Inside the Cave of Obscenity (WN): Volume 12 - 8

 

Again, to the Castle

"Hey! More and more slime is coming in!? Are you okay!?"

 As Kara was helping Fasalina and purifying the goddess with the remaining blessed water, she heard Fenelieka's voice from the sky.

 The red-haired female demon who couldn't enter the barrier was watching Lishlua from the sky.

 In her eyes, she could see slimes invading the barrier from all directions.

 They are using human corpses as gateways to get in, so they are not rushing in all at once, but the number is increasing little by little.

 Fornelis and the others are putting up a good fight inside the barrier, but there are limits to what they can do in a situation where they don't have [Valhari Water] or a mage.

"So that's how it's going to be..."

 Kara was about to count the number of [Valhari Waters] in her hand, but stopped.

 No matter what she tried, she understood in her head that the number of slimes could not be dealt with with the remaining water.

"Let's retreat. There are so many slimes―― there's nothing we can do on our own."

"I can't allow you to abandon Lishlua!"

 When Kara said this, the elderly priest, who had returned with new clothes for Fasalina, said so while breathing heavily.

 His face was red and she could tell he was angry.

"This is the place where Fasalina-sama resides―― the holy city where the goddess is worshiped!? Abandoning that would be an unthinkable thing to say!"

 The priest angrily drops the clothes meant for Fasalina from his hands and yells loudly.

"Is it okay for the history of the holy city of Lishlua to be overrun by those vile monsters!? Is it okay for it to be tainted like Fonteau!? I can't stand such outrage!!"

"Then why don't you pick up a sword and fight? Be the last one standing and protect this city."

 However, Kara started packing her things without responding to the priest's words.

 Mariabelle's holy sword is on her back, and Akane's holy sword is on her left hip.

 She checked that it was securely fastened and took a deep breath.

(I have to save Maria. I can't die here...)

 Meltia has the same idea.

 The silver-haired mage placed a hand on Kara's shoulder and with an agility that was unimaginable from her just a few moments ago, she left the temple to secure an escape route.

 As a mage, she is an important force these days when there are few valhari waters.

 She understands this as well, and stands on the front line to take Kara's place.

"Someone, please lend Fasalina-sama a shoulder. The slimes will be coming soon. We need to somehow meet up with Fornelis-sama and the others at the foot of the mountain and secure a retreat."

"Hey, we’re not done talking yet―― wait, wait!!"

 For what it's worth, they guess he's still not willing to lay down his life alone.

 The priest followed, even though he complained.

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"It's impossible from the front! Is there a back road or something!?"

"There's no such thing! In the first place, Lishlua is protected by Fasalina-sama's barrier. There's no way it could be attacked..."

"Look at the reality..."

 Fenelieka, who was checking the situation from the sky, told them that the approach to the front was already blocked by the slimes.

 The road to rendezvous with Fornelis and the others is cut off, and Kara and the others come out to the chapel and decide to take along the people of Lishlua, causing the number of people accompanying them to explode.

 Increasing the number means that in this situation it will be noticeable.

 They can no longer hide themselves, and if they encounter the slimes here, they will sacrifice the people who don't have the strength to fight.

 The situation is that the barrier has already been invaded, but the elderly priest is grumbling as if he can't accept the reality.

"Fenel! Tell Fornelis and the others at the foot of the mountain if they can help us!"

"Okay, don't be so reckless!"

 With that said, Fenelieka headed towards the foot of the sacred mountain, avoiding the slimes that resembled small dragons and harpies that remained in the sky.

 At first, she felt threatened by the slime flying in the sky, but its mobility was quite low.

 Kara felt that there was a fundamental difference in the experience in the air between succubi who could fly using magic and slimes who were just floating.

(Perhaps they aren't used to the sky...)

 She remembers reading in a book that birds make even their bones brittle to make their bodies lighter in order to fly.

 But the slime is a mucus.

 Moreover, the more they bring in, the heavier it becomes.

 Fundamentally, the slime race is probably not compatible with the air.

 While learning one more thing, Kara and the others are definitely being cornered.

 Slime in various shapes are climbing up the path paved for the worshipers who come to worship at Fasalina's statue.

