98 Tough Lady (2/2)

She has no intention of putting her own life on the line for those accursed fogies from the Guild, and she honestly doesn't care a whit what happens to these self-serving musclebrained magic swordsmen.

However, the responsibility of her having delayed this decision is something that she will bear herself.

”Retreat! I'll take the rear!”

In the first place, though she is now on the staff side of the Guild, her roots is as a magic swordswoman. Despite how she may look, she has confidence in her sword arm.

”Hell yea! She said retreat!”

”You said it, the rear is yours! Seeya then!”

The magic swordsmen quickly withdraw from the front line.

Even while slashing at the ghouls, Claudia is thinking 'at least oneperson could have stayed behind to help!'

The ghouls are pressing in. The magic swordsmen are backing off. Then there is Claudia, struggling strenuously while trying to match the others' pace of retreat.

However, the burden of shouldering the rear guard all by herself is enormous, and she quickly reaches her limit.

One foot slips on the ground slick with blood. A ghoul pounces.

Then a magic swordsmen clad in jet-black descends before her.

”Be annihilated... Jet-Black Whirlwind.”

The sword in the jet-black magic swordsman's hand grows to a length several times his height. Or so she thinks, the instant before a jet-black whirlwind roars all around.

All the surrounding ghouls are sliced into pieces. Within a literal blink of an eye, what previously seemed to be an endless sea of ghouls has been entirely annihilated.

”Ho-, how could this be...”

Claudia, having fallen onto her butt, looks up at the jet-black magic swordsman in dumb amazement.

That ludicrous strength that could wipe out in an instant a group of ghouls that even first-rate magic swordsmen had no choice but to retreat in the face of.

Claudia is also a magic swordswoman, so she understands. She understands how unbelievable this man's strength is.

Even the magic swordsmen who had been racing to be the first to get away have stopped in their tracks to stare in disbelief at the jet-black magic swordsman.

”The Rampage is already upon us... it is already beyond the means of you lot...”

So he says with a voice that sounds like a rumble from the depths of the earth while turning to face his back to them.

”Wh-, who exactly are you...”

So Claudia asks that back.

”Mine name is Shadow... he who lurks within shadows, he who hunts shadows...”

Leaving those words behind, he flutters his jet-black longcoat while walking upon the carpet of blood. Claudia can only dazedly watch that back grow further away.

”So that… was Shadow...”

Every single person finds themselves shuddering.

All of them have heard of that name. He is the man who attacked a magic swordsman academy, obliterated a holy ground, and handily overwhelmed Princess Iris and the Goddess of War even when they came at him together during the Festival of the God of War.

However, not a single person present here actually believed those rumors, thinking themselves smarter than that.

Though it is undoubtable that therewas an incident, the specific details about what went down are dubious, to put it mildly.

Above all, who would believe that there is someone capable of overwhelming both Iris and the Goddess of War at the same time?

Even Claudia did not really believe that rumor. It is exactly because she is a professional of the Magic Swordsmen Guild, and not a mere layman who knows nothing about the sword, that she determined that story to be nonsensical.

However, after seeing his strength up close just now, Claudia can no longer deny those rumors. If it is Shadow, then such evident superiority might not be so unbelievable after all...

But then that begs the question, why is he here in Outlaw City?

Also, why did he help out members of the Magic Swordsmen Guild...?

The Guild has declared a bounty on both him and his organization, Shadow Garden. There should be no reason for him to save them.

Could it be that he has some reason that drove him to do everything that he did? Could it possibly be that there is something much deeper going on behind the incidents that he was involved in?

She should look into it.

”Shadow... I will repay you this debt one day...”

So Claudia declares in a soft voice towards that back that by now grown much smaller.

Kotsu, kotsu, rings his receding footsteps.

In the direction where he is heading soars the Red Tower. And above his head shines a crimson moon.