Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Mike Hoare (2)
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“Captain—!”
The corps members could only call out Mike Hoare's name in desperation. The number of enemies pouring in was steadily increasing.
Twice the number of those Mike Hoare had cut down were now swarming in from the entrance.
“I’m going.”
Someone took a deep breath and stepped toward the demonic energy.
“Right, this must be our grave.”
“Damn it. Right, I’m going too.”
Though the demonic energy invaded their senses, stirring feelings of madness, the mercenaries forced themselves to ignore it and rushed toward their captain, who was fighting alone in the heart of the miasma.
They could never leave Mike Hoare alone. They knew all too well the sacrifices he had made to keep them alive.
“*Gasp—gasp—!*”
Up close, Mike Hoare’s condition was far from good.
The once-sharp sword was cracked. Its blade was stained so red with blood that its original form was hard to recognize.
Perhaps from shielding the explosions of the test subjects with his entire body, his clothes were soaked in blood, which dripped steadily onto the floor.
The corps members formed a defensive formation around Mike Hoare and faced the entrance.
*Rumble—*
Again, a powerful tremor echoed from the entrance.
*Craaash—*
Just what kind of being was approaching to cause such a strong vibration to resonate all the way in here from the entrance?
“Protect the captain—!”
This was no ordinary tremor. They raised their weapons, their tension mounting.
They swallowed hard, their mouths dry with tension.
They couldn't help but wonder if they could properly face whatever was coming, with their captain in this state.
Suddenly, the enemies began to approach them. No, to be precise, they were being pushed forward. The enemies were looking not at them, but at the entrance.
“Uh… uhh…!”
A brilliant, sacred light began to shine from the entrance.
“Cap- tain-!”
That all-too-familiar word—no, the word they had longed to hear—rang out from the entrance.
And the demonic energy that had blanketed the floor began to slowly dissipate.
“Kra…tos?”
Even Mike Hoare, exhausted and gasping for breath from the battle, reacted to the voice echoing from the entrance and lifted his weary head.
The shimmering image of Kratos, brutally swinging a crowbar and literally pulverizing the test subjects, came into view.
“Ha… haha….”
And the sight of Kratos, who in their memory was just a new recruit, breaking through an army of thousands to rescue them, was something they felt they would never forget for the rest of their lives.
“Kratos, Captain of the 3rd Corps! Here to carry out a rescue mission.”
“Kra…tos? How did you get here?”
Seeing Kratos, Mike Hoare was suddenly reminded of the time Prometheus had come to rescue him, and it was as if he were hearing an auditory hallucination.
“Mike Hoare—! You crazy bastard! Where are you! I’m here to save you! That son of a bitch, acting like he’s immortal, not just a swordmaster! Treating his captain like his personal rescue squad!”
“Khh… Who’s rescuing who, *cough*—you say? Uahahaha—”
And he laughed. Louder than ever before. And with great relief.
***
“You bastards, what did you think you’d find to scavenge all the way out here—!”
After arriving at the southern mountain range, the biggest worry had been how to find Mike Hoare, but that problem was solved with absurd ease.
All they had to do was follow the trail left by an army of thousands.
And at the end of that trail.
“Ruins.”
“The ruins from Lagaris?”
I nodded at Seamus’s words and drew my weapon.
“The demonic energy is thick. We’ll attempt to enter after a round of purification.”
At my words, Reinhardt, Seamus, and Niceta took up defensive positions around me.
I unleashed a powerful surge of spiritual power to purify the demonic energy, even beyond the ruins.
*Caw—*
And as the spiritual power moved, Ditto, who had been sleeping on my head, also spread its wings in sync, joining the purification.
“Prepare for battle.”
The demonic energy wasn't completely purified yet, but I stopped the process and gripped my weapon.
“The situation inside the ruins is worse than I thought.”
At that, Seamus and Reinhardt tightened their grip on their weapons.
There had already been more than enough needless sacrifices. They refused to allow any more.
Especially if it was their captain.
Without a word, the corps members took their positions. Kratos, at the very front, charged forward, viciously emitting spiritual power.
He signaled the start of the battle by smashing his crowbar into the back of their heads.
“The target is inside the ruins. Don’t fall behind, and keep up.”
Kratos slammed his fist into the ground without hesitation. The earth shook, and spiritual power, sharp as an awl, pierced the bodies of the surrounding soldiers.
With every swing of the crowbar, a path of blood and flesh was carved, and the 3rd Corps followed it, quickly entering the ruins.
“Kratos, Captain of the 3rd Corps! Here to carry out a rescue mission.”
“Khh… Who’s rescuing who, *cough*—you say? Uahahaha—”
Indeed, if they had been even a little later, there was no telling what might have happened. Not just Mike Hoare, but the other corps members were in terrible shape.
“Niceta—!”
At the cry, Niceta shot forward and unleashed her divine power.
“A priest—a priest—!”
At the sudden appearance of a priest, the corps members raised their hands, overcome with a joy akin to salvation.
With their comrades wounded, the presence of a priest was nothing short of a miracle.
“We need to end this quickly!”
Reinhardt, pushing back enemies with his shield at the rear, shouted with difficulty.
The enemy's assault was growing fiercer.
“This isn’t a situation where we can treat everyone at once. Simple first aid is the most we can manage.”
Niceta also shook her head after seeing Mike Hoare's condition. The demonic energy and his wounds weren't the main problem.
