The technique of absorbing energy from nature and making it your own was an advanced one; only a limited few Saints were capable of it. Mora had called out to the salt that was within the earth of the mountain as she absorbed its power of purification and transformed it into a barrier to block fiends.
Vast power flowed from the earth into Mora. Her body filled with intense heat, showering sparks around her. She packed the energy into the stake, and the carvings on it formed it into a wall. “Saltpeak Barrier, activate!”
There was a thunderous roar. Invisible waves emanated from the stake. Instantly, the whole mountain was enveloped in a veil of light. “Did it work?!” Adlet yelled. No reply was needed. It was basically perfect.
This barrier could only have been made via the cooperation of the Saint of Salt and the Saint of Mountains. What’s more, it would have been impossible had both of them not been particularly powerful. There was also the risk that Mora would be unable to control the large volumes of power that flowed into her—in that case, she would have been destroyed.
“…Oh?”
As Mora watched from afar, the fiend looked up at the veil of light spread above, smiling. Though Tgurneu was acting unconcerned, she could see clearly that it had been shaken.
“They’ve creatèd a barrier! Concenträte the minions near the commander! Protect Cömmander Tgurneu!” yelled the monkey-fiend. Its subordinates immediately scattered about the mountain, summoning the rest to converge on this location. “If you stay here, Commander, you may come under attack by the Braves of the Six Flowers. Let us leave the mountain at once.”
“True, but though I’d like to go, I don’t think I can.” Smiling stiffly, Tgurneu descended the mountain.
“I have Tgurneu trapped, Adlet,” said Mora. “You and Rolonia, go to the hill now.”
Adlet nodded. “Rolonia, let’s go. And you come with us, too, Hans. All right?”
“Meow, of course it’s all right. Yer comin’ with us, too, Goldof. You wouldn’t be useful if ya stayed here, anyway,” Hans quipped and whacked the knight on the back. Goldof didn’t react, but he appeared not to mind.
“So it’s the four of us, then. Everyone hurry and get ready,” Adlet said, and he dashed into the cave.
Meanwhile, Tgurneu had arrived at the foot of the mountain, the wall of the Saltpeak Barrier. One of the fiends body-slammed the light, but when it made contact, its body sizzled in a shower of sparks and smoke. The fiend slammed the barrier again and again, but it did not break. Ultimately, it died, its entire body scorched black.
“Oh, my. I expected as much.” Tgurneu touched the corpse with one hand. “It’s probably Mora, though I doubt she could make something like this on her own. Perhaps she had help from Willone.” The subordinates scattered about the mountain came to concentrate around Tgurneu, and the fiend gave them their orders. “Being trapped in like this is rather a bother. Break the barrier for me.”
The gigantic reptile-fiend headbutted the barrier, and the jellyfish sprayed acid on it, too. All at once, the large mass of fiends began to attack.
Mora fell to her knees, clenching the stake. With each impact against the barrier, the stake shuddered. She poured the power of the Spirit of Mountains into the stake, reinforcing her spell.
Tgurneu regarded the whole scene with disinterest.
What an utter buffoon, thought Mora. All she had to do now was wait for Adlet to bring back his results. Until then, she had to keep protecting the barrier. Please, Adlet. Her beloved daughter’s life was in his hands.
Adlet opened his iron box and packed every one of his tools that could possibly be useful in the investigation into the pouches at his waist. “I’m ready, Addy,” Rolonia announced. He had told them all to hurry, but it turned out that Adlet was the only one who had preparing to do. He swiftly filled his belt.
“Adlet, take this with you.” Fremy handed him two small firecrackers—the kind used for communication, like the ones she had given him back inside the Phantasmal Barrier. If he shot these off, it would alert her to his location. “I carved numbers into them. The first one is a call for help. If you detonate it, we’ll take down the barrier immediately and head out to help you. The second is meant as a message. If you find any clues, use that one.”
“Got it. I don’t think I’ll be using the first one, though.” Adlet stood up and left the cave. He looked at Goldof, who was waiting. Still as sulky as ever. “What’s going on with the fiends?” he asked Mora.
She was still clenching the stake, protecting the barrier. “The majority are gathered around Tgurneu, on the southwest side. There are some enemies on watch, but they are few. Their forces are thinnest on the northern side.”
“I want to avoid the fiends noticing that we’ve left, if possible. Is there a way to get out without being seen?” Adlet inquired.
Behind him, Chamo piped up. “That’s easy. You can just go while Chamo’s pets are distracting the enemy.” Adlet was a little surprised. He hadn’t thought she would volunteer to cooperate.
Fremy drew her gun and scanned their surroundings as she said, “I’ll finish off the enemies that are watching us now. No problem.”
“Then let us begin,” said Mora. “We have little time. We’ll end this before Tgurneu makes a move.”
They all got moving. Under Mora’s direction, Fremy and Chamo took out the fiends on recon, while Adlet’s party waited until all the enemies around were gone and then ran off silently northward. They proceeded under cover of night, their bodies hunched low, until they received instructions from Mora.
“Three fiends before you. I doubt you can evade them unnoticed as you pass. Get rid of them.” Adlet
