Chapter 24 - Back to the Capital

Chapter 24 - Back to the Capital

Bell slashed through the chieftain in an instant, her sword leaving a trail like a mirage.

A deafening sound ripped through the air as the chieftain's armored black suit shattered into fragments, scattering to the ground.

Yet, the body inside remained untouched, just as it had been when I fought.

To inflict real damage, the armor had to be broken first, and the flesh pierced.

It was no different for Bell.

"Whew..."

Bell exhaled as if letting out all the tension in her body, momentarily losing her balance.

But she didn't collapse.

Her legs remained planted firmly, like roots anchoring her to the ground.

She clenched and opened her fists, patting herself down to check her condition.

"Why... why am I fine?"

Her confusion quickly turned into laughter.

Bell began to laugh, the sound of relief escaping her lips.

The chieftain, who had taken the brunt of her attack, shook its head and fixed its sharp gaze on her. It now seemed fully resolved, like it wouldn't hold back anymore—just as it hadn't in a past life when it had trampled her to death.

The chieftain attacked with all its might, swinging its axe down on Bell.

She parried it with her blade.

"Ugh..."

Even a single defensive move left her wincing in pain.

"Kinjo, light me up!" Bell shouted while dodging the chieftain's swings.

"What?"

"Fire! Like you did for Mago!"

Moments later, flames enveloped Bell's sword.

"Hot."

She prepared for a second explosive strike, aiming to end the fight in one decisive blow.

As the chieftain's axe descended toward her shoulder, Bell unleashed a blazing slash.

The axe shattered.

The force traveled through the axe shaft, cleaving the chieftain's arm, shoulder, and neck.

Her blade tore through the chieftain in one seamless line, shredding its body.

The tusks and horns dangling from the chieftain's necklace fell to the ground.

Finally, the head itself dropped, rolling lifelessly.

"Hah..."

Only then did Bell collapse, her body giving out.

Meanwhile, I continued to cut down goblins along the hillside, one by one.

When the last of them fell, I raised my gaze.

It was the third lake today—the final one from the day's quota.

Kinjo descended, carrying Bell in his arms.

He said something to me, but his words were drowned out by a louder sound.

A wolf's howl pierced the air.

"Ah, right."

This was wolf territory.

"Of course."

The scent of blood had drawn them out.

Wolves emerged, having caught the scent of prey.

Humans and monsters alike had left trails of blood and carnage behind.

The howls grew closer, and soon a black wolf was snarling at me, its sharp eyes locked on my figure.

Before I realized it, we were surrounded.

Wolves encircled us, their dark forms closing in.

On one side, there were the wolves.

On the other, just the three of us.

And Bell was already out of the fight.

"Ugh..."

Kinjo, still cradling Bell, knelt down.

"I think my arm's broken from blocking that axe earlier."

Kinjo was in no better condition than Bell.

That left only me.

"Mago... your arm?"

"Yeah, my left arm's useless now."

All I had left was my right arm.

With it, I'd have to protect myself, Kinjo, and Bell.

The wolves began circling us, their movements deliberate as they gauged the right moment to strike.

"Not yet... not yet..."

I stood my ground, keeping them at bay with sheer determination.

My eyes darted rapidly, scanning for any wolf that might lunge first.

Every muscle in my body tensed, prepared for a counterattack.

Finally, a large wolf pounced at me.

I swung my sword, decapitating it in a single stroke.

But that was only a feint.

The rest of the wolves leaped in unison, attacking from all directions.

I had taken down goblins, orcs, and even the chieftain.

Unlike in my past life, Kinjo and Bell were still alive.

And yet...

Were we all going to die here, surrounded by wolves?

"Thanks for holding out, Mago."

A crimson streak cut through the air before me.

The arc was swift, carving a crescent moon into the sky.

Where it passed, wolves were cleaved in two, their bodies erupting in bursts of heat.

Their severed remains tumbled down the hillside.

"Mago."

A voice—El.

Elizabeth Red stood before me, her sword blazing red-hot.

"Mago. Stay with me."

El's tone was clear and firm, more so than ever.

"Thank you, for everything. I'll repay the debt—I'll get you something expensive, I promise."

"El!"

Kinjo shouted desperately.

"Please, take care of Bell!"

"Huh? Oh, okay...!"

El exhaled a wave of heat, preparing to take over the fight.

***

"Kinjo, I'm heading straight over the mountain to the capital."

"Are you out of your mind? You're planning to keep fighting with one arm? And you're out of lake uses!"

"You go down with El. I'll see you later."

"W-Wait, Mago. You're going alone, aren't you? No lake power, no flames, all by yourself. You sound like you're walking to your death."

"Why would I do that?"

"At least take El with you—"

"There's someone I need to meet. I have to ask for their help."

"Ask for help? For what?"

"The fourth trial will be nullified. There won't be time for a retest, so we'll probably pass with our current scores. Bell achieved something incredible today by killing the leader—it'd be a shame if that went to waste."

"That's true…!"

El, cradling the sleeping Bell, eagerly chimed in.

"I'll go to the capital and meet the Special Ops Unit. I'll inform them of our achievements and request a special selection."

"The Special Ops Unit? How do you even know they're there? Or that they'll show up at all?"

"They'll definitely be there. Someone like that always is."

"Who exactly?"

"Marcello Arnis."

"Yeah, Marcello's—wait, what? Marcello Arnis? You're going to meet them?"

"And besides, it doesn't look like there's anything left for us to do."

I gestured with my head toward the others.

"Why are you all still alive?"

Amon stared at me blankly.

"Does this look 'alive' to you?"

He held up his left arm, an arrow still embedded in it, as if to make a point.

Amon released the blood-forged swords he had summoned, letting them sink into the ground.

