Episode 70: A Critical Situation
“There are far more of them than I expected… why…?”
Outside the cave, a huge number of monsters had gathered.
A black dragon could call monsters to it, yes, but this was well beyond anything they’d anticipated.
“For now, the low-level ones, all at once…”
Running toward the city, she swept away the small fry with a light rain of light-attribute magic.
Even so, a fair number of monsters were still standing.
Rather than deal with them one by one, she should head for the city first. If even a single mid-level monster got in, it would be a disaster.
“F-Fiine, that, l-look up there…!!”
“Up?!”
Still running, she followed Yuria’s voice and looked to the sky.
The moment she did, she stopped dead in her tracks, startled.
“A black dragon…!?”
A black dragon was flying overhead. It wasn’t the one from the cave.
A different individual was flying straight for the city.
(It called another black dragon, even… so that’s why so many other monsters came too…)
Normally, black dragons rarely attacked humans, and they shouldn’t ever have gone to a city or village of their own accord.
So why was a black dragon heading for the city?
(I don’t know. I don’t know, but I have to hurry, whatever the reason…!!)
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Fiine, running at full speed on wind magic, reached the city at almost exactly the same moment as the black dragon.
The dragon breathed out dark flame and destroyed part of the wall encircling the city.
The instant the wall collapsed, people’s screams rang out into the sky.
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
“Monster, a monster‼”
“A dragon…!?”
In an instant, the city fell into chaos.
The black dragon extended its claw, reaching for a woman nearby.
Fiine threw herself between them and caught the claw on her staff.
“Yuria! Guide everyone in the city to one place! I’ll put up a huge barrier‼”
“Understood, is what I’d like to say, but…!!”
She swept the claw aside and glanced for a moment into the city.
People were fleeing in all directions, shrieking, in no state to hear anyone calling out evacuation instructions.
On top of that, monsters other than the black dragon were closing in on the city too.
Facing the black dragon and the other monsters at the same time, and protecting the people of the city on top of that, was impossible.
(…Then)
Only one solution remained.
Control everyone in the city, and gather them in one place. Then put up the barrier.
“Yuria. I’m going to gather everyone in one place now, so please set these up around them.”
She handed Yuria the barrier implements she’d prepared just in case.
With these, a barrier could be cast over a distant area.
“Gather everyone, you mean… could it be…!?”
“Yeah. This is the only way.”
“B-but, there are way too many people‼”
“I know. But there’s nothing else for it. …Yuria, please. We’re out of time.”
“…Understood.”
The moment Yuria started running, she hurled her strongest fire-attribute magic at the black dragon.
She knew the scales would keep it from taking any damage, but it would buy a few seconds, and that was enough.
(I’ve never controlled this many people before, but… it only needs to be simple control, so I should be able to do it…!!)
She drew a magic circle. The instant the spell activated, she felt an enormous amount of magic pour out of her body.
She needed to control every resident of Mond.
She didn’t know the exact number, but there had to be fifty thousand at least. No delicate control was needed.
They only had to be gathered in one place.
But after that, she would also have to cast a barrier to protect them all.
She was anxious. But there was nothing for it but to do it.
If Fiine failed, a great many people would lose their lives.
Each time the black dragon moved, she hit it with flame.
She had to buy time somehow, until the people’s evacuation was complete.
After dozens of fire spells, the people were finally in place. Next, the barrier.
It was infuriating, the way the unharmed black dragon let out its triumphant cry.
The moment she completed the barrier spell, Fiine couldn’t help dropping to the ground, one hand braced against it.
In that instant, the black dragon’s claw came bearing down on her, right before her eyes.
(This is bad…!)