Javagiir took another look at his surroundings and muttered to himself, sounding disappointed. “Is this it? You guys didn’t call for any reinforcements or nothing?”
“Don’t need ’em. The only folks we called were the Knight Order to come and arrest you, then take you to your cell.”
The knights hadn’t yet arrived at the village, but they’d get here eventually. In the meantime, I figured it’d be a good idea to beat the crap out of this guy. Good way to pass the time.
“I see,” said Javagiir with a sigh. “Then I guess this was all a waste, huh? It’s been a long time since I’ve brought my full force.”
He didn’t look worked up at all, even though he was facing all four of us—and we weren’t people to mess with. In fact, he looked just as casual as always.
“You’re Javagiir…” said Ashley.
“Oh, you know about me? That makes me happy. Guess I’ve gotten pretty famous, then”
“You’re the one, aren’t you?”
“If you’re asking if I wrote that letter, that’s gonna be a yes. I did.”
That settled it. Javagiir was the one behind this. I had no idea where he’d been hiding, but his S-Rank abilities probably made it easy to avoid search parties.
“Even though you’re an S-Rank, didn’t you call yourself a moderate?” asked Filia. “Why are you doing this?”
“Why? Plain and simple—this shop shouldn’t exist, that’s why. No other reason. They call me a moderate, but there are some things I can’t compromise on. Sorry to say, greenhorns, but if you’re planning on getting in my way, know that I’m not gonna take it easy on you. You’re not amateurs or anything, so I’m guessing you’re prepared, right?”
This feeling of pure rage was pouring out of Javagiir, an unbridled, passionate fury. It was like standing next to a blazing bonfire. His malice was as pure as it was intense. Suddenly he drew back, as if realizing he’d let his mask slip, and his expression returned to normal.
“Do you understand the situation?” asked Filia. “It’s four against one. I think it would be best if you just surrendered quietly.”
“Hee hee hee…you four, you don’t get it. Numbers are meaningless to a necromancer. Fighting multiple foes is my specialty. I am Javagiir Garyundur, the Hollow Soldier, and I’ll show you my power!”
In a casual, well-practiced fashion, Javagiir took his hand out of his coat pocket and snapped his fingers. From the pitch darkness behind him, countless black shadows emerged, wriggling and squirming. Not just ten or twenty either. In no time at all, we were almost completely surrounded on all sides, save for the donut shop behind us.
“Get it now? I outnumber you. This isn’t one on four. It’s a hundred against four…greenhorns.” Javagiir leaned forward, hands thrust back into his pockets, a self-satisfied look on his face.
I clenched my fists tightly, not saying a word…and fired off my Pistol Punch at the black shadows surrounding us. In the next second, Loli Loli attacked more black shadows with her ice magic. Ashley roasted half the square with a fireball. Filia activated her Wind God and mowed down every shadow that got in her way. Between the magic those three used, ten of the shadowy spirits dissipated in an instant.
But the spirit I’d pierced with my Pistol Punch remained, as though nothing had happened to it at all.
Aww. Guess punching wasn’t gonna do it after all. Attacks without any magical energy really wouldn’t work. To think that even muscle magic was useless here…I’d never imagined such a thing could be possible.
Well, putting that aside…
“Guess that makes it ninety to four, now,” I replied with an audacious grin.
“Why do you look so self-satisfied, Yuri?” asked Filia.
“Aw, don’t say that, Yuri did his best! Right, Yuri?” said Loli Loli.
Come on, I really didn’t need encouragement from Loli Loli! I didn’t think my heart could take it.
Javagiir, on the other hand, whistled. “Hey, not bad. Yuri and Filia, was it? And those other greenhorns there too; I don’t know their names. You’re probably some five or ten years younger than me, but you’ve got some skills. I gotta say I’m impressed.”
Javagiir’s eyes crinkled, a joyful look on his face. He hadn’t lost his senses to his rage—he still had enough presence of mind to guess what we were capable of. “But ya see, it’s actually ninety-one against three.”
The figure behind Javagiir vanished into smoke, and all at once, we felt a strong presence behind us.
“Look out!” Filia, Ashley, and I leaped forward, and as we did, we saw Javagiir dart in and put his hand on top of Loli Loli’s head.
“Huh?!” She let out a hysterical, confused wail that didn’t sound like it belonged anywhere near a battlefield.
Javagiir’s sickly pale hand rested atop Loli Loli’s head, and it began to glow with an ominous black light. Waves of nauseating, sinister energy emanated from it.
Loli Loli’s eyes turned dark and dull.
“Don’t you dare touch her!” Ashley roared, charging. She ignited her fists with fire and closed in to punch Javagiir.
Javagiir summoned a spirit in front of him, using it as a shield as he fell back.
Loli Loli began to topple to the ground, and Ashley caught her in her arms. “Are you okay, Loli Loli? Hey, Loli Loli?!”
“Ashley, get away!”
“Aaah!” Loli Loli’s ice magic shot through the spot where Ashley had been standing just a moment ago.
