Chapter 241: Clash (2)
Chapter 241: Clash (2)
The confirmation of the participants, overseen by Lina, didn't take long.
Ten minutes at most.
"Lieutenant General Par. The total count is confirmed at ninety. Is that acceptable?"
"It doesn't matter. There is no rule stating we must fill a hundred."
The faction led by Lieutenant General Par looked every bit the military force.
They were monochromatic entities, maintaining perfect ranks and files, their mouths shut tight as they glared at their opposition. Likely, that colorless appearance was for the sake of uniformity or camouflage.
In contrast, the other side was...
"Captain Ronia. There are personnel at the rank of Major present; is this acceptable? It feels a bit strange for me to be advising you, but they will be of no help in this fight. Whether for tactical or strategic purposes."
"We have few combat-oriented members on our side. They are simply here to fill the numbers. I plan to have them withdraw from the battlefield as soon as the combat begins."
"Then it is no concern of mine. I pray there are no accidents, Captain Ronia."
As Lina spoke and moved away, Captain Ronia’s faction could be described as individualistic at best, and chaotic at worst.
They were a group brimming with a free-spiritedness that felt entirely un-military. Even though a battle was clearly imminent, they chatted away, flaunting their multicolored appearances.
Their forms were utterly unsuited for combat.
It was as if they were directly proving a thought I’d had several times since arriving in this Magic Kingdom: that the residents here had heads filled with flower gardens.
Once the inspection was complete, Lina turned her gaze toward us.
"Now. Finally, Brigadier General Un-ho and company. Please step forward."
She called for us.
"..."
"...Hmm."
We had been summoned, but perhaps because of the pressure I’d felt earlier, Al’shel and I hesitated for a moment.
"Let's go-yong."
Un-ho began to lead the way.
Seeing that dignified stride, I let out a short laugh and followed.
"Haha."
I understood that this battle had been started by Un-ho, after all.
As I moved, Al’shel followed behind me.
As we stepped forward and Lina’s attention shifted to us, a massive pressure weighed down on my shoulders once again.
It was a sensation that denied my very individuality, making me feel as though my existence in this world was shrinking.
The moment I felt it, I almost instinctively took a hostile stance against the one emitting that pressure.
However, I looked at the small friend walking ahead of me—Un-ho—and suppressed that urge.
It wasn't that I thought this pressure was nothing.
It still felt terrifying and formidable.
However, it wasn't unbearable.
If this was the natural aura emitted by an Avatar—the manifestation of the culprit behind everything, existing far away—then I had to get used to it.
As if it were only natural.
Just as the air in the atmosphere piles upon my body to become atmospheric pressure, I had to accept this pressure as a given.
In that sense, wasn't this a good opportunity?
An Avatar-class entity with no immediate hostility toward me. It wasn't every day one could experience the pressure that weighed down the world.
So, accepting it as normal, I stood before Lina.
"Hmm. I was disappointed, but it seems you are indeed someone The Queen would invite."
In that moment, Lina uttered something unbelievable.
"Wait. What does that mean...?"
Did the Guard know I had been invited? If so, why did the Guard wait until things reached this point to—
I tried to voice my question, but Lina cut me off.
"Now then, participants. Fighting as you are is fine, but I shall add one rule."
Lina spoke quickly, raising her hand toward the sky.
As her slender fingers overlapped...
Snap.
With the sound of a finger flick, my vision was dyed black.
* * *
"Where are we now?"
After my vision flickered, the place we arrived at was a forest.
It was a forest filled with trees sporting the Blue Leaves I had commonly seen as roadside trees since arriving in this world.
Knowing next to nothing about the geography of this world, I couldn't tell where we were, but...
"It's Spatial Teleportation. Not a long distance. I believe we are still within the park."
Fortunately, it seemed this wasn't a pure deathmatch, as the team members were kept together. Al’shel, the magic enthusiast, identified the spell instantly.
"That's a relief. Well then, what should we do? Should we find their position and charge—"
Just as the three of us were about to put our heads together for a strategy meeting to avoid wasting time...
