Mount of Demonic Beasts, To Its Summit (7)
The unicorn that came clicking through the dust was the very image of a divine beast descended from the heavens.
Its mane streaming with lofty pride, the unicorn spotted Hans and came galloping over in a frantic rush. So frantic, in fact, that it planted a hoof straight into the hissing, smoking demon blood.
Master! Are you hurt anywhere?! Aaaagh! Good heavens—there's filth on my hooves!
"Hmm..."
Hopping anxiously around Hans one moment, then recoiling in horror at the black blood and scrubbing its eyes with frantic vigor the next—Hans and the holy knight, who had briefly marveled at the unicorn's majestic form, now wore rather peculiar expressions.
They had clearly watched it streak down like a comet and land a solid blow on the demon... yet its present antics made them wonder if they had somehow been mistaken.
Whoosh!
Grrr... And just what the hell are you supposed to be?
The demon that had been sprawled on the ground rose, growling low.
The portion that had collided with the unicorn was missing its head entirely, left hollow—yet dark crimson flames flickered from the wound, gradually knitting themselves into the shape of a head once more.
Furious at having allowed that surprise strike, flames billowed out between its ragged breaths.
The unicorn, which had been throwing a full-blown fit trying to wipe the black blood from its front hooves, promptly planted itself in front of Hans and the holy knight, barring the demon's path.
Ha! The stench of a filthy sewer reeks to high heaven! How dare this dirty spawn of evil traipse about with muddy feet in a place like this! Crawl straight back to the worm-hole you crawled out of!
...A horse? No—not a horse. What is this? That unpleasant aura tells me it's one of ■'s spawn, yet I've never seen the likes of you.
The Great One is not a name the likes of you may dare utter so lightly!
Heeheehing—!
The unicorn reared high on its front legs once, then charged with its horn leveled like a lance. With every stride its speed climbed to astonishing heights, until at last it raced like the wind itself.
Kwa-ang!
Kueugh!
Like a thunderbolt in a storm, the unicorn drove its horn deep into the demon's torso. A heavy boom sent a shockwave rippling outward in an instant.
The demon, unable to react in time, groaned—but the unicorn clicked its tongue and sprang back a good distance.
It had charged intending to pierce clean through, yet the body was a touch sturdier than before. Playing at being a greater demon, it seemed determined not to fall for the same attack twice.
Master and you there, man! Get out of here at once! Run, I say!
Hans and the holy knight, who had been staring blankly at the unicorn's lance charge, finally snapped to their senses and scrambled into motion. But they were not heading down the mountain.
No—why are you coming this way! I told you to flee!
None other than Hans and the holy knight sticking right by the unicorn's side, swords leveled.
How the unicorn had known to come all the way to the mountain's summit remained a mystery, but its opening strike had dealt meaningful damage to the demon.
In that case—wasn't this a fight worth taking?
"Where do you think we're going! We're killing that bastard right here and then heading down!"
"Indeed. The two of us alone would have been insufficient... but with the divine beast at our side, it seems entirely possible!"
Ihihing! What nonsense is that! If Master were to die—
Crack! Crunch!
The unicorn's remaining words were swallowed by the sound of something tearing. The demon's body trembled and swelled grotesquely.
Then, with a wet rip—! the sound of hide tearing, the severed foot grew back. Claws even sturdier and sharper than before Hans had cut them off sprouted forth.
Kraaaah!! This farcical little play ends here! I'll tear every last one of you to shreds and kill you!
Kwaang!
With the demon's roar, a massive pillar of fire rose from the direction of the eternal snows. The flames that had been endlessly gnawing at the ice all swelled as one, taking the form of a towering pillar.
From the land closest to the sky, the fire pillar climbed even higher, scorching the edges of the clouds as it blazed skyward. The enlarged pillar melted the eternal snows even more fiercely.
Crack! Crrrack! Boom!
A great fissure scored the eternal snows that had stood firm as fortress walls. The crooked lines spread this way and that, covering the snows completely.
The cracks that spiderwebbed out like dusk falling drove the eternal snows downward all at once.
Rumble—
Snow poured down. It even felt as if part of the mountain itself were collapsing.
"What the hell!"
The avalanche that began from the eternal snows rapidly swelled and cascaded.
If they were swept up in that, they wouldn't even find intact corpses.
Grrr!
The demon gave a short growl, spread its wings, and soared high into the sky.
The unicorn thrust out its back and urgently cried out. Telling them to run on foot was absurd. They had to escape into the sky.
Get on, hurry! Hurry!
Ordinarily the unicorn would never let a male so much as touch it—but even it knew how to read a situation.
They were all about to die right now. Who had time to fuss over that!
Clack— clatter!
Even with two adult men on its back, the unicorn moved without a hitch, kicked off the ground, and took flight.
And no sooner had the unicorn's hooves left the earth than a wave of pure white snow skimmed right beneath them.
"Whew... hoo..."
"That crazy bastard for real!"
The holy knight broke out in cold sweat at how close it had been, while Hans hurled curses at the demon that had gone and done something so insane.
At Hans's curses, the demon instead looked satisfied.
Grrr. Do you really think you can afford to be so relaxed just because you safely dodged the avalanche? Hmm? Your comrades haven't finished descending the mountain yet, have they?
"Th-this!"
Six warriors were still making their way down the mountain. And the avalanche was racing far faster than the warriors' feet, pouring down the slopes.
