Three figures moved swiftly through the graveyard. The Undead here, none above level 30, were completely incapable of slowing Naohara's advance.
He lifted his sword as if taking a leisurely stroll. Golden light flashed, and waves of Undead fell in droves. Behind him, Clementine, clad in a black robe, was busy testing her Vampire magic.
A magic circle, as though formed from condensed blood, appeared before her. Crimson flames surged out from it. Any Undead struck by the fire either burned into charcoal or were reduced to dry bones. Not a single one escaped.
[Blood Flame]
This was a racial magic Clementine had gained after becoming a Vampire.
Once a warrior, Clementine looked at the magic circle in her hand and the Undead crumbling to ash before her. A bright smile spread across her face.
Being something other than human feels amazing!
Behind them, Hamsuke followed obediently. After witnessing the true forms of Naohara and Herohero, her courage had grown considerably. The surrounding Undead didn't frighten her in the slightest.
"Mousey here has seen the big world!"
With a sweep of her tail, she smashed an Undead to pieces. Hamsuke lifted her round little head proudly, her chubby face arranged in a look of disdain that somehow only made her more adorable.
...
"Undead are as annoying as ever. Except for Momonga."
Looking at the endless sea of Undead that refused to thin no matter how many he cut down, Naohara couldn't help but complain.
They were all low-level, but in large numbers, even that became troublesome.
"Hehe, I think it's pretty fun."
Clementine laughed lightly.
"But if you don't like it, we can clear the field."
Naohara glanced behind them. They had already ventured deep into the graveyard. At this distance, no one should be able to see what they were doing.
"I'm a warrior right now. I'll use that spell."
After confirming there were no witnesses, Naohara put away the longsword in his hand and slowly raised an arm. A vast surge of magic power spread outward, instantly enveloping half the graveyard.
[Triplet Maximize Magic: Rending Slash]
Magic rippled through the air. Around the countless Undead, dense, invisible fractures appeared.
[Rending Slash] was a fourth-tier spell, one of the most powerful in terms of raw damage. Its effect manifested as tearing through the very air itself.
In terms of presentation, it was essentially the ultimate budget version of World Champion Touch Me's signature skill, [Dimensional Slash].
Naohara chose to cast [Rending Slash] mainly because its tearing and cutting properties left wounds that looked almost identical to those made by a blade.
Given that he was currently posing as a warrior, this spell was perfect for concealing the truth.
He looked ahead. The result was obvious.
Before this spell, the tens of thousands of Undead stood no chance. Invisible rifts sliced them cleanly in two, leaving the ground littered with scattered bones.
Under Naohara's precise control, nothing was damaged except the Undead themselves. The surrounding trees and structures remained completely intact.
As he surveyed the now-empty graveyard, the magic circle in his hand slowly faded away. The mana consumption had been considerable, but the results were more than worth it.
"Let's go, Clem. It's time to find your former partner."
Seeing Clementine spacing out beside him, Naohara snapped his fingers in front of her face.
"Snap! Snap! Snap!"
Coming back to her senses, Clementine looked at Naohara and took a slow breath.
She had thought she was mentally prepared, but witnessing it firsthand still shook her. Tearing space apart so casually was far beyond anything she had ever understood.
"Naohara-sama, you truly are a monster through and through."
Clementine sighed softly as she looked at him, who still seemed completely at ease.
After becoming a Vampire, she had once believed she might finally be able to glimpse his back from a closer distance. Now, it seemed that goal was still far out of reach.
"And aren't you a monster now too?"
Naohara shrugged, sounding faintly exasperated.
Level 47 Clementine might not amount to much in his eyes, but in this world, she was undeniably a monster in her own right.
Behind them, Hamsuke snapped out of her daze at the sight. As a pet, she instinctively sensed her position was being threatened.
Ever since this blonde had shown up, Momonga and Herohero had stopped paying her much attention. Even Naohara's focus had been drawn away.
(Hamsuke still had no idea that Momonga and Herohero had already been replaced.)
"Mousey here is getting angry!"
Her large, glossy eyes shifted slightly. Hamsuke hurried to Naohara's side and pressed her fluffy forehead against his palm.
"Master, my safety depends on you as well."
As she spoke, she shot Clementine a glare filled with hostility. She had no intention of giving up her position as the master's pet.
Clementine blinked in surprise at first, then seemed to think of something amusing. She immediately glared back, her eyes brimming with provocation.
This hamster's pretty cute. Teasing it a bit might be fun.
The woman and the hamster locked eyes, neither backing down. The air between them seemed to spark with tension as a silent battle began.
Standing between them, Naohara's lips twitched. He looked at Clementine, then at Hamsuke, and finally gave both of them a sharp knock on the head.
"Smack! Smack!"
With one hit each, he ended the utterly pointless standoff. He shot Clementine an exasperated look. Just how bored was she, picking a fight with a hamster?
"Alright, stop messing around. Let's move."
After giving the two of them a brief scolding, they set off again.
[Magic Enhancement: Fly]
Climbing onto Hamsuke's back, Naohara cast a flight spell on her, letting her experience what it felt like to fly.
As her body slowly rose into the air, Hamsuke tensed at first. But it didn't take long for her to adjust. Soon, her four little paws began paddling wildly in midair, clearly thrilled.
"Mousey has successfully ascended!"
Man and mouse sped toward the deeper reaches of the graveyard.
Behind them, Clementine followed at an unhurried pace, small dark red wings beating gently as she flew through the air.
It looked utterly unscientific, but in a world of magic, there was nothing strange about it.
With the support of the flight spell, it took only a short while for the two of them and the hamster to reach the heart of the graveyard. Not far ahead, the faint outline of a shrine-like structure came into view.