About two thousand invading units from the monsters’ main army had gone out. Perhaps half had entered the narrow, sturdy passageway. Hakam slowly walked through the rocky tunnel, his men standing around him with crossbows and giving him a bow of respect.
Glimpses of monsters crawling in the darkness were visible through the peepholes throughout the tunnel. Just a while longer, and Hakam could enjoy a much more interesting view. He would be somewhat bored until then, or so he thought, when something odd caught his eye.
A threadlike object stretched out from an ordinary rocky area, disconnecting and reconnecting repeatedly, sometimes releasing what looked like spores. It reminded Hakam of fungi, but it was forbidden magic known as Dark Sorcery.
Eventually, Hakam arrived at a spot where a petite girl awaited him. Her tiny fingers peeked out of her sleeves as she held a holly staff in both hands. A pair of sickly, glazed eyes looked up at the commander, and she tilted her head as if to ask what he wanted. She was his second “piece” and one who could turn the tide of the battle.
“It’s time, Luna Evircha. Show me the power of Team Diamond’s one and only Sorceress,” he said, then the girl motioned for him to come closer.
Supposedly, Luna had the ability to manipulate her biometric age and was older than she appeared. He couldn’t help but crouch down to her eye level as if with a child, though she could have been older than him for all he knew.
Hakam could see her black hair beneath her black robe as she pointed at one of the peepholes. He approached it as instructed, then she tapped the wall with her staff. Suddenly, the stringy object from earlier accelerated. It attached, assimilated, and expanded to bubble up and form an umbrella shape like a mushroom growing at a fast-forward speed. Just then, Hakam witnessed a rare look at Dark Sorcery for the first time.
“Arc.”
It was the first time Hakam had heard Luna speak, noting that her voice was surprisingly childish. Whoever was on the receiving end of this spell that had taken a month to prepare was in for a treat.
The fungi flooded the tunnel, releasing spores into the air as they matured. When one breathed them in through the nose and mouth, they would attach to mucous membranes and multiply. They absorbed nutrients from the host and spread more fungi, making even the heaviest armor powerless against them.
A marble-sized ball of fungi floated through the air before coming to a halt in front of the previously indicated peephole. It attached itself to the hole, then spread out in a circle so the spores wouldn’t spread to their side, as the spell would only affect a predetermined area. One could also use it defensively by spreading out the fungal film.
Hakam rubbed his chin, impressed. It was no understatement to say she could single-handedly change the tides of battle. Yet this alone wouldn’t be enough to defeat the massive enemy horde and would merely slow them down at best. The spell’s wide application weakened its effect as spores gradually consumed the enemies from the inside. Nonetheless, Hakam fully understood the terrifying power of the spell that could kill anyone who suffered its effects for too long.
“Let’s hope they enjoy this little autumn mushroom dish. Team Ruby, make some traffic at the front,” he ordered.
“Already done,” replied Gaston through Mind Link Chat, making Hakam chuckle.
A moment later, he heard a heavy thud in front of him, followed by another. There was likely a pileup happening right around now. He watched through the hole as the wave of traffic gradually approached him, then rose to his feet.
He called out to his soldiers, “Save the Magic Stones for the later battle, and use the oil for now.”
Black oil was poured through several holes, then quickly set ablaze, causing blue fire to burn hot. It wasn’t just regular oil, but holy oil blessed by Advanced Holy Knights from the church.
“Gaaaaaargh!”
The piercing scream had come from monsters immolating in the divine fire. They burned in a cluster, trampling their own allies as they tried to flee from the holy flames. The crowd of monsters pushed each other from behind as Hakam’s forces shot arrows at them, and spores infected their wounds.
Hakam watched through the peephole protected by Dark Sorcery, his face glowing pale-blue from the fire. “We have no need to put up obstacles here. Your bodies will fit the role just fine.”
Screams and heat filled the tunnel as the archers continued firing at the eyes and mouths of their targets.
It would be a little longer before Hakam unleashed his third piece.
§
A massive arm reached toward the sky and repeatedly slammed onto the ground, creating a violent sandstorm. It would certainly be unpleasant to be on the other end of an attack that resembled a baby throwing a tantrum. Shortly after, everything suddenly turned dark as a mouth full of fangs bore down like a scene from a nightmare.
