NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37
Stampede Battle 5
Presea was assigned to the long-range attack unit, where she was demonstrating her full potential.
Her ability: [Spirit Manipulation].
What she mentioned to Haise were only two things: “long-distance communication between spirits” and “spirits becoming invisible.” However, there was one more thing—she could “imbue objects with the attributes of spirits.”
In other words, Presea could infuse her arrows with the attributes of earth, water, fire, or wind and shoot them.
“…Fire.”
As she murmured, the ‘spirit’ visible only to Presea and those with the same ‘ability’ lit her arrow aflame.
The arrowhead ignited.
A blazing arrowhead.
Incidentally, spirit fire could only be extinguished by spirit water.
Presea released the arrow, and it pierced through a goblin’s skull, instantly setting the creature ablaze.
When Presea snapped her fingers, the spirit attached to the arrowhead unleashed flames on the surrounding goblins, incinerating them all at once.
“…The numbers just don’t dwindle.”
Without hesitation, Presea turned her gaze to Haise, who was in the frontlines, recklessly firing his gun.
Since she had attached a spirit to Haise, she could pinpoint his location anywhere in the capital.
Haise appeared to be safe.
However, Presea saw him riddling a goblin attacking Sasha with bullets… and then witnessed Sasha clinging to Haise.
“…………”
Presea pursed her lips tightly.
“Wind.”
She imbued her arrow with wind and fired it.
A fierce gale erupted from the point where the arrow pierced the magical beast.
“…It’s not like I care.”
Muttering to herself, she imbued another arrow with an attribute and released it.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Sasha returned to the Clan Sacred’s clan home with Reynold.
As soon as she returned, Sasha ran to her room, stripped off all her clothes, and stood completely naked.
She donned new undergarments, her armor lining, tidied her hair, and equipped herself.
Strapping a sword to her waist, she was ready. She finished her preparations in five minutes and left the home.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah… I’m fine now.”
With a resolute expression, Sasha gazed up at the sky.
Even now, magical beasts were advancing.
“Reynold, I’m sorry for the trouble…”
“Don’t sweat it. We’re comrades, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, thank you.”
Sasha smiled.
Reynold almost grimaced at the sight of her smile.
The Sasha Reynold had fallen for was brimming with confidence, never gave up, and always had a clear, unwavering expression.
The Sasha now was radiant.
“Let’s go!! Stop the magical beasts—or rather, annihilate them!!”
As she dashed out of the home, Sasha’s entire body began to shine—not in silver, but in gold.
This was the moment Sasha’s ability had evolved.
She dashed off, leaving Reynold behind in an instant, and in less than a minute, she returned to the frontlines.
Leaping, she vaulted over the main gate, drew the sword at her waist, and swung it with all her might.
“Golden Blade, [Sky Fang]!!”
Surpassing silver, the golden aura became a blade that cleaved through the air.
This was also the moment the power of the [Sword Master] awakened in its true form.
The golden blade swept through hundreds of magical beasts.
“Come!! As long as my sword doesn’t break… none of you will pass beyond this point!!”
Her voice resonated across the battlefield.
The golden aura, Sasha, had captivated the attention of the S-rank adventurers and all others.
“Hah… As expected, our leader is different.”
While firing magic in rapid succession at the center of the magic unit, Tycoon commented.
“Hahhhn…!”
Moved by Sasha’s valor, Piasora fainted.
“Hehe, I’m so glad I’m on Sasha’s team!!”
Robin psyched herself up.
Catching up, Reynold muttered, “I’m falling for her all over again, seriously.”
And—while slaughtering more magical beasts than anyone else—Haise tossed aside his Desert Eagle, took up a shotgun, and smiled faintly.
“You’re late, Sasha.”
Boom!! The shotgun roared.
It was almost like a celebratory shot for Sasha’s arrival.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Sasha’s arrival drastically shifted the tide of battle.
First, clad in golden aura, Sasha alone performed as well as over twenty S-rank adventurers.
Every slash of her sword unleashed golden aura, cutting enemies in half.
Any magical beast that approached was shredded by Sasha’s swordsmanship.
