Fourth Report A Full Account of the Hero’s Support in the Water Capital The entrance to the sunken temple is just as deserted as last time. The guards present even look a bit bored. Rabi, in her thick hood, sits on the staircase railing and looks up, noticing Toudou’s party. She gazes at Toudou with her deep-red eyes and smiles faintly. Limis is also wearing a robe, and she scowls upon seeing Rabi. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Rabi. We’re counting on you today,” says Toudou. “Yes. Let’s get this taken care of.” Rabi hops down from the railing. Limis looks around suspiciously before asking, “Your outfit… Did you wear the mermaid armor like you’re supposed to?” “Of course I did… I can’t use magic, so…” To prove her point, Rabi lowers her hood and removes her robe. Limis can’t believe her eyes at what appears from under it. Droopy rabbit ears flop out from inside the hood, and she has on a pair of red-framed glasses they’ve never seen her wear before, all to Limis’s amazement. But above all else— “Wh-what is that…?” “It’s mermaid armor—is something wrong?” Rabi flutters her sleeves, answering calmly. Her outfit doesn’t look anything like a swimsuit at first glance. It’s more like a thin, hooded white jacket, and it keeps the least amount of her skin exposed from her chest down to her stomach. Only her bare legs are visible. She has a pouch for items hanging from her belt and a massive blade almost like a machete, perhaps for harvesting purposes, that sticks out like a sore thumb. At any rate, her outfit offers leagues more coverage than what everyone else was given. Astounded at the difference in their swimsuits, Limis exclaims, “What…on earth…?! You’re totally covered up!” “It’s that type of mermaid armor, I suppose…” “And I got stuck with this! Look! What the heck?!” Limis desperately throws her robe to the ground. Rabi’s eyes go wide at the red bikini she’s wearing. Limis’s body is always covered by her robe, and her skin is pure white, with no trace of any sun exposure. The red bikini against her skin is blinding. The cloth covers only the bare minimum of her breasts and lower body, leaving all four limbs exposed to the elements. She grips her imposing staff, which is just a weird accessory at this point. The temple’s guards are staring, and Limis glowers at them, shooing away their glances. Limis is an aristocrat, and as an aristocrat’s daughter, she must uphold a standard of feminine modesty. She has never once dressed like this before. “…Th-this! This is what I’m talking about! Wh-why is only yours so modest?!” “I threatened—er, pleaded with Zolan and managed to convince him. I’m not like you, Limis—I don’t have anything I can show off with pride.” “Does it look like I’m proud of anything here?! Ahhhhhh!! I should’ve been more convincing, too!!” Garnet is holding on to Limis’s smooth, bare shoulder for dear life. It’s in the same position as always, but its grabbing on to Limis’s bare skin is tickling her. Toudou looks at Limis as she quivers in anger and then at Rabi, who’s unperturbed. Next, she turns to Aria and whispers in her ear, “…Hey, Zolan said he was saving on materials, right? You don’t think the entire reason for that was because of—” “…I think it’s probably best that you don’t say anything to Limis.” Aria’s cheek twitches as she watches Limis and Rabi’s exchange. Glacia throws off her robe without a trace of embarrassment. Her swimsuit is a cute light-blue number with frills. Limis has definitely drawn the short stick this time. Toudou can wear her armor over the bikini, and Aria’s is blue and therefore doesn’t stand out as much as Limis’s. Drawing people’s attention won’t really matter once they enter the sunken temple, however. “Limis, leave it be. If you’re embarrassed, let’s just go down there and get this over with.” “I know that! Geez!” Limis scrunches up her shoulders and steps onto the underwater staircase, descending slowly. “Okay, let’s all go. I want to get this over with in one day, if possible.” Dressed in full armor, Toudou sticks her hand out toward Rabi. Rabi furrows her brow and timidly takes Toudou’s hand. The mermaid armor is functioning perfectly. This temple sunken to the bottom of the ocean is a resplendent, magical sight, and the rest of the party can hear Toudou audibly gasp as she leads them. The sunken temple is eerily silent, like they’ve come to the far reaches of the universe. From atop Limis’s shoulder, Garnet emits a soft glow underwater, almost as if on fire. Rabi already knows the general structure of the sunken temple and the monsters nearby from the prior reconnaissance Sanya conducted. This shouldn’t be an especially difficult assignment. There are a few things missing from Sanya’s reconnaissance, but she is nonetheless an excellent scout. As her fellow apprentice, Rabi knows this full well. Her heart pounds in her chest and she subdues it, establishing composure as a voice suddenly enters her head. “Rabi, can you hear me?” “Yes. No problem.” “Good… I’m not able to reach Ares, so I wasn’t sure.” Amelia’s voice rings clearly in Rabi’s mind. She’s a little bit worried about this job, but there’s no reason to call it quits. There’s no way that her boss, Ares, will lose that easily. “…Understood. I will exercise caution. If anything happens, please get in touch with me.” Garnet is burning brightly. Rabi takes another look into the sunken temple’s depths, dark and void of any signs of life, and frowns. She had been expecting as much, but it’s really hard to get a read on anything in this place. Without any prior reconnaissance, it would be nearly impossible to explore down here. Just then, Aria blinks repeatedly and stares down at her hands. “…This is such a strange feeling. I’m not cold, and I’m not in pain. And we can even speak.” “Yeah. It really is…kinda different from being on land.” Toudou cocks her head to the side in wonder, unsure of how to accurately explain how she feels different. Rabi sighs and says, “For now, let’s head for the deepest part of the temple, as discussed. We don’t know when Mermares will show himself.” Rabi heard that Toudou