Chapter 260 - Chapter 259: Attack on the Royal Capital 4
In a place slightly outside District 3, Mika was dispelling a powerful curse.
He had already broken through tens of thousands of layers, and was absorbing the released mana with Absorb Wing.
Even so, this curse had not yet been fully dispelled.
The young man who had harbored the curse was already dead.
As Mika had predicted, it seemed this curse possessed its own will, but unlike when the young man was alive, it could not use magic.
Mika was in the center of a small depression about two meters in diameter, sweating profusely as he desperately continued the dispelling.
"...Enough, disappear already...!"
Ignoring the pain in his fractured leg from the impact of the fall, he focused solely on Auto-Dispel.
Even with Auto-Dispel running at full power, it had been over thirty minutes and the curse still wasn't fully dispelled.
At that moment, Fee, who seemed to be near Mika, began flashing intensely.
"What's wrong, Fee?"
When Mika lifted his face with a pained expression to look at Fee, he noticed the sound.
Thump-thump... Thump-thump... Thump-thump....
The sound was getting closer little by little.
The sound was coming from the direction of District 3.
"............No way."
A bad premonition made Mika turn around, chanting Heal to cure his own injuries.
At the same time, the source of the sound leaped out from behind a building in District 3.
It was a Chimera, a composite monster with a pigeon-like head, bat wings, and a scorpion tail.
The Chimera charged at Mika with terrifying momentum.
"Tch!"
Mika clicked his tongue involuntarily, intending to use Laser Cannon against the Chimera, but switched to Iron Bullet.
Using Laser Cannon would cause massive damage to District 3 with its penetrating laser.
He rained Iron Bullets upon the Chimera, but despite becoming covered in blood, the Chimera continued its charge without stopping.
"Ah!? Damn it!"
He held out until the very last second, pulling up Physical Enhancement just before contact with the Chimera to dodge the charge.
At that moment, the black mist he had captured with Absorb Wing slipped away.
It seemed that while he could manage to keep it absorbed, it was difficult to maintain the hold during such violent movements.
The black mist flew off towards the east with incredible speed.
"Wait a minute!"
Mika slaughtered the Chimera in an instant with a short sword made of Orichalcum, then tried to chase the black mist.
"Huh!? Apostle-sama!?"
"Dispeller!"
Just then, several adventurers who seemed to have been chasing the Chimera arrived.
One of the adventurers was surprised to find that the Chimera they were chasing was already defeated, but quickly switched gears.
"It seems a Chimera has appeared in District 2 as well, and it's terrible! lend us a hand, Dispeller!"
"District 2 too!?"
It seemed the Chimera attacks were spreading not only to District 3 but also to District 2.
If such a monster appeared in the middle of the city, how much damage would it cause...
Mika gritted his teeth, glaring at the direction where the black mist had fled.
His clenched fist trembled, but soon he released it and let out a deep breath.
"............Understood."
It was regrettable that he couldn't finish it off, but if a Chimera was rampaging in District 2 right now, he couldn't abandon them.
(It seems dealing with Chimeras is tougher for adventurers than I thought...)
Mika had thought that adventurers could handle the Chimeras somehow.
In fact, there would surely be some adventurers who could manage it.
But it seemed their number was far smaller than Mika had imagined.
The Chimera he had expected other adventurers to defeat had ended up being an obstacle.
This Chimera hadn't just happened to come here by chance.
It was more natural to think that the curse had summoned it.
He didn't know how it was done, though...
"Are there no more Chimeras around the East Gate?"
"Yes, it seems there are none others."
"Understood. Then, please take care of this area."
Mika took a few steps of a running start and leaped up in one go, looking down over District 2.
"...Yaroibarov-san is probably there, so he's likely taken care of some of them."
But the Royal Capital was too vast.
If Chimeras appeared at the eight gates in the directions of East, West, South, North, Northeast, and Northwest, just going to defeat them would be a struggle.
Moreover, if they appeared in the city streets like District 1 or District 8, it would be difficult to even grasp where the Chimeras were.
Mika first searched for the nearest place where a Chimera might be.
Looking down from the sky, it seemed a Chimera was still near the East Main Street in District 2.
"I'll deal with it immediately."
Muttering that, Mika began a steep dive towards the East Main Street.
He defeated the Chimera rampaging on the East Main Street and searched for the next one.
While surveying District 2, he noticed a figure moving by jumping across rooftops.
Confirming the figure with Telescope, Mika hurriedly headed in that direction.
"Yaroibarov-san!"
"Oh, monk!"
When Mika reached out his hand, Yaroibarov understood his intent and jumped greatly towards Mika.
Mika firmly grasped Yaroibarov's hand and moved to the sky once more.
"Hah-haa, this is convenient."
Yaroibarov looked down over the Royal Capital and quickly checked the overall situation.
