The morale of the knights and holy knights soared as if it could touch the heavens.
Just then, as if on cue, a rift in the dimensions split open, and through this tear, countless monsters began to pour out.
The knights raised their voices in a mighty cry, charging forward with their necks taut. The monsters hesitated, caught off guard by the knights’ momentum, only to have their necks cleanly severed by flashing swords.
Though the knights and holy knights easily dispatched their foes, the sheer number of enemies was daunting. The monsters were at least twice as large as those encountered before, their intimidating forms filling the battlefield.
As a result, the knights’ strikes were now devoid of mercy—a stark contrast compared to their past encounters.
Uooong…
Abel at the forefront lacked his usual calm. Magical circles appeared endlessly in the sky without the slightest delay.
From these circles, spears of light rained down, forming an impregnable barrier that held back the advancing tide of monsters.
The brief lingering of the disintegrated monster corpses provided just enough time for the knights and holy knights to strike and cut down their foes.
There was no room for error in their coordination, yet some monsters—mostly the smaller ones—still managed to slip through and close the distance to the rear guard.
Sibley, assessing the number of monsters, called out to me.
[Total count, twenty, Contractor!]
“I know!”
I channeled wind into my legs.
A sensation of lightness enveloped my body as I took in a deep breath. Pushing off the ground with great force, I charged straight into the horde of monsters.
My sharp rapier flashed, cleanly severing the neck of one of the beasts. The unnatural ease provided by the swirling blue winds covering my movements allowed for fluid, seamless attacks.
“Haaah!”
Though it was clear I was cutting down an overwhelming number of enemies, the creatures targeting me only seemed to increase. I clicked my tongue, gripping the rapier tightly and bracing for battle.
At first, it baffled me why the Castle State and Empire had formed an alliance simply to combat what seemed to be just a horde of monsters.
However, now that I faced them, it all made sense.
No ordinary force could hope to repel this monstrous horde.
Even with Abel, the Archmage, practically decimating the front lines, the sheer numbers pressing forward were astonishing…
[Contractor! Snap out of it!]
Sibley’s shout broke through my haze, halting the relentless swiping of my rapier as I glanced around.
I was much farther forward than I had intended to be, surprising even myself.
“Sorry, I got carried away.”
[I shouldn’t have let this happen. It’s my fault for losing focus here.]
Sibley berated himself, his usual composure shattered as he stumbled over his words.
That unsettled me, seeing him, who was always calm, so rattled that the wind around me began to tremble uneasily. The blue currents encircling my arms flickered and then disappeared altogether.
With a sigh, I flicked Sibley’s head.
[Aaack! What was that for?!]
“That’s payback for teasing me before, Sibley.”
I smirked as I spoke, causing Sibley’s brow to furrow darkly. Glaring at me with sharp eyes, he began picking a fight.
[Is that what you should be saying right now?!]
“Settle down. Now is the time to remain calm.”
[..Ah.]
At my words, he tightly shut his eyes and fell silent. Sibley, breathing deeply as if mimicking my usual habits, sighed.
[Sorry, Contractor. I shouldn’t let my emotions get the better of me.]
“Apology accepted. Are you good?”
[Yeah.]
Well, it was the first time I’d seen Sibley so flustered, but it was understandable given the circumstances. Even witnessing Abel’s current state was a rare spectacle.
“Let’s go.”
Sibley nodded without a word. As if in response, the winds around us began to swirl violently.
“Wind, heed my call.”
With my single command, blue winds once again enveloped my entire body. Clutching the rapier tightly in my right hand, I focused ahead.
At the same time, a golden aura enveloped my rapier.
Turning my head, I saw Yurph standing there, her staff in hand and smiling. I grinned back before pushing off the ground.
A sharp crack sounded as the earth beneath me split, altering my field of vision.
Retreating while systematically slaying the monsters around me, I ignored the splatters of green blood hitting my face. Thrusting and slashing with my rapier became fluid, the sword’s motions becoming cleaner with each swing.
‘The basics of a rapier are slashing and thrusting.’
This advice, repeated to the point of making my ears hurt by Arin, guided my movements. Following her teachings, I avoided only focusing solely on thrusting and incorporated fluid slashes.
Through this, with Sibley’s winds aiding me, I became a difficult opponent capable of rivaling even seasoned sword masters, according to her words.
