to try and drag Famu back to safety, but she barely moved.

"She's heavy..."

"I'll help!"

Myra rushed over.

I left Famu and Doris to Myra and assessed the situation. Kei was still down and showed no signs of moving.

The sound of clashing metal had been ringing out for a while. Mizuki was holding her own against the two werewolves.

She was taking a relentless barrage of attacks from both of them.

She was on the defensive, but she was blocking every single one of their attacks.

"That woman's eyes are glowing! Be careful! She's using a special skill, too!"

the chubby man in the back, Mii, shouted. His polite tone was gone. Kei's defeat must have shaken his composure.

Hesitating at his voice, the two werewolves' attacks paused. As if seizing that opening, Mizuki slashed at Task. Task tried to block her sword with his axe, but the blade's trajectory changed as if to slip past his defense and pierced his chest. Super Kill, the skill that finished off enemies probabilistically, had activated.

"This is bad!"

The words escaped my lips.

The very thing I had feared most had happened so easily.

Mizuki was going to kill Task.

At least let it be by my sword, I thought, and rushed to Task, slashing at the back of his neck from behind. Caught in a pincer attack from both Mizuki and me, Task collapsed.

"You bastards!"

Fang roared.

"Listen, Mii! This is what happens when you don't back down!"

I yelled.

Fang swung his axe at me. Mizuki jumped between us and deflected the attack with her shield. She and Fang began to trade blows. But it was clear the brilliance in her movements had faded. She was completely on the defensive.

"What are you getting so worked up about? He was just a wall,"

Mii replied. Was this guy going to say the same thing as Reed from Wind Blade?

"I'm going to cut you down!"

I turned to face Mii. Mii took out the Crystal Core.

"Like hell you will!"

I launched a stone sphere with Earth Magic. Mii blocked it with his own body.

"Damn it!"

I heard a shout.

I couldn't let Mii use his special skill, so as much as I hated to, I had to leave Fang to Mizuki and rush toward him.

Izaak stepped between us. A fireball appeared at the tip of his staff.

Before I could defend, my body was engulfed in flames. Hot. I was going to burn to death.

"Mash! The blessing is on you! Endure it!"

Aira's shout echoed. An unreasonable demand. I swung my katana wildly, as if to beat out the flames.

"Die!"

Izaak launched another fireball. But it was nullified by a water sphere that came flying from behind me. It was Cecily's water magic.

Having beaten back the flames, I slashed at Izaak. It was a shallow cut, only tearing his robes. He backed away, putting distance between us.

"Special skill, Crystal Control!"

The Crystal Core in Mii's hand began to glow brighter.

I had to cut Mii down before the skill activated. I closed the distance between us.

"Break!"

A double magical barrier, erected by Myra and Aira, appeared between Mii and me. But the countless rays of light emitted from the Crystal Core shattered the barriers with ease, and one of them pierced my abdomen.

A deafening impact echoed. The ray of light destroyed a church pillar and tore a hole in the wall.

"Guh..."

I clutched my stomach and dropped to one knee. Blood was pouring from the wound.

I looked around and saw Myra collapsed over Famu. Mizuki and Fang, who had been fighting her, were also down. Behind me, Aira was supporting Cecily with her shoulder. The blood drained from my face at the sight.

"You son of a bitch!"

I swung my katana in a fit of rage, but it had neither speed nor sharpness. Mii dodged it easily.

"Looks like the tables have turned,"

Mii said, his lips twisting into an ugly smile. "One more!"

As Mii shouted, a fireball launched by Cecily struck him.

"Gah!"

Mii shrieked as his face was burned.

"Mash, get up!"

Aira must have cast a healing spell on me. The pain lessened, and my body felt a little lighter.

I mustered all my strength and stood up. Mii had also recovered and was raising the Crystal Core to unleash the same light rays as before.

A magical barrier cast by Doris appeared between Mii and me.

I didn't care. This was the chance Cecily and Aira had created for me. One strike. I would cut through the barrier and him with it. I raised my katana high and, with a single step forward, brought it down with all my might. The tip of the blade shattered the magic barrier and reached Mii.

The Crystal Core fell from Mii's hand. And then, he himself crumbled to the ground.

My body swayed; the wound wasn't fully healed. Blood was still flowing from my body. I forced myself to raise my katana again and pointed its tip at Izaak.

Izaak dropped his staff and raised both hands.

"Our two otherworlders have been defeated. And you haven't even used a special skill. We have no chance of winning. We surrender."

I looked around. Famu, Myra, and Mizuki were down. Cecily was leaning on Aira, bleeding from her left arm and right leg. I fought back the urge to cut Izaak down where he stood.