saw him only from a distance, but she must be traumatized, as her expression turns grim. “…I’ve been meaning to ask you, Rabi, but this Mermares—did you come up with that name?” asks Limis. “Yes, I did. What of it?” “…No, it’s nothing… Just wondering.” Limis doesn’t seem to think that makes much sense, and she turns back around to face forward. The monsters that appear in the sunken temple are completely different from any that Toudou and her party have battled so far—fish with massive fangs, starfish that shoot powerful jets of water, a giant octopus almost as big as Toudou, and massive jellyfish that sway to and fro like ghosts. That said, the party has a wealth of experience in battle from their journey thus far, and none of these creatures proves to be formidable in the least. Toudou blocks a jet of water from one of the starfish with her cracked shield and proceeds to slice it in half with the holy sword Ex. Blood mottles the water. The bisected starfish twitches for a moment before becoming still. Limis looks at Aria, who’s fighting a blue crab with her sword next to Toudou, and says, “…Oddly enough, I’m starting to get hungry.” “Monsters are all quite toxic, so you’d best not eat them,” Rabi answers conscientiously and Limis shrugs. “Our last priest used to eat them. He said he could purify them himself, so it was fine.” “…That priest sounds depraved.” “Well, our party’s able to carry a lot of food, so ever since he left, we haven’t been forced to eat many monsters… We’ve mostly been up against golems and undead anyway.” Limis must be reminiscing over their travels thus far—her voice is tinged with nostalgia. Having killed the starfish, Toudou goes to back up Aria, who slices a deep gash into the side of the blue crab’s thick exoskeleton. She chops off its giant claws as it foams at the mouth, trying to escape, and proceeds to rip it apart with her sword. Having defeated her target, Aria sheathes her sword uncomfortably. “They’re quite solid.” “You should aim for the joints. If you’re attacking from the front, you’ll need a blunt-force weapon.” Toudou also sheathes the holy sword Ex, which glitters dimly, and turns to Rabi. “…What’s this crab monster called?” “Ummm……… Iron Crab. It’s a type of crab with an armored shell as hard as iron. A staple of Mermares’s diet. He tears them open with his bare hands and devours them.” Rabi appears to consider her answer for a moment before responding, and Aria’s shoulders twitch as she looks doubtful. “I’ve never heard of a monster by that name before…” “Hey, Rabi, did you just make that up on the spot?” asks Limis. “I specialize in highly powerful monsters. The wimpy monsters around here are outside the scope of my research.” “So you were just making it up… Ah, Glacia! Don’t eat that! You’ll get a stomachache!” Before anyone noticed, Glacia sat down next to the Iron Crab and pulled the meat from its shell with her fingers, bringing it toward her mouth. Toudou goes over to stop her. Seeing this, Limis’s shoulders relax, as if the poison were sucked out of her body, and looks around the area. “…I don’t see any elemental spirits, though. High-ranking spirits should be easy to recognize…” “Perhaps there’s a chance there aren’t any around here?” “They must be hiding somewhere…” When establishing a covenant with a high-ranking elemental spirit, it’s not the user who chooses the spirit but rather, the spirit chooses their user. There’s a definite chance they’re already silently evaluating the mage in their presence who’s entered the sunken temple. Elemental spirits are nature personified. Trying to catch a glimpse of one that’s hiding is nearly impossible, even for Limis. Limis stops herself from voicing the anxiety that swims into her mind and says in her most positive voice, “Well, there’s no use worrying about it right now. Let’s push forward.” The party defeats various monsters and proceeds according to the map for one hour without incident before arriving at the inner reaches of the sunken temple. It’s a simple room lacking in any extraneous adornments. The floors and walls are stone, but in the center of the floor, there is a magic circle the party has never seen before. It’s ancient, but the motif has been preserved and is still easily identifiable. However, the magic circle is completely empty. Limis approaches it with caution and says out loud, almost as if speaking to herself, “…This is a magic circle for summoning spirits. Not for confining them.” The magic circle somewhat resembles the one in the basement of the Friedia estate, where Garnet was confined, but this one has the opposite effect. Limis is facing a spirit here today, and naturally, she’ll use an approach similar to what she used with Garnet. In other words, Garnet was confined, so it couldn’t leave, and this magic circle will serve the same purpose—just through different means. “Power must be called upon from our surroundings and accumulated in this circle, attracting the spirit. It’s a kind of ritual that calls to them in this temple. The temple itself is a giant magical apparatus. Magic circles are common enough, but you rarely see one this massive.” The letters engraved around the magical seal’s circumference are the script of ancient mages still not fully understood to this day. Limis kneels by the circle and traces it with her fingertips before looking back up. Judging from the temple’s design, this location is the easiest place in which to accumulate power. It should be ideal, but they haven’t detected any spirits yet. Garnet lets out a little moan and stirs. Limis stands up and looks at Toudou. “…Guess there aren’t any here, huh?” “We’ll have to search the entire area… We’re not restricted to any one area of the temple anyway. It’ll be like a game of elemental spirit hide-and-seek…only extremely challenging. This is textbook training for an elementalist.” “We’ve got no other choice. This could take us a couple of days, so let’s get on it.” Limis sounds dejected, and Toudou nods at her with conviction. The party abandons the idea of finding any elemental spirits quickly and instead begins to search