Chapter 37: The Last Battle Part 9

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Captain Millie shouted and at the same time, the chandelier was falling down. Dietrich-sama avoided the chandelier just in time and used his mantle to shield himself from the broken fragments. Gilbert-sama and the other knights also did the same. 

“Everyone, is anyone hurt?!”

Dietrich-sama raised his voice, trying to assert the situation. It seemed no one was trapped under the falling chandelier nor got hurt. 

“Captain Toll, thank you. It was amazing of you to notice that.”

“No, Magic Soldier Melodia was staring at the chandelier so I also looked up at it and then I realized the chandelier was moving suspiciously.”

“Is that so? Melodia, thank you.”

“Ah, no.”

I was simply staring at the chandelier because I was amazed at how gorgeous it was but I kept quiet because I didn’t want everyone to think I was distracted by beautiful things. But still, the Wolf Witch really had prepared such a cowardly trap. 

“The Fenrir knight from the olden days must’ve fallen due to this trap too.”

“Yeah.”

It became clear to see this castle was not an ordinary castle. We braced ourselves as we advanced forward. After that, various traps were released upon us. From the rain of poisonous arrows that got activated when we stepped on a certain tile and pitfall with sharp spears. 

Maybe from sheer luck but we were able to realize the trap beforehand and avoided them with miraculous motor reflexes. Maybe it was a combination of luck and other things but no one was harmed from the trap. 

The wolf too. We weren’t only attacked by the ordinary wolf and the gray wolf but there was also a fire breathing wolf and a wolf with dripping, poisonous saliva. We were attacked by various types of wolves. The knight displayed a great coordination skill as they eliminated the incoming wolf. But still, the wolf kept on coming one after another without any delay. 

We stationed the one hundred knights that were coming with us and slowly moved higher and higher the castle floor. Me, Dietrich-sama, Gilbert-sama and the other 5 knights from the 17th Patrol Unit along with Captain Millie went together as a group. 

After capturing the second and the third floor, we went up to the fourth floor. There, we were greeted by the sight of a big saloon. This must be the most spacious room in this castle where a banquet and ball dance were held. The roof part had a vaulted ceiling and the wall was decorated with majestic religious painting.

A drawing of a bunch of wolves running in a bright forest and women with wings watching over them.

Just what’s the meaning behind this picture?

The moment Dietrich-sama stepped into the hall, a large magic circle appeared. 

“-!!”

A wolf with three heads appeared from that magic circle. 

“That’s a cerberus!”

The most powerful and evil out of all the Wolf Witch’s pawns. This wolf was big enough that I had to look up to see his face. His eyes were glowing red. From his slack tongue, his poisonous saliva was dripping out. His fur looked as sharp as a needle and his tail was that of a big serpent. 

Dietrich-sama immediately gave us his instructions. 

“I will draw his attention from the front! Gilbert and the other knights, take down the snake on his rear!”

“Yes!”

The battle commenced. It seemed each of those three heads had their own attribute. One of the heads was that of an ice wolf that could spit out sharp ice from its mouth. The other was that of a fire wolf that could breathe fire and the last head was a lightning attribute wolf that could summon bolts of thunder by howling. 

Dietrich-sama avoided the attack from those three heads while slashing the snout whenever there was an opening. 

“GYAAUNNN!!”

The sword attack seemed to be effective. I also made a light barrier at the entrance and the exit. A small trick to prevent the other wolves from coming in. In order to not repeat the same mistake, I made sure to prepare all the preventive measures I had in hand. 

The three-headed wolf looked weakened after we cut off its snake tail. Taking advantage of the opening, Dietrich-sama threw several liquor bottles at the wolf. Physically, it seemed the damage was barely there but when the fire breathing wolf tried to blow fire at us, the fire spread to its fur instead. Just in the blink of an eye, the fire spread even further, burning the three-headed wolf whole. 

“GYAUUUUUUUUU!!!”

Finally, the three-headed wolf breathed its last while dying in agony. The battle with the gatekeeper was an easy and quick one. Perhaps the room that was located at the end of the spacious hall was the place for our final battle? 

Dietrich-sama kicked the door open. 

“–!”

This place looked like a bedroom of some sort. The curtain was closed making the room look dimly lit. In this room, there was only a bed equipped with a curtain. Upon closer inspection, it turned out someone was lying on the bed. 

