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Silence of the Dragonrider, part 3.4
Chapter Index
Crushing Blow
4
She wasn't heading anywhere in particular. After she gave up on going to the assembly hall, she didn't really know where to go. She wanted to go to the Fortress and see her father, but the road leading to the foot of the mountain was blocked by monsters.
Every so often, she stopped and hid out of sight to scope out the area with her nageeg, only continuing towards wherever there were no signs of monsters.
Judith didn't know what else to do.
All around her, death ran rampant. There were mangled and bloodstained Krityan corpses everywhere, lying among the partially-collapsed buildings that were emitting fire and smoke. As for the monsters, she almost never caught sight of them.
She tried turning away from the bodies and taking detours at first, but she quickly realized it was futile. There were too many for her to ignore.
Although she’d been frantically enduring her upset stomach, the sensation disappeared before she realized it. The overwhelming horror had ended up cutting away her emotions, leaving her numb.
Not only was she a nine-year-old girl, but she was also in a daze; therefore, Judith didn’t realize that the corpses lying in the streets showed no signs of being eaten. They had merely been killed and torn apart. Apparently, once the monsters finished slaughtering in one district, they promptly moved on in pursuit of still-living prey. And while the monsters’ actions were abnormal, thanks to that, Judith had somehow managed to survive thus far.
She hadn’t seen another living person since she encountered the disturbed man. Where did everyone run? Where should I go to meet them? Judith thought absentmindedly. Maybe they would be worrying that she didn’t return to the meeting hall by now. Or maybe they were surrounded by monsters, but that had to be impossible, right? Although Judith vaguely understood that even an idea like this was too optimistic, she didn’t want to accept it.
Before she knew it, she’d reached the edge of not only the district, but also Temza. The road ended at the buildings in front of her. Whether she decided to go to another district or return to the one she came from, she needed to turn back.
Instead of doing so, Judith looked at the building before her. Compared to other buildings in the city of Temza, it gave off a somewhat imposing aura. There were several stairs in the front, and halfway up was a solid- and inhospitable-looking metal door. In the walls—which were no less plain than the door—there were windows installed that were so small and placed so high, they were more like peepholes than windows. Judith remembered that it was a building the children had previously been forbidden from entering.
Now that entrance was partially opened. Although she didn’t even really know why herself, Judith climbed the stairs and listened for anything inside.
When she didn’t hear a single sound, she peered through the opening. There was no reason for her to have any hopes, yet Judith was still disappointed.
There was death here, too—it was just different from the rest in that it was not one-sided. Although they were outnumbered by Krityans, monster corpses were lying here and there among the fallen people.
Most of the dead people were holding weapons. They had long handles attached to sharp blades. Spears. She hadn’t seen the real thing before, but Judith had heard her father talk about them.
There were still many spears lined up against the wall.
Although the Krityan race had been living in peace for a long time, it didn’t mean that they were completely unprepared. This was an armory as well as a stronghold.
Just like Judith and the others had assembled at the meeting hall, people from the nearby districts had taken shelter here. Everyone must have desperately resisted by picking up weapons. At this point, it was hard for her to tell whether the Circle had helped or whether it had been a hindrance.
Yet despite the sturdy building and prepared weapons, this place, too, was already finished.
Judith looked up. There was a large hole in part of the ceiling, from which a wide pillar of sunlight spilled onto the floor. The collapsed pieces of the ceiling formed a small mountain right below. She wasn’t sure whether it was caused by the shaking last night or whether it was the monsters’ doing, but either way, she wondered if the monsters had invaded from here without breaking through the front door.
She suddenly felt like the light was flickering. When she turned her attention to the hole in the ceiling once again, something on the other side moved, blocking the light.
No way. Judith opened her nageeg. They’re here. Five of them. No, more. They were right above Judith, on the other side of the ceiling.
Judith regretted her own carelessness. Since she hadn’t run into any monsters for a while, and since she felt weary and sluggish, she ended up unintentionally letting her guard down.
She spotted the figures lying face down on the floor. Will I be just like that soon? The tips of the spears they were gripping gleamed in the sunlight.
That’s it—weapons!
Judith frantically looked around. Despite the situation, she just couldn’t bring herself to steal a weapon held by a corpse; the same went for the ones that had rolled away but were already covered in blood. She looked instead towards the spears that were lined up against the wall, untouched. Which one should I pick? It should be as strong as possible.
She abruptly noticed that there was just a single spear placed at the back of the room, apart from the others. While the other spears were standing upright, only that spear was laid down on its own pedestal. There were strangely-shaped parts at the base of the spearhead, which was also about as broad as a sword, that folded back and intersected above the shaft. There were no other spears with a shape like it, so she had the feeling that it was something special.
That’ll do. I’ll use that one. Judith ran over to the spear and lifted it in both hands.
Although it was much taller than an adult and clearly made of metal, Judith was surprised by its lightness. It seemed that even a child like herself could somehow handle it.
