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Reset"Phew, with the spirit festival being what it is, it just looks like an excuse to drink."
"What do you mean by 'it's that way'?"
"Well, now that we know the real spirits have never actually seen a festival."
"But, I've never seen one, but maybe the fire and wind spirits have?"
"...Is there?"
"There are! ...I haven't seen them though."
"......And what does that matter?"
The town of Helicon, with its lake to the south and desert to the north.
Recently hearing that many lizardmen had been visiting, Gash Zapper, a tailless lizardman axefighter, and Heili Water (a pseudonym), a half-elf in the guise of a water spirit, visited around year's end.
Fake evergreen trees stood everywhere in town (there are almost none south of the desert so each one is handmade) and red decorations. Green and red, these were also the image colors for the winter spirit festival.
Well, even though it's winter, in the south of the desert snow never falls. In other words, this isn't what Trot people would imagine as a winter festival. It’s more like an autumn celebration in cooler climes with all-night revelry.
Celesta merchants are known for their generosity during festivals, spending without hesitation money they earned by working hard day and night. A sluggish economy is considered a personal evil; it's only right to spend freely if you're going to be a merchant.
True to this belief, the merchants of this town were planning a grand feast since the founding of the city.
"Who would've thought there'd be so much money in such an out-of-the-way place."
"If lots of lizardmen are coming, they must be making some good profits?"
"Well... I mean, it just seems suspicious that dragons have come here at all."
Gash is a lizardman who worships dragons but has never seen one himself. He didn’t want to dampen his fellow tribesmen’s spirits, but the rumors of dragon sightings seemed too far-fetched.
As a former soldier, Gash was well aware of how powerful recent illusion magic had become from military demonstrations by magical soldiers. He wondered if even an excellent foxkin or elf could pull off such a deception.
"Well, whatever. If things are this lively, it should be quite the grand festival for the spirits."
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it."
Heely snuggles up to Gash and rests her head on his shoulder.
Gash isn’t small for a Lizardman, but thanks to their characteristic forward-leaning posture, he’s not as tall as one might think. It was a pleasant surprise that Heely, who is somewhat shorter than average, could lean against him without looking unnatural.
On such a day of the Spirit Festival,
as evening falls, the town's festival mood reaches its peak.
"Hey Gash! What's that?!" "That!!"
"It’s fireworks," he says. "The student caravan from the capital university sometimes does it… but I didn’t think they’d do it in this kind of place."
"That’s amazing! You don’t even need a fire or light spirit to make those!"
"…Can fire and light spirits really do that?"
"...I don't know, but if it were me, I could probably put on something like that with water."
"I got an idea. We should try putting on a show somewhere and earn some money."
“W-Wait, no way! They’ll find out for sure!!”
“It’s a joke.”
In the sky, magical lights painted pictures every few minutes. On the streets of town, makeshift taverns popped up everywhere.
People kept buying barrels of alcohol and shouting, “It’s on me, everyone drink!” causing others to compete in generosity. The excited orcs started wrestling matches that drew dark elves, humans, lizardmen merchants, and more into the fun with laughter and cheers. Some even got competitive enough to make people wonder if they were ace knights.
The festival was a lively, energetic mess, typical of Celesta.
“Go Gash!”
“Watch this.”
Gash joined in on one of the wrestling matches. His opponent was an orc middle-aged man. Even though he felt good after drinking some alcohol, seeing such a strong brute sobered him up immediately. He wondered if he had bitten off more than he could chew.
"Yeah, Tailed Lizard, can you take it? If you don’t think about how to fall, it’ll hurt."
"Hey, I may be an Ogre, but I’m not your dad. Your stance is starting to strain your back, isn't it?"
"W-Why would you say that... Anyway, even if you were at your level, I wouldn’t get flipped over."
"We'll see about that. Don’t underestimate a Lizardman’s strength."
By the way, because of their massive bodies, Ogres usually suffer from knee or back problems as they age. Gash’s eyesight wasn’t particularly keen; it was just a bluff.
However, since Lizardmen have completely different expressions than humans and Ogres, this kind of psychological warfare works surprisingly well on them.
"Alright, C Stage, 27th match... Begin!"
"Uoohhh!!"
"Gaaaaahh!!"
Gash engaged the middle-aged Ogre with all his might, determined to show Heely a good fight.
But the middle-aged ogre, perhaps concerned about his own stance after being pointed out, did not even bother to properly brace himself for Gash’s charge; he merely shook his arms halfway in front of him. He was full of openings.
Gash thought this would work and put more force into his charge, but the middle-aged ogre casually deflected him.
“!?”
Their original body size difference made it difficult even to properly grapple with each other.
With the ogre’s long and massive arms, he could easily prevent any other race from grabbing onto him in the first place. So they hurriedly charged forward to avoid being blocked.
When their momentum was deflected like that, there was no way for them not to lose balance.
“Even if you have some speed, I’ll buy it! Go back and bring your tail next time!”
Gash was pushed away with a thump on the back and rolled out of bounds. The surrounding audience burst into laughter.
“Shit!”
“C’mon, c’mon. It’s a festival, so don’t take it seriously, Tail.”
“You ran pretty well, Tail!”
The spectators around Gash tried to console him as he sulked. Heeley laughed and ran up to him, stroking his head.
“Ogres are strong, aren’t they? You did great too, Gash.”
“Damn it! I’m a warrior too, you know!”
“Yes, yes, we all know how strong you really are, Gash.”
“You must be jealous of my pretty girlfriend, Lizard Man.”
“A wife’s worth is more important than sumo matches, Tail. You should see the Ogre’s wife; she’s amazing.”
“Don’t badmouth my wife! I have ears like a demon!”
Laughter never stopped. Gash tried to endure his humiliation by licking his tongue, but only a fellow lizardman would recognize this as an expression of shame.
The commotion continued until past midnight. When the bell rang announcing the hour, people suddenly quieted down and began closing their shops before heading home.
“Huh? Gash, what’s everyone doing?”
“Oh—… It’s the second half of the Spirit Festival after midnight.”
“The second half...?”
“Yeah.”
Gash patted Heely’s head with slightly stinking breath.
“The Spirits enjoyed the commotion until midnight. From now on it’s time for their blessing…”
“?”
?
"From now until tomorrow morning is the time of mercy under the protection of a satisfied spirit. They'll be watching over families and lovers as they nurture their love,"
"Huh?"
"Well, it might not be fun for you since it's like someone threw a wild party in your place without asking and then sent you the bill, but that's alright. Everyone just wants to get cozy."
"...I see. You guys are pretty shrewd or something, huh? Or maybe it's just well done?"
"Hey, Heelee, how about we nurture our love too?"
Gash muttered with his mouth full of alcohol.
Usually he wouldn't talk about love and would just slip into intimacy under the guise of each other’s lewdness, but even if it was just for show, even if it was just a matter of atmosphere, Gash had said ‘love’ and Heelee blushed.
"W-What are you talking about..."
"Does that mean it's not growing?"
Gash took a sip from his wooden cup. If he finished the alcohol in this cup, they'd have to leave the open-air tavern.
“Nobody said that, did they?”
“You’re such a complicated person.”
“…You seem to have forgotten, but I’m an angel, you know?”
“Oh yeah. Right.”
“…So, my job is to comfort people, right?”
“…Huh?”
“So,”
Heieryi leaned close to Gash’s incomprehensible ear and whispered.
“If it comes to that kind of day, then there’s no choice but to comfort you.”
“You’re such a hypocrite.”
The large gash in Gash’s lips and Heely’s small ones almost touched.
Then, a deafening sound and screams erupted.
