Chapter 69

As the storm and explosions swept past us, the deafening booms and flashes of light spread through the forest. Lei and I shouted at each other.

"Damn! The cooldown on magic is so short! Can it really be used in such rapid succession!?"

"The short delay time must be because of high-level skills like 'Chant Shortening'!"

"That's not what I meant! Damn it, run out of MP already!"

I cursed loudly and ran east as fast as I could. The spells being cast burned the trees and gouged the ground. Occasionally, spells that threatened to hit us directly were blocked by my Clay Shield and the water shield that Liu, who had hidden himself, provided. However, the strength of the spells was on their side, and the aftereffects of the magic scorched my hair and skin, and the wind relentlessly battered my back. Despite this, we managed to endure, but the magic gems were running out, and Liu's shield was not infallible. However, we were not completely defenseless.

I would occasionally turn around, as if remembering something, and aim an arrow at the mage, but the delusional swordsman blocked all of them. I would grit my teeth in frustration and start running again, repeating this cycle. Any further attacks were thwarted by the continuous barrage of spells.

Lei, carrying the young beasts, could not focus on attacking while protecting them. In other words, we were in a stalemate. The fight would end either when the other side ran out of MP and could no longer pursue us, or when we received a critical hit and were knocked out. We continued this precarious escape.

"Yun, any ideas?"

"I've sent an SOS to everyone I know!"

"Hope is slim, isn't it?"

"Hey, what do you mean by that!"

I didn't miss Lei's muttered words. What, are you saying I don't have many friends!? Well... Tak, Mew, Sei... Wait, that's about it, right?

"What's wrong, Yun?"

"Well, maybe my social circle is a bit narrow..."

"Don't worry about it!"

"Seriously, this is the wrong time...!"

While talking, I turned around and fired an arrow. I would attack unexpectedly and check behind us. The spells being cast were high-level wind and fire magic, but they were gradually switching to lower-level, more manageable spells, focusing on rapid fire. I could see them using MP potions during the lulls in their attacks, indicating they were also desperate.

Sometimes, the aftereffects of the spells blocked our path or threatened to trip us. Even weak spells became perfect targets if we stopped. But our perseverance paid off. The virtual bodies in this game, which could operate without physical fatigue, endured the full sprint, and finally, the spells stopped.

"Finally out of MP?"

"Phew. I hope so. If that's the case, they won't pursue us further."

"Then let's run."

Just as we were about to start running again, the [Detection] skill showed a new reaction. It wasn't a new enemy or a powerful spell. It was an invisible strike aimed at Lei.

"Lei!"

As I shouted, Lei's body slowly collapsed. To avoid crushing the young beast in her arms, she twisted her body and fell on her right shoulder. I rushed to her side, but there was no HP damage; she had just collapsed. She seemed conscious, as her eyes moved, but her speech was slurred.

"Yun... it's... paralysis."

"Got it, an anti-paralysis potion!"

As I reached into my inventory for the anti-paralysis potion, another invisible strike hit me. I dropped the potion and fell to my knees. My body felt as heavy as rusted iron, and the only part I could move was my eyes. The young beasts around us looked worried, and I wanted to tell them to run, but I couldn't speak.

We were in a [Paralysis 3] status, unable to move. The cause was one of the mages in front of us. His vertically elongated pupils had a cold, reptilian quality. The change in his reptilian-like eyes and the paralysis status led to one conclusion—

"...[Snake Eyes], right?"

I forced my mouth to move, groaning the words.

"That's right. It took a while, but I finally managed it."

He couldn't hide his smug smile. The three of them approached calmly, with one mage restraining Lei and another twisting my arms behind my back, forcing me to kneel before the delusional guy.

"You put up quite a fight. We used up all our MP potions, but it's worth it to eliminate you."

I glared at the swordsman, who spoke as if it were no big deal. My hands were restrained behind my back, and my bow fell to the ground. I couldn't access my inventory, and I couldn't speak. The young beasts looked terrified.

"...Don't touch our children."

I glared and warned him. If you so much as touch the young beasts, I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life. The mage behind me tightened his grip, and I gritted my teeth in pain.

"Let's finish this before [Snake Eyes] wears off. Our target is the Black Summoner and the black young beasts... Oh, and your companion is guilty by association, so he's included."

"Go in peace. We'll take good care of the remaining young beasts."

A creepy voice came from behind. The mage who twisted my arm whispered in my ear, and to make matters worse, he started touching me inappropriately while restraining me.

I'm a guy! Don't touch me just because it's a game!

Not only was my safety at risk, but the implication of his words suggested they intended to take the remaining young beasts. They had cleverly manipulated the delusional guy into helping them, and while he was being used, he seemed to be enjoying his own actions...

"...You guys are a pain."

I muttered, and my arm was twisted even more. It was clear there was no room for negotiation. The swordsman raised his sword.

As the sword was about to come down, I instinctively closed my eyes. I braced for the impact, but it never came. In a moment of déjà vu, I cautiously opened my eyes and saw a familiar figure in plate armor standing between the swordsman and me.

"What's going on? You said you needed help, and this is what I get?"

"...Tak."

"Don't forget about me! Chest!"

The mage standing over Lei was sent flying sideways and slammed into a tree. Behind him, the silver-haired girl we had parted with that morning had knocked him away with the hilt of her sword. Can you really knock someone that far with the hilt of a sword!?

Then, a geyser erupted from behind me, washing away the mage who had restrained me.

