Antagonist Protection Service-Chapter 273: Antagonist of Earth (18)

Chapter 273: Antagonist of Earth (18)

From the perspective of his comrades, watching their party leader fall into oblivion must have been truly harrowing.

“JOHN…!!”

Sophie’s intensely-strained voice cried, just coincidentally catching the sight of her close friend’s body dropping from high above.

No matter what she tried, there was nothing she would be able to do, and she knew it. Hell, even if she somehow could retrieve his falling body, her ability could only be used on herself, and healing potions also had distinct limitations.

If whatever happened to him had impacted his heart, there was simply nothing that could be done.

“Gh, this…!”

“Hey, it’s okay. It’ll be alright. You know how that guy is… He’s strong.”

A hand placed on her shoulder, Sophie turned her head to see Anders, his surprisingly composed voice serving to ground her disorderly mind, and even somewhat stabilise her fluctuating mental state.

It wasn’t just because seeing their leader and long-time friend in such a position was heart-wrenching, but because this 39th Floor was not the first they were challenging today.

In fact, although it was not their third―they were wise enough not to rush and risk their lives so needlessly―it being their second was still risky enough, considering the stamina, both physical and mental, required to challenge multiple Floors in a day, as well as the determination to clear them consecutively.

Besides, it wasn’t as if… witnessing the death of one of their own was a terribly infrequent occurrence, anyway.

“―See? His familiar is still alive.”

Noticing Anders turning his head to look off somewhere, Sophie quickly followed suit.

“Ah… Phoenix! Here!”

After glimpsing the lonesome firebird flapping its wings to float still in the air, seemingly lost and unknowing as for what to do, she stretched her arms forward and called out for the creature’s attention, receiving it as it proceeded to descend from its spot and land gently in her embrace

“Hh, there…”

Watching the scene quietly, Anders prompted from beside her.

“I can hold it.”

“Are you sure?”

“As I said before, my fog doesn’t seem functional on these moving islands. John’s also not here right now, so as our only effective combatant, it only makes sense to free you up in this situation, doesn’t it? I’d just get in the way if anything happened, so I can hold it and keep both of us out of harm’s way.”

His argument was indeed flawless. No matter how determined Sophie was to protect John Pierce’s precious familiar, in this situation, she was the only one who could fight out of the two of them.

Regardless of her personal feelings, she knew there was no better move than handing it over for now.

“Take good care of her.”

“Of course.”

Taking the resting Phoenix into his arms, Anders nodded once at his comrade’s request.

With that out of the way, there were now just two… Or rather, three concerns they had to deal with.

Firstly, neither of the two seemed to carry any major worries for that colossal monster that was the source of all the incredibly loud, explosive noises and the tremors.

The main reason for that was because, well, both the firework noises and tremors had, for the most part, entirely ceased once John Pierce had soared into the air.

The two of them knew well that it wouldn’t have been because he killed it. On the contrary, it would have been surprising if he landed even a single hit―because his intention from the start was to buy time, and as Anders had already stated prior to that, the monster was not one that could easily be harmed.

The ‘why’ behind it ceasing its previous chaotic activity was not important. Just, simply, if it was not going to cause trouble for them anymore, that was all that was relevant.

Secondly, the completion of the Objective, which should be finished whenever they reach those pocket worlds. Because the islands were truly zooming along by now, that part shouldn’t take long at all, and all they effectively had to do was wait on-board the ‘train’ until they arrived.

Thirdly, and the most pressing matter…

“――There’s something else here.”

Meeting the other’s gaze, Sophie’s eyes narrowed.

It might not have been obvious to anyone not paying attention, or even more simply someone who just didn’t have such keen eyesight, but she saw it.

John Pierce, their close friend and party leader, was, in fact, attacked from behind.

“Did you see it? Because I did clearly… I’m not quite sure if it was magic, or something physical, but something hit him in the back.”

“I didn’t see it myself, but now that you mention it, it is certainly odd. He would have been facing that monster he was buying time against, so it being the one to attack him from behind would be exceedingly unlikely. Moreover, it would certainly be a bit rash to just assume it as fact, but if it was a sneaky attack like that, I personally would find it peculiar for that sort of large creature to be the culprit…”

In the first place, they had heard that tremendous explosion just seconds before John Pierce was attacked.

That was much more along the lines of what they would expect from that thing, but rather, what Sophie had seen was not like that at all, and was instead a single, focused strike. It could even be called the opposite.

Indeed, it was unlikely. To the point that a third party had to be responsible. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

“However, I don’t recall seeing anything on any one of these islands except those grotesque worms…”

“…”

A brief period of silence passed between them, the warm flames of the Phoenix’s body, which was already sleeping like a baby within Anders’ arms, casting flickering shadows on the duo’s faces.

Before the threshold of ten seconds had passed, a low voice resounded.

“…Challenger.”

Just that one word fell shakily from Sophie’s lips, but it was all either of them needed to hear to understand the full situation.

Or at least, what it appeared to be.

“Another Challenger entered the Floor… and killed him…?”

Why―――

“!!”

Tick…

All of a sudden, Sophie’s eyes widened to their extremity, and the world paused.

Tock.

…No. Rather, the raging river of plasma could still be heard chaotically thrashing and crashing in and onto itself just a distance to the side, meaning it, and by extension time, was still flowing.

Only, it was slowed, and to a miraculous extent.

To her side, Anders stood practically still. He wouldn’t have yet noticed any change, unaffected by her ability as he was, so it was to be expected.

Before her, was the endless, black void, untouched by all. She couldn’t even tell if that was something that would be affected by her ability or not either.

Likewise, above her, the continuation of the frontwards tethered islands were still moving, but slower, and behind her was just the surface of the island she currently stood on.

It was like this that almost everything seemed normal.

What then caused the unconscious activation of her ability? Evidently, it was a natural reflex due to the intense sensation she felt.

A feeling of being… watched, perhaps? Or, more than that, a sense of bloodlust was clear.

But, if there was nobody strange above her, nobody strange beside her, nobody strange in front of her and nobody strange behind her, what could the origin of those frightening sensations possibly be?

Of course, there was just one direction to have gone unchecked.

Matching the rest of this slowed world, although to everyone else’s eyes her action would conversely appear a blur, Sophie looked down.

A place one wouldn’t normally think to look first at the feeling of being watched, her gaze skimmed past all the sideways trees surrounding them, trimming her own legs and feet beneath her to look past the thick, dead trunk she and her teammate were standing atop, to the source of that terrifying feel sensed far below.

“…”

“…”

“…”

That’s when she spotted it―

“…!!!”

―A pair of flat, crimson orbs, staring silently up at her.

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