Battlefield (2)

I had steeled myself.

Or so I'd thought.

Even so, I'd still taken the battlefield far too lightly.

That was the thought that settled over me now.

People beside me bled out and died. Someone who'd been alive mere moments ago became a cold corpse in an instant.

I didn't look at the lives collapsing around me. I couldn't. Because I couldn't afford to stop.

The moment you stop, you're the one who dies.

This place was hell itself, unfurled across the living world.

"Fire!!!!"

A blast of artillery crashed down on a demon mid-swing, claws reaching for an ally. The demon's upper body simply vanished, and what remained of it toppled over.

I felt no guilt. Maybe it was because I was killing something that looked nothing like a human — a monster, pure and simple. Or maybe the adrenaline flooding my brain with every shot was drowning out every other emotion.

I caught my breath, ready to push forward again, when the soldier whose life I'd just saved bowed his head.

"Th-thank you."

"Save the gratitude and move. If you want to live."

As I said it, I swung the Holy Relic, batting aside a greatsword a demon was bringing down, then fired point-blank. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠The Relic was already caked in sticky blood. How many demon skulls had I blown apart with this thing?

I hadn't been counting. No idea.

"Thanks."

I spun and pulled the trigger. Holy power punched straight through the body of a bear-shaped monstrosity and kept going.

Fortunately, none of our people got caught in the hasty shot. Getting hit by my artillery wouldn't kill an ally — but it would hurt enough to make them wish it had. I still had to be careful not to catch friendlies in the blast.

I eased back a step and ran a quick mental inventory of the battlefield.

"We're winning."

The demon forces were being pushed. Our side was advancing, bit by bit. Fighting on the front line made it hard to read the full picture, but even so, the fact that we were winning was unmistakable.

Maybe that was why our morale was so high.

"This feels good."

The Holy Shroud and the Artillery Fairy were both performing admirably. The Shroud's defenses had shrugged off several clean hits I'd deliberately let through, and the Fairy covered my blind spots.

The tension had loosened considerably. I figured I'd put on a pretty decent show for a first battlefield outing.

A mage who stood at the vanguard, fired long-incantation spells without chanting, and held her own in close combat?

How could that not stand out?

I pushed forward again, sweeping the field with a quick glance.

Andreus was over there. The way demons simply got swept aside every time he swung that greatsword was borderline deranged.

I'd confirmed the Holy Shroud and Artillery Fairy's performance. I'd fought well enough on my first battlefield without freezing up. There was still plenty I lacked, but I'd racked up some real experience.

At this point, I'd gotten everything I needed from my first engagement. No reason to push any harder. No point wrecking my body by overdoing it — time to start pulling back.

…Still. One more shot before I go?

Yeah. Felt like I hadn't fired enough yet.

Besides, I'd expected at least one function to unlock once I hit the battlefield, and the fact that nothing had unlocked at all was still bugging me.

Just a little more. That was the thought as I turned toward the front — and then:

"Something's coming? What do you me—"

Before the words finished, I was already raising the Holy Relic.

The realm of pure instinct. A living creature thrashing to escape death. A scream that transcended the five senses. That was what moved me.

And then.

I was cut.

"…Huh?"

My hands were numb. I could feel that I'd blocked it.

And yet blood was seeping from a shallow cut across my shoulder.

The Holy Shroud's defense had been breached. By a single slash.

"Hoh. You blocked that? So this generation's Saintess is a little different. Well then — shall we see if you can stop this one, too?"

The moment I heard that voice, I threw myself backward and snapped into a guard.

And I saw it.

Something in black armor, sword already swinging for me.

In that instant, I knew. The thing in front of me was dangerous.

Sword met Holy Relic, and a shockwave strong enough to black me out slammed through my entire body. In just two exchanges, my stance collapsed.

But.

"…Die."

Even so, I managed to bring the Relic's muzzle to bear.

A golden opportunity born of the enemy's carelessness — a chance that would never come again. Without hesitation, I fired. The roar of the blast rolled across the battlefield.