In mid-range combat, Haise’s shotgun and grenade launcher obliterated approaching magical beasts.
“Tch…”
Chaos threw a poisoned knife at Sasha, but the moment it touched her golden aura, it shattered.
He had planned to poison and play with her under the pretense of treating her, but it was over in an instant.
“She’s awakened… Damn it.”
Sometimes, it happens.
When someone overcomes adversity, their ability grows even stronger.
Sasha was precisely in that state.
Though Chaos didn’t know what had happened, her breakthrough had advanced her ability.
The [Sword Master] ability allowed one to envelop themselves in aura and wield godlike sword techniques. It was the ultimate ability for swordsmen.
Any ability bearing the title of “Master” was inherently powerful.
“Tch… Whatever. I wasn’t interested in that brat in the first place.”
Chaos’s interest completely vanished.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
After half a day of Haise firing his guns relentlessly, the end was finally in sight.
The enormous horde of magical beasts had dwindled to a few hundred.
The battlefield was strewn with the corpses of magical beasts.
In the distance, a few beasts were visible, running toward them.
Haise, wielding Desert Eagles in both hands, shot the approaching beasts. The last one, an orc, was riddled with holes and collapsed with a thud.
Above, an eagle cried out.
[Well done, everyone!! Extermination complete, extermination complete!! The Stampede Battle is our victory!!]
The adventurers roared in celebration.
Some threw down their weapons, others wept, leaned on each other, sang, or laughed.
Their comrades smiled broadly.
There were many injured and dead. But for now… they relished the joy of victory.
“…………”
Haise holstered his Desert Eagle and left the scene.
The eagle perched on his shoulder.
[Where are you going?]
“Back to the inn. It’s almost dinner.”
[…Haise, just this once—]
“I hate this kind of stuff. I’ll spend some time alone, relaxing.”
[There’s cleanup to be done.]
“My reward for the Stampede Battle is ‘exemption from cleanup’, please.”
[…Good grief.]
The eagle flew off his shoulder as Haise quietly left the battlefield unnoticed.
◇◇◇◇◇◇
Sasha was surrounded by a crowd of adventurers.
“Thank you, thank you!!”
“You’re a hero!!”
“Not bad, little lady.”
“I’m impressed!!”
Even the S-rank adventurers praised Sasha.
From the mid-to-late stages of the battle, Sasha’s actions were extraordinary.
The S-rank adventurers recognized her, even listening to her spontaneous commands.
As Sasha listened to their words of gratitude, she surveyed her surroundings.
“……”
“Looking for someone?”
“Uh, ah…”
Jonathan, an S-rank adventurer, spoke to Sasha.
But she shook her head.
“If you’re looking for Dark Stalker, he left as soon as Geist declared the end. Damn it… He worked as hard as you, slayed as many magical beasts, but he has no sense of teamwork. That won’t earn him any recognition.”
“…Excuse me, I’ll be right back!!”
Pushing her way through the adventurers, Sasha broke into a run.
Geist, who had been giving orders, appeared before her.
“Sasha.”
“Geist, I’m sorry!!”
“Wait. Haise is in the slum alleys.”
“What…?”
“He should accept at least a few words of thanks.”
Geist told her to leave things to him, and Sasha took off running.
On the way, she passed Reynold, Tycoon, Robin, and Piasora but ignored them and continued running.
Entering the city and nearing the slum, she encountered—
“Ah.”
“…You’re Sasha?”
It was Presea, the elven girl often seen with Haise.
Why was she here?
The answer was clear without asking.
“Should a hero like you be here?”
“…I’m no hero.”
“I see.”
Presea headed into the slums.
Sasha walked alongside her.
“Planning to follow me?”
“I just have business here.”
“I see… with Haise?”
“Yeah.”
“I see… heh.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing. You seem like a jealous little girl. It’s adorable.”
“Wh-what?!”
“Fufu. Fine. Let’s go together.”
“H-hey!! What’s that supposed to mean?!”
The two girls walked side by side.
When they arrived at the inn where Haise stayed, their appearance together left Haise bewildered—but that’s a story for another time.