Shade had no idea what the witch was thinking. He drew that silver greatsword from the air. As his strength continued to grow, the appearance of the Moonbeam Greatsword had gradually changed as well. Compared to the past, the runes flowing across the blade were now far more distinct.
The greatsword's glow alone was enough to illuminate the surroundings. Shade bent slightly at the waist, while the Lady behind him craned her neck and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Suddenly, some animal moved first, and then the animals that had half-surrounded them charged together.
"Heaton Seal!"
As Shade plunged the greatsword into the soil beneath his feet, a golden hemispherical shield unfolded, shimmering with flowing light.
The instant the animals touched the shield, the golden light exploded like lightning. Though the strange animals looked terrifying, they were merely somewhat stronger than ordinary beasts. Under the Heaton Seal's explosive effect, they were hurled backward, and a large number of them died on the spot.
"Much easier than I imagined."
Shade said to the witch behind him. Miss Benanis was still curiously examining those animals.
"Though I'd really like to experiment here, let's purify this place first, then continue deeper inside."
Shade scattered soil and flower petals together. This time, tied around his right wrist was the "Earth Talisman" he had obtained from the Plague Merchant.
With that precious stone rune, the surging spiritual energy was much more active than before. Added to the fact that this Mad Earth was not severe for some reason, it was easily purified completely. When the spiritual energy vanished, the Clay Holy Grail rose from the soil before Shade. The Ancient Runes engraved upon it were Nurture.
"Is fertility also an authority of the earth?"
Shade asked curiously. The Earth Witch nodded, then added:
"That