It was shortly after I started fighting the Demon King Army as ‘Hero Amatsu’.
While progressing towards the stronghold of the demon king’s army with the kingdom’s army, we were suddenly attacked.
Making use of their surprise factor, they were able to push me off the cliff down to a deep valley.
One of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s Army, Sen-Hen, had deployed a barrier making it impossible to use magic inside.
Resulting in my helpless fall.
“Lord Amatsu!”
“Damn… if only I could use magic!”
The mages and knights around me stiffened, unable to intervene in my unexpected fall.
Of course.
Just like me, they can’t use any magic.
“Ugh………………..”
I can’t even use body enhancement magic.
No matter how much power I have received from the Mark of the Brave, if I fall from this height, I will still die.
If I hit the ground hard, I’ll just get crushed to death.
“Why… Why does it has to be like this…”
A miserable and pitiful end…
My consciousness began to slip away along with the feeling of my innards floating around.
In the midst of all this, I heard the voice of Luzer.
“Hey!”
When I looked up, I saw Luzer right above me.
He jumped off the cliff and came after me.
“You idiot! Don’t you dare stand there!”
Luzer screamed, and as he did, he grabbed my arm with his rough hand.
The next instant, he waved his staff and a whirlwind appeared, enveloping both our bodies.
In the blink of an eye, the speed of the fall slowed, and we landed on the ground safely.
“Hey, don’t you dare get carried away, Amastsu.”
“Sorry, Luzer. You saved me there. Thanks.
“Tsk. I can’t have you dying in a place like this …not like this.”
I smile at Luzer who tells me that as he throws me away, then moves through the valley.
We have to join up with Lucifina and the others as soon as possible.
Luzer uses magic to burn away the large number of demons in the valley.
“Hey, Luzer. How come you can use magic in this barrier?”
I asked Luzer as we walked.
Just like the wind magic he used during our fall earlier, Luzer seemed to have no problem to use magic even in this trap.
The other sorcerers and knights didn’t look like they could use magic at all, though.
“…this valley is filled with the [Barrier of a Thousand Transfigurations]. There’s no way to break a barrier of this magnitude. So I punch it to tear a small part of the barrier.”
Saying that Luzer thrust out his arm and waved it to make a slash right in front of him.
Upon close inspection, I could see that the space he just slashed was no longer bound by the barrier.
“If we can create an unbound space like this, we can use magic for a moment.”
“………”
I tried to imitate him, but I couldn’t break the barrier.
When he saw that, Luzer clicked his tongue. (‘tsk’)
“…Don’t call yourself a brave if you can’t even do this!”
“…Sorry.”
“You really should stop. You’re not fit for the title of brave.”
We proceeded through the valley while Luzer continued cursing.
It wasn’t until a few hours later that we were able to get out.
In the end, I couldn’t make a hole in the barrier at the time.
“… Dumbass.”
This was shortly after I was named a brave.
I still remember the time when I looked up to Luzer as a man, who, even though he had a foul mouth, was still ready to risk his life to save mine.
◆
I shake off a worm that clings to my arm and throw it in front of me.
Inside the hole, five different barriers were deployed at the same time.
I drilled holes in all of them, forcibly creating an unbound space.
“Whirlwind.”
Inside the gap made, I forcibly cast magic.
A whirlwind swept through the hole, slowing mine and Elfi’s fall.
At the same time, it blows away the worms that are wriggling around.
“It’s ironic, Luzer.”
It’s thanks to the magic you taught me that I can deal with the traps you set to kill me.
“Elfi, hold onto those people.”
“Hmm, leave it to me”
As I instruct Elfi, I proceed to punch a hole in the barrier again.
While thinking of Luzer’s character, I cast [Usurpation of Magic] at the places he is likely to have set up traps.
Left and right walls, and the landing spots.
The magic power was forcibly taken away from the magic spells that had been set up, deactivating them.
“Well… it’s tough.”
He seems to have put a lot of care into creating these barriers.
Even though they only used light magic, they all contained several times more magic power than usual ones.
There seems to be some movement-inhibiting barriers as well because my body feels sluggish.
