The Serpent Church (4)
The Serpent Church (4)
The Snow Demon.
Its actual name had nothing to do with “Snow Demon.” It was a Disaster Species called Vagueness.
Its nickname was the Land Octopus because it looked almost exactly like an octopus.
But whatever people called them—Disaster Species or Snow Demons—most Vagueness like her were already dead.
There was only one reason.
They starved to death in their sleep.
Vagueness preferred cold regions and invariably lived in places associated with snow. They woke only to eat, and stupidly enough, once asleep they would not wake unless something disturbed them.
In such cold places, there was rarely enough noise to wake them. Their habitats were usually deep depressions such as cliffs or valleys.
They were not places people could easily reach. Their habitats were places even beasts naturally avoided.
And so most of those Snorlax-like creatures starved to death.
But even so, there was a reason they were called Disaster Species (災害種). Their distinctive, tremendous bulk and their bottomless appetite were nothing short of a calamity to humans.
After starving for a long time and being woken by others, they would not fall back asleep until they had devoured a tremendous amount of food. The Snow Demon that had just woken would not stop until it collapsed the cliff and swallowed every nearby village whole.
Honestly speaking, this blizzard and the giant tentacles slowly crawling up were like sleep-talking. It had not even properly entered Phase 1. Yeah.
But once it fully woke, it was only a matter of time before this place collapsed.
"So this is the Snow Demon...!"
"It's strong!"
"There's no end in sight!"
"But we can win!"
"It's not like we can't break the tentacles!"
No. This is still nothing but a preliminary skirmish.
The inquisitors gleefully poured Holy Arts into the tentacles. Every time a tentacle crumbled with a crunch, they cheered.
Conserve your strength a little. Please. Those things are all going to regenerate anyway. This is still just a taste. The real thing hasn't even woken up yet.
The blizzard grew fiercer as time passed. Staying in place was a sure way to get buried in snow.
So far, everything was as expected. The Snow Demon's appearance, its progression—all of it was within my predictions.
The problem was that the blizzard was far too intense.
What the hell?
Originally, it shouldn't have pressed this hard.
Something was off. Even across hundreds of scenarios, a blizzard this strong had never swept in.
And those giant tentacles climbing up the ice cliff...
And those tentacles climbing the Ice Cliff were much thicker than a normal Snow Demon’s...
"Radatok! We found the trail again!"
"Ice cave spotted ahead!"
"I sense people nearby!"
Inquisitor Radatok swung his sword fiercely. A single Holy Art blew away half of one tentacle.
A heavy sword befitting his massive frame. Radatok pointed at an ice cave not far away.
"All hands, prepare for battle. Eliminate the heretics and seal the Snow Demon once more..."
Suddenly.
The ice cliff rang out.
A grotesque roar echoed. The ground shook, and the blizzard surged in an instant.
Snow struck me full in the face. The falling clumps had grown so large they were almost like hailstones.
Wait... this form, no way...
"...We can't even see the cave yet, and it's already Phase 1?"
Giant tentacles began to writhe above the ice cliff. With a sound that shook heaven and earth, the giant tentacles stood rigid.
The tentacles were poised to slam down. It was the first thing Vagueness—the creatures called Snow Demons—did when they woke.
Shoving anything into a starving stomach. And that meant...
"Oh, shit?!"
It meant devouring this entire ice cliff.
"Run into that ice cave right now!"
"Brother. What did you just..."
"There's no time to explain, so run!"
I practiced what I preached and bolted forward.
The ice cave. That was our only chance. Holding out there was a mandatory step in the Snow Demon raid.
"For now, shit! Everyone ruuun!!"
The tentacles that had stood rigid slammed down all at once. Giant shadows covered the terrain.
The Snow Demon's desperate roar.
The ice cliff collapsed in an instant.
. . .
My head rang. I pushed myself up amid the surrounding groans. I couldn’t see anything, so I lit Ember.
"...Ha."
Somehow, we had made it inside the ice cave. The inquisitors seemed to have entered at almost the same time. Some appeared injured after being pinned under broken ground, but their lives didn't seem to be in danger.
That was fortunate, at least.
The ceiling suddenly rumbled. A tremendous vibration shook the cave, followed by a loud crunching sound.
The sound of the Snow Demon devouring the ice cliff. Since it was just tasteless lumps of ice, it was probably eating slowly. If my prediction was right, the time it would take that thing to eat the entire ice cliff was a little over two weeks. Maybe even longer than that.
I dusted off my ass and stood up, then looked around. There were plenty of unfamiliar faces mixed in among the inquisitors.
The Serpent Church.
From the Sun God Church's perspective, heretics were scattered absolutely everywhere.
Someone suddenly covered my face. Startled, I turned around, and there was Radatok.
"Brother. Put out the light."
"If I put out the light, I can't see anything."
"It is better that we see nothing. If the light is visible, we become a target."
Radatok seemed to grasp the severity of the situation. Once the light was out and we were trapped in darkness, Radatok whispered quietly.
"There is something outside, Brother. Do you know what it is?"
"The Snow Demon."
"You seem to know things I do not, Brother."
"I read about it in a book. The legend of the Ice Cliff is famous."
"Could you teach me?"
A snake of a man with the build of a bear. That was Radatok all right. When it came to learning, he did not care how young the person teaching him was.
"The Snow Demon is a demon in the form of a giant octopus. It's famous for its rapid regeneration and endless appetite."
"Didn’t you shout about the ice cave earlier?"
"Because it looked like the safest place. But now it seems even that isn't the case."
The ground rang out. I felt my body sink once. Radatok let out a sigh.
"I do not know how you will feel about this, Brother... but it seems we are currently being swallowed whole."
"Probably, yeah?"
"We must escape before it is too late."
