Volume 17 Chapter 2 Team Play
In the holy city, where the sound of the flute resonates.
We were heading towards the Great Holy Castle to rescue the Holy King.
Now, the city is in shambles, and there's no proper road anywhere in the holy city. We're making our way forward, using the floating buildings and road fragments as stepping stones.
Right next to us, in the massive waterway, monsters are swarming like a black tide.
'It's amazing how many there are, no matter how many times I see it...'
"I think Princess Ravuri must have gathered all the monsters in the lake while the other was manipulating the map."
Miss Miimo says, her breathing quickening. She's also eating candy at an alarming rate, probably to replenish her energy.
"We can't take on this many monsters, no matter what..."
On our side, there's only Miss Miimo, Mr. Sein, and I, but the number of monsters seems endless.
The monsters are heading straight for the Great Holy Castle, and if they start rampaging, we won't be able to handle it.
"Hmm... but the monsters are moving awfully slowly. Is it because they're being controlled within the range of the flute's sound? It looks like they're being given repeated orders through the flute... I suppose even cursed equipment like this has its limits."
Miss Miimo analyzes the situation, as if it's second nature to her as an Inquisitor.
"Slow or not, the monsters are still faster than us..."
After all, the speed at which the monsters swim is incomparable to human running speed.
And we're not even on a proper road.
"Damn it... the situation is too desperate. If this keeps up, the holy city will really sink."
Mr. Sein grumbles in frustration.
"Damn it, why can't I do anything?! I became an Inquisitor to protect people, and now... What kind of hero is this... damn it!"
"Calm down, Inquisitor Sein. Getting worked up won't help."
'...isn't there some way to break through this?'
"...No, I think we're at a dead end. There's no way to think of a solution."
The enemy's plan is just too perfect.
Even if we defeat Ravuri or Mars, I don't think the situation will change. Rather, the monster might lose control and cause even more damage.
It's likely that once their plan is set in motion, no matter what we do, it'll reach its goal.
"Still, the only thing we can do is... rescue Her Majesty Holy King."
"Yeah..."
I agreed with Miss Miimo's conclusion.
"...No."
Can we really rescue Holy King? Is that really possible?
What will happen after we rescue Holy King?
"...Ah! I think I've figured out the weakness of Ravuri's cursed equipment!"
"...! Is that true?"
"Yes! If we can rescue Holy King, I think we can end the war...!"
I exclaimed without thinking.
"End the war, you say...? Are you still spouting nonsense like that?"
Mr. Sein snapped at me, irritated.
"Can we negotiate with the enemy after drawing our swords? You're being naive. We're not trying to kill the enemy because we want to. But the fight will continue until one of us dies. That's just how it is."
"No, Inquisitor Sein... it's not like he's being naive or anything."
"...Chief Milnas?"
"As long as we get results, that's all that matters. If we can achieve that, not killing anyone might be the best strategy."
"...Eh?"
An unexpected ally appeared.
I thought Miss Miimo would say we should kill the "Cursed Users", but...
"It's surprising, why do I say this?"
"Well..."
'Yeah, I thought you were a killing machine.'
"That's a harsh thing to say..."
Miss Miimo forced a smile.
"But in the end, we're trying to kill the enemy because... we're weak. We're weak, and the enemy is terrifying. We can't feel at ease unless we kill the enemy. To spare the enemy's life, we need an enormous amount of strength and courage."
Then, she looked at me. With a gaze that seemed to hold a hint of envy.
"Truthfully, everyone loves a happy ending. But, since everyone's weak, they give up and say it's impossible. If there's someone who can create a happy ending without hurting anyone, someone who can end the fight without anyone getting hurt... that person would definitely be called a hero, right?"
"...Hero."
Mr. Sein muttered, as if to himself.
"Hey, you."
"Me?"
"You wouldn't call a superior officer 'you', would you? That's way too rude."
"I don't think it's a big deal if I call you that, though."
"More importantly... you said you could end the fight? Do you have a plan?"
"No, it's not quite an operation yet..."
"Tell me, we don't have time."
"Yes, yes. If my idea is correct... after we rescue Holy King, we can defeat the monsters in one go."
I explained my plan while running, keeping it simple. Thanks to the simplicity of the plan, Miss Miimo and the others seemed to understand it quickly.
"Hmm... this might actually work."
"But, to do that... we need to make it so that 'I arrive at the Holy Castle before Miss Fuuko falls'."
"...So that's it... you're saying..."
Mr. Sein muttered, lost in thought.
'...Noroa! The monsters are coming!'
I realized it thanks to Juju's panicked voice.
The monsters that were heading towards the Holy Castle were now charging towards us!
I noticed that the sound of the flute had changed from before.
"...Princess Ravuri has noticed us!"
"Damn it...!"
I quickly closed my eyes and drew my Bloodsucker Blade. I released a shockwave, trying to take out the monsters at once, but...
'There's no end to this!'
"There are too many of them...!"
The monsters just kept coming, one after another.
"...We can't win against this many. I guess we have no choice but to take a detour."
"But, Miss Miimo, if we take a detour, the rescue..."
"...Hurry up, it's gonna take longer if we take a detour! So, let's retreat for now..."
Just as Miss Miimo was about to make a bitter judgment.
"...Damn it!"
Mr. Sein, who had been silent until then, suddenly charged towards the monsters. With a flash of lightning, he thrust his spear into the waterway.
"――Take this, Lancebolt!"
Ka-boom! A blue-white flash exploded. The monsters recoiled, their movements halted.
However, their numbers didn't decrease. Mr. Sein thrust his spear into the waterway once again.
"Mr. Sein, what are you...!"
"...My equipment can hold off monsters in a wide range."
"Huh?"
"I'm telling you to leave this to me and go ahead."
"B-but, you can't handle this many alone! You need to provide backup soon..."
"Shut up."
He glared at me.
"You're the one who's gonna end this fight, aren't you? You're gonna do something I can't do! So, don't take a detour Just go... Noroa Rator!"
"..."
"...Let's move forward, Noroa. Inquisitor Sein will cover our retreat."
"...Okay."
I turned my back to Mr. Sein and started running again. Thanks to Mr. Sein's spear, the monsters in the waterway slowed down.
We arrived at the Great Holy Castle smoothly.
But...
"...The problem starts from here."
"...Yeah."
We had managed to get close to the Great Holy Castle.
However, from here on, there was no foothold to reach the castle. The Great Holy Castle was floating in the middle of a lake, surrounded by monsters.
The distance to the Great Holy Castle is at least 300 meters or more (≈984 feet).
"...It's farther than I thought."
"...Just a little more."
If we could just rescue Miss Fuuko, a path to survival would open up...but our hands were just out of reach.
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