So it really is a special spear, after all. Just as she thought that, there was a thud as a monster jumped down from the ceiling. The rubble cracked loudly under the heavy weight of its feet.
Although there was only one of them, by going to the back of the room to pick up the spear, Judith had ended up having her escape route cut off. Panicked, she brandished the spear, but the monster didn’t seem to feel very threatened. It leisurely paced back and forth, sizing her up.
She sensed more monsters peering in through the hole in the ceiling, but she couldn’t afford to look over there. She had the feeling that the monster on the floor would attack the moment she looked away.
The monster right before her eyes may have already killed people, and as that thought crossed her mind, Judith couldn’t help but tremble.
The spear was nearly slipping out of her sweaty hands. Even though she was trying to keep the tip pointed toward her opponent, she didn’t know a single thing about wielding spears.
Her nageeg, which she had left open, sensed something. Something’s coming from the front of the building!
The monster did not overlook her momentary distraction. With no warning, it abruptly turned and launched itself straight towards her.
Judith reacted far too slowly. While trying to correct her stance, her heel caught on a joint in the floor and she clumsily fell on her rear. The spearhead rose with her momentum, and the butt end struck the floor.
The monster threw itself at the spear, which was properly supported as if she’d intended it that way. After momentary resistance from the monster’s thick hide, the spear pierced its chest and slipped inside its body. Although it struck bone and was slightly deflected, thanks to the monster’s own weight and momentum as well as the support from the floor, it pierced straight through all at once. The monster yowled as the tip protruded from its back.
Judith, who had felt everything through the spearhaft in her palms, shuddered from the series of sensations. Where there had previously been only numbness, her emotions resurfaced and she emptied the contents of her stomach.
As if to replace them, something else appeared. It was being generated by the spear and came flowing into Judith’s mind. She almost dropped the spear without thinking.
Before she could figure out what it was, the remaining monsters came down from the ceiling, one after another. Just as she had detected earlier, there were four of them.
Unlike the first one, these four didn’t waste any time. The moment they regained their footing after the descent, they immediately leapt at her—simultaneously.
Judith prepared to die. However, she was still clutching the spear. The spear that was for fighting. Exactly how she should swing the spear, which enemy to target first, where she should attack—suddenly, Judith felt like she knew. By the time she thought that, her body was already moving. As she pulled the spear from the first monster that was still thrashing in agony, she vanished from that spot.
The monsters’ claws missed her altogether, and their fangs gnashed on empty air. The dancing spearhead mowed them down, slicing their flanks and the scruffs of their necks.
After a few suffocating moments, the four monsters simultaneously—much like when they pounced—crashed heavily to the floor, unmoving, while sending up sprays of blood.
Judith took a deep breath as she relaxed her posture. There wasn’t a single drop of blood on her. Even though it was the first time in her life she had moved like that, she was most surprised that it didn’t feel unfamiliar, as if she had repeated it many times before.
At that moment, something flowed into her from the spear. It was experience and skills about how to fight. Judith remembered. The orb she handled countless times during her nageeg training. The orb with shapes and mental images hidden inside. It’s the same as that orb. This spear was carved with a special code somehow, like the orb. However, what was stored there was so massive and complex that it had never been perceived, even by a nageeg of the highest level.
Even if there were more codes similarly hidden in the other spears, without being able to make proper use of them, it was no wonder that the people in this building had been defeated. The amount of training they had for joining the Great Circle was absolutely no match for the high level of skill needed to sense them.
Only Judith had accomplished that. Therefore Judith could do it. Besides that, while putting all of her focus on the spear, she had accidentally left her strengthened nageeg open.
Judith felt her body begin to tremble, still in disbelief over what she had done even now. Her emotions had completely returned. Now, as she became aware that she was surrounded by the corpses of monsters as well as people, she realized that she had killed a living creature for the first time. Thoughts of death spread in her mind.
Turning pale, Judith ran from the scene. She tightly clutched the spear as if it had ended up completely stuck to her hands, but she didn’t even notice.
She rushed outside through the opening in the door without stopping. She leapt down the stairs, landed in the street, and froze in place.
Dozens of monsters were crowded in front of the building. Every single one turned its attention that way—towards Judith.
Behind the pack, the ash gray monster that she had spotted a while ago was there. This monster, the only one standing upright among the other monsters walking on all fours, almost seemed as if it was the other monsters’ overseer or something. In fact, the other monsters obviously made way for it as it advanced.
Judith stared at the monster, which was slowly getting closer, while she was nearly flinching from fear. Her hand gripping the spear was filled with even more power.
Walking on two legs, its appearance was sinister, like a person had been somehow reconstructed from a nightmare. It appeared slouched because of its hunched back, yet it was still two heads taller than an adult Krityan. Its short legs were constantly bent at the knee, while its arms were long, loosely hanging down so that they were nearly touching the ground. From her position, Judith could clearly see the claws, which could easily be mistaken for scimitars, growing from its thick fingertips.
