Chapter 54 Aïne Klaïne
Red is fire. Blue is water. Green is wind. Yellow is earth. White is general.
And black is beyond human. Only magical beings can use it.
"This stupid beast, of all things, has magic! You've got to be kidding me!"
Magic isn't just for humans. Some beasts can use magic too, and this singing beast is one of them.
"Can't chant magic... it put us in silence...!"
"Of all things, it's a magic that gives us a bad status, what an infuriating crap!" (Isn't it a bit too twisted to be an early boss character?!
So that scream earlier was black magic, and on top of that, it gives us 'silence' so we can't chant magic.
And it looks like it spreads status problems too. I'm already full from the fight against Shouk! Whoever thought of this must be a real jerk!
[Gaaa!!!]
"Ugh!"
The enemy is a beast. It doesn't care about our panic.
I barely kicked away a little beast that ambushed us when we came back from the ruins and tried to calm down.
Right. Stay calm. So what if we're in silence? We can't use magic. So what?
Honestly, it doesn't matter much to me! It's sad to say that, though!
"Shura! Stop freaking out just because we can't use magic!"
"What? Who's panicking!?"
"Then move your hands! There are still little beasts left, you lazybones!"
"I don't need you to tell me that...!"
After I yelled a bit out of frustration, Shura seemed to snap back and started kicking away the little beast beasts.
The sound of shining silver swords and the cries of the beasts echoed in the ruins.
Yes, we are knights. Not magic users. As long as we have our bodies and swords, we're good. Just because we can't use magic for a bit doesn't mean we need to panic.
Seeing the number of beasts drop quickly made me feel better.
(Alright. Alright. I almost let Shura steal the spotlight, but I got my pace back!)
It's not like I was panicking because I was worried about Shura taking all the attention. I wasn't freaking out about becoming the protagonist or anything.
It's fine, protagonists don't panic.
"Get lost, you stupid beast!!"
[Giyae!?]
"Shut up, you annoying thing!!"
[Gi, aoo...]
Anyway, we got back on track and moved through the ruins.
By the time we noticed, we had finished off the little beasts. The only one left was the beast sitting on the altar.
"This stupid creature, of all things, it's made our lives harder."
"Now it's just that one left. I'll make sure it pays for its strange actions."
But looking at our lines, it's hard to tell who the real enemy is. I mean, we look like a berserker and a villain. The beast, looking defeated after losing its friends, seems way more tragic.
But I know better than to feel sorry for it; it's not a weak opponent.
[Ruu, Ruuu, uuuuuuaAA]
"Ah!"
My bad feeling was right. The beast wasn't just hanging its head.
A rumbling growl was creating a melody.
[──Aïne Klaïne──RUuu, uuuuaAA──]
"This stupid thing is singing again, damn it!!"
If the earlier scream was a mid-range song, now it's a low-range lament. Just listening to it feels like it's stealing my warmth, and I shivered.
Wait. This isn't the time to be shaking. If this song is also black magic, something bad might happen again.
Thinking that, I instinctively got ready. But...
"...Huh?" (Wait? I feel fine.)
Huh, could it be a dud?
Is it possible that the earlier silence song made it so it can't do anything either?
I glanced at Shura, but she didn't move at all. I thought for sure we'd get hit with paralysis or a cold, so I was surprised.
"Hah, just a scare. Thanks for the beautiful voice... Hey Shura! Let's finish this quickly!"
There was no response.
Instead, Shura just stood there, even after showing so much obsession with the beast.
"...Shura? Are you listening?! Why are you just standing there like an idiot?!"
Isn't this a bit strange? I thought that as I turned my body towards Shura, and it turned out to be a good move. No, it's more like a lucky accident.
"────."
"?!"
Because by the time I noticed, Shura was already attacking me.
"Ugh?!"
It was way too close. I was lucky.
If I had reacted even a moment later, I would have been cut in half, not just lost an arm.
My arm, which took the hit, was still buzzing with pain. No doubt about it. That strike was serious. Shura really intended to cut me.
"Ugh?! What the hell is wrong with you, Shura?!" (What are you doing all of a sudden? Are you trying to kill me?)
I had no idea why I was suddenly attacked.
Confused, I asked without thinking. I even had the wild thought that maybe Shura was betraying me to take my place as the protagonist. It's no wonder I was so confused.
"I won't let you do it..."
"Huh?!"
"The 'director'... won't let you kill..."
"The director?! What are you talking about, you crazy person?!"
But when I looked into Shura's eyes, my mind cleared up instantly.
Those eyes were empty, lacking any light. The words coming out were jumbled and made no sense.
It was clear that Shura was in an "abnormal" state.
"I won't let you kill, I won't let you take... never again. So..."
And under that twisted will, the blade was aimed straight at me.
"You will die...!"
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