Crossing paths, flames were unleashed with a deafening roar, colliding with the “Shooting Star” that I had just swung down.
Crimson-red torrents relentlessly gushed out at me, preventing me from fully swinging down my sword.
“Y…ou..!!!”
The difference in our raw strength was very clear.
Before I knew it, I was being pushed back.
But even so, I wouldn’t lose. I’ll send you to hell.
With flame or no flame, if you get it in my way, I’ll smash you to bits.
As if to yell these feelings of mine, I put more strength into my right arm.
And the next moment, I heard a scream and the sound of creaking bones.
But…
I didn’t care, so I shook my head and let out a scream.
“RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!”
As if responding to my spirited cry, my arm began to move forward.
The equilibrium showed signs of collapsing as I slashed through the flames that surged straight at me.
I was mistaken in the first place.
How could I fight against a superior opponent while thinking about the consequences my body would take in the future?
I didn’t have the time to think about what comes after.
—No matter how you looked at it, I was underestimating the monster I was fighting with at the moment.
After chastising myself, I cut off all the leeway I could afford.
Then, I started to push back with all the vigor I could muster.
“Fall… down!!!”
Despite hearing the sound of my weapon cracking, I put all my strength into the sword and swung it into the air, cutting through even the torrent of flames that was released.
A dreamlike scene was drawn in the air.
There laid a trajectory of light cutting through the torrent of flames, just like a “starburst.”
As soon as I swung down, the flames scattered in all directions at the same time.
The monster’s blood spurted out with such force that it turned the area red, creating a horrific scene.
“I… didn’t underestimate you this time…!!!”
The fact that I swung through the air caused my body to fall down.
And unable to regain my position, I hit the ground.
“…Ouch—!”
Soon after, my body was slammed into the corpse of the monster I had just slain.
Although it served as a good cushion, I fell from a considerable height.
In addition, due to the injury of my left arm, the impact caused an extraordinary amount of pain throughout my body.
“…Ha— Ah…hahaha… I thought I was going to die…”
The pain from the light burn on my right hand gradually seeped into my body, followed by being soaked by the cold sweat that filled my back.
I then opened my eyelids.
Against just one mutant monster, this was what happened.
The actual time the battle took was probably only a few minutes, but even so, I felt much more exhausted than if I had been working for several hours straight.
“What’s up… with that monster…?”
I let go of the cracked, rugged sword and used my right hand to raise my body, which had been thrown to the ground.
As I had just confirmed in the sky, other monsters were beginning to flock to this place because of that monster’s call for help.
Under normal circumstances, I would have run away at once, but unfortunately, most of my physical strength had been consumed, and I didn’t think I could escape even in the unlikely event that I tried to.
All I could do was laugh and think about how that monster really got me.
And at the same moment…
Clap, clap, clap.
I heard such clapping sounds at equal intervals.
The sound was noticeably loud in the quieter distance, as it echoed throughout the place.
“Defeating that monster all by yourself, you’re pretty amazing. I thought I’d have to wait for Viera… No, Viera-chan to come back, but as it turned out, I’ve been blessed with an unexpected stroke of luck.”
A high-pitched voice, one that could only belong to a woman.
Although I could not confirm her facial expression, I knew without thinking that the owner of that voice was in a good mood from the sound of her voice that shook my eardrums.
***
Reaper Scans
***
I wondered where the voice came from.
And as I turned around, I saw a woman staring at me from the shade of the trees, which now had been heavily torn.
“Oh, sorry for my late introduction. I’m Fiole Islebark… the lord of this town, in case you’re wondering.”
She said with a blossoming smile.
Her long hair resembled silver threads, flowing in the breeze, with her delicate features elegantly composed.
Their atmospheres were such opposites that I couldn’t recognize her at a glance, but I realized everything as she stated her name to me.
Islebark.
The same family name as the noblewoman— Viera Islebark, the “Warrior Princess,” who came to my village.
“I would love to talk to you about all kinds of things, but unfortunately I’m afraid now is not the time to do so.”
Well, understanding the current situation, now was really not the time.
The woman who identified herself as Fiole looked around to see any signs of monsters.
There weren’t any near us yet, but the earth was already starting to make a faint rumbling sound.
They’d soon be here, I guessed.
If we’re going to escape, we have to do it quickly.
“Before we do anything, I have a suggestion… Can you give me that monster over there?”
Fiole pointed her finger at the remains of the monster I had just torn to shreds.
For that reason, a question mark appeared on my face, as I didn’t understand the meaning behind her words.
“I know that dead monster bodies are already worth money. If it’s a mutant monster corpse, then, its rarity and price will be immeasurable. Oh, yeah… I would understand more than enough why you would be hesitant to give me an immediate answer, but you can’t compare human life to a monster’s can you?”
“…I don’t understand what you mean.”
“What I’m saying is, you give me that corpse, and I’ll help you. Your fighting skills are more than worth it, and I’d regret leaving you to die here thinking of what you could do in the future.”
This is an honor, you know? Fiole then sniffed as she said this.
The more I racked my brain thinking that her cheerful attitude didn’t resemble the other Islebark I knew, the more I fell into the illusion of thinking that they were somewhat similar.
…However, even if she were to offer to help, I had no idea what her intentions were for wanting a corpse that had already died out.
Therefore, I was unable to respond immediately.
It wasn’t a problem for me, but I was caught off guard by the insanity of her wanting a dead body.
“…You’re a magician yourself, too, but you get caught up with the weirdest things.”
She let out a sigh.
“In this world, there exists a mysterious power called『 magic 』, and basically, it is said that a person’s strong desire becomes magic and manifests itself.”
For example, if one wanted to create a sword, they’d have the ability to create one.
If one had a strong desire to cure and help, they’d have the ability to heal other people.
I had already heard this from Lilea and the other adventurers, so I was satisfied with their words.
Then, she thought, if she informed me this much, I would understand.
And so Fiole continued, using her eyes to say more than she could.
“The magic that I have is a little strange. This is not something I can really tell people about, but… my ability is—『Corpse Puppet: Marionette』
There are some restrictions and limitations, but my magic has the ability to force a dead target to come back to life and manipulate it at will.”
What she said.
…I pondered why she said that it was a waste to leave me here to die because of my ability, given that we had never met before.
Such a question suddenly came to mind.
I pondered if it would be even more convenient for her to manipulate my dead body.
“…Like I told you, my magic has a limit. For some reason, I can’t seem to manipulate magicians like you and me using my magic,『Marionette』”
…Fiole, reading my mind, said so in dismay.
“I want to keep as many magicians who might be of use to Minaura alive. Do you understand now?”
The reason was probably to have a better chance of defeating the head of the monsters lurking around this town, as Siva had said.
In any case, we were still in a desperate crisis if I was unable to regain my strength.
If giving her one corpse would be my saving grace…
“Alright.”
There could be no reply but an affirmative one.
“I love honest people. Leave the rest to your sister, then.”
With that, she walked up to the corpse of the monster with a big smile on her face.
She ignored the fact that the earth was shaking louder and louder by the minute.
As if to not let the noise disrupt her normal routine, slowly and serenely, she turned her palm towards the monster— and said a few words.
“It’s time to wake up—『Corpse Puppet: Marionette』”
——
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