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TL: Thy Unsus
ED: UpsilonProgress-kun
Synopsis of the last chapter:
The anger of Ω.
(※Wrong)
After tearing my eyes off the nauseating scene unfolding in front of the iron gate, I noticed a cl.u.s.ter of huge beetles, charging this way.
“——!!” (Majima)
The moment I saw that sight right in front of me, I pulled my body away from the window.
The instant reaction ability was something my body had naturally acquired during the long time I'd lived in the sea of trees. I didn't have the leisure to counterattack, nor was it even a level I could counterattack. After I judged that, I increased my physical abilities by driving the magical power inside my body, and leaped back with all my might.
At the same time as that, I grabbed the nape of the school uniform that Mikihiko was wearing, and held Kei's nearby body to my chest.
This was with all my might.
Anymore than this, I wasn't able to reach.
Lily, who had started moving in harmony, embraced me and jumped. What she aimed for was the door that lead to the spiral staircase. An instant later, the top floor of the watchtower was overrun with living sh.e.l.ls.
“AaAAAAAHhh!?” (Soldier)
A soldier, whose gaze was nailed on the incident before the gate, screamed as the horn of a stub beetle that jumped in through the window went through him. The beetle crashed into the wall on the other side with the soldier's body still hooked on it, and the soldier vomited out everything within his stomach and died.
They didn't just come from the window. Cracks ran across wall along with cras.h.i.+ng sounds, and it cracked to pieces; after that, insect sh.e.l.ls were storming the room.
My body *s.h.i.+ver* got the chills at the closeness of the buzzing pa.s.sing through. If we were unlucky, we too would have faced the brunt of the suicide attack. Actually, several soldiers were swept off their feet and were raising screams of deathly agony.
“Uku……!!?” (Majima)
After several seconds of not feeling even the sensation of living, I had broken the door with the back of my body.
My breath was choked by the impact I received across the s.h.i.+eld I had on my back, but since I was raising my body's strength by surrounding it with magical power, I didn't lose consciousness.
……Due to that, I also got to see the close where agonizing cried ended up with my own eyes.
In mere seconds, the wall, which the beetles attacked, was collapsing. And, the flock of beetles were crashed into the wall on the other side over and over without pause.
These were kamikaze attacks where they didn't concern themselves about their own bodies, the exact same ones as those which unfolded in front of the iron gate, which was the main gate of the fortress. The wall cracked, the cracks ran across it, and finally, it crumbled. The remaining walls weren't enough to support the ceiling: they creaked, bent, and were crushed.
And, being pulled by more gravity, the top floor of the watchtower caved in, trapping the lives of humans and monsters.
I tumbled down the spiral staircase. After toppling over two, three times, I collided with curved wall and stopped. I raised a mumbled scream.
As I crashed with a reasonable amount of momentum, it hurt here and there throughout my body. Had Lily not protected me by embracing my head, I might have hit my head and got injured or something.
“……Are you safe, Kei?” (Majima)
“Y-, yes.” (Kei)
Raising my head, I confirmed the safety of the little girl I was holding tight in my chest.
From what I saw, she had no injuries. I breathed a sigh of relief *phew*, and then looked up at the stairs I tumbled down.
“……No good, huh?” (Majima)
The door which lead to the top floor was buried by rubble.
Even though I understood that nothing could be done now, it was an adequate scene.
“Mikihiko, you okay?” (Majima)
After getting Kei to her feet, I called out to my friend, who was the only other person I'd saved.
“……I feel an array of scratches, bruises. Seriously, it hurts. I almost cried. In short, the fact I'm alive is wonderful.” (Mikihiko)
While holding his right shoulder, which seemed to have been struck hard, Mikihiko got up.
His expression that looked ahead of the blocked staircase was bitter, contrary to his frivolous talk. I cast my eyes down.
“Sorry, Mikihiko. I couldn't save the others.” (Majima)
“……No. In the moment, I didn't understand what it was, but the fact I lived like this is thanks to you, Takahiro, isn't it? Thank you. Cause' I can't die until I win Leader's heart.” (Mikihiko)
It appeared that Mikihiko hadn't noticed that the one who helped us successfully escape was Lily. It was probably because it was instantaneous, and because he was forcibly moved with the scruff of his neck grabbed.
Turning to Lily, Mikihiko displayed a bluffed smile.
