173 – Who has the upper hand
… Once again, the world became colorless.
It was only a fleeting moment, but this time it was more intense. An earth-shattering shock. A loud noise that hits your ears. The situation changed in an instant with the appearance of the blood demons.
“What, what!”
“Are you a blood demon? Avoid it first!”
Leheln has once again come close to its reputation as a land of extinction. Monsters in the form of hunting dogs began to run rampant, increasing in number, and the participants of the Sujeop Festival were unable to hide their embarrassment.
Except for Scarlett, all of the capital knights had left Leheln. At most, the remaining ones are human wizards, human knights, beastmen, and elves.
Since they faced the blood demons in a situation where their greatest strength was lost, it could be said that it was a very bad situation for the participants.
“Lord Flann!”
In the midst of all this, Yusia called out to me.
“Look at the barrier, the barrier!”
I slowly looked away. The more urgent the situation, the greater the need to thoroughly understand the situation.
“Hmm.”
The barrier that served as the border was dyed red.
Of course, it wasn’t just the color that changed. Designed with sophisticated black magic and reinforced through vitality, it became a barrier that completely blocked entry and exit from the inside and the outside.
This must also be the work of blood demons.
“Share the burden! Fight now… !”
“Reorganization comes first!”
The other participants seemed very confused. It was worth it. I came expecting a beautiful dawn butterfly, but what unfolded before my eyes was a monster devouring my body.
“Hi, then run away! “Reorganize!”
Everyone started to retreat from the scene, but it wasn’t a good idea. Since the barrier was blocking entry and exit from the inside and the outside, it could not have been considered a retreat in the first place.
It is just an act of scattering.
I gave instructions to my companions.
“Gather around me.”
The results soon began to reveal that my judgment was correct. The bodies of the knights who were hurriedly leaving their seats inflated like balloons and then burst.
After the human body explodes like a soap bubble, dark red hounds appear, devouring it. Embarrassment spread across Trixie’s face.
“It comes from inside the body. “What on earth happened?”
“I’ve heard of it.”
Yushia muttered, breaking into a cold sweat.
“… Blood dogs are also called fear absorbers. “He becomes stronger by swallowing other people’s fears.”
“Then the reason the participants’ bodies exploded….”
“I guess it’s because I felt fear. “It was swallowed up.”
Trixie’s eyes widened unusually.
“Does this make sense? “You get swallowed up just by feeling fear?”
“That’s why I’ve only heard of it. “There are very few people who survive after encountering a blood dog.”
Blood dog.
My impressions of encountering it were short-lived.
“It’s ugly.”
It had three eyes and a snout that looked like it could easily swallow a human whole. Its appearance was so ugly and unpleasant that there was no time to feel fear.
“Also, he’s not that great of a guy.”
In fact, even excluding the capital knights, there were many capable people here.
However, the fact that it was an unexpected surprise attack, the lack of communication between the participants, and the fact that many people were unaware of the existence of blood dogs…. All of the various factors were problematic.
Everyone responded in their own way, but no results were achieved. Soon, most of the visible participants exploded and became excellent food for the blood dog.
Kyaaagh—!
At that time, a blood dog as big as a rock flew at me.
However, the blood dog paused for a moment as if it were stuck in the air, and then a solid silver line was drawn vertically on its head.
The blood dog that had rushed towards me with a sound like “Choak” Split exactly in half and fell to the floor. Scarlett quickly swung her sword.
“Flan, are you okay?”
Scarlett looked at me and nodded her head slightly.
“It seemed like I couldn’t react.”
“Well.”
Strictly speaking, I stayed still because I saw Scarlett’s wrist moving, but I didn’t bother to explain those things in detail.
However, there was something else that really bothered me, and that was that Scarlett called me by my name.
“Don’t do anything you haven’t done before. Scarlett.”
“Even if you do something you didn’t do before, if you repeat it, it becomes something you used to do.”
That time when I had a short conversation with Scarlett.
“Be careful!”
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Trixie’s urgent cry was heard.
Kyaaagh—!
At the same time, two blood dogs rushed towards me. Scarlett quickly cut the two apart, but their cut bodies swelled into another entity and rushed at them again.
“Lord Flann! Are you okay!”
“Everyone is rushing at you!”
The two girls’ cries were not lies. In the middle of this sweltering battlefield, the blood dogs that had increased in number shot their bodies like arrows only at me.
But rather, that’s why.
“It’s a good thing.”
Seriously, I could have answered that way.
The blood dogs kicked the ground.
“Uh—!”
Yoo Sia screams with her eyes wide open.
At the same time, a total of eight blood dogs soar into the sky. The sight of it flying with its mouth wide open was a behavior that would be more appropriate to describe as flight rather than leap.
