Aside: Salutia
I DIDN’T KNOW how much time had passed since the princess left.
“It’s not working.”
I sighed and pulled my hands away from the bonfire. Despite all my concentration, I still couldn’t use magic. The princess said that focus and imagination were important, but what if I just wasn’t talented enough? Of course, I’m not as talented as the Black Lightning Princess. She was already a powerful hero, even at such a young age.
I was still learning the basics. Fire Magic was the first step to learning Thunder Magic, but I couldn’t even manage that much. It was frustrating. It’d tried so hard, but I just ended up tired and weak.
But I mustn’t give up. Fran was younger than me, but she was so strong. And Lady Kiara saved our race from constant oppression. I looked up to them. I wanted to be like them one day. That much I knew for sure.
We spent so long thinking we were the weakest race. That we were doomed to never evolve. But things are different now. Evolution was within our grasp. Knowing that, I couldn’t slack off.
“Again…”
“Salutia, how about you take a break?”
“Oh, but I’m not tired yet, elder.”
“But nothing. Have you looked at your hands recently?”
“My hands? Why…?”
I looked down. My palms were swollen and bright red. I must have burned myself when I was holding them over the fire. They’d gotten used to the heat, but my skin still blistered.
“Now that I see it…ow, ow!”
“Come on, we’ll put some ointment on you. You’ll feel better.”
“S-sorry.”
“I know how you feel, but getting hurt doesn’t help anyone.”
“But I—”
KABOOM!
Before I could tell the elder how I felt, there was an explosion in the distance.
“Did you hear that?” I asked.
“That I did. We may have a situation on our hands. Gather everyone together, quickly!”
“Yes sir!”
The other beast tribes huddled together, unsure of what was going on. We were the only ones preparing to evacuate. Maybe we wouldn’t need to, but better safe than sorry. If it was just a friendly mage practicing explosive spells right outside the city, then we could all have a good laugh about it in the morning.
KABLAM!
“Something is definitely wrong…!”
That explosion came from inside the city. We gathered our people together. Everyone who could fight was ready to do so.
“GUOOOOON!”
“That sound…!”
It was a roar. And it came from something gigantic. Why hadn’t the warning bells sounded? The city was clearly under attack…
“Everyone who can’t fight, get inside!” the elder shouted. “The inns will give you shelter!”
He’d already talked them into taking us in. If nothing else, the children had been using their rooms since we arrived. So, we moved our non-combatants inside—the children and elderly all crammed together in a tight space. That left us behind to fight, although we weren’t very good with our weapons.
“Waaaah!”
The watchman screamed as he saw what was coming.
“G-goblins! Pitch-black goblins…!”
“There are zombies too!”
“Come on, Gran!” I said. “You gotta get inside!”
“I’m doing my best, dear!”
“Lock the door. Stay inside until it’s over, all right?”
“Don’t do anything reckless, Salutia. Remember the princess and Lady Kiara saved you for a reason.”
“Yeah, I know.”
I closed the door and heard the click of the lock.
“Gyagao!”
“Huh?”
A nearby goblin let out a fearsome and hostile scream. When I turned around, the black goblins were closing in on us. They were so fast!
“These aren’t normal goblins!” a Red Dog guard shouted as he engaged one of them in combat.
He used to be a guard for another village, but his encampment was next to ours, and we’d grown friendly. A goblin should’ve been no match for him, but this black kind gave him trouble.
“Gyaaoooo!”
“Damn it!”
The goblin pushed him back. He’s going to get killed at this rate! I had no time to think, I just ran—plunging my brand-new sword into the goblin’s arm. The blade made contact but couldn’t penetrate the creature’s skin. It didn’t make sense. Back when I went goblin hunting with the princess, I’d killed one of these things with a knife! At least I managed to get this one’s attention.
“Good job, little lady! Raaah!”
“Giiii!”
The man broke free and jabbed his index finger into the goblin’s eye as hard as he could. The goblin dropped its sword and grabbed its eye in pain. My body moved forward, slashing at the creature’s neck. The princess taught me this move. It was my favorite.
