“Injured soldiers, retreat immediately! Even a small wound isn’t something to take lightly!”
“Snap out of it, you brats! If you stay still, you’ll end up like dried fish!”
All sorts of shouts echoed from every direction. Voices bellowed loudly enough to hurt the ears as the ones commanding moved swiftly in coordination.
Was it due to years of perfecting their teamwork? The coordination between the Holy Knights and our knights was quite smooth.
Yet, no matter how steadily we eliminated them one by one, the relentless wave of monsters didn’t seem to end.
Frowning involuntarily at the swarm of monsters emerging from the dimensional fissure, each one more grotesque than the last, their appearances were truly unpleasant.
Were they intelligent? Those beasts were charging desperately toward the protection team.
Were they breaking through the extermination team’s encirclement to target the priest? This disaster-class monster evidently possessed a considerable level of intelligence.
Grrllrk.
Kraken-like monsters with tentacles thrashing in every direction, grabbing at the knights’ ankles, causing several of them to stumble.
Just as a small crack in the extermination team began to form, a white magic circle appeared above the creature’s head. Before anyone could blink, the monster’s head split into two.
Spewing out a cloud of black ink in the air, the creature resisted for a moment, then completely disappeared, turning to dust.
“At ease. I am here.”
With those words, Abel stepped forward.
His calm voice lifted the morale of our knights, and the Holy Knights, unwilling to be outdone, also shouted and surged ahead.
The faces of the supportive priests in the rear also lit up with smiles.
[A fission monster is coming!]
“How many?”
[It will split into about five entities!]
At Thilphy’s words, he immediately raised his rapier.
Gazing at the fission monster as it prepared to split, wind currents in the air were manipulated under his command. He clicked his tongue when it split into five upon being struck by a holy knight’s fatal blow.
Whoever said these monsters behave like slimes—dying only to split into more entities? That’s exactly why we have a separate guard team.
The extermination team would be overwhelmed by the constant influx of creatures, risking the safety of the rear guard if they took it all on alone.
With a cutting sound akin to slicing flesh, he frowned but knew he couldn’t stay still.
Swinging the rapier as he had been taught, he systematically eliminated the fission bodies. After slashing the last one, he took a deep breath.
[This is never-ending, you bastards!]
Thilphy’s irritated tone was harsher than usual, but his observation was right. Wave after wave of monsters were relentless, and they were no pushovers either.
[It’s a fission monster, there’ll be ten entities!]
That means it can split into about fifty entities. Truly, a most aggravating type of monster.
Taking a deep breath to calm his frustrations, he composed himself.
“O Wind.”
A swirling blue wind gathered around Thilphy. It dramatically enhanced his physical abilities and reaction speed. The familiar energy, wrapped in the blue wind, enveloped his entire body.
The monsters being felled by the extermination team split right away.
And those splits immediately charged toward the priest, as if desperate to get to them.
Of course, there was no question of letting them go unchecked.
Taking a quick breath, he pushed off the ground.
A blue wind swept across the battlefield—a combat style employing ‘Wind Armor,’ a magic designed to enhance physical capabilities, adapted using Thilphy’s powers.
For a short time, it doubled his physical strength.
Though it consumed an immense amount of energy, the current situation called for it.
A slicing sound reverberated repeatedly as the sensation of cutting through flesh was felt. Even amidst the chaotic vision, the positions of the enemies were intuitively sensed.
An elemental mage with the wind attribute can perceive everything in a windy area at a moment’s notice.
Although his current range was quite narrow, it was still sufficient for this.
Swinging the rapier, he sliced through and eradicated the creatures’ cores piece by piece. Repetitive as the task may have been, its outcome was anything but.
With an eerie scream, the fission monsters scattered into the air.
Fortunately, since they were beings from another dimension, they vanished completely without leaving a trace, lest it might have been unbearable and caused one to vomit right there.
“Mr. Id.”
Turning at the sudden male voice, he saw Mr. Carl holding up a thumb with a smile.
“You did well.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
He reciprocated the smile and wiped off the blood clinging to his rapier. The blood dispersed in the air and turned to dust.
Did all beings from another dimension meet such an end? He couldn’t help but feel a bittersweet melancholy.
Since he wondered if he, too, might one day meet the same fate.
As if Thilphy had read his mind, he sighed and addressed him.
[Stay focused, Contractor. The battle isn’t over yet.]
“Yeah, you’re right.”
