Ch.76Chapter 76 – Madman (5)

When the man named Somnus clapped his hands, men dressed in black immediately rushed toward her and Sera.

Eve blocked the dagger of the first attacker by half-drawing her sword, then successfully cut him down before the two of them quickly fled the scene.

They knew they would be captured immediately if they remained surrounded, so they prioritized relocating first.

“If Kay were here…”

She thought that even if they were surrounded, they could have held out without much trouble if Kay had been present.

After cutting down the first attacker, Eve had noticed that their skills were roughly equal to or slightly above her own level.

She judged that if he had been there, there would have been no problem at all.

But there was one variable.

‘…Something feels unpleasant.’

That was Eve’s first impression about the old man called Somnus.

She didn’t know why herself.

She only knew that beyond mere unpleasantness, she had momentarily felt the urge to cut him down immediately.

At the same time, she sensed that if she had acted on that impulse, she would have been defeated instantly.

She couldn’t win against him now.

She shouldn’t fight him now.

“Eve, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, let’s move quickly.”

She could sense their pursuers.

They were coming from behind, from the rooftops, and somehow they had even gotten ahead of them, approaching from the front.

Eve clicked her tongue and ducked into an alley.

‘We’re being guided.’

When they first tried to escape, Eve and Sera had attempted to flee toward where Kay might be.

That location was where the big explosion had occurred.

It was likely that guards would be there too.

Additionally, Eve somehow had a feeling that he wouldn’t have been caught in the explosion.

If they could just join up with him, they could somehow handle the current pursuit.

The problem was that the enemy wasn’t allowing them to go in that direction.

‘…The fact that they’re coming in routes that cleverly prevent us from going that way suggests they know Kay’s identity and abilities, and are deliberately preventing us from joining up with him.’

After briefly assessing the situation, Eve came to that conclusion.

If that was the case, there was only one option.

“Seraphina, we’re going to force our way through one side.”

“Will that be alright?”

“We have to manage somehow.”

Eve drew her sword and rushed toward the enemy approaching from the front.

There was the risk of needing to defeat the front enemy before those from behind caught up, but in the current situation, if they kept running, they would eventually be cornered and captured.

Eve quickly thrust her sword at the enemy, and when he deflected it slightly, she spun her body.

Then she lowered her stance and slashed the enemy diagonally from bottom to top.

And as she blocked and deflected the attack of the next enemy…

That’s when it happened.

A knife flew from behind and lodged in Eve’s shoulder.

With her strength failing, Eve failed to block the enemy’s attack and…

‘…What is this?’

She realized that what she had seen was the immediate future.

In that brief moment, it had appeared overlaid on reality.

Right after blocking the enemy’s attack, Eve quickly twisted her body to the side, and the knife that would have hit her shoulder struck the enemy’s chest instead.

“Kuh…!”

The enemy was caught off guard, apparently not expecting to be hit by his ally’s attack.

Eve quickly kicked off the wall and slashed the enemy while in mid-air.

As soon as she landed, she looked back to see Sera casting a magic missile toward the rear, taking down one pursuer.

“Are you alright?”

“Hurry and follow me!”

Eve hastily answered Sera’s question and began running again with her.

‘Just now, what was that?’

It was different from the futures she had seen before.

Until now, when she saw the future, she only saw that future alone.

She had never seen it overlaid on reality like this.

‘…I wonder why.’

It was an unexpected stroke of luck, but on the other hand, Eve began to feel uneasy.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that ever since the man called Somnus had appeared, quietly following them, something had changed in her—or more precisely, in her ability.

Shortly after, when she saw an overlaid vision of someone shooting arrows from a rooftop, Eve quickly pulled Sera into another alley.

Now she needed to use this ability to find a way out.

+

I was hit by an enemy attack and sent flying through the air.

I quickly adjusted my posture to break my fall.

“A direct hit, but you’re still alright?”

“You bastard!”

-Clatter

I felt my protective armor crumbling and falling off.

It had somehow protected me from the surprise attack.

I quickly ran forward and picked up a monk’s staff (錫杖) that had fallen to the ground.

I didn’t know which religion it belonged to, but it felt surprisingly heavy, indicating it was made of metal.

It probably belonged to someone who had participated in this event.

It didn’t matter.

I swiftly swung the staff at Somnus, who smiled and said:

“My goodness, a staff from the Valor Order, the god of warriors. Unexpectedly decent weapon.”

Somnus used his prosthetic arm to block or deflect my attacks.

However, his body itself didn’t seem particularly agile.

I managed to strike his head with the staff.

But just like when he was cut by the sword, his body crumbled like sand and then reappeared behind me.

“I’m too clumsy at close combat. I envy you—I wish I could swing like that too.”

Somnus smiled and spoke as if genuinely envious.

I ignored him and charged again.

I needed to take him down quickly.

I needed to defeat him quickly and go to Eve and Sera.