A few seconds later, we stepped on the ground.
I made sure there was no sign of anything around us and quickly lowered the women to the ground.
“..a. Aa…”
“…”
The worms were put inside the bodies of the women who had been thrown in the hole by Marx.
It’s another trap meant for us.
The women were already on the verge of dying from being eaten alive from their guts.
“…That’s awful.”
I remove the potion from the pouch and sprinkle it on their abdomen.
At the same time, I use healing magic to seal the wounds.
I wasn’t very good at healing magic, but it was the right choice to at least learn the basics of it when I was a hero.
That won’t save them, but it will at least by us some time.
If we can take them to the hospital, they’ll be fine.
“Iori, it seems that we are the only ones in this room. Apparently, that sorcerer is gone.”
Elfie, who was alert of the surroundings, said so as she saw that the treatment was over.
“… I see. If that’s the case, I guess they opted for a wait-and-see.”
The most disturbing element in the process of taking revenge on Marx is that Luzer came along.
I also talked to Elfi about it in our conversation before we came here.
“How do you think those two work together?”
Elfi asked while we were walking.
Either Luzer advises Marx and waits while observing how he acts.
Or he is manipulating him to confront us directly.
“Those are the two scenarios I can think of right now”, I said.
“Isn’t there an option for him to step out in front?”
“It’s not likely.”
Luzer is a cautious man.
So cautious that he wouldn’t challenge something if he doesn’t have the confidence to win.
The attack at the [Labyrinth of Hades] with his companions and the surprise attack at Ling Mountain were all actions that were taken because the odds were stacked against us.
(TN: names could be wrong but not gonna search in the 4 precedent volumes) (EN: First name is now the correct labyrinth, please let me know what mountain is referred to here.)
“That guy must have been quite alarmed after he saw me using psychic magic in Ling Mountain.”
That’s why he won’t attack us directly until he has confirmed the difference in strength between us.
“I guess the reason he didn’t lay a hand on me when I was fighting in the orphanage was that his objective was to observe us.”
It was a wait-and-see case last time, but he should have more or less appraised our strength and judged it was time to see it with his own eyes to get a precise idea.
What’s more, there is a great tool lying just there: Marx. There would be no reason for him not to take advantage of it.
“The question is, after seeing that battle, what will he do?”
If he saw the battle of the orphanage and decided he could beat us, he would have already made his move.
Even if he has to discard Marx, he will do anything to kill me.
But if he still wasn’t sure, he would use Marx to come to us to find out where our limits were.
“So we need to find out how that sorcerer moves before we can deal with that sidekick.”
“Sidekick… Well, that’s what it comes down to. It’s quite troublesome.”
Before rushing the mansion, I envisioned some of the traps that would have been set up in case Luzer had intervened and laid out a plan to take care of the aftermath.
That’s why when I sensed the magical power of Luzer, I couldn’t help but be wary of some kind of sneak attack.
Although that backfired as a result.
This time Luzer chose to observe.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have intervened in a way that would alarm us.
He was probably there to defend Marx from my attack.
“…Well.”
We were dropped in the basement.
It was probably connected in advance to the basement through Marx’s private room.
In addition to the [Blocking Barrier], the room has other barriers, such as the [Demonic Barrier], [Demon Binding Barrier], [Movement Inhibition], and [Magic Consumption Doubling].
I wonder how many magic stones were used to set up such a trap.
No doubt, it would have been Luzer who set this up.
“Elfi, is your mana level okay?”
The effects of the other shields are also a hindrance, but the most troublesome thing for Elfi is probably the [Magic Consumption Doubling].
Just by using the magic eye, the magic consumption would be so powerful that an ordinary person would be dried up.
Furthermore, just by maintaining a partial body, a significant amount of magic power is constantly consumed.
“No problem yet. It wouldn’t be a good idea to stay long, though.”
My magic is also being sucked in, but thanks to the magic items I have equipped, I can halve the effect of the barriers.
It’s all thanks to the effect of the ‘Magic Armor’, ‘Jade Blade’ and ‘Red Lotus Armor’.
