Time for a change of plans. Two of the three sword combatants were still alive, but they had yet to step in after watching one of them get torn in half.
Unlike Lieur, they were both nameless background characters. So I'd make use of them.
Alleus stopped giving callouts because she had overworked her eye from keeping the beast at bay.
Stepping in and out of range, I hacked at the Minotaur's knee. My perception skill was still at its basic stage, and I couldn't spot any weak spots. Although I had been managing to slowly see the Minotaur's attacks coming.
Slowly stepping closer to one of the sword combatants, I kicked him forward into range.
Grabbing his sword, I jumped onto his shoulder. Spinning in the air, I thrust both swords at the beast's eyes. The combatant was crushed beneath me as I launched myself upward.
Flailing around, the Minotaur screamed in agony. Its eyes weren't as strong as its body, so my attack met success.
"This is for hitting Alleus, you bastard!" Using all my strength, I sank the swords even deeper.
Seeing the Minotaur's hand about to slam toward its own face, I smirked.
"ExcaliBurn!"
Because I didn't slash with the sword, an arc of flame didn't come out. Instead, an explosion of fire engulfed the blade.
—Uragraaahh!
"How does it feel, you mutt? How does it feel to feel agony?" Pulling out my sword, I jumped off its head.
Pulling out my final mana potion, I drank it. As I did, a hand grabbed my shoulder. No, two different sets of hands.
Turning around, I raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"What do you mean, what? You just killed a man!" I took Alleus' hand off my shoulder.
"How dare you sacrifice a comrade?" I took Lieur's hand off as well.
"They have no value. They're nothing but background characters. Not named characters like us. We don't have the ability to save everyone we encounter. That's only something outliers like Incus can do—"
Interrupting our conversation, the Minotaur pulled out its great bone sword and started swinging wildly.
—Grahhh!
The last remaining sword combatant was met with the shadow of the Minotaur's slash. Pulling small daggers from the sleeves of her dress, Lieur began throwing them at the flat face of the great bone sword, slightly adjusting its direction to miss the young combatant.
"Don't waste your weapons, you fool!" Typical. This was my first reaction as well when I watched my village be raided and destroyed. But why did Alleus get ticked off earlier as well? It just didn't make sense. Our goal wasn't to save people unless they were important to our cause. It was to reach the conclusion. Just where was Index? And to add to that, why was he going around saving people who served no use to us?
As I contemplated, Alleus dashed forward to save the combatant from being killed.
"Can someone please explain what's going on?"
Turning around, the middle-aged archer was bent over on the ground with his hands on his head.
Putting my hand on his shoulder, he lifted his face to look up at me.
"You see that alleyway over there? I want you to run straight into it. There's a group of academy students who will help you," I said, pointing at an alleyway that led to another walkway.
Standing up, he began to run through the alley. But in the next moment, a man with horns on his temple appeared and attacked him.
What? It was too soon for the demons to have already entered!
Looking up at the draft, it read:
┌─────═━┈┈━═─────┐
Chapter 117: Too Many Lives to Save
…
As Incus was battling the Minotaur lieutenant, Steinen couldn't hold off the demons from entering through the hole that was made. An influx of humanoid demons began invading the kingdom. Countless cries for help filled the air.
└─────═━┈┈━═─────┘
"Alleus, the main army has breached the walls! We have to leave this place now!"
Holding the young combatant in her arms, she protested:
"But if we don't finish off this Minotaur, then who will?"
"No one will. The Minotaur's fate has been written arbitrarily. If we don't leave now, we'll die!"
Frowning, she put the young combatant's arm over her shoulder.
"Okay, but I'm not going to leave anyone behind. Unlike someone, I have morality."
Hah. Let's see how long you'll keep that morality of yours. You'll have to abandon it sooner or later.
"Wait, you've still yet to answer my question. How do you know my name? How do you know the walls have been breached? Why can't I recall anything from my past except for when I sold flowers to that young hero, Incus? I've definitely lived as an adventurer, but why can't I recall anything? All I can remember are vague figures in battle." Lieur shook her head.
It worked. My seed had sprouted.
"Scales, strangle them." Before the scales could fully form around Alleus and Lieur, I pulled them toward me. Because of the sudden pulling force, Alleus let go of the young combatant on her shoulder. The young combatant tripped on the ground and was crushed under the beast's foot.
"No!"
Running toward Incus as I pulled the two women, my eyes jumped around, trying to scout the area for any potential demons. There was a visible array of humanoid demons jumping on roofs and hunting citizens.
Just where in the world was Index? We had no time for hands-on training. We needed to survive!
The spinning prism of icicle swords slowly dwindled as they were pointed and shot at the Minotaur. I wished I had that weapon. Not that the Fire Hero's Sword was bad, but unlike Incus, who could summon her swords from out of nowhere, I had to put mine in a scabbard.
"Let go, you imbecile!" said Lieur.
Standing just outside the ice prism, I wiped the sweat from my face.
"Lieur, would you like to know the truth?" As I asked the question, Alleus gave me a scowling expression.
"Geez, you're doing this now?"
Nodding at Alleus, who had put on her white eyepatch, I shifted my focus to Lieur, waiting for her response. After a short pause, she replied:
"If this truth can tell me what I want to know, then tell me now." She gripped a throwing dagger from her sleeve.
Pointing at the sky, I replied:
"We're in a novel. If you don't believe me, then look at Incus." Moving out of the way, I continued:
"She'll jump into the air and cut off the Minotaur's head with the Fire Hero's Sword. We should be seeing a blast of fire soon."
Moment after moment, everything I had said happened. Well, it happened.
"I can see what will happen a few moments into the future because I can see the novel being written as we speak. Also, don't try making contact with the main characters. You won't be able to."
Relaxing her grip on the throwing dagger, she sighed and looked up at the sky.
"I see. So that's how it is."
"Don't lose hope yet, partner. We have a way of escaping the novel!"
Grabbing Alleus by the shoulders, Lieur slammed her forehead against hers.
"You're not speaking nonsense, are you? Is there really a way?"
Why was she talking to her and not me? I was the one who told her the truth.
"The conclusion. That's our way out. Once we finish this novel, Incus will be transported back to the real world. Not only will we be free, but our skills will easily get us jobs there—"
Lieur then put her finger on my lip, shushing me.
"Don't speak any more. I already know that you're trying to recruit me. I don't plan on dying so soon, so consider me a part of your party."
Yes! She was all mine. A ranger worthy of taking us to the end.
After killing the Minotaur, Incus swung the blood off her sword. She then began to walk toward the humanoid demons.
Following after her, she started summoning icicle swords and aimed them at the demons, killing them with a single strike. Taking this chance, I caught my breath.
"What's going to happen next, captain?" Lieur asked, her bow ready to fire at any moment.
"We're going to slowly make our way to the kingdom gate. Once we're there, we'll have to engage in heavy combat, so prepare yourself." But what I was more curious about was her eagle eye skill. I wondered how it worked.
Pointing at a soldier on top of the wall, whose figure looked like nothing more than a small dot, I asked:
"What's that soldier over there doing?"
Squinting her eyes, she answered:
"He's trying to get down the wall, but the demons are climbing up."
So she could see far distances. It was very different from Perception, which only increased your insight into things your eyes could already see, such as the actions of opponents.
Pausing in the middle of the street, Incus dashed forward with intense speed.
"Don't get left behind!" I ran as fast as my legs would let me, barely able to keep my clarity as she slowly got further and further away.