Chapter 29

Even the most reckless of men, who fear not even the gods, would be driven to pray to something in the face of the terrifying torrent. The church, as if grasped by a giant's hand, shook violently. The vibrant stained glass windows shattered with a scream, and debris pounded the outer walls like battering rams. Despite the dire situation, Worm was fortunate. Unlike the church, which was prepared for emergencies, the wooden houses had no means of defense and were crushed along with their inhabitants by the mountain torrent.

The foundations were dug up, and even the footprints of the residents were erased. Debris mixed with mud covered the area. After the chaos of destruction, silence dominated the scene. Worm, who once despised the noise of the crowd, now longed for it. But it was too late. Human activity had ceased, and the town was dead.

“Ugh...”

Worm thought he was well-prepared for emergencies. Still, the sight before him left him speechless. Dealing with enemy soldiers or monsters would have been simpler; he could just kill them. But the disaster that struck the town was a mudslide. If it had been artificially triggered, it would fall under the category of a mass attack, but how should he have responded? He couldn't afford to stop thinking, even as others around him were in a daze. Clenching his fists, Worm tried to maintain his sanity.

“Justan, let's decide on our next move.”

Worm, trying to steady his trembling voice, shook the former guard's shoulder. Justan, the imperial knight, stared in disbelief, as if struggling to comprehend the situation.

“You, no, you're right... We'll abandon the church.”

The initial plan's premise had been overturned. The church, half-destroyed by the mudslide, was no longer a secure fortress. Insisting on holding out would only invite more danger.

“The ambush—no, this is the state of things.”

“Right. We don't have to worry about ambushes anymore. The town itself is gone. But we can't take everyone.”

Worm understood the conflict in Justan's voice. If it were just the soldiers and Ayane, they could move, though it would be slower. The problem was what to do with the injured who couldn't move on their own.

“Either way, we need to request reinforcements from the mountain fortress.”

“...It's a blow, but we'll gather volunteers and leave some soldiers behind. If no one volunteers, I'll stay.”

“Leaving the commander behind? That's not an option. It's harsh, but we should leave others behind.”

Worm, who had no desire to command again, knew that. He was just a conscript who was good at killing. He needed the professional soldiers to fulfill their duties.

“I'll stay. You need to protect them.”

The one who volunteered was a former Haiselk Imperial Army guard. He was covered in mud up to his knees but had no visible injuries, and his face showed strong resolve. He wasn't volunteering out of despair.

“Sorry, Douglas. We'll select one more from the cavalry—hey, are you listening?”

Worm, who was discussing the evacuation plan, had been distracted. He didn't hear Justan's reprimand. He couldn't help but look away. In a corner of the main street, a light appeared in the darkness. It was a fireball. A chill ran down his spine. The fireball, approaching in a perfect circle, was a sight he knew all too well. Reaching out to Ayane, who was tending to a miner's wound, he shouted:

“Get down!!”

The difference in reaction to his warning was a matter of life and death. The soldiers, trained in combat, moved instinctively. The miners, who had never been exposed to attack magic, were left in confusion.

Worm pushed Ayane and Mia to the ground, covering them with his body. The impact followed. Flames danced on the bell tower, and the miners were engulfed in a sea of fire. One of the cavalry, who had avoided a direct hit, was in a bad position. He was thrown into the air with the bell, screaming as he fell to the ground. Despite his unsuitability for protection, Worm's skill as a shield against fire magic was unique. He pushed the two women out from under his arm.

“Eh, ah, Mr. Worm? What—”

“Get down the stairs!!”

Without waiting for a response, he quickly told them and leaped from the bell tower, planting his halberd into the outer wall. The new attackers had taken up positions and were launching a fierce assault. Gray and pale pink fragments rained down from above. The aftermath of their reckless actions. Easily identifying the source of the fire, Worm pulled his feet out of the mud and advanced, using debris as a foothold.

“Focus, keep your mind calm.”

He repeated the words like a mantra. Despite his efforts, his mind was as restless as a new recruit's. He tried to calm himself, to breathe naturally, but the pain in his eye, which should have healed, throbbed, and the demon's mask seemed to mock him. He couldn't forget. He had lost his irreplaceable eye and his squad to that magic. No amount of equipment could hide his magical power. He snarled at his enemy.

