An impact landed in my arm, with a little weight.

　Immediately, my broken body groaned as if it couldn't take the impact, and then my shoulder and left arm began to claim a tearing pain. Apparently, the body is complaining to be treated more carefully.

　The body is so disobedient to its owner that it's hard to believe it. It would be better if pain and suffering could be erased except when necessary.

　With this thought in mind, I blinked my eyes. In front of me, black hair spreads out and sways as if it were flapping its wings. It seemed as if it were melting into the night.

　A gasp escapes from my lungs. It seems that there was no way I could not make it in time.

"You've lost some weight, Fialaat. You've lost some weight, Fialaert. They say sleep is rest for the soul.

　I opened my lips to Fialat-La-Borgograd, the sorcerer who had literally fallen from the sky into my arms. I can see for myself that the tone of my words has become quite broken. It seems that even I, as a person, was somewhat worried that Fialaat might not be safe after seeing that awe-inspiring pillar of magic. His cheeks relaxed involuntarily.

　On the other hand, Fialaat's expression was strangely hardened, and his lips were trembling quietly. His lips opened several times to speak, but closed again quickly and silently, and no sound came out of his mouth.

　The expression on his face was as if he was trying to choose what to say, as if he didn't know what to say at all. It's an unusual expression for Fialaat, or rather, an expression that doesn't suit him at all.

　When I looked into his face to see what was wrong, his voice finally shook the space. It was a voice that resonated well in my ears.

"Well, you know. If you don't have someone to wake you up, you won't be able to sleep for fear of oversleeping.

　I almost let out a squeal. I wondered if she was imitating me. I wondered if he was imitating me. Fialaat also replied to me in a very broken tone. It would not be very convincing if he said it while breathing on my shoulder like that. Of course, Fialaat himself must have understood this.

　Even so, Fialaat forced his lips upward and showed a smile. You can see that his dark eyes are slightly moistened.

　You really are a helpless sorcerer. I can't say the same for you.

　I looked at Fialaert and saw that his legs were still trembling as if he had jumped from the second floor, and his cheeks were still tense, though he was trying to smile.

　In the event that you're looking for the reason for this, you can squint your eyes and look at the top of the lord's house.

"Get ready, Lugis. This is the only time I'll let you play. It's coming. I'm not sure what to call it, huh?

　Kalia stepped out into the darkness, silver long sword at the ready. I, Fialaat, and Kalia looked at each other, and there it was, without a doubt.

　A lump of flesh in the shape of a beast. A few arms and legs stretched taut with flesh, strangely fearsome and inadequate.

　The lump of flesh, with flames all over its body, was staring down at us from the second floor of the building. The entire wall had been shattered. That must have been a great view.

　However, the beast seems to be observing us very carefully, but in fact, it is not seeing anything.

　At any rate, there are no eyes on what looks like its face. All you can see is a great deal of blood and a fearsome fat of flesh. So it's just doing what it does as if it's observing. It was a meaningless act, like claiming to be life.

　It sent a shiver down my spine. I could not help but feel physiological disgust at how fearless she was. Each gesture made the innermost part of my brain numb as if it were convulsing. It was a feeling that, well, tickled a nasty part of my memory.

　I slowly lowered Fialaert to the ground and sat her down on the spot. Her legs were still trembling, and she could hardly walk at all.

　Oh no. Ideally, I would have taken Fialat's hand and left the city as soon as possible. Now, I wonder if that creepy lump of meat will let me go in one piece. Maybe he's a good guy at heart and will send you off with a pleasant smile.

　If only there wasn't such an overbearing hostility directed at me that I could feel even from deep within that taut flesh.

　No. If you show your back, even while holding a phialert, it will devour your flesh in a single breath. It will gouge out your very existence to make you a part of it. That's the worst. It would be better to die in a ditch than to die like that. If only to become a part of that fearsome mass of flesh.

　In other words, if you don't want that to happen, you'll have to swing your sword and outsmart him right here and now. Well, that's just great.

"Fear alert, what's going on? You didn't just come down from heaven, did you?

　He stepped forward, protecting Fialaat. He held up his treasured sword as if to thrust it forward.

　You'll be able to find a lot more than just a few of them. Though my thoughts are running from one end of my head to the other, they can't seem to come together. I could feel the frustration slowly burning my skin.

"...... Mordor. The closest thing I can think of is that Moldow was a goner. At least, he was the source of it, that's a fact.



　Mordor, Mordor-Gorn the Looter. A mercenary by birth, he has even taken the title of Lord of Belle Fain, a literal upstart. That's where he got that lump of meat from, says Fialat.

　I see," he nodded, but didn't ask any deeper questions. He just kept his words to himself. Questions and doubts were undoubtedly brewing in his heart, but he didn't have the time or inclination to resolve them now.

　Kalia nodded to Fialaat's words in silence as well, and continued to hold her sword at the ready. If that lump of flesh showed its neck even once easily, she would cut it down immediately, as if to say so.

　--.

　Is it wailing? Or is it just the sound of flesh distorting? With an unpleasant and disturbing sound, the figure of a beast in the shape of a lump of flesh flickered.

　I gulped, and the next moment.

　Flames raced through the night, scattering sparks of fire. The beast was leaping through the air as if it deserved it.