49 – Those Who Started to Make a Move

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Thump. Bam.

That sound originated from her right.

Whilst still dumbfounded, Miluoelle moved her sight to that place.

There was Tadd, with blank look in his face.

He was pushed down by Giant Lizard’s hind leg, while its sharp claw pierced his chest.

“Hagh…Gah…”

From Tadd’s mouth, breath and red liquid leaked out.

With its well developed hind legs, the giant snow lizard had leaped toward Miluoelle and the rest from its original position, which should have been quite far apart, and with the momentum of its rush it planted its hind legs’ nail in Tadd’s chest, piercing his heart.

The giant snow lizard moved slightly above Tadd. And the result was the nail gouged even deeper toward Tadd’s chest, scattering something red toward the snow in their surroundings.

Right after the grating sound reached Miluoelle’s ear, a sound of wind blowing, and then something snapping followed after.

While stepping on Tadd’s body without care, it swung its elastic and long tail toward Kuoron who was next to Tadd.

Kuoron who hit by its tail can’t even make a sound as he was blown away and crashed back first to a tree nearby. And he crumpled on the trees’ roots just like that.

Only at that time did Miluoelle finally come to her senses.

“Ru-run!!”

She shouted at Ganz who still alive.

Tadd’s signs of life were already starting to fade. There is no human would stay alive after their heart was pierced, especially by those sharp claws.

That can also be said about Kuoron. Kuoron, who was crumbled at the tree’s roots, had his neck twisted in an impossible direction.

This might sound cruel, but Miluoelle chose to prioritize her and Ganz’s life.

The giant snow lizard in front of them is not an enemy they can defeat with their combined power. That’s why their only option is escape.

While gritting her back teeth, knowing they are unable to recover her comrades’ corpses, Miluoelle ordered Ganz to escape. While she herself, using her trump card, magic.

The duration of her magic is extremely short. However during that time, her physical ability, attack power, and defensive power will rise dramatically.

Using all those reinforcement, she will make herself a bait and let Ganz escape. And then when she discovered an opportunity, she will also run away.

That’s the plan Miluoelle thought in a short amount of time. However that plan quickly went awry.

Ganz didn’t follow Miluoelle’s direction, instead he rushed toward their fallen comrades.

“O-Oi Kuoron!! Tadd!! Are you fine!?”

–Don’t go over there Ganz!! Run!!

Miluoellle tried to shout, but no voice come out, and it won’t reached him either.

Ganz who ran hastily towarda their comrades, never reached their side.

A shadow fell towards the running Ganz.

When he noticed and looked up, the sole of foot of the giant snow lizard already right in front his eyes.

“…Eh?”

Ganz let out an idiotic voice. At the same time, his head was kicked by the hind leg of giant snow lizard, and then crushed like a ripe fruit.

—ah…..ah…..

Miluoelle can only looks at that scene in a daze.

And while the giant snow lizard looked at her with its crimson eyes, something inside her breaking apart.

–…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…….!!!!

Shouting a strange voice in her heart, the frenzied Miluoelle rushed toward the giant snow lizard.

Her speed after being reinforced by magic is equal with the giant snow lizard.

In an instant she covered the distance between them and then used both of her hands to punch at it with all her might.

Normally, there is no way she would be able to pierce through the scales of the giant snow lizard. However, with her attack power which had been reinforced with magic, in addition to her frenzied state, she successfully pierced through giant snow lizard’s scales.

A red line ran straight at giant snow lizard’s white body, and from there, black blood spurted out.

At that time, the giant snow lizard let out a pained roar.

Succumbing to anger, Milouelle continued to mindlessly swing her arms.

And when her anger subsided, the figure of giant snow lizard no longer there. Did it feel wary of her after she was reinforced with magic and injured it, and decided to run away? Or perhaps Miluoelle herself unconsciously ran away from it while in her frenzied state?

While she noticed she already walked trudgingly, naked, in the middle of snow piled forest. And it seems her mana already used up at some point of time.

Losing both her comrades and  all of her equipment, Milouelle walked naked in the middle of snow without destination.

When she hugged herself because she couldn’t stand the cold, she heard a beast roar from somewhere.

Is it the roar of the wounded and angry giant snow lizard, or is it from different beast?

She couldn’t determine which, but when she heard that roar, panic run through her body.

With no equipment, no mana, and no comrades, she currently has no means to defend herself.

Driven by her fear of being attacked by beast, without even confirming her direction, she broke into run.

Naked, in the middle of the snow piled forest.

 

“Please…take me together with you…revenge for my comrades…no, I don’t think I will be able to defeat it alone…But at least, let me stand to watch the defeat of that giant snow lizard…please…I beg you.”

Miluoelle bowed her head as she pleaded. However she also quickly raised it again and gaze toward Tatsumi and co.

Miluoelle’s eyes were wet with tears. However there was also conviction in them.

Calcedonia and Jadokh who noticed it turned toward Tatsumi.

“…What should we do, master?”

“…What should we do, Tatsumi-chan?”

Asked with same question by both of them, Tatsumi racked his brain.

Bringing her back with them certainly has some merit.

However brief, she has experienced trading blows with the giant snow lizard which had become a demon. Moreover, she even wounded it.

