Volume 17 Chapter 6 Lisa And Jig, The Change Of Fate
"Is the Clishe Kingdom... destroyed!?"
Lisa stood frozen in shock at the report from another researcher.
The Clishe Kingdom is a country very close to the Caraille Kingdom.
"Could it be... that the [Invader] has become that active?"
"Yes, the knights and magic troops of the Clishe Kingdom were completely wiped out in an instant. Furthermore, all the cities were swallowed up and disappeared... that's the story."
The female researcher had a pale face.
She was 3 years younger than Lisa and had been her junior since their days at the magic academy.
She was a cute junior who had always looked up to Lisa from then until now.
"What will happen from now on... ? Will the [Invader] continue to swallow the world and destroy it?"
"I won't let that happen."
Lisa spoke strongly.
"We have been researching for that purpose. Stay strong."
"Y-Yes, Director Takamagahara...!"
"Don't worry. We have combat magic homonculus ready. We will uncover the nature, ecology, and weaknesses of the [Invader], and we will definitely save this world――this planet."
"Director..."
"You are also an important researcher for that purpose――a valuable asset. Stay strong."
"Yes, I will do my best!"
The junior researcher shouted.
And then, at that moment.
Rumble, rumble...!
A violent tremor shook the laboratory.
"What...? An earthquake!?"
Lisa instinctively tried to hide under the desk.
In the next moment, part of the wall exploded with a loud noise.
From there, a black, shining conical substance burst out.
That huge cone had a wiggly, soft texture.
It was like a tentacle.
2, 3... 1 after another, it was making holes in the lab's walls.
"That thing is――."
Lisa stood there in shock.
She knew what it was.
She had obtained samples during a field study using several magical humanoids.
But it was clearly different from the specimens they had studied.
The intimidation, the presence, the magic power――
She instinctively understood.
The samples they had obtained were just fragments, and what was in front of her was――
"The real body...!? The existence that [Invader]s the stars...! It came here too――!?"
The thing that attacked the Clishe Kingdom had now come to this nearby place.
RRRRRROOOAARR...!
A roar echoed, and the attack by the [Invader] began.
"Ugh, uwaaaaaah!?"
"What, what is this thing!?"
The black tentacles attacked the researchers one after another, piercing through them.
Soon, the lab was filled with screams.
"Kyaah!?"
One of the tentacles pierced through a junior who was near Lisa.
"W-What is this――."
The fallen junior's body started to shrink rapidly.
"No, this is different. Could it be..."
She was getting younger.
The woman, who was exactly 30 years old, quickly transformed into a girl in her late teens, then into an even younger teen, then into a child, and finally into a baby――
As her body kept shrinking, she ultimately vanished without a trace.
"She got too young... and disappeared...!?"
Lisa stood there in shock.
Sway, sway...
The black tentacles flickered as if searching for their next prey.
"Ugh...!"
Holding back the urge to scream in fear, Lisa started to run.
She had to get away from this place――.
Just 15 minutes later.
The research lab was being completely taken over by the [Invaders].
"Calm down! Attack with all the magical weapons we have!"
Lisa shouted, grabbing a nearby sword.
The magical sword――an S-class magical weapon capable of both close and long-range attacks.
Lisa didn't have any skill with swords, but this magical sword would help her a bit.
"Haah!"
With a shout, she swung down the sword, sending a red flash flying.
Whoosh!
However, the flash she released was easily deflected by a black tentacle and disappeared.
On the contrary, the black tentacle knocked the magical sword from her hand, wrapped around it, and shattered it in no time.
"What!? Not even an S-class magical weapon works at all――."
Just then,
"Dr. Takamagahara!"
A boy ran over.
"You're..."
It was Jig.
"[Wind Bomb]!"
While casting wind magic, Jig pushed back the group of black tentacles.
He couldn't destroy the tentacles, but the strong wind pressure held them back.
In the meantime, Jig reached Lisa.
"...They've appeared in the underground too. The other test subjects――."
He said, lowering his gaze.
"All of them were killed."
"Ugh...!"
Lisa's expression turned serious.
"I was worried about the doctor, so I came here."
Jig also had a serious look on his face.
"...Thanks for coming. You've saved me."
Saying that, Lisa focused on the writhing tentacles in front of her.
Her main role was 'magical research.'
Her attack magic and defense magic weren't very good, and they probably wouldn't be useful in a real fight.
In contrast, Jig had high abilities and seemed capable of fighting to some extent.
"...Sorry, but it looks like I have to leave it to you."
"No problem."
Jig nodded.
Seeing that, Lisa's lips relaxed.
――With this, we might survive.
The two barely escaped outside the lab.