“!?”
Both of them looked up at the sky and around them simultaneously.
“Gash!”
Heely pointed north. The sky there was darkened.
“What is that?”
“A sandstorm… maybe?”
“No, it doesn’t look like one… plus those weird sounds and screams…”
The ground shook as if something heavy were hitting it. Explosive-like noises.
"Something's wrong," Gash’s warrior instinct warns him. A disaster, it says.
The instinct tingles at his limbs’ roots and starts pumping blood rapidly, telling him this is a disaster that warriors should face.
"Heelee! Let’s go!"
"Gash?!"
Gash takes off running. He still carries the family twin tomahawks with him.
He unfastens the locks and straps binding them together and wields both axes in his hands. His arms are still accustomed to merging with these weapons.
"That is... not good!!"
Gash’s speed quickly turns feral. Lizardmen warriors are naturally strong.
In the outskirts of town, people were being attacked by monsters.
A huge snake… no.
“Sandworms!?” And they’re big!!
It was a giant sandworm, unique to the desert. Even an average-sized one would be around five meters long and several dozen centimeters thick, making it a troublesome creature that’s omnivorous—eating scorpions, snakes, cacti, and even monsters at times.
Even this large specimen of sandworm, with a diameter over a meter, was attacking the residents.
“Help me! Help meee!!”
“Damn it!! If only Lady Rila were here to deal with this thing!!”
“Go to the Ogre Inn and wake up everyone there!! Go to the garrison post and get anyone you can find!!”
“What good are they against something like this?!”
“They’re better than nothing!! At worst, we can at least guide people to safety… ah, hiiiii!!”
And it’s not just one. A monstrous body can be seen writhing from behind the palm trees.
“Tch… I envy races that have night vision.”
Gash muttered as he ran at full speed, swinging his tomahawks at the sandworm that had latched onto the townsman.
“Y-You saved me!!”
“Get out of here now!”
“I-I can’t! It won’t be that easy!”
The townsman’s leg was broken. The sandworm didn’t have teeth, but its suction could crush an animal’s body into a pulp.
Healer caught up to the injured man and ran over, placing her hands on his broken leg. A disgusting grinding sound came from it as she healed him, and he grimaced in pain, but the next moment his leg was back to normal.
“W-What…?!”
“Go!! You should be able to run!!”
“Y-Yeah!”
The townspeople ran away.
“Hey, Heelee! Run too!”
Gash kept hitting the Sandworm that was thrashing around, but its tough outer skin seemed to make his attacks ineffective, and he started getting frustrated.
“I always tell you, my main body is in that water bottle you have. So running off with just this body won’t do any good!”
“Tch.”
Gash looked at the silver water flask strapped to his waist. It was an expensive item, but it contained water mixed with Heelee’s core element (which Gash still didn’t fully understand, but thought of as her soul).
This was the axis of Heelee’s existence; even if she were torn apart, she could easily be revived as long as this core element was kept safe.
He hadn’t done anything so risky yet because he was too scared.
"Fine, but you better be useful!" Gash yelled. Hei-ri replied with a shout of "Of course I am!"
"I'm the spirit that pities people tonight!!"
"What good are you for beating these guys up? If you want to pity someone, do it over there!"
He swung his axe at the Sandworms lunging at him and sent them flying. The blow would have decapitated any ordinary creature.
But the Sandworms didn't seem fazed in the slightest.
"Damn it, if only I had a tail!" Gash growled.
If he still had his tail, that full-force horizontal swing might have been a fatal strike against the Sandworms. The sheer power of the blow would have made it impossible to evade or deflect.
But Gash's tail was severed just fifty centimeters from his rear end. It was useless.
"Hey, water spirit! Don't lick me!!"
Heely thrusts her hand out behind Gash and fires a spear of water.
The sharp blow hits the Sand Worm right in its mouth, making it flinch.
"It's working!!"
"No way, it’s not!!"
"At least it’s better than what Gash is doing!!"
"But we can't seem to kill it!!"
Though they’re still trading insults, Heely and Gash are also trying their best to keep the Sand Worm away from them, resulting in a surprisingly good combination.
"Damn it! I need some pure power to crush this thing... Where the hell are those Orgs?!"
Gash curses. However, it seems that the Sand Worm appeared not just here but elsewhere as well, and with screams and crashes echoing around, there’s no sign of any reinforcements coming to help Gash and Heely anytime soon.
“Damn… If only General Vincent were here now…”
“Who’s that?!”
“What are you so mad about?!!”
“We’ve got the spirits on our side, what more do you want?!”
“You’ll get to be jealous after we take these guys down, moron!!”
Gash thought again of his last reinforcements when he was in the military.
Even though hoping for an overnight rescue during a pinch might be unrealistic, he missed Vincent’s crazy attack power.
“Damn… I guess I could try stuffing my mouth with a tomahawk.”
“You won’t get it down.”
“That’s true.”
The sandworm's mouth, which is over a meter in diameter, seems like it could easily swallow something the size of a tomahawk. Even if they’re connected by silk chains, once inside, it’s easy to imagine how difficult it would be to retrieve them.
"Hey, don’t you have some kind of killer move, Water Spirit?"
"No! What do you expect from water?!"
"...Something like poison that ruins your stomach?"
"I’m pissed. Next time we’re doing it, I’ll definitely poison you. Something that keeps you in the bathroom for a day."
"Got it, I won’t be with you anymore."
"I’m sorry, that was a lie, please don’t say such mean things."
"You’re weak!"
While they continue to hit the sandworm’s head over and over again, this couple is flirting nonstop. Anyone watching would probably burst out laughing at how it’s nighttime during the festival.
No.
“Hahaha! You guys are so close, huh?!”
He was actually laughing out loud.
‘Who?!’
Gash and Heely turned around in shock.
There stood a woman with dark skin and silver hair, her appearance somewhat androgynous.
“That’s right.”
She continued to giggle as she pointed at the sandworms.
Just as Gash and Heely were about to attack the monsters reflexively,
“Here’s a hint… There are no fireworks users in this town today.”
“What?”
“Hint No. 2”
The woman swings her finger, which had been pointing at the sandworm, to the side.
In the next instant, the sandworm is suddenly sliced into pieces with a chun sound.
“!?”
Gash and Heely are dumbfounded.
The woman calmly passes by them and spreads out her hands toward the remaining few sandworms.
“Hint No. 3: Tonight, I have the duty to cherish you lovers like yourselves.”
She then elegantly spins around halfway, turning her back on the sandworms and facing Gash and Heely again.
A dazzling light illuminates her back as if it were swelling up.
The light scatters like a giant firefly, swarming onto the backs, heads, and mouths of the sandworms.
The light danced like fireworks at dusk, pulverizing the sandworms.
“Hello, warriors of lizards and spirits of water.”
A deafening boom, a cloud of dust, and green liquid spraying from the sandworms.
“My name is Bright Light. I am but a fragment of the spirit of light.”
She smiled sweetly, her appearance indistinguishable from that of a dark elf, untouched by any of it.
(To be continued)
"Good grief... This 'festival to comfort the spirits' is starting to look like nothing more than an excuse to drink."
"What do you mean, 'starting to look like'?"
"Well, because we found out the truth: the real spirits have never actually seen this festival."
"I-I mean, just because I haven't seen them doesn't mean the fire or wind spirits haven't!"
"...Have they?"
"They have! ...Though, I haven't personally seen them."
"...That doesn't really help your point."
Helicon, a town overlooking a lake to the south and a desert to the north.
