Episode 30

First row, Bulky Frank, Muscular Woman May.

Second row, Captain Aiden, Practitioner Viktor, Alphonse the Monk.

Third row, Old Dog Kalisman, Odd Ears Oriana.

Fourth row, Milk-jug Mage Elena, Group Leader Allen.

The members took their assigned positions and waited for the enemy to approach. The demonic beasts lined up on the gorge’s sheer cliff seemed to leap down simultaneously as if on cue.

The evidence that allowed Allen to be sure they were demonic beasts was the fact that the types of monsters visible could never naturally coexist in one place. They must have swallowed black mana and lost their will.

‘…Dark mage, where’s that bastard…?’

Allen scanned the edge of the cliff with bloodshot eyes. His gaze, following the rugged, uneven curve, stopped abruptly at one spot.

There was something strange. It seemed to be a living creature, but it didn’t look like a human. …If he were to make a comparison, it was like a lump of clay.

That’s when Allen felt it. That thing was the dark mage undergoing demonification. …It seemed it had already shed its human skin.

Haah Haah Haah.

The group leader continuously wiped away the nosebleed streaming down with the back of his hand. Yet, the repeated taste of metal allowed him to maintain his clarity.

“Just do as we always practice—!”

A considerable number of demonic beasts scattered and attacked the group. Three were heading towards the Allen-Mercenary Group…, no, two.

“One’s missing—! Catch that bastard——!!”

In the third row, Old Dog Kalisman and Odd Ears Oriana obeyed the group leader’s command and ran off to catch the one that had broken away. And then, the two beasts that were charging at them.

The monster, with the head of a hippo but the body of a gorilla, charged forward with blood red eyes, swinging its right arm to strike the round shields of the two muscle-bound pigs waiting in the first row.

——!!

The destructive force was so immense that the two hulks were knocked back in one hit. Had the members in the second row not supported them, they would have flown even further back.

However, they got up again like tumbling dolls. There was no time to lie sprawled out in disgrace. A moment’s hesitation could mean a bidding farewell to this world.

Then, a demonic beast that looked like a damned dog circled around as if aiming for a blind spot before suddenly charging in. Fortunately, before its sharp teeth could bite, the monk smashed its pointed snout with a mace embedded with iron spikes.

“Oh! Lord—!”

Every time he swung the mace, he chanted “Oh Lord—” as if by habit.

While the members were fiercely engaging with the demon beasts, Allen closely observed the movements of the dark mage. The one who had been at the edge of the cliff finally began to slowly climb down the wall.

‘…Here it comes…!’

Having descended to the bottom of the cliff and crossed over the flowing stream, the creature finally stood in front of the group.

The creature that positioned itself around the 9th group was bigger than expected. Allen narrowed his eyes and focused his vision to see the creature’s form in more detail. …And then he realized that the creature was a mass of bodies, horribly mashed and merged together.

‘This fucking—.’

The sight of dozens of limbs protruding and moving from underneath the mass of bodies was grotesquely indescribable.

The shape of the mass leaned back and then suddenly shot forward. Several members of the 9th mercenary group were swept away by it.

“Aaaahhhhh-.”

“Shiiiiiiit-.”

“Please saaaave meeeeee-.”

It literally swallowed them whole. The moment their figures disappeared, the terrible screams abruptly ceased. At the same time, its gigantic body wobbled, and several new limbs popped out on the surface.

“Damn it.”

Even the bold Allen couldn’t help but curse out loud.

The guys from the 10th group, seeing that, must have decided it was an entity they simply couldn’t contend with and started to run away. Naturally, they were headed towards where the 11th group, the Allen-Mercenary Group was.

“Elena—!”

Allen called out to Elena, who was right beside him. Then, he grabbed her cheeks with both hands, making her look straight at him.

Of course, she had also witnessed that terrifying entity, so her eyes were filled with tension and fear.

“Look at me. Look straight at me—!”

“Y, yes, yes—!”

“Don’t be scared. The moment you back down because you’re afraid, it’s all over. Got it? You have to keep your wits about you until the very end. I’ll be by your side. I’ll be with you until the end——!!”

“Yes…! I understand. I’ll do it. I’ll do it…!”

Allen hugged Elena tightly once to encourage her, then patted her back vigorously before letting her go.