It was entirely covered with long hair. It was this fur that made it appear ash gray. Its neck was so short and thick that its head was protruding forward, almost as if it was connected directly to the torso. Its yellow eyes were abnormally long and narrow and its mouth was distorted in a smile that anyone would find unpleasant, with a row of short yet sharp fangs peeking out from its drawn lips.
Breaking free of the swarm, the monster stood in front of Judith. Judith noticed something odd. It seemed like it was strangely dirty. For some reason, various things were stuck all over its body, making it look as though it had jumped straight out of a garbage pile.
Making a sound that was like it was both laughing and coughing, it turned its gray upper body—almost like it was trying to show off.
The items stuck to its body were quite miscellaneous. Rag-like things, some kind of horn or fang, or maybe something like bone.
They were not getting caught up and stuck by accident. They were fastened and hanging from its long fur.
Judith’s face had already been pale, but it became even whiter.
Mixed in with the countless bits of junk, there was something she recognized.
It was torn here and there, stuffing exposed, and one side was wet with deep red.
It was a stuffed doll.
Nelni.
It wasn’t just one or two things she recognized. Each one was damaged, stained with blood.
The word trophy crossed her mind.
She was plunged into despair. Her strength faded as the spear fell from her fingers with a sudden clatter.
---
Strictly speaking, he wasn’t a monster. Nor was he an Entelexeia. Appearing from among the countless possibilities hidden in the many creatures living on Terca Lumireis, he was a kinless demonchild.
It was this creature, that preferred killing over eating, which led the monsters in ascending the mountain at the order of their unforgiving master.
Unlike regular monters, he certainly seemed to have a hint of intelligence. However, entranced by blood and slaughter, he used it only for his own amusement. He knew the fear of opposing his master, but did not know a single thing or hold any interests beyond that; in that sense, he was a beast after all.
He was called the Biting Ripper* by his master. Not in the human language, of course. It’s just a story to paint a mental picture of his true nature, so it has been converted to human language.
The Biting Ripper’s master would have destroyed Temza itself if it could. But since there were many things it had to do itself, it decided to leave this place to its servant.
The Biting Ripper gladly accepted. He intended to fully enjoy himself before his master returned. As his master expected, he excelled on that point.
---
Judith, abandoning the spear, blindly moved to escape.
With a pleased-sounding purr, the Biting Ripper opened his eyes so wide that they were near-perfect circles.
After he ordered his monster underlings with a roar not to move, the Biting Ripper began his pursuit. If he felt like it, he could bring down a target within seconds, but he deliberately took his time, following at a leisurely pace. Because he felt that the massacre in the area had gone a little too quickly, he intended to spend as much time as he liked savoring his targeted prey.
As for Judith, she was completely frantic. Her mind had finally exceeded its limit and was dominated by panic, so she could no longer think of anything but just running and searching for an opening.
If she ran in a single direction in Temza, unless she ran into a building, she would come across either a bridge or a cliff. Right away, the district’s edge appeared ahead of Judith. She naturally stumbled a couple of steps as she came to a stop.
The scene beyond the cliff brought Judith back to her senses. The familiar landscape was there. It was a position that could overlook the Fortress, albeit slightly from the side.
Judith looked toward the lower world, hoping to find salvation.
As a result, the girl’s mind was once again distressed when what she saw not only differed from her expectations, but also went beyond her comprehension.
There was no Fortress. In its place was a huge half-circle-shaped hole that had hollowed out a large portion of the ground. Regardless of how strong it had been, there wasn’t even a single trace left of the building that had once been there.
“What...Why?” Judith murmured dumfoundedly. She thought she must be mistaken. She wondered if she had completely misjudged the direction. But it didn’t seem like she had made an error. The surrounding mountains, the terrain—everything that she’d seen countless times was there.
Yet the Fortress alone was missing.
“...Dad.”
Knees growing weak, Judith sank on the spot until she was no longer standing.
“Dad!!”
Her mind tried to refuse to understand it. However, Judith wasn't stupid enough for that to last.
“Aaaaah!!”
Her refusal turned into a heartbreaking scream that leapt from her throat. Her tears overflowed as if a dam had burst.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
She felt a sensation behind her. She stiffly looked over her shoulder, and an ash gray figure was there.
Judith turned her face, gaze unfocused through her tears, towards it.
Its cruel smile was further distorted by her tears so that it appeared all the more monstrous, but Judith simply did nothing but look, as if she were stunned.
The Biting Ripper casually swung his arm and knocked her off her feet. The blow was equal to a soldier's blade. Its claws became three streaks of death that tore gashes into Judith's chest. Fresh blood danced, drawing odd patterns in the air and on the ground.
The letter box that stored her father's letter toppled and spilled away along with the blood. As she collapsed, Judith watched it fall strangely slowly to the ground with a loud clatter.
The Biting Ripper also noticed. He picked it up, stained with blood, and made a satisfied-seeming purr.
Give it back, she desperately tried to scream, but all that came out was a feeble groan. Despite that, the Biting Ripper made a show of holding the letter box in front of Judith.
