Even though the supporting priests from the temples had already cast spells of fire protection on them, they still held their breath, for fear that their lungs would be burned
...even though they already said the flames wouldn't cause any physical harm.
That thought ran through Lakyus' head as she watched the wall of fire from the rear of the formation.
Still, it was too soon to celebrate the fact that the flames were harmless. If they were not meant to cause injury, then there must have been another reason for Jaldabaoth to conjure them. That was what she had to puzzle out.
If I can't figure it out, there's no point wasting energy on it. Who was it who said that I should be using my head for better things... Evileye, or Uncle?
The barrier of magical flames was like an illusion, offering no resistance and bearing no heat, and just like that, she was through.
Lakyus looked around at the worried faces of the adventurers who were stepping through the barrier.
The plan had called for the formation of a defensive line, but forming a neat line of battle in the middle of a city was very difficult. Therefore, they had used four parties of orichalcum ranked adventurers as the linchpins of the formation, assigning each of the adventurers to one of them. Someone looking down from above would see something like a beast with all four legs spread.
Since they were the cores of the formation, it was only natural that the orichalcum-ranked adventurers would become the leaders. But right now, they were filled with unease and tension. Lakyus hoped that they could hide their fear and inspire courage in the others around them.
Should I take to the front after all?
Certainly, if an adamantite ranked adventurer like herself stood at their head, morale would surely increase. But right now, Lakyus had no reliable allies by her side. Even if she was adamantite ranked, a lone Blue Rose was less effective than an orichalcum-ranked party. As such, she had handed command of the vanguard to them.
Even if they trusted me, running in and making a fuss would only fill them with unease. But... ah, I should just go to the front and see what happens.
With that, Lakyus stepped through the wall of fire.
A freshly silenced world spread ahead of them. The streets were the same as those of any other in the capital, if you overlooked the fact that there was no presence of human life and many of the residences had been destroyed.
"What happened to the residents? Are they hiding? There’s no smell of blood.”
“Impossible. Look, the doors have been broken down. I fear the people might have been taken somewhere."
"We need to be wary of demons lurking within the houses, should we do a room-to-room search? That will take a lot of time."
"It'll be safer to contact Lakyus-san and wait for further instructions, right?"
"Then, let's hurry up and—"
"There'll no need for that."
Straightening up by reflex at the sound of the voice, the speaking adventurers turned to look behind them. They stared in goggle-eyed surprise at Lakyus, who had just arrived.
"The iron and copper-ranked adventurers will stay behind to search the houses. One mithril-ranked team will remain behind to supervise. The people behind will spread out into the formation and advance. Any objections?"
The shaking heads said there were none.
"Then, let us advance."
Lakyus walked in line with the orichalcum-ranked adventurers. An uncomfortable silence settled around them. It was hard to believe that there had been life here until this evening.
"...speaking of which, Momon-san will be alright, won’t he?"
Lakyus understood how uneasy they were with pinning all their hopes on Momon.
"He'll be fine. Evileye herself admitted that he was even stronger than her. The real problem is the one that fought him to a standstill, the enemy leader, Jaldabaoth. How strong is he, anyway..."
The nearby adventurers heard this and their faces drooped in despair.
"Ah, sorry, don't worry about it. We just need to do what we've been assigned to do, that's all."
"Aye, that's true. It makes me jealous as hell to admit it, but I guess each of us has been tasked to do what we're most suited for. In that case, everyone, forward!"
Standing at the head of the group, together with the orichalcum-ranked adventurers, Lakyus stepped forward
Her hand gripped the Demonic Sword Kilineyram. Its surface was like a stretch of night sky, speckled with sparkling stars.
They had not walked for long before the sound of a distant explosion carried over softly from the distance. The ones who trembled were the lower ranked adventurers. The ones who prepared for battle were the middle ranked adventurers. The ones who scanned their surroundings were the upper ranked adventurers. And the ones who looked straight ahead were the highest ranking adventurers. Amidst this sea of reactions, Lakyus stared out into the distance with a piercing gaze.
"The party on that side has entered combat."
Probably not Tina's group.
"If they've been moving in at the same rate as ourselves, we ought to be encountering enemy resistance soon."
"...What about from above?"
"We have scouts in place, and none of them have reported anything so far."
"That's good. Demons have a lot of flying-type creatures among their numbers. If they spread out in the capital, it would be pretty bad. So we need to draw their attention to the ground where we are now."
"Which means that the plan is essentially unchanged."
"That's right... hm, what's that, did you hear something?"
"Aye, I hear it. Dogs barking. Hey, what's that?"
The arcane magic caster answered the question.
"I haven't confirmed it with my eyes yet, but I think it's a hellhound. Its special ability is fiery breath. I think it has a difficulty ranking of fifteen or so."
"Difficulty... yeah, speaking of which, what rank were Jaldabaoth and the insect maid?"
Lakyus was lost as to how she should answer. If she was honest, it would most likely shatter their resolve, but if they went into battle with a false impression of the enemy because she lied to them, it would be just as disastrous. She agonized about it for a while before deciding to tell the truth.
"...150."
"Aye?"
Everyone who heard Lakyus' voice had the same reaction.
"The insect maid's difficulty ranking was at least 150. Jaldabaoth himself is estimated at 200 or more."
"Hah?!"
Everyone aside from Lakyus was speechless. That much was expected. Even the highest-ranking orichalcum adventurers would only rate around 80 on the difficulty rankings. Although one could still triumph over a foe ranked roughly 15 points over oneself, trying to do the same with an enemy ranked almost twice as high as oneself was nothing short of laughable. And then—
"Wait a minute! Are you saying Momon-san is going to fight that difficulty 200 monster by himself?"
"Exactly. That's why I said we'd just be getting in the way."
"But that's not the same... you said 200? Are you kidding me? Are all adamantite ranked adventurers that strong?"
"If only. Even we’re ranked around 90 at best."
"Then... then how the hell are we even supposed to win?!"
The adventurers looked around, holding their breath.
Lakyus had not lied, but neither had she told them the whole truth. Although Lakyus herself was rated at ninety, Evileye was over one hundred and fifty, which was how she had come to the conclusion about the insect maid and Jaldabaoth. And that was also why Evileye was not part of this defensive line.