“Above all, it seems you're safe as well, Mizus.h.i.+msan.” (Mikihiko)
“Yup. But, what should we do? We can't stay like this, right?” (Lily)
Equipping the wooden spear and s.h.i.+eld she was carrying in her hand, Lily turned her gaze this way.
“……For now, let's move from here. We don't know when this tower will collapse.” (Majima)
I also held the circular s.h.i.+eld I had carried on my back in one hand, and pulled out the wooden sword I was wearing on my waist.
It was really fortunate that we hadn't been disarmed. From here, I didn't know what'd be waiting for us.
Looking at our situation like this, Mikihiko looked like he prepared himself and also pulled out his daggers, and gave one of them to Kei.
“Alright. Let's go.” (Majima)
We began descending the stairs.
Lily, who nonchalantly ran a half step forward, looked at me with a sidelong glance and asked.
“What will we do after this? We can't run away randomly, you know?” (Lily)
“That is……” (Majima)
When I tried to answer, I felt wind on my face and stopped mid-sentence.
Once I narrowed my eyes and looked, wind from outside was blowing in through the hole of the damaged wall in the middle of the staircase; it appeared that『stray bullets』of the stub beetles from earlier crashed into it.
Looking down at the fortress from there, our breaths were taken away en ma.s.se.
The ramparts—the first line of defense for intercepting the monsters that drew near the ramparts originally—were the height of chaos.
Wrapped in the fire fangs' flames, several soldiers fell from the top of the ramparts to the ground.
Rough rabbits' strong arms broke the bones of the soldier's entire body along with their armor.
Green caterpillars ran over and killed the various injured, and slimes suffocated the poor victims caught by their tentacles. And, various monsters that I hadn't seen before were attacking the soldiers.
These monsters appeared to have invaded through the gate that the green caterpillars broke through. We understood here for the first time that the green caterpillars weren't the only monsters descending upon this fortress.
Some large monsters, like treants, were wandering outside the fortress and not entering it, but the majority seemed to have invaded within the fortress already; from the entrance and exit connecting to the top of the ramparts, monsters were still rus.h.i.+ng out.
The soldiers seemed to be trying to encircle and bring down the monsters superior in strength and speed, but there were already too many in this place for that. If they fought individually, every one would be crushed, and if they tried to commence an attack by gathering in a group, they would be jumped on before they could prepare that stance, and would be kicked about.
Fortress Tilia was shaped like many flat, many-sided pillars stacked on top each other. A further wall was stretching around the inside of the outer walls, which formed a taller inner wall, so even if an invasion into the outer wall was allowed, attacks from on top of the inner wall could be made.
However, since the majority of the war potential was apparently left behind on the outer wall, the limited number of soldiers on the inner wall were attacked by monsters able to fly, such as stub beetles, and they didn't appear to be able to do any effective counterattacks.
The delay in dealing with it was not due to a low amount of practice time, but the fact that there were too many enemies, and probably the fact that the invasion was too early. The current situation was far worse than the worst I a.s.sumed.
“N-, no way. Perhaps, that is a monster of the Deep Part……?” (Kei)
Kei, looking at this scene, covered her mouth with her trembling hands, her complexion so pale that she looked like she'd faint at any time.
“Moreover, for this many monsters to be attacking at the same time……!!?” (Kei)
“You don't happen to know something about this kind of situation, do you?” (Majima)
When I asked Kei, she shook her head strongly.
“I-, I don't. For there to be so many monsters surging forward! Th-, this is, it's just like the hero-samas' sea of trees expedition……!!?” (Kei)
Indeed, the situation before my eyes resembled a section of the legend of the heroes that I heard from Silane. That was the stampede driven on by a large quant.i.ty of monsters which crushed the heroes who lead an army and invaded the sea of trees?
“……No way, those guys who headed to rescue weren't beaten, right?” (Mikihiko)
Mikihiko muttered in a low voice, narrowing his eyes under his gla.s.ses.
The day that the ‘Scouting Corps' member『Great Runner』Eno Yuna headed to rescue the survivors around the colony in the Deep Part of the sea of trees…was yesterday. The possibility that that was the cause couldn't be denied, but…….
“……Hmm…I wonder.” (Majima)
There was something that felt out-of-place. It felt like there was an inconsistency between the scene before our eyes and Mikihiko's guess just now.
However, I didn't understand what it was immediately.
In the end, I shook my head.