Judith felt her consciousness rapidly growing distant. I can’t move my body anymore. It's cold.
An ash gray arm lifted in her dimming field of vision. Judith started to close her eyes in resignation.
Her view was suddenly blocked.
Something had crashed into the Biting Ripper—from the direction of the cliff.
The ash gray body was blown back with a furious sound. It slammed against the ground, repeatedly tumbling head over feels before it finally stopped. The Biting Ripper rose back up from within the cloud of dust with a blood-chilling roar of rage. Pebbles crumbled as they were trampled under his feet. The other monsters that had been holding back now came rushing over in response to his call. Together with his underlings, the Biting Ripper roared threateningly at the intruder that had hindered his fun.
“Ba...ul...?” Judith muttered weakly, her breath faint.
Ba’ul was there. He was floating in place, just barely above the ground, in the space between Judith and the monsters as if to block their way.
Ba’ul was furious. He was so intensely angry that he wondered just where that much anger had been hiding. Despite the threat of the monsters before him, he showed absolutely no sign of backing down.
Ba’ul roared. From the pit of his stomach, he roared with his entire being. That single cry overwhelmed the howls of the dozens of monsters commanded by the Biting Ripper.
Although he was of the lowest rank, nevertheless, he was an Entelexeia, one of the rulers of the world.
The monsters cowered. They instinctively sensed what their opponent was. They ran away in a disorganized manner, making high-pitched frightened yelps.
The Biting Ripper was the exception. He possessed half a wit and so, without listening the warning from his instincts, he bared his fangs and held his ground. Inspired by his boldness, some of the especially dimwitted monsters stayed in place. A hasty one pounced.
Ba’ul turned aside and slammed his tail into it. Following a dull thud, the struck monster departed to the open sky beyond the cliff with a whine. With just that, the remaining monsters hesitated.
But the Biting Ripper used the chance to dive at Ba'ul's underbelly. The pair tumbled to the ground while they furiously tangled. The Biting Ripper was still gripping the letter box in one hand even now. With its free hand, it aimed at Ba'ul's face. Ba'ul twisted his body to evade and the claws struck his horn, partially gouging it. Ba'ul raised his voice in anger.
Shaking free from the Biting Ripper, Ba'ul rose in the air and glared down at his enemy. His inner fury was burning so intensely, it had already swollen to the point that he could not hold it back. He spat it out and hurled it at his opponent.
His anger became a crimson flame that rushed from Ba’ul’s mouth and engulfed the Biting Ripper.
The Biting Ripper howled and writhed. He struggled to somehow put out the fire. In his hand, the letter box, wet with Judith's blood, smoldered and smoked.
As they became caught up in the mass of flames, the monsters blindly bolted, setting fires everywhere. Some crashed into walls and died, and there were also some that threw themselves over the cliff and fell.
While struggling frantically, the Biting Ripper turned to escape, but Ba'ul paid no attention. He turned to Judith and anxiously nudged her with the tip of his nose.
The Biting Ripper called out for help from his unparalleled master as he was enveloped by the blaze. But even supposing his voice had reached it, there was no answer. The master had its business and was not in this place.
When he tried to cross the bridge, the the support beam collapsed beneath his feet.
The Biting Ripper tumbled down head-first, howling in perhaps either malice or despair. For a moment, the brilliant flames enveloping his body and trailing like a meteor were visible, but they were immediately swallowed by the sea of clouds and vanished—along with the letter box.
Judith didn't see it for herself, as she had already lost consciousness.
---
A dream. She was dreaming.
A dream of flying in the air on Ba’ul’s back. Or was this just a memory?
But she wasn't lying down like this that time, and it shouldn't have been a boring flight just intently flying straight ahead, either.
I wonder why I’m lying down. I’m just being carried at this rate.
I need to get up now. Dad will end up getting mad.
It’s not just dark here; it's cold, too. I should wake up before I catch a cold.
Darkness and separation.
Another, different dream.
Ba’ul was fervently arguing with someone.
Strange. Even though there’s no way he can talk.
Are those Ba’ul’s relatives? Somehow it seems like there are lots of them.
Since Ba’ul’s a dragon, this is a dragon meeting.
I’m Krytian. Human. This is a place I shouldn’t be in.
My mouth tastes like iron.
My body’s hot. It doesn’t hurt anywhere, but it’s really hot.
My limbs are freezing. They’re so cold I can’t move them, like they’ve gone numb.
Sleeping on the ground is fine. But not where it’s wet.
It’s my fault that it’s wet. Because of the blood flowing from me.
It keeps flowing; it won’t stop.
Maybe it's important or maybe it's nothing; it's all flowing together.
I have to see Dad. See him and apologize.
I’m sorry I don’t have the letter. Tell me later what you wrote in it.
---
[End of Part 3.4 - and with it, all of Chapter 3.
:(
*Yes, Biting Ripper is its very ridiculous name – or at least less cumbersome than the more literal translation, which would be something like “one that bites and rips”. The exact term used for describing it as a “demon” is oni.]