Dietrich-sama approached the bed carefully, one step at a time. After he peered into the figure lying on the bed, Dietrich-sama then muttered a single word.

“Melodia?”

“Yes?”

Dietrich-sama turned around to look at me, he looked startled. And then, he uttered the words that I couldn’t believe.

“Wolf…. Witch!”

Dietrich-sama drew his sword out and pointed it at me. 

“Huh?! Wa-Wait!”

Could it be Dietrich-sama was under the illusion that the person lying on the bed was me and I was the Wolf Witch? 

“Melodia-san, get back!”

“Ah! Ye-Yesh!”

Gilbert-sama and Captain Millie clashed swords with Dietrich-sama. However, the two of them were losing out from Dietrich-sama’s pressure. Probably due to the difference in their abilities. The other knights also went in to assist them but they were all got overpowered by Dietrich-sama in a matter of seconds. 

I cast a spell to break the illusion but Dietrich-sama was still not returning to his senses yet. 

Just what is going on here? Why is Dietrich-sama the only one who’s turning strange?

I ran toward the bed to unravel this mystery. However, Dietrich-sama was drawing near me, preventing me from coming close to the bed. 

“Hiii!”

As frightening as Dietrich-sama in battle mode was, this was not the time for me to shrink back in fear.

I screamed from the bottom of my stomach. 

“Dietrich-sama, wait!!”

Maybe the traces of his Fulmoff time still remained. Dietrich-sama showed a reaction to my ‘wait’ command. He stopped the exact moment I shouted that command and didn’t move an inch. Taking the opportunity in that opening, Gilbert-sama went behind Dietrich-sama and pinned Dietrich-sama’s hands to his back while Captain Millie came in front of Dietrich-sama and knocked Dietrich-sama’s sword away. 

Given the opening, I was finally able to reach the bed. The Wolf Witch was scary but this was not the time to tremble in fear. I tore the curtain covering the bed open and looked at the sleeping Wolf Witch. 

“Just who in the world are you?”

My breath was taken away the moment I tore the curtain open. Lying on the bed was a white skeleton dressed in a sleeping gown. 

The Wolf Witch is already dead? But then why is Dietrich-sama mistaking me for her?

“Could it be a curse?”

A curse that had tormented the Fenrir family for a thousand years.

Maybe that curse is making their loved one to look like the Wolf Witch? If that’s the case then the curse can’t be broken. Has the Fenrir family been taking down their beloved one with their own hand? That must be what the curse of the Wolf Witch entails. 

The Wolf Witch, who couldn’t become united with her loved one through marriage, cursed the Fenrir family with her own life as the price. As a result of that curse, the people in the Fenrir family had mistaken her as their loved one, practically loving the Wolf Witch. 

“It’s time to end this. If this thing keeps getting repeated over and over again, it’s way too sad.”

I was about to start the chant for the light magic when suddenly the Wolf Witch who was already reduced to bone moved. Her teeth clattering as she moved to strangle my neck with a speed that no one would expect from her decaying body. 

“Ah… Ugh….!”

The Wolf Witch was still alive even though her body had reduced into a decaying skeleton. It must be due to the power of her resentment. 

“I’ve…. Already… Had enough with these… Useless…. Stop….”

“Melodia!”

The one who was shouting my name was Dietrich-sama. Apparently the earlier ‘wait’ command had brought him back to his senses. 

“You! Get your hands away from Melodia!”

Dietrich-sama held his sword on his side and then he slashed the Wolf Witch’s arm off. The arms that had been strangling me, fell down listlessly. Then, Dietrich-sama thrusted his sword into the Wolf Witch’s heart, penetrating through the bedding. 

“-,-,-!”

The Wolf Witch raised her voice as she died in agony. She had no vocal chords anymore so she couldn’t speak but the sound of her grief was certainly audible enough. 

“Haa…! Haa…! Haa!”

She was having difficulty breathing and her head was definitely in pain but that attack through her heart was definitely not enough to bring her down. 

Dietrich-sama then propped me by my waist. 

“Melodia, shed light to the Wolf Witch.”

“Yes.”

I held up my staff with trembling hands and then Dietrich-sama also held my staff together with me. I began to chant the incantation for the light magic. 

It’s time to sever the one thousand years bond. 

“-ES PRENDRE!”

The dark room was enveloped in light. It was a powerful and pure light that seemed to cleanse all the impurity and evil feelings.