But even with these effects, it only let me endure it for a dozen minutes.
The women, too, won’t last long.
There’s no point in staying here, so let’s start moving as soon as possible.
“Sorry. Can you carry those people?”
“Fufu, it would be tough with your thin arms.”
“…”
Nodding, Elfi lifted the women lightly and held her by her sides.
She is as strong as ever.
Together with Elfi, we walked towards the exit of the room.
“Mu…”
“…here it comes.”
Cobblestones spread across the floor.
Through the gaps, red and elongated objects appeared one after another.
These are the worms that came out of the women’s innards earlier.
Wiggling their circular mouth and crawling on the ground to approach us.
It’s the first time I’ve seen these creatures.
I’ve seen quite a few demons in my travels, but I’ve never run into a worm like this.
“What the hell are these things? Are they some kind of demons?”
“………it’s funny. I don’t even know these kinds of things.”
“A new species…?”
“………..Disagreeable.”
Elfi only momentarily activated her magic eye and muttered: “After all…”
“I can sense the magical power unique to demons but these guys are more like Homunculi.”
“Homunculi….. These rampant things?”
“Also, I know you don’t want to hear too much …. but although their magic power is weak, it’s mixed with Iori’s.”
With those words, I could see the general situation.
A creature close to Homunculi, with my magic mixed in.
…an experimental creature created by George and Lily, I suppose.
“Let’s call it the Wormatsu!”
“Spare me from that…”
The number of worms that crawled out of the cobblestones already exceed a hundred.
“… It’s a hassle, but can you kill them with fire magic?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Elfi nodded and grinned fiercely.
“Stay back.”
She glared at the worms and intimidated them.
The next moment, the worms were fleeing back into the cobblestones like a wave.
“From the looks of it, it doesn’t bear any intelligence. It’s just a lump of instincts.”
“I guess their instincts gave them a sense of crisis.”
“Hmmm. It’s a good thing the Wormatsu don’t have as much spirit as Iori.”
“Don’t call them that.”
We went through the room and opened the door that was at the back.
At that moment, something flew from the other side without a sound.
“…”
Immediately after avoiding it, the object that flew with a gurgling sound hit the cobblestones behind it.
There was a disgusting sound, and part of the cobblestones melted.
Maybe it was acid or something akin.
Stepping inside, I immediately saw what the attack came from.
An enormous worm stood in the center of the room.
It’s also different from the snake-like shaped worms we’ve seen before.
Eight necks extended from the round body.
Each neck wobbled and undulated, and countless fangs opened and closed their peeping mouths.
“What a curiosity. I didn’t know you could make something like this out of Homunculi.”
“Elfi, are there any other traps in this room?”
Her eyes glistened with red for a moment, and Elfi nodded her head in affirmation.
There’s no contraption in this room other than the barriers.
“I see…, maybe this guy is the boss; with some good luck, we will be done with this trap after having dealt with him.”
『――――』
As if to say it won’t let us do that, the worm began lifting it’s sickle.
The three necks opened their mouths wide, releasing a green liquid from within with great vigor.
Is that the attack that melted the cobblestones?
The speed of the acid bullet is not that fast.
Together with Elfi, we avoided it without difficulty.
『――――! 』
The worm was dragging its sluggish torso, approaching at a speed unexpected from its massive body.
The worm attacked us by swinging on us several of its neck like they were whips.
“Ha!”
I slashed the approaching neck from beneath.
The worm’s body flew through the place, dropping to the ground with a heavy thud.
The severed neck thrashed around on the ground,and soon stopped moving.
It didn’t even care that his head had been dropped, and the heads kept pouncing on us one after another.
One by one, two by two, we cut off the heads coming towards us in a row.
『――――』
When only five heads remained, it probably realized that it would only be killed if it distanced itself.
Once the worm made some distance, it tried to drag the torso backwards.
[Magic Eyes: Embers]
But Elfi won’t allow it.
The magic power she had been storing up until then was released towards the worm.
The explosion, even though slightly suppressed by the barriers, hit the worm head-on.
“——- !!!”
