Magical Soul Parade

Chapter 338: Battle At The Soul Sanctum (I)

"Oh by the way Madoc. Osmund." Finn said while his voice took on a new level of seriousness. "Prepare yourselves. You are going ahead of me to attack the Sanctum."

The words Madoc had wanted to say died on his tongue instantly. He blinked and his mouth hung open for a second before he managed to sputter a response.

"A—Attack the Sanctum? You mean we are attacking immediately upon arrival?" he asked.

"Yes," Finn said simply, as if he had not just as if he had not just issued an order that would sound like a suicide mission to any other person in this world.

Osmund himself was also dumbstruck. It was one thing for the Lord Errant to say he would attack the Sanctum — even something as crazy as that seemed par for the course for someone like him. Osmund and Madoc would not have batted an eye if he had said he was going to personally lead the attack on the Sanctum.

But that was not what he said. Rather, what the Lord Errant just ordered was for the two Anaelle to "attack ahead of him..." meaning that both Osmund and Madoc were to face up against the literal fortress of human Ossuarist power.

The two Anaelle had never set foot in human society in their entire lives, but just from the glimpses they’d seen of their original fragment holder’s memories, they knew enough of the Soul Sanctum to be aware that they were about to spearhead a terrifyingly daunting task.

"Don’t worry," Finn chuckled, seeing their expressions. "I am not asking you to conquer the place. You just have to attack furiously for thirty minutes. Hold out for that long and then I will make my appearance."

The words were spoken as if to alleviate their worries, but all it served to do was make them even more distraught.

Thirty minutes?! Osmund swallowed hard. I don’t think we’re going to last even half that! He glanced at Madoc and saw the same conclusion written in the hard lines on the taller Anaelle’s face.

Finn chuckled even louder, their expressions seemingly funny to him. "You guys. Do you not trust me yet? You are my people now. You are the Errant’s people."

His tone suddenly shifted. The playfulness vanished and it was replaced by a firm and absolute conviction.

"You will not die from something as petty as this. Trust in your strength and trust in mine."

Osmund felt a strange and sudden surge of relief after hearing the conviction in those words. The fear that had been gripping his heart for the last minute began to recede.

That’s right... Why do I doubt the Lord Errant? I have seen his strength and it goes beyond what is naturally possible.

A surge of confidence flared within him and his shoulders straightened.

Thirty minutes. We only have to hold out for thirty minutes.

The fear and doubt in his mind disappeared entirely. The task seemed more feasible with each passing second.

But Sue’s next words acted like a bucket of cold water dousing the flames of confidence building in his heart.

"What’s this? I thought you were fond of these two?" Her tone was mocking, but filled with a calm certainty. "You’re sending them to their deaths already?"

She joked around a lot, and her attitude was usually flippant and overly sprightly. But from Osmund’s brief time with her over the last couple of days of their travel, he could tell that she was being dead serious right now.

"Why are you suddenly choosing to attack the Soul Sanctum directly?" she asked Finn with the same mocking but serious tone. "Trying to use the element of surprise?"

Finn let out a long yawn and stretched his arms out on the log. He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes.

"Who knows? We’ll see how it goes," he responded.

His eyes then snapped open as if a better idea had come to him. He looked Sue’s way and grinned with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Since you’re so worried, I think it’ll be best if you also accompany them."

Sue’s expression spoiled in an instant. The smug and mocking look vanished and was replaced by a deep scowl.

"I’m curious to see the proficiency of your ’copies’ at work. You seem like a strong figure, you should be able to handle yourself and them, no? Or am I overestimating the Harvester Cult’s enforcers?"

Sue said nothing, her face settling into a stony calm. She regarded Finn for several seconds, her mind seeming to speed through a flurry of thoughts as if she was weighing the pros and cons, and the costs and benefits of agreeing to Finn’s request or declining.

Finally, with a forced smile, she responded with a curt, "Sure."

She turned and resumed collecting the game from Osmund and Madoc, before proceeding to skin it, though with visibly less enthusiasm than she’d had earlier.

Finn chuckled where he lay, then closed his eyes again.

"Wake me up when the food is ready," he said, seemingly to no one in particular, but everyone knew he was addressing Sue.

Her expression flickered again, and her hands paused for a beat before she continued to work on the animal. Her smile looked even more forced and her breathing was heavy with a suppressed rage.

Ahh. Why does this feel so refreshing, Osmund couldn’t help the pleased smile that colored his face as he reveled in Sue’s misery. Seeing the arrogant and manic girl being put in her place was a refreshing change of pace.

Sue glanced up sharply, feeling the weight of a gaze on her, then caught the shit-eating, pleased grin on Osmund’s face.

"Want me to gouge your eyes out? You fucking hairy elf!" She jabbed a finger his way viciously.

"Now now, no need for vicious words," Madoc stepped in like a mediator before anything would escalate. He put a hand on Osmund’s shoulder.

"Osmund, why don’t we go prime ourselves for the incoming battle while Miss Sue here arranges our dinner? We have much to discuss regarding our tactics for those thirty minutes..."

You devious geezer, Osmund barely kept a straight face as he nodded and followed Madoc off to the side while Sue was left practically boiling with barely concealed fury.

She looked at the game with a furious expression, all earlier traces of her eagerness to cook, gone in an instant. But she had no choice now. She bent grumpily and continued anyway.

I just hope she won’t actually poison all of us to death now... Osmund thought jokingly.

.

.

.

Two days later...

"Tsk. I guess he has some sort of precognitive ability with that Error fragment of his then?" Sue muttered under her breath, standing on a flying soul mass that was most certainly not Ryuga.

She and the two Anaelle had separated from Finn two days ago. They were now floating a considerable distance away from the Soul Sanctum, but still close enough that the inhabitants could see them as dots hovering in the sky.

"They knew we were coming?" Madoc frowned where he stood not far from Sue. All three of them were atop a large avian soul mass belonging to her.

"This... Isn’t this suicide at this point?" Osmund asked hesitantly. "They’ve put up a dome around the entire chasm and have Ossuarists lining everywhere the eye can see, all ready to bombard us with attacks at a moment’s notice."

"Tch. Where did that Finn guy get you from?" Sue hissed in apparent disgust. "Where is all your talk of ’priming yourself’ from the other day?" she mocked.

"You must have lived a sheltered life if this is your mentality on a battlefield." Sue’s words were like arrows piercing into Osmund’s ego. But he couldn’t deny that she was right. Even Madoc by his side clenched his jaw tightly.

Both their expressions went rigid and their focus seems to be sharpened into attention. They were no longer on the island. This was a battlefield where they would face up against Ossuarists with various kinds of abilities. It wasn’t like the petty fights Osmund, Madoc, and the now deceased Hagen used to have back on the island for territory.

This was a true life or death battle. And a moment of weak will or hesitation would cost them dearly.

Sue saw the change in their demeanor. The fact that they didn’t try to respond back or explain themselves was reassuring at least.

She snorted, her gaze firming as she spoke:

"On my mark, we attack."