Chapter 20 Team Work

"Ready!" they all called in unison.

Reika was the first to attack, chanting quickly before shouting, "Fireball!" A blazing sphere shot from her palms, slamming into a cluster of bats. Some shrieked as they burned, but most evaded the spell with unnatural agility.

A pair of bats dove straight for Alessandra. She yelled, bracing herself behind her shield. With a powerful swing of her mace, she crushed them in one blow, their bodies falling lifeless to the ground.

Yumi moved with precision, her bowstring snapping as she fired arrow after arrow. Each one struck true, even piercing through two bats with a single shot.

Iryoku darted into the fray, his twin daggers flashing as he sliced and tore through the swarm. He moved like a blur, cutting down any bat foolish enough to get too close.

Rhogan, was also under attack. The smaller bats clawed and bit at his thick hide, but their efforts were futile. With a bellow, Rhogan retaliated, goring them with his horn and crushing them under his massive frame.

"Flamethrower!" Reika shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. Both her hands ignited as she unleashed a wide cone of fire, engulfing dozens of bats in an inferno. Their charred bodies fell like ash to the ground.

Most of the swarm was quickly wiped out, and the rest retreated back into the shadows of the forest. But the victory was short-lived.

A deep, earth-shaking thud echoed through the air. Another followed, louder this time.

Iryoku cursed under his breath. "Damn it. Now what?"

The trees trembled and parted, revealing a hulking monstrosity—a massive, grotesque minotaur. Its bulging muscles rippled with raw power, and its body was covered in scars. It bore a chilling, distorted grin, its powerful breaths resonating like a sinister drumbeat.

Yumi's voice wavered. "It’s one of those things."

"But this one’s bigger," Alessandra added, gripping her mace and shield tightly.

The minotaur locked its glowing red eyes on them and began stomping forward, each step sending tremors through the ground. Yumi didn’t waste time, quickly firing an arrow that struck the beast square between the eyes. The arrow barely pierced its thick hide.

"It’s not enough," she muttered, frustration in her voice.

Enraged by the arrow, the minotaur let out a deafening battle cry that echoed through the forest. With its massive fist, it struck the ground with tremendous force, causing a small quake and leaving a sizable crater in its wake.

Iryoku and Alessandra charged without hesitation. Reika, meanwhile, began to chant, sparks gathering in her palm as she formed a crackling sphere of energy. With a flourish, she hurled it forward. "Lightning Bolt!"

The minotaur lowered its head to charge, but the spell struck it directly in the chest, the electricity coursing through its massive frame. It staggered, letting out an enraged bellow.

Iryoku seized the opportunity, pulling out a thin rope attached to a harpoon. With a quick, practiced motion, he hurled the harpoon, embedding it deep into the beast’s massive body. He jumped, simultaneously pulling on the rope to propel himself upward at incredible speed, hurtling toward the creature’s body like a predator closing in on its prey.

Once atop the monster, Iryoku drove his daggers into its flesh repeatedly, each strike carving deep, bloody gashes into its face and neck. Blood sprayed from the wounds, splattering Iryoku as the minotaur roared in agony, thrashing wildly in a desperate attempt to shake him off.

"This won’t be like last time, you overgrown cow," Iryoku snarled, a grin spreading across his face.

At the same time, Alessandra charged at the beast’s legs, her mace raised high, its knobbed macehead glowing with a magical light. With a ferocious cry of "Die!" she swung with all her might, the mace connecting with the minotaur's knee in a sickening crunch. Blood sprayed into the air as the joint shattered, forcing the massive creature to kneel, its roar of pain echoing through the battlefield.

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Before the beast could recover, Rhogan charged in, his massive horn plunging into the minotaur’s torso with brutal force. The impact tore through flesh and bone, sending the grotesque creature sprawling onto its back, blood pooling rapidly beneath it.

Iryoku leaped off just in time, skillfully retrieving the harpoon and rope mid-air before landing safely. The beast thrashed wildly in the dirt, its body a gruesome mess of blood and deep wounds. Struggling to stand, it froze, its attention suddenly drawn to a bright, glowing light.

Yumi stood still, her eyes focused, magic swirling around her. Energy gathered at the tip of her arrow, forming a glowing drill-like shape. Her breathing steadied as she aimed directly at the monster’s head.

"Piercing Arrow!" she screamed, releasing the shot.

The magical arrow tore through the air, glowing brighter as it struck the minotaur’s skull with devastating force. The arrow drilled straight through, leaving a gaping, bloodied hole in its head.