Suddenly, the last remaining neck opened its mouth wide.
Just as I thought I heard a thud, the explosion disappeared without a trace.
“It’s the same as the magic absorbing device that was in the orphanage. Apparently, it’s based on my magic usurpation.”
“…I can’t use my magic eye.”
A rumbling came out of its body as it quivered, and suddenly, all of the severed necks regenerated out of nowhere.
It seems to have high regeneration capacities.
Magic doesn’t work.
Even if you deal damage with a physical attack, it will regenerate immediately.
And our magic power is constantly being consumed.
We don’t have enough leeway to take our time fighting.
I can also use [Heroic Reappearance], but if you use it within this barrier, the magic consumption will be substantial.
Considering that Marx is waiting for us after this, it’s not a good idea to push ourselves here.
“Iori, even within this warding, you could use magic, couldn’t you?”
“… I can’t use much, though.”
“So, can you create ice?”
With those words, I understood Elfi’s intentions.
A nine-headed dragon. (TN: no, hydras are seven headed)
Hmmm. The number of necks is different, but with that regenerative power, it is very similar.
If they’re similar, the same way of dealing with them could work, right?
“Good. Elfi, keep the girls safe and stay back.”
“Are you going to fight this alone?”
“Because compared to a real nine-headed dragon, it’s no big deal.”
The worm begins to move.
All eight necks will shoot acid bullets at the same time.
At the same time, he approached with a furious force, dragging his torso.
「――――」
Avoiding acid bullets, I rush to the worm.
The worm moved three of its heads at the same time and attacked from multiple directions, determined not to let me get closer.
I ducked the first attack, parried the second attack and decapitated its neck on the third one.
Green blood gushes out.
“[Frostbite].”
I put magic into the wound.
In the blink of an eye, the wound froze along with all the blood.
『――――』
As if blocking my escape, the worm shakes its head.
But it’s slow.
I slip through the gap, cutting its head as I pass by.
While simultaneously applying the ice magic on the wound.
“… it does work after all.”
The worm squirms, like earlier, to regenerate its lost necks.
But it won’t work as long as the wound is frozen.
“-!?”
The worm doesn’t seem to understand why the wounds don’t heal.
“Once you know how to deal with it, the rest is easy.”
I wonder if it instinctively understood its crisis.
It braced itself warily.
Ignoring that, I slashed at the worm.
“- five remaining.”
◆
The worm, which has lost all its head and is now only a torso, collapses to the ground.
Its torso convulses, but makes no sign of moving.
We walked out of the room, going around the corps of the worm as we passed.
When we passed through the door, the effect of the barrier suddenly disappeared.
In the end, it really was the room from earlier that was the main attraction.
“… I’ve set up a barrier with great care.”
Looking back at the door we passed through, the outside wall was densely filled with magic.
“Shall we destroy it just in case?”
I shook my head at Elfi’s words.
“You shouldn’t do that. Knowing Luzer, it could be rigged to explode the moment it’s broken.”
“… Oh, it’s true. There’s an [Explosion] formula mixed in there.”
I knew it.
The explosion would trigger the moment something interferes with the trap.
Well, I suppose it’s just to avenge the Kingdom’s ritual room.
“I’m sorry, but you’re the only one who would fall for something like that, Luzer.”
Leaving the barrier alone, we go on.
Just in case, I walked cautiously, looking out for traps, but nothing was set up.
It looks like this is just a passage.
After proceeding for a while, we found a tightly sealed room in the middle of the way.
I stopped at the door that was so ostentatious.
When I unlocked it through magic and peeked inside, what I found there was a medicine cabinet.
“Mrrrk, a smell capable of raising the dead.”
Elfi frowned while pressing her nose.
The medicine cabinet is filled with a myriad of illegal drugs.
I also found a few drugs that I know of.
One of them is the “Nail of the Ogre” poison that was used on Beltoga in the hot spring city.
“…Hmm.”
I grab a few of the pills on the shelf and put them in the pouch.
“Hmm? What are you going to use them for?”
“Ah!”
I grin at Elfi as I take a “Drop of God”.
“I came up with something good.”
