New chapter of Nameless Hero is out! (1/3 chapters)
Fury in Dire Straits
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(POV switch – Shia)
Wild boars frequently appear in the forests of Lucur. They become ferocious and attack due to their strong territorial instincts.
I fired my bow with practiced motions.
It’s just a quick, light shot. The rest relies on using wind power to accelerate the arrow. Acceleration and arrow power are proportional. Using this creates a spectacular sound each time, like a whistling arrow splitting the air. Therefore, to avoid revealing my location to enemies, I shouldn’t use the Air Pressure Control power.
“Shia-chan’s range attack has incredible power!” (Lizbeth)
I was spoken to by someone named Lizbeth-san.
This person seems to be a former adventuring companion of Lost-san. She is a beautiful and cool woman even to my female eyes.
“It’s the power of magic.” (Shia)
“Magic? Are you using magic to enhance the power?” (Lizbeth)
“…” (Shia)
Explaining that would give away the trick. I want to keep it secret from anyone untrustworthy.
—
After bringing the Magic Guild members and Yustin-san, we arrived at the Lucur Great Forest. I was already accustomed to visiting this forest. Since first being allowed to meet Sylphid-sama, I had come to play here often as if it were my second home.
“Sylphid, huh? It’s been 700 years since I last saw them.” (Salamander)
“Are you close with Sylphid-sama, Sala-chan?” (Shia)
“Close? Me and them traveled the Riverda continent for a century!” (Salamander)
“That’s a long time.” (Shia)
“Right?” (Salamander)
Sala-chan on my shoulder seemed to be enjoying the reunion with an old friend. We were stopped by the usual two after passing through the dwarven village entrance.
“Humans again, huh?!” (Dwarf)
“Ah, blue hair!” (Dwarf)
Even I had grown accustomed to the dwarves’ brisk conversational tempo.
“Good day. May we meet Sylphid-sama?” (Shia)
“Blue hair is no problem!” (Dwarf)
“Yeah, no problem anytime!” (Dwarf)
“Thank you.” (Shia)
I prided myself on my flawless “face pass”. I led the four guests to the giant tree’s roots where Sylphid-sama resides. I formally knelt before the pedestal and waited for Sylphid-sama’s appearance.
“Shia Randall, lift your head and relax.” (Sylphid)
A warm voice reached my ears from the pedestal.
It was a soothing sound.
“You’ve brought quite a crowd today.” (Sylphid)
“Yo, Sylphid!” (Sala-chan)
Sala-chan peeked from my shoulder and raised a hand in greeting.
“My, I don’t recognize this lizard.” (Sylphid)
“Wh-what?! You forgot about me?!” (Salamander)
“Fufu, just a joke. That form… someone did quite a number on you.” (Sylphid)
“Well, a promising brat showed up recently.” (Salamander)
“Oh? So, you’ve decided to travel again?” (Sylphid)
“Something like that.” (Salamander)
Sala-chan and Sylphid-sama began catching up.
This was rude to the waiting magic guild members.
I want to finish the business quickly and return to the labyrinth city. If Irene-san exhausts Lost-san by dragging them around, it’d be troublesome.
“Sylphid-sama, today there are guests who wish to meet you. Is that acceptable?” (Shia)
“Yes. Who might they be?” (Sylphid)
“Thank you. Please come in.” (Shia)
I ushered the four people waiting in the tree’s crevice inside. Today’s meeting with Sylphid-sama was simply to fulfill the four guests’ request. There was no deeper meaning. Sylphid-sama was a spirit with absolute power. Thus, I didn’t for a moment think anything would happen.
“———Schwarzschild’s Grand Mage!” (Sylphid)
Sylphid-sama’s warm voice suddenly turned tense. Their expression of shock was visible to my eyes. Sylphid-sama’s form, cloaked in an Invisible Vacuum, cannot be seen without wind assistance. Thus, the four guests behind me couldn’t see this horrified expression.
