by Hiro Ainana
General Erthal and company seemed to be coming back to the battlefield, as if to replace me.
“Let the general and the captain take the front lines and just back them up as needed.”
“Understood.”
The demonified Ludaman was a higher level than my kids. There was no way I wanted them to be fighting him up close while I wasn’t around.
“I’ll come back as soon as I rescue the people inside this slime.”
“Can help.”
“Mia, you support Liza and the others, please.”
Having stopped right in the center of the slime, I marked on my map all the people who needed rescue.
There were more of them than I’d expected; everyone who was still fully intact was alive.
But if I took too long cutting up the slime to save them, there would probably be more casualties before long.
Confirming the markers’ positions in my map’s 3-D view, I put “Spellblade” on the ends of each of my fingertips.
Cut.
Thin red lines lit up the slime from the inside, and in the next instant, it was reduced to a puddle of pink liquid on the ground.
“The slime’s core has been destroyed! Quickly, carry out the wounded!”
I shouted to the explorers and guild employees who were watching from safe hiding places.
For some reason, this slime didn’t actually have a core, but it had been destroyed just as easily, so that probably didn’t matter.
Isn’t that…?
In the corner of my vision, I saw the top half of the green-clad noble.
I looked around, but his lower half was nowhere to be seen. The slime must have melted it.
I despised this man, and it was very likely that he was the one who’d turned Ludaman and his henchmen into demons, but I still couldn’t bring myself to turn my back on anyone near death.
Walking to what was left of his body, I poured an intermediate potion over the gaping wound, using intermediate Healing Magic from my magic menu at the same time.
Of course, even that wouldn’t miraculously restore his lower half.
“Pendra…”
Opening his eyes slightly, the green-clad noble started to speak but collapsed into my arms before he could finish.
He must have really passed out. I guess the old saying Ill weeds grow apace is true, since this evil bastard had managed to survive such a mortal wound.
But I could question him later. For now, I shoved the green-clad noble into the hands of a guild employee who came running up.
“Master, help us!”
As soon as I heard Arisa’s voice, I dashed toward her and the rest of my group.
The silver intermediate demon who’d been protecting the napalm lizard was giving them a great deal of trouble.
Even as I watched, he sent the beastfolk girls skidding across the ground.
The silver demon started to charge after them, so Nana stepped in to protect the girls.
But the silver intermediate demon’s eight arms knocked her out of her stance, and a blade went careening toward her face.
Look out!
I tossed a flash bomb right into the intermediate demon’s face.
It was the one I’d gotten from Mr. Dozon at the rookie explorers’ class.
In the instant that the flash filled our surroundings with light, I used “Warp” to get close enough to kick the demon’s arm away, then teleported back to my original position before the light faded.
The demon’s arm went flying off and knocked down one of the spires of the guild building, but we’d just call that a necessary sacrifice.
Keeping Nana from getting seriously injured was far more important than any building.
“Demon!”
“KILLKWYEEEELKKILLLL.”
I used the “Taunt” skill with my shout, drawing the silver demon to attack me instead.
Her whole body was practically made out of blades.
I blocked the barrage of attacks from her seven remaining arms with my fairy sword, watching to make sure that my companions were able to drink potions and restore their health.
Still, this thing’s attacks were a lot sharper than you’d expect for level 40.
I understood why Liza and the others were having trouble.
“Sir Satou, move away from the demon!”
As I warded off the attacks, inwardly a little impressed, I heard Miss Sebelkeya shout from behind me.
I grabbed one of the silver demon’s lancelike arms and used centrifugal force to swing it around and toss the demon toward the guildmaster.
“…… Inferno Kaen Jigoku!!”
As her voice rang out, the guildmaster unleashed a swirling mass of crimson flames.
Using Magic Hand, I grabbed the silver intermediate demon and held her in midair so she couldn’t flee once she landed.
As she kicked in the air like a cartoon character, the inferno crashed into her, sending heat and flames flying around.
The heat rolling off her was so violent that it threatened to burn anyone nearby.
“Did that kill her?!”
The guildmaster’s unnecessary words invoked a Nope, she’s still alive flag.
Writhing in the flames, the silver demon still had more than half of her health left.
Using the flames as cover, I used “Warp” to get closer and cracked her core with a “Spellblade”-infused stone spear.
“Thank you, Guildmaster!”
Confirming that the demon had turned into black smoke amid the flames, I called out thanks to the guildmaster as she held her staff aloft in the distance.
Thanks to her, I was able to avoid the problematic reputation of having defeated an intermediate demon single-handedly.
“There you are, master.”
“Are you hurt?”
Liza and the rest of the group came running over, their healing finished.
“I’m sorry I took so long to help.”
“No, if we had only been stronger—”
Arisa interrupted my and Liza’s apologetic loop. “Save all that for later! We’ve got to help the general with that other intermediate demon, and fast!”
“Don’t worry about that. Just help out over there, please.” I pointed at some explorers who were struggling against a few lesser demons.
Backup would arrive soon, but I was afraid they’d run out of strength before that happened.
