Together, the Kuaal and I escaped from the depths of the earth.
It would have been difficult for me to escape from that place alone, but perhaps due to the difference in basic physical abilities, the Kuaal rushed up the fragile wall before it collapsed.
The Kuaal then used the towering, withered tree as a foothold to jump even higher, and from that vantage point, I surveyed the surroundings to assess the situation.
When I encountered Grave, the sun was still high in the sky, but now it was much lower, and the crimson color had begun to encroach upon the blue sky.
It had probably been four to five hours since I had separated from Viro and the others.
Was the battle still ongoing? I believed that Viro and Samantha wouldn’t lose even against Grave, but there was a possibility that they were in a critical situation, even if they didn’t lose.
“That way. Our ‘enemy’ is there.”
『Gaaaaaoooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!』
In response to my voice, the Kuaal roared, landed as if crushing the parched ground, and began to move, avoiding the holes scattered across the earth.
Wait for me… I’m coming soon.
“You’re holding up well. Is it the wisdom of age?”
“Don’t underestimate me, you brat!”
The Rank 5 magician, who also possessed Level 4 Body Enhancement and Martial Arts, unleashed rock bullets resembling 【Pebble (Stone Bullet)】.
Samantha’s Earth Magic, 【Stone Shot】, maintained a Level 2 Mana consumption while boasting nearly the same power as the Level 3 【Stone Lance】 in terms of anti-creature effectiveness.
Perhaps finding it difficult to parry them, Grave dodged by leaping away, and at the same time, Viro attacked from behind.
“――【Splash】――”
“Damn!”
While losing his balance, Grave unleashed Water Magic, which Viro deflected by striking it with his Mithril dagger, which easily conducted Mana. In that instant, he was blown away by Grave’s kick.
Grave used not only Swordsmanship and Stealth skills but also Magic.
However, he had only learned up to Level 2, the same as his former colleague Sera, but considering fighting multiple opponents alone, he had trained his Magic skills up to Level 3.
“Your attacks are becoming monotonous, Viro. Are you焦っている because your disciple is in danger?”
“Shut up! 【Dark Mist】!”
Viro had also raised his Dark Magic to Level 2 in the past three years. During that training process, his Mana Control had reached Level 4, and the precision of his Body Enhancement had improved, increasing his combat power.
He hadn’t placed much emphasis on individual combat power before, but after seeing Aria’s fighting style of constantly battling strong enemies alone, something seemed to have changed in him.
Even if the reason was to catch up with his disciple, it was difficult for Adventurers of Rank 4 or higher to constantly strive for improvement.
The Dark Mist released by Viro obscured Grave’s vision. Just as Grave was about to move to escape the range of the mist, Samantha cast Magic.
“――【Stone Skin】――”
It was an armor-type Magic that enveloped her in Earth-attribute Mana Particles, absorbing a certain amount of damage.
Samantha, clad in 【Stone Skin】, could be seen leaping into the 【Dark Mist】.
“So, you’ve come.”
Within this darkness made of Mana Particles, Night Vision was ineffective, and it was difficult to grasp their exact position with Detection.
Normal attacks would be blocked by 【Stone Skin】. Even though the opponent was a magician, they were also a veteran Adventurer who controlled Level 4 Body Enhancement, so there was a possibility that Grave would launch an unexpected attack the moment his attack was blocked.
He thought he could slash through 【Stone Skin】 with a Combat Art, but if he missed the attack in this darkness, the opponent wouldn’t be so lenient as to wait for his recovery time.
(I have no choice but to retreat here.)
At the same moment that Grave made that decision and jumped back, Samantha’s Magic was unleashed again from within the darkness.
“――【Water Ball】――”
Grave knew this Level 3 Water Magic because he could use it himself. It was a Magic with weak power and slow speed, but the advantage of this Magic was that it was a “range attack,” which was rare for Level 3.
“Damn!”
Grave’s footing was swept away by the onrushing water pressure.
