Whether Roman was bewildered or not, Jaxen listened with one ear and let out the other to Rem's nonsense and Shinar's assertions, opening his senses. His five senses became entangled. It was like entering a Demonic Realm.
'Then let's say this place also became a Demonic Realm.'
Just a bit of entanglement wouldn't dull the blade that was his senses.
'Where could the captain be?'
There was an answer to the question.
'Balrog, Demonic Realm.'
Jaxen sharpened his sensory blade to find the most dangerous place. Jaxen knew the human called Enkrid. He was the kind of person who would step forward into the most perilous places on his own.
Jaxen's gaze turned toward a passage full of darkness like the gaping maw of a giant monster. Though there were no stalactites or anything, the surroundings had transformed into something like a large clearing inside a cave.
'This is the center of the passages.'
With this as the center, there were multiple tunnels heading in all directions.
Jaxen's senses had found the most ominous and sinister place among them. It was a conclusion reached as the Will mixed with his senses churned and burned. Just sensing and grasping consumed Will.
It was proof that fighting or doing anything inside here wouldn't be easy.
But was that a reason to retreat? Not at all.
Even though Jaxen hadn't particularly shown any sign, someone suddenly interjected from the side.
"Hey. You found it, right?"
Just as Jaxen knew the captain, Rem knew the wildcat's specialty. If it was this bastard, he would know the way. He would find it somehow. He felt a bit wistful for Dunbachel. If it was Dunbachel transformed into beastman form, wouldn't she be able to find it by scent even with all the shamanism in the world?
Well, the wildcat could fill that vacant spot instead of the beastman.
Jaxen thought very briefly.
His current bodily condition wasn't perfect, and this barbarian's sling was still quite useful. What he'd just seen was rather impressive, wasn't it?
"I don't quite like those eyes."
At the perceptive barbarian's words, Jaxen indifferently turned his gaze to one side. While the two were talking, Lawford glanced behind and asked.
"Are we all pulling out?"
Luagarne answered that question.
"We can't do that. We have to block those things too."
The Frog gave the most rational answer in the current situation. What would happen if they left the rushing horde alone?
The residents remaining in the Demonic Realm behind would be massacred. Securing a retreat route and not leaving the rear exposed was a basic of combat.
Luagarne was a Frog who knew that rushing in en masse wasn't the best option.
"Lawford, Pel, and Teresa will remain. I'll stay too."
Her voice was clear. There wasn't the slightest meaning of dying together. In conclusion, it meant Rem, Audin, Jaxen, and Shinar would move, but Roman wanted to clean his ears halfway through listening. Or rather, it would be more accurate to say he wanted to ask if this was right.
'You're splitting the forces after seeing that?'
Hwaryeok.
Thanks to torches standing here and there in places whose form had changed—whether caves or whatever—there was no shortage of light. The torches dripping down the walls illuminated the surroundings well.
Even in that torchlight, masters of black mist could be seen approaching, their entire bodies wrapped in deep darkness.
"Hey, everything until now was just a warm-up."
It was a thick voice different in quality from a human's, one that made the air vibrate with a vvvng even without shouting loudly.
Even among those who'd lost their reason, there were a few with conspicuous presence. Just by looking, you could tell. They were burdensome opponents to face.
A giant with a build two heads taller than Audin, arms thicker than the average adult male's thighs. Originally a race called Demon Beasts—giants that possessed red blood.
His hair was slicked with so much grease he might not have washed for days or months, and the teeth briefly revealed while speaking were pitch black.
"Go ahead."
Teresa said. It was treatment that lightly ignored even the reverberating voice remaining as an echo.
The giant walking while thud thud shaking the ground changed to a fierce expression. His eyebrow ends rose and his chewed jaw muscles protruded as he clenched his molars. It was a distance where expressions were visible. In other words, it had become a distance suitable for rushing in and striking.
Behind him, things lined up like some army were armed with swords, spears, maces, axes, and the like. The giant's appearance was just like a general leading an army.
"No, right now..."
It was while Roman was just opening his mouth to stop them.
"Mm, slept well."
