Paradigm Parasite

221 "Purple Smoke"

I - Ehrman - ran down the stairs and ran out of the quarters to find that it was a terrible mess outside.

There were strange armoured men who looked like Marslan's kind, and for some reason, even demons had entered the place in large numbers, and it was a tremendous melee.

...What are those guys?

I've been in this business for a long time.

That's why I have a certain amount of knowledge about demons.

I've been in this business for a long time, so I have a fair amount of knowledge about demons, and if I don't know about them, it's a direct link to death, so I've worked really hard to learn about them. There are some that come to mind in terms of similarity, but they are clearly different.

As far as I can see, there are three types.

A humanoid demon with the head of a beast.

A black four-legged demon that looks like a giant Lupus.

And...

I pull out the short spear from my waist and at the same time thrust it behind me.

The spear catches something and a deafening scream is heard.

He quickly drew his spear and at the same time made a small leap to distance himself.

The monster appeared as if oozing out of space.

Hard green outer skin, large, black eyes, red pupils.

It was humanoid in shape, but more akin to a sub-race such as orcs or trolls.

The demon looks at me angrily and disappears as if melting into the air.

I click my tongue and warn my surroundings with my short spear at the ready.

... nasty.

If I can't catch it with my eyes, I use my other senses to grasp its movements.

I eliminate the sounds of the battle around me from my mind and concentrate on the sounds at close range.

Great concealment form. Not only is it invisible, but there is hardly any sign of it.

...But breathing and moving are two different things.

Mud and rainwater bounce off it as it walks. The ears pick up faint sounds mixed in with the rainfall.

The footsteps heard are one in front and one behind.

The sound is recognisable by its forcefulness. Leap.

I can read the trajectory of the flight from the sound and my own position.

I will kill one of them and make sure I kill the other one.

I throw the spear forward and diagonally upwards at the right moment.

I run forward without looking at the result.

I hear a scream as the spear catches something in the air behind me.

As soon as he turned around, a huge object hit the ground.

At the same time, he passed magic power through the bracelet fitted to his wrist.

The short spear that was pierced by the demon comes back to my hand.

This one is not a supplied item, but one that I have used for a long time.

It is paired with a bracelet, and if you pass magic power through it, the spear will return to your hand.

However, it is limited to a distance that can be clearly seen, so you have to be careful about that.

The short spear supplied to me is attached to my waist.

While pulling it out, throw the spear back into the hand.

A hard sound is heard and the spear flies off in an unexpected direction.

Was it hit? But that point has already been taken into account.

The remaining spear is spun in the hand.

The spear glows thinly and exhales light purple smoke.

Short spear of purple smoke.

The weapon the Order gave me to commemorate my becoming a knight of the cathedral.

It produces smoke that absorbs magic. This smoke is limited, but when it touches magic, it cancels it.

It also blocks vision, so it has a wide range of uses, including escape and defence, and is very useful.

It is literally a smoke screen.

Head-on fights are the exclusive domain of the Christella girl, not mine.

...So I left the place in a cloud of smoke.

Naturally, there was a chase, but I managed to escape without any problems thanks to my light armour.

Light Armour of Confusion.

The effects are invisibility and alteration.

To be precise, it's a childish trick that only gives the illusion that something is there, but it's not foolproof.

Four signs of me and me disappearing.

Running in separate directions. The demon showed signs of hesitation and then went after my alter ego.

As I move, I take out a magic stone and contact my men.

Fortunately, it seems that my subordinates are currently working with Christella's subordinates to clear the enemy.

However, the scale of the enemy and their exact objectives are unknown.

I have heard, albeit briefly, from my men that the enemy is attacking to close the circle after encircling the area.

It is clearly a move of encirclement and annihilation, and I can only assume that it is simply aimed at the fall of this base.

I don't know if they have other aims, but with the information available, I can't come to any other conclusion.

The move can only be thought of as an attempt to kill itself.

The number of those equipped with strange armour is small.

But we can see that the three types of demons we saw earlier are entering the area in large numbers.

It pains me not to know the exact number. Because of this darkness and the rain, sound and sight are limited.

...I'm starting to feel like I should run away...

Seriously, the longer I stay, the more dangerous I feel.

I want to escape, but my position doesn't allow me to do so.

Let's say I did run away as fast as I could. Well, you could go on your own without any problems.

But it would certainly be regarded as a breach of trust and pursuers would be sent after you.

Your social standing would be dead and you would be a wanted man.

