Chapter 89: Horned Lizard (3)
"...Sir Elwin?"
Just then, Nero called him in a trembling voice.
“Yes? Mr. Nero, did you call?”
“A-Are you alright, nya? Is there anything bothering you...”
“Haha! Nothing like that.”
His ears and tail drooped, and his pupils dilated wide, clearly showing his fear of him. Because Nero, too, was particularly sharp-sensed among beastkin.
“Everything is proceeding perfectly well, what could possibly bother me?”
Elwin took a sip of the cooled tea and smiled faintly.
“Sorry. I was just lost in other thoughts for a moment.”
It was just that he felt a little annoyed. About the countless tragedies that might have occurred if Elwin, he, hadn't been there.
“Getting back to our original topic. I can't carelessly speak about Mr. Hake's restrictions, but there won't be any problems. I can assure you.”
In a way, Hake at this point was no different from a 'living' metaphor character.
Since he was a character who died by the time of the original story, there had been no balance patches applied to him. That's how unique the ability called Daydream was.
‘Normally, he was fated to die in the coming summer.’
But Hake had already promised Elwin to betray Depicio. A promise made with none other than a Top Hunter.
Hake wasn't one to be ignorant of that weight.
“If you say so, Sir Elwin.”
Nero, forcing a nonchalant expression, then licked the cold tea with his tongue.
“I wasn't worried about Hake or anything, nya. A single-minded fool like him needs to taste some spice, nya.”
“Of course, you would say that.”
“I’m serious, nya?”
“I’m sure you are.”
“...You don't believe me, nya.”
Elwin smiled awkwardly watching Nero pout.
“Well, watching the two of you bicker, even though you speak harshly to each other, it didn't seem like you genuinely hated or despised one another?”
Nero was once a promising star who received all of Depicio’s expectations, but one day, he spectacularly flipped them off and escaped.
Hake couldn't understand the betrayal of Nero, whom he deeply admired. And incomprehension soon turned into a sense of betrayal and love-hate.
Until then, Hake's brain must have been pickled by Depicio's brainwashing education.
「“It would have been nice if that guy were alive, nya...”」
But judging from Nero's lines in the original work, it seemed Nero didn't particularly dislike Hake.
Rather, he seemed to miss the deceased Hake, at least slightly. Which probably meant the real Nero felt the same way.
“I d-dislike him, nya!”
While Elwin was calming down Nero, whose face had turned bright red and whose fur puffed out.
“Hmm?”
Elwin noticed the screen of his Nexion blinking. Two messages had arrived.
[Operation complete.]
[Horned Lizard, fighting Gale.]
“Looks like things are wrapping up.”
“Nya?”
“Mr. Hake just sent a message. Horned Lizard and Gale are fighting.”
To obtain what Elwin wanted, the cooperation of the Batevil tunnels' ruler, the Horned Lizard, was necessary.
Since she likely secretly desired to sever ties with Depicio too, once they got her to the negotiating table, the next steps would be smooth.
‘But Candela has a fiery temper and distrusts LAMPASians with a passion, so getting her to the table, let alone having a relaxed conversation, won't be easy.’
Elwin sent Gale, his colleagues, and Hake to resolve this issue smoothly.
While the other Spero members drew the Horned Lizard's attention, Hake would secretly use his unique magic to create a threatening situation.
And then immediately present her with sweet bait.
So enticing and tempting to the cornered Candela that she couldn't possibly refuse.
‘Forcing it seemed like it would backfire, so I tried a conciliatory approach. Looks like it's working out.’
Since Candela was a natural battle maniac, he thought that if the Spero members faced her and won, she would approach the negotiations seriously out of respect for the victor.
‘The so-called, carrot and stick strategy!’
Since Candela was a major NPC in 「LAMPAS」, his understanding of her tendencies was perfect.
It seemed like such a simple, brute-force strategy would work on her.
“Aha? Gale and Candela? They're fighting, nya? Then it'll be decided quickly.”
“Right? Then, Mr. Nero. Shall we get going too? Nahr is coming over there just in time.”
In the direction Elwin was looking, Nahrhan was approaching, dragging something.
What Nahrhan was dragging was... a procession of people, tied up tightly with ropes all over their bodies, linked together like sausages!
“With this, Candela will surely be inclined to cooperate with us, right?”
“Ahahat! She won't have a choice, nya!”
Those being captured by Nahrhan were all beastkin.
“Soon, we'll get to see the aghast face of that fierce woman, Horned Lizard, with her jaw dropped.”
Nero’s bright yellow eyes filled with glee.
“I’m looking forward to it, nya.”
* * *
Among the numerous martial artists in the world, few properly utilized their mana affinity.
Their understanding, let alone imagination, was low.
Just because it's fire affinity mana doesn't mean it always has to burn fiercely, and just because it's water affinity mana doesn't mean it always has to be calm.
Compared to such individuals, Candela was a skilled practitioner who fully utilized her rock affinity mana.
She concentrated her mana, which possessed hard properties, throughout her body, especially focusing it on her hair.
Protecting herself like rock armor, while simultaneously...
“Haaaaaap!”
Using it as a means of attack!
Candela’s hair, split into two strands behind her back, shot towards Gale at terrifying speed.
The sharp tips resembled triangular pyramids. But the power contained in each one could not be easily ignored.
