Episode 78: Knights and Spiritual Beasts.

Sponsored by: Christopher Hartman and Diego Aguirre 

　After stopping the other three spiritual beasts, Yamato went to support Lienhardt and the others.

 

The three knights were facing against the remaining two wolf-shaped spiritual beasts.

Yamato decided to help them since they were not accustomed to fight against these kinds of opponents.

 

“These are our pray!　Don’t interfere, Yamato of Urd! ”

 

However, the roar-like voice of Barrès told him, who was rushing in to help, to stay out.

His whole body was covered in wound, yet Barrès fought against the spiritual beasts with sheer brute force.

 

“I don’t need your help either!　Yamato! ”

 

The same was true for the knight Lienhardt, who said that as he guarded against an attack using the large shield.

He declared that as a prideful knight of Orn, he would defeat the spiritual beast.

 

“That’s how it is, Yamato. Just stay there and behold my strength! ”

 

Said Sildria, showing a fearless smile.

Then, showed a beautiful swordsmanship that seemed almost like a sword dance.

 

With this, the opinion of the three knights was unanimous.

 

“Yamato-danna… it’s dangerous. Let’s hurry up and help them! ”

 

Meanwhile, Lacq who was behind Yamato, advised him to help the three knights, who were clearly struggling.

In the current situation, Lienhardt was being pushed back by a spiritual beast.

Even in the eyes of Lacq, who was talented in knowing the strengths of a person, the current situation seemed bad.

 

“There’s no need to back them up.”

 

But Yamato answered there was no need to do so.

He simply put away all his weapons and watched over the fierce battle the three people were fighting.

 

“But, isn’t it dangerous if it keeps like this!? ”

 

Just as Lacq worried, the situation was objectively not going great.

 

Barrès was covered in wounds and couldn’t use the power of the magic sword.

Lienhardt was disguised as a mercenary in the imperial capital, therefore he wasn’t wearing his knight armor.

And although Sildria was a genius with the sword, she still had the physique disadvantage of being a girl.

 

Against them, who were not in the best condition, their opponents, the spiritual beasts had infinite stamina and endurance.

Just as Lacq had said, the situation was quite disadvantageous.

 

“Surely, your observation is on point, Lacq. As they are, they won’t be able to defeat a spiritual beast.”

“T-then……”

“But sometimes people grow while facing adversity.”

 

Certainly, the three knights were being drained of their strength due to the overwhelming attacks of the spiritual beasts.

 

However, at the same time, their bodies and swords were shaper, and the same could be said about their spirit.

Maybe due to the fierce battle, their hidden potential was slowly awakening.

 

“I see…… If that’s what you say, Danna, then I’ll trust you.”

 

Following his words, Lacq watched the fight unfold between the knights and the terrifying spiritual beasts.

 

(Please win……)

 

And next to him was Yamato, rooting for them in his mind.

 

◇

 

The curtain finally descended on the battle that seemed eternal.

 

The three knights defeated the two spiritual beasts.

 

“Tch, to have this much trouble.”

“It couldn’t be helped, Barrès. But this won’t happen the next time.”

 

Barrès, who stabbed the dying body of a spiritual beast, cursed at himself.

And next to him, Sildria, who also stabbed another beast, smiled at their own growth during the battle.

 

“Princess Sildria-san… if you get any stronger than this, the chances of you getting married will disappear.”

“Actually, if someone wants to court me, I’ll tell them 『You first need to defeat a Spiritual Beast』.”

 

After confirming that the bodies of the spiritual beasts they stabbed are unmoving, the two knights started making such jokes.

The spiritual beasts had their limbs cut off, and their weak point, the core, was severed from their chest.

 

However, common sense of living organisms didn’t apply to the spiritual beasts, which were beyond the human understanding.

And until the body started to disappear like Yamato taught them, they kept their vigilance up.

 

“Knight Lienhardt, as expected of one of the famous 《Ten Swords》.”

“That’s a title others pushed on to me.”

 

“Hmm, how humble. If you weren’t here defending, it would have been more difficult. I’ll give you a reward when we return to the imperial capital.”

“What I did was all for the sake of Orn’s pride. I don’t need the prestige of having defeated a spiritual beast.”

 

The girl Sildria complimented Lienhardt about his overwhelming shieldmanship.

She was visibly interested in the splendid shield skills of Lienhardt, which were quite different from the attack-focused school taught in the empire.

 

“Humble men aren’t popular with girls, Lienhardt. Just be honest and take the credit! ”

“What… with girls!?　It can’t be helped then.”

 

The great sword wielder Barrès seemed to have accepted Lienhardt as a fellow warrior.

Although their characters and appearances were totally the opposite, there might be a part where the two of them can be sympathetic to each other, having tread the thin deadly line of fighting against a spiritual beast.

 

After facing the onslaught of the spiritual beasts, Lienhardt’s shield was quite damaged, and broken down more than half.

Nevertheless, the brave Barrès might also have acknowledged the knight of Orn, who while not fearing death, challenged a spiritual beast.

 

In any case, it was close, but as Yamato expected, the three knights overcame the spiritual beasts.