"............From the looks of it, the gate at the Second Wall is probably finished."
"The remaining Chimeras... there, and there?"
"Yes, it seems that one over there is still active too."
It seemed District 1, District 6, and District 7 were still being attacked.
"Monk! Carry me! It'll probably be faster to deal with them all at once rather than handling them separately!"
"Understood!"
Mika headed towards the nearest District 1 and searched for a Chimera.
Once he found a Chimera, he lowered his altitude and flew straight towards it, releasing Yaroibarov's hand in mid-air.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
Yaroibarov landed in front of the Chimera and, maintaining his momentum, sliced the Chimera into rings with a halberd in an instant.
And for some reason, he sliced the knight who was nearby into rings as well.
Yaroibarov didn't stop at all and jumped with all his might.
Mika caught the outstretched hand and retrieved Yaroibarov.
Next was District 7.
"Yaroibarov-san. You even cut down a knight...."
"Huh? Didn't you see, monk? There's a Chimera wearing knight armor!"
"A Chimera wearing knight armor!? What is that!?"
When Mika asked with a surprised face, Yaroibarov explained easily.
"They're using people as materials for the Chimera. Didn't you hear that over ten knights disappeared before? I suspect that's related."
"That's...!"
At Yaroibarov's words, Mika's head seemed to fill with anger.
The one who kidnapped the knights was almost certainly Hibujiza.
This attack on the Royal Capital was definitely related to Hibujiza and his organization!
"Monk... it hurts a bit."
At Yaroibarov's voice, Mika snapped out of it.
It seemed he had gripped too hard out of anger.
"......I'm sorry."
"Hmph... That's fine."
Yaroibarov brushed it off lightly, but because it was Yaroibarov, "a bit of pain" was all it was.
If it were an ordinary person, he might have crushed his hand.
"We're arriving soon. Put me down. Once I'm down, you head straight for District 6, monk."
"Understood!"
Yaroibarov was thrown onto the roof of the building he pointed at.
Since it was a concrete building, it should be fine, but he placed it down with a bit of caution.
Yaroibarov also landed while dissipating the momentum so the impact wouldn't go much into the building, then jumped down to the main street.
Mika made a sharp turn towards District 6 and searched for a Chimera.
District 2 was in a terrible state, just like District 3.
Many houses had collapsed, and fires were rising from various places.
Even though it was mid-summer with high temperatures, people would surely be suffering from the heat now.
(Even if I put out the fire, using Waterball or Water Splash requires caution, or the water pressure might damage the houses further.)
More importantly, dealing with it locally meant there were too many fire incidents to handle.
The scope was almost the entire Royal Capital, including District 3.
"Right!"
Mika landed on the roof of a suitably tall building and looked up at the sky.
"Even so, roasting them would just steam them...? But since I can't think of any other method, it can't be helped! O vast source of life, Great God of Water! Moisten the earth, quell the raging flames, nurture and cherish with your great power! ————."
And he chanted a spell towards the clear sky.
Rainfall of God's Miracle.
"————Gushing forth, the source of life, right here now!"
Once the chant was complete, a massive amount of mana was stolen from him.
He thrust his tightly clenched fist towards the sky.
"Come down quickly, damn it!!!"
With Mika's shout that came out involuntarily, black rain clouds suddenly began to billow up in the previously clear sky.
But even that wasn't enough.
Rain clouds covering all of this Royal Capital were far from sufficient with just this.
"Don't be stingy, just keep bringing them over!!!!!!!"
Mana was stripped away root and branch from the Absorb Wing collection.
Dizzy... his consciousness began to fade into a state of mana depletion.
Instinctively, he left a portion of the mana allocated to Rainfall in his hand to avoid losing consciousness.
In the blink of an eye, rain clouds covering the entire Royal Capital appeared, bringing down a rain like a summer shower.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..."
He manifested Rainfall using a massive amount of mana that couldn't even be compared to making rare metals.
Was it about three hundred Rimliches? He didn't know how much one Rimliche was.
Even with that much mana used, this intensity of rain would probably only last for about five minutes.
Well, it's because the area is too wide.
"This should at least make things a little better."
He could only expect it to weaken the fire's intensity and suppress the spread to some extent.
The downside was that people exposed to the elements would now be exposed to the rain.
(Who cares which is better!)
Mika took off again in the splashing rain.
Visibility had worsened due to the rain.
"Uwaaan, I'm an idiot!"
Even so, he managed to find a Chimera.
As soon as Mika landed, he slashed with a short sword made of Orichalcum.
He cut off the Chimera's head.
"Is there no more Chimera...?"
Should he check from the sky again?
However, due to someone's doing, visibility had deteriorated significantly, so he couldn't tell from a distance.
He would have to go around directly.
He didn't know whose fault it was.
