My Slain Dragon Bride

Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Chapter 78 - Wolf Monster

With a single strike from Ferda, the Wolf Monster became a corpse.

The people watching the scene could not hide their astonishment.

"A monster... taken down in one hit..."

They had heard that monsters were vulnerable to mages, but few had ever witnessed that effectiveness firsthand.

Even for a Mage, killing a monster in a single blow was no common feat.

Looking at the man standing there with a dumbfounded expression, Ferda spoke.

"What are you dawdling for?"

"Huh?"

"The rift is still open."

He was right.

Even though the Wolf Monster had died, the rift had not closed.

Which meant there were still monsters inside.

"Everyone who can wield a sword, prepare for battle! Protect the civilians!"

"Request reinforcements! Call the guards!"

"Forget the guards—call the mages! Get every mage who can bombard them with magic over here!"

Voices shouted from every direction, but despite the chaos, a rough command structure had formed, so Ferda paid it no mind.

At the edge of the boundary, the limp corpse twitched.

"I-It moved!"

"Is it still alive?"

Someone said that.

But that Wolf Monster was dead.

If it was moving like that, it only meant another one was preparing to emerge.

Ferda immediately prepared his next spell.

Soon, something began to emerge from beyond the shimmering distortion.

It was another Wolf Monster.

It had just begun to leap out when Ferda was one step faster.

"Lightning Spear."

Ferda cast the spell at the monster bursting through the rift.

The spear of lightning struck the emerging Wolf Monster.

Grrrk!

One of the Fourth-Circle spells, Lightning Spear.

It possessed exceptional penetrating power, capable of inflicting fatal damage if it struck a vital point.

However, if it failed to hit a vital spot, it could not kill the target.

Just like the creature standing before him now.

’Still, not bad.’

The monster that had been trying to emerge was panicking and attempting to retreat.

But it couldn’t.

Behind its head, the heads of other Wolf Monsters pushing through the rift became visible.

There were at least four of them.

Their panic had temporarily prevented them from pouring out all at once.

During that brief window, those capable of fighting got into position.

The knights drew their swords, while the handful of mages began chanting their spells.

Mages were the most effective at dealing with monsters.

Everyone knew that.

But how many mages had actually fought monsters before?

The higher a mage’s Circle, the closer their life became to politics rather than battle.

With the forces gathered here, victory was impossible.

"What should we do? Evacuate?"

Zed asked.

This was Halim’s affair, so there was no reason for them to risk their lives.

"No. We’re joining the fight."

The only mage here worth mentioning was Ferda himself.

Still, there was no need to risk his life, and the odds of success were high.

’It’s more profitable to fight than to run from this.’

Having reached his decision, Ferda searched for what he needed.

’What I need... is Mana.’

What Ferda needed were reservoirs of Mana to replenish the reserves he lacked.

In other words, mages who could serve as fuel.

To put that plan into motion, he called out a name.

"Malcolm!"

"Yes, Your Excellency Regent!"

Malcolm answered immediately.

Unlike his confident reply, however, his body language was filled with panic.

"Bring every mage to me. Even if they can only create a Mana Shot, I don’t care. Gather every one of them."

"B-But... what if they refuse?"

Was that even worth asking?

"Then kidnap them if you have to."

"Y-Yes, sir! I shall obey!"

Flailing his arms, Malcolm sprinted away.

"Should I go gather them too? I’m pretty confident in my persuasion skills."

Zed asked cautiously.

"You should do your duty as a knight."

"Damn."

With a sigh, Zed drew his dagger.

Grrrr...

Meanwhile, the wolves’ panic ended.

One wolf forced its way out, and the others waiting behind it surged through the rift like a flood.

Once every Wolf Monster inside had emerged, the rift sealed itself shut.

’Seven of them in total?’

Even ordinary knights struggled against a single one.

Now seven of them had invaded the building.

’I can handle about two. If the others have to face the remaining five...’

Ferda quickly assessed and compared their combat strength.

’Impossible.’

The monsters would carry out a one-sided hunt.

That hunt would lead to total annihilation.

Like falling dominoes, it would never stop.

"Sir Zed."

