Chapter 14: Magic Shield (Shifa’s Perspective)
A mythical creature had appeared.
High in the sky, the dragon opened its massive maw.
I could see a red light. That was mana.
This is bad. It’s a breath attack.
They say it incinerates everything.
The same breath that, in the myths, burned a legendary city to the ground in a single night.
There was no way we could resist something like that. It was impossible.
“Everyone, run! As far as you can!”
“No, there’s nowhere to run. Steel yourselves! Everyone, defend with all your might!”
I managed to shout, but Michelle’s cry drowned out my voice.
Perhaps she was right, but…
“Consider us already dead. If that’s the case, our course is clear: focus on defensive magic!”
“We’ll layer them all together!”
“Gather around Shifa-sama!”
“We have to save Shifa-sama, even if it’s just her!”
“Everyone… why?”
The adventurers were gathering around me.
Of course, I knew all their faces. Dai-san, Ruda-san, Ertena-san, Samido-san, Marcus-san, Balledo-san…
I knew them all.
After all, I used to be a guild employee.
When I was nervously working at the reception desk, still new and unsure, they had all smiled and encouraged me.
They’d spoken kindly to me, waited patiently. Sometimes I’d listen to their complaints, or they’d ask for advice, or tell me about their dreams.
They were all such wonderful adventurers.
“No! Don’t worry about me, just run! Please, run…”
Tears welled up in my eyes.
Don’t worry about someone like me, just run.
Dai-san, you have a family, don’t you?
Ruda-san, you just got a boyfriend, I recall.
The others might be on their own, but none of you are old enough to die yet, are you?
And you have no responsibility for me, do you?
“That’s exactly what we can’t do.”
“Yeah. That’s a request we can’t listen to.”
“Why not?”
Why aren’t you running? This isn’t the time to be patting my head!
“I was so happy, you know? When that Shifa-chan cast Mass Heal on us when we were panicking during the Stampede.”
“That’s right! That was incredible! Who cares about those scum who ran off? This time, I want to protect Shifa-sama.”
“Yeah. If a dragon’s shown up, there’s no guarantee we’d survive even if we ran. So I’m gonna do what I want.”
“And ‘doing what I want’ means protecting Shifa-sama.”
“What a coincidence, me too.”
“Me too!”
“Everyone…”
I could barely see my surroundings anymore.
I’d meant to glare only at the dragon, but my vision was blurring.
I only had a little talent as a magic user.
That’s why I practiced so hard to learn healing magic, and desperately mastered Mass Heal, hoping to be useful to everyone someday.
But that’s all I have. For now, at least.
So, I really can’t do anything right now.
I can’t even use defensive magic, you know?
What’s the point of protecting someone so useless?
I wanted to say that, but my mouth wouldn’t even move.
The red light at the dragon’s maw grew larger and larger.
“You’re well-loved, Shifa. And I’m grateful for it. We’re all a team here. Magic Shield!”
“Of course, Michelle-san. Magic Shield!”
“We will protect Shifa-sama. Magic Shield!”
“Naturally! Magic Shield!”
“I’m content just to see Shifa-sama’s face one last time as I go. Magic Shield!”
“Don’t you dare die on your own, idiot! We’re casting this to protect, right? Put your life into this magic! Magic Shield!”
“You say some good things for a tomboy, Ruda. Magic Shield!”
“Looks like it’s about to let loose, huh? Magic Shield!”
“If we all cast it together, maybe we can actually protect everyone, huh? Magic Shield!”
“‘Maybe?’ What are you talking about?! We will protect them! Magic Shield!”
More and more shields were being layered.
There were originally close to 100 adventurers, but now our numbers had dwindled to just over 70.
Yet, more than half of them were casting magic.
Each shield differed in its area of effect and strength.
But they were all clustered together, protecting everyone.
GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!!!
However, as if to shatter our resolve, the dragon’s roar thundered.
“What insane pressure…”
“This is bad. Just as you’d expect from a mythical creature.”
“It’s getting tough just to stand…”
“Don’t let your spirit break! That thing’s just a big monster. If we can defend against this, we attack!”
“Michelle-san, you’re amazing. To still be able to say that after seeing that.”
“Everyone. Thank you. It’s coming. Before it does, my thanks.”
“Yeah, Shifa-sama.”
“We know, Shifa-sama.”
Finally, the dragon opened its mouth.
Red mana overflowed.
Like a raging inferno, it erupted from the dragon’s maw, thrashing violently as it hurtled towards us.
I wouldn’t close my eyes.
These were the magic barriers everyone had put up.
I…
I, at least, had to believe in them.
Even if they shattered in an instant, I mustn’t close my eyes.
I would burn the sight of everyone into my vision, into my memory.
And so, the red mana unleashed by the dragon reached the magic barriers.
The collision triggered violent tremors, scattering shockwaves all around.
A momentary struggle.
Amazing, it was resisting the red mana.
Was the outermost barrier Michelle’s?
It cracked, and the red mana reached the next barrier.
Was that the one Ertena-san had put up?
Each and every magic barrier resisted the red mana.
Little by little, they were truly diminishing the dragon’s breath.
But still, the breath didn’t stop.
Everyone’s strength…
It was being mercilessly crushed.
Someone…
I don’t matter.
Please, save everyone.
Please…
“Amazing. To think layered Magic Shields can actually resist that dragon’s breath to some extent.”
“Eh?”
“You all might not like it, but I’m joining in too, okay? Magic Shield!”
Was that an auditory hallucination?
I thought I heard something.
At the same time, the red mana reached the final Magic Shield, an explosion erupted, and my vision went black, but…
“You held out well. You’re all incredible.”
“Eh?”
This voice is…?
“Lux-san?”
“Yeah. Sorry I’m late.”
The person whose name I called answered me with a nonchalant expression and embraced me.