Chapter 78: Pandemonium
Haruhime:
"Urgh…" Groaning, Haruhime leaned against the tree. Head lolling back, she started panting. She was scared to look at her body. The last thing she wanted to know was how bad the damage was.
The sharp, hot pain was sign enough. Looking up as she was, Haruhime spotted the glint of metal through the canopy.
"Up!" She gasped, words failing her.
"On it!" Liz replied. With a single swing of the blade in her hands, the battle changed. Her firered magic sword sent a wave of flame into the treetops. An inferno that not even upper level adventurers would be able to endure.
The screams piercing the air made Haruhime wonder if she had wandered into hell. Soon after, monstrous roars accompanied those screams.
"Do we move?"
"Where?"
"Strea is still fighting! We can't leave her!"
Panting, Haruhime added nothing to the frantic exchange of words. She wasn't sure she could even speak.
"Haruhime, your magic. Why haven't you started?"
Right. Lifting up her hands, Haruhime noticed that her right hand was covered in blood where it was flowing down from an injury. She wondered why she couldn't feel it. Putting her hands together, Haruhime started her magic. "Kokonoe."
As she had expected, speaking hurt. A sharp pain from her chest that restricted her breathing. Whining, she forced out the second line.
"Beloved snow. Beloved crimson. Beloved white light."
Haruhime could no longer see. Her vision was a refracted mix of shadow and flame. Heat and cold enveloping her as she whimpered through her song.
"Please let me be beside you…"
Lili's yelled voice came from nearby. "Oh shit! Haruhime's injured. Buy me time!"
"We're all injured!" An annoyed Philia yelled back.
Haruhime was unable to answer as she continued to slowly stutter through her spell. "...this love I have found at the end of two thousand nights."
"She's too slow!" Rain yelled. "Use an elixir if you have to. We need her."
Haruhime couldn't process the words. She didn't understand anything except heat, pain, and the pressure of building magic.
And then, with one tearing motion, there was only pain. Gasping, Haruhime collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Sagging forward, her body was caught by someone. She felt like her chest had been carved open. She couldn't even find the energy to scream, only cry. Head lolling forward, Haruhime finally caught sight of her own situation. Her war kimono was torn and bloodied in half a dozen places.
Most of the arrows had been glancing blows. All but the one Lili had ripped from her lung. Coughing reflexively, blood began streaming from her mouth. Her magic had halted unceremoniously. It's force ripping its way out of her. No ignus fatuus, but also a waste of magical power.
They need… my magic… Haruhime tried to think. With her throat clogged with blood and chest bursting with pain, she could only moan pitilessly.
Bell… Where… Where are you?
As her vision began to darken, Haruhime was filled with regret. Just once she wished she could speak her feelings to him clearly. Her hero. The boy that had saved her from Ishtar and given her her life back.
A cold wave washed through her body. Eyes snapping open, Haruhime coughed violently. The last of the blood in her lungs was now staining the ground. Jerked awake, Haruhime blinked away her tears.
After doing so, the battlefield came into sharp clarity. Sachi, Strea, Liz, Leafa, and Kirito were all somewhere outside the battlelines. Everyone was bleeding from injuries taken in the ambush–except Yui of course. The little girl who had saved their lives was near the front, standing boldly with her arms extended.
Beyond Yui was Strea, locked in rigorous combat with a hulking man. Both combatants were taking turns exchanging devastating slashes with their greatswords. In the half a second Haruhime watched them, she saw a chunk of metal get cleaved from Strea's sword and go flying.
The air was growing increasingly smokier as the burning tree gave off a column of thick black smoke that was pooling around the roof of the cavern.
That impasse was shattered by a large bloodsaurus breaking into the clearing with a mighty roar. It completely overshadowed the yells, screams, and shouted commands.
As Haruhime's ears reverberated with the deep booming tones, a single word cut through it.
"FIRE!" Rain screamed at Liz as she shook the poor blacksmith. "Turn this fucking field into a bonfire!"
Liz had no time however as an armortail charged them. Silica darted in with her armour piercing magic and took out one of its legs. The large beast crashed to the ground only a few meters away from them.
With it getting up though…
"RUN!" Rain screamed at them. "Into the forest. We have to–"
The lightly injured armortail spun. With its foreleg down, the tail struck high above their heads, solidly into the burning tree.
Predictably, it began to fall straight unto their group. Haruhime's instincts-as bad they were–propelled her away from it. As a level two, her agility easily let her dodge the ponderous object.
Liz, with a scared "eep!" swung her mighty blade in a horizontal arc. A wave of flames erupted from its tip. The armortail practically melted. It was a horrifying sight that Haruhime averted her eyes from. Solid flesh and scales beginning to flow like syrup.
That same overpowering heat continued and created the firescape that Rain had demanded. The insane heat from the blade's magic was too hot for smoke formation, but as the direct impact passed and the burning stalks remained, black smoke began to pour from the once green plants.
Everything was hectic and divided. Haruhime couldn't even consider starting her magic now. Desperately searching, she latched her gaze unto Rain. Their sub-captain was standing with her swords loosely at her side. Her head was tilting back and forth, trying to take in the scenery as well.
"O-Orders?" Haruhime asked. She wasn't sure if her voice carried over the cacophony. She had no time to wait for more as a growl drew her attention. A deathclaw, injured by three arrows in its side and leaking blood in its jaws, was approaching.
