Griswald deflected the giant claw hurtling toward him, and when the crab opened its mouth to spit acid, Randolph stuffed it full with both his spears.
“On it!”
“Aye!”
The two other knights backed away as Volf slid underneath the crab. When he was diagonally below the monster, he pierced its belly with a potent thrust of his broadsword. The cracking of the shell sounded like a boulder being split, and the colossus squirmed. The next moment, the point of the broadsword poked out between the monster’s eyes. It silently screamed as it toppled over, lifeless. The armored crab had been swiftly extinguished.
“A tremendous warrior.” Grato seemed impressed by Volf’s skills.
Though she understood that Volf had slain the beast, it had happened so quickly that Dahlia was still processing what she’d seen.
“A critical blow, Volf? That’s our Dark Lord.”
“You could have put on more of a show, you know?”
In any case, Dahlia understood only that Volf was very strong and that he was nicknamed “Dark Lord.” But against something that size, wouldn’t it have been better to use the Galeforce Bow—a powerful enchanted bow—to strike from a distance? She turned to Kirk, who was nearby. “Do I understand correctly that the Galeforce Bow will not be used against the armored crab?”
“That’s correct; we are planning to test both the Galeforce Bow and Blades later this afternoon, after we deal with the crabs—it would be a waste to shred their meat!”
“Yes, that makes sense.” Dahlia met his tender smile with a stiff one. All the Beast Hunters saw was an appetizing meal on legs.
Then, the snipping noise returned. As she checked in a panic to see if that armored crab was still alive, a second one—slightly smaller, but still gigantic—came crawling toward them from a different direction.
“Lucky us!”
“The boys who stayed home today are going to get more than their fill!”
There was zero sense of tension among the knights, but at least that alleviated some of Dahlia’s fear.
“Captain Grato, perhaps you could demonstrate Ash-Hand for Chairwoman Rossetti?”
“Sorry?” Much to her confusion, her name had suddenly come up. Was Grato going to use his magical sword to roast the armored crab?
The voices of the knights answered her question. “Please, Captain!”
“This is a perfect stage for Ash-Hand!”
Grato’s red eyes smiled softly. “Now, tell me—and I will not be angry—what is it that you truly mean?”
“I love steamed crab!”
“Roast the brown meat, and we will be able to eat it as soon as you return!”
“All right, all right. My knights sure have become immoderate in driving their captain.” With a troubled smile on his face, Grato drew the red longsword hanging at his left hip, and a powerful wave of magical energy blasted outward, wreathed in wisps of white smoke.
Ash-Hand was the powerful magical sword bonded to Bartolone blood. It was said to be capable of turning its target to ash with a single thrust. It chose only those who had both Bartolone blood and fire magic; not even the royal family could wield it. Its fame was known throughout the Kingdom of Ordine.
“I will return shortly.” Grato sauntered over to the armored crab with no sense of urgency, the trail of white smoke clinging to the blade like an animate being.
The crab raised its claw and swiped down to crush its prey, but the magic sword was quicker; the monster was flung off its legs, and it slid across the ground. Ignoring its yelping, Grato launched himself upward without a run-up, and he stood atop the struggling armored crab. He plunged the magic sword down into the center of the carapace.
“Ash-Hand!”
The magic sword reacted to its name and shrilled as the monster extended all legs straight and smoke poured out of its mouth and joints. Then, the unique scents of both grilled and steamed crab wafted through the air. Grato delicately extracted his blade from the beast, which now lay flat on the ground.
“Hooray for our captain!”
“The strongest man I know!”
Big smiles stretched across the knights’ faces as they cheered—was it for their leader’s prowess in slaying the monster in one blow? Was it for the perfectly steam-roasted feast? Dahlia could not figure it out.
“Ash-Hand sure is nice...” Before she knew it, Volf had returned to her side and was pining for his true love in heartrending tones. It was fair—that was a bona fide magic sword.
It was also a wonderful magical tool. Dahlia was intensely curious about what materials had been used and how it had come to be. It was so mystical, and she, too, was very interested in it. The blade seemed to have immense magical energy and could emit burning temperatures on demand, yet it was stable in its sheath. Nothing she had ever made in the Green Tower came close to Ash-Hand. Even if her goal was too lofty, she wished to perfect an artificial magical sword that could gratify her friend. “I’m very glad you made it back safely. Hopefully, you’ll get a nice magic sword one day too, Volf.”
He returned her soft-spoken words with a delightful smile. “I’m looking forward to it—I know we’ll come up with a super magic sword.”
Dahlia balled up her fists as the knights surrounding them continued celebrating.
“Hm, this one turned out to be blue—must be a mutant. Hopefully it isn’t poisonous or anything.” The armored crab that fell into Volf’s hands had been flushed red during the battle, but now, it had a new coat of paint—the mutant was blue by nature.
“I’ll get my antidotal ring and try a bite. If I’m not hallucinating afterward, I’ll take it off and try again. If that turns out to be fine too, then we can all dig in!” The smile on Dorino’s face suggested he was quite excited to be the squad’s taster. “If I throw a fit or start spouting nonsense, then please step in, Father Aroldo!”
Popping out from the back of the crowd was the priest Aroldo in his white robes, black cloak, and silver stole—a deacon’s badges of office. On an expedition such as this, his presence was a given. “Place your trust in me—I shall dispel your affliction, be it poison or paralysis!”
The people of this world were quite the gluttons; their passion for gastronomy could not be understated. They enjoyed poisonous delicacies, like certain fungi and fish, with great relish, and a bit of antidote was simply the price of admission—that much was commonplace. However, a ring or a bangle could only do so much to counteract toxins. Anything particularly powerful or unusual called for a more effective magical tool or healing magic from a priest or mage.