Just grazing it would draw blood like a blade cut, and a direct hit would create a nice hole in the body!
Shweeeek!
That's why her nickname was ‘Horned Lizard’. Because she walked around with such powerful, horn-like strands of hair dangling.
“Wow! Attacking with hair. This is quite novel?”
Slice!
However, Gale’s skill was also considerable. If Candela used her hard hair like second and third hands to attack...
Saaaaak!
Gale's chain sword could also extend long and sever the target.
The sword, unfurling at a bizarre angle like a snake, rapidly approached, aiming for Candela’s neck.
As she tried to step back to avoid it, she was lightly grazed by the sword body that curved at a strange angle.
Kwaaaaang-!
Then, with a loud roar, the section of the sword body that made contact exploded.
“Kugh!”
Although Candela protected her body by strongly channeling mana at that moment, the impact of the explosion was considerable, sending her sliding straight back.
Moreover, the aftereffects seemed to remain in her body, as blood flowed from all over.
“Kahaha! You seem to use quite a delightful weapon too!”
Drip. Wiping the blood flowing from her mouth, Candela opened her mouth wide and laughed.
‘Fun!’
Fierce combat with an opponent was a delicacy she never tired of experiencing!
The pleasure derived from battles determining the superiority of strength versus strength was a lifelong companion for martial artists like her.
She wouldn't mind dying while chasing pleasure.
“But this surely isn't the end, is it?! Hunter! More, more, more, show me your power!”
“Well, I told you I’m a mercenary, not a Hunter. ...Ah, is Hunter also correct now?”
Gale, awkwardly tousling his hair, gripped the sword in one hand and the gun in the other.
Swinging the sword fiercely, he gritted his teeth and muttered.
“...I need to step it up a bit too.”
Seeing Candela utilize her mana in a novel way had stimulated him.
Simultaneously, he felt a subtle sensation, as if a clue to a new application method was just within reach.
‘This is a good opportunity to expand my diverse attack methods!’
Because in a way, Gale, Sercia, and Calix. These three were competitors.
In fact, the decision of who would duel Candela was also decided after rather fierce competition and agreement. That too was a kind of achievement.
-Yeehawwwwww~! I wonnnn!
-...Tch!
-So close. You should have used rock instead of scissors there!
Competitors vying beneath the surface to earn Elwin’s trust. Of course, it wasn't that they didn't trust each other as colleagues.
It was simply because each had clear objectives they absolutely had to achieve.
‘To find my past even a day sooner!’
Depending on who gained Elwin’s trust first, the moment their wishes came true would likely be hastened.
‘So I need to become stronger than I am now!’
Gale knew his shortcomings.
Sercia, who displayed genius talent in magic, and Calix, a direct descendant of the renowned swordsmanship family Zahardt.
Compared to those two, he was infinitely lacking, and the areas he needed to fill were mountainous.
Of course, if the other two heard this, they would find it absurd. Saying what kind of ordinary talent could grasp mana usage in just one day.
Sercia and Calix had heard from Elwin that Gale had grasped Elwin’s mana formula in a single day.
‘My mana affinity is light. And the characteristics of light affinity are purification and erosion.’
The power of purification wasn't particularly lethal to ordinary humans, unless they were wicked beings like Geoma or monsters.
Unless they were those who had accepted the power of wicked darkness...
‘Then the characteristic I can utilize is erosion, perhaps.’
Of course, the battle with Candela was thrilling and fun in its own right, but.
The horde of hundreds of corpse puppets created by the mad puppeteer Molga. The bizarre ancient monster and the chillingly strong fallen human king, Manticore.
On top of that...
‘Every day, I’m sparring and getting beaten up by that kid who’s more monstrous than a monster.’
Would fighting one of the Northern Continent's notable powerhouses be scary?
In reality, Candela's fierce fists and kicks weren't inflicting significant damage on Gale.
Conversely, Gale easily dodged and even launched counterattacks, accumulating damage.
Tang! Tang! Tang!
Firing bullets imbued with light to keep Candela from approaching, Gale increased the distance between them further.
Due to the nature of the chain sword, which could freely adjust its length, maintaining some distance from the opponent was advantageous.
“Where do you think you’re going! ...Ugh!”
But then, Candela deflected the bullets with her hair to prevent Gale from escaping.
As a result, the light bullets shattered, unleashing a blinding flash.
“Aha?”
Gale's expression brightened seeing Candela stagger, temporarily blinded.
From the current spectacle, he had found a clue to utilizing his mana.
“Alright! Let’s give it a try!”
And watching their exchange from a short distance away were others.
“He’s having fun.”
“...He’s having fun.”
“He’s definitely having fun, right?”
It was Sercia, Calix, and Hake. They unconsciously shook their heads.
Calix clicked his tongue, tsk, and said.
“That guy, what on earth is he thinking, dragging it out like this. If he’s pushed this far, finishing it quickly would be the decent thing to do for the opponent.”
Because the tide of victory had long since turned in Gale’s favor.
If Gale launched a stronger offensive than now, subduing Candela would be like eating cold soup.
“I know, right. I don’t know what he’s thinking... Oh? Haha! It’s over anyway. Look over there.”
Where Hake pointed with his outstretched hand.
“Alright, alright, that’s enough.”
Standing tall between Gale and Candela, Elwin was blocking them with outstretched arms.
Quite effortlessly.