The Maze's Nightmare ④

Kirekoku's wind magic strikes Edé Saine directly.

Surprised, though he had not expected a hit—when the dust cloud cleared, the reason Edé Saine did not evade became clear.

Unharmed.

To Edé Saine, Kirekoku's magic was not worth evading.

Yet time had been gained.

Because Kirekoku had cast first, the slow-moving Rocktartle reached the frontline.

Rocktartle’s selling point was high defense.

Using Rocktartle as a shield, the other three launched their attack.

Kirekoku’s wind magic descended from above. Suiten’s water breath detonated.

Féberoot struck immediately after the two attacks landed.

Féberoot, superior in speed and physical attack power, lunged toward Edé Saine.

A spike of earth pierced Féberoot mid-charge.

The massive earth spike erupted from the ground without warning. Féberoot could not react. It was impaled.

Immediately after, Kirekoku, airborne, crashed into the ground.

As if struck by an unseen force.

Impact shattered the surface. The sound was harsh. The body sank deep into the earth.

What was happening.

Kirekoku was crushed by something invisible.

Meanwhile, Suiten continued releasing water breath.

Edé Saine ignored it completely.

Slowly, Edé Saine turned back toward Suiten. Wind magic was cast.

Earth. And wind.

In my stunned vision, Suiten was blown backward by the wind magic—overcome, reversed.

Only Reston remains.

Yet Reston does not move.

Cannot move.

Upon inspection, Reston is found to be afflicted with paralysis—status abnormality, onset unknown.

Moreover, all his stats are rapidly degrading.

HP too.

In a span barely measurable as time, the resilient Reston collapses into remains.

The summoned beast, which had endured countless trials alongside the user, was annihilated without resistance.

And yet, what governs me now is neither sorrow nor rage.

Fear.

It is shameful. Guilt weighs heavy for the summoned beasts that perished.

I think this, yet cannot resist the terror rising from within my core.

I must escape this place.

But as commander of the unit, I cannot flee before my subordinates.

The subordinates had begun their retreat, exploiting the brief window granted by the summon creature sacrificing itself.

Yet, too late.

Reston struck Lord Ronant once, forcibly snapping him back to consciousness, and initiated preparations for mass teleportation, relocating the entire unit.

Even so, time remained before all personnel reached the teleportation zone.

A mere few seconds.

In those few seconds, the nightmare unfolded.

Earth and wind magic scattered chaotically.

Appearing random, each strike eliminated a soldier.

A soldier collapsed abruptly.

The same mysterious attack that had felled Rocktortle.

An attack capable of ending even Rocktortle—high HP—within an instant.

The soldiers could not endure even a single second. One after another, they fell.

Magic flies toward Lord Ronant, who prepares a teleportation spell.

I brace myself for MP depletion, summon another monster, and position it as a substitute for Lord Ronant.

Magic is fired repeatedly.

Each time, I summon a monster.

I drink a healing potion to restore MP.

While drinking, I summon.

MP recovers gradually.

Yet consumption exceeds recovery.

Magic comes. Summon. Magic comes. Summon.

Repeating this, my available summons are eventually exhausted.

The magic does not cease.

On the contrary, the number of incoming spells increases noticeably beyond the initial rate.

I look around to determine the cause. Only I and Lord Ronant remain alive in this space.

"Lord Ronant."

"Unavoidable. We shall return, even if only the two of us."

Lord Ronant was activating the teleportation spell when Edé Saine closed in, mere steps away.

"Lord Ronant!"

"Kk!?"

A dark lance erupted.

The force behind it—so immense it rendered the earlier earth and wind magic trivial—was terrifying in its density.

It targeted Lord Ronant.

Lord Ronant was fully focused on spell construction. Evading was impossible.

I had already exhausted all summoned beasts. No shield remained.

Instinct.

I used my body to intercept the dark lance.

My body exploded.

The lance pierced through me, striking Lord Ronant from behind.

His right arm and part of his flank were torn away.

The trajectory had shifted slightly—just enough—due to my intervention.

Lord Ronant grimaced in pain, then activated the teleportation.

The field of view distorts.

I instinctively close my eyes. When I open them, the place is no longer the labyrinth I was just in.

"Wha—?"

The person before me freezes, stunned.

"Someone—something that can restore..."

Lord Ronant grimaces in pain, speaking to whoever is present.

This is the imperial magic research facility.

Immediately, the surroundings become chaotic.

"Endure a little longer."

Lord Ronant casts a healing spell upon me.

"Nearly half your upper body was blown away. You're lucky to still be alive."

"Guh—"

I try to speak, but blood spills from my mouth.

"You owe me a beating. I won't let you die before I collect."

My body gradually regenerates.

HP exits the critical zone.

A healing magic user arrived and began treating Lord Ronant, who had neglected his own wounds to tend to me.

A breath of relief. Limbs go slack.

Heavy casualties incurred. We survived.