"Kara-san, they're coming."

"Yeah―― everyone, come forward! It doesn't matter if you're a child or old! Build a wall and protect Fasalina-sama!!"

 Fortunately, there's only one path.

 Since it was wide, there were a dozen slimes lined up, but it was much better than having multiple slimes surrounding the front and back.

 Kara pulls out her favorite sword and turns against the slimes.

 In response to her enthusiasm, children and elderly people also joined the battle line.

 ...However, there are no usable weapons in Lishlua, and what they have in their hands are agricultural tools such as spades and hoes.

 Still, it's better than fighting with bare hands.

"Let's go! No matter what, run to the bottom!!"

 Then, Kara and the others tried to use the momentum of their descent to drive the slimes off the path.

 Even if they fight, there is no chance of winning.

 She knows it's impossible to ask people who have never even held a sword to aim at the slime's [core].

 Even if they run away, they'll probably be chased and killed... so there's only one tactic they can use.

 For now, they still have the numbers. They'll take advantage of it.

"Drive them down by ramming them! If you are unable to move due to being poisoned, those behind you could drag you down to the foot of the mountain!"

 There are no tactics anymore.

 A strategy of quantity that relied on numbers―― However, Kara had a chance of victory.

 There's still a mage left here.

"Meltia-sama!! Now!!"

"Yes!!"

 With Kara's signal, Meltia released ice magic toward the slimes standing at the front.

 The released freezing ray instantly freezes more than a dozen slimes and turns them into a [wall].

 With this, they can avoid touching the poisonous mucus by enduring the cold.

"Push it!!"

"Oooohhh!!"

 This was why they lined up the men who were likely to be killed by the slime in front of them.

 Using the man's weight and strength, they use the frozen slime as a shield to push away the slimes blocking the path.

 The women also pushed from behind, and the goddess' followers worked together to push the slimes in order to protect the [goddess] who was at the end of the line.

 They pushed and pressed and pushed... but it only took a few minutes.

"Guhhh!!"

(I guess it's no good...)

 However, their legs stopped. The momentum stops.

 After all, the opponent was a slime in the shape of a monster―― its original mass was incomparable to Kara and the others, and what's more, it had the strength to match the shape of those monsters.

 There are differences between races that humans cannot do anything about.

 As a result, the slimes pushed back from the bottom to the top.

"Uwaaa!?"

 There was no way children, the elderly, or women could withstand the overwhelming physical strength that could only be described as violent.

 Some people get pushed back and are crushed by the ice statue and the person behind them, some people get trampled by slime after falling, and some people run away in fear from the pressure of being pushed back.

 The place turned into a hellish picture of obscene screams.

"Kuh!?"

 Meltia tried to use magic to support them, but a new slime came up from below and was fully aware that she was dangerous and attacked her.

 As a mage, Meltia is not good at close combat.

 Still, she is resisting hard, but unless someone comes to their aid, it won't last long.

 Naturally, she can't help Kara and the others who are being pushed back.

"This is it, huh..."

 Even though they had recovered the holy sword, their escape route was blocked and they were wiped out―― they were unable to resist.

 Kara desperately moves her hands while being crushed between the ice statue and the person behind her.

 Before she knew it, she had dropped her favorite sword.

 That's why―― she grabbed the holy sword on her back.

 Heavy.

 It's extremely heavy and she can't shake it...

"You!!"

 Kara held the holy sword with the person behind her supporting her, and she placed the blade on the uneven surface of the ice statue and struck it.

 She pierced the slime's head.

 However, it was not a fatal injury to the slime. She could not damage the [core].

 Still, Kara prodded.

 Over and over again, she pokes the slime using the ice statue as a fulcrum while being pushed backward.

"I can't afford to give up!!"

 Total extinction was certain.

 Within a few minutes, Kara would be crushed to death between the slime and the person behind her.

 Even so, until the end, she stabbed the monster in front of her with the sacred sword heavier than lead, hoping to kill as many slimes as possible.

 Thrust*, thrust*, thrust*, thrust*――――.

"Damn, it..."

