"I've got a bad feeling about this…"
Nanoda glanced up at the sky. The further she traveled, the more presences appeared within the range of her Mana Perception.
Just how many magic beasts were there?
This was the first time Nanoda had ever encountered a so-called "magic beast tide."
Under normal circumstances, magic beasts not on the hunt kept themselves hidden, each holding to its own territory.
She saw wolf-type magic beasts racing across the ground, bird-type magic beasts skimming low through the air, and strange, Chimera-like beasts stitched together from many creatures, tearing at their own kind even as they charged blindly forward.
A few, like the Corpse-Luring Bird, she recognized, but for the vast majority Nanoda had no knowledge at all.
No fewer than thirty kinds of monsters migrating together—it was no exaggeration to call such a scene a surging tide. It carried even more oppressive weight than facing Ohaly's army.
Nanoda gave up on traveling by foot and switched to Flight Magic instead.
"It's as if every magic beast in the entire region has mobilized at once."
Nanoda observed that the tide's course wasn't heading toward Gaderia. Schlacht and Draht, who had gone ahead to scout, had most likely been swept up in it by accident.
"Ah, found them."
On one flank of the surging tide of beasts, there was a spot where everything had come to a standstill.
The torn corpses of magic beasts lay heaped there. The weaker beasts passing through gave it a wide berth, while now and then a stronger one would circle in, eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
"Rraaaaaahhh!"
Schlacht heaved his greatsword up once more, roaring as he beat back a tiger-type magic beast lunging at him—only for its snake-headed tail to lash across his shoulder.
His armor was already shattered, and his body bore bite marks and gashes in several places, some deep, some shallow. Though he still stood like an iron tower, sword in hand, gray-black Mana kept spilling from his wounds and dispersing, dragging Schlacht step by step toward his end.
Beside him, Draht was in equally sorry shape. Even his usual cold, sharp arrogance had vanished, leaving only tension and exhaustion.
"Tch!"
Draht used Mana Threads to slice apart a raptor-type magic beast diving out of the air—but the threads, no longer stable, snapped in the very same instant.
"Schlacht, I was careless. What do we do now?"
As he drew fresh Mana Threads from between his fingers like a cat's cradle, an emotion called regret welled up in Draht.
He'd thought it was only a small magic beast tide when they approached, but they'd been swallowed by an even larger tide behind it.
Schlacht swung his heavy sword, trying to press toward the outer edge of the tide, yet even his lightning-quick swordsmanship couldn't keep up with the swarms flinging themselves at him. Many of the beasts were thick-skinned and tough-fleshed—a single stroke of the greatsword couldn't kill them—so he was left trading wound for wound.
With no other choice, Schlacht kicked away a beast that had leapt at him again, and in that moment of respite he shouted toward the flank, "Where's the support?"
"Half an hour, at least."
Watching the flying magic beasts circling overhead, Draht knew that even with the Flight Magic he wasn't skilled at, there was no escape.
"No use counting on that. What about your Mana?"
"Burning through it faster than I expected. Not sure I can last until this is over."
They'd been inside the magic beast tide only a few short minutes, yet had already been besieged by no fewer than dozens of powerful beasts, with some swift little ones crashing into them by chance as well.
Both Mana and stamina were draining away by the second.
"In that case, Draht! I'll use every last bit of my Mana to open a path—you seize the chance and get out!"
The words had barely left his mouth when the muscles across Schlacht's whole body bulged as if exploding. His Mana poured out without restraint, cloaking the greatsword in his hand until it swelled a full size larger.
"Hey, you really are an infuriating guy, Schlacht. You're stronger than me—you run first. I'll open the way."
As if he'd made some difficult resolution, Draht let out a sigh, and for the first time a shadow of gloom crossed that ever-cold face. "We of the Demon Race have always revered the strong, haven't we?"
Mana Threads appeared before Schlacht's eyes, and even his equally expressionless face wavered.
