At the Northern Fort

Just as I thought my back was going to become bald, a large shadow dropped down from behind me and-

"Guh-……!"

The enemy suddenly let out a groan and collapsed to the ground.

No way! I think the enemy's spit got on my belly! Yuck!

While paying attention to my belly, I peeked at the enemy's face.

Seems like he's lost consciousness.

When I turned around and looked up, I saw Commander-san standing there with a raised eyebrow, his right hand still curled up in a fist.

"——'if things get dangerous, I'll go.' -is what I wanted to say."

It looks like Commander-san struck the enemy with a single blow to the solar plexus to make him faint.

Taking him down using his fists instead of the sword at his waist might just be Commander-san's style.

"Mil-chan, thanks for protecting me. But—"

"That was dangerous. If you were to get injured, everyone here would be sad."

Commander-san followed after Tina-san.

"I'm sorry for worrying yo-……"

The instant I was about to respond, Kugalg's raised voice interrupted me.

"Let me go!"

The one trying to carry away Kugalg under his arm was one of the men that had been fighting the One-Eyed Knight earlier.

During the gap in which Commander-san's attention was caught by Tina-san and myself, he had caught Kugalg, who had been left on his own atop Leader's back.

"Did they realise that they were spirits?"

Commander-san muttered to himself while clicking his tongue and chased after the enemy that was trying to run off with Kugalg.

The enemy was heading towards the horses, so he was probably planning on running off like that. I also wanted to go save Kugalg, but Tina-san stopped me.

The reason why the enemy had been fighting on the defensive could be because they were looking for the chance to outmanoeuvre everyone.

Was Kugalg their aim from the start?

The One-Eyed Knight also noticed the enemy trying to kidnap Kugalg and used his free hand that wasn't holding his sword to punch the enemy in front of him.

The enemy had only been paying attention to the movements of his sword, so he was caught by surprise and ate the punch without being able to react to it.

As expected of the One-Eyed Knight, he really is Commander-san's student.

It seems like swordsmanship isn't all there is to being a knight.

"Retreat!"

The enemy fighting Kix grabbed his unconscious comrade while still fighting Kix and dragged him off in an attempt to retreat.

The enemy fighting Branch Captain-san and the enemy that was staggering after being punched by the One-Eyed Knight both stopped their attacks and tried to run.

"Like I'd let you!"

However, Kix and everyone had no intention of letting them get away so easily.

"Weren't we gonna take the white one too!?"

"Just one should be fine, any more than this'll be difficult!"

"Hurry up!"

The enemies shouted at each other while trying to run.

It seems that I was also a target.

The One-Eyed Knight didn't even give a glance to the enemy in front of him as he dashed off, overtaking Commander-san and springing at the enemy that was trying to mount a horse while carrying the struggling Kugalg under his arm.

Taking advantage of the moment when the One-Eyed Knight dragged the enemy completely off the horse, Kugalg smoothly escaped and landed safely on the ground.

"Guha-……!"

Ah, the One-Eyed Knight punched the enemy again.

Using his fists might just be faster than using his sword.

"Kugalg, you're not hurt, are you?"

The One-Eyed Knight asked after standing up from taking down the enemy, to which Kugalg nodded with a complicated expression. He might be embarrassed at having been kidnapped, or perhaps he was seeing the One-Eyed Knight in a new light after seeing his strength with his own eyes.

"Dammit!"

"Uu……"

Kix and Commander-san went to clean up the remaining three enemies. It looked like rather than putting them completely out of commission, they were planning on capturing them in a state where they could spill their aims.

With the One-Eyed Knight and Commander-san together, our side had the advantage. I could even relax more while watching them.

However, just when I thought that our victory was certain, an unexpected reinforcement came for the enemy's side.

"Woah!"

A sudden gust of wind almost sent me flying, and I clung to the ground with all four paws.

Without a moment's delay, a second gust blew and this time, unable to resist it, I was sent tumbling away.

"Mil-chan!"

Tina-san, who was nearby, chased after me and caught me.

Uwah!"

Just as I gave a sigh of relief, this time I heard Kugalg's voice coming from a distance away.

Though the wind that had been attacking me had subsided, it now started to blast at Kugalg and send him tumbling, forcing the One-Eyed Knight to save him.

(What……?)

With my fur still dishevelled, I looked up at the sky.

Because the wind that had been targeting Kugalg and I alone had been blowing down from high above.

"A bird?"

Tina-san also looked up and squinted her eyes.

There certainly was a bird about the size of a dove flying there, and right now it was currently glaring at Kugalg unhappily.