Crushing Blow
4
She wasn't heading anywhere in particular. After she gave up on going to the assembly hall, she didn't really know where to go. She wanted to go to the Fortress and see her father, but the road leading to the foot of the mountain was blocked by monsters.
Every so often, she stopped and hid out of sight to scope out the area with her nageeg, only continuing towards wherever there were no signs of monsters.
Judith didn't know what else to do.
All around her, death ran rampant. There were mangled and bloodstained Krityan corpses everywhere, lying among the partially-collapsed buildings that were emitting fire and smoke. As for the monsters, she almost never caught sight of them.
She tried turning away from the bodies and taking detours at first, but she quickly realized it was futile. There were too many for her to ignore.
Although she’d been frantically enduring her upset stomach, the sensation disappeared before she realized it. The overwhelming horror had ended up cutting away her emotions, leaving her numb.
Not only was she a nine-year-old girl, but she was also in a daze; therefore, Judith didn’t realize that the corpses lying in the streets showed no signs of being eaten. They had merely been killed and torn apart. Apparently, once the monsters finished slaughtering in one district, they promptly moved on in pursuit of still-living prey. And while the monsters’ actions were abnormal, thanks to that, Judith had somehow managed to survive thus far.
She hadn’t seen another living person since she encountered the disturbed man. Where did everyone run? Where should I go to meet them? Judith thought absentmindedly. Maybe they would be worrying that she didn’t return to the meeting hall by now. Or maybe they were surrounded by monsters, but that had to be impossible, right? Although Judith vaguely understood that even an idea like this was too optimistic, she didn’t want to accept it.
Before she knew it, she’d reached the edge of not only the district, but also Temza. The road ended at the buildings in front of her. Whether she decided to go to another district or return to the one she came from, she needed to turn back.
Instead of doing so, Judith looked at the building before her. Compared to other buildings in the city of Temza, it gave off a somewhat imposing aura. There were several stairs in the front, and halfway up was a solid- and inhospitable-looking metal door. In the walls—which were no less plain than the door—there were windows installed that were so small and placed so high, they were more like peepholes than windows. Judith remembered that it was a building the children had previously been forbidden from entering.
Now that entrance was partially opened. Although she didn’t even really know why herself, Judith climbed the stairs and listened for anything inside.
When she didn’t hear a single sound, she peered through the opening. There was no reason for her to have any hopes, yet Judith was still disappointed.
There was death here, too—it was just different from the rest in that it was not one-sided. Although they were outnumbered by Krityans, monster corpses were lying here and there among the fallen people.
Most of the dead people were holding weapons. They had long handles attached to sharp blades. Spears. She hadn’t seen the real thing before, but Judith had heard her father talk about them.
There were still many spears lined up against the wall.
Although the Krityan race had been living in peace for a long time, it didn’t mean that they were completely unprepared. This was an armory as well as a stronghold.
Just like Judith and the others had assembled at the meeting hall, people from the nearby districts had taken shelter here. Everyone must have desperately resisted by picking up weapons. At this point, it was hard for her to tell whether the Circle had helped or whether it had been a hindrance.
Yet despite the sturdy building and prepared weapons, this place, too, was already finished.
Judith looked up. There was a large hole in part of the ceiling, from which a wide pillar of sunlight spilled onto the floor. The collapsed pieces of the ceiling formed a small mountain right below. She wasn’t sure whether it was caused by the shaking last night or whether it was the monsters’ doing, but either way, she wondered if the monsters had invaded from here without breaking through the front door.
She suddenly felt like the light was flickering. When she turned her attention to the hole in the ceiling once again, something on the other side moved, blocking the light.
No way. Judith opened her nageeg. They’re here. Five of them. No, more. They were right above Judith, on the other side of the ceiling.
Judith regretted her own carelessness. Since she hadn’t run into any monsters for a while, and since she felt weary and sluggish, she ended up unintentionally letting her guard down.
She spotted the figures lying face down on the floor. Will I be just like that soon? The tips of the spears they were gripping gleamed in the sunlight.
That’s it—weapons!
Judith frantically looked around. Despite the situation, she just couldn’t bring herself to steal a weapon held by a corpse; the same went for the ones that had rolled away but were already covered in blood. She looked instead towards the spears that were lined up against the wall, untouched. Which one should I pick? It should be as strong as possible.
She abruptly noticed that there was just a single spear placed at the back of the room, apart from the others. While the other spears were standing upright, only that spear was laid down on its own pedestal. There were strangely-shaped parts at the base of the spearhead, which was also about as broad as a sword, that folded back and intersected above the shaft. There were no other spears with a shape like it, so she had the feeling that it was something special.
That’ll do. I’ll use that one. Judith ran over to the spear and lifted it in both hands.
Although it was much taller than an adult and clearly made of metal, Judith was surprised by its lightness. It seemed that even a child like herself could somehow handle it.
So it really is a special spear, after all. Just as she thought that, there was a thud as a monster jumped down from the ceiling. The rubble cracked loudly under the heavy weight of its feet.
