“…Sword Witch. You have no reason to stop us. We are not after you… but merely aim to retrieve what should have originally been ours. So please, step aside.”
“Dear me. What kind of talk is that? I have more than enough reasons to stop you. First of all, you’re terribly rude. When visiting someone’s home, one knocks and asks permission to enter. Isn’t that obvious? Did no one teach you manners? Or did you simply choose not to learn them?”
“You…! How dare a mere human…”
“Elize, don’t interfere. Have you forgotten that you also have human blood flowing through your veins? My apologies, Sword Witch. We were indeed impolite. Even now, we seek your permission. Before that, however, we wish to capture them—would you kindly allow it?”
“To ask for permission after already stepping into someone’s home doesn’t make any sense, does it? And there’s an order to things. Apologizing to me should come first. Besides, the sin of bringing a whole pack of beasts here, where people live, has yet to be addressed.”
The exchange was so intense it sent shivers down the listener’s spine. Nevertheless, it was clear that the Sword Witch held the upper hand in this confrontation.
Even with so many monstrous creatures and unfamiliar pureblooded members of the Demon Tribe present, the demons seemed eager to avoid conflict with her, approaching in a submissive manner as if trying to steer clear of a fight.
“Oh? What’s this? Are these the congratulatory escorts who came out to celebrate our maze-clearing victory? Though judging by how they’re clashing amongst themselves, I doubt that’s the case. And as for the red-haired woman over there… hmm.”
“Dear me. Calling her an escort and ‘red-haired woman’—even for you, that’s inappropriate behavior in your current state.”
“…That’s right. Sorry, Sword Witch. I’ve just been forgetting things lately due to various events.”
The pressure she exuded was so great that even Akashi seemed subdued. Were they acquainted? It was astonishing to think there might be somewhere Akashi hadn’t meddled.
“That… Lady Sword Witch…? Excuse me for interrupting, but could we pass through peacefully without getting involved in this conflict? Would you permit it?”
With countless swords flying around, ready to slice at a moment’s notice, the speaker asked the Sword Witch as politely as possible if they could leave.
“Of course, polite child. Go ahead. It seems you’ve found what you were looking for, so cherish it well and keep it safe.”
“Where do you think you’re going? Thieves like you have no right!”
As soon as he took a step, a massive black wall blocked his path. Simultaneously, swords surged toward the direction where the demons stood, and the monsters barely managed to block them by throwing themselves in front.
“Moreover, calling guests thieves is something I can’t overlook either. Though I dislike fighting, I can’t run from those who attack first.”
Uh-oh. Looks like there’s no avoiding this.
“Kids, let’s find a way out using any means necessary! Akashi, can you teleport?”
“That demon locked the entire area. There’s no choice but to break through with force. Still, don’t worry too much. That Sword Witch… ma’am, is on our side, isn’t she? She’s the one who once captured a dragon.”
So I’m someone who survived being hit by such a person. Guess I have something to brag about.
“In the end, was it unavoidable to come to this?! Elize, hold them off. I’ll deal with that witch!”
“Huh, but I might not be able to handle…”
“Are you planning to take on the witch yourself?”
It seemed the demons had finished their role assignments. A male demon charged at the witch, and immediately a dark sphere enveloped them before disappearing.
Most of the swords disappeared along with the witch, but some remained, floating ominously in the air.
“Hey, half-breed. Long time no see. Is that your illustrious figure over there? Huh?”
The demon, whose mask had shattered during their last encounter and was never replaced, expressed twisted hatred through his exposed mouth.
Akashi casually fired another makeshift arrow at her like a joke, but this time Elize, the named demon, deflected it in response.
“Shut up. Attack, beasts! Devour them until nothing but the purple-haired one remains!”
Akashi clicked his tongue regretfully, muttering that it wasn’t working—though it seemed like he’d only succeeded in provoking her further.
“Altera, Yuna! Get ready! Akashi, handle the situation appropriately. Let’s protect the doll while breaking through!”
Yuna pulled out a bow so fearsome it could double as a weapon, while Altera unsheathed several greatswords, each preparing for battle.
Though the black barrier had vanished, it didn’t matter since beasts were swarming from all sides.
There were no truly dangerous monsters present, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming.
I also drew my uneasy sword. Since most of these weren’t particularly dangerous, it made sense for me to guard the doll and stay near Akashi.
“There sure are a lot of them. Hey, buy us some time. I’ll deal with that demon woman.”
Akashi levitated a book in the air, muttering something as he prepared a powerful spell.
Despite Yuna’s arrows, Altera’s thrown greatswords, and collapsing earth, the monsters showed no sign of slowing down.
