𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
Asgard dives back underground.
With this, his presence completely disappears, making it impossible to know where he is.
If he targets me, I can sense danger, and if he tries to attack someone else, I could detect his hostility to pinpoint his location, but that would be too reactive.
ㅤ
“Damn it! Where did that bastard go!”
“Calm down, Blade! We’re searching now. Rin, reinforce the village’s barrier! The worst-case scenario is him infiltrating from beneath the ground!”
“U, Understood!”
“Then, I’ll take care of the monsters!”
“Much appreciated!”
ㅤ
My competent comrades (except for Blade) act decisively under accurate judgment.
Asgard and the horde of monsters are out of my and Imina-san’s reach, leaving us somewhat behind. Blade too.
But if that’s the case, we’ll do what we can on our own.
I stay near Stella, while Imina-san goes near Auntie Elle and Rin, preparing for Asgard’s sudden ambush.
ㅤ
“O Light Spirit, guardian of a corner of magic’s reason. Shake and churn the earth, crushing the pitiful enemies trapped within.”
“O Guardian Power, a fragment of divine might. Embrace us who stand against the mighty enemy, with your great compassion and benevolence.”
“O Light Spirit, guardian of a corner of magic’s reason. A fragment of divine might, the power of holy light. Combine light with light, become an aurora to dispel the demons, dye the night, and illuminate the world. Dwell in my sword.”
ㅤ
The incantations of the three are complete.
Unlike the last time, which was interrupted by Asgard’s appearance, now the grand magic spells of humanity’s finest mages are activated.
ㅤ
“『Ground Rumbling』!”
“『God King Barrier』!”
“『Flash Sword』!”
ㅤ
Auntie Elle’s magic shakes the entire mountain, Rin’s barrier protects the village, and Stella’s light magic pierces through the monster horde.
The first visible result is Stella’s magic.
A massive flow of light enough to blot out the night strikes the monster horde directly.
However. . . . . .
ㅤ
“No way?!”
ㅤ
Incredibly, despite taking Stella’s full-powered attack, over 80% of the monsters remain unscathed.
Before the attack was launched, I caught a glimpse that they, somehow, used Volt Horse’s lightning and Snow Rabbit’s blizzard to counter Stella’s magic as much as possible. Moreover, sturdy creatures like the Rock Dragon acted as a shield for their allies, minimizing the damage.
What’s this strategy, where they’re perfectly coordinated and don’t even care about themselves?!
Normal monster hordes wouldn’t act like this, right?!
ㅤ
Though they’re all monsters, their types are incredibly diverse.
Some look like wolves, some like lions, some like horses, some like rabbits, among others.
And typically, they would only coordinate if they’re of the same kind or have a symbiotic relationship.
Otherwise, they usually eat each other. That’s the nature of monsters.
Demons might forcibly subdue them and use them, but then they should become a disorderly mob without any semblance of coordination.
Therefore, the current behavior of these monsters can only be described as abnormal.
ㅤ
I thought so, but the mechanism was quickly revealed.
Illuminated by the remnants of Stella’s light magic, facts that were hidden in the otherwise dark night, even under a full moon, become visible.
From the wounded monsters. . . . . .dark blue blood was flowing.
The blood was wriggling, stopping the bleeding and forcibly repairing the monsters’ bodies.
The limited damage was, in part, due to this regenerative ability.
But more importantly,
ㅤ
“?! Hey, is that. . . . . .?!”
“Yeah, I know. . . . . .!”
ㅤ
We recognized the color of this blood.
The blood of demons and monsters from the Demon Realm is usually blue.
This special blood was a mix of blue and black.
This is undoubtedly. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Rest’s enemy. . . . . .!”
ㅤ
Yes.
That dark blue blood was the same color as the blood that the manipulated Rest had shed.
It was the same blood that had tormented him.
Using this blood to control, the monsters were being completely manipulated at will.
This explained the abnormal level of coordination.
ㅤ
And the race using this ability is said to be an extremely rare breed among demons.
According to Auntie Elle, it’s almost unheard of for multiple individuals to appear at the same time in history.
Therefore, there’s a high likelihood that the one controlling these monsters and the one who controlled Rest are the same person.
ㅤ
I don’t know if they are here.
Like during Rest’s time, they might be inciting from a safe distance, enjoying the view from above.
But if they dare to show up. . . . . .I will surely kill them.
ㅤ
“Hm?! Wh, what’s this?!”
ㅤ
As I was sharpening my killing intent, Auntie Elle, who should have been looking for Asgard, raised a voice of astonishment as if she noticed something.
Ah, yes.
I hadn’t forgotten, but the biggest threat right now is not Rest’s enemy but the Four Heavenly Kings’ Asgard.
Don’t get the priorities wrong.
Don’t make a mistake in judgment due to hatred.
I have comrades now, unlike in the previous world.