“If we try to think about it right now, we won't really understand anything. Rather, our first priority should be escaping to safety……” (Majima)
Despite saying so myself, I felt something similar to swelling in my heart.
I was anxious that I had to move without understanding the situation. My self-consciousness was being washed away by the situation.
I wondered if it really was okay with it like this. ……However, I didn't have much time now.
“Even if we try to escape to a safe place, we still don't know much about this fortress. Mikihiko, where do you think we should escape to?” (Majima)
When I switched my thoughts and asked him, Mikihiko closed one eye and groaned in a low voice.
“……I think around where we're lodging should be fine. That place is the deepest inside of this fortress. Right, Kei-chan?” (Mikihiko)
“R-, right. The residential area where the hero-samas were staying is the most protected place in this fortress. While it may be true that the ramparts are destroyed, it shouldn't allow an invasion.” (Kei)
Kei seemed to have more or less regained her composure. Or perhaps, some kind of professional sense like “she had to protect us heroes” might've calmed her down.
“More importantly, two ‘Scouting Corps' members are there.” (Majima)
“Ah. Come to think of it, those guys are there as well, huh. Although nasty, only their combat ability stands out. Certainly, there doesn't seem to be a place more safe than that.” (Mikihiko)
Mikihiko gave me a look. I nodded, and looked towards Kei.
“Well then, I ask you for guidance. Since the one who knows the most about this fortress is you, Kei.” (Majima)
“O-, of course~. Please leave it to me!” (Kei)
Grasping her fist firmly, Kei enthusiastically lead us, and we started running.
Just before that, I took a fleeting glance outside the hole opened in the wall. Seeing a lot of monsters wandering about on the other side of the ramparts, I sighed.
……If possible, I wanted to go outside the fortress and link up with Rose and Gerbera.
However, in this situation where outside of the fortress was surrounded by monsters, that was also difficult.
It was too bad, but there were no other options. Shaking off my regret, I started running after Kei.
“KyaAAh! Th-, this way is no good!” (Kei)
“d.a.m.n it! Let's take another detourrr!” (Mikihiko)
I wonder how much time has pa.s.sed since we started running.
We had made countless unknown route changes without more than a thought.
It was because ahead of where we turned the corner was a battlefield mixed with roars and screams.
Soldiers, having prepared ranks, lied in wait for a green caterpillar which charged with spears growing from their bodies after seemingly repeating several battles already.
Countless spears were sent out, some of which pierced the green skin. However, the large caterpillar, not caring about that, plunged into the line of battle, running the soldiers over and flattening them.
The soldiers surrounded the caterpillar that lost the momentum of its charge gradually, and stabbed in even more spears, simply because it was “the enemy of my friends”. When the damaged caterpillar turned its body violently, soldiers were thrown into the wall, and casualties and wounded were ma.s.s-produced. On the other side of such a battlefield, signs of new enemies were making an appearance already…….
“This way!” (Kei)
We ran through the corridor with Kei's guidance, leaving such a scene behind.
The monsters that had trampled down the humans in the fortress seemed to be weakening that momentum after they went inside the fortress. It was probably because the defensive potential of the fortress that protected its narrow pa.s.sages with groups against the monsters that dispersed due to the structure of the complicated fortress was narrowly managing to fight against them with their original way of fighting.
However, the fact that they were being pushed was something that couldn't be denied. The defense seemed to have been broken through in places; it seemed like they were being attacked a lot on the inside. There were also battles occurring ahead of where we were trying to escape, so it was by no means easy to get to our destination.
Besides, it was okay because the green caterpillars that broke in in the beginning were still the main opponents; after all, they were monsters of the Outer Layer of the sea of trees. There were many more powerful monsters of the Deep Part of the sea of trees among the monsters on top of the ramparts. If they started a full-blown invasion into the fortress' interior, the damage would be unimaginable.
If they caught up to us, it was over. The monsters—enough to crush us if they all attacked at once, even if Gerbera, that white Arachne, was here—were surging forward.
Currently, there was no choice but to keep on escaping anyway…….
……No. Would it really be okay with that?
In the first place, it was doubtful whether or not the current situation could be dealt with with the war potential of this fortress.
Perhaps, we were trying to take refuge in a dead-end blind alley. An ominous premonition like that increased the anxiety in my heart—just enough to fill it entirely.
“Hey, Takahiro.” (Mikihiko)
“What is it?” (Majima)
Mikihiko, running side by side with me, called out. The face I saw with a sidelong glance was a little stiff.
