Skeleton Knight in Another World Vol. 2

by Ennki Hakari

  “Rock Fang!!!”

  This was a mid-level area-of-effect spell from the Magus class. It caused numerous fang-shaped stones to rip up out of the earth, almost as if a giant beast was chewing its way out of the ground to swallow the soldiers whole.

  “It’s a mage!”

  “Fall back! We’ll die if we stay here!”

  The line of soldiers halted their forward march and threw down their weapons, bolting for the gate. Goemon’s ninjutsu and my magic pursued them for a ways until the two attacks crashed into each other with a thunderclap that caused the very earth to shake beneath us. But somehow, instead of dissipating, the attacks combined. A large rock covered in thorns exploded from the center of the courtyard, sending stone splinters raining down on the buildings and surrounding streets in every direction.

  Goemon and I sought refuge in the entrance to the building, glancing back and forth from the plumes of dirt and screaming men to each other.

  Goemon’s eyes were wide with surprise. “That was…unexpected.”

  I could only nod in response. Rather than cancel each other out, when the ninjutsu and magic had collided, they’d become far more aggressive. I wondered if a similar thing happened when mages fought each other. But judging by Goemon’s reaction, he’d never seen anything like this before.

  Too focused on the strange event that had just unfolded, Goemon and I failed to register the disconcerting creak coming from the building behind us.

  “Huh?!”

  By the time we looked up, a portion of the roof was falling toward us.

  ***

  Chiyome and Ariane were atop the wall, checking out the area behind the Etzat Market as planned, when they heard a thunderous roar erupt from the entrance.

  “Sounds like it’s already started.”

  “Seems so.”

  “Kyii!” Ponta seemed to be voicing its agreement from where it clung to Ariane’s shoulder.

  A narrow, unlit path ran along the back perimeter of the trading office, bathed in blackness. Even the dim light of the moon couldn’t seem to reach the area. However, Chiyome’s and Ariane’s species both had excellent night vision.

  Chiyome looked down, eyes narrowed. “Looks like there aren’t any guards back here.”

  “That’s good for us, at least. Let’s head in.”

  Ariane hopped from the wall and used her magic to summon a series of rocks from the ground, forming steps. She descended to the ground, her charcoal cloak waving in the wind, then ducked behind the building, becoming one with the shadows…except for Ponta, who stuck out like a sore thumb.

  Chiyome jumped down behind her, landing in a crouch. Her eyes scanned the perimeter.

  The windows in the back of the stone building were located well above the ground, leaving them with no obvious means of entry. She darted over to one corner, peeking her head around for a look.

  “Ariane, I found an entrance on the side of the building. We’ll enter through there.”

  The young ninja girl dashed off toward a wooden door reinforced with a sheet of metal. Ariane arrived a moment later, sighing as she spied a metal lock on the door.

  “Want me to blow it open with magic?”

  Chiyome shook her head. She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a thin metal pick, which she inserted in the keyhole. After a few seconds, Ariane heard a loud click followed by the sound of a bolt moving. Chiyome removed the now-open lock.

  “That’s amazing, Chiyome!”

  The ninja girl’s cheeks flushed at Ariane’s praise. The door creaked as she pushed it open and slipped inside.

  The interior of the building was lit by only a few dim magic lamps, making it hard to see. This had the benefit of making some areas all the darker, allowing Chiyome to blend into the shadows with ease.

  “There are two attackers at the entrance!”

  “Remember what we were told! Send a runner to the palace!”

  The two women could hear men shouting, the urgency clear in their voices.

  Ariane was about to slip through the door after Chiyome when an armed mercenary came running toward her.

  “Wh-who the hell are you?!”

  Before the man could raise the alarm, Chiyome dove from the shadows and stabbed him through the throat with a dagger, preventing him from making any further noise—not even a dying scream. The man clawed at his throat as he collapsed. Chiyome tried to drag him into the shadows where he wouldn’t be seen, but after watching her struggle to move the dead weight for a solid minute, Ariane traded places with the cat girl. She stuffed the dead man into a dark corner.

