Chapter 421: Predicament (side: Volk)

It’s the worst possible situation. I have received a direct hit from confusion magic. It might only last less than a minute, but that's easily enough time for the battle to be decided while my ability to think is restricted.

I press down on my jumbled emotions through willpower. I can’t let this be the end for me.

“Well done! Aha, it’s finally over! Well, you’ve lasted a long time I suppose, considering you were up against us. But in the end, you’re just a slightly strong human. This was always going to happen once we got serious.”

I fall to my knees and stab my greatsword into the ground. First, I have to put my breathing in order.

Resist the disorder, concentrate. No matter what, until I’ve regained control of myself again, I can’t make any unnecessary movements. But what if my body is torn up before then? No. Don’t be swayed by the terror, don’t think about anything unnecessary. Before worrying about anything else, pulling myself back to normality comes first. Take a broad view of the situation. Push the emotions aside and act only on logic.

I have little resistance to magic. That is why I was never negligent in training to receive magic with my body. I can quickly twist this magic aside.

“Break his arms and legs so he can’t move. Once he’s unable to do anything, I’ll break him apart with gravit magic! Yes, that’s what we do!”

“…Surely we don’t have to go that far.”

The slime with the face of a young girl swiftly crawls up to me and grapples my body. My arms and legs are pinned down, as a heavy burden is placed on my joints. An unpleasant sound reverberates in my head.

“A-argh…!”

My almost-pulled-together mental state collapses in pain and terror.

Is this all I am? No, that’s not right. It can't be. Right, I am the Dragon Hunter, Volk.

Stand up. Shake off the slime and cut. Didn’t I promise that double-headed dragon that I would follow it to the Demon Lord?

“[Gravidon].”

In front of the ugly slime’s outstretched hand, a light appears in the shape of a pitch-black sphere.

“Open your eyes wide and tremble in fear! Ahaa! This will be the last sight you see! Though I don’t know how much you're able to perceive your current situation!”

The young girl slime twists my wrists. The sound of my bones snapping rings out. Carefully, she then distances herself, acting efficiently to break me down.

But with [Autoregeneration], I forcibly connect my joints and continue to hold onto my greatsword. The only time I will release it is when my spirit is broken. Only then will I have lost. I still haven’t lost yet. I can still come back from this. My bones are broken, and I have no magic power left, but that does not matter.

“Hyuu, hyuu…”

Seeing me still holding onto my greatsword, the face of the young girl twists in a frown. Her blank expression returns soon after, and she distances herself further from me.

“Onii-san, you were quite strong. Bye now.”

Low to the ground, she moves further away from me.

“Ahhahahaa! I’ve put so much magic power into it! Be grateful!”

The sphere of black light shoots towards me. I can’t move my legs. If I try to stand up, I’ll collapse. The sense of pain has numbed. My knees might be entirely crushed.

If so, then that’s fine. That’s still fine. I swing my greatsword up.

“NuOOOOOOOOOOh!”

Pouring magic into [Exorcising Blade], I swing towards the black sphere.

“Ahahaha! Are you stupid?! There’s no way you could stop my strongest magic, with the most possible magic power in it, with just a swing of your sword!”

Touched by the blade of my sword, the light stops. However, my bones that were broken and hastily connected together cannot put much strength into the sword.

My body screams out from the strain. The immense pressure of the [Gravidon] is transmitted to me through the sword.

“Haaah!”

Even so, I swing with the intent to push past my limits. The [Gravidon] sphere splits in two and collapses. All at once, I feel my magic power leaving my body.

“No way… He really…”

“H-he cut [Gravidon]…? A human did, with a sword? Th-that’s impossible…”

Not only the young girl Mephisto, but also the ugly woman Mephisto has an expression of dumbfoundedness. I look at my right arm. Nothing remains from my shoulder down.

The force of the [Gravidon] could not be entirely nullified and sent my arm flying. Glancing backwards, I see a twisted lump of flesh that is still nevertheless gripping Leral. Seeing that my hand has still not let go, I feel a slight sense of relief.

“…Sorry, Leral.”

Leral’s blade has a single crack.

“E-enough! Let’s kill him right away! He’s at death’s door!”

“R-right, onee-chan…”

The Mephistos once again enter combat readiness.

『I’ve cleaned up the soldier’s here! I will buy time against Mephisto! Dragon Hunter-dono, withdraw!』

I receive a thought from the magic mental monster.

“…Magic metal monster.”

『Yes?』

“Take the fallen adventurers and get away from here. And then tell the ouroboros this: I’m sorry, I might not be able to follow you.”

『This is no time to act tough!』

“I’m counting on you.”

Saying that, I extend my remaining left arm out into empty space.

“[Dimension].”

It’s magic that allows you to store anything that can be held in a hand within a subspace, and retrieve it whenever needed. In my left hand is gripped a greatsword with a strange blue-and-red grip, and a sinister dark red blade.

This clearly not-decent treasured sword once fascinated my heart, and passed through the hands of many who discarded it before falling into mine.

This will be the third time I have drawn this sword. It is too dangerous – both to me, and all those around me. And, just by using this sword is no guarantee of victory. However, in order to defeat this monster, this is the only option that remains.

“Wh-what is that…”

The ugly woman’s face frowns, staring at the greatsword.

“I will teach you.”

Thought to have been made from the skin and fang of the Magic Beast King of five hundred years past, it carries that legendary monster’s feared name.

“[Frumious Fang Bandersatch].”

It is a sword that is said to have driven a Hero insane and caused the death of a Saint.

TN: The word “frumious” is from the Jaberwocky poem, describing the Bandersnatch:

It’s a portmanteau of “furious” and “fuming”, so in the Japanese version of the poem it’s translated as 燻り狂う (iburi-kuruu), or smouldering-mad, which is then the name of the sword.