On the highway heading towards the border of the Holy Capital, the Fandora Theocracy, our carriage sensed an ambush by bandits… or so I thought, but the presence of those bandits is fading away.
It would be amusing if some large Monster had appeared and was attacking them, but that doesn’t seem to be the case…
According to what I heard in town, around the Fandora Theocracy, the headquarters of the Holy Church on this Searth Continent, many Priest Knights patrol and exterminate powerful Monsters.
…Well, in order to gather believers, the Holy Church branded Dark Elves, who merely have dark skin, as humanoid Monsters and enemies of humanity, so they can’t very well acknowledge actual Monsters, can they?
However, they haven’t managed to completely exterminate low-rank beast demi-humans like goblins, which are only strong in their reproductive capabilities, or dire wolves, which are only fast at fleeing. And even the Priest Knights, who can cross borders almost freely, can’t deal with the bandits that appear on the neighboring country’s side of the border.
If that’s the case, I wonder if Temple Knights have come all the way over to this side this time…
“…We’re getting close, aren’t we?”
To be precise, I can’t see much yet, but I can see dust kicked up into the air by a large number of creatures moving, and I can hear voices that sound like shouts.
But I don’t hear the clash of swords from people fighting. And rather than shouts…
“Screams… perhaps?”
Realizing that, a smile naturally formed on my lips, and my legs quickened their pace.
Ah… I’m looking forward to this.
“――Gyaaaaaaaah!!”
A scream like a pig being torn apart echoed, and the thick scent of blood filled the air.
It seemed there were still survivors, but by the time I got closer, the corpses of men who looked like bandits were already strewn across the ground.
“They aren’t bandits, then.”
I kicked a few corpses onto their backs to check their equipment.
They weren’t dressed in the tattered clothes of nearby peasants driven to banditry out of desperation. But they were also different from those who wear equipment for disguise, like the Assassin Guild. They were all wearing the same equipment, as if they were a unified force.
Could this be an assassination squad used by nobles…?
Not like the Assassin Guild, which assassinates individuals on request, but a private unit employed by nobles and the like, operating as a group, unafraid of sacrifices, to surely kill targets who have escorts, for the purpose of eliminating their master’s political enemies.
With this equipment and number of people, I could believe it if they said we were the targets, but we, who have no involvement in politics, have no reason to be targeted.
There might be a faction within the Holy Church that doesn’t want the Hero’s companions to increase, but if so, what is the entity that’s killing them…?
Could that person be――
“――Hk!”
Suddenly, from beyond the forest, wind magic was unleashed along with Killing Intent. As it tore through the trees in its path and approached, I defended myself with a shield of ice.
“Heh…”
Sensing my Killing Intent, which had inadvertently leaked out due to the strong presence, “someone” far away had suddenly launched an attack spell.
Towards this “enemy” who attacked without any warning, I threw off my cloak and clad myself in mana. My pure white hair, different from before, fluttered like wings in the aftermath.
“――Levitate――”
My body floated gently, and I flew in the direction from which the magic had been cast.
Such an ill-mannered fellow, attacking with magic without so much as a greeting. As a greeting of my own, I slammed my Killing Intent and Intimidation deep into the forest. In response, along with a corresponding Intimidation, this time a giant rock came flying, snapping trees as it went.
“――Ice Lance――”
Dogooon!!
With a thunderous roar, the giant rock and a pillar-sized block of ice collided, scattering a large amount of rock and ice fragments in all directions.
“An equal match…?”
Seeing that their power was on par with my mana, I suddenly became very interested in this opponent.
“It would be fun to kill them… Oh?”
I felt the opponent’s “presence” approaching with furious speed.
Did I wound their pride a little? I can tell. You realized your Level 4 Stone Cannon was nullified by my Level 3 Ice Lance, didn’t you?
“Welcome. The one who wounded your pride is me.”
A strong presence and mana were heading this way at high speed.
They were using powerful magic, but like Aria, perhaps they aren’t a Magician?
“――Digvolt――”
They might have realized I’m a Magician and decided to strike directly, but I have no obligation to play along with that.
When I unleashed an electric attack, its range expanded by adding more mana, to envelop a section of the forest, multiple screams were heard, indicating that some of the assassination squad were still left in the forest.
As if to drown out those screams, a large amount of mana surged from the other side.
Gooooooooh!!
In that instant, flames from a Dragon Breath pierced through, nullifying my electric attack.
By the massive flames, truly like a dragon’s breath, the surrounding forest caught fire, and in the aftermath, the voices of the remaining assassination squad members fell silent.
And I had tried so hard not to burn it…
“――Ice Storm――”
The Level 5 ice magic I unleashed raged, enveloping the flames of the burning forest.
At that moment――
Zan!!
The forest, the flames, the raging blizzard itself—all were sliced in two, and the shockwave transformed into a blade of mana, attacking me.
“――Hk!”
Gin!!
The Ice Whip I instinctively used… was sliced apart.
No way!? It even stopped Aria’s knife.
It was probably not magic, but a high-level Battle Art. In the instant the Ice Whip was cut, I jumped back, and the hem of my dress was torn. Simultaneously, I unleashed lightning towards the “Shadow” that leaped out from the bisected forest.
“――Chase Lightning――hk!”
Multiple bolts of lightning changed direction and pursued the “Shadow.”
But the “Shadow” increased its speed further, daringly leaped into my personal space, and broke through the range of the lightning.
The rapidly approaching “Shadow” thrust its sword towards my heart.
But no. I’ve decided that only Aria can plunge a blade into my heart.
Twisting my body to at least avoid my vital organs, I gathered my mana and chanted Freeze, aiming for a mutual strike.
In that instant――
Gin!!
“――Aria!”
The one who intervened and blocked the sword tip was Aria, wielding her Black Knife and a dagger.
The battle intensified, so she came to check, huh…
“Stand back.”
Aria and the “Shadow,” having parried the enemy’s sword with two weapons and created distance between them, leaped forward simultaneously as they separated, both raising their respective weapons at the same time.
“――Dancing Reaper――hk!”
“――Vorpal Blade――!!”
Aria unleashed her Level 5 dagger technique. But, as if to match it, a young man’s voice unleashed… his Level 5 sword technique exploded, meeting Aria’s Battle Art head-on.
An eight-hit combo versus a five-hit combo. Even with the difference in their weapons’ reach, they clashed perfectly. The two, having nullified each other’s attacks, were repelled once more, and by taking significant distance, we were finally able to see the “Shadow’s”… the opponent’s appearance.
“Heh… So you were a girl.”
The one who uttered such a carefree line was a young man, still in his late teens.
Smoothly flowing black hair and red eyes…
With a youthful face, he smiled brightly, then narrowed his eyes at the wary Aria and me, and lowered his drawn one-handed sword.
“Could it be, you’re… no, you two (plural) are the ones? I intended to lure out the enemy, but I’ve had an unexpectedly good encounter. To think there wouldn’t be just one, but two Hero-Class individuals.”
Saying that, he lightly leaped back, creating more distance, sheathed his sword, and turned a beaming smile towards us.
“I wasn’t keen on it, but now I have something to look forward to. …I’ll be waiting. In the Holy Capital.”
Just like that, he disappeared with the speed of wind.
After confirming his figure had completely vanished and his presence was gone, we both exhaled simultaneously.
“Snow… that was…”
“Yes, I suppose so…”
That strength. That was probably… the “Hero.”
The “Hero” has finally appeared. Just how powerful is he?
Next time, to the Holy Capital.