Artillery at point-blank range. No dodge. No guard. A perfect, sure-kill shot.

And yet.

"Interesting. A weapon of a form I've never seen, with this much power. Almost a shame to kill you."

The enemy was still standing.

I'd landed the hit. I was sure of it. A demon was supposed to take damage from my artillery. I'd watched demons get shredded by my fire with my own two eyes just moments ago.

So why.

"…You. You're not a demon, are you?"

I prayed my assumption was right. That he was human — a traitor to humanity — and that was why my artillery hadn't worked. Anything would have been better than the alternative.

My hope shattered into pieces.

"I am a demon."

Those words meant the gap between us was beyond anything I could imagine. That my firepower couldn't even scratch him.

Carelessness? An opening born from it?

A professional boxer doesn't suddenly become vulnerable just because he gets careless against a child.

Same principle. The enemy could afford to be careless. To him, I was nothing more than a child.

The demon raised his sword.

"Any last words before you die?"

…Am I going to die? Like this?

An enemy so powerful I'd never even seen one like him while playing the game. Probably something newly added in a DLC.

Of all times to run into him now.

I'd thought I'd prepared as much as I could. And it still ended up like this.

…No.

"I'm too pissed off to die."

Dying before I even finish the tutorial? Are you kidding me?

I gripped the Holy Relic hard. I wouldn't give up. I had to find a way. A way to survive.

"Good. Far more pleasant to look at than those Saintesses who just collapse into prayer the moment death comes calling."

The sword came down.

I swung the Holy Relic.

Too late. My body would be cut before the Relic could deflect the blade.

The gap in physical ability — and technique — was simply too wide.

Just a little more. If I could just get a little closer.

If I could land even one more shot—

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"

And then.

The sound of steel striking steel rang out.

But I had been too late. That slash was one I could never have blocked.

And yet I wasn't cut. There was no pain.

Which meant—

"…Don't make me laugh. Not twice. Not twice."

Something surged up in my chest before I could stop it.

That was how solid, how utterly trustworthy, the back standing in front of me felt.

"…An…dreus."

"Indeed."

"Unless you cut through me first."

"So you're the most satisfying thing to cut on this entire battlefield, are you?"

I cried a little.

"You will never lay a hand on the Saintess!!"

Sword met sword. The shockwaves alone made it impossible for anyone nearby to approach.

My eyes couldn't track their exchanges. I wasn't permitted to.

All I could do was stand there, staring blankly.

Against a demon that had meant certain death for me, Andreus was holding his ground.

I'd thought I'd gotten stronger.

I'd thought I could keep myself alive on a battlefield.

I'd been deluding myself.

…I wanted to be like that, too.

"…Your Holiness."

And then I snapped back to reality.

Because Andreus's voice had trembled.

Only then did I truly see.

He was being cut. Shallowly, but unmistakably.

He was continuously healing himself ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with holy power — but how long could he keep that up?

Andreus wasn't holding that demon at bay. He was being steadily driven back.

I gripped the Holy Relic again. I had to help.

If this continued, Andreus would die. The thought had barely formed when—

"Flee, Your Holiness. I will hold this demon back."

"…Ah."

The moment I heard those words, I understood. I was useless in this fight.

But if I ran now—

Before long, Andreus would be killed by that demon.

Alone, on a battlefield with no one left to help him.

No. I couldn't—

It was only when the death of someone close became real that the death of a person truly registered.

I hesitated.

"NOW!!!!!!"

And the instant Andreus's shout hit me, I turned my back on him.

I ran. I fled. Sobbing as I went.

But what was the point?

I knew it instinctively. Now that that monster was on this battlefield, no one was getting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out alive.

Fine. If I was going to die anyway, I might as well act in a way I wouldn't be ashamed of.

The moment I resolved to turn back toward Andreus—

A miracle had occurred.

"…Talk about perfect timing."

I changed direction.

And I started running like a madwoman.

But this time, I didn't cry. Nothing was over yet. It was far too early for tears.

My eyes were fixed on the highest point on the battlefield.