In order to quickly recover her expended mana, she had chosen to meditate and rest. After that, she had followed Momon to where Jaldabaoth was, in order to provide support so Momon could battle Jaldabaoth one-on-one. Their fear was that they would encounter the insect maid again.
While Lakyus was lost in thought, she felt the depressive mood around her prickling on her skin. Everyone's morale had plummeted, and there were murmurs about abandoning the whole thing and fleeing the capital.
As she had predicted, everyone was feeling demoralized. Lakyus knew because the first time she heard Evileye talk about their battle, she had felt the same way herself.
"You heard Evileye, right? Momon-san is the kind of man who can fight evenly with Jaldabaoth. Because of that, we're trusting everything to Momon-san, and instead we're going to do what we can do."
"B-but if Jaldabaoth is fighting Momon-san, then what if the insect maid appears here?"
"Leave that to us, Blue Rose. Evileye has a special item that allows her to teleport over to us. She's got a way of dealing with the insect maid, so she can overcome that difficulty gap and beat her."
That brought a wave of cheers from the adventurers. It seemed that their fighting spirit was restored.
Just in the nick of time
The roars of beasts came from the way ahead, along with the sound of footsteps.
"They're coming. We'll build our defensive line here. The people on the flying disks above will drop into the side roads. Leave the main road to me!"
The beasts were on the main road. Though they looked like large dogs, their eyes were filled with an infernal intelligence, and in place of drool, flames leaked from their maws.
There were fifteen of these hellhounds here. Standing before them was Lakyus, who gripped the demonic sword Kilineyram with both hands.
"You petty demons, don't you dare look down on me."
With a prayer to the water god on her lips, Lakyus clove the leaping hellhound in half with a single strike. The floating swords surrounding her acted as shields, blocking the attacks of the hellhounds from her flanks. She kicked away another one that was snapping at her ankles.
Lakyus was handling six hellhounds by herself, and the rest went on to attack the other adventurers. The weaker ones took them on one at a time, while the stronger ones handled multiple hellhounds at once. In this way, they whittled down the numbers facing them. By the time Lakyus had slain all six of hers, the others were done as well.
"Tend to the wounded!"
"No problem, Lakyus-san!"
Of course, they hadn't gotten through untouched, but the injuries weren't severe. Considering they had to conserve their mana, it was quite an auspicious start.
"People on the sides, I say again! Advance 50 meters and hold!"
The cry to advance echoed from both sides. Holding her sword, Lakyus went forth as well.
♦ ♦ ♦
Lower Fire Month (9th Month), 5th Day, 02:41
Three men ran down the dark and narrow alleyways. Nobody else was there with them.
These three men were Climb, Brain, and the former orichalcum ranked thief that had accompanied them during their attack against Zero's base.
The adventurers working for Marquis Raeven were all patrolling the capital’s streets in order to hunt down any demons who broke through the containment line. Climb had only managed to obtain the services of the thief because according to Marquis Raeven, the man himself had asked to help Climb out. That was to repay the kindness Climb had shown by blocking Zero's attack on him and for healing him. In addition, Raeven wanted to repay the favor he owed to Renner.
Thanks to the thief's choice of routes, they had not encountered a single demon so far. They might not even have made it here without him.
Although they had some confidence in facing demons who relied purely on strength and speed, they would be done for if any demons who could use special abilities showed up. Given that this team was a largely mundane one that lived and died by their steel, they would have a hard time defending against attacks that weren't purely physical in nature.
Their acquaintance had only been a brief one, but because of this, the thief understood that Climb and Brain were sorely deficient in this department, which was why he had joined this pair of clearly suicidal men.
Brain silently thanked him as he ran on, hunkering down to reduce the size of his silhouette. Gradually, the style of the surrounding buildings began to change; the amount of non-residential buildings began to increase. It seemed they were nearing their objective.
"I have to ask, why are we headed for the warehouses?"
Climb answered the thief, who was inspecting their surroundings.
"Renner-sama mentioned that if they were rounding people up and taking them prisoner, they would need a big space to control and imprison all of them. With that in mind, it would be easier to separate families and lock them up in several big warehouses instead."
"I see. If the families are split up, they'll think they're all being taken hostage and be less likely to flee. If that's the case, we have to hurry... well. Even if we double back on our original route, we still need to pick a safe path."
"Thanks. We're counting on you."
There was more to do after the rescue. While thinking about how they would make it out of there, one thing that stood out as absolutely important was a safe axis of retreat. The choice of route was crucial, especially since they would be moving a lot of people.
But how long could this streak of luck last? Brain wondered.
This mission was essentially ordering Climb to die.
Since the other side was rounding up the civilians, that meant they had a plan for them. In turn, that meant they would be watching them closely. And according to what he had heard, the enemy leader Jaldabaoth was a being who could kill adamantite ranked adventurers in seconds. Any sentries he placed would be formidable indeed.
Brain's attention turned to Climb by his side.
He had worn his white armor to let people know that he was Renner's knight. Currently, he was stroking his gauntlet... or rather, the ring he wore on the ring finger underneath it.
Gazef himself had given him that ring.
It was something he had obtained from an ancient granny who used to be part of Blue Rose. According to the legends, it was an extremely rare item born of ancient magic, that could raise a warrior's powers beyond its limits.
You must return alive. Brain recalled Gazef's face as he said that.
Gazef had not shown any particular emotion at that time. No anger, sorrow, or despair. He understood that as a warrior in service to a lord, there would eventually come a time when he would be ordered into a battle that would result in his death. However, in order to aid Climb without being physically present, he had lent him the ring.
Brain had been following the thief's hand signals when he suddenly sensed a presence. Looking up, his line of sight followed the building— in that instant, Brain felt an impact that seemed to stop his heart.
On the edge of a roof of a nearby warehouse was — judging by her height and body type — a girl with long, blonde hair. She wore a dress made of pure white fabric that had been elaborately embroidered, and under the hem he could see that she wore a pair of high heels which sparkled like diamonds. Combined with her extravagant array of rings, jewelry and other necklaces, it made one think that she was some noble’s daughter, or a wealthy heiress of some sort.
