Black Badger

「Where did you move Cecil to?」

The moment the archmage who had begun to rampage vanished from sight, Kyle asked.

「I told you to move her to the border region.」

Meierbold turned his gaze to the black-haired knight.

When the knight commander, who had immediately identified the spellcaster, twisted his body, the mage who had deployed the teleportation circle bit down on his lip.

A mage with both palms pressed against the ground.

The person that mage had loved was said to have passed away during the First War.

「There were hardly any enemies in the border region capable of sustaining a teleportation circle.」

「So you disobeyed orders?」

「They were the ones who tore through the defensive line first and struck the main force!」

The mage sprang to his feet.

「You know as well as I do that they don’t even see us as people!」

Kyle’s brow furrowed.

A hand resting on the sword hilt, and eyes that were always sharp.

「You didn’t consider that the moment civilians got involved, the enemy would stop holding back at all.」

The current leader growled.

Refined fury clung to every single word.

「It’s an irreparable blunder!」

At times, Meierbold found himself curious about what truly lay inside that knight commander.

At the very least, it was certain that the creed of their kin—seeking vengeance against humanity—and that knight’s creed ran along the same axis.

Blood for blood. An eye for an eye.

There could be no rest until vengeance was complete.

The clan cried out for revenge, and Meierbold too desired retribution.

Judging by the ever-burning anger in those golden eyes, the leader’s heart was likely not all that different.

However, Kyle was not someone who fully laid bare his inner thoughts before those he ruled.

He raged like fire and laughed loudly, yet concealed his anxiety and true intentions with skill in front of his subordinates.

That was why Meierbold still did not know exactly how Kyle viewed the traitors and the humans.

Kyle understood the importance of distance.

And for that reason, he earned people’s respect.

Normally, insubordination like this rarely occurred.

「Did you fail to recognize that this is a wartime situation?」

The knight growled low.

Hearing that, Meierbold quickly moved to stand beside Kyle.

Kyle merely rolled his bright eyes to meet his gaze.

The fire mage studied him through eyes veiled by cloth.

「She was already severely unstable from the moment the dimension was opened. Even if no one had said anything, she would have rampaged.」

Meierbold began slowly.

「Isn’t she an extraordinarily selfish mage? To insist on staying even after being told the current situation.」

「I did foresee it to some extent.」

「She is a grand mage and even participated in the Empire’s wars. Someone with that level of skill and experience avoiding the front lines because she’s waiting for a missing person?」

Meierbold did not bother hiding his subdued anger. Nor did he extinguish the flames crawling up his arm.

Instead, feeling the warmth that comfortably heated him, he continued.

「Utterly irresponsible. She even knew how to exit the dimension and how to return. So when she received word of our kin’s situation through you, she should have come to her senses and emerged. If she had, the entire balance would have shifted long ago.」

「What about Nabarate?」

「Under treatment.」

「Please look into it. I must punish those who disobeyed orders.」

So even changing the subject doesn’t help much.

The grand mage arched his brow.

「The value of a human life is not equal.」

He brought out the crux of the matter.

「I understand worrying that the enemy, driven by rage, will become more aggressive. But Price merely moved the rampaging one to the location where she could deal the greatest blow to humanity.」

The grand mage defended his junior.

Then, as he continued, he made it clear that he respected Kyle’s authority.

「However, the fact that she disobeyed orders cannot be denied. For my sake, spare her neck. You know the pain of losing Lord Renyr as well.」

「I told you not to speak Rei’s name.」

Anger tightened like a noose.

The air grew taut.

The moment the name of the deceased Swordmaster was uttered, the pressure that crashed down was immense. Meierbold involuntarily took a step back, then frowned as he realized his own reaction.

An insolent brat.

If this were the Empire, this conquered subject would never dare show such an attitude before him.

Of course, the grand mage was not so inept as to reveal those thoughts.

「My apologies.」

There was no reply to the polite apology.

The gaze that looked as though it might sever his head at any moment softened, and Kyle merely gave a slight nod.

The golden eyes returned to the one who had disobeyed orders.

The knight, reminiscent of a black lion, looked down at the mage who was now faintly trembling.

「See to Nabarate.」

After issuing the command again, he slightly turned his head and met Meierbold’s eyes.

「Both of you have a lot at stake.」

At least his judgment is sound.

The fire mage thought so.

Had his opponent lacked even this level of judgment, Meierbold doubted he would have remained beneath him so obediently.

Still, feeling that the old days had been better, he went to treat the mage whose hand was injured.

Lamenting the selfishness and irresponsibility of the white grand mage.

Considering how things might have been different had she joined the fight earlier, Meierbold slowly transformed into flame.

***

A meteor shower poured down.

I clenched my teeth as I cut through the rain-like attacks.

A silver-haired mage floated in midair, gazing down like a dragon from myth.

An opponent who formed spheres of light around her body.

Perhaps because she had rested for so long, her mana didn’t look close to overheating.

Baaaang!

Bang! Baaang!

KABOOOM!

Tanks were ruthlessly riddled with holes.

The stench of blood was thick in the air. The blood of seniors who hadn’t completely evaded the attacks. I didn’t have the leeway to protect them all. In truth, stopping Cecil would be more effective than covering them.

Just how far is she planning to pour out these attacks?