Although there was only one of them, by going to the back of the room to pick up the spear, Judith had ended up having her escape route cut off. Panicked, she brandished the spear, but the monster didn’t seem to feel very threatened. It leisurely paced back and forth, sizing her up.
She sensed more monsters peering in through the hole in the ceiling, but she couldn’t afford to look over there. She had the feeling that the monster on the floor would attack the moment she looked away.
The monster right before her eyes may have already killed people, and as that thought crossed her mind, Judith couldn’t help but tremble.
The spear was nearly slipping out of her sweaty hands. Even though she was trying to keep the tip pointed toward her opponent, she didn’t know a single thing about wielding spears.
Her nageeg, which she had left open, sensed something. Something’s coming from the front of the building!
The monster did not overlook her momentary distraction. With no warning, it abruptly turned and launched itself straight towards her.
Judith reacted far too slowly. While trying to correct her stance, her heel caught on a joint in the floor and she clumsily fell on her rear. The spearhead rose with her momentum, and the butt end struck the floor.
The monster threw itself at the spear, which was properly supported as if she’d intended it that way. After momentary resistance from the monster’s thick hide, the spear pierced its chest and slipped inside its body. Although it struck bone and was slightly deflected, thanks to the monster’s own weight and momentum as well as the support from the floor, it pierced straight through all at once. The monster yowled as the tip protruded from its back.
Judith, who had felt everything through the spearhaft in her palms, shuddered from the series of sensations. Where there had previously been only numbness, her emotions resurfaced and she emptied the contents of her stomach.
As if to replace them, something else appeared. It was being generated by the spear and came flowing into Judith’s mind. She almost dropped the spear without thinking.
Before she could figure out what it was, the remaining monsters came down from the ceiling, one after another. Just as she had detected earlier, there were four of them.
Unlike the first one, these four didn’t waste any time. The moment they regained their footing after the descent, they immediately leapt at her—simultaneously.
Judith prepared to die. However, she was still clutching the spear. The spear that was for fighting. Exactly how she should swing the spear, which enemy to target first, where she should attack—suddenly, Judith felt like she knew. By the time she thought that, her body was already moving. As she pulled the spear from the first monster that was still thrashing in agony, she vanished from that spot.
The monsters’ claws missed her altogether, and their fangs gnashed on empty air. The dancing spearhead mowed them down, slicing their flanks and the scruffs of their necks.
After a few suffocating moments, the four monsters simultaneously—much like when they pounced—crashed heavily to the floor, unmoving, while sending up sprays of blood.
Judith took a deep breath as she relaxed her posture. There wasn’t a single drop of blood on her. Even though it was the first time in her life she had moved like that, she was most surprised that it didn’t feel unfamiliar, as if she had repeated it many times before.
At that moment, something flowed into her from the spear. It was experience and skills about how to fight. Judith remembered. The orb she handled countless times during her nageeg training. The orb with shapes and mental images hidden inside. It’s the same as that orb. This spear was carved with a special code somehow, like the orb. However, what was stored there was so massive and complex that it had never been perceived, even by a nageeg of the highest level.
Even if there were more codes similarly hidden in the other spears, without being able to make proper use of them, it was no wonder that the people in this building had been defeated. The amount of training they had for joining the Great Circle was absolutely no match for the high level of skill needed to sense them.
Only Judith had accomplished that. Therefore Judith could do it. Besides that, while putting all of her focus on the spear, she had accidentally left her strengthened nageeg open.
Judith felt her body begin to tremble, still in disbelief over what she had done even now. Her emotions had completely returned. Now, as she became aware that she was surrounded by the corpses of monsters as well as people, she realized that she had killed a living creature for the first time. Thoughts of death spread in her mind.
Turning pale, Judith ran from the scene. She tightly clutched the spear as if it had ended up completely stuck to her hands, but she didn’t even notice.
She rushed outside through the opening in the door without stopping. She leapt down the stairs, landed in the street, and froze in place.
Dozens of monsters were crowded in front of the building. Every single one turned its attention that way—towards Judith.
Behind the pack, the ash gray monster that she had spotted a while ago was there. This monster, the only one standing upright among the other monsters walking on all fours, almost seemed as if it was the other monsters’ overseer or something. In fact, the other monsters obviously made way for it as it advanced.
Judith stared at the monster, which was slowly getting closer, while she was nearly flinching from fear. Her hand gripping the spear was filled with even more power.
Walking on two legs, its appearance was sinister, like a person had been somehow reconstructed from a nightmare. It appeared slouched because of its hunched back, yet it was still two heads taller than an adult Krityan. Its short legs were constantly bent at the knee, while its arms were long, loosely hanging down so that they were nearly touching the ground. From her position, Judith could clearly see the claws, which could easily be mistaken for scimitars, growing from its thick fingertips.
