The streets of Lescatie continue their busy monotony. People shopping in the markets to fill their homes. Children playing in the street, careful not to disturb passers-by. Women putting clothes on clotheslines. A boy in a black shirt jumping from building to building like a sick man who's just learned parkour.
Jonathan - Hahahaha, come on Mureau, it wasn't you who said you could beat me to the barracks - He shouts with a big smile on his face and sweat dripping down. The muscles he has developed through training are now much more visible and hardened. His belly is ripped with the famous 'six pack' and his arms and legs now have the strength and appearance of a trained soldier.
The young man's outfit has also changed. As an incentive for the results of his training, he was asked what kind of armor he would like to wear, but as he didn't like the designs offered, because they were too constricting or too heavy, weakening his mobility, Jonathan decided to make a design himself and ask some skilled craftsman to make it. The black shirt he wore before has been put away, and now what he has is a tank top clinging to his muscles, almost like a second skin, leaving his arms and shoulders free, red lines decorate the tank top, three on each side starting from his ribs converging at his navel curving downwards ending in spikes like red eyes. A black beaten leather breastplate held behind his back protects him from his diaphragm to his collarbone, with a metal neck guard at the back arranged in such a way as not to be uncomfortable. His pants are also black, loose-fitting combat pants with a few extra pockets for storing resources. Two beaten leather shin guards with metal accents. His black combat boots are well laced with laces and straps on his shins. A metal parry on the heel and toe of the boot.
Jonathan "It's a good thing no one can find out that I took inspiration from Deku and Bakugou." Continuing to take advantage of his run, Jonathan continues to laugh, showing great stamina.
Mureau - I said running through the streets! - shouts the hero of the goddess. Mureau hasn't changed as much physically as Jonathan, he's only grown a few centimeters taller. Even his armor has undergone minor repairs. He continues to wear the basic leather armor of the soldiers in Merse's squad, the only changes being the addition of metal shin guards, shoulder pads and gauntlets, in typical Lescatie colors, white with blue and gold details, demonstrating the high level of skill that went into forging these pieces, as they are adorned with various details and are still sturdy. Apparently everyone who achieves the status of hero of the order receives some benefits and Mureau has shamelessly used them, since even his sword has been exchanged for a firmer one, with shinier metal and clearly quite expensive.
The two of them continue running, their competitive spirit having been ignited, even if only for fun. The citizens of Lescatie look on with amusement and carry on with their day.
-
Merse's squadron barracks is the setting for a situation that brings laughter to some and irritation to others.
The two squadron mates are on their knees, looking like two children taking the piss from their parents. Which is pretty much what's happening here.
Merse - You two like to look like idiots or what, eh?! - Screaming like an angry mother, Merse snaps at them - Two soldiers of the order, one who has been promoted to hero, and the other who already has a reputation for killing a minotaur, running around the city streets like children! - When she starts screaming, Jonathan sees for a second her head expand and her mouth with serrated teeth, looking just like those animations of an angry character.
Jonathan - He begins - pointing his finger in Mureau's face, knowing what effect this will have.
Mureau - I said it would be nice if we ran, not if you jumped off buildings - Indignant, he retorts, trying to save face.
A vein starts pulsing on Merse's forehead.
Merse - It doesn't matter who started it! - Again, she looks like one of those angry girl animations, there's even fire coming out of her mouth - Both of them! Do 500 push-ups now! - Wanting to make them both suffer for the size of the price she's going to pay with the two most renowned cadets in her squadron doing this embarrassing thing, she can already imagine the ear-pulling the king is going to give her.
The other cadets watching the scene try to continue with their exercises, but they can't help looking in the direction of the three of them and let out a few laughs.
Merse - And don't you dare stop or I'll punish you! - Seeing that others in his squad are losing focus because of the circus going on, he raises his voice.
Elt - Merse, you don't have to be nervous - Seeing that his captain is turning into a dog, the young man takes it upon himself to calm her down - Come on, guys, we need to get back to training -
Merse - Aaahhh - Sighing to get all the frustration out of her body, and to disguise the pink on her cheeks - It's okay, it's okay, just because it's you Elt - She says that last part very quietly, a little embarrassed.
a little embarrassed.
The training days became monotonous after another month of everyone working hard. The following months have been very important for Jonathan, now that he has finally had several lessons in how to fight both with weapons and bare hands, and his physical training shows visible results in his body (he never thought he would have the famous six-pack).
Tyler - Hahaha, these two never stop competing - Tyler's laugh is loud and humorous, the teasing his colleagues pour on the two is always taken in jest. Ever since Mureau won the goddess's blessing, only Merse could keep up with him in sparring, but in a few months Jonathan began to rival him, and when he got careless, Mureau ended up losing. - I'm surprised the two of them don't compete over who gets more sleep! -
Clinton - Well, they didn't compete for sleep, but yesterday they both stayed out late at the bar to see who could eat more, hahaha! - Remembering the scene they had late at night in the establishment they usually go to, he can't get serious. (The two of them started vomiting in the bathroom to keep eating)
Mureau and Jonathan - Oh come on, I'm not that bad, hmm! - The two look at each other, realizing they've spoken at the same time.
The rest of the guys laugh again. These kinds of scenes are quite common in Merse's squad, something she's grateful for as she's different from the pasty-faced guys in the other squads, but it gives her a lot of headaches as she's the one who has to get their attention. As she has to do now.
