14 - Vengeance for Slime

It was easy to find Slime’s forest: they could see the smoke rising from far away. The flames seemed to have been put out already, but they could see humans moving through the burnt trees. One human is clearly in charge, behind him two others with swords on their hips as they marched through the forest.

“You think they’re our culprits?” Merle asked.

“It’s likely,” Succubus said. “The leader is probably a wizard. I’m certain he started the fire as the others brought out their swords.”

“Right, let’s kill them,” Merle said.

They descended to the front of the line with Levantine bared, the wizard waved his staff. “Who are you two?!” he yelled.

“Were you the ones who burned down this forest and killed the slimes?” Merle asked.

“Are you their allies?!” he snapped.

“So, it was you,” Merle said. “Well, we’ll be killing you all now.”

“Now I’m sure you’re with the demons!” the wizard yelled. “Eat this! Fireball!”

A fireball shot out from the head of the staff and flew towards Merle. She extinguished it with Levantine, pointed its blade towards the wizard. “Why did you burn down this forest?” Merle asked.

“This forest is the King’s property!” the wizard cried, unfazed. “We will build a town here so you demons may not spread any further.”

“And the people behind you?” Merle asked.

“Apprentice adventurers,” the wizard replied, “this forest had such weak slimes, they made excellent target practice.”

Merle slashed so fast she left an afterimage.

The wizard was sliced nearly in half alongside his staff, blood spraying everywhere. His corpse collapses to the ground, the apprentice adventurers run away in terror.

Merle felt a fire raging inside her. “This is the King’s forest? Burn it down to build a town? Sacrifice the slimes for adventurers? All of them are being unreasonable and selfish.”

“It’s not enough to kill one of them,” Merle thinks as she chases after an apprentice adventurer.

He squeals. “Help me!”

“Was this how the slimes felt when they were killed, I wonder?” Merle thought.

He was cut down before he could pull out his sword.

“Succubus!” Merle yelled. “Take to the sky and spot any runners! Don’t let anyone escape!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Succubus cried, expression ecstatic and excitedly hugging her chest from Merle’s intimidating aura. She takes to the sky, easily spots the apprentice adventurers scrambling through the forest, clearly unfamiliar with the land.

“Your Majesty!” Succubus cried. “We have two fleeing to the east and three to the west!”

“Take the east!” Merle yelled. “I’ll take on the three going west!”

“Understood!”

Succubus darted to the eastern half, pulled out the sickle she had brought, and dove towards an adventurer. She moved with the grace of a butterfly and attacked them with strength like a crab’s pincer.

Her target was dead before she knew what had happened.

To the west, Merle overtook the leader of the pack and killed him without slowing down at all. With the remaining two just behind him, she thrust Levantine backward.

The green forest was soon black with smoke and burnt trees and ran red with blood.