Alptraum of the White Funeral Night Chapter 4

[xuebingcode]

Chapter 4

The red blood the slain caterpillar sucked spread throughout its cluster, and disappeared as if it was swallowed.

Just as I was frozen at the sight of what appeared like one large creature, the caterpillars parted into several clusters. 

Now it was as if each cluster was its own individual creature, all wriggling for different directions with a rustling noise. 

A few clusters rushed towards a paralyzed Chloe and sword wielding Cain like a deluge. 

Twins in the Painting: Cain, Chloe! Take Owen and run!

Snow in the Painting: These monsters are man-eating beasts we made extinct ages ago, the Cucarucca!

White in the Painting: They’re clever and abominable magic beasts who exist in clusters with a natural instinct to go after the weakest ones first!

Snow in the Painting: Now that they’ve sucked Owen’s blood, neither you nor we can contend with them! 

White in the Painting: Leave Oz and us behind for now, you three must start running! 

Chloe: I…I got it! Keep safe, you guys!

Cain: This way, Chloe! Owen, we’re gonna run now, with me!

Owen: Sniff…o-okay…!

Snow in the Painting: Mitile, Riquet! Did you hear that!?

White in the Painting: This is no beast you can handle. You must take the Sage and flee…

–There, like it was blotted black with darkness, the snowman shaped window disappeared. 

The Three of Us: …

We looked at each other and immediately dashed for the entrance. 

However…

Akira: It, it won’t open!?

Mitile: There’s sticky web-like stuff all over the doors…don’t tell me, those caterpillars have already made their way here…!

Riquet: Then let’s break the door down with magic!

Sanretea Edif!

Mitile: Ortonik Sealsispilce!

Akira: It won’t even budge…!

Mitile: It’s being enhanced by Lord Oz’s barrier! Sure it’s tough enough that a dragon won’t be able to bust it, but that also means no one inside can leave…!

Riquet: It, it’ll be fine! Let’s calm down, you two.

Even if we can’t deal with our pursuers, we just don’t have to get caught by them.

If they are caterpillars that crawl on the ground, we can fly on brooms to not let them catch us. So, let’s pull out our brooms…

Mitile: …Ah, ah…that’s…

As soon as Riquet said those words, Mitile, who was looking at the ceiling, widened his eyes. His knees wobbled, and he shrunk back in fear. 

When we followed his line of sight there was a herd of pure white bats crawling on the ceiling not too far from us. 

–My gut told me those were cucaruccas.

Even on brooms we wouldn’t be able to escape them.

Riquet & Akira: …h…

Akira: (Nothing’s there, nothing’s there, nothing’s there! Go away, go away, go away...!)

I desperately prayed in my mind as I cowered in fear.

But there was no point.

They had crawled right above us, and dangled upside down ominously.

They screeched like bats, before sniffing the air like they caught a scent–and then came dropping down altogether. 

The Three of Us: Waaaaaaah…!!

Riquet: Woah!?

Mitile: Lord Oz’s compass…!

As if to stop the herd of bats, a lone compass flew out from Mitile’s pocket.

It opened its lid, and after vigorously spinning its needle, grey thunderclouds formed a thick wall around us. 

Protected by a barrier of clouds, we could hear an earth splitting lightning strike.

When the clouds parted the herd of bats had become blueish ashes that scattered away. 

Riquet: …Th…

The Three of Us: Thank goodness~...!

Mitile: Th-that was terrifying…so this compass was a protection charm from Lord Oz. 

Akira: A powerful one at that! I’m sure we’ll be okay now with this…

Just as I spoke, the compass began forming cracks in it.

And as if it used all its power, fell onto the ground with a crash. 

Akira: Ah…!

Riquet: …Looks like it was a one-time use magic tool. It wouldn’t be training with a protection charm to rely on…

B-But Mitile, don’t you carry Mithra’s protection charm on you too?