My mistakes would directly link to the peril of my comrades, and Stella as well.
I can’t impulsively rush ahead like in the previous world.
I focused myself.
ㅤ
“What happened, Auntie Elle?!”
“Ground Rumbling has been resisted. Well, that was expected, we originally intended to locate him from the resisted place, but. . . . . .”
ㅤ
At Blade’s query, Auntie Elle briefly explains the situation, showing a bit of haste.
A situation that makes the experienced Auntie Elle anxious.
I have nothing but a bad feeling.
ㅤ
“The issue is the location and range. He’s spread his magic over the entire mountain above here!”
ㅤ
The moment Auntie Elle shouted this, the mountain shook.
On a level incomparable to Auntie Elle’s previous magic.
This was no longer a simple rumbling, it was as if the mountain itself had twitched. . . . . .
ㅤ
“. . . . . .you kidding me.”
ㅤ
At that moment, I happened to look up and realized my metaphor wasn’t entirely incorrect.
The mountain was truly moving.
However, it wasn’t moving in a way associated with natural phenomena like earthquakes or eruptions.
ㅤ
From the peak of the Celestial Mountains, two massive arms emerged.
That was just the beginning; the mountain began to transform rapidly.
A torso was formed, a head was created, and the mountain ceased to be a mountain, morphing into a grotesque figure that could only be described as a golem made entirely from the mountain itself.
ㅤ
“You’ve got to be kidding me. . . . . .”
“Oh, isn’t that too big?!”
“What an aberration. . . . . .”
“Hmph! Looks like it’ll be worth cutting down!”
“That definitely collapsed the tunnels. It used to be a labyrinth for magical metal mining. Man, the craftsmen are going to be pissed. My head hurts just thinking about it.”
ㅤ
Imina-san’s reaction seems a bit off, but that’s probably just because she’s so flustered.
But we don’t have time to be disoriented.
The Mountain Golem points its enormous arms toward us.
In the palm of its hand, just like the magic Asgard used earlier, a chunk of rock materializes.
It’s a rock bullet of colossal size, matching the golem’s gargantuan body.
ㅤ
“This is bad. . . . . .?!”
“Leave it to me!”
ㅤ
Interception is my job.
I use the power of my Storm Leg Armor, enhanced through maintenance and sheer leg strength, to leap into the air with a powerful kick off the ground.
At the same time, the rock cannon fires.
Slashing Sweep. . . . . .No, I’ll go with Sky Rebellion.
That’s because my intuition and sense of danger are screaming at full force that Slashing Sweep won’t be enough to stop it and I’ll die.
This sense, honed through countless life-or-death situations in my previous world and during my training, is trustworthy.
I take pride in my knack for predicting the future through experience and intuition.
My course of action is set.
ㅤ
“Sixth Strike━━『Sky Rebellion』!”
ㅤ
I drive my sword, a deadly weapon designed to penetrate the weakest part of the target and disrupt the enemy’s attack energy from within, into the massive rock.
As a result, the rock is crushed from the inside, killing most of its momentum with the impact of its disintegration.
ㅤ
“Yeah! We did it!”
ㅤ
No, it’s not over yet.
I internally counter Imina-san’s cheers.
The alarm bells of danger are still ringing in my mind.
ㅤ
As if to prove the correctness of that feeling, a new threat emerged from the shattered boulder.
A bullet, smaller compared to the boulder the size of a person’s head.
However, that particular part showed no sign of losing momentum, and it remained unscathed even amidst the explosion of the boulder.
ㅤ
And there was a familiarity with the material of that bullet.
It was a rare but fairly frequent special ore that you would encounter in this village.
But knowing its true nature didn’t bring relief.
Rather, knowing its true nature was chilling.
Because it was impossible to shatter that thing so easily.
ㅤ
“Second Slash━━『Distortion』!”
ㅤ
Immediately, using the Distortion technique, which is an instant redirection skill, I twisted the trajectory of the ore bullets and dropped them to a place far from my comrades and the village.
As a result, the impact point became a tragic scene resembling a meteor strike, creating a massive crater.
Incredible power.
Even with the top-tier barrier chant that Rin is currently using, it might be able to withstand them, but if dozens of them are slammed into it, it will break.
If it breaks and those hit the village directly, there’s no need to say what will happen.
ㅤ
“What? There was another rock bullet inside the big one?”
“. . . . . .Orichalcum.”
“What?”
“I said, it’s Orichalcum! A magical metal used for high-grade weapons! It’s known as the toughest metal in this world! That demon fired it as a bullet!”
“””?!”””
ㅤ
Before I could even set foot on the ground, Imina-san was already explaining the situation to our bewildered comrades.
As expected from a Dwarf intricately connected with ores and metals.
You noticed the true nature of that bullet from that distance, huh?
ㅤ
“So, in other words. . . . . .”