 

“By the way, Yamato… I never expected your fighting prowess to be at this level…”

 

Sildria turned away from the two spiritual beasts that had finally begun to disappear.

At the end of her sight were the three spiritual beasts that Yamato had defeated, their bodies in the middle of breaking down.

 

“Hmph. Yamato of Urd, huh…? I wonder if you’re evenly matched with that Yamato from the Mountain Dog Group.”

 

Barrès also turned his sight towards Yamato.

He was comparing him with the mysterious masked warrior he met a few months ago.

‘Yamato of the Mountain Dog Group’ was actually him, but since he was decently disguised, Barrès misunderstood that it was another person.

 

It was understandable that the empire knights were surprised.

After all, he had killed three spiritual beasts alone, while the three of them had trouble killing just two.

 

“It’s not a big deal really. I was prepared to fight against a spiritual beast after all.”

 

That was true.

After the fierce battle against the spiritual beast inside the rock salt mine, he had taken several measures.

 

First of all, he had made the “core amulet” that prevented falling into the effects of the “Curse” of the spiritual beasts, and had given one to everyone in this place.

Although they had come with a large number, they were able to confront the spiritual beasts at the same time.

 

In addition, he had prepared and used the grenades made from the Fire stone of God’s Wrath used by the Mountain Clan People.

It was a weapon that required to be in close proximity in order to be efficient, but if chosen, it was excellent against spiritual beasts.

 

“You should remember the movements of these spiritual beasts. It will be useful for the next time.”

 

Yamato advised the knights to burn this experience in their minds.

Because this was the most important measure to take.

Yamato trained every chance he got, simulating a fight against a spiritual beast, and after working that hard, this was the result.

 

Yamato memorized all the movements of the previous spiritual beast, and did self-training at the village.

He trained his movements and skills, image fighting against the spiritual beast, and assuming different grade of strength.

 

It was all thanks to this, that he was able to fight against three spiritual beasts simultaneous, and be victorious.

 

 

“Well, in any case, everyone sure is strong!　Now, let’s just hurry and get away from this place.”

 

After confirming that everything was over, Lacq called out to the group.

Since the five spiritual beasts that were preventing them from leaving were defeated, he proposed to leave the ruins with the imperial investigation team that was hiding inside the small tower.

 

“Ahh, that’s right. It’ll be a problem facing Brother if I don’t bring the foolish Barrès back to the imperial capital in one piece.”

“Tch, I’m still in the middle of a research mission, but I guess it can’t be helped.”

 

Both knights reluctantly agreed to Lacq’s opinion.

Barrès would actually like to present some results from surveying these ancient ruins, but it wasn’t like there would always be spiritual beasts in that place.

In any case, what they needed to do now was to leave the sea of trees and return to the imperial capital to treat all the injured.

 

Yamato went and collected the destroyed cores from the five disappearing spiritual beasts.

 

And thus, it was decided to hurriedly leave the ruins.

 

◇

 

「……！ ? ”

 

However, it was at that moment.

 

Feeling an unpleasant gaze on him that he couldn’t put on words, Yamato looked around.

At the end of his gaze, was the dark sea of trees.

 

“Danna… what’s wrong? ”

“What happened, Yamato?”

 

The other four people also became vigilant of the surroundings after seeing his sudden reaction.

However, even they who had a sharp intuition were not able to sense the subtle gaze.

 

(Was it my imagination?　……No, there’s something there…… This unpleasant feeling……what on earth……? ）

 

Under those circumstances, Yamato was the only one who could feel the gaze.

 

Without lowering his vigilance, he closed both eyes and concentrated all his consciousness on it.

Rather than relying on sight or hearing, what he sought was something that couldn’t be grasped simply by those senses.

 

“……Over there.”

 

He located the displeasing place.

 

At the same time, he removed the crossbow fixed to his waist holder and shot.

A manner of shooting with no preliminary preparations, an action so fast that even the four people around weren’t able to react to.

 

“What happened, Yamato!?　To act so suddenly!? ”

 

“Wait…… Orn dude……Look over there.”

“What’s that…? The arrow…”

 

The knights were surprised at Yamato’s actions.

However, they were at loss for words after seeing the strange phenomenon that happened the next moment.

 

(No way, to be able to stop the bolt……)

 

There was no way for the knight not to be surprised.

The reason was, the arrow was perfectly stationary in the air without even reached the target.

 

The kinetic energy of the crossbow bolt, which had an initial speed of several hundreds of kilometers per hour, was completely stopped without making a sound.

It was an impossible phenomenon that ignored the laws of physics.

 

 

『To think that you noticed my existence……』

 

Suddenly, a voice echoed.

 

A voice coming from the place where nobody was supposed to be.

 

『And in addition, you defeated the five Fureki (Black Wolf)-class beasts that I summoned……』

 

Then, the owner of the voice quietly showed up.

This was the true identity of the unpleasant feeling, and the existence that stopped the arrow in the air.

 

(A person? ……No ……Just who……in the world is this boy……? ）

 

An existence that emitted a different kind of aura from people.

And this was the very first time, ever since he was transferred to this world, that Yamato felt “fear”.

 

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