2
“…Huh. Looks like we’ve caught them with their pants down. They’re not even carrying weapons… Hey, Grimm, would you mind waking up now?”
We sit behind some bushes along the highway a few miles from the enemy’s rendezvous point. Oblivious to the danger, the enemy’s supply convoy rumbles leisurely along the road in front of us. Snow takes a moment to jostle Grimm awake. The archbishop has been napping since our briefing session, sleeping through our entire journey to this site with Rose gently wheeling her along.
“Mm…wh-what? …Waking me up in broad daylight…? What did I ever do to deserve this? Someone should put that sun out of its misery…”
Grimm mutters under her breath, her head lolling to the side as she’s stirred out of her slumber.
“Grimm, it’s time for battle. We need you to pay attention. Seems like it’s mostly small fries, but stay alert.” Snow steps away from Grimm, drawing her favorite sword and making her final preparations.
“If it’s only small fries, you don’t need Archbishop Grimm…mm…”
“Hey! Don’t go back to sleep!”
“Goddamn, you guys are loud! Look, they spotted us!”
The exchange between Snow and Grimm was loud enough for the nearby enemies to hear. They look like the orcs you’d find in Japanese fantasy manga. The creatures, pig-snouted humanoids pulling at carts, begin fussing in response. It’s actually kind of odd if you think about it. Orcs are supposed to be a creature from Earth folklore, after all. Why the hell do they exist on a different planet?
…I really don’t have time to be thinking about this right now…
“Well, it can’t be helped if we’ve been found out! Let’s give ’em hell!!”
Jumping out of the bushes, I let out a loud whoop, drawing my knife and licking its blade as I charge toward the enemy. I also make sure to shout the appropriate battle cry as specified in our combat manuals.
“Mwa-ha-ha! It’s the end of the road for you!”
A shotgun blast rings out beside me—
Alice has joined in the charge.
“Mwa-ha-ha! You resist, you die! If you wanna live, drop everything you’ve got and get lost!”
“Get lost!”
We yell out the standard lines from the manual. Approaching the lead cart, I land a kick squarely on its side. The cart tips over, spilling its contents on the road and blocking in the rest of the convoy. The orcs let out a squeal of panic, scattering as Alice and I continue our assault.
Rose, who had been following a step behind, sighs after dispatching a nearby orc.
“Um, Boss…could we maybe not say those lines? …We’re on a military mission, but it sort of feels like we’re the bad guys…”
…Hey, don’t look at me. That’s the official warning in the Combat Agent manual.
“Oh! Boss! What should we do with the supply crates? There’s a whole lot of them.”
“Take what you need, then burn the rest of it! Let’s show them what happens to those who try to resist Combat Agent Six! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!”
“Got it, Boss!”
As I let out a maniacal laugh, the hair on the back of my neck stands up to warn me of the sudden approach of death.
“Gotcha!”
“Whoa!”
I roll forward, barely avoiding being skewered, and find Snow with her sword arm outstretched in a lunge.
“So, uhh…what the hell was that all about?”
“…Dammit.”
“Did you just curse because you missed?!”
There’s definitely something wrong with this woman. I need to make sure I don’t show my back to her from here on out… Actually, it might make more sense to get rid of her now… I’ll make it look like an accident.
“Wh-what are you looking at? You wanna go? Good, come at me! I’ll show you that grabbing a maiden’s bosom has deadly consequences! Taste my steel!”
…Just as Snow and I get ready to cross blades, a rush of heat surges past my back.
“Drown in a sea of hellfire…! Sleep for all eternity! Crimson Breath!”
Behind us, Rose spews an impressive jet of red-hot flame. I can’t hide my surprise and turn to Alice, remarking in Japanese:
“<…Hey, Alice, seems like that’s one of her Chimera abilities…and she’s an artificial one. They can’t have things like her lying around in droves…can they?>”
“<I wonder if she would make a source of green energy back on Earth… I’d really like to know how that flame throwing works… It’s fascinating at the very least.>”
Several orcs are caught in the flames and begin letting out high-pitched squeals, rolling around on the ground among the charred supply crates. The pleasant aroma of grilled pork begins to waft around the battlefield.
“…Drool.”
Triggered by the smell of roasted pork, Rose begins drooling, the saliva smearing the soot around her mouth… Hey, now!
“Rose! Wipe that drool off your chin! And the soot while you’re at it… Also, remember we’re still fighting. No eating the orcs until we’re done!”
“!”
Rose hurriedly wipes at her mouth with her sleeve. The orcs around her have stopped their panicked flight, picking up whatever weapons are in arm’s reach. They cautiously inch forward, hoping to find a moment to strike.
“Say, Rose… Do you need to recite those words and strike that awesome pose every time you want to breathe fire?”
“M-Miss Alice, please give me a break! I-I’m sure you already know the answer to that… I’m just d-doing what Grandpa said to do…”
Rose’s eyes well up with tears at Alice’s teasing. The orcs, hoping to take the opportunity to attack, attempt to rush Rose…
…Only for the red, flaming slashes of Snow’s sword to cut them short. With practiced ease, Snow moves among the orcs, each swipe of her burning blade splitting an orc clean in half while engulfing them in flame. Like a whirling, bladed firestorm, Snow wades through the orcs, and within moments, the entire band is down.
I hate to admit it, but when she was wielding that blade, she looked every bit the knight she claimed she was.
“<Hey, Six, she might be a run-of-the-mill, flesh-and-blood human, but it looks like she’s pretty capable after all. If all the knights in this world are like that, our invasion might hit a few snags.>”
“<Tillis did mention that Snow’s an elite knight. She rose through the ranks with hard work alone… I sure hope that means she’s not a typical knight.>”
Snow glares at us as she notices we’re standing there whispering to each other.
“Hey, you two better stay focused; we’re not finished yet… Wait, where’s Grimm?”
So far, we’ve seen Rose’s abilities, but I haven’t seen Grimm do much of anything. I’m actually looking forward to seeing her curses in person. So where is she exactly…?
Grimm hasn’t moved from the bushes. She’s curled up in her wheelchair, fast asleep…
““…Seriously?””
“Oh, for the love of— Being nocturnal is no excuse to slack off in the middle of a battle! She needs to shape up a bit. I think it’s time for a little tough love…,” Snow mutters darkly as she stalks over toward Grimm. I turn in the opposite direction, briefly surveying the battlefield.
“Looks like the orcs are either fleeing or roasting. Just let her be; I’ll wheel her home.”
Just as I say this, we’re engulfed by shadows as something blocks out the sun. Reflexively, I glance up at the sky…
“The hell is that?”
Soaring above me is another creature that only exists in mythology, at least on Earth.
A griffin. No longer just an image in a storybook, the enormous and not-so-mythical creature slowly descends toward us…
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