Volume 12 Chapter 6 The Enemy Is In The Slum
When I snapped back to reality, I found myself outside Hel's castle for some reason.
"What's going on?! What's happening right now?!"
I looked around. My friends, who were similarly dragged to the Domain Control, were getting agitated and exchanging worried glances with each other.
"What's going on, Wade-kun?!"
"I don't know. Is anyone missing?!"
I raised my voice. There were 5 party members, 2 mentors, and Gyurvi, who hadn't turned into an enemy, who had gathered here.
The other Demons must have all become enemies by now.
It's not like they betrayed us. They became enemies because of their convictions.
Just then, Toxy spoke up.
"Ice-chan is missing!"
"―――"
I caught my breath. I used my Ajna Chakra to locate her.
I found one person inside the castle. And that person was lying down.
"Toxy, come with me! The others, wait!"
I quickly gave the order and headed back to the castle with Toxy. We broke through the crumbling walls and entered the castle, whose interior had changed completely.
And then, we found Ice.
"Ice!!!"
I forgot myself and rushed to her side, embracing her tightly.
Ice was lying in a pool of blood, with a hole in her stomach and ice covering it. She must have been attacked and had quickly used ice to stop the bleeding and fight back.
"Toxy!"
"I know! Don't make that sad face! This Toxy-sensei can fix it easily!"
"I seriously love you, Toxy!"
"Ah, okay, okay, get down! Whoa, there's a crazy amount of blood. But this isn't Ice-chan's fault. Ice-chan's got a lot of guts, but this is way beyond a fatal dose."
Toxy was saying this while getting all worked up, and then stuck her hand into the hole in Ice's stomach and ripped out the ice with a "Plop" sound. Then she summoned Hydra and sprayed some medicine.
"And then, let's stitch it up... Okay! She's breathing, right? And the regeneration is going smoothly too."
I was trembling with fear as I peeked at Ice's condition from behind Toxy's shoulder. Ice's stomach was filling up quickly, thanks to the medicine.
"Toxy~~~!"
"Don't cry! Honestly, it's because we're a family, or rather, we're just too weak..."
Toxy patted my head, which was crying uncontrollably, and comforted me. I wiped away my tears and asked, still sniffling.
"Ice, is she okay? She's not going to die, right?"
"She's not going to die. It's good that she lost consciousness right away. I'm just a bit worried that her stomach was more swollen than I thought. Did she eat that much for breakfast?"
"I'm glad~~~! Ice isn't going to die, and it's really, really okay~~~!"
"Look! As the husband, you've got to be firm! Ice-chan is fine now, so Wade can carry her!"
"I'll carry her...!"
I wiped away my tears and carried Ice on my back. Thanks to Toxy's treatment, Ice seemed to be doing okay, and was now sleeping peacefully on my back, breathing steadily.
"...So, yeah. I mean, we got caught up in Domain Control and all, but we made it out somehow."
"It's all thanks to Ice-chan, I guess. I don't know what she did, but we got saved. That's our Ice-chan for you."
Do I think I defeated the Demon King Hel solo? When I think about it, I can't help but feel an overwhelming sense of respect for Ice.
Hel, who was easily dodged when Sandra and I worked together, was defeated solo. No matter what the circumstances, it's unbelievable.
"...But where is Hel now? She'll probably revive even if she die, and she shouldn't be dead..."
"Ah? We can't let our guard down, but there's no sign of her attacking, and we don't have time to waste."
"That's right. That's it. Rollo ran away saying something about a game. We need to catch her and give her a good scolding."
I curved my lips into a smile as I said this, and Toxy let out a wry laugh, saying "Ah, even if you say things like that, Wade, it's still just a scolding, isn't it?"
I said this with a serious face.
"Well, everyone gets a little scared sometimes, and it's not that different from usual."
"Wait."
"Yeah, let's regroup and search for Rollo and the others."
"Seriously, wait."
Leaving Toxy, who was sweating and looking worried, behind, I escaped from the castle.
I jumped back through the large hole I had made, using gravity magic to land safely. "I'm back!" I announced, and everyone's attention turned to me.
That's when our teachers, the two masters, approached me. Mudi said to me in a calm tone,
"Wade, we're going to take separate actions. Is that okay?"
"...Tell me the reason, at least."
"If we gather together and get killed, it'll be a problem. We learned that from Hel. This time, we won't make it a 'bully the weak' affair."
Mudi's serious expression brought back the tension that had eased up, and an old, familiar feeling began to well up inside me.
"I've got a few concerns, and I'm planning to investigate them. I'll contact you if anything comes up. I'll keep an eye on your battle situation, so let me know if you need help."
"Got it. Do your best."
"Yeah. And tell Ice that I said thanks."
I widened my eyes at Mudi's words.
I recently found out that Mudi doesn't call people by their names unless they've acknowledged each other. That's why he respects Ice, who defeated Hel alone.
"Understood."
"Alright, see you later."
"Later~! I'll come to your rescue if you're in a pinch~!"
Mudi and Philia quickly left. After seeing them off, I said.
"Thanks to Hel, we've lost some time. Let's find those guys and catch them quickly."
"That's right. But how are we going to search for them? Ice-san is unconscious, and Wade-kun said the Demon King was getting in the way."
"Actually, I just got rid of the Demon King of Deception's interference."
I smiled slyly at Clay's question and replied. Then, I activated "Brahma."
My second eye, Ajna Chakra. An expanded perception ability that lets me see through many things.
If I've got even a slight connection to someone, I can see through distances instantly. And with Rollo and the others, who are deeply connected to me, it's even more so.
I quickly found Rollo and the others. They were chasing someone in the ruins, all 4 of them.
Rollo was calling that person the "last piece" and was determined to catch them. That person was――
"Kyrie and the others...?"
"What?"
Sandra raised her voice. I focused on the situation even more.
Three people from Klainatzirks and one more. A woman with jet-black skin was shielding the 3 and dashing through the ruins.
But even their resistance wouldn't work against the now-stronger Rollo and his 4 companions. As time passed, they would eventually be defeated and absorbed.
I was surprised, yet somehow felt a sense of resignation. "I see," I muttered.
I had a feeling that Kyrie was similar to Rollo. Come to think of it, Gand, the giant with scales on his cheek, and Lillu, the beast-girl, were also connected to Jormungand and Fenrir, like snakes and wolves.
I understood the situation and told everyone.
"Rollo and his friends are chasing after Kyrie and the others from Klainatzirks. If we hurry and protect them, we can gain the upper hand against Rollo's group――."
Just then.
Rollo noticed my Ajna Chakra.
"Master~? Peeking is no good, okay~?"
Rollo's hand reached out to my Ajna Chakra and grasped it.
My Ajna Chakra was crushed, and my eyes started bleeding profusely.
"Wade?!"
"It's okay! Rollo just noticed me, that's all! But for now, I lost track of their exact location!"
I wiped away the blood streaming from my eyes and told everyone.
"It's the Slums! Rollo's group is in the Slums right now! Let's find them and capture them quickly!"
""""Roger that!""""
The voices of Clay, Toxy, Sandra, and Gyurvi rose.
Let's hurry. I realized through Hel that this battle would be one we couldn't afford to let our guard down.
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