Chapter 31
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: 7. Canyon (5)
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1st row: Bulky Frank, muscle girl May.
2nd row: Captain Aiden, training fanatic Victor, monk Alphonse.
3rd row: Old dog Kallisman, lop-eared Oriana.
4th row: Redhead mage Elena, Mercenary Leader Allen.
The members took their assigned positions and waited for the enemy to approach. From the canyon's sheer cliffs, the magic beasts lined up and leaped down all at once, as if on cue.
The proof that Allen could call them magic beasts was the fact that the visible monsters were types that could never gather together naturally. They had undoubtedly swallowed black mana and lost their minds.
...That black mage bastard...?
Allen swept his bloodshot eyes quickly across the cliff edge. His gaze, following the jagged, curving line, stopped dead at one spot.
Something was off. It seemed like a living thing, but it didn't look human at all. ...If he had to compare it, it was like dough made of mud.
That's when Allen knew. That was the black mage in the midst of beastification. ...The bastard had already shed his human skin.
Haa, haa, haa.
The leader wiped the streaming nosebleed with the back of his hand over and over. The repeated metallic taste kept his mind sharp.
"Just like we always practiced—!"
A not-insignificant number of magic beasts scattered and charged at the group. The ones barreling toward the Allen Mercenary Corps: three... no, two.
"One's slipping away—! Catch that bastard—!!"
Old dog Kallisman and lop-eared Oriana from the 3rd row bolted after the one breaking off to the side at the leader's command. And then the two charging right at them.
A beast with a hippo head and a gorilla-like body thundered forward on glowing red eyes, swinging its right arm at the round shields of the two muscle pigs waiting in the 1st row.
—!!
The sheer destructive power sent the two hulks flying back in one hit. If the members holding firm in the 2nd row hadn't braced them, they'd have gone much farther.
But the pair popped right back up like Weebles. There was no time to lie there sprawled out pathetically. One slip, and they could kiss this world goodbye.
Next, a dog-like magic beast circled to the side, aiming for a blind spot, then lunged in suddenly. Luckily, before it could sink its sharp teeth into the monk, he smashed its pointed snout with his iron-spiked mace.
"Fuck! Lord—!"
He belted out his habitual "Lord—" with every mace swing.
While the members clashed fiercely with the magic beasts, Allen doggedly tracked the black mage's movements. The thing at the cliff edge finally began slithering down the wall.
...Here it comes...!
Once it reached the canyon floor, it crossed the rippling stream of water and finally stood before the group.
It had planted itself around the 9th line, and it was even more massive than expected. Allen narrowed his eyes and focused his gaze to examine it more closely. ...And that's when he realized it was a dough of mashed-up human bodies.
What the fuck—.
Dozens of limbs protruded from the underside of the corpse dough, wriggling grotesquely.
The dough's shape lurched backward, then shot forward in a sudden surge. It swept up several from the 9th Mercenary Corps.
Aaaah—.
Fuck aaaah—.
Save meeeee—!!
It swallowed them whole, just like that. The moment they vanished, the horrific screams cut off instantly. At the same time, the monster's massive body jiggled and rippled as fresh limbs poked out from its surface.
"What the fuck."
Even the bold Allen couldn't hold back a raw curse.
The 10th group, seeing it, must have judged it impossible to fight—they turned tail and bolted. Naturally, straight toward the 11th, where the Allen Mercenary Corps waited.
"Elena—!"
Allen called to Elena right beside him. He grabbed her cheeks with both hands and made her look straight at him.
Of course, she'd seen the terrifying thing too, so her eyes brimmed with tension and fear.
"Look at me. Look right at me—!"
"Y-, yes, yes—!"
"Don't freak out. The second you back off in fear, it's over. Got it? Keep your head till the end. I'll be right here. I'll stay right beside you till the end—!!"
"Yes...! Got it. I'll do it. I'll do it...!"
