FEFR 36

Chapter 36

After confirming that the beast had returned to the field and was quiet, Lanze suggested they wait until dawn to make a move, instead of forcing themselves to act in the dark when visibility was poor.

Everyone agreed with the idea and chose suitable spots to rest.

As night fell, the air turned slightly chilly, but they couldn’t risk lighting a fire, fearing it might draw the beast’s attention. Fortunately, it was summer, and the cold wasn’t unbearable.

“…I don’t hear any insects or birds,” Erna said.

“Yeah,” Lanze replied, glancing into the depths of the forest. In the moonlight, only vague shadows were barely visible.

Erna seemed uneasy in the silence. Lanze, closing the distance and touching his arm to hers, spoke as if it were nothing.

“They’re just holding their breath.”

“Because they’re afraid of the beast?”

“Yeah. Animals have much more sensitive senses than humans.”

“But you said you didn’t know much about summoning magic.”

“Just a guess.”

Erna didn’t press for more. Her brother had been strange from the very beginning, and she had learned not to expect explanations.

And in truth, Lanze didn’t think he could convince her. He couldn’t present memories that only existed in his mind as evidence.

Lanze reflected on the vision of the future he had seen. The names of the eerie, wind-blown fields and valleys were already fading from memory. It was only natural for silence to follow the destruction of artillery shells, soldiers’ boots, and magic.

But some places turned quiet even before the destruction. Even the smallest insects would flee or freeze, leaving the area in absolute silence. Wild instincts were that sharp.

He also recalled something Renart had once explained:

—“Animals can’t use magic, but their ability to sense magical energy is said to be tens of times more acute than humans—just like a dog’s sense of smell or a hawk’s eyesight.”

It wasn’t a particularly useful bit of knowledge right now, but Lanze let his thoughts drift.

Because thinking about someone who wasn’t here was the best way to feel a little better.

‘I wonder what Senpai is doing now.’

Because Lanze wore such a calm expression, Erna asked with a tinge of envy.

“Aren’t you worried?”

“About what?”

“We’re fighting the beast tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry too much about what you have to do or what’s been decided. Whether you stress about it now or not, nothing will change.”

Lanze spoke as softly as his expression.

“There’s no benefit to it.”

It could sound cold, but it wasn’t said out of annoyance. And sometimes, words grounded in truth could be more comforting than vague optimism.

Erna leaned her head on Lanze’s shoulder and closed her eyes.

Luckily, the weather was clear again the next morning. The early morning sky was cloudless, and the early summer air was refreshingly cool.

“Go ahead. We’ll follow. But don’t start the dismantling right away.”

At Lanze’s request, Liebe gave a small nod.

“Got it. I’ll wait for your signal…”

After the dismantling team, including Liebe, disappeared into the forest, Lanze, Erna, and Heine turned in the opposite direction.

The beast still hadn’t left the center of the field.

Trying to suppress her anxiety, Erna spoke to Lanze.

“There used to be a summoning circle somewhere around there… Do you think it’s still there? The space was distorted once.”

“We should assume so. The central axis probably didn’t shift.”

“Why is the beast still there…?”

“Maybe it’s guarding the summoning circle.”

“You think the beast wants to stay here?”

“Maybe the place it originally lived in was even worse. Or maybe it’s just not smart enough to grasp the situation.”

A mage well-versed in summoning might have known the answer. But the overseer who might’ve had that knowledge had died the day before.

In truth, both Erna’s question and Lanze’s response were a way to ease the tension. Lanze then reviewed the operation with the other two.

“Our first objective is to break the summoning circle. In simple terms, we have to find and destroy the circle. But it probably won’t go smoothly, so be prepared for a prolonged engagement.”

The mysterious group that dispatched the overseer likely possessed significant knowledge of summoning. The fact that the summoning spell had gone undetected until the last moment meant the scale, concealment, and strength of the ritual were likely formidable.

‘If only Senpai were here.’

If Renart were here, he’d have summoned a divine spirit and used powerful magic to crush the beast.

But the people trapped here were all unfamiliar with one another. While some had made brief pairings, none of them had real combat experience.

Lanze pushed aside his regret.

“I’ll draw the beast’s attention. While I keep it focused on me, you two find the summoning circle. If you can’t find or destroy it easily, join the fight. But even if you can, don’t go near the center.”