It was near the end of the year when Gash Zapper, a tailless Lizardman axe warrior, and Heely Water (a working name), a water spirit in the form of a half-elf, arrived, having heard that many Lizardmen had recently been visiting.
The town was decorated with red ornaments and fake coniferous trees standing here and there (since there are almost none south of the desert, everyone makes them by hand). Green and red—the signature colors of the Winter Spirit Festival.
Well, even though it was called "winter," it almost never snows south of the desert; to be blunt, it wasn't the kind of winter festival a Trot person might imagine. It was a town with a chill roughly equivalent to autumn in the north, where boisterous celebrations unfolded all through the night.
One of the virtues of a Celesta merchant is to spend lavishly during festivals, even with the money earned through painstaking effort. Economic stagnation is a common evil; a true businessman knows to spend vigorously when it's time to put on a show.
True to that creed, the merchants of this town had planned the largest banquet since the town's founding.
"I don't know how a town in such a remote place can afford all this."
"If there are so many Lizardmen coming, it must be quite profitable, right?"
"I don't know... actually, the rumor that caused all this—the one about a dragon arriving—sounds a bit fishy to me."
Gash was a lowly member of the dragon-worshipping Lizardmen, but he had never seen a dragon in his entire life. He didn't want to dampen the spirits of his kin, but since dragons were said to be able to disguise themselves as humans, he couldn't help but feel they might be being deceived.
As a former soldier, Gash knew well the terrifying power of recent illusion magic from demonstrations by military mages. He thought that if they really put their minds to it, highly skilled beastmen like foxes or elves might be capable of such things.
"Well, whatever. If business is this good, the Spirit Festival is bound to be grand."
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it."
Heely leaned in close to Gash, resting her head on his shoulder.
Gash was not small for a Lizardman, but due to the characteristic forward-leaning posture of his race, his total height wasn't particularly high. The fact that it didn't look awkward for Heely, who was a somewhat petite woman, to lean on him was a small, shared joy for them both.
On that very day of the Spirit Festival.
As evening approached, the festive mood in the town finally began to peak.
"Gash, look! What is that?! Look!!"
"They call them fireworks. Sometimes the student caravans from the Capital University set them off... but I didn't think they'd do it in a town like this."
"Amazing! Even spirits of fire and light can do something like that!"
"...Can spirits of fire and light actually do that?"
"...I don't know, but I think I could put on a show like that using water."
"That's a great idea. Let's turn that into a spectacle somewhere and make some money."
"Hey, wait, no! We'll definitely get caught!!"
"I'm joking, I'm joking."
Magical pictures of light were drawn in the sky every few minutes, and open-air taverns lined the streets of the town.
Constantly, someone would shout, "This one's on me, everyone drink!" as they bought up barrels of ale to distribute to the crowd, sparking a competition among companions.
Enthusiastic Ogres would start sumo wrestling matches, and Dark Elves, humans, and Lizardman merchants would join in, being tossed around to draw laughter. Occasionally, someone would try unusually hard, prompting the crowd to cheer, "Whoa, look at this guy, he's like an Ace Knight!"
It was a truly characteristic Celesta festival: diverse and energetic.
"Go for it, Gash!"
"Just watch me."
Gash decided to enter the sumo tournament. His opponent was a middle-aged Ogre.
Though he had stepped up with confidence, bolstered by the alcohol, his intoxication sobered slightly as he faced the brute strength of the race before him. He found himself muttering inwardly, Maybe I made a mistake.
"Hey, Tailless Lizard, do you even know how to break a fall? You'd better think about how to land, or it's gonna hurt."
"Heh, you might be an ogre, but you're just an old man. That stance of yours... isn't your lower back starting to ache yet?"
"H-how did you know that...? No, no—even so, I'm not about to be flipped over by someone like you."
"We'll see about that. Don't underestimate a lizard's raw strength."
As a side note, because of their massive frames, ogres almost always suffer from knee or back issues as they age. It wasn't that Gash's intuition was particularly sharp; it was simply a loaded question. However, since lizardmen have entirely different facial expressions than humans or ogres, this kind of psychological maneuvering worked surprisingly well.
"Alright, C-Stage, Match 27... Begin!"
"Waaaaaaagh!!"
"Let's gooo!!"
Gash grappled with the middle-aged ogre. He charged in with everything he had, determined to show off a little something for Heely.
But perhaps preoccupied with the lower back issue he'd just been called out on, the middle-aged ogre didn't even take a proper stance; he merely swung his arms forward halfway. He was wide open.
I can do this! Gash thought, putting even more momentum into his sprint, but the middle-aged ogre easily parried him with a light movement.
"!?"
The physical disparity—being nearly double in size—meant that even initiating a proper clinch was a struggle. With arms as long and massive as an ogre's, they were even capable of preventing other races from grabbing hold of them in the first place. Seeing this, Gash rushed forward desperately to avoid being blocked.
But once that momentum was neutralized, his balance was doomed to collapse.
"I'll give you credit for the spirit! Now go home and bring your tail with you!"
With a heavy shove to his back, Gash was unceremoniously sent tumbling out of the ring.
The surrounding crowd erupted into laughter.
"D-damn it!"
"Easy there, easy. It's a festival, don't take it so seriously, Short-tail!"
"That was a pretty good dash, Short-tail!"
The spectators teased the frustrated Gash. Heely ran up to him with a laugh, patting him affectionately on the head.
"Ogres are so strong! Gash, you get the Fighting Spirit Award!"
"Dammit, I'm a warrior too, you know!"
"Yes, yes, I know you're actually strong, Gash~"
"Man, I'm jealous of you, lizard-bro. Having a beautiful girlfriend like that..."
"Winning at sumo matters less than winning the lottery with your wife, Short-tail. The wife of that ogre guy is something else!"
"Don't go badmouthing my wife! She's got ears like a hawk!"
The laughter was endless. Gash endured the humiliation, flicking his tongue in irritation, though the only person who could tell he was actually mortified was likely another lizardman.
The commotion continued well past midnight.
When the bells rang to announce the hour, the people suddenly ceased their revelry, closed up their stalls, and began heading home.
"Huh? Gash, what happened to everyone?"
"Ah... the second half of the Spirit Festival starts after midnight."
"The second half...?"
"Yeah."
Gash gave Heely's head a light, rhythmic pat, his breath smelling faintly of alcohol.
"They say the Spirits enjoy the festivities until midnight. From here on out, it's the time for the Spirits' protection..."
"?"
"From now until tomorrow morning, we are under the period of the Benevolent Spirit's loving protection. It is a time when the Spirit watches over families and lovers as they nurture their love."
"Huh?"
"Well, I guess to you, it probably feels pretty unpleasant—like everyone's throwing a party without your permission and then sending you the bill. But it's fine. That's just the excuse everyone uses so they can get all lovey-dovey."
"...I see. So, everyone's either pretty crafty, or the system is just working perfectly."
"...So, what do you say, Heery? Shall we nurture our love, too?"
Gash muttered through a mouth smelling of booze.
Normally, they never spoke of "love"; they usually just drifted into intimacy, using each other's lecherousness as a pretext. But even if it was just a formality, even if it was just following the mood, Heery blushed at Gash's whisper of such a word.
"W-what are you talking about...?"
"What, you're not interested?"
Gash took a small sip of the liquor in his wooden cup, looking slightly disappointed. Once this was finished, the open-air tavern would have to close up for the night.
"No one said that."
"Man, you're a complicated one."
"...Listen, you seem to have forgotten, but I am a Spirit, you know?"
"Ah. Right."
"...The role I'm supposed to play is the one who bestows affection, isn't it?"
"...Hm?"
"So..."
