Mantodiavas continued to attack, its towering form looming over the trio. Although Sonata and Alto were managing to hold their own, Vanay knew that they couldn't keep this up forever. The creature was an undead monster, immune to death, and the two young men would eventually tire themselves out.
"Let's wait until morning. The sunlight may weaken it," Vanay suggested, her voice laced with desperation.
"If you think it's so easy, why don't you come fight it yourself?" Sonata challenged, his frustration clear in his voice. Vanay retreated to a safe distance, clutching her cane tightly as she watched the battle unfold.
Vanay marveled at the young men's bravery and skill. Despite facing a monster many times their size, they moved with grace and confidence, each attack powerful and precise. Their breathing was sometimes labored, but they quickly regained their composure and continued fighting with their eyes closed.
...Ah! How?…
...What's wrong with them? Why are they closing their eyes like that?…
As she moved in for a closer look, she realized the truth. They weren't just closing their eyes; they were in a semi-sleep state. The pair were studying Mantodiavas' attack patterns, utilizing their subconscious to move their bodies like leaves floating above a torrent, rather than expending physical effort to fight.
Though she felt envious of their fighting prowess, Vanay could not help but be impressed. She clenched her teeth to her lower lip, trying to conceal her smile. She had never seen anything like it before in her life, and she knew she might never have the opportunity to encounter such exceptional individuals again. It was then that Vanay made a significant decision. She would not just guide them to their destination; she wanted to see the world they would see after this.
Sonata and Alto had been biding their time, waiting for morning to arrive as a means of survival. But Vanay had grown impatient. She didn't want to wait any longer; she wanted to fight alongside them.
She felt she needed to prove that she could take care of herself in order to be accepted as part of their team.
...Hermit Spell...
Summoning the power of the Hermit Spell, Vanay commanded, "Stand Still!"
In response, Mantodiavas froze in place, as if a video had been paused. Sonata and Alto opened their eyes and jumped back, keeping their distance. They turned to look at Vanay and immediately understood what had transpired.
Alto shouted, "What are you doing? You're going to change its target!"
He desperately wanted Vanay to stop, but she remained unresponsive. Both Vanay and Mantodiavas were silent, as if under a curse.
Sonata had lost interest in Mantodiavas, who was unable to move. He went straight to Vanay and discovered that she was under the influence of magic. Sonata recalled that Vanay had given him a brief introduction to the hermit's magic.
"The hermit's magic involves restraint and neutralization. We have spells that allow us to sacrifice our own strength to reduce the power of our opponents. We can sacrifice our speed to slow down our opponents, or even cast spells that completely stop us in order to seal our opponent's movements," Vanay's bright voice echoed in his memory. Sonata was certain that this was what he was witnessing.
Alto breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that Vanay was safe.
"We'll just wait until morning," he said.
"But first," Sonata interjected softly, glancing in a particular direction.
"Right," Alto agreed, looking in the same direction. He activated his infrared vision mode, which allowed him to spot anyone hiding, even with magic.
With newfound determination, Sonata and Alto charged toward Kalanath.
The old hermit was taken aback, but he had already prepared his defense. The figure that both Sonata and Alto had grabbed and torn into two halves was merely an undead creature that Kalanath had placed as bait.
Kalanath did not miss the opportunity to launch a counter-attack.
He employed a type of magic called "Necromancy" to transform corpses into weapons. The torn corpse exploded into a toxic smoke that could kill a person with just a minuscule amount permeating through the skin.
It was remarkable, but Sonata and Alto managed to escape unscathed.
"You're the one controlling that giant monster," Sonata said, twitching his neck to alleviate the pain in his muscles. He then clenched his fist, indicating his desire to strike someone with full force.
"Will this guy also become undead after death? Should we investigate first?"
"No need," Sonata sneered. To him, Kalanath emitted a pungent odor from both his body and his consciousness, causing him to almost choke on the breath he inhaled. Based on his past experiences, he was certain that this old man would cause even more serious harm if he were allowed to go free, possibly seeking revenge. Therefore, he needed to eliminate Kalanath now.
Despite being cornered, Kalanath remained undeterred. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve for winning the battle. After flicking his finger to signal, the same scythe that had struck Sonata before burst out of the ground. Another semi-vegetative insect monster emerged before them.
"Is there another one?" Alto prepared to attack.
The giant monster hurled a massive scythe at him, snatched up Kalanath, and leapt backward.
