Battlefield Three: The Mountain

The adventurers arranged the captured royal soldiers in a line.

All of the royal soldiers remained silent and motionless.

"We can't take these prisoners with us. Leave them here and retrieve them again once we reach the outpost."

Aron declared to everyone.

It's unfortunate, but with limited supplies, we can't afford to carry enemy soldiers.

Fortunately, the outpost is just a day's journey away.

Just a little patience.

The royal soldiers, who had been listening, grimaced as if they'd swallowed something bitter.

"Can't end our prayers here..."

"Hmm? Did you say something?"

Aaron quickly reacted with sharp awareness.

"Here, of all places... our prayers cannot end like this!"

Suddenly, a thick pillar of flame engulfed the royal soldier.

At the same time, the ropes restraining him burned through. The other royal soldiers lined up beside him were also swallowed by the flames. That one... he betrayed his comrades...

The royal soldiers continued to burn without stopping.

"You! If you do that, you'll burn yourself to ashes."

"No need for mercy toward the enemy. Die! Die! Die!"

Saying this, the burning royal soldiers pulled out an odd-shaped gemstone from their robes.

What's this!? That massive gemstone!

The gemstone was enormous—larger than anything they'd ever seen—and completely unshaped, as if it had just been pulled straight from a mine.

But that wasn't all that was astonishing.

Flames were spiraling out from the enormous magical stone.

I instinctively cast a wind spell, pushing against the flames.

Despite having recently gained the ability to manipulate vast amounts of air, I was being overwhelmed by an equal volume of flames.

"Taro! What are you doing? Push back!"

"Force is balanced. Alex, distract him—focus for a moment."

"Understood."

As he spoke, he dashed toward the enemy.

Closing in on the royal soldiers who were about to use their magic stones.

Noticing Alex, the royal soldiers redirected part of the fire they had been aiming at me toward Alex.

Alex, who hadn’t intended to attack in the first place, focused solely on dodging, easily sidestepping the flames.

Thanks to the brief moment when the fire aimed at me weakened, I gained just enough breathing room.

By focusing on a special pattern formed from the magic essence flowing through the tool and the hand holding it, I manage to absorb the surrounding magic essence.

Eventually, the geometric patterns around the magical artifact vanish, and a stronger wind begins to form.

The wind twists into a tornado, pushing back and then consuming the flames.

Eventually, the rebounding flames fall upon the kingdom soldier holding the magic stone.

When the storm calmed and the dust settled, the person holding the magic stone lay burned before them.

I did it.

I really did it. I... killed someone.

Surprisingly, it happened in an instant.

At that thought, I felt I had crossed a line I should never have crossed, sending a chill through my entire body.

Seeing me trembling as I stared at the burned figure, Alek spoke.

"Taro, is this your first time killing a person?"

"…First time…"

"Is that so. I won't tell you to get used to it, but accept it. And now, you're a formally contracted mercenary under the Empress's orders. It's not illegal if enemy soldiers die in combat."

Alek, unusually, offered words of comfort.

I heard him, but the words didn't sink in.

Somewhere deep inside, I felt uneasy.

"Taro, come here for a second!"

Responding to Clara's call, I walked toward her, my mind in turmoil.

What she held was an impossibly large magic stone, one that enemy soldiers had carried.

Though curious, I wasn't in the mood to examine it closely at that moment.

But then, I was struck by a shock so powerful it erased all other thoughts.

The stone looked like a normal magic stone at first glance.

Yet within it, something utterly out of place lay hidden.

A human arm. This... is the Magic Stone Disease!?

Why did it emit flames!? Magic stones caused by the Magic Stone Disease should have no effect whatsoever.

Why is the arm so large it's buried within the stone!? A magic stone from the Magic Stone Disease should have killed its host before it could grow that large.

And why is someone even carrying something like this around?

A wellspring of boundless terror gushed forth uncontrollably.

"So this one had it too. That's the mysterious gemstone threatening our empire. Disgusting."

Aaron spoke, spitting out the words.

Is this really what we've been chasing? What exactly is the kingdom planning?

Accepting the gemstone from Clara.

The gemstone completely covers a human arm, snapped off at the shoulder. Honestly, it's hard to look at.

But I have to see it.

If it's true that this is what's prolonging the war...

The group decided to set up camp right there after finishing the aftermath of the battle.