Chapter 109 Crawling Nightmare
The wind and clouds didn't give any warning, and the heavy rain was still just like the morning.
But the situation surrounding Joosa had dramatically changed, and it was truly a crisis.
──A horde of beasts is coming.
It wasn't the heavens that signaled the strange occurrence, but Sham. Chosen by the captain to be on standby, she initially didn't hide her complaints about being bored. But suddenly, she went silent and warned Shidou about the beast's sudden attack.
What was her basis for that? Shidou and Quollio wanted to ask, but seeing her serious demeanor, they quickly took action.
They alerted all the townspeople about the beast's presence and tried to evacuate the panicking townsfolk to the theater tent.
Eventually, just as they managed to cram the townspeople inside, the beasts appeared.
"Here we goooo!!!"
With a brave shout, Sham swung down her iron hammer, not even allowing a death cry.
"Come on, come on, let's keep going!"
She was rampaging as if to vent all the frustration built up during standby.
In her hands was a massive iron ball. Quollio thought it was a weapon lacking any intelligence, but it was incredibly efficient for scattering a large number of foes.
"Too soft!"
[hi, gii,,,]
That's why Shidou's sword skills, which wiped out the beasts faster than Sham, were impressive.
With a swift slash as he passed by. A quick turn and another slash. In the face of his precise sword strikes, the beasts quickly turned to shadow (black ash). Quollio felt like he didn't even have a role to play in the incredible performance of the two vanguards.
(The quality of the beasts is nothing special, but there are just so many of them. At this rate, some might slip into the theater.)
In front of the violence of numbers, the illusion vanished. The beasts climbing up the outer walls of Joosa weren't decreasing at all, even with Shidou and the others' efforts.
It was clear that they simply didn't have enough hands. Plus, the theater tent probably didn't have the ability to serve as a defensive stronghold. The elements were clearly stacked against them in this defense.
However, Quollio had decided to make this place their defensive stronghold.
Because he had the means to transform this fragile tent into a sturdy fortress.
"Hey Quollio! As you said, I placed 'that' on the opposite side of the tent!"
"Thank you, Mr. Marcus! I'm sorry, as a civilian, you shouldn't have to help me..."
"I can see we're short on hands. It's all good. But dealing with beasts is a different story. I'll leave that to the real knights!"
"Got it!"
Breathless, Marcus rushed over. Thanks to his help, everything was ready. Watching the nobleman return to the theater with a refreshing smile, Quollio rummaged through his pockets.
He pulled out a flat, deep green mask. He placed the sharply shaped mask at the front entrance of the tent.
The back entrance, set up by Marcus, was on the north side.
The front entrance was on the south side. The center was a circular theater tent.
The ritual, which served as a catalyst, was complete. Now, all that was left was to chant.
"'Adorn, adorn, dual faces of north and south. In the embrace of the divine, let nothing hinder'."
As he chanted, green light lit up the eyes of the north and south masks.
For Quollio, it was merely a magical reaction. But the sight was so divine, it felt as if a non-human will had descended.
"[Temple of Ehēcatl]."
What was completed was an Intermediate-level Magic of the green attribute. The theater tent was enveloped completely by a green wind barrier.
"Whoa, what's that, Quo?! The theater looks amazing!"
"...It's a wind barrier. With this, no half-hearted beast should be able to touch the theater."
"A barrier! That sounds awesome!"
The black tent had instantly transformed into a green dome. Sham was swinging a metal rod around, excited. Even in such a situation, she was still playful.
As expected, a beast slipped through the metal rod and approached the theater. However, there was not a hint of panic on Quollio's face.
"It's not just something. It's actually amazing."
[keeae?!]
"...As you can see, a regular beast doesn't stand a chance."
There was no need to panic.
The low-level beast reached out, but it couldn't touch anything. In fact, it was knocked back hard, as if blown by a strong wind.
The Intermediate-level "Green Magic" Temple of Ehēcatl.
With the catalyst all set up, Quollio was proud of his magic, thinking that even a fragile tent could turn into an impenetrable fortress.
"Wow, that smug face is so annoying."
"Annoying!?"
That was a surprisingly cold remark.
