It was as though the earth had disappeared, just like it had in the elves’ forest. It seemed every single monster in the area had been gathered there; they kept appearing from somewhere.
The ones at the front couldn’t withstand the pressure from those pushing from behind and either collapsed or exploded, staining the walls red with bl**d. Some were crushed and flattened to the point where they couldn’t get back up. Others tried to climb over the bodies of other monsters and make their way over the wall.
Looking at each individual monster, they weren’t particularly dangerous. There were wolves infused with mana, giant insects, and goblins. The most dangerous among them was a wild boar that had grown twice its size due to being saturated with mana. But the problem lay in their numbers.
The sheer mass of them was causing cracks in the wall. Even though it had been reinforced with iron over stone, it groaned under the strain and threatened to crumble.
Once again, I channeled mana into the outer wall, causing the surface layer to shatter and explode. The shards flew out so fast they broke the sound barrier, instantly annihilating any monsters clinging to the wall without a trace. However, within two seconds, even more monsters surged forward and began battering the wall with their heads.
“What is this?! We didn’t encounter a single one on the way here, right?! Where have all these things come from?! And we’re almost out of arrows!!”
Even Yuna’s steel crossbow was firing nonstop, but it wasn’t enough. Each shot carved bloody paths through the ranks of monsters, only for them to quickly fill the gaps.
Akashi was also hurling various spells his way: burning with fire, piercing with ice, shaking with electricity, and slicing with wind. However, the other monsters were stepping over the corpses left behind and attempting to climb the wall. How could he still be dissatisfied in such a situation?
I was already busy repairing the wall while simultaneously rolling stone pillars or overturning the ground to attack, so I couldn’t spare much effort to help him.
I sent mana coursing through the iron I’d embedded in Akashi’s side of the wall, launching iron spheres like Cremoa and clearing away the corpses before yelling at him.
“You idiot!!! Make sure not to leave a single trace so they can’t climb up!!!”
He probably understood, even if he couldn’t look over due to continuously adjusting his mana flow with his scaly arms.
By the way, wasn’t he supposed to need Myungho’s permission to use magic? This thought crossed my mind even amidst the urgency.
…Well, whatever. Let’s move on from that. Is Myungho safe right now? Looking at how many monsters have gathered here, I’m worried.
Especially since he’s in the middle of a battle with that demon tribe member. If monsters get involved in that fight too, the worst-case scenario might unfold.
A searing pain in my lower abdomen made me suddenly see Myungho lying lifelessly on the ground.
I slapped myself to shake off the intrusive thoughts and refocused. Myungho will win. Right now, all I can do is believe in him.
The stench of bl**d came from all sides, and I couldn’t even estimate how many I had killed. I thought about just unleashing everything and wiping them all out.
But Myungho told us to protect the village.
So I kept killing, doing everything I could to hold them off. I don’t know how long it lasted. The moon had been directly overhead, but now it had slightly shifted eastward.
Even without focusing, the smell of bl**d was so strong it numbed my sense of smell. I distinctly remembered the village being surrounded by green fields and a somewhat eerie forest.
Now, all I could see was a sea of bl**d illuminated by the moonlight and scattered chunks of flesh twitching occasionally.
“Alterra… Is it over…? Please tell me it’s over… My arms are cramped, and most importantly, I’ve run out of arrows… Haah, haa…”
“Heh, it should be over. There might be a few survivors hiding among the piles of meat. Hmm, in that case, I’ll just collapse for a bit. My poor little brain used too much magic…”
As soon as Akashi finished speaking, he fell backward like a ghost. I caught him by creating a platform mid-air so he wouldn’t hit the ground. His nose was covered in bl**d, as if he’d been bleeding profusely.
I was quite tired too, but unlike those two, I still had some strength left and decided to go look for Myungho. He was definitely in that forest over there. With some trees still standing, there was hope that he hadn’t been overwhelmed by the waves of monsters.
—Do you really think so?
Suddenly, someone’s voice rang out, and my lower abdomen felt hot. What is this? Could it be… Myungho?!
The moment I thought that, I saw Myungho limping toward us from not too far away. Thank goodness, he’s alive! But his movements seem… a bit…
Like he’s being controlled. Doesn’t it look like that?
My bl**d ran cold. No, that can’t be. Myungho couldn’t have lost. I don’t see any demons around… Earlier, he was swinging his brush, so he must have been doing something.
Hmm…? Was he? My hands trembled. If Myungho had lost… If he’s being controlled by that demon right now?
It doesn’t matter. If that’s the case, I’ll just k*ll the demon. But once the doubts and unease started, they kept snowballing.
What if killing the demon doesn’t break the spell? What if the demon has taken over Myungho’s body like what happened to my mother?
