There are two armored men at the door of the cabin. It seems there are no other guards nearby. Well, since the villagers are unarmed, they considered that the villagers wont oppose them. a.s.suming there are also two at the women’s cabin. I would also like to know the personnel stationed in other places.
There were five people in the plaza a while ago, and three people were in the forest according to Anjou. Together with the commander and the pilot of the Aluminare, it adds up to 14. Considering the size of the defense perimeter, I estimate it was more or less 20 people.
For now, I should make contact with Papa and his group over at that cabin.
I dug the ground behind the cabin and made a small tunnel. The trick was possible because the cabin doesn’t have a foundation.
And so, I knocked lightly on the wooden wall.
I expect a person inside should be able to notice it. And on top of that to let them know its me, I will shove something into the hole.
So I crumpled my game bag to make it small and toss it into the hole. Then, I could hear some noise inside.
“Are you there Eldo?”
“Are you OK Papa? I’m sorry, because of me you got unexpectedly involved”
“I’ll scold you later, however they are—-”
“I know, I heard you guys talking at the plaza. Anjou already went to Mama”
“Stop doing something dangerous. Anjou should quickly go to the highway under the village and should seek for help”
“We don’t have time”
The bandits have an Aluminare. Only another Aluminare can oppose it. However, all of the country’s machines that are in the Royal Capital and major cities were possibly defending the border, so there is no way one is located in the countryside. If I’m gonna wait for help, Papa and the rest doesn’t know when it will come, and my Aluminare will be stolen before helps arrive.
Therefore, me and Anjou must do something.
“I will hear as much sermon you will give, but for now follow my instructions. I will make a scene after this to attract the enemies away. Then, Anjou will lead Mama’s group out, join up with them and barricade yourselves in the Village Chief’s house. Ask Anjou for more details”
“Hey, Eldo! Wait!”
“Well then, I’m going!”
Papa raised his voice reflexively, but without the eyes to match it, Papa was not scary at all. Although it will be hard, I have ways to make them move.
The men who are guarding knocked on the door when Papa raised his voice.
I approached the men from the rear and hit them with [Air Blast] from point blank range with all my power.
“Na!’ “Gua!”
With a heavy thud sound, it seems their armor got dented , the men were blown off to the air, and fell down.
The power of my magic rose up significantly as well.
“What!”
“What’s wrong!”
Oops, this was not good. I must spread out the diversion quickly.
“You there, why don’t you take my machine anytime you want!”
“That’s the kid in question!”
“That kid!”
Reacting to the voice, the men who were guarding the surroundings had gathered.
I fired off another [Aero Blaster] towards the corner.
“The opponent is using magic! Be careful!”
“Capture him alive!”
“Use the hostages!”
Several people went immediately to the cabin where the women are. There were only few of them surprisingly. Should I be a little bit more threatening? Sure. If it reduces Anjou’s burden, then its better to do it.
“[Fire Ball]!”
“[Water Lance]!”
Among them, two people fired off their magic at me. Because I don’t want to kill them, it seems I have to weaken my magic. However, it wont even reach me.
“[Pinpoint Cyclone]!”
I used the magic that I used a while ago, instead of being a foothold, it became a shield
I raised the power of the tornado compared to before, the water lance, and the fireball too, was easily negated.
“Tsk, that kid is used to using magic”
“Is it because he is always hunting? This is a ha.s.sle. Go crush his spirit. He won’t die if we aim for his arms and legs”
Hey, hey, is it such a good idea to be sloppy? A human being will die from shock if got hit by a powerful magic.
While thinking what to do, there was a column of fire rising from the direction of the cabin where the women are.
“If it’s Anjou, she’ll be coming here”
Anjou should be joining them here anytime soon. So I have to handle my task precisely.
“Sleep together. [Air Squash], [s.e.xtuple Setup]. [Start]!”
Men collapsed to the ground immediately as if something fell down with an intense sound.
“Now then, what’s left?”