They ran up a small hill and looked down.
"...Total annihilation, huh?"
Lisa sighed.
Even though Jig and Lisa fought with all their strength, their opponent's combat ability was too high.
All they could do was run.
Below them lay countless ruins, the remains of the lab, rising with black smoke.
All the researchers were probably killed too.
Just like that junior who always admired Lisa... they must have turned into babies and then disappeared.
However, it seems they activated the lab's self-destruct system in a desperate resistance, blowing up along with the black tentacles...
"What is that thing?"
Jig asked.
"It's――."
Lisa hesitated.
The information about the [Invader] is top secret.
Only a limited number of people are allowed to research it.
Still, since the lab has suffered such a heavy blow, it would be better to give Jig accurate information for future actions.
"A being that devours stars."
"Devours... stars?"
Jig frowned.
"When it appeared, where it came from, how it appeared――everything is a mystery. It is believed to consume all 'power' and 'life,' and eventually devour the stars themselves..."
Lisa explained.
"It had been in a dormant period for the last few hundred years, but it has started to become active again. Just the other day, one country disappeared."
"A country...!? Is it that powerful?"
"Because it's a being that devours stars..."
Lisa looked down.
"People are completely helpless if they're targeted by that thing. Even this research facility has S-class defensive magic weapons set up everywhere, with a defense ability greater than a fortress――yet it was almost instantly destroyed."
And then――
Splorch...!
Suddenly, a hot shock ran through her chest.
"Gasp—ah...!?"
It felt like something was lost from inside her, slipping away, a terrible sensation.
"Ah... aa..."
She looked down at her chest.
A black tentacle was piercing through it.
Right where her heart is.
It seems like there was at least one creature that escaped the lab's self-destruction.
"Doctor! Damn it...!"
Jig unleashed a barrage of attack magic, blasting the black tentacle away.
"U...ku..."
Lisa let out a small groan and collapsed to the ground.
"Ka...ha...ah...huh...huh..."
She was losing her voice.
"Doctor...!"
Jig's voice sounded strangely distant.
She could feel her consciousness fading.
――Am I going to die like this?
With a quiet sense of resignation, Lisa sensed her own death approaching.
Then,
"Now, I will heal you!"
(Jig...!?)
"Don't worry, I can use various types of magic――[Heal]!"
The soft light of healing magic illuminated Lisa's chest.
But――
"Ku...uu..."
The pain wouldn't go away.
The damage from the [Invader] was likely progressing little by little.
At this rate, Lisa would also start to rejuvenate like that junior and disappear――
The healing speed of [Heal] has its limits.
If the wounds are too deep, they won't heal easily.
Unless a higher-level healing magic is used.
However, only the top-class priests in the world can use that level of healing magic.
Jig can skillfully use various types of magic, but using magic at this level was just impossible for him.
"Damn it... heal... please heal..."
Jig's expression grew more anxious.
It was the first time she had seen him like this.
"Damn it...! No, Dr. Takamagahara... Lisa... don't die... LISAAA!"
In her fading consciousness, Lisa stared blankly at him.
"Why...?"
Why was Jig so desperate?
"We're friends...!"
Jig groaned.
"For the past 6 months, you treated me not as a 'test subject' but as a 'human.'."
His eyes were shaking.
――Had he really felt that way about me?
Lisa was surprised, and at the same time, her heart ached.
"...I'm sorry... that's probably... just my... whim..."
She liked Jig, and it was true that she had treated him as a friend.
But――compared to the strong and heavy feelings he had for her, had she really been that sincere with him?
No, she hadn't.
So――his straightforward feelings hurt Lisa's heart.
A feeling of guilt began to rise within her.
"It doesn't matter what you think."
Jig shook his head from side to side.
While shaking, he continued to cast healing magic.
"I'm doing this because I want to. I want to help my important friend! You're important to me! This is my, my own feeling... the first time I've ever felt this way, a feeling coming from deep inside me for someone... so...!"
At that moment, Lisa saw something strange.
Something faintly glowing appeared on Jig's forehead――.
(What is that...!?)
"DON'T DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Jig screamed.
A glow burst from his forehead.
A symbol resembling a sword floated above.
――Boom!
At the same time, something flowed into Lisa's chest.
"What is this...?"
She was surprised and realized she could speak again.
"The wound on my chest... it's stopped getting worse!? Thanks to your healing magic...!"
"This isn't healing."
Jig shook his head.
"Right now, I heard a strange 'voice' in my head. And it told me. This is the power I've received. The power to stop everything――."
"What are you... saying...?"
"The name of the power is 'Relic (Heaven's Legacy).' Its effect is [Stop]――."
Jig said in a solemn tone.
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