Haruhime's scream caught in her throat. Maybe it wouldn't attack. Maybe she could run, get away–it leapt.
Midair, the aptly named monster's claw looked like the reaper's scythe. The fire reflecting off it gave the monster a ghastly air.
Thwack! A crossbow bolt took it in the eye. The monster screamed as it died, collapsing just short of Haruhime.
"Get moving!" Lili screamed. The empty hand crossbow on her wrist identifying her as Haruhime's saviour. "We need… we need to do something!"
Haruhime coughed out a lungful of smoke as an answer. Eyes still watering, she tried to stagger away from the meadow.
Using the broken tree trunk as a guide, she waded through waist high brambles. The thorns pulling on her clothes and trying to rip her skin. Yanking her way through, Haruhime emerged mostly intact thanks to her level two endurance.
Blinking away smoke-derived tears, Haruhime put her head on a swivel. From behind her, Lili pulled herself through the hole that Haruhime had made.
"Lili!" Haruhime wailed desperately. "Is everyone–"
"Watch out!" The small prum shouted.
Getting tackled around the waist, Haruhime hit the ground. A hard root slammed against her shoulder as her head struck soft mud. In the space she had been, a large crossbow bolt soared through. Its barbed metal head embedding into one of the trees.
Lili jumped up, drawing one of Liz's swords. With a yell, she sent forth a fire arrow. It was one of Liz's weakest creations, but had the most uses.
Lili's aim was off and the fire soared into the forest. Swinging again and again however, the barrage drove the adventurer to dive away from them.
Lili panted from the effort as her blade released an ominous crack. Where the fire arrows had fallen, small fires were trying to catch in the wet brush.
"Haruhime!" A new voice yelled. "Magic, now!"
"Y-Yes!" Taking a deep breath, she heaved herself to her feet. Her kimono was slashed, torn, pierced, muddied, and bloody. "Kokonoe!"
A loud crash of metal and metal rang through the clearing, shortly followed by the crash of a tree falling. Haruhime's head jerked in the direction, but she couldn't see what was happening.
"Must be Kirito…" Rain muttered. "Keep chanting."
So Haruhime did so with her two guardians. She could hear things happening around her, but her vision was harshly limited. Brambles and ferns were tall enough to block the sightline. Not to mention the tall trees and column of smoke.
She wanted to ask where everyone was but had to finish her chant. Before she even realized it, her spell had changed. "Grow. That power and that vessel."
Concatenating her magic, Haruhime summoned five hammers on the magic tails that had split from her own. She now imbued them all with the power of her sorcery. A magic with the skill to defy levels.
Suddenly, that adventurer dove out from behind a nearby tree, crossbow cocked and loaded once more. Breath hitching, Harhime's magic wavered as she stared fearfully. Her body could not move fast enough to dodge the likely deadly blow. Eyes squeezing shut, she heard the almost simultaneous sounds of the twang of the bolt being fired and the harsh ting of metal colliding.
Pushing out the next line, Haruhime cautiously opened her eyes to find Rain in front of her, the bolt deflected. The adventurer was retreating again, a small bolt in his side courtesy of Lili.
"–may it bestow good fortune upon you. -Grow!"
With her magic now finished, Haruhime looked around for targets. There was still only Lili and Rain around. Should I use it now?
"Do it!" Rain commanded. "I need the power boost so I can go and help! Lili at level three can protect you!"
"Uchide no Kozuchi! Dance!"
Two of the five hammers found targets. With Lili and Rain boosted, the other three vanished doing nothing. Only holding two did use less mind than all five.
Rain leaned her head back and sighed as the power came over. She paused for only that moment before charging away with the prowess of a level four.
"Umm, what now?" Haruhime asked an enhanced Lili. Even at level three, Haruhime did not think the girl could win a direct fight against their assailants.
"We have to find the others."
As Haruhime began to nod, a piercing cry split the air. A horde of Screamwings flapped low over the canopy, talons low and forward to rake their prey. One tucked in its wings and dove.
Screaming, Haruhime dove to the ground. Bruising herself on more roots, Haruhime looked wildly into the sky. The monster had pulled up hard.
"Lili!" Haruhime cried.
"Run!" Suddenly, Haruhime found herself being dragged to her feet and pushed forward. With no sense of direction remaining, Haruhime tried to pump her arms. Every step something caught her feet. Her kimono may have been designed to be resistant to damage and heat, but it wasn't great for movement. Brambles and branches grabbed at it, mud stuck to her legs. Her feet that she couldn't lift properly collided with branches.
"MOVE!" Lili screeched, firing a wild bolt into the sky.
"Y-Yes! Growing desperate, Haruhime pulled on the knot of her obi. The sash fell away to the forest floor as her kimono began to fall open.
Her adrenaline and fear were amped up too high for her to even blush as she allowed the garment to fall away from her body. Underneath she wore only two small pieces of cloth. An amazoness wrap covered her chest and for the bottom she was wearing white shorts that did nothing to cover her legs. Dirtied tail curled in on itself, Haruhime ran. WIth her body now freed, she leapt over a low bush. Senses on high alert, Haruhime took in everything around her.
The shallow pool to her left had the shadows of monsters lurking in its depths. The tree to her right had been knocked into two others. A cloud of thin smoke straight in front of her from which cries and shouts were emerging.
