How did it come to this?
A terrible sight was occurring right before my eyes. Seelie… Seelie… I heard someone calling my name; it was the young girl from Lorel. I struggled to look around and realised that everyone who had been with me was dead…no, it wasn't just them? Everyone who came from Tsige had died in the battle.
I am not sure if there were any survivors from those who followed a different direction from mine, but all those who were with me were certainly dead.
It hadn't been too long ago since we left Tsige and came to the kingdom to become hired mercenaries….we aspired to start a new life here…..then the demon troops attacked. They came in full force and attacked with unbelievable coordination, engulfing the entire capital with the throes of conflict. By the time the knights sortied, the demons had already made it inside the castle and were aiming to eliminate the hero.
Nothing could be done.
The four-armed giant warrior sent a chill down my spine. I had never seen that kind of a warrior in my life. There were no monster I knew from the wastelands that could rival him. If I were still an adventurer then my thoughts would have been of escaping, but my position was that of the hero's vanguard.
Running away was not an option.
Fortunately, a white golem like being came down along with a lich and intervened in the battle with the giant. We managed to escape the castle during the confusion, but then we witnessed the state outside….houses, walls, streets….everything was in ruin. This was the result of the initial assault...there were no signs of life in the city.
It was as if a superior dragon had attacked and that wouldn't be an exaggeration. I presumed I had switched to a safer career compared to my previous one as an adventurer in the wastelands but it seemed I was wrong.
I will be heading back to the wastelands after this.
"How is Wudi, Chiya."(Bredda)
"….it's dire. My magic can't keep him alive for much longer, we have to get some medicine or he will die."(Chiya)
"Please keep at it."(Bredda)
"I will do my best, but if this battle escalates and that Lich dispels this barrier, we might all die."(Chiya)
The Lich seems to have been commanded to protect the hero, and has created a barrier to protect us. The party has the hero, Hibiki. Unfortunately, the situation is deteriorating fast. Wudi, the palace magician, has a hole in his stomach. Anyone with this kind of wound would normally die, but the Lorel Priestess, Chiya, was with us. She was struggling to keep him alive but her endurance was gradually waning. The situation was really dire.
"Larva…..if that is the superior dragon Lancer, does Larva even have enough skill to oppose such an opponent?"(Hibiki)
Hibiki was watching the fight between Larva and Lancer. If common sense was considered, Lancer's loss was near impossible. Superior dragons were beings that were on par with the spirits of the world. The region in the wastelands I was situated lacked beings like superior dragons, but rumours about them circulated. Just from those rumours, I could say that nothing in the surprise box that was the wastelands could compare with them.
Yet, right before me, the Lich is taking on the superior dragon. It's even damaging the dragon and seems to be overwhelming it. It was like some sort of story a minstrel made up.
Even I had defeated a few Lich in the wastelands…but against this Larva character, I wouldn't have been able to survive for 3 seconds.
"Lancer turned into a person?"
Ah...Hibiki's words gave me the confirmation I needed. The rumours I heard told me that the superior dragon Lancer, when in a serious battle would change into hyuman form.
In other words, yes that was indeed a superior dragon and that Lich was still overwhelming him.
I swear to the goddess, I will be returning to the wasteland after this.
Larva got slightly blown away….no he retreated for a second to dodge a blow. I looked up at the sky.
We are dead for sure, the kingdom is finished. Even if Hibiki and Larva fight together, there is no way to win. I am prepared to die here.
Even with the situations as it was, Larva rejected the cooperation of Hibiki. In fact, he told us that if we could protect ourselves for a few minutes then he would heal Wudi.
It didn't seem like he was trying to deceive us. He had fought with Lancer till then and had received serious blows, but he was still going to continue fighting.
Even though I should not have any faith in him but...dammit, of course, I finally noticed something about him, the strange feeling I had been sensing. It was the same feeling as when I met those people. The root of the rapid growth in Tsige. The people who helped Rembrandt with the curse disease, the Miracle company, Kuzunoha. It was the same sensation as when I met Raidou, Tomoe and Mio.
He said it could be done, as such it could be done. Even if it was the impossible, he could do it it. I looked up at the clouds with eyes of envy.
