Barrier (3)

At first, it was undoubtedly an arrow. It had been shot from a bow, so it was only natural.

The arrow, emitting a strange light and splitting into dozens, then hundreds of pieces along with the others, sliced through the air.

"What is that...?"

Someone murmured, forgetting that a battle was imminent.

But there was no one to blame. Everyone was watching its long trajectory.

The light became a cluster of lights, and then a Milky Way, reaching close to the monsters.

Swoosh-

Each beam of light drew its own trajectory. What seemed like an illusion of light was a definite reality, scattering in all directions with the sound of rain.

Splurt!

The monsters were pierced through the head. Some couldn't even scream as their necks were pierced; others had their hearts or from the top of their heads to their groins penetrated.

The arrows, falling like rain, ruthlessly and accurately pierced through the vital points of all the monsters.

'...This is "Fireworks"...'

Selena swallowed her saliva.

The owner of the Fireworks might be Frondier.

Despite the information passed on by Manggot, Selena found it hard to believe. The record of "Fireworks" during the monster attack on Constel seemed too fantastical.

But now, she witnessed it before her eyes. The scene was exactly as recorded. In fact, the reality felt even more powerful than the records.

"The monsters..."

Someone said with a trembling voice. The mass of monsters turned into corpses in an instant. The advancing monsters stopped and hesitated.

Only a handful of monsters remained. At this rate, they wouldn't even reach the barrier

Swoosh-

"Huh?"

Selena made a noise at the sight of Frondier.

Frondier was pulling the bowstring, aiming. It was the second arrow.

'Could he possibly use that same technique again?'

As if answering her inner thoughts,

The second Fireworks soared, embroidering the sky. The human side had now forgotten about fighting and simply watched the scene in a daze.

A loud shriek echoed. The monsters now knew what it was. They ran back the way they had come with all their might.

The escape of the monsters outside. It was a sight the soldiers here had never seen before.

Splurt-

Whether they fled or not, the 'Fireworks' mercilessly severed their lives with precision...

* * *

Not just with the Outside monsters, but in any battle humans had faced on this continent, it had never ended so anticlimactically.

The knights scratched their heads after a moment of silence and went to check the monster corpses, while the soldiers returned to their barracks.

The prisoners went back just as they had come out. Among them, some continuously bowed their heads towards Frondier, tears streaming down their faces.

Until now, the knights would occasionally praise Frondier, but this time, there was none of that.

As if there had never been a battle to begin with, people mechanically went about their assigned tasks.

Everyone tried to act as usual because they didn't know how to react to the sight of the 'Fireworks'.

And then there was Selena.

For some reason, Frondier was still watching from atop the barrier. Selena's eyes settled on him.

'...This man.'

Selena took a step back. Though she was already behind Frondier, she stepped back further.

'Dangerous.'

Selena nonchalantly brought her hand to her chest. Inside her ornate clothing, a needle was already 'loaded'.

Her superior, Hagley, had only tasked her with escorting and monitoring Frondier.

The escort was to protect his 'ancient language interpretation skills', and the monitoring was to ensure Frondier didn't get any strange ideas.

So, Selena's current thoughts were purely her own judgment.

If I kill Frondier here.

She hadn't fully grasped all of Frondier's abilities yet. Throughout the battles so far, Frondier had never engaged in close combat.

Among all the information received so far, only the 'Fireworks' were accurate about Frondier.

Meaning, all the information that underestimated Frondier was false, and the incredibly powerful weapon was the truth.

Given this, it must be assumed that no information on Frondier is reliable. Thus, his close combat abilities might be as brutally strong as the 'Fireworks'.

However, at this distance, and the moment the opponent hasn't noticed any hostility.

The conditions she was most confident in, all aligned.

A surprise attack might just work,

"Selena."

"!"

Suddenly, Frondier called out to her. Selena flinched.

"Yes, ye-yes."

"Are your eyes good?"

Eyes?

"If you mean my eyesight"

"Literally, I'm asking if you have good vision. Or if you are proficient at detecting mana or presences."

"Yes, yes. Those are areas I'm confident in."

After all, she was chosen for satisfaction and trained to be an assassin. Everything Frondier mentioned just now seems like the basic qualities of an assassin.

...But why is Frondier asking about that? It's as if he knows she's good at those things.

"Indeed."

Frondier nodded as if it was a given, which only added to her unease.

"Come stand by my side. And look ahead."

Selena walked to Frondier's side, deciding to put off any surprise attacks for later.

...Somehow, the timing of Frondier's question was too coincidental, perhaps she had been discovered.

"Do you see that forest over there?"

"...Yes, you're referring to the 'Sacred Forest'."

Beyond Tyburn's barrier, a forest dense with lush trees at first glance. Everyone calls it the 'Sacred Forest.'

Because it's an area that should have been defiled by monsters long ago, but no monster can approach that forest.

Of course, not many know that 'Excalibur' lies dormant within, but to people's eyes, it's already recognized as a particularly special forest.

"Keep an eye on that forest. It's fine to use your eyes or extend your senses to their limits. Anyway, scour the inside thoroughly."

"...What are we looking for?"

"There's someone there."

Someone? Inside that forest?

Selena thought it was absurd. That place is beyond our domain.

Even if the Sacred Forest is a place monsters cannot enter, humans can't get there in the first place.

But she did as Frondier asked. She concentrated on her vision and heightened her senses to their maximum. Well, if there's nothing, she can just report that.

"...Huh?"

But she felt it. A faint presence, so faint that it couldn't be determined whether it was a monster or a human.

"Is there someone?"

"...I can't tell if it's a person or something else, but there is something. Faintly. But it could just be a small animal..."

"Do you really think so? That the presence you felt is just a small animal."

...No.

Small animals can't even be faintly felt from this distance. If she can feel a presence from this far, it means whatever is inside is not ordinary.

"No. It's definitely a significant mana presence. But why haven't I felt it until now, and why do I feel it now?"

And how did Frondier predict that she would find a mana presence now?

Frondier only gave half the answer.

"It was to check the situation. His forces were annihilated in an instant, so he stepped closer to the barrier to figure out what happened."

"His forces...? Could it be! Frondier, you are"

Frondier nodded.

"In the sacred forest, there exists a 'commander' of the monsters."