As the tide surged faster, more beasts closed in, and on either side they were walled off by the endless running of the swarm.
"Then obey the command of the strong!"
Schlacht's tone turned grim as he swung his sword, severing the Mana Threads, and hurled himself toward the tide of beasts on the flank.
The beasts that had been eyeing him hungrily saw him deliberately expose an opening, and they pounced all at once.
And in that very instant, Draht's pupils contracted. An emotion he couldn't name stirred within him.
"Comradeship among warriors—how nice~"
The voice came from nowhere in particular, and the magic beast tide surged on as before.
But Draht found himself like a puppet with its strings yanked taut, utterly unable to move.
In the same state was Schlacht, frozen in place, along with the several beasts halted in midair, still holding their pouncing poses.
When he came to his senses, all he felt was the ache of cloth cinched tight around his neck.
"Where'd the beasts go?"
Beside him was Schlacht, looking just as dazed.
"You two are seriously heavy…"
The Paradox Magic of motion and stillness came to an end.
The beasts that had been attacking Schlacht all lunged at empty air, tumbling face-first into the mud. They could only glance around, growl a couple of times, and then trudge on over the corpses of other beasts, continuing their migration.
"Thank you for your aid, my King."
Schlacht the Lightning reacted with lightning speed—just as swiftly he set down his greatsword and dropped to one knee.
Ⅱ
By now Draht had come to his senses as well, and he silently knelt alongside him.
"I've been wanting to say this for a while—why do you go learning all these fussy Human courtesies? Get up already. Schlacht, your wounds are starting to give off black smoke… are you all right?"
Nanoda felt that Schlacht was in danger of dissolving into Mana and dying at any moment.
"I overexerted myself a little. The Mana inside me is in chaos right now. A bit of rest and I'll be fine. If you hadn't stepped in to help, I might truly have died."
Schlacht said something terrifying with perfect calm.
"Good, then. So how do things stand now?"
Hearing this, the two wound-covered members of the Demon Race looked at each other. In the end it was Schlacht who answered.
"This magic beast tide is larger than we imagined, but it's a fair distance from Gaderia. We only need to warn the people of the land to watch for stray beasts breaking off from the swarm when they go out."
"About what I figured."
Nanoda nodded, satisfied.
"Furthermore, I wish to confess my fault. Because of my misjudgment, I led Draht straight into the magic beast tide and nearly caused needless losses. The responsibility is mine."
Schlacht did not rise as Draht had, but instead lowered his head even further.
That reaction brightened Nanoda's eyes.
Schlacht had changed. Perhaps from spending so long among the Human guards, that Demon Race general—once so dutiful he was coldly heartless—had gained a touch of warmth.
Whether this was something Schlacht did without thinking or on purpose, Nanoda was glad all the same. Straightening out, even a little, the twisted emotions of the Demon Race was a step toward Humans and the Demon Race living in harmony.
"Rise. I won't hold it against you."
And midway through Schlacht's struggle to prop himself up, Nanoda added another line.
"You wouldn't do something this reckless. It was mostly Draht, wasn't it?"
Schlacht stiffened where he was. "Uh, this really was a decision I made…"
"Enough, it was me. I was the one who wanted to go straight up to the magic beast tide to scout, and I misjudged its range, so we got swept in."
Draht, who had been silent all this time, admitted it with a scowl.
"Do with me as you will."
Having thrown out those words, he stared blankly at Nanoda.
This fellow was as arrogant as ever.
A rebellious upstart who stuck his neck out—one who could ignore Lugner's orders and go down to the dungeon to try killing Frieren single-handedly, only to be killed in return.
"I already said I won't pursue it. No real harm came of it, after all."
Nanoda wasn't angry. There was no point being angry with a century-old brat.
She was counting on Schlacht, who had already changed, as Draht's finest rival and comrade, to use great affection to win over this "brat."
"Thank you for your leniency…"
Even as Schlacht felt a weight lift from him, he also sensed something odd in the way this King was looking at him and Draht.
____
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