Side: Mako
When I received the report, I was in the middle of a healer class for second-year students at Memoria General Academy.
Mikarna, who had become Lucas’s third wife, suddenly rushed into Memoria General Academy, so I wondered what was happening. When I heard the reason, I understood. It was truly an emergency, so I interrupted my class and decided to head to Amagi Castle immediately.
I had been informed beforehand that there were few Ancient Classes this time and that multiple Demise Species had been confirmed. So, I had Rebecca go to call Flam, and Raus and Carol would accompany me. Carol, in particular, is an Ancient Healer, so she was someone I definitely wanted to come.
Upon meeting Emperor Reinhardt at Amagi Castle, I learned that Yamato and the others had already departed for Solpreza. He briefly explained the situation to us and ordered us to join them immediately. Then, we moved to a section of Amagi Castle where Traveling was possible. Just as we regrouped with Flam and Rebecca, I explained the situation, and we transferred to Solpreza.
“Wow…”
“It’s even worse than we heard…”
“Yes. But since Yamato and the others are already fighting, the damage won’t spread further. Let’s go too.”
“Yes!”
I summoned Kaede, a Crest Unicorn, and Shirayuki, an Aurorite Tiger. I then equipped Kaede with a saddle enchanted with Ee-quipping. Attaching a saddle to a mount is surprisingly time-consuming. However, by enchanting the saddle with Ee-quipping, the mount can also equip the saddle in an instant.
Flam also rides on Frou, who recently evolved into a G-rank Monster, Canal Rhinoceros, after equipping a similar saddle. Frou was originally large, and upon evolving, Flam commissioned a new saddle from the Crafter’s Guild. It’s more like a tower than a saddle, but since Flam is an archer, it’s more practical. The tower is also quite spacious, so it can accommodate up to four people without issue.
“Raus and the others, please take care of the west side. Don’t push yourselves too hard.”
“Yes!”
“I’ll be careful!”
“We won’t let the damage spread any further.”
Raus and Rebecca are to prioritize the rescue of the injured while escorting Carol. Of course, all three are Ancient Classes and significant combatants. At a glance, I can see injured Hunters and Dragoners, and some who have fallen and are not moving. So, I’ve asked Carol to provide treatment while they prioritize defeating the monsters attacking these people.
I also want to prioritize rescue, but since I’m a mage and Flam is an archer, I’m uneasy about close-quarters combat. Of course, I don’t intend to fall behind any ordinary monsters, but with a Labyrinth Overflow and an attack from Demise Species, it’s tough for us who specialize in ranged combat. Therefore, I plan to rescue people after regrouping with someone from Yamato’s group. As for Yamato, Prim, and Mana, being Element Classes, they are our main force and primary combatants. Lydia and Ludia might even be on the verge of evolution or have already evolved into Element Dragonewts, so it’s better for them to deal with monsters than to guard me. Thus, ideally, Athena or Lucas would be best. However, Shirayuki is a special evolved summon, an Aurorite Tiger, and also an M-I Rank Monster, so even if we can’t regroup, she can guard me and Flam.
“Mako, us too!”
“Yes!”
Riding on Kaede and Frou, with Shirayuki in tow, we headed towards the Solpreza Mountain Range, in the opposite direction of Raus and the others. The Muldosso Labyrinth, which caused the Labyrinth Overflow, is about a three-day journey by Beast Carriage from Solpreza. However, I’ve heard that monsters can reach it in an average of two days, or as fast as one day. Furthermore, according to what I heard at Amagi Castle, the monsters that overflowed from the Muldosso Labyrinth were at most P-C Rank Monsters. If that were all, the Dragoners and Hunters of Solpreza could have handled it. However, with monsters descending from the Solpreza Mountain Range, and multiple Demise Species at that, it’s not just Solpreza but Valentia itself that faces the threat of extinction. Moreover, there seem to be quite a number of Abnormal Species and Catastrophe Species, so the residents of Solpreza cannot escape. In fact, the fact that only a part of the city walls were destroyed and it hasn’t been breached is nothing short of a miracle. Even so, Hunters and Dragoners, primarily High Class, fought desperately to hold back the monsters. Lord Harut, the Grand Dragoner’s Master, also played a significant role in quickly requesting aid not only for Valentia but also for Amister. Therefore, although the damage is significant, it’s not yet fatal.
“There! Hah!”
As we headed towards the Solpreza Mountain Range, a colossal monster immediately appeared in my sight. Isn’t that a Dreadnought? I didn’t expect to encounter an A-C Rank Monster so soon. The people fighting it were clearly at a disadvantage, and many had fallen.
Towards that Dreadnought, Flam drew a Flare Light Arrow from her Mirror Quiver and shot it, imbued with her Unique Magic, Tidal Blaster. The Tidal Blaster, imbued with a Hihishirokane arrow, increases its power compared to arrows made solely of magic power, allowing it to easily pierce the Dreadnought’s body. Additionally, it can unleash lightning magic from within its body, dealing significant damage despite the Dreadnought’s large size.
“Shirayuki, go!”
“Gaaaaaooooooo!!”
Against that Dreadnought, Shirayuki, imbued with ice and lightning magic, and with my wind magic layered on top, charged forward. Shirayuki, colliding with the Dreadnought like a cannonball, imbued her fangs and claws with ice, lightning, and wind magic. She bit down on the Dreadnought’s long neck and, using her forelegs effectively, broke its bones. Yes, my Unique Magic, Aurorite Discharge with Shirayuki, went well.