"Yes."

"I’m going to need you to step up. Can you stall about two of them?"

"Two of them?"

Zed swallowed hard.

They looked like wolves, but their only weapons weren’t their jaws and claws.

Sharp, spike-like tentacles protruded from their tails, swaying menacingly.

He was supposed to hold off two of those?

"Can you do it?"

After agonizing over it, Zed finally answered.

"The compensation had better be generous."

"Have I ever failed to pay you?"

"No."

"In that case...!"

Adjusting his grip on his dagger, Zed moved away.

He approached Penelope.

In a situation like this, there was only one thing she could do.

"Waaah! I don’t want to die!"

"Hey, Pepe! Get a grip!"

Smack!

"Ow!"

"Quit bawling and do your job! You can use magic too!"

"W-What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to fight something like that?!"

"You don’t have to fight. Just help me. Somehow make my body lighter. You know... that spell!"

"That one? Umm... give me a second. Haste!"

Penelope’s magic enveloped Zed’s body.

Feeling himself become even faster, Zed loosened up his muscles.

"Yeah... that’s the feeling."

Grinning, Zed looked toward the Wolf Monsters.

"Well then... time for a little walk."

He moved to draw the attention of two monsters.

With that, Ferda would deal with two while everyone else handled the remaining three.

Turning his head, Ferda picked out the most experienced-looking man among those holding swords.

"You there!"

"Yes!"

"Good spirit. We’ll take care of four. You and the others handle the remaining three somehow. Can you do it?"

"H-How?"

"Order everyone to fight as defensively as possible. Form a defensive formation."

Though he said that, it didn’t really matter whether they fought defensively or offensively.

As long as they didn’t lose their will to fight and flee, that was enough.

That was all Ferda expected of them.

"Your Excellency Regeeent!"

Malcolm came running back in a hurry.

Ferda was about to ask why he had returned so quickly, but the sight Malcolm carried left him speechless.

A robed man was slung over each of Malcolm’s shoulders.

"Here! Mages!"

"So you really kidnapped them."

"I wasn’t confident I could persuade them...!"

Ferda stared quietly at the panting Malcolm.

"You’re smarter than I expected."

"Huh? I’m smart?"

"It’s not easy to know your own limitations. Keep doing exactly that."

"Understood!"

Malcolm immediately ran off to kidnap more fresh Mana batteries.

The two men who had been abducted without understanding what was happening stood frozen.

They had been running for their lives, only to be dropped right into the middle of a battlefield.

Ferda didn’t give them time to think.

"You. Can you cast Mana Bomb?"

"Huh? Ah... yes..."

"Then prepare Mana Bomb. When I give the order, throw it toward me. And you?"

"I... I still can’t..."

"Then prepare Mana Shot. Once it’s ready, throw it to me when I tell you. That’s easy enough, right?"

"Y-Yes!"

"And if that kidnapper brings more mages, explain the same instructions to them. I don’t want to repeat myself. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, understood!"

Given how urgent the situation was, he doubted they had fully understood.

Without expecting much, Ferda prepared for battle.

’I should refrain from using Black Magic as much as possible.’

In the grand design he was weaving, Black Magic would stain him with a fatal disgrace.

Erdes already knew that Ferda was using Black Magic, but the public witnessing it firsthand was an entirely different matter.

He had to avoid that at all costs.

’But that doesn’t mean I can avoid using it entirely.’

He would use it quietly and secretly, so no one would notice.

That was precisely why he had mastered Barbatos’s Shadow Arts.

Beneath Ferda’s feet, the shape of his shadow stirred.

Silently, it reached the feet of a wolf.

Ferda chanted.

"Bind."

A concealed hand extended from within Ferda’s shadow.

Grrrr!?

It seized the wolf’s ankle with tremendous force.

A Fourth-Circle binding spell from Barbatos’s Shadow Arts.

Its original name was Shadow Bind, but Ferda deliberately omitted the word "Shadow".

In truth, it required no incantation at all.

That alone was sufficient, and outwardly its effect resembled an ordinary Bind spell.

As though trapped in a swamp of sticky glue, the wolf flailed helplessly, unable to lift its feet.

