Sudden Change (2)

The black blood created stains on the drawbridge.

The blackening blood was ominously spreading, and the bleeding was enough to take the lives of Adinimu and Barikian in an instant.

“They… they have left the prairie…”

While Yona’s group and the Azrami tribe were frozen, one Lizardman from the Meadow Gill tribe checked the pulses of the fallen Adinimu and Barikian and spoke.

That somber voice pronouncing their death.

Hearing that voice, Atilamancha’s face contorted, his fierce features trembling.

“Are you trying to annihilate our Meadow Gill tribe? Just because we contested for imperial power within our Katus Empire?”

Yona didn’t realize these words were directed at her.

So, unaware that Atilamancha was speaking, she just stared blankly at Adinimu and Barikian, who had now become cold corpses.

“Yona.”

When Alec approached and quietly called her, Yona finally snapped back to her senses and looked around.

As soon as her eyes met Atilamancha’s, she flinched at the intensity in his bloodshot eyes.

“Saintess, is this the will of you and the Azrami tribe? Did you lure us to this place to insult us like this?”

“N-no… I, I…”

Yona stammered.

The aura Atilamancha was emitting was that fierce.

So much so that Alec unconsciously moved to stand in front of Yona.

“Adinimu and Barikian were our tribe’s shamans and warriors. To do this to them, so miserably… assassination. Is this what a Saintess… no, is this what a Saintess does!?”

Atilamancha took a step towards Yona.

At that gesture, Alec pulled Yona back again and shielded her, while Kairoc also stepped forward without hesitation, raising his double-headed axe.

“Protect the Saintess—!”

At Aporza’s shout, the Azrami tribe warriors guarding the drawbridge rushed forward to surround and protect Yona.

Even so, Atilamancha’s large frame towered over the Azrami warriors, his head jutting out above them as he glared at Yona.

“N-no… no, no…!”

Yona was on the verge of madness.

She had only put them to sleep with an illusion, and then woke them up.

She had done nothing else, so she couldn’t understand why this had happened.

“Why did you kill Adinimu and Barikian—! In a place like this, not even on the battlefield, they can’t even go to the Hall of Warriors now! I ask you, is this what a Saintess does—!”

“I, I didn’t do it—!”

Yona shouted, shaking her head.

Truly, this was not Yona’s intention. She didn’t know why this had happened, to the point where she wondered if the Azrami tribe had really assassinated them without her knowledge, as it had occurred without any warning.

The atmosphere on the drawbridge was in chaos in an instant.

The Azrami tribe, with the imperial palace behind them, and the Meadow Gill tribe, encamped on the opposite side, were rapidly shifting from their previous mood to a situation of intense confrontation.

“You, you vicious Azrami bastards…! Did you think our Meadow Gill tribe would yield just because you have a Saintess, because you have your god—!!”

Atilamancha shouted loudly, lifting his foot and stomping it down hard.

• • Boom—!

    A thunderous sound echoed as the drawbridge swayed violently, causing only the Azrami tribe members to lose their balance and stagger.

“Even if it costs all our lives, we will avenge Adinimu and Barikian—!”

• • Boom—!

    Atilamancha stomped his foot again.

    The drawbridge swayed greatly once more, and in that moment, a Meadow Gill tribe warrior ran to Atilamancha with a huge polearm.

“The Meadow Gill tribe will not ignore the unjust deaths of our brethren———!!!”

Atilamancha’s lion-like roar echoed as he lifted the polearm and spun it around.

The sound of the polearm cutting through the air echoed ominously, and in that moment, Atilamancha gripped the polearm firmly and swung it greatly towards the Azrami tribe members blocking his way.

“Arghhhh!”

“Ughhh!”

“Kyaaaa—!”

Screams rang out as fresh blood sprayed.

Those Azrami tribe members who were hit by the polearm or unluckily cut by its blade were separated into upper and lower bodies, falling with splashes into the green moat below.

Red blood began to stain the moat.

The redly spreading blood gradually expanded following the flow of the moat, and in an instant, the drawbridge was transformed into a bloody mess.

“Pro-protect His Imperial Majesty—!”

With the shouts of the imperial guards, they surrounded Aporza and the other imperial family members in layers.

Atilamancha, who had been slaughtering Azrami tribe members while swinging his polearm, glared not at Yona but at Aporza, and then bellowed.

“Aporza—! You coward! Using your gods and Saintess to do such a thing, where did you sell the spirit of the prairie!”

“It, it’s a misunderstanding! Atilamancha, calm down!”

While Atilamancha kept roaring and approaching Aporza, Yona looked back and forth between Berbaria and Catsy standing on either side of her.

