Swamp Girl!

Swallowed up by the golden wall, there was a moment of vertigo, and then my surroundings changed completely.
From the daytime outdoors to the familiar underground chamber below the castle.
Though it was bright enough thanks to the mysterious light source, it was totally dark compared to the noonday sun.

“Guh…–”

For a moment, it felt as if my eyes had been crushed, but when I concentrated on them, my eyesight immediately returned.
The red object known as Tetra’s Heart, which I had seen when I came to this place, was no longer there. Broken fragments were scattered about in its place.
And I recognized the one standing in the midst of it all.

“Chris!”

I shouted.

I don’t know if that name’s appropriate anymore.
But the girl in my memories is unmistakably Chris. That has nothing to do with whatever she might be.
That figure.
And if she calls my name with that voice, she’ll be Chris to me.

But the ent.i.ty before me with Chris’s shape was clearly not my Chris.
A cruelty in its gaze that she had never shown, it glared us as we arrived in turn.
Naturally, my voice received no response either.

— No, I didn’t miss the slight, momentary shift in expression.

It was an unpleasant one.

For a moment, a fiery anger blazed up within me.
Right now, the one inside was definitely Tetra.
For that thing to make such an expression with Chris’s face was unbearably abhorrent.

” — Tetra, is it?”

Even now I wanted to spring at it and drag it out of her.
No matter what, I couldn’t forgive it for being able to exist in that form. I just barely managed to keep my impulse in check by glaring at it.

“That’s right. It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve been called by that name,”

the creature replied in Chris’s voice.

“Big Sister!”

“Chris!”

Maybe they couldn’t bear it, because Aira and Palmira both cried out.
And maybe understanding the situation from the words spoken by that voice, their own were tinged with grief.

“Fall back.”

“…Princess, if this is a joke, I’m not laughing.”

Keeping Aira and Palmira in check as they attempted to move up, Vyde and Rupert came forward as they drew their swords.
Pa.s.sing by me to station themselves at my right and left flanks, they surveyed Tetra’s condition warily.

“I was surprised that there was still a magus capable of using a teleport gate. The one who was here earlier didn’t seem capable of using magic of any consequence, so I was quite disappointed, wondering if magic had declined so far.”

“What happened to Lucien…!”

I demanded of a sneering Tetra. When it said ‘earlier’, I understood that it meant Lucien.
He’d been the one to release Tetra, without a doubt.
I didn’t know if it was an accident or on purpose. But at least based on Tetra’s presence here, and Lucien’s absence, it seemed plain that he’d encountered some kind of problem.

“Lucien…? …Ahh, the one who freed me? If so, he’s over there.”

Drawling his name carelessly as well, Tetra pointed behind me. I followed its finger, only to draw a sharp breath.

“Kyaa!?”

Tracking the pointing finger as I had, Aira screamed.
A blood-soaked Lucien lay collapsed against the wall, completely motionless.

“!…That’s — ”

“Head Maid!?”

Two similar figures seized my gaze. One, an unfamiliar swordsman lying crumpled on the floor.
And the other, fallen face down, was Allie.

Just what the h.e.l.l happened? I didn’t know the details, but all of it had to be Tetra’s doing.

“Aira, Palmira. Look after those three.”

I was worried, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Tetra. For the time being, I gave instructions to the two noncombatants.
Lucien concerned me, but honestly, I wanted to check Allie over personally. But I had to restrain myself for now.
I could hear the sounds of hurried running behind me.

“…You b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”

Glaring at Tetra, I wrung out the words in a resentful growl.
I wanted to wipe this thing off the face of the earth as soon as possible. Behind my back, I tightened my grip on the object Arcteur had entrusted to me.

“Give Chris back…!”

Inching forward, I closed the distance between us.
I knew what I had to do, but I couldn’t seize an opportunity to do so. That said, it was too reckless to go for the stab without some kind of plan. At least, I expected it to have a power that could destroy warriors and magi regardless of martial prowess. Of course, I had no choice but to evaluate its combat potential in terms of the worst case.
I was facing Tetra — the strongest magus of legend.

“…’Give back’? After stealing everything from me, you people dare to say that to my face!?”

Suddenly, Tetra exploded, slashing a hand clad in blue flame through the air.
Zudon! Cracks fanned out across the ground before it, the shockwave rolling toward us.

“ジ”

As the invisible power closed in, Arcteur shot forward and slammed his hands against the ground, blocking it with wall of red magic.
I couldn’t see them, but the disruption’s waves scattered into the surroundings. Gouges tore themselves in the ground, sending a great deal of earth and sand flying into the air.

“…Oh? You can defend against this too? How interesting. Even in the past, there were no masters of that caliber. Hmm, three Attunements? You’re quite an important individual, aren’t you?”

“It’s an honor to be praised by the great magus of legend!”