Mitile: No…I didn’t take it with me this time. It malfunctions when it senses Lord Oz’s mana…

Akira: I see…so, basically…

Riquet: …There’s nothing that can protect us now…

He lowered his voice in fear. I couldn’t breathe properly.

A darkness with no escape. A mysterious mausoleum as complicated as a labyrinth. 

Stuck with a horde of man-eating monsters after us.

Mitile: …

Beside me and Riquet who froze up, Mitile took numerous deep breaths. 

He then slowly raised his face.

Mitile: …Riquet. Let’s take the Master Sage to where Lord Oz is. 

Even when the sun sets, he should still be able to use magic if the Master Sage is there. 

Within the chilling darkness, eyes the colour of fresh green leaves shone with the most confidence they could muster. 

Except, Riquet weakly lowered his gaze, as if to avoid that light. 

Riquet: …Can we manage that? We couldn’t even handle magic creatures weaker than us. 

And…

He glanced at Mitile and hesitantly turned silent.

Normally he would straighten his back like a brave Central wizard and say something like “Nothing will stop us!”.

Akira: (What happened…now that I think about it, earlier he also seemed to be concerned about Mitile…)

Mitile’s eyebrows drooped seeing an unconfident Riquet. 

Though he quickly raised his face again and looked him in the eye.

Mitile: We have to. 

The Great Calamity is surely going to be stronger than these monsters. 

Riquet: …

…You’re right. I’m sorry, I wasn’t being myself. 

Master Sage. We will definitely protect you.

The two young wizards gave me a serious face. 

I nodded to those determined eyes, having made up my mind. 

Akira: …Thank you. I’m relying on you two. 

No map, no light.

No guardians to save us. 

We squeezed each other’s feeble hands and started walking down a hall.

Cain: Guess we’ve finally outrun them. Crap, we’ve lost sight of Chloe…where…

(...Damnit, I can’t trace his mana. The mausoleum’s a mess from the presence of the bugs mixed in with Owen’s blood.)

(This…is gonna make it hard trying to sense anybody, be it the twins or Oz. That means it’ll be a battle of speed and endurance but…)

Owen. You alright?

Owen: …Sir Knigh…

Cough, cough cough! Pant, pant…blegh…

Cain: Aah right, my bad. I didn’t think about it seeing as you kept up with me, but you don’t usually run do you…

Here, I’ll rub your back. Show me the finger that was bitten.

Owen: Cough…mm…

Cain: Ah…there’s still blood on it. Poor thing, I bet it hurt. 

Let me heal you. Gladius Pro…

Owen: Waahn…! No! Stop it!

Cain: Huh!? What? You okay?

Owen: My finger, it tingled.

And it was itchy itchy, I wanted to scratch it…hated it.

Cain: Did the pain and itching surprise you? Sorry, I’m not used to casting healing spells on others.

But we have to patch it up. Can you bear with the tingles and itchy itchy for me?

Owen: Uu…

Cain: It’ll be done in a jiffy, okay! See, Gladius Procella!

Owen: Tingly…itchy itchy…

Cain: …And we’re done. …

(...The Owen right now couldn’t even heal a tiny bite like that. I guess he can’t use magic very well.)

(If the cucaruccas target the weaker ones first, he shouldn’t be on the top of the list. But, what if…)

…! Damn, right around the corner is a cucarucca…!

Owen, we’re going! Run!

Owen: A-Again? How long will the ghost bugs chase us for?

I’m tired, Sir Knight…I want to leave this place now…sniff…

Cain: It’s gonna be okay. We’ll leave this place for sure.

(...I say, but how? I don’t have the magic to beat those monsters…)

Owen: …Ah…hey Sir Knight, there’s someone over there!

Cain: …! Chloe!

Chloe: …

Cain: Phew, happy to see you’re alright!

Let’s hurry and make a run for it! There’s a cucarucca on our tail!

Chloe: …H-Hey…

Cain: …? What…?



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