"You're just adjusting your glasses like, 'Look at me!' It's so annoying. You're like, Uzzario now! Hey, Uzzario!"
"Wh-what? It's not like that! I'm telling you, even though this is Intermediate-level Magic, it takes a lot of effort to cast and maintain! D-don't mess with my focus!"
"Okay, okay, chill."
"Seriously!"
"...You guys should be the serious ones. Can't you keep a little tension?"
──I'm not trying to mess around. Quollio pouted, unusually acting his age at Shidou's scolding.
But in reality, Quollio's move was a brilliant one that stopped the situation from getting worse. The wind barrier surrounding the theater tent no longer allowed the beast to enter.
"Nyahhh!!!"
"Shid──!"
"'Strike, strike, core of the thunder drum. Bloom, bloom, green thunder flower'... 'Heyoka's Thunder Summon'."
While tension is important, it's natural to feel a bit more relaxed. The battlefield had shifted from a defensive stance to a sweep-out battle. The two vanguards were proving that with their rampage, easing the worries and boosting their momentum.
Even Quollio, who was casting a bit of magic while activating the Eekatoru temple, was starting to have the mental space to worry.
(I wonder if Hiiro and the others... captured Rose Carmine?)
He thought of the members of the separate team and the main culprits behind this commotion.
(That "wine" she had... what was it really? That strange Magi reaction. Who knows what would happen if a human drank it? But)
What made that Rose Carmine want to commit such a terrible act? That's also on his mind. However, more than her background, which he respect because she's a famous actress... it was the 'weapon' used that caught Quollio's interest.
(To humans. No, not just humans right away, but starting with lab mice, observing the changes, watching the progress, gradually increasing the size of the subjects... What am I thinking!?)
Even though the knowledge he's built up is warning him that it could lead to terrible results. It feels like the depths of his knowledge are reaching out, saying, "That's why I want to confirm it."
A dangerous curiosity sends shivers down his spine. It's a thought he should reject. It's not normal. Shaking off the cold desire within him, Quollio shook his head.
That's when it happened.
"Ugh. W-well, this is quite the situation. I can't get in like this... what a bother."
"...Huh!? It's the town mayor Haboch!"
The town mayor Haboch appeared, slipping into the gap of Quollio's realization.
"W-what are you doing here?"
"Um, well, I came to pick up something I forgot. When I returned, it seems the theater was sealed off. Ha, ha."
"Something you forgot...?"
Quollio muttered in disbelief. It seems this town mayor prioritized something over evacuation, even in an emergency. As a result, he was stuck in front of the wind barrier.
"Um, that 'jar' you're holding... could it be that's what you forgot?"
Quollio's eyes widened in disbelief at the absurdity of it all, not missing the item that must have been prioritized.
In the mayor's arms was a dark-colored jar.
Quollio, who wasn't an expert on antiques, could tell that the finish was of higher quality than usual. It might be a well-known masterpiece. Still, it didn't seem like something worth risking danger to retrieve.
"Uh, yeah. This is a treasured item passed down through generations in our town, you know. It's something that can't be replaced by anything else..."
"There's nothing that can replace a life, right?"
"Ugh, ha, ha... Yes, Sir Knight. What you say is absolutely true, but this isn't the time to be debating further! I want to take shelter inside too! Come on! Come on!"
It was probably because he hit a sore spot. Quollio sighed at Haboch, who was saying something so carefree while sounding irritated.
Creating a wind barrier isn't something that can be done easily.
The magic consumption is intense, and it's tough to set it up again.
Quollio was about to speak, thinking they should at least push back the beasts once first.
[rehnnnnn!!!!]
"What!?"
The words were stolen away by a flash of light.
It dashed through the narrow space between Quollio and Haboch, accompanied by a strange horse's neigh.
"A hole in the barrier...?"
There was a hole the size of a spear's handle in the wind wall that ordinary beasts couldn't even touch.
However, what shocked Quollio wasn't just that.
"──Oh. Even though it's such a nice reunion, are you already planning to leave? The mayor of Haboch town is so cold, huh?"
"...!?"
Amidst the storm of confusion, she appeared with a graceful step, leading a black and white horse──Rose Carmine, the vengeful witch.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)