’Take one down quickly.’

Drawing the prepared Magic Circle in his hand with practiced speed, Ferda cast another spell.

"Lightning Spear."

The spear of lightning shot from his hand.

With the target unable to move, striking its heart was child’s play.

Crackle!

The spear pierced through the hide.

Where the heart had been, only mashed green blood burst forth.

The wolf collapsed lifelessly.

"My goodness... another one-shot..."

Gasps of amazement erupted once more.

Grrrr!

The other restrained wolf sensed its packmate’s death and bared its fangs.

As it struggled violently, it found a brief opening and bit down on the black shape with its jaws.

"Urgh."

A groan of pain escaped Ferda’s lips.

The instant the wolf bit down, Ferda felt something snap near his right little finger.

His shadow was treated as an extension of his own body.

Which meant that whenever the shadow was severed, he experienced the pain as though his own flesh had been torn apart.

’That is the price.’

If he wasn’t careful, the pain would consume him, condemning him to a lifetime of phantom agony.

With practiced ease, Ferda severed his consciousness from the pain and escaped the phantom sensation.

The moment he disconnected his mind from the shadow, the spell’s power weakened.

The Wolf Monster broke free.

"Your Excellency! Where should I throw the Mana Bomb?!"

The timing couldn’t have been better.

"Throw it to me!"

The mage hurled a large blue sphere toward Ferda.

Ferda didn’t even turn around.

Instead, part of a black finger emerged from behind his back, shooting out strands of Mana that caught the Mana Bomb.

To everyone watching, it looked as though the sphere had naturally flown into Ferda’s grasp the moment it entered his range.

"Gasp!"

"Magic Intercept...!"

The spectators rubbed their eyes in disbelief at the advanced technique that only highly skilled mages could perform.

Ferda, however, had no time to care.

His entire focus was fixed on his target.

He hurled the Mana Shot and the Mana Bomb straight at the wolf’s face.

Boom! Boom!

A perfect hit.

The explosion of Mana slammed directly into the wolf’s face.

Monsters were beings that survived by emitting corrupted Mana.

The moment they came into contact with pure Mana, their unnatural regeneration slowed.

And when that regenerative ability came to a complete halt, the Wolf Monster staggered like a dog collapsing in the midsummer heat.

"Lightning Spear."

Just like that, Ferda eliminated the two Wolf Monsters before him.

Without even a moment to catch his breath, he surveyed the battlefield.

’The knights and soldiers...’

The side where the knights and soldiers were holding the line looked overwhelmed.

Fear was written all over their faces.

Meanwhile, Zed was distracting two Wolf Monsters without suffering a single wound.

The monsters’ attacks ravaged everything within a wide radius, throwing their entire bodies into each assault.

Remarkably, Zed moved even faster than their attacks, evading every single one.

’I need to help Zed.’

Even though he looked relaxed, he was actually in the greatest danger.

"Zed!"

"What is it?!"

Zed shouted back irritably.

"Lure them toward my shadow."

"Understood!"

While flipping through the air, Zed’s eyes instantly located the position of Ferda’s shadow.

Then, with an acrobatic series of movements, he sprinted toward Ferda.

Bark! Bark!

The two enraged Wolf Monsters charged after Zed.

The instant they stepped over Ferda’s shadow, hands burst out and seized their ankles.

Yelp!?

Caught off guard by the sudden obstacle, both wolves tumbled forward.

"Bind."

Using the prepared Shadow Bind, Ferda restrained both of them once more.

"Throw them!"

Following his command, the supporting mages hurled the prepared Mana Bombs toward Ferda one after another.

Some worried they were effectively attacking the Regent himself.

But Ferda skillfully wrapped each sphere with threads of Mana, making them his own spells.

Boom! Boom!

The Mana seeped into the bodies of the two monsters.

Exactly as intended, both of them staggered.

’My Mana reserves... they’re in an awkward state.’

Without the Red Circle spinning at full capacity, replenishing his Mana wasn’t easy.

’I have enough Mana left for about three more Lightning Spears.’

If he used them on these two, he wouldn’t have enough left to deal with the others.

How should he finish this?

