141 - - intersecting red and blue

The depth of the room is approximately 50 paces.

The ceiling is more than twice as high as before, and the room is so spacious that it looks as if a whole large building could fit inside.

However, there are no obstacles at all in this spacious room.

The ground is flat and clear enough to stretch one's wings comfortably.

In fact, the ants' wings were stretched wide.

Stuck to the ceiling in the back of the room was an ant with its wings spread so beautifully that we could not take our eyes off of it.

As if gracefully folded, it suddenly opened its wings as if to show off its translucent blue color.

Immediately, an unpleasant tinnitus-like sound echoed throughout the room.

It seems that the sound we had just heard was caused by the shaking of the air by the ants' wings.

The name of this ant, with a body the color of the deep sea, is Sotodama-ant.

They are more than five times as long as amber ants, and are as large as armored boars.

However, what catches the eye first and foremost are the four long wings that grow on their backs.

Of all the jade ants that crawl on the ground, the blue jade ant is the only one that can fly freely through the air.

And it was not only the blue ants with their wings that captured our attention.

In front of the pitch-black fountain in the back of the room, a huge red mass was sitting solidly.

The owner of this gigantic, dazzling crimson mass, this ant is known as the red jade ant.

Its body, which was one size larger than that of the Blue Jade Ant, was formed of red transparent ore.

From the center of its forehead, a third set of antennae protrudes majestically, resembling a pair of horns.

These two were the masters of the fifth layer, and the guards of the dreadful miasma.

"Now, just to make sure, it's impossible to keep that thing still, isn't it?

"Yes, as I explained before, it seems almost impossible."

Thor looks at the blue ants that are intermittently making unpleasant noises with interest, and Ninessa smiles lightly and agrees with him.

Normal weapons cannot reach the blue ants that fly around at high altitudes.

Furthermore, because of their terrifying mobility, it is difficult to aim at them when they are close, and it is said that they can easily evade even offensive magic techniques.

If so, what about the inhibiting magic technique that works directly on the target, this is also difficult.

In fact, the body of the Blue Jade Ant is resistant to changes in condition, and even if you try to drag it down to the ground by using , it will be disabled.

Their blue wings, which boast near maximum hardness, can easily tear through armor and even flesh just by snatching it.

In addition, the hard, sharp needles on their abdominal tips are highly poisonous, paralyzing the nerves.

Hard, fast, and unstoppable, it is the worst kind of opponent.

"I see. And the other one can't even get close."

"They may look slow, but they'll hurt you if you underestimate them. Watch and learn."

Kugase interrupted their conversation, picked up a stone at his feet, and unexpectedly threw it into the square.

The girl released the stone, which flew through the air in a parabolic pattern.

Just when it seemed to have gone a few steps, it suddenly vanished without a sound.

"Well, it goes something like this..."　

"I thought I saw a ...... light, but it's too late."

Thor did not miss the moment when the stone evaporated and the horns on the red ant's forehead shone strongly for a moment.

This was the red light flying bullets, a powerful attack tool possessed by the red jade ants.

The monster, which does not move at all, is able to shoot out a red beam of light with high heat from its forehead horns.

Its range is so long that it can reach anywhere in this large room.

In other words, this space, which is so large and free from any obstacles, is an ideal battlefield for these two.

"Hmmm, interesting opponent. Let's see how they do.

"This is the end of the day. Yes, sir.

"Oh, my heart is already fully excited ......."

The usual noble bearing of Straccia had somehow disappeared from her uncontrollable mouth.

The left eyeball, which appeared from under the eye patch that had been removed as if to tear it off, was stained bright red with blood vessels.

The man with an animalistic smile put his hand on his helmet and silently lowered the red dragon's headpiece.

Without a sound, he pulls out two blades, and the blackness of the first one is replaced by a white glow.

Stratchia, sword in hand, quietly walks to the back of the room.

The red-haired swordsman has never shown his prowess until he reached this level.

In part, this is because he was not the right opponent to use it.

But technically, he could not.

The armor of the rotting dragon is an excellent device that sucks in all kinds of things, but in fact, it is also a cursed item.

Unfortunately, due to its nature, it even sucks out the fighting spirit of the wearer.

This was too much of a disadvantage for the vanguard who manipulated martial arts.

Of course, there is a limit to the amount that swords and armor can absorb, so it is possible to unleash a martial art by emitting more fighting spirit than that.

However, ordinary human beings do not have a vessel that can hold that much fighting spirit.

The amount that can be stored is predetermined.

But in Straccia, there is no such limit.

He is able to possess an inexhaustible supply of fighting spirit, thanks to the fundamental property of breaking through the upper limit, a rare talent said to be possessed only by a born fighter.

By activating , the power to fight fills Straccia's body one after another.

The cursed armor, nearing its limit, has already lost its jet-black color and is now tinted with the color of white brilliance.

And at the limit, the swordsman's body takes on the glow of platinum.

The air around Stratchia shimmers, and sparks of white fire begin to drift into the air.

"Now, show me your sins before my two swords!　."

From this moment on, the range of Stratchia's sword became an absolute defensive zone.

The red jade ants shine the horns of their foreheads in succession against the unprovoked invaders who have stepped into their territory.

From the crossed swords stance, the white blades continue to fly through the air.

After cutting down the red light, the blue wings strike from above without a pause.

A hard sound rings out, and the blue jade ants, whose wings have been sliced off, move away as if in a panic.

The upper branch skill of this flame tree, , is a rare defensive technique that slashes back with the sword at everything that comes in between.

Therefore, in order to defeat an opponent, it was necessary to get close to him.

The two ants boldly attacked Stratchia, who walked forward without breaking his posture.

However, the two blades block and repel them at every turn.

A perfect defensive space surrounded by a white flame.

This is the origin of the "white gold flame" and the reason why Straccia is called the strongest sword and shield.

The ants, cornered by the man who was finally so close to them, transformed into a frenzy.

Red spines are produced all at once from the backs of the red jade ants, and at the same time, the wings of the blue jade ants increase to eight.

The crimson light that was released at once hit the wings of the azure ants and was scattered all over the area.

But the man does not waver.

Two white blades, manipulated as if they were an extension of his arms, cut through all of them in an impossible motion.

"I can't be so carefree," he says, "I can't be so carefree either.

"Not at all,--."

At Kugase's call, the ground rose up to reveal three medium-sized clay figures.

Lined up in a row, they shielded themselves from the red heat rays.

Then, as Ninessa chants, the bodies of Thor and the others begin to appear to the eye as if blurred.

The light shot out by the clay figures and the protection of the shimmering flames did not reach Thor and the others, but vanished.

Eventually, the swordsman, who continued to advance, invites the ants into his line of fire.

The ants are quickly cut to pieces, their red bodies emitting a high-pitched sound.

The red jade ants, their heads shredded, simply lie motionless on the ground.

At the cruel sight of their comrades, the blue jade ants launch a suicide attack from directly above.

However, the blue wings, which should have attacked from a blind spot, are slashed off and its body goes to the ground.

Finally, they fire a stinger from the end of their abdomen, but even the stinger scatters into the air with a single swipe.

When there was nothing left to move, Straccia finally released her stance.

At the same time, the armor that covered his body quickly regains its blackness.

The red-headed swordsman lifts his face cheeks and sighs in dissatisfaction as he looks down at the monsters he has slain.