Her beautiful figure, illuminated by the wall of fire, contrasted sharply with her bone-white mask, yet, her mystique was not diminished in the slightest. And in contrast to her striking appearance, her presence was far too subdued, as though she were nothing more than a wraith in an oversaturated world.
Her clothes and the color of her hair were completely different from that time. Back then, she might have been said to have been born of the night, but this time, she seemed to have descended from the moon. But even so, there was no doubt that they were the same person. The image Brain had seared into his soul from before layered itself over the person he was looking at now.
He was sure of it. Under the mask of the young girl above him was the face of that monster— Shalltear Bloodfallen. It seemed that she had not noticed them yet, but if it was truly that same monster standing before him, then no matter how far apart they were, they would be instantly killed if she discovered them. Was there a way they could flee without being detected?
There was none.
When Brain realised this, he felt as if he was putting a foot on cracked ice. He was suddenly aware of the oily, disgusting sweat oozing out of his pores.
Brain signaled to Climb and the thief, indicating he had something to say. Sensing that he had spotted something, the two of them halted and held their breaths.
What now? What can I do to get out of this? If we fight her, we'll be killed for sure. Even if we tried to run, we'd be chased down and killed anyway. Back then I used an escape tunnel, but there aren't any here now. But why is she here? Is she looking for me?
Brain smiled bitterly at that last thought.
If that were the case, then there was only one solution to this problem.
"Climb-kun, I'll go buy us some time. Use it to flee."
After that, Brain looked to the thief, and bowed his head.
"I'll leave him to you."
Without wasting any time on second thoughts, Brain immediately leapt up the building where Shalltear was, hoisting himself up in a single motion. Although he did not have the climbing skills of a thief, the building was only two stories high, and a warrior's arm strength could easily scale it. On the roof, Shalltear remained where he had first seen her.
Brain's heart pounded mightily. He was scared, terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought. The memories of his desperate flight from her reappeared in his mind. In spite of that, he was still able to muster up the courage to face her head-on.
"...is something the matter?"
The ice-cold woman's voice called out, only slightly muffled by the mask she wore.
Doesn't she recognize me? What's this, some kind of game?
The best course of action now should be to pretend he didn’t know her and observe her responses. With that in mind, Brain raised his voice and answered her.
“I’m here because I saw a strange woman on a rooftop. What are you doing in the capital?”
“And why, pray tell, must I answer you? Perhaps you could tell me what a human is doing in this area. Are you the only one who has infiltrated this far?”
His heartbeat sped up and increased in intensity. Although he didn’t know where Climb was, he knew he could not let his eyes leave hers. In order to confuse her, he raised his voice and continued speaking.
"Are you looking for someone else? Not me?"
"And why would I seek you out in particular?"
"This is the second time we've crossed paths. From the start, I've been unable to forget your beautiful face."
Shalltear reached out her hand, and lightly stroked her mask.
"...do you have the wrong person, perhaps?"
Brain was at a loss for words. He wanted to ask if he'd gotten the right person, but he immediately abandoned that idea. It was her. There could be no other.
...so she's saying, I can't be bothered to remember a puny ant?
If she wasn't taunting him, if Shalltear truly did not remember, then that must mean she did not have even the slightest bit of interest in him. For an overwhelmingly powerful being like Shalltear, that was not arrogance or overestimating one's abilities.
"No... my apologies. Maybe... perhaps. Yes, this is the first time we've met."
"Is it, really? Well, even if you understand that now, it makes no difference. Perhaps it would be safer to just kill you off. Do you wish to live? To die? If you genuflect before me and lick my shoes, it might please me enough to change my mind."
"Sorry, but I think I'll pass on that."
Brain settled down into a sword-drawing stance as he slowed his breathing. The technique he was using was, of course, ‘Field’. Needless to say, though, Brain knew it was useless against Shalltear.
"Haaaa..."
The dumbfounded Shalltear gently shook her head.
"You don't understand the difference in strength between us, do you? How annoying..."
Actually, I do understand, Brain thought as he looked at her.
Shalltear scared him so badly he wanted to throw up. That much he understood. But knowing this, why hadn't he fled yet?
The corner of his mouth turned up as he thought about this question.
If his heart was a lake, then it was perfectly still and calm. Even in the face of a being that made him want to flee at all costs, he still managed to retain his composure. This serenity was quite unnerving.
Shalltear stalked forward again. It was like a repeat of the last time, and surely the outcome would be Brain's utter defeat. The sum total of his life's work, his effort and dedication and dreams, would be shattered with the contemptuous ease of a child breaking a toy.
That's right. That's how it'll be.
He was terrified.
Up till now, he had been through countless battles, wagering his life on the edge of his blade. Suddenly admitting his fear of death now would be very embarrassing. This battle felt like he was throwing himself off a cliff. Even if could muster up the determination to die in battle, he could not prepare himself to commit suicide.
The thing was, the feeling of abject terror that he'd carried with him, from the bandit hideout all the way to the capital, was mysteriously absent.
Brain recalled the back of a certain young man.
He was a youth who was far, far weaker than him. Who had, even in the midst of a roaring torrent of murderous intent, stood firm, despite his body trembling like jelly.
And then, Brain laughed.
The old man had said that sometimes humans could display unexpected power, but Brain knew that it was impossible for him.
He was not like that youth, who would give everything he had for the princess he served, and he was not like Gazef who could offer his body and life for king and country. Those two could do it, but not him. Brain was a selfish man who could only think of doing as he desired.
Even if that's the case... huh. Maybe this is how I square things with him, by buying him time to flee.
Taking one step at a time, Shalltear raised her left pinky finger, approaching at an unnaturally slow pace.
Was it because his heightened perceptions made it seem as though time had slowed down for everyone but him, or was it because Shalltear really was moving that slowly, to prolong his fear? It felt like both were the case, and he smiled ruefully.
Well, that's just how she is.
Even though they had only met for a total of a few minutes, Brain felt like he understood her better than any other woman he had ever met.
Two more steps, huh... two steps before she enters the range of my sword...
He wanted to run, but more than that, he didn’t want to let go of the weapon in his hands. His whole life had been spent holding a sword. Perhaps it was fitting that it should end the same way.
Brain had found his answer. With that in his mind, he followed Shalltear's silhouette with his eyes.