“Your attacks feel rather crude compared to Beatrice’s. Perhaps you’re anxious because you need to get to those two ladies?”

Somnus said this while slowly walking backward to avoid my attacks or blocking them with his prosthetic arm.

It seemed he had judged that simply stalling for time was sufficient for his purposes.

“Besides, after that red lightning earlier and everything else, you’ve pushed your body too hard to fight properly.”

Somnus said with a smile.

“Who do you think you are, those two…!”

“If we’re being precise, didn’t you bring the silver-haired lady into this by entrusting Seraphina to her?”

I lifted the end of the staff with one hand and brought it down hard.

Somnus’s head was shattered by the attack, but just like before, he reappeared behind me.

Whatever magic this was, I couldn’t land an effective hit.

“But I’m surprised. Even longer than I expected… no, at this rate, those two might actually make it here.”

Somnus spoke as if slightly troubled.

“If I just knew the whereabouts of the Philosopher’s Stone, I wouldn’t cause any harm… what a shame.”

Somnus glanced at me as he said this.

“Perhaps you’ve heard something?”

Of course I hadn’t heard anything. However.

“You think I’d tell someone like you about something like that?”

The explosion that caught Christina was his doing.

The attack on Eve and Sera was probably his will as well.

There was absolutely no reason to negotiate.

“I thought as much. Can’t be helped.”

Somnus looked at me and said:

“I’ll have to capture you as a prisoner and interrogate you, or torture you. Or perhaps extract the information directly from your brain? One way or another, I need to find out its whereabouts.”

Somnus said this while turning his prosthetic arm behind him.

Soon there was a small explosion, and Somnus shook his prosthetic arm.

“…Tch.”

“I thought she was nearly dead, but I didn’t expect her to attack in that condition, Beatrice.”

Beatrice had her hand extended.

She must have thought Somnus was distracted with me and tried to ambush him.

“But seeing you throw a fireball rather than engage in close combat, which is your specialty, I’m guessing both your physical strength and magical power are at rock bottom?”

“Want to test that?”

Beatrice got up with a contorted face.

Though staggering, she took a fighting stance, causing Somnus to shake his head.

“Oh my, two against one? I’m just a harmless old man.”

Despite his words, Somnus smiled and clapped his hands.

“Well, that’s fine. Neither of you is in good shape anyway.”

Somnus spoke leisurely.

With Somnus between us, Beatrice and I glared at him.

Beatrice moved first.

I could tell she was looking somewhere specific.

Following her gaze slightly, I saw the sword that Somnus had taken from me and thrown away earlier.

She kicked off the ground, grabbed the sword, and swung it at Somnus.

Though somewhat clumsy compared to Eve, she began attacking with what could pass for swordsmanship.

“My, how amateurish.”

Of course, Somnus was not one to fail to counter this.

After several exchanges, Beatrice finally lost her grip on the sword.

It seemed she had tried to compensate for her weakened body with a weapon but failed.

Still, taking advantage of the distraction, I charged at Somnus with the staff.

Soon we became entangled in a complex melee.

Fists, prosthetic arm, and staff collided and deflected each other.

Occasionally it seemed Somnus’s body was hit, but each time he would transform into sand and reappear behind us.

“Hmm.”

Somnus looked at Beatrice and me as if contemplating something.

Seeing us charging together, Somnus smiled.

“You two work surprisingly well together, don’t you?”

“Shut up!!”

I swung the staff while Beatrice lowered her body to dive in.

While Somnus grabbed the staff and broke it with his prosthetic arm, Beatrice rose up and extended her fist.

-Thwack!

With a perfectly executed uppercut, Somnus staggered backward.

Did he fail to dodge this time, or had he run out of tricks?

Still, Somnus grabbed Beatrice with his prosthetic arm and lifted her.

“Really, such a tomboy…”

Somnus couldn’t finish his sentence.

That’s because I charged and lunged at him.

Finally releasing Beatrice, Somnus and I rolled on the ground together.

After rolling several times, I quickly positioned myself and pinned Somnus beneath me.

I had secured what’s commonly called a mount position.

Then I struck Somnus’s face with my fist.

-Thwack! Thwack!

He didn’t even groan despite being hit.

Though his face was clearly being struck, Somnus remained calm.

Soon he grabbed my fist with his prosthetic arm and threw me off.

“You can’t use that red lightning anymore, can you? You’re at your limit? Well, your strength alone is something I can handle.”

Somnus got up with a smile.

Beatrice threw a punch at him.

And I, having been thrown off, quickly got up and charged with a lowered stance.

Looking at both of us, Somnus clicked his tongue lightly.

“This won’t do. Let’s make it a bit more spectacular…”

Light gathered around Somnus’s body.

“Shall we burn it all down once more?”

Soon a large explosion erupted around him.

Smoke filled the surroundings.

As a result, visibility became poor.

In the midst of this, Somnus coughed lightly once and spoke.

“…Oh dear, was that too much?”

