Danmachi: A Mage's Journey

Chapter 283 283: Asfi's Dangerous Situation

After unloading her frustration like a volley of gunfire, Alise pressed her left palm firmly against her chest and stood tall.

"So, everyone! Let's keep thinking about it together, let's keep asking, what is justice?"

"Not funny!!!"

Veins popped across the foreheads of the ten Astraea Familia girls as they watched their captain clown around. Yet in the end, they couldn't help but laugh.

Only Astraea wore a faintly bitter smile.

She wasn't like this before.

"Alright then! Let's head to the frontlines and save everyone! Uoooohhhh!! The so-called justice is to keep moving forward!"

No sooner had she spoken than Alise was already marching out of the room, leaving behind her bewildered companions.

Lyra, who remained standing in stunned silence, suddenly felt her legs give way. She sagged, utterly drained.

"Why is that girl our captain? Why do we even follow her..."

Ryuu, who stood nearby, suddenly chuckled. "Because she's Alise. Our captain, right?"

"I never thought I'd see the day when I would agree with you." Kaguya's face darkened with black lines.

"Damn it, Ryuu's right!"

Lyra smiled faintly, then in the next instant raised her carefree eyes and shouted with all her strength, "Let's go, everyone!!!"

"Ohhhhhh!!!"

"Let's go, bye, Astraea-sama!"

With that, Lyra dashed off after her eccentric captain, the rest of the girls following close behind. At the rear, Kaguya turned her head back to report to their goddess before departing on this journey, one expected to be short, yet destined to feel long.

"Well then... go on. No matter what happens, you must keep faith in yourselves, and in one another." Watching her children leave, Astraea smiled softly.

Go on, my beloved children.

Meanwhile, as for Akira, the one so many expected and relied upon? He was still doing labor work.

And what of Alise and the others' safety? He wasn't worried in the slightest. What a joke!

Even Valetta, one of the strongest within Evilus whom Finn himself considered capable of true strategy, allowed himself a faint smile when he realized Akira had resolved her.

The remaining cadres, after all, were nothing but self-indulgent killers who followed their own whims. Each had their own targets to pursue, none cared to unite against the adventurers. Once those figures were taken out, the rest of Evilus would collapse with ease.

...

"The Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Districts are under attack again! What should we do, Asfi!?"

Hurried footsteps skidded to a stop, followed by a frantic report.

Suppressing her turmoil, Asfi glanced behind her. Still no sign of their captain, Lidith. Recalling her captain's teachings, she lowered her gaze toward the battlefield map spread out like a chessboard.

Three districts attacked simultaneously. Their numbers stretched thin. If only Lidith were here...

"Asfi!!! The enemies in the Eighth District have been wiped out by the Astraea Familia!"

"Good!"

Clenching her fists, Asfi felt a surge of relief. With that front secured, she could direct her strategy elsewhere. Opening her eyes wide, she imitated Lidith's composed demeanor and gave crisp orders to Falgar and the others.

...

Seventh District.

Asfi staggered, her chest heaving. White smoke curled faintly from her body, coming not from any enemy magic, but from her own scorched muscles and seared skin.

Her reinforced battle garb, which had saved her countless times before, was burnt black and crumbling into ash. She had no more margin left. Even so, clinging to the last threads of her consciousness, Asfi forced her trembling limbs to keep moving.

Just as Astraea Familia had finished with the Eighth District, Asfi and her allies arrived in the Seventh as reinforcements. But what awaited them was—

"Haaa... hhh... Haaa..."

Blood dripped steadily from her lips as Asfi collapsed, crawled forward, then collapsed again like a newborn fawn struggling to stand.

Watching her futile struggle, Olivas stood atop the orange-lit battlefield and sneered.

"Persistent. Very persistent. But this stubborn will to cling to life, that is the faith of adventurers."

He swung his magic sword mercilessly toward the broken girl.

"Ahhh—!"

The fireball deliberately missed, but the blast still flung her into the ruins.

"Asfi! Damn it!"

Falgar roared, but no matter how fiercely he fought, it changed nothing. The twenty-four Hermes Familia adventurers were tied up against endless waves of evilus soldiers, no one had a hand to spare.

Asfi lay crushed in the rubble. Not a single ally could reach her.

"You deserve this. Look at you, bleeding out, skin blackened, can't even scream anymore. Hah! I should immortalize you in a painting."

Olivas trembled with sadistic ecstasy, drunk on his own cruelty.

Throwing back his head, he bellowed at the onlookers, "Don't look away, you worms! Watch closely! This is the fate of those who defy us! Wail, cry, despair, let the whole city ring with your misery!"

The people froze, torn between running or trying to help but despair chained their feet. Just as Olivas claimed, their spirits broke, guilt hollowed them out, turning them into lifeless dolls.

"Stop! Please, someone, stop this!"

"Ahhh! Somebody, please, anyone, help!!"

"Hahahahaha! Idiots! Don't you hear the screams of your brave adventurers? They're already broken."

Their cries only fueled his perverse joy, stoking the fires of his tyranny.

"There's no hope left! You're finished, adventurers! And you, Orario!"

"...No."

Bathed in the dying glow of the setting sun, Asfi forced herself upright once more.

Asfi whispered to the sneering Olivas, her voice trembling yet unwavering, "They will come."

Her words were faint, but her eyes, those eyes still burning with conviction, made even the battlefield pause for a heartbeat.

Her body was a broken vessel. Bruises covered her from head to toe, lacerations tore open her skin, burns blackened her flesh. Every inch of her form bore the marks of torment. Her legs trembled uncontrollably, robbed of all strength by the endless loss of blood. One more push, one more strike, and she would collapse to the ground like a fragile puppet with its strings cut.

And yet, those eyes still shone. The gaze of someone who had already transcended pain, already surpassed suffering, now glimmered only with unshakable will and trust.

"Ryuu... she will come here."

"Ryuu? You mean the Astraea Familia?" Olivas threw his head back and laughed.

"Ha! Fool! Do you really think the so-called Messenger of Justice will arrive at the perfect moment? On what basis?! That's nothing but a pathetic dream."

Olivas sneered, and his soldiers followed suit, jeering at the broken girl who still dared to hope.

"Enough! You've wasted my time long enough!"

The sight of Asfi's unyielding eyes made Olivas grit his teeth, irritation twisting into madness. He raised his hand high, announcing the end of this little entertainment.

"Brothers, kill this woman!!"

The evilus soldiers lowered their stances, blood-hungry blades gleaming as they surged forward like a pack of wolves. Their intent was simple: carve Asfi into nothing but a mangled corpse.

"..Stop! Stop it!!"

"I won't let you harm the adventurer any longer!"

A sudden roar tore through the air.

The people. The very civilians who had trembled in fear, powerless before evilus, now found themselves rising. Their bodies shook, but their fists clenched. Their fear did not vanish, but they moved regardless. They bent down, grabbed stones from the broken streets, and hurled them at the soldiers rushing toward Asfi.

"Wha—?!"

The air froze.