That experience might become valuable asset, and it doesn’t seem she will drag them down.

And even if they refuse to let her join, she will, undoubtedly, move alone to challenge the giant snow lizard.

In that case putting her under our command is better. That was Tatsumi’s judgement.

“Alright. Milluoelle-san, let’s go together. However you must follow our orders. Never ever try to take individual action. That’s the condition.”

“Alright…ah…I understand. Errm…”

“My name Tatsumi…Tatsumi Yamagata. And they are—“

“—I am Calcedonia Yamagata. Pleased to meet you, Milluoele-san.”

 

Calcedonia cut in the middle of Tatsumi’s introduction, and introduced herself while smiling sweetly. Moreover, she shrewdly added ‘Yamagata’ in her name to keep Milluoelle in check.

While stifling her laughter, Jadokh introduced herself following her.

“…I am Jadokh. As you can see I am a shade. Pleased to meet you, Milluoelle-chan.”

Jadokh winked, looking at Milluoelle, who couldn’t help becoming flustered.

 

“Alright, we are going to prepare, during that time please rest a bit more, Milluoelle-san.”

“You can call me Milluoel. Since it seems we are close in term of age.”

“I see, then please call me Tatsumi.”

“Please call me Calce.”

“Of course, you can also call me Jadokh.”

After changing their way of addressing each other, they started to move toward their own goal.

Eru who watch over them from slight distance away, smiling happily despite feeling a bit out of place.

“They might become a decent team. I’m looking forward to it.”

Losing her comrades is certainly a tragedy for Milluoelle.

However, although this might sound cold, anyone who worked in the monster hunting business should have this level of determination.

Eru hoped Milluoele would be able to overcome this tragedy and grow up as monster hunter.

And then her existence would also stimulate novice hunters like Tatsumi and Jadokh.

Even while looking forward toward their exploits thereafter, Eru too started her own preparations.

Since a demon appeared near the royal capital, she would also give her assistance in defeating it.

When she headed toward her room to prepare.

Suddenly a question crossed her head.

“………Come to think of it, what system is Milluoelle’s magic from? And what kind of magic is it?”

 

Giuseppe, who received information about the demon’s existence from Tatsumi, gave a formal order to Tatsumi and Calcedonia for them to subjugate it.

Of course, there are some in the upper echelon of the temple who raised objections from the fact that Calcedonia who has high ability in devil exorcism and also has a lot of achievements teamed up with nameless monster hunters.

However, after knowing Tatsumi is among them, of course the sound of objections died down in its own.

The second <sky> magician, and also Calcedonia’s fiancé. Additionally, he received direct instruction from Giuseppe, and Tatsumi, who lately aspired to become supreme priest, is already famous not only among Savaiv temple, but among the other temples, and even a part of Largofiely Kingdom.

Tatsumi who able to use <sky> magic, which is the most effective against <evil>, and Calcedonia the famous <<Holy Maiden>>. If the two of them teamed up, there would be no one who would object.

After all, the demon subjugation this time is a direct order from the supreme priest. Even the kingdom wouldn’t be able to object.

In due form, Tatsumi and Calcedonia accepted the order from supreme priest, while Jadokh and Milluoele will be employed under them.

However there’s no way they would belittle Jadokh and Milluoelle. Because both of them will fight shoulder-to-shoulder against the giant snow lizard together with Tatsumi and Calcedonia.

Additionally, Eru will also be added in their line up.

Though, rather than as fighting power against giant snow lizard, Eru’s main role is searching the enemy.

Currently the demon in question is lurking inside the forest near the royal capital. However the definite hiding location is unknown. If they tried to find it with sending many people, the monster which was possessed by <devil> will quickly leave the royal capital because of its intellect.

The reason Giuseppe only ordered Tatsumi and Calcedonia is because of this.

In the time they could ask for cooperation from the other devil exorcist from Savaiv, or from the other temples to hunt it, the demon would have already left.

That’s why, in demon subjugation using a small number of people is the most effective, that’s what experience taught them.

According Eru’s proposal, they will rely on spirit to find the demon.

Spirit user able to communicated with spirits. She planned to ask forest trees’ spirits and snow spirits about the whereabouts of the giant snow lizard.

Spirit exists everywhere. If you want to know something you just need to ask them—is what usually people think, but the reality is not like that.

Why you ask? That’s because Spirits and humans—demi-humans as well—have great differences in mentality.

Especially for spirits, they lack the concept of time. They can only differentiate between ‘now’ and ‘past’, and they also don’t have any concept about ‘future’.

For example, if you ask them ‘Is there snow lizard inside the forest?’ they will only answer ‘I saw it before’.

Moreover the spirits also can’t differentiate between giant snow lizard and normal snow lizard. They only recognize a snow lizard as a ‘big white lizard’ with how big being quite ambiguous compared with human standards.

That’s why when asking spirit you need to be meticulous.

Choose words that the spirits can understand, and you must analyze the spirit’s words properly.

However, for Eru who is the founder of spirit magic, that problem undoubtedly will be easily solved and she can obtain beneficial information.

And so, the plan to subjugate demon with Tatsumi, Calcedonia, Eru, Jadokh, and Milluoele has begun.