Merse - Oh, I almost forgot Jonathan, I need you and Elt to search a house near the outskirts of town - Changing into her serious business face, she calls the two of them. - The details are as follows ... -
Old man - I'm telling you, what this little prick keeps shouting in the middle of the night can only be things against our goddess, - A man speaks right in the face of Jonathan and Elt, while one tries to walk away with a look of disgust as a bit of drool has been expelled from the gentleman's mouth, Elt only raises his hands so as not to offend him - I've never seen such disrespect, only time was when i found my wife and brother naked and -
Jonathan - OK! I don't want to know about that - Interrupting before they get traumatized, he gives Elt a little push, as he's the best in these situations it's best that he talks to you.
Elt - Right sir, can you tell us again what you heard last night - Adopting his shounen protagonist smile, which makes even old people find him adorable, the gentleman calms down and begins to recount his story.
Apparently last night, before going to bed, he saw some red lights coming out of the window of the house next door, which scared him because, as far as he knew, that place was abandoned and there shouldn't have been anyone living there. When he got closer to see if there were any beggars inside the house, he began to hear someone mumbling like some kind of religious chant and talking to someone else who he didn't think was really there.
Elt - I see, don't worry, we'll both take a look, it's probably just a homeless person using some drug - Giving a quick explanation so as not to panic the citizen, the two said goodbye to him and headed towards the house.
When they arrive at the place the man told them about, they notice how normal the house looks. Usually abandoned places in this part of town are full of holes, broken windows, roof tiles and boards that have been turned over or ripped out. But this house looks too well cared for to have been abandoned for months. Anyway, the two of them turn and look each other in the face to communicate that they'd better be ready for anything. When... -
Meltie - Onii-chan ! - A wild mahou shoujo appears! - What are you doing in this garbage place? -
Meltie appears floating above the two of them, who look up to see her white panties, as her skirt is not at all modest. Jonathan doesn't care, he's too busy sighing now that this brat has appeared. While Elt.
Elt - Meltie, come on, can't you see that people are going to see your parts! - Like a responsible adult (which is something that's really lacking in the girl's life) he shouts at her in exasperation. - You're a girl, at least have some decency -
Meltie - Bleeh! You're not my father - With a red face and holding up her skirt to hide her panties, basically obeying Elt, she sticks out her tongue. ( Kusogaki! ) .
Jonathan - So, she's flying with the force of her fart - Looking seriously at Elt, he makes fun of the girl, already expecting her reaction when he makes fun of her flying magic -
Miltie - Fart power! Fart power! Listen here, you talentless idiot troglodyte, my flight magic is one of the most advanced spells a wizard can learn, only one in a thousand wizards has the talent necessary to accomplish such a feat. I shouldn't even be explaining something so high-level to an inergumino like you. How dare a dumb mongrel like you...! Wipe that smile off your face before I send you through the air, you piece of shit! - Red-faced with rage, she basically foams at the mouth from being so insulted and almost jokes when she sees that Jonathan is holding back his laughter.
It's at this point that Elt realizes she has to intervene before the two of them start going at each other like cats and dogs. While it's funny to see the two of them fighting, it's also nice to see that Jonathan treats her like a child but still takes her seriously.
child but still takes her seriously (sometimes) they need to concentrate on the mission.
Elt - Miltie, he and I are investigating a house where there have been strange noises, so we're going to need you two not to fight right now -
Miltie - Strange noises, uuuuuhhh, that smells like fun - Getting interested in the moment, she looks at Elt like she doesn't want anything - Hmmmm, seeing how you two pansies have no way of protecting yourselves, the merciful Miltie protector of Lescatie will have to accompany you - Being very arrogant she stands in front of the two as if she wasn't half their size while putting her hand on her chest.
Elt - Hey Miltie, you don't have to bother with this, I understand that you have more important duties than ... and she went ahead - Before he could convince her not to waste her time on something as trivial as this, he sees that she's walking ahead of them to the house, Elt knows he won't be able to change her mind in this case so he just sighs.
Jonathan finds it funny how Elt can be both a responsible adult to her and someone she plays cat and mouse with, honestly the dynamic the two have is hilarious.
Jonathan - Did you hear the brat -
Miltie - Hey!
Jonathan - Come on Elt, it's not like there's anything dangerous in there - Murphy's Law is that you?
Elt - Well, you're right, but I worry, you know, she's too much of a child to be in these places - He speaks while observing how dirty and decrepit the surrounding area is - Even if we're both here in case something happens, only she knows magic, while you and I do - Elt doesn't want to complete the sentence knowing that this is a point that hurts Jonathan.
( Jonathan's first lesson in magic )
Merse - Well slacker , since you've shown an interest in learning magic and spells and seeing that your training has been going much better lately, I decided it wouldn't hurt to teach you a few things - The captain announces to Jonathan that she is accompanied by the rest of the squadron, resting after an intense day of sparring, and at that moment Jonathan's face lights up like someone who got pix after clicking on an ad on the internet - I don't have the time, knowledge or baggage to teach you, so I took the liberty of asking one of the greatest mages in the city to personally come and teach you the basics - Jonathan's face breaks and his mind tries to stop itself from coming to a logical conclusion, because he doesn't think there will be any will left to live if that's what he's thinking.
Miltie - Hi, hi, hi everyone! Your favorite magical girl has arrived - And it's at that moment that all the joy, motivation and will to stay alive come out of the boy.
Jonathan - Now, why you guys like to torture me? - He speaks softly in a fetal position.