  “Thank you, Ariane.”

  “Leave the brute strength stuff to me. Now, let’s get on with this while those two are still providing a distraction out front.”

  The two of them moved deeper into the building, stepping out of the narrow corridor and into a room with a vaulted ceiling, its walls lined with iron-barred cages. People of all different shapes, sizes, and species were shoved inside.

  Some were cat people similar to Chiyome. Others ranged from people with the ears and tails of wolves to those with long rabbit ears. They were all keenly watching and listening.

  Unlike the elves, the mountain people had little in the way of magical affinity, so none of them were wearing any sort of magical restraints like the mana-eater collar. What they lacked in magical abilities, however, they made up for in physical strength. In order to restrict their movements, they’d each had their ankles cuffed together.

  Ariane took a quick look around. “It looks like every single one of these cells is for the mountain people.”

  Some of the people had started to take notice of Chiyome and Ariane, their eyes going wide.

  “What are you…?” A voice called out from one of the cells, drawing the attention of a group of watchmen, who started yelling as they charged toward Chiyome.

  “Who the hell are you? Where’d you come from?!”

  “I’ve got him, Chiyome!” Ariane drew her sword, rushing toward the watchmen.

  Her opponents already had their weapons out and were prepared to fight, but there was only enough room for two of them to stand side by side in the narrow hallway. Ariane slashed her blade as she deftly slipped between the first two men, landing on the other side.

  The watchmen turned in surprise, only to slump to the floor, their blood pooling on the stones. Ariane pointed her blade toward the next two, her golden eyes narrowing within her charcoal cloak.

  Faced with her impressive swordsmanship and imposing demeanor, the rest of the watchmen chose to turn and flee rather than engage her in combat.

  Ariane frowned. The watchmen weren’t the only ones afraid. The mountain people in the cells were cowering at the sight of her.

  Chiyome lowered her black mask. “My name is Chiyome, of the Jinshin clan. We have come here to save you. Please listen to what I tell you, and I will get you all out of here.”

  She pulled out her lockpick and inserted it into the keyhole of the nearest cell. A moment later, the metal door opened with a screech. The people in the newly opened cell murmured to each other.

  “Did she say the Jinshin clan?!”

  “I can’t believe it! They came to save us?” The Jinshin clan was known by practically all the mountain people.

  The prisoners’ eyes all began to light up with rekindled hope—a hope that had been nearly extinguished in their time locked away in their cells.

  Chiyome called out above the chatter. “Can anyone here smash open these locks?”

  Several people raised their hands. Chiyome undid the clasps around their ankles and handed several more picks to the newly freed slaves.

  “Split up and set our comrades free! I want anyone who can fight to arm themselves with the watchmen’s weapons.”

  “Hoorah! Leave it to us!”

  While Chiyome worked quickly to free more of her trapped comrades from their cells, she started giving orders to the ragtag group of slaves, who were reveling in their ne
wfound freedom.

  “Men, take the weapons. I want the women to provide support!”

  The mountain people followed Chiyome’s commands, freeing their fellow slaves and arming themselves.

  Just then, a contingent of soldiers wearing matching armor came rushing down the stairwell behind Ariane. They drew their swords in unison as their commander issued orders.

  “Don’t let the slaves or intruders get away! Kill anyone you can’t capture!”

  A shadow darted forward.

  “Body to water, liquid wolf fang!”

  Chiyome drew a symbol in the air as she ran toward the soldiers, looking like a character out of a ninja comic book. The next instant, three wolves, about a meter long each, appeared around her and rushed in to attack.

  The commander watched, aghast. “Just who is this, some kind of mage?!”

  The ninjutsu water wolves ducked and weaved between the men’s swords, biting their ankles and sending them screaming to the ground.

