Struggle for Supremacy (4)
Struggle for Supremacy (4)
After Melanie finished resting, Lieutenant Ellin guided the group to the operation zone.
The deep blue sky was tinged with a faint red hue.
Normally, this would be the time when the streets would be bustling with evening commerce.
But now, since most citizens had either moved to shelters or evacuated, it was as quiet as the deep dawn.
"I was worried because no one came despite posting mercenary recruitment notices, but I'm really glad skilled individuals like you have come."
"Ahaha..."
Having distinguished herself in two demon lord subjugations, Melanie had become quite a celebrity, at least within the military.
With such a figure appearing while bringing along the former Saintess, Ellin felt considerable hope rising within him to rely on them.
"Even support from the capital has been lacking. Since Captain Lancelot passed away, everyone's become so frightened they won't even consider mobilizing the knight order...!"
"You must have endured so much hardship until now. I hope our strength can be of some help here."
Hilda cut off Ellin's resentful words as she responded.
Only the Emperor could mobilize the knight order.
Ellin's current statement was something no imperial citizen should utter - disparaging the Emperor.
That he would say such things showed how dire Smalion's situation had become.
'The story has already gotten quite twisted. Originally, the atmosphere wasn't supposed to be this serious...!'
Sephemo had also suffered many casualties from fighting the demon lord.
But it wasn't to the extent of losing the Empire's strongest knight and nearly having an entire city annihilated.
All of this happened because Luxuria had intervened in the story.
Originally, imperial support troops and mercenaries should have arrived here by now.
But from lowly mercenaries to the imperial family, everyone was shrinking back, focused only on self-preservation.
[...So are you expressing dissatisfaction with me now?]
'Ah, no, it's not that...'
No matter how much she explained from a human perspective, the demon lords would never understand.
Melanie had many things she wanted to say but could only bite her tongue.
"The one who brought Smalion to this state is someone called Jeral. He was originally a magic professor employed at Smalion Magic Academy."
"Professor Jeral. I know of him too. Why did he fall into becoming a necromancer?"
Since Melanie already knew the whole story, Hilda was primarily the one conversing with Ellin.
"It's just a rumor, but they say he was a strong candidate for the next dean but ultimately lost the competition. To a professor much younger than him."
"Jealousy, perhaps?"
Hilda glanced back at Melanie.
As if asking if her assessment was correct, Melanie shook her head.
Professor Jeral had always been corrupt, and he was simply expelled from the academy when this was discovered.
"Professor Jeral has been moving around attacking various parts of the city until now, but we've currently driven him into the operation zone and have him surrounded. However, we're short on troops, so we can only maintain a standoff against his corpse legion."
"Is our role to enter the siege net and capture Professor Jeral?"
"Yes. Of course, you won't be going in alone. I'll also be entering from the opposite side, leading my squad."
"......"
Melanie fell silent.
Professor Jeral doesn't get captured here.
He escapes the siege net with his absurd running speed, and additionally kidnaps Ellin.
Though Ellin is eventually rescued safely, until then he becomes Jeral's plaything, suffering horrific torture.
To the point that his upright personality becomes twisted somewhere.
[That foolish habit of yours is showing again. If you want to save him, then save him. You did well with Hilda, but...]
'Shut up...! I'll save him if I want to!'
[Oho. Have you decided to be true to your desires now?]
'Th-that's not it, I just thought I need to maintain balance.'
[Balance?]
Melanie wasn't omnipotent.
No matter how much she knew about this world's fate, if the situation changed too drastically, she couldn't handle it.
'Like I said, originally Smalion's situation shouldn't be this serious. So I'll let that bastard Jeral escape, but I need to inflict some damage to maintain balance.'
[Hmm.]
'Th-then, he probably won't have the leisure to kidnap Ellin...'
[A decent excuse. I'll allow it for now.]
'Ugh...!'
To be completely honest, her pure desire to save Ellin was indeed the truth.
Unable to hide her feelings, Melanie blushed.
The group entered an alley where soldiers holding shields stood.
Ellin spoke to them in a low voice.
"If you wait here, the soldiers will confirm the signal and inform you. You can enter then."
"I wish you good fortune."
Ellin nodded and disappeared toward his entry point.
Lili, Pia, and Hilda looked at Melanie as if wanting to confirm their plan moving forward.
"First of all, it's probably impossible to capture Jeral without my magic. That old man's legs are insanely fast."
"...His legs are fast? The Professor Jeral I remember was a typical mage with no interest in physical training."
Hilda tilted her head as she asked.
"You saw it too, Lili and Pia. That guy who only gets abnormally fast when escaping."
"You mean that succubus lady?"
"He has exactly the same ability as that bitch. He only gets ridiculously fast when escaping. Even if Lili runs at full speed, she wouldn't be able to catch him."
