| Author: Shizuku | Original Source: Syosetu | Word Count: 3325 characters |
| Translator: Nomad | English Source: Re:Library | Word Count: 1565 words |
| Editor(s): Robinxen | ||
“All targets will be eliminated.”
I fearlessly grab the beak moving closer. It’s thicker than a human torso, but I stop it entirely. Then I fling my arms before it can flap its wings, throwing the large body away like it’s made of paper.
A nearby Rufu tries to get away, but it’s too late for it. My arm flicks into position and fires Black Hawk at it, the magic bullets piercing through its wings and leaving holes.
Even Clarissa feared that, so a Rufu is nowhere strong enough to tough it out.
But I’m not done yet, as I run forward with my magic blade ready. My movements now are mechanically precise, my blade sliding between the feathers and plunging straight into the monster’s heart.
The feathers don’t offer any protection from within, so I easily slice down, opening up the Rufu’s stomach.
Blood gushes out its beak while its innards spill out, and it falls dead.
I rush to the shadow of a nearby run down building and start reloading Black Hawk and White Viper.
Then I put away the entire house by stashing it in my magic storage, and run straight at my next target, firing White Viper at its face to blind it.
“Screeee!”
It inevitably tries to flee into the air, but I just run underneath and fire up, my bullets going through its lower jaw into its brain and killing it instantly.
I continue running to pass under the body, and shortly after, another Rufu attacks from the sky. I evade the incoming talons by leaping backward, and once I’m out of danger, I jump above the Rufu’s head.
Then I open my magic storage and take out the house I placed there earlier. An entire house has a massive weight, which I released on top of the Rufu. The monster quickly gets crushed while the ground shakes thunderously and a large dust cloud raises into the air.
Only its head pokes out a little from the rubble, and I shoot it to make sure it’ll never fly again.
Barely a moment passed before the next Rufu came to attack, this time running and tackling me from the side. I got flung away a large distance, but since I already jumped before getting hit, I didn’t take any damage.
The spot where I land is next to the actual nest, and the Rufu chicks inside quickly try to peck at me, thinking their food just arrived. Those hatchlings don’t even have proper plumage yet, so they pose even less of a threat than a grown Rufu.
White Viper is out of bullets, so I return it to my magic storage. My hands are enough for this anyway.
I grab one of their beaks and pull to the side, easily twisting and cracking its neck. Then I kick at the next one’s head to crush it into itself, and use my magic blade to slice another one apart. I kill all their offspring in the nest in mere seconds.
The adult Rufus are clearly enraged that I killed their children, but they have no way of getting close to me. Black Hawk and White Viper are done charging, so I grab them and jump out of the nest.
I’ll kill all of them.
Thinking about it more calmly, Ruri’s suggestion makes sense, so I leave through Ingralowe’s western gate, then turn to the southeast while riding on Clarissa.
Just like the map showed, all the villages and towns along the road were attacked by Rufus. I tried searching through the ruins in case Natalia had been dropped around here, but I couldn’t find her nor any of the other people who were taken. There were only half eaten bodies left by the Rufus.
Eventually we had to set up camp for the night, and then the next day we finally arrived at the village Ruri mentioned.
This village is in far worse shape than the previous ones, but something else feels off.
All the buildings are broken down, and there’s human and Rufu body parts strewn about everywhere. I’ve been attacked by monsters and bandits before, and I’ve even seen dead bodies, but it was never as horrifying as this.
It’s still really strange though. I knew that there was a chance the people who were taken might already be dead, but I hadn’t imagined that there would be so many dead Rufus too. It doesn’t make any sense.
It’s almost like something else came to the village and killed everything in sight. Including Natalia…
A really bad feeling fills my mind as I gulp seeing the destruction in front. I jump off Clarissa and look around a bit more. At least I can’t see anything that looks like a wrecked magic automaton.
“Natalia…”
I walk fearfully through the crumbling city.
“Nataliaa! Anyonee! Please say somethingg!”
