“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)