Leaning close to Gash's difficult-to-reach ear, Heery whispered:
"...If it's one of those days, I suppose I have no choice. I'll cherish you."
"Using formalities to act all fancy..."
Whether Gash's wide, parted lips and Heery's small lips would meet or not—
At that moment, a roar and a scream erupted.
"!?"
Both looked up at the sky and scanned the surroundings simultaneously.
"Gash!"
Heery pointed. To the north, the sky had turned murky.
"What is that?"
"A sandstorm... maybe?"
"No, even for that... and that strange sound, and the screaming..."
The sound of something heavy striking the earth. A sound like an explosion.
"This isn't good."
Gash's warrior instincts warned him. A calamity.
His instincts pricked at the very base of his limbs, sending blood rushing through his body, signaling a disaster that a warrior must face.
"Heery, let's go!"
"Gash!?"
Gash took off running. He still carried his family's heirloom twin mahawks.
Unlocking the bindings of chain and leather that held them together, Gash gripped the axes with both hands. His arms still retained the sensation of the weapons becoming one with his flesh.
"That... is bad!!"
In an instant, Gash's speed shifted to that of a beast. A lizardman warrior, by nature, was a powerful thing.
On the outskirts of town, people were being attacked by monsters.
A giant serpent... no.
"A sandworm!? And a massive one at that!!"
It was a sandworm, a massive annelid unique to the desert.
Even an average specimen is a nuisance, measuring five meters in length and dozens of centimeters in thickness; to make matters worse, they are omnivorous. They consume not only scorpions, snakes, and cacti, but occasionally even monsters.
And this particular sandworm was a large specimen, with a thickness of over one meter, and it was currently attacking the residents.
"Help! Somebody help me!!"
"Dammit!! If only Lady Lyra were here, we could handle this!!"
"Go to the Ogre Inn and rouse them!! Go to the military police outpost and call anyone you can find!!"
"Do you really think the MPs can do anything about something like this!?"
"It's better than nothing!! At the very least, they can guide the evacuation... Ah—gyah!!"
And it seemed there wasn't just one. Beyond the palm grove, more eerie, massive shapes could be seen writhing.
"Tch... I'm jealous of the races that have night vision."
Muttering to himself, Gash sprinted at full speed, bringing both of his tomahawks down upon the sandworm that had latched onto a townsman.
"I-I'm saved!!"
"Get out of here, now!!"
"Ugh... sorry, but I can't!"
The townsman's leg had been broken. While the sandworm lacked teeth, its suction force was capable of crushing and snapping animal flesh.
Healy, who had caught up to the townsman, rushed over and held her hands above the broken leg.
A sickening cracking sound emanated from the limb; the man's face contorted in pain, but in the next instant, his leg had returned to its original shape.
"What...!?"
"Go!! You should be able to run!!"
"O-oh, right!"
The townsman scrambled to flee.
"Healy, you need to run too!"
Gash struck the writhing sandworm repeatedly, but due to its difficult-to-pierce hide, the blows didn't seem to be doing much, and he was beginning to grow bewildered.
"I tell you this all the time—my true self is that water you're carrying! There's no point in just this body running away!"
"Tch."
Gash looked down at the pure silver canteen strapped to his waist. It was an expensive item, containing water mixed with the "Core Element" that served as Healy's true self (Gash didn't quite understand it yet, but he understood it as something akin to a soul).
This was the axis of Healy's existence; as long as the Core Element was kept safe, even if the girl's physical form were torn apart, she could be resurrected without issue.
Though, out of fear, he hadn't attempted anything so dangerous yet.
"You can stay, but you'd better be of some use!!"
When Gash shouted, Healy yelled back, "Of course I will!"
"Because tonight, the spirits are meant to show compassion to the people!!"
"I'm asking if you're useful for beating these things up! If you want to show compassion, do it over there!"
He swung his axe, knocking away a sandworm that had been writhing toward Healy. Had this been the neck of an ordinary creature, the blow would have already decapitated it.
However, the sandworm appeared unfazed.
"Dammit, if only I had my tail!"
Gash gritted his teeth.
If Gash's tail were intact, that full-strength horizontal swing might have dealt a fatal blow to the sandworm. Unlike a slash, a strike that converts pure full-body power into kinetic impact cannot be easily deflected.
But currently, Gash's tail had been severed, leaving only about fifty centimeters of stump. It was useless.
"Don't you underestimate me, Water Spirit!!"
Standing behind Gash, Heely thrust her hand forward and launched a spear of water.
The pointed watery strike hit the sandworm's mouth directly, causing it to recoil.
"It's working!!"
"It's not working that much!"
"It's working more than Gash is!"
"But we still can't seem to kill it!!"
Even as they bickered, the two fought desperately to drive the sandworm away from one another, ultimately demonstrating excellent teamwork.
"Damn it, we need something that can just crush this thing with pure power... Where are those Ogre guys?!" Gash cursed. However, it seemed the sandworm wasn't the only thing that had appeared; with screams and thunderous roars echoing from all directions, there was still no sign of reinforcements for Gash and his companions.
"Dammit... If only General Vincent were here right now...!!"
"Who the hell is that?!"
"Why are you getting mad?!"
"The spirits are on our side, so what's your problem?!"
"Save that jealousy for after we defeat these things, you idiot!!"
Once again, Gash thought back to the last reinforcements he had during his days as a soldier. Wanting an "overnight" stay during a crisis was a tall order, but he truly missed that absurd offensive power.
"Dammit... It's all or nothing. Should I ram the Tomahawk straight into its mouth?"
"You'll probably just get swallowed whole."
"Yeah, you're right."
With a diameter of over a meter, the sandworm's mouth looked capable of swallowing the Tomahawk with ease. Even though it was attached by a silk chain, he could imagine that once swallowed, it wouldn't be easy to get back out.
"Don't you have some kind of special move, Water Spirit?!"
"I don't! What exactly are you expecting from water?!"
"...Something like a poison that gives you an upset stomach?"
"I've had enough. Next time we're being intimate, I am definitely poisoning you. I'll use something that keeps you in the bathroom for an entire day."
"Fine, fine, I'm never doing it with you again."
"I'm sorry, I was joking! Please don't be so mean!"
"You're too weak!!"
The idiot couple continued their flirting while repeatedly knocking against the sandworm's head. If anyone were watching, they would likely burst out laughing, thinking, 'As expected of a night during the Spirit Festival.'
No.
"Hahahaha! You two certainly are close!!"
Someone was, in fact, laughing loudly.
"Who's there!?"
Gash and Heely spun around in shock.
Standing there was a woman with dark skin and silver hair, possessing a somewhat androgynous aura.
"You certainly are," the woman said, continuing to giggle as she pointed toward the sandworm.
As the monster lunged toward them, Gash and Heely instinctively moved to attack—only for her to interject.
"A hint for you... No Firework Users have visited this city today."
"Huh?"
"Hint number two."
The woman swung her pointing finger to the side.
In the next instant, the sandworm was suddenly sliced into rings with a sharp chirp.
"!?"
Gash and Heely stood there, stunned.
The woman leisurely overtook the two of them, spreading both arms toward the remaining few sandworms.
"Hint number three. Tonight, it is my duty to cherish lovers such as yourselves."
Then, with an elegant half-turn, she turned her back to the sandworms and faced Gash and his companion once more.
A dazzling light began to expand, coloring her back.
Like massive fireflies, the lights burst forth and scattered, swarming the backs, heads, and mouths of the sandworms.
The lights danced like fireworks seen at dusk, ruthlessly pulverizing the sandworms into nothingness.
"Nice to meet you, beloved lizard warrior and water spirit."
