Volume 3 Chapter 25

Volume 3 Chapter 25: True Colors II

Translator: “Pink Tea” Editor: ”Ryunakama”

「You summoned…… Monsters?」

Sidonius blurted out his guess looking at two beasts that appeared in front of him.

Then, Moka who was standing next to him, said while nodding.

「Right. But, they don’t seem like your usual monsters, or rather, they smell of poison……!」

「Naturally. Those are special creatures made by me. ……They are quite powerful.」

As if urged by his words, the tigers turned their eyes to us. Andー

「Grrarr!」

Almost simultaneously attacked.

A giant tiger that towered over humans attacked using its claws.

「――！」

On the spur of the moment, Sidonius brandished his sword and swung it in order to cut off the incoming limb. Butー

「ーーGuh」

He can’t cut it. The sword got stopped, so he blocks the attack with it.

And after receiving the blow with his swords, he got pushed away a few meters.

「Incredible strength……」

Sidonius also wore armor, so his weight should add up to a considerable number.

A light attack with only one hand, yet it sent me scraping the ground for a few meters.

Seeing that the rakshasa laughed with a mocking display of admiration.

「As expected from the captain. You have enough power to stop the blow. You seemed to have problems running around to restore the God Tree, but as expected from a war veteran. You are strong.」

Those words had more scorn than actual praise to them.

Right. This guy knows about us.

That alone makes him dangerous, I thought whenー

「Gauh…」

Sidonius coughed up blood.

Looking closely, a purple liquid was stuck to his hand, forming a strange pattern.

「This… I guarded but was poisoned anyway…?」

Even though I made sure not to get hit by even a random splash. Just when did he. While I wonderedーー

「……Show it to me, Sidonius-san! 【Antidote Analysis]……!」

Moka rushed over upon hearing my words.

And it seems that using skills she managed to instantly analyze the poison by merely seeing that purple pattern.

「This poison…… Hemorrhage-type, one that destroys cells…… I didn’t expect this, but it seems those monsters can poison by merely being nearby……」

Was what she found out.

Hearing the result of her analysis the rakshasa laughed.

「Kuku, that’s right Chief Moka. You’d be able to notice that. The poisonous nature of my cute black tigers. After all, their poison is close to the one that was used on the god tree」

「Indeed. However, I think this one can be treated even with a common antidote potionー」

Interrupting Moka’s words—

「Guaaa.」

Came a scream.

It came from the direction of another black tiger.

Looking there, one of the knights couldn’t block the tiger’s attack and had his legs caught by its claws.

It could be called a mere scratch. Howeverー

「My leg, the flesh on my leg……!」

The skin visible under the ripped fabric was greatly inflamed and twitching in spasms.

Moreover, smoke was coming from the areas that came in contact with the poison, and some parts of the flesh began to dissolve.

And the poison stuck to the leg kept gradually spreading.

「Such effect with just one attack…… Use an antidote potion!」

With those words from Sidonius, one of the knights took out some antidote and distributed them and splashed it on the wound.

Butー

「ーIt, it doesn’t work?!」

The spread of the poison didn’t stop.

It continued to melt the leg.

「Relief squad!!」

The members of the order that belonged to a support party immediately rushed to the rescue.

「No good! We applied it both internally and externally but there is no effect……!」

Such was their reply.

The potion did nothing no matter how much they made him drink.

「W-why…… It should be able to cure this poison……」

Moka had a slightly panicked expression.

Her poison analysis skill was quite good. For her to misjudge this, something is fishy here.

With those thoughts, Sidonius looked back at the rakshasaー

「Kuku, it’s only natural. I’m perfectly fine. As long as poison is strengthened by my influence, you won’t be able to treat it with some meager potions.」

He then proudly proclaimed. And while we were exchanging those wordsー

「「Uwaaa!!!」」

A few other knights of the order were poisoned by the black tigers and collapsed to the ground.

Furthermore, the onslaught didn’t stop at that.

「Aren’t I in good shape? Let’s add another one.」

Rakshasa made a snap with his fingers.

With that alone, another tiger appeared, for a total of three of them.

「Fuu… Fu……」

Seeing that, Sidonius began breathing in and out to calm himself.

「Moka-san. I will hold them off, so please run away and call for reinforcements and medics.」

He made this decision upon analyzing the difference in their battle power.

Since many knights were already taken down he didn’t consider the idea of trying to resolve this by themselves.

Stalling for time is the most he could do.

So he decided to leave the other tasks to Moka.

Then, she hesitated for a few moments, butー

「Understood. I will send an urgent telepathic message to the capital and neighboring cities right away. After that I will gather a force and will come to assist, so you absolutely have to stay alive until then……!」

She was able to calmly make a decision. She then ran awayfrom the scene.

Her making the right choice, not one based on emotions, gives me joyー

「Sure thing…!」

To answer her expectations Sidonius filled his body with power.

「Fumu, so you are sacrificing yourself to let another retreat.」

「I have no intention of becoming a sacrifice. But thinking about the city, this is the best choice. 」

「I see. Then have your death in that best way.」

Two black tigers attacked at once with those words from the rakshasa.

Both swung their huge limbs, fully intending to tear me apart. Butー

「Kuuu…!」

Sidonius once again blocked all of the incoming attacks.

……If I focus on defense I can manage somehow……!

Cutting down my attacks to the minimum and fighting around defense. And then, when an opportunity presents itself, I can just take them down. Is what I thought.

「Ooh, you still can fight? You are really amazing, captain. But…」

「…Fuh…?!」

A spell of dizziness suddenly overcame him, forcing him to one knee.

「This time I also added neurotoxin.」

His trembling hands could no longer hold the sword.

The vision also became blurry.

「Haa…… Haa……」

Merely breathing was the best he could do.

Turning around, he was the only one still trying to get up.

Everyone else already collapsed after contact with some poison.

Looks like they couldn’t withstand it.

「Then, let’s wrap this up. ーBlack Tiger, devour.」

The smile disappeared from the rakshasa’s face as he gave an abrupt order to one of the black tigers.

That tiger approached and opened its jaws wide.

That moment.

「【Composition: Metal Stake from earth]」

A thick snake appeared from behind, impaling the beast of poison.

A sudden attack from behind.

Wondering what it could be I strained my eyes.

「Eh……Ah……Daisy-dono……?」

「Just when we thought that the problem was solved, we now have some dangerous-looking monsters.…… This looks like quite a mess, my friend.」

「Yeah, indeed.」

All of the heroes that restored the God Tree, including Daisy and Axel, were there together.