When I looked up, the black Aluminare nearby approached immediately.
“You’re interesting!”
“A kid?”
“I can say the same thing about you. More importantly, do you think you can do something about it by doing something like this? There’s an Aluminare here you know?”
“I have to do something since I might get killed. So I’m going stop you”
“Then entertain me as much as possible!”
The enormous sword was swung down. I dodged it using [Aero Thruster].
The sword which smashed to the ground, kicked up the surrounding soil loudly. I blew it off towards the Aluminare.
The c.o.c.kpit of the Aluminare had 24 monitors on the front. Because there are cameras equipped on the foot and arms of the Aluminare, I must cover the whole thing is I’m going to blind him.
“Oh, the camera huh?”
“Blinding another one is just basic tactic. So!”
I used [Active Wing] and [Aero Thruster] and dashed underneath the Aluminare in one go, jumped straight up and clung unto the back.
“I see, you’re aiming for the c.o.c.kpit!”
“Because it’s easier to beat up people than striking iron”
“It is certainly so, but it seems you are not familiar with all the weapons of the Aluminare!”
“What?”
Just after that, my body was a.s.sailed by the sense of being gently lifted up, when I noticed it, I was thrown off from the Aluminare.
“Just, just now…..”
“Anti-personnel magic, [Shock Gravitas]. Just like now, it’s a magic that deals with people that clings occasionally. It’s now a standard equipment of the machine, however—”
“Sorry but I didn’t receive formal training”
I controlled the att.i.tude of the Active Wing so I could land. I have been blown off this far surprisingly, perhaps this was good. This leads towards the forest, I can lure him to the location of my machine.
“Captain, I found the kid, what’s next?”
“Catch him alive. I will catch that girl”
“Roger that. Please catch that kid”
Since the captain was particular about catching me, I will survive. Since they will lose the information on where the Aluminare was if they killed me, and would also slow down the search afterward. Furthermore it was more thrilling to do a game of tag.
Oh well, my opponent in this game of tag was an armed group, if they have more personnel, they will be able to quickly catch me and get the information they needed. Describing the forest in one word, it would be “vast”. Especially that the machine was hidden by the shadow of the valley by now, they would considerably had a hard time searching for it.
“Can you easily catch me?”
I turned back and leaped into the forest. The Aluminare chased me as expected.
Magic will help me as it comes after me. The Aluminare had big strides, the distance that I covered by several steps was cut down to one.
Even with the full use of the [Active Wing], it would easily catch up to me if I don’t maintain top speed.
“It’s an amazing magic you have there. To be able to do that much with just your body”
The sword descended with a swoosh and cut down the trees.
Such small talk while doing such action!
“[Wind Cutter], [Double Setup]. [Start]!”
“Haha, it’s pointless, it’s futile”
The [Wind Cutter] I fired off in desperation only lightly damaged the armor of the Aluminare. Of course, unless it’s another Aluminare, you can’t oppose the Aluminare.
Casting the [Aero Thruster] at full throttle, I decided to focus earnestly on trying to escape.
“Phew, to think that the opponent was just this much huh?”
As Anjou defeated the men who came toward the cabin, she unintentionally murmured how disappointing it was.
“Whoops, not good, not good. it’s when my guard is down that it’s most dangerous”
She followed Eldo’s instruction and put up her guard back. Then she confirmed that there were no more reinforcement before she went to the women’s cabin.
“Anjou-chan, why did you do something dangerous?”
“That’s right, why didn’t you hide?”
Anjou’s mom, Eldo’s mom, and the rest of the women from the village unanimously worried over Anjou, but she just ignored it all and gave directions.
“Let’s talk about this later. For now let us join with father and the rest. Because Eldo-kun expects us to be over there”
“So Eldo-kun said it like that”
“Eldo-chan…..”
Eldo’s mom looks like she was about to cry at any moment as she was crushed by anxiety.
“Please mother, auntie. Come and follow me.
