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59. Melee

「No, our side has more numbers.」

As if to prove Rinono’s words, townspeople begin to appear on the streets with swords, knives and agricultural tools in hand. The knights’ agitation was transmitted to the horses, and the charge stopped.

「Are you guys colluding with demi-humans!? How foolish…」

「Foolish, you say? We’re perfectly fine being foolish. There’s only one thing I want to say. Shizuku-chan, I’m sorry if this is selfish, but can you let us participate too?」

「…Do as you like. I hate this town, but I won’t stand in the way of anyone trying to survive.」

Rinono said with a chuckle, “I made her hate me,” and picked up the dagger stuck in the wall and pointed it at the knight.

「We can’t tolerate you even a little! Isn’t that right, you all!!」

At Rinono’s command, the whole town roared.

「Don’t underestimate Kinui!!」

The werewolves and residents surged forwards towards the knights like a huge wave. The knights’ agitation was transferred to their horses, and one by one they fled out of town.

「I won’t let you escape.」

Aiming for their back, Shizuku concentrated power into her legs. She knocked down one of the fleeing knights to the ground, and caught sight of the knight who appeared to be the captain. However–

「Kuh……!」

Her knees suddenly buckled.

Did she move so intensely that the remaining poison in her body got circulated again? Even though she understood it in her head, her body did not listen to her commands. And the knights disappeared into the grassland, leaving behind several prisoners.

「We, We won! It’s our victory!!」

「Thank goodness!」

While the residents were crying in triumph, Shizuku looked up at the sky, regretting her lack of strength.

「I was helped by the residents I was supposed to protect. I achieved what Marge entrusted me with, but winning this way is just…」

Rinono threw away her dagger and rushed towards Shizuku.

「Shizuku-chan, are you okay? Washing with alcohol must have soaked into the wound…I didn’t have anything else, sorry.」

「This is nothing. You saved me.」

「There’s no way it’s nothing when you’re covered in so many scars. At least you should tie the wound so that the poison doesn’t spread any further. Hey, Guran, give me back that hair tie!」

「T-This tie which is stopping the bleeding on my right arm?」

「What else could it be? It’s mine to begin with, so shut up and give it back!」

「If I give this away, I will die!」

Unable to reuse the hair tie used on Guran’s severed right arm, Rinono continued to treat Shizuku with bandages provided by a nearby resident.

Unable to move, Shizuku had no choice but to be treated in silence. But her eyes were locked towards the north of the town. The surrounding werewolves also looked restless and were looking in the same direction.

「The other werewolves, please come over here. I didn’t expect there to be this many people, and there are so many things I want to ask you… But first, it’s important to make sure the wound doesn’t fester.」

「…My subordinates will be indebted to you.」

「Subordinates!? Wow, these are all Shizuku-chan’s subordinates! You’ve sure been promoted, haven’t you? Well then, let’s get them all properly treated.」

When the 17 werewolves’ treatment was finally over–

A huge pillar of earth rose into the sky in the direction Shizuku was staring at.

「!!?」

She jumped to her feet despite herself and gasped. A thunderous sound arrived a moment later. The townsfolk looked up at the sky in horror and were shocked by the amount of dust clouds.

「W-What’s going on?」

「The lord’s army fired a cannon!」

「How can a cannon make such a pillar of earth! And it’s in a different direction!」

「Then how did something like that…」

While the residents were muttering to each other, the werewolves who knew the human who was under the pillar of earth, just clenched their fists and exchanged glances with each other.

「Marge!」

◆◆◆

「Maaaaaaargeeeeee!!」

「[Asura’s Six Arms], activate.」

I struck Altora with the invisible arm as he charged towards me from the front. Altora, who took my fist to the face and fell to the ground, took out a dark green pill from his waist pouch and bit it. It seems like he was making the pain go away.

「Kuuuuh!! [Sword Saint]!!」

「[Space Jump], activate.」

「Gah…!?」

I teleported Altora into the sky. Pulled down by gravity, Altora crashed down onto the ground, blood gushing out from Altora’s nose. The mud and soil stained his face.

「Impossible! This can’t be true! It’s impossible!!」

He grabbed another pill and swallowed it down whole.

「GAAAAA!!」

「[Idle Shadow], activate.」

「Disappeared……?」

「Humans can’t disappear. They just become invisible.」

This skill evolved by absorbing [Stealth Action] when I collected back [Seraph’s Grace] from Mello. I sweeped Altora’s legs and stepped down on his body as he fell to the ground.

「Gah! Bastard! You don’t get to look down at me!!」

I put my hand over Altora’s face.

「[Skill Lender], activate. Carry out foreclosure.」

「Foreclo–? GAAAAAAAAA!!」

He forced himself out of my hold by accelerating. He swallowed even more pills, his sword moving in a chaotic trajectory.

An acceleration that was breaking his leg. A sword speed that was destroying his arm. The divine silver sword that was aimed at my head in a chaotic trajectory was blocked and repelled by the [Vajra Barrier].

「AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!」

「What?」

Altora was acting strange.

The pills he was taking should only be making the pain disappear. However, every time he swallowed the dark green pill, his speed and power increased. The output can’t be explained by simply saying his pain or fear is inhibited.

Could it be that the mana powering the skill is running out of control? Because of that drug.

「Dieeee! Give it back!! Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!」

「Altora, any more than this and you will–.」

「Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!」

Only a wild incomprehensible roar replied.

「…Rage on, [Aeolus].」

The wind stirred up dust and robbed Altora of his visibility. If I take this opportunity to seize [Sword Saint] from him, everything will be over.

[Unique Skill’s skill points will be seized and applied to the debt amount.]

[Please select the skill to seize.]

「Retrieve [Sword Saint] from Altora.」

[Skill has been selected. Executing process.]

Once the skill processing is completed and the skill points start flowing in, everything should be over.

It was supposed to be the end.

[The corresponding skill has undergone temporary alteration. Unrecoverable until corrected.]

[The corresponding skill has undergone temporary alteration. Unrecoverable until corrected.]

[The corresponding skill has undergone temporary alteration. Unrecoverable until corrected.]

「That drug is messing with the mana, huh. That’s why your skill is moving so ridiculously.」

「DieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDieDie!!」

「I understand, Altora.」

I called out to my former comrade who was being torn apart by the sandstorm. This is not a fate so simple that just beating him down and taking away his skills will be the end of it.

The golems have already been destroyed. We were the only two people standing here now.

「Let’s settle this matter once and for all.」