“Maiid!”
Clarissa goes into her werewolf form and helps me shout, but no one answers.
I find an odd place where it looks like the ground has been gouged out, but that’s it. All the people who had been taken are lifeless corpses, just like the Rufus.
“Screeeee!”
Suddenly I hear a high pitched sound, a Rufu’s cry. I really don’t know what else to do, so I just follow that cry.
Going round a corner, I find the Rufu that was crying. It’s a Rufu pinned against the ground. And holding it down is Natalia, standing on its back with her maid uniform dyed red. She forms two magic blades on her hands and plunges them into the Rufu’s neck.
“Scryaa!”
The Rufu cries out in pain. But Natalia’s face remains stone cold, pushing her arms deeper. Her sharp blades tear through the feathers, pierce the skin, and go deep into the Rufu’s flesh. Then she swings her arms away.
The movement of Natalia’s arms moving away is too much for the Rufu’s neck, as most of it gets severed.
With its head only connected through a thin piece of skin, the Rufu dies instantly and falls limp, gushing blood out that bathes Natalia, though she doesn’t seem to mind.
Seeing her like that makes me realize that all of this was her doing.
Natalia slowly turns to look at me. Her face looks completely empty. None of her usual kindness, momentary strictness, or even composure when fighting is there. Her face looks like that of an inorganic doll.
“Natalia…”
As I mutter that, her magic blades dissolve and she falls on her knees, like a puppet with its strings cut. I run closer, climbing the Rufu’s body and lifting her body.
“Natalia! Hang in there!”
“Oli…via..?”
“Yes, it’s me! I came to rescue you!”
I call out to her, the events from last year flashing in my mind. She slowly opens her eyes, and this time she doesn’t look like a doll, it’s the same Natalia as always1. Filled with relief, I hold her shoulder to help her up.
“It’s fine, Young Lady. I’m just a little tired…”
“Don’t say anything, let me do it.”
Natalia tries to refuse my help, but I pretty much shut her up and get her on her feet. She clearly doesn’t look alright, so I wish she’d rely at least a little on me during times like these.
It doesn’t seem like anyone else made it out alive, so it’s best if we leave as fast as possible though. But then things just had to take a turn for the worst.
“Squeeee!”
A cry with a lower pitch than other Rufus echoes from the forest. Some trees began to rustle, and then the Black Roc returned.
It circles above the village, observing the damage, and then lands in front of us having seen its flock had been killed.
“Squeeeeeeeeee!”
It cries even louder as it lands, creating a powerful gust of wind. Its eyes are clearly overtaken with rage, and we’re the target of its anger2.
“Awoooooooooooo!” Clarissa stands her ground and howls defiantly.
“Grrrrrrr.” Soon she’s back in wolf form and growling ferociously. Like we mentioned in the Academy, she’s better suited to fight these monsters in wolf form.
The Black Roc seems to get irked by that, so it starts ignoring the rest of us while slapping its wings at Clarissa.
“Rawr!”
“Squeee!”
As Clarissa leaps while baring her fangs, the Black Roc flaps its wings to send her away. While that’s happening, I pick up Natalia and carry her into the forest.
“Young Lady, I should also…”
“No, you shouldn’t. Me and Claire will deal with this, you should rest.”
I quickly push Natalia back as she tries to get up. Then I turn around and head towards the Black Roc.
I don’t know why the Rufus left their usual habitat in the Derbidenies Desert and came to attack Ingralowe. Maybe there’s a deeper reason behind it, but either way they came here and killed a lot of people, and they hurt Natalia. So I’ll never forgive them.
Maybe I’m being selfish and inconsiderate. But I still won’t forgive them, I can’t change that. And right now I’ll just give in to my emotions.
“Let’s do it.”
Muttering that to no one in particular, I set my mana on fire and activated my Magical Arts.
“Full Divine Wind.”
I head straight for the Black Roc that is trying to fly away from Clarissa3.