This time, my steel broke through its skin. Blood gushed out of the goblin as it fell to the ground. It twitched, then stopped moving.
I think I killed it.
I was too surprised to celebrate.
“You did great!” said the guard.
“Th-thanks…”
“You feeling all right?”
“I…this is my first real battle.”
The last time I held a weapon, Kiara had saved us before we could fight.
“Really? You did pretty damn well for your first try!”
We didn’t have much time to say anything else. More black goblins poured in from the end of the road.
“Damn it! These things are strong! Go get your friends, little lady!”
“A-all right!”
The goblins and zombies soon fell upon the Red Dogs. They put up a good fight, but the enemy was just as strong. Black Cats did our best to help.
“Gyushooo!”
“Urgh!”
“Stay calm! Shields up! Stay alive!”
“I-I’ll try…”
“Now! Stab them with your spears!”
“Yaaaah!”
“Take this!”
Just like the princess taught us. Terrified as we were, we fought on. We would defeat these Fiends, even if we didn’t know what we were doing. Somehow, our readiness to face death drove away our fear. Last time, it bought us enough time for Lady Kiara to save us. I hoped it would be enough to drive off the black goblins today.
But they just kept on coming. Soon, they had us surrounded. The Red Dogs and city guards started falling, and it wouldn’t be long until they got to us…
“Incoming, Salutia!”
“There’s no end to them!”
Soon, the inevitable happened.
“Gyoooo!”
“H-heeeelp! Aaaah!”
“Sean, no!”
One of the goblins knocked Sean’s shield away while another one drove a spear through his chest. We all thought it was fatal.
“Damn it!”
“How dare you!”
“No! Calm down!”
But we didn’t even think about running. We were angry, and we attacked the goblins recklessly. We outnumbered them, but most of us were fighting goblins toe-to-toe.
“Gyugyaaa!”
“It’s so strong…! Argh!”
“Gyooo!”
“Gyaaa!”
My friends were falling, and the enemies kept coming. Ten more goblins closed in around us, adding to the twelve we were already facing. We still outnumbered them, but I didn’t think we could win. The screams of our fallen friends sapped our morale. We couldn’t even work up the strength to let go of our weapons.
The black goblins made a wicked sound, like they were laughing at us. It sent shivers down my spine.
How odd. It made me more angry than afraid. Had fear finally made me snap? Maybe my training just helped me to conquer it. I hoped it was the latter.
The black goblins cackled as they drew closer. Was this the end of the life that Fran and Kiara had saved…?
That thought brought me back to myself.
“No!” I shouted. The goblins were as surprised as I was. “This isn’t the end! We’re not going to die here. We promised the princess we would become strong!”
I had to rouse everyone’s spirits. We might lose, we might even die, but we wouldn’t stop struggling.
“Lady Kiara gave us a second chance,” I said. “Let’s use it or die trying!”
Even if the worst happened, our deaths would not bring shame to the tribe!
“If we have to go down, we’ll go down fighting!”
I don’t know how it happened but, as I spoke, something bubbled in the back of my mind. Words. Fiery words of power.
“O, Fire…”
As I spoke the Fire Magic incantation, a mysterious power overcame me. My mind became clear and strong as the spell completed itself.
“Burn my enemies! Fire Arrow!”
“Gegyaaa!”
A small firebolt struck the black goblin right in the face. I didn’t realize how close it’d gotten while I was casting. It wasn’t dead, but at least I got its eyes. The goblin fell to its knees and buried its face in its hands. Its howls of pain stunned the other goblins into silence.
This was our chance. I made my move, and I wasn’t alone. My friends picked up their weapons and attacked. They stabbed the howling goblin in the chest, finishing it off. We were still in grave danger, but I had to smile. I was glad that I wasn’t the only one who remembered what Fran and Kiara had taught us.