every room. The hide-and-seek is rough going. Perhaps in order to allow the spirits to move freely, the rooms of the sunken temple generally don’t have doors. The majority of them are empty, but some contain monsters, so the party has to stay on their toes. Toudou peers into the fifth room and slays the monsters that appear before letting out a sigh. “…Geez, this place is massive. Ridiculously massive.” “We wouldn’t have even gotten close without the mermaid armor.” The group still has it easy. Normally, tackling a place like this requires a well-thought-out strategy for dealing with being underwater. If they look carefully, the party is able to notice human bones scattered here and there throughout the temple. They’re the bones of mages who came to establish covenants with elemental spirits, just like Toudou’s party has. They must have been especially skilled mages to make it this far without mermaid armor, yet now, as mere skeletons, it proved to be meaningless. The party occasionally spots a few rusted knives or dilapidated staffs on the ground, but none of them looks legitimately useful. Rabi scoops up a gold coin at the end of the hallway and examines both sides, saying, “…This wasn’t originally a place that had many human visitors. There are a lot of odd folk among mages…” “…Can’t argue with that.” Magic isn’t supposed to be a realm for humankind to get involved in, after all. In the past, some countries even went as far as to ban the study of magic. Power comes at a price. You could definitely say that playing a game of hide-and-seek isn’t such a high one to pay. Toudou inspects another room, making sure not to step on a number of red starfish stuck to the floor, and shrugs. “Nothing here, either.” “There just aren’t any clues. Do we even know what water elemental spirits look like?” “…I’m pretty sure they mimic aquatic monsters. They might also appear in human form, though…,” Limis answers, and Aria looks down at the starfish that Toudou was avoiding. Limis hastily adds, “Oh, but still, you should be able to tell they’re different. Elemental spirits aren’t living beings, so…no matter what they end up mimicking, there should be some kind of distinction. Also, just because they’re a spirit doesn’t mean they’re limited to singular form, either—” “…I see. Well, we’ll gain some battle experience this way… As long as we watch out for Mermares—” Rabi watches the party converse back and forth and masks her expression as she clutches her sleeve. …This is definitely going to take longer than anticipated. She knew it was going to be a chore, but she had hoped to finish this up as quickly as possible. The longer they’re down here, the higher the chances are of something going wrong. Bringing Rabi with them is just added insurance—insurance for if and when a monster that Toudou can’t handle appears. Not to mention, Rabi’s boss is currently unreachable. Having come this far, all she can do is pray that nothing out of the ordinary happens. Rabi stares at the group, and her eyes meet Limis’s gaze. “By the way, Rabi, can you fight?” “Erk… Do I look like I can?” Rabi clutches her arms to her chest and glances up at Limis pitifully. Limis smirks at how vulnerable she looks. “…Doesn’t seem like there’s much to be afraid of in here, though.” “I’d rather you not expect much from me.” “But if you can’t fight, then how do you normally get around in your travels?” “I always hire an escort… Oh—that huge jellyfish has poison that causes paralysis, so be careful.” A giant jellyfish floats toward the group, about to attack from above. Toudou rushes to slash off its outstretched tentacles. Rabi steps back a few paces, outside its tentacles’ reach, and offers some encouragement. “You must never let your guard down. I don’t expect any particularly strong monsters to appear in this temple, but it’s hard to detect their presence here… Be careful of monsters attacking from above.” “O-okay…” Toudou braces herself, cleaving through the transparent jellyfish’s innards. She has potential but lacks experience. And her level is too low. Judging by her current amount of strength, she’d be considered upper-intermediate or maybe, taking her equipment’s status into account along with a little leniency, lower-advanced. As a soldier for hire, she’d be a decent find, but as the Holy Warrior, a massive undertaking, she’s highly inadequate. Rabi gets it now, and as she watches Toudou continue to search for elemental spirits, she comes to a conclusion—she’s underdeveloped. Toudou’s well accustomed to fighting monsters, and she can defeat almost any that spawn near human civilization, but should any sort of accident occur, she’ll be dead meat. That’s where Toudou is at right now. Rabi understands why her boss hired her to be an escort. The ranks of the Demon Lord’s army are far denser than those of humanity’s forces. If Toudou was placed on the front lines right now, she wouldn’t last more than a month. Humanity’s strength lies in their sheer numbers. Only a small handful of polished gems are holding up the entire mountain of stones. Re-creating these gems through artificial methods is extremely difficult. It’s a matter of destiny. Even with the most thorough backup, when death comes calling, there’s no escape. In reality, there have been many disciples of Bran Chatre, but including Rabi and Sanya, only a few still live. “Have you been able to reach the boss?” “…No. This is the first time…anything like this has happened…” Rabi conceals her shock as Amelia’s voice suddenly rings in her head. Their boss is a genuine abomination, someone so insanely determined as to cross the ocean and even possess the sheer strength to pull it off. He summoned the nerve to calmly face one of the leaders of the Demon Lord’s army. More than anything, he’s almost too used to fighting formidable enemies. Among the clergy, if you get to the top, you tend to go off the rails, they say. If he was to slip in and disguise himself as her ally only to wait for the opportunity to snuff her out, Rabi wouldn’t have a sliver of confidence that she could evade him—and she always has her guard up. Even