Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: Cerberus Assault
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A sharp siren wailed, pounding against eardrums and blanketing the entire building.
Whyaaaaaaaang――
The golden-haired woman turned to the old man with a glance, and he spoke up.
"B District. The students have already headed out."
"What's the situation?"
"It seems pretty dire. Mostly low-grade and mid-grade magic beasts, but high-grade ones are mixed in, and they're struggling."
"Judging by how they're still reporting in, it doesn't look like some off-spec monster like last time's chimera showed up. Small mercies, I suppose. Anyway, we should hurry and..."
Yeriel trailed off. And she thought. This might just be an opportunity.
No matter how rigorously they'd trained, it was a fact that one real battle outweighed any amount of practice. Yeriel saw this raid as a chance for Han U-sol to grow.
There were high-grade magic beasts, sure, but nothing as overwhelmingly powerful as that previous chimera. The fact that they could still communicate with the heroes fighting in B District proved it. If a high-grade beast enhanced by demonic energy had appeared, they'd all be dead already, with no chance for contact.
There would be some sacrifices, of course, but once the academy students arrived, they'd sweep the rest clean.
That didn't make it any less of an emergency, though. High-grade magic beasts were dangerous, and it was clear they were too much for inexperienced novice heroes to handle.
Of course, if Fergus and she went, it'd be resolved without issue. But then Han U-sol's growth would be stymied.
If they didn't go, there would definitely be casualties. Maybe more than expected.
Yeriel began weighing the lives of those on site against Han U-sol's potential for growth.
The deliberation didn't last long.
"Fergus."
"Yes, Lady Yeriel."
"We won't go."
"Pardon? What do you..."
"No, you go. Watch over them, and only step in if Han U-sol or Anis Harper's lives are in danger."
Don't intervene before then, no matter what. Yeriel's gentle voice commanded.
"...People will die."
"......I know."
"...Understood."
Yeriel closed her eyes.
It was all for the greater good.
To exterminate the last remaining demon and bring about a world free of magic beasts.
After the siren blared, the academy students immediately set off for B District. A handful of combat-capable teachers tagged along.
Hundreds of aspiring heroes pushed into B District upon arrival, cutting down magic beasts as they advanced. There were many, but all in sight were low-grade at worst. Occasionally something closer to mid-grade like an ogre or troll appeared, but they handled them without issue and pressed deeper.
Once inside, the clustered students began to scatter. To find civilians who hadn't evacuated and were hiding, and to evenly clear out the magic beasts scattered throughout the district.
"Let's go!"
We broke from the group and plunged deeper in.
――Grrrk!
――Kieek!
The moment we entered, we were greeted by goblins and orcs—beasts so familiar now from constant encounters.
Pfshk-!
The goblin and orcs crumpled as their heads exploded from bullets fired from Han U-sol's weapon.
Next came a massive white wolf-like magic beast: a White Wolf. Unlike ogres or trolls, this was solidly mid-grade. Fast and agile, with a build larger than any normal predator.
――Grrr!
The White Wolf bared its jaws wide and charged me.
I leaped sideways to dodge, then swung the halberd in my hand toward its open maw.
Thud. The hook beneath the long spear tip caught in the wolf's jaws.
"You mangy mutt!"
I yanked horizontally with all my strength, slicing the White Wolf from head to tail in a straight line. Its guts spilled out, leaving it a mangled mess.
I didn't kill it this brutally because I'm some psychopath.
From that last field trip, I'd learned magic beasts flinched and backed off when witnessing a comrade's gruesome death. That's what I was aiming for.
Sure enough, the beasts froze in terror, their movements slowing.
Perfect, my chance. As I poised to charge, Yoon Na-rin yelled from behind.
"Anis! Did you have to kill it that brutally!? My eyes are gonna rot!!"
"Uh, sorry..."
I deflated a bit and switched my weapon to Lapis Lazuli. In the meantime, Yoon Na-rin incinerated the rest, and Reisi finished off any survivors.
...Burning them seems brutal too. It stinks.
I muttered that inwardly, afraid of getting scolded if I said it aloud.
We cleared beasts as we slowly advanced toward the heart of B District.
The first thing we saw upon entering the depths: two corpses.
A civilian frozen in fear, and a hero who had died shielding them.
"......"
The mood turned icy. Yoon Na-rin's eyes shook—this was her first time seeing bodies.
The deeper we went, the more corpses piled up. Most were torn to shreds, unrecognizable.
There were plenty of magic beast corpses too, but mostly low-grade.