Without waiting for Lili, Haruhime charged for the trees. It seemed the safest. Diving through the fork in the trees, Haruhime once more collided against the ground. Her once fair skin was covered with a layer of mud and detritus.
As she was standing up to get her bearings, another bang rang out nearby. She thought she finally understood why this direction had been the empty one. A small tree flew past her, blown away by the force of the battle taking place in this area.
"Kirito…" Breathing the name of her familia captain, Haruhime couldn't follow what was happening. From the vague impressions that she got, Kirito was losing.
I can change that.
Mustering her courage, Haruhime took a deep breath. Clasping her hands, Haruhime–almost naked and dirtied head to toe–began casting her magic.
Sachi:
"RUN!" Screaming, Sachi dashed for the still prone Rosalia. Grabbing her arm, Sachi tried to drag the woman away from the now chaotic clearing.
The motion jostled the arrows in her body. With wounds worsening, Sachi wasn't sure how much longer she would last. Before reaching her limit however, she swore to get Rosalia back to safety.
"Why?" The older woman asked. "I betrayed you. My whole quest is a sham… Surely you–"
"Of course I realize that!" Sachi yelled, pushing the girl ahead of her. "I'm not an idiot!"
"Yes, you are," Rosalia huffed. "If you weren't, you'd have left me to die."
"Idiot!" Sachi yelled back.
"Huh?"
"Idiot!" Sachi repeated grumpily. With two precise slashes of her spear, Sachi cut a path through the undergrowth for them. "Boobs for brains!"
"W-What!? Is that even an insult?"
"I don't know! Some people call Hestia that." Sachi admitted. Then she shot Rosalia another glare. "Silica is going to have some harsh words for you after."
For some reason, those were the words that broke Rosalia's mask. A goofy, childish smile split her lips. "She's a good girl, isn't she?"
"She is," Sachi agreed. Cutting down a plant monster in their way, Sachi staggered a step. The pain in her side had flared up. Gritting her teeth, Sachi paused. Forcing in a breath, Sachi slowly stood up again and turned back to the clearing. It was total chaos. The combat, blood, and screaming was drawing in monsters from all over. Their assailants were scattering as they struggled to take down the level four beasts.
That was when a wave of fire washed off the clearing. Face blanching, Sachi grabbed Rosalia's hand and ran. a few tongues licked at their heels, hot breath breathing down their necks. Jumping across a small stream, they came to a stop.
Sachi thought they had escaped. The deathtail that had stopped their fight hadn't followed, attacking their assailants instead. Looking around, Sachi locked eyes with an approaching monster.
True to its name, the Trumpeter let out a booming note with the hollow resonance chamber in its crest. The monster was a demonic version of a parasaurolophus. The monster's skin was mostly grey with dark green splotches along its legs and back. With dull teeth and short nails on its hands, the monster appeared harmless compared to many others. However, its namesake was dangerous enough.
Without getting closer than ten meters, the monster lowered its head and used its crest. The horn-like chamber took in air and then shot it out in a magically amplified blast.
Sachi did not move. Facing the blast of sound straight on she cut down hard with her spear. The ring of magical energy was almost invisible, only a faint haze to outline it.
A dull thrum rang through Sachi's body. The sound was less of an auditory experience and more of a physical one. Her teeth clattered together as her whole body vibrated. Legs turning to jelly, Sachi fell to her knees.
"Gragh!" With a cry, the monster charged. Head raised, it was going to simply trample her.
Forcing her hands tight around her spear, Sachi lunged up as it approached. Her spear tip was still sharp and it pierced the hard scales. Sinking in just under the sternum, Sachi's spear shattered the magic stone just as its bulk crashed into her.
Sachi's vision went red then black as sharp pain coursed through her body. Sachi wasn't sure if she had passed out or not but eventually she peeled herself off the ground. With a tentative hand, she poked at her sides. Where the shallow bolt should have been was a large hole.
Whimpering, Sachi left the ragged flesh alone. "Come on. Let's circle around–"
"M-Monsters incoming!" Rosalia interrupted. Her voice was still vibrating from the sonic attack.
Following her finger, Sachi saw another two Trumpeters charging this way around trees. With all of the noise, Sachi hadn't been able to distinguish it. "Run," Sachi grunted. Pushing Rosalia in a random direction, Sachi staggered after her.
Getting off the paths meant the monsters were slower as well. Howling with anger, they stomped through mud and thorns after them.
It bought Sachi the time she needed to touch the bolt that had gone deeper into her. It was still there, but the fletching was touching her armour. The collision had shoved it another handbreadth deeper inside her. Reaching around, she found the tip sticking from her back.
Breaths coming faster, Sachi tried to dispel thoughts of her injuries from her mind. She didn't have the time to consider their severity or what it would take to fix them. No, definitely not thinking about that.
Pushing Rosalia again, Sachi whirled to face the monsters. She spoke her chant in record time. "Break through my fear, my terror. Shatter my delusions and consume me!"
Sachi felt strange emotions as she said the incantation. The words of the spell had once resonated so strongly with her. They had felt like she was laying herself bare with each embarrassing word.
Now… they were the words of a different person. Sachi had outgrown them. She could move beyond this desperate wish.
"Spear of agony, spear of hate. Let this one last wish carry on and connect!"
One of the Trumpeters had stopped and lowered its head. Lining up the tip of her spear, Sachi activated her spell. "Distorted Thrust!"
