Chapter 18

★ Red Magic Empire Red Gate Frontline ★

Supported by Non, Lark called out to Dantes and Mimon, who were moving forward.

"It's impossible! You can't do anything against them! Can't you see that!?"

"I can see that. But we can buy some time."

"How—"

"Shh, please focus on recovering your strength."

I can understand Lark's anxiety. No matter how you look at it, there's no way a single shield can do anything against such a massive monster. Non was worried too, but what she needed to do now was to heal this girl—whose thinness she only realized upon touching her. She activated the [Healing Magic], but she could hardly feel her magic power seeping in.

Normally, magic power would seep into the body like water into the ground, healing wounds and enhancing natural recovery. But with Lark, it was like pouring water onto ground that had been packed hard and solid.

(This child has been pushing herself to the limit in battle...!)

Non knew of Lark's struggles, but she looked to be around 13 or 14 years old. If she knew that Lark was actually only three years younger than herself, who was 20, she would be surprised.

Lark's body had not grown much due to her unhealthy lifestyle and the use of [Shadow King Sword Technique].

"—It's useless. If it could be healed by magic, it would have been healed long ago."

Lark's tone sounded almost self-destructive.

"The only one who can do anything about this is that noble girl—"

Just as she was saying this,

Dantes, who had struck the great shield with his mace, shouted.

"Puppy, the enemy is here!"

The loud voice was so loud that Non, who was some distance away, could hear it clearly. It was a technique to draw the monster's attention, amplified by a magic item.

Sure enough, the End Fang turned its gaze towards Dantes.

"Dantes!"

"What is it, Mimon?"

"Tigers are part of the cat family, right!?"

"…Y-Yeah, I know that."

Dantes, who was sulking as Mimon nimbly ran to hide behind a building, turned his attention back to the End Fang, which was slowly approaching.

The End Fang seemed to be ignoring Dantes, but it had lost sight of Lark—Non had moved her—and decided to crush Dantes first. However, due to the painful counterattack it had received from Lark, its steps were cautious.

'Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!'

A roar was unleashed, and a shockwave sent dust flying.

Dantes planted his feet firmly on the ground and used the great shield to block the sound pressure, but the shield creaked and small stones rained down.

"…This is tough. Is there no one who can defeat it?"

He barely held himself together, trying not to lose hope.

"Panicking means losing."

The roar stopped, and when Dantes moved the great shield aside—there was the End Fang, looking displeased that Dantes hadn't been blown away.

"Panicking…messes up the timing."

Dantes, who was gripping the great shield, had a golden bracelet on his left wrist that he usually didn't wear. It was a metal bracelet with two box-like attachments, each about the size of a smartphone. Various circuits appeared and disappeared on the surface. There was a button-like object in the center of one side, and five blue, sparkling spherical minerals were embedded in slots on the other side.

"Come on, puppy!"

Forgetting that he had been called a cat, Dantes shouted, and the End Fang ran lightly, lowering its front paw towards Dantes.

Dantes found it difficult to gauge the distance of the attack. It was hard to tell because the monster was so large. Moreover, the front paw was gradually accelerating.

"—Hurry!!"

If he hadn't heard Mimon's shout, it would have been bad.

"Activate!!"

Dantes pressed the button on the bracelet as he raised the great shield—timing it perfectly. If he had been a fraction of a second late, the shield would have been torn apart, and Dantes' head would have been severed.

A thin magical membrane appeared, crawling over Dantes' body and spreading to the ground.

The moment the membrane was set, the End Fang's claws touched the great shield.

"!?"

Lark couldn't believe her eyes at what happened next.

The End Fang's claws cracked, the magic power spread over its front paw was torn apart, and the flesh was severed along with the fur.

'Giaaaaaa!?'

The End Fang immediately retreated, moving quickly, almost as if it were acting on reflex.

"Phew… It seems to have worked."

"—Dantes, don't just stand there!"

"Y-Yeah, I know. It was too sudden."

The magical membrane Dantes had deployed was no longer there, and his hand had already left the button.

One of the blue minerals in the slot had turned black and charred, and the second one was halfway through the same process.

"Th-That is…?"

Non, who was using [Healing Magic] while Lark was stunned, answered.

"That is the 'Heroic Armament'. It's a magic item we found."

In fact, the "Silver Scales" had not fled from the Red Magic Empire but had been hiding within it.

And they had already discovered the "Heroic Armament" that had disappeared—proof of their innocence.

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