In order to not get involved in the war, the elves, who abandoned their forest, and those, who left the humans’ city, likely didn’t have a strong opposition against taking refuge in the forest.
“This time it’s my defeat… since I don’t want to incur losses, I will properly get my share.” (Vepar)
Among the humans who survived, Vepar executed those who had a high ranking positions among the people who were in the castle, and dropped the remaining personnel into to the status of slavery.
There wasn’t any particular harm towards the civilians, but their coming and going was severely restricted.
“This is the place of our, the demons’, comeback! We, who were outcasts, will show everyone proof in the battles from now on that we stand at the top of this world!” (Vepar)
Due to Vepar’s drama-like speech, the demons’ soldiers got excited and the humans were deprived of their willpower.
The name of the country called Swordland vanished at that moment.
☻
After the demons, who attacked Vichy, tore Vichy’s line of defence apart with magic attacks, they invaded Vichy by dispersing in small units.
Disguising at places where Vichy soldiers and civilians didn’t see them, they slipped in as spies. The plan succeeded. Those, who shook free from the pursuit of Vichy’s soldiers, safely changed into humans while pretending to have escaped the war, and were successful at infiltrating the other cities.
Even so, there was also the fact that splitting the forces increased the losses.
“What are these guys!? They aren’t humans, are they!?”
“Fuck! Why have I become this unskilled… gyaaaa!”
The demon, who screamed after being pierced very deeply with a knife by an opponent whom he burned to nothing with his special fireball in his right hand, died at the same time as his voice disappeared.
The demons, who had the impression “humans are weak” because of the first attack, trembled in fear when the reinforced soldiers approached them even while being injured.
Swift sword attacks and powerful spells aren’t able to make the reinforced soldiers flinch at all.
Due to the reinforced soldiers, who approached them directly without any tactics even when wounded, the demons slowly suffered losses as well.
“Aren’t you scared of dying!?”
“Hasn’t your brain been messed up? Humans are insane!”
Demons, who die after receiving attacks by Vichy’s soldiers while struggling with the reinforced soldiers emerge. Moreover those soldiers of Vichy get killed by the reinforced soldiers.
Because the demons and reinforced soldiers move about as they please, 3-way battlefields were created all over Vichy while also dragging the civilians into it.
And, the general of the demons, Bashim, can’t grasp the state of affairs either. On top of the battlefield being stretched out too far, reports about the situation didn’t reach him since the numbers of the single units were too low.
As his soldiers don’t return, he has no other choice but to believe that they infiltrated Vichy successfully. The fact of him not having established a means of communication invited an amplification of the losses. However, even that’s something Bashim isn’t aware of.
Of course he also didn’t know about the person, who can become another power just by himself, entering the field until the time of meeting him.
☻
“Hmm…” (Hifumi)
Tearing off the armour of the reinforced soldier he slew, Hifumi gazed at the chest of the opened-up enemy.
What was embedded there was a magic tool without a doubt. Guessing it from the soldiers having attacked him without feeling any pain, Hifumi was able to conclude that it’s the same item as the one he had seen until now.
“Did its movements became a bit better? Or is that an individual difference?” (Hifumi)
The corpses of three other reinforced soldiers, merchants, people who were apparently a family and three adventurer-like men, who were armed with leather armours and swords, are scattered in the surroundings.
“Without any discrimination, huh? Though that doesn’t really matter. But with this I won’t know who did them in, right? Well then, that means the enemy is unclear and the target of hatred isn’t set. How boring and stupid.” (Hifumi)
Sheathing his drawn katana, he chews a bread which was inside a carriage, with its horses dead, that had toppled over. The texture of the food still has dampness remaining.
“Mmh~… from relatively close-by? It hasn’t become overly dry.” (Hifumi)
They were probably attacked by the reinforced soldiers at the time when they ran away from the demons’ invasion. The adventurers were the escort? Or they might have been bandits who attacked the merchants.
At any rate, since all of them are dead, there’s no point in guessing.
Once he stuffed the remaining bread into his mouth with gusto, Hifumi removed the glove of his left hand and crammed it into his obi.
“Did they finally come?” (Hifumi)
Once he waved his left hand, two thirds of the ice spear, which came flying, was shaved off and it scattered after falling to the ground.
“W-What did you do?”
Even while realizing that it was repelled, the demon soldier, who fired the ice, doesn’t seem to know how it was done.
“Don’t mind it! A human isn’t capable of directly dealing with magic anyway!”
What attacked Hifumi next was a fireball, but with one swing of his pitch-black left hand, its centre was hollowed out and the rest vanished towards the ground while slowly swaying and turning into sparks.
“Let’s do something totally different. It will probably end up the same as with the other guys as well, won’t it?” (Hifumi)
Drawing the katana with his right hand, he provokes the demons with the left hand.
There are five demon soldiers. All of them hold swords and are capable of using magic at the same time.
“The likes of a human!”
Kicking the one, who came rushing at him, with a full-power front kick, caused the demon to roll back the ten-odd meters he ran.