The lazy bastard who'd been enjoying his rest with eyes tightly shut even amid this commotion opened his eyes.
As he casually even stretched, seeing that, Rem involuntarily muttered while infusing shamanism into his words.
"That crazy bastard, should've just let him die."
Even without emphasis, anyone could tell it was sincere. It was even words containing a curse.
"Where's the captain?"
And what he said while getting up was this.
"Ah, seems we couldn't find the way, so I'll lead."
And what he said after roughly grasping the situation was this.
"Just follow obediently. Brother."
Audin stepped forward, unable to watch any longer. Rem completely closed his mouth. Before saying anything here, his axe would move first.
"This way."
Jaxen moved with an indifferent attitude as if he didn't care about anything, and Shinar followed behind him.
"You-lot-of-fools!"
The ignored giant shouted.
"It's annoyingly loud."
Hearing that, Lawford and Pel cleaned their ears. A nonchalant attitude—no sense of crisis could be seen from them.
"Just how."
Roman muttered. It was difficult to adapt to the current situation.
It went beyond the range where he could nod his head thinking he understood why these people were called madmen now that he saw them up close. It felt like being in the middle of chaos.
They might die. Yet how could they show such an attitude?
Though not particularly for his sake, Pel answered that.
"Keep your eyes wide open and follow along, shy Lawford. I'm going to survive today too and climb higher."
Lawford then took those words.
"Who's shy? Simple Pel, you just follow along well. I was originally at the vanguard."
Half-giant Teresa passed between the two and said.
"Little brothers, save your strength for talking too."
Seeing that, Luagarne puffed her cheeks and laughed.
"Haha. This Frog will also surpass my limits today!"
A flame whip and one Loop Sword, irregularity and tactical movement.
Even if all that was taken as weapons, there was little Luagarne could do against a real knight. However, she too wanted to go further. She wasn't lacking in desire, was overflowing with experience, and the opportunity had just arisen.
"If I can't surpass them, I'll die."
Hearing her speak again, Roman also realized.
"You could die. You know it's too reckless, right?"
Words he'd heard from a comrade before leaving the city Oara.
Right, all of this had started to move forward, to climb higher. That had been his mindset just before being attacked by the parasite. As that resolution he'd briefly forgotten filled his entire body again, Will moved on its own.
Roman instinctively knew that even if he got through this moment, even if he survived here, he couldn't suddenly become a knight.
'But is that important?'
What mattered was just not losing that will to advance immediately.
The reason these people including Rem left? They all knew Enkrid would be in danger.
Their captain would be in a more dangerous and perilous place than here. That's why they moved. Though it wasn't like they'd leave this spot without lifting a finger.
"Let's take a slight detour. Brother."
Audin's words. If they left like this, it would be too harsh on those remaining behind.
Jaxen nodded without even looking back. The group was adjusting their course slightly toward the wraith horde as is.
"Aaah!"
The leading giant attacked, but that giant fell as his head was shattered by the edge of Teresa's shield.
Whirling her body, she swung the shield as a blunt weapon. Movement and strikes too light for her build. Teresa also intended to show everything she'd hidden. Thus the fight began again. Of course, this would be repeated countless times.
Within today that Enkrid was repeating, that is.
[ * * * ]
Within that repeated today, Enkrid was in the middle of going over Donapa's name once after facing the Dullahan.
"Dorapa?"
"...How do you know my name? No, it's not Dorapa, it's Donapa!"
An opponent who didn't know how to control his emotions. Even in that state, he was skilled enough to make Enkrid dizzy with dangerously deadly strikes.
Of course, before he could properly start the motion of putting strength into it, Enkrid spoke to induce carelessness, approached as is, combined Flash and a thrust to stab his head, then continued Flash consecutively to turn it into lightning and dismembered his body into four pieces.
After Dawnforge, he'd left his head mounted like a decoration. Shaking his sword over the one divided into pieces, Donapa with only his head remaining shrieked.
"My name is Donapa! Do! Na! Pa!"
He left those words and blurred into black mist, disappearing leaving only sand-like grains behind.
'Was it a bit fast?'