Once more her trusted weapon cut down one of the level three monsters. When her magic faded and her tip returned to her, it was dripping blood.
That left only the last Trumpeter that was emitting a hollow, reverberating sound as it charged towards her. Sachi had no idea what the sound was doing.
She didn't have the luxury to wait and find out however. Darting around the side, Sachi swung at its hide. She left a long scratch on its hide but that was all.
The Trumpeter's tail swung toward her and Sachi had to duck. She tried to explode upward to impale its flank. As her legs straightened, Sachi's midsection tightened up. Fresh pain wracked her body. Staggering to her knees, Sachi coughed up blood upon the uneven ground.
Forcing herself up, Sachi brought her spear to bear on the monster. Then her vision swirled. Stepping back, Sachi didn't understand. She shouldn't be bleeding out yet.
The ringing in my ears!
In an instant she understood. The Trumpeter's deep echoing note was inhibiting her sight and balance.
Trying once more to attack, Sachi dashed forward. Her foot slipped on a wet root and landed in a shallow pool of mud as she pitched forward. Catching herself, Sachi rolled over to avoid its stomping foot.
Caught prone, Sachi stared up at the monster that leered down at her. Just as it went to attack, a spear took it in the eye.
"Get up, girl!" Rosalia cried, grabbing her arm. "I'm not letting you die on me."
"Such loyalty," Sachi chuckled as she struggled to keep up.
"Look, I'm an asshole but…"
"But?"
"I do like her. I don't want to see you all die."
"How honorable," Sachi smiled wearily. The monster was still alive and Trumpeting blasts of energy up into the canopy.
Its racket far eclipsed the other noises in the surrounding area. It appeared to have lost track of them though.
Stumbling deeper into the woods, Sachi tried to get their bearings. It was clear that the fighting was still going on. However, anything past that was impossible. Her ears were ringing and she couldn't see anything through the underbrush. Another sharp lance of pain in her side sent Sachi to the ground.
As she hacked up more blood, Sachi's vision swam. She wasn't sure how much longer she would last.
"Sachi?" Rosalia said. Worry had tinged her voice.
"I'm… alive. We need to get back. The others will protect you." Using her spear as a crutch, Sachi got up. She couldn't straighten however. Trying to do so sent more sharp pain through her gut.
"You've given up on yourself," Rosalia accused her.
Sachi didn't answer. Peering around a bush, she tried to focus on the sounds around her. The Trumpeter's aftereffects hadn't faded fully.
"Can you hear?"
"Ignoring me? Fine. Yes, my ears have mostly recovered."
"Good, guide us."
Rosalia turned in a circle trying to sort out the chaos. "I think… there are people that way."
"Let's go." Sachi grunted, pushing past her. After swerving around a couple of trees, Sachi thought that she could now hear the sound of pounding feet. And then, comprehension dawned.
Chances were… Emerging from behind a tree were a pair of panicked assailants. They were both cat men, loaded crossbows in their hands.
"Shit!" One of them screamed, sighting their crossbow. The other continued running, barely flashing her a glance.
Reading the angle, Sachi caught the bolt on her spear haft. Lowering the point, she advanced towards her assailant.
His face was blanched white with fear as he threw the crossbow to the ground and pulled out his own spear and a shield.
"Get out of my way!"
Sachi did not reply, knocking his thrust away and responding with a swift strike that cut into his shoulder.
The adventurer fell back. Before he could charge again, a large head snapped down. A Bloodsaurus lifted the hapless adventurer into the air. He must have died instantly because he didn't scream at all as he was tossed into the air.
The monster's massive jaws snapped closed around the adventurer, a torrent of blood splashing out. Then, with a single gulp the body disappeared down its gullet.
Sachi looked back at Rosalia and smiled. She hoped the girl understood what she meant. This was a level four monster that Sachi would struggle to escape from at full speed. In her current condition, she wouldn't make it ten paces.
Swallowing anxiously, Sachi started up her magic. Like waving a red flag in front of a bull, the monster bellowed madly. It was smart enough to recognize the danger that magic posed.
Mustering her courage, Sachi prepared to trade her life for the beast's. If she jammed her spear up through the back of its mouth, she would hopefully bring it down as its jaws ended her own life.
Her magic was too slow to match the high-leveled monster's incredible speed. Suddenly, Rosalia was there. Bursting from a bush on the path's side, she had a knife clenched in her hand.
Diving forward, she held it point up on the ground. Right under where the massive bloodsaurus stepped.
Crack! Rosalia screamed as the monster stumbled. Roaring with sudden pain, the monster stumbled to a step, its momentum broken.
Sachi rushed through the final lines of her spell. The bloodsaurus was looking back and forth between her and the still prone Rosalia crawling away clutching her arm.
"Distorted Thrust!" Sachi lunged, stabbing forward. At that moment, the monster turned its head back to her. Rather than sliding through the eye socket, her spear tip cut through the left eye and then skidded off the skull.
Shit.
Sachi struggled upright, ignoring the pain. Facing down the incredibly angry monster, she flourished her shaft and charged.
The incredible force of a roar hit her like a physical wall. Her teeth clattered and her body felt sluggish.
The monster coiled up. All of its muscles constricting like a snake about to bite. Predicting its movement, Sachi dove to the side. Hitting hard she bound to her feet and almost fell again from the pain.
Her prediction was right however as the large monster's jaws snapped over where she had been.