against the Demon Lord Army’s inner circle, if a single punch could fell them, it would be his. Rabi believed as much. Until this morning, that is. “I have a bad feeling about this…” “…” A number of hours have already passed since Rabi and company have made their way down to the sunken temple. Not being able to contact Ares for this long is a definite cause for concern. “Rabi, is something the matter?” “…No.” Rabi must look grim—Toudou asks after her and she lifts her head back up. Maybe she should get the party to temporarily evacuate… But they’re not in any immediate danger yet. Her boss probably wouldn’t be mad at her if she decided to withdraw now, but as long as she’s getting paid, she needs to cover all her bases. If anything, since her boss is currently absent, Rabi needs to make the best decision possible. “If you’re tired, should we take a break?” “No, please don’t worry yourself. I might look exhausted, but I’m still fine…” Rabi shakes her head as Toudou speaks to her with concern. Although maybe not quite to Sanya’s degree, even Rabi has a sense of pride—only about a speck of it, though. The party continues through the dreary temple, making sure to thoroughly check each and every room. Limis doesn’t even know what number room they’re on now as she mumbles to herself, unable to make sense of it all. “Not one whiff of them. We’ve been walking for ages…and any water elemental spirits should have already noticed us… If they’re interested in a covenant, then they ought to be getting close by now, I think.” A school of small fish swims slowly down the hallway. Limis reflexively looks in their direction, but they’re just fish. The sunken temple is filled with a whole variety of creatures, but none of them has appeared to be a water elemental spirit just yet. However, they still need to check each and every room in this building, and it’s eating up a large portion of Toudou and company’s mental energy. “Is establishing a covenant with a high-ranking spirit always this tough?” “Hmm… I’d say we’re fortunate to at least know that they’re in this location. The hardest thing is the actual negotiation that happens when you finally find one…,” Limis replies as she lets out a short sigh. The criteria needed to catch an elemental spirit’s interest differ for each individual one. Powerful mages may be able to unconditionally establish a covenant with some, while others demand a tribute. Sometimes it involves a training exercise with a specific goal, and sometimes—as in Garnet’s case—the reason for establishing a successful covenant remains a mystery. “The negotiation itself should be a little bit easier for Nao, who has the divine protection of the Eight Spirit Kings, or myself, who’s already established a covenant with a high-ranking elemental, but—!” In that instant, the entire sunken temple faintly shakes. Toudou looks up and scans her surroundings. Aria unsheathes her blade and keeps alert. The school of small fish scatters and flees. The sunken temple shuddered for only a moment. “…Was that…an earthquake?” “…Or maybe the workings of the spirits?” The group huddles together and listens closely. Aria puts her hand on the wall to check for vibrations. It’s simply flat and cold, as always, and she can’t feel any additional trembling. What was that? Toudou is scrambling to inspect their surroundings when her eyes meet Rabi’s. “…Um… Rabi?” “…We have to go.” Rabi’s ears are twitching rapidly with abandon. Her deep-crimson eyes dart around in terror. She clutches at her chest so tightly that her hands turn white, and her voice trembles. She was solid as a rock until just a few moments ago—the sudden change is staggering. “Huh…?!” “I can sense a formidable monster. Come, start running… Let’s get out of here right now. We’ll die!! Come on! Don’t stand there looking foolish—run!!” The group makes a mad dash for the exit. They ignore the monsters they encounter, only slaying those that block their path. Toudou is leading the pack and quickly glances back, yelling, “What the heck is going on—?! Rabi?!” “Not important! Hurry! Run! Something’s coming!” Toudou has no idea what’s happening, but Rabi, who’s always been so calm, is shouting impatiently at them—a true indication that this is a genuine emergency. Limis momentarily stops in her tracks, intending to help Rabi, who’s currently taking up the rear with shaky steps. Rabi slams right into her. “Watch it—!” As Limis cries out, the entire building shudders again—much stronger than the first. A massive two-meter-long fish monster in their path becomes frightened and scurries off down the hallway. “Is it…coming from the outside?” “The building…is being attacked…by someone of tremendous strength. What…the…?” Rabi is green in the face and her gaze darts back and forth. Her ears are twitching wildly, furtively trying to detect the presence of whatever’s come upon them. The sunken temple shakes again, but this time it’s not a single tremor. Twice, three times, all in succession, the shock waves are increasing in strength. “This is crazy… What sort of attack is strong enough to make the whole building shake—?” Toudou is dumfounded. Rabi’s breathing is ragged—she looks about ready to keel over as she replies, “And…it’s getting closer.” “Getting…closer?” “It’s an aquatic monster… Fighting one here would be…disadvantageous. If we’re going to meet it head-on, we must…do so aboveground.” Rabi says all this so suddenly and without warning, and Toudou is unable to make heads or tails of the situation. She takes a deep breath, and her expression returns to a state of composure. Nothing good will happen if they’re all in a flurry. “I don’t really know what’s going on, but the exit is close. Everyone—remain calm. Rabi, can you detect the monster’s presence?” “…Yes. Within a certain distance, that is.” Hearing this, Toudou smiles at everyone in an effort to give them peace of mind before quickly doling out instructions. “Okay—Aria and I will cut through anything blocking our path. Rabi, I need you to let us know when the monster is nearly on top of us. Limis, you make sure that Glacia and Rabi don’t