Chapter 20: The Lost Soldier
After Ruri returned to the castle, she asked the main people involved in the case to assemble in Arman’s office in order to give her report and Rin’s account. Ruri had difficulties pulling Heat off of his amassed harem, so Kotaro did the talking for her and they managed to bring him along.
Arman was the first to speak.
“So, what did you find?”
His tone was severe, indicating he wanted to clear this matter up as soon as possible. Considering that some mysterious, unforsaken creatures—zombies—were being created in his kingdom, it was only natural he would feel that way.
“We found their hideout. Two guards were at the entrance, and zombies wandered the perimeter. There was also a barrier posted around the cave in order to ward off intruders.”
“Did it look breakable?”
“Well, um...”
Ruri didn’t personally know whether that barrier was breakable. Seeing that Rin went right inside like business as usual, it meant Rin’s mana was strong enough to penetrate it. Then again, that too was only natural; she was a supreme-level spirit, after all.
Ruri looked over to Kotaro, asking for an answer. He simply nodded in confirmation.
“Apparently, it is,” said Ruri.
“All right, then. If we conduct a raid, it’s best to do it under the cover of night so we aren’t spotted. Let’s do this as quickly as possible. Although, I do wish we knew how many of them we’re dealing with... The layout of the cave too, while I’m at it.”
“Oh, well, Rin was able to sneak a peek inside. It’s not much, but it’s something. However, there’s a problem that needs to be addressed.”
“What might that be?”
Rin fluttered up to the center of the group to give her report. “There was a dragonkin soldier inside the cave.”
“A dragonkin soldier?! Are you positive about that?!”
“Quite positive. They were in dragonkin soldier’s garb. Their aura was also unmistakable.”
Although dragonkin soldiers served under the banner of the Nation of the Dragon King, they wore different attire to set them apart. One look at their clothes was all it took to identify them as a dragonkin soldier as opposed to a normal one.
“Given what Rin said, there’s a chance that...” Ruri paused. “You know what I’m getting at, right, Joshua?”
“Yeah. That might be our man who went missing in the Nation of the Dragon King.”
Amidst the panic incited by the Church of God’s Light and the fake Reapers, a single dragonkin soldier went missing. If there really was a dragonkin in their hideout, then it stood to reason that they were the lost soldier.
“How was he in there? What was he doing, exactly?” Joshua asked with a rather stern expression. His serious change in demeanor was because the soldier was suspected of being a traitor due to his all too convenient disappearance.
However, Rin’s answer kicked those doubts straight to the curb.
“I’m not sure if he was sick or sedated with some sort of drug, but his face was pale and he was knocked out. His hands and legs were shackled together and it seemed like he was their prisoner.”
“Wow, seriously...?” The soldier in question was said to have been sick from poisoning at the time. However, kidnapping a dragonkin was difficult even if they were ill. Given that, he was suspected of having secret ties to the Church of God’s Light, but Rin’s description seemed to prove he was indeed kidnapped.
“Seems they sucked out his blood.”
“His blood?” Joshua asked.
“I overheard the people inside talking about how they needed dragon’s blood to resurrect the dead.”
“Resurrecting with dragon’s blood?” muttered Arman. “Hold on. They’re really just animating the dead, which isn’t the same, but is that possible?”
Ruri and even Ewan looked to Joshua, hoping for answers. Ewan hadn’t been indoctrinated into the specifics behind dragon’s blood yet, so he was also in the dark.
“I’ve never heard of anything like that. Dragon’s blood can stimulate cells to heal wounds, but animating a corpse? I doubt it... Even if that were possible, how would the Church of God’s Light know that? Dragon’s blood isn’t just something you can pick up off the street.”
Also, the tales of the dead rising had been springing up for a few years now. This soldier went missing just recently. If they claimed they were bringing back the dead with dragon’s blood, then it couldn’t have been happening over the past few years. It would mean that their group had been using dragon’s blood for that long.
