Tomorrow is the release day for Sword Oratoria Volume 4! And DanMachi Volume 8 has just been announced in GA Bunko's June lineup! I'm screaming with joy inside, woohoo!!
Anyway, let's continue the battle scene from where we left off, focusing on Lefiya's side.
Chapter 12: The Man-Eating Flower
"Wow, looks like we're not getting any action today."
We stopped as we moved along the rooftops. Looking ahead, we saw Ais-san skillfully slaying the monsters with ease. I felt relieved, thinking we probably wouldn't be needed after all.
"It's like we were served a meal, only to be told we can't eat it."
"Oh, I know that feeling."
"How can you two talk like that when you don't even have weapons?"
"And you, Lefiya, seem pretty calm yourself."
I gave Tione-san a small smile and nodded.
"Yes. Even without my staff, I can still use magic. And with you two around, I feel safe enough to take the time to cast it."
"Look at you, getting all confident."
"Yeah! Lefiya's gotten really dependable lately!"
Their praise made me a little embarrassed. And then I thought...
Would I have been able to say something like that if I hadn't met him back then? Trusting in myself and my comrades, it's a simple idea, but so difficult to truly believe. He's the one who made me realize it...
"So, why exactly did you come along with us?"
"Well, I didn't feel right just evacuating after all that. Don't worry. At the very least, I can be a shield for Lefiya while she chants her spells. Though at this rate, I doubt I'll even get the chance."
He, Toki, said it with a lighthearted grin, though his eyes remained sharp, scanning the surroundings. And then...
"…?"
"Tiona?"
"Is something wrong?"
Suddenly, Tiona-san started looking around.
"Is it just me, or is the ground shaking?"
"…You're right."
"This isn't an earthquake, is it?"
"More like…"
The tremor was far too subtle and erratic for a normal quake. Toki's words sent a chill down my spine.
"It feels like… something's tunneling underground."
And then, right as he said that, part of the street exploded.
"!?"
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhh!"
A woman's scream rang out.
Moments later, a massive monster burst from beneath the cobblestones. A shiver ran down my spine.
"Tione! That thing is bad news!!"
"I see it. Let's go!"
All of us sprang into action, leaping across the rooftops and charging toward it.
….
Amid the screams of fleeing citizens, the Amazoness sisters landed with a heavy thud in the middle of the street.
"Where the hell did Ganesha's people dig this thing up from…?"
"They didn't."
It was Toki who answered.
"I asked the Guild staff about the types of monsters planned for the show, and none of them match this one. This thing's a total anomaly, an irregularity."
"That's not funny."
"Is it… a new species?"
Its long, slender body was covered in smooth skin. It had no face at the front, just a slight bulge that resembled a seed. Its pale yellow-green color reminded them of some of the unknown monsters they'd encountered during an expedition.
"Tiona, let's hit it together."
"Got it."
"Lefiya, start your chant once you've assessed the situation."
"Understood!"
"And you, "
"I'll cover Lefiya and stay out of your way. And just call me Toki."
At Tione's sharp command, both the group and the monster snapped to attention.
The creature coiled its body like a spring and lunged. The Amazoness sisters dodged and delivered a flurry of punches and kicks from its blind spot.
"Wha, !?"
"It's hard as a rock?!"
But their attacks barely dented its hide. The full force of first-class adventurers' blows, which would have shattered most monsters, only left shallow impressions and injured their own limbs in return.
RRRAAAAAAAGH!!
Whether from pain or rage, the monster thrashed wildly, trying to crush or scatter them. But Tiona and Tione dodged expertly and countered with more attacks.
"Blunt force isn't working!"
"Ugh, we should've brought our weapons!"
Despite their efforts, they remained in a stalemate.
Meanwhile, Lefiya began to chant.
"Release the single streak of light, sacred bow of the holy tree. Thou art the master archer."
Her speed was unmistakable, faster than most adventurers.
Rapid Chanting. Magic casting isn't just about saying the words fast. It requires control, the ability to command the wild flow of magical energy in one's body. Speeding it up makes that exponentially harder. That's what makes Rapid Chanting so advanced.
While less flashy than Concurrent Chanting, its difficulty is on par. Lefiya had spent the last three years perfecting it through sheer effort. She could now complete a chant in less than a third of the normal time.
She was also using a short incantation specialized for speed, lower in power but suited for fast-paced combat.
The monster was still focused entirely on Tiona and Tione, paying Lefiya no mind.
As a golden magic circle formed, Lefiya continued to cast her spell.
"Strike true, fairy archer. Pierce with the unerring arrow!"
Just as she finished and gathered her magic,
The monster suddenly whipped around and stared at her.