  Whenever a soldier was lucky enough to strike one of the wolves, the sword swished through the water with no obvious effect.

  Ariane was frozen in place, watching Chiyome carry out her attack. She shook her head, coming to her senses, and launched herself at the soldiers from behind. The two women continued to move through the men, dispatching soldiers left and right. A moment later, having made quick work of the remaining watchmen, the armed slaves came to Chiyome and Ariane’s aid.

  With the full brute strength of the mountain people arrayed against them, the soldiers could no longer hold their position. One by one, they were slaughtered and robbed of their weapons. As the number of resistance fighters increased, the number of soldiers dwindled.

  Around seventy slaves had joined the fray when another thunderous roar echoed in the distance. A moment later, the entire building shook as a blast of wind and dirt blew through the hallways, extinguishing the oil lamps and blanketing the rooms in darkness.

  The fighting stopped as everyone froze. But as soon as the roar had passed, the clash of swords resumed. Unlike the mountain people with their superior night vision, the humans were essentially fighting blind, unable to clearly make out who they were fighting and, in some cases, killing their fellow soldiers.

  Once the majority of the soldiers and watchmen had been dealt with, the ex-slaves began checking each other’s injuries. Around that time, two hulking shadows appeared from direction of the main entrance.

  One of them looked to be around thirty years old. He was two meters tall and naked from the waist up. The other was covered from neck to toe in a black cloak and wore an eerie mask adorned with feathers, lending him an unsettling aura. Both were completely covered with dust.

  The mountain people froze, instantly gripped with fear.

  The first man was one of them, but the other…they couldn’t say. Uncertain what to do about the approaching men, the mountain people looked desperately to Ariane and Chiyome.

  Ponta cried out excitedly, its cotton tail wagging excitedly at the sight of the newcomers.

  “Kyii! Kyiiiii!”

  Ariane let out a loud sigh and threw back her hood, revealing her amethyst skin and pointed ears. The ex-slaves watched her in stunned silence, having assumed that both of their rescuers were from the Jinshin clan.

  Their surprise, however, quickly turned back to fear as the man in the ominous mask approached.

  ***

  “Hah! I thought we were dead for sure.”

  I crawled out from under the rubble of the collapsed ceiling and brushed myself off.

  The unexpected magical explosion had caused part of the first floor to cave in, giving me a clear view up into the second. The courtyard in front of the building was in complete disarray, and I could see the bodies of dozens of soldiers among the mountain of rubble.

  As the wind carried the dust away and a calm silence once again descended, footsteps echoed along cobbles of the streets outside. I could tell from the sound that a large number of people were approaching, likely either more reinforcements or, if we were unlucky, the Royal Army. In either case, I didn’t have any time to waste. I started digging through the rubble.

  “Goemon! Goemon, are you okay?!”

  As I sifted through the rubble, a musclebound arm burst out of the debris, followed by a dust-covered Goemon.

  “Goemon! You’re safe!”

  “I’m…fine, I think.”

  He shook the debris from his body. The ears on top of his head twitched in the direction of the gate, and he turned his gaze to the darkened street. Apparently, he’d noticed the approaching troops as well.

  “It seems like reinforcements are on the way, but I can’t see them ignoring their injured allies. We might have some time before they attack. We should get the freed slaves out of here while we have a chance.”

  Goemon nodded in agreement and hopped down from the mountain of rubble, making his way toward the entrance to the building. I followed him inside.

  After passing through the main entrance hall and another set of doors, we found ourselves in a dim dungeon lined with row upon row of empty cells. We continued deeper inside until we came to a room filled with newly freed slaves.

  Many of them were cat people like Chiyome and Goemon, but there was a wide variety of other species as well, including burly wolfmen and rabbit-eared folk. It was almost like a furry expo. I approached, excited.

  As the group of animal people took notice of me, looks of concern started appearing on their faces. I tilted my head in confusion. From somewhere off in the distance, I heard Ponta cry out.