I quietly put my palms together.
By the time I raise my mana, the blood dogs are already in front of my eyes. The speed with which he devours the fear of others and launches his body is comparable to that of a thunderbolt.
At that very moment, the magic occurs.
Kwasik─!
The bodies of the blood dogs were crushed as if an invisible fist had gripped them. The blood that broke out was removed with a pinch of salt to prevent it from spattering.
“I don’t know who the owner is…. “It’s so pathetic.”
It was still at a trivial level. If you absorb a large amount of fear, the story will be different.
Passsss─
The blood dog that was crushed by me was scattered like mere dust. Yusiah and Trixie’s faces have finally turned into color.
“As expected, Lord Flann! “It was a great treatment!”
“It is not a treatment. “It was absorbed somewhere else.”
There were three pieces of information I gained from briefly dealing with him. First of all, blood dogs can be freely separated and combined, and there seemed to be a separate owner controlling them.
I adjusted my clothes and gave instructions.
“I will provide cover. You should explore the area and tell those you encounter not to be afraid. From the looks of it, if he swallows more fear than necessary, it will become a nuisance.”
Everyone nods with a determined expression. Soon the companions began to carry out their duties faithfully.
“Everyone, don’t be afraid! “He is a monster who thrives on fear, and that alone is enough to help him avoid danger!”
Scarlett’s shouting was effective regardless of race. This is because he was the only water engineer left here.
However, there were still limitations.
Boom! Kwaang—!
There were explosions of dark red mana here and there. There was a deep hole in the ground, and human speech was easily drowned out.
Scarlett turned to me and shouted.
“There are limits to what can be conveyed through education. Because of the explosion, visibility is not wide! “It’s going to be difficult like this!”
Blood dogs are creatures that thrive on fear, so putting people at ease was the most urgent priority at the moment. But if you can’t convey this quickly….
“I guess we have no choice but to show it all at once.”
Perfect!
I snapped my fingers.
At the same time, countless telekinetic powers struck the heads of the blood dogs scattered everywhere, one by one. Thanks to this, all the blood dogs that were chasing the other participants focused their attention on me.
Crumbling─.
The blood dogs did not hide their displeasure and gnashed their teeth. It seemed like he was aware that he had been provoked.
“There is no need to fuss about the topic of by-products.”
Perhaps because he was gathering a lot of mana, his bangs started to rise up a few times.
Perhaps in response to that energy, the blood dogs began to unite and bite each other.
Crrr─.
Not long after, the size of the blood dogs gathered together became even larger. I muttered, not bothering to look up at its face.
“I hope you know.”
Continue speaking calmly.
“Now, this is our last chance to attack.”
The blood dog made a purring sound as if it knew. He lunged at me as if he was trying to instill fear in me.
At the same time.
Huh!
The mana, forged like a blade, swirled fiercely and tore through the area. A dull blood dog could not react to a slash that seemed to disintegrate space itself.
Just blankly observing the situation with dull eyes.
In an instant, the surrounding area was devastated. There were scars all over the rocks and ground that looked like they had been cut by a sword.
Blood dogs have only been transformed into minced meat.
“Wow….”
Someone was impressed. Everyone looked at me. The faces were complex, but the fear had definitely diminished.
I said as I removed the blood dog’s body.
“Do what you have to do. “Don’t stand still.”
Only then did the others begin to move hesitantly.
However.
A strange thing happened the next moment.
“Hey, what is that!”
Someone’s urgent shout struck my ears.
The flesh of the blood dog that had been torn apart began to stick together. There would be nothing more strange than the sight of something dead coming back to life, but it was happening right before my eyes.
People started to get confused again. Even I hesitated for a moment. There will no longer be anyone creating fear here.
“Hmm….”
But there is one conclusion.
This means that there are people who create fear. There are people who are emitting so much fear that they proudly resurrect fear absorbers.
It wasn’t difficult to think about who it was. My gaze soon turned to a barrier that appeared slightly in the distance, resembling a prison.
“… Aurora.”
The imperial palace soldiers and Aurora are trapped within that narrow barrier. There was no need to look to see that fear was gushing out from within.
I took a moment to recall why I had to save her.
Also, I did not feel like a hero who would protect everyone by stopping the blood dog. However, it was decided that it would look good for Aurora to go to the magic tower proudly.
Also, she must survive, but she must also show me victory.
“Scarlett. “Can you hold on to a blood dog?”
Scarlett nodded her head.
I quietly started heading towards the small barrier that trapped Aurora.
Peace…. Safety….
I’m not interested in things like that. But.
I also had to let her know who had the upper hand.