Swishhhhhhh…
In the sudden silence that blanketed the battlefield, a faint sound of waves, which should not exist, echoed.
Swishhhhh…
All the beasts attacking the humans knelt down.
Swishhh…
They bent their waists and lowered their heads.
Even with swords stuck in their backs, even as flames charred their bodies, even when countless weapons tore them apart…
The beasts did not rise from their positions.
They did not scream. They did not writhe.
They were merely holding their breath, waiting to receive their king.
“What the… what is this…”
“Hey, Herb. There’s no time to be shocked. We just need to get things done, okay?”
Crack!
Passing through the center and heading north, a sense of confusion washed over as the beasts suddenly stopped, but their actions did not cease.
Hermila felt the same.
The moments of the apocalypse that had flitted through her mind just earlier reemerged, yet the beasts did not stop hunting.
At that moment when she was about to smash the heads of countless monsters…
-Hermila!
A voice from Jur echoed in her mind.
Crack!
Hermila’s movement to shake off the unsettling feeling froze.
– An unidentified beast has appeared from the west. No, it’s too large to be considered a beast… But all the monsters currently invading Cartia are bowing their heads towards that existence.
The west.
The place where Heinzel and Delia were located.
The direction where all the monsters turned their heads.
And.
[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA―!!]
A colossal roar that instilled a fundamental fear resounded from that place.
Hermila’s stiff gaze turned toward the west.
Others who were mercilessly slaying beasts followed her gaze and looked westward as well.
– Are Delia and Heinzel okay?
– The connection… has been cut off. Moreover, I can’t see anything even with my clairvoyance… I can’t grasp the situation. I’m sorry.
Concern layered onto Hermila’s face upon hearing that the connection was lost.
Typically, a disconnection from Jur meant they had encountered a situation severe enough to threaten life.
However, considering she couldn’t even see with her clairvoyance, it seemed a certain power was obstructing her unique ability.
Shaking off the brain matter stuck to her hand, Hermila glanced around.
The liberation army members continued to hunt monsters with a stiff expression, seemingly like machines.
Trembling residents filled with fear.
Children howling after losing their families.
Parents going insane as they watched their children be devoured right before their eyes.
An elderly man, blinded by a desire for revenge, swinging weapons he could barely handle.
The devastating scenery of the battlefield began to overlap with the apocalyptic scenes that had invaded her future visions.
A choice had to be made.
To save the residents.
Or to head west and check on Heinzel and Delia’s condition.
Logically, the right choice would be to head west.
In a situation where monsters could attack at any moment, it was more beneficial to save those who could help in the future and venture forward rather than saving terrified residents.
Sacrificing the small for the larger good.
That had been her choice so far; a result of her experiences.
And yet, why…
Was it so difficult to make that choice now?
“Hermila.”
“…Yes, Yuria.”
“I may not fully understand what dilemma you’re facing right now… but I will follow whatever choice you make without question.”
“Oh my, hehehe. Thank you.”
“So, you can do as you wish. Every one of us, including the challengers, is a being saved by you, Hermila, so we won’t blame you for anything that happens.”
“Hahaha… Is that… so?”
Hermila let out a self-deprecating laugh as her gaze turned skyward.
Being blamed was something she had grown accustomed to in her life.
Even if deemed a monster, she could endure it for her desires.
But now, was it because she had reached the end of the road?
Or was it because the choice of a girl, so different from her, yielded brilliant results?
Perhaps.
It was a trivial reason; she didn’t want to be blamed by that girl.
“Haah…”
A sigh, heavy with complex emotions, mingled with the dust and scattered into the air.
“They say an unidentified monster has appeared from the west. That cry we just heard must be from that monster. The sound of waves gently rising is probably from it, too.”
“From the west…”
“Yes. That’s where Heinzel and Delia are. So we…”
As Hermila tightened the bandage around her hand, her gaze directed toward her destination.
