258 That's why I am I right in front of course.

Ilias-Ratzel's strength is real. He is quick enough to keep up with the speed of the sword, strong enough to withstand the pressure of the sword, and skilled enough to deal with irregular sword stripes. I can assure you that all of these are top-notch, better than any opponent I've beaten in the past.

"Yeah, not bad. You're not bad. But that doesn't make it exciting, does it? How can you be satisfied with a game that ends in a defensive struggle?

It's a good thing that he can keep up with my movements, but he's not cutting into me even once, he's just continuing to take my sword honestly. From the way he breathes and looks at me, it doesn't mean that he's at his current speed limit, but it's more appropriate to say that he's quietly protecting me.

Why is that? To see through my movements? No. Is it because he's a counterattacking swordsman by nature? No. This fighting style itself must be far from her way. The reason for this is simple, it's the man who's watching this fight right there, the people of Yugra's planet.

"(Haha, that's a creepy look.)

It's as if he's trying to see through me, and I'm convinced that he's the same kind of person as Ritual ......, but he's not exactly the same. I'm sure you'll be able to understand why I've been so impressed with your work. Regardless of superiority or inferiority, there is a difference.

I don't think the Iliad can win a one-on-one fight against me. That's why I'm not in the least concerned about a one-on-one duel. If this man understands me and can see through my moves, then I'll accept that as the enemy's strength in this fight. That's what I'm looking forward to.

After all, I've already figured out the upper limit of this knight called the Iliad. No matter how skilled he is, I can finish him with a single blow. If this was just a one-on-one fight, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the game would have already been decided.

Still, this man will do something that will betray my expectations. The look in his eyes makes me hope that he'll push me over the edge.

(I'm hoping you'll surprise me with something spectacular.

But you only get one chance to do that, yes, one chance. I'm guarding this place because Ritual told me to. Since I've been told to hold them off as long as possible, I don't have much time to enjoy dealing with these two. I have to catch up with the people who went into the ruins and take care of them. There's no guarantee that Serraes and Rahite won't be defeated, not even by Lytiar.

That's why I'm not going to let up on the attack on the Iliad. I'm going to show him my moves and read his personality, habits, and thoughts as much as possible so that he can set up his own moves quickly.

(Don't let me disillusion you. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's interested in this.

I'm not sure what to say.

I'm not sure if you're in the middle or not, Exduk.

I think we're losing sight of the trap. Let's give the signal.

After passing through the upper level full of traps, we will interfere with the chain that we gave to the other team when we reach the middle level. Even though we can't afford to take the time to communicate in the enemy's stronghold, we can use this means to signal the other teams.

Each team is using the same method, with Wolfe's team having already reached the middle level and Harkdock's team not yet.

"Hee, hee. ......

Even though it was just a monotonous task of tracking my footsteps, I had to be aware of the fact that the followers of Raitis appeared to interfere each time. For Lakra, the traps of the ruins, with their repeated attacks by an unspecified number of people, seemed to be a worse match than she had imagined, and she was gasping for breath from mental fatigue. I'd like to take a break, but I can't even afford to slow down since I don't know how long the time limit is.

"Lacula, there won't be any traps for a while. Even if there are, I'll be on the lookout for them, so keep your head down.

"Ha, ha. ......

While expanding the deployment range of the chain, I proceeded along the middle path. As I expected, there was no sign of traps or ambushes. This means that there is no one but Ritual waiting for us.

According to my compatriots, Ritual will be using many traps in the middle level, and will be waiting for us in cooperation with Tudori. The others, on the other hand, would have their own methods of interception. In that case, the reason why Harkdok's team was delayed could be that they did not have time to contact Ritual by the route he was waiting for.

After a while of walking through the corridor, we arrived at a large space. The dark and desolate space resembled the cave of Beguragud where I grew up, but the silence made it even more eerie.

This place seems to have been prepared as a catacombs, a mausoleum. It is said that the demon kings were defeated by Yugra before it was completed, and the building was not completed until the end. ......

"It's bigger than I thought. And it's creepy. ......

Come on, clergyman. Churches and cemeteries are where you work.

I'm a demon slayer!

According to my memory of the map, the structure of the catacombs is a little bit complicated, but it's easy to find your way around. However, since this was the middle level, the enemy was sure to set up here. I'm going to use detection magic over a wide area and see what happens.

Quiet, both of you. There's a lot of them around. No, but this is .......

There's a lot of magical activity in the catacombs, and most of it is coming our way. The amount of magic in each one isn't much, but the number is unusual. In the past, there have been sporadic attacks by one to three people, but the number we've been able to observe in this catacombs is well over five hundred.

I turned my gaze toward the magic power that had responded closest to me. It's at the corner of the catacombs, just beyond. But I've felt this magic before, and it's from the Quama Realm.

"Uh-oh. ......

"Undead!

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on here.

I'm not sure what to make of this. It's kind of anticlimactic. Ecdysium, we'll get through this quickly.

"Wait, Ao. Don't get too close.

The undead are beings created by necromancy. Unlike the creatures of the demon world who are born demons, the undead are alien monsters created from the souls of humans.

I know. I'm sure you're not the only one.

Watch out!

That was the moment when Ao interfered with the undead in front of him. The undead's body distortedly swelled up and exploded, scattering dead flesh and bones. I stepped forward to protect Ao, but Lakra's ward protected us from the explosion earlier than that.

It seems to have been tampered with so that it will immediately self-destruct if any interference is made.

Yeah, ...... means you're fully prepared for me. ....... Lahayt! You've got some nerve! Come on out!

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can contact us at our own web site.

