"Humarc didn't look too great back there. Is everything alright?"
Ushering Kuon and Felix into the tent, Vierra asked with curiosity.
Kuon had said earlier that he would go to the village chief with Humarc, and Felix had decided to follow. Vierra had more or less guessed what business they had there, and the guess had hit the mark.
"Felix will explain it to you. Is Kanon alright?"
Walking toward the bed where Kanon lay helpless, Kuon asked, and Vierra answered with a brief nod. "Thanks to you making her rest early, she didn't reach critical condition. But her Aether reserves were completely drained, so her recovery might be a little slow. Beyond that…."
Vierra didn't need to finish her sentence, because the moment they arrived beside Kanon's bed, Kuon had already seen her current state for himself.
There Kanon lay, a compress covering both her eyes. Her chest rose and fell calmly with each breath she took.
Her eyes would likely still need time to recover, especially since she had no Aether reserves left in her body at all, forcing it to keep working to produce more and fill the void.
Seeing that, an idea came to Kuon that might be worth trying.
"What are you going to do?"
Vierra watched Kuon extend his hand and touch Kanon's forehead, which felt warm. The next second, Kuon tried applying miracle manipulation directly to restore Kanon's Aether.
Light emerged from his palm and entered Kanon's body.
The attempt worked. At least he could tell that Kanon's Aether had been somewhat replenished.
"How did you… hey, what did you just do?"
Kuon didn't answer Vierra's question as he tried to support himself by gripping the bed frame. Using miracle manipulation to restore Aether was absurdly inefficient, since the amount of Kanon's Aether he had managed to restore was in no way proportionate to what he had spent to do it.
'I probably can't do this too often….'
Kuon drew a long breath to steady himself, then stood back up. "I'm going to check on Humarc's team for a bit. Call me when Kanon wakes up."
Vierra didn't chase him down or demand an answer, and instead only exhaled in resignation while waving her hand as if shooing Kuon away. There was no point forcing Kuon to answer—he would just keep dodging it.
***
Kuon arrived at another tent and entered after a brief word with the one person standing guard outside.
Humarc and another woman were sitting beside one of the beds there—the one occupied by Milia.
"Am I interrupting?"
Kuon's voice from behind startled them, and Humarc immediately shook his head once he understood the situation. "No, not at all. How are your team members?"
Kuon nodded. "Better than I expected, at least. What about you?"
Humarc's expression turned sour as he turned back to look at Milia.
There, even beneath the thin blanket covering her body, Kuon could faintly make out the dark purple crystals, nearly black, covering parts of her neck and shoulder.
'Apocrypt crystals….'
Though he already knew what they were, this was the first time Kuon had seen firsthand how Apocrypt worked.
"Milia… she's been alright since Elie started caring for her. Right now she's still asleep from exhaustion after draining all her Aether, but there are no fatal wounds. She should wake up soon."
Hearing that, Kuon looked at the other girl sitting with Humarc, waiting for Milia to wake up. Elie only gave a faint smile and a slight nod when Kuon looked her way, and Kuon responded in kind.
'Is that so….'
Kuon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Milia again. Setting aside the crystals growing on her skin, she looked like any other normal person. In fact, her complexion looked healthier than his or Kanon's, who both tended toward pallor.
Like other lethal diseases, Apocrypt was a condition with a mortality rate of 100%, one that would inevitably kill its sufferer sooner or later. Caused by direct contact with Black Tide, or prolonged exposure to Apocrypt particles from Black Tide over extended periods.
Those afflicted could easily be identified by the dark purple crystals growing in certain areas of their body—usually the areas that had the most contact with the Apocrypt source.
"How is the crystal spread looking?"
When Kuon asked, Elie's face darkened as she answered. "… For now it's still manageable, with the spread still limited to her left shoulder and neck and not yet rooted deep into the skin. But I can't guarantee how fast it will spread."
At present, what was known about Apocrypt was limited to the basics: mortality rate, transmission rate, and method of spread. No further information existed, simply because no one had dared try to find out.
As much as Kuon was reluctant to admit it, he could only accept that as understandable. After all, an Apocrypt sufferer was like a time bomb that could go off at any moment.
