Chapter 98

When I detected a magical reaction that couldn't be hidden on the eastern hill, I teleported there with everyone.

Upon teleporting, countless stone tombstones came into view.

Most of them were in tatters, as if they had been abandoned for a long time. Scattered around were the mithril flower decorations I had seen on the way to Verm.

The crucial magical reaction was coming from the top of the hill.

This reaction didn't exist before I was sealed in Verm. I don't know if it's being hidden or suppressed, but a considerable amount of magic is condensed in a small area.

It's incomparable to the magic of the surrounding flower decorations.

It could be some kind of device, or someone who has been watching us all along...

"We'll investigate the top of the hill ahead."

"Yes. Please leave the vanguard to Serena and me."

Elysia said this, drew her sword with Serena, and moved forward.

I remained vigilant, ready to deploy the Dark Wall at any moment, and followed behind.

Gradually, the outline of the magical reaction became clearer.

I couldn't help but stop in my tracks.

"A person...?"

Everyone else also seemed surprised and stopped.

The reaction was in the shape of a person.

It was crouching on the spot.

It was hard to tell the size, but it was definitely small.

It could be a woman or a child, not an adult.

"Let's go..."

I cautiously climbed the hill.

Soon, a sobbing sound became audible.

It was the voice of a human girl.

However, it was impossible for a human to be here.

Then, could it be a lingering spirit or something?

As we reached the top of the hill, the true identity of the source of the magic came into view.

A black-haired girl in a black robe was crouching in front of a tombstone, crying.

Words slipped out of Serena's mouth involuntarily.

"Black robe..."

"Wait, Serena."

"I understand... It's not a small child. But that black robe..."

It's the same attire as the woman in black who attacked Ars and Verm.

It doesn't look like a special garment.

It has a similar atmosphere to the robes of a temple, but the hem and sleeves were tattered.

Yuri whispered.

"W-What if it's an undead when we see its face..."

As Yuri said, the possibility of it being an undead is high.

It's hard to imagine a human being here alone.

On the other hand, it doesn't seem to be just an ordinary undead.

This girl possesses an enormous amount of magic.

More than the demons and angels we've fought before.

I don't want to fight, but we can't turn back here.

I couldn't ignore the child's tears and leave with a guilty conscience.

I nodded to everyone and approached the girl, speaking to her.

"Sorry... Why are you crying?"

"My sister... hasn't come back for a long time."

I could tell from her voice that "a long time" wasn't just a month.

"Then, why don't you go look for her?"

"I can't... I made my sister angry, so I have to wait here forever."

"Then... can I help you look for her?"

"It's better not to... My sister has gone mad. She's not the sister I know anymore."

"Then we need to fix that."

"I want to... but everyone won't allow it."

The girl wiped her tears and looked up.

Her face was not that of an undead but of a living human.

Pale skin, black eyes... a human girl.

However, her expression was not normal.

Her eyes were vacant, and her face was one of despair.

Despite having been crying, there were no tear marks on her pale face.

The girl pleaded.

"Please go back. Otherwise, you'll be killed too."

In her line of sight, there were countless large bones scattered.

Despite some weathering, their size was obvious.

They were not human but clearly from giant monsters or holy beasts.

"Everyone was kind to me, just like you... but it was my fault."

They were killed, I see.

The girl said.

"Run... right now... or else..."

It was already too late.

The mithril flower decorations around us floated up.

Elysia drew her sword and said.

"Isn't it just the coins?"

"There are over a hundred... no, over two hundred, I think."

As Serena said, the flower decorations in the cemetery floated up.

Centered around the flower decorations, knight-like figures in full-body armor appeared.

They were spirits, but they were wrapped in black miasma—dark magic.

Yuri said, trembling.

"T-They look stronger than the ones before!"

Indeed, they were incomparably stronger than the ghosts we encountered earlier.

Not only were they all armored, but they were armed with spears and shields.

Given that they were wrapped in dark magic, they might be able to use some dark magic.

They were clearly different from ghosts.

Perhaps we should call them ghost knights.

The girl strained her voice and pleaded.

"Everyone! Please, don't kill anyone else!!"

But the ghost knights didn't seem to hear the girl's voice and surrounded us.

The girl turned to me and said.

"Run! Anywhere, just run!"

"I can run, but I don't want to leave you here."

It's clearly abnormal to leave a girl alone in such a place.

"Will you... come with me, and leave this place?"

When I said this, tears welled up in the girl's eyes.

But she quickly closed her eyes and shook her head.

"At least, run quickly! Please... or else, I will, again—"

"Again? !?"

I immediately deployed the Dark Wall around us.

The girl was suddenly enveloped in black miasma.

At the same time, the magic that had been suppressed within her expanded all at once.

The black miasma rose rapidly into the sky and burst.

"This is... a dragon!?"

The girl had transformed into a giant dragon with black scales.

The third volume of this comic, drawn by Mr. Hanakoji, is now available!

This volume is filled with charm, including bonus content on the back cover that can only be found in the single-volume edition.

I hope you will read it!

Here is the cover image!

Product information! (KADOKAWA official site)

https://www.kadokawa.co.jp/product/322312000757/