The monster howled, the air trembling with every whip-like strike. With the right weapon, the elf girl could have taken down this Viola with ease.
Bell frowned. He hadn't come back to entertain pointless thoughts like that.
"Ryuu-san, try this weapon!"
He tossed the sky-blue short blade, sheath included, to the elf girl.
Ryuu was already irritated, desperate for something to vent her frustrations on. She slipped past the tentacle's attack, caught the dagger, and swung hard.
A cold blue arc sank into the creature's green hide, slicing the tentacle cleanly in two. The monster's shriek was painfully sharp.
Just as Ryuu moved in to follow up, cracks suddenly rang out. Without warning, the blade splintered apart piece by piece until only fragments remained.
"..."
Ryuu froze for a moment, guilty for breaking the boy's weapon. But before the feeling could settle, Bell's shout cut in.
"Watch your step!"
His voice was tight with urgency.
Less than a second later, Ryuu was hit hard.
"A... a second one?!"
Heith's cry vanished beneath a thunderous roar. A yellow-green shape burst up from the ground, peeling open like a restrained bud. With a piercing screech, it lunged at the Golden Witch, jaws wide.
"Why—why is it always me?!"
Heith jolted in terror and bolted, clutching her staff. Fangs and tentacles chased close behind.
Not far away, Ryuu held her left arm and slowly pushed herself upright.
"Thank you for the warning, Cranel-san."
Thanks to him, she'd kept her injuries to a minimum.
Leaving only those brief words, Ryuu gripped her wooden sword and charged again. Fighting one monster together was already pushing them. Piling everything onto Heith would only end in disaster.
Bell watched their retreating backs, deep in thought. Their wounds were adding up. At this pace, they'd collapse sooner rather than later. Worse still, they had no idea how many monsters there were.
He'd only sensed the second one because he was observing the fight. What if more appeared? They needed a way to bring them down fast.
As his mind spun, Bell realized he'd overlooked something simple.
What exactly were these monsters after? If they wanted to kill him, why give up the moment Ryuu showed up? Monsters were brutal and bloodthirsty; they wouldn't ignore easy prey. If the Violas kept changing targets, was something else drawing their attention?
The thought struck him hard, and he called out:
"Heith-san, is there something you have that the nearby elf doesn't?"
Heith frowned at the question, then glanced at Ryuu.
"You're asking that now? What do I have that's bigger than—just look! It's obvious!"
As if on cue, tentacles slammed toward her mid-sentence. While blocking them, she unintentionally stressed a certain word.
"...."
Ryuu understood exactly what Bell meant to ask, but hearing the exchange still made her frown.
"It's magic power."
Only after saying it did the Elf girl realize her composure had slipped.
"Is… is that so?!" Heith let out an awkward laugh, clearly trying to hide something.
Ryuu hadn't cared at first, but with the boy standing there and Heith acting like that, a sudden irritation flared inside her.
"Hey!" Heith complained. "I didn't mean it! How could you just stop? Please, I'm begging you—help me!"
Under the monster's relentless assault, the Golden Witch abandoned her sense of dignity. She didn't know what kind of relationship the elf had with the boy, but asking for Ryuu's help was still better than letting the youth nearby stay in danger.
Ryuu swung her blade again. The earlier interruption had done more than clear her frustration. More importantly, she wanted to chant a spell while the monster focused on Heith. Yet just like before, the tentacles instantly changed direction.
They were definitely drawn to magic power.
Ryuu had noticed this earlier, but knowing it didn't change anything. If this were a Goddess's poker game, their hand was far too weak. Even knowing the opponent's cards wouldn't help them win.
Bell understood that as well. To defeat the monster, they would have to take a gamble.
"Heith-san, can you chant Healing Magic?" Bell shouted.
"In this situation? No way!"
"What if someone covers for you?"
"..."
Ryuu immediately understood the boy's intent.
"Is your Magic continuous?" As a seasoned fighter, she directed the question at the Golden Witch.
"Yes. As long as I finish chanting," Heith answered honestly.
A faint smile touched Ryuu's lips. The youth had seen the Golden Witch's Magic before; only he could have thought of a way to break the deadlock like this. For someone who'd experienced so many battles, Ryuu never expected she would one day be guided by this boy.
"Start chanting. I'll protect you."
"...Alright!"
Heith could hear the sincerity in the elf girl's voice. And more importantly, this strategy came from the very boy she admired.
"My name is gold—"
Carrying that trust, the Golden Witch began chanting her healing hymn. In an instant, tentacles and fangs surged toward them together.
Ryuu stood proudly before the human girl, wooden sword in hand. When chanting alongside someone, she always had to divide her focus between magic and defense, making it harder to block the monster's attacks. But now, the one chanting was Heith. And the tentacles and fangs weren't aiming at Ryuu at all.
She swung her wooden sword, sometimes deflecting the impact, sometimes knocking aside fangs. The Elf girl moved like a beautiful knight holding back the darkness, dancing fluidly between each attack.
"—Blessing, blessing, blessing. I am Golden, and with the light of rebirth, I draw endless strife to this place—Earth Gullveig!"
Golden light burst forth. The moment the spell finished, both of their wounds were completely healed.
"Now it's all yours," Ryuu said with a light smile, as if getting back at Heith for her earlier remark.
"...W-wait! Hold on!"
Before Heith could complain, the Elf girl slipped away from the monster in a flash.
"What do you mean, 'all yours'?!"
Heith struggled against the monster's fierce attacks while constantly healing herself. For a moment, she felt like crying and wanted to accuse the boy of befriending such an unreasonable elf.
Bell Cranel should choose his companions carefully. How could he get along so well with her just because she was beautiful?
Ryuu's cool, captivating voice echoed through the air, answering Heith's confusion.
"—In the sky of a now distant forest. Infinite stars scattered in the endless night sky.—"
With the magic power-rich Heith acting as bait, the Elf girl seized the chance to chant an offensive spell. This tactic came from that clever youth.
Realizing this, Heith felt a brief surge of joy. Yet as she listened to the sharp, commanding chant, a thought crossed her mind.
The boy had only spoken two short sentences. So why could this elf understand him so quickly? While she, on the other hand, hadn't grasped his intention until the very end?
She wasn't sure whether she should be upset at her own slowness… or jealous of the tacit understanding between the boy and the elf.
Lost in her mixed feelings, her spell was already gathering power.
...