Chapter 112 The Mirror Is Cracked Vertically
The mirror cracked vertically,
and it felt like something had burst.
The effect of the Shoes of Hel should have worn off, but before I knew it, I was running faster than an arrow.
Ruthless, swung to block my path, felt so light.
Normally, I would have been making a fuss about awakening events or signs of talent blooming.
But right now, I just couldn't feel that way.
"You got a gnarly gash on your shoulder, Quollio. Thanks for the pick-me-up, I guess."
"...Hmph. It seems I've caught something from some idiot."
"Hah? You think so?"
"Indeed... ugh."
"Mr. Quollio, you shouldn't talk! It'll make your injury worse!"
"Ugh. S-sorry."
Even with a big head, it seems he can't go against Lyam, who's teary-eyed and pushing him to be quiet.
Ignoring the sulking Quollio, I glare at the town that has turned into a battlefield.
In that scene, I could see Sham, who seemed relieved, stroking her chest, and the captain, who had a slight smile.
"Oh! Ohhhh! Lord Hiiro! Our sword, the heroic knight!"
"Huh?"
"You're definitely not like the others. To rush here in Joosa's crisis! As the wise Lord Hiiro, you must understand. That witch is using suspicious magic to control beasts and destroy this town!"
"..."
There wasn't even a moment to nod.
Desperate, but to the town mayor, I must look like his last hope.
There's not a shred of confidence left.
I couldn't even notice the temperature in my gaze as I looked down.
"Please! Oh, please save us, save Joosa's town!"
(...save us, huh)
Still, he is asking for help.
That is an undeniable fact.
And if he reached out to me for salvation,
what 'I' should do was already decided long ago.
"...Fine, got it. Shut yer trap, town mayor."
"Ha, haha!"
As I turned to face forward, keeping my words at bay, my gaze collided with a red woman beyond the rain.
"Yo, you're makin' a big ol' spectacle, ain't ya?"
"...Persistent man. If you've been brushed off once, isn't it a man's way to gracefully give up?"
"You know I don't play nice, got it? You think I'd let this slide?"
"Have you already forgotten? Spilled wine can't go back in the bottle, not ever."
Her tone wasn't particularly annoying. Calmly, she repeated a line I had heard before, as if everything was already too late.
So instead of saying something too late now, I gripped Ruthless even tighter.
"──Everyone, listen up! I'm giving orders!"
Amidst the sound of pouring rain, the captain's sharp commands rang out. Each word reached my chilled mind clearly.
"Lyam Neshana, focus on Batigan's healing and overall support! Sham Neshana, scatter the small beast group!"
"Got it! But what about this black horse!?"
"Send it to Merifar! Change the front line!"
"Aww, yeah, gotcha pegged, captain. You know my style."
"Yes. Also, handle Hrimfaxi yourself. Don't worry, I won't let them catch you off guard again."
"Sure."
"Don't let your guard down, Hiiro. That one is really troublesome."
"Nah, ain't nothin' to worry 'bout with me."
Sham's face was unusually serious; he must have had a tough time. He was one of the two sent by that theater troupe leader. He felt different from the other beasts just by his presence.
But I wasn't the type to back down here. I kicked the mud off my shoes and stood defiantly in front of the black horse, which was watching me with a challenging gaze.
"Is everything okay...? Oh! By the way, where's Sis Shura?!"
"Huh? That chick? If it's her..."
She stayed behind for us.
Just as I was about to give Sham that vague explanation, a loud roar erupted from beyond the drenched forest, and a "giant flame" shot up into the sky.
(...What in da hell's goin' on?!)
(Wow. That's flashy. Is she planning to create a rainbow or something?)
I was left speechless. What the heck was that?
Above the forest level, so high it feels like you could touch the sky, a huge pillar of flame.
Like a giant's arm made of fire.
(No... oh, I see)
But in that direction. That flame.
My gut whispered.
That must be Shura's doing.
"If it's that chick... then ain't nothin' to stress about, ya hear?"
"Ah ha. Yeah. As expected of Sis Shura!"
That girl. Even though she's not here.
She sure knows how to stand out.
Thanks to her, the fire spread over here, and the heavy humidity lightened up a bit.
"Alright, listen up! Time to turn the tables and come at 'em with everything we got!"
Before the smoke signal faded away, I charged at the black horse.
* * *
He's used to the pain in his heart, but he;s weak when it comes to physical pain.
Like some idiot, he can't seem to be strong in either. While tryig to hold onto his fading consciousness, Quollio chuckled at that realization.
"Mokumon. Straw and bandages, please! Oh, and the straw is made of silver, so don't mix it up, okay?"
"Mokumon!"
"Thanks. Mr. Quollio, please hang in there a bit longer. I'll treat you right away."
"...Ah."
Out of the corner of his eye, a small back was moving around in a fluster.
The injured person watched Lyam's profile, which was dripping with droplets different from the rain.
"'Reach, reach, silver bubbles. Unfulfilled wishes, at least seal them'──'Mermaid's Confession'."
Shimmering silver soap bubbles stuck to the shoulder wound, forming a membrane. It was the 'healing' magic, one of the features of blue.
Maybe because the balance of Magi is leaning towards blue in this rainy weather, even though it's a low-level spell, its effect is significant. Quollio's voice, which was groaning in pain, gradually regained some calmness.
But.
"Hey, Lyam."
"Ah, yes. What is it?"
"Did something happen to that guy?"
"...Huh?"
What occupied Quollio's mind wasn't about himself.
It was the discomfort regarding that "toxic relationship" challenging the black horse in the distance.
"Something seems a bit off with Hiiro. Of course, I might be completely wrong."
"...Um. Does it look that way?"