Taking aim at that moment, Viro, who had jumped in while also taking damage from the water pressure, crossed paths with Grave, and blood spurted from Grave’s side.
“Serves you right!”
“Don’t let your guard down, kid!”
Samantha, who had emerged from the darkness, scolded him and stood next to Viro, bracing herself.
Grave frowned at the blood overflowing from his side, glared at the two of them to keep them in check, and then used Cure Magic on himself.
“――【High Heal】――”
It was a Level 3 Light Magic that instantly granted the effects of Recovery and Cure. The Mana consumption was high at 30, but it promised tremendous effects.
Samantha and Viro had been unable to press their attack because Grave was using this Magic.
In a situation where there was no heavy warrior acting as a shield and spear, when using high-level Magic, it was assumed that the attack could render the target almost incapable of fighting with a single blow.
Even if they unleashed large Magic spells in rapid succession and they were dodged, the matter would be settled if they landed just one hit.
However, this premise was shattered because Grave used 【High Heal】, forcing Samantha to use low-level Magic to conserve Mana, and Grave was unable to press his attack due to the repeated small Magic spells, causing the three-way battle to fall into a stalemate.
But――
“Too bad for you. If Aria, who can use Light Magic, were here, it would have been a slightly more decent battle.”
Grave grinned mockingly after finishing healing his wound.
“You…”
“Such an impudent brat.”
Samantha could use Light Magic even better than Grave.
However, to finish off Grave, a high-level Attribute Magic was necessary, and to conserve Mana, Samantha was hesitant to use Cure Magic on herself.
Basically, both 【Heal】 and 【Cure】 were contact Magic, requiring the caster to maintain the Magic for several tens of seconds while touching the target, but 【High Heal】 could be “fired” up to a few meters away, making it possible to use it during combat.
All three of them had Potions, but they couldn’t be drunk during combat either.
And Viro and Samantha, who were unable to use Cure Magic during combat, couldn’t heal their wounds, while Grave, although he had Mana consumption, was still relatively comfortable because his main combat style was close-quarters.
“Before the Mystic Beast returns, let’s settle this soon. You guys should use Cure, if you have that kind of余裕. I thought Aria might come back, but perhaps I overestimated her a bit.”
“You bastard…”
“…Don’t think it will be that easy, kid.”
Viro and Samantha unleashed Killing Intent, and Grave also poured more Mana into his beloved two Mana Swords, bracing himself forward.
Although he was old, Grave wasn’t underestimating his Rank 5 and 4 opponents, but he had seen a certain “bottom” during the battle over the past few hours.
But at that moment――
『Guaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!』
The roar of a “beast” echoed through the swampy forest, and the eyes of those who shifted their gaze reflected the figure of the jet-black Mystic Beast Kuaal, galloping from afar at a terrifying speed.
“…Did I take too long?”
Due to the whims of a beast, there was a possibility that it wouldn’t return if it fought and was injured by Aria, but Grave was truly disappointed that he had overestimated her.
However, there were no changes to Grave’s plans. The Kuaal didn’t distinguish people very well and didn’t understand the difference between Grave and Viro.
If he used Viro as bait, he should be able to buy enough time for Grave to escape. After Viro and the others were killed by the Kuaal, he could slowly continue the Duke’s assassination plan.
Besides, he also had a “trump card” prepared for dealing with beasts, which he had prepared since he decided to lure out the Kuaal.
“A Mystic Beast…? Damn it!”
Realizing that the appearance of the Kuaal meant that his disciple might have lost, Viro turned his Blade towards the Kuaal.
“Get back, kid!”
Grave changed his position, and Samantha’s voice echoed to Viro, who was left alone.
At that moment――
“That’s not it. It’s not ‘that’.”
Such a “girl’s voice” was faintly heard, and the Kuaal, which was about to attack Viro, jumped over him.
In the eyes of Viro, who looked up at the Kuaal jumping over him, was the figure of an “Ash-covered” girl, grasping the tail as if entwining one arm while holding a weapon.