Under the blazing sun, a man walked away from the oasis with his sword in hand. Light shone off his blade as he buried it deep into the giant’s monstrous eyeball. He felt it writhing through his sword, and before the monster could scream out in pain, someone else impaled it from the other side.
The monster spit out blood as it let out a death rattle. Both men twisted their swords, then pulled their hilts out with one swift motion. These blades, which had Magic Stones sealed within them, exploded in the creature’s head and created a substantial explosion.
The skull ruptured, and the impact embedded the monster’s head deep between its shoulders. Black blood spurted out like a fountain. Unlike the labyrinth, the oasis was blessed with natural light. Still, being unable to see the gruesome details so clearly would have been preferable.
Gaston looked around as the giant fell to the ground. His team member, utterly unperturbed by what had just happened, chuckled as he replaced his blade and said, “These swords with Magic Stones pack an extremely satisfying punch.”
“Don’t forget, we only have so many of them,” Gaston warned. “Anyway... Even if we knock a few of them down, the tunnel’s so tall and wide that we won’t be able to block it off completely.”
A few of his men had been injured, but Gaston felt relieved to see they were staying alert in the thrill of battle. Although the men didn’t stand out compared to Team Diamond, they had kept up with the level 120 veteran for many years. They had distinguished themselves from ordinary soldiers through the countless battles they had fought together.
Each member was at the end point of the tunnels where the monsters were invading from―an oasis in the area carved out of the mountain’s center. The ancient labyrinth was just ahead, and their defenses would crumble if the monsters managed to get through. Team Ruby had been chosen as the guardians of this last bastion.
Seemingly endless plumes of black smoke came out of the tunnel. The soldiers had burned the monsters with holy oil, and their carcasses were coming out of this exit as they turned to ash.
If the monster corpses had not turned to ash, they could have been used to blockade the hole and prevent enemy reinforcements from arriving. Had that been the case, countermeasures would have been necessary to deal with the stench and prevent the spread of disease. This action would have had its disadvantages.
Fortunately, spring water came out from a nearby wall, alleviating the heat carried by the wind. Perhaps that was part of the reason the two men weren’t too fazed when a giant monster stepped out of the fire with a heavy thud.
“That’s a big boy. Maybe this one’ll be big enough to plug the entrance,” said Gaston.
“We could give it a try. It might at least buy us some time,” replied Hakam.
Their swords gleamed in the sunlight as they lined up with the aged captain at the center. They moved forward slowly, breathing out through gritted teeth. With their black armor, slightly hunched postures, and glowing eyes, they resembled a claw of panthers. The monster facing them had golden eyes that could be seen deep in its iron mask. It rose, going from standing on four legs to two, and let out a ferocious roar, its body still enveloped in flame.
“Aaaaaaaaargh!!!”
It was a grating, high-pitched scream. The monster’s cheeks tore apart as it released a miasma, then spat a black beam from its mouth. Color had disappeared from its surroundings for a split second, and fire erupted from the sand where the beam landed.
The destructive flame burned violently in a straight line, threatening to burn Gaston and his men. A moment later, the giant monster released a high-pitched, abrupt cry of pain. But the men looked up to find the old captain digging his sword deep into the creature’s neck.
“That’s enough of that, ya little shit. Come on, try screaming again,” Gaston growled.
The giant shuddered. By the time it had noticed Gaston, its neck had already been half severed. It quickly slapped its shoulder, but the old man had already begun slicing the monster’s backside. The monster flailed its arms a few times before Gaston fully removed its head. Even though the creature’s expected level was in the 80s, Gaston had made quick work of it as if it were child’s play. It was no wonder he was said to be the strongest fighter in all of Arilai.
Suddenly, Gaston’s eyes widened. Someone was climbing up the giant’s back as it toppled to the ground. The stranger wore a large black hood, with the body beneath it chiseled to perfection. As they charged toward Gaston, the tip of their curved, single-edged weapon swayed quickly.
“Hng!”
Metal clashed, and the impact ran through Gaston’s arm, causing him to be tossed into the air. The newcomer had thrust their blade toward the old man’s throat. Gaston blocked the follow-up attack in the air, then the two landed without losing their balance.
Gaston rubbed his numbed arm as he stared at the stranger and remarked, “Not bad. Let’s have your name.”
“Captain Bare Beholder,” stated the monster as it ripped the hood off.