"...!"
The three of us immediately snapped our heads toward the sky.
I was the fastest to react, but the other two weren't far behind.
"Dammit."
What entered our sight were countless silver spheres and a single, massive Silver-purple Pillar.
Bombardment. The moment that word flashed through my mind, I grabbed Un-ho and threw myself aside.
And then...
Rumble!
Silver spheres slammed into the spot where we had just been standing.
Immediately following that, the Silver-purple Pillar struck right behind us.
After the silver spheres had already pulverized the ground, the Silver-purple Pillar, which appeared to be an energy mass, drove itself into the earth.
"It seems Lieutenant General Par views us as the greater threat."
I tossed a joke into the air.
Those silver spheres were the bombardment used by Lieutenant General Par.
Since only one Silver-purple Pillar had fallen, that was likely Captain Ronia’s attack. I didn't think he’d actually stick to his word and only fire a single shot, but...
"By the way, their accuracy is pretty lack—"
If it wasn't even going to explode, they should have adjusted it more precisely.
Just as I was about to catch my breath...
"We have to run."
Al’shel rudely grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and pulled.
"Hey, what is it? Explain first."
I didn't feel any ominous signs, and there was no flow of mana.
"There's no time for that."
Even though my intuition told me it was safe, Al’shel abandoned his talkative nature and moved urgently, dragging me along.
I still didn't quite understand, but Al’shel wasn't the type to play pranks, so I shook off his hand and started running as well.
The moment the Silver-purple Pillar left our immediate field of vision...
"Oh? It's glowing-yong."
Un-ho, who was looking back, spoke up.
I turned my head to look as well.
Vroom.
With a short sound like something resonating...
Pshhh.
A dull, underwhelming sound echoed.
Simultaneously, purple smoke billowed out.
Whirrr!
The energy mass unleashed itself.
And just like that, the ground we had been standing on evaporated.
It felt like a strange thought even to me, but there was no better word for it.
It literally evaporated.
"...Huh?"
What the hell was that?
"Cognitive decline. Inducing friendliness. Consciousness blocking. Regeneration suspension. Molecular structure collapse. It's the kind of thing that would finish off someone like you, Lee Ha-ram, who lacks magical knowledge and moves based on intuition, in a single hit."
"...Non-lethal?"
That thing is non-lethal?
"Lina, get out here! This is a rule violation! Blow Ronia away!"
"I doubt you or Un-ho would die from being hit by it."
Ah, so the standard was based on the opponent's strength?
What a damnably flexible rule.
Still, it was surprising. To think my body had become something that wouldn't die even if hit by molecular collapse.
"Of course, you'd probably lose a limb or two."
...
"Ah, another one is falling over there."
Dammit.
Is this how the Otherworlders felt when they were targeted by our artillery? Even if the power was relatively weak, having artillery support was reassuring when they were on your side.
But being on the receiving end was nothing but annoying.
The only silver lining was that the intense Silver-purple Pillar of energy was apparently not something that could be fired rapidly, given its power, as the shots were very infrequent.
"Where's their main camp? Let's find it and blow it up."
After backstepping to avoid a Silver Sphere about to land in front of me, I threw the question to the two mages.
"Do people usually broadcast the location of their artillery or command post on a battlefield?"
Al’shel countered with a question.
"They don't, right?"
Maybe if it were a brawl on an open plain, but in a proper battle, it's a top secret.
"Exactly. I'm deploying detection magic, but it's all being blocked."
Those damn mages. Why are they conducting large-scale information warfare in a small-scale skirmish?
It wasn't that I didn't trust Al’shel, but it seemed like it would take quite a while. I tried to deduce The Enemy’s position by looking at the trajectory of the shells, but...
Where in the world does artillery fall in a perfectly straight line from the sky?
Looking at the trajectory, it seemed they were dropping them from high up without any propellant. They were likely teleporting the shells themselves and letting them free-fall.
Wow, how fairy-tale!