( Five minutes later, and two motivational speeches from Elt )
Miltie - So, for those idiots who don't know, magic works like this - The only thing missing is a pair of glasses to make this Kusogaki look like a teacher, she even has a blackboard and chalk to illustrate it - Everything around us has a bit of mana, or magical energy, be it the ground at our feet, the birds in the sky, and of course humans and monsters. Mana can also be interpreted as the vital energy of all beings, and before you ask, the soil aka earth, is also considered a living being - Miltie clarifies as she sees Jonathan preparing to raise his hand - Essentially, every individual's mana is unique, even twins will have different manas, but they still follow the rule that it is basically the vital energy of an individual - Jonathan explains.
Jonathan - So even I must have mana, right? That means I can use magic - He thinks, and then realizes that his interruption isn't appreciated, since Miltie doesn't seem at all happy about it (she's even pouting).
Miltie - Uhh, ahhh, Back to the lesson, while all living beings possess mana, the ability to manipulate, feel and interact with it also varies from person to person. What's more, men and women have a different way of processing mana. You see, men have a greater amount of mana within themselves, and produce 2 to 3 times more mana than women. While women have a smaller amount of mana, they find it much easier to absorb natural mana from the environment, having larger amounts to use in spells. So, while men may have a larger reserve within themselves to perform spells, they don't have much capacity to suck up mana from the environment, and most of them don't have a large enough mana reserve for high-level spells, while women, because they don't rely solely on their natural reserves, can perform spells that require much more mana by using the mana around them - He finishes with his nose held high, snubbing his nose at Jonathan.
Jonathan - Okay, when do we start?! - Excited to be able to start his first real lesson in magic, now that he's over the fact that Miltie is his teacher, he can't wait to cast his first spells. He'll be able to do one of his dreams from his DeD days, use fireballs.
Miltie, seeing that Jonathan can't wait any longer, thinks of a slightly more demonstrative lesson. Sighing a little, she goes over to him.
Miltie - Then I'm the child - She speaks condescendingly, approaching the boy - Okay, let's start with a beginner's magic that everyone learns first at the academy. The fireball.
Jonathan - Iiiihhhhh - He shouts loudly in delight.
The two of them go to the middle of the training ground and everyone makes room for them to start. Miltie stands next to Jonathan as he begins his explanation.
Miltie - To cast a spell, the first thing you need to keep in mind are its components and symbols. - As she says this, a magic circle appears in the palm of her hand, it's colored red and becomes more complex as she speaks - First, the element you want to transform your mana into, second the shape you want it to take - A circle forms inside the magic circle, it's made of flame-like engravings, and these flames then form the shape of a ball - Then there are the more mundane things, such as size, direction, position and activation time. Finally you add as much mana as you can without letting it leave the magic circle, otherwise you'll just be spending more mana unnecessarily - As you finish this, your magic circle completes itself, becoming much more complex, and Jonathan realizes that the firmness of it is almost like something solid - As I'm the one teaching you, you can clearly see how magic should be, without any expense, without instability and most importantly, controlled. To be a magician, you need to be able to control all these variables even in life-or-death situations, even if you only have moments to act, any mistake could cost you your life and the lives of others - She finishes more seriously, undoing her magic circle. - "I'm going to guide you through the first steps of being able to sense your own mana, and see if you have any aptitude for it.
Then, over the course of half an hour, Jonathan could feel his vital energy, mana, flowing through his body. It was difficult for him to separate the flow of mana that runs through his body, and the power of blood control that he has, he realized that the two have a distinct but similar enough sensation to confuse him for the first few moments. The next step would be to create a magic circle and shape the magic. Which, with Miltie's instruction, was much easier than expected. However...
Jonathan " Okay, calm down, focus, this is the easy part, let's just use a little bit " Feeling the mana inside himself flowing into the circle, he maneuvers so that only a little bit of it, basically a drop, is consumed for the magic. - This is it, I use Fireball! - Jonathan shouts.
Poooof!
A little fart. That's how Jonathan describes what came out of his hand. An explosion so small it didn't even make smoke. A little fart weaker than a firecracker you buy in the store.
Miltie - Buhahahahahwawa - The brat throws herself on the floor with laughter. It's a bit mean, but she can't help herself.
Red with embarrassment, Jonathan does his best to ignore the girl's laughter and the astonished looks on the faces of his squad mates. No one expected him to succeed first time round, but the size of his magic didn't match up to what they had thought. Common sense tells us that the higher a person's vitality, the more mana they have, so seeing Jonathan, someone they know for being lively and impulsive, apart from that week when he got extremely grumpy, it meant he had a good amount of mana. Perhaps the problem really lies in his aptitude for it.
Jonathan: "Okay, calm down, breathe." Forcing himself to calm down, he tries again: "Let's try a little more this time, a cup instead of a drop." Deciding to increase the amount he's going to use in the magic, he concentrates again on the sensation of the mana coursing through his body. He would say that it is very much like a river, the water that never stops flowing inside him is full of life, and should respond to his command, he just needs to fill the bottle.
Jonathan "Just a little, just a little" He moves the 'glass' he has created in his mind closer to the water. But in a single second, an immense amount leaps into him, a violent wave tries with everything to be expelled from Jonathan's reserves, a single slip, a small carelessness. His concentration was useless, he couldn't understand how he had lost control.
The magic that was forming in Jonathan's hand increases in size. Miltie, who was watching him, sees that instead of calmness when he opens his eyes, the boy panics, and before she can scream.
Jonathan - FUC...!-
!Booommm!
An explosion worthy of a grenade is released in Jonathan's hand, the light reaches his eyes before the deafening sound of the explosion hurts his eardrums, the scorching heat catches Jonathan by surprise, and even with his eyes closed a little smoke enters his eyes.
