Chapter 87

The perspective now shifts from "Guild Staff Nancy" to "The Leader of the Sword of the War God."

"Wow! Stop it, don't come any closer!"

An adventurer, with despair etched on his face, uttered those words as his final plea before being killed by an orc. Not only that adventurer, but also those who were supposed to be far more skilled than a guild staff like me, were being slaughtered one after another by the monsters.

... In such a situation, all I could do was tremble and cower in fear.

After one of the top-tier adventurer parties, which had been leading the charge, was annihilated, and another party fled, the battle situation deteriorated rapidly. Most of the adventurers followed the fleeing top-tier adventurers, and the front line crumbled instantly. What followed was a one-sided massacre by the monsters.

In such a situation, no adventurer was going to save me, a mere guild staff member, Nancy. Most of the adventurers ignored me as they tried to escape, only to be caught and killed by the monsters.

"... What should I do, what should I do, what should I do?"

In such a situation, I desperately tried to think of how I could survive, just as I had always done by using adventurers to my advantage.

... But no matter how much I thought, I realized it was all in vain.

"Why should I suffer like this!"

When I could no longer turn away from the harsh reality, the regret that surfaced in my heart was not about fleeing the Labyrinth City, but about not doing so...

As a guild staff member, I had been taught that when a Labyrinth Rampage occurs, it is absolutely forbidden for guild staff and adventurers to flee the Labyrinth. When a Labyrinth Rampage occurs, the branch manager of the guild and the adventurers who have taken command are to act as temporary commanders, and absolute obedience to these commanders is mandatory. Those who violate this rule are to be punished by the commander.

However, the guild staff, including myself, had no intention of following this rule. This was because we had realized that the top-tier adventurers, who were likely to become commanders, were trying to protect the civilians. We could not accept the idea of putting our lives at risk by carrying such a burden in such a situation.

Therefore, we decided to deceive the adventurers and flee the Labyrinth City. We planned to escape to the neighboring city.

Fleeing to the neighboring city immediately when a Labyrinth Rampage occurs is strictly forbidden. Depending on the situation, it might be allowed, but this act is punishable by death, as it could expose the neighboring city to danger. However, we planned to blame the chaos on the adventurers' panic. We intended to claim that we were kidnapped by the panicked adventurers, thus avoiding punishment. After all, as guild staff, our words would be more credible than those of the adventurers.

The plan was supposed to be perfect. The foolish adventurers, fueled by their inferiority complex towards Rau斯特, and informed that the top-tier adventurers were trying to save the civilians, quickly agreed to our plan. Moreover, when we told them that the responsibility lay with the Labyrinth City branch manager and that we would protect them, they readily agreed to carry us and flee. They were completely unaware of the future consequences they would face.

... Our only miscalculation was our underestimation of the Labyrinth Rampage.

"Why are there such powerful monsters...!"

I knew from documents that monsters mutate during a Labyrinth Rampage, and that they become powerful. This knowledge was the reason I decided to flee.

... But even with this knowledge,

When a Labyrinth Rampage occurs, absolute obedience to the commander is mandatory. I now understood the reason for this seemingly strict rule.

A Labyrinth Rampage is a disaster where acting individually out of self-preservation increases the risk of death. Without proper knowledge, the risk of death increases even more. Absolute obedience is required to prevent people from taking rash actions.

... Yes, to stop people like us, who know nothing.

Witnessing the terrifying nature of the Labyrinth Rampage, I finally understood. This is not something that can be handled by individuals. It is a true natural disaster, where the entire population of the Labyrinth City must cooperate to have a chance of survival. I realized how foolish it was to flee the Labyrinth City, fearing the increase in the number of people in tow.

However, it was already too late.

"A, aaaaaaah!"

In front of me, an adventurer who had just managed to cut down an orc suddenly looked in a different direction, screamed, and tried to run away. In the next moment, as it crushed the adventurer, "It" appeared.

"Fi─────i"

Its fur was so white that it felt almost beautiful, and the purple lightning running through its massive body. As I took in this surreal beauty, I let out a small voice.

