Manowa

The people of the city of Daedona will not forget the nightmare they suddenly visited that day. Ilia Neustel, the adventurer who stayed in the city, would have made that an unforgettable event.

They will never forget the day they felt despair, and the day they saw hope.

It suddenly appeared as the sun began to rise, raising earthen smoke from the back of the Collinge grass field in front of the city of Daedona.

Soldiers from the watchtower shouted. Had he fallen asleep, as usual, or might not have made it, he would not have been lazy enough to do his duty correctly to feel some omen today. And he rang the bell of a demonic attack in terror, raising his unlimited voice.

This morning in the world is early. Everyone wakes up late at night. But few people have been up so early. Everyone wakes up to the sound of that bell with their sleeping eyes and comes out of the house with a slightly anxious face.

It's the sound of a demonic attack bell I haven't heard in the last few years. The inhabitants head towards the gate wondering what happened. Most cities are protected by stone walls. For example, he thought it would be safe as long as he was in the city even if the demons came. But what was there was despair.

"It's a dragon bear. Ahhh!!!!"

Someone screamed. Everyone on the spot fought at the sight seen from the main entrance. Hundreds of dragon bears are coming this way in rows.

"Oh, oh..."

Ilia was also looking at that figure. He was burning in his eyes about two meters of red eyes covered in scales and alien demons coming glowing the flames spilling out of his mouth.

Ilia, an adventurer and magician, can see distant sights with the art of far-sightedness. But all this time, the convenient magic also had to speed up her heart breaking.

(No, you can't. Shit)

The word give up with a tired face plunders the back of your brain.

After a while the gate was closed. People arrived trying to escape through the back gate, but at some point they were surrounded by dragon bears. It was apparently coming through the woods. Had it not been for those who tried to escape first, they might have been late to realize. If it had been too late to close the gate, they might have entered. Though the path of the people who could hardly escape or return was set in the belly of the demon.

The guards close the gate as they block their ears to the voice telling them to open it. Neither the screams of the children, nor the screams of the women, will leave forever, stuck in their ears. Among them was also a mix of the voices of the couple and children of the lords of this city. The guards cried down on the spot as they listened to the voices screaming like crazy turn into screams and eventually into beast groans.

And the call bell rings from the Adventurer's Guild.

Ilia sighed that she would probably be forced to ask, but would have to take it. It's not meant to survive anymore, but we have to do it.

That's how when Ilia reached the square in front of the Adventurer's Guild office with depression, all the faces gathered there looked alike dead. I laugh bitterly that Ilia and I must have a face that says so. We have zero chance of survival. There is no hope anywhere.

Ilia sees the stone walls covering the city, which can also be seen from here.

The city's stone walls are quite strong enough to withstand the anti-terrestrial dragons, but that number of dragon bears will last for a few hours. The gates are made of wood and iron. It's tacky where it's fortified with witchcraft, and it's more likely not to keep it than stone walls.

Besides, the neighboring city will have already been notified, but it usually takes a day for the soldiers and adventurers to get here. If we count them, we can't fight them, and it could take two to three days. I mean, it won't last a day. This city's already packed.

Sobbing voices and anger sound by the way. Ilia sincerely wants me to stop that kind of thing because it sharpens my feelings.

(... I really know how you feel)

Even I want to cry right now. Ilaria reminds me of her untrained self that she hasn't said anything to him yet, even though she admired him. Don't bluff a little manipulating that demon sword. The boy's face is reflected in my heart.

"Naoki-kun. Protect us..."

So Ilia speaks the name of that boy who once saved himself. Then my buddy Ruins behind Ilia said something softly.

Can't I... I heard Ilia that way, but Ilia shook one of her necks to the side.

(I'm sorry, Ruins. I only see you as my brother.)

I know you're favoring me. But even at this time, Ilia didn't feel like accepting Ruins. That's what I have to do. Because there's another man in her heart already.

But Ilia is also prepared to die as a companion, protecting his disciples. That won't be the love that Ruins wants, but I'm thinking of rewarding him with love like Ilaria. I sincerely hope so at least at the end of the day.

Then an Adventurer Alliance official explained to me that the Alliance Master and a group of whites, Swordfish, were staying in the neighboring city and are on their way to rescue exactly now. From the adventurers around me, so I get a voice about what's going on.

