[Skirmish]

“Dayle, we’re going to pull the enemies away from the gate. Rather than defeating them, letting Diedur and Cinzia-sama enter the city is our current top priority, after all.” (Frick)

[Roger. That said—— the enemies seem to be raring to go, you know.] (Dayle)

After I landed on the ground, the Abyss Walkers and the white robed people come to surround me and point the tip of their cylinders at me.

It looks like the cylinders held by the white robed people are a little different from those held by the Abyss Walkers, but still.

I mustn’t let my guard down.

“Don’t let the Magic Swordsman Frick fight freely!”

“Abyss Walkers! Engage him in close quarter combat and stop his movement! Don’t let him run away!”

“Others are to barrage him from a distance! No matter how strong he is, he’s still just a human! If he gets hit, he’ll bleed and die!”

After the white robed people each gave instructions, the Abyss Walkers, who have generated a light sword from the tip of their cylinders, swarm at me all at once.

They’re coming to crush me with full force, huh.

But if I just dodge——

“Dayle, cast Dark Mist!” (Frick)

[Roger that! ※■▲〇※■▲〇!] (Dayle)

When the magic is activated, Dayle’s blade immediately spews out a black mist, dyeing the visibility of the surroundings black.

Thanks to the fact that I had casted Night Vision magic on myself at the same time as Dayle casted Dark Mist, even though there is no light at all, I can still see the figures of the Abyss Walkers, which appear dim and faint in my sight.

With this, the other party has been robbed of their sight.

It should be easier to deal with them no——

As I’m watching the surrounding Abyss Walkers, I hear the sound of something flying in at high speed.

At the same time, *bang, bang* come crisp sounds of something exploding consecutively from outside of the mist.

What? What’s happening!?

As I’m trying to figure out what is happening, I feel a strong impact to my chest that is covered with a chainmail.

“Ofu. Cough, cough.” (Frick)

It hurts… so much.

The impact might have cracked my ribs.

Something was shot from outside the mist, huh.

It’d be bad if I were to get hit like this repeatedly.

“O’ unseen air. Become a solid barrier and manifests yourself in the surroundings. Wind Barrier.” (Frick)

When the wall of wind appears, the thing that has been shot from outside the mist sinks into the barrier and comes to a stop.

Metal ball!?

The one that hit me earlier was a metal ball!

So, the exploding sounds was caused by the shooting of metal balls, huh.

Unlike the fireballs and fire arrows fired by the Abyss Walkers, it doesn’t explode upon impact, and will only inflict an injury on a human body.

If it wasn’t for the chainmail that was woven with multiple layers of metal, I would have been incapacitated in one shot.

I had prepared myself so that I wouldn’t be surprised for anything to come out because the enemies were the lot from Vigo’s organization, but isn’t this weapon a swordsman-killer, in a way?

[Master, the mist is about to clear up!] (Dayle)

“Yeah, I know. I’ll move.” (Frick)

My chest hurts, but I can’t afford to stand still and recover now.

I have to pull the enemies away from the front of the gate, even for a bit.

When the mist begins to clear up, the figures of Diedur and co running this way begin to become visible.

Several Abyss Walkers notice Diedur and co, and start moving to attack them.

“Abyss Walkers, just leave those extras alone! We’ll be able take down Youg Hannotes anytime once we kill the Magic Swordsman Frick!”

“The mist is about to clear up! Don’t stop the barrage! We have plenty of gunpowder-type ammunition, so shoot, shoot, shoot him to the death!”

They’re not going to let me run away that easily, huh.

“O’ mana, gather in mine hand! Become my clone and manifest at this place! Mirage Body!” (Frick)

Just before the mist disperses, I create two mirage bodies and have them run away in different directions.

“There’s more of him! It must be the doing of his magic! Which one is the real him!”

“It doesn’t matter, just kill all of them!”

“Abyss Walkers! Don’t let any of them go!”

When the mist completely clears up, the Abyss Walker that chases after me, not the mirages, thrusts the light sword it has generated at me.

My cloak that gets touched by the light sword cleanly disintegrates.

“I can never let my guard down, can’t I?” (Frick)

[This is what is called the fate of a popular person, isn’t it? Very educational!] (Dayle)

“From who did you hear that?” (Frick)

[From Noelia-shishou. She always says that Master is a popular person.] (Dayle)

Does it really have that kind of meaning?

Isn’t the meaning of popular person different?

I feel a little uneasy about the education of my partner, Dayle.

“Dayle. We have no time for chit-chat! Block the Abyss Walkers with Stone Wall.” (Frick)

[Yes! ※■▲〇※■▲〇!] (Dayle)

Stone walls raise up from the ground and confine the pursuing Abyss Walker.

“So persistent! O’ burning flame, dwell in mine sword and burn my enemies. Flame Sword.” (Frick)

I head for the Abyss Walker – who is climbing up the stone walls, trying to escape – and slash it.

I knew it wouldn’t go down in one slash!

But, what if I add this!

“Become a giant spear that shines brightly and pierce my enemies! Energy Javelin!” (Frick)

Grabbing the spear of light with one hand, I thrust it toward the writhing Abyss Walker.

The spear of light that was made of magic pierces the body of the Abyss Walker.

“Ugoooooooo!”

“Frick, thanks for your hard work! Thanks to you, we can easily enter the city. Let’s go. Diedur!” (Cinzia)

Diedur and co who have arrived at the vicinity of the gate run up the body of a huge soil golem that has risen up from the ground and, just like that, land on the city wall.

“You too, hurry and get up here, Frick!” (Cinzia)

The huge soil golem created by Cinzia mow down the Abyss Walkers that are coming to swarm me.

“I’ll get there in a sec!” (Frick)

Taking the chance when the Abyss Walkers are swept away, I run up the body of the golem in an instant and land on the wall.

As soon as I land on the wall, the huge soil golem collapses and returns to the ground, where the Abyss Walkers and white robed people are, swallowing them as is.