Chapter 113 Black Mist
――In the silent temple, it seemed like the magic circle at Elvira's feet emitted a glowing sound.
(It begins)
Within the magic circle were Elvira, Diona, and probably some of the stronger members of the Rustu clan. Just outside the magic circle stood Lukas, Arnold, and several members of the Savila Knight Order.
Marcedes-san and I stood a little further away, watching along the temple wall. The prototypes were given to Diona, Lukas, Arnold, Vake, and Elvira herself. Although there were no plans for them to drink it from the start, if something were to happen... we might take a gamble.
I tightly gripped the container in my right hand and watched Elvira's condition. ――And then, it happened. Elvira, who was standing, bent over as if protecting her chest. And...
(Black... mist?)
From her body, black mist began to emerge.
The surroundings became restless. "Quiet!" Vake's voice resonated within the temple, calming his subordinates.
――That mist, it might be...
(The Demon King...?)
I strained my eyes, wondering if it was going well. The black mist emanating from Elvira continued to increase and gather above her head.
The mist gradually started taking shape. Although it wasn't a distinct form, it seemed like the mist was trying to gather into the shape of a beast. However, Diona and the others' power of light seemed to interfere with it, causing the mist to gather and disperse repeatedly.
Suddenly, Elvira squatted down. Thinking that she might be in pain, I took out a healing potion from my bag and stepped a few paces forward. ――In that instant...
"――Enemy attack! Monsters are in the city!"
A male voice echoed in the temple. I turned my gaze in that direction and in the next moment, with a thud, I collapsed to the floor.
My whole body was in pain.
"Ahh――!"
A man's scream shook my eardrums. Then, the roar of a beast echoed.
"Seal the entrance! Don't let them inside!"
Vake's urgent instructions. The valiant voice of the Knight Order members fighting back.
――I had no idea what was happening. My head, arms, and legs hurt so much I couldn't move.
"Laura-chan!"
Suddenly, a hand touched my shoulder. I couldn't turn my head, but I knew it was Marcedes-san. She helped me up and brought a container to my mouth. Probably a healing potion. I drank the liquid desperately, and gradually, the pain faded.
I took a breath and my body was enveloped in a warm light. ――It's a healing magic.
"Can you hear me, Laura!?"
As my vision gradually cleared, the face of my childhood friend, on the verge of tears, came into view. My bones creaked, but the pain was almost gone. It must be thanks to the healing potion and healing magic.
"Lukas-kun, please take care of Laura-chan."
Marcedes-san's voice faded. In her place, Lukas supported me, calling my name to bring me back to consciousness.
Just as I felt relieved, a monster's death cry shook my eardrums. I tried to get up in a hurry and felt dizzy, but I still looked around to assess the situation. ――In just a moment, it had turned into a battlefield.
The crowd of monsters trying to enter the temple from the entrance was being desperately fought off by the people of Rustu, the Knight Order, and Arnold. For a moment, I wondered why there were monsters in the city where there should have been a barrier, but there was no time to think about that, as I turned back to Elvira.
――Elvira was surrounded by a large black mist in the shape of a beast. Diona was the only one using the power of light to interfere with the mist. The other people from Rustu who surrounded Elvira had collapsed around her.
"Where's Elvira!?"
"She's in the center of that mist. I think the explosion earlier was probably the power of the demon king."
Lukas's words made me realize what happened to me earlier.
A monster appeared in the city, the man shouted, and at that moment, I turned my back on Elvira. It was probably the demon king causing an explosion. That's why I was blown away and hit hard all over my body.
Nevertheless, the timing of the enemy attack is too perfect. It's as if they planned it. ――No, the demon king probably coordinated with his subordinates, actually.
(It turned out just as Diona said.)
Diona was concerned that there might be a monster attack on the day. And now, it's exactly the situation she was worried about.
Lukas reaches out towards the mist. Then, the crest of the Hero floats up at the feet of the black mist, and a pillar of light envelops the mist. In an instant, the mist clears.
(Elvira!)
I could see Elvira squatting on the ground.
But soon, the mist gathers around Elvira again and forms the shape of a beast. The demon king is probably still inside Elvira. As long as the demon king is the core inside her, it's useless to disperse the surrounding mist.
(What should I do? What should I...)
We have to completely remove the demon king from Elvira.
The power of the Hero certainly affects the demon king. But interference from the outside is insufficient. We need a way to stimulate the demon king from within her. And that is...
(...the prototype.)
It's a gamble. I don't know what kind of reaction the demon king inside Elvira will have if she drinks the prototype. But there's no choice but to directly inject the power of the Hero into her body, and the only way to do that is with the prototype.
All the prototypes I had earlier were destroyed by the explosion. The same goes for my bag. If that's the case, I have no choice but to get the prototype from the person I gave it to in advance.
I look up at Lukas, who is still supporting me. And I ask,
"Luka, what about the prototype I gave you before it started..."
"I'm sorry, it got destroyed in the blast earlier..."
Lukas lowers his eyelids, looking apologetic. It was such a powerful explosion. A fragile container wouldn't stand a chance.
If there is someone else, I stood up and looked around—
"Ampère!"
There's only one person who calls me that.
When I looked in the direction of the voice, a monster that couldn't be stopped at the entrance was running towards us. Lukas quickly stepped in front of me. And just as he was about to use his power――before he could, the monster's body burst into flames.