“Oh? Sylphid was here.” (Giovanni)
An ominous atmosphere dominated. Giovanni Battista-san’s gravelly voice intensified the tension.
“You’re Timaeous’s…!” (Sylphid)
“You seem to understand. Our reason for coming here needs no explanation.” (Anfan)
Anfan-san stepped forward.
I couldn’t grasp the “reason” at all. Questions filled my mind as their conversation flowed without me.
“Tou-sama… what are you…?” (Yustin)
Yustin-san seemed as confused as I was.
The conversation progressed in a realm beyond our generation’s understanding. But the three confronting each other didn’t speak a word.
“…” (Giovanni)
“…” (Sylphid)
A flash of lightning surged through Giovanni Battista-san’s right arm, Volga. It seemed to act as a signal.
“———Burst Air!” (Sylphid)
After Sylphid-sama’s shout, a gale erupted from their body.
The wind intensified mercilessly, blowing all visitors out of the pedestal. I was nearly blown away too.
“Shia Randall! Use Air Pressure Control!” (Sylphid)
“———!” (Shia)
Following the order, I controlled the wind to withstand the blast. Dust swirled, and the sacred pedestal crumbled. Bark peeled from the giant tree above. The others were blown all the way to the dwarven village.
When the wind settled, only Sylphid-sama and I remained. Sylphid-sama floated in the air, breathing heavily, her divine aura diminished.
“…Sylphid-sama?” (Shia)
Sylphid-sama swept their beautiful green hair back.
“I released the Invisible Vacuum. This should buy us time.” (Sylphid)
Releasing the Invisible Vacuum meant unleashing that expulsion wind.
“I will eliminate them. You must flee.” (Sylphid)
“…Eliminate?” (Shia)
“They’ll exploit you again! Stay away from them!” (Sylphid)
Again? Stay away?
My confusion persisted as the battle resumed.
“They’re coming…! Step back!” (Sylphid)
A thunderous roar struck the roots of the giant tree. Sylphid-sama shoved me aside. She glided through the air, creating turbulent barriers. The barriers warped to block the incoming electromagnetic cannon. The cannon resembled the railgun fired from my Higasa Volga.
———Bang!
Wind and lightning clashed violently. The lightning was undoubtedly from Keraunos Volga. The reason for Giovanni Battista-san’s attack made logical sense. But I couldn’t bear to face this violence. Sylphid-sama slid toward the village outskirts. I couldn’t stay idle and chased after them.
“Blast Gust!” (Sylphid)
Sylphid-sama resisted the lightning cannon of Keraunos Volga with wind power. But even to my eyes, she was at a disadvantage. I understood, even as a user of Air Pressure Control, that wind power was inherently unsuited for offense and defense. Yet Sylphid-sama fought desperately to contain the trouble I had brought.
“Shia! Escape now!” (Sylphid-sama)
But why had it come to this? I had no ill intent. I never imagined things would escalate like this. I’d assumed Anfan-san was a gentleman. I’d foolishly thought they weren’t the type to suddenly attack.
“They… they’re the ones who killed your parents…! That’s why you must never——” (Sylphid)
Before the full truth could be spoken, Sylphid-sama was struck directly by thunder.
“Aaaaaah!!” (Sylphid)
Sylphid-sama fell to the ground, losing their levitation. The scene played out in agonizing slow motion. The shock reverberated in my own mind. My thoughts froze.The world became unrecognizable.
“They… killed——” (Shia)
“Shia, listen to Sylphid! Get away. Sorry, but I don’t have the strength to fight them now…” (Salamander)
I stepped forward to face the enemy. I stood before Sylphid-sama.
“Hey hey, Shia, shouldn’t you run?” (Giovanni)
I’d left my parasol behind, thinking it unnecessary for forest bathing. Now, my only weapon was my father’s heirloom longbow. My quiver was fully stocked. I could fight.
