Chapter 102 Silent Storm
Chapter 102 Silent Storm
“No, no, no…” Agnes shook her head violently. “This can’t be. It’s not real—nooo!”
Tears streamed down her face as her gaze fixed on the ground where she had just relieved herself. Blood.
Her mind spun back to the cramps she’d felt over the last two days. Her knees buckled, dropping her into the dirt.
“No… no, no, no! I’m pregnant—I know I am! I felt it, all the signs were there! My breasts… they’re already producing milk—it’s for my child!” Her voice cracked into a hysterical scream. “Aaahhh!”
Then—
A sound behind her split the night.
She froze. Slowly, she turned, eyes wide.
A figure perched in the darkness above, balanced on a tree branch. Two sharp, gleaming eyes glared down at her with pure fury. The rest was shadow. She blinked— and in that instant, it was gone.
“Ehh—” Agnes staggered back, trembling. She edged toward the tree, but found only dead branches swaying in the cold night wind.
Her breathing steadied—slightly.
Slowly, she turned back toward the carriage, rubbing her belly as she walked. Don’t be scared, my child. Everything is fine. Please… grow strong, grow big, her mind whispered.
She climbed into the carriage and curled into her corner. Her eyes drifted toward Iryoku, sleeping between Yumi and Reika, their breaths deep and steady in the dark.
At last, exhaustion dragged her under. Agnes fell asleep too.
The group moved through the forest in the armored carriage. Iryoku lay stretched across the rooftop, staring at the cloudy sky, when he suddenly sat up. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the trees.
Rhogan halted mid-march, rumbling a low, warning growl.
In an instant, Iryoku hurled his harpoon. The weapon buried itself deep into a trunk, and with a sharp reel he shot upward, landing atop the tree in a heartbeat.
“What is it? Where are you?” he called, gaze cutting through the shadows.
The carriage doors swung open. The girls spilled out, already armed for battle.
Yumi vaulted gracefully onto the carriage roof in a single leap, bow drawn and arrow nocked.
Reika’s hands shimmered with weaving strands of magic.
Alessandra swept along the treeline, shield raised, eyes sharp and senses stretched taut.
Agnes emerged last, lifting her hands in a soft chant.
“Orn, come to me.”
A sudden gust of wind swirled in front of her, forming a small twister that rapidly expanded. From within the spiraling vortex, the air twisted into the shape of an eagle. The translucent bird let out a piercing cry before soaring into the sky. Larger and sharper than before, her wind spirit cut through the air with predatory precision.
Agnes closed her eyes briefly, focusing through Orn’s vision, scanning the area from above for any sign of enemies.
Iryoku landed back beside them.
“It’s gone… weird. I could swear I felt something nearby.”
His gaze swept over the group.
Agnes spoke up.
“Rhogan felt it too. There was definitely something.”
The others—Alessandra, Yumi, and Reika—acknowledged her words, but Iryoku never once looked her way. To him, she was invisible.
“Whatever it was, it’s gone,” Reika began—
—but her voice cut off as the earth convulsed beneath their feet.
The ground split open with a deafening crack, a massive crater yawning wide. A colossal head erupted from the depths, maw gaping. Its body stretched endlessly, sheathed in black scales. Spikes jutted from its sides, a horn like a black drill protruding from its eyeless head.
It let out a roar that shook the forest.
“The hell… a giant worm, again?” Iryoku spat.
Yumi’s eyes narrowed. “But it’s bigger!” She fired a glowing arrow straight into the creature’s gaping maw.
The battle erupted. The worm slammed its head down, the impact rattling the ground. Instinct took over: Rhogan wrenched the carriage aside with Yumi still balanced on top; Reika and Agnes dove away; Alessandra sprinted toward the beast, shield raised.
As the earth quaked, energy surged across Alessandra’s body. She charged forward, swinging her skull-crusher mace.
“Die, bastard!” she roared, bringing it down like a meteor.
THUD!
GRRWWL!
The creature shrieked as scales shattered and rained to the ground.
Iryoku, who had leapt in with the first strike, landed on the monster’s head. Twin daggers flashed as he hacked furiously at its armor, but the blades barely left scratches. The worm whipped its head violently, slamming down toward the ground. Iryoku launched away just in time, landing away.
“Fucker!” he growled.
Yumi loosed another arrow—this one laced with stronger magic—but it only lodged shallowly into the beast’s thick scales.
Fleeeeww!
With a slicing gale, Orn streaked past, wings like blades of wind carving shallow gashes into the worm’s hide.