So he is part of those people. Then, I…should've….
"The negotiation has been established then. 'Mist Temple, Nivlheim' cancel. Let me warn you. Try to at least protect your own body, okay?" (Shiki)
Larva affirms the proposal.
I can't give up here, I have to keep struggling until the last moment.
If I give up here then everything I did as an adventurer would have been for nothing.
******
Lancer, made a light sword and began attacking with it. That was his ability, but I didn't know the full details regarding the ability. Lancer was using it to fight against Larva; he did some other strange things, using fire breaths, darkness from his hand and water to heal his wounds. But that wasn't the strangest thing. What was even stranger was Larva. First he transformed his cane into a sword, and it wasn't a short sword, but a really big broad sword.
An individual would have to be incredibly strong to wield that kind of sword. I thought he was just being foolish. Hibiki had said that it had to be a ploy. But Larva showed no inclination of such but lunged at Lancer to engage in close combat. And from the looks of the skirmish, he seemed to be quite proficient at it.
Just how abnormal of a magician is that thing?!
The sword techniques were incredible. I had never seen anyone be so proficient with the sword before in my life. It was as if the sword emperor had taken possession of his body.
The fusion of magic skills and sword skills was at the level of perfection. He deployed several high-level magic while fighting against lancer in close range. I was completely speechless.
Larva was overwhelming Lancer even though he was in hyuman form. A superior dragon was losing to an undead. I was aware that there were many things that could be done because of having high magic power, but sword skills and battle instincts were not some of them. Larva was clearly above all of us combined in this aspect.
"Damn it, I should be taking all these weapons and running away. If I sell even a few of them I could live in luxury till died….."
My voice leaked. I had stopped caring about Lancer and the situation for a moment. The swords he had made out of the people there were all first grade swords. They could all be sold at a pretty hefty price. I could live safely for the rest of my life...but I didn't want leave that place. I wished to see the battle to its end. I wanted to know who would be the victor; The Lich or the Superior dragon.
"(damn!)"
I felt in that moment, that Lancer's attention had switched to us. It was at that moment that Lancer failed to dodged Larva's sword and got his feet cut off, after which he released his swords of light at us.
Hibiki immediately took a battle stance, Bredda started to use his guardian skills and techniques. I prepared my skills and techniques I used in case of emergencies.
Skills and magic are useful tools, as long as they are used properly, battles could be won.
But over-reliance on one would be at the expense of the other. This was the basic knowledge when being an adventurer; skills and magic first, weapons and body second. This all changed when Tomoe and Mio came to Tsige. They had said to strengthen the body and learn how to proficiently use weapons first; skills and magic can be learned while in this process too. I couldn't abide by that new concept and tried to disprove it but...…I soon realized it was the most effective way, when others started to surpass me. I became a liability in battle as my level was not on par anymore with the others. That was when I got an invitation from Hibiki.
I wonder why I am thinking about such things.
I looked in front of me.
Wait, it still hasn't reached me yet...how long has it been?
Lancer had shot five swords at us.
Hey are you targeting everyone here?
The first one destroyed the barrier Chiya had made.
Hey, even if she is still a child, that is still the priestess of Lorel, how can you break it so easily?
The second one broke Bredda's shield skill in half, but he was able to stop the sword.
Seriously, he stopped it?!
Hibiki hit the third one and it exploded before her. Bredda and Hibiki both got blown away.
The fourth one was headed in my direction.
"Move- Perinito's Thrust"
I used a skill that I was very familiar with. It was a skill that was effective against beasts type monsters, but since I had used it for so long I found other uses for it. Thanks to that, even though it was a thrusting skill I could use it in a swinging motion. I hit the oncoming sword with all my strength and was thrown back but I had stopped the sword. I was fine, but there had been five swords.
It pierced through the air at me. I could avoid it, and use my skill again. I just had to dodge to the left. I looked behind me and saw Chiya directly in the path of the sword.
"Damn it, Shield barr-"
I tried to use the same defensive skill as Bredda. His skill was top-notch, and I was able to copy it after having seen it. But it was only a copy, it wouldn't be enough to stop the sword.
If I avoided it, I would be saved.