It was shortly after I started fighting the Demon King Army as ‘Hero Amatsu’.
While progressing towards the stronghold of the demon king’s army with the kingdom’s army, we were suddenly attacked.
Making use of their surprise factor, they were able to push me off the cliff down to a deep valley.
One of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s Army, Sen-Hen, had deployed a barrier making it impossible to use magic inside.
Resulting in my helpless fall.
“Lord Amatsu!”
“Damn… if only I could use magic!”
The mages and knights around me stiffened, unable to intervene in my unexpected fall.
Of course.
Just like me, they can’t use any magic.
“Ugh………………..”
I can’t even use body enhancement magic.
No matter how much power I have received from the Mark of the Brave, if I fall from this height, I will still die.
If I hit the ground hard, I’ll just get crushed to death.
“Why… Why does it has to be like this…”
A miserable and pitiful end…
My consciousness began to slip away along with the feeling of my innards floating around.
In the midst of all this, I heard the voice of Luzer.
“Hey!”
When I looked up, I saw Luzer right above me.
He jumped off the cliff and came after me.
“You idiot! Don’t you dare stand there!”
Luzer screamed, and as he did, he grabbed my arm with his rough hand.
The next instant, he waved his staff and a whirlwind appeared, enveloping both our bodies.
In the blink of an eye, the speed of the fall slowed, and we landed on the ground safely.
“Hey, don’t you dare get carried away, Amastsu.”
“Sorry, Luzer. You saved me there. Thanks.
“Tsk. I can’t have you dying in a place like this …not like this.”
I smile at Luzer who tells me that as he throws me away, then moves through the valley.
We have to join up with Lucifina and the others as soon as possible.
Luzer uses magic to burn away the large number of demons in the valley.
“Hey, Luzer. How come you can use magic in this barrier?”
I asked Luzer as we walked.
Just like the wind magic he used during our fall earlier, Luzer seemed to have no problem to use magic even in this trap.
The other sorcerers and knights didn’t look like they could use magic at all, though.
“…this valley is filled with the [Barrier of a Thousand Transfigurations]. There’s no way to break a barrier of this magnitude. So I punch it to tear a small part of the barrier.”
Saying that Luzer thrust out his arm and waved it to make a slash right in front of him.
Upon close inspection, I could see that the space he just slashed was no longer bound by the barrier.
“If we can create an unbound space like this, we can use magic for a moment.”
“………”
I tried to imitate him, but I couldn’t break the barrier.
When he saw that, Luzer clicked his tongue. (‘tsk’)
“…Don’t call yourself a brave if you can’t even do this!”
“…Sorry.”
“You really should stop. You’re not fit for the title of brave.”
We proceeded through the valley while Luzer continued cursing.
It wasn’t until a few hours later that we were able to get out.
In the end, I couldn’t make a hole in the barrier at the time.
“… Dumbass.”
This was shortly after I was named a brave.
I still remember the time when I looked up to Luzer as a man, who, even though he had a foul mouth, was still ready to risk his life to save mine.
◆
I shake off a worm that clings to my arm and throw it in front of me.
Inside the hole, five different barriers were deployed at the same time.
I drilled holes in all of them, forcibly creating an unbound space.
“Whirlwind.”
Inside the gap made, I forcibly cast magic.
A whirlwind swept through the hole, slowing mine and Elfi’s fall.
At the same time, it blows away the worms that are wriggling around.
“It’s ironic, Luzer.”
It’s thanks to the magic you taught me that I can deal with the traps you set to kill me.
“Elfi, hold onto those people.”
“Hmm, leave it to me”
As I instruct Elfi, I proceed to punch a hole in the barrier again.
While thinking of Luzer’s character, I cast [Usurpation of Magic] at the places he is likely to have set up traps.
Left and right walls, and the landing spots.
The magic power was forcibly taken away from the magic spells that had been set up, deactivating them.
“Well… it’s tough.”
He seems to have put a lot of care into creating these barriers.
Even though they only used light magic, they all contained several times more magic power than usual ones.
There seems to be some movement-inhibiting barriers as well because my body feels sluggish.
