◆ Wizard Kingdom – Eastern Gate ◆
A diamond-shaped head with a diamond-shaped eye affixed to it. Those inorganic pupils captured us in their gaze. The hands, drenched in an unidentifiable amount of blood, were lined with red orbs. With just a single swing, our lives could be extinguished.
There were a few dedicated fighters among the Adventurers in the Wizard Kingdom, but each one had either been pierced by that hand or mercilessly crushed into a mass of flesh. Even the blades of the elite B-Rank Wizards and the Lightning Magic Squad were rendered ineffective against this unprecedented monstrosity. As it turned its head to fully face us, I felt a chill run down my spine.
“Hmm, still quite a few of you. Just how many are there?”
A battalion of thousands found themselves powerless against a single monster. Looking at the spellcasters standing frozen, unable to release the magic they had gathered, the outcome was already clear. There was no way I could do anything against an opponent that even the B-Class and Lightning Magic Squad elites could not defeat.
As I hugged Rash tightly, trembling uncontrollably, Bolan, a small Golem, spun its head mockingly.
“Hmm! Well then, you lot curled up over there can just—bweeeh!”
【??? cast Cold Prison!
Bolan took 451 damage! Bolan HP 3249/3700】
As it extended its spherical arm towards us, half of Bolan’s body was encased in ice. The freezing aura was the advanced ice magic, Cold Prison. This was no ordinary ice confinement; its strength depended on the user’s magical power. The ice covering Bolan was directly connected to the rubble, completely binding it.
“Well, can you keep quiet for a moment?”
The one who came to our aid was Kaye, an A-Rank Wizard. He was an Adventurer specializing in ice magic, operating from the Wizard Kingdom. He was also the one who taught me many things when I was still a D-Rank, completely unaware of the world.
“Ga, gigi! Hmm! How dare you! This is nothing!”
“Struggling is futile; that ice is specially made.”
Bolan was completely immobilized by the ice. Moreover, the ice was slowly encroaching upon Bolan’s remaining half, freezing even the joints of its hands, effectively sealing off its ability to attack.
“Th-thank you…”
“Truppo, you need to run. If you die, Lord Hast will be sad.”
“B-but that thing is…”
“I’ll handle this one alone. The other two of the same A-Rank are dealing with the boss.”
I could see the two fighting the Golem Master in the distance. As expected of A-Rank, the Golem Master was struggling to mount an effective offense. Still, it was hard to say they were in a favorable position. The two were desperately fighting for survival, while the Golem Master seemed to have plenty of energy left. Even so, the situation was far more hopeful than if I were here. There was no more hesitation; I took Rash’s hand and ran.
I ran as much as I could.
No matter how much my legs felt like they would tear apart, I pushed myself to the limit.
Even as I gasped for breath and my pace slowed, I refused to stop running.
It was painful. How did it come to this? What had we done to deserve this?
The Neo Demon Lord Army. I knew nothing of the events from thirty years ago, nor did I care. I could only feel pathetic for being unable to accept such absurdity.
“Grandpa… I’m such a useless child…”
My tear ducts loosened, and soon I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
“Truppo, I can’t run anymore…”
“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…”
I didn’t even know why I was apologizing. No other words came to mind. There was no reason a child like me should have to encounter such a horrific scene. Yet, I felt utterly powerless. The only thing I could do was encourage Rash, who was on his knees, panting, to run again.
But I couldn’t force him to do that now. We had escaped quite far; if we could just get over this mountain of rubble, we should reach a functioning town. Then, I would go to the king. I would ask the king to send Lua out. She would surely be able to break this situation.
That was the only hope I had left. I took Rash’s hand and prepared to run again.
“Hmm~? I can’t say I’m impressed by your cowardly retreat.”
Even without turning around, I could tell that a toy-like demon with a lighthearted voice was right behind us. And with that, another life was lost.
If I kept running, I would either be minced by that round arm or pierced through. The only way to survive a little longer was to engage that demon in conversation. I didn’t know what purpose that would serve, but I didn’t want to die. That was all that mattered.
“Hmm, it seems there are quite a few stubborn ones besides the wise men. This Bolan has had a bit of trouble.”
What was thrown from Bolan’s round arm was Kaye’s lifeless body. His abdomen was pierced, his right arm was missing, and half of his head was crushed, a gruesome sight. The slight remnants of ice clinging to Bolan’s body served as a grim reminder that there had been a struggle.
As Bolan rotated its arm, the ice around the joints completely shattered. After that motion, the round arm was launched toward me. It was at a speed I couldn’t fully perceive; I only realized it when I saw that the arm had stopped right in front of me.
The round arm was blocked by an invisible wall, unable to reach me. Yet, Bolan was still trying to force its arm through. Reflect, the physical barrier spell, was protecting me. The Reflect that had been deployed before the battle began was easily shattered by the Golem’s advance, so it was neither from the Lightning Magic Squad nor from any Adventurer.
The barrier strong enough to withstand Bolan’s monstrous strength was undoubtedly from him.
“Looks like I made it just in time…”
“Grandpa?!”
“I’m sorry, forgive this old man for not being able to do anything at a time like this.”
Bowing slightly, Lord Hast, my grandfather, was struggling behind me, wielding his wooden staff with difficulty. He looked as if he might collapse at any moment, his face pale beneath his white beard and eyebrows. He coughed, spitting blood. The strain on his body from maintaining Reflect must have been immense. Yet, he fixed his gaze on Bolan as if to say he was fine.
“Hmm? Hmm?”