“So you don’t know, huh? At any rate, I’d like you to report this to the Nation of the Dragon King, Joshua. I’m certain Jade is also searching for this lost soldier. As for how they’re bringing back the dead, we can get that information straight from the source once we arrest them.”
Arman gave the orders to those around him for a raid on the hideout, but that was when Joshua raised his hand.
“The dragonkin would like to participate in the raid as well. They’ve captured one of our own. We want to save him personally. Plus, they’ve employed Spirit Slayer. You might not be able to use magic in the area because of it. A dragonkin’s strength would be necessary in that case.”
None of them knew what the forces of the Church of God’s Light were capable of in battle. There was also the Spirit Slayer to consider. It was unknown what they were using the power they sucked out of the mountain for. And if magic was unavailable, it was best to have a surplus of capable fighters at the ready instead.
Arman nodded. “That’s fine so long as you all follow my orders. You’d better consult Jade as well, just in case.”
“Will do.”
The group talked about their upcoming operation while Rin continued to give details about the interior of the cave. Once their meeting was wrapping up, Ruri spiritedly raised her hand.
“Excuse me! I’d like to help as well!”
“You are to wait here!”
“Aww...”
Not willing to send a Beloved out into danger, Arman swiftly shut her down.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
It was the night of the operation. A tepid breeze blew through the trees of the forest. Everything was engulfed in darkness, the moon’s light nowhere to be seen. The dusky forest only made things more ominous, and the thought of those zombies lurking nearby caused shivers to run down everyone’s spines.
The soldiers shuddered at the occasional strange groan from around them, but it was hard to call any of them cowards—downright impossible, actually. Still, they scrupulously checked for injuries so that none of them would attract any zombies by blood.
As they silently traversed the forest, taking care not to get nicked by a random branch, they encircled the cave that Ruri and her spirits found. Bonfires sat at both sides of the entrance, fluttering in the night winds.
Hiding in the darkness, Rin tossed a small bag into the flames. Under the veil of night, the clione’s actions went undetected.
Inside the now burning bag was a potent sleeping powder. The powder burned and turned to ash, spreading its way over to the guards standing watch, lulling them into a deep slumber.
Kotaro then proceeded to break the barrier posted over the cave. With that obstacle gone, the group tied up the unconscious guards and placed them out of the way. Then, on a soldier’s signal, everyone stormed the cave.
Chi gleefully strolled inside the cave with the raiding soldiers, so Ruri asked Rin to keep an eye on him so he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary.
Ruri watched the raid unfold from the top of a tree. She was actually told to stay behind at the castle with Celestine, but Chi whined about wanting to go, so she was there to keep him in check. After all, no one was willing to talk back to a supreme-level spirit—no one aside from Ruri. Even Arman found himself stepping back when they were present. Ruri was the only one who could act as an intermediary when they made unreasonable requests.
Ruri had been given strict orders not to enter the cave until things were completely wrapped up, so she patiently waited. Ewan waited with her, acting as her bodyguard instead of joining the raid. He was pretty dissatisfied with his role, but since Ruri would’ve needed a bodyguard even if she had stayed back at the castle, he likely wasn’t going to be part of the raid either way.
There was one other who was none too happy as well—Heat. He had been ripped from his new harem and forced to come along. He leaned against the tree and peered at the cave in dissatisfaction.
“Why did I have to come as well, pray tell?” Heat asked.
“Well, there was no other choice,” Ruri explained. “Neither water nor wind affects those zombies. Burning them with fire is the only way to beat them. The other fire spirits can’t enter the mountain because of the Spirit Slayer, so we need you, Heat-sama, and your supreme-level powers.”
“I swear, for a mere mortal, you sure have some nerve bossing me around.”
“You say that, but weren’t you the one who happily agreed once Celestine-san asked you?”
At first, Heat firmly rejected all of Arman and Ruri’s requests, refusing to budge. But once Celestine nicely pleaded with him, he made a complete about-face and eagerly accepted.
