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Chapter 56: The Routed Company

The column advanced through the ruins, and because Reiner could not see what was happening up front, he simply followed obediently.

During a lull, Reiner checked on Nora, rubbed the cat ears atop her head, and asked, “How are you feeling, do you still feel dizzy after entering the ruins this time?”

“Not dizzy at all, I’m in great shape,” Nora answered softly, her blue eyes glowing.

After all, people are social animals, and demi-humans are no different.

As long as she had many teammates around, she felt safe.

In some measure, that security should protect her against the ruins’ corruption.

Reiner glanced at Martina and, just to be safe, asked, “How about you, are you feeling any discomfort?”

“Nope,” Martina scratched her head and said solemnly, “I don’t feel anything at all.”

Reiner let out a long breath and was about to tease her, when a sudden chill swept over him.

The column stirred restlessly in response.

Martina and Nora shuddered.

Junice frowned, rose on tiptoe, peered into the darkness ahead, and said, “Reiner, something seems to be coming.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Reiner saw Nora shrink back a few steps and draw a dagger from her belt.

Her ears flattened into airplane ears, and deep fear shone in her azure pupils.

(Ahead… there is a monster ahead!)

Reiner cast a glance forward.

Nothing but profound darkness lay in front of the column.

“Nora, don’t be scared,” Reiner whispered, gently taking her arm to calm her.

At that moment a sharp screech came out of the darkness.

A flock of bats burst forth and streaked through the crowd.

Many in the company panicked and scattered aside.

Nora, terrified, dived into Reiner’s arms.

At the very front, Dimas raised his longsword and shouted, “Stay calm, maintain formation!”

Immediately afterward, a hair-raising clatter drifted out of the dark.

Reiner knew the sound came from skeleton soldiers on the move.

Yet this time it was far heavier than what he had heard before.

A knight shouted, “Reiner, light up the street ahead!”

Reiner began gathering a Fireball at the tip of his staff and kept pouring mana into it.

The dazzling Fireball streaked across the street, struck the stone house at the far end, and instantly banished the surrounding darkness.

Reiner saw several skeletal knights pieced together from loose bones, clad in rusty iron armor and lumbering toward the company.

They carried heavy mauls that cut neat grooves across the muddy ground.

Behind the skeletal knights stood a short skeleton draped in a black robe.

It held a staff aloft, and the green gem at the tip shone brilliantly.

That had to be the necromancer Pierre had mentioned.

Reiner’s eyes lit up as he began to chant, intending to cast Earthquake to slow the skeletal knights’ advance.

After that he would seize the chance to finish off the necromancer.

Junice suddenly reached out to stop him and said, “Reiner, no, we’re underground! The ruins are nowhere near as sound as we think; if they collapse we’ll all be buried alive!”

Reiner thought that a small-scale cast probably would not cause any damage.

Yet, seeing the beast-eared girls beside him and the hundred or so militia ahead, he gave up the idea.

The skeletal knights picked up speed and finally charged the line.

At the tip, Dimas and several knights formed a shield wall and took the fight to the foremost enemies.

With a single swing he severed a skeleton’s arm.

Judging from the unusual gleam on the blade, the sword was likely alloyed with mithril, the bane of evil whispers.

The discipline of the militia was on full display; their flawless line allowed almost no skeletal knight to break through.

Whenever someone was wounded, the men in the rear stepped up and rotated in.

Martina grew eager and called, “Reiner, Reiner, I want to fight too!”

“Go ahead, but be careful.”

No sooner had the words left him than Martina bolted like an unbridled colt and joined the militia in battle.

She was a fierce warrior, and on several occasions he saw her tear skeletal knights apart with her bare hands.

Just when the tide seemed to be turning in their favor, the distant necromancer raised its staff high once more.

Countless green souls gathered from all directions and finally swirled around the staff.

A vague unease pricked Reiner, but seeing the creature defenseless he seized the chance and cast Fireball.

At the same time the necromancer let out a horrifying howl.

A green shock wave swept toward the company.

“Master, look out!” Nora threw herself forward and clutched Reiner.

The launched Fireball dissipated at once, the torches raised by the militia were snuffed out, and the ruins plunged back into darkness.

Reiner felt a stab of pain in his heart.

Wails of terror rose all around.

Reiner hurriedly lit a flame and let its light cover the company again.

He looked around for Nora but instead saw Junice curled on the ground with both hands over her head.

Many of the militia mirrored her reaction and lay toppled by fear.

“Junice, don’t be afraid, get up!”

She stared blankly for a moment, then lit a flame herself.

Reiner immediately resumed his search for Nora.

She had vanished and he had no idea where she went.

“Nora, where are you, come back!” Reiner shouted anxiously.

Passing an alley, he finally spotted Nora hiding in the shadows.

Her body was trembling slightly.

Reiner breathed in relief, reached out to pull her up, and said, “So here you are, get up, that necromancer is tough and Dimas may call a retreat…”

Before he could finish, Nora’s dagger flashed coldly and stabbed at him.

Reiner failed to dodge; the blade scraped his plate armor and threw off sparks.

Nora’s eyes were crimson and vacant, and she muttered incoherently.

Reiner stepped back a few paces and tentatively called, “Nora?”

“Her mind has been corroded by evil whispers; she’s dangerous now, keep your distance,” Anna said, having come up unnoticed, and she tugged Reiner’s breastplate backward.

“Nora, it’s me, don’t you recognize me?” Reiner tried to wake her.

“M-ma…ster?” Nora’s eyes trembled, and she tossed the dagger aside.

She took a step toward Reiner, then clutched her head in agony and collapsed to the ground, howling.

Just then Junice arrived with Martina and said, “Reiner, Dimas has ordered a retreat, we have to go!”

No sooner had she spoken than groups of militia dashed past the alley mouth, running the way they had come.

“Where is the magitech stone we use to escape?”

“Dimas had the scouts find it; it’s not far from here.”

Suddenly a half-armored knight was smashed against the wall, and blood splattered across Reiner’s face.

The skeletal knights were hunting down the fleeing militia, while Dimas and the other knights covered the retreat.

Reiner pulled Martina up and said, “Junice, carry Nora and run, Martina and I will help Dimas.”

“All right, be careful.”

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