Elementalists, being able to blend with nature, could move more stealthily than any other magic class.
Thus, it took the Scarecrow Legion Commander a while to realize that the hostages had vanished.
"Huh?"
As the Scarecrow Legion Commander, feeling his empty chest, turned his eyes in haste, Mikhail and Hannibal - two boys - were seen escaping through the power of an earth spirit, their figures growing distant.
"That damned crow, stealing grains before the harvest is even over...!"
A furious murmur escaped the Scarecrow Legion Commander, and suddenly, a fierce heat surged from behind him.
"...?!"
Turning slowly, the Scarecrow Legion Commander saw
A giant pillar of flame summoned behind Dearmudin, and Chain, having shed all his chains and merged with darkness.
And Lucas, using the ultimate skill [Divine Descent], emitting golden radiance, his eyes flashing menacingly.
Lucas, wiping his bloodied lips with the back of his hand, gritted his teeth and spat out,
"Without hostages, someone like you is just a punch away."
"Ho..."
Creak. Creak, creak.
With his neck half-sliced, tilting his head to the side, and his burlap sack head torn to the very top, the scarecrow asked with a smile,
"Really, you think so?"
***
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
Hannibal gasped for breath.
Hannibal was closer to an Enchanter, someone more talented in imbuing items or people with spirits, rather than directly summoning and fighting with spirits.
With little combat experience, and facing a monstrous Legion commander head-on for the first time, the energy drain from moving stealthily while managing such immense malevolent energy was no small feat.
The speed of the earth spirit carrying Mikhail began to slow.
"It's useless anyway."
Despite this, Hannibal did not stop running forward, to which Mikhail murmured sadly,
"Even if you save me like this, I'm bound to die once I return home."
"..."
"I'm a failure... There's no reason to risk your life to save me. You should leave me behind now..."
Then, a hand suddenly lifted Hannibal and Mikhail.
Looking up in surprise, it was Zenis. Zenis, holding a boy under each arm, tucked them into his sides and started sprinting forward.
"So you think it's useless to try saving you because you're going to die anyway?"
Zenis chuckled.
"Hey, Your Highness. Have you ever seen someone who doesn't die?"
"..."
"Of course, as long as someone is human, they'll die someday. But does that mean we shouldn't live?"
While carrying and healing the two boys with healing magic, Zenis continued,
"Defeat is bitter! The death of comrades is sad! You might die if you go back home! I understand your situation, but saving people is our job here."
"I am..."
Unable to continue, Mikhail saw Zenis give a sly smile.
"You're too young to die."
"..."
"Then you should live."
That's when it happened.
Ssssss-!
A sound of something falling came from above.
Zenis didn't look back. The pale faces of the two boys he was holding were enough to guess what was flying down from above.
'Damn...!'
Throwing the two boys forward, Zenis gathered all his divine power to create armor around him.
Crash-!
The scarecrow that had flown above Zenis plunged down, swinging its arm to strike.
With a dismissive gesture as if swatting a fly, the force was terrifying. With a single blow, Zenis was smashed into the ground and then bounced up.
Convinced of Zenis's downfall, the Scarecrow Legion Commander, creaking and twisting his neck, approached Mikhail.
"Don't leave anything uneaten. Think about the hard work of the farmers. Okay?"
"Kr, ugh...!"
"You should scrape and eat every last bit of what you started. Got it?"
Laughing with a creak, creak, the Scarecrow Legion Commander's steps suddenly halted.
Looking down, he saw a hand grasping his leg.
It was Zenis. Fallen to the ground, he had reached out his hand to stop the Legion commander.
"Stubborn to the core. Looks like I'll have to completely annihilate you, you seaweed-like creatures..."
"Heh, have you ever farmed...? Harmful birds are naturally tough."
As he realigned his broken bones and stitched his torn muscles with healing magic, Zenis forcibly stood up.
And then he sensed it.
Ah, yes.
This is it.
Flash!
Pouring all his divine power into it, Zenis formed armor that covered his entire body and created a long spear in his hand, saying,
"Hannibal, go! Now!"
The Scarecrow Legion Commander charged with a sneer.
Barely dodging the attack, Zenis pierced the Legion commander's wrist with his divine power spear, pinning it to the ground.
"Just a little further and His Highness will save you. So hurry!"
"But!"
"I told you. You're too young to die."
For the first time, Zenis looked straight into Hannibal's eyes and carefully observed him.
Inheriting from his parents, clear golden eyes and light brown hair.
A son who looked nothing like him.
"I'm sorry I never got to be a proper father."
"...!"
"Go now! I can't hold on for long!"
At that moment, the Scarecrow Legion Commander roared, pulled out his hand pinned to the ground, and swung it.
Zenis's divine power armor was blown away by just a graze. The divine power helmet shattered, leaving a long cut on Zenis's face.
But not backing down, Zenis gritted his teeth, ready to enter his final battle.
"You're also young, youngster."
With a surge of red magical power, a hexahedron made of magic appeared, imprisoning the Scarecrow Legion Commander like a jail.