  I spotted Ariane, her hood lowered. She looked annoyed, which only made me more confused.

  “Arc, I think you can take that mask off now. You’re scaring everyone.”

  I’d completely forgotten how I was dressed.

  “Oh, right! You know, I’ve actually come to like how I look with it on.”

  Ponta hopped off of Ariane’s shoulder and glided over toward me, burying its small body in the decorative feathers atop my head.

  “Kyii kyiiiii!”

  This was the most excited I’d seen Ponta in a while. While I tried to calm my animal friend down, Chiyome turned to Goemon.

  “How are things at the front gate?”

  Usually a man of few words, Goemon responded to Chiyome’s question in a low voice. “A large number of reinforcements are on their way, but Arc and I should be able to hold them off.” He pointed a thumb toward me. “You should have some time before they’re able to break through.”

  I nodded in response, almost knocking Ponta off my head in the process. I could hear it scrabbling against the mask as it clung to the feathers and scrambled its way back atop my head.

  “And how are things here, Miss Ariane? Is this everyone?”

  The freed slaves had relaxed slightly now that they realized I was an ally of their rescuers.

  All of the locks had been removed from the cells, but there were still a number of people in shackles, though others were working quickly to remove these.

  “We’re almost done here. It sounds like slaves are also kept on the upper floors, so we’ll need to go deeper into the building.”

  Ariane turned her gaze toward a large set of doors on the far side of the room.

  I thought they’d entered through the rear of the building, but apparently there wasn’t any entrance back there, meaning that all entry and exit points were limited to this central room.

  Chiyome and Goemon exchanged glances.

  “What if we leave Goemon to take care of things here?” I asked. “That way, I can go with you. Once we free everyone else and get all of the slaves out of the capital, then the mission will be complete, correct?”

  Goemon nodded.

  “Got it,” said Ariane.

  Chiyome turned to Goemon. “All right, our final escape will take place as planned. Once the reinforcements make it inside, we’ll have Goemon take out the building and Arc will teleport everyone out.”


  The first time I’d heard this plan, I’d balked at the idea. Even if Goemon and I were able to draw a large number of soldiers to the market, as long as we left the building standing, they would be able to easily regroup and reinforce the other slave houses.

  However, the guards and royal soldiers were sent here to bring order back to the Etzat Market. They were neither murderous bandits nor corrupt slave traders.

  The mercenaries, on the other hand, were. They took money to fight the enemies of whoever was paying their bills. That was no different from how things were back in my world, really.

  I’d originally become a mercenary without giving it much thought, but that was only because I’d figured mercenaries were something like adventurers in this world, like they were in the game. It was a decision I was starting to regret. I wanted nothing to do with the kind of people who could so callously make the mountain people their slaves.

  I nodded to Chiyome.

  “Well then, let’s hurry along.”

  We left Goemon to take care of preparing the escape while I, along with Ponta, accompanied Ariane and Chiyome through the doors on the far side of the room. They opened up to a walled garden.

  On the far side of the garden was another large door, guarded by several rough-looking men.

  One of the men, a particularly large fellow, had his hands around the necks of two young girls, who were twisting and writhing in his grasp. The girls had animal-like ears atop their heads and were dressed in tattered clothes.

  Surprise washed over the man’s face as he noticed us, though he quickly composed himself and started yelling, spittle flying everywhere.

  “So, you’re the bastard who came here in that stupid costume! I know who you are…you’re those beast rescuers, yeah?! Well, what do ya think is about to happen to these two, huh?”

  “My name is Arc, though I am no rescuer. Now, could you please let those children go?”

  I stuck out my chest as I demanded the children’s release…and quickly realized my folly. Here I was, dressed in a mask to hide my identity, and yet I’d just given him my name. I couldn’t believe my carelessness. Still, for a moment it looked as if I’d gotten through to the large man. That is, until his face broke into a fiendish grin and he gripped the girls’ throats even tighter.