It was entirely covered with long hair. It was this fur that made it appear ash gray. Its neck was so short and thick that its head was protruding forward, almost as if it was connected directly to the torso. Its yellow eyes were abnormally long and narrow and its mouth was distorted in a smile that anyone would find unpleasant, with a row of short yet sharp fangs peeking out from its drawn lips.
Breaking free of the swarm, the monster stood in front of Judith. Judith noticed something odd. It seemed like it was strangely dirty. For some reason, various things were stuck all over its body, making it look as though it had jumped straight out of a garbage pile.
Making a sound that was like it was both laughing and coughing, it turned its gray upper body—almost like it was trying to show off.
The items stuck to its body were quite miscellaneous. Rag-like things, some kind of horn or fang, or maybe something like bone.
They were not getting caught up and stuck by accident. They were fastened and hanging from its long fur.
Judith’s face had already been pale, but it became even whiter.
Mixed in with the countless bits of junk, there was something she recognized.
It was torn here and there, stuffing exposed, and one side was wet with deep red.
It was a stuffed doll.
Nelni.
It wasn’t just one or two things she recognized. Each one was damaged, stained with blood.
The word trophy crossed her mind.
She was plunged into despair. Her strength faded as the spear fell from her fingers with a sudden clatter.
---
Strictly speaking, he wasn’t a monster. Nor was he an Entelexeia. Appearing from among the countless possibilities hidden in the many creatures living on Terca Lumireis, he was a kinless demonchild.
It was this creature, that preferred killing over eating, which led the monsters in ascending the mountain at the order of their unforgiving master.
Unlike regular monters, he certainly seemed to have a hint of intelligence. However, entranced by blood and slaughter, he used it only for his own amusement. He knew the fear of opposing his master, but did not know a single thing or hold any interests beyond that; in that sense, he was a beast after all.
He was called the Biting Ripper* by his master. Not in the human language, of course. It’s just a story to paint a mental picture of his true nature, so it has been converted to human language.
The Biting Ripper’s master would have destroyed Temza itself if it could. But since there were many things it had to do itself, it decided to leave this place to its servant.
The Biting Ripper gladly accepted. He intended to fully enjoy himself before his master returned. As his master expected, he excelled on that point.
---
Judith, abandoning the spear, blindly moved to escape.
With a pleased-sounding purr, the Biting Ripper opened his eyes so wide that they were near-perfect circles.
After he ordered his monster underlings with a roar not to move, the Biting Ripper began his pursuit. If he felt like it, he could bring down a target within seconds, but he deliberately took his time, following at a leisurely pace. Because he felt that the massacre in the area had gone a little too quickly, he intended to spend as much time as he liked savoring his targeted prey.
As for Judith, she was completely frantic. Her mind had finally exceeded its limit and was dominated by panic, so she could no longer think of anything but just running and searching for an opening.
If she ran in a single direction in Temza, unless she ran into a building, she would come across either a bridge or a cliff. Right away, the district’s edge appeared ahead of Judith. She naturally stumbled a couple of steps as she came to a stop.
The scene beyond the cliff brought Judith back to her senses. The familiar landscape was there. It was a position that could overlook the Fortress, albeit slightly from the side.
Judith looked toward the lower world, hoping to find salvation.
As a result, the girl’s mind was once again distressed when what she saw not only differed from her expectations, but also went beyond her comprehension.
There was no Fortress. In its place was a huge half-circle-shaped hole that had hollowed out a large portion of the ground. Regardless of how strong it had been, there wasn’t even a single trace left of the building that had once been there.
“What...Why?” Judith murmured dumfoundedly. She thought she must be mistaken. She wondered if she had completely misjudged the direction. But it didn’t seem like she had made an error. The surrounding mountains, the terrain—everything that she’d seen countless times was there.
Yet the Fortress alone was missing.
“...Dad.”
Knees growing weak, Judith sank on the spot until she was no longer standing.
“Dad!!”
Her mind tried to refuse to understand it. However, Judith wasn't stupid enough for that to last.
“Aaaaah!!”
Her refusal turned into a heartbreaking scream that leapt from her throat. Her tears overflowed as if a dam had burst.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
She felt a sensation behind her. She stiffly looked over her shoulder, and an ash gray figure was there.
Judith turned her face, gaze unfocused through her tears, towards it.
Its cruel smile was further distorted by her tears so that it appeared all the more monstrous, but Judith simply did nothing but look, as if she were stunned.
The Biting Ripper casually swung his arm and knocked her off her feet. The blow was equal to a soldier's blade. Its claws became three streaks of death that tore gashes into Judith's chest. Fresh blood danced, drawing odd patterns in the air and on the ground.
The letter box that stored her father's letter toppled and spilled away along with the blood. As she collapsed, Judith watched it fall strangely slowly to the ground with a loud clatter.
The Biting Ripper also noticed. He picked it up, stained with blood, and made a satisfied-seeming purr.
Give it back, she desperately tried to scream, but all that came out was a feeble groan. Despite that, the Biting Ripper made a show of holding the letter box in front of Judith.
