Chapter 180
How was Lemegeton formed? Few know the answer.
To the public, it merely appeared as a Cult Group that suddenly emerged a few years ago, believing in Demons. Thus, people simply assumed Lemegeton was formed around that time, and that its influence rapidly grew once Demons appeared.
However, looking back, Lemegeton already had a considerable number of Followers even then. Their origins are older than one might think.
So, when exactly did it begin? What kind of people would engage in such bizarre behavior, worshipping Demons even before they actively started wreaking havoc?
It wasn't a product of logical thought, but closer to a divine oracle.
Its birth began over a decade ago, with a single book left neglected in the Archives...
*
A sharp tension permeated the surrounding air. The heat of battle and the bloodlust from killing Imps made the atmosphere grim.
I looked at the two opposing groups with an awkward gaze. Strangely, I felt isolated, like I didn't belong. Though I was currently with the Knights, I wasn't a Knight myself. And honestly, I wasn't exactly good at following the laws they made.
My, my, quite the distinguished guests have arrived.
As I watched from a distance, Sephiroth spoke. His face was usually expressionless, but this time it was particularly rigid. He slowly surveyed the Extermination Squad.
The 3rd Knight Commander, the 4th Knight Commander, and even the 1st Knight Commander... Isn't this an excessive deployment of Forces just to capture us?
Then, suddenly, her gaze met mine.
I felt a pang of guilt for no reason. Though, if I thought about it, I hadn't really done anything wrong.
I expected Sephiroth to frown and challenge me. After all, we had conversed a few times.
...I see.
But she said nothing more. She merely gazed at This Place with a heavy expression. Since I had repeatedly refused her recruitment offers, she probably expected a situation like this.
I looked at her with a bitter feeling. I wanted to help her survive if the opportunity arose. After all, she had shown me kindness before.
There's no need for further discussion. Pursue them immediately; lethal force authorized!
Of course, no matter what I thought, the battle was inevitable.
At Reilly's command, the Extermination Squad immediately charged towards them.
But that didn't mean the Branch Leaders would fight fair. Given that only the two of them had shown up, they clearly had no intention of engaging in a direct confrontation.
Whoosh-! Indeed, as soon as the Extermination Squad approached, they quickly retreated, each preparing an attack.
Sephiroth prepared her Ice Magic as usual, while Harold conjured yellow electricity in his hands. Sparks flew when he escaped last time too, so he seems to have a knack for Electric Magic.
Soon, the two of them simultaneously launched their Magic towards us.
Whoosh! Immediately after, a massive snowstorm began to rage towards us. Sparks of electricity crackled within it. They instantly created Thunder Snow.
Of course, Harold's Magic seemed quite paltry compared to Sephiroth's... but regardless, it definitely slowed our advance.
Aaaargh!
Aaack!
Screams of people caught in the blizzard could be heard. Hearing them, some people stepped forward to rescue them.
I, too, started pulling People out. Even if I couldn't go after them, I could at least help prevent the Extermination Squad members from dying. There aren't any Priests here, and those who've already been injured once won't be able to properly participate in the battle anyway.
Thwack! I snatched people by the scruff of their necks and pulled them out of the blizzard several times.
Th-thank you...
The people I rescued offered their gratitude, their faces slightly flushed.
You're welcome.
I casually acknowledged their thanks and looked ahead.
The blizzard was already losing its intensity. It seemed its duration wasn't very long, given that only two individuals cast the magic. Even considering that, though, its power was still astonishing.
Through the gradually dispersing blizzard, the Branch Leaders reappeared. Surprisingly, they were already being pursued by a Knight Commander, the woman with flowing silver hair, by the 1st Knight Commander, Eve.
No matter how fierce the blizzard, it wasn't enough to stop a Knight Commander.
“Ugh!”
Harold frowned and desperately launched Deterrent Maneuvers at Eve. His face was quite contorted.
Currently, the Branch Leaders were running, split dozens of meters apart to the right and left. It seemed they did this so at least one of them could escape intact, just in case. And of all things, the 1st Knight Commander was pursuing Harold.
Since he'd be the first to get stabbed if she got close, he seemed to be desperately trying to stop her.
“If the target had been Sephiroth, I might have been a bit nervous...”
But since the target was that bastard Harold, with whom I had a bit of a bad history, I felt rather at ease. No, honestly, I almost wished he'd get stabbed.
My, how my feelings change just because the target of the pursuit is a little different. Seeing this, I realize I'm truly self-centered.
But what can I do? That's just how people are.
As a person, I couldn't help but be more favorable towards someone I was closer to.
So, I casually followed behind them.
*
“Hoo... hoo...”
“Ha... haa...”
The chase lasted longer than expected. Although our Forces had the upper hand, it felt like the Opponent had prepared extensively.
Kiiieek! The Imps that kept rushing us were quite a problem. Even when we were pursuing well, we'd have to stop once or twice because of them.