“I couldn’t refuse the pleas of a beautiful woman.”
“By that, you’re implying that I’m not beautiful, aren’t you?”
“Hmph, that goes without saying, brat.”
(I am going to sock him so hard one day. Just you watch,) Ruri swore from the bottom of her heart.
“Nevertheless, time is wasting here. The beautiful, waiting arms of the queens are calling, so I must get back posthaste.”
“Heat-sama, just to fill you in, those ladies you’re pining after are the Beast King’s wives,” Ruri admonished. He was speaking as though they were his wives.
“Such trivial matters mean nothing to me. Wind, come here for a moment.”
Kotaro walked up to Heat, and Heat proceeded to nimbly straddle his back. Then he pulled Ruri’s hand and set her atop Kotaro as well.
“Whoa! What are you doing?”
“We’re going to take care of the walking dead.”
“We’re what?”
They were supposed to wait and deal with the animated corpses once the cave was successfully occupied and day had broken, but Heat wasn’t sticking to the script. Instead, he was taking matters into his own hands. Ruri wanted to tell him off for not keeping to the plan, but he wasn’t likely to stop even if she said anything. Besides, if she gave him a piece of her mind, he would give her ten of his own right back.
“Where are you going, Ruri?! You need to stay here!” Ewan exclaimed.
“Don’t tell me. Tell, Heat-sama!”
“Wait, don’t go! Halt!” Ewan continued to shout below them as they took to the skies, but it didn’t deter Heat in the slightest.
After a while of riding on Kotaro, Heat said, “Here will do.” Kotaro stopped in place.
Ruri wondered how he was going to search and burn zombies in the pitch dark, but Heat suddenly pushed Ruri and sent her tumbling to the ground.
“Yow!” It wasn’t a very big fall, so she didn’t sustain any injuries, but it hurt nonetheless.
“Wind, loosen the slack for just a second.”
“Wait, what are you... Oh, God, it’s cold!” Ruri was about to complain, but a mysterious fluid splashed all over her before she could finish. “Wait, what is this?”
Although it was too dark to see anything, she sniffed the liquid drenching her hands. It had a metallic smell to it.
“Heat-sama! What is this?!” Ruri asked, anger seeping into her voice.
Atop Kotaro, Heat nonchalantly replied, “It’s animal blood.”
Ruri glared at Heat. “Why did you pour that on me...?”
The zombies reacted to blood, and they were currently in an area swarming with the undead. They weren’t going to look her way if she kept still, but things were going to get dangerous at this rate.
“What are you doing? If you throw that on me, I’m bound to get attacked! What are you even thinking?!”
Ruri raged at Heat as he sat overhead. However, he simply looked down at her with a frigid stare, unwilling to put up with her outburst, and said, “Brat, I suggest that before you start complaining, you run.”
“Huh? What are you talking...” Ruri hadn’t finished her sentence before she heard rustling in the nearby tall grass. She flinched and turned around.
Out from the grass emerged a zombie, bellowing like a savage beast. Its hollow eyes set their sights on Ruri and it pounced at her.
“Ungooooh!”
“Eeeeeek!!”
“Go on, now, be quick and run. Otherwise, you’re zombie food.”
“Unghaaaaah!!”
Ruri shot straight up and took off away from the zombie.
“I’m going to use you as bait to lure out these creatures, so run like you mean it.”
Ruri sprinted in the desolate darkness, relying solely on her night vision. The zombies chased after her, bizarrely crying all the while. Not only that, but they kept gradually multiplying in numbers, attracted by the smell of the blood on her body. She turned back to make sure, but it was too dark to see much of anything. However, from the sheer amount of growls she heard, she knew that a considerable mob had formed behind her. The sheer thought of being surrounded by that many zombie threats was absolutely terrifying.
Heat leisurely watched from a safe spot atop Kotaro in the sky.