"Live by the sword... die by the sword?"
In that moment, Brain's mind cleared. The enemy was a distant existence, and his thoughts were sharpened into a single razor's edge.
Brain used ‘Instant Flash’. It was a martial art that no human opponent could detect, let alone defend against.
Even so, he could not touch the monster before him, not even if he stacked the ‘Field’ and ‘Instant Flash’ techniques.
At that level, his opponent could still stop it between her fingers. Therefore, Brain added one more technique to the mix.
The face of Gazef Stronoff rose before his eyes.
If not for him, I would never have ended up here.
He had thought that way at first, but after his various encounters in the capital, he had changed his mind.
Brain now felt nothing but camaraderie for his greatest nemesis— no, his rival. He had accepted that he would die here and now.
Perhaps it's too late... but thank you, my greatest enemy… and dearest friend.
With that, his heart turned calm. Without confusion, he allowed himself to let go. Even the shame of the past had vanished.
"—Aaaaaaaaa!"
Brain cried out like some sort of strange bird. It came from the depths of his soul, carrying the full power of his being.
He executed an incredibly high-speed ‘Instant Flash’, aiming it based on the information gained from the use of his ‘Field’. But it didn't stop there— from the ‘Instant Flash’, he continued into another move.
That move was—
Four simultaneous sword strikes.
That was Gazef Stronoff's technique, the very same one that had defeated Brain Unglaus at the martial arts tournament where they had first fought. It was a move that Brain had admired, even as he told himself he was only learning and imitating it in order to fully understand his opponent. It was a technique that he had sealed away with his hatred and resentment.
But now, in this moment, freed of all self-doubt and restraint, Brain used it without hesitation.
"「Fourfold Slash of Light」!"
In truth, the Fourfold Slash of Light had a massive weakness.
Executing four simultaneous attacks would place a massive burden on the body, and it would cause the attacks to scatter in different directions. Because this technique's accuracy was low, even its creator Gazef only used it when surrounded by multiple opponents.
Although the Fourfold Slash of Light did not make as many attacks as the Sixfold Slash of Light, it was easier to direct all the attacks toward the same opponent. Even so, getting them all to connect was still quite unlikely.
This wild attack should not be able to strike Shalltear Bloodfallen. Brain was very clear on that.
But Brain possessed a martial art that Gazef did not. It was a support technique that provided an incredible power-up within its radius— ‘Field’.
The four wild swings were corrected mid-flight by the superhuman precision of ‘Field’, following the path Brain had visualized for them. All four blows struck home with complete accuracy at super-speed.
Even a hero — one who had surpassed all other humans — would have had trouble blocking that attack. Mortals, wrought of weak flesh and bones, would not be able to even muster up the stamina to defend against it. This was a strike that had transcended the realm of mortal ability.
But Shalltear Bloodfallen was well above humanity herself, standing in a league of her own that nobody could ever hope to exceed. To someone like her, those four simultaneous strikes were little more than a snail taking a stroll in the sun.
"Hmph."
Shalltear snorted at him as his left hand moved faster than the eye could see. A sound of metallic clashing rang out through the night air. What had happened was that the simultaneous deflection of the four strikes had blended into a single sound.
All four blows had been repelled, leaving her untouched.
Shalltear shrugged her shoulders, laughing under her mask. It wasn't directed at the foolish warrior before her eyes, but rather at herself for having played along with him thus far.
But then, in the next moment, Shalltear's eyes went wide.
Right now, if someone had converted their ability into data and compared them, he would undoubtedly be cheering for Brain. It was a miracle, like the sun rising from the west, a sight that would fill people with awe and respect.
"...eh?"
Before her eyes, the nail of her left pinky finger had been shortened. It was a tiny flaw less than a centimeter in length.
Shalltear considered the current situation. The place which had been cut was the same place which had been used to repel all the strikes.
Come to think of it, those four strikes had been executed in two pairs, one above and one below. They had intersected on the spot where Shalltear had intercepted the attacks.
"...were you aiming for this?"
"Kuh— Ahahahaha!"
Suddenly, the man in front of her began laughing. Is he insane? Shalltear wondered. But it did not feel that way. More likely, he was laughing heartily over the fact that he had managed to slice off the tip of her fingernail, but she did not understand. So what if he managed to do it?
Shalltear’s nails and teeth were natural weapons, so using specialized weapon-destruction techniques to sunder them was technically possible. However, they would simply grow back with the application of healing magic, and in comparison to manufactured weapons of a similar class, they were far more resistant to harm. They were not on the same level as Divine class magic weapons like the Spuit Lance.
As such, Shalltear could not understand the reason for this man's laughter.
Cutting off a fragment of her fingernail would not change anything. Shalltear looked at the other four fingers of her left hand. Even if the nail of the little finger was shaved down a little, it would still be enough to tear a human body to pieces.
"...so, cutting it off means you pass, then?"
The man's eyes went round, and his jubilation intensified.
"I'm very grateful to you for such praise. My sword... my life was not spent in vain, after all. At the end, I still managed to make some progress toward the peak!"
That was not praise, however. Shalltear was just mocking him.
However, she could tell that his feelings were honest. In other words, the man was truly rejoicing about being able to clip a fingernail.
Did he have a few screws loose? Come to think of it, he had spouted a pack of rubbish when they had first met. All in all, it made her feel uneasy, so she had better kill him quickly. With that in mind, Shalltear stepped forward and—
—and Demiurge's call to battle came through.
Shalltear knew what that meant. Despite herself, she looked over to the distance, but she could not sense a presence.
"Is that the effect of Master's ring?"
One of the rings that Ainz wore would completely conceal him from all kinds of divination-type magic. It was normally issued to all the guardians, but it could also erase the presence of the ruler of the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
With a sense of regret for not being able to sense her master, Shalltear turned her head back, and found that the human with a screw loose in his head had vanished.
Ah! I completely forgot about that strange fellow!
After a quick look around, Shalltear discovered that the man had turned his back on her and was busy jumping down into an alley. He must have made his move while she was distracted.
There's no way a mere mortal could escape unscathed from me.
If she used magic to slow down the flow of time, she could catch up to him before he even hit the ground. Without hesitation, Shalltear cast her spell.