Its magic thwarted yet again, Tetra smiled fearlessly. Despite facing it with a similar smile, Arcteur couldn’t be feeling terribly confident.

As a matter of fact, Arcteur was a magus of such caliber that he’d been hailed a genius.
Still, before a legend, his chances didn’t look good. Actually, his resistance must have really been something if even Tetra had something to say about it.
But it was clear to see that he was at a disadvantage in this situation.

“Vyde, Rupert. I’m fine here. Get in there and raise some h.e.l.l.”

“Yes — !”

“Roger that!”

I issued instructions to the two soldiers to my left and right.
With a flick, they split from my flanks, advancing to interpose themselves between Tetra and myself. Keeping the right distance from Tetra was a delicate thing. Any closer would leave them open to that no-incantation magic, but of course, it wasn’t exactly the right distance for close-quarters combat either.
In that case, forcing it to attack two opponents would allow us to capitalize on our numerical superiority.

My defense would inevitably be weaker for it, but the protection of warriors was meaningless at mid-range. That was better left to Arcteur.
Though, if I didn’t go to the front myself in the end, it would also be meaningless.

“…How impudent. Don’t imagine for a moment that you can steal from me with this little effort… ジィィィィィィ”

Tetra reached out its two hands toward Vyde and Rupert as they closed in on it from both sides.
The floor before each of them burst open.
But obviously that was yet another of the pair’s tricks. I deceived myself about what I was seeing for a moment, but it was hardly something so rosy.
Within the clouds of dust, something squared off against each of the warriors.

“Did she summon stone golems…?”

Arcteur groaned beside me.
They weren’t so much stone golems as boulders. Composed of the same cobalt green rock as the floor, the giants blocked the way. They wound up their st.u.r.dy arms and sent them rocketing toward their respective opponents.

In a flash, both soldiers leapt out of the way, and the two fists, now without targets, bored into the floor with a thunderous crash. Splinters went flying in every direction.

From the looks of things, it wasn’t that the two soldiers were in danger, but even so, their approach toward Tetra had definitely lost its momentum.

“Arcteur. To the front.”

It was hard to say that things were looking all that good.
Judging that things would only get worse even if I were to wait in the wings like this, I called over to Arcteur.

“Understood. It’s still better that way, right?”

I wasn’t exactly completely sure of that myself, but detecting a bit of banter in Arcteur’s honest ‘still better’, I let slip a smile.
Then, my expression hardening, I glared and Tetra and stepped forward.

Wait for me, Chris. I’ll rescue you soon.

The ground before me split open, and a stone golem emerged. Facing it, I unsheathed my own sword.

I’m sure the commanding officer isn’t supposed to take the field personally. But there are exceptions.

And this is one of them.

–

–

After that, the battle accelerated in intensity.
Tetra called forth more stone golems, ultimately fielding six of them. Arcteur shattered one of them into pieces with a shockwave spell.

Narrowly avoiding the attack of one of the remaining golems, I examined the state of the battle. Vyde and Rupert were both fighting well, but they seemed to be at a loss against the golems, which were slow but specialized in defense over everything else. Moreover, each of them was taking on two simultaneously.
If I changed how I looked at it, it could be interpreted as two people suppressing four golems. In that case, there would be one front. And then, it would be better for Arcteur and me to take on Tetra itself.

With Arcteur focused on casting, I currently had no choice but to advance as the vanguard. The one with the greatest offensive power among all of us had to be Arcteur. His magic could pulverize the stone golems; that had already been proven.

I buy time for him to cast, then he smashes the stone golems into pieces. We’re going to strike at Tetra all at once.

Though I was planning out that kind of concerted advance in my head, to be honest, I didn’t have much self-confidence.
Tetra didn’t do anything beyond summoning the stone golems. It just watched us like animals in a zoo.
While taking out the golems could also give us a chance at defeating Tetra, that was far too optimistic. We had to open up a gap somehow.

“Arcteur. Fire at Tetra.”

Distancing myself from the advancing golem, I whispered Arcteur’s ear.
It probably didn’t matter if it took Tetra by surprise; I expected Tetra to defend against it. Even in the unlikely event that we scored a direct hit, Chris was impervious to magic. All I could do was put my faith in that.
Then, slipping past the golem, I’d strike for that gap.

But that would also expose Arcteur to danger.
If I were to pa.s.s by the golem, Arcteur would have to take the full brunt of its advance.
Moreover, he would be rendered defenseless after completing his casting, which it would aim to take advantage of.

“Understood. Let me pick the timing.”

It was impossible for him to be ignorant of that fact. Nonetheless, he acknowledged the plan without second-guessing me.

Inwardly, I apologized to him. But I didn’t say it. Giving him a slight nod, I slipped between the golem’s swinging arms and circled around to its flank. For a moment I was afraid it would lose track of its target, but it turned in my direction.
At the same time, I twisted my body, presenting my back to Tetra for a moment before I spun further around and kicked off the ground.