“Starting the battle with a surprise attack, Claystoh!!”

“Yeah, you figured it out.”

Without trying to hide, the voice of a girl, out of place on the battlefield, rang out. One of the three heroes of Claystoh, Iizaki Makoto. Worm fired a fireball at her, but she dodged, sliding on the mud. A skill unique to water mages, known as "Water Clarity." The troublesome interdimensional magic soldiers, with the skill level of island nation sea mages, possessed the firepower to crush small groups. Wind blades and ice spears hindered his movement, preventing the imperial knight from getting closer.

“Hey, Ayane is over there!!”

“Yeah, I know.”

Worm had hoped the interdimensional beings would be thrown off, like in the field hospital in Sarajevo, but his hope was quickly dashed. Despite understanding the language, they didn't understand the message. Worm felt a dizzying sense of something fundamentally wrong.

“Why!? She's one of the few from our hometown!!”

“Of course, I want Ayane to die.”

The girl smiled, but her eyes were as murky as mud on the bottom of a shoe. Why would she wish for her childhood friend's death? As his mind was consumed by the question, a spear thrust came from the side. He deflected the spear with his halberd, the tips of the weapons locking together. He twisted the spearhead that had slipped into his chest. He hadn't become so senile as to miss it in conversation.

Worm tried to sweep the second attacker with a powerful strike but was met with a mudslide. He instantly enveloped himself in "Ghost Fire" and used the heat wave to escape. The disguised soldier who had attacked him also used "Water Clarity" to slide away on the muddy surface.

“There are few soldiers who can keep up with me in this mud, so I'd like you to stop.”

Worm instinctively knew he needed to kill her as quickly as possible. The church might be scorched, but with Mia, who had water and mud attributes, no one would die. As he was about to fully activate "Ghost Fire," a familiar voice stopped him.

“Ugh, why, Makoto!!”

Worm recognized her magical signature. They had acted together for a long time after being brought to the other world. He couldn't have missed her familiar magical power. He wanted to scold Justan for failing to stop her, but he was busy fending off the surrounding enemies.

“Why, are you serious?”

The magic soldier from Claystoh had also stopped. She caught sight of Worm from the corner of her eye but stared at the collapsed bell tower with a blank expression.

“Sorry, I don't know why. I don't know, okay.”

Ayane's weak voice. Makoto's calm face twisted into a harsh expression.

“To me, Ayane was a close friend. But now, she's helping the enemy in a foreign land and can't come back!? That's ridiculous. She's getting along with the people we vomited and killed, pretending to be a bridge for peace, drunk on her own righteousness. Ah, Yuto must be overjoyed. Ayane has always been the best for Yuto. Even after killing people and having sleepless nights, even after tearing apart enemy soldiers on the battlefield, she only talks about someone who isn't there. That's ridiculous. Yuto always treats me as second best!!”

The emotional breakdown. The absurd and exasperating argument. That's why, only because it was Worm, he understood. Faced with the brutal reality, her mind had been worn down on the battlefield. The answer to what happens when you keep killing people in a world where life is cheap was right in front of him. The transformation of human nature, a plastic deformation. Once it reaches this point, the dark distortion will remain in the heart forever. Worm had tried to maintain his humanity while adapting to reality. What was the difference between him and Makoto? The environment they were in, their aptitude for combat, their age? There was no time or room to think. The girl, with a face full of madness, shouted:

“You're in the way. Not anymore!! With three of us, I'll never be chosen. I've learned that painfully in this world. It's better to kill those in the way... Die quickly, Ayane, and be friends with the traitors.”

The words of parting. The attack magic aimed at the church was no bluff. Regret was meaningless, but he should have killed her without hesitation. Reconciliation through words was no longer possible.

“The parting is over!!”

“Stop being a guardian, you're in the way!!”

Worm unleashed "Ghost Fire." The attack magic and blue flames clashed and exploded, mixing together. The shock and intense heat rained down. The muddy ground was scorched by the heat wave and began to dry. The rising steam and evaporating water sounded like screams. The blue flames, replacing the setting sun, illuminated the ground.