SWNOVELXO Chapter 19: Hell fields
When they emerged into an alley on the other side of the block, the streets were unrecognizable.
They were empty and silent in a frightening way. Several houses had their doors broken down, looted, and shattered. Everything was a complete mess: overturned carts, dead animals in the street, and injured people being helped by desperate family members. For sure, the healer would have plenty of work today.
"This is terrible… look at how everything is," Arthur exclaimed, staring at the devastation around them.
"It really is, kid. I wonder if Torvin is okay…" Zamir replied, finishing his climb out of the hatch. He closed it with a dull thud and added, "Alright. The plan is simple: we get to Torvin's forge, lock ourselves in, and wait for the dust to settle."
Arthur, however, looked at Zamir and said, his voice firm for the first time, "No."
"No? Kid, do you have a better idea?" Zamir retorted, surprised.
"Look at this place, Zamir. You said these guardians came out of the catacombs, right? They probably won't stop coming until someone deals with it," he said, with a heroic expression.
"Are you suggesting we go back to the place where Dante died? You must be joking! Leave this problem for Shapira's sister and the Royal Knights, kid. We're not heroes."
Arthur felt the weight of those words. After all, he was a hero, even if he hated it and couldn't choose. Even as the fourth hero, without magic and ridiculed, that title would haunt him. 'Maybe I have to do what must be done, even if I hate all of it.'
The exact moment Zamir finished speaking, a distant but unmistakable sound cut through the air: the alarm bell from one of the city's watchtowers began to ring frantically. Soon after, another, from a different district, joined the first. Muffled screams could be heard in the distance.
The chaos had begun to spread.
Zamir looked in the direction of the sound, his irritated expression dissolving into one of pure concern and resignation. He closed his eyes and let out a quiet curse. "Damn them… you're right, kid. Damn it. You're right. Hiding won't do any good if the whole city is on fire."
He looked at Arthur, a new respect in his eyes. "Alright. Plan B, then. We find Shapira at the healer's, regroup at Torvin's forge, convince that blockhead to join us, and then we go out to close the catacomb. It'll be risky, but we can't wait for the Royal Knights. What a mess…" he said, clearly not happy with the plan, but aware that it had to be done. "I know the healer she went to see. Follow me, kid."
The city was chaos. Many people were fighting Reapers in the streets as best they could. There were some Royal Knights already in position, but certainly not enough to handle this pressure. After sneaking through a few streets, Arthur and Zamir stopped in another alley to observe the main avenue.
"Alright, kid, we have two options: either we sneak our way to the healer's, or we force our way through. What do you choose?" Zamir asked.
Arthur was thoughtful, but his youth was screaming. The anxiety for battle was overpowering him. He was finally becoming a real warrior. "We'll force our way through. Together, with brute force," Arthur replied, drawing the uchigatana from his waist.
"I like the sound of that, kid," Zamir said with a fierce smile, nocking two arrows on his bow.
The two left the alley. Ahead of them, three Reapers were cornering a family against the wall of a bakery. "I'll take the one on the right!" Zamir shouted.
ZIP!
An arrow flew, hitting the Reaper in the neck and making it stumble backward. Arthur advanced on the one in the middle, while the third turned to face him. Using his new speed, Arthur moved quickly, his blade singing in the air. He no longer fought with panic, but with purpose. Every block, every dodge, every strike was executed with a precision he hadn't possessed an hour ago.
He defeated his target with a clean thrust, feeling that wave of cold power again, and turned in time to see Zamir finish off the second. The third, seeing itself alone, tried to flee, but an arrow from Zamir pierced its back.
The family, in shock, thanked them with nods before running into their house. "That wasn't so hard," Arthur said, panting.
"Don't get cocky, kid. We got lucky," Zamir replied, already looking towards the end of the street. "The healer's is just over there. Let's keep moving."
They continued on their way, an unlikely duo clearing a path through the chaos, cleaning the streets and helping who they could, one step at a time closer to reuniting their team and facing the true source of the problem.
As they advanced down the street, the scene became more chaotic. Larger groups of Reapers roamed the roads, attacking anyone they found. Arthur and Zamir worked in sync, one protecting the other's back. Zamir's arrows took down enemies at a distance, while Arthur's blade cut with precision those who got too close. With every Reaper that fell, Arthur felt that strange surge of cold energy run through his body, and his mind stubbornly registered the same "Level 1" when he checked his status. The frustration grew, but he channeled it into his strikes.
Finally, they spotted the small house with the herb symbol on the door. There was less confusion on this street, perhaps due to the discreet nature of the temples and clinics present there. Shapira was sitting on the same bench where they had left her, but now her expression was even darker. She was cleaning her sword with quick, tense movements.
"Shapira!" Zamir called out, approaching cautiously, his bow at the ready.
Shapira looked up at the two of them, and an expression of relief came over her face.
"What are you two doing here?" Shapira asked, her voice low and tense, without taking her eyes off the street. "You should be hiding! Didn't you see the chaos out there, with all these Reapers everywhere?"
"We need to close that catacomb," Arthur said, his expression determined and confident.
Shapira hesitated for a moment, her eyes fixed on the boy's. She could see the determination, the anger, and even a certain desperation in his gaze. "It's dangerous, Arthur. Very dangerous. We lost him there…"
"I know," he replied, his voice firm. "But if we do nothing, more people will die. We've already seen what's happening in the streets. We can't just wait."
Zamir nodded, slinging his bow over his back. "The kid's right, Shapira. I hate to admit it, but he is. If we stand still, this will only get worse. Your sister and the knights will get here too late. These creatures will just keep appearing in greater numbers."
Shapira bit her lower lip, thoughtful. She looked from side to side, at the silent houses, imagining the terror spreading through the city. The image of Dante's pale face still haunted her, but the idea of more innocents suffering was unbearable.
"Damn it…" she muttered.
"It seems your slime-hunting quest has turned into closing the most dangerous catacomb we know, kid. I'm starting to think you attract bad luck," she said, smiling, teasing the boy.
Arthur smiled back. He knew it was true. He had wanted to start with something simple, but now he was embarking on a life-or-death mission.
Shapira sighed calmly, tying up her hair and grabbing the sword that was leaning against the wall.
"If we're going to do this, we'll need Torvin. Let's go to his forge. He's probably hiding there."
"And we're going to do this my way. This is no time to play hero. We advance together, in a line. Understood?"
Arthur and Zamir agreed. The three of them prepared to go through hell in the streets.
"Follow me and stay quiet. No detours," Shapira commanded, leading the way.
She guided them away from the main avenues, diving into a web of narrow alleys and forgotten courtyards. The sound of the panicked city was a constant soundtrack: distant alarm bells, muffled screams, and the metallic clash of battles happening throughout the streets. At various points, they could see smoke rising from different districts, several places on fire. It was literally a vision of hell.
Arthur observed it all, his heart heavy. Every house with a broken door, every frightened citizen who hid upon seeing them pass, was a reminder of the other heroes' recklessness. Arthur would certainly not forget this. He channeled his anger into the motivation to continue and get them all out of this mess.