“Hey, Iroha, I had an idea on how to get to the pillar without getting attacked again!”
Bold claim, Sarasa… “Is it a good or bad idea? Well, if you actually got sothing, it’d be amazing, so let’s hear it.”
“So… I was thinking… There is definitely sothing lurking in the fog, right?” Correct… We passed through a few streets so far, and it’s always impossible to see to the other end. Whether ahead or behind us, there are always so shadows jumping around in the mist. Even the tiles from the roofs rattled sotis.
“I guess so…”
“The longer we take to get through this town, the longer we’re in danger. So like, why don’t we just run? We can get past whatever’s out there before it can react, and we’re good. Aren’t I a genius?”
I don’t know if she was being serious or not, but it helped everyone loosen up.
“I an… I think that’s smarter than it has any right to be… Maybe I would have said yes if it was just the two of us, but it’s too risky.
“I agree.” Galene looked over her shoulder. “It wouldn’t work with a group our size. It gives them too much ti to react.”
“And that’s assuming we’re not against so monster with fast reflexes. You gotta co up with sothing better.” Smugly, Carol tapped Sarasa’s shoulder.
The expert here was Flanne, and she also had sothing to add. “I think the biggest issue is what’s beyond this town. I can point you in the right way, but I can’t tell you what’s in it. Even if we made it past this town, who knows what we’d find next?”
“Tch… What a tough crowd.” Sarasa glanced at
and leaned closer, locking arms with . “At least you appreciate my intellect, don’t you? Ahh~! I’m so glad to have found soone who understands and agrees with !”
“Wait… I said there’s so good to your idea, not that I agree with anything… I still think it’s too risky.”
“Oh yeah? Never mind then, traitor!” She pushed my arm away and started pouting. Co on now…
Sarasa couldn’t even pout in peace before sothing happened. Many sets of footsteps overlapped and rushed us from both sides. The shadows in the mist grew larger, and a handful of enemies erged.
They were Pign… Running on two legs, wearing human armor, and with spears pointed at us. Even while standing, they were shorter than the average person, not even reaching chest level. We were expecting sothing like this to happen at so point, and we quickly got into position.
I was near the back, so I turned around and t their spears head-on. Galene and Flanne were up front, while Carol and Sarasa were with . There were two pign on each side, enough to block out the narrow street. Our weapons clashed with their spears, and they stumbled backwards.
“They’re not too fast… Or strong… Keep your guard up and we’ll be fine.” I wanted to lead by example and imdiately chop one of them in half, but…
“Usurper…” “The usurper?” “It’s her.” “Why is she here?” A strange whispering started coming from every direction. Is it the pigs? Sounds like it’s coming from the mist…
We were all frozen in place. “Usurper…” “False queen…” “Why?” “What is she doing here?” “The crown. “To take our crown?” “To take our powers?” “To take it all.” “Stop her.” “Stop her!” “We must stop her.” “Before it’s too late.” “Kill her” “Kill her” “Kill her” “Kill her”
The whispers got stuck repeating those two words. Confusing and very unsettling, but it didn’t harm any of us. It might have been too much for Carol, who covered her ears. Why?
“The only one dying here are you!” Agility Burst! I cut through the pig monster in front of , and the chant stopped. “Wait… I didn’t?” I could have sworn I felt the sword slashing through the armor. Let’s try that again!
The others snapped out of it and attacked. Carol managed to join Sarasa after shaking her head.
All of them landed solid hits. Hits that weren’t enough to kill for so reason. “Don’t worry! Follow my lead!” There’s a trick to it, but we can do it… I swung my sword again, creating a wound big enough to kill and spray out so blood. “If you push your sword deeper than you think you have to, it works!”
“Oh?” Carol gasped right next to
before sending her opponent’s head flying. “You’re right…”
Galene and Flanne’s second hits were successful as well, and our attackers were dead. Well… the first wave.
“Wait… It’s not over yet… I can hear sothing!” Sarasa caught onto so heavy footsteps ahead of ti and warned us.
Coming from the rear, a werewolf jumped out from the mist, swinging his claws wildly. Large gashes were carved into the walls and ground, and he showed no signs of stopping.
Parrying strike… “Carol, us too.” “Got it!” I parried the swipes from one hand while Sarasa and Carol coordinated to parry the other. Our combined efforts finally managed to stop it.
The werewolf was twice the size of the pig monster and significantly taller than the average human. Almost twice as big. The bodies on the floor must have been too appetizing, as the monster stopped his rampage for a few bites. He lifted each pigman with a single hand and chomped through flesh and armor.
Well… Here’s soone who clearly doesn’t need more iron in their diet. “Well… Here’s soone who won’t have to worry about their iron intake.”
“Really? Hecate? Now’s not the ti for jokes…” I called her out even though I made almost the sa joke… Hehe… I didn’t say it out loud, so it doesn’t count.
The monster finished chewing the two corpses and let out a big roar. Is in the mood for a fight again? Have it your way…
“My sincerest apologies…” *Boom!* There wasn’t even an opportunity to attack before the monster got a hole through his shoulder from Hecate’s sniper. “How’s this? Is this a better joke?”
