Is this the big commotion Clayton mentioned?
This commotion is certainly big enough.
Although Anvil City had been attacked by Abyss monsters before, those previous raids were never on a large scale; at most, there were only dozens or a few hundred at a time.
The numbers weren’t even as high as what Yuri had killed when she dealt with the Abyss Nest, so even though there were Abyss attacks during that period, they didn’t affect the normal movement of people in Anvil City.
No wonder the City Lord chose to close the city gates. Was it because he had already anticipated this scene occurring?
He had never explained the specific reason, which makes sense now.
After all, once news of an Abyss beast tide attacking Anvil City spread, the entire city would surely fall into chaos.
At that time, many people would definitely choose to leave Anvil City quickly before the attack happened.
Perhaps at the very moment the gates were opened to let the residents leave, the Abyss beast tide would have appeared.
By then, without defensive preparations made in advance and with the city gates open, the expected result for Anvil City would likely have been its fall.
Looking at it now, the City Lord seemed to have made some preparations to withstand the Abyss attack.
Maybe the situation hasn’t reached the absolute worst-case scenario yet.
In that case, it makes sense that Clayton knew Anvil City might be attacked by the Abyss.
Perhaps he had some means to get in touch with the City Lord, subsequently learning that the Abyss might launch a large-scale attack on the city.
It was just that he didn’t know exactly when the attack would begin.
He could only give a vague guess, and as it turned out, he was actually right. Before the sun had even set, the Abyss launched a massive assault.
“Wow, it’s a black mass out there.”
Looking up, Yuri saw that Iris had floated into the air at some unknown point, her gaze peering over the city walls to look outside.
Unlike herself, Iris could clearly see the situation outside the city and knew how the current battle was unfolding.
“Iris, what’s the situation?”
When Iris descended and came to her side, Yuri quickly asked the question.
“It’s a black mass, looking like a surging tide.”
That certainly didn’t count as good news. Now, she could only hope that those knights on the city walls were capable enough.
“The numbers are too great. Those knights on the battlements can’t handle it at all. And those mages too… ugh, such low-level magic. To think they’d actually show that off.”
Iris provided commentary while describing the situation outside the city.
To her, the magic used by those mages might truly be beneath her notice.
However, if what Iris said was accurate, the situation was likely quite dire.
Once the knights on the walls could no longer stop the Abyss monsters, and the city gates were breached, they would be forced into close-quarters combat. If the knights inside the city couldn’t hold them back either, then the fall of Anvil City would only be a matter of time.
“The gate looks like it’s about to break. Yuri, what are you still doing here watching the show? Let’s go.”
Go?
“Hey, Yuri, don’t tell me you want to interfere. Those knights are blocking the way, it’s none of your business. If the city really is overrun, if you find a place to hide right now, you might even escape with your life. If you keep staying here, you might get torn to shreds by those monsters in a bit.”
Iris was right; there really was no necessity for her to stay here.
After all, there were knights stationed here, and they would block those Abyss monsters.
Even if she chose to stay, she couldn’t help much, and once she took action, her identity would be immediately exposed to the knights. While fighting the Abyss monsters, they could temporarily face the enemy together, but what about when it ended?
Wouldn’t she then have to face a siege from the knights?
Leaving this place to the knights was fine. What she needed to do was go to the Adventurers’ Guild and find Clayton to learn what information he knew.
These were the things she should be doing right now.
She should have stepped away, yet why was she hesitating to take that final step toward leaving?
“Yuri? Why aren’t you going?”
Iris looked back and saw that Yuri remained in place, subsequently tilting her head as she asked in a questioning voice.
“Could it be… you want to stay here?”
Stay here?
Staying here meant fighting those Abyss monsters and bearing the risk of her identity being exposed. After clearing out the Abyss monsters, what would await her was a siege by the knights.
Did she really need to go that far?
She didn’t want to be a hero or speak pretty words about saving others.
She just wanted to live.
She just wanted to leave this place, find a way to break the curse, and then live the life of an ordinary person.
That was all.
But… if the city really was overrun… Yuri remembered the children she had settled, remembered the unease in Alyosha’s eyes, and the promise she had made to her.
If Anvil City were truly breached, then everyone in the city would die because of the Abyss.
But in the end, she was just one person. If Anvil City truly reached the brink of life and death, even adding her to the mix likely wouldn’t change anything.
Should she really choose to stay?
As she faced the choice, Yuri heard a voice filled with despair.
“The gate is broken!”
Hmm?
Yuri snapped her head up. Her vision bypassed the knights standing in readiness to see that the heavy city gate had completely shattered in a deafening explosion. Outside the gate, monsters resembling a tidal wave acted as if they had found an outlet, instantly pouring into Anvil City and clashing with the prepared knights in a slaughter.
“If you don’t leave now, it’ll be too late.”
In this moment, Yuri made her choice.
After taking out her cloak and mask and putting them on, Yuri aimed for the monster that had broken through the knights’ defensive line.
Clutching the pendant hanging from her neck, with a thought from Yuri, the pendant instantly transformed into a longsword in her hand.
Scorching flames surged from her palm. Yuri stepped forward, and the flaming longsword in her hand drew a crimson arc through the air, instantly slicing the monster’s body in two.
The fallen corpse continued to squirm, trying to pull itself back together, but the flames attached to the severed surfaces flared up violently, incinerating the two halves into ash in an instant.
Alright, next is… Her gaze shifted to the next monster, and Yuri rushed forward again, swinging the longsword in her hand.
Iris silently watched Yuri’s movements. That she would make such a decision was actually within expectations.
Rather, this was who she was.
Clearly at a point where she could barely protect herself, yet she still foolishly made such a move.
“Truly an incorrigible fool.”
However, she was an interesting fool, wasn’t she?
The corners of Iris’s mouth curled into a smile. Letting such an interesting fool die just like that wouldn’t do.
“Hey, Yuri, are you a fool? On your left! Can’t you see it?”
Occasionally messing around with her like this… it isn’t so bad after all.