There was a thunderous roar, a cloud of dust, and the spraying green fluids of the sandworms.
"My name is Bright Light. I am but a fragment of the spirits of light."
Unsoiled by any of it, looking like nothing other than a dark elf, she offered a gentle smile.
(To be continued)
"Seriously, this spirit festival looks like nothing more than an excuse to get drunk," Gash muttered.
"Like what?"
"Well, it turns out the actual spirits haven’t even seen a festival before."
"W-wait, just because I haven’t doesn’t mean the fire and wind spirits might have!"
"...Really?"
"Yeah! …Though I’ve never actually seen one."
"...How can you be so sure?"
In Helicon, a town nestled between lakes to the south and deserts to the north, the half-elf water spirit Heili Water (alias) and Gash Zapper, a tailless lizardman axe warrior, arrived as the year drew to a close. They’d heard rumors of many lizardmen visiting lately.
The town was adorned with fake conifers (handmade since they’re scarce in the desert south) and red decorations—green and red, the colors of the Winter Spirit Festival.
Well, "winter" was relative; snow rarely fell in the southern desert, so it wasn’t quite the winter festival Trott people imagined. It was more like autumn in the north—a town with mild coolness where all-night revelry unfolded.
Ceres traders were known for spending freely what they’d earned by the sweat of their brow, a virtue among them. Economic stagnation was a close-up evil; a merchant’s worth was proven by lavish spending during festivals.
True to that creed, Helicon’s merchants had planned the biggest banquet in the town’s history.
"How does a backwater town like this have so much money?"
"If there are tons of lizardmen coming, they must be making a killing."
"Yeah… but that rumor about a dragon showing up? Sounds fishy to me."
Gash was a lizardman who revered dragons, yet he’d never met one. He didn’t want to dampen his kin’s spirits, but dragons could perfectly mimic humans—was everyone being fooled?
As a former soldier, Gash knew the power of illusion magic from military mage demonstrations. If they tried hard enough, even skilled foxkin or elf-blooded mages could pull it off.
"Well, whatever. If things are this lively, the Spirit Festival’s gotta be something."
"Yeah! I’m excited."
Heili leaned against Gash, resting her head on his shoulder.
Though not short for a lizardman, Gash’s forward-leaning posture kept his height manageable. Heili, slightly petite, could lean on him without looking odd—a small but pleasant detail for the two of them.
Then came the day of the Spirit Festival.
As evening fell, the town’s festive mood reached its peak.
"Gash, what’s that!? What is that!"
"Looks like fireworks. The Capital University student caravan does them sometimes… but in a place like this?"
"Amazing! Even without fire or light spirits, they can do that!"
"...Can fire and light spirits even do that?"
"...I don’t know, but I bet I could put on a show with water that’s just as impressive."
"Now you’re talking. Let’s do a sideshow somewhere and make some cash."
"W-wait, no way! People’ll find out!"
"Joking, man."
In the sky, magical light paintings appeared every few minutes, while street stalls popped up everywhere.
Someone would buy a keg of ale, shout, "It’s on me, everyone drink!" and pour for the crowd—sparking friendly competition among groups.
Elven ogres, fueled by excitement, started a sumo tournament, with dark elves, humans, and lizardman merchants getting tossed around for laughs. But some took it surprisingly seriously, prompting cheers: "Whoa, is that Ace Knight from the north?"
It was a truly Celesta-esque, chaotic and energetic festival.
"Go get 'em, Gash!"
"Just watch this."
Gash decided to join the sumo tournament too. His opponent? A middle-aged Ogre.
He’d been drinking and felt pretty good about it, but facing a race of pure brute strength sobered him up a bit. Did I mess up? he thought silently.
"Hey, tailless lizard, can you even take a fall? You better think about how to land, or it’s gonna hurt."
"Hah, an Ogre, sure, but still just an old man. That stance of yours is killing your back, ain’t it?"
"W-why’d you have to say that…? Well, I still won’t be flipped by a scrub like you."
"Is that so? Don’t underestimate a lizard’s strength."
By the way, Ogres tend to get knee or hip problems as they age due to their massive size. It wasn’t that Gash had any special insight—it was just a bluff.
But Lizardmen have such different expressions than humans or Ogres, making this kind of banter surprisingly effective.
"Alright, C-Stage Match 27… Begin!"
"WOOOOOOOOH!!"
"SHIIIIIIIIII!"
Gash grappled with the middle-aged Ogre, determined to show Heili he still had it.
But the Ogre, perhaps concerned about his creaky back as pointed out, didn’t brace himself properly against Gash’s charge—just waved his arms weakly in front of him. Wide open.
This is doable, Gash thought, powering forward even harder… but the middle-aged Ogre casually sidestepped him.
"!?"
The original two-fold size difference alone made grappling a struggle.
With those long, massive Ogre arms, he could easily prevent other races from even grabbing him in the first place.
So they’d rush in desperately to avoid being blocked.
If that momentum was deflected… well, there was no way their stance wouldn’t collapse.
"Nice hustle, though! Come back when you’ve got a tail!"
With a thump, Gash was shoved backward and tumbled out of the ring.
The surrounding crowd burst into laughter.
"C-crap!"
"Easy now, it’s a festival, don’t get so serious, Tailless."
"That was a pretty good dash, Tailless!"
The surrounding spectators tried to console the frustrated Gash. Heili even ran over, laughing and patting his head.
"Ogres are strong, huh? Gash should get an effort award."
"Damn it, I’m a warrior too, you know!"
"Yeah, yeah, we know you’re strong, Gash."
"I-I’m so jealous of your beautiful girlfriend, Lizardy."
"Sumo’s nothing compared to how well your wife measures up, Tailless. That Ogre’s wife is amazing, you know?"
"Don’t badmouth my wife! She’s got ears like a bat!"
The laughter never stopped. Gash endured the humiliation, lolling his tongue out, but only another lizardman could tell if that was a face of shame or not.
The commotion continued until past midnight. When the bell rang to announce it, people suddenly stopped their revelry, closed up shop, and began heading home.
"Huh? Gash, what’s with everyone?"
"Ah… from midnight onward is the second half of the Spirit Festival."
"The second half…?"
"Yeah."
Pfft, Gash exhaled a slightly boozy breath as he ruffled Heili’s hair.
"The spirits enjoyed the festivities until midnight. From here on out, it’s time for the spirits’ blessing… or so they say."
"?!"
"Now until tomorrow morning is the time of the spirits’ benevolent protection, having been satisfied by tonight’s revelry. They’ll watch over families and lovers as they nurture their love, or so the story goes."
"Ehh?"
"Well, from your perspective, it probably feels like you were just letting everyone party like crazy, then suddenly getting billed for it—probably not that fun, huh? But hey, that’s how it is. Everyone wants to get all lovey-dovey, you know?"
"...I see. So everyone’s pretty crafty, or well-organized, I guess."
"...So, Heili. How about we nurture some love of our own?"
Gash murmured with his boozy breath. Normally, they didn’t use words like "love"—they’d just exploit each other’s lewdness and gradually end up together—but even if it was just for show, even if it was based on atmosphere alone, Heili blushed at Gash muttering about love.
"W-what are you saying…"
"So, you don’t want to?"
Gash sipped his drink from the wooden cup with a slightly disappointed look. If he finished this, the open-air bar would have to pack up and leave.
"No one said anything like that."
"You’re such a complicated one."
"...Listen, you seem to have forgotten, but I’m a spirit, okay?"
"Ah… right."
"...I’m supposed to be the nurturing one, not—"
"...Huh?"
