Free Web NovelChapter 46: Two figures on the horizon
The wasteland stretched endlessly beneath a sky that seemed to belong to another universe entirely.
Above them, vast sheets of deep violet cloud drifted across the heavens, streaked with long bands of orange that glowed like molten metal smeared across the horizon. There was no visible sun. No burning sphere hanging overhead to explain the oppressive heat that dominated the landscape. Yet the temperature was brutal enough to feel almost supernatural. The air itself seemed to burn with every breath, entering the lungs dry and scorching, carrying not the faintest trace of moisture.
The rocky desert below reflected that heat relentlessly.
Dark stone formations rose from the ground like the broken remains of ancient mountains, their surfaces cracked and weathered by forces one could not begin to guess. The ground shimmered continuously beneath the thermal haze, causing distant landmarks to blur and bend as though reality itself were wavering in the heat.
A normal person would not have survived long in such conditions.
High above the scorching terrain rode three figures atop their summons.
At the front was Maya.
The wind tugged at her blonde hair, though most of it remained secured within a long ponytail that swayed behind her with each movement of the beetle beneath them. Even after days spent crossing a realm that appeared designed to exhaust and destroy travelers, there remained something strikingly composed about her presence. Dust coated her clothing just as it coated everyone else’s, yet somehow it failed to diminish the impression she created.
Behind her sat Yuto.
His lean frame contrasted sharply with the massive armored creature carrying them. Pale skin, black hair, and the distinctive streak of silver running through it made him easy to recognize even from a distance. Beneath his left eye, the small burn scar remained visible whenever the shifting light caught his face at the right angle.
The steel-plated beetle beneath them moved with surprising speed despite its immense size, its armored legs carrying it across the uneven terrain while each heavy step sent vibrations through the stone below.
A short distance away, keeping pace with them effortlessly, ran a massive black panther.
Its sleek body flowed across the landscape with predatory grace, powerful muscles rolling beneath dark fur as it navigated the wasteland.
Riding atop the panther was Tami.
The boy sat comfortably on his summon despite the rough terrain, his round face flushed from the heat as he scanned the horizon with growing boredom.
They had been traveling for hours.
Hours of endless stone.
Hours of heat.
Hours of a landscape that seemed incapable of changing.
The monotony was becoming almost hypnotic.
Which was why Tami noticed the movement first.
His posture stiffened immediately. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
The shift was subtle, but enough to draw attention. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Yuto noticed it from atop the beetle.
"What is it?"
Tami did not answer immediately.
Instead, he pointed.
Far ahead, distorted by the wavering heat haze, two shapes were moving across the desert.
At first they appeared little more than dark blurs against the horizon.
Then they grew larger.
Clearer.
Steel-plated beetles.
The monsters emerged from behind a rocky rise, their armored bodies reflecting faint orange light from the strange sky overhead. Their massive forms moved with alarming speed, crossing the wasteland far faster than creatures of their size had any right to.
Then they noticed the group.
The reaction was immediate.
Both beetles adjusted course simultaneously.
Huge clouds of dust and shattered stone erupted behind them as they accelerated directly toward Yuto and the others.
Tami swore under his breath.
"We should run."
Yuto watched the charging monsters for a few seconds.
Then he shook his head.
"No need."
Maya glanced back toward him.
Tami looked equally confused.
Before either of them could question his reasoning, Yuto swung himself down from the beetle.
His boots hit the rocky ground with a heavy crunch.
"Maya, get off."
She obeyed immediately, sliding down from the summon without argument.
The moment her feet touched the ground, Yuto raised a hand.
A familiar pulse of energy moved through the air.
Then Shiny appeared.
The swordsman materialized beside him in complete silence.
As always, his expression remained calm and unreadable.
For several seconds, Shiny simply stood there.
Looking at the beetle.
The beetle looked back.
Neither moved.
Neither made a sound.
The bizarre staring contest stretched on for so long that Yuto began feeling uncomfortable.
Maya blinked.
Tami frowned.
The beetle tilted its head slightly.
Shiny remained perfectly still.
The silence somehow became worse.
Finally, Shiny lowered his head.
"Yes, Master."
Then he looked away.
Yuto felt an inexplicable sense of relief.
Without another word, Shiny launched himself forward.
The swordsman crossed the terrain with explosive speed, sprinting directly toward the approaching monsters.
At almost the exact same moment, Yuto’s beetle released a shrill metallic cry that echoed across the wasteland.
Then it charged.
Its enormous body thundered across the stone, every impact sending cracks through the ground beneath its feet.
The distance between the combatants vanished rapidly.
One enemy beetle lowered its massive horn and targeted Shiny.
The second charged directly toward Yuto’s summon.
The collision that followed shook the desert.
Stone exploded outward.
Dust erupted into the air in towering clouds.
The sound resembled two landslides crashing into one another.
Shiny narrowly avoided the sweeping strike of a horn that could have split his body in half. He twisted aside at the last possible moment, his sword flashing upward in a silver arc.
Metal screamed.
A shower of sparks burst across the enemy’s armor.
At the same time, Yuto’s beetle slammed headfirst into its opponent.
The impact sounded like mountains colliding.
Neither creature yielded.
Massive armored bodies pressed against one another as horns scraped and plates ground together. The force of their struggle sent fractured stone flying in every direction.
For several seconds, the battle remained deadlocked.
Then the enemy beetles adapted.
Yuto saw the shift immediately.
One disengaged from Shiny.
Instead of continuing its duel, it suddenly pivoted and charged toward Yuto’s summon.
The second reacted instantly.
Both monsters converged.
Two against one.
Yuto’s stomach tightened.
The difference was immediate.
The combined assault slammed into his beetle from opposite angles, forcing the creature backward across the rocky ground. Its legs dug trenches through the stone as it struggled to maintain footing.
Then something cracked.
A sharp metallic sound rang across the battlefield.
One of the enemy horns punched through a section of armor.
Dark fluid erupted into the air.
The beetle shrieked.
The sound was horrific.
Pain, rage, and panic blended together into a single deafening cry that echoed across the wasteland.
For the first time since obtaining the summon, genuine alarm surged through Yuto.
His beetle was losing.
The realization struck hard.
Before Shiny could close the distance and intervene, both enemy beetles spotted the wound.
Like predators sensing weakness, they immediately lunged toward the exposed opening, their massive horns driving forward with lethal intent as they sought to finish the fight before help could arrive.