The black goblins shifted and glared at us. They’d planned to slaughter easily, like prey, but now we were a threat.
“Gigigi…gaaaa!”
One of them came right for me.
“Yaaaah!”
I knew it was faster than me. I was probably going to die, but I had to try and stop it!
“Gyago…?”
“Huh?”
But the pain of death never came. Instead, the goblin burst into a fountain of blood. Its head was no longer attached to its neck.
“Good job, Salutia.”
Our hero had arrived.
“P-princess…”
She was expressionless as always, but she looked at us with such kind eyes. Although they looked nothing alike, I saw the shadow of Lady Kiara in the way she saved us.
“Hm. It’ll be all right now.”
By the time we got to Green Goat, it was already in a state of emergency. We could see the chaos even before we landed. Fiends and undead were inside the city, tearing everything apart. The beastmen fought valiantly, but they were suffering heavy losses. Most of their combatants were out on recon with the adventurers. The guild should be organizing whoever was left, but I wasn’t sure if it was still functioning.
“It’s on fire.”
That black giant…
It stood at the center of the smoke and flames rising from the Adventurer’s Guild—as though it had appeared inside the building and broken through its roof. It must’ve teleported in somehow. And the fire broke out when the lamps ignited the wood. Was the guildmaster all right? What about everyone else that was in there? Without orders, the remaining adventurers would only descend into chaos.
“We have to get going!” Fran said.
Yeah.
“Woof!”
For now, we were more worried about the Black Cats. They were defenseless, and we rushed to their encampment, fearing the worst. We got there just in time. Corrupt Goblins were about to finish off Salutia and the others. The Black Cats looked ready to go down fighting, but they were facing almost certain doom.
“Teacher!”
On it!
Fran didn’t need to say another word. We jumped off of Jet’s back, and I teleported us into the fray. Unfortunately, I flubbed it.
Damn it!
I overshot. Mana control was crucial over long distances. Even the smallest change could affect the range, and now we were now fifteen meters away from where we were supposed to be. Below us, a Corrupt Goblin closed in on Salutia, and she wasn’t moving. Was she frozen in fear? I was preparing a spell to repel the goblin when the creature’s face burst into flames. Someone had cast a Fire spell. But who?
That girl went and learned Fire Magic!
The other Corrupt Goblins were stunned, and the Black Cats took full advantage. The goblins never saw them coming. They thought they were up against kittens, but these cats were tigers in the making!
Fran accelerated with Air Hop and lopped the Corrupt Goblin’s head clean off.
“Gyago…?”
“Huh?”
Neither Salutia nor the goblin knew what happened. Both of them stared blankly at Fran, but she kept going—cutting down every Corrupt Goblin in sight. She flicked the blood off me and turned to face her kin.
“Good job, Salutia.”
“P-princess…”
Salutia’s shoulders slumped in relief. She knew Fran had just saved their lives.
“Hm,” said Fran. “It’ll be all right now.”
Fran eased her worries with a smile and healed everyone in sight. The warm light revived the Black Cats around us.
“Sean… everyone…!”
That Sean kid must’ve been on the brink of dying, but we brought him back. The other men smiled. Their friends were going to be all right.
“Y-you saved us…”
“I thought we were done for,” one of them sobbed.
They were all prepared to die, and their new lease on life brought them to tears.
While we talked to the Black Cats, we asked Jet to keep an eye on our surroundings. The inn behind them was full, but I didn’t expect it to be full of Black Cats. Fran was relieved to see the village elder poke his head out the window. Everyone had managed to evacuate safely.
“Jet, protect them,” said Fran. “I’m going ahead.”
“Woof!”
As much as she wanted to stay, that it wouldn’t put an end to this chaos. And, if she wanted them to be safe, we needed to put an end to it.
“Go get ’em, princess!”
“Thank you so much!”
“Do be careful!” Salutia said.
Fran smiled, but didn’t look back. She was impressed with Salutia, a young girl desperately fighting for her tribe.
Let’s end this, I said.
“Hm!”