The squad members watch in shock as Jonathan is enveloped in a cloud of smoke and violently expelled from it. He hits the ground and rolls, until he stops lying face down. Quickly approaching him to examine him, they gasp to see that he is alive, and without serious injuries. The skin on his hand has only been torn up to the wrist and he appears to have first and second degree burns to his shoulder, but he's knocked out.
Seeing all this happening, Miltie feels a little guilty, she should have prepared for such an occurrence, but in her defense, she didn't expect Jonathan to have the equivalent of 80 mana with 8 control. But not wanting to be blamed (and not wanting to disappoint her onii-chan, Elt) she begins first aid with healing magic.
Present
Elt - Anyway, let's just check this house and report back to Merse - Looking once more at the perfectly kept house, Elt gets a bad feeling about the place, her instincts tell her that something dangerous is in there.
Jonathan - Hmm, okay - Without much to say, the two walk to the door, when...
? - Typhon-samaaaaaa!
Miltie - Kyahhhh! -
Two screams come out of the house, one deafening with madness and religious fervor, and the other frightened, terrified and very feminine.
Elt - Miltie! - Alarmed, Elt runs and doesn't even bother to pull the door, but just kicks it open. Jonathan follows.
The scene they come upon is strange, but it gives them both a sense of relief. Miltie has her magic wand (which is just a toy she likes to carry around with her) pointed upwards with an aura coming out of it. This aura is baby blue in coloration, and being held by this aura suspended in the air is a grown man, very unkempt and dirty, who seems to be trying to shout something and futilely flapping his arms to free himself from the prison.
Miltie - What's that? - She shouts in exasperation and tries to look less frightened - Who are you and why did you go after me, you pervert - Now that the fright has passed, she begins to feel irritated by the situation.
? - Typhon-samaaaaa! - Shouts the suspended man.
Elt - Jonathan, tie him up. - Ordering the young man, he goes and puts a comforting hand on Miltie's shoulder - Are you all right Miltie? - Putting his responsible adult cloth back on, Elt checks the girl.
Miltie - ha,ha, ah, yes, I just got scared Onii-chan - She sighs and calms down, and soon her cheeks turn pink - Q-q-I mean, hmpf! I only shouted to get the attention of the two of you who were taking too long - Trying to justify herself so as not to appear even more childish, she turns her face away.
Tying up the crazy man who wouldn't stop shouting, Jonathan unnoticedly looked at the two of them, although he didn't show it, he was also worried about the girl. It's nice to see that even though she's a hero, she still has a childish side, and that she trusts Elt to show it. Not the one she shows everyone, that's just a role she plays to fool them, but the real childish side of her that still seeks comfort in older, safer people.
? - Typhon-samaaaa! - And the madman is still screaming like a sick man.
Jonathan "Who the fuck is Typhon?" Paying attention to the madman, and ignoring the various threats he makes to the lives of the three who have found him, Jonathan has a bit of a bad feeling "I think I've heard that name before, but in what?" Putting a hand to his chin in the form of a thinker.
After managing to tie the guy up and leave him in a chair so that he doesn't try anything funny, Elt and Jonathan decide that they're going to interrogate him, but before they start Jonathan tells them to go ahead without him, as he has to make one last preparation.
Elt - Okay Miltie, without Jonathan here I want you to trap him with your magic in case he tries anything - Although Elt has trouble asking the girl for help, he knows that she is stronger than him and that she has the means to defend herself and him (it doesn't make it any better that Elt can't protect her because he's weak and has to ask a child who shouldn't even be in a place like this-) it's still a bit dishonorable that I have to ask this of the girl.
Elt - So to be sure, you've been here in this house since last night, right? - The best thing to do is to check what's most obvious first and then try to search for more information, but...
? - You're all going to die, hehehe, Typhon-sama is going to destroy you all - The suspect doesn't seem to be cooperating, or rather the suspect isn't even here for the conversation, with a vacant look he only responds with threats.
Elt - Who is Typhon, his boss or master? - Elt begins to suspect that he might be the one who sent him to the city.
? - Typhon-sama! - Screaming even more from the bottom of his lungs, he makes Elt and Miltie take a step back.
Miltie - (yawns) Ahh, are you sure I can't give him a few shocks to see if he'll open his mouth - She suggests, but Elt knows she's only half serious. He thinks about how he can get the man to talk, seeing as he's not in the best of moods.
Door opening!
Jonathan - That's a job for me - The boy's thick, muffled voice makes everyone look at the open door, the light from the street bathes Jonathan, the brightness is quite strong for those who were in the dark environment, and it takes Elt a while to adjust his eyes, but when he succeeds.
Elt - Jonathan ... What's this - Stupefied, no, completely WTF moment, Elt looks at Jonathan who is wearing something that looks like a red helmet, from what Elt understands made with Jonathan's own blood, but it's a design he's never seen before. The best he can come up with is a closed headpiece with a rounded beak in place of a mouth.
Of course, someone living in the Middle Ages like Elt would never guess, but Jonathan made a gas mask using his skill. He spent so much time on it because he wanted to make it very detailed and functional, for no apparent reason. But it's something that leaves everyone speechless.
Jonathan - This is a job for THE QUESTIONER! - Exclaims the boy, his voice muffled by the mask making anyone who hears it feel a chill run down their spine, and the eyes of the red mask seem to reflect an intense glow even after the door closes and leaves the house in darkness again.
Elt - Huh, Jonathan - Regaining some sense, Elt walks up to Jonathan, examining the strange mask he is wearing.
Jonathan - THE QUESTIONER! - Jonathan corrects him, it seems he's serious about this antics, even Elt is surprised, even though he was already aware of the idiotic things Jonathan usually does, he didn't expect anything like this.