“Noble words mean nothing without victory. Remember that, Shia Randall.” (Anfan)
“……!” (Shia)
The symbol of terror halted their advance. The blond spearman casually closed the distance. Ten meters apart. His lightning spear rendered that range meaningless.
“But if you die here, we’ll praise your valor. You succeeded in luring Sylphid out, after all.” (Giovanni)
I nocked my longbow. Air Pressure Control, granted to me, shines brightest with a bow. I drew the string taut. Wrapped the arrow in an invisible vacuum. Added wind pressure to the fletching.
“Hmm… You truly are a peculiar girl. Indifferent to glory, yet not denying it. Like that hollow boy, two of a kind.” (Anfan)
Hollow boy… He and I are alike. I’d known since we met. Those who taste despair care only for what’s within reach. But what’s wrong with that? Even the oppressed deserve to bare their fangs someday.
“Giovanni, we’re short on time. If you dawdle, I’ll intervene.” (Anfan)
Another symbol of terror emerged from the forest depths. The silver-haired Grand Mage fixed their navy-blue eyes on us. Their expression was terrifying. The claim about my parents’ murder gained credibility from that face.
“Liz, head to Sylphid’s pedestal. The Aerial Volga should be there.” (Anfan)
The female archer nearby hesitated. Her face twisted in anguish.
“What’s the delay? Go. Defy my next order, and… you know the consequences.” (Anfan)
“Y-yes… Understood.” (Lizbeth)
She sprinted toward the giant tree. Leaving me behind. Sylphid-sama, still collapsed. The silver-haired Grand Mage and blond spearman. Two against one. The situation was hopeless.
“……!” (Shia)
Preparing the next shot. Against multiple targets, rapid fire and a decisive strike were needed.
“Now die, Shia Randall. Reunite with your parents in this forest. Perish gratefully.” (Anfan-san)
Reaching the peak of fury, I loosed the arrow blindly. My bow and his lightning spear roared in tandem.
—
(POV switch – Jack)
We arrived at Gnome-sama’s magic tool workshop. It was no longer functioned as a workshop.
“What are we doing here?” (Jack)
Gnome-sama stepped over the collapsed entrance, ignoring the question. Her childlike frame made even crossing rubble a struggle. I followed. Inside, she rummaged through debris and tool remnants, digging at the floor. A section of flooring revealed a hidden door. A storage room lay beneath. Gnome-sama hopped in and began sifting through old tools.
“Found it!” (Gnome)
She pulled out a plain black cylinder. Dust-covered and dilapidated. Perhaps an ancient scripture was rolled inside.
“With that…?” (Jack)
Wait, I recognized this cylindrical shape. Though colored differently, it matched Aquaram Volga and Keraunos Volga.
Are early Volga models just tubes? But Alfred’s Volcanic Volga is a normal greatsword. What’s the logic here?
“I said I’d explain later! Let’s move!” (Gnome)
So, this was the Arsenal Volga. But leaving it dusty… Didn’t she value it?
In addition to Volga, the Gnome gathered up several other magic tools and inserted them into her waist. Then, in a panic, she ran out of the workshop again. She jumped headfirst. Then, the Gnome grabbed the black tube with both hands.
I watched, wondering what she was doing, and pulled both ends of the tube, causing it to “separate”. The next moment was shocking. The tube began to gather more iron sand from the ground, and a dark object gradually began to form. Before the Gnome landed on the ground, a “vehicle machine” appeared, supporting its body.
It was slim and slender, but its body resembled that of a boar. It had a thick wheel on each end. It seemed to have been formed entirely from iron sand and gold sand found underground, and the gold plating on its dark form accentuated its suspiciousness. The Gnome straddled it, draped over it.
It has wheels, so perhaps its shape is similar to a carriage or a cart? It appears to be a machine specialized for carrying people.
“Wh-what is that?!” (Jack)
“This is Arsenal Volga! Hurry, climb on behind me!” (Gnome)
“Ride it?!” (Jack)
I timidly mounted the rear.
