172 Episode 65: A Long Night Comes (2)
"... I didn't know I was going to be shouldering you"
"Yeah, not at all."
Our edge broke off once. We were supposed to be a couple in the form of kings and queens, but that future never came.
Al was worried about the current state of the country and bore his sins in search of strength at the end of his complex emotions for Anis. And since each other's paths away, I never thought the day would come when we'd be shouldering each other like this.
"Al, you're gonna rendezvous with the acrylic first, right?
"Oh. I'm afraid the acrylic hasn't moved much from a certain point. In other words, you are likely to have encountered the cause of this stampede. Crush it first. Otherwise, a bunch of demons just keep running. If successful, they could retreat the herd of demons as it were."
"… convenient, its foe magic"
Al says he can roughly measure the number and distance of demons by spreading a wide range of mists mixed with a part of himself called blood.
This power is used to grasp the situation and, as commander, Al has led the knights and adventurers. They say this is the result of Al's focus on vampire research after he headed to the border.
"If you gather a little fog to signal, you can give easy instructions even if you're far away. It is difficult to operate when the distance is too far away…"
"So can you give directions to acrylics, too?
"I'm encouraging you to rendezvous, because it's only a one-sided signal from here. Still not away means I still can't get away from the spot, I guess."
Demons have also jumped from behind Al in the middle of the conversation, but Al releases the ice spear he created in the air without turning his gaze to him and tailors him to stop stitching it to the ground.
Al sprays fog in the air, so you can also sense imminent demons from behind with fog. That's why Al is prepared against surprise attacks, and I'm only able to focus my consciousness forward, too.
(As long as the race of vampires is really horrible......)
The power of a vampire is still a little different from simple magic, and it seems to me to have a wide range of its applications.
The situation where such vampires are in the canvas kingdom and may be turning to enemies gives me chills. Again, you can't leave it like this. Once we have cleared this matter up, we must put in place measures for the Cambus Kingdom in earnest.
"Is the acrylic straight as this?
"Oh, you just watch ahead. I'll be your eyes."
…………
"... what, eyes like that dove was shot by an arrow"
"No.... when you say that to me, I feel really bad."
"Oh, so am I. Why should I shoulder to shoulder with you?"
I said as Al looked at me like he was going to throw up evil. I'm also restless with Al alongside my shoulders.
If you're shouldering like this, it's because you don't like it, but you realize you're pulling over yourself that Al dumped you.
I'm sure that's mutual and doesn't make us feel very good about each other. It's like an ancient wound is hurting, I can't help feeling that.
"... I wonder if I could have looked straight at you with this power when I was still my fiancée"
"Impossible assumption."
to Al's whining. I said with my nose ringing. Al snorted the same way in my response.
"You must be. So this is just a sentiment for each other"
"... is it that on your face, I am"
"It's also a boon to vampire power. Absolutely, you can't line up your shoulders without abandoning being a person, and you can't even see for yourself? I don't like it, really."
"Did you know? I can still remember my anger, can't I?
"That's my first ear. Even at the end of the world, it's a habit to look like that."
I'm just a little muddled by Al, who tells me to be sarcastic, but I feel that talking to Al can relieve the tension just as well.
I once didn't know so much about it. I'm holding onto my distance from Al now. I have that feeling.
I guess what we lacked was words and meshing each other's will. We should have told each other that we didn't like each other, even if that was painful.
As the fog cleared up, I felt like something I had been panning about for years would unravel. That puts strength into my feet. The pain of the old wound never disappeared, but that seems good.
Understanding also progresses because it becomes clearer. Perhaps our compatibility is not very good. It doesn't bother me if we keep a certain distance, but if we get too close, we can see each other's shortcomings better.
Once I was only conscious of Al's appearance, so I didn't earn Al's trust. I strongly believe now that if we wanted trust from Al, we needed to communicate it straight without hiding our hearts and minds and without falsehood.
So shall I put my feelings on the table for a little while too? There's no one else but Al, is there?
"... To be honest, it's surprising. I can't believe Al was such a hobby."