Wow, what a fantasy war!
This is really hopeless.
"How much longer do you think it'll take?"
"Just a little bit more..."
Right, a little bit more.
Hearing that, I suppressed my anger and lunged forward to avoid another shell about to drop on my head.
Vroom.
Along with an ominous vibration, my vision was filled with silver.
"Ah."
A thought occurred to me along with that silver light.
People who pursue efficiency have no reason to use free-fall.
I had been trapped in the concept of 'artillery' and assumed it was natural for attacks to fall from the sky.
But those silver spheres were already objects teleported high into the air. In other words, there was a reason they did that even though they could teleport the shells right next to us like this.
First, there would be the physical impact of acceleration.
But the fact that they showered us with countless spheres that didn't even hit properly and were less powerful than the purple pillar... perhaps these silver spheres also functioned as detectors?
In reality, it might have nothing to do with that. These shells might just be shells. There might be a separate expert in tracking or detection magic.
Regardless of my speculation, the one that had teleported right in front of our eyes had already confirmed our location. This was the first shot of a precision strike.
The power wouldn't be that great.
Al’shel had only warned us about Ronia’s Silver-purple Pillar. Given the sheer quantity of these silver spheres, they couldn't be that formidable individually.
Therefore...
"Heave-hoooo!"
I swung my hammer rapidly at the sphere, which was vibrating more and more intensely.
From bottom to top.
Like hitting a billiard ball.
‘Detonation upon impact. Lee Ha-ram, danger!’
A telepathic message with that meaning struck my mind for an instant, but I had already anticipated it.
Even in our world, vibration sensors and impact fuses are common; surely the more advanced Magic Kingdom would have them.
That's why I poured even more strength into striking the heavy sphere.
A massive weight that couldn't possibly be felt from its size.
Like the battleship cannon fired by Colossus, an indescribable weight shook my body, but...
"Do you think I'd lose when it comes to strength!"
I hadn't even been pushed back in strength by Zess or Dam.
Perhaps that self-suggestion acted as a catalyst.
KABOOM!
With a refreshing sound echoing through the surroundings, the silver shell soared into the sky.
Without much of a delay, a firework-like explosion followed immediately.
It’s been a while since I used some real strength.
I smiled refreshingly as I watched the beautiful explosion.
Filling my stomach with oil is fine, but using my strength is also quite satisfying.
Just as that sense of satisfaction welled up...
"Ah. Lee Ha-ram, the fragments..."
"Huh? What about fragments... Thwack!"
Despite Al’shel’s warning, a fist-sized silver fragment clipped my left cheek.
Thanks to that, I went rolling across the ground.
"...Are you alright?"
Al’shel’s worried shadow loomed over me.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine."
I replied as I stood up and brushed the dirt off my clothes.
It was just a fist-sized fragment. It hurt a bit, but it wasn't a fatal injury.
However...
"Al’shel?"
"Yes?"
"Did you find where those bastards are?"
What I suffered wasn't physical damage. It was mental damage. Therefore, it was only right to claim compensation.
"No, just a little more..."
Don't you know that excuses are a sin, Al’shel!
Just as I was about to bark at him...
"It's this way-yong."
I heard Un-ho’s voice and turned my gaze in that direction.
"...What are you doing?"
I witnessed a sight that was hard to put into words.
To be specific...
It was a ferret with camouflage-patterned fur, performing a low crawl on the ground.
"I can smell Lieutenant General Par from over there. They hid it well, but the moment they performed that precision strike just now, their camouflage magic flickered for a second-yong."
"..."
Uh, Special Forces Operative Un-ho?
I was dazed for a moment, but I soon snapped out of it.
Leaving the animal playing special forces aside, I spoke to my remaining companion.
"Can we trust that?"
"Shouldn't we? Even if he's wrong, we have nothing to lose."
Is that so? Still, it's Un-ho, you know?
I continued to hesitate, but...
"What are you doing not coming-yong?"
Un-ho called out to us in a confident voice.
I had no choice but to follow him.