Somnus scratched his head.

“Well, it’s fine. I can just take the corpses with me.”

It’s not a big deal.

Information can be extracted even from a dead brain.

Thinking this, Somnus leisurely looked around.

Somewhere, two bodies should be lying…

-Thunk!

Somnus looked down at his own body for a moment.

“…I cast a wide-area spell, how did you…?”

“How? You’re asking how?”

Beatrice, who had sat down from exhaustion, spoke up.

“I just saved my trump card until the end.”

Beatrice said as she tossed away the cigarette she had been smoking.

“Keeping you two close to each other was my mistake.”

Somnus quietly looked behind him as he spoke.

At the end of his gaze was me.

As soon as light began gathering around him, I quickly moved toward Beatrice, who was already running toward me with the sword.

She defended against Somnus’s final attack, then leaped into the smoke and stabbed him with the sword.

She blocked the enemy’s attack and stabbed him in the back when he was off guard.

That was all there was to it.

Somnus collapsed to the ground.

‘…Damn.’

Feeling my legs slightly giving out, I momentarily sat down on the ground.

Though Beatrice had defended me, the impact of the explosion was still there.

‘…I need to get to those two quickly.’

I tried to force myself to stand up.

Meanwhile, Beatrice approached Somnus.

“…My biggest regret is not killing you with my own hands.”

Beatrice got up with a smile.

Though staggering, she didn’t stop walking.

Soon she used her leg to turn over Somnus’s body.

“At least I get to see your dying face, you bastard.”

She took out a cigarette from her pocket and lit it, then looked up at the sky.

“There are still others left, but I’ve caught the biggest one…”

“It’s not over yet?”

When I quietly asked, Beatrice smiled slightly.

“It’s not over yet.”

Beatrice said quietly.

Soon she turned her head away from Somnus.

“Yes. It’s not over yet.”

It was at that moment when we both widened our eyes.

Suddenly, a blue sphere flew at me and sent me flying.

I hurriedly tried to block it with my arm.

With the explosion, my gauntlet was destroyed, and I rolled on the ground.

“Kugh!”

“Hey, helmet…”

Beatrice called out to me in surprise.

And at that moment, with the sound of chains, something wrapped around Beatrice’s neck.

“Kuh…ack?”

“I almost didn’t get to use the gift I prepared for you.”

Somnus stood up.

Seeing him rise with the sword still embedded in him, I was shocked, and he smiled and said:

“What…?”

“Currently, I don’t die from something as trivial as having my body pierced.”

He smiled calmly, and the sword pulled itself out.

Soon the pierced part of his body began to fill with something like sand.

“It’s a magic I kept as insurance, and it worked well.”

Somnus said.

“By the way, do you like it, Beatrice? Since your title is ‘Mad Dog,’ I prepared a collar for you.”

“This… is…”

Something like shackles had been placed around Beatrice’s neck.

While pulling the iron chain connected to it with his prosthetic arm, Somnus said:

“It’s a magical tool. They say when raising a dog, you should put it on a leash.”

“Let… go…!”

Beatrice resisted.

She tried to break the collar, but it remained immovable.

Instead, it began to constrict her neck more tightly.

“It’s a magical tool that forcibly establishes a master-servant relationship. I was in a hurry, so I grabbed it with my prosthetic arm.”

At his words, Beatrice’s face turned pale.

“It’s a magical tool that completes the contract just by touching it.”

The worst possible situation was approaching for her.

Namely, the prospect of falling into the hands of her sworn enemy.

Beatrice resisted more violently, and Somnus watched with a smile.

Perhaps he wasn’t in a hurry since he only needed to switch hands.

Then Somnus looked down at me.

“I’ve just received news.”

Somnus said, looking down at me.

“Those two women, they’ve successfully been surrounded.”

He speaks in a bizarre tone that could be either mockery or consolation.

“I’ll give you a choice.”

He quietly whispers.

“If you abandon one of the two women, I promise not to threaten the life of the other.”

His voice was cold.

“I told you, didn’t I? Unnecessary things must be discarded, even lives. We shouldn’t have unfortunate victims like that nun, right?”

He says with a smile.

He was referring to Christina.

Christina who was injured.

Eve and Sera who might also be injured.

The anger that had cooled slightly began to boil again.

“This joyful choice, to you.”

“What do you think human lives are?!!”

I kicked the ground with all my might.

The red lightning that I thought would no longer come enveloped my body.

I had no weapon.

My arms couldn’t be swung because I used them to push off the ground hard.

It was too close for that.

So the remaining weapon was…

-Crunch.

Somnus showed a surprised expression again.

Blood spurted from his arm.

As the price for leaping into the air almost like flying, I rolled on the ground several times.

Then, glaring at him, I shook my head.

-Ptooey.

Along with spit, I threw away what I had been biting.

It was an arm.

Not the prosthetic one, but his other, intact arm.

The smile disappeared from Somnus’s face.