The jet-black arrow streaked toward the swarm, its mana erupting and diffusing as it reached the space above them. A gravity field surged at its center, pulling the scattered mana into a massive sphere that swallowed everything nearby. Anything caught within was obliterated by a crushing torrent of mana and gravitational force.
As the black sphere finally dissipated, the swarm it had engulfed was gone—literally annihilated.
"What an attack..."
"Incredible...!"
Loretta and Lucy stared in a daze, the words escaping them as they witnessed the total destruction I had unleashed with Reiten.
(Maybe I should have aimed the origin point higher,) I thought.
Reiten was the most powerful attack in my arsenal, and its impact on the environment was catastrophic. By positioning the blast in the sky, I’d avoided gouging out the earth as I had back in the Regrif Territory, but even so, the surrounding trees had been swallowed whole. I had sacrificed a portion of nature for the sake of tactical certainty. If Lucy intended to scold me for the damage, I would have accepted it, but she seemed far from angry.
"...【Zero Form: Mont Null】."
The magic bow in my right hand dissolved into a fluid, formless mass of mana. I manipulated the strand, lengthening it until it resembled a scarf, then wrapped it around my neck.
The first wave was gone, but the battle wasn't over. We would make contact with the second wave any moment now. I had completely exhausted my stock of converged mana to fuel 【Alteration】 and Reiten. Since preparing more would take time, I couldn't afford to deactivate 【Alteration】 yet. However, I figured Lucy would be uneasy if I kept a weapon drawn, so I settled on this makeshift form.
Well, it is winter. It doesn't look too out of place, I hope.
"The immediate threat is gone," I said. "Lucy, I’m sure you already know this given your sensing abilities, but the second wave is approaching. Don't let your guard down."
Lucy snapped out of her trance at the sound of my voice. "Right! I understand. Um... forgive me for asking, but could you use that same attack against the second wave?"
I figured that question was coming. "I’m sorry. That attack requires a significant amount of preparation. I can’t use it in rapid succession."
It wasn't a total lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Converged mana was a special type of mana generated through my unique ability. If pushed, I could produce more instantly, but it carried a heavy risk I preferred to avoid. By taking the time to prepare it properly—especially with the help of the storage tool Grandpa had modified—I could manage it safely.
Besides, since there was a high probability the Cult was behind this stampede, I wanted to keep something in reserve until I knew the full extent of their plan. More importantly, Jade Gale would be ready to act before the second wave even arrived. I planned to let them take the lead.
"I-I see. Honestly, that's a relief," Lucy replied, her fear visibly receding. Given her status, her relief was understandable.
"Loretta, I’d like Jade Gale to take point against the second wave. How does that sound?" I asked. "The analysis from Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky suggests your party struggles with large hordes. Is that still accurate?"
Loretta gave a wry smile. "You’re well-informed. It’s true; we aren't built for fighting large numbers. However, that’s only if we’re fighting as explorers. My companions are currently equipped with magic weapons. They should be more than capable of handling magic beasts of this level."
I see. So that was their trump card. Her obsession with the title of "Hero" might have been born from her awareness of Warren’s strength as well.
"Understood. I’ll leave the second wave to you, then. Jade Gale should fight as they normally do. I’ll act as a mobile unit and support wherever needed."
"Are you sure?" Loretta asked.
"Yes. We don't have time to practice coordination, but I’m fairly confident in my ability to read a battlefield and match my allies' movements."
I had spent years adjusting my pace to my teammates in Golden Dawn. Thanks to that experience, I had been able to sync up almost immediately with the First Unit of Silver Rabbit and even the Hero Felix.
It brought back something Aida had said. Nothing in life is a waste.
"Understood. In that case, Orun—"
Before Loretta could finish, a carriage and three riders approached from behind at breakneck speed.
"Princess Lucila! Are you unharmed?!"
The woman leading the charge was Mariah, Jade Gale’s defender. Her voice was laced with panic.
