Chapter 6
At the sa ti I was blown back several ters by the sudden shockwave centered on the attacker, a carriage sped past on the road behind them.
rceja did the right thing—ignoring as I was sent flying and focusing entirely on driving the carriage forward.
I thought it was a bit cold not to even call out to , but I was relieved he made the right call.
He seed like a good guy, so I was a little worried.
The carriage passed safely, only slightly rattled by the shockwave thanks to its barrier.
And as for , though I was blown away, I was completely unscathed.
What the hell is this for? Just buying ti?
As I landed carefully, trying not to lose my balance, I heard a horse neigh in panic.
What happened to the horse that didn't even flinch at the magic flying toward it, protected by a barrier?
My gaze was naturally being drawn toward the carriage, but the attacker's voice wouldn't allow it.
"Damn it! I'll stop being human!"
The attacker's voice, muffled by their robe and masked face so I couldn't even tell their gender, now didn't even sound human.
I didn't know what was happening, but I knew one thing for sure—leaving it alone would be bad.
I was about to charge at the attacker again when a warning shout stopped just in ti.
"Boss!"
Hearing rceja's warning shout, I suppressed my anger at why he was still nearby and looked toward the carriage—only to see it had stopped less than ten ters away.
Before I could wonder what had happened, I saw what was there.
A barrier—one easily spanning several dozen ters.
Both the carriage and I were caught inside it.
A reversed barrier of this size ant to trap people isn't sothing you can just conjure up without preparation.
There must be a barrier device sowhere creating it.
But before I could even think about where it might be, the situation changed.
A dry crack sounded as the attacker's masked face shattered.
In the end, I never did find out their gender.
I looked at the attacker's face, now no longer human, and thought that.
*
"Boss! Get away!"
rceja's voice was filled with desperation.
My body moved not in response to his voice, but from instinct.
Fear, the sense of mortal danger, a primal revulsion.
Spurred on by those, I leapt back just as the ground where I had stood was gouged open as if it had exploded.
A strike from a tentacle that had sprouted from behind what used to be the attacker.
The attacker's face, now fully unmasked, had transford into sothing like a horse with lizard skin.
Except it had none of a horse's intelligence or charm.
All it radiated was unpleasantness and a primal sense of incompatibility.
A demon. Yes, a demon.
The man who had once been human had beco a demon.
What kind of absurdity is this?
I've never heard of anything like that.
I parried the tentacle chasing after with my sword.
A heavy blow that reverberated through my hand.
After two, three exchanges, the attacks suddenly stopped.
Lizard-like eyes, ill-suited to that horse face, stared at .
In that mont, a chill ran down my spine.
Because I sensed sothing like intelligence in those eyes.
I realized it was bad—but too late.
The horse-faced demon turned and charged toward the carriage.
With its first step, the demon's body swelled, growing two sizes bigger. With the second, its enlarged legs lost their human shape and beca more like a horse's.
On the third step, I barely caught up and swung my sword down, but only managed to slice off a tentacle.
On the fourth step, the demon, now as big as the carriage, slamd into it.
The carriage's barrier distorted violently.
rceja desperately tried to calm the utterly panicked horses.
I slashed at the demon again as it tried to ram the carriage.
The way that barrier warped—that's bad.
I have to stop it.
That sense of urgency made careless.
Just as I raised my sword overhead, a shock pierced my side.
My body was lifted into the air and hurled horizontally.
My enhanced vision told it was one of the demon's newly sprouted tentacles that had hit .
What the hell, seriously?
Lucky or unlucky, I landed beside the driver's seat of the carriage while grumbling.
rceja let out a cry that was more like a scream of surprise.
"The horses won't listen, and the barrier's being grabbed—we can't even run, boss!"
For a mont, rceja glanced at the demon behind us.
"What the hell is that thing, boss?!"
I sat up, grateful for the sturdy carriage.
"A demon that used to be human. I don't know why it happened, and I don't know where the barrier ca from—if I had to guess, I'd say it's probably that bastard's doing."
I quickly told rceja that the enemy was an unidentified demon, and that escaping while leaving it be would be difficult unless we dealt with the barrier.
"Man, this job just ain't worth it."
As rceja groaned, the demon attacked the carriage again—this ti punching the barrier with one hand instead of ramming it.
Its other hand, just like rceja said, was probably gripping the barrier.
I could see the magical energy distorting around the barrier.
In other words, it wouldn't hold much longer.
I was thoroughly pissed at my own slow judgnt.
The situation kept changing so rapidly I was always one step behind.
"rceja, I'll draw it away. Get so distance and try to handle the horses. Then we'll take it down together."
"You think you can pull that off?"
His tone was like he was sizing up.
I didn't dislike that about him.
Smiling wryly, I thought that.
"If it's just taking it down one-on-one, I can handle it."
"As expected of the 'Long Dagger Beyond Your Station.'"
What the hell is that supposed to an? I thought, but I shifted focus when I saw magic gathering in the demon's arm.
That horse-faced demon may look mindless, but its intent has been consistent from the start.
Even now, it's ignoring , the one fighting it, and going straight for the carriage.
In other words, its target is Erika Solnzari.
Rage made my molars grind.
I don't know who the hell you are, but is Erika Solnzari really that much of a threat to you? You already stole her brilliant future—now you want her life too?
Don't screw with .
I won't allow it.
I won't condone this kind of absurdity.
I put strength into the foot I placed on the driver's platform.
The mont the horse-faced demon raised its magic-charged arm, I sprang forward, making it jerk back in surprise.
My back slamd into rceja, and he shouted sothing, but I didn't care.
I was captivated by the magic overflowing before .
I've never t another human who can see magic like I do.
Which ans I'm the only one who knows this beautiful glow.
A golden light, as if symbolizing the nobility of its owner.
It stretched straight from the carriage door.
Toward the demon's chest.
Just a mont before the demon's arm ca crashing down on the barrier, it transford into a raging force and exploded against its chest.
As I watched the demon get blown away—barrier and carriage door and all—I turned to the confused rceja and said,
"rceja, you can relax now."
I couldn't help but smile when I spotted that trademark red hair peeking through the blown-open carriage entrance.
"The marquis's daughter has returned."
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