"... Ultra-Difficulty Monster Fenrir"

The moment I recognized its form, I already understood my own death.

The fear and despair that I could not shake made me feel distant from myself. In the midst of this, I saw a group of tattered adventurers who had escaped from the monster horde and were fleeing back to the Labyrinth City.

"Fi──i"

This was the last scene I saw in my life...

◇◆◇

"Haa, haa"

How long had I been running? I was now running to the neighboring city, carrying Alex.

I kept running, supported by the sight of the neighboring city coming into view, but the fatigue from running non-stop made my vision blur. Even in this state, the fear that the monsters behind me might catch up if I stopped kept me moving. ... But I also realized that my body was reaching its limit.

"Leader, please run more carefully..."

"..."

Alex's words, while I was carrying him, filled me with a strong sense of frustration. Carrying Alex, who did not have the ability to enhance his body, was a significant handicap for me. Yet, he had the audacity to complain instead of showing gratitude.

The thought of leaving Alex behind crossed my mind, exhausted from carrying him at full speed. However, I could not actually do it.

"Damn!"

In the worst-case scenario where ultra-difficulty monsters appeared, we needed to bring the monsters to the neighboring city to survive. To do this, we needed to use Alex's magic to break the city walls, allowing the monsters to enter the city. Therefore, leaving Alex behind was not an option. Despite my frustration, I adjusted my grip on Alex.

"Thank you, very much."

Even though he was being carried, Alex's tired voice only increased my frustration. However, Alex was not the only one making me frustrated.

"I'm carrying Alex, and yet he's running so confidently in front...!"

Far ahead, I could see Marseval, the martial artist, who had enhanced his body with magic items. Marseval was running ahead without any concern for me, despite the fact that I was carrying Alex. He probably intended to be the first to enter the city once Alex opened the wall with magic.

"Damn them all!"

Imagining this, I let out a frustrated sigh. The fatigue and the fear of the ultra-difficulty monsters behind me made me more prone to frustration. Looking back, I could see the other adventurers who were following me. If Fenrir appeared, they would likely be the first to serve as bait. However, the time we could gain from this would be limited. We needed to reach the neighboring city as quickly as possible...

In the distance, I saw a large blue structure.

"...! That is!"

Marseval, who was running ahead, also seemed to be speeding up. Seeing this, I became more certain.

We were almost at the neighboring city.

"Could we have arrived already?"

Ignoring Alex, who couldn't see ahead and was asking me for confirmation, I smiled. However, my smile turned to confusion when Marseval suddenly stopped.

"... Marseval?"

Confused by Marseval's sudden action, I quickened my pace towards the neighboring city.

"What!?"

The next moment, I realized why Marseval had stopped.

As I approached the neighboring city, I saw a blue barrier enveloping the city walls.

I stopped in my tracks, stunned by the sight. Even though I am not a mage, I could tell that this barrier required a tremendous amount of effort to create.

"When? Why such a barrier...?"

Faced with the overwhelming barrier, I muttered in disbelief. It was Alex's words that brought me back to my senses.

"That's... The monsters are already here!"

"..."

Reacting to Alex's words, I turned around and saw the adventurers fighting the orcs. It seemed that the monsters that had been chasing the fleeing adventurers had caught up. Fortunately, there were no ogres or Fenrir among them. However, it was only a matter of time before the monsters reached us. I put Alex down and shouted.

"Alex, quickly use your strongest magic to break that barrier!"

"Yes!"

Alex began to chant. As I watched him, a strong sense of urgency filled my face. I had no doubt that Alex's magic would break the barrier. After all, the magic he was about to cast had injured the ultra-difficulty monster. Using this magic would render Alex useless for a while, but it would certainly break the barrier along with the city walls.

However, I knew that such a powerful magic required a lot of chanting.

"... Hurry up, Alex, finish it quickly!"

Imagining a future where Fenrir appeared before the magic was completed, I whispered, my voice filled with unhidden urgency...

I apologize for the delayed update and the continuation of other perspectives. However, the next update will definitely be the last from the perspective of the Sword of the War God.