"That’s why—"
Heili pressed her lips to Gash’s hard-of-hearing ear and whispered.
"...If it’s that kind of day, I guess I’ll have to nurture you."
"You’re putting on a weird act."
Gash’s wide split lips and Heili’s small lips either touched or didn’t—just as the earth-shattering roar and scream erupted.
"!?"
Both looked up at the sky and around them simultaneously.
"GASH!"
Heeley pointed. To the north, the sky was clouded over.
"What's that?"
"A sandstorm… maybe."
"No, even for that… and those screams…"
The sound of something heavy striking the ground. An explosive boom.
"Something's not right," Gash thought. His warrior's instinct told him—trouble.
Trouble a warrior should face. The instinct prickled at his joints, blood rushing through his veins with sudden urgency.
"Heeley, let's go!"
"Gash!?"
Gash sprinted forward. He still carried the family heirloom Twin Tomahawks.
Unfastening the chains and leather bindings that secured the cursed weapons, Gash toyed with the axes in both hands. His body still remembered the feeling of merging with his weapons.
"That's… bad!"
His speed escalated rapidly, becoming bestial. Lizardmen warriors were naturally strong to begin with.
On the outskirts of town, people were being attacked by a monster.
A giant snake… no.
"A Sandworm!? And a huge one at that!!"
It was a sandworm—a colossal annelid unique to deserts. Even an average specimen measured five meters long and several tens of centimeters thick, a troublesome creature that was also omnivorous—eating scorpions, snakes, cacti, and sometimes even monsters.
This one was a particularly large individual, over a meter thick, attacking the townsfolk.
"Help! Help meee!!"
"Damn it!! If only Lady Lila were here—"
"Go wake up those Ogre lodgers!! Go to the gendarmerie and call anyone you can!!"
"How are the gendarmes supposed to handle this?!"
"Better than nothing!! At worst, they can direct an evacuation… Ahh—hiieee!!"
And it wasn’t just one. Beyond the palm grove, a grotesque, lumbering mass was visible.
"Tch… I envy those who can see in the dark."
Gash muttered as he ran at full speed, swinging his twin tomahawks down at the sandworm that had latched onto a townsman.
"Y-you saved me!!"
"Get out of here quick!"
"I…I can’t just leave you—"
The townsman’s leg was broken. Sandworms didn’t have teeth, but their suction power could crush and distort flesh like putty.
Heeley caught up to the injured man, hovering her hands over his broken leg.
A sickening crack-crack echoed from the limb, and the townsman’s face twisted in pain—but in the next instant, his leg had returned to its original form.
"Wh—!?"
"Go! You can run!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
The townspeople flee in a panic.
"Heili, you get out of here too!"
Gash lands blow after blow on the writhing Sandworm, but it doesn’t seem to be doing much—probably because of its tough outer shell. He’s starting to get frustrated.
"I keep telling you, my main body is that water you’re carrying, so running away with just this body is pointless!"
"Tch."
Gash glances at the silver water bottle strapped to his waist. It was an expensive purchase, but it contains water mixed with Heili’s "main body"—the core element (which Gash doesn’t fully understand yet, but thinks of as something like a soul).
That’s the axis of Heili’s existence—the girl-shaped Heili herself can materialize and even if she’s torn apart, she can revive without issue as long as that core element is intact… or so it goes.
Though he’s too scared to try anything that dangerous yet.
"Fine, but you better be useful!"
Gash shouts, and Heili yells back, "Of course I will!"
"I’m talking about how useful you are for beating these guys up! If you want to be all loving, do it over there!"
He swings his axe at the Sandworm, which is thrashing toward Heili. A normal creature’s head would’ve been flying off with that hit.
But the Sandworm doesn’t even flinch.
"Damn it—if I still had my tail—"
Gash grits his teeth. If his tail were still intact, that full-force sideways swipe could’ve been a killing blow. The pure power of his entire body converted into impact—unlike a slashing attack, there’s no way to dodge it.
But now, Gash’s tail is just a stump, severed about fifty centimeters from his butt. Useless.
"Water Spirit, don’t you dare underestimate me!"
Heili thrusts her hands forward behind Gash, launching a spear of water.
The pointed water strike hits the Sandworm right in the mouth, making it recoil.
"It’s working!"
"It’s not working at all!"
"It’s working more than Gash’s!"
"But it doesn’t look like it can kill it!!"
While bickering, they both struggle to keep the Sandworm away from each other, resulting in surprisingly good teamwork.
"Damn it—something that can just be crushed with raw power… where are those Ogre guys already?!"
Gash curses. But it seems the Sandworms aren’t just here—the sound of screams and explosions is echoing from all directions now, and there’s still no sign of reinforcements for Gash and Heili.
"Damn it… if only General Vincent was here…"
"Who’s that?"
"Why are you getting mad at me?!"
"The spirits are on our side! What’s your problem?"
"You can save the jealousy for after we beat these guys, you idiot!"
Gash, once again, reminisced about the last reinforcements he'd had as a soldier. Hoping for an Overnight in a pinch might be asking too much, but he missed that haphazard attack ability of hers.
"Damn it… maybe I should just swallow a tomahawk, all or nothing."
"You’d get swallowed whole."
"Yeah, true."
The sandworm’s mouth, over a meter in diameter, could easily swallow a tomahawk without breaking a sweat. Even if they were connected by silk chains, retrieving them once swallowed would be no easy task.
"Hey, Water Spirit, don’t you have some ultimate technique?"
"Nope! What do you even expect from water?!"
"...Got anything that’ll just mess up my stomach?"
"Okay, I got one! Next time we get it on, I’m definitely poisoning you. Something that’ll keep you stuck in the bathroom all day."
"Alright, I’m done with you."
"Sorry, I was kidding, don’t say stuff like that!"
"You’re so weak!!"
While they kept bashing the sandworm’s head relentlessly, the couple continued their flirty banter. Anyone watching would probably burst out laughing, thinking, Ah, it is indeed the Night of the Spirit Festival.
Nope.
"Hahahaha! You two are really close!"
They were actually being laughed at.
Who!?
Gash and Heili turned around in shock.
There stood a woman with tanned skin and silver hair, exuding an almost androgynous aura.
"Yeah, we are."
The woman continued to giggle as she pointed at the sandworm.
Just as Gash and Heili reflexively tried to attack the incoming monster…
"Hint. …No fireworks user has visited this town today."
"Huh?"
"Hint number two."
The woman flicked her wrist, dismissing the sandworm with a wave of her hand.
The next instant, the sandworm was sliced cleanly in half—chun!
"!?"
Gash and Heili stared in disbelief.
The woman leisurely passed them by and spread her arms toward the remaining sandworms.
"Hint number three. Tonight, I have a duty to cherish lovers like you two."
Then, with a graceful half-turn, she faced away from the sandworms and back toward Gash and Heili.
A dazzling light bloomed across her back like an expanding aura.
It burst forth like giant fireflies, swarming over the sandworms—onto their backs, their heads, their mouths.
Light danced like the fireworks I’d seen that evening, shattering the Sandworms to pieces.
"Nice to meet you, lovers—the Lizard Warrior and the Water Spirit."
A deafening roar, sandstorm, and the Sandworms’ green ichor erupting into the air.
"My name is Bright Light. A mere spark of the Light Spirit."
Unblemished by any of it, she smiled—a Dark Elf through and through.
(To be continued)
"Man, this Spirit Festival's turned into nothing but an excuse to get drunk."
"What do you mean by 'turned into'?"
"I found out the truth: the real spirits haven't actually seen this festival before."
"W-wait, just because I haven't seen it doesn't mean Fire and Wind Spirits haven't!"