“Hmmp, I’m gonna give you a sermon later”
“Yup”
Anjou took the lead and the women followed afterward, their faces showed anxiety.
Anjou returned to the plaza and discovered a bunch of men collapsed.
“Eldo-kun, you”
As soon as she determined that it was Eldo’s doing, she searched where was Eldo located.
Eldo was squaring off with the Aluminare near the forest. Then, he heard a man’s voice
“I will catch that girl”
Anjou realized that the girl the voiced talked about was herself, and saw the person the voice belongs to. There, the man leading them was accompanied by several men.
“Mother, go with the rest to where Father was detained. Because it doesn’t seem to have anymore soldiers over there except them”
“I understand”
“Are you sure…..?”
“I have faith in Anjou”
“Go ahead then. It would be troublesome if the aunties are here”
With the angry look of Anjou, the women reluctantly went to the cabin in a hurry.
The leader just merely let them pa.s.s.
“Was that OK? Just letting them go”
“I will only catch you kid, they can do whatever they want. They had served their purpose in the first place”
“Really, but I’m not that easy to catch”
“Hmph, you seem to be able to use some magic, I will crush that arrogance. You guys, get her”
The men nearby took out their sword, chanted some skills aimed towards Anjou.
Essentially, magic is best countered with another magic, but Anjou lowered her stance and braced herself, there was no sign she was to invoke a magic.
“[Mist Area]!”
“[Air Cutter]!”
“[Ice Lance]!”
A man generated a fog to take away the visibility of the surroundings.
A blade of wind and a lance of ice was fired off, aiming at Anjou, after that.
She then fired off a [Fire Ball] as a counterattack towards the direction where the attack came.
Anjou rolled over to dodge without using magic.
She then fired off a [Fire Ball] as a counterattack towards the direction where the attack came.
But there was no response from the [Fire Ball].
“Hiding within the fog. Even so”
If she can’t see them, she just have to drive it away.
“[Blast Fire], [Triple Setup]. [Start]!”
Three places on the ground surrounding Anjou, together with her chant, made a loud noise and it blew off. A shock wave spread all around and dispersed the fog all at once.
“I though so!”
Three men jumped out from the dispersed fog.
The men were waiting for Anjou to make a bold move of blowing off the fog.
The men were about to slash Anjou, swung down their sword with absolute confidence. However, the sword that was swung towards Anjou didn’t even reached her.
Anjou changed the angle of the [Flare Booster] horizontally, and move along the ground immediately.
“Wha, What is that?!”
“[Fiiiireee]! [Knuckle]!”
Immediately after that, Anjou revved up her [Flare Booster] and rushed towards the front of the man with her flaming fist.
The first went straight through the man’s jaw and he fell down unconscious. Furthermore, with the momentum of the [Flare Booster], she punched the solar plexus of another man.
“That’s two down”
“This girl!”
The soldier panicked and swung his sword recklessly. But, such sword cannot hit her, the sword only stroked empty air and left front wide open.
“[Fire Lance]!”
“Gua”
“Third one”
In an instant, she defeated 3 people using magic. However, there were no signs that she was being pursued further. And then, a clapping sound rang out.
“I see, no wonder you had such self-confidence. You seemed so accustomed in anti-personnel battle”
“It’s because I practiced so much with Eldo-kun.
I got accustomed to fighting with people”
“I see, even I would have a little bit of a hard time with this”
“But there is still a big gap right”
“Of course. We have an Aluminare here. If that kid gets caught, you won’t be able to resist either”
“IF… he gets caught”
Anjou doesn’t think Eldo will get caught in the slightest. For eight years that she learned movement type magic, she wasn’t able to catch Eldo even when using all she got.
How much more with someone piloting an Aluminare? Eldo will never get caught.
But, she had no intention to let this standoff last forever. She had to show the brave Eldo that she can beat the enemy quickly.
“It’s painful for me not to be at Eldo-kun’s side”
Anjou created a flaming sword and was about to slash at the leader.