There was no time to wallow in sentimentality. He would dedicate himself to this moment and refocused on the front.
Coinciding with that thought, a giant monster emerged from the dimensional crack. Its enormity dwarfed every monster they had encountered so far, causing him to falter.
Gooaaarrrr!
“Guh?!”
“AAAAH!”
Screeches of fear rang out across the battlefield.
Some warriors fell to their knees, unable to continue fighting. Others fainted right where they stood.
The grotesque spectacle of dozens of eye-like bubbles sprouting like boils, nerve-like tentacles extending in every direction, rolling eyeballs, and the black substance covering it all was enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
A sensation of the brain resisting understanding. It was a feeling akin to when Abel’s words were once filtered due to restrictions.
[Such a thing existed in another dimension?]
Thilphy glared at the creature, gritting his teeth. His face was more distorted than usual, as if he were aware of something about this entity.
Likewise, observing it, a strange ripple arose in his own mind. Attempting to calm down by brushing his arms, he couldn’t settle easily.
‘Do not look.’
That voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Upon hearing it, he immediately turned away, removing the creature from sight, and his mind slowly regained normalcy.
The mere act of looking could have such an impact—were there truly monsters like this out there? While regaining his breath, Abel quietly approached the giant monster.
“Could Abel…?”
Snap.
A clicking sound of fingers snapping, followed by dozens of magic circles forming in the air. Hundreds of spears erupted from them.
Contrary to his worry, Abel stood nonchalantly with his arms crossed.
Grraaah!
Despite the creature’s pained howls, the knights were disturbed, perhaps affected by a spiritual interference.
BOOM!
With a deafening sound, the creature disappeared without a trace. Or was it right to call that thing a monster, at all?
Through that creature, the extermination team had momentarily faltered. The swarm of monsters certainly wasn’t foolish enough to miss that opening.
As if waiting for their chance, the beasts charged toward the priest.
However, due to the lingering mind control, the knights couldn’t move from their spots.
“Damn it, snap out of it! We must protect the priest!”
“Ugh, I know that!”
Their troubled expressions deepened. Was this why spiritual magic like that had to be treated with such caution?
He himself couldn’t stabilize his body like the knights. Although he could move slightly, it wasn’t enough to run.
“Damn it, Thilphy!”
“Ugh, this is dangerous!”
“O Goddess.”
A faint voice from beside. Yurph slowly stepped forward with closed eyes.
“Grant me your blessings.”
A clear voice resonated through the battlefield. Simultaneously, divine energy gathered around her and began to form a small barrier.
A great amount of divine energy started accumulating around Yurph.
“Save these souls from the false gods.”
With that prayer, the barrier expanded, enveloping the entire battlefield. With that, the oppressive mental interference vanished completely.
‘The Holy Maiden?’
Her appearance felt like that of the legendary Holy Maiden. Even as a non-believer, the sight of her felt sacred.
“With this body, I shall serve the Goddess!”
By the end of her invocation, the swarm of monsters began to be swiftly suppressed. The priests at the rear let out sighs of relief.
But the monsters surged toward Yurph, as if recognizing her as a priest.
As if sensing her sanctity, the monsters charged desperately.
“Miss Yurph!”
Unaware of the approaching danger, Yurph turned to him with a calm expression. Gritting his teeth, he summoned the wind.
[The duration won’t last long!]
“I know!”
With a powerful thrust of his right foot, he rose into the air.
Although the distance between her and him was merely about 30 meters, he couldn’t reach her purely with his physical abilities.
However, with Thilphy’s help, he was confident he could rescue her. In a flash, the battlefield seemed to blur as Yurph’s figure came closer.
A sharp gust of wind shot out from the rapier, splitting the nearby monsters cleanly in half.
Another hidden monster launched something toward Yurph, a breath of purple venom.
Clenching his teeth, he called out.
“Thilphy!”
“I know!”
An airborne wall of wind formed in the air. The venomous breath was deflected by the strong breeze.
Although a trace amount of the poisonous fumes remained, the quantity was minimal enough to not cause major harm if inhaled. If need be, healing from the priest would suffice.
Slicing through the last lurking monster with his rapier, he turned to her.
“You…”
When he glanced back, he saw Yurph, her expression appearing pale. As she swayed, he quickly supported her.
“Are you alright?!”
Yurph closed her eyes as though feeling dizzy.
“Why… did you save me?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Before he could respond, she fainted right there.
[!— Slider main container –]