In that moment, Arcteur’s magic streaked past the golem and me, heading for Tetra.
I ran in pursuit. Before me, a blue haze absorbed the impact with a great crash, kicking up a cloud of debris.

I plunged straight in.

” — Chris!”

I reached out my hand.
The dust cleared. Past my hand, I could make out a figure. The face looking at me —

“ジィィィィィィィ”

— was grinning, full of malice.

Zudon!

“Guah–!?”

The single hand raised in my direction released a wave of force.
Immediately, I crossed the sword and dagger before me in defense, but unable to withstand the impact, it sent me flying backward.

“Lord Leon!”

A voice calling me crossed the gap to reach my ears.
My consciousness all but gone, it woke me back up. But in the next moment, my body slammed into the floor.

“Gaha–!”

The powerful strike to my back drove all the air out of my lungs.
Pain pierced through my chest. I grimaced, my body stiffening. I knew I had to stand up immediately, but my body wouldn’t move.

“Kh…kaha–…”

“Prince Leon! Guh–!”

To the side of where I lay, groaning, I caught the sound of Arcteur’s voice and the roar of destruction.
I realized that the bill for losing my bet just now had come due: the golem had attacked Arcteur. As I wheezed from the pain, still unable to even breathe normally, I squinted in his direction.

Even so, I could see Arcteur on his feet, dodging the golem’s attacks.
Not yet, we haven’t hit the worst case scenario just yet.

“Guho–! Guho–!”

“…You’re alive? I thought you’d shatter into pieces at that distance.”

Finally getting my breath back, I burst into a coughing fit. My ears picked up Tetra’s blood-chilling remark.
Actually, it was exactly right. The fact that I hadn’t was something close to a miracle. The sword in my right hand was warped from the impact. The thing I clutched in my left — was fine.
Relieved, I dragged up my unwilling body to its feet.

“No matter. I’ll deal with you one at a time.”

“Khh…”

Again, Tetra faced me and held its hand aloft.
Earlier, I might have made it through by the skin of my teeth, but the next attack seemed sure to smash me into tiny pieces. I moved my body in desperation, but my strength still hadn’t come back to me. Floundering, I could only attempt to retreat.

“Lord Leon!”

Along with a voice, someone hauled on my collar. When I looked, it was Aira. I had no idea when she’d come. Perhaps seeing me unable to move, she was dragging me away by the collar.
Though she intended to pull me out of danger, despite her desperation, I barely moved an inch.

“Quickly.”

Then, with her back to me as if to shield me, Palmira stood in Tetra’s way.
It seemed that she intended to buy Aira time to move me.
Swords in both hands, warily held at the ready. She indeed cut a heroic figure, but — but in this situation, she was clearly out of her depth.

Moreover, Tetra was just about to use that magic once more.

“Run… Run — !”

“How impertinent…ジィィィィィ”

I’d gotten both of them involved like this.
I knew that, but my body wouldn’t move. As if it were only natural, the two of them were trying to protect me. Neither showed any sign of fleeing.
Isn’t there something? Anything? Even though I glanced around, neither Arcteur, nor Vyde, nor Rupert, were in any position to act.

” — Chris!”

My body wouldn’t move. I couldn’t expect rescue, either.
Staking everything on a sliver of hope, I screamed,

“Chris!! Answer me! Chris!!”

“Big Sisteeeer!”

“Chris!”

I screamed. To h.e.l.l with shame and honor. Apparently realizing my plan, Aira and Palmira cried out too.

Answer us, Chris! Answer to our voices.

Like that, Tetra’s hand, wreathed in blue flame, raised overhead, stopped.
— Did we get through?

“Chris — ?”

Before I could even finish the thought — Tetra smirked and swung its hand down.

The shockwave cracked the floor into pieces as it pa.s.sed. I watched it in despair.
First Palmira, then us — we’d be blown away.
d.a.m.n it. Not yet —

” — ‘up.”

Suddenly, a stone golem came flying in from the side, right in front of the shockwave.
As I stared in astonishment, the shockwave struck the golem and blew it into tiny pieces.

“Kyaa!”

“Guh–…!”

Even so, Palmira got caught up in the impact, and I caught her as she tumbled over.
She was covered with shrapnel wounds, but none seemed to be life-threatening.

Setting that aside, what just happened? — I swung my gaze around.

“Yo, sir prince. How about hirin’ me?”
Next to Arcteur, who was sitting on his backside on the floor. His frame big enough to be mistaken for a golem’s, a man gave me a broad grin.
A sword in hand. A body covered all over with scars.

” — Maddox. What are you up to?”

There was no way to mistake the figure of the a.s.sa.s.sin who had attacked us at the fortress. None at all.

Author’s Notes
Sorry to keep you waiting.
I wanted to energetically upload this part all in one go, but — .
Still, that’s why the second half of the combat part should be up soon…