“Yes. Let us hurry.”
We ran toward the depths. The farther in we went, the more crystals were embedded in the walls. The scent of blood grew stronger as well.
Then I saw workers crouched on the ground. Bats the size of dogs were tearing into them.
They were Crystal Bats. The insides of their wings glittered like crystal, making them beautiful, but they were quite powerful magic beasts.
Even so, they were not as strong as the Slime Wolves we had seen on the way here.
―CRUNCH!
The spear Cesare threw struck a Crystal Bat head-on. The Crystal Bat went flying, spilling blue blood.
Without giving it time to react, Cesare closed the distance in an instant. Even without his spear, there was no hesitation in his movements.
“If you are rats, you should crawl on the floor like rats.”
―RIIIIP!
Cesare tore the bat’s wing apart just like that. The moment he stomped the shrieking bat to death.
a Crystal Bat charged at high speed from behind him. It was not strong, but in speed, it had no equal.
―CRACK!
Cesare snatched the bat’s head. Then he twisted and snapped it as it was. The bat fell helplessly.
Once the situation was settled, the workers barely managed to lift their heads. They looked at Cesare while trembling.
“Th-thank you. Thanks to you, our lives were…….”
“Brown hair, black hair, bald, bald.”
After counting them off one by one, Cesare grabbed a worker by the collar and growled as if threatening him.
“Where is the scrawny blond old man? If you do not want to die, speak quickly.”
The look in the workers’ eyes, which had regarded Cesare like a savior only moments ago, changed. Once again, they began trembling violently.
“Th-that old man was dragged farther inside. The Crystal Bats took several workers away…….”
Leaving the workers behind, we ran deeper inside. In the darkness of the cave, crystal light shimmered. So did an intense, unpleasant mana.
Cesare looked around and said.
“They have been mining for ten years in a place where magic beasts appear? What if the director is actually a master?”
“Crystal Bats are usually rather docile, but they seem to have become violent because it is their breeding season. They must have taken the workers to feed their young.”
Since the young would be eating them, it would take some time. They would not die immediately, but it was still urgent all the same.
Just as we were running with our teeth clenched, the space opened up on all sides and grew bright. A place far wider than before appeared before us.
An open space spread above our heads. It seemed to be at least ten meters high. It was quite wide as well.
Sunlight was entering through a small hole in the ceiling. It touched the raw crystals, making the entire area sparkle brilliantly.
If not for the situation, it would have been a sight worthy of admiration for its beauty. But there was no time to pay attention to it.
Just as we were about to run toward the exit on the other side, something flew in with a piercing shriek.
―KIIIEEEEK!
Crystal Bats descended from above as if pouring down. It was not one or two, but a number like a waterfall.
Before we knew it, they were blocking our path. Were they trying to stop us from reaching their young?
Cesare tried to cut through them and advance, but it was not easy. Then a Crystal Bat in the air dove down quickly.
It seemed it intended to attack Cesare as he was. He looked too preoccupied dealing with the enemies in front of him.
I ran forward with my sword in hand. Just as I was about to cut the bat’s wing in two.
―CLAAANG!
A sharp sound rang out as spear and sword clashed. Cesare, who had blocked my attack, shouted urgently.
“Master, I will catch them all! Do not kill them, Master!”
Blood was dripping from Cesare’s body. Wounds inflicted by the bats covered him from head to toe. I could sense anxiety in his voice and gaze.
Was it because of my vow?
I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him back hard. I retreated with the bleeding Cesare.
“Keep your distance. Once we are a certain distance away, they will stop attacking.”
The Crystal Bats only kept watch over us and did not approach. Their bodies were soaked with Cesare’s blood.
With this much blood loss, Cesare should have been anemic. Yet even while bleeding, he tried to go out again.
“I will catch them quickly.”
“Wait. Listen to me first.”
“I can kill them all. I have recovery potions too. I can fight while using those.”
Cesare seemed unable to see his surroundings. He tried to forcefully shake me off and move forward.
A master’s role was to be a lighthouse for his disciple. All the more so if that disciple had become this way because of me.
“If you trust me, stop, Cesare.”
Cesare flinched and stopped. Even though his expression said he wanted to rush out at once. In order not to treat that trust lightly, I opened my mouth.
“Cesare. What must you do to infuse mana into an object or a living creature?”
“Yes?”
Cesare looked bewildered. At the sudden question, he hesitated before answering.
“Well, I have to make direct contact with the target or use blood that contains mana.”
“Yes. And the bats are covered in your blood.”
After a moment, Cesare’s eyes widened. Perhaps he could finally see his surroundings, for he looked up.
A smile spread across Cesare’s lips. At last, he had regained his composure.
“You do not have to explain any further.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Cesare vanished. A shadow fell over my head.
Before I knew it, Cesare was floating in the air. The Crystal Bats seemed flustered by the enemy that had suddenly appeared.
He was floating behind one of the Crystal Bats. Cesare’s blood was smeared on the bats’ fangs and claws.
Cesare could move to the location of a target infused with his mana. Whether that ability would work on living creatures rather than objects had been unknown.