go astray.” Toudou has a mental map of this place. She should be able to lead the party to safety. “…It’s breaking through walls and getting closer.” “What a horrific creature.” Rabi closes her eyes for a few moments before speaking, and Aria’s cheek twitches in response. The walls of the sunken palace are sturdy. Even though they look worn, they’ve managed to hold up after all these years. There’s no chance that Aria and Toudou can do what this creature is doing and break down the walls to advance forward. The party falls back in line and starts to run again. Perhaps the monsters are afraid of whatever’s attacking from outside, because they’re no longer appearing in Toudou’s path. Toudou and the others sprint up a flight of stairs. There’s no sign of the booming sounds of destruction dissipating—it would seem the abomination can’t suppress its anger. A crazy thought begins to enter everyone’s minds: Maybe the entire temple will come crashing down upon them. At last, the group arrives at a familiar straight passageway. They can make it. Just as Toudou heaves a sigh of relief, Limis, who’s taking up the rear guard, emits a shrill, piercing scream. “Ah…! Nao, look!” “Huh?! Gyah!!” Toudou whirls around, and something brushes her cheek. A bluish white light passes just next to her. Aria stops dead in her tracks and watches the light as it passes over Toudou and quickly disappears into the distance. It’s similar to the ball of light they saw in the Great Tomb, but it burns more brightly. “Wh-what was that?!” “An elemental spirit! A really high-ranking water spirit!!” “Wha—?!” By the time Limis erupts in excitement, not a trace remains of the light or its shadow. Yet after it departs, Toudou can feel a powerful magical energy resonating in the room. Blinking in astonishment, she traces the path the spirit took. “What?! A spirit? But why?!” “It left…” The presence of magical energy dissipates over time. That said, if Toudou follows its vestiges right in this very moment, it should lead her directly to the spirit. She squints, trying to search for any clues, when Rabi shakes her by the shoulders from behind. “Right now, our top priority is escaping this place!” “Y-yeah, you’re right…… I don’t know if we’re lucky or cursed…” “It won’t make any difference if we don’t make it out of here alive!” The elemental spirit they had been searching high and low for was just here. If they let it go now, there’s no telling when they’ll find it again. However, it’s not worth dying over. More importantly, they now have Rabi in their party—even though she wasn’t originally involved in their quest to defeat the Demon Lord. Taking that into consideration, it’s not easy for Toudou to make the risky choice. Looking forward, there is a fork in the road: three paths that split off from three separate pillars. The spirit’s vestiges veer off to the left. The exit is straight ahead. If they go straight, they’ll soon come to the same staircase they descended in order to enter the temple. The end is in sight. Just as Toudou starts to run, the most powerful shock wave yet rocks the surrounding area. “?!” Fragments of the ceiling start to float down through the water. Limis ducks reflexively. The tremendous force and noise are different from earlier. Not closer, per se, but clearly coming from a different kind of impact. Not long afterward, the water starts to whirlpool. A rippling current… The force of the impact slams through the party’s bodies. If they’re not careful, they could get washed away. Toudou quickly jabs her sword into the wall, rebuking her body for nearly being swept away, and grabs onto Aria by the arm. Aria in turns grabs onto Limis, who embraces Glacia to protect her. Rabi also grabs onto Limis’s shoulders and braces against the impact. The torrential stream of water lasts for only a moment. The impact subsides, and quiet returns to the room. Limis’s eyes are wide with fear. Toudou pulls her sword from the wall and inspects the situation, her face pale. “Rrrgh… Wh-what was that?!” No one was hurt, but the impact was tremendous—like being rocked by a storm at sea. Rabi eventually answers Toudou, her expression severe. Her glasses have slipped down her nose, and she pushes them back up. Her bloodshot red eyes are focused on the hallway, still filled with vestiges of the spirit they saw. “The elemental spirit…is fighting, it seems. It’s fighting the monster that’s attacking the temple. I believe…it has deemed the attacker…to be trespassing on its territory. I can feel it. It’s very…very, very close.” “The elemental spirit…is fighting?” There is another sharp sound that echoes in the pit of her stomach. It’s not an impact like before, but just as Rabi said, it’s extremely close. If there weren’t any walls around them, Toudou’s sure she would be able to see it—that’s how close it is. At this proximity, Toudou can feel two forces colliding. She can’t tell which is which, but she knows that they’re both formidable masses of energy. Looking up, her eyes meet Limis’s, whose face is similarly pale. Her shoulders are trembling. “What are you talking about? Fighting? Something’s able to rival a high-ranking elemental spirit here, in its own home? Elemental spirits are nature incarnate, y’know! They’re practically gods! What kind of abomination would be willing to attack one head-on…?!” Limis’s voice is shaking, and Rabi, her face just as ghastly white, replies, “There’s no…rivalry…” Her expression is twisted with sheer terror, like she’s staring death in the face. “The elemental spirit…the guardian of this temple… It will…lose… The enemy it’s up against is…no mere monster!!” Rabi is shrieking in horror. As if to quell her voice, the largest shock wave yet rocks the entire temple. A sordid, deep rumble threatens to bring the entire structure crashing down. Something has ruptured, and the destructive din shows no sign of abating. “This is bad… Run! Please…now! Hurry! Hurry!!” Rabi screams, out of breath. But she’s already too late. Toudou’s gaze locks onto a figure that appears down the hallway from around a corner. The faint light reveals its full form. At