"「Time Accelerator」!"
The air felt thick and viscous as Shalltear moved through it at incredible speeds, heading toward the place the man would land. As she descended, she observed his posture as he leapt down with glacial slowness. Although she could not harm him directly while the spell was in effect, she could still set up an ambush and make other preparations.
Just as well. I'll open my arms to receive him as he falls. Surely a human like him will be overjoyed to be embraced by a beauty like myself.
The corner of Shalltear's mouth quirked up as she thought of the expression that she could see on his face. As she landed on the ground, just before the spell ended, she sensed another presence close by.
—What's this?
It was a young man in a suit of pure white plate armor with a roguish-looking companion.
Brain landed in the alley and looked back up, but Shalltear was no longer there.
She didn't pursue me? No, that's not right, what if she wants me to lead her to the others, like last time?
He had not planned to flee at first. His thoughts had been that it would be easier to buy time for Climb and the rest by escaping to lower ground.
Brain's every action had been to let Climb escape. It was because of that that he had put on this entire show of running away.
But as he ran, he discovered something that should not have been. That something was Climb and the thief, who were waving to him.
How could this—
Brain's mind filled with emotion— intense anger and frustration.
His face distorted by wrath, he charged toward the two of them, grabbed them by the collar and kept running. This was obviously slower than just running by himself, but Brain was not calm enough to have considered that.
After they had run for some distance, and after checking repeatedly behind him to make sure that Shalltear had not caught up with them, he slammed Climb against a nearby wall. Because Brain had not thought to control his strength, Climb practically bounced off it.
"Why? Why didn't you run?!"
Although his emotions were on the verge of overflowing, Brain still had enough presence of mind to keep himself from shouting out loud.
"That... that was..."
Brain grabbed hold of Climb again.
"That was what?! Were you worried about me?! I clearly told you two to escape!"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, I don't know what happened, but back then, you just said some stuff and ran off. The fault isn't Climb-kun's alone!"
After hearing the thief's words, Brain began to calm down. It was true that he hadn't explained anything at all. He forced himself to take deep breaths.
"...forgive me, Climb-kun. I seem to have gone a little mad."
"Ah, no, you must forgive me too, for not heeding your words."
"No, I was the one at fault, and I am truly sorry. Things just... happened."
"Hey, Unglaus-san, what happened? We may not have known each other very long, but just now, you seemed like a completely different person, like a novice who just picked up the sword."
"Stopping here is very dangerous. I'll tell you once we move. Let's just say I met a monster who could give Sebas-san a run for his money."
The three of them moved on warily. It might have been sheer luck that they had not met Jaldabaoth's underlings while they were fleeing, but counting on that luck to continue would only end badly.
"Then... you're unhurt, so it must have been a complete victory, right? Or… no, you settled it with words?"
"Not so. It was with the sword... I cut her fingernail off."
Brain was filled with glee as he said it. There was no mistake about it— he, Brain Unglaus, had clipped the nail of the monster Shalltear Bloodfallen.
"I cut her fingernail off," Brain repeated. He was trying his best to control the overflowing joy that welled up from the depths of his heart, but even so, he was practically trembling with emotion.
"I... I see. Cutting a fingernail off... I guess doing it with a sword is pretty impressive..."
The thief shook his head and trembled slightly.
"...that nail belonged to someone who could rival Sebas-sama. Don't you think she must have been very strong?"
"Is that so? As expected of Brain Unglaus..."
Brain struggled to contain his girlish excitement as he was showered in praise. He shook his head to clear these foolish ideas from it.
"Climb-kun, no, Climb. After seeing Sebas-sama you should know, right? There are people stronger than me everywhere. Even someone like Momon the Black has probably reached Sebas-sama's level too. So keep this in mind, when I tell you to run, run. Even if you try and help, you'll just get in the way. Please promise me, next time, don't question what I say and just do it."
"I... I understand."
"Then that's good. You're serving the Princess, right? Because of that, you could endure Sebas-sama's killing intent, right? Then make sure you keep your priorities straight."
Brain patted Climb on the shoulder, and looked back at the direction from which they had fled.
Why? Why hasn't she pursued me yet? Is there some reason? I totally didn't expect her to show up here. Could it be, it was because of the warehouse district?
Brain recalled Renner's words.
Could it be that she was looking for the same item as Jaldabaoth? If that's the case, wouldn't that make her one of Jaldabaoth's agents?
Since a monster like Shalltear had shown up, the only sensible thing to do would be to abandon the mission and flee right away, but would Climb be able to do that? Since he had already heard Brain's lecture, he would probably listen to Brain and escape.
Would that really be a good thing?
It was obviously good to be concerned for Climb's safety, but people sometimes chose to put their lives in danger for the sake of something else, and being ordered by Renner on this suicide mission was such an occasion.
Brain did not know what kind of life Climb had lived before he earned his name, or how he had served the Golden Princess afterward. Even so, Brain did not think it would be wise to unnecessarily interfere with Climb's determination to carry out Renner's orders.
Brain pulled the thief over, and spoke to him after making sure Climb couldn't see or hear them talk.
"Hey, do you think it was a good idea to bring Climb here? Wouldn't it be better to make sure he went home safe rather than completing the mission?"
"...You're a big old softy, aren't you?"
"Enough with that nonsense. And considering you're the one who volunteered to be the emergency stand-in for this suicide mission, I think you're the bigger softy."
The thief laughed nervously, and then looked at the confused youth who was facing them.
"How shall I put it... seeing a kid like him fight so hard made me remember the days when I was still young, even if it was just for a while. I think I understand how you feel about this too. Even so..."
The thief's eyes shone with a sharp and brilliant conviction.
"It was the path he chose. We have no right to force him off it."
Brain sighed.
"I'm interested in that brat too. I'm pretty certain how he feels about the princess, judging by the look in his eye and the way he reacts when put in danger. Hell of a kid, isn't he? He's honest and brash. Because of that... he's like a thief who's set his eyes on the Kingdom's most valuable treasure."
"That’s right. He might still die, but at least he'll have chosen it."
With that, Brain made up his mind.
"Then, we'd best get a move on. Don't know when Shalltear might catch up with us."