“You’re a fiend! A devil! An egotistical and ill-adjusted jerk!!” Ruri cursed.
“If you can run your mouth, you can run your legs. Now, keep it up!”
“You’re an evil bastaaaard!! Screw yoooou!!” Ruri screamed as she continued to move. She was done for if she stopped.
In the dark forest, the zombie’s strange cries and heavy footsteps trailed behind Ruri.
“Aaaaah!”
“Gyaaaah!!”
“Agah, agaaah!”
“Oh God! Stay back, you freeeaks!!”
The wailing horde of zombies skyrocketed Ruri’s fear to the absolute limit. She could feel her heart practically beating out of her chest. She could barely see anything around her. The fact that she had to rely on their cries alone amplified her terror. Kotaro, who was supposed to help her if danger ever befell her, wasn’t coming to her aid at all, but Ruri was too panic-stricken to mind that. She dashed on, on the verge of crying her eyes out.
“Whyyyyy?! Why is this happening to meee?!” she screamed.
Ruri wasn’t a dragonkin, however. Her normal human stamina wasn’t going to last for much longer, and she could feel herself steadily running out of breath. It wouldn’t be so bad if the zombies felt fatigue themselves, but seeing as how they were just corpses, it wasn’t clear if they could. But judging by how easily they were catching up to her, it was safe to assume that they couldn’t.
Finally, after much running, Ruri’s legs stopped dead in their tracks. The zombies—the literal horde of zombies—encircled her. Running past all of them would be no easy task.
“K-Kotaro...” she stammered, Kotaro no longer in sight.
The zombies slowly approached her until they were just a stone’s throw away. Then they lunged at her all at once.
With nowhere to flee, Ruri had no choice but to hold her head and cower where she stood. She braced herself for the onslaught of pain and shock, but the next thing she knew, the entire gathering of zombies was set ablaze.
“Huh?” The flames raged in front of her face, shining bright and shredding through the veil of night.
The light from the fire allowed her to see exactly how many zombies there were. There were dozens of them, probably close to a hundred. All of them went up in flames, oddly howling all the while.
It was a sight horrific enough to exacerbate her terror even more. But oddly enough, despite being right next to the burning flames, Ruri couldn’t feel any heat radiating from them. As she wondered why that was, she spotted both Kotaro and Heat. These flames were probably Heat’s. There was a lot that Ruri wanted to say—she wanted to lay right into him—but she was too relieved to even get angry.
The fire soon died down, leaving only the charred remains of the zombies in its wake. Kotaro and Heat slowly descended to the ground.
“You moved well, brat,” Heat said. His satisfied grin stretched ear to ear.
“Aah, you flatter me...” Ruri said sarcastically, annoyed and exhausted. Her fatigue occupied every corner of her mind so much that she couldn’t even muster up a scathing remark to throw Heat’s way.
“Are you all right, Ruri?” Kotaro asked in concern as he looked at Ruri’s face.
“Kotaro, how could you?! Why didn’t you come and save me?!”
“Because Fire stopped me and said it wasn’t necessary. I had my barrier around you the entire time, so they wouldn’t have been able to lay a finger on you. I did loosen it a bit upon Fire’s request when he poured that blood on you, though.”
“Oh, now that you mention it...”
Kotaro had kept a barrier around Ruri ever since they came to the Nation of the Beast King. Even if Heat hadn’t done anything, the zombies wouldn’t have been able to hurt her.
Ruri’s shoulders slumped. She had totally forgotten about that.
Heat had also realized there was a barrier around Ruri—he’d realized she was safe from attack. But to add insult to injury, he threatened that she would be “zombie food” if she didn’t run away. It was just a twisted joke. There was no need for her to run like her life depended on it.
However, even if she had remembered she had a barrier protecting her, her legs probably would have moved on their own anyway.
“I am so not getting any sleep tonight...” Ruri said, sure that zombies were going to haunt her dreams. She silently cursed Heat for using her as bait without even a moment’s hesitation.
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