Chapter 159
At that moment, the hooded man seemed to notice something. He leaped away from the Resistance, putting distance between them. Trying to figure out where he was headed and what he intended to do, Balmung turned his gaze in that direction. The instant he saw what lay ahead, all the color drained from his face.
"W-What?! Everyone, retreat! Run for Noa right now!"
Wondering what was going on, everyone followed Balmung's gaze. There, the Beastfangs had somehow escaped the traps the Resistance had set and were standing still, glaring at them with murderous hatred.
"Hurry... Most of us have lost our weapons. Fighting them head-on would be practically suicidal! Run... Run with everything you've got! Keep moving, if you want to live!"
At his shout, the Resistance's rear support team immediately ran from beneath the stone bridge, retracing their steps toward Noa. The others followed after them.
"GRAAAAAAAAH!"
Seeing the Resistance's rear support team try to flee, the Beastfangs let out an angry roar that made everyone want to cover their ears and charged after them. They couldn't let the Beastfangs attack them from behind, so several front-line fighters and Takako's group slowed down as they ran and moved to the rear of the group to hold them off.
"Menou-chan, take Tina-chan somewhere safe! The rest of us will cover everyone as we run!"
Everyone nodded at Takako's instructions, readying their weapons and moving beside Balmung so they could follow his orders. Menou took the initiative, carrying Tina on her back. "Come, Tina-dono! Hold on to me!" Then she hurried after the rear support team, who had already fled ahead.
"Sorry... Thanks for the help! Yuki! Carry Merry and get out of here. Catch up with the others who went ahead!"
"Got it! Everyone... don't die!"
Takako and the others drew up beside Balmung, who was holding the rear with a troubled expression. Perhaps reassured by their presence, he relaxed and smiled, then let Merry and Yuki leave the rear guard and head for safety.
As they ran, everyone looked back at the Beastfangs pursuing them.
"Those guys... They're fast?! What are we supposed to do? They'll catch us for sure at this rate!"
"I know! Front line, deal with anyone who catches up! Anyone who can provide magical support, stay with the rear guard and protect those from Earth!"
The Beastfangs were naturally suited to fighting in complex terrain like a city, but even here, in the open and on a riverbed that made running difficult, they were closing in at a speed rivaling Martial Artists nearing Level 100.
Parna knew that if she just stood there staring, she'd be caught and killed in no time. Even as she ran, she cast lightning magic to protect herself and slow them down, but—
"Wait... That didn't do anything at all!"
The Beastfangs charged toward them without seeming to care, their running pace unchanged.
"It'll take stronger magic to affect them! Even the trap we set using all the mana of ten mages could barely hold them back... We have to attack them without giving them a moment to recover!"
"Easy for you to say! I can't do something that tricky while running!"
"Parna-chan! I'll carry you while I run, so focus on your magic!"
Takako scooped Parna up and slung her over her shoulder. Dangling in a position that made her feel as though she were about to get spanked, Parna blushed slightly, then quickly pulled herself together and began gathering mana in her hands.
The dense mana she concentrated with the intent to kill swirled visibly in her hands. Seeing it, Balmung gazed at her with hopeful anticipation. "That might work...!"
But just as they were about to unleash the spell at the Beastfangs, an utterly bizarre sight unfolded before them.
The hooded man, who should have been on the Beastfangs' side, was chopping down one Beastfang after another as they chased the Resistance, forcing them to the ground.
He wasn't defeating them; he was simply forcing them to the ground with his chops. But his actions looked almost as if he were telling them, 'Don't chase them.'
"Damn it... Ace! What the hell are you trying to do, every time?!"
Balmung muttered the words as he watched.
Hearing him, Parna stopped gathering mana and looked at Balmung from where she was slung over Takako's shoulder. "Did something like this happen before, too?"
"Yeah. It was like he was playing with us. He'd suddenly show up and get in our way, then let us escape without killing us. That bastard's enjoying this. He's looking forward to us coming back to attack him again, because he lets us live...!"
"If no one's dying... isn't that okay?"
"How many of our comrades do you think died while fleeing after losing their weapons...? And we've lost a lot of precious weapons... How could that possibly be okay?!"
Taken at face value, the hooded man's actions were certainly hard to forgive. But Takako felt there was something self-serving about the way Balmung put it, and her expression tightened slightly.
"...You said the Beastfangs hated Ace. Is this why...?"
"You guessed it. It's because of that."
The Beastfangs still regarded the Resistance as a threat, yet the hooded man was chopping them down as easily as if they were helpless infants. Everyone watched him with complicated expressions.
Even if the hooded man really was someone they knew well, they still couldn't understand his intentions, and their expressions grew troubled.
With the hooded man's strength keeping the Beastfangs at a distance, they set out for Noa, the underground facility, alongside the Resistance. The failed operation had badly shaken the Resistance's morale, and they dealt with the monsters that attacked them along the way.
"Kagami-san... What in the world are you doing in this world...?"
As they traveled, Kururu murmured with a troubled expression.
How should they act in this world from now on? With the hooded man in mind, Kururu spoke as if addressing Kagami, who still hadn't shown himself.