Part 2 Lower Fire Month (9th Month), 5th Day, 03:38
The adventurers from the palace retreated past the barricade to the rear. The guards they passed through had been ordered to hold the line until the adventurers' wounds could be healed.
Once the adventurers had passed through the opening in the barricade, it was immediately filled up again with planks and other debris.
Nobody else remained in front of the barricade. This meant that this was the frontline.
Looking back, the guards could see the ragged adventurers as they limped towards the rear. Fresh claw and scorch marks adorned their armor, as did the sprays of fresh blood.
Further behind that was the wall of fire burning in the background. They had penetrated roughly 150 meters into enemy territory. Indeed, judging by the dread that the once-familiar capital had inspired in them, it felt like a foreboding, alien world; enemy territory indeed.
The adventurers had spent time looting the surrounding houses and tearing parts of them down to form a barricade. The guards had thought it would be an useful obstacle, but now it seemed puny and insignificant. It felt like it would crumble at the first sign of serious resistance.
"It's okay. The demons haven't pursued the adventurers. The enemy hasn't chosen to attack, they're just making a strong defense. No problems. They won't attack."
Someone else was repeating these words again. They were meant to mask his anxiety and embodied his wish to return home alive. He repeated his prayer to his god.
There were forty-five men manning the barricade. They carried spears and wore leather armor. Among these was a man in a helmet, Bona Ingray. He was one of the many guard captains mobilized tonight.
Though he had the title of captain, in truth he was no different than the other guards. His physique was nothing special, nor was his mind particularly sharp. The younger guards were stronger and faster than him. He had made it to this position simply because he had served as a guard until he was forty, and because there was nobody else to fill it.
His face turned pale, and his hands gripped his spear so tightly the edges of his fingers turned white. Looking closely, one could see that his legs were trembling. His gaze was fixed forward solely because he did not want to see something horrible. His entirely unreliable posture only increased the guards' unease further.
Then again, it was to be expected, considering this was the first time their lives would actually be on the line in a battle.
The Kingdom fought with the Empire every year, sending troops to Kattse Plain. But the guards were tasked with the protection of the city, and thus they were not dispatched to the frontlines. Because of this, the position of city guard was coveted by those citizens who did not want to fight against the Empire. But now―
They had had ample experience dealing with squabbles between drunken peasants, but there had never been a case where they had to fight to the death. Because of that, their fear grew even further. The only reason they did not break and flee was because they knew running away would be an unforgivable sin.
Even if they were somehow absolved, they would still be guilty of not protecting the city properly. That was the sole reason why they had not been sent to the front. If they failed in doing that, then they would surely be forced into the frontlines during the next war with the Empire.
"I'm going to quit my job as a guard if I make it through this in one piece."
Bona grumbled to himself quietly, and many of the people around him agreed.
"Do you still remember what the adventurers said?"
"Are we talking about what to do if we encounter hellhounds, great hellhounds, gazer devils and demon swarms?"
"That's right. Does anyone know anything about fighting demons? Especially their weak points, what they're bad at, that sort of thing."
Nobody answered; they were too busy looking at each other.
Bona's expression conveyed how useless he thought they were without having to say a word. When he saw dissatisfaction on some of the others' faces, he looked away and slammed the butt of his spear into the ground.
"Damn it! Can't those adventurers explain better?"
The adventurers who had shared their knowledge with the guards had been heavily wounded and were falling back as fast as they could. Just telling them the name of the enemy was all they could do, let alone telling them how they looked like, or how to fight them.
However, it would be too harsh on the adventurers to solely blame them for this situation. There was no proper communication between the guards and the adventurers, and as a result the amount of information being shared was low. In fact, forming the defense line out of guards who didn't know anything could be blamed on the senior guards as well. Also, not all guards were uninformed about the demons. Under different circumstances, some of them might have learned something about the enemy.
One such platoon of guards had sent some of their members to help the adventurers retreating past them, and had learned a lot in the process.
This group, however, had not done so because their leader was frozen with fear and had not even turned to look at the retreating adventurers, and he certainly did not want to decrease the amount of troops guarding the barricade by assisting the adventurers.
"They're paid more than us to do the same job! They should fight harder! Until they die!"
Several men nodded as Bona shouted.
"Our lives are at risk too! Those guys shouldn't be running off and leaving it all to us!"
Bona called out to the nearby guards. Those further away stared coldly at him, while the ones closer to him yelled out their displeasure with the adventurers as well.
"They're here!"
At the sound of the lookouts' voices, Bona looked like he'd been choked.
Everyone's eyes filled with the shapes of the demons loping towards them from the shadowed street.
At their head was a demon that looked like a cross between a man and a frog. Its skin was a jaundiced yellow, gleaming with a sticky, shiny coating. It was covered in huge lumps all over, which looked like human faces pressed out against the skin from the inside.
A mouth that could swallow a man in one gulp gaped open, and an abnormally long tongue began tasting the air.
Around it, the hellhounds followed, as though waiting for their prey.
After that were demons which looked like a human being that had been skinned and its exposed musculature painted with some kind of black, tarry liquid.
There were fifty of the hounds, one swollen-bodied demon covered in faces, and six of the flayed demons.
"There's too many!" Bona cried like the tolling of a bell. "We can't hold them! Run!"
"Dammit!" came the angry retort. "Shut the hell up!"
Ignoring Bona's wails of despair, the guards looked to their comrades, tension knotting up their faces.
"Listen up! All you need to do is stick them with the pointy end! Our job isn't to kill them! It's to buy time! It's not hard! We're all going to make it!"
We're going to make it. Some people repeated it, and then it was taken up by others.
"Hell yeah! Let's go!"
Even the guards with terrified faces grabbed their spears and got into their ranks.
"You come join us too!"
Someone grabbed Bona and dragged him to his place. There was no time for playing around.
The demonic beasts howled, and began tearing down the barricade at an incredible speed. The guards' spears stabbed out at them from between the ever-widening gaps in the barricade.
The pained wails of the hellhounds rose up from all around them. Those demonic beasts that had not been stabbed hastily fled the barricade. They howled mournfully as they paced around the barricade, as though assessing the situation.
Some of the more collected guards thrust their spears through the gaps at the nearer hellhounds, which drove them away.