She faced directly towards where the corpse mass was. Then, as if praying, she clasped her hands together and slowly separated them while chanting a spell in ancient runes.

Mana then began to gather between her hands. Her magic, true to the elemental nature, was destructive elemental magic. Focused on power output rather than efficiency, it was a large-scale destruction magic—.

———.

The light blue mana grew as large as a newborn’s head.

At that moment, the corpse mass twisted its body awkwardly. It aimed for the fleeing members of the 10th group, but they were running towards the spot where the Allen-Mercenary Group was.

And the monster started running.

“Shit, shoooot––––––––––!!”

With Allen’s scream, the milk-jug mage fired a mana ball. It exploded on the right side of the corpse mass’s body, which had its mouth grotesquely open.

Kwaaaaang––––––––.

And then a massive explosion. The monster, charging towards the mercenaries, was deflected off its course and crashed into a stone wall along with an empty carriage.

Before the corpse mass hit the carriage, Allen pulled the milk-jug mage’s arm towards him, embracing her and rolling on the ground together.

The monster absorbed the two horses it had collided with, crunching and munching. The pitiful whining of the horses abruptly ceased. And then, a few of the horses legs protruded awkwardly among the limbs of corpses.

“Elena, again, agaiiin——!!”

Their flesh was scraped against the dirt floor, bleeding, but they had no time to feel the pain. The horrific appearance of the creature had half the members out of their wits.

The milk-jug mage quickly got up and began to chant the runes again. Her neatly tied hair had come undone, and her clothes were disheveled, but now was not the time to worry about such things.

————.

She created a mana sphere larger and more radiant than before. However, her body seemingly strained to maintain the mana sphere, as her arms visibly trembled.

“Shoot, shoot it now——!!”

And the moment the monster tried to move again, the milk-jug mage’s magic hit its torso squarely. With a bursting sound, pieces of its flesh scattered in all directions. People nearby were covered in a foul mixture of flesh and blood.

‘……Is it dead?’

It was a destructive power that could only be thought of as fatal. …However, even after having lost half of its body, the monster did not die.

“- Grrrrrrrrr—”

It vomited a thick sludge and then charged straight at the milk-jug mage.

‘Ah.’

Allen, who was right next to her, reflexively wrapped his arms around her and turned his body. At the same time, Viktor and Kalisman ran with all their might to block in front of them. …But it seemed futile to stop its charge.

At that moment.

With a powerful explosion, the corpse mass flew sideways. It rolled over, crushing another carriage.

Haak, haak, haak.

Witnessing the monster dying as it cooked, everyone turned their heads to the other side to see the person who had saved them.

In their eyes, they saw a blonde beauty, gasping for breath with her arms stretched out, Kalim-Mercenary Group’s magician, Lilia.

“…F…uc…ck…”

As the relief of being alive enveloped his entire body, Allen couldn’t stand any longer. He collapsed to the ground, along with the milk-jug mage he was holding.

‘Alive. Really. I really almost died this time. Really. Fuck. Alive. I’m alive.’

“Pffft…”

Allen couldn’t help but laugh. It was a laugh whose meaning he couldn’t understand himself. Just like the kind of laugh that madmen typically had.

Shortly after, Group Leader Kalim tidied up the front and appeared a step later. When he looked at Lilia, she shrugged her shoulders lightly.

“I didn’t do much. They pretty much almost took care of it by themselves.”

“…Is that so?”

Group Leader Kalim glanced once at the monster that was gradually melting away, then shifted his gaze to the mercenaries sprawled on the ground.

As he thought about it, he realized that it was the Allen-Mercenary Group again this time.

‘…Surely, a good catch is a good catch.’

He approached those lying on the ground. Group Leader Allen, sprawled out with this arms and legs spread out on the floor, gasped for breath and stared back at Group Leader Kalim, who was standing tall and looking down at him.

Group Leader Kalim, who rarely smiled, showed a faint smile for some reason.

“You’ve worked hard. Your mercenary group did it.”

Allen murmured in a dying voice.

“…Well, I… just shouted from behind….”

“Alright… Got it. Go take a rest now.”

Just like that, Allen closed his eyes and fell straight asleep.

This time, it wasn’t a nightmare.

It was a sleep sweeter than honey.