A chill ran down her spine. And then,
A hand reached from the side and shoved her away.
Someone next to her was hit by a greenish-yellow tentacle and hurled through the air with a sickening crunch.
"Eh?"
Before slamming into a wall, that person was caught by something, something dark. The tentacles that had struck them trembled ominously, and changes began to occur in the monster fighting the Amazonesses.
Its head rose, lines of energy crackling across its surface. Then, it bloomed.
ROOOAAARRRRR!!
A massive flower opened, its brightly colored petals framing a gaping maw filled with rows of jagged teeth. Thick saliva dripped from its fanged mouth.
"It's not a snake, it's a flower!?"
Tiona shouted in shock at the monster's true form.
The flower is now locked onto Toki as its target. Tentacles burst from the ground, and its body slithered like a snake toward him.
Still on the ground, Toki summoned shadowy tendrils from beneath him to strike at the monster's body, but…
With a metallic clang, they bounced off.
Toki's skill, Infinite Abyss, manifests as shadows formed from his own magical energy. And while it's not well-known, magic can cancel out magic. Monsters are beings born of magic stones, and thus, magic itself.
Which meant that Toki's Infinite Abyss was less effective against monsters.
Not completely ineffective. He could damage kobolds, goblins, even middle-tier dungeon monsters. With enough time and mana, he could harm this one too.
But this was a monster that could challenge first-class adventurers. Toki's current strength and limited time meant he couldn't muster the power needed.
Still, he didn't stop attacking.
"Toki, get out of there!"
"Damn it, move!"
"Toki, please, run!"
Lefiya and the others tried to rush to his side, but a wall of tentacles blocked their path. Their shouts were swallowed as the man-eating flower loomed over Toki.
"Toki!!"
Lefiya's voice was a scream of desperation.
The monster lunged.
And then, a flash of gold and silver severed its head.
"Huh?"
Lefiya gasped in disbelief.
The one who saved him was her idol, Ais Wallenstein.
The flower collapsed.
"Ais!"
"Ais-san!"
The tentacles attacking them also fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Toki!"
Lefiya ran past Ais and rushed to Toki's side. He struggled to rise, supported by both Lefiya and Eina.
Ais, spotting the others running toward her, tried to walk toward Lefiya and Toki.
But she was blocked.
Another man-eating flower appeared, surrounding her.
"No, come on, "
"More of them!?"
Just as Ais raised her sword to strike,
With a sharp crack, her rapier shattered without warning.
", !"
"What the, ?!"
"You've got to be kidding, !"
Even the seasoned warriors were struck speechless.
….
"Are you okay!?"
Around the same time, Eina rushed to Lefiya and Toki.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Toki staggered to his feet with their help.
"Can you walk? We need to get out of here for treatment."
But Toki ignored her. He assessed the situation in an instant.
"Lefiya, do you have a spell strong enough to take those things down?"
Still flustered, Lefiya replied.
"Y-Yeah. I do, but…"
"Then get ready. I'll distract them while you chant."
"Wha, ?!"
They both froze. Eina knew him as Bell's friend. Lefiya knew him personally. They both knew he was still just a Level 1 adventurer.
"Don't, "
"No! You already took a hit earlier!"
"That was with my shadow. I absorbed most of the shock, it's nothing."
"Liar! You're barely standing!"
"Lefiya."
Toki spoke softly, calmly.
"Please. Trust me."
He looked straight at her with those eyes, the same warrior's gaze that had first made her fall for him.
"…Alright."
"What?!"
Now it was Eina's turn to shout.
"You can't! You're still just Level 1! Let the Loki Familia handle this, "
"They seem to be reacting to magical energy."
Returning his gaze to the battlefield, he let out a breath.
"If we're going to use magic to defeat them, it's highly likely that the spell Wallenstein-sama is casting won't be able to draw them in."
As he spoke, Toki drew a weapon from the shadows. It was a sword, but one with a strange design. The blade curved inward, with its edge on the inner side.
It was the Harpe, a weapon far beyond what one would expect for a Level 1 adventurer. It had been gifted to him by the chief god Hermes when he first became an adventurer. The Harpe was the only weapon Hermes had ever taught him to use.
What's more, it was larger than a typical Harpe, about the same length as the rapier Ais had wielded earlier.
"It's alright. I'm confident in my magical power, at least."
With those words, he broke into a run,
"This body is filled with the abyss."
And began his chant.
------------
Note: For reference, in this version of the novel, Lefiya is a Level 4 adventurer, so some adjustments have been made. Also, her "High-Speed Chanting" is an original concept created for this version. The idea of using magical energy to counteract magical energy is also part of the novel's original setting.
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