His stamina was completely depleted from the prolonged battle.
They had to think of a way out. Outside, an army of several thousand was snarling, waiting to kill them, and inside was a ruin blocked by a wall.
Ruins…?
“We’re going deeper into the ruins.”
“Deeper?”
“Kratos, you don’t mean?”
When Seamus looked at him with a dawning realization, he nodded.
Buy some time and clear the ruins. Killing two birds with one stone, isn't it?
“Damn it, I don’t know what your plan is, but let’s hope it succeeds. It’s not like we have any other options.”
The alternative was to break through that army of thousands while leading the wounded.
“Everyone, hold hands tightly. You might get separated. If you stay together, Niceta, take care of the others.”
“Understood. I won’t let go.”
Niceta clenched her fists as if steeling her resolve.
Seeing this, Kratos let out a small laugh, then placed his hand on the smooth, patternless wall.
Blood from his fingertip stained the wall, and the door that seemed like it would never open began to slowly reveal itself.
***
*Rumble rumble rumble—*
“What’s happening!”
Ruben Whittle, startled as the ruins suddenly roared to life, looked at his adjutant.
There was no way such a loud noise, like a mountain moving, could come from inside the ruins.
“The ruins, the door to the ruins is opening!”
“What—? The door to the ruins?!”
The only people inside were those White Mercenary Corps bastards, the fools who went to rescue them, and his own troops. How could the door to the ruins suddenly open?
“Get a detailed report—!”
This might be more important than catching those White Mercenary Corps bastards inside. Besides, those guys might know how to open the ruin's door.
“Darkness—suddenly, darkness—!”
At this sudden, bizarre news, Ruben Whittle entered the ruins himself.
He figured nothing could happen to him with so many troops around.
Upon entering the ruins, he saw his troops were standing still, not advancing. He pushed his way through them to the front.
“Oh… my word. The door to the ruins has opened.”
Ruben Whittle was amazed by the open door and the pitch-black interior, but he snapped at his troops for not entering readily.
“What are you doing, not going in!”
“We’re hesitant, sir. It feels like we shouldn’t go in….”
The troops, exposed to the demonic energy, were reluctant to enter due to an instinctive repulsion they felt from the black door.
Moreover, while some unintelligent test subjects had hesitantly entered, they vanished without a trace the moment they passed through the door, as if devoured by the darkness.
Unable to even sense their presence anymore, the fear was multiplying.
As Ruben Whittle pushed past his troops and approached the door.
He found himself flinching, wanting to move away from the door. It was a purely instinctual reaction.
The primal scream of his instincts, telling him not to go near.
“We’ll make camp here. Unless there’s another exit, they’ll have to come out eventually.”
Forcing himself to appear calm, he gave the order, then quickly exited the ruins and gasped for breath.
The instinctive revulsion and fear he felt standing before it were beyond imagination.
Besides, he had to report this. That the door to the ruins had opened.
***
It was just as I expected.
Just like in Lagaris, I couldn’t see anyone else but myself.
And as I approached a faint light, the same hologram I had seen before appeared and held out its hand.
A different movement than before.
There was no sense of danger, so I extended my hand. It enveloped mine, and soon, a drop of blood emerged.
“What is it this time?”
Last time, I learned how to manage spiritual power.
Then, a black sphere materialized in front of the hologram.
Just like Ditto.
It felt like the ruins didn't have a set lesson to impart, but rather provided information that was needed at the moment, and only a certain amount of it.
“*Meow—*”
Ditto, who had somehow transformed into a cat, circled around me and the hologram.
Is this an explanation about Ditto?
No, this time it wasn't an explanation. It was the same method as the first ruin, like information being crammed into my head.
Information about Ditto began to pile up neatly in my mind.
A pet-like being that synchronizes with its master and can change its form at will.
At the same time, it was a wondrous being made of spiritual power. The possibilities of what one could do with it were endless.
Some could even transform it into a giant monster and ride on its back. Its abilities could be described as a lesser version of the Venatio species, or a buffer.
“What the hell did the Empire know about this egg to entrust it to that bank manager?”
A question arose. Was it just because it was a strange egg? It was an egg that couldn't hatch without spiritual power.
Or did they know something? It wasn't like I knew everything about the inner workings of the Empire.
“*Growl—*”
Ditto, now transformed into a giant bear, seemed to be in a good mood, rubbing its face against my leg affectionately.
It used to do nothing but sleep all day. I wondered if it had finally gotten all the sleep it needed.
“Huh…?”
Suddenly, Ditto, who had been acting cute beside me, vanished into the darkness.
All the knowledge settled into my mind. After a brief headache passed, the black veil began to ripple like a curtain, as if about to be drawn back. I shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Prepare for battle—!”
When the black veil lifted, I looked around and saw everyone with the same dumbfounded expression Seamus had worn before.
This must have been their first time in such darkness. But perhaps because they heard my shout, they were instinctively raising their weapons.
And importantly, Mike Hoare’s expression had become much more relaxed.
I was glad I wasn't too late. And glad that he was alive.
Next to him, Ditto was rubbing against his body as if healing him.
“Hah. Healing, you say.”
It seems there are still many things hidden within spiritual power that I don't yet understand.
And as the black veil lifted, the figures of countless enemies with bewildered expressions came into view.
Ah. Right, didn't I shout something like this?
“Assemble!”