“Aria!”
“Release.”
――End――
The Kuaal, attacking Grave, swung its tail powerfully, and Aria, launched like a bullet by that momentum, deeply stabbed Grave’s shoulder with the Black Dagger, catching him off guard for a moment.
“You should just die already.”
“Aria, is that you?!”
Even as he was pierced through the shoulder by the surprise attack, Grave showed a twisted emotion akin to joy.
“This is unexpected!! Fuhaha!”
As Grave shouted and swung one of his swords at Aria, she quickly leaped away, avoiding the blade with a somersault, and pointed her slender fingertips at Grave.
“——【Phantom Pain】——”
“Something like that can’t—!”
The Pain, which he should have been able to endure, assaulted Grave with a sharper pain than he had anticipated, and that slight difference stopped his movements for just a moment.
(Could it be that she raised her Magic level in this short amount of time!)
But even so, it was only for a moment. Aria, dancing in the air, couldn’t mount a proper follow-up attack, and Viro and Samantha hadn’t yet entered a battle stance from the momentary confusion.
But Grave’s “enemies” weren’t just them.
“Gaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
The Kuaal, which had launched Aria, attacked Grave with that momentum, and in passing, it tore off Grave’s left arm, barely missing the throat he was aiming for.
“Guooooh!!”
Even Grave couldn’t help but let out a cry of pain and leaped back to create distance.
“——【Stone Shot】——”
Samantha’s Magic, released from a distance, pierced Grave’s side, and Viro’s thrown Knife slashed his shoulder.
Immediately after, Aria flipped her skirt and drew a throwing Knife, aiming for his brow, but Grave could only defend by throwing the remaining sword.
“…To think you would tame a Kuaal… Fate has sided with you.”
“Don’t use such cheap words to describe ‘me’.”
Grave’s eyes widened at Aria, who indifferently aimed her Pendulum at him, and a twisted smile appeared on his face.
“Fuhahahaha, indeed. I don’t know you. And as I initially felt, I judge you to be dangerous.”
Grave lost one arm and his favorite weapon, but still, he focused his fighting spirit and reflected Aria in his two eyes, then suddenly took out a “orb” from his chest and smashed it onto the wooden floor of the street.
“Grave can escape—”
“Boy, get back! It’s a poison smoke screen!”
Smoke with an unusual odor spread in an instant, covering the surroundings. The Kuaal, which had tried to pursue Grave even then, couldn’t stand the strange smell and jumped aside.
“…………”
When her vision was blocked, Aria’s detection ability, which allowed her to see Mana Particles with her eyes, was greatly reduced. Even so, Aria indifferently aimed her Pendulum, and Grave’s voice was released from within the smoke.
“I’ll stop targeting small fry like Dukes. Aria, from now on, you are the target. You try to protect the Princess. I will definitely go and kill you.”
As that voice flowed, Grave’s faint presence completely disappeared. If he was a scout-type light warrior who could even use Light Magic, it would be useless to chase him.
“…He got away, huh?”
Aria muttered in a low voice, covering her mouth with a shawl.
Grave declared that he would “target Aria,” but the reason he told Aria to protect the Princess was probably to restrict Aria’s actions by targeting the Princess.
But conversely, as long as Aria was by Princess Elena’s side, Grave would only target Aria and not others.
“As you wish, Grave. Next time, I will definitely kill you.”
Aria and Grave have decided to target each other.
Next time, the conclusion of this incident and a new mission.
And what will become of the relationship with the Kuaal?
The next update is scheduled for Wednesday.
As for future plans, Chapter 4 will be the Dungeon arc and will be the end, but it has become too long, so I would like to continue up to that point as [Part 1: Ash-Covered Princess], and the school arc, which is the main part of the Otome Game, as [Part 2: Iron Rose].
The school arc will begin soon! It would be a motivation, so I would be happy if you could give me your impressions and bookmarks.