It was odd. It didn't make sense for this many deaths from mere low-grades.
Definitely high-grade.
Sensing ill omens, we pressed on. Destination: the shelter building where civilians had fled.
What greeted us at the shelter: walls slightly charred by fire.
Long, three-pronged claw marks gouged deep.
And in front, glaring at the building: a three-headed black dog-form magic beast.
――......!
Terrified voices leaked from inside the shelter. They'd designed it to withstand high-grade attacks to some degree, and it seemed sturdy. A relief.
The moment we confirmed the shelter's occupants were safe and sighed in relief,
Three heads swiveled our way.
Six red eyes pierced through us.
They called it the Hellhound.
Cerberus.
Faint black flames trickled from cracks etched across its body.
Tiny flames spurted between fangs larger than my palm.
Despite being a beast-form magic beast, its size forced me to look up.
Overwhelmed, my body froze momentarily. Reisi and Yoon Na-rin too.
"It's coming! Snap out of it!"
Han U-sol's shout snapped us back. Our freeze was brief.
――Krrr!
The Cerberus scanned us one by one with red eyes, then lunged at me—the frontmost—with claws whistling through the air.
I tilted my head back to dodge. Sharp claws grazed past my nose tip by a hair.
A probe, perhaps—not very threatening.
Reisi thrust her spear in the gap, but it was rushed; Cerberus easily deflected and retreated.
Yoon Na-rin's flames poured in next. Cerberus took them unfazed. Seemed fully resistant to fire.
Kwaboom-! Light burst from Han U-sol's weapon. Cerberus twisted desperately, but the shot clipped its shoulder.
――Krraa!!
Crackle-! Sparks flew. Cerberus writhed in agony.
Seizing the opening, I summoned my battle axe and charged—the enlarged one Han U-sol had given me before.
I planned to cleave all three heads at once. Infusing mana enlarged the axe in my grip.
Whoosh-!
"Ugh!"
But Cerberus wouldn't allow it. Black flames erupted across its body. The searing heat forced me back.
Enveloped in flames, Cerberus rampaged. Reisi and I tried to hold the line, but the black fire's heat was no joke.
"Can't get close!"
"Hit it from range!"
"It's got full fire resistance! My powers aren't working!"
"Use water magic then!"
"Too fast—can't hit it!"
It wasn't so fast my body couldn't react. Objectively, slower than that last chimera. Weaker too, probably.
The problem was that black flame coating it. Charging wildly while spewing fire everywhere made it hard for close-range fighters like Reisi and me to block.
Without us holding the front, Han U-sol and Yoon Na-rin's ranged attacks missed most of the time. Grazes at best.
Whoosh-!
Black flames gathered in Cerberus's maw as it gaped wide at us. Building to a big one, obviously.
Shiiik-!
I swung Lapis Lazuli at the gap, firing a sword beam. Surprise attack, but Cerberus swallowed flames and barely dodged.
"Damn it!"
After that failed ambush, Cerberus stopped showing openings for big attacks. Just relentless speedy strikes.
We flailed helplessly against the rampaging mutt.
Kwaboom-!
Han U-sol's bullet and my sword beam hit an innocent building instead, crumbling it.
Cerberus never stopped moving; neither did we, dodging its charges.
The fight dragged on. Fatigue set in fast for both sides.
Then an absurd situation unfolded.
Ridiculously, it turned into a chicken race: whoever stopped first would die.
Cerberus stops? Eats Han U-sol's bullets and Yoon Na-rin's water magic. We stop? Get roasted by a body slam.
Whoever tired and halted first would lose.
Probably all five of us—four people and one beast—were thinking the same.
"When's this thing gonna tire!?"
"Just hold on a bit longer!"
"I-I'm a magic type, so I didn't train my body that much...!"
"Conserve mana! Focus on dodging!"
"Hey, Han U-sol! Barrier! Just barrier it!"
"I did earlier—one ram shattered it!"
"Useless idiot!"
――Krrrraaaaa!
Absolute chaos.
Three-headed dog versus four students, cavorting amid a field of corpses. Cerberus tired first.
Sword beams, bullets, magic—three attack types to dodge. Unlike us just evading incoming charges, it had moved far more. Natural it'd slow first.
Shiiik! My sword beam finally severed one neck.
――Krrrraaaa!!!
The remaining two heads howled. Death throes.
Finally over, thought Han U-sol as he aimed a shot.
Then, from behind—magic beasts appeared.
――Krrraaa!!
Another Cerberus, leading hordes of low-grade beasts, charged toward us.