Gathered before the snow-covered Yerina, the group exclaimed.
“She looks fierce. Do you know her, Ian?”
“She’s Yerina Pierce, the second child of the Duke. We had a briefing on the train once. You’ve seen her at the ball, right?”
“Yeah, she’s the intimidating one!”
“That’s true.”
“But she seems frozen, doesn’t she?”
“It might be worth trying to thaw her out.”
“Yeah, let me try a fireball. Ifrit… Yikes!”
Yerina’s eyes snapped open.
“It’s so noisy.”
Yerina blinked a few times.
Snowflakes piled on her long eyelashes fell softly.
Lina and Danya, who thought she was frozen, were startled.
“W-We thought you were dead.”
“We thought you were completely frozen!”
“You all underestimate me… No, you did.”
Tap, tap.
Yerina chuckled as she brushed off snow from her head and shoulders.
“Thanks. I appreciate the warmth of the fireball you were about to hit me with.”
Seeing her smile, Lina whispered to Ian.
“I thought she was really scary. Maybe not.”
“No, she’s still scary. She’s the one who can turn people into dust with one punch.”
“Eek!”
“…Hey, there.”
Ian, who was spreading rumors, was singled out by Yerina.
“Don’t spread unnecessary rumors while trying to lighten the mood in a crisis.”
Voluntarily dragged in front of her, Ian asked.
“Why were you standing like this?”
“I was planning to maintain my body and wait until someone came.”
“…Someone?”
“Given that so many people were swallowed up, wouldn’t everyone be dead? I judged that I needed allies.”
“If we’re allies, do you trust us?”
Yerina responded to Ian’s question with more questions, seeming skeptical.
“Didn’t you tell me?”
“?”
“You’re interested in me.”
“Ah. Yes.”
Ian affirmed for now.
But.
‘If someone confesses to you, do you trust that person?’
…This person. I feel like they’re easy to fool.
And Ian soon realized he didn’t need to worry about that.
‘Even if I get fooled, I can just break them.’
He noticed the main weapon hanging on her thigh, a chain mace.
(TLN: Basically a flail.)
Yerina, noticing Ian’s gaze, chuckled.
“Don’t worry. I’ve understood your sincerity while watching the tournament.”
“Thank you.”
“So, how about joining me?”
After all, Yerina is an absolute power even in the bustling north. She has a somewhat violent side, but she’s a trustworthy figure.
Utilizing her unique efficiency cultivated from a long time with soldiers, persuasion should be easy… There’s no reason not to join her.
“Of course.”
“Good decision. I needed someone to have my back.”
“By any chance, did you also discover those corpses?”
“Did you all see them too?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, there’s a better guide than I thought.”
I flinched.
Danya’s tail drooped as she received Yerina’s gaze.
“Haha. It happens occasionally. You seem confused because of the smell of blood. I’ll take the lead.”
With a brief glance at Danya, Yerina smiled brightly and led the way.
She looked like a true commander.
◆
Every time the wind blows, fine snow particles piled on the ground scatter.
The surroundings are hazy, as if covered in mist.
Step by step.
Ian was walking behind Yerina (the leader).
Only then did he match his stride with Danya.
Danya’s tail was still drooping.
It was obvious how she felt.
“Scared?”
Nod nod.
Danya spoke up.
“The smell of blood is strong.”
“Smell of blood?”
“Yeah. It’s a mixture of many types of blood smells…”
Certainly, considering the number of enemies Yerina has faced until now, it would easily exceed three digits. It seemed obvious why Danya was feeling overwhelmed.
But.
This isn’t within the confines of the Academy. This is a real battle where either the opponent or oneself could end up dead. Yerina would have known that too. If she hadn’t been cut down, she could have been the one to cut down her opponent.
Ian intended to start such a conversation.
However…
“…”
Seeing Danya’s expression, Ian remained silent.
Her eyes were already filled with determination.
Come to think of it, Danya, who had been a resident of this world longer than Ian himself, probably knew that better than anyone.
Perhaps she just needed some time to overcome her instincts.
Ian silently placed his hand on top of Danya’s head.
And gently stroked it.
“Isn’t it cold…?!”
When Lina turned this way, she quickly averted her gaze.
Danya’s tail, gradually finding its place.
Ian stopped his touch only after her tail had fully settled.
– Whoosh
A chilling wind blew as if brushing against their flesh.
Danya’s nose twitched again.
Tensely.
With clenched fists, she shouted at Yerina.
“It’s over there!”
At the serious mistimed utterance, Ian struggled to contain his laughter.
“T-there, over there.”
Danya cautiously spoke again.
As she said, through the blurred vision, zombie-like corpses came into view.
“Good job, Cat Girl!”
Danya shivered before nodding her head.