There's no way I can do anything about having an Alliance Master. The name of a group of whites was known there, but the "Crazy Ghosts Crusade" they were the first to know was a battle ready throughout the city. The most famous Black Rock Dragon Crusade also made men yell that they might have been the guards of the prince with the treasure sword of Minciana. Swordfish, on the other hand, is a well-known being in this Highvern. Glorious, the leader, was a man hot for righteousness, and there were many who tear that perhaps they had come to help themselves ready to die.

I guess the difference there is the result of what has been done until then. Guildmasters are famous for their opportunism and bad sense, and a bunch of whites have all sorts of black rumors. So I guess I can't help but appreciate that either. That was the same thought for Ilia, who was on the spot.

And even if one or two parties come, water on the baking stone. What I really want is an army of neighboring Hyvern troops and dragon knights. But I know it won't arrive in two days a day. I can't help it. We understand that our lives cannot be so irrelevant.

And a request was made that no dragon bear crusade could be done.

I don't want to die. Ilia thinks so in the last hours of silence. Tears fell zero with the two, but the bell of the beginning of the battle rang, and Ilia wiped it and rose.

Time at the beginning of the end. From here on out is not a battle to protect the people of this city. It is a battle to reduce further casualties after we have been hammered, killed and eaten. That is the only proof that they have lived. It was such a battle.

The city of Daedona is already in the cage castle. So the first attack was due to bows and arrows and sorcery from above the walls.

Dragon bears are highly flame resistant and fire arrows and fire magic don't do much good. And if the attributes of flames are strong, it doesn't mean that ice works easily. Halfway through the ice magic is melted by Dragon Bear's heat before the damage passes.

As a result, much of the magic of the lightning attribute was unleashed. Some of them also intersect Illia's sorcery. The number of enemies is enormous. Close your eyes and you'll hit it.

The enemy doesn't just eat attacks unilaterally, either. Dragon bears can spit out flaming braces like dragon species into flaming spheres. So a ball of flame poured down on the stone wall as if it were rain.

"... Ugg"

Through it Ilia kills her fear desperately and waves her wand. I was nervous and I was about to throw up, but I can't afford that.

Next to it was a burning, screaming sorcerer. He rolls like crazy and gets the magic of cooling from his buddies who were on the spot, but stays put. A short distance away, a variant of a winged dragon bear called the Dragonfly Bear was climbing and rampant. My buddies get kicked in like garbage.

And the showers of the Dragon Bears' flaming spheres will not stop. With a face full of soot, Ilia casts a spell desperately. But it won't work anymore. One companion after another falls and is no longer about to run out of his own magic. The gates will burn, and they will be destroyed soon. There's nothing I can do. Death is imminent in front of me.

"Iliaaaa!!!

Ruins' voice rang from afar. Turning around, the Dragonfly Bear was approaching us. Ruins is shaken away by that demon and looks desperately at this one as he rolls. And Ilia realized.

(... this is where I die)

A hand with a cane fell powerless. I had run out of magic already.

And what comes to mind is the face of one boy. I whimper thinking of that boy with a grown-up, lonely vibe that twisted, not year-to-year. And at the end of the day he called the name, whether it be one girl, not a warrior.

"Help me... Naoki-kun"

I'll take care of it.

And Ilia heard an unlikely voice. Is that a convenient phantom that preceded death? But reality is extremely dramatic in fulfilling her wishes.

"Ggaaaaaa!!!!

Suddenly countless swords pierced the dragonfly bear. Flames leaked from the slashed wounds, ice blew, and thunder struck. Then a boy jumped the demon's neck on Todome and stood in front of Ilia.

"Naoki-kun...?

Ilia saw it with tearful eyes. So much so that I thought I might have gone crazy. Because there was a boy in front of her who she wanted.

"I'm sorry. A little late."

Just like then, I say that with one evil looking face.

And Ilia ran out and hugged Naoki. I cried out the boy's name in tears. Naoki hugs the girl and strokes her head. Make sure you feel safe that you're okay now.

Ruins looked "ah," but turned his gaze to the side. Ruins also understands that he doesn't like it but that the boy in front of him deserves an Ilia hug.

And Ruins was ahead of him out of sight, bitterly laughing that it was the same when he finally caught up with Emily and Lyle each staring at Naoki with a regrettable face. He laughed even louder when he realized he was laughing even though he still remained the same pinch.

I guess that was the turning point. The adventurers around them also noticed it. Soon the ball of flame stopped flying. Find out where the dragon bears' gaze is.

There was a thunder. A raging, angry roar echoed. Naoki slowly turned his sword outside the outer wall, keeping Ilia in his arms.

And there's a purple thunder ahead...