“What is this… Why are people acting like…!?”
There were people with vacant expressions, exactly like the men that attacked the bathing area.
The way those lifeless people gathered together and chased the ones who were still all right was exactly like a scene from a zombie movie.
They threw people they caught into the red mist behind them, and looked for their next victim… And Melt’s face twitched with fear as she watched them move.
What was going on with this village? As she felt baffled by this strange situation, her eyes landed on Zenon, who was attacking the people that turned violent.
“Melt, you’re all right! I’m so glad! Come with me! I will open a path for you!”
“Eh!? W-wait…”
Zenon approached Melt with some other male students, and grabbed her hand to take her away from Yuugo and drag her into the safe area.
She was perplexed by this sudden action, as Zenon looked at the villagers blocking their path, and clicked his tongue while swinging the sword in his right hand at one of them.
“You’re in the way… You…!!”
“Ah!?”
There was a slashing sound, and red blood sprayed… As the villager went down without a sound.
Melt’s mouth hung open as she watched this shocking scene, and she covered it with her left hand as she protested against Zenon.
“How could you…!? You didn’t have to cut that person down!”
“It’s all right, I held back my power with magic energy purposefully so it won’t be fatal. I don’t want to kill people either.”
Zenon said proudly, bragging to Melt about his control over his magic energy.
In actuality, the person he slashed was not dead, but the word ‘yet’ would have to be added to that sentence.
Blood was still gushing from the wound of the downed villager. If left alone, the blood loss could very well be fatal.
Melt understood that it was necessary to an extent, because this was an emergency, and she tried to understand Zenon’s actions, but that went out the window when she saw him slash the backs of villagers who had not noticed them yet.
“All right, nice backstab!”
“Why…!? How can you do something so…!?”
She rushed to stop the bleeding of the first person Zenon slashed, and treated the people he attacked from behind.
It seemed he was using magic energy along with the sword to create an impact that would make them faint, but if that was the case, he could have simply attacked with magic.
Was there any need to attack in a way that was potentially fatal, especially people that weren’t even harming them… Thought Melt as she felt shocked, and two of the students who had gone there to rescue her called out to Zenon.
“Zenon! We’re done over here!”
“Well done! Melt, I know you’re a nice girl, but this is no time to be healing them. We need to go to where the others are.
“…!!”
Melt saw the blood on the sword of one of the boys who came over to report to Zenon, and let out an anguished sound.
They were probably doing the same as Zenon, and cutting down the crazed people. But unlike Zenon, they could not control their magic energy as well. She pictured them just cutting people down, and stopped, wondering if she was right or wrong.
(I know it’s an emergency, but don’t you care about killing people? Is that how people who aspire to be magic knights who protect others should be like…!?)
People might approve of their actions, but accepting them was a different story.
She could understand cutting people who were in their way, but not randomly cutting people they just happened to see.
And yet, they were doing it as though it was not a big deal.
Could she be the one who was wrong? Could their cold judgment actually be correct… She felt anxious about it, but just as Zenon was about to cut down another villager in their way…
“Seyah! Ah!!”
“Wah…!?”
Yuugo jumped in with a leg sweep, and KO’ed the villager with a strike to the stomach.
He checked to see if the heart of the unconscious villager was still beating, and turned to Zenon.
“Zenon, I’ll handle them. You and the other two take Melt to safety.”
“Ah? Why are…?”
“Fighting here is a waste of time, right? Go to the others. Gather everyone and head to the safe area. I’ll handle the enemies, so focus on protecting Melt.”
“Why do I have to obey you? The more enemies we take down here, the easier it will be later.”
Zenon argued back, but Melt understood what Yuugo was saying.
Basically, he was telling Zenon not to fight because they could very well kill people.
Yuugo’s blows carried a much lower chance of being fatal than slashes, and they did not have to worry about bleeding either.
She read between the lines, and understood that Yuugo was not just worried about them, but also about the crazed people. And so, she joined this act to back him up.
“A-Ash, let’s go join the others right away. I’m worried too…”
“Muho…!?”
She took Zenon’s arm and pressed it against her chest, as she acted like a scared girl.
For a moment, a shrill voice almost escaped Zenon, but… He put on a manly face, and responded with a serious expression.
“It’s all right, Melt. I’ll protect you. So don’t worry and stay by my side…”
“N-not me, I’m worried about the others! The other villagers are waiting somewhere, right? We have to go there quickly! Everyone’s waiting for you, Zenon!”
“Hn… Well, I guess…”
Melt continued her act, telling him what he wanted to hear… Leading him to where the other students were.
Zenon was fooled by her charade, and sheathed his sword, before turning to the other boys.
“You two, that’s enough! Let’s get Melt to where the others are first, and ease her worries! Is that all right?”
“Yes! Thanks Ash!”
It seemed everything had been settled. With that thought in mind, Melt turned her eyes to Yuugo, and he lowered his head a little to thank her for the help.
Melt thought about how she never thought she would use her girlish tricks with Zenon and not him, as she pulled him away and towards the other students.
On the way there, Yuugo used his blows to incapacitate any villager that tried to attack, holding back as much as he could to minimize their wounds, until they reached the house where Yuugo was supposed to be staying.
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