“Okey-dokey! But what about the general?”
“I’ll go back him up myself.”
As I spoke, my eyes were on Ludaman, who was toying with the general like a cat would a mouse.
“I’ll take it from here. Drink this potion, please.”
Blocking Ludaman’s ax arm with my fairy sword, I called out to General Erthal, who was wheezing heavily.
“M-my thanks, Sir Pendragon.”
“Think you’re getting away?!”
As General Erthal retreated, Ludaman attempted to jump over my head and finish him off.
Fortunately, a stone pillar rose from the ground to stop him.
That was most likely the magic of Miss Sebelkeya behind me.
Ludaman furiously destroyed the pillar, but this time a giant ball of flame flew at him with a roar.
“Tch! I’ve had enough of your meddling, old hag!”
Ludaman created a black barrier in front of himself, blocking the powerful fire spell.
Since it was cast by a mighty level-52 mage, the flames broke through the barrier in moments, singeing his bug-like carapace until steam rose from the joints.
“Should you really be taking your eyes off me?”
As I watched, Ludaman attempted to charge the area where the guildmaster was encamped, so I slashed at him from the side.
He counterattacked with an ax arm, but I parried that and sliced the arm off at the elbow.
It was pretty tough, but nothing my fairy sword couldn’t handle with a touch of “Spellblade” at the moment of impact.
“What the hell are
you?!” Ludaman roared.
Since turning into a demon, his voice had become considerably more shrill, lacking impact.
“A noble and a garnet-badge explorer, I suppose?”
“Even Erthal’s mithril sword couldn’t cut me, so how the hell did you slice off my arm?! Who are you really?!”
Wow, is he really that tough?
Ludaman attempted to ward me away with punches and kicks, but I refused to let him put any distance between us, focusing on buying time.
“Maybe the guildmaster’s Fire Magic weakened your armor?”
“Like hell!”
Giving an arbitrary excuse, I watched my radar and saw that General Erthal was returning to the front lines.
It would be a pain if Ludaman stayed that tough, so I made what appeared to be feint swings in order to slice a bunch of tiny cuts in his armor.
“Thanks for holding things down here, Sir Pendragon.”
“The guildmaster’s magic seems to have weakened the demon’s armor.”
“That’s excellent news.”
General Erthal wore a fatigued grimace.
Since he seemed to be getting tired, we’d have to put an end to this fast.
I blocked Ludaman whenever he attempted to attack General Erthal and got in his way whenever he attempted to dodge.
“Aaaaargh! Help me out here, you lot!”
Ludaman called out to the surviving demons, but none of them was able to respond.
“I’ll make you regret turning to the path of evil!”
General Erthal’s sword cut deep into Ludaman’s leg.
The demon dropped to his knee, and Sebelkeya’s Spears Field spell tore into him, countless silver spear tips bursting from the ground.
“GROOOOORRR!”
Ludaman was knocked backward as he howled.
Several Magic Bullets followed close behind.
“So they’re finally here?”
The labyrinth army’s giant golems were approaching from the other side of the plaza.
The Magic Bullets just now had been from the mages riding in the golems.
And from the east, the direction of the viceroy’s castle…
“Guillotine Blade!”
The gallant knight Lady Ravna appeared, unleashing an attack on Ludaman’s back with a flash of red light.
Behind her was one of the viceroy’s guardian knights.
The other three had stayed behind to protect the viceroy.
“Shiga Sword Style—Secret Technique Cherry Blossom Flash!”
The viceroy’s guardian knight leaped in from the other side, sweeping downward with a special move laced with “Spellblade.”
Pinkish-red shards of light flew from the blade, scattering like cherry blossom petals.
It was quite a pretty move; I’d have to learn how to do it sometime.
Behind them, I saw some soldiers readying a Magic Cannon on a cart.
Well, this is going great now.
If this were an anime, I bet the theme song would be playing in the background.
“YOU DAMN PIP-SQUEAKS! I’LL—!!”
As Ludaman bellowed, fireballs of various sizes hit him in the face.
This time they’d come from the guildmaster and Arisa.
Mia was too focused on healing and support at the moment to pitch in with an attack.
Ludaman staggered and dropped to the ground, and I pinned his right arm down with a stone spear, flipped him over, and cut off his left arm.
“Your Excellency, now!”
“Go to hell, Ludaman!”
“UAAAARGH!”
General Erthal’s “Spellblade”-infused mithril blade swung down and sliced off Ludaman’s head—or so it seemed.
The explorers and soldiers filled the plaza with cheers.
I heard the head hit the ground and saw Ludaman’s body start to go up in black smoke, so I didn’t watch too closely.
Even if I’d set up General Erthal to finish him off, I didn’t want to watch a demonified human die.
Turning my back on the severed head, I started walking toward my friends.
“Mew!”
Tama was slumped like a sack of potatoes in Liza’s arms, but then her ears suddenly flattened, and she looked up sharply.
A red light appeared on my radar.
Quickly, I whirled toward the direction of the light.
“Indeed, indeed, transport, indeed.”