Miltie - Great! He's finally snapped. - Already irritated by the whole situation (and sleepy?) she speaks in a monotone.
Jonathan opens the nozzle of his gas mask and turns towards them, not letting the man they arrested see his face.
Jonathan - Look, this guy is crazy, okay, trying to talk to him like a normal person isn't going to work - Explaining his actions to the two of them so that they don't think he's an idiot (a bit late, right?!) he speaks quietly only to the two of them - So, the only way to get information from a crazy man is to be crazier than him. - He looks at them both for confirmation and appreciation of his idea.
The two don't know how to react, on the one hand, it seems like a crazy and unfounded idea, on the other hand they don't really have a plan to get more information from the guy, so with a little apprehension, they let Jonathan continue.
Jonathan - You know who I am - Getting close so that her mask is right in the man's face and her eyes reflect his hallucinated face.
? - Hehehe, I told you Typhon-sama will kill all of you - Without discontinuing his delusions, he hasn't yet registered the situation he's in - You'd better start praying...
Jonathan - THE QUESTIONER! -Yelling with force, he makes Elt and Miltie, who was staggering, jump with fright. - He questions you about what you came to do in Lescatie -
? - Kukuku, you'll regret it when you see the power of Typ -
Jonathan - THE QUESTIONER! He fears nothing! - With a more aggressive tone in his voice, Jonathan takes a step forward - This Typhon should fear THE QUESTIONER! -
? - Don't you dare talk about Typhon-sama with your filthy mouth! - Finally showing a reaction, the man's face shakes with rage, a thud so strong that he's almost a meter in front of him - His power -
Jonathan - THE QUESTIONER is not afraid of his power! THE QUESTIONER has no proof that this Typhon is much -
? - The great Typhon-sama is our lord! He is one of the chosen ones, strong enough not to be affected by the distortion of the natural order centuries ago! - He exclaims so fervently that
Elt "I can't believe it, Jonathan's idea is working" Incredulous, he sees what is an example of madman against madman, and for some reason Jonathan knows how to push his buttons so that he reveals information.
Jonathan - because THE QUESTIONER! would not be afraid of someone who doesn't even have the courage to come here in person, it seems he's so weak that even someone like you is good enough for him? hehe - Finally seeing an opening, he bangs the hammer harder and harder. Jonathan even lets out a little disdain and an audacious tone in his voice.
? - GhRRRRRRR! You'll be one of the first to die! - Growling now like a mad dog, which is what he is, spittle flies from his mouth as he shouts - Typhon-sama doesn't even need to touch this city to destroy it, the manticore's Flesh Cube will be enough to destroy you all -
Jonathan - THE QUESTIONER! What? - Realizing the last thing the man said, Jonathan pauses and thinks for a moment, and has a frightening revelation - Elt! Is there a basement or attic in this house -
Elt - Ha, ha, yes, there's one over here - Trying to take his mind off the questioning to attend to Miltie, who was staggering with fatigue, he jumps to attention when he hears the urgency in his colleague's voice - You've discovered something...! Wait a minute, what is it, Jonathan? - His friend walks straight past him towards the spot he pointed out.
With a chill in his stomach, hoping he was wrong, Jonathan opens the basement door. Soon, a red light hits him in the face, a strong smell assaults his sense of smell, and what he sees makes him pause. A kind of red, pulsating structure, with veins jutting out like a muscle full of steroids, the throbbing it has can even be felt in the air. The sensation that the object of raw meat gives Jonathan is spine-chilling, his instincts warning him to stay away from this thing.
The giant piece of meat begins to pulse more strongly, and Jonathan's heartbeat jumps together, blue lines like more veins forming appear in the flesh, the object begins to expand. And just then, as if trying to get out of an egg, a face stretches the material of its prison and becomes more visible to the boy, who sees cracks and hears tears coming. With a sense of danger and death that he only remembers feeling once, he screams.
Jonathan - Elt, Miltie, get the fuck out! - Not caring about manners or whether they heard what he said, he heads towards the two, his quick steps startling Elt, who holds Miltie in her arms, fainting. Without questioning what has happened, Jonathan pulls on Elt's shoulder, who, understanding the urgency, runs to his friend. None of the three think about freeing the prisoner, who just starts laughing without any sign of fear.
It's only as they step out of the house that a second later all the shit goes to shit. The meat egg explodes in the basement of the house. The monster has been released. Without much resistance, the basement floor is pushed upwards, the foundation of the house shakes and shifts by the force it is holding. In less than five seconds, an explosion of wood, stone and glass occurs and the noise frightens everyone in the neighborhood.
People in the street go to see what has happened, while those in their homes look out of the window or through the holes that some of the debris has left in their houses.
Jonathan, Elt and Miltie stood up, throwing themselves on the floor so as not to be hit by anything that might be thrown from the house. They weren't hurt, but the fright was great and disoriented them.
Elt is the first to see beyond the dust in the street, and also the first to hear the frightening growl of a monster a few meters away. Turning to the side, he sees the beast, and understands why only heroes of the order are allowed to face such a monster.
As tall as two standing men and as wide as three wagons, its size alone makes it a danger to any normal human. He's muscular, his limbs are compact and his waist is thin, so he doesn't get stuck in buildings and seems to have a lot of room to move. His fur is light brown, darkening on his immense mane. The claws on its four lion paws are huge, each the size of a dagger, and can pierce a man with extreme ease. What sets this monster apart from a simple lion is the bat-like wings on its back, which look big enough to take flight when spread. Its tail, which instead of a normal feline tail, is thick and scaly, strong and ends with a snake's head that jerks back and lets out its forked tongue. Its face is that of a normal lion, but its ferocity puts it on top of any member of its species, even discounting its size. Its teeth gnash with its snarls and show Elt a mouth that would tear any animal apart without the slightest problem.