When an Apocrypt sufferer reached the final stage, the crystals that were its clearest symptom would spread to areas far from where they had first appeared. Furthermore, while in the early stages the crystals hadn't yet rooted deep into the skin and could still be removed by enduring some pain, in the final stage that was no longer possible; the crystals had fused with the skin and rooted all the way into the flesh.
But setting aside the horrifying effects on the sufferer, Apocrypt could also spread in ways and at speeds that were equally horrifying.
If the sufferer died and the body or crystals weren't fully destroyed, the crystals themselves would dissolve or explode into dust capable of infecting any other biological matter nearby. And so the cycle would continue. That was why the best way to handle an Apocrypt sufferer was quarantine.
Though of course, certain parts of this world also preferred taking the extreme measure that had proven effective—extermination.
"Apologies if this sounds crude. This is my first time seeing Apocrypt. Can't we address it with surgery?"
Kuon had been thinking of amputation as a way to forcibly cut off Apocrypt's spread on the sufferer's body, but that idea immediately met rejection from both Elie and Humarc.
"Unfortunately that's not possible. As far as we know, Apocrypt spreads through the body via the bloodstream, so there's no way to stop it."
The blood of an Apocrypt sufferer looked different from normal blood. It appeared thicker and darker than it should, and could even transmit Apocrypt if anyone made direct contact with it.
That was why, even if it was a good idea that could theoretically work, no one had been brave enough to perform surgery on an Apocrypt sufferer. Beyond that, Kuon's idea of surgery or amputation was built on the assumption of cutting off the crystal spread, while Apocrypt's actual spread was far more lethal, moving through the blood inside the body.
"… May I try something?"
At that question, Humarc and Elie tilted their heads, but didn't stop Kuon as he extended his hand toward Milia's forehead.
After helping restore Kanon's Aether, his own reserves had dropped considerably, but he still had some remaining. With what was left, Kuon wanted to try using miracle manipulation to improve Milia's condition.
A thin light manifested from Kuon's palm, forming a small tube that then entered through Milia's forehead. The sight made them tense for a moment, but once they confirmed Milia wasn't suffering in any way, they relaxed and let Kuon finish what he was doing.
After a moment, the light faded, but nothing happened. The Apocrypt crystals were still there. The attempt had clearly failed—even miracle manipulation couldn't do anything against Apocrypt.
'Is it because I don't yet understand how it works? No, if that were the case, restoring Kanon's Aether—which was entirely magical in nature—wouldn't have worked either. Is the problem that my Aether is insufficient? No, that's too vague, and my Aether didn't decrease at all.'
Kuon swallowed the unpleasant feeling in his mouth and clenched his own fist as he kept turning over the various possibilities behind his failure.
No one could tell what he was thinking as he did it. But Humarc and Elie could both see the look of disappointment that Kuon was trying to hide.
Seeing that, Humarc tried to break the atmosphere that had somehow grown incredibly heavy. "Well, I suppose there really is no other option. This is a risk we accepted the moment we chose to become Adepts. The same goes for the knights. This time it just happened to be Milia. At least we're grateful she's still alive."
Kuon looked at Humarc for a moment, who was wearing a calm face that was clearly forced.
'Look who's trying to comfort whom now.'
Realizing that made Kuon scoff with a relaxed expression on his face.
"Fair enough, if that's your answer. So, do you already have a plan for her once the mission is over?"
"What's the point of that question, Kuon? You make it sound like we're all about to die soon."
"Just answer it."
Kuon shifted his tone to sound like he was joking, and fortunately Humarc took it well.
"Given Milia's condition… it might be difficult for us to take on missions, so we'll probably take a break for a while. Besides that, we also want to help Milia conceal her condition, and then… maybe help her reach what she wants, as much as we can. I mean… you know how Apocrypt sufferers are treated out there, don't you?"
Kuon nodded, and Humarc continued. "We Adepts might treat it as bad luck, but ordinary people clearly don't see it that way. More than monsters, and more than Black Tide itself, people fear Apocrypt—because they can contract it without going anywhere near a battlefield, just through deep or prolonged contact with another sufferer."
