Chapter 80
I didn't have the time to be able to translate this week… but I ended up procrastinating from what I needed to do and escaped to translating because playing would make me feel guilty lol. So yeah, there won't be a nagai koto chapter this week for the people that also read that. Thanks for reading~
Due to the snow of disease the G.o.d bird sent, destruction visited the demon king's castle town. Both demons and monsters were ma.s.sacred.
The snow of disease even soaked through the demon king's castle, so their military strength is in a devastated condition.
The plan was able to go this well largely because of the effect of sending false information through the star rabbit tribe.
The only ones that survived inside the demon king castle are the ones in a room that is protected by a barrier.
Starting with the demon king's room, several important points were strictly protected by a barrier, and the G.o.d bird's disease snow couldn't reach that far.
If we are going to defeat the demon king, right now is the only chance.
Although the demon king's military strength was almost annihilated, after two or three days, the demon king's military strength that scattered to various places will return.
Once that happens, we're done for.
I can't use the same move twice. The G.o.d bird's power is too much for a person to hold. It will heavily burden Eve's body, and furthermore have part of her soul taken away as compensation. If anymore of her soul is taken away, Eve will break.
"Let's hurry, the castle map is correct, right?" (Kearuga)
I ask to the iron hog tribe.
"Since this castle has been used since the previous demon king's time, the blueprint remained. There is an equilibrium of a magical significance and ley lines in the construction, so it can't be changed that easily." (Guruga) (TL Note: Rip second sentence? 構造には魔術的な意味と龍脈の兼ね合いがある。)
Although they were exterminated by the current demon king, this castle was originally used by the previous demon king and the tribes that were driven away.
They know the particulars of the inner structure.
Thanks to that, we evaded traps and pushed straight forward to the throne, where the demon king is at.
On the way, we crossed many demon and monster corpses.
All of them died while struggling in pain.
I look at Eve.
She fainted, and is being carried by one of the elites from the iron hog tribe.
I don't feel too good with Eve being touched by other people, but my party is the main force. We need to be in a condition to be able to fight whenever.
It's irritating that I can't heal Eve.
No matter what kind of injury or disease it is, my【Recovery Heal】can heal it.
However, even if I wring out all the mana I have to the limit, healing an injured soul is impossible for【Recovery Heal】.
All I can do for this is to leave it to time.
What I can do, is to pray for Eve to wake up and defeat the demon king to make the most of Eve's tenacity.
We must have run for thirty minutes already.
We stop our legs, and look up at the thing in front of us.
"A sealed gate, huh." (Kearuga)
I had heard beforehand that there are several defenses until the highest floor where the demon king is.
One of those is the sealed gate.
It's a thick gate that's enormous enough that I have to look up at it.
On top of there being overlapping barriers, it's made from orichalc.u.m.
A great amount of mana would be consumed to breakthrough with force.
I don't want to make such a mistake before the decisive battle with the demon king.
"Kearuga, the key is over here."
The iron hog tribe takes out the demon king's key.
The master of this castle was originally from their village, so there would at least be a key.
You would think they should at least change the key if the owner changes, but they probably couldn't even do that as it's a out of place artifact that is inherited generation after generation.
The iron hog tribe turns the key and the door automatically opens.
"Everyone, jump backwards!" (Kearuga)
I shout.
Under my instructions, Setsuna, Kureha and I who were the vanguards immediately jumped.
However, the elites from the iron hog tribe that was also in the front reacted too late.
It can't be helped.
If they want to survive, they should follow my instructions and move. They are different to Setsuna and the others who were made to think about the reason afterwards.
In exchange for that slowness, they had to pay with
"A golem made of orichalc.u.m, huh. That's quite interesting." (Kearuga)
They easily surpa.s.sed my height by twofold, and two golems with large builds appeared.
In their hands, they have a boorish hammer.
Their skin s.h.i.+nes with silver. The most prominent metal even among the magic metals, orichalc.u.m. On top of invalidating most magic, its physical defensive power is high.
That's a hard opponent. As expected, there's no meaning to using【Deterioration Heal】on an inorganic opponent, and even the G.o.d bird's disease snow seems to not have been able to kill the golem.
… When I look at the iron hog tribe people's faces, I see fear and surprise.
They didn't know of this thing's existence, huh.
"Brace yourselves. That guy is strong." (Kearuga)
I warn everyone. Well, even without saying that, anyone could probably tell that it's strong.
If I were to convert it to level, it is around level 70.
It matches the heroes in the first world. I wonder if I'll become exhausted from fighting this thing… was what I would have thought until just the other day.
I'm composed. By making the experience points eightfold with three heroes in our party, the demons and monsters we killed in the castle town, Kureha, Freya and my level is around 200.
"Kearuga-sama, leave one to Setsuna. Setsuna wants to test her power on a formidable enemy after a long time." (Setsuna)
I smile slightly.
I was just thinking the same thing.