“Th-this… what should I do about this? Berbaria, Catsy, what should…”

However, both Berbaria and Catsy were silent in response to Yona’s gaze.

Both Berbaria, coiled up, and Catsy, curled into a ball, just looked at her without giving any answer.

【…Isn’t this a conflict among humans? Saintess, we do not intervene in this.】

【That’s right. Don’t drag us into conflicts among humans.】

“B-but…”

“Pretty one. It’s best to leave this place for now.”

It was Alevian.

Rather than trying to calm the confused Yona, Alevian chose to evacuate her first.

Alevian looked around.

Thanks to the imperial guards drawing Atilamancha’s attention, his anger had shifted to Aporza, and the Meadow Gill tribe was each raising their weapons, ready to charge across the drawbridge towards the imperial family and the Azrami tribe at any moment, following their chief Atilamancha.

‘…Is there no choice?’

Alevian traced Atilamancha’s trajectory. There was still some distance between Atilamancha and Aporza thanks to the layers of imperial guards and Azrami tribe warriors surrounding them, and with two gods standing by, plus Alec, Kairoc, and James, they wouldn’t rashly charge this way.

In that case, Alevian judged that to calm the current situation, the only option was to separate Aporza and Atilamancha. For that, the use of force was the answer.

“Berbaria, take Yona to the imperial palace side. Catsy, you can’t cast illusions right now, can you?”

【It’s impossible. In this state, it’s not possible.】

Illusions are an ability with many limitations in various ways.

In a situation like this where the target’s emotions are in an extremely negative state, even if an illusion is cast, it won’t function properly.

“Alright. Catsy, then carry the others to the imperial palace side, to the front of the main gate where the drawbridge starts.”

【Divine Official, what will you do?】

“…I have my own task to do.”

Alevian quickly scanned the drawbridge. Although it was built sturdy and thick, it was still made of wood. Briefly thinking how impressive that Lizardman Atilamancha was to make it sway by stomping, Alevian rolled up his sleeves, revealing his bare hands.

As his fingers moved, purple trajectories followed.

Drawing a circle, and placing five dots inside it.

Connecting the dots with lines forms the Five-Star Formation.

In the center of the Five-Star Formation, he drew the number of the magic he needed from among the magic tomes he possessed.

The Five-Star Formation drawn on Alevian’s palm rotated and rose into the air.

The rotation grew stronger until finally a sound of cutting through the air was heard, and while supporting that Five-Star Formation with his right hand, Alevian raised his left hand again.

From the corner of his eye, he confirmed that Catsy was leaping away with Kairoc, the last one remaining.

On the left index finger, a small sphere glowing purple had formed.

Magical power was always abundant.

Alevian, who always stuck close to Yona, who could be said to be the Saintess herself of the demon realm where gods are absent.

Therefore, magical power was never lacking.

This made possible the dual computation.

With the right hand for magic, and the left hand to trace the trajectory of that magic.

He draws a line on the drawbridge with his left index finger.

Between Atilamancha and Aporza.

As he drew his finger between them, a purple line appeared.

The Five-Star Formation, full of domineering radiance, was rotating fiercely above his hand.

Although Alevian had boldly revealed himself, no one noticed her, nor did they even know what she was doing.

As the Five-Star Formation rotated more intensely, the surrounding air began to heat up.

The compressed air soon began to shake the space, and the drawbridge began to sway slightly, with no less intensity than Atilamancha’s stomping.

And at that force, the Meadow Gill tribe and Azrami tribe members began to look at Alevian.

Shouts directed at Alevian erupted, saying to stop her, to halt immediately—but it was already too late.

“Seal. Cut.”

Alevian whispered the activation words and swung his right hand down sharply.

The Five-Star Formation that had been spinning at high speed on his palm flew towards the drawbridge, cutting through the air—

And began to carve out the drawbridge along the line he had drawn with his left hand, like a perforation line.

• • Woong…!

    The entire drawbridge vibrates.

    Thanks to the Five-Star Formation that cut through everything at once, including the pillars and support beams, even Atilamancha stopped his advance with an ominous look, and the imperial guards and Azrami tribe members protecting Aporza also retreated hesitantly.

“Everyone— Retreat——!!”

Alevian shouted with all his might.

At the same time, his figure faded away hazily, and soon he reappeared at the entrance of the drawbridge on the imperial palace side.

The puzzled looks Yona’s group, who had already arrived, were giving Alevian were brief.

The drawbridge began to collapse with a loud noise, and Atilamancha and the Meadow Gill tribe, noticing the signs of the drawbridge’s collapse, could be seen hastily withdrawing. Conversely, the Azrami tribe was also quickly retreating towards the imperial palace.

And Yona was watching this scene with a dazed look.

She couldn’t understand how this had all happened.