A few seconds later, we stepped on the ground.
I made sure there was no sign of anything around us and quickly lowered the women to the ground.
“..a. Aa…”
“…”
The worms were put inside the bodies of the women who had been thrown in the hole by Marx.
It’s another trap meant for us.
The women were already on the verge of dying from being eaten alive from their guts.
“…That’s awful.”
I remove the potion from the pouch and sprinkle it on their abdomen.
At the same time, I use healing magic to seal the wounds.
I wasn’t very good at healing magic, but it was the right choice to at least learn the basics of it when I was a hero.
That won’t save them, but it will at least by us some time.
If we can take them to the hospital, they’ll be fine.
“Iori, it seems that we are the only ones in this room. Apparently, that sorcerer is gone.”
Elfie, who was alert of the surroundings, said so as she saw that the treatment was over.
“… I see. If that’s the case, I guess they opted for a wait-and-see.”
The most disturbing element in the process of taking revenge on Marx is that Luzer came along.
I also talked to Elfi about it in our conversation before we came here.
“How do you think those two work together?”
Elfi asked while we were walking.
Either Luzer advises Marx and waits while observing how he acts.
Or he is manipulating him to confront us directly.
“Those are the two scenarios I can think of right now”, I said.
“Isn’t there an option for him to step out in front?”
“It’s not likely.”
Luzer is a cautious man.
So cautious that he wouldn’t challenge something if he doesn’t have the confidence to win.
The attack at the [Labyrinth of Hades] with his companions and the surprise attack at Ling Mountain were all actions that were taken because the odds were stacked against us.
(TN: names could be wrong but not gonna search in the 4 precedent volumes) (EN: First name is now the correct labyrinth, please let me know what mountain is referred to here.)
“That guy must have been quite alarmed after he saw me using psychic magic in Ling Mountain.”
That’s why he won’t attack us directly until he has confirmed the difference in strength between us.
“I guess the reason he didn’t lay a hand on me when I was fighting in the orphanage was that his objective was to observe us.”
It was a wait-and-see case last time, but he should have more or less appraised our strength and judged it was time to see it with his own eyes to get a precise idea.
What’s more, there is a great tool lying just there: Marx. There would be no reason for him not to take advantage of it.
“The question is, after seeing that battle, what will he do?”
If he saw the battle of the orphanage and decided he could beat us, he would have already made his move.
Even if he has to discard Marx, he will do anything to kill me.
But if he still wasn’t sure, he would use Marx to come to us to find out where our limits were.
“So we need to find out how that sorcerer moves before we can deal with that sidekick.”
“Sidekick… Well, that’s what it comes down to. It’s quite troublesome.”
Before rushing the mansion, I envisioned some of the traps that would have been set up in case Luzer had intervened and laid out a plan to take care of the aftermath.
That’s why when I sensed the magical power of Luzer, I couldn’t help but be wary of some kind of sneak attack.
Although that backfired as a result.
This time Luzer chose to observe.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have intervened in a way that would alarm us.
He was probably there to defend Marx from my attack.
“…Well.”
We were dropped in the basement.
It was probably connected in advance to the basement through Marx’s private room.
In addition to the [Blocking Barrier], the room has other barriers, such as the [Demonic Barrier], [Demon Binding Barrier], [Movement Inhibition], and [Magic Consumption Doubling].
I wonder how many magic stones were used to set up such a trap.
No doubt, it would have been Luzer who set this up.
“Elfi, is your mana level okay?”
The effects of the other shields are also a hindrance, but the most troublesome thing for Elfi is probably the [Magic Consumption Doubling].
Just by using the magic eye, the magic consumption would be so powerful that an ordinary person would be dried up.
Furthermore, just by maintaining a partial body, a significant amount of magic power is constantly consumed.
“No problem yet. It wouldn’t be a good idea to stay long, though.”
My magic is also being sucked in, but thanks to the magic items I have equipped, I can halve the effect of the barriers.
It’s all thanks to the effect of the ‘Magic Armor’, ‘Jade Blade’ and ‘Red Lotus Armor’.