Recently, Kuon had learned that Adepts had a hidden tradition of keeping secret the existence of teammates who contracted Apocrypt. Though its practitioners weren't particularly numerous, Kuon still found this something worth noting. Of course, there were also Adepts who rejected those with Apocrypt, which was exactly why the existence or condition of sufferers had to be carefully concealed. Humarc and his team were among the small number who practiced that tradition.
"Are you sure about telling me all of this?"
Hearing that, Humarc scoffed with a sheepish smile. "Heh, that's exactly what someone trustworthy would say."
Kuon allowed himself a faint smile hearing it. It was a strange feeling, being able to set aside his rationality like this. But it was only temporary. Tomorrow and beyond, everything might be different.
At the very least, Kuon hoped Humarc and his team could hold out to the end to see their goal through.
"… Alright, then I'll head back to my place. Give her my regards, and don't hesitate to call me if you need any help."
Kuon said it purely to maintain a sense of warmth and courtesy, but if a request for help actually came his way, he genuinely wanted to help resolve it as best he could.
That was what Humarc thought of him as Kuon walked out of the tent.
***
On the fourth day, the fighting resumed.
The Black Tide became active again when the sun rose after going dormant overnight, and monsters began emerging from it. The intensity was estimated to be similar to the day before. But thanks to the preparations that had been made, the Adepts, knights, and guards were able to handle it in a more organized manner and without serious problems.
The report and request for reinforcements had been sent that morning and should have reached the nearest post to the city by afternoon. If everything went as estimated, reinforcements should arrive the day after tomorrow. Until then, all they needed to do was hold out like they had today.
But the Black Tide clearly had other plans.
On the fifth day, the calm and order they had maintained in yesterday's fighting collapsed all at once.
The Black Tide moved with unmistakable speed—swallowing parts of the abandoned village area in seconds and spawning hundreds more monsters that terrorized everyone without pause.
'This is even more brutal than two days ago….'
Kuon gritted his teeth as he struggled to finish off the dozens of monsters surrounding him. Four ice spears were planted around him as reserve weapons ready to use at any moment, while a dozen others had long since shattered after Kuon used them brutally to eliminate every monster trying to break through his defense and reach where Kanon was standing guard.
The sun had only just reached its peak, yet Kanon had already used up most of her Aether reserves. But because of the encirclement and the intensity of the fighting, she hadn't been able to leave her position.
Vierra and Felix were also in no position to offer help, each still occupied facing their own swarm of monsters that attacked relentlessly, tearing at everything before them with fangs and claws sharp as daggers.
Kuon activated [Accel] and used one of the spears to pierce the neck of the nearest monster, then pulled out the crystal embedded in its nape. It was a crystal manifested from the monster's own Aether.
After injecting some of his Aether into the crystal, Kuon immediately forced it into the open mouth of one of the monsters—causing their necks to explode not long after they swallowed it.
That bought him a moment of free room to move. Kuon swung his spear and finished off the remaining monsters to clear a path.
There, Kanon was still struggling to hold on by pushing her magic to its limit and not letting a single monster get close. But with numbers like these, even she would be overwhelmed.
Fortunately Kuon managed to reach her just in time and immediately pulled her back from that spot.
"Vierra! Take over for a bit!"
"Easy for you to say!" Vierra shot back with a loud shout. Even so, she didn't argue and tried to fill the gap.
But Kanon's absence from her position alone was already a heavy blow to the team. Though Vierra could also use ice magic, her capabilities didn't come close to Kanon's level—especially given that her primary attribute was wind and air. The problem was that Kanon's magic served as both a large-scale attack and wide-area protection. Not only did Vierra lack sufficient Aether for that, she also needed more time to process and execute the magic. The smallest miscalculation and the quality would fall short.
With large daggers in both hands, Vierra took her stance as she prepared to charge forward. Every monster that came at her while she was getting ready was promptly taken down by Felix's arrows, giving her plenty of room to set herself.
She used wind magic to accelerate, and with the natural traits of her Strigim race, her speed as she charged looked almost like she was flying.
Monsters fell one by one as Vierra's daggers found their throats, and any she couldn't reach were felled immediately when Felix's arrows, fired from a distance, landed squarely in their heads.