"Yeah. Do you have any idea?"
"........."
The place he turned to in search of discomfort had a straightforward answer.
"Actually, we arrived here before Mr. Quollio was attacked."
"What? Really?"
"I'm sorry, we should have rushed to help right away, but... we couldn't help but hear that person's story."
His throat made a sound even though he wasn't thirsty.
So, Lyam and Hiiro must have also caught the witch's past tale.
Was it from the beginning? Or partway through?
Quollio tucked away the question of how much they had heard deep in his throat.
".........I see."
He's used to the pain in his heart, but he's weak when it comes to physical pain.
Like some fool, it seems he can't be strong in either.
But is that really the case?
Is he truly strong in heart? Or is he just fooling himself into thinking he's not sensitive to pain?
──Or maybe, he just knows how to numb the pain.
How did he come to know that?
What kind of life leads to that knowledge?
(......... iiro)
Quollio still lacked the grounds to answer the questions bubbling up inside him.
* * *
Once, a beast sang within the Orphanage engulfed in flames.
Now, a black horse whinnies in the cold, pouring rain.
If you look at it through the red liquid in a thermometer, the environments are vastly different, but both are certainly hellish situations.
(Hey, hey, Master! Master!)
And yet, despite the dire circumstances, Ruthless was cheerfully making a ruckus in my head, as if tracing back to that time.
(Are you listening? Your swings have been sloppy for a while now! Why are you so rough?)
(.........Shut it, don't even get me started...)
Even while I was struggling, the black water was closing in.
It was true that I was putting extra strength into my hands to shake it off, and I was aware of it.
I just didn't have the luxury to spare.
(Oh, I see. Did you feel sorry for that witch? Is that why you got distracted and let a hole open in your buddy's shoulder?)
(.........)
(Ha, it's funny how neither of those things is your fault, Master.)
(.........You wanna know what's real? Your attitude, that's what. Keep talkin' like that.)
Anyway, I'm really in a tight spot.
Seriously, Ruthless shows no mercy.
After being entrusted by Shura, I finally reached Joosa.
As I pushed through the rain, I got completely tangled up in the woman's past.
The dark history of this town. The truth of the witch hunts. The evil deeds of the Inquisitorial Council.
What finally got my thoughts moving again was Quollio's scream.
To avoid getting too caught up in my rising regrets, I swung Ruthless with all my might again.
(Listen up, I ain't got time for this. If we're gonna chat, let's get real about flaws or gameplans instead of all that fake fluff.)
(Whoa. A complaint? Master is so dramatic.)
(Which one!)
Ruthless protested, pouting, but I couldn't afford to care about appearances.
The beast in front of me didn't give a damn about my feelings.
If I tried to create distance, water bullets kept flying at me, and if I got too close, I'd be blocked by a muddy shield.
It was all defense. At this rate, I'd be worn down.
In a situation like this, poking at my mental wounds would make me shout.
(Hmph. Well, unlike my angry Master, I'm more open-minded, so I guess I'll give you a lecture. Um, that sweaty guy's name is something like [Hrimfaxi].)
(That's one too many syllables... Wait, ain't it a mud, not a sweat?)
(Yup. It's kind of thick, but that's sweat, and it's also blood packed with Magi. That's why it can be manipulated so skillfully, but... ugh, either way, it's gross.)
(...really?)
I thought it was mud because it was so sticky, but it's sweat. Now that I think about it, Quollio lectured me about this before. Magi, which is said to reside in all things, has a good affinity with liquids.
Sweat = Magi = Blood... so that means.
(Sounds like this thing's always leakin' blood, means it ain't gonna run out anytime soon. Let's drag this fight out as long as we can.)
(Master is such an idiot. That thing with Hrim is just a side effect of its body structure that generates blood at an abnormal rate. So there's no way it runs out of blood. In fact, its stamina is endless. If it drags on into a long fight, it'll be the one to give up first. That was a simple explanation from Ruru (Ruthless). Hope that helped!)
(No way... wtf, red magic gotta have a flaw or somethin')
(Well, even if there was, it wouldn't matter to Master who can only use White magic, haha.)
(Ugh...)
Ruthless really hit a sore spot.
But even if I understand how the beast manipulates mud, it doesn't lead to a solution. If anything, it just made it clear that if things keep going like this, defeat is pretty much guaranteed.
This is bad, what should I do?
Honestly, Hrim's attacks aren't that impressive. But its defense is a real pain. Even though I tried to attack a few times while talking to Ruthless... I kept getting deflected by that ever-changing mud shield.
Close combat just doesn't work well against it. No wonder Sham is struggling. If I could use the 4 elemental magics, it might be different.
Ah, I shouldn't be wasting time on something like this... I felt like cursing under my breath.
A bubbling anxiety was creeping up my throat.
And.
"...Tch."
And... "really," I had no composure right now.
Since earlier──more precisely, since I heard that guy (Rose) talk, my mood has been sinking lower and lower.
It felt like claws were digging into my heart.
Like I was tied up in front of a cracked mirror.
I could feel my calmness slowly eroding away.
(...Master?)
A ringing irritation was building up. It was so loud, it was unbearable.
The impatience that Ruthless pointed out was reaching a point where I couldn't even fake it with a tongue click anymore.
"Despite stepping onto the stage with such confidence, you don't look too happy. Is there something bothering you... 'Hero Knight'?"
The one who cracked the mirror was deep in my sight.
With lips painted in rouge, it was mocking me.
"...You."
Yet it felt like it was someone else, not me.
It really feels like I'm laughing at myself through the mirror.
'...That's why... I can't help but think, why now?'
Another sound echoed deep in my ears.
The crack in the mirror was deep, and I heard it shatter.
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