The Difference Is Like Between a Dog and a Cow

16 – Malice in the Shadows (3)

A sharp spear of ice flew towards Lumia. If he hadn’t taken refuge from the momentary murderous intent, he would have been hit and turned into a skewer of ice.

As soon as the missing spear hit the ground, the assailants’ movements stopped for a moment.

“Looking at the faint feeling of mana, it looks like a mage.”

“It seems like a person left behind alone. What can I do?”

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Could it be the remnants of bandits who escaped from the fortress?

‘There was a mage among the thieves? No, it can’t be.’

What makes the mage regret that she joins the thieves? Her common sense made no sense.

What’s more, the last scene she saw before leaving her battlefield was the thieves using her spirit and breaking through her defenses.

The clothes and the atmosphere are very different from ordinary thieves.

‘What to do? It’s too suspicious.’

The thought of running away ran through her head. They are the ones who start shooting magic at themselves in military uniforms. Rumia’s intuition was already warning her to quickly get out of this place.

However, the steps were not taken hastily. The sight was completely exposed due to the flare magic rising from behind her. It wouldn’t be that easy to escape from a few mages, not just one or two.

In the worst case, you might get killed while trying to escape. A group of unidentified mages who calmly cast her middle-class magic on her in her military uniform.

I also thought that it might have something to do with the fall of Belgordo Fortress this time. No, almost certainly.

In fact, according to Platoon Leader Enoch Levandell, the walls of the fortress collapsed with the explosion.

Once I thought about it that far.

Rumia tried to suppress her trembling breath, and a fireball was lit in front of her eyes.

“Whoa…… !”

My eyesight trembled. How long had it been since he actually demonstrated attack magic?

After that day, Lumia Bluet lost her most important value as a battle mage. No matter how mistaken it is, it doesn’t change the fact that the terrible thing came from her hands.

However, the situation was very different now than it was just a little while ago.

A state in which he encountered the assailants alone in the forest where he fell alone. Her place to shelter her, her place to hide her, no longer exists.

‘This idiot…… !’

It’s really embarrassing, but it wasn’t until she got to the point where she couldn’t escape, that she even had the heart to use magic.

Gulp.

Rumia gritted her teeth and looked at the assailants. Because if she didn’t do that, her teeth chatted again and again in her sense of dread that swarmed her.

‘First I need to let people know where I am.’

Her magic she casts is a fireball.

Because it is the most basic, it is the most stable and reliable magic.

With this magic, no matter how fragile she is, she might be able to control her to some extent. Besides, she was explosive, so it seemed that she could act as a kind of signal to her allies waiting behind her.

“Dang, who are you… Who are you…!!”

Rumia said in a very nervous voice. They were still silent. Are you watching? I couldn’t figure out what the hell it was.

“If you don’t respond, I’ll shoot you!!”

Counting three seconds inside her, Lumia closed her eyes tightly and fired a fireball.

A blazing fireball flies towards suspicious people. Quaang! Flames soared with a cool explosion sound. In the roaring flames, the face of her former colleague, whom she had momentarily forgotten, appeared.

“Aww…… !!”

It’s an illusion. How can someone who does not already exist in the world come to life?

I tried to hold on to her stretching spirit, but Rumia desperately covered her mouth due to the rising feeling of vomiting.

However, it didn’t take long to realize that even the attacks he fired with all his might had no meaning.

A thin shimmering film of mana.

It is a defense magic.

“What should I do? Coordinator comrade. If it’s a mage, it might be a valuable resource…….”

“Captured alive. If it doesn’t work out, at least cut off a limb and bring it to me.”

“Okay.”

Cut off limbs?

Rumia doubted her ears.

It’s dangerous. In addition, the speed is disgusting, and the mind is never intact.

‘This, once…… Since she used the fireball, she has no choice but to wait for her allies to come…… ! And no magic…… !!’

I’ve only used it once and this is it. From the second time on, it occurred to her that she might really panic or pass out. Eventually Rumia drew her pistol from her arms. She may not be very good at her marksmanship, but at least she will be able to buy her time until her allies arrive.

However.

Bang!!

A gunshot sounded out of nowhere. Not Rumia’s. Before she could figure out what was going on, her excruciating pain ensued. Her blood gushes from Rumia’s right shoulder.

“Turn it off…… !!”

A moan that burst out without my knowledge.

That’s right. Got shot Rumia collapsed, grabbing her shoulder with her other hand.

“Eup, uh uh—.”

“The gun isn’t only there, comrade mage.”

