𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬
“””!”””
ㅤ
The moment we left the room, everyone noticed the unsettling noise coming faintly from outside.
As expected of the Holy Warriors, just that sound alone instantly switched everyone into combat mode.
And so, we jumped out of the mansion’s windows and immediately headed for the property’s boundary.
ㅤ
“What the hell is this. . . . . .?!”
ㅤ
When we emerged from the mansion, the scene unfolding outside could only be described as chaos.
It wasn’t as if monsters or demons had appeared.
Yet, fights were breaking out throughout the town.
Beneath the overcast sky, the ones fighting were humans.
Though calling this a human conflict is a severe point of contention.
After all, among those fighting, one faction had bloodshot eyes, were drooling profusely, and were attacking other people while screaming, clearly having lost their sanity.
ㅤ
The attackers were using grappling and biting as their methods of attack.
They would seize their opponent to immobilize them and bite to attack, a battle method showing not a shred of intelligence, even by primitive standards.
However, those bitten quickly lost their sanity, eventually joining the ranks of the attackers.
I had heard of demons capable of doing this.
While I’ve never fought them directly, they are well-known and ferocious, often mentioned in heroic tales.
It’s reasonable to think that this town is currently under attack by such demons.
If you look closely, even the friendly greengrocer uncle we knew from the date was among the rampaging crowd.
Moreover, just before we arrived, all the sane people had been bitten and fallen into madness.
Damn it!
This is as manipulative as what an Old Witch Demon would do!
ㅤ
“Ernesta-sama! Rin-kun!”
“I get it! 『Electromagnetic Net』!”
ㅤ
While I was contemplating, Ruberto-san gave the order, and Auntie Elle planted her staff into the ground, releasing a spell without chanting.
What was released was a net of electricity crawling on the ground.
It precisely targeted only within the intended range, paralyzing the rampaging people.
ㅤ
“『Status Abnormality Recovery』!”
ㅤ
Next, Rin cast a status recovery spell throughout the area.
Healing magic enveloped the surroundings, and those exposed to it lost consciousness and fell down one by one.
ㅤ
“How did it go?”
“. . . . . .I think we’ve somewhat managed to calm the situation. It’s not entirely resolved, but they shouldn’t rampage anymore.”
ㅤ
Rin answered Ruberto-san’s question.
Indeed, the madness had disappeared from the faces of the fallen people.
They were groaning in discomfort, but it seemed more like they were having a bad dream.
While I’d like to say that we can relax now, it’s not over yet.
Screams can still be heard from various parts of the town.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .To not notice until things got to this point is a lifelong regret. Being in a soundproof room for secret discussions might have been our downfall. The absence of loud destructive noises due to the weak civilians also played a part. I didn’t expect to be targeted like this.”
“Is this the time to be calm?! We need to act fast!”
“Blade is right!”
“The end times must be near if what the musclehead says is the most correct.”
“You picking a fight in this situation?!”
ㅤ
Damn, it seems I’m pretty disoriented too.
I unwittingly blurted out exactly what I was thinking.
That’s a sign that I can’t control my emotions properly.
Calm down.
Based on experience, losing your cool in situations like this can be fatal.
Even if your heart is burning with anger, keep your head cool.
ㅤ
“What are the soldiers doing?! . . . . . .No, the possibility that the soldiers were targeted first is high. If the soldiers had been able to respond adequately, this level of damage wouldn’t have spread in such a short time. I want information, but we don’t have the luxury for that now.”
ㅤ
Just after Ruberto-san muttered to himself, another group consumed by madness appeared from the passage ahead.
Just how much has the damage escalated?
For now, all we can do is focus on dealing with the immediate threat.
ㅤ
That’s what I thought as I prepared for combat, but before we could act, the crazed people were subdued.
Quite forcefully, by shattering their legs with soaring blows.
It’s rough, but if the goal is to incapacitate without killing, it’s an effective method.
Then, the person who did it appeared before us.
ㅤ
“Ruberto-sama!”
“Doug?!”
ㅤ
The person was Doug-san, a hero with divine protection who guards this town.
However, he looked far from unscathed.
He should be strong, all things considered.
I can’t imagine he would fall behind any average demon, judging by the feel of crossing swords with him before.
Yet, Doug-san was now in a fairly beaten state.
The fact that someone could do this to a hero with divine protection is attacking us.
Moreover, they did it so quietly and swiftly that even though we were shut in, we didn’t notice.
I couldn’t help but understand the gravity of the situation.
I judged the enemy to be at least at the Four Heavenly Kings level, and as always, I sharpened my senses to the extreme.
ㅤ
“『Healing』!”
“Doug, what happened?!”
“That is. . . . . . .”
ㅤ
Rin cast healing magic in a split second, and Ruberto-san interrogated, but Doug-san’s words were cut off there.
Because a fierce soaring slash was directed at Doug-san.
ㅤ
“!”
ㅤ
The one who could respond the fastest was me, who had thoroughly honed the skill of foresight.
I deflected the flying slash with a wooden sword using a Distortion technique.
However, the moment I met the slash with my wooden sword, I was lost for words.
Because I sensed something familiar from that slash.
Impossibly, it resembled the attack of someone I had exchanged swords with just yesterday.
The power was different.
The emotions conveyed were different.
But certainly, this attack was. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Perfectly deflected. . . . . . . It’s an amazing skill, no matter how many times I see it.”
ㅤ
As if to confirm my intuition, the perpetrator who released that slash appeared.
Looking down at us from the top of a building was a familiar face.
To me, he was a future hero and romantic rival I met a few days ago.
To my comrades, he was a younger brother they’ve known for much longer.
And he appeared before us in a completely changed form.
ㅤ
“Rest, is that you. . . . . . ?”
ㅤ
Stella let out a faint voice, full of disbelief and despair.
My inner feelings were much the same.
I couldn’t blame her for that reaction, given how much Rest’s atmosphere had changed.
His hair was dyed a stark white, as if the pigment had been drained, and his eyes were dyed a blood-like red.
But what had changed even more than his appearance was his aura.
It was ominous; an aura so unsettling that your instincts screamed this guy is an enemy.
An aura of a demon, the enemy of humankind.
Such an unbelievable aura was emanating from Rest right now.
ㅤ
“Why. . . . . . ?”
ㅤ
To Stella’s mournful voice, Rest gave no answer, only silently raised his sword like a conductor’s baton.
As if following his lead, people consumed by madness appeared from all directions.
The scene eloquently spoke to the fact that Rest was indeed the perpetrator of this attack.
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- Eren Yeager vs. Gundam: Who Would Win in a Titan-Sized Showdown?
- Lost in Translation: When Your Brain Goes on a Tangent While Reading Light Novels
- Naruto and Sasuke: Bro-mance or True Love? The Ultimate Anime Bromance Debate
- Demon Slayer: Tengen Uzui – The Ultimate Husbando?
- Navigating the Digital Dojo: How to Deal with Your “That” Uncle and Auntie on Facebook
Leave a Reply