“That guy can either generate magical metal or control the magical metal lying dormant in the fused Celestial Mountains.”
“Allan!”
ㅤ
After finally returning to the ground, I confronted the unforgiving reality in Stella’s strained voice.
There’s not a single thing that can be overlooked.
The military analysis is absolutely correct.
ㅤ
“. . . . . .What Al-boy says is likely true. The latter possibility seems a bit more likely. If he could create it at will, he would’ve fired bullets made entirely of magical metal.”
“What about the possibility he’s conserving mana. . . . . .”
“Certainly, that’s highly possible. Complacency is forbidden.”
ㅤ
In response to Rin’s uneasy words, Auntie Elle also brutally thrust reality back at us.
While Rin turned pale, Stella began asking questions to Imina-san next.
ㅤ
“Imina-san, how far has the excavation of magical metal progressed? If he can only control it and not create it, then the mining situation could limit him. . . . . .”
“We’ve barely made any progress. The Celestial Mountains are a huge labyrinth filled with high-level monsters. We’ve only been living in this mountain village for about 10 years; we’re far from exhausting its resources.”
“Is that so. . . . . .”
ㅤ
It seems even the slightest hope has been shattered.
But seriously, this is bad.
An enormous army of monsters with the perfect coordination and immortality granted by the Four Heavenly Kings who control the great labyrinth.
If Asgard holes up within his thick armor of magical metal, his defensive power would surpass even Dragburn in Blue Flame Dragon form.
Unlike during the Dragburn incident, we don’t even have the advantage of numbers.
We have the Golem army led by the Iron Dwarf, but they only make up about one-tenth of the enemy forces.
On top of that, there’s no guarantee there aren’t any hidden troops.
ㅤ
It looks like this fight will be more challenging than the one with Dragburn.
Moreover, we’re already on the defensive and don’t even have time to come up with countermeasures.
While we’re talking, the mountain golems are preparing the next rocky projectile, and the swarm of monsters is getting closer.
. . . . . .For starters, we have to block that rocky projectile.
ㅤ
Leaving the planning to the smart Auntie Elle, I prepared to perform my role when,
ㅤ
“Tou!”
ㅤ
Imina-san had already leapt into the air.
Swinging her magical hammer with both finesse and raw power, she delivered a heavyweight blow that shattered the giant rock.
ㅤ
“『Explosive Quake』!”
ㅤ
That one strike, as potent as my Sky Rebellion, not only pulverized the large rock but also sent its magical metal core flying far away.
Landing back on the ground, Imina-san spoke with grandeur.
ㅤ
“Leave the village’s defense to me! Everyone else, go take down that big guy!”
“Eh?! But. . . . . .”
“Don’t worry, Stella-chan. Protecting the village is originally my job. And compared to that big guy, a swarm of monsters is a piece of cake!”
ㅤ
Bluffing, aren’t we?
Without a doubt, within that horde, there are multiple monsters of the high-ranking class capable of going toe-to-toe with a Holy Warrior.
Even if the Iron Dwarfs are present, it would be extremely tough for Imina-san alone.
Besides, we don’t know when the Mountain Golem might attack.
Staying here alone is like standing in a death trap.
ㅤ
“Imina-san. . . . . .”
“To bring down that behemoth, the more firepower we have to pummel it, the better. So let’s get going. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
ㅤ
Still, Imina-san insists on going.
. . . . . .Sure enough, this person is also a Holy Warrior. One of the great heroes.
Normally annoying, but a truly great person deserving of respect.
ㅤ
While placing my hand on Stella’s shoulder, who was about to say something, I sent some encouragement to Imina-san.
ㅤ
“We’ll handle this quickly and come back. Please don’t die in the meantime.”
“That’s my line! Allan, don’t embarrass yourself in front of Stella-chan! Do your best so she doesn’t lose interest!”
“None of your business!”
ㅤ
Seriously, even at a time like this!
ㅤ
“Let’s go, Stella!”
“. . . . . .Yeah. Imina-san, please don’t die! There’s still so much I want to ask you!”
ㅤ
I hope that’s not some fabricated story of mine, right?
This isn’t the time to be worrying about such things, but I can’t help it.
Imina-san’s silent thumbs-up feels rather ominous.
ㅤ
“Can’t be helped then. . . . . .I’ll try to reduce their numbers as much as possible, so don’t worry!”
“Please do your best!”
“If it gets dangerous, rely on the Iron Dwarfs! Those guys are strong!”
ㅤ
And so, we left Imina-san alone and headed for the Mountain Golem, marching to defeat Asgard.
. . . . . .However, this sensation of dividing our forces feels all too familiar.
Be it during Rest or during Dragburn.
ㅤ
The moment that thought crossed my mind, a scene along with a sense of déjà vu flashed in my head.
It was during the fight with Dragburn.
That’s right.
Back then, I’m pretty sure he was. . . . . .
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