"Amon? Was that just now…?"

Kinjo asked hesitantly.

"Hmm? What are you talking about?"

Amon shrugged, feigning ignorance.

"Attack Squad, 50 members. Injuries, but no fatalities."

He gave me a quick rundown of the situation below.

"That's a relief. I don't know about the Defense Squad, but thanks to the leader sending all his forces my way—"

"And," Amon interrupted,

"Based on what I saw coming up here. Defense Squad, 47 members. Like the Attack Squad, there are injuries but no casualties. Thanks to… Lady Elizabeth's efforts."

"Really…?"

Kinjo's face lit up as he confirmed.

"And finally, all of you. Including Mago, Kinjo Shua, and Bell Red, the Defense Squad's 50 members are all alive. All that's left is to return safely."

"Amon, you've done well."

I rested my hand on his shoulder.

"You all go first. I'm not done yet."

"Mago! This is reckless!"

Kinjo grabbed my wrist.

"No. It looks like it'll rain soon."

"What are you talking about…? It's blazing sunny out."

***

I managed to slip away from my comrades.

The training ground had been defended from the invasion, but the capital…

"The bustling capital…"

The capital had been reduced to ash.

The first thing I felt was the chill in the air.

The clinging scent of ash and blood stuck to my skin.

I walked, covering my nose with the back of my hand.

The streets were littered with corpses.

Stores along the road. Homes, city hall, churches.

Everywhere, bodies.

Citizens, soldiers, and even monsters.

The monster corpses scattered among the others implied someone had taken them down.

But there was no sign of life.

No trace of the living.

I walked further, aimlessly, through the lifeless capital.

"Ra…"

That's when I saw it—a large brown horse.

"Light?"

It was my former master's horse.

The temperamental creature my master had cherished as if it were his own child, a protector even to his real children.

Now, without its master, it wandered anxiously in circles.

"Light!"

At the sound of its name, it turned its head toward me.

Its large, expressive eyes met mine.

As if it recognized me, it approached with unusually gentle steps.

The horse lowered its long neck, letting me soothe it with a stroke of its mane.

"Good boy."

I grabbed the reins and gently climbed onto its back.

"I never thought we'd meet again like this."

***

As Light picked up speed, my limp left arm swayed weakly with the motion.

I set out in search of any sign of life.

Returning to the capital stirred old memories.

I recalled a time at the inn's lobby when we ordered food.

"Mago, this world is full of absurdities," Kinjo had started, bored while we waited for our meal.

"You're not exactly in a position to complain about wealth inequality, being part of the elite."

I had replied curtly.

"That's not what I mean. I'm talking about magic. You have talent for it, so this is relevant for you, too…"

"Magic? Out of nowhere?"

"Your innate magic is predetermined at birth. Even if it manifests later, like with you, it was always there. It's just a matter of timing. At the academy, we called it a 'gift.' Most people can't use magic at all, and even if they can—"

He paused, sighing.

"—what magic they can use is fixed. It's absurd."

"I've never thought about it deeply, but yeah, it's not exactly fair."

"I've got flame attribute enhancement and clairvoyance. No matter how much I train, only those two improve. I can't learn anything else."

"I get it. But so what?"

"Some people are born with unique magic, often tied to their bloodlines. Like the three great families of the empire: Red, Coster, and Moonlight. You've heard of them?"

"Yeah. I'll be meeting Red and Coster soon."

"Huh?"

"Anyway, even if magic is unfair, there are magical tools, right?"

"M-Magical tools? You even know about those? Mago, were you really locked up in a mansion all this time?"

"There are plenty of legends."

"True. Regardless, amidst all this unfairness, some people are blessed. Born to be the strongest. We've seen one in the flesh, haven't we?"

"I think I know who you mean. Did you talk this much just to say that?"

"Our food's here. Let's eat."

Kinjo placed the plates on the table and stabbed the edge of his steak with a fork.

Cutting into the meat effortlessly, he held up a bite-sized piece.

"To Marcello Arnis, monsters are probably like this."

"Like what?"

"A bite-sized piece of meat. Just this much."

As I reminisced, a massive orc's head flew toward me.

It hit the ground and rolled several times before coming to a stop.

The recently deceased orc's wide-open eyes stared back at me.

"You there, trainee. Get away from here; it's dangerous."

"It's just as dangerous everywhere else—"

"I meant near me."

I followed the direction the head had come from with my eyes.

A group of orcs surrounded something.

About fifty of them, forming a tight circle.

Then, one by one, the orcs started to fall apart.

Their formation crumbled like a sandcastle, absurdly easily.

As the black armor and green skin split apart, a figure became visible through the gaps.

A moment of black hair.

A fleeting glimpse of the Special Ops Unit's black uniform.

With each fallen orc, the woman at the center became clearer.

It was like parting dense underbrush to reveal a treasure chest inside.

Though everything about her was dark, her movements sparkled like jewels.

I'd known this for a long time.

My certainty grew stronger.

"I saw it countless times in my past life, too…"

Just as Kinjo had cut into his steak, Marcello Arnis's spear carved through orc bodies with ease.

To her, it was merely a warm-up before the main event.

Marcello Arnis.

A one-person army.

A walking cannon.

The strongest of humanity.

And a hero.

When the hero sheathed her spear, the orcs had all been reduced to nothing more than bite-sized pieces of flesh.

The sheer dominance was chilling.

"I'll never get used to this."

I had always wanted to be like her.

I still did.

Now that I had the lake power, that desire might have only grown stronger.

I dismounted Light and saluted.

"Recruit of the 66th Class, Training Ground #1, Number 71. Mago, reporting."

"Marcello."

What more needed to be said?