first glance, it appears humanlike, wracking Toudou with an extraordinary sense of terror. Its jet-black robe lends an air of nobility, and it grips a massive staff in its hand. Its pale-blue hair is flecked with blood. It has its face turned down, so Toudou can’t fully grasp its appearance, but it doesn’t appear to be anything especially peculiar. Razor-sharp claws protruding from both feet clack against the floor. Even without the claws, it’s obvious that this figure is not of human ilk. An image of the vampire they fought in the Great Forest of the Vale pops into Toudou’s mind. There’s still over a hundred meters separating them, but its presence and sheer overpowering nature cause Toudou to crumple in fear. Perhaps it’s injured; using its staff for support, it slowly walks toward her, nearly stumbling and falling, but Toudou’s instincts are ringing with alarm bells louder than ever before. She unconsciously falls into a battle stance and points her sword at the abomination. “It’s not…a follower of darkness?” Toudou mumbles in spite of herself and reflexively puts a white-knuckle grip on her shield. In the next instant, a pale beam of light pierces her right through the chest. “?!” Aria’s eyes bulge out of their sockets, and Limis screams. Toudou quickly moves to intercept the light with the palm of her hand as her sword falls to the ground with a clang. Aria rushes to Toudou’s side to hold her up. Limis also hurries over and examines her. “Nao, are you okay?!” “It…doesn’t hurt…? It’s just a beam of light.” Everyone thought Nao had been attacked, but the light was neither painful nor hot. It was just light. The source of the beam is in the abomination’s hand. As Toudou sidesteps to the left, the light bends to follow her. What’s going on here? Toudou is extremely confused, and the abomination slowly lifts its head to look up at her. Rabi rushes to hide behind her back, terrified. Its face is distinctly humanlike; a dark-red gash runs across its forehead, its hair is disheveled, and one of its eyes is colored bloodred. It’s a face that boasts handsome features, and yet it has a certain otherworldliness. The abomination slams its staff into the ground, and its eyes meet Toudou’s. For a moment, her mind goes completely blank. Toudou’s past meeting with the vampire was a chance encounter, and she wasn’t the one fighting it. This is different—this creature clearly recognizes her. And in the moment their eyes meet, she realizes— —the very abomination in front of her is an enemy of humanity. The figure opens its mouth. Its voice has a wistful timbre, like it’s just laid eyes upon its deepest desire or as if it’s at last discovered a bitter enemy it’s spent ages searching for. “Finally…I’ve found you. You are…the Holy Warrior.” Rabi’s voice trembles as she whispers its name. “The sea demon…Heljarl… Wh-what is he doing here…?!” “The sea demon?! Then that means…he’s with the Demon Lord’s army!!” Toudou knew of Heljarl before, but given his sudden appearance, she didn’t put two and two together. Aria quickly got a grasp of the situation from Rabi’s murmuring, and when she blurts out the words “Demon Lord’s army,” Toudou finally gets it. Heljarl has wounds all over his body, to the point where it’s obvious even at a glance. His armor is warped and dented, and his left arm must be broken—it’s not moving properly at all. The jet-black robe he’s wearing is bloodstained and ripped all over. But in spite of all this, the man before them is an absolute monster—on a completely different level. He’s in far from tip-top shape, but even then, his life force is overwhelming. Toudou carefully picks up the holy sword Ex off the floor and points it at Heljarl. Even though Heljarl has yet to act, his fearsome, intimidating presence alone sends cold sweat pouring down Toudou’s body. She hefts her shield to protect Limis and Rabi behind her. “Y-you’re one of the leaders of the Demon Lord’s army…?” “You have arrived, hero. The Holy Warrior. The one destined to vanquish the Demon Lord. The hero…… You—you’re the hero?!” Toudou has left herself wide open, but Heljarl simply watches her. The light he beamed at Toudou from his left hand has vanished. His glistening eyes observe Toudou’s every feature—he doesn’t even glance at Aria or Limis at her side. Her form, equipment, face, the sort of presence she commands—once Heljarl has taken it all in, he asks, voice quaking, “Is this…all you are?” “…?” His expression changes, and his features warp into something utterly demonic. The impact of this shift alone hits Toudou like a ton of bricks. It’s a fearsome level of bloodlust, or perhaps more like an impulse. It resembles Howl, one of the spells Toudou has learned, except on a much different scale. Toudou firmly grounds herself and braces her shield, taking the effect head-on. “Guh…!” “This…this is…the hero? The hero we’ve taken such precautions against? This is it?! What kind of sick joke—?! Are you telling me I’ve lost everything just to take down a peon like youuuuuuuu?!?!?!” “?!” The floor creaks and groans as fissures erupt all around Heljarl. The magical energy surging from his body is on an order of magnitude unlike anything Limis has ever seen—her face is frozen stiff in awe. Yet, Heljarl isn’t actually doing anything. The magical energy within him is simply escaping his body as he loses his composure. Pure magical energy on its own shouldn’t be capable of such destruction. However, with the amount of bloodlust Heljarl has mixed in, it’s enough to cause the building to start splitting at the seams. Heljarl is no longer looking at Toudou. A horrendous scream rips through the sunken temple. “This is madness! Absolute lunacy! Why, Kranos?! Why someone like this?! Why did you turn that hideous aberration, that indestructible fiend, that wicked abomination upon me all for a hero like this?! Are we…not the comrades I thought we were after all?!” Heljarl finds himself at a loss, stuck dead in his tracks. However, his murderous intent and wrath are genuine. Limis whispers to Toudou from behind, “His…magical energy… Nao, he’s a mage. We’re not safe at