That opening was all I needed. The Air Cutters sliced through the roots restraining me and my scythe, and I was now able to move as I wished. This barrage was a skilled one. Lilka not only managed to gain Alraune’s attention, but she did so to disguise her true aim. She’d even avoided hitting me in the process. Does she perhaps have exceptional control over her wind magic? Either way, well done. Lilka Skyfield, you’re no longer simply dead weight.
As Alraune was distracted by Lilka, I swung my scythe down. The scythe of death could only be swung four times with unlimited range, but it had no such limitations if used at point-blank; it was merely a weapon that cut absurdly well. I couldn’t sustain this power indefinitely, but it afforded me far more than four slashes. I cut through Alraune, barrier and all, and she turned to me with astonishment.
I severed her torso in one go. It was a fatal blow for normal entities, but for a shadow familiar like her, dark void seeped from her wound and began to regenerate. I didn’t wait for her to heal up—I slashed again and again, cutting her so quickly that she couldn’t regenerate in time. My attacks were unrelenting, until I could no longer sustain my Farmer’s Scythe and my weapon disappeared. As darkness began to leak from Alraune’s numerous wounds, I once again locked eyes with her; no longer did she gaze at me as though I were a weakling.
This time, I summoned a Dark Scythe and imbued an absurd amount of my mana into it, enlarging its blade.
“I much prefer the look in your eyes now,” I said. “It’s the look of a loser. And in my benevolence, despite the insolence you’ve shown me, I shall forgive you. Weed.”
Alraune, unable to heal up in time, was now met with my massive scythe of darkness. With one great strike, I blew her away.
✶✶✶
“Dark Carpet,” I muttered.
This chantless, intermediate spell spread darkness from my feet, dying the walls and floor black. I grabbed Lilka, who was staring like a coward, by the scruff of her neck and dragged her into my shadow on the dark floor. She screamed with confusion, but I paid no heed to her cries.
While I managed to blow away Alraune’s upper half, it was but a temporary measure. A shadow familiar like her would regenerate soon enough, and I had to leave this place before then. Within the shadow, I moved through the corridor and headed to the floor above. Alraune must’ve had her hands full with regenerating, since no roots appeared to attack me. Or can they not sense me within the shadows? Had I known that, I would’ve used a different strategy... No, she would’ve just analyzed and disassembled that ability instead.
She was the founder’s familiar, which meant that she was immortal. It was futile to waste time and energy in battle. The roots blocking the staircase to the floor above were easily sliced through by my Farmer’s Scythe—I made sure to use a powerful spell, in case she used magic disassembly again. But the roots started to regenerate before my eyes. No doubt Alraune was already good as new, so I made a beeline for the floor above.
Meanwhile, Lilka was in a daze as I pulled her in and out of the shadows. It was her first time swimming in the darkness, and she seemed to enjoy it a fair bit.
Once I reached the third floor, the roots no longer chased after me. I thought that the roots could cover the entirety of the founder’s tumulus... Was I wrong? Or does that familiar need to actively pursue me? Though I just went with the flow of things, I practically bared my fangs at the founder himself... I don’t think I’ll visit his grave for a while.
✶✶✶
Invidia, the shadow familiar that was not quite human and not quite tree, managed to regenerate her upper half as she slowly got up. Her roots that had blocked the staircase to the floor above had been sliced to shreds, and she knew that Lofus had exited the fourth floor.
She slumped her shoulders, knowing that she’d failed to fulfill her order, and her body sank into the ground. She could stretch her roots out to the third floor if she wished, but she’d received no express order to pursue him deeper.
“That counterattack was more powerful than I thought,” Invidia muttered. “I suppose I should expect no less from Master’s pedigree. And that girl... I believe she’s the sky—”
She stopped herself, gave a deep sigh, and returned to the deepest floor of the tumulus.
✶✶✶
Once I reached the third floor, I was glad to see that the familiars here were much weaker than the ones below. The roots had stopped chasing after me, so I let Lilka off my back before I took a seat for a short rest.
“Hey...” Lilka started. “What... What just happened?”
I assumed she was referring to the founder’s personal familiar, one that resided in the last floor and protected the altar of the tumulus. I had no reason to answer her question, so I ignored her and instead focused on the future. I’d very clearly gone against the founder. If my father found out about this, he’d scold my ear off for such insolence.
“Is that Alraune-like monster the final floor boss of this place?” Lilka asked.
She refused to drop the subject, though it was clear that she still assumed that this place was a dungeon. Floor bosses tended to prowl about those sorts of places, but this tumulus was closer to an ancient ruin than anything else.
“No,” I replied. “We’re not even in a dungeon.”
“Right... Of course,” Lilka mumbled.
I recalled what happened earlier in that fight. “Hey... Did you call my name earlier?”
When I was surrounded by pollen and almost lost grip on my consciousness, I was certain that someone had called my name. Perhaps it was an auditory hallucination, but if Lilka had been the one to call out to me for some reason or another, it was a different story entirely.
Yet, Lilka only tilted her head to one side, befuddled.
“Huh? No, I didn’t,” she replied.
“You’re not lying to me, are you?” I threatened.
“I’m not! Besides, I don’t even know your— Wait! Right! Your name!” She clapped her hands together.
“What? You’re so noisy...”
“Your name! You haven’t told me your name! I’ve been dying to know, and I wanted to ask for a while, but I never got the chance!”
She leaned forward eagerly, prompting me to slide away.
“Can’t you shut up for one second?” I muttered. “And I haven’t stooped so low that I would offer my name to a grave robber.”
“What?! Grave robber?!” Lilka cried, stomping the ground angrily, clearly offended. “I’m a sky pirate! A treasure hunter!”
“I don’t care. It doesn’t change the fact that you’re an outlaw. And stop shouting in my ear.”
“You can at least tell me your name! It’d make it easier for me to call out to you. Also, you knew my name! Why?! How?! Where’d you hear it?”
With the danger behind us, Lilka regained her stride and peppered me with questions. This was nothing short of annoying.
“You saved my life when I couldn’t move an inch,” she prattled on. “You seem thorny on the outside, but maybe, deep down, you’re actually a softie... Wait, you called me a ‘grave robber’ earlier, didn’t you? Is this ruin a grave, then?”
I fell silent. That was a slip of the tongue, I thought. I’d given her unnecessary information, assuming that an idiot like her wouldn’t pick up on my words. But I guess it doesn’t matter. She’s trespassed deep into this tumulus anyway.
“Outsiders like you don’t need to know,” I muttered.
“But didn’t you mention that it belonged to House Lightless?” Lilka asked. “Are you someone related to that house?”
It wasn’t like I was going above and beyond to hide my identity, but this idiot, though slow and clumsy in many ways, was oddly astute. I also didn’t want her to leave this place and spread the word that the founder of my household lay in eternal rest here. As they say: People talk. And this girl especially seemed like a chatterbox who reveled in spreading rumors.
Should I kill her and the rest of the Scarlet Wind here?
I internally weighed the pros and cons, trying to see which would pose less risk for my future. Was I supposed to let her flee, or was it more important to prevent any info regarding this tomb from leaking out? I stared at her for a while, then unleashed several Dark Hands to restrain her.
“H-Huh?!” Lilka yelped.
Her confusion was warranted, but I didn’t care. I restrained all four of her limbs and pinned her against the wall of the corridor.
“H-Hey!” she cried. “Um, what’s going on here?!”
I said not a word as I summoned a Dark Scythe and gently placed the tip of the blade against her neck.
“Ack!” she shouted. “S-Sorry! Was I really that annoying to you?! I’m sorry!”