Volume 23 Chapter 6 Struggle
Once the last enemy dropped, Al swept the battlefield with an expert's eye, checking the enemy mage and his so-called bodyguards quick and cold──just to make sure not a single one was still breathing.
This was his first time hitting people directly with the Magic Shockwave spell, and honestly?
He couldn't tell how much damage he'd really done.
But even the guy way in the back──number 6 in the target lineup──looked like he'd been hit with a wall of force head to toe.
Every one of them was dead.
And the 4 unlucky souls caught in that 'Magic Tornado' spell after?
Not one lived through it.
Sure, they'd tried to throw up 'Shield' spells in a panic──like that was going to save them.
Clearly, it hadn't even come close.
At the very least, his ace tricks hadn't been exposed.
That alone was enough to let Al breathe a small, shaky sigh of relief as he started packing the corpses into his Magic Bag.
The security golem got whisked through the tower's 'Transport' portal for storage, too.
He would've loved nothing more than to loot the enemy right there, picking through their gear for clues or treasure, but saving Desmond mattered more.
So, he launched himself skyward, racing toward the hill where Desmond and the others were fighting for their lives.
Even from a distance, he could make out the shouts──rage, panic, the clashing steel──war already in full swing up on that hilltop.
By the time he soared overhead, Al spotted Desmond and his crew hacking away, desperate, swords flashing nonstop.
Looked like there weren't any spells flying yet.
Al swooped down on low 'Fly' and landed in a crouch right next to Leda.
"That side's done. How's it looking over here?"
"Al! You're alive! Thank goodness. But we're barely hanging on. We had the upper hand for a bit, but then they started blasting out 'Light' and 'Magic Missile' spells. We threw 'Magic Missiles' back and took a few out, but now it's almost dawn and..."
Al glanced around, taking in the mess.
A few lingering balls of enemy 'Light' still hovered, scattering the dark──so the battlefield wasn't pitch-black anymore.
Plus, up here at the crest of the hill, the trees thinned out just enough for the first pink rays of sunrise to trickle in.
So much for that huge advantage from 'Night Sight'──daybreak was killing it fast.
Against double their numbers and losing the shadows?
No wonder things were looking grim.
"Go!"
"Damn it... I can't──go on..."
Just when they thought they were safe, a fresh wave of enemies, their helmets lowered, charged in.
Reginald was hacking away at the front lines, but exhaustion was clearly etched on his face.
If they didn't do something, they'd be overrun──there wasn't a moment to spare.
But spells like Magic Shockwave and 'Magic Tornado' risked harming their own side.
"Those who can, please step back,"
Al called out, stepping forward. He moved to the front.
"Hey, wait, you're gonna get killed!"
Desmond shouted from where he was commanding beside Leda.
But Leda stopped him, perhaps having an inkling of what was about to happen.
She seemed to have a rough idea of what was coming.
Without hesitation, Al thrust out his hand.
"Magic Sparks"──excluding the Levy Merchant Guild mercenaries.
A pale blue orb formed in Al's extended palm.
The orb zipped past Reginald's group, heading straight for the heart of the battle.
In the next instant, the pale blue orb shattered with a resounding *crack*, scattering countless orbs around it.
Reginald and the others tried to shield their heads with their weapons, but the myriad orbs neatly avoided the familiar faces of the Levy Merchant Guild mercenaries, striking only the enemies.
Each tiny orb that hit burst into a small spark, inflicting deep wounds and taking down the foes one by one.
In a blink, only the Levy Merchant Guild's mercenaries stood at the front lines.
"What kind of spell is that..."
Desmond said in astonishment.
"Well, his magic is a bit... 'off',"
Leda replied, her tone tinged with a similar bewilderment.
Off?
But she had seen him use this spell before, in a battle against orcs, and she had asked him plenty of questions afterward.
"Come on, now! Let's finish this!"
"Right!"
Al urged Desmond and the others.
Spurred on, they gripped their swords anew and charged toward their disheartened foes.
* * *
The tide of battle swung fast──suddenly, it was all in the Levy merchant guild's favor.
In the end, everything came down to Al and Leda.
The two split up and targeted the enemy commanders, picking them off one by one with pinpoint 'Magic Missile' shots.
That was the game.
Mercenary crews like Shining Shield and the infamous Black Knife Gang, plus those Seventh Snake thugs──one after another, they took one look at the field and threw down their weapons.
Desmond and Reginald swooped in, stripped them of anything dangerous, and tied them up good and tight.
"What's our move now?"
Was Orson still on lookout by the villa, or had something changed over there?
Just how much enemy firepower did they have left on that side, anyway?
"First things first, I'd like to hear from the ones who surrendered──if they're willing to talk. Still, after dropping this many of them, I doubt there's anyone serious left on the other side. If they make a break for it, that's a pain, so I want eyes on the villa before that happens. That disc of yours──how many can you carry at once?"
Al agreed with Desmond's logic.
He gave a small, sly smile.
"Right now? That's...let's see──360 kilos, all in. And that includes armor, not just body weight, okay?"
Desmond and Reginald exchanged glances.
Reginald's face broke into a triumphant smirk.
Desmond, meanwhile, scowled like he'd just bitten into something sour.
Let's be real──Desmond's a walking tank.
With his size and all that beefy gear, he probably counted for 2 people.
"No helping it. Reginald, I'm leaving it to you. Pick 2 to go with, and take Lady Leda if you can. If Orson's still at the villa, link up with him and scope things out. I'll patch up the wounded here, then bring the prisoners and catch up."
"Understood. Al, it's all yours."
Al hesitated for a moment.
He'd already stuffed the enemy mages' bodies into his Magic Bag, but he wasn't sure whether to mention that now.
There was nothing wrong with telling Desmond and Reginald about the bags──but with the newly surrendered prisoners all around, maybe this wasn't the best time.
Quietly, Al activated 'Telepathy' and directed it at Desmond.
'Mr. Desmond. I'm carrying 2 Magic Bags. Both have a little more space than the ones Guildmaster Levy lent us before. Over there, they're collecting the corpses of what seems to be Mages that were taken down. I was thinking, maybe we should have someone gather up the bodies and loot scattered around here, but then again, I'd rather not let the prisoners know about the existence of the Magic Bag. What should we do?'
Desmond shook his head at Al's 'Telepathy.'
'We can deal with gathering the bodies and goods later. After all, those horse-riding bastards left everything as is. It can wait until everything's settled. As for the Magic Bag, the guild master has been particularly careful about its use. It's better if it remains unknown.'
Al nodded.
Come to think of it, maybe it's not that important.
For now, let's focus on rescuing Guildmaster Levy and Mr. Eric.
Al loaded 4 people onto the 'Carrier' chairs and left this place to Desmond, beginning their move.
Characters Note:
- Desmond – Veteran adventurer hired by Levy. Based in Border City, Lester.
- Leda – She was an apprentice to Eric. A magician in training.
- Reginald – He once protected Naresh when they were attacked by the Blood-Soaked Bandits. Mercenary for the Levy merchant guild
- Orson – An adventurer, he was 172 cm tall with a slight limp, which Al had healed, an act for which he was deeply grateful. A seasoned warrior, he often worked alongside Al and made the (Red-Faced Sheep) tavern his regular lodging.
- Eric – Top magician in Lester. Mentor to many, including Leda.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!