"Your Excellency!"

Zed called out.

Determination burned in his eyes.

Looking into them, Ferda thought,

’Useless.’

Such spirit might inspire knights who believed in fighting through sheer willpower.

It meant nothing to Ferda.

But the dagger in Zed’s hand shimmered with a cold glow.

It was Aura.

’Now that’s useful.’

Understanding Zed’s intention, Ferda nodded.

In barely one and a half seconds, they silently agreed on their respective targets.

"Lightning Spear."

Ferda’s lightning lance pierced one monster between the eyes before exploding its heart.

"Go take all the walks you want in hell!"

Zed’s dagger pierced the monster’s abdomen.

Its tough hide yielded like jelly before the blade plunged beneath the ribs.

Snap!

With the sound of thick muscles tearing apart, the wolf’s body went limp.

Even the two monsters Zed had been leading around were dead.

Only three remained.

Those three now had their attention fixed on the ragtag group of soldiers.

"Argh! It bit me!"

"Don’t fall back! Hold the formation!"

Thanks to their commander’s charisma keeping everyone from fleeing, the three Wolf Monsters couldn’t break through and instead searched for openings in the formation.

Ferda seized that opportunity.

Turning toward the mages, he shouted,

"Mana Bomb!"

Malcolm had gathered a total of ten mages.

Together they produced twelve spheres, all of which flew toward Ferda at once.

The fingers of Ferda’s shadow caught every single one, turning them into his own.

Then he targeted the gaps between the Wolf Monsters.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The condensed Mana pierced through their hides and entered their bodies.

The concentration was high enough to penetrate deep inside.

The directly struck Wolf Monster staggered weakly.

Even the other two, though not hit head-on, suffered meaningful damage and retreated.

"Now! Finish them!"

"Waaaaah!"

With a roar, the soldiers thrust their swords into the staggering monster and launched their counterattack.

The Wolf Monster resisted.

But its attacks were as feeble as those of a dying old man.

Bark! Bark!

The remaining two wolves fixed their eyes on Ferda.

Their wild instincts had identified the true key figure among the humans.

Their eyes filled with murderous fury as they charged straight at him.

"They’re going after His Excellency! Protect the Regent!"

But the soldiers were already struggling just to save themselves.

There was no way they could react in time.

’Two of them.’

Unlike Zed, Ferda lacked the agility to dodge so gracefully.

Even before he sensed their Killing Intent, he had already begun preparing his spell.

"Lightning Spear."

The spear of lightning pierced one wolf through the torso.

It hadn’t struck the heart.

But it was enough to stop the monster.

The remaining wolf charged fearlessly at Ferda.

"Your Excellency!"

Zed leapt in front of him, attempting to shield him.

"Ghk!"

He might have surpassed the Wolf Monster in speed.

But in a direct clash, he was no sturdier than a scarecrow planted in soft earth.

Using the opening Zed had created, Ferda unfolded a Magic Circle, intending to fire a Lightning Bolt.

"Lightning—"

He couldn’t even finish the incantation.

The Wolf Monster slammed both of Ferda’s shoulders to the ground and climbed on top of him.

Grrraah!!

The creature opened its jaws.

It looked like a wolf.

But the inside of its mouth was anything but.

Its fangs were even sharper, and dozens of tongue-like tentacles writhed within.

The razor-sharp teeth descended toward Ferda’s throat.

He realized he was about to die.

Bang!

A thunderous explosion echoed across the battlefield.

At the same moment, something small and incredibly fast shot through the air.

The Wolf Monster’s body jerked violently.

Its fangs, which had already sunk halfway into Ferda’s neck, suddenly lost all strength.

The monster collapsed lifelessly.

Having narrowly escaped death, Ferda searched for the reason the monster had died.

’Small... fast... and incredibly powerful magic...’

It felt strangely familiar.

Ferda turned to see who his savior was.

The attack had come from the direction of the stage.

Standing there was none other than Vernel Marquis.

Breathing heavily, he held something in his hands.

It was the Magitech Rifle that had been scheduled to be introduced after President Bernard’s presentation.

The long barrel he held was still releasing thin streams of white smoke.