The first thing to greet Suzuki Makoto was a volley of arrows fired by the long, green-haired woman. Only after they were all blocked did these Heroic Spirits truly pay attention to the man who had suddenly appeared.
"A new Heroic Spirit?"
"No, he appears to be human, Your Excellency."
"A human capable of fighting a Heroic Spirit?"
The already-injured male Heroic Spirit immediately moved closer to Suzuki Makoto.
"Thank you for your help. I was just summoned to this world and was immediately ambushed by a group of wyverns. Then, these Heroic Spirits showed up."
"You're welcome. May I ask if you know how you were summoned?"
The man shook his head with a wry smile.
"I'm sorry, I have no idea. However, I can faintly sense the presence of my sworn enemy."
Sworn enemy?
Suzuki Makoto grew thoughtful. In other words, if the mastermind behind this catastrophe wants to destroy this world, then the world itself will summon beings capable of fighting back?
"You don't have a Master either?"
"I'm sorry, I do not. But for now, you don't need to worry about my mana supply."
Although he didn't know why this man was so fond of apologizing, the other Heroic Spirits clearly had no intention of letting them continue their pleasantries.
Once again, countless arrows marked the start of the assault. The white-haired man wielding a strange spear charged at the forefront, his overwhelming scent of blood incomparable to any Demon Suzuki Makoto had ever encountered.
The man with the greatsword immediately met the attack, while Suzuki Makoto blocked a surprise assault from the side for him.
It was a knight wielding a longsword, as graceful as a lily. Not far behind, the masked woman reminiscent of an iron maiden had begun casting a spell, and the suppressing fire from the arrows never let up.
"I'm sorry, sir, but could I trouble you to hold them off alone for a moment? I need some time to gather my mana."
"Leave it to me."
Suzuki Makoto effortlessly swiped his longsword through a critical point in the spell's structure, causing it to dissipate into nothing. He then pushed back the knight with a furious slash and finally used the wind from his blade to bear down on the Lancer, forcing him onto the defensive. In the process, he also deflected the dense barrage of incoming arrows.
This fluid sequence of moves surprised even the maddened Heroic Spirits. Although influenced by maddening spells and Command Seals, they still retained some capacity for rational thought.
"What an excellent man. I truly wish to taste your blood."
"Your Excellency, I wonder if, after you've had your taste, you might bestow a portion upon me?"
"Of course, Carmilla. I am no selfish monarch."
Suzuki Makoto, however, noticed a slight problem. Setting aside the man and woman who seemed like a master and servant, the knight and the distant archer's attacks seemed somewhat superficial, their half-heartedness a bit too obvious.
It seems the enemy isn't a monolith?
"Balmung: Phantasmal Greatsword, Felling of the Sky Demon!"
This brief opening was enough for the man to unleash his Noble Phantasm. The immense beam of light instantly forced the four Heroic Spirits onto the full defensive, while Suzuki Makoto and the greatsword-wielding man took the chance to escape.
After the dust settled, the four of them looked somewhat disheveled. Watching the direction the duo had disappeared, the woman with the bow was the first to turn around.
"Atalante, are you going to disobey the Master's orders?"
"They've received powerful reinforcements. This was not part of the plan. We should return and report this first."
"I agree with Atalante."
A new voice made Vlad turn his gaze.
"Saint Martha, weren't you a bit too slow?"
"I told you, due to compatibility issues, I cannot summon the Tarasque. My Spirit Origin is also in a terribly degraded state; I can't keep up with you lot at all."
"But d'Eon managed just fine."
"They're a native French Heroic Spirit with a home-turf advantage. Of course they wouldn't be as pathetic as me."
D'Eon sheathed their sword as well.
"I agree we should report back first."
Three against two. Vlad had no choice but to agree with the others and abandon the pursuit.
Meanwhile, Suzuki Makoto and the Heroic Spirit named Siegfried exchanged information.
"I see. So a villain who wishes to destroy the world has appeared in this country. In that case, I'm almost certain they've summoned the evil dragon Fafnir. He is my fated enemy."
Siegfried stated his hypothesis.
"Is that why those Heroic Spirits are so desperate to hunt you down? After all, you should be able to defeat that evil dragon with ease, right?"
"If there were no other interferences, yes. But as you saw, I'm no match for those four Heroic Spirits alone. And actually, there was another enemy Heroic Spirit following behind, but they seemed to be helping me intentionally, which is how I was able to escape their encirclement."
Hearing Siegfried's words, Suzuki Makoto immediately recalled the 'sandbagging' he'd sensed from the other two Heroic Spirits.
"So, they aren't serving that person willingly. Is there any possibility of turning them to our side?"
"Impossible. A Master's control over a summoned Heroic Spirit is absolute, not to mention the binding spell known as a Command Seal. It can even force a Heroic Spirit to take their own life."
Siegfried immediately rejected the idea.
"Therefore, the most they can do is hold back slightly when dispatched. It's impossible for them to defy their Master. Besides, their auras are all tinged with the effects of madness. The Master must have done it intentionally to suppress their independent thought and ability to act."
"Can the contract between a Master and a Heroic Spirit be that restrictive?"
Suzuki Makoto was surprised. He hadn't expected that Miss Jeanne d'Arc would propose such a contract right off the bat.
"Of course, more equal contracts exist, but most give the Master very strong control over their Heroic Spirit. That is why... I cannot form a contract with you at this time, as I am not yet certain what kind of person you are."
Siegfried said with sincerity.
"In any case, I am very sorry."
"Alright, please stop apologizing. If you say it again, I might forget what the word even means."
Suzuki Makoto was very understanding. After all, trust is a two-way street, and he hadn't planned on forming a contract anyway.
"Besides those four Heroic Spirits and the one who was holding back, are those five the total number of Heroic Spirits the enemy currently controls?"
"There could be more. They have control over all the leylines in France, after all. Why do you ask?"
Siegfried asked, puzzled.
"You can defeat Fafnir. That means as long as you're alive, they can't use their trump card with impunity. In other words, their main objective right now is to hunt you down. So, I was thinking... if we could find a way to split them up, I'm confident I could kill one of their teams."
____
🔥 New chapters are up! 🔥
New Story: Stardew Valley: What Do You Mean They All Became My Servants
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead of everyone else.
✅ Get cool exclusive stuff and updates!
Let's hit these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = 1 extra chapter for the public!
🚀140 MEMBERS = 5 extra chapters on all stories for supporters!
👻 P - Walnutchan