Everyone turned in shock as a bloodied Dearmudin flew in, landing unsteadily.
"To think you're acting all mature after living merely thirty or forty years. To me, you're still a boy."
"Lord Dearmudin...!"
"It's an ancient sealing magic scroll. I only have one of these in my Ivory Tower."
Crack! Crack, crack!
As the Scarecrow Legion Commander thrashed within the hexahedral seal, cracks quickly formed on the magic-made walls.
Dearmudin concentrated his magic to repair the seal.
"I'll hold him down, so go now."
"But!"
Dearmudin glanced at Zenis about to say something, then suddenly twitched the corners of his mouth.
"No, wait. Just one last thing before you go."
"Yes?"
He started lecturing out of the blue.
"First, young priest, you. Excommunication, is that such a big deal? Does life end with that?"
"What? No..."
"So what if you caused some trouble, made people around you tired? People are naturally tiring to each other. It's normal to be a nuisance."
"..."
"Even when you think everything is completely ruined, there's always a way, and even when you feel it's all over, life annoyingly goes on. So as long as your legs can carry you, keep walking!"
Zenis opened his mouth slightly.
Dearmudin sharply turned to Mikhail.
"And you, Prince Mikhail. Thinking of dying after one defeat? Haven't you heard the saying, victory and defeat are common in war? Do you know how many defeats I've survived to still be alive today?"
"..."
Mikhail also looked stunned. Dearmudin continued with a stern expression.
"It hurts to face failure for the first time. But more failures will come your way in life. The world will knock you down over and over."
Dearmudin nodded firmly.
"Get up shamelessly."
"..."
Mikhail clenched his fist, his hand trembling.
Finally, Dearmudin gently said to Hannibal,
"Don't fear failure, boys. Don't be ashamed. Just learn one lesson from each failure and move on."
The old man grinned.
"That failure is your life."
Crack! Crack, crack!
The sealing magic began to collapse. Dearmudin poured all his remaining magic into it.
"Thanks for listening to my last rant. Now I feel relieved. Go, now!"
"Lord Dearmudin...!"
"You're all too young to die here."
As if refusing to listen any further, Dearmudin shook his head.
"Let the old make the sacrifices."
***
And at that moment.
"No, Lord Dearmudin."
I intervened.
"Lord Dearmudin, you're young too."
"...What?"
"In the life that remains for us, today is the youngest we'll ever be."
Everyone turned to look at me.
Carrying a flagpole on my shoulder, gasping for breath from running hastily.
I, wiping the sweat from my chin, grinned.
"We're all too young to die today."
The cliché of blocking the retreat and sending off the troops before dying heroically is a cool role everyone wants to play at least once.
But it's not to my taste.
Dearmudin, whether stunned by the assertion of his youth or my dramatic timing, gaped.
"Sorry I'm late. I've just finished clearing the regular scarecrows at the forward base."
I planted the flagpole in the ground and bent over, panting. Ah, my terrible stamina. A bit of sprinting and I feel like dying.
"Now that the squadron leader is here, let's start the boss raid."
"What... You still don't grasp the situation, Prince Ash?! We can't stand against this monster with just us! I'll hold him with my remaining magic, so run away as far as you can!"
"You're right. It's a bit tough for just us."
A raid usually can't be solved by one party alone.
Crack! Crack, crack!
Inside the seal, the Scarecrow Legion Commander started to cause more havoc. I slowly reached into my pocket.
"So... let's increase the number of participants."
What I pulled out from my pocket - the inventory - was a torch burning with blue flames.
Destroyed last time but repaired, [Blue Flame Torch].
Clang-!
Just then, breaking through the seal, the Scarecrow Legion Commander burst out.
Dearmudin shouted something, but ignoring him, I threw the blue flame torch towards the charging Scarecrow Legion Commander...
Whoosh!
"This thing!"
The Scarecrow Legion Commander swatted it away irritably. The blue flame torch, hit by the monster's arm, spun in the air, making a circle.
And the next moment,
Boom...!
A shot was fired from afar,
Thwack!
A magic bullet pierced the Scarecrow Legion Commander's chest right in the center.
"...?!"
The Scarecrow Legion Commander, charging at us, was blown backward as if flung away.
Rolling on the ground, the monster looked around, confused about what had happened.
My companions were just as clueless about the situation. I simply smiled silently in front of them.
It takes three days on horseback from Crossroad to here, the forward base.
From the nearest teleport gate to here, it's a day's ride.
But-
If it's an airship?
From Crossroad to here, it's a blink of an eye.
The sound of propellers grew closer, and then, slicing through the wind, our World Guardian Front's flagship - Geronimo - soared towards us.
"Your Highness-!"
Damien, sitting at the open hatch in a sniper position, shouted.
"Sorry, Your Highness! We came as soon as the gate was destroyed, but Geronimo was under repair, so it took some time-!"
"Save the story for later, Damien!"
I pointed at the monster and shouted,
"Fireeeee!"
Instead of replying, Damien pulled the trigger.
Boom!
--TL Notes--
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