Rain was a natural phenomenon, that was certain!
"Apostle-sama!"
Just as Mika was about to take off, a girl with a desperate expression ran out.
"Please save me, Apostle-sama! Please!"
It was clear that the girl, wet from the rain, was crying.
For a moment, the thought of a Chimera that might still be alive flashed through his mind.
Even so, he couldn't abandon a child with such an expression.
The girl headed towards a collapsed house nearby.
"My mother and older sister are inside! Please, save them, Apostle-sama!"
The girl's desperate cry tightened Mika's chest.
Mika peered inside through the gap in the collapsed building.
And he involuntarily closed his eyes and turned his face away.
(............It's tough...)
From a quick glance, it seemed the mother and the girl, trapped inside and collapsed on top of each other, were beyond help.
The mother who had covered the girl was bleeding from her head.
And neither the mother nor the girl moved even a twitch.
Mika manifested Big Ear, cutting out surrounding sounds and the sound of rain.
Then he gradually increased the volume to search for that sound.
(————!)
Faintly, he heard two breathing sounds.
If this was the case, they might still be saved.
If he used Heal now, he could at least cure their injuries and maybe bring them back to consciousness.
However, he didn't know what was happening to parts he couldn't see.
If their legs were crushed by wood or other things on top, they would be treated in that state.
Ideally, he wanted to restore the parts that could be restored first.
More importantly, if they regained consciousness now and panicked, it might trigger further collapse.
Rescue them quickly, and then use Heal.
(...But, how to do it.)
If he moved the collapsed wood carelessly, the support might be lost and the house could collapse further.
(I need to create some support somehow.)
Mika extended magic from where he was now like a tunnel to where the mother and girl were.
And he created a tunnel of thick iron plates.
Wood and other debris from the house were stuck in the tunnel walls.
Next, he created iron walls on both sides of the tunnel, about one meter apart, to support the house on top.
These walls were also in a state where wood and other things were pierced into them.
He created another wall one meter further out on the outside.
Iron walls to support the wood and other things.
Tunnel walls, plus two iron walls on each side.
If he supported it with a total of six points, maybe he could cut the wood inside the tunnel and at least hold on until the rescue was complete?
Mika supported the wood crossing inside the tunnel from below with his hands so as not to give a strong impact, and cut off both sides with Thousand Edge.
Carefully, carefully, he removed the obstructing timber one by one and reached beneath the two of them.
A piece of timber was stuck in the mother's calf area.
The timber sticking out from the tunnel wall didn't seem to have pierced through.
When he cut that with Thousand Edge as well, Mika slowly pulled out the mother and the girl.
"Mother! Older sister!"
"Not yet!"
He held back the girl who seemed about to cling to them, and the people watching around let go of the girl.
It seemed they were interested in what the Apostle was doing.
The girl seemed to have no major external injuries.
Mika used Heal to complete the treatment.
The mother had a laceration on her head.
It seemed to have been caused by something hitting her.
And, of course, an injury to her leg.
Mika roughly washed the laceration on her head with Water Splash, then pulled out the wood stuck in her leg.
After washing that with Water Splash as well, he immediately used Heal.
"Oh...! It's healed!"
"Water came out of his hands!? It must be water that heals wounds!"
"Could this be the legendary panacea!?"
No, that's not it.
That's just water.
You saw me use Heal right in front of you.
The crowd gathered in large numbers and started saying whatever they wanted.
Seriously, you guys have too much time on your hands.
Mika turned to the crowd and smiled brightly.
"It is precisely at times of such trials that a person's true nature is revealed. What do the gods think of those who merely watch their neighbors gasping in hardship?"
When Mika said that with a sigh, the crowd's faces turned pale.
And then,
"O-oh, are you okay!? I'll take you to the church right away!"
"I-I have potions! Does anyone need one!?"
They scattered like spiderlings and rushed towards the rescue activities.
Mika stuck out his tongue and looked at the mother and girl he had rescued.
He felt uneasy leaving them outside like this.
However, the surrounding houses, while not collapsing completely, were partially damaged.
As Mika was wondering what to do,
"Father!"
The girl ran out.
The girl hugged a man while crying.
Probably, in this abnormal situation, he had rushed back from his workplace with all his might.
People nearby seemed to be explaining the situation to the father who didn't understand the circumstances.
The man, with a surprised face, began to pray while looking at Mika.
The mother and girl, still unconscious, could be left to that man.
"Apostle-sama!"
"Please save us, Apostle-sama!"
After that, Mika was called upon one after another, and he went around providing rescue and using Heal.
"O vast source of life, Great God of Water. O Great God of Healing, your great subordinate deity, who moistens and fills with nourishment. ————."
"O vast source of life, Great God of Water. O Great God of Healing, your great subordinate deity, ————."
