They had pondered what kind of monsters they might encounter, but a monster causing a landslide was beyond their expectations.
Udoo Shinri felt the ground beneath his feet cracking open and calmly surveyed the situation. Isumi Tsukiko, the one with the highest combat power in their group, faced the tremendous force without any intention of retreating.
The other newcomers were completely overwhelmed, unable to comprehend the situation, frozen in fear.
(Is it impossible for me alone to save everyone?)
The force of the earth and sand, even reduced by Tsukiko's "Hoshi Hanabi" magic, was still too massive to rescue multiple people with Udoo's magic.
While he was considering this, he glanced back one last time and saw Koresawa on the ground, hands on the earth.
What he heard was an unusually composed voice.
"'Kaina (Potter's arm).'"
Before Udoo could even anticipate the effect of this magic, he made eye contact with Koresawa, who had raised his head.
Just from his gaze and the movement of his lips, Udoo understood what was expected of him.
"Just say it."
Muttering, Udoo kicked the crumbling ground with his reinforced legs. His target was the opposite direction of the warrior. As he passed by Kishijou, who was in his path, he scooped her up with one arm.
"What are you doing all of a sudden!?"
"Shut up or you'll bite your tongue."
The other newcomers probably thought that Koresawa would handle the situation, so they left it to Udoo instead. Koresawa had made that judgment in an instant and conveyed it to Udoo after predicting that Udoo would check the situation.
Certainly, among the newcomers, Udoo was the only one who could act calmly in that situation. Kishijou didn't fear it, but her combat experience was limited, and her judgment was slow. The others were even less prepared.
(Being assigned as the captain wasn't just for show. He's a real pro.)
Udoo admired Koresawa's actions and dashed through the uncharted path at an astonishing speed. The sound of the earth pushing down the trees echoed behind him, and the ground shook. Nevertheless, Udoo didn't slow down at all.
He had come to understand the truth when he saw the headless figure.
Even with him there, he would only be a hindrance to Tsukiko's battle. He didn't think he was useless, but the disadvantages outweighed the benefits.
Udoo hadn't overestimated his own abilities. He had made an objective assessment and reached that conclusion.
Perhaps Tsukiko alone could handle that warrior in battle, or they could retreat. In that case, what Udoo and the others needed to do was escape as soon as possible.
Fortunately, they hadn't ventured too deep into the area. With Udoo's legs, they should be able to escape even with Kishijou in just a few minutes.
The prediction itself wasn't wrong.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would have been able to leave the territory as Udoo had estimated.
But the owners of unprecedented magic power were like moths to a flame, silently appearing as if drawn to the light.
"Tch."
Udoo immediately halted, scraping the ground with his feet. Beside his head, a voice of dissatisfaction could be heard.
"How long are you going to carry me? Put me down quickly, or I'll charge you extra!"
"It doesn't seem like a time for jokes."
"Huh?"
Udoo set Kishijou down, placing his hand behind his waist. More precisely, on the hilt of a small sword suspended there.
Kishijou, who had been put down, smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes and glared at her surroundings, sniffing disdainfully.
"Hmph, just a bunch of small fry."
Indeed, several warriors had appeared around the two of them. Some wore armor, while others were dressed in plain cloth. They wielded various weapons, including swords, spears, and even a bow held by one of them.
What they all had in common were their hollow eye sockets and listless gait.
"If they're small fry, that's fine."
It was unclear from which era they hailed, but they resembled the vengeful spirits of warriors who had lived through times of war.
Compared to the headless warrior, they were less impressive, but judging from the way the first two had fought, labeling them as "small fry" would be an understatement.
However, Kishijou laughed at Udoo's words.
"Small fry. From my perspective, every single one of them is just small fry."
Udoo suppressed a sigh as he looked at her arrogant and disdainful smile, one he had seen countless times since childhood. He knew well that these words came from her true feelings. And her confidence was backed by genuine strength.
The warriors began to move. They readied their weapons and closed in on Udoo and Kishijou, adopting a low, animalistic posture as they approached. Their action were more beastly than human.
Dealing with enemies coming from all directions was no small feat. Even Udoo could only handle one opponent at a time. There was a technique to engage multiple opponents in pseudo one-on-one combat, but that was a different story.
However, Kishijou calmly raised both arms in the face of this threat. As if in the posture of a conductor about to begin a performance, she was holding small devices resembling smartphones in both hands, which had appeared there unnoticed.
"If possible, I would have liked to face the one Tsukiko Isumi was fighting, but oh well. I guess I'll just have to make do with you guys."
Despite her light tone, the magic power coursing through her entire body was both weighty and graceful. Her slender fingertips tapped the screens of the devices.
And then, the curtain of chaos rose.
"I'll offer my song as your final tribute. Cry your heart out as you meet your end."
In the soundless world, out-of-place music echoed. From the audio players equipped with directional speakers held in Kishijou's hands, unceasingly loud music overflowed and bounced around.
The player was neither a magic tool nor any kind of magic device. Naturally, the music coming from it was just ordinary sound, devoid of magic power.
However, Kishijou's magic had already begun.
"—Ah."
She spoke, her voice riding on the bouncing sound, her throat trembling. Her mature voice, which was unimaginable from her usual behavior, formed words.
"'I had a dark and scary dream. It must have been a nightmare someone made for me secretly. There, I was all alone. Instead of crying and crying without end, I thought...'"
Her words turned into music, resounding with meaning. The song, imbued with magic power, became a potent form of magic.
"'I'd kick open the door that traps me, tear apart the dirty darkness, and show your true self. I am me, and I won't let anyone have their way with me.'"
Udoo moved away from Kishijou to avoid being caught up in it. Her control of magic was by no means shoddy, but the power was excessively strong.
"'Creak and groan and grind away. This kind of world is not needed.'"
Immediately afterward, something astonishing happened. Black distortions, like cracks, emerged in the space, spreading with the song. The warriors must have realized that they shouldn't touch those distortions. They tried to advance while avoiding them, but there was no way to escape the cracks within the range of the song.
Once caught in the cracks, the song corroded their bodies further, destroying them entirely. The warriors without physical bodies couldn't maintain their existence and eventually dissolved into the void.
The Kishijou family's "Senshu Kagura (Thousand Verses Kagura Dance)" scattered every warrior who approached within seconds.
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