"Don't let it get away!" Sonata shouted.
He leapt to avoid the scorching liquid that the new Mantodiavas spat out. Fighting an almost-immortal enemy and chasing it were two very different things.
Kalanath was well aware of this fact. To prevent Sonata from pursuing him and Mantodiavas, Kalanath cast a spell to awaken the corpses in the vicinity.
This was Kalanath's last resort. He had moved numerous corpses from the Hermit's cemetery and buried them in various locations throughout the area. It was a contingency plan that he had believed was unlikely to be used since two Mantodiavases would already be an unstoppable force. However, Sonata and his ally managed to hold their own against Mantodiavas while Vanay incapacitated one of them. Kalanath had no choice but to flee this time to save his own life.
Sonata quickly gleaned what was in the old hermit's mind. Indeed, a few dozen zombies were no match for him and Alto. The old hermit summoned them to attack Vanay, who was now unable to move.
"Well, I'm in no hurry to dispose of him," Sonata muttered. He informed Alto that they need not pursue their enemy.
The hordes of zombies were not as resilient as Mantodiavas. Even they could be taken down with relative ease.
Zombies were more fragile and had weak brains. Just like in horror movies, a precise hit to their heads was all that was needed to eliminate them one by one.
Sonata and Alto vanquished the last two zombies just as they were about to reach Vanay. Both men realized it was best not to focus too much on Kalanath and risk being too late to aid her.
The rays of sunlight gradually illuminated the area, weaving through the forest in a beautiful orange hue. It was Sonata and Alto's first sunrise in this new world. The corpses of human beings exposed to the light disintegrated into dust. Even Mantodiavas' enormous figure could not withstand the power of the sun. The light gradually eroded that towering figure until there was not even a speck of dust left.
Morning had arrived, and the battle was over. There was not even a trace of the opponent left to be seen.
Vanay regained her mobility as soon as the magical spell was broken. She suddenly realized that Kalanath had escaped with another Mantodiavas.
***------------------------------------------------------------------***
Sonata and Alto were not weary from fighting all night, but they did not want Vanay to push herself too hard. So, they agreed to rest until late and then continue their journey.
After the story had ended, Vanay's fairy friends appeared. They voiced their complaints about her father's younger brother, Kalanath. Vanay then recounted the tale of her uncle before he was banished from the forest.
Upon examining the Necromancy spell used to control the corpses, Vanay was certain that Kalanath had a connection to the Revarent side.
"Now, this forest is definitely not safe," Vanay said sorrowfully.
"Don't worry about that," Sonata reassured her. "Not only did I give orders to the five soldiers, but I also requested more reinforcements and new weapons from Doc."
"Doc?" Vanay asked.
"Dogma, or Doc for short. He's Sonata's adoptive father," Alto explained, pointing to Sonata. "I'll introduce you to him later. He's one of our best scientists."
"I asked Doc to help me create a weapon that emits UV light. Artificial sunlight should work against undead enemies. With effective weaponry, we could eliminate a lot of them even with just a few soldiers," Sonata explained.
"Why not use the black sword?" Vanay gestured towards the sword that the Elder had given him. Sonata had carried it by his waist throughout the night's battle, but he had not once drawn it.
"I still can't use the sword. I don't want to go against it," Sonata replied.
"Hmm," Alto muttered, thinking he must have misheard.
"The black sword is alive," Sonata replied, noticing the strange look Alto was giving him. "I mean, machines can be alive, and we've seen silicon-based aliens. So, what's so strange about a sword being alive?"
***-------------------------------------------------------------------***
After a brief conversation, Sonata allowed Vanay to rest until late. She looked refreshed when she woke up, and they sat down to discuss their journey.
Vanay wanted to express her gratitude to Sonata and Alto for stopping Kalanath. She offered to cook the first meal in their new world for them.
"Food? No need, I want to see Atezia quickly," Sonata declined immediately, leaving Vanay feeling uncomfortable and unsure of how to react.
"We have some supplies," Alto handed her an aerosol can-like device. He described it as a gas food.
"You guys are crazy," Vanay exclaimed. "Trekking is all about hunting, cooking food around the campfire, singing, and dancing."
"Sing and dance too?" Sonata agreed with the first two activities, but the last two seemed a bit strange. Perhaps they were part of the local culture. He thought he might join her later, but not today. "Let's have the gas food for this meal, and save the singing and dancing for another time."