this distance.” “I don’t know why, but he seems confused. And he’s heavily injured. If we’re going to defeat him—now’s the time. As a mage, he will need a moment to prepare his attacks… I will make the preemptive strike. Nao, with the holy sword Ex…you’ll be able to break through any evil god’s divine protection.” Heljarl is now approximately thirty meters away. At this distance, with Aria’s physical faculties, she could reach within striking range in only a few seconds. Their enemy is among the upper echelons of the Demon Lord’s army. He’s astronomically high-level, but if Aria can create even a momentary gap, Toudou will be able to go straight for his neck. “Let’s take him down in one blow. Unfortunately…we’ve only got this one chance. But it’s…a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!” Ending the sea demon’s reign here and now would be a small step forward for humanity. This opponent is a demon who remains unrivaled on the oceanic battlefield. Normally, he would prove to be immensely difficult to take on in a fight. As Aria finishes speaking, Toudou gives a quick nod and glares at the wailing Heljarl. “I’m…his target. There’s no escape—we must fight.” Toudou observes Heljarl intently as he goes mad with rage. The power of the Demon Lord Army’s inner circle is greater than she ever imagined, but the demon they’re up against is wounded. That means he’s full of openings. Toudou hasn’t made this apparent to Heljarl yet. From his tone of voice, he’s clearly being negligent. The spine-tingling terror that was seizing Toudou’s entire being has already subsided. She’s oddly composed as she re-grips her blade. Rabi grabs Toudou by the sleeve and says softly, “Toudou. The sea demon…he can manipulate water. Your attacks—won’t work on him here.” “Manipulate water… Then what do we do—?” Rabi opens her eyes wide in response and shudders before continuing. Toudou can see her own grim reflection in Rabi’s stunning ruby-red eyes. “Normally, I meant to say. Normally, your attacks won’t work on him. That’s why…he’s let his…guard down. At least…I’m pretty sure. Toudou, you have…divine protection. You cannot, absolutely cannot fail at this.” Heljarl continues to bellow in anguish, and his gaze pierces Toudou and her party. Although he and Rabi do not make direct eye contact, she latches onto Toudou’s arm tightly from sheer dread. Rabi whispers into her ear, tickling Toudou and causing her to shudder even more. “If you…fail…we’re all…dead. I’ll—I’ll go with you. At the very least…I’ll be a decoy.” “B-but—” “There’s…no…time. Escape is…futile… If three of us attack, we’ll have a more…decent chance—of winning. Maybe. We have…no other choice.” Rabi hides behind Toudou, her breath ragged. She’s white as a sheet, but her eyes show strong conviction. “If you fail…please run. I don’t…know if I can, but I’ll try to hold him back.” “…” Seeing Rabi’s expression, Toudou decides to accept her offer to involve herself. Truthfully, denying Rabi at this point would likely prove fruitless. They have no other choice. Rabi clumsily removes the hatchet hanging from her belt. Compared with Toudou’s holy sword Ex, it’s a crude blade, barely sharp. It wouldn’t take down most opponents, even with a direct hit. Toudou grips her sword and points it at Heljarl. She’s afraid. But her sense of duty prevails. The holy sword Ex’s blade gives off a faint glimmer. Seeing this light, Heljarl’s eyes, bloodshot and consumed by wrath, regain their sanity. He stands with composure, solid on two feet, his staggering center of gravity now restored. Even in this disheveled state, he still exerts a sense of majesty. “…I must learn…the truth. Hero, I will have your head and rebuke you and all that I have suffered in your name! And you will be repent for how you have slighted me!!” Heljarl raises his black staff overhead and lets out an abominable scream. Pressure wracks every fiber of Toudou’s being. “Ha… HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!” Her Howl rips through the water, paralyzing all in its path. With this Howl acting as her momentum, Holy Warrior Naotsugu Toudou kicks off the ground, ready to attack. The situation couldn’t have been any more advantageous for him. Their battlefield was underwater—the ideal setting—and he had the mermaids held prisoner along with numerous battle-ready seadragon knights at his disposal. There was no way he’d lose. Absolutely no way. Even if this creature was actually a trusted retainer sent from the Demon Lord himself, Heljarl had no doubt he’d emerge victorious. Heljarl comes from an ancient bloodline descended from the God of Oceans and can manipulate water at will. His attacks are at their most effective in the sea, with the ability to sink ships and summon storms. Even before he could control all sea monsters, Heljarl was the supreme ruler of the oceans. The most unexpected development was that merman creature’s sole objective—to take Heljarl’s life. That, and the fact that he valued this objective above his own life. Heljarl figured he would flee at some point—that he would realize he was overwhelmed by unfathomable numbers. But Gregorio never stopped. “M-my liege, please retreat!” With those words, Heljarl’s right-hand seadragon knight officer— Halgen—perished. “RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!” Even with his thick armor and helmet, the seadragon knight was dashed against the wall by a single stroke of the merman’s powerful mace, with its black luster, and fell silent. Such was the difference between a soldier who was compelled to protect his king and Gregorio, who would stop at nothing to kill him. Gregorio made no hesitation to strike, and the spears pointed his way from every direction did nothing to rattle him. Witnessing the brutal tyranny of this berserker—the type feasible only if one sold their soul to the evil gods—Heljarl felt terror for the first time. A spear pierced Gregorio’s side, yet he bashed down the surrounding seadragon knights, refusing to let them encroach farther. But their numbers were staggering. If he was trying to plod forward, there was no way he could avoid