"That's not okay. Harassment will be reported to the GM."

The man standing behind me was thrown to the ground in a perfect parabola.

"Tak, Mew, and Sei-nee."

"Call me Sei-nee now, Yun."

Sei-nee, with a gentle smile on her well-shaped lips, turned to face the mages, who were now standing up.

"You guys! You're interfering with us—'Shut up, punk. Don't talk.'—What!?"

The intimidating sister, with her clear voice, cut off the men's words.

"You touched our precious family. You better be prepared for the consequences."

The men started to recover from their damage using items. I wondered if we should let them, but one look at Sei-nee's face made it clear. She intended to crush them completely.

The GM sanctions for harassment are already certain, but I'll play with you a bit.

"You can't win a two-on-one battle against mages."

"We're the first wave! Don't get too cocky!"

The clearly baiting words were appreciated. Hearing them, Sei-nee raised her staff and muttered a single word.

"Release."

Instantly, dozens of water orbs appeared behind Sei-nee. They were initial water spells, but the sheer number was overwhelming and overwhelming in terms of attack speed.

"Um... What was it again? A game where you dodge incoming beams and spheres and counterattack when you see an opening. Oh, right—bullet hell. So—"

A sinister grin spread across her face, and her usual gentle demeanor was gone, making it hard to tell who the villain was.

"—Dance."

The water orbs were fired like a machine gun. Most of them gouged the ground and pierced trees, but they never hit. Or rather, they were not meant to hit. The spells were immediately replenished, hovering in the air, waiting their turn.

The mages tried to exploit the openings, but Sei-nee anticipated and countered their spells with her own. She intended to continue this until their recovery items ran out, her staff broke, or their armor was destroyed.

"This should teach you a lesson."

Mew, meanwhile, was healing our [Paralysis]. I had been watching Sei-nee, but when I turned to face the front, I saw the swordsman and Tak in a sword fight.

The delusional swordsman swung his sword with all his might, leaving afterimages. Tak, on the other hand, parried the attacks with ease, even cracking jokes.

"What's wrong? Is that all you've got?"

"My sword is a sword of justice! Why are you protecting the Black Summoner?"

"Why, you ask? Hmm."

Tak feigned thought, then parried the attack. Seizing the opportunity when the swordsman's follow-through was slow, Tak delivered a kick to his stomach. The impact sent the swordsman stumbling backward.

"Wasn't it the fire incident? There's no way Yun would do something like that. Right?"

Tak called out to me, and I naturally responded.

"Then what about the black young beast? That's the cause, right?"

"Is it? Yun?"

"Well, it is the cause, but it was an accident compounded by a series of unfortunate events."

I struggled to explain. The young beast had been kidnapped and equipped with an unidentified accessory, which turned out to be cursed. The result was yesterday's rampage. That's how it happened.

"Having something to hide is proof of guilt!"

The swordsman lunged at me, but Tak stepped in to protect me. They clashed, their foreheads almost touching.

"If it was an accident, it wasn't intentional. Listen to what people have to say."

"Shut up! Even if that's true, does that justify the Black Summoner!?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you to listen."

"There's no need to listen!"

The swordsman pushed his sword with all his might, but Tak didn't budge.

"Trying to force your way through... If you lose, you better accept it gracefully."

Tak's voice was low and gravelly, a tone I had never heard from him before.

"I can do it!"

"Maybe, but you don't stand a chance. Even if you remove the ones dancing in Sei's bullet hell, it's still four against one. We have the numbers."

"I won't lose!"

"Bravery won't win a net game!"

Tak pushed back with all his strength, and it seemed he had activated some kind of art. The sword he was locked in a clash with snapped in half.

"Damn! I'm not done yet!"

"Give it up. I don't want to bully the weak."

"I can handle four more."

"Then what about this?"

Tak raised his right hand, and people started emerging from the forest. Tak's party, Mew's party, and even Magi and others I didn't recognize. There were at least thirty people, all armed, surrounding us.

"You guys! That's cheating!"

"Cheating? You're one to talk."

"What!?"

"Think about your position and theirs. From what I heard, three of you were chasing two people with weapons. Even if the numbers are different, you had the advantage and were toying with them. Is that justice?"

"I... I..."

"Besides, the party responsible for the fire was described as wearing armor and having a tasteless appearance. Yun's equipment is different."

"You can change your equipment!"

"In an event with such strict carry limits, no one would bring multiple outfits."

"That... That..."

He seemed to be thinking of a counterargument but couldn't come up with one. Meanwhile, Sei-nee had finished her bombardment and was turning to face us, leaving the mages in tatters.

Magi, Claude, and other players emerged from the surrounding crowd.

"Personally, it would be easy to exclude this guy from the event. What do you think, Claude?"

"Well, crushing them completely is fine. But this is the result of withholding information. Some manipulation is necessary. When we get back, I'll compile the truth of the incident and report it on a thread. I'll also do some groundwork with my contacts."

"Who knew my sub-master's agitation was because of this girl. What a commotion."

The three of them had mischievous expressions, like children planning a prank.

If things had ended there, it would have been fine, but at the last moment, the young beasts took revenge. A young fox leaped into my chest, let out a small cry, and produced black flames, which it directed at the attackers. The flames, though not powerful, wrapped around the arms that protected them, leaving burns.

This unexpected action stunned everyone, but we left the three unable to retaliate and returned to our base camp. Despite the exhaustion, I felt a wave of relief when we returned to our base camp, and my legs gave out.