Chapter 38

"Are you in a hurry to rush things?"

"Guh..."

The man's spear was knocked upward, along with his arm.

I didn't expect him to hold on after my blow, but the opening was still there.

I kicked his exposed torso and sent him rolling toward the receding sea, where Leviathan had stopped the battle.

"Damn... What freakish strength..."

"I get that a lot. But we don't have time to rest, you know?"

I immediately released a <Flying Sword> at the man who was struggling to stand up, gasping for breath.

"What—Guhhhhhhh!!?"

He blocked it with his spear held sideways, but the force was too much, and he was forced to retreat, still on his feet.

That spear is quite something.

Not many weapons can withstand a direct hit from my flying sword.

And the man is quite skilled.

If Leviathan had continued the fight, he might have lost, along with his dog.

"Not bad, you. What's your name?"

"Haa... haa... Shit, it's Saiya."

"Hmm... I'm... you probably already know, right?"

Shironeko knew about me, so these guys probably do too.

They're the lackeys of that damn hero.

"So, what will you do, Saiya? If you leave here with that black dog, I might let you go."

Of course, I'll make sure to get some information from you and give you a bit of a beating so you won't attack us so easily in the future.

"If you insist...!"

"Stop it, Kuroinu! We might be able to win if we were in top form, but in this situation, we'll both go down..."

Saiya seems to understand the situation well.

As for Kuroinu... yeah.

Those eyes are completely loyal to him.

I remember there were a lot of similar people in Distenia.

Especially that princess, she was terrible.

People like that will try to carry out their orders no matter what.

(Seems like a hassle... I thought about sending them back beaten up as a declaration of war against Fuyuma, but maybe I should keep them locked up? )

Such violent thoughts crossed my mind.

But letting loose someone who might self-destruct or do anything on command is not a good idea...

"Saiya!? We haven't completed our mission yet! How can we retreat...?"

"Are you an idiot!? We're just falling back, that's all!"

"That will make our master wait! If I don't eliminate those useless sisters here and now..."

By "useless sisters," he means Shironeko and the others.

Kuroinu's target was them, not me. Personally, I think getting rid of useless people can wait.

They probably didn't give the hostage sister any useful information, so the risk of information getting to us is low.

"Well, if you want to fight, I'll oblige... What will you do?"

I pointed the black orb at them and glared.

Kuroinu trembled and took a step back, and I could hear Saiya gasp.

I must have scared them pretty badly.

"Hold it... We're retreating. We can't fight any longer."

"Is that so? Then answer a few questions. I'll let you go."

I emphasized the part about letting them go.

I want them to feel a bit of humiliation.

"!"

"That's what I said! What do you want to know?"

Saiya held back Kuroinu, who was about to charge.

Good thing he stopped.

If he had really charged, I was prepared to take an arm or two.

"First, I want to know your purpose. What is Fuyuma's goal?"

"That person's goal is to eliminate the demons and beastmen from this world."

...What?

What the hell is that?

I regret asking so casually; he just said something outrageous.

"For what reason?"

"That person said it was for your sake... to kill the races that deceived Setsu and live together in a world without obstacles..."

"...That rotten yandere bastard..."

To eliminate two of the three major races for such a reason?

He's still as messed up as ever...

(What to do... If this is the case, I'm worried about Desastor and the others in the Demon Continent. They might be attacked by the black-robed ones while I'm in the Beastman Continent... But if I leave here, I'll be in danger. I guess I can only hope Desastor and the others can hold out...)

There's no certainty that they'll be attacked immediately, but it's a problem that will eventually arise.

I need to contact Elka and the others for assistance—

"...Tch! Don't let your guard down! <Transfer Stone>!!"

"What!?"

While I was lost in thought, Saiya took out a glowing stone from his pocket and shattered it.

The light from the shattered stone hit both of them, making their bodies glow.

The <Transfer Stone> is a stone that contains a teleportation spell.

When shattered, it works like a regular teleportation spell, allowing the user to warp to a desired location.

"Tch! You had that hidden?"

"Hah! You were too careless! I'll give you one last piece of advice!! While you were distracted, the humans have already launched an attack on the Demon Continent!!"

"---Huh!?"

"It's about to start! We're heading there, see ya!"

"Wait! ...Tch"

Saiya, with a smug smile, disappeared in a flash of light, and Kuroinu, who was behind him, also vanished.

The only thing left on the now dry ground were their footprints.

I can't believe I let them escape like that.

I need to think about what he said last.

(Now... That's too sudden. Is he telling the truth...? If so, it's bad... I won't make it in time with my speed. It would take more than half a day to get to Ibilbrow on Leviathan, and there will definitely be interference before we reach land. Even if I clear the interference, it will take more time to get to Ibilbrow...)

The situation looks hopeless.

Even if Desastor and the others fight hard, the chances of me making it in time are slim.

Should I borrow a teleportation magic circle from the Beast King? No, that would drain my magic.

"What to do... What the hell do I do..."

I wracked my brain, something I rarely do.

Damn... I guess I have no choice but to use the teleportation magic circle.

I can drink a potion to replenish my magic.

"Leviathan! Let's go to the Beast King's place—what's wrong?"

I called out, but Leviathan was silent, staring at the distant sea.

Was she just looking at the sea this whole time?

"Hey, Leviathan..."

"Sorry, Setsu. I can't go to the Beast King's place."

Without looking at me, Leviathan whispered.

"I—think I'll be on my own for a while."

Next time, we set out separately.