Though I hadn’t yet reached that level, I was certainly better than when I first started.
Hwhoosh!
Emerging from the sky, green flames engulfed one of the monsters sneaking up on me. Within moments, the creature turned to ash and scattered to the ground.
Turning my head, I saw Arin holding a one-handed sword, her expression devoid of emotion. Concerned for me, she questioned:
“Are you alright?”
“Yes, thanks to you.”
“Good.”
Though Arin panted slightly, the elemental spirit Pi surrounding her danced excitedly, waving her hands in joy. Seeing this, a fatigued Sibley hovered closer to me.
[Umm?]
[Go away. I’m too tired to deal with you today.]
Though seemingly exhausted, Sibley’s reluctance to outright reject Pi suggested a growing camaraderie between them. Pi, mistaking this for encouragement, cheered:
[Yay!]
[Wait, I didn’t say I’d train with you!]
Despite her harsh words, it was clear that their bond was improving. Amused by this thought, I glanced at Sibley to find him rolling his eyes in exasperation.
“I’ll return to the extermination team now.”
“Yes, good luck, Teacher.”
“Hmph, don’t get too lazy, student.”
Seemingly pleased by her title as my teacher, her lips curled ever so slightly. Waving her hand as if urging me onward, she stepped forward once more.
Pi, seemingly reluctant to leave, glanced back at me a few times before directing her attention forward again. Taking a deep breath, I re-assessed the battlefield.
Turning slightly, I noticed Yurph had quietly approached me. Her voice carried a hint of curiosity.
“Is she your teacher?”
“Yes, my elemental teacher.”
“That knight captain, right?”
The captain of the Black Crow Knights, Arin, whose long-standing collaboration with our order and Holy Knights had earned her quite the reputation. Known as the “Knight of Green Flames,” she was indeed living up to her title, setting monsters ablaze on the front lines.
Somehow, knowing my mentor fought so valiantly filled me with pride. Though I reminded myself to suppress such feelings as we were still in battle.
“That’s right. Oh, and Yurph, aren’t you too far forward?”
My worried question was met with a shake of her head as she pointed at the sword at her side.
“I’m fine. I’ve got my sword.”
Her tone, unlike her usual disinterested demeanor, was rather considerate. The sword, perhaps sensing her sincerity, spoke up in a slightly higher pitch:
“Yes, I’m here too, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
Over the past few days, there appeared to be some sort of realization in her, reflected in her noticeably changed attitude toward me.
Sibley, clearly caught off guard by this, alternated his gaze between the sword and Yurph in surprise.
[..What happened?]
“Hmm…”
Though I had counseled her, I had no knowledge of the exact change in her mindset. All I knew was that her condition was much improved than I originally thought, which made me feel good.
Uooong…
A massive roar echoed through the sky. The sound from the expanding dimensional rift triggered heightened alertness not only in me but even in the sword.
Moments later, a colossal creature emerged in the sky—a whale-sized monster whose body was pitch black, eyes glowing a fierce red. My calm demeanor contrasted with the slight tremor in the sword’s voice.
“That…what is that?”
“What?”
“Why… is a Forgotten Whale here…?”
“Forgotten Whale?” It was unfamiliar, as a name for any monster from the void.
Even as I wondered why monsters emerging from the void would have names, I noticed the morale among the holy knights drop significantly.
“It can’t be.”
Kuuuuuurrr!
A deafening roar emanated, causing my entire body to feel paralyzed. It wasn’t just a feeling; my body had nearly frozen.
Of us all, only Yurph, with her ears covered, remained unaffected and fully mobile.
The Forgotten Whale fixed its glowing red eyes firmly on us and darted forward, its gaze locking on mine with an intensity that wiped my mind blank, just like the first time I encountered a disaster-class monster during the Hunting Festival.
Despite gritting my teeth and trying to move, my immobilized body refused to listen, as if paralyzed by fear near an apex predator.
Tuck.
A gentle yet firm shove sent me reeling forward as if propelled by a great force.
Looking back with all my might, I saw Yurph far ahead, her arms imbued with holy power, smiling faintly.
Just then, the massive maw of the Forgotten Whale opened wide, inches from her face.
“Thank you for your advice. Goodbye, Sister Id.”
“Huh?”
She was gone in an instant, completely swallowed by the massive creature.