With a thud, the monster fell. And in my field of vision, a black-haired young man, Arnold, came running towards us.
"Are you okay?"
"More or less."
We exchanged a few words briefly. Arnold sighed softly and then shifted his gaze to Lukas.
"Can Lukas-dono use his power to remove that mist?"
"With maximum firepower, somehow."
Lukas, who said that, was already breathing heavily and seemed to be quite exhausted.
Arnold pondered for a few seconds, leaning his shoulder and looking down.
"Arnold! I can't hold on anymore!"
Marcedes-san's urgent voice came flying from the entrance. If I looked over there, the troops fighting the monsters at the entrance seemed to be pushed back quite a bit.
Because we had also suffered significant losses from the initial explosion――many people were lying around――Arnold was a crucial force. Even a momentary lapse would have an impact.
He clicked his tongue in frustration and then looked at me. And without a word, he reached out his right hand towards me. ――What he held in his hand was a container containing a prototype.
Did Arnold protect this fragile container in the midst of that explosion?
"We're thinking the same thing, right?"
When Arnold asked me that, I nodded slightly. By handing this over to me now, it seems that he has already made up his mind to gamble on the prototype.
"Have Lukas and Diona use their maximum firepower. When the mist clears, I'll make Elvira drink it."
"Yeah. I wish I could have taken on that role..."
As we were talking, the monster's roar shook our eardrums as if urging us. His magic power is essential for repelling the monsters. This is true for both the conscious Rustu people and the Savila Knight Order.
Only Lukas, Diona, and I were not engaging in battle at the entrance. Since everyone was already tired, it would be best for Lukas and Diona to conserve their strength as much as possible. With that in mind, the moment the dark mist cleared, I ran towards Elvira. There was no one else who could prescribe the prototype to her except me.
"I will protect everyone with this power. Absolutely."
Lukas, who had been standing silently beside me, stepped forward and declared with a strong voice. I instinctively looked at my childhood friend, but he kept his gaze fixed on Arnold. For a few seconds, the two of them stared at each other in silence.
Arnold was the first to look away. He quickly shifted his gaze from Lukas and looked at me again. And then, he grabbed me by the arm.
My head bumped into something warm. When I realized it was Arnold's chest, he was already hugging me tightly.
"――I'm counting on you for Elvira."
He whispered in my ear. His warmth slowly faded away.
After watching Arnold's back as he returned to the battle with the monsters for a few seconds,
'I'm counting on you.'
I heard the resolute voice that echoed in my ears.
I clenched my fist tightly in response. Arnold entrusted Elvira to me. I don't know what will happen, but I want to fulfill that wish.
――I want to save Elvira.
"Let's go, Laura."
Lukas said as we ran towards the dark mist. We called out to Diona, who had been desperately trying to remove the dark mist on her own.
"Diona! Help us with your power!"
Even though we didn't tell her what to do, Diona nodded vigorously and ran towards us.
I showed her the container of the prototype. Just from that, Diona seemed to understand what she needed to do.
"I will give the prototype to Elvira. To do that, I have to get close to her. So――"
"With the power of me and Lukas-sama, we will temporarily remove the dark mist."
"...Yeah. In the meantime, let me give it to you."
She understood without anyone saying a word. It made me feel incredibly happy and reliable.
We exchanged glances once, nodded, and supported each other's injured bodies, trying to get as close to the black mist as possible.
It felt like a sense of oppression, as if something heavy was pressing on my shoulders. There was an incredibly concentrated magic power in the air, so strong that if I let my guard down, I would lose consciousness.
It was terrifying to think about the burden Elvira, who was at the center of it all, was carrying.
I wanted to rescue that beloved girl from unimaginable pain as soon as possible.
"――Alright, let's do it."
Lukas and Diona closed their eyes. I could hear them take a deep breath.
The crest of the Hero was floating at the foot of the black mist. A pillar of light surrounded us. The pillar seemed thicker and the light stronger than before, probably because of Diona's added power.
I tightly gripped the container in my right hand. ――And then, the mist cleared.
"(Elvira!)"
I rushed over to the girl who was crouching down. As soon as I placed my hand on her shoulder and called her name, she groaned.
It seemed like she was still conscious. Her large black eyes slowly appeared, as if they had caught sight of me. She could still be saved. She could still be helped.
I brought the prototype container to her mouth. However, she didn't seem to have the strength to drink it, as it spilled from the corner of her mouth. It was no use.
"Laura! We're running out of time!"
Lukas' urgent voice echoed. There was no time to hesitate anymore. I moved the container away from Elvira's mouth, quickly took the prototype, and drank it in one go.
――And then, I apologized in my mind before transferring it to her mouth. I could see her small throat move up and down as she swallowed.
In an instant, an incredibly intense magic power descended, as if her body was being crushed. Without understanding what was happening, I held Elvira's small body tightly, determined to protect her.
――Rumble, rumble!
Was it an earthquake or the roar of the Demon King that shook my eardrums?
The heat that attacked me felt like it would burn my entire body. Even if I were to be completely consumed by it, I absolutely couldn't let go of this arm. I held on even tighter.
Hot. Hot. Hot. But I won't let go.
There's no way I'll let her be taken by someone like the Demon King.
"Laura!"
In the fading consciousness, who was it that called my name?
――And then, my consciousness ceased.
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