The biggest reason I contracted with my summon was as a bodyguard while I was using magic or Engraving Magic. I hadn’t created any Unique Magic that incorporated my summon’s magic, and besides, I had forgotten about it. However, Unique Magic that incorporates a summon’s magic is significantly more precise and powerful than when used by the Summoning Magic user alone. If one can master it, it can be quite strong. Therefore, I first started by reinforcing the barrier of my Unique Magic, Field Cosmos, by incorporating the magic of Shirayuki and Kaede, and then developed Shirayuki’s Aurorite Discharge and Kaede’s Heavenly Feather.
Oh, Kaede’s Unique Magic, Heavenly Feather, is a magic that creates wings of flame and wind by adding my wind magic to Kaede’s fire magic. It’s similar to Prim’s Extreme Flame Wing, but it’s not a reinforcement magic, so it doesn’t enhance Kaede’s physical abilities. However, thanks to this Heavenly Feather, Kaede can fly freely in the sky, greatly expanding the range of my actions with her. She can also attack while enveloped in flames, which makes Kaede very happy. For whatever reason, Kaede evolved into a G-I Rank Monster, Crest Unicorn. Mana’s Spica also evolved after being able to use Heavenly Feather, so it’s hard to say it’s unrelated. Mina’s Breeze isn’t there yet, but I think it’s because, in addition to the Unique Magic Heavenly Feather, both Mana and I are Element Classes.
Incidentally, a Crest Unicorn looks like a white horse with a crescent-shaped horn. This crescent horn can be imbued with magic to become a giant blade, and attacks using three claws that emerge from between the hooves of its forelegs are also powerful.
The reason I brought up Crest Unicorns is that Mana was right in front of me, riding one. Along with other evolved summons, Rainbow Light Luna, a P-I Rank Monster, Iceberg Swan Sirius, also a P-I Rank Monster, and Mana was in the process of bisecting an M-I Rank Monster, Titanoceratops, with the Unique Magic Sterling Divider using the magic of Spica, a Crest Unicorn. With the Grand Dragoner’s Master also present, this is convenient.
“Mana!”
“Huh? Oh, Mako. Flam too. You came.”
“Yes, Mikarna came to the academy. Raus and the others are here too. More importantly, what’s the situation now?”
According to Mana and the Grand Dragoner’s Master, Tescatlipoca has already been defeated by Yamato. However, the other Demise Species, Thanatos, is leading a pack of Allosaurus Species, which shouldn’t normally form packs, making it difficult to even approach them. This pack apparently includes not only Tyrannosaurus and Alpagas but also Abnormal and Catastrophe Species of other Saur species, making it something even Ancient Classes would hesitate to confront with only a few individuals. However, the Grand Dragoner’s Master had even more troublesome news.
“What? There are two?”
“At least, that’s the caveat, but it seems to be true.”
“According to a report just now, the possibility of there being three cannot be dismissed.”
“No way… Three Thanatos…”
Fear flickered across Flam’s face, and it was understandable. The simultaneous attack of multiple Demise Species also happened during the Kobaldia Incident. However, those Demise Species were all different types: Ouroboros, Phoenix, and Sleipnir. This time, however, it’s the same species, Thanatos. Moreover, Allosaurus is an S-Rank Monster, but it’s a species where many individuals not only rival but surpass individuals of the next higher rank, G-rank. Therefore, it’s a prime example of a monster that will give you trouble if you judge it solely by its Monster Rank. Even with the same Demise Species, the Monster Rank of the normal species is used for comparison. If we judged solely by that, even we Element Classes wouldn’t have enough lives to spare. Furthermore, Thanatos is terrifyingly about 50 meters tall and nearly 100 meters long, truly like a kaiju from old special effects movies. Despite such immense size, the reason the number couldn’t be determined is quite simple: both standing and lying individuals of Thanatos have been confirmed. An Alpaga is about 30 meters tall and 50 to 60 meters long. Even from a distance, it wouldn’t be difficult for High Class individuals to distinguish them. However, if such creatures were swarming, confirming them would be a life-threatening endeavor. That’s why their numbers couldn’t be pinpointed.
“It’s better than being given a false certainty. But if there are that many, it would be easier to annihilate them all at once with an Engraving Divine Artifact. Of course, if there are that many Thanatos alone, there’s no guarantee there aren’t others.”
“Yes, Yamato is thinking the same thing, and is currently prioritizing clearing out monsters near the Solpreza Mountain Range with Prim, Athena, Lydia, and Ludia.”
“Even if there were other Demise Species besides Thanatos and Tescatlipoca, it was judged that they could be dealt with if they were acting together with Lady Primrose and Lady Athena.”
Lydia and Ludia have also reportedly evolved into Element Dragonewts, so they should be able to handle S-rank criterion Demise Species as long as they are not caught off guard. The problem lies with Demise Species that meet G-rank or P-rank criteria. However, at those rank criteria, even individuals that are not exaggerations of large size are numerous, so it’s not difficult to spot them. Of course, some monsters, like Tescatlipoca, can disappear, so complacency is not an option.
“Then Mana, should Flam and I go and join Yamato’s group?”
“No, I will go too. If Raus and the others have come, we can have Lucas join them and entrust him with the outer perimeter of Solpreza.”
“I must oversee the overall command, so I cannot leave this place, not even with Themis. I apologize, but I’m counting on you.”
“Leave it to me.”
Themis, one of the Grand Dragoner’s Master’s wives, is a quiet person and didn’t say a word, but she has been here the entire time. After giving birth to a Dragonian girl last year, she evolved into a Hydragonian. Therefore, if fully draconic, she is undoubtedly a combat force comparable to an Ancient Class. However, she is also guarding the Grand Dragoner’s Master, who is in charge of the overall command, so she cannot move. It was indeed the right decision to bring Raus and the others.
Although there are concerns, let’s focus all our efforts on defending Solpreza for now. To that end, I need to regroup with Yamato and rush the generation of the Engraving Divine Artifact.