"I am fine, Mariah," Lucy replied. "I appreciate your concern, but I believe I asked you to call me 'Lucy' while we are in public. We don't know who might be listening. Please be more careful."
"M-my deepest apologies, Lucy!"
It was settled. Lucy's true identity was indeed Lucila N. Edelweiss, the First Princess of the Nohitant Kingdom.
"Orun, I assume you’ve figured it out," Lucy said, turning to me. "Can I trust you to keep treating me as you have been?"
"Of course. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just Lucy, an acquaintance of Loretta and Jade Gale."
"Thank you. That helps."
(Now that it’s confirmed she’s the princess, her safety is the absolute priority,) I mused. (If possible, I’d like to get her away from here, but...)
I glanced at the carriage being driven by another member of Jade Gale. I could see several hemp sacks inside, likely stuffed with magic stones. Given Loretta's earlier comments, Jade Gale had clearly been monitoring the frequent stampedes in the region. They must have kept a carriage full of magic stones trailing behind the princess as a decoy, hoping to lure any stray monsters away from her.
But the plan had failed. The swarm had come straight for her regardless. If I tried to spirit Lucy away now, there was a high chance the monsters would simply change course and follow us.
The risk was too high. The safest option was for me and the entirety of Jade Gale to stand our ground and destroy the swarm here. It seemed the others had reached the same conclusion; neither Loretta nor her teammates made any move to send Lucy away.
"Lucy, I know it's frightening, but please stay right here," Loretta said, her voice firm as she looked at her teammates. "You have Jade Gale and Orun. We will protect you."
"I know. I trust you all," Lucy said. Then she looked at me. "Orun, I’m sorry for involving you in this."
"Don't worry about it. Like I said before, I have my own reasons for wanting to stop these things."
As we spoke, the second wave finally came into view. It was a massive horde, far larger than the first. I’d only witnessed one other stampede in person, but even based on the reports I’d read, this number was abnormal.
"There is no third wave behind them! We can focus everything on the enemies in front of us!" Lucy shouted.
Her sensing abilities were evidently quite specialized. My own detection net showed nothing else in the immediate area, so I decided to take her at her word.
"Here they come! Move out!"
At Loretta’s command, the four members of Jade Gale—excluding Loretta herself—unleashed wide-area annihilation magic using their magic weapons.
Vast numbers of magic beasts were instantly vaporized into magic stones. A few stragglers managed to dodge the initial bombardment, but they didn't falter, charging straight for us.
Cleaning up the survivors was a job for Loretta and me.
"—【Second Form: Mont Zwei】. 【Restoration: Triple】."
The jet-black mana around my neck snapped into the shape of twin magic swords. I surged my internal ki and rewrote the spell formulas etched into my body, instantly boosting my physical capabilities.
As the magic beasts entered my range, I moved. Jet-black arcs of light sliced through their vitals, turning them into black mist. Only magic stones were left to clatter onto the grass.
(I’d heard the stories, but seeing Loretta fight in person is something else entirely,) I thought, watching her out of the corner of my eye as I cut down a beast.
Like me, she was a dual-wielder. But while my twin swords were roughly half the length of a standard longsword, she held a massive greatsword in her right hand and a longsword in her left—a combination that defied common sense.
Despite the weight, she moved with a fluid, terrifying grace, cleaving through the monsters as if her blades were made of air. Loretta was tall for a woman, and her buffs certainly helped her strength, but even then, that style should have been impossible to maintain. The secret lay in the fact that she was not just a swordsman, but a singular mage.
Her singular magic was 【Weight Up】 and 【Weight Down】.
By constantly shifting the weight of her blades to the perfect balance for every swing, she achieved a combat style that was uniquely her own.
With the four members of Jade Gale raining down destruction and Loretta and me intercepting every straggler, the horde was thinned with surgical precision. Not a single beast managed to get near Lucy.