Even with an arrow in its foot and one working eye, the monster moved with a sinuous speed. Sachi saw only one way out of this.
Spitting out blood with every word, she dove back into her magic. A conventional answer to a conventional problem.
"Spear of agony, spear of hate…"
The monster leapt. Not a charge, its burly legs propelled the massive body five meters into the air before it came crashing back down on Sachi's position.
Rolling forward, Sachi barely avoided being squashed. The entire ground jumped beneath her, sending her upwards. Losing control, Sachi floating wide-eyed, waiting for her death. Luckily, the monster stumbled, its injured right foot giving out.
Her magic hanging by a thread, Sachi spat out the last line. Standing up, her magic was primed and she was ready for one last chance.
As the bloodsaurus turned, its one remaining eye was narrowed suspiciously at her. It had seen her magic once and was now prepared to dodge.
Sachi had to duck a swipe of its tail. The bloodsaurus did a double check and swung again.
Sachi leapt. Screaming from the pain in her body, she fought to hold in her magic. Landing on the base of the tail, she ran up the large body.
Beneath her, the bloodsaurus turned quickly, teeth flashing. Sachi just managed to kick off in time, floating in the air. Her momentum arced and she began a course for the beast's mouth.
"Distorted Thrust!"
The bloodsaurus–so intent on eating her–turned away. Sachi's magic clanged against the scales again, leaving a shallow cut and getting caught.
For just a second, the spear tip was unable to move forward. With a heave, Sachi pushed herself against the spear to halt her fall. As her magic ended and her spear tip was free again, she fell.
The bloodsaurus turned back, one eye sparkling with victory.
Sachi paused, took aim, and threw. Screaming, she executed the hardest technique that Take Mikazuchi and Mikoto had taught her with the long spear. The weapon was not designed for this.
With expert control, she guided its path perfectly as it left her hands.
The Bloodsaurus' eye widened just slightly as it noticed the oddity too late. With a sickening glooping sound, the spear went straight through the eye socket and into the brain.
Sachi crashed hard against the upper jaw, bounced off and fell back to the ground. Overwhelmed by pain, her vision went black.
Philia:
Everything was a mess. Philia bit her lip to keep herself from screaming. Around her was a large portion of the familia, but not everyone.
Sachi had run off to help Rosalia, Kirito and Bell were never there, and now Rain, Lili, and Haruhime had gotten separated. The only good things were that Strea had gotten out of her duel and had rejoined them as their vanguard and Leafa had found them.
With Yui around, they were almost invincible. Immobile, but invincible.
Ever-thickening smoke continued to billow around them, shrouding their surroundings. It wasn't enough to send Philia into coughing fits, but her eyes were starting to water.
With a smack, Leafa landed hard on the ground. Her injuries were fairly severe but she wasn't in immediate danger. "I lost them in the smoke. Do you want me to expand the radius?"
"...No," Philia said. "Stay with us. With those Screamwings circling, it would be suicide to fly over the canopy."
It was almost a surprise that she agreed. Leafa's injuries must have been worse than the girl was letting on.
"That man is still out there," Strea reminded them. "Don't try to fight him. Get me immediately."
"Or me," Liz growled, stroking her magic blade. As the source of the bonfire burning away the floor, Liz's swords were seriously scary.
"Don't try it," Strea warned her. "He's fast enough to stop your slash."
"Grr…" Liz growled but didn't complain.
"We could send up a signal…" Philia suggested.
"No," Leafa broke in. "The canopy blocks sight."
"Not to mention the smoke," Silica added, wiping her eyes again. The poor girl had her sensitive ears curled tight against her head. Her abilities had basically crippled her from sensory overload.
Twang!
Philia's head snapped up too late. It didn't matter though as Yui had once again blocked the pair of arrows sent at them.
"I-I'm getting tired." Yui informed them.
"We need to figure out how to change positions then," Philia told them. "Get moving and head back to the caravan."
"H-Hold on!" Mikoto spoke up. "What about Sachi!? She's by herself."
"...I'm sorry," Philia replied softly.
A tense silence descended over the group. Philia waited for the complaint. But as three seconds became half a dozen, there were none.
Taking command, Philia issued orders. "Strea, lead the way. Liz, you're the rear. Burn it all down if you have to. Yui, protect her."
With that, they were off. Liz sent out a burning wave, killing another row of monsters that were encroaching.
Strea darted around the tree and confronted the monsters there. With a couple of level four swings, she had cut down the large monsters that Philia struggled mightily with.
I needed that. I failed them…
Philia took a steadying breath. If she got lost in her misery now, they were certain to die. Muttering to herself, she activated her magic, Astral Eyes.
The barrier of smoke disappeared to her. Instead, it was things like Liz's blades that tried to blind her as they glowed brightly with blue light.
With her new vision activated, Philia called out to Strea. "Someone strong is approaching!"
"Got it!" Strea called out happily and darted forward, massive blade held behind her in preparation to strike.
In a flash, the two figures collided. Strea's greatsword meeting twin blades.
"Eh? Rain!?"
"Strea! Thank goodness I've found you all. Is everyone alright?"
"We're leaving. No one has died." Philia's heart leapt at the sight of Rain. She knew it wasn't fair to the others, but Rain was special to her.
"Okay. Lili is taking care of Haruhime, come on."
