Volume 7 Chapter 4 Part 4 (2/2)
”Let's go with a combination attack.”
”Understood.”
The magical power focusing in their weapons caused even the atmosphere to emit a sharp, grinding sound.
The concentration was so dense that all that Scoruas' pupils could register was a violet and blue flas.h.i.+ng light.
”ThIS lIGht iIIiiSS!!!”
Scoruas could not finish his sentence before the slash reached its target.
Cooperation-exclusive skill Decapitation Spark.
It was a crus.h.i.+ngly heavy sword slash, coming from a gigantic blade-shaped energy, extending from Moonlessand Blue Moon.
What they had unleashed was a single flash. A single cleave that cut through the arms Scoruas had raised to defend himself, his harder-than-steel carapace and layers of scales, as if they were nothing.
The blade descended as mercilessly as a real guillotine.
The skill, possessing power unimaginable in the game era, cut Scoruas' head off in one fell swoop.
”Better safe than sorry.”
”Yes.”
s.h.i.+n and Schnee readied their blades before the skill ended.
Their opponent was a Grand Duke; even if its HP had become 0, they doubted it would just die like that.
Scoruas' gigantic body was run through by sword slashes, which crossed in its center and divided the demon's body in 4 parts.
It was defeated, without a shred of a doubt; after some time, the demon's body turned into particles and started disappearing.
”How could I lose so easily? Just who are you?”
”You only have your head left, but you can still talk? Well, there's no reason for me to tell you though.”
Scoruas' sliced head had started speaking. It was a mystery where the voice came from, but its distorted tone had returned to a more human-like one.
”Someone who could subdue Schnee Raizar and a divine beasthaha, now I see, you are a hi”
That was everything Scoruas managed to utter. It appeared he could not maintain his existence anymore; his head also turned into particles and disappeared.
Items such as jewels and metals were the only things left where Scoruas' body had been.
”Demons drop items in this world?”
”The demon we defeated at the king's castle did not drop anything, though.”
On closer inspection, the dropped gemstones were all Unique cla.s.s. The metals too were rare kinds, such as Orichalc.u.m and Mithril.
s.h.i.+n a.s.sumed that the items the demon created within its body were expelled when the demon pa.s.sed, thus appearing just as dropped items would.
They did not seem tainted by the miasma, but to be sure s.h.i.+n purified them before converting them into cards and storing them in the item box.
”Well then, let's rejoin the others.”
”It doesn't look like they needed help after all.”
Adara was nowhere to be seen. While Scoruas was disappearing they perceived a large quant.i.ty of magical power and turned around, to find a deep red flash of light rising in the distance, signaling the conclusion of the conflict.
The effect suggested that Kagutsuchihad been activated.
The group of 3 quickly started on their way back and re-joined with s.h.i.+baid's entourage.
”You wrapped things up pretty quickly.”
”That's my line, honestly. I thought your party would have needed more time, s.h.i.+n.”
s.h.i.+n's words were answered by a disappointed-sounding Filma.
Based on the monsters' shapes, Adara was much easier to fight than Scoruas. The latter would take longer to fight because of his many unpredictable attack patterns. Scoruas was also slightly higher than Adara in terms of level of ability.
If both groups stopped the enemy while continuously adding damage, normally Filma's group would have finished their opponent sooner.
”We had the chance to power up a little, you see. Let's talk more later.”
In order to regroup with Konig's entourage, which had gone a safe distance from the battlefield, s.h.i.+n materialized the carriage from a card.
A short while after the group's carriage departed, Konig's marker appeared on s.h.i.+n's map.
The Cloak of Hidden ThreadsKonig was wearing was something s.h.i.+n had lent him, so he would not be hidden from s.h.i.+n's sight.
Maybe because he had noticed the cloud of dust raised by the carriage headed in their direction, Konig had stopped moving.
s.h.i.+n left the reins and waved in Konig's direction, who unequipped his cloak.
”Apologies for the wait. We're going back to Balmel, so please get on board.”
”I have a mountain of things I'd like to askbut first I suppose I shall do so.”
Konig was carrying Hermie on his back. She had regained consciousness, but her expression was still somber.
”How do you feel?”
”I am fine, thank you. I humbly apologize for all the trouble I caused you.”
”No, we made some unexpected findings on our own, so please do not worry.”
If Hermie and Wilhelm hadn't been kidnapped, s.h.i.+n's party would not have rushed to their location. In that case, Scoruas' plan could have been successful.
For Hermie and the worried Lilis.h.i.+la it was an unfortunate turn of events, but s.h.i.+n was glad they could crush the demons' plans. Of course, he kept such an opinion to himself.