"Impossible. If we touch the wrong spot, this entire terrain surrounding us might collapse."
"We cannot simply sit still and be eaten."
"Actually, being eaten might be the right call."
"...Excuse me?"
"Think about it, Inquisitor. If it's a demon so enormous that it can devour the entire terrain, wouldn't it be better to stir things up from the inside?"
Deliberately getting eaten was the key to the Snow Demon raid.
In the first place, fighting this giant bulk from the outside was no different from begging to be killed!
"We go inside, tear up its organs, and destroy its heart. Then we come back out."
"That is reckless."
"But hasn't the situation already forced us into recklessness?"
I felt Radatok glaring through the darkness.
"Brother... did you know things would turn out this way?"
Of course I knew.
That's why I followed along! But I didn't know it would happen this fast!
"No way. Would I have followed along if I did?"
"...I suppose that is true."
The inquisitors came to their senses. I felt them gathering around Radatok one by one.
The members of the Serpent Church also rose. They whispered in the darkness, then moved to the opposite side with a rustle.
"...State your affiliation."
"Shut it, heretics."
"I knew it would come to this! You've survived well! You filthy spawn of the sun!"
"How dare the scales of a vile beast run its mouth!"
Yap! Yap!
Chatter, chatter!
With everyone shouting over one another, I dug a finger into my ear. Right. It would be strange if they met like this and didn’t fight.
But no. Not now. I slipped out of Radatok's arms. I filled my lungs with as much air as I could.
"QUIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!"
The noise stopped.
I flicked on a flame. The startled Serpent Church members and inquisitors stared at me. Neither side was unscathed. Besides bruises everywhere, some people couldn't stand and had drawn their swords while seated.
"Everybody shut up and listen. Why are you yelling at a time like this?"
"Shut your mouth! The words of a heretic..."
"Oh, shit! Can't you feel this?! We're all about to die!"
Right on cue, the ground rang out. My body sank once more. Very nice. Nice assist, Snow Demon.
"We're being eaten alive right now, so what good is fighting among ourselves?!"
"Hah, but we cannot stand on the same ground as heretics...!"
"Inquisitor. Do you not know what's beneath us right now? It's the Snow Demon. The Snow Demon. A thing that devours ice cliffs like this without a care, I'm telling you."
"How do we know you won't deceive us...!"
"Ah. Enough. Serpent Church. Right. You people. You're the same. We're all in the same boat of being eaten, so are you going to keep pointing swords at us?"
I stomped the ground a few times.
"What do you think happens once this Snow Demon eats all of us? You think it'll just go back to sleep? I've read a few books, so I know—this bastard swallowed several cities in one gulp before. This is what it does when it wakes up."
"B-Brother. Is that true?"
Of course it's bullshit.
If that had happened, someone would have put up a sign or something.
But so what!
If nobody knows, it's not a lie! It's the truth!
"Have you ever seen me lie? This damn Snow Demon, after it eats all of us, it's going to squirm its way toward the nearby cities. Inquisitor. Are you going to just let that happen?"
"W-we have to protect the helpless..."
"We cannot allow the Snow Demon to eat innocent citizens..."
"Right? Our great Ra said it. Light a fire for those who shiver in the cold."
—You never listen to a word I say, yet you remember every verse.
Of course. I memorized them for moments like this.
"Anyway, no fighting. Heresy is important, but stopping the demon beneath us comes first."
"...You’re right, Brother, but..."
Radatok's eyes flashed.
"I do not know whether those filthy heretics will stay still."
"They'll stay still. Who's the leader over there?"
"...Serpent Church priest Isabella."
A woman in priestly robes rose into the firelight.
...Isabella?
Wait. That Isabella?
"Why are you here?"
"You know me?"
"No, shit...!"
Isabella. Commander of the Black Scales Paladin Order.
One of the Serpent Church’s core combat assets at the height of its power!
I thrust the flame toward her. Flowing black hair and a peerless beauty. The barcode-pattern tattoo beneath her eye matched the Isabella I knew well.
Why is a core fighting force of the Serpent Church out here stealing food?!
How the hell is this scenario unfolding now...?
"...No. How would I know who you are?"
I hastily corrected myself. Thinking about it, this was better. Rather than dealing with a leader I didn't know, a diligent but slightly unhinged paladin was far preferable!
"So, Isabella. I mean... damn it. You want to live too, don’t you? Honestly, if this came to a fight, I don’t think there’s any chance we’d lose."
"...Do you really think that?"
"Radatok. She’s saying that."
"If you're curious, I'll show you myself."
Radatok strode forward. Isabella flinched and stepped back.
"We have the Iron Bear."
"Brother. I am Radatok."
"Anyway, we have him! Even if by some miracle you won, most of you would die. Is that what you want? Do you want to get trapped in a cave like this and just fucking die? Huh?"
"...So what are you proposing?"
"Put aside heresy or whatever for now, and let's talk after we get out. After we get out."
I held out my hand.
"Temporary alliance. What do you say? Radatok, you agree, right?"
"......"
Radatok fell silent. He closed his eyes in thought, then gave a small nod.
"There is no choice... We cannot leave the Snow Demon as it is... The Sun God Church will sheathe its sword to prevent the sacrifice of the innocent. I propose a temporary alliance. Isabella."
Isabella ground her teeth. She glared at the Serpent Church paladins beside her, then sheathed her sword with a click.
"If it's for survival, I have no choice. But that doesn't mean we accept you. You filthy heretics. The moment we get out, I'll cut you down."
One of the Serpent Church followers muttered.
"The Serpent Church’s rising star, Isabella... and the Sun God Church’s Fire Bear... hey, hey... that’s quite a dangerous combination, isn’t it...?"
"Oh, come on."
Drop the otaku speech. Seriously.