Inside the basement of the Marschel family’s residence, the battle taking place was about to reach its climax.
The robed figures, the shadows of the Church of Holy Light, were fighting against Vihera as if they all shared the same mind. Even so, although they could act as one entity, Vihera just cut the heads, bodies, and limbs of each individual with the claws that extended from her hands.
That said, those torn apart by her claws and killed instantly could be considered lucky.
Those who had their torso’s torn into by Vihera’s physical strength had their ribs crushed and internal organs injured by their own bones before they started to vomit blood. Some were even killed by Vihera crushing their skulls.
Compared to Vihera’s overwhelmingly superior position, Nakuto and Byune were forced into a tough fight against the dolls.
As a thief who wasn’t good at head on combat to begin with, Nakuto had no choice but to play a supporting role for Byune, who did have good combat skills.
In that situation, the battle progressed while maintaining a delicate balance. But, after Rei had blown Oricule over to where the dolls were, the battle situation had gradually turned in favour of the dolls.
All because of Oricule’s words that were close to ridiculing the technology Pree had used to create the dolls.
For the dolls, who held absolute loyalty to Pree, who was their creator, it was absolutely unacceptable for Pree’s ability to be questioned because of their actions.
As a result, the dolls’ attacks had intensified leaving Nakuto in a situation where he was only surviving due to Byune’s support instead of him supporting Byune.
「Mm!」
Along with Byune’s cry, several needles pierced a doll which was about to jump at Nakuto’s head from above, nailing it to the ceiling.
The fact that the two thieves were having such a hard time was not just due to the dolls’ strong fighting spirit, but also because of their many special abilities.
Because they were dolls, they had no living signs, and at the same time, their attacks carried no murderous intent. From the perspective of Byune and Nakuto, who usually sensed enemy movements with their senses as a thief, these were extremely incompatible enemies.
The dolls’ ability to walk along the walls and ceiling were also perfect for catching them by surprise, which was another reason why the two were struggling.
「I-I’m sorry. ……Damn it, if Essetus was here, I could have managed to deal with these dolls, but……woah-!」
Hearing the sound of something flying towards him, Nakuto swung his dagger at it.
A metallic clang echoed out as a dagger fell to the ground.
「Phew-!」
Nakuto threw out his dagger towards the ceiling to his right, behind him.
It was a spur of the moment decision as his dagger pierced a doll on the ceiling, nailing its right arm.
Immediately realising his mistake, Nakuto reached out for the dagger that had fallen to the floor after he blocked it earlier.
However, there was no way the other dolls would let him do that easily. They all rushed towards Nakuto with weapons at the ready, leaving nothing behind.
「Mm!」
Numerous needles shot out towards the dolls, as if each one had their own will, piercing the dolls and stopping them one after another.
However, needles were still only needles. If they had been daggers, it would have been a different story, but a single needle wasn’t enough to completely halt a doll, only hinder their movements for several seconds.
The dolls headed for Nakuto with needles stuck in their bodies.
With flowing movements, Nakuto picked up the dagger and immediately deflected a long sword that was swung at him……but the next moment, a spear was thrust towards him.
I can’t dodge it. While realising that instinctively, Nakuto tried to twist his body around……
「Flying Slash!」
As Rei’s shout echoed out, several dolls that had been about to attack Nakuto were sliced apart.
What just happened? Although he hadn’t yet realised, he instinctively knew his life had been saved and leapt back, landing next to Byune.
「Phew……this is getting tough.」
While muttering to himself, Nakuto wiped away the sweat overflowing from his forehead due to the previous series of events.
As if to show off the Marschel family residence, the temperature inside the basement was comfortable despite it being midsummer. Even so, Nakuto was pouring with sweat from the near death situation.
(Until I rescue Tivia……I can’t die in a place like this!)
Muttering in his mind, he onced again challenged the dolls to fight together with Byune.
「Huh, ignoring me in your current situation and helping your comrades? I guess that is the right choice, considering I’m like this.」
Oricule glanced over himself.
His leather armour had been slashed and torn in several places. Even if it was a magic armour with higher defensive power than normal, it had already been damaged multiple times.
No, rather, it was only because of Oricule……as well as the armour he wore, that he had managed to get away with just this much. If it had been someone else, they would have already been torn apart by the Death Scythe.
「Is this the end of your struggle? I’m sorry, but there’s a lot I would like to ask you about these matters. I might cut off one or two of your limbs, but I won’t kill you, so you don’t need to worry.」
「……Those aren’t reassuring words. In that case, I’ll have to stick it out a little longer. If I can hold out until the forces that went to the Silva family return, it will be my win.」
Oricule said that with a small smile as he held his rapier in his right hand and his sword breaker in his left.
Even in such a disadvantageous situation, he wouldn’t give up.
Rei’s expression tightened slightly at those words, which couldn’t have been spoken by one who only gave orders from above without knowing the actual situation, but by someone who had been on the battlefield many times.
It wasn’t because of the aura Oricule had around him. Rather, it was the will inside his body that made Rei realise this was the decisive moment.
(He won’t give up even at such an overwhelming disadvantage? Does he still have a trick up his sleeves like the sword breaker? No, if he had such a thing, he would have used it long ago……)
While thinking to himself, Rei readied the Death Scythe as he glanced behind Oricule to the magic circle on the ground.
Tivia was still lying there with no signs of waking up. With so many fierce fights going on around her, it was clearly strange that the leader of a well known adventurer party wouldn’t notice.
(Does that magic circle have some sort of effect……wait.)
The thoughts in his mind stopped halfway.
He felt that the colour of Tivia’s skin had paled compared to when he had first seen her lying there.
Furthermore, as if to further Rei’s bad premonition, the magic circle around her was also faintly glowing.
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