Slash!
With a sharp cry, the seemingly unwieldy greatsword moved with lightning speed.
The shadowy figure barely had time to react before being sliced cleanly in half. Scorching hot blood, mixed with vile internal organs, splattered across the floor, walls, and bed.
Nero, still in her pristine white nightgown, knelt on the floor in a protective stance. One hand gripped her greatsword tightly while the other held Alice securely.
"It's… a bat?"
Alice, peeking at the lifeless corpse on the ground, realized it was an enormous bat, larger than an adult human. Its sharp fangs, crimson eyes, and massive membranous wings gave it a monstrous appearance.
Nero's expression remained tense. As if sensing something, she suddenly raised her head and looked out the shattered window.
"Hold tight! More are coming!"
The next moment, the wall exploded inward, and a powerful sonic wave swept toward them with destructive force.
The attack hit nothing but air, leaving the cheap inn's floor in shambles, reduced to powder. It was, after all, just a budget inn—not exactly built to withstand monster attacks.
Even with one arm cradling Alice and a sword nearly as tall as herself, Nero moved with the grace of a swift swallow. She ducked beneath the sonic wave and darted through the gaping hole in the wall before the attackers could react.
Activating her [Clairvoyance] skill, Nero quickly scanned the shadows of the night.
There were eight more of them, identical to the bat she had just killed, flapping their wings and hovering in midair.
Why were monsters attacking in the capital of Elroad?
There was no time to ponder the question. The sonic bats had already noticed her and seemed poised to launch another attack.
But they wouldn't get the chance.
"[Light of Saber]!"
With a flick of her hand, Nero summoned eight radiant blades of light. In the blink of an eye, they cut through the bats, leaving none alive.
As their dismembered bodies fell, Nero finally landed outside on the grass, still holding Alice in her arms.
"Nero, are you okay?" Alice asked, concerned.
"I'm fine. Just… a headache, as usual… Umu…"
Nero's face was pale. Using magic always triggered her chronic migraines, and the intensity of the pain varied depending on the strength of the spell.
After taking a moment to steady herself, she stood up. With a flash of silvery light, her delicate nightgown transformed into her vibrant red dress and light armor.
Such was the advantage of magically crafted [Mystic Code]—with just a thought, Nero could change outfits and summon her weapons.
Alice, however, wasn't so lucky. Her sacred sword was still in the neighboring room, and she hadn't even put on shoes in the chaos. Nero refused to let her walk barefoot through the grimy yard, so she continued to carry her.
Glancing at the scattered remains of the monsters, Nero frowned.
"These seem to be mutated blood-sucking bats… I think they're called sonic blood bats."
Suddenly, an explosion shook the inn's far side. A whirlwind of razor-sharp air blades swept through, carrying the remains of more monsters.
Nero immediately recognized the source of the magical energy—it was Yunyun.
"So, we're not the only ones under attack…"
"Nero! Yunyun and the others must be fighting monsters too! Let's go help them!" Alice urged, clearly worried.
Nero, however, remained calm. Given Yunyun's strength, there wasn't much to fear. Judging by the magical energy, she still had plenty of reserves.
Before heading to their aid, though...
"I'll grab your sacred sword first, Alice. And at the very least, put some shoes on."
---
At first, Yunyun panicked at the sudden appearance of monsters, but she quickly regained her composure.
Fortunately, the creatures weren't particularly strong—there were just a lot of them. Instead of using high-level magic, which would drain her mana quickly, Yunyun relied on intermediate spells to take them down one by one.
Green wind, crimson flames, golden lightning, and azure water.
Elemental magic swirled together, forming an impenetrable wall that kept the monsters at bay.
"Yunyun! I'm coming to help!"
Darkness charged forward, spreading her arms wide.
"[Taunt]!" she shouted.
The monsters, which had been swarming toward Yunyun, immediately turned their attention to Darkness. A tidal wave of creatures surged toward her, completely enveloping her figure.
Yunyun's pressure decreased significantly.
"Darkness! Hold on! I'll clear the ones near you right away!"
But Darkness's reply was anything but reassuring.
"No… don't worry about me! Just keep focusing on your side! I… I can handle this! In fact, I feel like I could take even more… their filthy drool defiling me, ohhh~~!"
When Nero arrived, still carrying Alice, she saw Yunyun and Darkness holding the front line. Meanwhile, Kazuma, Aqua, and Megumin were huddled far in the back, doing absolutely nothing.
Megumin was excused, having already used up her [Explosion] spell earlier against the golden dragon. But Kazuma and Aqua? What was their excuse?
Nero shook her head in exasperation and joined the battle with Alice.
With the addition of Nero and Alice—arguably the strongest members of the group—the monsters were swiftly defeated.
Surveying the corpses strewn across the battlefield and the now-ruined inn, Nero sighed. Tonight, it seemed, there would be no sleep.
"Kazuma, bring Aqua and Megumin over here," she commanded.
Kazuma and Megumin reluctantly obeyed, but Aqua protested loudly.
"No way! There are monster corpses everywhere! It reeks! I'm a goddess! I was dreaming about endless wine, and now this?! I just want to go back to bed and pick up where my dream left off!"
Her tantrum escalated as she stomped the ground in frustration.
The next moment, cracks spiderwebbed across the ground beneath her feet.
"Huh?"
Before Aqua could react, a massive mound of earth erupted beneath her. A gigantic worm burst out, sending Aqua flying into the air.
"Why meee—?!"
Her scream rose in pitch as the giant worm opened its mouth and swallowed her whole.
Kazuma and Megumin, who had just arrived at Nero's side, remained perfectly calm. Everyone else stood stunned as they watched the scene unfold.
"Aqua got eaten again, huh?" Kazuma remarked.
"She got eaten again," Megumin confirmed.
"She sure did," Nero added.
"Nero! We have to save Aqua! She was eaten!" Alice cried, tugging urgently at Nero's sleeve.
"Umu. I don't think it's a big deal… She didn't listen to me, and, as they say, 'Those who ignore Nero's wisdom learn the hard way.'"
"There's no such saying!" Kazuma retorted.
Ignoring him, Nero raised her greatsword, assuming a spear-throwing stance.
"Very well. Take this! [Non-Destroying Extreme Spear]!"
She hurled the sword with all her might. It ignited midair, streaking like a fiery comet through the night and tearing apart a section of the giant worm's body.
The worm's severed head fell to the ground, and Aqua tumbled out of its mouth.
"Waaaaahhh! Someone catch meeee—!!"
As Aqua plummeted, drenched in worm saliva, Nero, Kazuma, and Megumin all silently took a few steps back. Nero even carried Alice and Yunyun further away, while Darkness was still recovering from her earlier ordeal.
Thud!
A large, human-shaped hole appeared in the ground where Aqua landed.
A moment later, her hand emerged from the pit, only for the worm's severed head to crash down right on top of her.
Watching the whole scene unfold, Nero sighed.
"Looks like Aqua used up all her good luck surviving that [Explosion] earlier today. Guess the universe is balancing things out tonight."
The law of balanced luck indeed.
---
T/N: ahhh my hatred towards Aqua has been quenched
updates will be sporadic leaving country for 3 weeks
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
If you enjoyed the journey and want to support the person who made it possible, you can find them here:
👉 [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.
– Syr ✨