Chapter 30 – Thunder –

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How much time had passed?
An hour, perhaps?
No… maybe even more, or conversely, perhaps less than I thought.
I couldn’t tell.

“…You’re one stubborn man!”

The voice of the female-form bee monster—the boss—resounded.
Following her, shouts from the thugs echoed.

“Die, you bastard!”
“Get lost already!”

“Would you please stop with that dangerous talk…”

While dodging a barrage of simultaneous attacks, I occasionally swept them away, pushing them back.
This back-and-forth continued.
The battle was troublesome.
Dealing with the thugs was manageable somehow, but the boss was particularly a pain.
Not only was she incredibly tough, but she also spat out a foul-smelling, viscous slime from time to time.

The stench was so terrible that maggots and flies swarmed instantly.
It was evident, even without being told, that it was some kind of poison.
I never wanted to be hit by that attack.
Moreover, on top of possessing such a special attack, her ordinary strikes packed a powerful blow.
Thanks to that prolonged clash, the ceiling of the room had been blown away.

Since this was the top floor, a torrential downpour was pouring in.
The sound of rain clashing noisily enveloped everything around.

(…In this situation, I couldn’t afford to lose consciousness, so I couldn’t use 【The Spear That Pierces: Nation-Melting Aradvar】. Besides, it wasn’t like I needed to defeat her anyway… My legs are getting heavy. It might be time to retreat soon.)

I began to consider wrapping things up.
I had stalled for quite some time, and more than anything, I was exhausted.
I’m not exactly one to boast about my stamina.
I figured this was as far as I could go.
I had planned to make my escape at a convenient moment anyway.

—And then, it happened.

As I turned on my heel, my foot slipped on the wet floor.
Thud—I fell headlong.

“Ugh!”
“Ha ha! You just showed an opening!!”

The boss’s mouth bulged.
Surely, that filthy slime was about to be unleashed.
“Damn it,” I clicked my tongue.

It seemed this might be the end.

Squinting, I fixed my gaze ahead.
The boss distanced herself from me and leaned back dramatically.
And at the same time, I heard the rumbling sound that heralded an impending thunder.

“Take this…!?”
The boss barely finished her sentence before a thunderclap crashed down with a “Gagaaaan!!”
It bent irregularly midway and struck her squarely.

The tremendous impact nearly brought the mansion down.
Due to the thunder’s abnormal heat, flames erupted across the building.
In the midst of this downpour, blazing fire soared into the sky.

“…Huh? …Ah…!?”
The boss—the female-form bee monster—was charred black, her body crumbling away.
It happened in an instant.
That mysterious thunder swiftly decided the outcome of our battle.

I wasn’t the only one stunned.
The surrounding thugs gaped in shock.
But after a moment, they regained their composure and scattered like spiderlings.

“How unlucky! The boss has turned to ashes…”
“Damn it, run, run!”
“Even though it was supposed to be an even fight with the boss! There’s no way to win now!”

I slowly stood up.
Then, once again, thunder fell.
This time it struck far away.
Both its sound and its flash appeared distant.
Yet within the reach of that lightning flash, I saw a figure.
A large tree stood a short distance ahead.
Atop it was a familiar silhouette.

That was—

“…Ati?”

There was no mistaking it.
That silhouette belonged to Ati.

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I headed toward where I saw Ati.
Sure enough, there she was.
And—no sooner had she spotted me than Ati threw herself into my arms.

“—Lord Harold!”
“Ati…? Could it be that the thunder from earlier…”
“Since we wouldn’t have made it in time, I forcibly guided the thunder with a bullet. Of course, I took extreme care so that it wouldn’t hit you, Lord Harold.”

How forceful.

“Still, I was wondering where you’d gone, so I followed you…”

“…Now that you mention it, you sure did figure out where I was.”

Now that I think about it, I never told Ati where I was going. I had quietly slipped out of the room. So how did she know?

“…I’ve placed a mark on you, Lord Harold, so no matter where you go, I can track your location.”

“A mark…?”

“Yes. It’s one of my magic spells.”

Now that I think of it, besides that thing you showed me in the labyrinth, you can actually use magic too, right? Being able to mark someone and track their whereabouts is a pretty handy spell.

“…The effect only lasts for about a week, so I have to reapply it each time. But anyway, I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Ati tightened her embrace.

“…I must have worried you. I’m sorry.”

“If you’re ever in danger, please be sure to take me with you.”

“…I will.”

I nodded without hesitation.

Since Ati was happily gazing out the window, I couldn’t bring myself to interrupt her. I decided not to voice my true feelings—I felt a bit self-conscious. Besides, if I said so, I was sure it would sadden her.

“Anyway, I’m glad you saved me. Thank you.”

I said that as I returned her hug. A little snake peeking out from my sleeve let out a soft “gii.”

The rain didn’t let up, splashing down continuously. And far behind us, the mansion kept burning. A brilliant radiance spread over everything—it seemed like a substitute for the sun, which was now hidden by clouds.