The Path to Take

No sooner had I taken a few steps than Krona blocked the way again. With a face full of tears, the child-like, small-framed Krona spread her arms wide, leaving me no choice but to stop.

,I’ll grant you anything you want! Please, don’t go up!

Before I knew it, other gnomes had rushed over and crowded behind Krona. They intertwined their arms tightly, as if determined never to let us pass. Raellan asked in a small voice.

,What should we do? I’m willing to use force if you want.

I know what Raellan means. He’s already sacrificed three cities. His extreme personality would clear away anything that blocks his path without hesitation, even if the opponent has no will to fight.

,…There’s no need for that.

Even if our act of going up to the second floor is akin to death for them, I didn’t want to stain my hands with the blood of an opponent who has no will to fight.

Using space magic to avoid the gnomes blocking the way, I moved near the pillar. The startled gnomes panicked and chased after us.

,Please, don’t go up!

,Please! Protect our world!

,If you’re going to do that, just kill us now!

Ignoring the voices from behind, I arrived at the pillar… and the entrance was filled with even more gnomes. Most of them were smaller and frailer than the gnomes we had seen before. It was a gathering of young gnomes.

The young gnomes, upon discovering us, burst into tears and snot, but they didn’t seem inclined to open the way. They trembled all over, and with each step closer, more gnomes fainted, but the stairs inside the pillar were so full of gnomes that I couldn’t possibly ignore them and pass.

,I guess there’s no choice now.

Raellan raised his staff as if seeking my permission and looked at me. What’s important to me is saving Luna. I was willing to do anything for that, but I hesitated to kill these young gnomes.

Why? Simply because they look young and frail? No, it’s not just some paltry compassion. Even if I put countless gnomes on the scale, they wouldn’t outweigh Luna. But I was clearly feeling hesitation.

,Ross.

There’s no way Ellie, with her keen perception, wouldn’t notice such hesitation. Since there’s no reason to wear a mask anymore, Ellie’s expression was clearly visible. Somehow, that expression felt like disappointment.

,Why are you hesitating? You want to save Luna, don’t you?

At those words, I unknowingly opened my mouth slightly, then bit my lip at Ellie’s transparent gaze fixed on me. That look jolted my mind as if cold water had been splashed on my face.

With a sigh, I erased the hesitation in my heart, and felt an emptiness as if something that had taken root within me had disappeared. That emptiness quickly turned into freedom.

,Move or I’ll kill you.

Despite my warning, the young gnomes just streamed tears and squeezed their eyes shut. I couldn’t hesitate any longer. Not for Luna’s sake. For my sake, and for the sake of my companions who trusted me and followed me here.

I drew up magic power. The young gnomes, feeling the murderous intent and fighting spirit flowing from my body, began to faint. But there were still so many gnomes blocking the way… I threw my spear and pierced through everything in front of me.

―――!

,Kkyaaa!

,It hurts, it hurts!

,Aaaagh, save me!

,No! Kohh, get a grip!

A path was made.

A path painted with torn flesh, blood, screams, and tears.

,The children…!

Krona, who had been chasing after us, cried out in shock at my actions.

,To kill young children like that! What on earth are you trying to gain by killing these innocent children!

Ignoring Krona’s words, I walked the path that had been made. The sound of squishing flesh being trampled under my soles could be felt. Passing by the young gnomes who were trembling with fear and horror as they looked at me, I frowned at the sight of the young gnomes blocking the path again.

,Don’t do it! You bad guy!

,Bad person! Bad person!

,Please, don’t kill us!!!

Just as I was about to throw my spear again, tightening my grip on the shaft, Krona, who was standing behind me, shouted.

,Everyone, let’s protect our world!

Krona charged at me with her bare body. I turned around from throwing my spear and pierced Krona’s head without hesitation. As Krona collapsed to the floor, leaking whitish brain fluid, the surroundings fell silent for a moment. It was a silence like the flash of lightning that heralds the arrival of thunder.

,For the children!

,For our world!

The gnomes, without any weapons, threw themselves to stop us. Like honeybees rushing to kill wasps with their body heat, gnomes smaller than my lower body charged at us to protect their paradise.

I kicked and killed the gnomes trying to cling to my body, and swung my spear to cut down all the gnomes who came close. I stomped on the head of a young gnome who grabbed my ankle, crushing it, and continued to move forward, kicking and pushing.

Raellan and Ellie also used magic to endlessly kill the gnomes approaching their surroundings. But the gnomes didn’t give up. Without even being able to throw a single punch at us, they died in vain, yet they threw away their lives like trash to protect their world.

