「Fuo―, Fuo―」
Hearing that sound, Mich.e.l.le and Helena exchanged gazes. That unique sound akin to a low tune that of a flute. Mich.e.l.le and Helena have understood that was the Whips in an instant.
「Get back, you all. Mich.e.l.le-san, any magic gems? 」
「I guess I do have some. But I didn"t bring that much. Three is all. 」
「Sorry but, I will need your help. 」
「Of course. If I get stingy now and died, then there"s no meaning at all. 」
Helena and Mich.e.l.le stood in front as if to cover for the others.
From the curving corner that led to the outside of the cave, something hard slithering as it moved was heard.
「Here it comes. 」
As if responding to Mich.e.l.le"s voice, where the lantern light illuminated, a demonic being with a brown body appeared. With the lower body having scales like a snake, the upper body like a short-mane horse, and the head shaped like an owl and having a human-like features.
Its height was about two meters. The grotesque figure, with two front legs and its snake lower body, it gradually approached.
One hit from its short beak was even more powerful than the Despairs that was known as 『Despair of the Gra.s.slands』. In front of this demonic being, even a Ractor is only its prey.
「Fuo―, Fuo―」
The face that was covered with white feathers, let out a strange noise.
The sound of the dry footstep from its front legs, became the countdown of Mich.e.l.le and the others" lives every time it sounded. There wasn"t a slightest hint of intelligence in its pupils, only the instinct of hunting a prey shone along with a reddish glint. It is the appearance of the strongest monster in Corsas forest, the nightmare called 『Whips』.
「Don"t ever come out front! 」
As soon as Mich.e.l.le"s warning came out, the Whips opened its mouth wide, and a loud screech resounded.
「Fuo―OofuoOfuoo―, FuoOofuo――Ofoo―FuoO―oo―fuoO―! 」
The screeching that have a mix of different tunes is a Whips"s special ability to stealing one"s consciousness. Incapacitating them, with the meaning of bringing silent to the scene, it was called the 『Silent Song』among the mercenaries.
「Hansrick-san! Everyone! 」
Behind Mich.e.l.le, Solte"s panic yell was heard.
「Mich.e.l.le-san! Everyone collapsed suddenly……! 」
「Just leave them be! They just pa.s.sed out! 」
Among the students, only Solte could endure the Silent Song. On the other hand, Mich.e.l.le barely holding on to her own spirit while Helena easily withstood it.
「Ha―! 」
This time, it"s time for their counterattack, as Helena started swinging her sword. The Whips tried to move its upper body to dodge but, Helena"s attack was faster.
The sharp blade reached the Whips"s shoulders. However, the skin was much tougher than it looked, what were inflicted were just a few shallow cuts.
As if trying to crush Helena, it put all its upper body weight onto its feet and brought it down. The blonde swordswoman dodged with the slightest movement after predicting the area that it will land on.
「Now! 」
Along with the yell, Mich.e.l.le hurled a pebble-sized mineral towards the demonic being. It hit the torso of the Whips, letting a dry crackle before getting deflected. A beat later, the part that was. .h.i.t started to be coated in a layer of ice.
What Mich.e.l.le had hurled was, generally called magic gems. For people that are unable to use magic, they are a miraculous item that can bring the same effect as rudimentary attack magics.
Said to be a relic created in the ancient times or even mythological age, the technology to fabricate them are already lost. Since it is able to be used by anyone, and the rarity of it. Even the magic gems containing the most basic spells would cost a high price of five gold.
Of course, there are peddlers who normally brings it for self-defense, but it doesn"t mean they can use it freely.
「Doesn"t look like it"s effective at all. Well, I guess it"s better than nothing. 」
Having said so, the magic gem that costed Mich.e.l.le quite a lot, didn"t look like it inflicted any serious damage to the Whips. Not batting an eye to Mich.e.l.le who hurled the magic gem, it didn"t shift its hostility from the blonde swordswoman in front of it.
Helena"s sword danced in the narrow cave.
As she threw feints with small steps, she circled back to its back and dealt blows. But even though the damage is definitely piling up, the Whips didn"t show any sign of fatigue.
The sword is just too small of a scale.
Against the skin that"s tougher than its looks, Helena"s sword is failing to deliver a critical hit. On the contrary, a single blow from the Whips is heavy. The sharp beak, the front foot that carried its weight, and the huge tail covered with scales, it wouldn"t be pretty if any of that landed.
Even so when Helena"s stamina is depleting by the minute as she moved continuously.
Inside the narrow cave that had little s.p.a.ce to evade, six people to protect, it"s a situation that she can"t afford to be hit. And all of that have been cutting away at Helena"s stamina.
It could be that a moment like this is inevitable. The tail that swiped horizontally ripped apart the air and hit flatly on Helena"s flank.
「Guah―! 」
Helena collapsed with a cry of agony.
「Helena! 」
「Helensan! 」
The Whips cried while looking at Helena that collapsed with a cold gaze.
「Fuo, FuoOO――! 」
That was as if announcing its own victory.
「Helensan! Healing……! 」
Towards Helena who is on her knees, Solte started running.
「Idiot! Don"t go in front! 」
Mich.e.l.le"s warning was late, as the Whips set Solte as its next target, it started approaching her.
「Ah, aaah……」
With the grotesque demonic being within few meters, Solte"s face was dyed in fear. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the Whips, but her body was unmoving as if bound by chains.
A ruthless pair of eyes along with a red glint reflected in her light red pupils.
The moment when Solte"s life is about to disappear, when the Whips aimed its beak at its prey"s head, it stopped moving suddenly. The demonic being ignored defenseless Solte who was its prey, and started looking around cautiously.
Without waiting for Mich.e.l.le who couldn"t catch up to the change in situation, the second surprising change came.
「BuaaAa――! 」
Suddenly, a surreal scream came from the Whips. It started coiling around sporadically as its lower body splashed out blood.
「Sword……? 」
The first who noticed was Mich.e.l.le. The long lower body of the Whips that is covered with scales. A part of it is dyed red in blood.
Where the blood spurted out in large volume, a short sword stuck on it. But where that short sword had appeared from, no one there could"ve answered.
Along with the agony cry of the Whips, something flew in from the entrance along with the sound of tearing apart the winds. By the time Mich.e.l.le perceived that sound, the second short sword had lodged itself on the Whips"s head.
Even if a demonic being have tremendous stamina, there"s no way it can be alright after getting its head punctured. Leaving behind a loud cry of pain, it collapsed onto the ground after a short moment.
As Mich.e.l.le and the others were standing on the ground in a daze, from the entrance, footsteps of multiple people were heard.
「Mich.e.l.le-san! Helena! You alright!? 」
The purple-haired man who hurried here first, was Clente who went to Thoria to find help.
And following him, the other escorts that was with Mich.e.l.le before came. And behind them, the figures of mercenaries that Mich.e.l.le have never seen before appeared. It seems that Clente have fulfilled his job properly.
「Just in time……」
At the sight of the long-waited rescue party, Mich.e.l.le breathed a sigh of relief.