Now with a guide, they moved even faster through the forest. Rain, amped up on Haruhime's magic, made a formidable pair with Strea to lead them. Most of the heavy lifting though was done by Liz who casually turned foliage into fire to block pursuers.
It took Rain only a couple of minutes to guide them to the location she had left the supporters at. Predictably, there were no supporters there anymore.
"RAAAAIN!" A crying voice screamed. Lili staggered around a tree, blood streaming down one side of her face. "I lost her! I'm sorry, I tried but!"
"Where!?" Rain roared, grabbing at Lili. The girl pointed deeper into the forest.
"Rain," Philia warned as the girl looked poised to charge off into the forest.
"We… We have to!"
"Do we even know where she is?" Leafa asked.
Philia couldn't see it well, but the smoke was getting thicker. She was starting to cough.
"Her magic is still going," Rain said strongly. "That means–"
And then it was gone. Everyone fell silent and stared at her and Lili who no longer had Haruhime's enhancement.
"T-That doesn't…" But Rain's face tightened with pain.
"Let's go," Lili said hollowly.
It was a damning proclamation. Philia almost argued on principle but cries from above cut off her chance of doing so. A flock of five Screamwings were circling their position. Glancing to the left, Philia saw a bloodsaurus, maw bloody, begin to approach cautiously as well. The smoke and fires were the only thing keeping them alive.
Forming up, they ran away from this forest of death.
Kirito:
A thrust caught Kirito in his neck, slicing deep through the skin. Not a deadly wound, but one that would continue to sap Kirito's energy for a long time.
It did confirm one thing however, his opponent was no longer fooling around. That cocky smile had slipped off the spearman's face as the minutes passed.
Kirito had no idea what was going on, but the sky was filled with smoke and monsters appeared to be rampaging through the floor. Those were secondary distractions that Kirito couldn't spare a thought for.
If it weren't for his skill, he would be long dead. Kirito himself had landed a few blows on the level five. The man's right goggle lens was cracked, obstructing his vision.
"Not ready to give up and die yet, kid?"
"Are you?" Kitiro responded, circling cautiously. In his right hand which Kirito kept above him was the black sword from Bell. In his left was the blade that Liz had formed for him. He hadn't had time to get off his dual-wielding magic.
"That stance is frustrating!" The man growled, thrusting forward with blinding speed.
Kirito couldn't match it, but he didn't need to. His left sword parried the shaft, sending it to the side as his right sword descended. It was a style of fighting what wouldn't have been possible for a normal human. With level four strength however, Kirito could make it work.
"This golden light bestowed from above…"
It was the final piece of the puzzle piece that gave Kirito some hope he could win. Even as his mind and body became sluggish, the fox girl provided a solution. It would all come down to a gamble. The stakes were steep and Haruhime's life was on the scale.
The spearman took another look at her, measuring the magical energy gathering.
Kirito stayed back, only defending. He let the man consider the situation, debate his options. Kirito couldn't do the same. He didn't have the excess mental energy leftover to do something like that. He was the leader of their familia and he had a duty to do.
Without a word of motion of warning, the spearman stuck out his hand again. "Get lost in an endless–"
Kirito lunged, his right blade a blur aimed straight at the spearman's head.
As he launched himself, Kirito's skill faltered. His actions had changed and he lost the reason that had given him the boost.
It was a song and dance they had repeated multiple times during this duel. Kirito waited for the explosion of pain.
His outstretched sword was deflected by the spear shaft and then the tip was sent towards him.
With the crossguard of his left blade, Kirito deflected the point to the left. Another sharp slice through the outside of his arm.
"I still don't understand," the spearman hissed.
Kirito deflected another thrust easier as his skill sputtered back awake. "Don't worry. It took me months to figure out."
"Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you. -Grow!"
Kirito gave the man a bloody smile. "You lose."
"You wish," he sneered. Then, cocking back his arm, he aimed at Haruhime and threw.
Kirito dove. Right arm outstretched he barely managed to get his sword in the way. The spear collided like a hammer strike, knocking his blade from his hand.
Landing on the rough ground, Kirito rolled once before standing up again. I did it! He thought exuberantly.
"Uchide no Kozuchi!"
"Get lost in an endless nightmare!"
Kirito wheeled, staring at the spearmen in horror. He had gotten baited too far away to stop the magic this time. Even worse, he made a line with Haruhime. Even with the level boost…
And the magic soared past him. A shadow burst from the trees, red eyes glinting in the low light. Bell, with his mop of white hair flopping around, became a blur.
With Haruhime bringing his stats to level five, Bell was suddenly the fastest person here. The spearman, in the middle of his magic, could only gape as Bell got within his guard in an instant. An upward thrust of the Hestia knife pierced the leather armour with ease and was buried straight into the man's heart.
The force of the thrust sent the two adventurers into a nearby tree with a sharp crack. The broken goggles falling to the forest floor. Kirito sighed in relief, wiping his brow.
"Phoboter… Daedalus!"
Head snapping back, Kirito waited for the other shoe to drop. However… nothing happened. Kirito blinked. Breathing a relaxing sigh, he felt the exhaustion settle over him. "Thanks Bell. You really saved–"
"RAAAA!"
The scream was more monstrous than human. Bell ripped his knife free to let the spearman's body fall to the forest floor.
The light wasn't gone from the man's eyes. He still lived with deep, ragged breaths. Carved upon his eyes was a red D that glowed with a red light.