Some continued to charge even with nearly severed legs dangling uselessly.
Altera, having thrown away all but two greatswords, charged into the enemy ranks alone, while Yuna used her arrows like spears or swung them as clubs against the approaching beasts.
I did my best to slash with my sword. Trusting in my coat’s defensive capabilities, I absorbed as many attacks as I could. Then, realizing my blade wasn’t glowing anymore, I wondered if that mattered now.
Just swinging wildly, I decapitated one and pierced another aiming for the doll and Akashi. Thanks to Yuna and Altera handling most of the beasts, my side remained relatively easy.
However, Yuna appeared to be struggling. Her body was covered in wounds, and she was gasping for breath, giving the impression that she might suffer a serious injury soon.
Last time, they ran away after getting hit lightly. But now, perhaps because they were receiving orders from above, there was no sign of retreat.
Should I join her? Doing so would leave Akashi and the doll unprotected. Moreover, I was already struggling to fend off the waves coming my way, so there was no way I could help Yuna, who was facing far more enemies.
She wouldn’t die that easily, but she could still get seriously injured. She was already bleeding from scratches and bites all over.
Ideally, Altera could assist, but half the beasts were already surrounding her, making that impossible.
In a brief glance, Altera’s arms and legs were wrapped in scales, and she wielded her crimson greatsword fiercely.
Is there anything I can do?
While stabbing a charging beast in its mouth, I noticed the doll quietly pointing a finger at Yuna.
Then, it shot something.
—
They aren’t individually strong. Each attack couldn’t even pierce magical defenses, and their strikes barely harmed my weakened body.
But their numbers were overwhelming. Killing one only brought three more to tear into me.
Worse still, while I was fine, Yuna was steadily accumulating injuries. Though I occasionally helped by raising nearby earth to assist her, it clearly wasn’t enough.
After losing one greatsword to a large monster, Altera resorted to wrapping her limbs in scales, tearing and smashing whatever came her way. But the endless waves of enemies seemed limitless.
And eventually, instead of earth, she was stepping on dead bodies, making it difficult to support her with magic.
In the midst of this, a tremendous flow of mana emanated from Akashi’s direction. The power was so immense I momentarily feared it was aimed at me.
I shook off the beasts with a powerful shockwave created by stomping hard on the ground. Soon, a dazzling flash erupted from Akashi’s book.
The flash struck the demon’s barrier. Though it seemed to withstand the attack initially, cracks quickly formed, signaling its imminent collapse.
The demon, seemingly focused solely on maintaining the barrier, decided it was futile and screamed before fleeing, just like last time.
As soon as the demon retreated, I sensed a change in the beasts surrounding me. Previously fearless of death, they now began retreating cautiously, weakening their assault.
“Hmm. That shot was meant to kill, but maybe I inadvertently weakened the barrier while doing so.”
With some breathing room, I glanced at Yuna. Her wounds had vanished. I was certain she’d been covered in cuts moments ago.
Still, the sheer number of enemies worried me. Just then, the swords floating in the air moved on their own, sweeping away the beasts near Yuna.
What is this?
“…I got delayed dealing with some nuisances, but it seems everything’s resolved. Well done. Here’s my praise.”
So the swords didn’t move on their own; the witch moved them.
Once the witch returned, whether out of fear or to avoid the floating swords, all the beasts fled.
“What did you do to that demon…?”
“While pretending to cooperate, he suddenly turned tail and ran. Given that the demon tormenting you is nowhere to be seen, it seems he definitely fled. Such a missed opportunity—it could’ve been a good chance to make a demon stew.”
“Thank you for your help! But why did you assist us…?”
Myungho, recognizing the situation had ended, thanked the witch while asking why she had helped.
“It’s because of your rudeness. Also, I couldn’t let something my friend created get destroyed. That’s all there is to it.”
It was still hard to believe Mother befriended such a crazy woman. How could someone so kind…
“…What just happened? My wounds healed suddenly. It couldn’t be Akashi’s magic… Could the doll have done it?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but it seems likely. Apparently, it can heal too, according to Akashi. Yuna, do you feel any pain or discomfort anywhere?”
“No, I don’t. It feels like I’ve just woken up, incredibly refreshed.”
“Believe me when I say it.”
Still, it’s fortunate that everything ended without major casualties. When the wave of beasts attacked, I worried we wouldn’t all survive.
-♩♬♪
“…Eh? What did you say? Everyone’s blood is needed…?”
It seemed like things were going to end well, but then the doll, singing cheerfully, calmly requested our blood.