A green lesser demon with a strange way of speaking was emerging from the cobblestones that were coated in the giant pink slime’s remains.
He was mostly comprised of a single giant eyeball that had sprouted limbs and wings, most likely a different-colored variation of the first lesser demon I’d ever seen back in Seiryuu City.
The eyeball demon looked around, noticed that his allies were gone, and dropped the bundle he was carrying.
According to my AR, the contents were the demonic-potion pills I’d confiscated from the plunderers. Ludaman had probably ordered him to retrieve them.
“Indeed, indeed, how embarrassing, indeed.”
The eyeball demon picked up Ludaman’s head and began tossing it from hand to hand.
“So there’s still another demon left?”
“Looks that way.”
As I responded to Arisa, I pulled my stone spear out of the ground.
It was in poor taste to toy with a dead body, even that of a criminal.
Besides, though the eyeball demon was only level 30, he had dangerous skills like “Psychic Magic” and “Shadow Magic,” so I wanted to dispatch him as quickly as possible.
“Indeed, indeed, revival, ind—”
An ominous magic circle appeared below the eyeball demon, and I flung the spear, piercing straight through the center of the giant eyeball.
The magic circle disappeared, and the eyeball demon sank, twitching, into the pink puddle.
But in the next moment—
A geyser of pink liquid burst up from the ground, forming a humanoid shape some fifty feet tall.
According to my AR display, he was a level-50 intermediate demon.
And his name was…Ludaman.
Here I thought only tokusatsu villains got revived in giant form when they were defeated.
Ludaman didn’t have any revival-related skills, so I assumed the pink slime had come back to life, absorbed Ludaman, and revived him as well.
“Doesn’t he know villains aren’t supposed to come back stronger when they get revived like this?”
Arisa seemed to have used her Status Check gift to read Ludaman’s information.
“This wretch just won’t go down…”
General Erthal glared up at the humanoid creature’s face.
The labyrinth army started to attack, but both physical and magical shots were simply absorbed into the demon without causing any damage.
I wanted to turn into Nanashi or Kuro and defeat him, but that would be difficult to do with so many people all around.
My best bet was probably to have the guildmaster defeat him with advanced attack magic.
“PWEEEENNN.”
As the unstable new form of Ludaman continually collapsed and re-formed, he howled and looked down at us.
“DOOOOORAWA.”
His hate-filled eyes were turned straight toward me.
Oops. I guess he hates me now.
“Guildmaster! I’ll lure Ludaman close to the labyrinth gates! Give me a signal when your spell is ready, please!”
Calling out to the guildmaster, I ran toward the empty area in front of the labyrinth gates, taking care not to use “Flashrunning” or “Warp.”
With each step the giant Ludaman took, a loud rumble echoed, the cobblestones breaking below our feet.
“Everyone, stand by—No, get to a safe distance and give me some cover fire!”
I gave an order through the still-connected Tactical Talk.
The guildmaster’s advanced spells had a very wide range after all.
“GWOOOOONWN
.”
I was starting to feel like I was in a giant-monster movie as I reached the labyrinth gates.
The revived Ludaman’s movements seemed sluggish but were deceptively fast, since he was ten times my size. He caught up to me in a matter of moments, bringing down his giant fist.
The fist crushed the ground beneath it, sending up a splash of pink liquid.
Wherever the liquid hit stone, it produced a sizzle of white smoke—it must have been acid, then.
I hopped away lightly, dodging the flying fist and acid spray.
As I fled, I tried to talk to the revived Ludaman, but he no longer seemed capable of understanding or responding to speech.
“Protect Sir Pendragon!”
On the captain’s command, the labyrinth army golems lurched into the area in front of the gates.
Facing the gigantic Ludaman, the six metal golems looked about as powerful as preschool children.
“We’re ready over here! Come back!”
After I ran around for a little longer, General Erthal’s shout echoed across the plaza.
The guildmaster’s chant must finally have finished.
The golems grabbed onto Ludaman’s legs to help me escape.
Even in this form, Ludaman seemed to deeply despise me; he attempted to give chase, dragging the golems along.
Then a giant hand stopped him.
Emerging from the broken cobblestones, the hand quickly turned into the upper half of a giant golem, grabbing Ludaman’s waist and preventing his movements.
“Hurry, Sir Pendragon! That golem won’t last long!”
I heard Miss Sebelkeya calling out and my companions cheering me on.
Just as I escaped from the bowl-shaped entrance to the labyrinth, the guildmaster’s staff unleashed a torrent of crimson flame.
“UOOOOOOHHHWN.”
Ludaman’s final form unleashed a howl and began to crumble in the flames.
“Good work, master. Looks like we’re finally done here, huh?”
Gazing up at the giant pillar of flame burning against the night sky, Arisa handed me a damp towel.
I looked up, too, as I wiped the grime from my face.
The creature had already lost its human shape, reduced to a loose column of water.
But even now, the revived Ludaman’s health bar hadn’t hit zero.
Once it reached around 10 percent, the speed of its reduction slowed, and at times it even wavered back up like an ocean tide.