“I've tied fate without giving up so far¹, but I guess now is the time to pay the piper, huh?” (Mikihiko)
“……Don't say strange things.” (Majima)
“Takahiro, you know. This atmosphere. It's the same as the last day of the colony.” (Mikihiko)
“……” (Majima)
I couldn't answer back. Because I, too, felt an unpleasant premonition.
This pa.s.sage was continuing to the future of destruction. I couldn't help but feel that. For us, it was also the path we travelled once.
Through a similar personal experience, we arrived at this fortress. Maybe what I felt in this place was similar to nature.
“There may be an emergency.” (Mikihiko)
Mikihiko spoke, as though he was inserting rough breaths from running fast.
“When push comes to shove, I will go first. Takahiro is next. The girls must be protected.” (Mikihiko)
“……then, I-” (Majima)
“No. Because you need Mizus.h.i.+msan, Takahiro. Her turn is after yours.” (Mikihiko)
He had a strong tone that I hadn't heard much.
Mikihiko spoke in a suddenly-changed-to soft voice to me, who looked daunted.
“Takahiro, you might not have noticed yourself, but when we were in that world, you were longing for Mizus.h.i.+msan.” (Mikihiko)
“——” (Majima)
“Well, I say that, but I was the same. ……Ah. Keep this a secret from Leader, okay? Now, I'm earnest for Leader, and besides, that was a light longing for at most. Around this was probably the same for you as well, Takahiro.” (Mikihiko)
“——” (Majima)
“At great pains, you became the lover of the girl you yearned for, so you have to take care of her.” (Mikihiko)
Mikihiko smiled broadly.
It was the smile of an honest, good-natured boy, no different from the one he had shown in the cla.s.sroom before he came to a cruel world like this.
“N-, no good. This way too is……!?” (Kei)
At that time, Kei, who was leading us, screamed.
What was before our eyes after we turned the corner was a『Tetra Sickle』, a dry-gra.s.s colored praying mantis monster about 2 meters in length which trampled down the line of soldiers with spearheads at the ready.
Its habitat: the Deep Part of the sea of trees. Its characteristic: a left and right pair of sickle-shaped forelimbs.
When it shook off its sickle of a death G.o.d so pale it was transparent, the soldiers frozen in the hallway collapsed like it was all a joke.
The surviving soldiers lunged their spears, looking like they were prepared for death, but the tips didn't reach. The face of a soldier frozen in despair was slashed diagonally, his arms flew, and his intestines spilled out.
“Dammiiiit, even though it's only a little bit more ahead! We can't go through here. Let's turn back!” (Mikihiko)
Mikihiko spoke, clicking his tongue, and we turned the corner we came from.
And then, we immediately stopped our feet.
Because at the end of the pa.s.sage, there was a wounded beast.
“A fire fang……” (Majima)
A gray wolf, which I had encountered more times than I could count when I was roaming the sea of trees, was showing itself in the pa.s.sageway we ran through.
One eye was crushed, and two swords which seemed to be the Knight Order's were sticking in its abdomen, but it looked like this ferocious beast couldn't be killed by that much. What it was dragging along—bitten and torn—was the remains of a man who seemed to be someone from the Alliance's Knights.
“T-, tahaha. You're joking, right?” (Mikihiko)
A tetra sickle in the front, and a fire fang in the back.
We were sandwiched between strong monsters of the Deep Part of the sea of trees.
“N-, no way……” (Kei)
Kei raised a moan of despair. That was no wonder either.
In order for us to escape from this crisis, we had to at the very least defeat either the monster in the front or the monster in the back, or to let it go past.
However, the opponent was too evil. Letting it go past was something that couldn't be done by normal human beings.
……Indeed. By normal human beings.
But, if it wasn't a human being, the story was different.
For example, if it was the same monster…….
Or, if there was an existence which subdued them…….
“……” (Majima)
There was a way.
But for that, I had to reveal the truth which I'd hidden thus far. It would make my position considerably worse. All the more so in a situation like this.
Currently, this fortress was receiving a large-scale attack of monsters. In there, a man who manipulated monsters appeared. If done poorly, they'd find it difficult to not suspect whether or not I guided a situation like this.
Moreover, it wasn't a doubt that they'd miss the mark completely with the bad things……I'd already arrived at the true colors of the uncomfortable feeling that I felt in the conversation before we started running away like this.