The moment they stepped into the field, the beast stirred. As Lanze picked up his pace, Erna and Heine gripped their rifles.

“Go!”

At his short command, the two of them dashed sideways.

With the beast’s size and uncertain eye placement, they needed to widen the distance for a better search.

The beast stretched its body long and paused as if in thought.

It didn’t leave the central area where the summoning circle was likely hidden—ready to pounce at any moment.

‘Then let’s help it make a decision.’

Lanze raised his spear.

“<O star of Karla, bring death!>”

Refined magical energy surged into an offensive spell.

From the sky above the beast, a blinding ray of light descended.

A ray grazed one of its tendrils and vanished before touching the ground.

A dull moan vibrated through the air. The sound made the body freeze instinctively like a predator’s growl, but Lanze didn’t stop.

The attack wasn’t over. Dozens of streaks of light followed, pelting the beast.

Most either missed or inflicted only shallow wounds, but it was enough to harass it.

As Erna and Heine moved into position, they were briefly stunned by the sight of what looked like dozens of falling stars.

“How’s that!” Lanze shouted, twirling his spear overhead.

It wasn’t excitement from using magic—it was deliberate provocation.

“Pissed off yet?!”

Even though the beast couldn’t understand words, Lanze did his best to provoke it.

This was his first time fighting a beast like this. All his past enemies had been human.

‘Is it working?’

The beast, which had been standing still, began slowly gliding forward.

Hoping for its complete focus, Lanze gripped his spear tighter. Another spell hovered on his tongue.

But suddenly, the beast changed direction.

“…Erna!”

Instead of the noisy one, the beast flew toward Erna and Heine.

There was only a moment to be surprised. Lanze quickly adjusted the angle and power of his remaining attacks.

Thanks to his intense focus, he managed a solid hit that struck the beast hard. But even that didn’t draw its attention back.

Luckily, Erna and Heine didn’t freeze. They dodged the tendrils coming their way and counterattacked.

Two gunshots rang out, and the beast finally flinched.

The bullets, though lacking any enchantment, left deeper wounds than Lanze’s distraction-focused attacks.

“Lanze!”

While the beast recoiled in pain, Erna shouted.

“You find the summoning circle!”

“What?!”

She raised her voice so he could hear across the field.

“The beast already chose us! It’s better to switch roles than to waste time trying to regain its attention!”

Bang!

Heine, agreeing without a word, reloaded and fired again.

Lanze moved without hesitation.

Suppressing the urge to rush to Erna’s aid, he sprinted toward the center of the field.

Letting emotions interfere would only jeopardize the mission. Right now, Erna’s judgment was best.

‘She made up her mind—I won’t mess it up!’

Heightening his senses to the limit, Lanze felt out the magical energy around him.

The dismantling team in the distance. The giant beast overhead. Erna and Heine’s battle. And then…

Beneath his feet.

Following the dense web of magical threads, Lanze zeroed in on the core.

Normally, he would need to destroy the outer edge of the circle first to avoid being caught in the collapse. But Erna was fighting—there was no time to be careful.

He finally reached it.

“…Here it is!”

Lanze thrust his spear into the heart of the summoning circle.

“<None shall withstand the unicorn’s horn!>”

A much denser light than before burst forth.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

The immense shock tore through the earth and slammed into the hidden summoning circle.

Having poured all his magical energy into it, Lanze himself couldn’t withstand the force.

He coughed up blood, and droplets from his nose and mouth fell onto the ground.

The ground trembled, and the summoning ritual shattered.

The space twisted and rearranged itself even more violently than it had the day before. The beast attacking Erna and Heine was also dragged away by the overwhelming force.

Seeing it vanish, Lanze’s knees buckled. He collapsed and stared up at the cracks in the sky.

‘Is it over…?’

But just before the space stabilized, she felt a force pulling her head back.

“Huh?”

No—it wasn’t her body. It was her soul being dragged.

Breaking the summoning circle and getting caught in the collapse wasn’t just dangerous to the body.

Her vision turned pitch black in an instant.

Lanze’s consciousness was swallowed by the silence.

A silence so deep it drowned even breath—this was a realm no one could clearly define.

Within this rupture of space, time, and dimension, Lanze’s mind couldn’t resist the current.

But then, from somewhere far away, a voice pierced the darkness.

“If that’s the case…”