Even if Kureha and I easily win against an Orichalc.u.m Golem, the experience points won't be that much of a big deal.
Setsuna becoming stronger at fighting is the best.
"Alright. I'll give the right one to you, Setsuna. We'll go kill the left one instantly." (Kearuga)
Until it becomes dangerous, I'll just watch over her.
I'll be watching what you can do, Setsuna.
The fight begins.
And, I was surprised.
Kureha swings her sword. A slash that is beautiful and thoroughly clear. I wasn't surprised from just that; the surprise came after that. … Kureha's sword cut through the Orichalc.u.m Golem like b.u.t.ter.
As everything below its knee was cut off, the Orichalc.u.m Golem crumbled down, and had its central part immediately stabbed by Kureha.
The core was destroyed and it stopped its actions.
Strange, Kureha's sword is a famous sword, but it's weaker than orichalc.u.m.
It's physically impossible.
"You did well cutting that kind of thing." (Kearuga)
"If you raise your concentration to the limit, you can see the a.s.sembly of the really small spots of the material. If you cut through the gap between the spots, you can easily cut through things, even if they are hard. Besides, after my level rose, I was able to control qi even better than before. If you clad the sword with qi, the sharpness will increase, and feats of this level are possible." (Kureha)
No way, is she actually cutting in between the molecules?
I did think the sword saint lacked common sense, but for her to come this far.
In the first place, what is qi? Is it a concept separate from mana?
I should use【Imitation Heal】on Kureha later. There's no loss in gaining a concept I don't know of.
Then, I might become even stronger.
Since the fight ended, I look towards Setsuna.
Setsuna is having a hard fight.
Her claws of ice she's using to pierce the Orichalc.u.m Golem are being broken. There isn't a single injury on the Orichalc.u.m Golem.
From looking at the number of ice fragments scattered on the ground, I can tell she has repeated the same action many times.
Thanks to her characteristic speed and fighting sense, she hasn't taken a single blow, but her fatigue has started showing on her face.
She will probably be caught eventually, and there's no point in continuing if she doesn't have a telling blow to use.
I guess I'll end it soon.
Just when I was thought that.
"First freeze its joints with your ice. Then, once the opponent's balance is destroyed, send a blow with all your power to its joint. You should be able to defeat it if you do so!" (Ellen)
Ellen shouted.
That's a good move.
Aiming for the joints is normal practice. However, on top of having its joints hidden well, the Orichalc.u.m Golem is constantly moving.
It should be possible if she just lightly hits it, but it would be difficult to drive a full power blow onto it.
Although its joints aren't made of orichalc.u.m, they are hard, so bare hands can't hit a telling blow, and Setsuna didn't have the composure to do that.
However, it should be simple if she's just freezing its joints first, as she just needs to lightly touch it to activate the magic.
It must be a plan to make it fall like that and drive a full power blow onto it.
"Nn. Setsuna will try it." (Setsuna)
Setsuna nods, and runs.
While slipping through the enemy's blows, she touches its knee joint, fixing its joint by making the ice coil about it.
The Orichalc.u.m Golem tries to turn around, but because of its joints that were frozen by ice, its balance breaks and falls down.
"Did it. Won't let this chance. Go to waste!" (Setsuna)
Setsuna turns to its side, and calmy hits it with a full power blow.
The joints break with the ice still on it. The Orichalc.u.m Golem loses the parts from its knee down, so it won't be able to fight properly anymore.
"Ellen, thanks. Sorry for thinking you were useless until now." (Setsuna)
"My head(this) is my only redeeming feature, so I need to partic.i.p.ate in times like this!" (Ellen)
Setsuna and Ellen nod to one another.
This is quite a nice scene.
Afterwards, it was a one-sided battle. The Orichalc.u.m Golem that couldn't even stand was cornered and had its core gouged out.
Setsuna defeated the Orichalc.u.m Golem with Ellen's advice.
… I thought she would put up a good fight, but I didn't think she would win.
That's a pleasant miscalculation.
"Kearuga-sama, Setsuna won." (Setsuna)
"Good job. I'm proud of you." (Kearuga)
I stroke Setsuna. Setsuna delightfully waves her white tail.
I'm glad she didn't have too much hards.h.i.+p to something equivalent to level 70.
There shouldn't be that many demons or humans that can win against Setsuna anymore.
I pack my bag with the fragments of the defeated Orichalc.u.m Golem. There aren't many chances to obtain rare metals like Orichalc.u.m, so I'll gratefully accept it.
While I'm at it, I'll put it in the pocket of my jacket as well. It's a subst.i.tute for a charm.
"We defeated the gatekeeper. Let's hurry ahead." (Kearuga)
Once I say that, everyone nods and starts running.
The leader of the iron hog tribe that lost his comrades has a bitter face, but he follows after us after replacing his feelings.
All that's left is to defeat the few surviving demons, and then we will reach the demon king.
The final decisive battle is close.
I'll definitely win for Eve's sake.