Go to hell!

　The magic contained in both legs was released at once, and the skirt fluttered violently as the body of Garnett accelerated in a straight line like a crossbow arrowhead.

　The road surface of the cobblestone pavement screamed from the tremendous footsteps and sword blows, and the street lamps standing nearby shook and creaked as if exposed to a storm.

　Garnett continually activated instantaneous enhancements from his skills and continued to accelerate his stormy slashes.

　However, Azure, who has a series of juggling-like irregular evasions, is unable to hit, and is limited to ripping through the black coat and shallowly scraping the surface of the inorganic body.

　The hidden blade, which is unleashed in between, slowly and steadily damages the garnet, splattering painful fresh blood on the cobblestone surface.

''Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ......!

　Suddenly, blood spurted out of Garnett's left thigh, which hadn't been touched.

　Garnet swung the Mithril's long sword with magic power and blew up the road surface with a slash of magic power, sending Azure backwards in the aftermath.

''d*mn it, where did you just shoot out from? You have an outrageous body.
It's a doll, you know. They're hollow all over the place.

　Pulling out a blade about the length of a handleless knife with half of the blade's length stuck in his thigh, Garnett again took a guarded stance.

　I didn't see it at all, but apparently Azure released a hidden blade from somewhere on his body.

　Azure and Pinkie in the Augusto troupe performed light karma (acrobatics) and oddball tricks (magic).

　Now that I think about it, both of them are the very essence of Azure's fighting style.

　Who would have thought that the performance that excited the audience would be a part of his killing skills?

"Oh?　Well, well, well?　You're slowing down, aren't you?
'Don't let the puppets talk all over the place. What's the king of ghost storytelling?　I'm tired of talking so lightly!

　Garnett responded to Azure's generous agitation, but it was an undeniable reality that his movements were becoming lackluster.

　The cause was undoubtedly the injury to his left leg, which is still bleeding more and more.

　It's a vicious cycle in which, of course, the ability to step in and carry your feet is hindered, and every time you endure intense pain, your upper body movement is delayed, and you can't hit your attackers and the injuries keep increasing.

　-- The injury to the left leg, as seen through the 'right eye', was clearly a deep wound that required prompt treatment.

　The reason why the wound did not seem deep is because it was a stab wound.

　While the severity of a cut (stab wound) can be understood at a glance, the depth of a stab wound is difficult to guess from the outside, and there is also the possibility that it may have damaged the large blood vessels that run deep within the flesh.

　Anyway, the moment I was about to run out to do [repair], Garnett let out a sharp voice.

''Don't come!''
......!
"I'll get that one!　The allowance can wait!

　I grit my teeth involuntarily at my inadequacy.

　Currently, I'm in a state where I'm completely shut out of the fight between Garnett and Azure.

　Perhaps Garnett is convinced that this is the best way to protect me, and is deliberately trying to keep fighting away from me.

　Shamefully, I knew better than most the correctness of that choice myself.

　I wanted to rush over and heal my wounds right away.
　But if I did that, Azure would make me a target of his attack as well.

　I'm not afraid of being hurt.
　If my injuries are enough to heal Garnett's wounds, it's so cheap that it's ridiculous to compare them.

　But I'm sure Garnett will try to protect me.
　As much as I want to heal Garnett's wounds, I'll do my best.

　If I let it cause me to take an extra deep hand.
　What if Garnett and I, who was incapacitated in combat and helpless, were to be exposed to Azure's deadly blade together.

　Rational thought appeals to 'So don't go.
　But the emotions barked at me, "Run without a care in the world.

　A few days ago, I would have acted calmly according to reason.
　But now. Now.

　Just as your body is about to start running, a high-pitched bird's cry, unsuitable for the dark night, echoes around you.

''Nah ......?''
Hmm. ......?

　Garnet and Azure stop moving together to see what's going on.
　It's hard to call it abnormal, but it's an alien event. It's only natural to prioritize understanding the current situation.

That was ...... that's right!

　And I was running out in a straight line without any hesitation.

　Driven by purely rational thought, not by any outburst of emotion.

'Don't come!　Luke!

　Garnett shouts.
　Azure's cheeks split open in a mockery, and he slipped past Garnett's side and tried to jump at me.

'You fool!　I'll start with the healers...

　At that moment, a half (...) transparent (...) wolf (...) sunk its fangs into Azure's leg.

''--Nahhhh!

　Spiritual beasts. A beast without a body knitted by magical power.

