[Nightmare]

Chapter 207 [Trust]

"Marie. We'll need you away from the battlefield, on a large vantage point so you can access the situation." Helix requested.

Marie grimaced, and her face contorted with conflicting emotions.

"What if my attacks harm you and Charlotte?" She asked.

Helix gave her a gentle smile.

"I'll be setting down fortification circles and in the worst case scenario, my Warpshire peacoat and my fur laced boots can take a beating."

Marie frowned with a skeptical expression.

"Warpshires attack with ground attacks when they can't use fire." He said with a light smile.

"I'm displeased to tell you that I didn't read that in a book."

Charlotte and Riley burst into giggles.

Marie laughed nervously and nodded in understanding.

"As long as we communicate well, we won't need to worry."

—

"Good job, Charlotte. I'll start fortifying and trapping!" Helix yelled.

"Marie! Move to a higher vantage point where you can see better!"

"I'm on it!" Marie yelled out.

"Make the best decisions, and remember that I'm wearing gear that can take a beating!"

"... R-Right! I'll do my best!" She replied nervously while running away.

Helix pulled out fortification circles and threw them around Charlotte's feet and general area.

—

"Tinker. Find the otakus and weebs location and prevent them from entering the battlefield." Helix said while kneeling and petting the dog.

"It's not fighting, but it is more critical to winning.

Can I count on you?"

Tinker looked at Helix with a serious gaze.

His sharp blue eyes popped from the snow-white fur around them.

"Rruuruff!"

Helix pet Tinker's head and the pup graciously accepted.

"Charlotte. Your role will primarily be to keep the monster pinned down with gravity between my attacks." He continued.

"My attacks will ensure containment control, but you'll be there to end it quickly if necessary.

You're also there to demonstrate the power of our spells in attacking, but Riley's defenses should make our point.

Remember, you two. The purpose isn't to show might, but how we handle our magic carefully."

"Got~it." Charlotte chimed.

"I'll make sure to keep that in my mind." Riley replied in a sweet voice.

—

"Charlotte, hold [Domain] a bit longer until I can set the reinforcement and flood spells." He requested.

"GOOOOO—!"

BOOM!

Charlotte hit the monster with 50 G's of gravitational force, forcing its feet to crack in the earth.

It sank five feet and fell to a knee to keep standing.

"I'll do my best! Hurry the hell up!" Charlotte yelled.

"I'm on it!" Helix replied.

He ran toward the castle's walls with ghostly speed.

"GO—!"

BOOM!

It was sent into the earth with 75 G's of force when it started pushing up.

Their enemy used fire attacks, and Charlotte did too.

So Helix set and activated the flood spells in preparation for the attack.

If the fire spread into the area, it would trigger the spells and put the fires out.

They were fighting 150 meters from the walls, and he set them far enough to prevent the steam from injuring everyone.

…

"Haaaaaah. Now that I've seen that spell in action, I'm kicking myself for not trying hard enough.

Let's get the soldiers to the back to provide support!" Masov roared.

…

"I'm going to learn from Riley. Did you see that?" Lily asked excitedly.

"Yeah… that was crazy…." Kyle commented in a daze.

"Charlotte's pure murder. If this wasn't so close to the city, I'm certain that thing would already be dead!" Sarah laughed.

—

"Helix… are you sure you want to be upfront in danger?" Marie asked nervously.

"We're talking about a fourth-evolution monster.

No matter how much we control the situation, it will be deadly, and your defense stat is extremely weak.

Our attacks are extremely strong, and having you upfront limits our power if we need to end it quickly."

Helix chuckled and gave her a charming smile.

"Of course. General Masov and Chief Salkey watched you and Charlotte level mountains.

After seeing that, if they see [barrier boy] doing the fighting, they'll understand you can't use your magic."

Charlotte gave him an evil grin, but Marie and Riley were unconvinced.

"Perception of my invincibility is what will make people trust me." Helix continued.

"If I don't demonstrate strength, people will be bitter and see me as the cocky [boyfriend of the scary girls]."

—

Once General Masov could see the battlefield again, he was shocked.

The monster was missing a leg, and Helix sliced it up between gravity attacks.

Large amounts of blood flowed, and the ground around the monster sank.

"Wow. I didn't know the boy was that powerful." General Masov commented with wide eyes.

"Me either. I knew he was strong, but I didn't think he was strong enough to take on a small army." Oakley joked.

Masov gave his Major a wry smile.

"I'm joking." Oakley replied with a relaxing tone.