“Ready? Hold on tight!” (Gnome)
Mid-warning, Arsenal Volga rocketed forward at insane speed.
“Whaaaaaaa?!” (Jack)
“Yeehaw! This is my masterpiece—Arsenal Volga!” (Gnome)
Gnome-sama’s excitement was palpable, but I had no room for joy. The grinding, roaring wheels terrified me. This machine moved against my will, my senses struggling to keep up.
Pathetically, I clung desperately to the little girl’s body.
—
I was running through the labyrinth city, where the screams of people were never-ending. That was only natural. I had never seen a weapon like this before. It was a weapon that seemed to have replaced a horse with machinery, and I realized that while riding it.
I burst out of the city in an instant and raced down the Dwarf Road leading to the Lucur Great Forest. Normally, it would take several hours to traverse this distance, but Arsenal Volga exceeded it in no time. At this speed, I would soon catch up with those who had departed long before.
I was gradually getting used to the feeling of speed. I entered the forest, running towards the Dwarf village.
At that moment, a scream echoed through the woods.
“Aaaaah!!” (??)
It was a high-pitched voice.
In response, several wild birds took flight from the forest. Moreover, it seemed that some beasts were also starting to move around busily. The tranquility of Lucur Forest was being disrupted by chaos.
“It’s the voice of Sylphid!” (Gnome)
Gnome-sama reacted to it. The source of the voice was just in the direction of the Dwarf village we were heading towards. As expected, they were under attack.
Perhaps knowing the path well, Gnome-sama made a turn after progressing a bit down the road and skillfully maneuvered Arsenal Volga, weaving through the beast paths in the forest. Upon reaching the Dwarf village, it had turned into a battlefield.
From houses utilizing tree trunks, several Dwarves were fleeing, carrying their belongings. The situation was clear as day. Without stopping its run, Gnome-sama headed towards the giant tree where Sylphid-sama should be.
In the open space in front of the giant tree, three humans were fighting. Standing confidently was a silver-haired great mage. Near him, a blonde spear-wielder was fiercely wielding his spear and launching electric shocks toward the target. That target was a blue-haired girl. Two adults were attacking a single girl.
What a distorted scene it was. The girl was desperately resisting. Using her expertise in archery, she was firing multiple arrows in rapid succession to counter their attacks. Her arrows, which were supposed to be invisible, were being deflected by the spear and were being dealt with by a portal site.
“Shia!” (Jack)
“Lost, protect her! I’ll handle Keraunos Volga!” (Gnome)
With added acceleration, Arsenal Volga roared.
Once we got close enough, I dove into the arena. I landed gracefully, placing myself between Shia and Giovanni.
“Lost-san…!” (Shia)
“Hmm… as expected of ‘Jack the Hero’. You’ve come flying down to sniff out another salvation—ooof!” (Giovanni)
Gnome-sama ran over Giovanni with Arsenal Volga. It must have been quite a shock, as his heavy body was blown away.
“Giovanni Battista! I’ll take care of you!” (Gnome)
Gnome-sama made Arsenal slide to the side, scraping the ground. She was the coolest little girl in the world.
“Arsenal Volga! What a perfect offering has come to me!” (Giovanni)
Giovann rose, asking Gnome in the same tone as before. At the same time, he swung his spear. Gnome-sama restarted Arsenal and dodged it gracefully. With skillful maneuvering, she charged her dark body towards Giovann, attacking him. The two clashed repeatedly, disappearing deeper into the forest.
Gnome-sama must have distanced herself so I could fight more easily.
In the meantime, I checked on Shia.
“Shia, are you okay?” (Jack)
“Yes… um, no, probably.” (Shia)
She must have been in a state of confusion. Shia’s ears were perked up, and her pupils were fully dilated. She had to be in quite an excited state, considering she was facing two strong enemies alone.
The instigator of that situation spoke to me from behind.