　Before Azure could regain his stance, the big bear, a spirit beast that ran out of the back alley, swung its paws out and sent Azure flying off with the wolf.

　Azure was blown horizontally like a character-catching toy and bounded across the cobblestone surface.

　Nearly a dozen spirit beasts rushed into it and slammed their fangs and claws into it in rapid succession.

　I reach Garnett in the meantime and activate my 【Restoration】 skill on Garnett's stunned body.

''Oh, hey!　What the hell is that?
It's a skill Roy has. You took the spirit animal bird from the Lord Commander earlier. I noticed it. I realized that Roy is cooperating with the Order. So I asked him to give me all the spirit animals he can send with the current situation.

　While explaining the situation, I will complete the [repair] as quickly as possible.

　I've already roughly figured out where Garnett was injured.
　I kept it in my sight, hoping to heal it right away.

''How did you notice it with just one bird?''
Of course he'll notice. After all, it was in a shape Roy liked.

　Three years ago, when I first found Roy, he was sitting on a street corner with only the spirit animal bird as his companion, looking very weak.

　The bird that was entrusted to him by Carmine was exactly like that.

　When the [Restoration] was finished, the flock of nearly ten spirit beasts that had been attacking Azure was slashed to pieces and dissipated in a single blink of an eye.

''Gaaaaaaaaaah!

　Azure stands up with a roar that is more of a noise than a voice.

　Hidden blades extend from his arms and legs, and his chest is also unfurled with multiple sickle-shaped blades, as if his ribs have been opened.

　All of them are mithril work.
　Every one of them seems to be tinged with some kind of magical effect, and it's no wonder that even if they are spirit beasts, they can't compete with just a portion of their total output.

''Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up!　They're always trying to get in my way!　I've decided!　Your master is next!　I'll cut them all into smaller pieces than dice!

　Azure's black robe was torn off here and there, revealing a torso and joint structure that could only be described as the doll itself.

　The damage also extended to the face, with the left half of the human-like surface chipped off, exposing the bare face of the doll's body.

　Half of its face was smiling with a twisted smile of anger, while the other half was revealing its true, unhuman face, which was so eerie that it made me want to turn away from it.

It's a good thing. I'll take care of the rest .......
No, I'm in the fight.
Don't be absurd!　It's no wonder they can't fight you while defending you.
I've thought of a way. Just give me a second. As far as I can reach, you stop him.

　I placed my hands on my shoulders from behind Garnett, who had taken up the position, and gingerly put my strength into it.

　With that, Garnett sensed my intentions and stepped forcefully on the cobblestone surface with both feet, confronting Azure, who revealed the true nature of the doll.

'Shall I do it for you!　It's in pieces!

　Azure, who has fully deployed his hidden blade, accelerates to his maximum speed in an instant and gets into the flesh.

　I'm not very good at reacting to super high speeds, but Garnett completely sees through the super high speeds, and catches the first blow.

　But one long sword can only catch one sword at a time.

　The blade of his other arm pierces his shoulder and the blade of his knee pierces the vital point of his thin torso at the same time as his knee kick.

''Hahahaha!　--What?
I'm not gonna let you go.

　Garnett caught Azure's legs in an embrace.

　Just a second, just that much stillness.
　It couldn't be short. It couldn't be short. It was an opening that Garnett believed in me and ripped off.

　With all my strength, I extend my right arm over Garnett's shoulder and grab Azure's half-destroyed face.

　My 'right eye' has indeed captured it.
　The magic letters secreted behind Azure's forehead - the kryptonite that controls all functions as a golem.

''Whoa, whoa!''

　Through his right hand, he poured in the magical power of [Decomposition] of his entire body.
　The power shattered the surface layers and crumbled the deep layers, shattering the place where the magic letters were carved in a moment.

''Ah, gah!　Snip!　Gahhhhhh!

　The doll's head popped off.

　The inorganic body, whose center was destroyed, crumbled to the cobblestone surface with a crunching sound, as if its previous raw movement was a lie.

　The blade propped up against Garnet's belly also slipped out with a thread of blood glue, spurting out a large amount of blood as if a water balloon had been ripped open.

　I quickly placed my hands on the wounds on my belly and shoulder, and while holding Garnett from behind with all the strength I could muster, I poured all the magical power I could muster into it and activated 【Restoration】.

''Hehe, it looks like it worked.''
'Yeah, ...... but you're being reckless: ......'
You're the one who made me do it.　Besides, I believed I'd be fine with you.

　Garnett lifted his gaze with his back to me and gave me a carefree smile.