Her head was spinning. They said that if you get shot, you really don’t think about anything, and it was true.

A burning sensation spread from her wound, like a torch burning her skin. Her breathing quickens, and her eyes go white.

“Take him to the main office. Whether it’s extracting her magic, there’s a place to use it. It would be better than just killing them.”

“Yes, comrade.”

No.

Rumia tried to resist, but her body wouldn’t let her. The assailants approaching her suddenly stretch out their savage hands towards her Lumia.

The last thing she witnessed in the midst of her rushing fear and fading vision.

Kwaaang!!!

It was a blonde man who appeared with an explosion.

***

Bang, a clear gunshot rang out. Could Rumia be fighting a rogue who broke away from her encirclement?

‘This way!’

I didn’t have a good feeling about shooting it simply for signal purposes. I quickly broke through the bush and made my way.

Finding the location wasn’t difficult, as the direct flares were still shining brightly.

To the scene we arrived in that way.

Rumia, her shoulders covered in blood, was surrounded by men wearing her robes.

It’s a gunshot wound. 100% Of the circumstances, it seemed that those bastards shot them.

“These bastards…!!”

A prudent judgment? That’s not a word to use in this case. Mana control or something, you can’t just watch your platoon get killed.

I fired a fireball. A magic I’ve already used once. Once the structure was firmly mastered, implementing it was a piece of cake.

Kwaaang!!

“Cheer!!”

A massive explosion blew away the two people who were near Lumia.

“What?!”

As soon as the guy luckily out of range of the fireball drew his gun.

Bang!!

I pulled the trigger without hesitation. The hit on his thigh rolled on the ground screaming.

“aaah!!!”

Three people at once. As of now, there are only two left. I loaded my gun quickly and calmly, then quickly took cover behind a tree.

“You are surrounded. Lay down your weapons and surrender!!”

“Are you a Ukrnian officer? By the looks of it, he seems to be this woman’s boss.”

I couldn’t identify them because they were all dressed in robes, but at least it was certain that they were different from those thieves.

‘I couldn’t have passed by by chance. If you’ve been wandering around here, is this really the one behind the attack?’

Explosion.

I recalled without difficulty the contents of the briefing that Company Commander Arendt had told me.

At first, I thought they brought explosives, but they even mobilized mages to break down the fortress walls.

No—to be precise. It would be correct to say that these bastards mobilized a group of bandits to attack the fortress. Among them, I aimed precisely at the one who seemed to be the leader and said.

“You are the ones who captured Belgordo Fortress.”

“… ….”

The guy doesn’t answer. I just stared at him with a sharp gaze. I guess you could say it’s positive.

“Joe, comrade leader… ….”

Those who were shot staggered backwards, and those who had been slammed into trees in the aftermath of the fireballs stood up one by one.

Was there not enough firepower to neutralize it in one blow?

I released mana once again. In terms of numbers, this side was clearly outnumbered, but soon Bell and Claude would come to their aid. There is also a main unit in the back. I was worried about Rumia, who was shot, but…… I didn’t know if I didn’t do this, she and I would both die.

It is a mountain full of all kinds of cover and concealment. If you hold each other and aim for a delayed match, you can only deal with about five people.

“Go back.”

Before I could react to the words I spat out, they all took out small pebbles from their arms.

“Where!!”

Taang!! I pulled the trigger belatedly, but they disappeared from sight in an instant. It was lost right in front of your eyes.

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Teleportation.

Even though it’s a short-distance movement magic, if you decide to run away, you’ll never be able to catch up. Unless a special pursuit team was formed, it was impossible for me as an ordinary magic officer.

“Huh, huh… ….”

But that wasn’t the problem now.

Rumia let out a moan as her body trembled. Apparently, she had lost consciousness.

I quickly examined the wound.

“Rumia, Rumia!?”

Fortunately, the bullet missed an important blood vessel. At least not to the point of causing shock from excessive bleeding.

I took off her coat and wrapped it tightly around Rumia’s wound. First of all, the priority would be to return to an ally who can receive treatment.

“Keuuu…!!”

My body ached and my legs trembled from the series of battles.

I couldn’t get myself out of here. If you can’t even save a subordinate who has been shot, how can that be an officer who will take care of people?

“Wait a little, please. Rumia!!”

I grabbed her with all my strength and started to work my way through her grove of trees.

“Platoon leader…! Rumia!!”

As soon as he was discovered by Bell and Claude, who followed him belatedly, he managed to hand over Lumia.

I had no choice but to pass out as I had exhausted all my remaining stamina.