“Lost-kun, the fact that you rushed here with Gnome means you’ve likely understood the situation.” (Anfan)
“Yeah… I heard what you guys are trying to do.” (Jack)
“Don’t you have any interest in it? Don’t you possess a curiosity to witness the essence of Volga with me?” (Anfan)
What is this guy talking about?
“Are you kidding me?! If you do something this reckless, releasing the seal will bring back Emped!” (Jack)
“Indeed.” (Anfan)
Indeed? Did they know?
“There are limits to present magic. The guild needs an ancient charisma like Emped.” (Anfan)
“Wasn’t the aim just Rhizomata Volga?” (Jack)
“It doesn’t matter what it is. Both the development of magic and the exploration of principles can be obtained by unraveling the taboos of this city.” (Anfan)
This is insane. Do they think it’s okay to attack anyone like this, to wreak havoc on villages and towns for that?
“If you can’t accept that, try to resist with that ‘miraculous power’ of yours. I’m not one to take good care of children.” (Anfan)
“Even without being told…!!” (Jack)
Fueled by anger, I charged at him. The title of Speed Star was still alive. I ran as fast as I did when I punched Colin. But…
“Slow, aren’t you… Schwerkraft (Press Down).” (Anfan)
He easily avoided my lightning-fast strike.
This person isn’t particularly strong as a warrior. Even if he saw it coming, there’s no way he could move that fast.
“Why…?” (Jack)
“Your mana nullification power is only classical. I figured out through analyzing your combat patterns that you can’t nullify ‘new magic.’” (Anfan)
“New magic…?” (Jack)
“In other words, gravitational magic. It seems your movements depend on ‘time control.’ That’s Aldridge’s secret art, but there’s a way to counter it. Time coordinates can be distorted depending on the gravitational coefficient.” (Anfan)
I didn’t understand what he was saying. But he was trying to say that my fighting style was all figured out. Moreover, he mentionedAldridge’s name just now. Upon reflection, Anfan and Isaiah might be around the same age. It wouldn’t be surprising if the two knew each other as great magicians.
Mages are not reliable.
“Tou-sama!” (Yustin)
At that moment, Yustin appeared. His black robe was tattered. It had branches and leaves on it, as if he had been wandering in the forest until recently. I didn’t know what had happened, but I remembered that he was here too.
“Why is Lost with you, Tou-sama…?” (Yustin)
“Yustin, your father is out of control. Help me stop him!” (Jack)
“What… what do you mean?” (Yustin)
Yustin was in a daze.
Seeing the standoff between me and my father, he couldn’t grasp the situation.
“Yuu, he is not calm. It seems he has misunderstood something.” (Anfan)
Misunderstood something, huh? How dare he lie so calmly to his own son.
“Yustin!” (Jack)
“Yuu, help your father.” (Anfan)
Yustin was torn, looking between me and his father. That was understandable. It was an ultimate choice to side with either a friend or a parent to defeat the other.
But we couldn’t afford to hesitate. Whether Yustin sided with us or not, if we didn’t stop them here, many lives would be lost… the balance of the world would collapse.
As if to cut through Yustin’s hesitation, the sound of an arrow echoed behind me. The arrowhead, imbued with the power of wind, surged toward me. As it passed right beside me, that arrow attacked Anfan.
“………ugh!” (Anfan)
Perhaps caught off guard by the surprise attack, the arrow pierced into Anfan’s side. But that too might have been a calculation on his part.
“Tou-sama…!” (Yustin)
“Yuu, did you see? They seem to be in confusion.” (Anfan)
Damn, that blowhard.
Yustin rushed over and supported his father’s shoulder.
Then, he glared at Shia, who had released the arrow.
“Shia, what are you doing?!” (Yustin)
“I… my parents…!” (Shia)
Even Shia was unusually flustered.
Those in the midst of a fateful choice weren’t just Yustin. Shia was too.
“My parents…” (Shia)
Her parents were killed by mages. That was a fact I learned from Sylphid-sama. Could it be that the ones who killed them were part of this Mage Guild?