Judith felt her consciousness rapidly growing distant. I can’t move my body anymore. It's cold.
An ash gray arm lifted in her dimming field of vision. Judith started to close her eyes in resignation.
Her view was suddenly blocked.
Something had crashed into the Biting Ripper—from the direction of the cliff.
The ash gray body was blown back with a furious sound. It slammed against the ground, repeatedly tumbling head over feels before it finally stopped. The Biting Ripper rose back up from within the cloud of dust with a blood-chilling roar of rage. Pebbles crumbled as they were trampled under his feet. The other monsters that had been holding back now came rushing over in response to his call. Together with his underlings, the Biting Ripper roared threateningly at the intruder that had hindered his fun.
“Ba...ul...?” Judith muttered weakly, her breath faint.
Ba’ul was there. He was floating in place, just barely above the ground, in the space between Judith and the monsters as if to block their way.
Ba’ul was furious. He was so intensely angry that he wondered just where that much anger had been hiding. Despite the threat of the monsters before him, he showed absolutely no sign of backing down.
Ba’ul roared. From the pit of his stomach, he roared with his entire being. That single cry overwhelmed the howls of the dozens of monsters commanded by the Biting Ripper.
Although he was of the lowest rank, nevertheless, he was an Entelexeia, one of the rulers of the world.
The monsters cowered. They instinctively sensed what their opponent was. They ran away in a disorganized manner, making high-pitched frightened yelps.
The Biting Ripper was the exception. He possessed half a wit and so, without listening the warning from his instincts, he bared his fangs and held his ground. Inspired by his boldness, some of the especially dimwitted monsters stayed in place. A hasty one pounced.
Ba’ul turned aside and slammed his tail into it. Following a dull thud, the struck monster departed to the open sky beyond the cliff with a whine. With just that, the remaining monsters hesitated.
But the Biting Ripper used the chance to dive at Ba'ul's underbelly. The pair tumbled to the ground while they furiously tangled. The Biting Ripper was still gripping the letter box in one hand even now. With its free hand, it aimed at Ba'ul's face. Ba'ul twisted his body to evade and the claws struck his horn, partially gouging it. Ba'ul raised his voice in anger.
Shaking free from the Biting Ripper, Ba'ul rose in the air and glared down at his enemy. His inner fury was burning so intensely, it had already swollen to the point that he could not hold it back. He spat it out and hurled it at his opponent.
His anger became a crimson flame that rushed from Ba’ul’s mouth and engulfed the Biting Ripper.
The Biting Ripper howled and writhed. He struggled to somehow put out the fire. In his hand, the letter box, wet with Judith's blood, smoldered and smoked.
As they became caught up in the mass of flames, the monsters blindly bolted, setting fires everywhere. Some crashed into walls and died, and there were also some that threw themselves over the cliff and fell.
While struggling frantically, the Biting Ripper turned to escape, but Ba'ul paid no attention. He turned to Judith and anxiously nudged her with the tip of his nose.
The Biting Ripper called out for help from his unparalleled master as he was enveloped by the blaze. But even supposing his voice had reached it, there was no answer. The master had its business and was not in this place.
When he tried to cross the bridge, the the support beam collapsed beneath his feet.
The Biting Ripper tumbled down head-first, howling in perhaps either malice or despair. For a moment, the brilliant flames enveloping his body and trailing like a meteor were visible, but they were immediately swallowed by the sea of clouds and vanished—along with the letter box.
Judith didn't see it for herself, as she had already lost consciousness.
---
A dream. She was dreaming.
A dream of flying in the air on Ba’ul’s back. Or was this just a memory?
But she wasn't lying down like this that time, and it shouldn't have been a boring flight just intently flying straight ahead, either.
I wonder why I’m lying down. I’m just being carried at this rate.
I need to get up now. Dad will end up getting mad.
It’s not just dark here; it's cold, too. I should wake up before I catch a cold.
Darkness and separation.
Another, different dream.
Ba’ul was fervently arguing with someone.
Strange. Even though there’s no way he can talk.
Are those Ba’ul’s relatives? Somehow it seems like there are lots of them.
Since Ba’ul’s a dragon, this is a dragon meeting.
I’m Krytian. Human. This is a place I shouldn’t be in.
My mouth tastes like iron.
My body’s hot. It doesn’t hurt anywhere, but it’s really hot.
My limbs are freezing. They’re so cold I can’t move them, like they’ve gone numb.
Sleeping on the ground is fine. But not where it’s wet.
It’s my fault that it’s wet. Because of the blood flowing from me.
It keeps flowing; it won’t stop.
Maybe it's important or maybe it's nothing; it's all flowing together.
I have to see Dad. See him and apologize.
I’m sorry I don’t have the letter. Tell me later what you wrote in it.
---
[End of Part 3.4 - and with it, all of Chapter 3.
:(
*Yes, Biting Ripper is its very ridiculous name – or at least less cumbersome than the more literal translation, which would be something like “one that bites and rips”. The exact term used for describing it as a “demon” is oni.]