I turned my blade to Doris. She also dropped her weapon and raised her hands.

The pain returned with a vengeance. I couldn't support my body any longer and collapsed.

When I woke up, Famu was looking down at me.

"Master... Master!"

She squeezed my hand, which she had been holding, even tighter.

I was lying in a bed. It seemed I was in a guest room. I sat up and stroked Famu's cheek.

"I'm glad you're safe."

"Yes. It seems I was put to sleep by Izaak's magic after I used my special skill."

So it wasn't that she had exhausted her mana.

"Famu, I'm so glad."

I hugged Famu. She wrapped her arms around my neck and hugged me back. After savoring her warmth, I looked around. Three beds had been brought into the room. Myra and Mizuki were sleeping in the adjacent beds.

A tightness gripped my chest, making it hard to breathe.

"They are both fine. The priest healed them."

"What about Aira and Cecily? Cecily was injured, too."

"Cecily's injuries were lighter than yours, Master, so she has recovered. Right now, people injured in the battle with the Big Hoppers are being brought to the church. Aira is helping the church with the healing, and Cecily is assisting her."

"I see."

I nodded.

"Is the battle outside still going on?"

"It seems so. The number of Big Hoppers in the city has decreased, but..."

The situation hadn't changed much since before we fought Mii's group. Not much time must have passed since I collapsed.

With no other option but to annihilate them, the fighting would only intensify. In a way, you could say the Big Hoppers were victims in all this, too.

"The Men in Black. What happened to them?"

"After that, Hyakka-san's group came and gave them first aid before taking them away. It seems they will be imprisoned. I'm sorry. I was still asleep at the time, so this is just what I've heard."

Famu said this and handed me the Crystal Core. The one Mii had been holding.

I wonder how much this would sell for. I couldn't do anything with it now, so for the time being, I put it in my storage.

"Did they take everyone?"

"No. Izaak apparently escaped while you were unconscious, Master. And Task wasn't captured either... the werewolf."

Izaak was the mage who had surrendered. Task was the man who fell to Mizuki's special skill.

"Is he dead?"

"...Yes."

Famu nodded. So everyone but Task was alive. I had thought Kei was dead for sure. My cut on Mii had been shallow due to the barrier. And since Mizuki was safe, I had assumed Fang was alive, too.

I thought I would feel a deep sense of guilt for killing Task, but right now, I felt nothing. It was the same as when I killed a monster. Had I become accustomed to this world? But I was worried about Mizuki's state of mind.

"So that means the others are alive,"

I said, just to be sure. Famu nodded again.

"Master. Are you thinking of helping them?"

I thought about Famu's words for a moment.

"Fang and Doris are slaves. If they were just forced to do it, I want to help them. But the others..."

I thought I couldn't let them live, but I fell silent. Knowing my companions were safe, the impulse I had earlier to cut down Izaak was gone. But if there were casualties among the Mateo Trading Company, the nomads, or Hyakka's group from the battle outside, that feeling might change.

"Master. This time, too, you tried to avoid the fight and save the other party at first."

"I'll be honest with you because it's you, Famu. I wasn't trying to save them. I thought we would lose this time, and even if we won, it wouldn't be without a cost. I still hate hurting people, and I hate seeing you hurt people, too."

I said Famu, but I felt that way about everyone.

"I guess I'm still soft."

"My feelings about not forgiving those who raise a blade against you haven't changed, Master. But I now understand your feeling that you shouldn't kill people. This is not a pleasant outcome..."

"...I see."

I nodded.

"And also... I'm sorry. I can't put this into words well."

Because she had been asleep, she was able to view the battle with the Men in Black objectively, and it must have given her a new perspective.

"But knowing this, I think I will become weaker."

I placed my hand on Famu's head.

"It's fine. Neither you nor I can get any weaker than we already are."

"Mmph."

Famu puffed out her cheeks. I got out of bed and stood up.

I gazed at Myra and Mizuki's sleeping faces. I was truly glad they were safe. But I had made Mizuki do something terrible. A wave of regret washed over me. I should have avoided the battle no matter what. If I told her that I was the one who delivered the final blow to Task, would she believe me?

I placed my hand on Mizuki's cheek.

Just then, Cecily and Aira entered the room.

"Looks like you're okay,"

Cecily said with a look of relief. I nodded.

"I'm going to check on the western wall."

"Right now?"

Famu asked.

"Yeah. I told them I'd be a hero."

I nodded to Famu and looked again at Mizuki and Myra.

"Cecily, Aira, please watch over them."

"I'm going too,"

Cecily said.

"Alright. Then, Aira, I'm counting on you to look after these two."

I wanted to end this battle. With Famu and Cecily, I left the church.