Well, as long as the situation doesn't allow you to escape, you'll just have to hold on here.

-Hellman! You're alive!

Suddenly there was a reaction on one of the magic stones, so I let the magic through and heard Stanislas' voice.

--Something.

--You're all right. What's the situation over there? We're gathering our forces in the office building and we're going to intercept them.

That's a good decision.

As long as the enemy's aim is strongly set on extermination, it's not a good idea to spread out.

Stanislas must have somehow read the enemy's aim from their movements.

-- The enemy's strength was confirmed at one point. The majority of them are demons that I have never seen before, although I also confirmed those who seem to be members of DARZAIN. I don't know when they became able to follow such a large number of demons...

--I don't know how long they've been able to follow such a large number of demons. I don't know who they are. Are they DARZAIN assassins or something else? I hear they're good at hiding, using magic tools to disappear...

--No, they are demons. I killed one just now, but it was pretty tough.

Intelligence that allows them to act in coordination with their companions after disappearing if they think they are going to attack on impulse.

Like the others, their movements are also precise attack actions that make use of the high physical capabilities unique to demons.

There are no signs of mistakenly attacking black dressing gowns or armour.

No matter how you look at it, it is perfectly controlled.

How did Darzine get hold of him? Is it a by-product of your demon research?

With my ability, I can manage up to a few of them, but it's tough when they're cut down by a dozen or so.

--I see. But where the hell did they come from? I heard that the armour and the followers fell from the sky, but the first ones that set them off must have come along the mountain path...

--I wouldn't be surprised if they jumped over the gate, judging by the way they're moving.

It's this time of night. Not many people out and about.

It would be difficult to do so without being seen, but if you move along the roof of the house, it would not be impossible to come here without being seen too much.

...No, I don't have to go through all that trouble, but I can go in a simple disguise if I'm in human form.

And the fact that they came straight here means that we should assume that the mountain gates on all four sides have been seized.

It's obvious that they would be ambushed if they went down the mountain to escape.

--Should we assume that - the gates have been overrun...?

Stanislas seems to have come to the same conclusion.

-Hermann. You, too, come to the office building. If we disperse, we will be destroyed individually.

To tell you the truth, I would like to, but I can't leave Cristela behind and I want to gather information.

--No, I'll gather some more information. I'll get some more information from Kristela at .......

Oh, shoot. I forgot to mention Marslan.

Shit! I'm getting impatient.

--I forgot to mention that Marslan was in the armour.

--What? What do you mean?

Stanislas is upset, perhaps because he didn't expect it.

--It's nothing. They attacked us with the armour. Now Cristela is dealing with them.

-Well... if Crystella is dealing with them, then there's no problem.

I agree on that point.

I don't know how much that armour has changed his fighting strength, but as long as he is a Marselan inside, I don't think he will lose to Cristela.

It's true that Marslan is strong.

There's no doubt that he's stronger than me if we were to do it properly, but Cristela is literally outclassed.

Not many people can win a proper fight with that young lady in a head-to-head battle.

But although Cristela is strong, she is not invincible and there are no absolutes in battle.

-Do you think Marslan was responsible for this incident?

--No, I don't think so. From the way he spoke, he was a complete errand boy.

I can tell you that.

--What about... manipulation?

--I can't say that... not at ....... He seemed a bit drunken in his tone, but he seemed sane to me.

--I understand. You continue to gather information. If you see Cristela, tell her to come to the office building.

--The other side is defending itself while staying in the castle?

When I ask this, Stanislas is a little cagey.

--No, we're going to strike out.

Launching? That's not what you just said.

-Only those in charge have been taught this, but there is a back-up technique that is only allowed to be used in an emergency. Use it to turn the tide of the battle.

...What's that? Is there such a thing?

--Is that secret hand really that powerful?

--Yes, that's what I've heard. But it takes time to prepare.

I see. So it's a siege defence.

--I dare not ask what it is, but I'm counting on it. I'm counting on it.

--If you know anything too, please let me know. If you can't, come here immediately.

I say yes and end the call by switching off the magic.

...that's what I hear...?

I know it sounds great, but maybe I shouldn't expect too much.

I checked my surroundings and heard the sounds of battle moving gradually.

This is probably due to people moving and the battlefield being settled.

I moved out of sight from the area, my armour having taken effect and I remained invisible.

There is much to do and much to be done.

And time is running short. I need to hurry.

I put strength into my legs as I build up a plan in my head of how to move.