With the will of the Black Cats behind us, we made a beeline for the Adventurer’s Guild. There were a lot of Corrupt Goblins between us and our destination. We flew through the air, cutting them down with swords and spells, but there was always more of them.
Where are they coming from?
“The closer we get to the guild the more of them there are.”
True… Maybe the giant has something to do with it…
Fran reached the guild in under five minutes. The building was destroyed, and the black giant was nowhere in sight. It was headed to the count’s estate, knocking down everything in its path.
Kablam!
Red sparks exploded all over the Giant’s body. It was a Flame spell, and one powerful enough to roast a wyvern, but it wasn’t enough. The giant was protected by a powerful black barrier.
“Teacher, that’s Mea!”
Quina’s with her too!
They had returned to Green Goat around the same time we did. Mea was on Lind’s back, firing down Flame spells. She circled the giant, raining down blasts of fire and trying to find a chink in its armor. But that giant’s barrier was strong. I didn’t think she’d have much luck with those random attacks.
“I’ve seen that thing before,” Fran said.
So, you do remember.
“Hm.”
The giant looked exactly like the creature Linford transformed into, back in Bulbola. What was this thing doing here?
“I’m going to help Mea.”
Hang on! There are people still alive inside the guild! We have to help them!
“Hm!”
We rushed inside what was left of the guildhouse, and the signs of life became more apparent.
Under that pile of rubble. I’ll move it; you extract whoever’s underneath.
“Got it.”
I moved the rubble carefully out of the way, revealing several unconscious people. They were protected by a magical barrier, saving them from certain death. The guildmaster was among the survivors, and he was in the worst condition—suffering burns and fractures all over his body. We healed him up quickly, but there was no time to let the old man rest.
“Wake up, guildmaster.”
“Bwuh…? Where am I…?”
We needed to know what had happened. The safety of the Black Cats was at stake.
“They caught us off guard,” he explained.
“How?”
“You remember the Corrupt Goblins we killed earlier? There was some kind of trap inside their crystals…”
The adventurers had brought the crystals back to the guild, but the enemy had planned for just such an eventuality.
“What do you mean?”
“The crystals were used to teleport in reinforcements.”
It reminded me of Murelia and Theraclede’s teleportation abilities. It was part of Fiendmancy and used to penetrate city walls.
“They read our every move…”
The enemy knew the guild would send adventurers out looking for whoever was pulling the strings. With them gone, the city was left virtually defenseless.
“They waited until we were wide open.”
A few hours after the adventurers left, the crystals cracked, creating a massive summoning circle. Before anyone could act, the black giant appeared. The guildmaster and the others were caught in the initial blast.
Kaboom!
Another explosion. Was that the black giant? We had no time to waste.
“You must defeat it, Black Lightning Princess.”
“What about the rest of them?”
“The black giant comes first,” said the guildmaster. “It’s the one producing all the corrupt goblins and zombies. When it’s gone, we’ll deal with the rest. Our citizens can fight.”
Most beastmen could hold their own. All they needed was someone to give them orders. Guess I’d spent so long with the Black Cats that I’d forgotten that.
We left the guildmaster and headed after the black giant. It didn’t take long to spot it, all we had to do was follow the trail of destruction. Fortunately, the civilians had evacuated, minimizing the loss of life. As we approached, the sunset burned bright red behind the creature—highlighting both its menacing silhouette and the reality of what we were facing.
The count’s estate is protected by a barrier. That must be its target.
“We should rendezvous with Mea and kill it before it gets there.”
Good idea. But don’t use any area of effect attacks, we’re still in town.
“We’ll have to cut it down.”
Seems like it. If it’s anything like Linford, it’ll regenerate like crazy. Are you up for it?
“Hm. Any time.”
Fran Air Hopped through the city, completely focused on the black giant. Mea soon noticed us and guided Lind closer.
“Excellent timing, Fran! Help me out with this thing!”
“Of course.”
“Get on!”
“Hm!”
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