They weren't particularly strong, but having my concentration broken repeatedly was very annoying.
On top of that, my stamina was depleting faster.
And it was a hot summer day. Running around like this, I almost felt grateful for Sephiroth's Freezing Magic. Of course, the stinging electricity mixed in was quite bothersome.
Haa... Wow, no matter how many we catch, it never ends.
Chae-rin, who was beside me, wiped the sweat from her chin and spoke. Her body was slick and gleaming with sweat. Perhaps because her profession was a Bandit, her attire was quite revealing.
For a moment, lust surged in my lower body... but I forced myself to hold back during the battle. If this were a cave, I'd be stripping her clothes off right now.
'I'll get her later.'
Thinking thoughts that would make Chae-rin shiver if she heard them, I looked ahead again.
Still, from the Extermination Squad's side, the persistent chase finally bore fruit. Eve, who was leading the pursuit, finally succeeded in stabbing the Branch Leader.
Slish!
Kuh...!
With a chilling slicing sound, Harold's side was ripped open. No organs spilled out, but even so, it was a considerably large wound. At the very least, his movement would be severely restricted.
That he got stabbed, as I wished, was good news. But it was also bad news.
The fact that someone had gotten close to him meant that many people were also closing in on Sephiroth. Indeed, Sephiroth was being fiercely pursued by Vivian. That blue-haired woman, despite her timid personality, was incredibly aggressive in her actions.
No matter how much they had prepared, it wasn't enough to stop the Extermination Squad's Forces. And Eve's speed was even greater than I had imagined.
On one hand, I secretly harbored a hope. That if things continued like this, they'd be captured smoothly... perhaps even taken alive.
If they could be captured anyway, taking them alive would be better. It would be easier to gain information that way, and more humane.
And if they were captured, even if the end result was execution, I could at least offer some defense. With luck, they wouldn't die.
However, this Wishful Thinking of mine was tragically shattered the very next moment. because that Harold, with whom I had nothing but bad history, was impaled by Eve's sword. A silver sword protruded from his chest.
Cough...!
With a short groan, blood gurgled from his mouth. I hadn't studied anatomy professionally, but it clearly looked like his lung had been pierced. It was a merciless Strike, as expressionless as her face.
Thud.
The man who had once been a Branch Leader, who had desperately struggled to survive, collapsed onto the ground. Without any special treatment, he would surely die.
And there was no way he'd receive emergency treatment in this chaos.
Harold!
Sephiroth, who was being pursued, cried out urgently. But even Sephiroth wasn't in a leisurely situation as he cried out.
The 3rd Knight Commander Vivian's sword was rushing towards her. It was a sword swung, exploiting the momentary gap created by Sephiroth's surprise.
She had taken a large Footwork step and made a very wide movement. She even spun in the air to somehow increase her jump distance. Thanks to this, her movement was extremely unstable, but this time it looked like a Strike that would definitely connect. Sephiroth, who had no particular Close Combat Capability, would have his flesh torn by the blade.
And honestly, I felt like I could respond. After all, I was pursuing Sephiroth then. If I imbued myself with mana and used Leap here, I could easily block Vivian's Attack. It was that large of an Attack.
But still, my feet wouldn't move easily. In that fleeting moment, many thoughts flashed through my mind.
Tick.
It was as if I could hear the faint ticking of a clock in my head.
The moment I took a step, I could save her life, just this once.
But at the same time, all the social connections I had painstakingly built would instantly crumble. The Knights, whom I had painstakingly brought to normal terms, would look at me with suspicion again, and might even turn hostile. To save her just out of sentiment, I had too much to lose.
Tick. But... if that's the case, can I really just leave her be? The person who, in her own way, tried to help me, even giving me her group's communication method. The person who, contrary to my preconceptions, was more reasonable than I thought.
If I rushed in now, my social standing would be ruined, but if I ignored her, it would likely linger in my memory for a long time, as a bitter, unsettling memory.
Tick. Of course, even as I thought these things, time continued to flow. It wasn't a long time. Vivian's sword was gradually approaching Sephiroth's skin. Until then, I was still only struggling internally.
Just as it seemed it would be too late...
Thud-thud-!
A Humanoid Figure rushed towards Sephiroth.
It wasn't me. But it was someone I knew.
She had curly bobbed hair, a slender physique, and a short sword in one hand.
“Huh?”
It was Nikki. She, who I thought hadn't joined the Extermination Squad, had appeared on the Battlefield. Her sword then deflected Vivian's Sword Strike outwards.
Clang! With a clear clang of steel, bewilderment spread among the People around. Sephiroth, in particular, dropped her expressionless facade and her eyes widened in surprise. Amidst those bewildered gazes, Nikki frowned and spoke.
Haa, fucking hell...
It was a coarse curse, as if she regretted stepping forward herself.
I should have just ignored it, whether they fell or not...
She said, pointing her Short Sword.
Sentimentality is always the problem, really.