“We will trust Heinzel and Delia and continue to save the residents.”
Yuria and Mia’s eyes widened in surprise.
But that moment was brief.
As Yuria made up her mind, a shower of flower petals began to flutter around her.
“I will follow.”
The petals settled on the shoulders of the despairing residents, mixed with the wind and dust.
Creak creak- Mia’s longbow aimed at their path.
Alex, who had been fixing his nearly shattered hammer, rose from his spot.
“Killing the beasts is secondary. The most important thing is to save the residents. If you’re ready, let’s go.”
The fierce flames of destruction blazed in her soul, reaching skyward as if to touch the heavens.
“Let’s go.”
Boom-! The moment her words ended, Hermila shot forth, leaving behind a trail of purple.
The arrows that followed penetrated the heads of beasts Hermila hadn’t managed to handle, creating silver lines in the air.
Alex, who was a step behind, swung his hammer, smashing the heads of the still-wriggling monsters as he followed the purple flames left by Hermila.
Whoosh- Yuria, left behind alone, whistled, summoning her familiars.
Over a hundred familiars emerged, chasing after Yuria’s flower petals to begin the rescue of the residents.
Meanwhile, riding atop a griffon, Yuria saw the deepening purple flames and recalled a certain little girl.
A girl who changed the world, changed the people.
In the end, she even altered the fates of the challengers.
*
Pitter patter-
Crimson droplets trickled down from the mistilteinn-made bowstring.
Mia’s fingertips also released sticky blood, worn and ragged.
“Phew… Hah, Yuria, evacuate. Is it… over?”
After briefly closing her eyes to gather her magical power, Yuria nodded.
“Yes. Every single survivor has evacuated.”
Alex, squeezing the water droplet fruit Yuria handed over, gazed at the clearing where the residents were gathered.
“Phew… So all we need to do is set up the barricade now?”
“For now, I plan to place my familiars inside the barrier… but I don’t think it’ll mean much.”
What could have meaning against beasts that could rip through steel many times stronger than normal?
However, Hermila nodded with a satisfied look.
“Even if it doesn’t mean much, the residents will feel reassured. That’s enough.”
She then inspected her creaking prosthetic hand, pouring potions over her skin painfully stripped away.
Chasing after the magical power connected with Jur, she sent a telepathic message.
– Jur.
– I still can’t see anything. Just to be safe, I sent scouts, but… the connection with the scouts has also been cut.
From the south moving through the center to the north, the beasts who had bowed their heads showed no movements.
And still.
Swishhhhhhh… Swishhhhh…
The chilling sound of waves continued to resonate quietly.
She looked at the dark blood of the beasts splattered on her clothes.
She had killed countless beasts on the way here.
Of course, if she had gone wild like at the beginning, she wouldn’t have managed to kill this many, but now that they all laid exposed, it was easier to handle than killing goblins.
Thus, about 20% remained.
Moreover, the other liberation forces, including the challengers, had become accustomed to facing the beasts as well.
Now, it was fine.
– Understood. Please hang on a little longer.
After finishing her conversation with Jur, Hermila immediately looked westward.
“Yuria, Alex. I’m counting on you.”
She gathered the residents in one place and brought together the scattered liberation forces.
Reducing the number of beasts and learning how to confront them.
Now, it was time to check the results of her choices.
“Are we going west…?”
“Yes.”
“Are you alright?”
“It has to be alright.”
“Delia, Heinzel. I’m worried…”
Hermila gently patted Mia’s head, who had pulled her hood down, offering them a small smile.
“Right now, Heinzel might be stronger than us tied down by the force of Reverse Heaven.”
No.
“Definitely, he’s probably stronger than us. Hehe.”
If the world hadn’t gone crazily awry, he could stand at the apex of humanity.
So, it would be fine.
Having concluded that thought, Hermila moved her heavy body forward.
And.
Swishhhhhhh…
The softly echoing sound of waves came to a halt.
