Chapter 84
It was dark inside the earthen wall, but Yuurai and the others could still see thanks to the small light Claire had lit.
Yuurai sighed deeply while holding Lipia in her arms.
"......Just screaming has that much power. If Fia's wall hadn't been there, it would've been way more dangerous......"
"Ufufu? My power was useful to the Demon King! Please continue to rely on me more and more!"
While Yuurai and the others had taken damage, Fia was completely unscathed. As expected, to ordinary humans, that scream was just a loud noise. Deena and Gilka were safe too.
"......I never thought the day would come when I'd be glad Fia was here."
"I am the sword and shield of the Demon King. I will slay enemies and protect the Demon King. And no matter the order, I will carry it out without fail!"
"......As long as you don't kill unnecessarily, you might actually be reliable. Still, that Archangel is no good. We need to do something fast."
But how could they defeat that Archangel?
That Archangel, summoned at the cost of tens of thousands of lives, boasted magical energy on par with Yuurai. Also, it was hard to land attacks using the magic Yuurai specialized in.
"Claire. Do you think you can cut it with your sword?"
"......I think I can cut it. But with that size, to it, it'd be like a scratch from a claw."
"Yeah...... Even if I summon a Fiend, it'll probably get blown away immediately. Would hitting the summoner be pointless?"
"I think it would be. It's the same as Yuurai's Fiends."
"Yeah......"
Even if Yuurai's summoned Fiends were called forth, they wouldn't disappear just because Yuurai was killed. Eventually, they'd vanish when the magic ran out, but until then, they'd keep moving.
"Attacking that Archangel directly isn't realistic......"
"Maybe, just maybe, if we destroy the town, that Angel's power might weaken a bit. Even if the Blessed Child summoned it, there's no way they did it alone. They're probably borrowing the power of a choir and using the town itself as a ritual site. If we destroy the ritual site, the supply of souls to the Angel should stop."
"I see. It's worth a try. But...... still, that alone won't be enough to defeat it. Its strength right now stays the same. Ah, geez, do I have to rely on Corruption again? If I use it one more time, I don't know what I'll do!"
Yuurai was stronger than during the last battle. Her magical energy had increased, and she had become better at handling magic. Her race had changed too. If she gained even more overwhelming power from her current state and lost her reason, destroying just one town might not be the end of it.
When corrupted, she could even use unsettling magic like Netherworld Summoning. There was even a chance she could truly turn the northern part of the continent into the Netherworld.
"......What am I supposed to do? Should I run? Would the Archangel chase us? Of course it would...... Yeah, we have to defeat it. Even if we fight in a remote place, who knows what'll happen......"
She wanted time to think, but the Archangel wouldn't wait forever.
That scream once again assaulted Yuurai and the others.
Yuurai poured all her magical energy into protecting Lipia and Claire.
It was stronger than before, and even Claire was bleeding from her body.
"......It can't be helped. Claire, Lipia, get out of this town first."
"I'll stay with Yuurai......"
"Claire. That's an order. With your strength, you can't even stand in front of that Archangel."
Claire looked terribly pained. But perhaps understanding her lack of ability as a warrior, she nodded slowly.
"......If that's an order."
"Yeah. Sorry. But it's not that I don't need you, Claire. It's just that this battle wasn't a good match for you. Once this is over, fight with me again."
"......If that's an order."
"Yeah. It's an order. ......For now, I'll summon a fairly strong Fiend and have it help you two escape. Fia. Get Deena and me outside, and protect Lipia and Claire with a sturdy earthen wall. The Undead don't need to breathe, so it's fine if it's sealed so tight they can't get out on their own."
"Yes! Understood! I'll take this chance to vent my usual grudges!"
"Hey, your enthusiasm seems a little off? You're not allowed to kill or hurt anyone, got it? No crushing them with dirt either!"
Yuurai felt a bit worried. Fia just gave a creepy grin.
"......Fia. If you follow instructions properly, I'll give you a little reward."
Fia hesitated for a few seconds.
"......I want the Demon King to hug me again."
"Got it. Sure. So just follow the instructions properly."
"Understood!"
(Just being hugged is enough to satisfy her—Fia really is like an innocent child...... Maybe that's what she's really like inside?)
Fia, with a beaming smile, obediently followed Yuurai's instructions. She was a dangerous one, but if handled well, she might actually be a useful asset.
Anyway, maybe the Angel wasn't in its complete form yet, since it didn't attack continuously. Or maybe that scream wasn't even an attack.
Taking advantage of the moment, Yuurai summoned a ten-meter-class Fiend with around 100,000 magical energy.
Just in case, she used Concealment Magic to hide its presence and confirmed the Angel didn't react to the Fiend. Then, she had the Fiend carry out the lump of earth containing Claire and the others.
Yuurai was worried when the Angel might attack the Fiend. But the Fiend leapt over the town's outer wall and escaped safely.
"Claire and the others should be okay for now. But to make sure the Archangel doesn't target them, I have to take care of that thing myself. First, destroy the town that's the ritual site? Then what......?"