"……Are they here?"
"They are! ……I've never seen them, though."
"……So what does that even mean?"
The town of Helicon overlooks a lake to the south and a desert to the north.
Recently, rumors had spread that many lizardmen were visiting. It was around late autumn, just before year's end, when Gash Bell—a tailless lizardman axe warrior—and Heili Water (a pseudonym), a half-elf water spirit, arrived in town.
Fake conifer trees stood scattered throughout the streets (since true conifers are nearly nonexistent in the southern desert, each one was handmade by locals), adorned with red decorations. Green and red—the official colors of the Winter Spirit Festival.
Well, even though it's called a "winter" festival, snow rarely falls in the southern desert. To put it bluntly, it bears little resemblance to how Trot people imagine winter celebrations. In this town, where temperatures barely dip into autumn-like coolness, all-night revelry unfolds instead.
One of the virtues of Celesta merchants is spending lavishly during festivals, even on money they've earned by keeping a flame lit under their fingernails day after day. Economic stagnation is seen as a personal failing; true businessmen thrive only when they can show off their prosperity in public.
Staying true to this creed, the town's merchants had planned an unprecedented grand banquet since the town's founding.
"This backwater town has got quite a bit of money for itself, huh?"
"If so many lizardmen are coming through, they must be making some serious cash, right?"
"No way... I mean, even the rumor that a dragon caused all this feels suspicious as hell."
Gash Bell himself is part of the lizardman race that worships dragons, yet he's never met one in his entire life. He can't bring himself to dislike them when his own kind rejoices, but since dragons can shapeshift almost perfectly into humans, he suspects they might be pulling some kind of scam.
As a former soldier, Gash Bell is well aware of the terrifying power of Phantom Magic through military demonstrations. He'd often thought that even a skilled fox-beast or elf-type could probably pull it off if they put their minds to it.
"Whatever. If the economy's this good, the Spirit Festival must be going full blast."
"Yeah. Can't wait."
Heili leaned close to Gash, resting her head on his shoulder.
Though Gash isn't particularly short for a lizardman, his species' characteristic forward-leaning posture keeps his overall height modest. It was a small but pleasant surprise that Heili, whose stature could be described as slightly petite, didn't look out of place leaning against him.
On the day of the Spirit Festival itself:
As evening fell, the town's festive atmosphere reached its peak.
"Gash, what's that?! That!!"
"It's fireworks! Student caravans from the Capital University sometimes bring them... I didn't think they'd do it in a place like this."
"Amazing! Even spirits of fire and light couldn't pull something like that off!"
"……Could spirits of fire and light really do stuff like that?"
"……I don't know, but if I could, I'd say water could create a spectacle just as impressive."
"That's great. Next time, let's put on a show and make some money."
"W-wait, no way! That'll get us exposed for sure!!"
"Just kidding."
Every few minutes, magical lights painted pictures across the sky. Taverns sprang up along the streets, offering open-air drinking spots.
One after another, someone would shout, "I'm treating everyone—drink up!" buying entire barrels of alcohol and serving them to those nearby, turning it into a friendly competition among friends.
Enthusiastic ogres kicked off a sumo tournament, while dark elves, humans, and lizardman merchants joined in, tossing each other playfully to elicit laughter. Yet some went all out with surprising seriousness, prompting cheers like, "Hey, who's the ace knight from over there?"
Truly a chaotic and energetic festival befitting Celesta.
"Go for it, Gash!"
"Well, just watch."
Gash steps into the sumo ring. His opponent is a middle-aged ogre.
Though he'd challenged with a bit of courage fueled by alcohol, facing a brute race like the ogres sobered him up instantly. He muttered to himself, wondering if he'd made a mistake.
"Hah! Tailless lizard, can you take a hit? You better think about how you're gonna fall, or it'll hurt."
"Heh, but even an ogre is still just an old man. Isn't that posture starting to ache your lower back?"
"N-no way... No, no, I'm not saying you'd flip me over like that!"
"Who knows? Don't underestimate a lizard's strength."
By the way, ogres tend to suffer from knee or back problems as they age due to their massive frames. Gash's sharp eyesight wasn't the issue; it was just playful banter.
However, since lizards have expressions so different from humans and ogres, this kind of psychological play works surprisingly well on them.
"Alright, C-Stage Match #27... Let's go!"
"Uoooooooh!!"
"Shaaaaa!!"
Gash grapples with the middle-aged ogre. Determined to show off a little for Heeri, he charges forward with renewed spirit.
But the ogre, mindful of the sore lower back he'd been warned about, doesn't brace himself against Gash's advance. Instead, he half-heartedly waves his arms in front of him—leaving himself wide open.
"Now's my chance!" Gash pushes harder, charging with full momentum. But the middle-aged ogre sidesteps him effortlessly.
"!?!"
Even though the ogre is nearly twice their size, simply getting into a proper grip proves difficult. With his long, massive arms, he could easily prevent other races from even making contact.
So the opposing race frantically charges forward to avoid being blocked.
Once that momentum is neutralized, there's no way they can maintain their balance.
"I'll buy your speed! But you're out—get back in the ring!"
With a sharp shove against his back, Gash tumbles helplessly outside the boundary line.
The surrounding audience bursts into laughter.
"D-dammit!"
"Come on, come on, it's a festival, don't take it so seriously, Tailless One."
"That was quite a dash, Tailless One!"
The crowd soothes Gash's frustration. Heeri approaches with a smile, gently patting his head.
"Ogres are strong, huh? Gash gets the Spirit Award!"
"Grrr... Even though I'm a warrior too!"
"Yeah, yeah, we all know you're actually strong."
"You know, it's more important to win at marriage than sumo, Tailless One. That ogre guy's wife is incredible."
"Don't talk bad about my wife! My ears are super sensitive!"
Laughter never ceases. Gash, sticking out his tongue with a chattering motion, endures the humiliation, though only another Lizardman would recognize that expression as one of shame.
The commotion continues well past midnight.
When the bell tolls to announce the hour, the crowd suddenly quiets down, closes their stalls, and begins making their way home.
"Huh? Gash, what's everyone doing?"
"Ah... From now on, it's the second half of the Spirit Festival."
"Second half...?"
"Yeah."
Panting slightly with a breath that smells of alcohol, Gash gently strokes Heili's head as if tapping it.
"The Spirits have enjoyed the festivities until midnight. From here on out is their time under divine protection... that's what they say."
"?"
"Now, from this moment until dawn tomorrow, the Spirits will bestow their benevolent grace upon those who have been thoroughly satisfied. They'll watch over families and lovers as they nurture their love."
"Eh?"
"Well, for you, it might seem like you were just made to cause a ruckus without permission and then billed for it afterward, which isn't very fun. But that's exactly how everyone wants it—they want to be all affectionate."
"...I see now. Everyone's pretty shrewd, or rather, they've got this figured out quite well."
"...How about us too, Heili? Shall we nurture some love?"
Gash murmurs with a breath reeking of alcohol.
Normally, he never speaks of love; instead, under the guise of mutual lust, they gradually give in to their desires. Yet even though it's merely a pretense and relies on atmosphere, hearing Gash whisper "love" makes Heili blush deeply.
"W-What are you saying...?"
"Why wouldn't we nurture it?"
Gash takes a small sip from his wooden cup, looking slightly disappointed. Once he finishes this drink, the open-air bar will have to close up.
"Nobody said anything like that."
"You're such a complicated one too."
"...Hey, you seem to have forgotten, but I'm a Spirit, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"...And isn't my role to show compassion?"
"...Huh?"
"So..."
