189 Chapter 189: Dark Schemes (1/2)
Before the Golem could start lumbering toward us, Ursa Major materialized and barreled right into it. The two titans crashed into the ground, wrestling ferociously with each other. However, Ursa Major seemed to have the edge despite being made of flesh and blood instead of rock. His claws gouged out huge chunks of stone, causing the Golem to bellow in pain.
”Back, back!” I told Anastasia frantically, but my instructions were useless. Unlike a certain anime heroine, she knew how to take care of herself. What, did you think she was suddenly going to forget all the skills of her previous professionalism just so she could play the damsel in distress for me to save? This wasn't a wish-fulfilment story designed to inflate the egos of males. Girls could kick ass as well as any guy.
She was already hopping backward, gracefully avoiding the debris of concrete and rock that were hurled about as Ursa Major and the Golem slugged each other. Even though Ursa Major's claws left huge rents in the Golem's stony hide, the Golem itself didn't seem to have taken much damage. Growling, it charged into Ursa Major and knocked him aside. The huge bear found himself sprawled on the ground, and the Golem seized the opportunity to clasp its massive hands and smash down on him.
However, Ursa Major quickly rolled to the side. The Golem's combined hands left a crater in the ground, but otherwise didn't hit my Constellation spirit.
And I had someone else waiting for him.
”…?”
Grunting, the Golem straightened up, only to find Canis Major waiting in front of it.
”Canis Major, Sirius attack!” I commanded. The huge hunting hound's jaws yawned and an intense blast of mana rushed onward, engulfing the Golem. The Golem bellowed in rage and pain, but then vanished under the overwhelming onslaught of destruction before exploding.
Boom!
Shards of rock rained down on the scorched crater. There wasn't much left of the poor Golem, except maybe charred boulders here and there.
”Richard…”
Anastasia was shaking her head in amazement. She folded her arms under her big breasts and giggled.
”I thought you would just punch the Golem and destroy it with brute force.”
”Who do you think I am? I'm a summoner. Since when do summoners go around fighting with raw strength?” I rolled my eyes. ”I'm not a summoner just because I have a tiny wind spirit following me around to allow me to cast wind magic or because I can physically reinforce myself. I mean, I know physical reinforcement spells, but that's not the point. I'm a summoner because I can summon a variety of Soul Beasts.”
”Yeah, yeah…” Anastasia shrugged nonchalantly and clapped. ”Good job. You want a reward?”
”Depends on what kind of reward,” I replied cheekily. Ana rolled her eyes and then pointed toward the front.
”I'll consider throwing in a little bonus after you complete the job, but for now let's focus on it. Look at that.”
I followed the direction she was pointing her finger at and saw that the massive doors were now open, as if inviting us to enter.
”Since they've taken the trouble to open the doors for us, shall we take them up on their offer?” Anastasia's tone was light, considering we had just fought a Golem.
”It might be a trap,” I warned, holding back both Ursa Major and Canis Major. My two Constellation spirits were bristling, revealing their gritted fangs and growling at the space beyond the open doors.
There was definitely something sinister within, all right. That sense of foreboding increased as the doors opened wider.
”Wow…you really are strong.”
A young, feminine voice came from within. A…child? Are you kidding me? What the hell was a child doing in a place like this?
Then again, appearances could be deceiving. With magic, or the Deceivum techniques, anyone can alter their physical appearances or voices. It was but a simple task to conceal your identity with any shapeshifting spell.
So I merely snorted and retorted.
”It's your Golem that's weak.”
”…so big brother, you're Richard?”
A second young, female voice joined in. I frowned, trying to probe into the darkness with my glasses, but there were way too many heat signatures crowding the screen on my lenses for me to pinpoint the exact location of the speakers.
”If I say no, would you believe me?” I asked dryly. If they already knew my name, then they must have done some research on me. Damn, after all those attacks on the Dark Church, I had become pretty much a celebrity within their circle.
As both Anastasia and I cautiously stepped inside, the view of the chamber came clearly into view. There were dozens of green, glowing things in the vast space, all of them looking like…enormous eggs.
Suddenly I was reminded of the Crastrates.
”I told they were supposed to be Goblins,” I muttered with a frown. ”Why are all of them inside eggs?”
”Genetic engineering…” Anastasia whispered. ”Similar to the magic technology the Frenzor Sect uses to surgically enhance their Assassins. They are experimenting on monsters!”
”Oh…this big sister knows a lot, doesn't she?”
”Of course she does…she's an Assassin that we hired.”
Both Anastasia and I glanced up and finally tracked the source of the voices. Two little girls, about eight or nine, were standing near the top, in the middle of all those eggs. They looked like twins, with identical hairstyles, except that one wore her short ponytail to the right and the other wore her short ponytail to the left.
”You know them?” I asked Ana, who shrugged. ”Your employers?”
”It is my sect master and superiors who had most contact with the employers and the signing of the contact. We subordinates just go and execute whatever orders we're given.” Anastasia then paused. ”And I'm no longer an Assassin.”
”Heh…you aren't?”
”That's strange. Our info told you were one.”
”Ah! I know! She decided to elope with that big brother over there!”
”I see! How romantic!”
Both the girls were practically dancing in glee, clasping their hands together as they spun about atop the hideous green network of pulsing material.
Yeah, this looked like a hive to me, no matter how you spun it. Any time now I half-expected a queen monster to come bursting out along with her praetorian guards. Sucked that I didn't have an automatic rifle, an underslung grenade launcher and a flamethrower, though.
What I did have was my Constellation spirits. Ursa Major and Canis Major followed me warily, their snouts sniffing the putrid air and wrinkling.
”Oh, how cute!”
”Look, we have more guests!”
”Then let's welcome them!”
”Good idea!”
The two girls danced about and did a curtesy.
”Welcome to Mell…”
”…and Nell's room!”
With that, the two girls began giggling creepily and in an annoying manner that made me want to slap them.