Its feathers were a faint pea green, with the colour growing darker around the base of its legs. The colour grew a brighter yellow just around its eyes, appearing as though it was wearing eyeshadow. On its head was an erect crest that was the same light blue as the tips of its wings.

If the one who was manipulating the wind and attacking was him – or perhaps 'her' – then it probably was no ordinary bird.

(A spirit……?)

My eyes widened as I looked up at the colourful bird.

"Uwah, again-!"

The bird once again changed its target from Kugalg to me and began to attack.

Tina-san crouched and held me in her arms, so this time I managed to get away without tumbling, but I couldn't open my eyes from the strong wind. It hurt when the sand and pebbles being blown up by the wind struck me relentlessly too.

Not only that, but unlike before, the attacks didn't stop immediately, and every time the bird flapped its wings, the wind got stronger.

My fluffy fur was all blown backwards by the wind pressure, as I grit my teeth and endured it.

Tina-san's long ponytail was also fluttering in the wind.

"Mil!"

Branch Captain-san and Kix came running and stood in front of us to act as a wall, but they couldn't stop the formless wind, nor could they capture the bird that was flying high up in the sky.

From the edges of my field of vision, I could see Kugalg, the One-Eyed Knight and Commander-san also running this way.

However, when the bird noticed that, it once again changed its target to Kugalg.

(Why is it just targeting me and Kugalg?)

Naturally, I had never been attacked by Mother, Father, or Hilg-papa before.

This was the first time ever since I was born that I was facing a spirit that wasn't a parent or guardian, and on top of that, I was being attacked one-sidedly. I didn't know what to do.

"Who are you!?"

"Mil-chan……!"

As Kugalg, as well as the One-Eyed Knight and Commander-san who were trying to protect him from the strong winds, were being blown around, I broke free from Tina-san's arms and shouted.

However, the bird did not have any human words to speak. It let out a shrill cry as though it were screaming and glared at me, and then dropped down like a bird of prey as it headed towards me.

I couldn't even close my eyes as my body stiffened, and watched as the enraged bird approached rapidly.

However, the moment when I unavoidably had to meet its eyes from the short distance between us, I realised for the first time that its eyes had lost all sense of sanity.

Anger? Grief? Hatred?

None of them seemed to be the right term to describe it, but it felt as though such negative emotions were mixed up chaotically within those eyes.

"Mil!"

Branch Captain-san, who came running from behind me, swung his sword but the bird rode the wind to dodge his blow and once again returned to the skies.

It's probably futile even if I try to call out to that bird in this situation.

We have to catch it and calm it down somehow.

As that thought crossed my mind, I heard the growling voice of a small beast.

When I quickly turned my gaze towards Kugalg, I saw him in a lowered stance with the tip of his tail wiggling side to side.

He had entered the pose that he had taken when the two of us had been hunting the wild rabbit.

Seeing that, I suddenly remembered something, and then started to bark, "Kyan kyan!" noisily on the spot.

As I drew the bird's attention my way, I turned tail and started to run.

"Mil!? Where are you going!"

I ran between Branch Captain-san and Kix, and the bird chased after me, unwilling to let me go so easily.

After confirming that and passing by Tina-san, who had been directly behind me, I made a large arc on the wide road and changed course as though I were on a track field.

This was no time to be rolling around, so I firmly planted my legs onto the ground with my claws out.

I ran circles with Tina-san as the centrepoint, not dropping my speed one bit. My momentum was such that if I were a car, you'd probably be hearing the continuous screeching of tires.

For a short while, I was able to pull ahead of the bird as it couldn't turn too well in the air, but when I ran straight ahead, it seemed that it would catch up in the blink of an eye.

It was probably flying at a lower altitude, as I could hear wingbeats coming from directly behind me, which made my entire body feel like cold sweat would gush out from it.

However, just when it seemed as though I would be caught by those sharp talons—-a black mass jumped over me, attacking the bird head-on.

Kugalg had been lying in wait in the direction where I had been heading.

The bird was concentrating on me, and hadn't been paying much attention to its surroundings, so the moment when Kugalg caught it, it let out a scream.

Hearing its high voice, I felt that this spirit was probably a woman.

In any case, we've safely managed to detain it, so now we'll have to figure out its true identity and purpose. Taking down a bird flying in the air is hard, but once it's on the ground, we'll have the advantage……or at least, we should have the advantage.

But, just as Kugalg safely landed with the bird held in his mouth and a proud look on his face, the bird started to turn into numerous balls of light and disappear.

"Ah, this bastard!"

Kugalg tried to jump and catch one of the lights, but he only managed to claw at the empty air.

All six of the separate balls of light flew towards the grassy plains.

(Balls of light……fairies?)

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