the countless spears being launched at him from behind. One spear pierced his metal-like scales and inflicted some damage. Normally, it would be a fatal blow. Yet, the merman creature’s stance didn’t falter in the slightest. There wasn’t a trace of light in his amphibian eyes, and his entire body, and his mace, were still intently fixated on taking Heljarl’s life. He was behaving exactly like a follower of darkness, cursed and hell-bent on indiscriminately attacking the living. Blood should have flowed from a living being after such an injury, but his wound ran dry, and his grip on his mace didn’t loosen at all. Such tremendous vitality! Against the fearsome strength of a devil and his bloodcurdling howl, even the battle-worn warriors of the sea began to falter. His movements were not quick—rather, plodding and deliberate. He stepped in front of Heljarl, mowed down the cadre of seadragon knights shielding him, and advanced on him without hesitation. “What on earth is he—?!” “HELJAAAAAAAAAARL!!! DIEEEEEEEEEEEE!!” He was truly an abomination. Heljarl suddenly recalled a new breed of monster the Demon Lord had been producing as an asset for his forces. Could this be it? More subordinates flew in to stop Gregorio, but they were quickly disposed of, as if they were no more than trash. “What the—?! Does he feel no pain…?! Guh…” Any living being would grow sluggish if they were injured. There were still many, many soldiers available. And Heljarl had water magic. There was no way he’d lose. There was no way—and yet there he was. Having inferred that something peculiar was unfolding, additional subordinates poured into the room from outside. They dashed toward the abominable creature to protect their lord Heljarl. Heljarl couldn’t use any large-scale magic—it would only end up dragging his subordinates into harm’s way. Ordinarily, Heljarl manipulated water to form a shield around himself. Under the sea, all attacks aimed at him were deflected by this wall of water. Heljarl had the option of calling off his subordinates and obliterating Gregorio with one large-scale spell. However, Gregorio’s sheer strength thwarted that option. “IT’S USELESS!! USELESS!! ANYTHING YOU TRY IS USELESS!! I have the divine protection of the evil god!! All my wounds are instantly healed!!” Gregorio screamed, and a murmur of unrest ran through the soldiers, who were already attacking in desperation. Their losses were extreme. Seadragon knights are powerful soldiers, but their numbers aren’t so great that they can be expended indefinitely. Heljarl suddenly raised his left hand, which held Mar Animus, the most valuable treasure in the entire ocean. Gregorio may have been an abomination, but he was intelligent, and he had openly stated his goal: seize Mar Animus. The jewel embedded in Mar Animus is one of a kind. Should this treasured flute ever be lost, it would be impossible to replace. Even if the Demon Lord was to find a new lineage of the God of Oceans, without this treasure, blockading the entire ocean would prove impossible. The war between humanity and the Demon Lord’s forces is far from over. If their control of the oceans is weakened, the situation will no longer be in their favor. “Stop, Gregorio! You are after Mar Animus, yes? Quell your rage!” “Hmm?” Gregorio stopped dead in his tracks. Seeing this, Heljarl slightly regained his composure. “Don’t move, Gregorio. If you take one more step, I’ll take Mar Animus—and destroy it.” Just like that, this treasure granted by the ocean, the very origin of life itself, was lost forever. Only sheer fury and the tributes of his subordinates—who were prepared to die in order to restrain the merman creature—motivate Heljarl now. Heljarl raises his black staff toward the oncoming Holy Warrior. He may be injured, but his wounds are no hindrance to his combat tactics. Thus commences the battle for the King of the Ocean to reclaim his pride. Toudou is up against a mage. She has little experience battling them, but she has a concept of the theory involved. A fight between a mage and a sword master hinges on closing distance. Casting magic spells typically takes longer than swinging a sword. If the sword master can close ample distance to land their strike, they’ll come out victorious, whereas if the mage’s spell hits first, they’ll come out on top. Toudou raises her cracked shield and charges at Heljarl. Aria joins in, dashing one step in front of her. Heljarl looks completely unbothered—he’s either got plenty of fight left in him or he doesn’t think of Toudou and Aria as worthy opponents. Toudou’s concentration is razor-sharp, and she can see Heljarl’s every movement. His forehead is stained with blood, and he gazes down at her, full of contempt. Only a few more steps before she’ll reach him. Just then, Toudou puts every effort into propelling her legs forward. She suddenly gains speed. Heljarl is watching closely, and his eyes grow wide. Toudou summons all the strength in her right hand, holding the holy sword Ex, and howls. In that moment, a powerful shock rips into Toudou’s left arm. The hand holding her shield goes numb, and without a chance to react, her body is blasted backward. “Ngh…?!” Toudou manages to fall safely and repositions herself. She’s not injured. The numbness in her left hand isn’t preventing her from raising her shield. However, a gap has now opened between them. This was a blast more powerful than anything Toudou has ever experienced before. Aria looks on in shock as Toudou is repelled backward, but nevertheless, she rushes to slice off Heljarl’s arm from the right. He extends his left hand and receives the blow from Aria’s magical sword Lightning Howl. Aria can’t believe her eyes. Her strike didn’t even graze his hand. It’s as if a transparent wall just between them prevented her attack from landing. Her face twists into a scowl. Heljarl shakes her off with a casual swipe of his bare hand, and Aria lands on both feet. He can easily counterattack as much as he wants, but instead, he merely speaks. “So weak… What is this?! What the hell is this?! Unfathomable…” “…Ha!!”
Chapter 40
42 min read