Chapter 148
Inside the armory, they found weapons called Digders, similar to the one Merry had, along with an assortment of familiar weapons from Earthclear and others that had been modified.
Takako, who could fight barehanded, took a pair of gauntlets just in case. Rex chose a steel sword similar to the one he was used to rather than one of the modified swords. Tina took a Bible as a medium for casting magic, while Kururu and Parna each took a familiar staff for the same purpose.
Finally, Menou and Alice—who could produce the same effect inside their bodies without needing a human-made tool to hold magic in one place—each took two daggers, just in case.
Once they had their equipment, the group followed Merry's instructions and returned to the tent where the captain had been. Dozens of Resistance members were already gathered outside, lined up neatly and equipped with even more gear than Takako's group, all ready in the three short minutes it had taken them.
"I'll now explain the details of the operation! Listen carefully!"
Balmung stood before the neatly assembled Resistance members, fully equipped and clad in white, armor-like plating. He raised his voice so loudly it made their ears ring.
The Resistance, which had been chatting amiably moments earlier, was gone. Everyone was tense, fixing Balmung with the sharp gaze of a hunter.
"The Beastfangs... Those bastards are cunning. They've stolen supplies that our supply-gathering teams risked their lives to collect on countless expeditions, and many of our comrades have died at their hands! They're too crafty to wipe out easily. They hide in the maze of streets in the old Chiyoda Ward, forcing us to fight at a disadvantage every time... But now! They've left the shell of the old Chiyoda Ward behind and begun a mass migration toward the old Shibuya Ward!"
At those words, almost every Resistance member's face twisted with hatred. That alone was enough for Parna to grasp the terrible toll their outside enemies had taken on the people of Earth. Even if it was a misunderstanding, she knew that hatred like this didn't arise without suffering to justify it.
"Between the old Chiyoda Ward and the old Shibuya Ward is an open plain with nowhere for them to hide, unlike in the city! We'll ambush them there...! This is our chance to wipe out the Beastfangs, who aren't suited to long-range combat! With nowhere to hide, they'll surely fall right before us! We can win!"
At the words "We can win," the Resistance members' eyes widened, and they let out a roar of cheers. The sight of them rejoicing at the chance to finally unleash their hatred felt a little frightening to Alice, who grabbed the hem of Parna's clothes with an uneasy expression.
"Once we reach the target location, everyone stay out of sight! At the signal, the support unit will launch a coordinated long-range attack! We'll primarily use magic and magic firearms! The front line will wait nearby and protect the support unit with everything they've got, so not a single member is harmed!"
After explaining the operation, Balmung didn't end his speech. He turned his gaze toward Takako's group, who had listened in silence, and beckoned for them to come over.
"It seems the Goddess of Fortune has taken a liking to us! Just when we need them, we've got new Heroes joining our ranks! Rex the Hero! Kururu the Sage! Takako the Martial Artist! Tina the Priest! And Parna, Alice, and Menou the Mages! Seven of them!"
The Resistance members stared in surprise. "A Hero... and a Sage?" Some exclaimed, while others brightened and began to murmur, "The others are a Martial Artist, a Priest, and Mages too... That's incredible fighting strength!"
Surely there were people from Earthclear among them, so why were the Resistance members so delighted? Comparing the several hundred members of the Resistance they'd seen on the way here with the mere dozens gathered now for the reclamation unit—including those from Earthclear—Takako and the others realized just how rare capable fighters were.
"Got it?! Don't leave everything to the Heroes just because you think they'll be fine! We're family! Think of every one of us as part of your own soul! Don't let anyone die, even if we're at an advantage! Protect one another! Understood?!"
"Yes, sir!"
At Balmung's shout, the Resistance members gave a perfectly synchronized salute. Immediately afterward, they began moving without breaking ranks, heading toward a white cylindrical structure that rose all the way to the ceiling at the far end of Resistance headquarters.
"All right, let's move too. I'm sorry to ask you to help so soon after you've arrived, but... we need you. I know this world is still unfamiliar to you, but we'll do everything we can to make sure you all get back alive."
"We'll help however we can. But could you tell us now? About the enemy you... no, the enemy we'll have to defeat."
Balmung readily nodded at Takako's question. Just then, Merry approached with something long and slender slung over her back, longer than the magic firearm in the holster at her waist. "Boss, I'm ready!"
Merry then carried over what seemed to be Balmung's weapon: a greatsword so crudely made it was little more than a lump of iron. She struggled under its weight as she brought it to him. Balmung lifted it effortlessly, fixed it bare to the fasteners on his back, then turned toward where the Resistance members had gone and started moving, as if telling them to follow.
"Our enemy is... an intelligent species with abilities equal to ours—or, no, far superior to ours."
As they moved, Balmung began explaining things to Takako and the others.
"You mean those Beastfangs and Cannibals you mentioned earlier?"
"That's right. They're far more formidable than monsters. Their intelligence is on par with ours, and their physical abilities are far superior to humans'... They also have powers unique to their kind. And unlike monsters, they act in groups, which is the worst part."
"Are they like the demons in Earthclear...?"
"Demons...? No, they're nothing like them."
At the mention of intelligent lifeforms, Tina briefly furrowed her brow, sensing some similarity to the demons. But Balmung glanced at her and scoffed before denying it.