The beast’s body convulsed before collapsing with a thunderous crash, lifeless. Its blood pooled beneath it, staining the earth.

The battlefield fell silent except for their breaths.

The group looked at each other, smiles breaking through their blood-streaked faces as they caught their breath.

Yumi suddenly dashed toward Alessandra and leaped into her arms. "Sensei, we won!" she exclaimed, laughing joyfully.

Reika walked up to them, brushing dust from her robe. "And it was with relative ease," she muttered, a small smile tugging at her lips.

The three turned to Iryoku, expecting some sort of acknowledgment. He stood near the fallen beast, his daggers still in hand, a faint grin on his face as he surveyed the carnage.

"Let’s keep doing that," he said simply, glancing back at them.

The girls rolled their eyes in sync, clearly expecting more from Iryoku than his nonchalant response to their improvements. Yumi leaned toward the others, raising a hand to the side of her mouth as though to whisper but loud enough for him to hear. "I think he’s jealous because he hasn’t been able to materialize magic power."

“Oh, I see,” Alessandra said with an exaggerated nod, crossing her arms.

Reika glanced back at Iryoku and pretended to stifle a laugh behind her hand. “Oh, poor him.”

Iryoku, fully aware of their teasing, pretended not to notice, though a mischievous thought crossed his mind: I'll get back at them later.

The distant sounds of fighting grew louder, drawing their attention.

“Should we go back and check on the other fight?” Alessandra asked, her gaze shifting toward the direction of the battle against the giant bats.

Reika frowned, her tone cautious but resolute. “We should just head to the city before more monsters show up.”

Iryoku nodded in agreement, his expression serious. “We move.”

Without wasting more time, they strapped Rhogan to the carriage and continued their journey toward the city of Balt.

A couple of hours later, the night caught up with them, its darkness spreading across the road. The group remained alert, eyes scanning the shadows for signs of danger.

“Phew,” Yumi muttered, wiping sweat from her brow as they finally reached the city gates and spotted armored guards. Her voice was light, almost playful, despite the weight of the day’s events. “We made it in one piece. Hehe.”

As they entered the city, the sight before them was grim. The streets were crowded with makeshift tents and tarps, and many people lay exposed to the elements. Some had visible injuries wrapped in crude bandages. The dark sky began to release snowflakes, the cold biting yet oddly muted.

Rhogan growled and shook his massive body, dislodging the snow that had gathered on his thick hide.

"Refugees?" Reika murmured, her voice tinged with sadness.

"Let’s find a place to sleep," Iryoku muttered, his tone flat.

After a brief search, they found a spot to park the carriage beside a tattered tent. They managed to buy some warm food from a nearby vendor, the simple meal providing a small comfort in the harsh surroundings.

"Ahhhhh," Yumi exhaled, playing with her breath as it formed small clouds in the cold air.

As they ate, Reika looked up, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Do you guys feel cold at all?"

Alessandra and Yumi paused to consider.

"You know," Alessandra said slowly, "now that you mention it, it’s barely cold for me, even with all this snow."

Yumi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, weirdly, it’s not as freezing as it should be."

Iryoku smirked, leaning back. "It’s convenient, isn’t it? Maybe soon enough, we’ll even be fireproof."

They shared a faint chuckle before the conversation turned to their plans for the following day. Once their meal was finished, they decided to rest.

As the others climbed into the carriage, Alessandra lingered by the small bonfire, staring into the flickering flames. A few paces behind her, Iryoku leaned against the side of the carriage, his arms crossed and his eyes half-closed.

"Have you ever gone camping?" Alessandra asked softly, her voice almost lost in the crackle of the fire.

Iryoku opened his eyes and looked at her back. "Not really," he replied simply.

Alessandra’s gaze remained fixed on the flames. "Keisuke always wanted us to go camping... That year, we planned to go after Christmas..." Her voice faltered, and she trailed off.

Iryoku lowered his gaze, his eyes trembling slightly, but he said nothing.

"I thought... maybe when we got here, we’d find them," she continued, her voice heavy with unspoken pain.

A long silence hung between them, broken only by the faint crackle of the fire.

"Don’t mind me," Alessandra muttered finally, her voice barely audible. She stood, brushing the snow from her armor, and turned toward the carriage. "Let’s get some sleep."

Without waiting for a response, she climbed inside.

Iryoku watched her go, as shadows of the fire danced across his face.