But I pierced through all the gnomes blocking my path. I endlessly repeated killing hundreds of gnomes at once like a blender, arrived at the pillar, and ground up all the numerous gnomes blocking the stairs.

When I made a path to the second floor, the blood flowing down the stairs reached my ankles. Trampling on the torn flesh and entrails of the gnomes, we finally climbed the stairs and arrived at the second floor, the end of the pillar.

Raellan, shaking off the blood on his staff, said.

,It’s night here.

Stepping out of the pillar, I saw a clear night sky with countless stars and galaxies. The pillar was touching that night sky. Around the pillar, there were giant trees shining brightly as if they had gathered the starlight of the night sky. Upon closer inspection, I could see that they had naturally created structures inside the trees.

,It seems like elves live here. They knew we were coming and were waiting. Unlike the gnomes, they’re armed.

Raellan, having finished his vision enhancement magic, smirked as he looked at me.

,Everyone’s desperate to protect their paradise. We’re like a disaster to them, so they’re trying to stop us even if it means throwing away their lives. Hehe.

,…Just as there’s a reason why they’re trying to stop us from going up at all costs, we also have a reason why we must go up.

At my answer, Ellie smiled slightly and leaned her shoulder against mine. Feeling Ellie’s warmth through the touching clothes, I immediately moved away as if I had touched something hot. As if not caring at all about my reaction, Ellie looked straight ahead and said.

,But this time they have weapons, so you won’t hesitate, will you?

When I stared silently at Ellie’s pointed remark, Ellie, who had a sly smile, turned her head towards me.

,Are you angry?

,…No.

I’m not angry. It’s not like Ellie said anything wrong. More than anything, I had the feeling that Ellie wouldn’t care at all if I got angry. If you know that nothing will change even if you shout at the wall, there’s no one who would bother wasting their emotions.

,Let’s go.

*

Avoiding the flying arrows, I used space magic to pierce the elf’s head. Moving my body without rest, I pushed away all the pouring arrows with space distortion, threw myself at the elf wielding a sword and knocked him down, then pierced his head and threw my spear at the elf who appeared behind the tree.

Peoeok――!

With the sound of a head exploding, I once again materialized a shadow spear and killed the elf rushing at me with a sword. The trees burned in the huge explosion created by Ellie and Raellan, and the sound of elves falling to the ground and their bodies bursting continued to be heard.

,Fire!

I created a dimensional passage to the place where that voice was heard and moved behind them, then cut off the heads of the elves who were aiming their bows all at once. The elf, who seemed to be the leader, hurriedly swung his sword at me, who had suddenly appeared, but I, who was already expecting a response, pierced his head by stabbing my spear between his armpits without even turning around.

All the senses in my body awaken. Simple slaughter didn’t give me any satisfaction, but the endless flying arrows and swords were enough to heat up my battle senses with excitement.

,They keep coming.

Raellan, who was burning the elves alive by swinging his staff, heard the warning from his familiar who had discovered the approaching elf reinforcements and shouted at me.

,Is there any need to waste our strength in a place like this? Let’s clean up roughly and go to the third floor!

At Raellan’s words, I drew up magic power and threw my spear at the elves blocking the path to the pillar. The shadow spear, which grew larger as if it was growing as it flew, rushed like a flash of light, piercing through the barricade and killing all the elves behind it.

A path was opened, and we ran straight to the pillar. Arrows poured down endlessly like rain, but the arrows didn’t touch us at all and only scattered around us due to space distortion and Ellie’s magic.

The elves, realizing that arrows were useless against us, tried to block our path with swords, but they were all burned to death by the flames Raellan had created. Just like on the first floor, there were elves blocking the stairs, but no matter how many there were, they couldn’t stop me, who had the shadow spear.

Climbing the stairs and leaving the pillar, the elves gave up and didn’t chase us anymore. They must have thought that further fighting was meaningless since we had already gone up.

This time, we had quite a battle, so we took a short break. Taking out food from the space warehouse, I distributed it to everyone, and as I was taking out a drink and drinking it… someone approached the place where we were resting.

Ellie and Raellan, who had sensed the approaching enemy through the alarm magic, grabbed their staffs, but I checked the face of the person walking towards us from afar with a swaying gait and drank the remaining drink.

I never thought I’d meet you here.

,Hello, you arrived later than I thought.

A woman in a witch’s outfit with ash-gray hair and black eyes.

,I’ve been waiting for you.

Mormot gave me a cryptic smile.