“As long as I am here, I won’t let you have your way… Ugh, cough…”
“Grandpa, please don’t push yourself… If you use any more magic…”
“If there’s anything an old man like me can do, it’s to protect the seeds of the future like you. Truppo, it made me happy to see you talking about adventures with such joy.”
As I supported my swaying grandfather, tears began to flow again. I was making him push himself so hard. If it weren’t for this, we might have been able to enjoy today just like any other day.
“And Truppo, you have talent. One day, you might surpass even me…
Just have confidence. If you do, surely…”
Talent, in me? What was my grandfather saying at a time like this?
The arm of Bolan, which had been hindered by Reflect, finally began to move again. Though it was significantly slowed down, it was still steadily breaking through the barrier.
“Cough cough cough! Ugh… I’m fine, Truppo. Just a little more, just a little more…
Soon, you all will be saved… For that, I would gladly give my life, this old man…”
“What do you mean just a little more?! That’s enough… I don’t want this anymore…”
“Oh? Are you still at it?”
Emerging from behind Bolan, who was struggling to break through Reflect, was the Golem Master. I didn’t need to ask what had happened to the two who had been fighting him. An A-Rank Wizard, barely alive, was being held by the throat in the Golem Master’s rocky grip.
The other one was nowhere to be found, but I was painfully aware that they had likely met a terrible fate. Soon, the Golem Master crushed the Wizard’s head as if squeezing a fruit. Red blood splattered, and the headless torso fell to the ground.
“Bolan, hurry up and finish this. I want to go chase after some girls, you know?
The reason I took on the role of invading this country was for that.
Wizards are just so enticing, don’t you think?”
“Haha! However, this old man has proven to be more troublesome than expected…”
The Golem Master, completely ignoring my grandfather’s threats, was digging into his ear with his pinky finger. In stark contrast to his rocky arm, the other was a normal human arm. His half-naked, primitive appearance almost made it feel like he was mocking us.
“Hey, it seems like you’re trying really hard, but let me say something utterly hopeless. This country has gates to the east, west, south, and north, right? Well, this part here is the east. The others have already been attacked by the golems. In fact, they might be in ruins by now.”
The man spoke with a half-smile and a lazy tone, delivering a grim reality. If the north, west, and south were all in such a state, the town must have long since fallen into devastation. My grandfather was coughing while maintaining a Reflect spell, and there was nothing I or Rash could do. The Lightning Brigade and Adventurers were closing in on the Golem Master, but despair was all that awaited us.
“Protect Lord Hast!”
Lightning Bolts, flames, water, and thunder were unleashed. Normally, even against a Floor Monster, this would have settled the matter. However, all of it was absorbed into the palm of his rocky arm. Flames that couldn’t scorch stone, water that couldn’t dampen, and thunder that couldn’t shatter. Eventually, they faded weakly into nothingness.
“N-No… Everything is being absorbed by that arm…”
“It’s a nuisance when sleeping, can’t hold a knife and fork, can’t wipe my backside, and it’s hard to embrace a woman. Honestly, what am I supposed to do with this thing? But it does come in handy sometimes.”
The thick fingers of the rocky arm, larger than the other, bent skillfully. The twelve members of the Lightning Brigade and five Adventurers imagined their impending doom, their faces turning pale. The headless corpse of an A-Rank Wizard easily evoked thoughts of death.
“Well then, let’s wrap this up quickly.”
“Zeech!”
“Shin? What’s wrong? What are you doing here?”
“Everyone… is dead…”
“Huh?”
A small girl, about the size of a head, flew in from the distant sky. Dressed in a jester-like outfit adorned in red, she looked comical. Was she part of the Demon Lord Army too?
But that didn’t matter. Rubbing my tear-filled eyes, Rash and I could only cling to my grandfather, begging him to stop the Reflect spell.
“Everyone is dead! The golems are all gone! That one is coming!”
“That one…? Oh, right, you’re…”
“Hehe, just in time…”
Lord Hast murmured weakly before losing consciousness and collapsing. The rocky arm that had been supporting him now turned its attention toward us. I closed my eyes, bracing for death.
“Ugh, ugh! L-Let go of me! Who are you?!”
I opened my eyes. A girl with short blue hair swayed in the wind. Her back was striking, making it hard to believe she was the same age as me. Standing firmly on the ground, she held Bolan’s round arm down with one hand.
“Did I make it in time…? Lord Hast, and Truppo, Rash is safe, right?”
Despite her voice being weak and lacking confidence, she exuded a strength that could contain Bolan, which had overwhelmed thousands. The monster that had been mercilessly slaughtering us was now bewildered by this unknown opponent. It struggled to move its round arm like a petulant child, but the girl showed no signs of letting go.
“Lua…! You came for me…”
“Sorry for being late… But this is awful. Roel, please take care of Lord Hast.”
“Okay, I’ll do my best.”
My voice was hoarse, making it hard to speak as usual. I truly wanted to chat more cheerfully, but when it came down to it, this was all I could manage. Lua surveyed the scene of corpses and rubble, squinting her eyes and briefly turning her face away.
“Oh no! Zeech! We should run!”
“…I see, so that’s Lua-chan. Not bad, she’s quite cute. By the way, Bolan, how long are you going to keep playing around?”
The small girl named Shin flitted about in the air like a bug, panicking. Bolan, who had been trying to shake off Lua’s grip with its round arm, seemed to snap back to reality at Zeech’s words.
“Ha-ha! I’ll take care of this right now!”
Bolan raised its free arm high.