Hans pointed in one direction and instructed the unicorn.
"Unicorn! There are six people on the path down that way! We have to save them!"
Heehing—! Leave it to me!
The unicorn neighed vigorously and was about to streak across the sky like a bolt of light when the demon flapped its wings and intervened.
Oh dear, oh dear! Did you really think I'd just let you go? Hahaha! What a naive thought.
Whoosh! Whoosh-whoosh!
Several large fireballs bloomed in midair. Hellfire. At the same time the air began to boil and sizzle. Scorching heat stabbed into their lungs, roasting them from within.
"Damn...! There's nowhere decent to dodge from up here!"
It was a disaster. Having taken to the sky, Hans and the holy knight could not move from the unicorn's back. Below, the avalanche was still raging.
Whoosh! Boom—!
The fireballs filling the sky all flew toward the unicorn at once. Each was a sphere as hot as the sun. The unicorn dodged with inspired movements, but even a graze from the fireballs' heat brought the agony of flesh roasting.
Puhiihing! Fighting dirty just like the filthy demon spawn you are!
Haha. There's no greater satisfaction than receiving such praise from an enemy!
Heat roasted their lungs and eyeballs.
They needed a breakthrough.
...Can I do it?
Hans bit his lip and whispered to the unicorn.
"Buy me a little time. I've got an idea."
Purrk—! How long do you need?!
The unicorn shouted as it ran, dodging the fireballs chasing its rear. Fire had caught on the unicorn's tail, sending up little wisps of smoke.
Hans gauged the sensation within. Cutting off the demon's arm just now had thinned the sensation of that nameless sea considerably.
Through training and meditation it might grow clear again, but right now, to seize hold of that sensation, he needed a fair amount of time.
"...It'll take a little while."
Start at once! At once! Puhiihing!
The unicorn urged him on like a flaming colt. Despite its flustered cries, the unicorn continued heading down the mountain while dodging the fireballs.
Evading every one of the demon's attacks while advancing toward where the six warriors were.
"Hoo—"
Hans closed his eyes and steeled his mind. His consciousness sank deep. His body remained on the unicorn's back, yet his spirit rose. And sank at the same time.
It was contradictory, but that was the only way to describe it.
Dodging this way and that like a worm! Grrrrr! Just die already!
Slash!
Growing irritated, the demon shouted peevishly and swung its arm. Blazing fire stretched long and cracked through the air like a whip.
And it was not just one.
Swords, spears, whips, arrows, spheres, snakes, skulls...
Boom—!
Giant pillars of fire erupted from all over, piercing through the avalanche. They skimmed perilously close past the unicorn racing through the sky.
All manner of things made of fire lunged for the unicorn's throat. The demon's attacks poured forth, occupying every space.
The unicorn's eyes flashed.
If I can't dodge them all—!
Then he would simply tank them with his body.
The unicorn trusted its sturdy frame. For all its looks, this was a body that had withstood the Great One's lightning multiple times. It had firm confidence that mere demon flames would not take it down.
"Uwaaaah, aaaagh!!"
The holy knight on its back screamed in terror. What could be dodged, it dodged. But when it could not, the unicorn thrust its own torso forward to protect the holy knight and Hans as much as possible.
Boom—!
A thunderous explosion. The unicorn staggered lightly from the hit of the flames, but there was no major wound. Its absurdly sturdy flesh had endured it.
Bang! Boom! Kaboom!
The unavoidable attacks increased. More and more it tanked with its body, and with each, the scorch marks on the pure white unicorn's body multiplied.
Purrk! Master! Just how long do I have to hold out!
As the demon's attacks grew ever more vicious, the unicorn made a pained face. It felt like ages had passed—was there still more?
"Almost there."
He honed his senses to a razor edge. Like whetting a sword's blade on a stone, he sharpened his mind and senses.
The more he did, the clearer the sensation of the sea became. The sound of the sea rushing in—whoosh—reached him. Something ticklish wriggled in his head.
"Now."
A woman's whisper reached Hans's ear. His eyes snapped open. He felt it instinctively. Right now.
"...Run!"
Ihihihing—!
Stretching its neck long and neighing loudly, the unicorn changed direction and began charging toward the demon. It tanked every oncoming flame with its body.
Its speed increased steadily.
It flew like a loosed arrow, then ran as the wind, and at last streaked across the sky as a single bolt of light.
Fwaaat!
Two runes on the longsword blazed with light.
The Rune of Courage pulsed, bolstering his strength, and the Rune of Speed fiercely expelled air, adding to his velocity.
With a bang—, the unicorn's body accelerated as if shoved. The distance to the demon closed as if yanked taut—
"Haaap—!"
Gripping the roughly trembling sword with both hands, he simply swung as the feeling guided him.
What he poured into that single swing was the warmth of the sacrificial lamb.
Slash—!
He cut.
Certain from the sensation catching at his fingertips, Hans finally let all the strength drain from his body. The concentration of mind and senses that had exceeded their limits made him feel on the verge of fainting at any moment.
Khaaaagh!!
The demon's short death cry rang out.
...Had they done it?
His consciousness sank further and further. He felt his body moving on its own, staggering.
The sound of someone's sword clattering to the ground—clang—reached him—
...ster! Ma—...! Stay—...!
"That way—...!! ...the warriors—!! — ...to the castle—...!!"
Rumble—
Listening to the distant shouts and the footsteps of the avalanche, Hans plummeted into the far side of unconsciousness.