The first opponent had died before even drawing two short swords, and this bastard who'd become a Dullahan called Dorapa or Donapa or whatever also died in one breath.
Thanks to having leisure, the third opponent with the single-edged sword who'd appeared right away didn't show up.
Even if she didn't come, Enkrid could just go meet her directly, so he strode forward with big steps. Since he knew what would happen and the future inside here, there was no hesitation in his steps.
Passing through passages draped in darkness and advancing, he met the opponent he would encounter like a milestone.
"What are you?"
The opponent he met that way was flustered, and since Enkrid had no need to ask and answer, he immediately drove the opponent into defense.
Starting with attacks forced the opponent who displayed her specialty when starting with offense to defend, making the fight easier than the first day.
He tripped her to break balance with an irregular move, stole and used the opponent's specialty, and split her head as is. The opponent showed the talent of speaking even with her severed head and mouth.
"You, again."
What she wanted to say was outside Enkrid's interest. Advancing as is, he saw a campfire and the past connection who'd leaned her sword diagonally. The knight whose name became the city's looked at Enkrid.
The Ferryman had intervened, but this place was somewhere the demon's authority was cast. Perhaps she repeated today together?
Oara denied the thought that suddenly arose.
"Ah, you came."
Her eyes were no different from the previous today. Eyes that were a bit surprised but had somewhat expected it.
"Shall we talk a bit?"
Today was repeated. There was only one prisoner in this place.
At the end of the short conversation, the Red Moon rose, and the Balrog opened his eyes from Oara's shadow and body.
—The one who called me must be you, right?
The lines were slightly different, but you could tell from the Balrog's reaction. The demon before his eyes also didn't know. The Ferryman's intervention was something no one knew.
"Yeah, it's me."
Enkrid forgot about unsolvable questions and drew Dawnforge, throwing the scabbard backward. No, he even loosened Penna and threw it backward.
Gripping the sword and concentrating, Will gathered to form the blade.
Pararararak.
Perhaps feeling his will, the cloak received from the fairy fluttered in the wind, then narrowed in width and transformed like a thin scarf. Following that, the cord also thinned and stopped after wrapping around his neck once.
Enkrid's eyes sank.
The Balrog's intimidation began. Chains constricting his entire body. An intangible force bestowed suppressive power.
'Faster.'
When he rejected it by infusing will into his Will of Rejection and struck it away, the two horns rising on the Balrog's forehead moved up and down.
The creature nodded. It was a sign of approval. This time too, he waited until the intimidation was endured. This was probably one of his forms of play.
It would be one test that only those who endure intimidation could cross swords with him.
He didn't gouge at the opening made by intimidation. The confidence the Balrog showed would normally have tactical value in breaking the opponent's will. Not attacking even when such an opening was created meant he was confident he could win no matter what.
It was an act that caused impurities to mix into Will. It was right after overcoming intimidation through rejection. Enkrid still gripped with both hands. In an instant, Dawnforge fell while cutting the red moonlight.
No prelude and no breath.
It was the best move Enkrid could show as a preemptive strike right now.
The moment it whoosh cut through air, Enkrid perceived that surrounding time had slowed and felt pressure bearing down on his body like entering a mudflat.
The pupils that formed sparks inside the Balrog's eyes whirl whirl spun fiercely then thud stopped. Those flames looked at him and asked.
Is that your best?
In this today, before hearing the name, the black flame sword Surt had somehow risen to strike the sky-blue Dawnforge.
Claang!
It was the start of the second battle. There weren't many differences from before. There hadn't been time to engrave what he'd learned from one battle into his body.
But was that a problem?
Because he'd never spent any today in vain, there was now. He'd come this far that way. Therefore, he would just do the same now.
Enkrid fought and struggled with all his might and lost.
Puk!
The flame whip and fire serpent named Salamandra coiled around his left arm and pierced his heart.
It was an opening he'd given while blocking Surt and even the Balrog's horns.
Pain, agony, to forget that he turned his head while reviewing and reviewing again. He thought he'd endured with eyes open, but before long darkness came and in the process of replaying the fight, the Ferryman's gaze turned toward Enkrid.