CH 95

Mountain Pass Crossing: The Visible Light

The harpy queen spread out its wings and slightly bent its knees.

In response, I held my sword up in the air.

We were both waiting. An opening to fly away, and an opening to attack.

Once on the ground, the queen could not use her talons, which were her greatest weapon in close quarters combat. The ground was my territory.

Now I just needed to be careful of the invisible wind blades and shock waves. …Though, I didn’t actually have an effective countermeasure for them.

And so I approached her slowly, so that I could dodge whenever it was necessary.

“Kueee!”

That’s when I saw two harpies fly in from the corner of my vision in order to support the queen. But I ignored them and moved closer while keeping my sword raised.

There was a danger that the harpies would use their talons to attack my back or side. But at least I would be able to cut the queen, even if she tried to fly away.

And if she used wind blades or shock waves now, the other harpies would be hit by it as well.

The queen then opened her mouth. The shock waves then!

I lowered my sword a little so that it was right in front of me, and then pulled in my elbows.

“Rgaaa… Rgaaaa….”

The sound was unleashed. At the same time, I dove to the side and rolled on the ground.

“Kuee!”

The two harpies were blown away as the impact hit me. But it was not a direct hit, and since I was prepared, I could bear it just fine.

I got back up on my feet after rolling, and then used my prosthetic leg to kick off of the ground and towards the queen. If I waited a moment longer, it would fly away.

Just then, the queen beat its wings. However, it was not trying to fly.

Suddenly realizing it, I held Mine Breaker, and my gauntlet with a guard on up in front of me.

In the next instant, two impacts hit my sword and body.

“Gah!”

I was knocked off my feet and rolled on the ground before landing on my face. I was shaken to the bone, and could not get up immediately. While flat on the ground, I made a fist with my hand. I bent my leg. Alright, I could move.

Keeping the sword and shield low and guarding had prevented me from taking any mortal wounds. However, my arm, shoulder, thigh and head hurt a little.

I had not imagined that it would unleash wind blades from both wings. I suppose this meant it could use both wings while on the ground. Thinking that I had the advantage was a mistake, and I had lowered my guard.

I managed to pull my face off the ground with my arms, and confirmed that the left side of my armor was torn, and there was a wound, not shallow…but not too deep in spite of the blood. I could move just fine.

However, I was left wide open, and the queen did not attack. So she must have flown away then.

“Kyuaaa!”

The annoyed cry of the queen… But…it sounded like it was close by?

I raised my face.

What I saw was the queen, still on the ground, and Lodoz was facing her. So he had come!

“Are you alive?”

Lodoz asked without looking towards me.

“Couldn’t be better.”

I thrust Mine Breaker into the ground and used it as a cane to get to my feet.

Blood ran hot from my wound, and I could not even tell if there was pain. My magic energy was practically depleted now. I could not charge my sword, and so Mine Break felt heavy in my bloody grip.

Still, I held it tightly and raised it to my shoulder.

“You’ll live a long life.”

“Of course, I will.”

More than you think!

My body creaked with every step as I tried to move around the queen. Now, I didn’t even have enough magic energy to make a sphere of light.

The queen also turned as if to stop me, but Lodoz kept her in check and prevented her.

After being pushed from two sides, the queen had limited options. And so it spread out its wings. Wind blades then!

It was predictable after seeing it three times. She could only unleash it forward, where the wings were facing. In order to get out of its range, I kicked off the dirt towards the queen’s side.

Lodoz was right in front of her, and so he hid behind his shield and charged towards the opposite side that I did. His posture made me think that he meant to crush the wing, even if he did get hit.

However, as if to laugh at his resolve, the queen did not beat her wings.

Her feet pushed down, and as she rose, her talons thrashed at Lodoz’s shield. And then her wings beat loudly.

She was using his shield as a takeoff point to get in the air.

She had baited us into moving as we did. Was this really a monster!?

I frantically changed directions and moved closer to the queen. In the meantime, the queen was about to take flight. But just then, Lodoz squatted.

“Kyuee!”

The queen lost her balance and her wings flapped wildly in the air. Clearly, she was affected by the wounds inflicted earlier as well.

And Lodoz sprung back up.

“Hyah!”

The short one-handed sword stabbed into the queen’s leg.

“Kyuaaaa!!”

Though she let out a pained scream, she continued to beat her wings. After stabbing her, Lodoz rolled on the ground and moved out of the way.

I had an opening now, and I leaned on my prosthetic leg. I could do this!

“Hyaaaaah!”

Without being charged up, Mine Breaker felt heavy on my shoulder. But still, I tried to use that along with my momentum while swinging.

And as I unleashed this attack from close range, the queen flapped her wings, but moved forward instead of back.

She was deliberately charging at me!!

“Kyuua!”

The queen screeched. My blade was buried in feathers, and then blood poured. However, the wound was not deep at all…

Even if it had retreated, I was close enough to hit it. Realizing that the attack could not be dodged, she had closed the gap herself. Because of that, she stopped the blade before I could finish swinging, preventing me from making use of its full weight.

It had been an attack with the perfect conditions, but it lost all momentum.

“Tsk.”

After that, I continued to push down, but the blade slipped over the feathers. And the queen moved back while in the air.

I thought I saw the edge of the queen’s mouth curl up. She beat her wings once, and her body rose into the air. I chased her with my sword desperately, but the tip barely grazed her stomach.

She would fly away. I thought.

Just then, I saw a light between the legs of the queen.

It flew, cutting through the ash-colored sky. It was thin and long, like a javelin.

Boom.

Along with the impact, the queen’s back erupted into flames.

Pushed by its force, the queen pressed into Mine Breaker. What? There was no time to think. It was the support of the magicians!

Now was the time. I would not let this go to waste!!

“Hyaaaahhhh!!”

What magic energy I had left, I charged into Mine Breaker, and pushed it forward. And like that, the tip of the sword plunged into the queen’s stomach.

“Kyuaaaaa!!”

Her scream echoed around us.

The impact of the magic pushed her into the blade until it hit bone.

It was just as I felt it…

I was completely drained of magic energy, and my consciousness sunk into darkness.