But even with these effects, it only let me endure it for a dozen minutes.
The women, too, won’t last long.
There’s no point in staying here, so let’s start moving as soon as possible.
“Sorry. Can you carry those people?”
“Fufu, it would be tough with your thin arms.”
“…”
Nodding, Elfi lifted the women lightly and held her by her sides.
She is as strong as ever.
Together with Elfi, we walked towards the exit of the room.
“Mu…”
“…here it comes.”
Cobblestones spread across the floor.
Through the gaps, red and elongated objects appeared one after another.
These are the worms that came out of the women’s innards earlier.
Wiggling their circular mouth and crawling on the ground to approach us.
It’s the first time I’ve seen these creatures.
I’ve seen quite a few demons in my travels, but I’ve never run into a worm like this.
“What the hell are these things? Are they some kind of demons?”
“………it’s funny. I don’t even know these kinds of things.”
“A new species…?”
“………..Disagreeable.”
Elfi only momentarily activated her magic eye and muttered: “After all…”
“I can sense the magical power unique to demons but these guys are more like Homunculi.”
“Homunculi….. These rampant things?”
“Also, I know you don’t want to hear too much …. but although their magic power is weak, it’s mixed with Iori’s.”
With those words, I could see the general situation.
A creature close to Homunculi, with my magic mixed in.
…an experimental creature created by George and Lily, I suppose.
“Let’s call it the Wormatsu!”
“Spare me from that…”
The number of worms that crawled out of the cobblestones already exceed a hundred.
“… It’s a hassle, but can you kill them with fire magic?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Elfi nodded and grinned fiercely.
“Stay back.”
She glared at the worms and intimidated them.
The next moment, the worms were fleeing back into the cobblestones like a wave.
“From the looks of it, it doesn’t bear any intelligence. It’s just a lump of instincts.”
“I guess their instincts gave them a sense of crisis.”
“Hmmm. It’s a good thing the Wormatsu don’t have as much spirit as Iori.”
“Don’t call them that.”
We went through the room and opened the door that was at the back.
At that moment, something flew from the other side without a sound.
“…”
Immediately after avoiding it, the object that flew with a gurgling sound hit the cobblestones behind it.
There was a disgusting sound, and part of the cobblestones melted.
Maybe it was acid or something akin.
Stepping inside, I immediately saw what the attack came from.
An enormous worm stood in the center of the room.
It’s also different from the snake-like shaped worms we’ve seen before.
Eight necks extended from the round body.
Each neck wobbled and undulated, and countless fangs opened and closed their peeping mouths.
“What a curiosity. I didn’t know you could make something like this out of Homunculi.”
“Elfi, are there any other traps in this room?”
Her eyes glistened with red for a moment, and Elfi nodded her head in affirmation.
There’s no contraption in this room other than the barriers.
“I see…, maybe this guy is the boss; with some good luck, we will be done with this trap after having dealt with him.”
『――――』
As if to say it won’t let us do that, the worm began lifting it’s sickle.
The three necks opened their mouths wide, releasing a green liquid from within with great vigor.
Is that the attack that melted the cobblestones?
The speed of the acid bullet is not that fast.
Together with Elfi, we avoided it without difficulty.
『――――! 』
The worm was dragging its sluggish torso, approaching at a speed unexpected from its massive body.
The worm attacked us by swinging on us several of its neck like they were whips.
“Ha!”
I slashed the approaching neck from beneath.
The worm’s body flew through the place, dropping to the ground with a heavy thud.
The severed neck thrashed around on the ground,and soon stopped moving.
It didn’t even care that his head had been dropped, and the heads kept pouncing on us one after another.
One by one, two by two, we cut off the heads coming towards us in a row.
『――――』
When only five heads remained, it probably realized that it would only be killed if it distanced itself.
Once the worm made some distance, it tried to drag the torso backwards.
[Magic Eyes: Embers]
But Elfi won’t allow it.
The magic power she had been storing up until then was released towards the worm.
The explosion, even though slightly suppressed by the barriers, hit the worm head-on.
“——- !!!”