"O vast source of life, Great God of Water. ————."
Like practicing a tongue twister, Mika used Heal one after another.
Heal of God's Miracle was extremely high-performance, but it had one drawback.
It could not be used on multiple targets at once.
He had to cast it on them one by one.
"Please line up here!"
"You there, don't cut in line! The gods are watching people's actions precisely at times like these!"
While Mika was using Heal on the injured in District 6, the Eucharist Squad suddenly appeared from somewhere, seemingly having heard about it, and organized the crowd.
Currently, the church seemed to be operating at full capacity.
Of course, they were releasing a massive amount of not only stored potions but also mana recovery potions, allowing healers to use Heal.
Naturally, they wouldn't ask for donations at a time like this.
If they did, they would truly be struck by divine punishment.
Mika moistened his dry throat, which had become parched from chanting too many spells, with a Waterball.
"There's too many people for anything! Can't the lightly injured just wait!? I want to prioritize those in danger of death!"
Too many people had rushed in, causing hindrances to rescue and restoration work in this entire area.
Still, he couldn't suddenly perform triage.
In this world where he had no proper medical knowledge, there was no way he could sort them out logically.
(It takes only a few seconds per person to finish Heal. If it takes too long sorting them out carelessly, it would be more efficient to just use Heal quickly.)
Even so, the problem was that the critically injured couldn't come to Mika.
They couldn't move.
They couldn't be moved.
Yet, it was precisely for such people that Heal was needed!
A burning sense of anxiety swelled in Mika's chest.
At that moment, he noticed a familiar face lining up waiting for Heal.
Mika used Heal on each person one by one until it was that person's turn.
"Sevvero-san!"
"Yo, Dispeller. What is it, Apostle-sama? Could it be you... are you talking about yourself?"
Sevvero was standing in line holding a boy.
"......Is that your child?"
"Cut it out. I don't have kids. ...As far as I know."
His words were somewhat sharp.
Did he have a relevant memory?
It seemed Sevvero had been away from the Royal Capital during the Chimera attack.
On his way back from a request, he heard rumors that the Royal Capital was in trouble and rushed back.
Then, while helping with rescue activities, he heard about the Apostle and lined up with the critically injured boy.
Mika used Heal on the child Sevvero was holding, then consulted him on what he was thinking.
Whether there was any way to save the critically injured.
When Mika consulted him, Sevvero thought for a moment.
During that time, Mika continued using Heal.
"............No matter what, I can't save everyone. But even in that case, there are things we can do."
Sevvero looked at Mika with a serious expression and asked a few confirmations.
"I can't move that far myself. But you... if I can mention the name of the Apostle-sama, there are things I can do."
"Really!? Please! You can use my name however you want."
"Hey hey, don't give permission so easily. Your name... Sir, is not something so light right now."
"You can call me 'you'. I trust you, Sevvero-san. Please."
When Mika said that, Sevvero shrugged his shoulders.
"Alright. It'll take a little time, but I'll prepare it. Until then, keep doing it here. If you wander around, it'll be harder to catch them."
"Understood."
For now, he decided to leave it to Sevvero, and Mika continued using Heal on the people in front of him.
After that, without taking proper breaks, Mika continued using Heal relentlessly.
"How much mana does the Apostle-sama possess, I wonder."
"As expected of the Apostle sent by the gods."
Watching Mika continue to give Heal to an incredible number of people, numbering in the thousands, the members of the Eucharist Squad deepened their faith in Mika even more.
■■■■■■
Second Wall, Northeast Gate. Evening.
A man with a towel over his head and pressing another cloth against it with one hand was passing through the gate destroyed by a Chimera.
The towel and cloth were stained with blood in places, suggesting he had injured his head.
"Hey, you. Are you okay? The church... it seems the Apostle-sama is using Heal in District 6 right now?"
A kind knight, worried about the man's head injury, spoke out.
"Oh, I'm fine, I'm fine."
"Oh? Don't push yourself too hard?"
Despite the head injury, the man walked away lightly, and the knight tilted his head.
"Hey, lend me a hand for a sec!"
"A, ah! I'm coming!"
But called by another knight, he quickly forgot about such a man.
Leaving District 3, the man who had strayed from the road threw away the towel and cloth.
"Big catch, big catch."
The amount originally set up, plus the Artorum he had brought for exchange.
Both were completely full.
This was what was called a happy miscalculation.
"U-chan, you must be surprised. Ru-chan is surprised too."
Smiling, Ignis walked.
He had joined up with U-chan, and his base was the Imperial Capital Karchi's castle... no, currently, the Holy Land Uup Saktu.
He had to go to the castle where Ru-chan was.
"Deliver it to Ru-chan, then go back to Istora to set traps again. Haa, busy, busy."
Ignis hurriedly left the field dyed in the sunset.