“That’s no good. Even the humans have begun to learn fighting while using their heads. Leaving aside the lot from Vichy, if you are going to fight humans from now on, right… try scheming like Bennia did.” (Hifumi)
Apparently there was one among them who knew Bennia. Is he confused? He shows a strange expression.
“W-Why do you know her name…?”
“We had a relationship of fighting to the death against each other.” (Hifumi)
“Just like this”, Hifumi shortens the distance in one breath and approaches the demon he sent flying with a kick just now.
“As if I would let you!”
Evading the demon’s counter-attack of thrusting out his sword in order to stand up by turning around, Hifumi reaped the demon’s head with a sideways swing of his katana.
“I know, I know. You demons are good at magic.” (Hifumi)
He knocks down all the pebbles with his katana.
“Your bodies are somewhat sturdier than those of humans and you are powerful, too.” (Hifumi)
Once a demon appeared in front of him while holding a sword, he drags him into a power struggle between the swords’ guards by putting blade to blade.
“W-Why…?”
In contrast to the demon who tries pushing frantically with both hands while investing his entire body’s weight, Hifumi uses just his right hand. The demon’s sword, which is three times as thick, scratches against the blade of the Japanese sword with a creak.
“And, there’s no considerable difference between you and humans in the structure of your bodies.” (Hifumi)
Hifumi extends his left hand and pulls the obi which was coiled around the demon’s waist.
“Nuoo!?”
Being placed in a situation of having his body bent against his will, the demon becomes unable to use his sword. He has no other choice but to wa
tch with wide-open eyes the katana approaching in front of him.
“Oops.” (Hifumi)
At the moment the pressure exerted became lax as Hifumi had to avoid a fireball which was thrown at him by another demon at that time, the demon separates from Hifumi by rolling on the ground after abandoning his sword.
They concentrated another barrage of pellets at the feet of Hifumi who tries to chase, and during that time another demon prepared their sword and stood in the way of Hifumi.
“Your teamwork is good.” (Hifumi)
“Well done, I’m pleased”, Hifumi nodded and crushed the fireball, which came flying at him, with his left hand.
A clutched left first with only two fingers standing up.
“I will kill two more and let the other two of you go.” (Hifumi)
“Eh?”
The instant he opened his eyes widely due to the sudden statement.
Hifumi’s intense thrust violently hit the blade of the sword he set up.
“Heavy!”
The demon who hit his head with his own sword, is confused while shedding blood from his forehead.
Kicking away the demon’s pivot leg, Hifumi pierces the heart of the demon who toppled over.
“The placement of the organs is the same as well… one more.” (Hifumi)
Pulling out the katana’s point from within the grey skin, he shakes off the blood clinging to it.
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
When one of the demons swung his arm, the ground under Hifumi’s feet burst open as if exploding.
Countless small rocks scatter in all directions and Hifumi vanishes within a cloud of dust.
“Let’s escape now!”
Once the man, who cast the spell, looks at the face of his comrade, the katana is piercing one of his eyeballs.
The one who is holding the katana is naturally Hifumi.
“It was an interesting attack. However, its output was too low.” (Hifumi)
There are several small holes in his hakama. Though only slightly, were his feet injured? Blood was trickling down on the ground beneath him.
Even so, there’s also the fact that he evaded getting directly hit by escaping to the front. For Hifumi ((those injuries)) are at a level that he can ignore them easily.
“Such a…”
In front of the scared demons, the body of their comrade, whose soul departed this world, was released from the katana by collapsing.
“Just as I announced, two are left. Since I’m letting you go, get moving!” (Hifumi)
Upon Hifumi’s order, the two demons turned around and started to sprint with all their might.
Weren’t humans weak?
Weren’t they supposed to be unable to decently cope with magic attacks?
Are the human groups we thoroughly overran in the wastelands different from the man who killed our comrades just now?
“What shall we do?”
While cursing at the troublesome reality, they head towards the forces with their leader.
Just like Bashim, who is their general, many of those in the higher ranks among the demons reach their positions because they can use unique magic. It’s the magic Bashim used at the time when he killed the messenger from Vichy.
Instantly creating a blade out of thin air, he sends it flying. No matter what opponent it might be, if they don’t know about it, it has a speed to a degree of being unavoidable. Even in the battle some time ago, it has easily killed the human general.
If we reach Bashim’s location, we will be able to kill that human.
They pretend to not hear the footsteps chasing them from behind.
We will be safe if we return to our forces.
They ran while embracing that belief.
Chapter 159 – Timebomb
Having his own subordinate soldiers, who came running towards him, being bisected in a single stroke made Bashim flustered.
“What the hell is this? Someone tell me what’s this about!” (Bashim)
“It’s an enemy attack, Don’t be so frightened if you are the supreme commander here.” (Hifumi)
“A blue horse is unusual”, carrying the katana in his hand, Hifumi approaches with a slow swaying.
The demon soldiers, who desperately ran away, had been altogether split into upper and lower body halves and died while stretching their hands towards Bashim as if asking for help.
“A human… it is?” (Bashim)
“Let me tell you something nice. Some of your subordinates died.” (Hifumi)
Bashim, who looks down at Hifumi from atop his mount, bit his back teeth while sweating.