Kirito turned his eyes to Bell. Still encased by Haruhime's sorcery, Bell's eyes now literally glowed with new power. It was the light of pure rage and anger. They were monster's eyes.
Bell's enraged lunge was faster than anything Kirito had seen from the spearman. Stumbling backwards, Kirito swung his blade in front of him. It was more of a prayer than a real defense.
The knife slid across the edge of the crystalline blade. With sparks shirking angrily, Kirito collapsed to the ground. Bell fell on top of him, trying to drive the knife into his eye.
Wrapping his right hand around the sword blade for support, Kirito called out to Haruhime. "Cancel it! Turn off your magic!"
He got no response as the Hestia knife inched closer to his left eye. Kirito left out a moan of pain as the tendons in his right hand were severed by the sharp edge of the sword he struggled to support.
Kirito's sword was barely caught on the small crossguard of the knife. If it were to slip, he'd die almost instantly. So he pushed up and out, keeping the metal blades hard together. Bell–using only one hand–growled like an animal. He was breathing heavily, spittle falling onto Kirito's face.
Locking eyes, Kirito whispered to him urgently. "You can beat this, Bell! Don't let him control you!"
A roar was Bell's response and a rejuvenated shove.
Kirito's arms shook weakly under the vast pressure. Haruhime wasn't responding. Bell was a monster. Kirito had used too much energy already. He didn't have enough left to give for this.
As the tip of the blade filled Kirito's entire vision, he tried one more time. "Come on Bell! Don't be beaten by him!"
For a brief moment, Kirito thought it had worked. He would have sworn that the red light flickered as the curse's grip loosened. Then the knife drew even closer.
Kirito held his head still. The knife filled the entirety of his left eye's vision. From that, the tip was probably in his pupil already. Somehow, Kirito analyzed the situation calmly. His training helped settle his nerves.
One chance to live.
Taking a deep breath, Kirito tightened his hand around the blade of his sword. With one final effort, Kirito directed his force more upwards and shoved his head into the ground and then to the side.
A ripping sound accompanied a slash of sharp pain. Half of Kirito's field of vision went black.
Bell fell over him and Kirito rolled to his feet. A line of blood began leaking down onto his cheek. Blinking it away didn't help. There was only pain.
Now upright, Kirito glanced at Haruhime. The girl was still kneeling, but Kirito recognized what had happened: she had passed out. From the state of her almost naked body, it was no surprise that this one last spell was her limit.
Kirito knew that he had to bring Bell away from the girl lest he cut her down where she lay. Slashing out with his sword, Kirito sought Bell's attention. He need not have worried.
The rabid Bell jumped at a tree, planted his legs against it like a weird frog and then shot himself back at Kirito.
Diving along the ground, Kirito came back up unscathed. The Hestia knife's short range made it easy to dodge straightforward lunges.
Bell didn't learn, instead charging straight ahead again. It was a blinding speed that Kirito had no chance of matching. Thankfully, the predictable strikes had no deception behind them.
Reading the path of the blade before it even started, Kirito used his experience from facing guns to counter it.
As Bell failed to inflict further injury upon Kirito, he began to roar. Those bestial sounds were unlike anything Kirito had heard from him.
"Bell!" Kirito tried a third time.
"AAAAAAH!"
Stepping to the side, Kirito ducked behind a tree as Bell's empty hand flailed. The strike was so powerful it shattered the trunk.
Kirito swiped the flying bark from the air as he stepped backwards. When the air was clear, Bell was gone. Instincts flaring, Kirito turned just in time. Or he should have.
With half of his vision gone, Kirito's peripheral was gone. He missed Bell's rush from the left. Raising his left hand, Kirito took the blow poorly. The impact felt like his body would get ripped apart as he got sent flying. Bouncing off the ground, Kirito flew through a network of roots, a thornbush and smacked around against a tree.
A stream of blood erupted from his mouth. Kirito couldn't even collapse to the ground. His body was held upright in the crevice of the shattered tree.
The only upside was that Bell was now so far away, he started slashing at the nearby plant monsters instead.
Kirito, as the final dregs of his consciousness were threatening to bleed away, followed the happenings with one eye.
Bell was gradually working his way closer, murdering trees and making a racket as he roared in his anger. The golden swirls of magic were disappearing frustratingly slow. He likely had another minute at least of being fueled by Haruhime.
A shadow appeared behind Bell. A large figure trying to sneak past him. Kirito thought he was certain to fail, but Bell chose that moment to knock a tree down on himself. Roaring, the pseudo-level five adventurer flailed wildly, tearing it to pieces.
Kirito, meanwhile, used his fleeting focus to follow the man. He had run over to the spearman's body. Once the man pulled out a distinctive potion, Kirito's panic spiked.
With excruciating effort, Kirito's arm began to move. Languidly, the tip of his sword began to rise. Little by little until the tip was pointing in the general direction of the two men nearly fifty meters away.
It was too far for his magic. Kirito knew that, but he started chanting anyway. "Lord of the forest, king of trees. Conqueror of the ground, and Herald of the skies."
The blade in his hand felt like it weighed a hundred pounds. The tip was shaking badly as he kept it centered. Even at this distance, he was certain now: the man was still alive. The elixir had brought him back from the verge of death. Such was the terrifying endurance of first-tier adventurers. Over a minute after getting stabbed in the heart, his body clung to life.