Slowly, the faces of the guards began to cheer up.
The grins of the demons in the back were disgusting, and the guards were still uneasy because they didn't know what the demons would do. However, letting time pass like this was still good. After all, their job was not to defeat the demons.
"Wh-what the?!" a lone guard cried out as he watched what was happening in front of him.
The enemy had formed into a neat line, beyond the reach of the thrusting spears.
This was completely different from the wild assault just now. The guards began growing uneasy. If they knew what the hellhounds were up to, maybe they could have changed their formation or done something about it. As it was, all they could do was thrust their spears between the gaps.
But just when they thought that was all they would have to do, the demonic beasts opened their maws, so widely that it looked as though they were dislocated. The red within their throats was not flesh, but fire.
Jets of crimson flame shot out in unison at the barricade, engulfing the entire thing in flames. The guards' eyes could see nothing but the fire.
Although the fire was intense, it still could not burn down the barricades within a few seconds. This didn't make much difference to the guards on the other side, though.
Screams broke out all around. Some had their eyes burned up, others had their lungs and gullets scorched because they inhaled the flames. In the end, all of them fell like flies. The only guards to survive were the ones at the sides, because the ones in the center were no longer breathing after being consumed by the flame.
"W-we're doomed!"
The words nobody wanted to say escaped from Bona's mouth. His movements thereafter were remarkably fast, as he threw down his spear and discarded his helmet, all to let him flee faster.
The remaining guards were stunned. They had considered retreating, of course, but none of them had embraced the idea as completely as him.
Bona ran away with a speed that was hard for human beings to describe. The surviving guards looked on slack-jawed as Bona's back faded into the distance.
However, his flight was abruptly halted by a demon falling out of the sky.
The swollen-bodied demon flew without wings, and landed squarely on Bona's back, making a croaking noise as it did. Bona cried out in pain. Though it could have killed him easily, the demon did not do so. However, in light of what it did afterward, it was definitely not out of mercy.
The demon opened its mouth and swallowed Bona whole. Its distended belly hardly changed even as it ingested him— no, there was a new swelling, with a human face on it.
Though it was hard to tell, it looked like it belonged to Bona.
Even though the sound of the barricade being torn down reached their ears, the guards did not move. So much for being an obstacle; against demons, it was little more than a pile of matchsticks.
The demons who broke through the barricade encircled the guards. A strangled cry came up from them, for they knew they would certainly die here.
It was answered by the laughter of the demons, mocking the guards' foolishness.
One of the guards looked to the sky, praying for his god to save him.
What answered him was something else entirely.
He saw a group of strange-looking people flying through the air. Two of them were supporting a third, who was wearing jet-black plate armor. He was wrapped in a crimson cape and carrying a gigantic sword in each hand.
"Throw me."
Though they seemed far away, the voice carried clearly over the distance.
The two flying supporters released their grip. The dark warrior picked up speed, as though he had been pushed forward by some force from behind, tracing a trajectory downward that ended in the middle of the road. He skidded across the ground as though there were no friction, only managing to brake after chopping off the head of a hellhound in passing.
Both sides paused to watch this outrageously dramatic entry. The silence was deafening.
"I am the adventurer Momon. Fall back. I'll take over."
At first, the soldiers were unable to comprehend what the warrior of darkness had just said to them. Then, the howls of several hellhounds brought them back to reality. He was the savior that they needed.
"Hellhounds... that's all of them? Even twice the number wouldn't be enough!"
The hellhounds sprang at the dark warrior Momon from all sides. In seconds they had enveloped him, forming a cordon from which there was no escape.
Even if one tried to parry them with a sword, he would be torn apart by the surrounding hellhounds. Even if one tried to kill the attackers directly, he would still be mauled to death by the rest of the beasts. Being hit by a leaping hound's charge would break one's balance and leave him unable to defend against the attacks that would follow.
This was a brutal strategy that leveraged on superior numbers to win.
The anguish on the face of the guards was only natural, but none of them knew what true power was.
The gigantic swords slashed and killed, displacing air in their wake.
Everyone present was speechless.
That was a single attack. A normal person would only have been able to bring one hound down at most. However, just as the sword-wielder was no mere human, that stroke was not something a mere human could do. That single blow cleaved through four of the seemingly invincible hellhounds that the guards had no hope of defeating. Momon turned with the momentum of his swing, though he had slightly lost his balance because he had used all his strength. There were still other hellhounds left, and now it seemed impossible for him to avoid their attacks.
Even though he wore a suit of sturdy plate armor, the hellhounds had sharp teeth, and claws that could rend steel. And there would be no way to survive unscathed after being attacked by that many hellhounds.
In the guards' eyes, they imagined their would-be savior taking countless wounds before them.
However, that was far too presumptuous.
Momon did not try to force himself back into balance, but turned with the momentum. The crimson cape fluttered, like a cyclone of fire. With graceful steps that almost looked like dancing, Momon stepped lightly upon the ground, while his swords spun in a horizontal sweep from left to right, roaring as they went.
The remaining hellhounds were cut apart, their bodies flung far into the distance by the power of his swings. Any hellhounds who could still move were long gone.
"Just... just two hits?"
The murmuring from one guard represented the words in their hearts. Or rather, after seeing the majesty of this display, they had nothing else to say.
"Next up... Devourers and Gazer Devils, huh. How boring."
After muttering to himself, Momon strode over to the demons. There was no caution or wariness in his footsteps, as though he were walking through a park. Normally, the guards would have called out to him to stop, but after seeing his prowess, nobody could even think of doing that.
The only thing mere mortals could do was watch the back of a great warrior as he went to work.
Unable to bear the encroaching pressure that came from the man approaching him so casually, the red-eyed demon roared and leapt at him.
One flash.
The dismembered parts of the corpse flew in all directions.
Momon had not broken his stride for even a single second. He continued walking, as though the red-eyed demon had never existed, with an ease like he was alone in the wilderness.
"...Incredible..."
As though reacting to the guards' words, the Devourer opened its maw. It was like the jaws of those snakes which could open up and swallow their prey whole. In its depths, one could see the flickers of fires within. The tormented expressions intensified on the faces pressed out from the inside of its body, and theirs were the screams of souls condemned to a fate worse than death.
