Inheritors V / Always a Mistake

“Pelyosti!”

A crystalline substance burst from the tip of Shina’s staff, traveling across the ground like a mighty wave threatening to swallow whole anything in its path. Before I could witness the torrent connect, however, a fierce tug on the back of my shirt sent my vision upward as I nearly fell to the ground.

“Everett!” Professor Seris growled, dragging my body to the left flank of the carriage to take cover from the battle unfolding before us. I wanted to protest, but I knew it was foolish for Akio and me to be exposed right now when neither of us had combat experience.

“P-professor,” Akio whispered once the three of us were fully concealed behind the cart. “I thought you said the Anomaly Beast wouldn’t come back for months. What’s going on?”

Professor Seris’s face was scrunched in concentration as he attempted to discern the state of the fight through sound alone. Despite this, he answered Akio’s question in a level-headed manner, as if there were nothing else going on. “I was referring to the Anomaly Beast as a whole when I said that. As Kerne stated, these are ‘Fragments’ extracted from the real thing, summoned artificially through forbidden magic. To think the Iccasians were this prepared…”

Suddenly, something slammed into the opposite side of the carriage, sliding it a couple of inches closer to us. Thank god we weren’t leaning against it…

A magnificent flap sounded from the point of impact, and a purple monster shot into the air. I held my breath, praying it wouldn’t shift its focus onto us, the nearest targets. As if to answer my wish, a glistening projectile crashed into the beast a second later, shattering on contact. A few scales cracked where the missile struck, but these minor imperfections vanished before my eyes, as if they were never there. Its ire drawn, the Fragment launched itself toward the attacker and away from the three of us.

The fractured remnants of the shot descended as sparkling particles. As they fell to the ground, a chill permeated the surrounding air. Given its resemblance to the first spell of hers I saw, this must have come from Shina. When it came down to it, she was braver than her demeanor suggested.

Still, I couldn’t help but bite down on my lip in frustration. It doesn’t matter how brave those three are. They’re outnumbered, and having to protect me is putting them in even more danger. Dammit!

“Professor, is there anything we can do to help?” I asked in desperation.

“Perhaps, but more than likely you would only hold them back if you got involved.” In spite of his words, he looked to be as vexed as I was at his inability to contribute.

Unable to stop myself, I twisted around and peeked over the top of the carriage. From one glance, it was clear that the simple, clean strategy laid out earlier had descended into chaos. One draconic corpse was splattered across the ground, torn apart by some tremendous force that split its main head from its grotesque body. That, however, seemed to be where the victories ended.

Kerne was locked in a defensive battle against two Fragments. Though each of his dodges and parries were flawless, he was left without a moment of reprieve. Unable to control the tempo of the fight, he was granted no opportunity to draw the attention of the remaining monsters, which had split away to pick off the two ranged fighters.

As a result, Mara and Shina were each dueling a Fragment from close range. Despite the inherent disadvantage, neither gave in as they avoided incoming strikes with remarkable speed and precision, replying with their own counterattacks at every opportunity. And yet, no matter how many spells or arrows landed true, neither foe appeared to sustain any damage.

“Shina, chip down their armor as best you can. Mara, fire into the cracks she opens before they can be repaired.”

I recalled what Kerne had said before the trio engaged in battle. Combined with what I saw earlier when one was attacked, I was beginning to understand how these Fragments of Ames Nori worked. Their scales were tough, and they even seemed capable of regeneration. Without a barrage of attacks in quick succession—first to fracture the scales, then to pierce the flesh—it wouldn’t be possible to kill them. In that case, Kerne’s plan was perfect: Shina would destroy the armor, then Mara would sink a lethal shot in through the gap.

But, of course, that would only work if they were able to focus on the same target. As things stood, this had devolved into a simple battle of attrition, where only one side was at risk of losing their lives.

Without realizing it, I stood up. By the time my mind caught up with my body, it was too late; I had no plan, no escape route, and nothing of value to contribute. But worst of all…

“Osnesor!”

… was the timing. Blasted backward by Kerne’s spell, a Fragment came hurtling in our direction.

If I was still hidden behind cover, it wouldn’t have mattered. The monster would’ve rushed straight back into battle against its original opponent, and the three of us in hiding would have been safe.

But that was not what happened. By the time my brain shouted at my muscles to get down, it had already seen me. I was nothing more than exposed, vulnerable prey, waiting to be slaughtered.

Making full use of the spell’s momentum, the Fragment stretched its wings wide as it charged forward, aiming straight for my head.

“Ascorrves!”

I was flung to the ground by Professor Seris, who cast a spell of his own in a last-ditch effort. A volley of flames sprang from his fingertips, scorching the air and incinerating everything contained within. Shina might have been an Inheritor, blessed with exceptional power, but it was immediately clear to me that her ice paled in comparison to the raw might of the professor’s conflagration.

But, ultimately, he was not one of the chosen. And as such, no matter how powerful his magic might be against an ordinary foe, not a single trace of damage could be observed on the Fragment’s body as the blaze dissipated.

And with that, I knew I had damned us all. My arrogance had sentenced us to death… if not for the arrow that struck the beast a moment later.

If there was one evident weakness of these creatures, it was how distractible they were. Though the damage to its armor was minimal, damage was done, and that enraged the beast. Forgetting all about the professor and I, it darted off toward Mara.

She was a remarkable warrior. That was clear to everyone here. But with long-distance weaponry in hand and a second adversary closing in to tear her apart, her face could no longer conceal the fear and helplessness she felt. And it was my fault she was going to die.

I need to… but I can’t. I can’t do anyth—

As my left arm dropped in defeat, it brushed up against something metal. Something given to me. Something I had forgotten all about.

“Leon was quite the spectacular swordsman.”

This was my screwup. If everyone hated me for it, I deserved it. I knew I shouldn’t do anything else. It would fail. It would make things worse. It would be a mistake. Everything I did was always a mistake.

So what am I doing?

I didn’t know if it was my instincts or his. But no matter what orders my brain screamed at my body, it refused to listen as it leapt forward without a hint of hesitation. In a mere two strides, this monstrous body of mine closed the distance.

I had never swung a real sword in my life. I didn’t have the coordination or technique necessary to actualize the strike I was envisioning in my head. Yet, in one fluid motion, I unsheathed the blade and slashed. The path it traced, the destination it reached, the power it carried… every single factor aligned with my intent.

I was no master swordsman. But he was.

A cluster of scales shattered where my blade impacted. As I suspected, it would be impossible to destroy its armor and damage its body in a single attack.

“Get down!”

But I was not alone. As I ducked, an intense gale of wind blasted overhead. The sound of flesh tearing reverberated through the disturbed atmosphere. A longbow should never be able to fire an arrow with such force, but I supposed this was the power of Inheritors. The same power that allowed me to cross a dozen yards in two strides. The power of the world itself.

“What are you doing? Help me out here, dammit!” Mara’s rebuke pulled me back to reality.

I might not be able to make up for my mistakes. But I sure as hell won’t allow anyone but me to get hurt because of them!

I strengthened my grip on the sword.

Three left!