”We will depart right away.”
The group planned to head towards Balmel, then travel by sea to a town close to Sigurd, lastly reaching Sigurd with the carriage.
Reasons for this route were also that the carriage alone would have taken too much time and Vizzy's dragons could not carry all of them.
It would have been possible if they rode separately, but they were not in a rush like before, so s.h.i.+n decided not to reveal to Konig that they can ride dragons.
After they reached Balmel, s.h.i.+n's party went directly to check the s.h.i.+p's timetable. They also had to stock up on food.
Konig also left to send a message to the Church.
Hermie, who was not feeling too well, stayed in the inn, with Wilhelm as her guard.
”I apologize to have you stay back for someone like me”
”What?”
Wilhelm's brow furrowed after hearing such self-deprecating words. Hermie had spoken unusually belittling herself on the carriage as well.
In the beginning he thought she felt down for having been kidnapped, but even so, her voice and expression were far too dark. It felt as if she was rejecting everything about herself.
Wilhelm thought about what the reason could be.
”Did those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds say something to you?”
Scoruas, Adara, the Summit Faction members. Those were the possible answers.
”I am.no, because of me, many people were sacrificed.”
”Now that you mention it, I seem to remember them saying something like that. But it's nothing for you to worry about, is it?”
Wilhelm spoke lightly, as if it wasn't anything important enough to be burdened by.
”That's not!! All those people, they..”
”I couldn't save them either. Even s.h.i.+n and the others didn't make it in time. Also, you can't fight. The moment they got caught by those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, it was obvious that they couldn't be saved. They were doing that stuff even before kidnapping you too.”
Hermie couldn't possibly be the reason why they were sacrificed.
”If you've got enough free time to think nonsense like ”it was my fault” or whatever, think about what you can do from now on instead. There might be other people captured in that cave, after all.”
”Concerning that, Konig, who can command the Church's knights, is contacting the Church. Once he knows the reason, His Holiness the Pope will surely authorize them to act”
Hermie answered Wilhelm's words. The destruction of one of the Summit Faction's bases was surely advantageous for the Church. There was no reason to hesitate.
”Is there anything I could do?”
”Who knows. They call you Holy Woman, though. I don't know what you can or can't do, but if you just say something, there are plenty people who can achieve something better, isn't it?”
”HolyWoman.am I really worthy of such a name?”
”Hmm, wellbefore we talk about who's worthy or not, I don't even know why they call you that.”
Wilhelm knew that those called ”Holy Women” existed, but did not know why that was.
Excluding Konig, among the current members the only ones that maybe knew were Schnee, s.h.i.+baid, and possibly Milt.
In answer to Wilhelm's admission of not knowing the reason for that t.i.tle, Hermie started talking in a feeble tone of voice.
At first, people found her creepy. Someone from the Church heard rumors about her and came to pick her up, she learnt how her power can help others. With time, they started referring to her as Holy Woman.
Hermie narrated her story, sometimes finding that the words died in her throat and wouldn't come out.
”People treated you like a creep, and still you think about helping them, that's really something.”
”If I was asked why I did, it would be difficult to give a clear answer. MaybeI wanted to prove that even someone like me can be useful to others.”
”And isn't that good enough? They call you Holy Woman because there are people that were saved by you, right?”
”Is what I did, right?”
”That's what they call a question with no answer. Maybe even if you weren't there they would have gotten by somehow, or maybe an even worse tragedy would have happened. In the end, we can only do what we believe in.”
Wilhelm's words might have sounded ba.n.a.l, but they were the truth. To know all consequences one's actions could bring was something not even a Star Reader could do.
”Besides, a certain High Human said that even he can't save everyone. In other words, it's not possible even for a living legend. Just give up.”
During their serious conversation, Wilhelm mentioned it as if there was nothing they could do.
”A certain High Human?”
”Once I was trained by Schnee Raizar, see, and she told me so.”
”Isthat so. All the more reason to do our best, then.”
It wasn't clear if she had believed Wilhelm's words or not, but she showed a different smile from before.
”Yeah, that's pretty much it. It's going to get busy now too. You better rest up while you can.”
”I will. You really are the person I was told about”
”Huh? You were told about? By whom?”
Hermie's words provoked a clearly annoyed look by Wilhelm.
”Let us just say that children watch the people around them more than we think.”
”Tch.”
Wilhelm clicked his tongue, a grimace on his face. Seeing this, Hermie let out a chuckle.
The group would now cross the sea towards Sigurd.
To their ears then echoed a distant sneeze.