Suddenly, the last remaining neck opened its mouth wide.
Just as I thought I heard a thud, the explosion disappeared without a trace.
“It’s the same as the magic absorbing device that was in the orphanage. Apparently, it’s based on my magic usurpation.”
“…I can’t use my magic eye.”
A rumbling came out of its body as it quivered, and suddenly, all of the severed necks regenerated out of nowhere.
It seems to have high regeneration capacities.
Magic doesn’t work.
Even if you deal damage with a physical attack, it will regenerate immediately.
And our magic power is constantly being consumed.
We don’t have enough leeway to take our time fighting.
I can also use [Heroic Reappearance], but if you use it within this barrier, the magic consumption will be substantial.
Considering that Marx is waiting for us after this, it’s not a good idea to push ourselves here.
“Iori, even within this warding, you could use magic, couldn’t you?”
“… I can’t use much, though.”
“So, can you create ice?”
With those words, I understood Elfi’s intentions.
A nine-headed dragon. (TN: no, hydras are seven headed)
Hmmm. The number of necks is different, but with that regenerative power, it is very similar.
If they’re similar, the same way of dealing with them could work, right?
“Good. Elfi, keep the girls safe and stay back.”
“Are you going to fight this alone?”
“Because compared to a real nine-headed dragon, it’s no big deal.”
The worm begins to move.
All eight necks will shoot acid bullets at the same time.
At the same time, he approached with a furious force, dragging his torso.
「――――」
Avoiding acid bullets, I rush to the worm.
The worm moved three of its heads at the same time and attacked from multiple directions, determined not to let me get closer.
I ducked the first attack, parried the second attack and decapitated its neck on the third one.
Green blood gushes out.
“[Frostbite].”
I put magic into the wound.
In the blink of an eye, the wound froze along with all the blood.
『――――』
As if blocking my escape, the worm shakes its head.
But it’s slow.
I slip through the gap, cutting its head as I pass by.
While simultaneously applying the ice magic on the wound.
“… it does work after all.”
The worm squirms, like earlier, to regenerate its lost necks.
But it won’t work as long as the wound is frozen.
“-!?”
The worm doesn’t seem to understand why the wounds don’t heal.
“Once you know how to deal with it, the rest is easy.”
I wonder if it instinctively understood its crisis.
It braced itself warily.
Ignoring that, I slashed at the worm.
“- five remaining.”
◆
The worm, which has lost all its head and is now only a torso, collapses to the ground.
Its torso convulses, but makes no sign of moving.
We walked out of the room, going around the corps of the worm as we passed.
When we passed through the door, the effect of the barrier suddenly disappeared.
In the end, it really was the room from earlier that was the main attraction.
“… I’ve set up a barrier with great care.”
Looking back at the door we passed through, the outside wall was densely filled with magic.
“Shall we destroy it just in case?”
I shook my head at Elfi’s words.
“You shouldn’t do that. Knowing Luzer, it could be rigged to explode the moment it’s broken.”
“… Oh, it’s true. There’s an [Explosion] formula mixed in there.”
I knew it.
The explosion would trigger the moment something interferes with the trap.
Well, I suppose it’s just to avenge the Kingdom’s ritual room.
“I’m sorry, but you’re the only one who would fall for something like that, Luzer.”
Leaving the barrier alone, we go on.
Just in case, I walked cautiously, looking out for traps, but nothing was set up.
It looks like this is just a passage.
After proceeding for a while, we found a tightly sealed room in the middle of the way.
I stopped at the door that was so ostentatious.
When I unlocked it through magic and peeked inside, what I found there was a medicine cabinet.
“Mrrrk, a smell capable of raising the dead.”
Elfi frowned while pressing her nose.
The medicine cabinet is filled with a myriad of illegal drugs.
I also found a few drugs that I know of.
One of them is the “Nail of the Ogre” poison that was used on Beltoga in the hot spring city.
“…Hmm.”
I grab a few of the pills on the shelf and put them in the pouch.
“Hmm? What are you going to use them for?”
“Ah!”
I grin at Elfi as I take a “Drop of God”.
“I came up with something good.”
