Belial and I, descending toward the village from the sky, came across guards clearing a landslide along the way. Some townsfolk, seemingly volunteers, were helping. Others had provided supplies. Inspired by their efforts, I resolved to do what I could as well.
Upon reaching the village, we noticed green-furred monsters near its perimeter, with someone already engaging them in battle. The creatures were indeed La Velyus, as I suspected—three in number. Some villagers were injured, but a few were valiantly holding them off, using basic magic or swinging spears and weapons.
One of the beasts moved closer, and a man armed with a sword approached it.
“Don’t go near it! Its fur is as hard as needles!” I shouted.
“Huh? Whoa!”
As I warned him, I began chanting a spell:
“Stars that guide those who wander the wilderness, descend and grant protection! With the crescent moon’s sharpened spear, shield me from malice and disaster. Protection!”
My warning made the man retreat, allowing my defensive spell to take effect in time. I landed nearby and fortified the magical barrier.
“Thank you… So that’s why the livestock and victims had all those strange wounds.”
“This monster, La Velyu, is a dangerous cannibalistic species that once destroyed two villages in my homeland.”
“Two villages destroyed… by cannibals?” another man nearby murmured, horrified.
The village was already sealed off, making such monsters a terrifying prospect. Meanwhile, the La Velyus slammed relentlessly against my Protection spell.
This isn’t a barrier I can afford to let down.
Belial descended behind the creatures, extending two fingers upward. With a flick of his hand, all three La Velyus were suddenly engulfed in towering flames and burned to ashes.
“They… burned!?”
The man beside me and others stared in shock.
“Don’t worry. That was an ally’s attack. For now, you’re safe,” I reassured them.
“Safe? Not so fast,” Belial said, walking over. “That landslide wasn’t caused by an earthquake.”
“True, the tremor wasn’t strong enough to explain it,” a villager added.
“There’s also talk that the mountain’s shape has changed…”
“…Mountain?”
The village sat halfway up the slope, surrounded by taller peaks. One of those peaks seemed to move—if only slightly.
“That’s no mountain,” Belial declared grimly.
“What do you mean?”
He fixed his steely gaze on the distant shape.
“A Gigantes. One of the largest giants, stirring from slumber.”
“A… Gigantes!?”
The men’s voices trembled. Such a giant rarely appeared, but its colossal size and strength made it nearly impossible to defeat. If it advanced, the village—and possibly the entire mountain—could be destroyed.
“Where should we evacuate them to?” I asked Belial.
“If the roads are blocked, there’s little point,” he replied.
“Then we proceed as we are.”
“A wise choice.”
We prepared for battle as the Gigantes—a massive, blue-skinned figure—slowly opened its eyes and rose, its towering form dwarfing everything around it. This one was larger than any I’d faced before.
It’s too dangerous to approach directly. I began with ranged magic:
“Clouds, be dyed in vivid darkness! Forge weapons thick and radiant, thundering as victory cries. Lightning, roar with brilliance and smite my foe! Yagrush, descend like a falcon! Shut-tu-Fudr!”
A swirling black storm formed above the Gigantes, and a brilliant lightning bolt struck its head with a deafening crash. The shock forced the giant to its knees, shaking the ground.
“Impressive! Your spells have grown more potent,” Belial remarked. “Now, it’s my turn.”
Drawing an onyx-hued flame sword, Belial charged the immobilized giant. The darker the blade’s hue, the greater its power—a testament to his fiery mastery. He slashed at the Gigantes, unleashing a devastating blow.
The giant roared in agony as Belial followed up with a torrent of searing flames. Yet even with such relentless attacks, the creature endured.
“What resilience…!” I marveled, casting a water-based spell, which proved more effective against the earth-aligned creature.
Finally, with Belial’s unrelenting strikes and my ultimate ice magic—Stalactite de Glace, which summoned a colossal ice spike to impale its head—the Gigantes fell. Its body erupted in flames as it collapsed, defeated.
Afterward, we discovered a bounty of Epialtion herbs near the giant’s resting place. Exhausted but victorious, we were welcomed by the villagers, who thanked us with a feast and shelter for the night.
Seere, who had delivered supplies while we fought, was also thanked profusely. Interestingly, he now treated me with noticeable deference—likely due to my contract with Belial.
Seere, I learned, was an unusual demon devoted to transporting goods, finding joy in logistics and delivery. His quirks made him all the more fascinating.