Pressing her lips close to Gash's ear, Heili whispers.
"...On days like this, there's no choice but for me to show you compassion."
"What a pretentious way to put it."
Gash's widely parted lips meet—or nearly meet—Heili's small ones.
Then, a deafening roar and screams erupt.
"!"
Both look up at the sky and glance around nervously.
"Gash!"
Heery points. To the north, the sky has turned murky.
"What's going on?"
"Maybe a sandstorm..."
"No, it's not quite that... there's some strange sound, screams..."
The sound of something heavy striking the ground. An explosive noise.
"That's no good."
Gash's warrior instinct warns him: disaster is coming.
It's the kind of disaster where a warrior must stand ready. His instinct prickles at the base of his limbs, rapidly pumping blood through his veins.
"Heery, let's go!"
"Gash!?"
Gash dashes forward, still carrying his family heirloom twin tomahawks.
He unties the lock and leather binding that seals them together, gripping both axes with both hands. His arms still retain the sensation of being one with the weapons.
"That's... no good!!"
Gash's speed quickly transforms into that of a beast. After all, warrior lizards are strong by nature.
On the outskirts of town, people were being attacked by monsters.
A giant snake... no.
"A sandworm!? And it's huge!!"
It was a sandworm, a massive annelid unique to deserts.
Even an average specimen is a nuisance, measuring five meters in length and several centimeters in thickness, and they're omnivorous—eating scorpions, snakes, cacti, and sometimes even monsters.
But this one was a large individual, over a meter thick, attacking the residents.
"Help us, help us!!"
"Damn it!! If Lady Leila were here, she'd handle this kind of thing!!"
"Go to the Ogre Inn and wake up those guys!! Go to the gendarmerie station and call anyone you can find!!"
"How are those gendarmes supposed to deal with this!?"
"At least they're better than nothing!! Worst case, they could at least guide us to safety... Ah, yikes!!"
And it doesn't seem like there's just one. From beyond the grove of palms, a grotesque giant can be seen writhing.
"Tch... I envy races that can see in the dark."
Gash mutters as he sprints at full speed, swinging both tomahawks to strike the sandworm that has already latched onto a townsman.
"T-thank goodness!!"
"Hurry and run!!"
"I... I'm sorry, but there's nothing else I can do!"
The townsman's leg had been broken. Sandworms have no teeth, but their suction power can crush animal flesh into a pulp.
Heery runs up to the townsman as she catches up, placing her hand over his broken leg.
A sickening squelching sound emanates from that limb, and the townsman grimaces in pain, but the next moment, his foot has returned to its original shape.
"W-what...!?"
"Go! You can run!"
"Oh, okay!"
The townsfolk sprint away in panic.
"Heely, you too, get out of here!"
Gash tries to strike the writhing Sandworm repeatedly, but its tough outer skin resists the blade's edge, rendering his attacks ineffective. Confusion begins to cloud his expression.
"I've told you before—my true form is that water you're holding! If this body escapes alone, it means nothing!"
"Tch."
Gash glances at the silver flask strapped to his waist. It was an expensive purchase, filled with water infused with elemental cores—the very essence of Heely's existence (though Gash still doesn't fully understand them, he perceives them as soul-like).
This is the axis of Heely's being; even if her manifested form were shattered into pieces, she could revive without issue so long as those elemental cores remained intact...
Though fear has kept him from testing such dangerous possibilities yet.
"You can stay here, but at least you're useful now, right?!"
Gash shouts, and Heely retorts, "Of course I am! Spirits are meant to show mercy to people tonight!!"
"I'm talking about whether you'll help us crush these bastards! If you want to show mercy, do it over there!"
With a roar, Gash swings his axe at the Sandworm lashing toward Heely. A blow that would have decapitated an ordinary creature instantly.
Yet the Sandworm shows no sign of being affected.
"Damn it... as long as its tail remains..."
Gash grits his teeth. Had Gash's own tail remained unharmed, his full-power horizontal slash might well have delivered a fatal blow to the Sandworm. Purely converting all his strength into impact, this strike would be impossible to dodge—unlike a simple cut.
But now, Gash's tail hangs severed at about fifty centimeters from his hips, utterly useless.
"Water Spirit, don't you dare underestimate me!!"
Behind Gash, Heely thrusts her hand forward, launching a spear of water. The sharp projectile strikes the Sandworm's mouth directly, causing it to recoil in shock.
"It's working!!"
"It's not even close!"
"At least it works better than Gash's attacks!"
"But we still can't kill it!!"
While bickering, both struggle to keep the Sandworm at bay, inadvertently forming a surprisingly effective combination.
"Damn it... something like this requires pure brute force... where are those Orcs supposed to be?! They're late!"
Gash growls in frustration. Yet the appearance of the Sandworm wasn't isolated to this location alone; screams and explosions echo from all directions, but no reinforcements for Gash and his companions have yet arrived.
"Damn it... if only General Vincent were here right now..."
"Who's that?!"
"Why are you getting angry?!?"
"She's on our side as a spirit—what's the problem?!"
"Don't say things like that until we've defeated these monsters, you idiot!!"
Gash, once again, reflects on his final act of aid as a soldier.
Though it was an overreach to hope for Overnight in such a desperate situation, he still craved that absurd offensive power.
"Damn it... All or nothing. I'll smash the tomahawk into my own mouth!"
"You're going to swallow it whole, aren't you?"
"I guess so."
The maw of the sandworm, over a meter in diameter, could easily have swallowed the tomahawk whole; even though they were bound by silk chains, once inside, extraction would be no easy task.
"Do you have any kind of ultimate move, Water Spirit-sama?!"
"There isn't one! What do you expect from water, you idiot?!"
"...Something like a poison that makes your stomach turn?"
"I've got it ready. Next time we're intimate, I'll definitely serve you some poison—enough to keep you stuck in the toilet for a whole day."
"Understood. I'm never going to sleep with you again."
"I'm sorry! That was just a joke, so please don't say mean things like that!"
"You weakling!!"
While relentlessly pounding the sandworm's head, this affectionate couple had been bickering and flirting nonstop. If anyone were watching, they'd probably burst out laughing: "This is the Spirit Festival night after all."
No.
"Hahaha! You two are so cute together!!"
They were indeed being laughed at aloud.
"Who's there?!"
Gash and Heili turned sharply, startled.
Standing before them was a woman with dark skin and silvery hair, exuding an androgynous aura.
"That's right."
The woman continued chuckling softly as she pointed toward the sandworms.
As the monsters closed in, Gash and Heili instinctively prepared to attack—
"Here's a hint... No fireworks users have visited this town today."
"Huh?"
"Hint number two."
She swung her pointing finger sideways.
In the next instant, one of the sandworms was suddenly sliced into rings with a sharp chun sound.
"!!"
Gash and Heili stood stunned.
The woman calmly passed between them, then spread her arms toward the remaining sandworms.
"Hint number three: Tonight, I have the duty to cherish couples like you two."
With an elegant half-spin, she turned her back to the swarm and faced Gash and his companions.
A dazzling light bloomed across her back as if swelling with brilliance.
Like a giant firefly suddenly scattering its glow, it erupted around them, swarming over the sandworms' backs, heads, and mouths.
The light danced like fireworks seen at dusk, pulverizing the sandworms into a thousand fragments.
"Nice to meet you, warrior of the loving lizards and spirit of water."
A deafening roar, clouds of sand smoke, and the green bodily fluids of the sandworms shooting upward.
"My name is Bright Light. I am one of the spirits of light."
Unblemished by any of that chaos, she smiled warmly, though her appearance was indistinguishable from a dark elf.
(TBC)