Freed from the carriage, Rhogan thundered into the fight. His horn glowed green as he rammed the monster with earth-shaking force.
THUD! The impact cracked fresh wounds into its armored hide.
Orn soared high, then stopped midair at the worm’s head. Its beak split open, a piercing cry tearing through the sky. A deafening wave of wind slammed into the beast, staggering it with the sonic blast.
By then, Reika had finished charging her spell.
“Move back!” she commanded.
Her hands erupted with molten fire, forming a condensed orb of blazing lava.
“Molten Core!”
The molten sphere collided with the worm, engulfing its body. It howled, thrashing violently, quakes rippling through the surrounding earth as the heat burned and scales began to melt.
Iryoku reappeared, his invisibility fading as black energy surged at the tip of his king-tinium dagger.
“Infinity Edge!” he roared, lunging forward—his harpoon firing with blinding speed.
“Piercing Arrow!” Yumi cried, loosing a charged shot right behind him—its radiant drill-like form tearing through the air.
The twin attacks struck as one, boring deep into the worm’s skull. The monster shrieked in agony.
Alessandra leapt high, Leben blazing around her. With all her might, she crashed down like a falling star, her mace glowing as it slammed into the beast’s skull. The blow cracked bone and sent a shockwave rippling through the forest.
CRAAAAASH!
The monster reeled, blood spraying in thick arcs. Rhogan charged again, goring into the shattered wound with unstoppable force.
The worm convulsed one final time—then collapsed, its massive body hitting the earth with a thunderous quake.
A pool of foul green blood spread across the forest floor. The battle was over.
The group gathered before the worm’s massive corpse.
Reika crossed her arms, studying it carefully.
“So this is what the worms look like as an adult. The one you fought before was just like this, wasn’t it?” She turned toward Yumi and Iryoku.
Yumi shook her head, gesturing with her hands.
“No… this one’s much bigger.”
Iryoku’s expression hardened.
“And its skin was tougher. Plus, that drill-like horn—our last monster didn’t have that. It had the lure, like an anglerfish.” His voice dropped grimly, remembering the dead children they’d discovered back then.
“Then maybe this one’s a male,” Reika suggested.
“Probably,” Yumi agreed. “The other had eggs, after all… and you and Sensei fought off the hatchlings that time.”
Iryoku glanced down at his weapon, absently testing the king-tinium dagger attached to his harpoon.
“It really feels weaker than the Wolf Fang,” he muttered.
Agnes looked at him from the side, her eyes downcast, guilt flickering in her expression.
Iryoku straightened.
“Wait here. I want to check something.” With a sudden leap, he fired his harpoon into a tree and vanished into the forest canopy.
Alessandra approached the beast’s head, rapping her mace against the massive horn.
“Feels sturdy.” With a grunt, she coated her weapon in Leben and slammed it again. After a few heavy strikes, the horn finally cracked free—a meter-long black spike. She hefted it onto her shoulder.
Agnes spoke up softly,
“Great… if we send this to Master Kloss, he could forge more weapons—or maybe even armor.”
Yumi and Reika both nodded in agreement.
Yumi crouched, scooping a few loose scales from the ground.
“And these? What about the scales?”
Reika examined them, turning one over in her hands.
“They don’t seem as tough… but we should still take a few, just in case.”
Agnes dismissed Orn and summoned Aqua, drawing the girls’ attention. Her face was flushed.
“I… need to go to the girls’ room. I’ll be back.”
Not long after, Iryoku returned.
“It’s just as I thought—we’re close to where we fought those worms before.”
Yumi perked up.
“Then… does that mean we’re near that old town too? But how? We’ve been on the move for three days since escaping the castle.”
Reika sighed, folding her arms.
“Well, we have been wandering aimlessly.” She cast a look at Iryoku.
Alessandra smirked, nodding in agreement.
“This is all Ojisan’s fault—being so indecisive.” She chuckled, teasing him.
Iryoku only smiled, unfazed.
“Let’s go. I think it’s time we visited some friends.” He reached out, ruffling Reika’s hair affectionately. “Your new spell was awesome,” he added with a grin, congratulating her.
Just then, Agnes returned, walking slowly. Iryoku was already climbing into the carriage, and the girls waved for her to enter, barely noticing her. Her eyes were dull and lifeless as she quietly stepped inside, settling into her usual corner with her gaze fixed on the floor. The carriage moved on, the others unaware of the storm silently brewing within her.