The Devourer could consume the souls of its victims to produce a wail that would terrify and kill any living creature.
However, before that, Bona and the Devourer's head were both chopped off.
The thrown sword fell on their heads and lodged deeply into the earth.
"There's no problem if you kill it before it can wail."
With that, Momon walked over and wrenched his sword out of the corpse.
In just over ten seconds, he had exterminated the demons the guards thought were impossible to beat.
The guards cried out. It was the joyous sound of men who had been granted a miraculous reprieve from death.
Though bathed in praise, Momon took no notice of it and instead spoke calmly to the guards.
"...After this, I will be moving to lead the adventurers' counterattack. You fellows need to hold the line for just a little longer. Well, I guess since I've already taken these guys out, the next wave won’t be coming so soon. Nabe, Evileye, you can come get me now."
The two magic casters descended from the sky to pick Momon up. As he rose into the air, Momon turned to say one last thing to the guards.
"I'm going to take out the enemy leader. Until then, please protect the civilians behind you. I'm counting on you guys."
As they watched Momon fly from the area, the guards sighed.
If a hero like that put his trust in them, then there would be no complaints at all about defending this area with their lives.
"Oi! Get the roadblocks up! We need to get ready to stop the enemy's advance! Worry about what happens when it gets torn down later!"
Lower Fire Month (9th Month), 5th Day, 03:44
Lakyus stood at the head of the assault team that was formed of mithril and orichalcum ranked adventurers. Tina was by her side too, and together they advanced.
Before she set out, Lakyus had heavily considered her position. Anyone who could use resurrection magic should not be on the frontlines. However, Lakyus' absence would lead to a huge drop in fighting power. Since the priority was to get Momon safely to Jaldabaoth, it stood to reason that Lakyus should not stay in the back.
They avoided the route Momon had taken, instead choosing to take one that led them to a location which had a barricade manned by guards. All they saw on the way there were streets painted in blood, with chunks of shredded meat scattered everywhere. Of course, the barricade had been destroyed so thoroughly that there was no sign it had ever existed to begin with.
In order not to make too much noise, the adventurers formed up into a group and crept ahead. However, after only about thirty meters of movement, they turned a corner and were beset by demons.
At the start of the battle, the adventurers, with their high fighting ability, enjoyed an overwhelming advantage in combat, but gradually, the balance of power began to shift. This was because their opponents had a numerical advantage that overwhelmed the adventurers' prowess in single combat. Their numbers were so great that it seemed as though every demon in the area had converged on them.
"Hold fast! Keep fighting!"
Lakyus called out while activating her group support magic. Of course, none of the adventurers would retreat. They knew how important this battle was.
In contrast with Evileye's task, which was to eliminate the trash that tried to get in Momon's way, their task was to put pressure on the demons and keep them from spreading out.
In that sense, fighting so many demons head-on was, in a way, Momon's greatest support. The longer they fought here, the higher Momon's chances of victory would be.
Warcries and the clashing of steel blended together, and the sound of spells being cast and special abilities being used — like flame breath burning up human bodies — blended together in a chaotic mix.
After Lakyus confirmed the situation, her face contorted. The words of a certain adventurer stuck in her mind.
"The demons have become stronger."
Could it be that they had opened the door to the demon world, and summoned even more powerful demons? Was the wall of fire the boundary between this world and the next? What would happen if they let things progress over time? Even if they defeated Jaldabaoth, could they restore the capital to peace? Would this all be for nothing?
"There’s no point thinking about this!"
As she shouted it out, Lakyus' countless worries dispersed.
If she did nothing, she would never understand. For that reason, Lakyus drew her sword.
"Shoot!"
One of the Floating Swords hovering at her shoulders rose up and shot out at her command. With a speed that split the air, it pierced a leaping hellhound right through the mouth, destroying it without leaving so much as a corpse behind.
Looking around, Lakyus realised they had been surrounded. The advance which had just begun had halted, and since they were encircled by multiple layers of the enemy, there was no chance of relief. There was nothing to do but fight.
The vanguard cast aside their broken weapons and drew their spares. The magic casters who had run out of mana used their scrolls or wands to cast their spells instead. They were running on fumes.
The outer ring of adventurers were orichalcum ranked, while the mithril ranked defended the wounded in the middle and the magic casters who had run out of mana.
This is bad... if this keeps up, we'll be worn down and defeated. Are we once again unable to defeat Jaldabaoth?
A cry rang out, and as Lakyus turned her head, she saw a warrior who had been knocked down by a demon.
"Slash!"
Before Lakyus could move, Tina was charging at the demon, filling the gap that had been formed.
The fallen warrior was carried off by other adventurers. It was good that he was still alive, but the situation was still very bad. The fact that nobody was casting healing spells was a clear sign that the mana of the priests who used divine magic was completely depleted.
We have to fall back.
If their lines were broken, they would be routed in an instant. Lakyus could not let them die like this. She considered what might happen if Momon were to be defeated, and realised that she would have to be very careful about it.
Retreating while completely worn out would be extremely difficult. It would be better to fall back while they still had the strength to do so.
"Fall—"
Just as Lakyus was about to give the command to retreat, she gasped as a new demon descended from the sky.
It was roughly three meters tall, and its muscular body was covered in scales that looked like crawling insects. It had a tail that resembled a snake.
Its head was a flaming skull, and its eyes were beacons of blazing white fire in empty black sockets.
In its mighty arms, it held a gigantic maul.
It spread the bat-like wings on its back. With a flap of its wings, it sent a wave of freezing air cascading forth, and a wave of soul-shattering terror accompanied it. Although they had fear-resistance magic cast and thus did not panic, this was a clear demonstration of the power of this demon, which was stronger than any they had encountered so far.
Sweat flowed like a river.
"―This is bad."
With ample mana and the adventuring parties at full strength, they would probably have been able to beat it. If they could just learn more about their opponent and fight it later, they would definitely have triumphed, but right now, none of these conditions were present. Evileye, who was very knowledgeable and could use powerful magic, was not here. Gagaran, who could defend against her opponents' blows and immediately press the advantage to counterattack, was not here. Tia, who could deftly evade her enemies' attacks and attack them