“Yustin, your father has deceived us! He plans to release the seal of Volga! If that happens, Emped will return! We don’t know what will happen to the people of Azarigrad!” (Jack)
I shouted to persuade Yustin. But in my desperation, I might have crammed too much information, and it might not have gotten through properly. He didn’t need to hesitate.
If asked which was justice or evil…
“Yustin, what does justice mean to you?! Aren’t you supposed to become a great mage of justice?!” (Lost)
“I… I…” (Yustin)
While Yustin and I were exchanging words, Shia’s pursuit from behind increased in number and attacked again. The sound of arrows echoed as they flew through the air. Shia’s archery skills were top-notch.
It would be no trouble for her to hit her target without hitting my body. A total of six arrows slipped past my sides. Just as those arrows were about to rain down on Anfan…
“Eröffnung (Open up)…!” (Yustin)
Yustin’s chant echoed through the forest.
With that one phrase of magic, everything that Shia had shot was pulled into the darkness and vanished. Yustin saved his family. He only saved his family.
“Damn… damn it!” (Jack)
I pulled my sword from the ground. I had become accustomed to the action of Mental Image Extraction. Holding that crimson-black sword, I swung it towards the parent and child. Yustin was not at fault. This had all happened because of Anfan’s schemes.
“Lost, stop! He’s my father!” (Yustin)
“Even if he’s your father, right now…!” (Jack)
I raised my sword to strike Anfan.
“―――Übergang (Rebirth).” (Yustin)
But at that moment… Yustin uttered a new spell. He might have learned a new magic without me realizing it. Before my eyes, a dark hole opened up, and what emerged were Shia’s arrows. The arrows that had just been drawn into the darkness appeared exactly as they were.
“………What?” (Jack)
It wasn’t just a teleportation.
Was it a transfer magic that pulls objects in and makes them appear with a time lag? An upper-class magic? Or perhaps a magic similar to heart image extraction that creates duplicates?
While I was flabbergasted, all six arrows pierced my torso.
“…ugh… gu… cough…!” (Jack)
“Kyahh!!” (Shia)
Shia’s scream. The intense flow of blood gushed from my pierced body. From there, I felt my body cooling down into rest.
“Good job, Yuu. You’re a good boy.” (Anfan)
“…Lost… Shia…” (Yustin)
The great mage before my eyes slowly approached me.
I couldn’t hold back anymore and knelt down. It seemed that there was no trace of compassion in the magician. As I writhed in pain, he kicked me again, delivering a follow-up attack.
I rolled helplessly on the ground. Collapsed, only the remnants of grass and soil filled my view. It was painful. Out of the corner of my eye, that hell came into view.
“You too will be included. It was a long-held desire to go together in peace—――― Brandstifter (Arson Shooting).” (Anfan)
Thus, a brilliant fireball was launched towards Shia. The forceful shot struck Shia’s torso, sending her flying. Close to where I lay face down, Shia also collapsed.
“…Sh…ia…” (Jack)
Even if I reached out, I couldn’t touch her.
She remained with her eyes closed, I couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead.
I want to save her. No matter what, I want to save her. I don’t want to lose this girl. But my body, too, has reached its limit with six arrows piercing through.
“Hmm, what a lovely sight. Love is refreshing because it’s rare.” (Giovanni)
“Is that Giovann? What happened to Gnome?” (Lost)
“That little girl, she’s not much of a threat. To think she’d even offer Arsenal… An unprecedented contribution for a higher being like a spirit.” (Giovanni)
“Is that black tube Arsenal? It has a nice sheen.” (Anfan)
“Lost… Shia…” (Yustin)
“Yuu, let’s go. We don’t have time.” (Anfan)
It was a complete defeat. Both Shia and I, and even the spirits. Strength alone wasn’t enough. They had won with cunning. With frustration, my consciousness began to fade away.
Save the world? I couldn’t even protect one girl I liked.
Cursing this absurdity, my thoughts began to disappear completely.
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