What are Kairos and Yoow doing?

[Perfect!]

The moment the worry crossed my mind, the strategist shouted over the communicator.

[The flowers are burned, and she’s roaming the open sky, so the absorption effect should drop soon!]

Ah. Right. She can’t absorb anything while suspended in midair.

If I let this continue, will she seize full control of the rampage?

Before I could even finish the thought, something began to grow from Cecil’s back.

While deflecting attacks, I widened my vision and observed the tendrils plunging from sky to ground.

Things that looked like tree roots were writhing as they ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) sprouted from the mage’s back.

Tearing through her mage’s robe, they slammed down into the cracks of the asphalt.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!

“Absorption anchors.”

“Blow them up?”

Yun and Igor asked in succession.

I erased the attacks pouring down over their heads with a heavy sword swing.

Then, watching the ground around where the roots had embedded rapidly wither, I said,

“As long as her mana doesn’t run out, she’ll just make those again and absorb through them.”

“Then what? Should we climb them and attack?”

That wasn’t a bad plan.

In fact, it was the only plan we could attempt right now, so I lunged toward the roots.

“Igor, support! Yun! Sorry, but please draw her attention!”

“Okay.”

“Fine.”

I ran without even bothering to split the spells raining down.

Yoow shouted.

[Force a mana feedback state!]

As I climbed the roots, the strategist explained.

[That’s the best option right now! You know what mana feedback is, right! When mages keep chanting spells while ignoring mana overheating!]

“How do I force that state?”

The roots grew steeper.

At a certain point, standing became impossible, so I crouched. When I grabbed the root with my left hand, the skin of my palm burned away.

Looks like it’s acidic.

But well, what other choice is there. Ignoring my skin peeling off, I clung to the slanted root and climbed.

My rock-climbing skills hadn’t rusted, and I reached the upper section quickly.

[Make her keep casting spells.]

The answer sounded almost obvious.

[Attack continuously with intent to kill. Ordinary attacks won’t affect her anyway. Mana feedback is a phenomenon that can’t be blocked even by absorption. Hoping she regains control of the rampage is less realistic than this!]

“Alright.”

I finished the climb.

Cecil didn’t even spare me a glance, but now I was behind her. Hanging on with my unarmed left hand and both legs was no easy feat.

So I had to stab before I fell.

Without hesitation, I raised my sword.

“Cecil.”

I called her name as I thrust the blade forward.

“I’m sorry.”

Puuk

The sword pierced through the tendril and drove into her back as well.

The sensation of crushing her shoulder blade traveled up the blade. Yet the grand mage’s body regenerated terrifyingly fast, as if trying to assimilate even the embedded sword.

Cecil didn’t turn to look at me.

Instead, she turned her head the other way and stared intently at something.

Still clinging to the sword and the tendril, I followed her gaze—and my heart dropped.

“Adjunct!”

Arrows of light began to gather wildly around Cecil.

“Are there still many civilians left near the surrounding buildings?”

[There are survivors under the rubble.]

Urgency colored Gilbert’s voice.

[Jin and Carl are conducting rescue operations right now—]

Phaaang!

With a deafening roar, the spell traced lines of light as it surged forward.

Thousands of spells once again rained down upon the ground.

***

You see, the way things unfold is often quite abrupt.

“Leave me.”

A civilian trapped in the ruins.

A young man who muttered while looking at Jin and Carl, saying he’d been late to evacuate because he’d dozed off briefly in a corner of his workplace.

“I don’t think I can make it.... Wouldn’t there be someone more desperate in another building?”

“You’ll survive.”

Carl replied evenly.

And he steadily checked the debris that needed clearing with his scanner.

An estimated time of one hour floated on the screen. After wiping the sweat running down his forearm, Carl returned to work. As the trapped man’s intuition suggested, it wasn’t an easy task—but it wasn’t impossible either.

That said, disaster sites like this always had shoes.

Carl tossed aside someone’s shoe that had been wedged between the rubble.

After scanning the surroundings once more, he moved to help Jin.

Concrete absorbs heat. Corpses crushed between buildings were always found dried out.

If only he could give that man some water.

Unable to request it or fetch it from anywhere, Carl focused on clearing the massive fragments together with Jin.

Thinking that if it became urgent, he’d have to fetch water even if it delayed the rescue.

Amid the strangely brightened rubble...

...why is it bright?

The moment the thought registered, his body moved on its own.

“Jin! Take cover!”

“Damn!”

Arrows of light were plunging down from the sky.

He’d assumed Hildebert was blocking them well.

Even if he hadn’t let his guard down, there wasn’t much more Hildebert could have done.

KRAAASH!!

I really need to stop dumping so much on that gentle junior.

Thinking that, Carl Dow covered the civilian’s upper body with his own.

Even as he sensed the blinding light approaching—bright enough to see through closed eyes—he thought of his junior, his peer, and the Ice Dragon.

Good thing he’d updated his will not long ago.

If this was the end, Carl Dow, who had served his entire life as a soldier, judged it to be a truly satisfying death.

If possible, he hoped this exhausted office worker would survive.

It would be even better if Hildebert and Sophia didn’t fall.

“Carl!”

Jin Silver’s shout.

The spheres of light struck the rubble head-on.