What if. What if. What if. All kinds of possibilities raced through my mind. I could feel my heart pounding. The world seemed to spin.
What if you leave me too?
“Alterra, sorry. I’m late. That guy was pretty tough. Sorry for making you come out to meet me. Is the village okay…?”
When he saw me, he scratched his head, apologized for being late, and looked sheepish, but I was the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t have left him alone.
Judging by his limping, his legs must be injured, and the cuts on his palms were still bleeding. I knew I shouldn’t do this, but I was so relieved and grateful.
I ran toward him and hugged him tightly.
Myungho stumbled backward and fell, with me landing on top of him.
He was frantically patting my back and saying something, but all I cared about was the fact that he was alive. It felt wonderful to be able to feel his heartbeat.
“Cough, cough… Alterra, give me a sec… I appreciate the greeting, but… I can’t breathe!”
After staying in his embrace for a moment, I finally heard what he was saying clearly.
Ah, right. I’m kind of heavy… I immediately moved aside. Only then did he take deep, labored breaths and jokingly said that next time, he wanted some warning before I tackled him like that.
“Sorry…”
I guess I must’ve lost it for a moment. Even though he’s injured, I should’ve known that pouncing on him like that would hurt him.
“That aside, is your leg okay? Your mind…? Do you see anything strange?”
“Don’t worry, I’m just a little hurt. If Mari’s around, this kind of thing is… Wait, Alterra. What happened to Mari?”
“Mari…?”
Since I had just finished cleaning up the mess, I had completely forgotten about her. I think she was last seen near the well square.
“I don’t know. Sorry, I was too busy fending off the monsters to pay attention to Mari. Why do you ask?”
Myungho gave a bitter smile and admitted that he had been thoroughly defeated.
“The demon screaming earlier was targeting Mari. You were too busy protecting the village, right? What about the other party members?”
I slowly nodded. So they had gathered the monsters from all directions to achieve this. They must have intended to kidnap Mari while we were distracted.
“…Ugh, d*mn. Alterra, can I borrow your shoulder?”
Myungho tried to get up but ended up kneeling and asking for help. I willingly offered my shoulder. Although it might take a little longer, there were no monsters left nearby, and most importantly, I wanted to stay with Myungho.
To shake off the ominous thoughts from earlier.
“So… What happened to that guy who was casting illusions?”
Myungho silently swung his sword. It glowed red.
—
The next morning, as soon as I opened my eyes, I could feel the throbbing pain in my legs.
When I asked the villagers, they said that despite trembling, Mari had been kidnapped by the demon, so there was no way to get treatment from her. Since I didn’t know what would happen if I squeezed the soul of the demon, I left it alone.
With this condition, I won’t be able to help Alterra on her journey and will only hinder her… Eventually, I’ll have to heal it. Though with my limited mana and poor magical aptitude, healing fractures will be difficult, but with the power of this soul, it should be easy.
When I tried experimenting by squeezing it slightly, I felt an even stronger mana than that of a witch.
There was nothing unusual I could see, hear, or feel.
It should be fine.
“Heal.”
After converting a small part of the soul into mana, I healed the broken bones. The chilling pain was fleeting, leaving only comfort behind.
Good. Although curses and cries of agony flowed from the sword, I didn’t feel much sympathy. After all, it’s a demon, and it tried to harm Alterra.
I should be thankful that I’m not torturing it.
Altera, who was on the other side of the room, woke up at the sound of the healing and slowly sat up, looking around. When our eyes met, she greeted me.
“Good morning.”
“Mm-hmm…”
Was she tired from yesterday’s events? Alterra yawned lazily and stretched her body. She rubbed her eyes slowly and then noticed my leg.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“I just finished treating it.”
“That’s good… Lucky… Mmm… Haa.”
She crawled out of bed and flexed her toes, letting out a suggestive m*an.
Since she had taken off her cloak and fur skin to sleep, I took the opportunity to admire her uncovered back, which I rarely got to see.
I felt fortunate that it was me near her in this vulnerable state. If it had been someone else…
Hmm. Who knows.
“…So, are we leaving today?”
“Probably. There’s nothing left to do here, and we owe no duty to clean up these bodies. Still, selling the spirit stones buried within these corpse piles should keep this town financially secure for a while. We also need to find Mari and head to Koluscia, so we can’t afford to linger.”
“That’s true. Then I should prepare… Myungho, could you step outside for a moment? I need to put on my leotard.”
Altera, having finished her stretching, asked me to leave so she could change clothes.
“…Myungho?”
And I looked closely. Though my right eye can’t see, my left eye clearly showed the golden letters inscribed on her stomach.
The heart-shaped mark identical to the one on the back of my hand.
The inscription that read, “This is the result of your actions.”