“Human, did you bastard kill them?” (Hifumi)
“The ones I finished off were at a level that I could deal with them with one hand. The others were killed by Vichy… this country. If you are going to attack a place, you should at least know its name, don’t you think so? Within Vichy there’s a civil war… or rather it’s a partial rampage. It looks like your soldiers died after getting dragged into that.” (Hifumi)
“Are you telling me to believe that?” (Bashim)
“Not really. Do as you like.” (Hifumi)
While talking, Hifumi’s vicinity gets surrounded by demon soldiers.
Seeing Hifumi calmly continuing to talk even while being encircled from all sides, Bashim wondered whether Hifumi is some kind of lunatic.
“But you know, to properly gather information is Vepar’s order, isn’t it?” (Hifumi)
With the name of the sovereign mentioned, Bashim temporarily refrained from giving the order to wrap things once and for all up by killing Hifumi.
“Your numbers are too lacking. If one really considered taking down a country, there would be personnel in order to reign it and not just soldiers to attack it. Though it’s different if it’s plain annihilation, I guess. Vepar should know at least this much.” (Hifumi)
“… We are strong. If we observe one or two cities, that will be plenty.” (Bashim)
“One or two? Ufu, ahahahaha!” (Hifumi)
Hifumi, who had his fill of a bellyful loud laughter, muttered “What an utter let down” towards Bashim.
“You have to do much better if you are going to deceive someone. If you tell a lie and it’s immediately exposed, one will be able to see your true nature.” (Hifumi)
“You!! Though you are an inferior life-form!” (Bashim)
Once he roared, the blade of a longsword was created by Bashim from thin air in front of his eyes and at the same time it was shot like a bullet.
There isn’t even 10 meters distance between the two.
Bashim imagined the sight of the blade piercing the enemy’s belly, and thinking how that would be reproduced in reality right away, his expression warped, but it never came to pass.
“There’s no way for the blade to reach from this far away, is there?” (Hifumi)
The sword, which Bashim released, is piercing the ground diagonally behind Hifumi who was grasping the scabbard he is wearing at his waist.
“W-Wh-What happened…?” (Bashim)
“You aimed at my belly, right? That’s why I repelled it like this.” (Hifumi)
He swings the mouth of the scabbard left and right.
“As if such foolishness is possible!?” (Bashim)
“Told you.” (Hifumi)
The second sword was knocked down with the pommel.
“Something like firing it directly at me from ahead in front of my eyes is like telling me “Please defend against it”, right…? Good grief, Bennia and Phelgor were capable of doing a lot more different things.” (Hifumi)
Being compared to names he knows, Bashim tightly bites his back teeth once again.
“Putting aside Phegol who was the king’s aide, you are telling me that I’m worse than Bennia who didn’t command anything above a platoon?” (Bashim)
Hifumi replied to the enraged Bashim by laughing frivolously.
“It’s slightly different. If you can’t do anything but sending swords fl
ying, it should be corrected to a lot worse.” (Hifumi)
Did he reach the peak of his rage? Raising a roar with unknown meaning, Bashim held up his right hand immediately and ordered the soldiers with a very loud voice,
“Everyone, attack him with magic all at once! The attribute doesn’t matter! Erase the insolent human so that not even a speck of dust remains of him!” (Bashim)
At the same time as the order reaches them, a variety of magic attacks, such as ice, flames, rocks and water, comes flying from the soldiers who were surrounding Hifumi.
Steam and sand swirls about, and a smoke, mixed with the colours of white and light brown, rises up at the place where Hifumi stood.
Once someone extinguished it with a water spell, only the hollowed-out ground was left there.
“… Humph. He was a human after all, huh? A fragile being.” (Bashim)
“If they hit, that is.” (Hifumi)
A sole answer was audible from behind the muttering Bashim.
“You bastard…” (Bashim)
Knowing the cold sensation at the nape of his neck, Bashim only turned his eyes, but his field of vision didn’t reach Hifumi’s face. Only the cold blade, which reflected his face wet with cold sweat, entered his sight.
“Cut it out with the attacks where you lose sight of your enemy. Not knowing what you opponent did is disadvantageous, right?” (Hifumi)
“Even if you kill me, there are still 20 soldiers here. Don’t believe that you will be able to get away…” (Bashim)
“You are furious, aren’t you? That’s good.” (Hifumi)
While keeping the katana closely at his neck, Hifumi grabbed the left arm of Bashim and twisted it.
Despite being on top of a horse, Hifumi doesn’t lose his balance at all. On the other hand, Bashim’s balance crumbles and he is a situation where he supports his stance somehow with the stirrup.
Even the surrounding demon soldiers have no other choice but to watch from a distance out of fear that they would accidentally shoot Bashim if they attacked.
Hifumi spoke up towards them.
“Currently you are attacking Vichy. Next to it, there’s a country called Orsongrande. I’m staying there. Come after gathering bigger numbers. If you do that, I will face you directly.” (Hifumi)
Summoned Slaughterer - Book 8 Page 5