Kirito had to do the same.
"Let loose once more your power unto the world. Let my body be your roots, my blade your sprout."
With each word Kirito tried to calculate how long he was from the end. The number of verses left, how long each one took and the percentage he was through the chant.
40%. Only need to do it again… and then another half.
Even as he did the math, Kirito continued to spit out the words.
"Misjudged and mistreated, Lonely and in search of friends. I know your pain of isolation; I know your desperate search."
Kirito's sword tip dipped precipitously. Even if he finished his magic now, it wouldn't connect. From behind him, Kirito could hear an animalistic growling. Not a monster, but the rampaging Bell.
I-I can't do it… Kirito's vision lowered to the gem-like blade. It was so beautiful. Kirito wished he knew how Liz did it. She had come to a new world and somehow become an expert at a complicated technique. She was incredible.
Then don't die on me! Come on, I'll help you!
Kirito's lips turned up into a bloody smile. He was now imagining Liz in his head. Yes ma'am. He answered mentally. Tip lifting back up, Kirito's chant continued.
"Absorber of light, Piercer of the skies, enter my blade and extend. Reach the limit and penetrate, break the rules and reforge destiny."
Kirito knew it was imagination, but he would have sworn that Liz's hand was wrapped around his own. The two of them working together to get this magic off.
From his right side, Kirito saw Bell approaching. The boy appeared to have ran out of other moving things to kill and had come to finish him off.
"I call you here now by name, great guard of the north. Enhance Armament!"
The crystalline blade shone with a light blue light. Together with Liz, he finished the spell.
"Gigas Cedar!"
In the instant that their voices sounded out, the light exploded into a column. Kirito's usual black, glossy tree trunk had found a new shape. It shot forward far farther and faster than ever before. Ten, twenty, thirty meters before it began to slow. Around the tip of the sword, the base of the column started to solidify. The light flowing into azure crystal.
From across the way, the spearman's head jerked up. Just before the spell crashed into them–its whole length now a pillar of crystal–he punched it.
Kirito couldn't see the details but there was a spray of blood as the magic hit the spearman and his familia member.
However, Kirito's magic had reached its end. With a sharp crack, the crystal broke off and fell to the ground where it shattered into small pieces. It looked like a strip of ice on the flattened mud-covered ground.
As the feeling of Liz's hand on his disappeared, his energy left him and Kirito's hand fell back to his side. Lazily, his remaining right eye rolled to the side to find Bell.
The boy was no longer making those bestial growls. Now, he was on his knees, staring at Kirito with a horrified expression.
"Good again?" Kirito croaked.
"I-I… I remember it all." Bell replied in a voice just as hoarse. Those screams seemed to have wreaked havoc on his vocal cords.
"That makes it easy to explain. Grab Haruhime and run. You can't beat that man without her magic."
"I… don't think that's necessary."
Kirito forced his gaze back to the assailants. Bell was right. Neither of them were in a good state. The spearman may have had an elixir, but his left hand looked ruined and he was struggling to walk. His friend was in worse condition. It looked like Kirito's magic had ruined his right shoulder.
They glared at Kirito before retreating into the forest. Away from the field of destruction, they quickly faded from sight behind the underbrush.
Seeing that, Kirito's head collapsed back against the trunk. Eye closing, Kirito started to relax. He had survived and would survive this encounter. It didn't even take a second however before his worry spiked.
"How are the others?"
"I-I don't know! I heard Haruhime's chant and came here first after the cart was attacked."
"The cart?" Kirito murmured. It was a minor problem for a later date. With a hidden reservoir of power reserved only for his loved ones, Kirito pushed himself from the hollow.
"H-Here," Bell continued to stutter, offering a potion.
Drinking it down in a single gulp, Kirito did a quick inspection of his body. Even his right hand had stopped bleeding. The fingers still didn't work, but a healer should be able to fix that.
Sheathing the magic sword Liz had forged for him, Kirito collected the black sword. The blade of familia captains. Examining it, Kirito muttered an apology, "Sorry for dropping you."
Returning it as well, Kirito caught sight of another weapon. Only a few steps away, Kirito picked up the spear that had bled him. "I need to be better against these…"
Turning, Kirito faced an apologetic Bell. Unable to summon any energy, Kirito's words were more curt than he wanted. "Well, let's hear it."
Bell stood there, shifting on his feet. He glanced at the still prone Haruhime who appeared to have properly fallen asleep. "I was taken over so easily…"
"There was no way to resist," Kirito replied.
"There should have been!" Bell shouted. His shoulders were hunched and shaking. "I should have been able to stop this!"
"You're different from me," Kirito whispered. "Knowing there was nothing I could have done to change it is the only reason I can live with it."
"What?"
"You aren't the only one who was forced to do things against their will," Kirito reminded Bell. He shivered, Ishtar's face flashing in Kirito's mind. He had ended up killing the goddess of beauty but before that… Even now, Kirito's stomach tensed in disgust at the harm he had caused to his own loved ones.
"Does that help?" Bell answered just as quietly.
Kirito met Bell's eyes with his own. "No. But their forgiveness did."
"And do you forgive me?"
Not just forgive, I thank you. If you had not been there, I would have taken the curse and killed Haruhime in that same rage."
Bell finally made a weak smile. "I beat you up pretty easily."
Kirito returned the smile. "If you're that strong, I'll be sure to give you a lot of work moving forward."