"... Hey, wait. What are you talking about?"
"Is that the kind of girl you associate with your own will?
When I pointed that out, Al looked disgusted and then zeroed his tongue.
"... you're really good at stroking people's nerves"
"It's bad for you to do something easy to understand."
"Shut up.... before the oblique, the demon is coming"
"What do you mean shut up? And then I know."
You can retreat so that Al strokes the flying demon with an arcane shell at the same time he warns you. Shake it out to pay for blood and keep running.
"It was really good"
"Now what the hell? I don't have the context."
"I'm relieved that you've got your feet on the ground."
"... naturally. I see reality better than you."
"Really? You could have dreamed about it for a little while."
"Say it.... I decided that it was bad for that guy"
Al tells me that guy, and there's only one person I can think of.
"It's bad because I'm leaving you. And I don't even listen to people. I don't even want to hear it."
"... right"
"On the one hand, I don't even try to look at us if you don't want me to hate you. So I take it upon myself to be satisfied. He's a really selfish guy."
"Next time you see him, do it in a sermon."
"... right. If that's gonna happen."
"It will come true. You're not alone anymore."
Al didn't respond to anything to that word of mine. Continue into the back of the woods as you silently defeat each other's impending demons.
And I saw some light from the back of the woods. Something is moving around at high speeds, and the motion is so intensely brilliant that the residual light is pulling its tail.
Is that light... the light of Mana Blade?
"Acrylic!"
Al has increased his speed, so he will outrun me. Stepping straight after Al, it was just a little square there. No, should I say that the trees are getting wider as a result of being snagged down rather than the square?
And I smelled blood that was going to choke me back. Beneath the trees were countless carcasses of crushed demons. It is painful to have a tragic wound as if it had been taken away. This doesn't seem to have been desperate due to being knocked down a tree.
And the silver light flashed in the woods I pioneered. It's acrylic that even I run around at a finally speed to chase with my eyes. The spear-shaped Mana Blade in its hand will chop and carve countless giant demons.
I can't say I'm inferior or better than Annis, who used the magic of a dragon to strengthen his body. Is this the power of Ricant?
"Acrylic!"
"Al! Be careful! This guy, the guy I talked to during the day!
"What!?"
An acrylic that I noticed us landed beside us and screamed to warn me as I made my posture crawl to the ground. So I saw once again the demon that Acrylic was dealing with.
That was a lizard standing on two legs. The hind legs are developing and, conversely, are as short as the forelegs have degenerated. I have a little wing on my back like a bird that I don't know what it's for.
And from head to back, it's like a horse hyena and thoughtful hair growing all over it, what a chisel-shaped strange demon. Those eyes were stained with deep red like blood, and the demonic light was shaking.
Its mouth is painted on blood and pieces of flesh are pinched from the gap between its teeth. Blood odododour wasn't just caused by the demon's body, it must have also been caused by this demon.
"During the day...... is this what Acrylic said, the same vampired demon Anis encountered in Filwach!?"
I see, I do have a shape that makes me want to watch and tilt my neck. What Ennis seemed to see was a more intricate mix of creatures, but this lizard mosaic is still shaped to withstand direct vision.
On a good note, the acrylic seemed to quickly regenerate the slashed wounds as well. This is also the very trait Annis and Acrylic were saying. I mean, that this stuff is spreading in the Kingdom of Cambus...?
――――――
The demon that put me and Al in sight raised an odd cry. Too unpleasant a voice color is still not the kind of voice that looks like a lizard demon makes.
This alone makes me look too tough. Sure, you should get rid of this soon......!
"I think this guy is the cause of the stampede......!
"... acrylic, is that true?
"Al?"
Ask the acrylic warnings back to make sure Al knows what it is. That gaze was not a demon, but seemed to stare at its depths.
Acrylics are also surprisingly frowning at Al's appearance like that. And Al said as he passed on a glimmer of sweat.
"- This guy is not the one...! Back in the woods, there's this guy eating other demons!" These herds are the cause of the stampede!