“Hm.” Javagiir thrust his hands into his pockets, seeming quite interested.
“Ah…”
“I didn’t notice the horns,” he mused, “but…she’s a majin, huh? How convenient. Majin are generally quite competent fighters.” Javagiir beckoned to her, and Loli Loli walked over to him with a vacant look in her eyes.
“This is impossible…” Filia whispered. “She’s been possessed?! But Loli Loli was covered in magical energy! How did—”
He sighed. “All right. Guess there’s no getting around it. Listen up, because I’m giving you a lesson. I touched her directly. Get it? I can possess anyone, no matter who they are. Are you really underestimating an S-Rank?”
Javagiir glared as he spoke, and the air shuddered as if it crackled with electricity. This guy was strong. His incredible aura was definitely what you’d expected from an S-Rank. Deep in the back of my mind, I was sure that if I let my guard down for even an instant, he’d take total control of me right away.
He wasn’t just one person, after all. All the spirits here were part of him too. He was so skilled at commanding them that he’d practically assimilated their presence into his own… Yeah, there was no way we’d beat this guy easily.
Then a voice rang out, cutting through the swirling, vicious pressure rolling off of Javagiir. It was clear as a bell, and just as out of place.
“I see, the core of magical energy is the back of the neck. So, if we strike there, we can release someone from possession… Am I reading you right?” asked Filia.
Filia had figured out the counter to Javagiir’s possession by using her Clairvoyance to read his mind.
One of Javagiir’s eyebrows twitched. He looked Filia over from top to bottom. “How did you know that, hmm?”
“You really shouldn’t underestimate an A-Rank,” Filia taunted.
“Oh? Hee hee hee! Sorry about that, I was being rude. Look at you, greenhorns. Exceeding my expectations!” A gleeful smile crossed Javagiir’s bloodless, sickly pale face.
As we faced off with him, Ashley spoke up. “Big Sis, Yuri…I’ll handle Loli Loli.”
“You sure you got her?” I asked.
“I know I lost to her the first time, but this time’s going to be different. Loli Loli isn’t herself right now—and I am not going to lose to someone that isn’t her,” Ashley said firmly.
Yeah, she’d made up her mind. No way we could talk her out of it now. “Okay. Save Loli Loli.” I patted Ashley’s shoulder.
“Of course. What kind of adventurer would I be if I couldn’t save my friends? And don’t you forget that I’m an S-Rank. Leave Loli Loli to me. You two handle Javagiir,” said Ashley. “Sorry for leaving you with the biggest burden.”
She wasn’t looking at me when she spoke. Her eyes were only focused on Loli Loli. That was good. As long as we did what we could, we’d get results.
“Loli Loli, wait for me! I’ll wake you up in no time!” shouted Ashley, leaping into action, defeating black shadows one by one as she made her way toward Loli Loli. Wow, she really was a reliable pal.
“Leaving me with a burden? Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just grateful you’re lettin’ me fight the strongest enemy,” I called after Ashley as she disappeared between the shadows.
“All right, greenhorns…you ready?” asked Javagiir, slouching.
“How polite of you,” I said, “waiting for us all this time.”
“Despite my appearances, I’ve always had a reputation for taking good care of the greenhorns, y’know? Though I suppose I’ll be stripped of my adventurer license for this little incident,” he said.
Javagiir’s eyes moved, his line of sight aimed at something behind me. The black shadows rushed toward me. I couldn’t just ignore them. I didn’t have any way to deal with them directly, so I knew this was gonna be a rough fight—but then a violent wind roared, strong enough that it almost blew away my thoughts. The oncoming shadows had been tossed away.
Only one person could use wind magic that powerful. I looked over to Filia. Her silver hair swayed in the dying wind, and there was a noble look in her eyes. “Yuri, I’ll use my Wind God to deal with any spirits. Just focus on fighting him.”
She summoned a wall of raging wind that surrounded Javagiir and me. Every black shadow that tried to pass through the wall was torn to pieces, completely annihilated by the divine whirlwind.
Amazing… Those black shadows wouldn’t get in my way now, for sure.
“Thanks, Filia,” I called to her through the wind wall.
“Please, don’t let your guard down, not in the slightest. If you lose to him, Yuri, Ashley and I probably won’t be able to beat him either, no matter how hard we try.”
I could tell from the sound of her voice that she was already getting a little out of breath. Maintaining such a huge wall was probably taking quite a toll on her, even with her Wind God. No way could I even think of losing, let alone say it. Nah, there was only one thing to say to my friends.
“Leave it to me. All I gotta do is smack this nasty, slouching geezer and knock his gross little lights out,” I replied, glaring at Javagiir and cracking my knuckles. “You hear me, Javagiir? Now it’s one-on-one!”
All I needed to do was beat the crap out of this guy, and I was more than happy to do it. After all, I hadn’t done anything useful yet. Pretty irritating, if you asked me.
It was time to vent my frustrations!