Seized by a strong sense of dread, but still worried about his friends, he draws his sword and stands in front of Miltie to protect her, even though she doesn't want him to, his first instinct is not for himself, but for whoever is by his side.
But he sees a figure standing in front of him, staring the manticore in the face, Jonathan, who has stood up, takes the lead in the battle.
Jonathan - Elt, take her away - Seeing the heroine of the order, Miltie, unconscious, he demands that Elt take her to safety. There's no way the two of them can fight, even together, if they have to protect the girl at the same time.
Elt - Jonathan you're crazy, that'll kill you in a second - Not believing his companion's carelessness, he recalls the rumors of how the young man looked after his fight with the minotaur. - You'll... -
Jonathan - Elt! - Interrupting his friend, only his face turns to him, a confident and determined look on his face, far from arrogance, he reassures his worries with a wild smile - I'm not that Jonathan anymore, you of all people know that - Their gazes meet, a trust built up over months between the two is enough for Elt to trust these words.
Elt - ( nods ) Right - Picking Miltie up, Elt heads towards the city center to leave her safely.
Seeing that his friend and the girl are leaving the scene, he turns to the creature, the beast is still in an attack position, but like a confused dog it turns its head, and looks at something behind Jonathan. Like a dog that has seen its favorite treat close at hand, a kind of smile creeps onto Manticora's face, and Jonathan feels his instincts jump to alertness.
Jonathan - Elt! Look out! - He shouts in alarm, seeing the beast leaping like a cat and spreading its wings, it doesn't use them to fly, it does something that looks like a flying squirrel and glides after gaining altitude with the leap. She goes towards Elt who is running with Miltie in his arms.
Elt - Ah! - Looking back at Jonathan's scream, Elt is startled to see the beast descending into position. He sees the beast's hunger in its bulging eyes and can sense the scythe of its claws just by their appearance. It is only his instincts and trained reflexes that enable him to get out of the way before the beast jumps on him. He throws himself to one side with his back down, holding on tightly to his friend.
He then looks up and sees something that grinds his teeth with frustration and apprehension: the manticore is blocking the way out of the place, leaving them locked in and at its mercy.
Seeing that there is no other way, Elt carefully places Miltie on the ground behind him and draws his sword. He is afraid, but he would never let this monster touch her while he is alive. He gets into the position he always felt most comfortable in during training. His sword straight ahead, his feet firmly on the ground and his eyes ahead.
The beast circles the two of them looking for an opening or just playing with its food before going on the attack. And even with his instincts, it takes him a while to realize that he has overlooked a major detail when chasing the heroine of the order.
Jonathan - Yahh! - Jumping high, the boy, with a blood sword in his left hand, surprises the monster by landing a nice cut on its retracted wings. The monster howls in pain, and its serpentine tail quickly tries to bite the attacker. But Jonathan is quick enough to lean on the manticore's back and dodge the attack by jumping onto the wall of one of the buildings.
Before gravity can pull him to the ground, he pushes off the wall with his feet and flies towards the monster again. This time he aims for the monster's leg, but before he can reach it, it jumps back like a cat. Its razor-sharp claws scrape the ground, creating a tear in the concrete, and it glares with hatred at whoever hit it.
The glare he receives doesn't frighten Jonathan, confident and angry, he raises his right hand and three bloody claws are formed coming out of his wrist (like Wolverine). He smiles, defying the monster.
Growling with fury, the manticore once again lunges forward, its rage focused on the boy who dared to hurt it. Throwing its claws forward to attack, a hissing sound is created by the speed with which its claws tear through the air. Jonathan, with superior reflexes, lunges forward the second after the manticore, his attack creating an arc that cuts under the monster's raised paw. As he completes the movement and tries to support himself, the manticore loses the support of its paw with the cut and its body tilts to the side. Jonathan spins around, keeping his left foot as the axis, and a cut is created in the beast's posterior. It's not deep enough for Jonathan's liking, but he doesn't think about making a third attack, he moves away from the manticore just as it kicks back with its hind leg and narrowly misses the boy. But he's not safe yet, the manticore's serpentine tail tries to bite him by curving inwards, the fangs inside its mouth drip with poison, Jonathan smiles at the danger and like a game character does a somersault forward to dodge and when he completes the movement, jumps to gain more distance.
Ignoring his wounds, the beast leaps diagonally towards one of the buildings, using it as a support, it advances once again. The sight of the monster flying over the warrior would leave many petrified, but the boy quickly moves backwards to avoid being hit. But when he lands, the wind it creates hits Jonathan a little, but he stands his ground.
Elt looks on in amazement. Jonathan has the advantage against such a powerful monster. He smiles with relief, he should be able to find an opening to get Miltie out of here.
Just then, a grunt draws his attention to the girl behind him.
Miltie - Hmmm... hmm? - Rubbing her eyes after taking a nap, Miltie wakes up still unaware of the situation. She had started to feel a bit sleepy and drained of energy as soon as she had been in the house for a while, but she couldn't say why. - What? - She exclaims as she finally focuses and observes her surroundings.
Elt - Miltie, are you all right, can you get up? - Seeing that the girl is awake, Elt is increasingly relieved. - Jonathan's fighting the monster to buy time, we need to get you out of here, it's you the monster wants -
The heroine of the order looks at her onii-chan with a perplexed look. He, a simple soldier from the city, is worried about her safety, which makes her extremely happy since it's her onii-chan who is. But even so, there's a monster attacking the city, and her pride (and stubbornness) won't allow her to just run away with her tail between her legs. She's a hero of order, she's the one who has to protect the citizens and those who can't defend themselves.