Yerina, with a commanding, reassuring smile, was about to charge forward.
Hastily, Ian asked.
“Do you have a separate plan?”
“A plan?”
Yerina lifted the chain mace she had been leaning against her thigh.
“Not necessary.”
As her hand touched it, the head of the mace froze white and enlarged to the size of an adult’s torso.
“If I smash everything, it’ll be over.”
Crack!
With tremendous force, Yerina charged forward.
“Just cover my back!”
Behind her was an exuding combat spirit.
Yerina surely had the power to sway people.
— Grrrrr?
— Gyaah!
From up close, the zombie-like corpses looked even more eerie.
Yerina leaped among them.
— Puh-berberberber!
And with a single strike, the heads of five corpses burst apart.
Ian shuddered. At Yerina’s overwhelming power. And at his own fear dissipating due to her momentum.
‘This is what 5-Star means.’
As Yerina’s Morning Star struck high, it suddenly enlarged like a boulder.
— Ku-Kwang!
It crushed about ten corpses in one go.
— Kugugugung!
The aftermath of that vibration caused the eyes on both sides to dim.
With an immense sound, the eyes cascaded down the cliff.
As Ian had expected, the place littered with corpses was some sort of passage or bridge leading to the opposite land.
Something faintly stood tall beyond.
And that massive hole… could it be a cave?
— Pah-bak!
Without a moment to further observe, Yerina’s strikes rained down, and some corpses managed to avoid it.
Their movements were indeed out of the ordinary.
Moreover, the biggest issue was their numbers.
From somewhere, an endless stream of corpses seemed to surge.
“…How many humans did you swallow, Richard?”
What seemed like dozens of corpses had suddenly swollen to hundreds.
Literally, a wave of corpses.
“Hwaaaah!”
Yerina also tried to change her attack pattern to focus on area-of-effect spells, but as her mana filled, the corpses began to dodge her attacks skillfully.
Among them, one corpse wielding a dagger showed particularly noticeable movements.
Ian, who had been keeping an eye on it, rushed forward.
— Clang!
Blocking the imminent attack on Yerina’s back, he struck toward the corpse’s head.
Splat. With an unpleasant sound, the corpse collapsed.
“Thanks.”
“But it’s not feasible to continue like this.”
“Hmm. Did you feel it too?”
“Yes. Their response to magic is unusually excellent. It’s not your typical necromancy, Yerina. I’m not doubting your skill, but…”
“But?”
“It seems like it would be futile without physical attacks.”
Yerina’s combat style relied on various Frost-based skills mediated by her mace.
A decrease in mana efficiency was bad news.
However.
Thunk. Thud.
While her pure physical strength was overwhelming, Yerina, who had just burst the heads of three corpses with her mace, muttered.
“They’re really bizarre.”
Suddenly, one idea flashed through Ian’s mind.
“I have a solution.”
“Aren’t you a mage too?”
“Yes. Please give me a moment.”
Ian immediately turned around.
“Keep providing cover fire!”
He relayed to Danya and Lina, then dashed backward farther than them.
And when he had put enough distance between himself and the battlefield.
“Extraction.”
Ian pulled earth and metals from the ground.
Simultaneously, he shaped them into a sphere.
Roll.
He rolled it as is.
At first heavy, but gradually gaining speed due to a subtle slope downwards.
“Extraction.”
Continuing to roll while continuously extracting.
The snow piled around, mixed with the growing dirt snowball.
“Danya! Lina!”
The pupils of the two who had been supporting Yerina widened in surprise.
“Aaaah, Ian, what did you make this time?!”
“Wow, it’s huge!”
“Stop gawking and come help roll!”
Thud. Clunk.
It seemed to meld into the ground littered with skeletons, but there was no time to slow down.
In no time, the dirt snowball had grown into a ‘snow dirt skeleton’ lump the size of a small house, or rather, a big boulder.
Goo-goo-goo-!
Yerina, who had been sweeping away the corpses, turned back at the sound and widened her eyes.
“W-what are you doing?”
“Avoid it!”
Swiftly dodging aside, Yerina joined in, adding force to roll the dirt snow skeleton.
– Kugagagak!
It flew off at an unstoppable speed.
Standing in place, they watched as the dirt snow skeleton rolled away.
— Gruk?… Pajik!
— Grurruruk!… Pajik!
Corpses with significantly diminished physical sight and sensation.
They stood still for a moment before either collapsing or providing support in the form of snowball-sized lumps.
Someone murmured.
“…Looks like a giant snowman made of rotten mud.”
“It’s terrifying enough to appear in nightmares.”
The snowball rushed through the path between the cliffs.
Thousands of corpses crushed into the giant snowball or poured down the cliffs on either side.
It was literally a waterfall of corpses.
It was a grand and grotesque sight indeed.