The only people who appear in response to Ao's loud shouting are the undead, and Rahite is nowhere to be seen. In the first place, Raheit's ability is not that high, and if it were me or Lakra, he would not challenge us head on.

You're being ignored.

"Not good enough! Ecdysium, I'm going to kick the crap out of this little fish! Undead with no enhancements are no threat to us!

Calm down. You just found out that they self-destruct when interfered with by magic. Then there's a possibility that it will intentionally self-destruct.

In fact, that's probably exactly what Rahite wants. I'm not sure what to make of this. Undead that have been subjected to necromancy will quickly regenerate if they are destroyed in the usual way. If the attack is done by purification magic, the necromancy itself can be nullified. ...... Can it be nullified if it immediately self-destructs?

A chain is flung and a wedge with a purification spell on the end is used to pierce the head of another undead. The undead immediately self-destructs, though there is a reaction characteristic of purification magic. The spattered corpse begins to regenerate.

I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but it's a good idea.

It is possible to surround them with large wards to prevent them from detonating. But our magic power will be insufficient to neutralize all of these numbers.

"d*mn, that's a very bad attitude! What are you going to do, Exduk?

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what to do. It's a good idea to use long range attacks to keep them from getting too close.

Fortunately, we are a group of people who are skilled in long-range attacks. It's a good idea to keep your eyes on the road and not on the road.

They deploy their chains and attack the undead in front of them. Normally, this attack is done with curses and poisons, but instead of using all of them, it destroys the undead with physical impact alone.

It seems that physical impact alone will not cause the undead to self-destruct. Lakra, be prepared for a sudden self-destruct. Ao and I will blow up the undead while--

Stop the attack! Stop the attack, Brother Ecdyke!

Suddenly, Lakra's loud voice made me stop my chains. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.

I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that if I were you.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. The skin is also clean ...... or should I say bloody. It's obvious that there's a living person in the mix.

If this were a believer in Leitis, there would have been no need to go easy on him. But the human's attire is that of a common villager. That's not necromancy, that's puppeting through mind control.

"Looks like he's got some kidnapped villagers mixed in there.

Why aren't the undead around here attacking? The undead are supposed to attack the living indiscriminately. In the event that you're not sure what to do, you can always ask your doctor.

The power of the undead is reasonably strong, and blowing them up requires a fair amount of force. But if you attack a living person who is only under your control, you will die if you hit the wrong person. If this happens, the corpse will become undead due to the effects of necromancy. .......

You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web. If you are a human being, you would have been prepared to take the life of an enemy, but the people in front of you are innocent people who were just involved.

"Well, your mood has changed quite a bit, Ao no Maou-sama.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.

I'm sure you're not going to change your haughty attitude even if you change your body, Rahite.

I'm sure you're humble enough to know that. I don't have the strength of an Arcturial or the observant eyes of a Ritual. I don't have the skill of Arcturial or the observation of Ritual to fight you head on. ......

I'm just saying that your attitude of taking advantage of others is arrogant.

The people of the planet Yugra are also supposed to take advantage of others, aren't they? I don't think there's much difference, is there?

I was about to lash out at him for being different from you, but the anger I felt from beside me made me calm down. It was not very powerful, but Lakra could be angry like this.

"Master Shosho is not like you!

"No, of course not. It doesn't make us feel any better to be thought of as one and the same. It's a ...... fate that the people I have to buy time for are the ones I used to use.

You're not just getting back at me for what I've done to you. You've made enemies and now you're talking about fate and destiny.

I was hired to kill my own people, but Lakra and Ao were involved by Raheit, and I'm sure they have a lot on their minds. Rahite laughed in disgust and leaned towards the undead beside him.

"Ecdyke. You can head down to the lower levels without paying any attention to the hostages here, can't you? I don't mind, do you? We can head down to see if it's a dead end.

I'm not going to jump into a trap that's so obvious. I'm not gonna let you get away with it.

That's too bad. It would have been a lot easier if you'd only had to deal with dim-witted clerics and demon lords.

It's a cheap provocation, but it's enough to make Ao uncomfortable. I've been told to prioritize neutralizing Rituals, but Rahite's priority is to capture them. Killing the body is useless if the soul is transferred to another body. It's not a good idea to leave him alone, since he can change his form at will.

Lahti, you're a necromancer, aren't you?

I can't just play with my own soul, you know. It came naturally to me as I developed this talent. I refrained from using it to hide my identity.

The religion of Yugra maintains strict surveillance of forbidden magic throughout the world. The only reason Rahite didn't use necromancy was to keep a low profile? No, I think there's another reason, given the man's personality. ...... No way.

You're the necromancer who destroyed Spine, aren't you, Rahite?

I'm sure you're not the only one.

It is said that a necromancer destroyed Spine about twenty years ago, the name of a small country that existed near the border of Medis and Selende. It's a good idea to keep your eyes and ears open for the latest news and information from the media.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.

"Even if you're not a bastard, there are always monsters in the world. The two Yugraists, Maja and Filia, gave me a very bad time.

Filia was the name of Ilias's mother, and she and Maja used to be the duo that defeated even the greatest demons. Even though he was a bastard, Rahite was still a human being. So, with two of the most powerful clerics in the world at the time, he had to keep his identity a secret.

It's not safe to move on until we've dealt with this one, Ecdysium.

I agree.

If someone could hold him back like the Arcturial on the ground, the rest of us would be able to move on. However, I don't want to take any precautions against this opponent. In the first place, we don't want to take on the Nektohar that might be waiting for us ahead of us without even one of them.

Raheit may still have a trump card left, but so do we. Even if this ends up playing into his hands, all we have to do is defeat him head on.