Miltie "onii-chan is protecting me, but he doesn't have any power, it's me who has to protect him, it has to be me, if it's not me, if it's not me... maybe he'll decide he doesn't need me anymore" With these doubts in her heart, she points her arm forward and concentrates a large dose of mana, following the steps forged in her body in her studies she attacks the monster "anything but that, anything but that! I won't let the onii-chan Elt abandon me!"
Miltie - Pink Miracle! - A blast of pink energy is launched from Miltie's hand, the powerful and dense mana she threw meets the base of the manticore's snake tail, burning and leaving a large hole in it, but it is still connected by a thread of flesh.
The manticore, for its part, shifts its focus from the boy to the heroine of the order, its priorities once again remembered, it turns its back on Jonathan and leaps towards the girl.
Miltie prepares to fly before the monster jumps on her, but an immediate fatigue overtakes her as soon as she casts her spell. As she tries to activate her mana once more, she feels like she's sucking on an empty water fountain. Her knees wobble and she falls to the ground helplessly.
Manticora - Grrrrhhhaaaa! - Launching himself bestially towards the girl, he prepares his jaw to swallow her in one mouthful.
But there's still someone there to protect her. Elt shoots towards Miltie and picks her up.
Elt - Huuf - With her in his arms, he jumps hard to get away from the monster before it can tear them both to pieces. He manages to dodge it and prevent the girl from being turned into a ghoul. But the manticore put out its paw and made three small tears in Elt with its claws. - Hkrr - The cuts weren't deep, but the pain was hot and uncomfortable.
Ignoring the pain in his back, Elt pulls a throwing blade from his belt. It looks like an arrowhead without a handle, and he thrusts it proficiently into the monster's eye before it can take another step. The shot is accurate and the manticore is blinded in one eye.
She becomes even angrier at this, but before she can continue her assault, a pain in her ass makes her look back.
Jonathan is holding the base of her snake-tail right where Miltie hit her spell. The flesh is still a little warm from the localized explosion, but Jonathan only holds what's left of the manticore's tail with one arm and with the other, he draws repeated blades of blood into the rest of the flesh holding the monster. It's surreal that Jonathan is able to hold a beast of this size by brute force, but with his feet planted on the ground, and pulling with all his strength in the opposite direction to the monster's movement, ripping sounds begin to be heard.
Jonathan - HRRRGGGHH - Pulling with all his might, having cut and torn more and more of the monster's tail, Jonathan pulls out the manticore's tail. He falls to the ground still shivering and the snake head tries to move to catch the boy, but he stomps hard on its metal boots, and the snake head explodes like a grape.
The beast screams in pain and hatred, as a disgusting human like that dares to take a part of its body. He will never be forgiven. The manticore will do anything to give him a horrible death. Growling at the boy, she fails to notice a figure entering the scene.
Elt - That's him! - The young soldier from Lescatie is startled, not by fear but by sheer surprise. Because whoever appeared just then was not a lost civilian, a group of soldiers ready to help them or a single hero of the order. Although Elt hadn't seen her for some time, he couldn't have failed to recognize his childhood friend.
With a red cape swaying on her back, a woman of medium height and an intense, pure face stares out with her deep blue eyes. She adorns a blue dress held up by a brown corset, this dress separates at the stomach, with a white inner dress going down to the middle of her defined thighs. Her cape is held up by a golden crest above the neckline of her dress. Her arms are still in the blue dress, but at elbow height, they are protected by two pieces that look like gauntlets, but are very wide and loose and open for a delicate hand to slip through, leaving the feminine but strong arms protected but not preventing movement. These gauntlets are held together by a white shoelace at the wrist. Her legs are covered by blue tights, which leave her upper thighs free. She has brown leather boots with white threads crossing in a pattern across them, on her shin, a piece of decorative gold metal is held by straps. A belt in the middle of her belly made of a golden metal is held by other brown belts. Her silver hair is beautiful, rivaled only by the claymore sword she wields, a piece of art that emanates an aura of power. Its handle is the same shade of blue as the rest of her weaponry, and a crease about two centimeters from the guard gives the blade definition. As a symbol of its divine origin, it has an emblem of the order on the guard, but this is a little different considering the high level of this equipment, almost as if it were brighter.
Wilmarina Noscrim, Lescatie's most powerful heroine stands in front of the group, and in direct confrontation with the creature, without any fear she steps forward with her sword held high and a serious look on her face.
Jonathan observes the creature quickly change its focus, its wild gaze becomes hungry, it seems that the monster has found its favorite meal and is about to devour it. Its mouth moves into a smile, and with strength that goes against its wounded appearance, it runs towards the girl. Jonathan plans to intercept, but looking at the heroine's face he realizes that there is no fear or hesitation in her vision. She has everything under control and the beast has acted just as she predicted.
She raises her sword with the beast coming within about 10 meters of her, this distance will be covered in less than 3 seconds by the monster, but it's enough. A pure yellow light gathers on her body, going to her fists and being absorbed by her sword. The light intensifies, an aura of divinity can be felt by everyone present, the temperature of the whole neighborhood rises by two degrees just because of the intensity of the energy, while Elt had to roll her eyes because of the intense light, and Jonathan protects his face with his arm, the heroine Wilmarina is not negatively affected. Her image bathed in light is impressive, a power and glimpse of a true hero is distributed to all who pay attention at that moment. With her blade reaching its apex, she exclaims as she brings it down gently and calmly against the strength and immensity of the power in her hands.
