Chapter 15: Summoned Warriors

Chapter 15:
Summoned Warriors

 

THE ROOFTOP was treacherously sloped, and we had to watch our footing as we faced the second Phantom. Honestly, I was shocked to find that one of the notorious thieves was a woman. She was of pretty average height, with long limbs, a slender face, and thick black hair that fell all the way to her thighs. She could have fit in anywhere, but there was something terrifying about her eyes.

She flashed us a smirk as she glared at us. When she spoke, it was with utter calm. “You lot just don’t know when to quit.”

This wasn’t going to be easy.

“You steal things,” I said. “Not people. Why target Emma?”

“Why, indeed?” she said. “You should ask him. I’m told that he saw her on the street and fell madly in love with her.”

“So instead of trying to woo her, he stalked and kidnapped her? That’s pretty lame.”

I was angry, but also trying to ruffle her feathers. Unfortunately, she just laughed at me.

“Ah ha ha! You might be right. He is surprisingly shy. So, what are you going to do? Your love has been stolen from you. Are you her knight in shining armor?”

This was pointless. I took the opportunity to use my Discerning Eye on her instead.

 

Name: Phan Bertholda

Age: 28

Species: Human

Level: 190

Occupation: Salesperson; Thief

Skills: Dagger Wielding (Grade C); Summoning (Grade B); Throwing (Grade B); Passive Defense; Water Bullet; Lightning Weakness (Grade A)

 

She really was strong. She had about a hundred levels on me, but I’d bested plenty of high-level monsters before. Plus, I had Leila and Amurru this time. What worried me most was her Summoning skill. Ms. Elena had taught us about it in class, mostly to encourage us to avoid making an enemy of anyone who had it. The skill allowed someone to summon contracted demons, high-level spirits, and the like.

“Leila, Amurru, be careful. She has Summoning.”

“Oh,” said Leila. “You have Discerning Eye, Noir? I should have known not to underestimate you.”

“That’s going to make this a lot more complicated,” Amurru said, looking grim.

Phan seemed a little surprised that I’d read her but quickly regained her composure. “Well, I suppose there’s no need to hide anymore. Besides, I’m tired of carrying her.”

Phan clapped, and a summoning circle appeared on either side of her. A strange beast came out of the first one. A cheetah, I realized. Not something you saw in these parts. Phan lay Emma down on its back.

“Leave,” she ordered it. “And wait a short way away. If something happens to me, take her and run.”

The cheetah seemed to understand her words. It took off, leaping onto a roof a short distance away. At least now we could attack without risk of hurting Emma. But the real problem was the other creature she had summoned.

“It’s Cerberus…” Leila gulped.

Something cold slithered through the pit of my stomach. A massive three-headed dog had emerged from the second portal. It was jet-black, with ears as pointed as fangs.

 

Name: Cerberus

Level: 112

Skills: Fire Breath; Wind Breath; Ice Breath

 

One Breath skill for each head, I assumed.

“I want this over by the time he gets back with the Mermaid’s Tear,” Phan told it. “Go!”

“Grrrr!”

I must have looked like an easy target, because Cerberus attacked without hesitation. It leapt through the air, all three heads full of gnashing teeth. I barely managed to hold it off with my sword.

“Aaaaaahh!”

The real problem was that there were three of those damn heads to keep track of. One of the heads sucked in a great gulp of air. It was preparing a Breath attack! I tried to throw myself out of the way, but the monster’s jaws clamped down on my sword. I couldn’t free it!

“Hah!”

Leila unleashed an uppercut, forcing one of its mouths open. I prepared myself to interrupt the Breath attack, but there was no need. Leila swung nimbly into a back blow, knocking the creature away. Cerberus tumbled off of the roof. It wasn’t dead, but it had to have taken serious damage.

“You really saved my butt!” I said.

Leila grinned. “It was teamwork.”

“Thanks. But, more importantly…”

I shifted my gaze to Amurru and Phan, already engaged in heated battle. Amurru shouted and swung his battle axe like a berserker.

“Let him handle her,” said Leila. “If we try to help, he’ll just accuse us of getting in his way.”

“And in the way of that axe of his, too,” I said. “Let’s go.”

We ran to the edge of the roof and jumped. It was further than I thought, and pain lanced up through my feet as I landed, but I pushed through. But then, I had no choice. Cerberus was already back on his feet, drooling with hunger.

“I hit pretty hard before,” said Leila. “He’s a tough one.”

“Yep, and here comes the Breath attack!”

It took the creature much less time to prepare this time. Before we could react, the middle head unleashed its Breath on us. It was like a hurricane. We couldn’t move, but it wasn’t much more than a powerful wind. Still, one of its other heads was already sucking in air, white clouds of ice crystals snaking from its mouth. It was planning to use the wind to carry Ice Breath toward us!

“Noir, raise your arms to protect yourself!”

“Got it.”

Leila seemed to have some sort of plan. I did as she said and, much to my surprise, she kicked me. I flew through the air and thumped down hard, but at least I was out of range of the wind. Instead, Leila faced the full force of the Ice Breath alone. Frost spidered through her clothes and hair, gleaming on her skin.

“Wow,” I muttered. “That’s…cold…”

I was relieved she was all right, but I didn’t have time to relax. Cerberus lunged toward her, all three sets of jaws snapping.

“I don’t think so!”

I drew the Blade of Divine Punishment out of my Pocket Dimension. I’d known the Ogre Hag’s blade would come in handy! It had Sharp Edge and, more importantly, the A-Grade Wolf Killer skill. And dogs were pretty close to wolves, right? This would definitely work. Okay, it would probably work.

Still, the weapon was unfamiliar, and I slashed awkwardly, barely landing a blow on Cerberus’s head as it charged. It was enough. Blood and bone flew in all directions. It was grotesque, and my stance was utter garbage, but it definitely worked.

“Grrr—awoo?!”

With one blow, Cerberus was reduced to a yelping puppy. It collapsed helplessly in a pool of its own blood.

“Leila, are you okay?” I asked.

“Wh-wh-whoa,” she stammered through chattering teeth. “Y-y-you really saved me there”

At least she seemed otherwise unharmed.

“I’ll handle the rest,” I said. “You take it easy.”

Leila shook her head. “I can’t let you do that. Just…give me a second.”

She did a few lunges and squats, like she was warming up before a run. It must have helped, because it was barely a minute before she was almost completely thawed out.

“My hair’s still a little frosty, but oh well. By the way, that knife is incredible. You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“The Blade of Divine Punishment,” I told her. “It has the Wolf Killer skill.”

“Well,” she said. “You sure gave Cerberus some Divine Punishment. Does that make you some kind of god now?”

I laughed and turned my attention back to the roof. The cheetah was still up there, but I couldn’t see Amurru and Phan. I hoped he was doing okay.

Before we could find out, Leila and I stepped back, suddenly startled as something fell from the roof and slammed down on the ground right in front of us.