“Hmm… Yeah, sure… Great joke!” I gave her a thumbs up. “We’re going in now, so try not to hit us.”
, Carol, and Sarasa rushed forward while Flanne and Galene got into position to support us. The shot left the monster flailing, so we might be able to land so nice hits. Slash Flu-
“You have my word, but I make no promises.”
“No! Promise it! Bad, Hecate! Bad joke!” Made
miss a beat… This ti for real… Slash Flurry!
I unleashed a barrage of slashes, but only around half of them dealt any damage. Not deep enough? The other two managed to land so nice blows, just not as many.
In response, the werewolf advanced while smacking his arms down. We could dodge rely by stepping back, but…
“I can’t reach it anymore.” There was no gap for Carol with him repeatedly smashing the ground.
“I can!” But Sarasa saw gaps every ti he raised his arms. She slid under and landed a few hits from the back. Then the monster turned around midswipe and knocked her back. “Okay… Maybe you were right…”
“I’ll make an opening for you.” Hecate aid her rifle and shot another round. His shoulder was hit again. The opening was too short. He stumbled, then back to chasing us, a bit more accurately this ti.
“Well… If we’re just shooting, I can help…” Charge Shot! The round I shot hit down near the belly, and the monster stumbled again. While I charged the next shot, Hecate fired hers, and vice versa. We got into a nice rhythm and left the monster defenseless.
“That’s good… We can finish it off now!” Carol saw the opening she was looking for. We tid our approach with Hecate’s next shot and rushed him down.
Sarasa landed so hits in the back of the neck. The monster tried to hit her, but… Heart Piercer! Used as intended. I stabbed my sword through his chest, almost finishing him off right there and then. He raised his hand to pierce
with his claws but missed. Charge Shot! I kicked off his body while shooting another round.
The werewolf had no idea what hit him. And he would never have the opportunity to figure it out.
“Now!” Carol jumped with her sword aid at his neck.
“Goodbye!” And Sarasa was there with a double slash from behind.
A clean cut. Sliced his head right off. Well done… They’re so aweso!!
“Is it actually over this ti?” Ririna asked. There wasn’t even an opportunity for her to help…
“Sarasa, confirm.”
“Roger that!” She brought her hands up to her ears. “No sounds detected nearby.”
“Nice… We got a little breathing room then.”
“What were those voices earlier?” Galene put her sword away and let out a sigh… “Flanne?”
Flanne got startled when Galene said her na. “I… hmm…” She got lost in thought and looked straight down.
“Th- that was probably my fault…” Carol interrupted and raised her hand. “I think they were targeting .”
No one knew exactly what to say. “Wait… Really?” No way… I grabbed her shoulder without thinking. Hecate also leaned closer. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m not really sure, but… I’ve been attacked by monsters saying things like that before… Rember? At the harbor?”
“And how do you know that ans they’re targeting you specifically? I was there too…”
Carol shook her head. “It’s … I’m pretty sure…”
Really? Sounds like she knows sothing… “Even if that’s true, don’t say it like it’s your fault. It’s not like you attracted them on purpose…”
There was a mont of silence, and Galene used the opportunity to ask a question. “I don’t fully get it, but why would monsters target you specifically? That’s not how they usually work.”
“I think it’s because I got lost in the Forest of Illusion a while ago… The others managed to rescue , but the monsters from here seem to have so kind of problem with … Maybe I was cursed…” The anklets. Carol looked down, probably thinking the sa things.
The one most surprised with what Carol said with Flanne. “After we rescued you, did you notice sothing weird? So kind of mark?”
“Marks? I wouldn’t call them that, but there was sothing around my ankles that was strange. Looked like anklets.”
“Not like straps?”
Straps? Like the ones from a shoe? I didn’t consider it, but her mysterious tattoos did kinda look like that…
“Wait… You know sothing?!” I interrupted.
“No! Not really…” She’s flustered… Is that a lie? “I an… It’s more complicated than that… But I don’t really know too much… It has nothing to do with …”
She’s averting her gaze… She’s definitely hiding sothing… Can I get her to talk?
*Clang clang! Rubble rubble…*
“What was that?” So kind of commotion got Galene to draw her sword again. “Is it coming our way?”
“No… Not this ti…” Sarasa shrugged. “But it sounds dangerous… Like there’s a fight going on…”
“A fight? Maybe another group of pign ran into a werewolf. It’s better for us if they fight amongst themselves.” Galene relaxed just slightly.
“No… There’s no way…” Flanne cut it. “Fairies very rarely fight amongst themselves.”
“You serious?” Sarasa was calm because she assud the sa as Galene, but if that was the case… “If they’re not fighting each other, and they’re not fighting us, then that ans…”
“There’s soone else in this town!?” I finished her thought. “How did they make it this far?”
Is this because of the bird that followed us here? Even so, how did they follow us inside? Do they have a guide too? Is that even possible? I wanted to get more out of Flanne, but that will have to wait.
“Let’s go. We have to take a look.”
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