 In the end, she was cornered to the point where there was no space left for her to pull her arm, and she couldn't take a breath... her consciousness became hazy.

 Not just the holy sword.

 Her body is heavy. she can't think of anything anymore.

(Maria――)

 In her final moments, she remembered the name of her best friend, not the goddess.

 Although she promised to help, she apologized for not being able to reach her.

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"Please don't get in my way!!"

 Meltia, who was stationed in a high place where it was easy to provide support, was having a hard time with the three slimes coming towards her.

 Its shape is that of a goblin, and if it were a real goblin and had been protected by warriors or knights, it would be an opponent that could be easily defeated.

 However, when it comes to fighting in the open without an escort, it makes her realize that the small and quick goblins are such a troublesome opponent.

 Even if she aims at one, the other two will get in the way.

 If she tries to aim at all three at the same time, the magic will take time to activate and will be intercepted.

"Ah!!"

 And above all, from the edge of Meltia's vision, the front line where Kara was supposed to be had completely collapsed, and had been pushed back by the slimes.

"Kara-san!! ――Kyaa!?"

 Even when she called, there was no answer.

 On the contrary, if she diverted her attention, she felt as though she would be attacked at any moment.

 The slimes have started killing people again.

(If Kara-san's words are true, that human-shaped slime must be somewhere nearby.)

 However, they don't have the time to look for it.

 Everyone was at their limit, and there was no time to provide aid, support, or even worry about others.

"Ah――"

 It was at that time.

 The goblin’s claws had taken advantage of the opening in Meltia’s mind when she was worried about Kara and knocked her staff away.

"Oh no―― kaha!?"

 She was then punched hard in the abdomen and pushed to the ground.

 The goblin raised its right arm as it rode onto Meltia's stomach.

 Its nails were sharpened, and its gaze was aimed at her throat.

 Meltia immediately raised her hands and grabbed the goblin's right fist as it swung down, stopping it.

 However, the slender arms of a woman and the strength of a mage.

 Even though the goblin's strength was relatively weak among monsters, its claws gradually approached her throat.

"S-someone..."

 Die. She'll be killed.

 ――That was when Meltia's fear brought tears to her eyes

"――――"

 The slimes stopped moving all at once.

 That moment.

 A light flashed from where Kara should have been, and with a shock, the weight of the slime on top of Meltia disappeared.

"……Eh?"

 When Meltia, who had reflexively closed her eyes, looked ahead, the goblin was no longer there.

 When Meltia noticed that a slime [core] had fallen on and around her belly, she hurriedly stood up and crushed the [core].

"What..."

 Ahead of her line of sight, she noticed that every single slime that had filled the path to the temple had disappeared.

"Kara-san!!"

 Meltia headed towards the source of the light―― Kara.

 The ice statue was also broken, and there were countless slime [cores] lying on the ground.

"Everyone! If you can move, please step on the slime's core! Destroy it!!"

 She also calls out to those who are on the verge of being crushed and asks them to destroy as many [cores] as possible.

 After that, Meltia helped Kara up, who was crushed and rolling her eyes.

"Kara-san, are you okay!?"

"Y-yeah… I was so close to being crushed… What on earth…?"

 Kara herself didn't seem to understand what had happened.

"Um..."

 It just glowed.

 Even if she asks her what it is, she doesn't know.

 Light flooded from the area where Kara was, and before she knew it, the slime had been blown away.

 Meltia could only tilt her head when she saw her father's holy sword in Kara's hands.

"…Did Kara-san use the holy sword?"

"Me? No way..."

 In fact, the holy sword that Kara carries is still heavier than lead. Without support, it would be difficult for Kara, who is petite, to lift it.

 Even so, Meltia was convinced that this holy sword had saved them.

 ……And.

"Let's go down the mountain while we still can."

 Fasalina walked up to Meltia and Kara, who were worried.

 It seems that the feeling in her body has returned to normal.

"Fasalina-sama, what we're talking about just now..."

"It must be the intention of that sword―― it may have been trying to protect someone important to its current owner."

"May have been..."

(Does Fasalina-sama not know the reason for the current phenomenon?)