Kei had said “it's just like the hero-samas' sea of trees expedition”.
However, it seemed like the monster's movements were too systematic for just surging forwards towards this fortress.
Particularly, the suicide attack where they cast aside their own bodies. That was strange. If they had some kind of stimulated state, then it may have been possible to tend towards the actions they did, but as far as I saw, there wasn't even a fragment of an indication of madness in the large flock of bugs that approached.
They were just like machines. I couldn't feel its heat as a living thing.
Besides, monsters were surrounding the fortress. That was strange.
Due to the monsters loitering like that, I abandoned the idea of linking up with Gerbera and others outside……it…seemed just like『they were lying in wait so as to not let any human beings inside the fortress escape』.
Nothing could be done to fix this abnormal situation; I couldn't help but feel a person's evil intent. The idea that『maybe there was someone manipulating the monsters』didn't seem to be all that strange either.
Surely there were other people who considered the same thing. By knowing of my existence as a master who lead monsters, the people who reached the same conclusion should've grown more and more. However……
“……There's no time to hesitate…huh?” (Majima)
My hesitation was only for an instant.
Neither I nor Lily could die in a place like this.
Besides, Mikihiko and Kei were here too.
If it was just me and Lily, or like the emergency evasion from before, it might've been possible to cut our way through this place while keeping it a secret. But, no matter how I thought about it, doing that while protecting the other two was impossible.
Having been supported by Lily last night, I vowed to push back the trauma that'd been planted after I came to this world. I thought that both Mikihiko and Kei were human beings worthy of trust. I thought “I want to trust them”. I thought “that, for sure, is the truth inside of me that Lily had spoken of”.
So, there was no way I could let them die.
Preparing myself, I looked at Mikihiko with a sidelong glance——
“……eh?” (Majima)
——Just like me, my eyes met with Mikihiko's, who was looking at me.
Mikihiko looked at me, and then turned his eyes towards Lily. Suddenly, a smile floated on his mouth. It was a refres.h.i.+ng smile in some respects, like a load was taken off his shoulders.
“Kei-chan. Sorry, but return my weapon to me.” (Mikihiko)
After saying so to Kei, who was standing stock still in despair, Mikihiko took his dagger he had lent to her with agility.
“Let's do exactly as I said earlier, Takahiro.” (Mikihiko)
Mikihiko started walking down the brickwork pa.s.sage to where the fire fang was. A peaceful resolution was lodged on his back, which was pointing this way.
“I'll get the attention of that d.a.m.n wolf, so take Mizus.h.i.+msan and Kei-chan and run away.” (Mikihiko)
“Th-, that's absurd, Mikihiko-san!” (Kei)
Kei, quickly returning to herself, spoke with a voice like a scream towards his back.
“Mikihiko-san, it's reckless for you, who isn't even a knight, to fight alone against a monster from the Deep Part! You'll die!” (Kei)
“Tahaha. I'm certainly weak, and I'm not a knight, much less a hero or something like that—definitely not, but that hurts a little.” (Mikihiko)
Mikihiko returned a voice mixed with a bitter laugh.
“Around times like these, let me try to look good.” (Mikihiko)
“Mikihiko-san……” (Kei)
“It's alright. After all, I don't mean that I'll pick a fight without thinking of anything……” (Mikihiko)
Without looking back, Mikihiko shrugged his shoulders.
And then, the pair of blades he had in each hand——he threw them both towards the ceiling.
“——” (Majima)
The two swung daggers drew a parabola in the air while slowly rotating vertically.
And then when they reached the top, this time they slowly fell, pulled by gravity.
They turned round and round……and midway, the two stopped.
The swords' edges turned towards the fire fang, the daggers were still in the air.
Without any support, they were liberated from the yoke of gravity.
“……Wha!?” (Majima)
“This is…my cheat ability——『Aerial Knight』.” (Mikihiko)
After drawing out his daggers again and preparing to use the daggers—four in total, Mikihiko looked over his shoulder.
“Well? Cool, isn't it?” (Mikihiko)
Translator's Notes
¹ - Not entirely sure what he meant in the first part. ‘ここまで諦め悪く命を繋いできたけどさ、' ▲
Sorry for the delay~. C25 should be up shortly (already edited), and if not, then in 9 or so hours.
If you guys notice anything wrong, please let me know!
-Thy Unsus