I have a wife and kid as well. I am doing this crappy job to send money to them and make their lives better. I will dodge it no matter…no, that wouldn't work out well.
I wondered if that was one of those things where your brain starts to work much faster when near death. My mind which had been trained in the wastelands came to a conclusion. If I had avoided the sword, Lancer would have gone for Chiya. She would have been turned into one of his swords. A child with that much power would become an incredible sword. But if I had die he would only get a sword like the ones he had been using to fight Larva till then and would eventually lose. If he got Chiya, Larva would lose, then Hibiki, Bredda and I would all die. That was why I had to stop it.
Anya, Riera, Elisa, Chloe, Mia and everyone else
I am sorry.
"Haaaa!!!!"
I threw myself in front of the sword while pushing Chiya away and got skewered.
Man, this hurts a lot. This is no doubt a fatal wound.
"Seelie-san"(Chiya)
"....All according to plan" (Shiki)
While uttering a slight chuckle, I looked around. Chiya and Wudi who still had a hole in his stomach, were safe.
Lancer! Go eat shit! I know I will soon become a sword but I am much weaker than Chiya and will become one of those weak swords that you already have. Hahahaha!
"...…."
For a moment it seemed Larva was looking in our direction. I wanted to tell him he had better beat Lancer, but I couldn't utter a word anymore. I was slowly losing consciousness but I was convinced that Larva would win the battle, thus I felt this warm feeling surround my body.
*********
There are many strange things that happen in this world. Even after dying, it seems your consciousness remains. I don't know about others, maybe this might be the only occurrence, I could be the only one to experience this state. It feels like some sort of dream, so I may soon disappear as well, like all other dreams. At least I protected the girl in the end.
But then I regain my consciousness in some strange space.
I had thought that Larva had been defeated but it seemed that I had been summoned by some woman among many other numerous swords. The one in front of the woman was…..Raidou. The CEO of the Kuzunoha Company, Raidou. I observed the situation while resisting the strong sensation of drowsiness from being a sword. It seemed the woman's name was Sofia Burga, the one renowned as the dragon killer.
Dragon Killer?
She looked more like a dragon than Lancer himself had. Sofia's form was really strange and she appeared to have Lancer's powers as well.
Lancer! Larva won against Lancer! So that means he is a Dragon killer too. Just amazing.
Larva is one of Raidou's men as well!? Seriously what is up with that company?! Tomoe, Mio and now an undead who killed a superior dragon. This is some army of the devil.
Ok, maybe they are not as bad as the Devil.
That guy was usin…..a….? A bow. Why was Raidou using a bow? I had seen him use a sword once, and we concluded that he had to have been a magician from the various rumors of his incredible magic power….but what? What was that?!
"Raidou, that is…" (Sofia)
The light flashed and several swords were destroyed. Larva had used a sword.
Was it possible his master also pretended to be a magician? The situation was useless.
There was no point in fighting. Each time Raidou moved, 100 swords got shot down.
The speed at which Sofia was moving was nothing compared to his.
I was an inferior sword Lancer had made but I could feel that Sofia was using all the superior swords that Lancer still had lying around. Wow, such a thing...I couldn't even find it amusing anymore.
Raidou was overwhelming her without breaking a sweat. His face was in stark contrast to that of Sofia's. She wore a struggling expression and voice, while Raidou's was akin to having a stroll in the park. For a second I thought Raidou looked my way….the end was near. I could tell from my years of experience at being an adventurer. I understood he would conclude it in the following blow.
I felt no hostility, nor murderous intent. It was a serene gaze devoid of emotion. It had never been a fight, merely a display of overwhelming force without the hope of retaliation; it was so one-sided.
Why did Sofia even try to fight Raidou?
I would have never tried to antagonize Raidou even if the Goddess had been backing me up.
I wondered if the people back in Tsige knew of this. That he was much more of a monster than Tomoe and Mio combined. Maybe Toa and her party had noticed, that was why they were cooperating with them.
I traveled the wasteland for 20 years, gave up being an adventurer, went to Limia for a better job…..got killed….then witnessed true essence of the man named Raidou.
The world is such a mysterious place….what a life I have lived