Wilmarina - Holy Arc - A burst of light hits the manticore from less than 5 meters away. The explosion of light is so strong that Jonathan feels a flash even with his eyes closed. From the sound of it, he can tell that the blow hit him square on. If Jonathan were to compare it to something, he would say that the sound was like thunder, only thinner.
The neighborhood is illuminated for a few moments, but soon the glow ceases. The people who had already evacuated the area begin to gather around to understand what the flash was.
In the same place where she brandished her sword, Wilmarina calmly looks at the result of her attack. What used to be the monster's jaw is now just a pile of roasted meat with smoke coming out of it. Her attack was so strong that only half of the manticore's body was left, and yet the other half had exported three-degree burns.
Looking at all this destruction, and the level at which the strongest person in Lescatie has exhibited it. Jonathan can't let the smile leave his face, perhaps the challenge or the thrill that in this world people can become that strong.
While Jonathan is admiring Wilmarina's strength, Elt is admiring her completely. Her childhood friend really has become a beautiful woman. And she's become strong, too strong, to the point where Elt knows deep down that he'll never be able to walk beside her.
Elt: "But it's okay, I accepted that a long time ago." Even though she tries to convince herself of this idea, her heart aches for the cruel truth.
The people finally arrive at the scene, and when they see the heroine Wilmarina standing at the foot of the remains of the monster that suddenly appeared. A joyful and encouraging shout goes up from the villagers. Once again, they have been protected by the order, once again their faith in the goddess has been rewarded.
A few minutes after the crowd had calmed down, a group of soldiers from the city arrived and started helping with the clean-up. Houses were destroyed or damaged, but this time there were no deaths.
Incredibly, even the madman who may be to blame for all this is still alive. He tried to sneak out through the rubble, but was soon spotted by Jonathan and Elt. After immobilizing him and securing him with restraints, the two of them gave Miltie to be checked out by a doctor. They don't know why she fainted, but since it's all over now, it's up to them to wait for her to get better.
Elt was also taken to be treated for his injuries, although reluctant, he was easily convinced after Jonathan told him that he could also be there for Miltie, so that she wouldn't feel alone. Before leaving, the young man noticed that Elt sent a nostalgic glance at Wilmarina, and tried to raise his hand to call her, but gave up. So he went to the hospital with Miltie.
The others from Merse's squadron arrived and were astonished by what had been reported to them. Especially Mureau, who learned that Jonathan alone had managed to fight off such a monster and come out of the encounter relatively unscathed. Even Merse couldn't take it and patted him on the back.
Merse: "And to think of what he was like when he first arrived here." She thinks back to the young man in poor shape and with no fighting skills whatsoever. How far he'd come in just a few months.
? - Let me go! You'll see, Typhon-sama will come here and destroy this city - The madman starts to struggle, some soldiers come up to him to start questioning him, and he starts ranting and screaming his insanities, impeding their progress. - Typhon-sama, my master, the master of all the monsters in the ancient world, he's going to kill you all. Hahahahahaha - He laughs in mockery, his words ignored by everyone as just the ravings of a madman. All but one.
Jonathan "Monsters from the ancient world?" Interested by this strange choice of phrases, Jonathan begins to walk towards him. Maybe he'll be able to confirm some things that haven't made sense to him since he arrived in this world, the QUESTIONER will once again have to get on the case. " hmm?" Before he gets any closer, he sees one of his friends calmly walking towards the madman who continues to scream.
? - Typhon-sama! ahahahah... Ghukhlr! - While laughing wildly, he didn't notice the soldier approaching menacingly close. Mureau drew his sword and slashed at the man's neck without any hesitation.
The people around were surprised, but the soldiers brushed it aside almost immediately. Because Mureau is a hero of the order, he is clearly one rank above them, so he has no right to question their decision.
His teammates are surprised, they didn't think Mureau would have such a violent reaction. Merse simply lets out a sigh, having a suspicion as to why such behavior. There's only one who can react to that.
Jonathan - Fuck! Mureau, what's up, man? - Jonathan approaches his colleague. He was also surprised to see one of his friends acting so mercilessly, and annoyed at losing a source of answers to many of the things he's been thinking about lately. - We still needed to question him, there was no need to... -
Mureau - He's a crazy cultist, Jonathan - He looks coldly at his colleague, which makes Jonathan take a step back - Nothing he said would do any good. Things like that must be eliminated as quickly as possible. Cultists, monsters, supporters of the demon queen, I will destroy them all, and I will become the greatest hero of all - Smiling at the end of the sentence, he leaves the place. He still seems to be angry about something, but everyone lets him go.
Jonathan doesn't even try to stop him, he doesn't know what to say, he could have talked about how Mureau shouldn't have taken a life without guilt, or that he shouldn't be angry with the people who support the demon queen just because they want this war to end. But Jonathan keeps quiet because he can only think of one thing that struck him about what Mureau ended up saying.
Jonathan " To become everyone's greatest hero? Even with the same goal, why are we so different?" Biting his lip, Jonathan tried to hold in his frustration. He felt that Mureau was something very close to being a rival for the title. But now he realizes that the two have very different definitions of what he means. Jonathan realizes that by knowing the truth about the mamonos, he's certainly on a dividing line between all the people he's met so far. But he doesn't want to be discouraged.
Jonathan - I'll show you the truth one day Mureau - He murmurs to the sky, wanting one day to lift the veil of lies that blinds this city.
What a pity for Jonathan that, because he is weak, few of the things he desires can come true. Because he is weak, everything has a price.