And now, we had our answer. Cesare smiled cruelly.
“You bastard, you are tough. I thought my mana would make you burst and die.”
―CRUNCH!
Cesare’s spear pierced the magic beast. By the time the Crystal Bat fell, Cesare was no longer there.
Like a flash of lightning, Cesare repeatedly vanished and reappeared. In less than ten seconds, five had fallen.
The enemies moved at high speed, but Cesare moved in an instant.
The Crystal Bats’ reactions were too slow, and the air was filled with magic beasts covered in Cesare’s blood.
At this rate, they would soon be wiped out. Then the Crystal Bats hastily began gathering in one place.
―KIIIEEEEK!
They packed themselves tightly together, forming a massive cluster. It seemed they were trying to prevent Cesare from moving elsewhere.
But it was pointless.
―SHATTER!
Crystal broke and scattered in all directions. Like starlight drifting through the air. Sunlight caught even on each fragmented piece of crystal, making them glitter.
Before I knew it, Cesare had appeared near the wall. Red blood was dotted across the transparent crystal.
The Crystal Bats had clung to long crystals, and Cesare’s blood had been smeared there as well.
In other words, this entire crystal cave had become Cesare’s playground.
―SHATTER, SHATTER!
Every time Cesare moved, crystals unable to withstand his mana broke apart. Light spread everywhere. Though it was daytime, the Milky Way came to mind.
Cesare gliding between those lights was like a falling star. As the number of glittering crystal shards increased, the number of magic beasts dwindled.
“Now for the last one……!”
He laughed, gripping his spear upside down. As he fell through the Milky Way, Cesare drove in the final blow.
―BOOOOM!
The Crystal Bat was pierced by the spear and slammed straight into the ground. Cesare landed together with it.
“You bastards were nothing…….”
Before he could finish speaking, Cesare collapsed. I hurried over to him and found that his complexion had gone deathly pale.
“Cesare, are you all right?”
“Uh, yes. Of course I am all right.”
Cesare stood on trembling legs. Supporting my swaying disciple, I clicked my tongue.
“Stop pretending to be strong. You seem to be short on both mana and blood.”
After using such techniques in succession, his mana must have been exhausted. It seemed he had gotten excited and gone wild without paying attention to his mana.
“No, I am really fine. I can really fight more. Master, you just stay still.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but there is no need to overprotect me. Your master is not that incompetent.”
I had no intention of becoming a burden to my disciple. Nor was I so incapable as that. Perhaps embarrassed, Cesare scratched his cheek.
“Save your strength and catch the cockroaches for me later.”
“Ah, of course. I will catch cockroaches and moths for you.”
“Yes. And now, walk on your own. You are heavy.”
Even if he could no longer use mana, he seemed to have no trouble walking. We moved farther inside again.
After passing through the passage, another wide space appeared. However, this place was dim, as sunlight did not reach it well.
In the darkness, I could faintly see a nest. It was a large nest woven from branches.
There were human figures inside. Around four of them, perhaps. Cesare pointed at the nest and shouted,
“Ah! The scrawny blond old man!”
The man who appeared to be the director was groaning. Fortunately, he was still alive. The moment Cesare hurried toward the nest,
“Cesare, back!”
―BOOOOM!
Something enormous fell from the ceiling. It was a Crystal Bat that looked to be at least two meters long.
The place where Cesare had been standing was caved in. If he had taken that hit directly, his bones would have been crushed.
That unusually large body. Was this one the mother?
The Crystal Bat spread its wings again. I thought it would charge toward us, but it did not.
The creature soared quickly into the air, then slammed its body into the ceiling. A powerful vibration reached even me.
Unable to withstand the impact, the stalactites began to shake.
―THUD, THUUUD!
Stalactites the size of human bodies rained down without pause. Their ends were as sharp and fast as spears. If we were pierced, we would die instantly.
“Wow, this rat knows how to use its head?”
Cesare exclaimed in shock as he narrowly avoided the falling stalactites. A stalactite slammed into the ground beside me as well, making a violent noise.
Instead of trying to catch us directly, the Crystal Bat kept striking the ceiling.
The stalactites were threatening, but in the end, they would all fall. If we kept dodging, this attack would stop as well.
Then a roar came from behind us.
―THUUUD!
In an instant, the surroundings grew dim. The single ray of light shining in from the other side vanished.
It seemed the entrance had been blocked by a fallen stalactite. Perfect darkness descended. From somewhere far away, Cesare’s flustered voice reached me.
“Master! Where are you? Argh!”
My disciple’s scream rang out in the darkness. Along with the scent of blood.
I could not see anything. But did they think I had never fought in the dark before?
More than half of my life had been darkness.
I raised my sword. Even without sight, it was enough. Body odor, the sounds of living creatures, temperature. All of it became a guide.
I heard the sound of wings cutting through the air as it flew toward me. The sound of a creature charging in to protect its young.
There was an iron rule among hunters. Do not touch the young. If you touched its young, a beast was bound to go berserk.
And I, too, was a beast with young of my own.