"Ugh! Why does every opponent we face have to be like that?!"
"Exactly..."
Melanie also wanted to confront the scenario writer.
Why did they always use the same development where the protagonist catches the enemy only to lose them and get counterattacked, falling into crisis?
It didn't make sense that such a powerful protagonist would let enemies escape.
In this world, that narrative device was implemented as an abnormally appearing escape ability.
Grrrrrrr...!
"Huh?!"
Along with ominous vibrations, the sounds of panicking soldiers could be heard.
From afar, something enormous raised its head while collapsing buildings.
— Grooooooo...!
A monstrous entity the size of a mountain, built from piled rotten flesh and bones, was roaring.
Every time its massive body moved, houses crumbled easily like sandcastles.
"Ah, the signal hasn't been given yet?!"
"Ev-everyone! I think you need to enter now! That must be Necromancer Jeral's final resort! Jeral must be inside that monster!"
"Let's go!"
Nodding at the soldiers' words, Melanie entered the operation zone.
This time too, there was some difference from the original development.
Professor Jeral shouldn't have revealed his position until the very end.
Had Professor Jeral also sensed some danger within this changed development?
"The corpses will interfere! Sorry but my magic won't be very helpful! Only physical attacks enhanced by Hilda's spells will be effective!"
— Geeeee...!
— Uoooh...!
No sooner had Melanie's warning ended than moving corpses rushed at them from all directions.
"Just leave it to me!"
"<blessing>holy of spear the."
As Hilda cast her spell, radiance enveloped Lili's fists.
When Lili swung her light-wrapped fists with vigor, the corpses burst apart like balloons.
Passing through what had been separated into flesh and bone fragments, the group reached near the giant monster.
"Hoo...! I'm going right in!"
Maintaining her momentum, Lili immediately charged at the monster and delivered a punch to its ankle.
Kwaaaaaaang!!!!
With that destructive power, the monster's ankle instantly bent at an abnormal angle.
Even for Melanie, Lili's strength was hard to comprehend.
She thought they would struggle quite a bit, but to defeat it so easily...
— Grooooo...?!
"Ugh...!"
The monster's body began tilting over Lili's head.
Perhaps Lili had overexerted herself with this attack, as she hesitated instead of immediately evading.
At that moment, Pia immediately grabbed Lili and threw her backward, then readjusted her grip on her spear with both hands.
'...A spear?'
A questioning light appeared in Melanie's eyes.
Pia was originally a swordswoman, so why was she holding a spear?
Mastering one weapon wasn't easy.
For that reason, suddenly using a different weapon than usual was also rare to see.
"<blessing>holy of spear the."
Unaware of these circumstances, Hilda calmly cast the spell on Pia's spear.
Pia aimed the spear wrapped in brilliant light at the falling monster's torso.
"Hyaap!"
Kwaaaaaaang!!!!
As if the spear was much larger than it appeared, an enormous hole was torn through the monster's chest.
Pia was much weaker compared to Lili, so when had she become so strong?
Melanie didn't have time to continue that thought.
Because from the hole Pia had created, an old man came bursting out.
Lili, Pia, and Hilda all came to Melanie's side, surrounding and protecting her.
The only one who could deal with an enemy with abnormal escape abilities was Melanie's pursuit magic.
So they were ensuring her spellcasting wouldn't be interrupted.
"Kehehehe! I knew something felt off! There were ridiculously strong individuals! But I won't be caught!"
Professor Jeral began running at an unbelievable speed that was hard to believe even with both eyes open.
No one could understand how such speed could come from those scrawny legs that looked ready to break at any moment.
【Black Swamp's Fang】
Melanie cast a slightly less powerful spell, intending to only inflict appropriate injuries.
She needed to inflict just enough injury that he wouldn't have the leisure to kidnap Ellin but would still manage to escape.
Black mud spread around Melanie, forming into a shape like an alligator's snout——
"...Huh?"
A much larger snout than Melanie had intended formed.
It was enormous enough to swallow not just a person but an entire sturdy horse whole.
She had relaxed her power enough when creating it, so how did it form to this size?
The long jaw with countless teeth opened wide vertically, and it flew toward Professor Jeral.
"Ah, no! This shouldn't happen!"
Melanie desperately tried to stop her creation, but she couldn't stop a spell already cast.
Crunch!
The snout that caught up to Professor Jeral snapped shut, and copious amounts of blood and flesh fragments splattered out from its mouth in all directions.
It was clearly instant death to anyone watching.
"Wow! Melanie! Amazing! You got him in one shot!"
"...Shi-shit... I'm screwed..."
While Lili jumped around joyfully as if it were her own achievement, Melanie's expression remained anything but bright.