 Kara sheathed the holy sword on her back again, feeling a little disappointed.

 It's quite heavy, but if she's carrying it on her back, she can withstand the weight.

"Okay! Let's hurry down the mountain! Please lend the injured your shoulder!"

 After Kara said that, they hurriedly descended from the sacred mountain of Lishlua.

 Strangely, they didn't encounter any slimes until they met up with Fornelis and the others... no.

 The light from earlier had even evaporated the slimes around Lishlua.

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 Kara and the others don't know.

The holy sword passed from Mariabelle's hand to Alfred, and the slime in Alfred's shape packed an excessive amount of mana into the holy sword.

 It is equal to or even greater than the power that Mariabelle's father and Leticia's husband used when they fought against the Demon King during their heyday.

 There is a difference between the power of the goddess and mana, but [power has accumulated] is the same.

 The holy sword, which had accumulated power to its limit, released its power out of respect for the will of its original owner, Mariabelle.

 ――Protecting her friends.

 That intention.

(Did the holy sword have a will? No―― should I say that Mariabelle's strong will was such that it manifested that ability even without the holy sword in her hand?)

 If it was certain that the barrier would be broken through, then Lishlua, which had plains on all sides and a temple on top of a mountain, would have no choice but to abandon Lishlua, which was not suitable for defense due to its location.

 Three days later

 The slimes didn't show themselves, probably because they were wary of the light that wiped out all the slimes in Lishlua.

 ...Fasalina and the priest decided to head to Fonteau with the refugees in tow.

"Are you going?"

 There were three people in front of Fasalina who were riding a horse: Meltia, Kara, and Fenelieka.

 On Kara's back is Mariabelle's holy sword.

 Their destination is different... to rescue Mariabelle, who is being held captive in the ruins of Grabalt.

"Yes. The slimes are afraid of the light of the holy sword and won't make a move. This is probably the last chance to rescue Mariabelle."

"Yes, I think so too."

 When Fasalina moved her gaze, Akane was being treated by Jenna.

 Bruises due to the negative effects of aphrodisiacs and direct hits from magic.

 The injury is not serious, but the psychological scars are deep.

 ――Even so, she was still willing to fight for this world.

 In order to repay her kindness, Fasalina must prepare their forces at Fonteau.

 To destroy the slime.

 For that purpose, Mariabelle is also needed.

"I'll be sure to bring Mariabelle with me."

"Yes―― it seems."

 Fasalina paused and turned her gaze to the holy sword on Kara's back.

 Her blue eyes narrowed.

 Yes... the hero's daughter, the child of an elf and a human, may have exceeded the limits of what Fasalina could imagine.

 Just like Leticia, a half-elf, has more mana than an elf.

 Did Leticia and the hero's daughter have more talent than the best hero Fasalina summoned?

"I have adjusted the holy sword so that Mariabelle can fully handle it―― please deliver it to her."

"Yes."

"Also the shield and armor... that is with the slime that is with her."

"Yes"

"...Thank you for your continued support of this world."

 For the first time, Fasalina bowed to a human.

 To the people who continue to grow in the midst of a situation that exceeds her imagination.

 ――And so, Kara and the others once again head to Grabalt to help Mariabelle.

 Just by themselves.

"We're full of refugees, so we can't spare any more troops."

 Fornelis uttered this with a desire to vomit blood.

 In truth, she probably wanted to go rescue Mariabelle, her best friend's daughter, but she had no choice but to accompany the refugees and protect the goddess Fasalina.

 There's a reason for that.

"Are there any priests other than... me?"

 When Lishlua was attacked, most of the priests in the position of giving instructions to the people were killed in that mess.

 Efficiently crushing the head is probably due to the slime's knowledge of war.

 Without instructions, refugees move on their own―― which is extremely dangerous and a nuisance in the military's position.

 As a result, Fornelis had to give instructions not only to her subordinates but also to the refugees.

"Let's go."

"Yes."

"Yeah."

 There are no reinforcements.

 Even though they knew this, Kara, Meltia, and Fenelieka headed to the ruins of Grabalt.

 To help Mariabelle.

 In order to deliver the holy sword to the [hero].