"He's strong, but I can tell he's well intentioned."

"Well, it doesn't matter either way.

It's clear we need him, regardless of behavior."

General Masov never disliked Helix, nor did he question his good intentions.

However, anyone who could gain power through non-institutionalized networks quickly threatened a nation's power structure.

Even if Helix didn't intend to seize power, his influence alone would make [his] decisions social law.

If Helix disagreed with a critical institution, it could throw the kingdom into disarray.

For example, In modern times, Earthian countries found the feudal system and indentured servitude unacceptable.

So it was natural for Helix to disdain quasi-enslaved farmers—and he did.

However, Myriad had a similar system, and it was vital for food to pass through Alzeria.

If Helix's disdain started a movement among the city nobles to end the serf system, it could cause a famine due to abstracted decision-making.

Certain things sound nice until an institution is removed without a replacement.

Then the economic solution the original institution fixed would cause havoc once broken.

Those in the Capital, like modern politicians, are not aware of topics and make rulings based upon popular ideas before letting specialists iron out the details.

If the general nobles—not the specializing nobles—demanded the reform, it could cause destructive problems.

Helix was uninformed and only spreading his opinions, but if he had so much influence, his casual beliefs would influence law and cause mass famine.

That is why Helix was a problem.

It wasn't personal. It was rational.

Liliana and Eliza felt the same way, despite liking Helix.

Masov was telling Oakley that the political problems Helix could cause were a non-issue when facing immediate problems.

It was something everyone now agreed upon.

Oakley nodded and watched the battlefield.

"What a fuckin' badass!" Miskie called out.

"Hell yeah!" Samuel yelled.

"Wow… I hope this isn't the end.

I want to train more with Helix…." Leo commented.

"Hah. Back of the line, dude. I'm becoming broken first." Peter called out with a puffed-out chest.

—

Charlotte burst into laughter, triggering Riley to giggle.

Marie stared at him with a blank expression and blinked twice.

Helix chuckled at her expression and flashed her a dazzling smile that put her in a trance.

Charlotte and Riley were stunned by the bright, confident smile as well.

It threw their brains into an emotional black hole.

"Besides, if I get hurt by one of your attacks, wouldn't that prove the point? It's ideal." Helix laughed.

Everyone was stunned by his overconfidence.

Charlotte started giggling in bewilderment, and Marie and Riley fell victim to the laughter.

"I'm the weakest, yes. But I also have barriers and a coat that puts my defense stats close to yours.

I also have a Love's Protection, and we have solid communication."

Marie snapped out of her daze.

"That's true. But… if you don't get up, the mission is lost, and we don't know if you'll recover from the monster attack…."

—

"[Liner Quake!]" Marie screamed from the west end of the battlefield.

She was standing on an amplification circle to communicate her spells.

A massive earthquake ripped across the battlefield toward the east in a line, destroying everything in its path.

It started from a high point 30 meters away and cut into the battlefield.

"[Wind Dance]!" Riley called from the north side of the battlefield.

"Wait…!" David cried in a panic.

"Watch out, boy!" Macron roared at the top of his lungs.

"Charlotte!" Helix cried.

He was signaling her to move into the fortification zone he left behind her position.

She nodded and jumped backward, trusting he'd be safe.

Helix was 15 seconds away from placing the fortification circles underneath his position, but it was already too late.

He jumped backward in the air at full strength to escape the attack.

"[Gravity Dance]!" Charlotte yelled.

Helix's lightness allowed him to jump higher in the air.

"GOOOOOOOOOOORRRRN!"

The monster cried out in pain.

The earthquake crushed its footing, and [Wind Dance] sent a huge boulder crashing into its back.

Blood exploded everywhere in a truly gruesome display.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The monster crashed into the ground on a knee before flying forward.

Its body crashed forward from the momentum, and its arm shot forward as it fell.

A yellow glow enveloped Helix's body instantly, but the hand instantly crashed through the weak barrier, turning it into fairy dust.

It wasn't trying to hurt Helix; it just crashed into him naturally.

Helix flew fifty feet across the battlefield and hit the ground rolling.

"HEEEEELIX!" The otakus and weebs cried.

"Hellieeeee!" Charlotte screamed in an impassioned rage.

—

Helix walked up and hugged her.

"Marie… if we don't pull this off, we'll all die." He whispered with a gentle voice.

"So we'll just have to trust that I'll wake up alright."

—

[A/N: Who's ready to get this party started? ;)]

—

Power stones and grammatical errors = more content. :)