To bolster her courage, Allen pulled Elena into a fierce hug and patted her back hard before letting go.
She faced the corpse dough head-on. Then, like a prayer, she clasped her hands together before chanting in ancient runes and slowly parting them.
Mana began gathering between her palms. True to her elemental affinity, her magic was destructive elemental sorcery. Prioritizing impact over efficiency—a massive area-of-effect slaughter spell—.
— — —.
The sky-blue mana swelled to the size of a baby's head.
That's when the corpse dough twisted its body clumsily. It was targeting the fleeing 10th group, but they were running straight toward the Allen Mercenary Corps' position.
And the monster started charging.
"You fuck, fireeeee—!!!!"
Allen's roar synced with the redhead mage unleashing her mana orb. It slammed into the right side of the corpse dough's gaping maw.
Kwaaaaaang— — — —.
A massive explosion. The monster hurtling toward the mercenaries veered off course and crashed into an empty cart against the stone wall.
Before the corpse dough hit the cart, Allen yanked the redhead mage's arm, pulled her into his arms, and rolled across the ground.
The monster even absorbed the two horses it collided with, crunching them down. Their pitiful neighs cut off abruptly. And then several horse legs poked out jaggedly amid the corpse limbs.
"Elena, again, again—!!"
Their flesh scraped raw on the dirt floor, blood flowing, but they barely felt the pain. The members were all half-dazed by the thing's horrific appearance.
The redhead mage scrambled up and began chanting runes again. Her neatly tied hair came undone into a wild mess, her clothes disheveled, but now wasn't the time to care.
— — — —.
She conjured a larger, more brilliant mana orb than before. But the strain showed—her arms trembled visibly as she held it steady.
"Fire, fire quick—!!"
The moment the monster stirred again, the redhead mage's spell smashed dead-center into its body. Flesh burst with a paang, spraying corpse chunks everywhere. Those nearby got splattered with stinking gunk of meat and blood.
......Did we get it?
The destructive power seemed absolutely fatal. ...But even after losing half its body, the monster didn't die.
- Grrooooaaaaarrr— —.
It spewed thick sludge, then charged straight at the redhead mage.
Ah.
Allen, right beside her, instinctively scooped her up and twisted away. At the same instant, Victor and Kallisman sprinted in to block their front. ...But stopping the charge looked hopeless.
That's when.
A powerful blast sent the corpse dough flying sideways. It crashed over another cart, tumbling.
Hah, hah, hah.
Everyone stared at the sizzling, dying monster, then turned to the opposite side to see who had saved them.
There stood a golden-haired beauty, arm extended, panting hard. Lilia, the mage from the Kallim Mercenary Corps.
"...Fuuuuck...."
Relief washed over his entire body, and Allen couldn't stand anymore. He crumpled to the ground with the redhead mage still in his arms.
Alive. For real. He'd almost died for real this time. No bullshit. Fuuuck. Alive. Alive.
"Pfuhuhuhu...."
Allen couldn't hold back the laughter. He didn't even know what it meant himself. The kind of laugh only a madman makes.
A while later, the Kallim leader finished up front and arrived a beat late. He glanced at Lilia, and she shrugged lightly.
"I didn't do much. Your side took most of them."
"...Yeah?"
The Kallim leader flicked his eyes at the melting monster, then shifted to the mercenaries sprawled on the ground.
Come to think of it, it was the Allen Mercenary Corps again this time.
...Definitely the real deal.
He approached them. Allen, the leader, lay spread-eagled on the ground, gasping up at the Kallim leader staring down.
The usually stern Kallim leader, who rarely smiled, showed a faint one now.
"Good work. Your mercenary corps pulled it off."
Allen mumbled in a dying voice.
"...Me, what..., just yelled from the back is all...."
"Yeah.... Got it. Rest up. A bit."
Allen closed his eyes just like that. And fell asleep on the spot.
This time, no nightmare.
A deep sleep sweeter than honey.