To the naked eye, this city no longer held a single living soul.
Yet, Castorice could feel it—faint heartbeats, buried beneath the rubble. Survivors. But with the city now overrun by demonic beasts, they wouldn't remain hidden for long.
"So? Any luck?"
Ana spoke up from beside her, watching in awe as Castorice lightly touched the ground, and one after another, the lion-hounds, Uridimmu, nearby fell lifeless.
Even her own Mystic Eyes required activation to take effect. But Castorice's ability to bestow death… it was always active. Theoretically, it was a curse—but from a mystics standpoint, this power was utterly terrifying.
"Yes. I can sense faint signs of life… over there."
Castorice pointed into the distance. She could feel it—the presence of life. Survivors.
In these lands teeming with monsters, survivors had become a rare sight. She didn't know how these people had remained undiscovered for so long; the senses of these beasts were notoriously sharp.
The situation was urgent. In an environment like this, the survivors could be found at any moment. Without another thought, Castorice quickened her pace.
Soon, after rounding a corner, she saw it—a massive figure.
Its body towered over the ruined houses. A lion's head with a golden mane flowing in the wind, and an aura that radiated pure menace.
Clearly, this monster was far more powerful than any of the beasts they'd encountered before.
It could easily be called an elite monster.
The Great Lion, Ugallu—one of the eleven children of Tiamat.
If the lion-hounds could still be handled by ordinary human soldiers, this giant lion was something humans stood no chance against. Only a Servant, or someone wielding powerful armaments, could hope to confront it.
For people in this era, encountering such a being in the wild was nothing short of a nightmare.
Right now, it was crouched low, its keen sense of smell having picked up the scent of prey. It tore through the rubble of a house with its massive claws, exposing the empty room beneath.
But seeing this, it didn't leave. Instead, a cruel light flashed in its eyes. With a powerful swipe, its sharp claws shredded the animal-skin covered floor, revealing a hidden passage beneath.
A scream echoed from inside the opening.
"Come on, monster! I'm not afraid of you!"
A thin, frail boy stood blocking the entrance with a wooden stick, protecting the girl hidden in the darkness behind him—his sister, who was covering her mouth, too terrified to make a sound.
Earlier, their parents had lured the monsters away with their own bodies, allowing the siblings to survive until now.
And now… it was time for him to face his destiny.
Before stepping out, he had told his sister not to come out, no matter what. His task was simple: to draw the monster's attention. Even if it was futile. Even if it only meant giving the beast another meal.
He could only hope his blood would mask his sister's scent, and that after devouring him, the giant beast would lose interest in the shabby hole.
Looking at the small figure before it, the great lion's eyes burned with brutality. Its maw opened wide—the boy could even see shreds of meat stuck between its fangs.
Even though fear had seized his heart, even though his legs had frozen under the creature's murderous aura, he mustered every ounce of his strength, raised his stick, and swung at the beast.
But Castorice was faster.
In an instant, she was in front of the boy. A scythe appeared in her hand, and she swung it upward in a fierce arc.
Sensing danger, the great lion abandoned its original target and turned toward Castorice.
Facing her scythe, it felt a thread of threat and immediately tried to clamp its jaws down on the blade.
But Castorice's scythe wasn't so easily caught. In that single moment, a tremendous force shook the beast back, shattering more than half of its fangs. Blood sprayed everywhere.
Rather than retreat, however, the injury only enraged it. Immediately, the great lion Ugallu pounced toward Castorice at terrifying speed.
"Life is not as fragile as butterfly wings... Now, fall into an eternal slumber!"
The next instant, the white blade swept forth. A flash of light, and the giant lion's body stiffened at once.
As if split down the middle, its body fell apart into two halves.
Behind, the boy who had shut his eyes tight didn't feel the pain he had expected. Instead, he caught a faint, dark floral scent.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw the girl standing before him.
She's… so beautiful…
Staring at Castorice's exquisitely gentle face, he felt dazed for a moment.
But then he saw her take two soft steps back, putting a slight distance between them.
"I saw what you did. You were protecting someone, weren't you? Are there any other survivors?"
Castorice looked at him and spoke softly.
"I… I don't know. When the city fell, my parents hid me and my sister here, then went to lure the monsters away. I remember the Balza family next door had a similar hidden passage. Maybe…"
Snapping back to reality, the boy hurriedly explained.
"There's no need to check. Aside from these two, there are no other survivors left in this city."
While Castorice and the boy were talking, Merlin and Ana approached, shaking their heads gently.
Castorice looked in the direction they had come from and saw another collapsed house—and an exposed hidden passage.
Not far from the opening, there was a pool of blood and a few torn scraps of clothing.
The fate of that house's residents was clear.
"Come with me. I will protect you. You did well. Please cherish this time while your soul has not yet withered, and remember how it bloomed. Do not grieve, and do not fear. At the very least… if that moment truly comes, I will grant you release. I promise."
Castorice spoke softly. This land was swarming with monsters—not even she could guarantee she could escort the survivors safely to Uruk.
But she could promise this: even if the final outcome was already sealed, she would ensure these two survivors could depart with dignity.
--+--
"Are you certain about this? The journey ahead is perilous. We may come across other survivors. If we try to save every single one, the mission will become far too heavy. Besides, a larger group will attract the attention of monster hordes more easily."
Merlin watched the scene, a worried expression on his face.
"I want to try. Even if the ending may not be a happy one… at least I will have tried."
Castorice nodded, her voice gentle.
"Don't expect me to help. I hate humans…"
Ana snorted lightly from the side.
"Of course."
Castorice smiled softly, seeing right through Ana's tsundere act.
Even if she claimed to hate humans, if her help was truly needed, she would never hold back.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.