But one monster among them—shaped like a crawling lizard estimated to be about a meter long—managed to dodge both Vierra's and Felix's attacks. The monster moved nimbly through the pack, then leapt with Vierra as its target.
"Dodge it! Vierra!"
Felix shouted in a panic as he fired another arrow. But given the distance and speed of the arrow, it wasn't going to arrive in time. The lizard opened its mouth wide with Vierra's head as its target, but Vierra reacted quickly and immediately tried to defend herself by positioning both daggers to hold the monster's mouth open.
"Ugh—this thing is way too strong!"
Both daggers let out an unpleasant cracking sound as they strained to hold back the lizard's attack. At that moment, the arrow Felix had fired earlier finally arrived, but it never landed as an attack, deflected instead by the lizard's hard tail as though it were coated in iron.
"Vierra! Get out of there! Your position is blocking [Light Way]!"
Felix's voice rang out again, but Vierra clicked her teeth in frustration before snapping back. "I want to! But this thing is pinning me down!"
Vierra tried to think of any magic she could use to break free from her current position, but nothing useful came to mind. Most of the magic she had mastered was used for acceleration or support. Offensive magic applications, meanwhile, required both her hands to be free.
On the other hand, other monsters had finally started closing in on the cornered Vierra, surrounding her once again.
"Damn it, is Kuon still going to be a while?!"
"Leave this to me."
Just as she was feeling desperate, that voice appeared. A girl, with a face she had seen before but didn't truly know. Wheat-colored hair billowed as flames blazed into a ring around her.
The ring of fire then broke apart into several head-sized fireballs, each fired with precision at every monster around Vierra—including the lizard pinning her down.
With some breathing room at last, Vierra exhaled with relief and looked at the figure.
"Sorry, I'm blanking on your name a bit, but you're Elie, right?"
Elie gave a brief wry smile, unable to wipe the tension from her face. "That's right. The situation on my team has calmed down a bit, so Humarc sent me here."
Vierra nodded. "Thanks for that. Unfortunately we don't have much time to talk. Can you still use your magic?"
Looking at her own hands, Elie estimated she could only use her magic a few more times. After she said so, Vierra flashed a sharp grin while narrowing her eyes.
'T-terrifying. Her face is terrifying!'
Before the still-trembling Elie, Vierra tightened her gloves and said with a little laugh. "I hope you can still make one more big fireball, because I just thought of a brilliant idea."
"…?"
Whatever the idea was, Elie had a bad feeling about it.
***
After laying Kanon down somewhere safe, Kuon hurried back to the battlefield where everyone was struggling to hold the defensive line.
But what he found wasn't a critical situation—it was a scene from hell, with monster corpses scattered everywhere, charred bodies, and the smell of burning filling the air.
The cause was up ahead—not far from where he stood.
"Haha! You're incredible, Elie! Come on, more fire! These monsters won't burn themselves!"
Standing atop a large boulder and looking out over the black sea of monsters, Vierra spread her arms with a wicked laugh while maintaining her magic. Beside her, Elie with an anxious face kept generating more fireballs as Vierra instructed and firing them into the small tornado blazing with fire, breaking through the monster ranks from time to time.
"… Did you create that tornado?"
Kuon arrived beside Vierra and asked with a voice that sounded faintly disbelieving. Vierra looked at him and grinned. "Normally I wouldn't be able to do this, because creating a tornado with hot air takes longer to process and an enormous amount of Aether, but with this fire mage's help… hehe, I think you can guess the rest."
Kuon glanced at Elie, now sitting with a pale face. Her Aether was almost spent, but she should still be able to produce a few more fireballs.
This magic seemed effective enough at handling the dire situation here, so Kuon had no intention of stopping it. On the contrary, he would support the idea.
"… Call me when you run out of Aether."
With miracle manipulation, he could help restore Vierra's and Elie's Aether, and if he still had reserves left, he could also use it to create a phenomenon similar to what Vierra and Elie had made here.
Fortunately, he had prepared a fairly large supply of weapons the night before, so he didn't need to repair everyone's weapons one by one in the middle of the fight.
After confirming this side was secure, Kuon headed toward where Felix was holding position.