CH 138

“Was it alright to send onii-san back first?”



“It doesn’t really matter. I was planning on having Kazuto-san prioritize on Titan anyway.”



Nishino pulled the trigger, releasing the pesticide around him. The dozen or so Ants in front of him screeched in pain.



“Yeah, but wasn’t it better to have him leave after finishing things up on our end?”



“I mean”, Rikka continued as she swung her hatchet. “The ceiling of the central floor collapsed and squashed half the Ants to death. The Queen Ant also seems quite sluggish. It wouldn’t have made much of difference if he left after we killed the one over here, right?”



“You’re right. That might have been the case.”



“…?”



Rikka didn’t like how Nishino was being roundabout with his words.



Certainly, the ceiling had “coincidentally” collapsed before they charged in. Only the part of the ceiling above the Ants had “coincidentally” fallen down, killing the majority of the Ants that were caught in it.



In addition, Queen Ant Alpha received serious injuries from a “mysterious liquid” which also “coincidentally” dripped down from the ceiling.



They couldn’t have had better “luck”.



“—Of course, that’s assuming that the series of events were really just a ‘coincidence’.”



“Eh?”



Nishino stabbed an approaching Ant with the spear in his hand.



He then heard the announcement telling him that he leveled up.



“…Really, what a cautious person.”



The ceiling “coincidentally” collapsing on top of the Ants? An undiluted pesticide solution “coincidentally” falling down onto the Queen Ant?



(I don’t think such coincidences can happen so conveniently.)



Although the man in question tried to be deceptive, Nishino had seen it clearly.



Kazuto was staring at the ceiling before it collapsed.



Adding onto the fact that he “coincidentally” acquired a large stock of pesticides through Gatcha, Nishino was able to infer what kind of skill Kazuto was hiding… as well as the reason behind keeping it hidden.



“What a thorough bastard.”



Nishino laughed.



“Hm? Did you say something?”



“Nothing… I was just thinking about how we can never predict when, where, and how things will turn out.”



Nishino looked forward, putting back his serious expression.



“Anyway, we should finish things up quickly. You want to head over to where Ichinose is, correct?”



“B-but of course!”



Rikka’s eyes turned scarlet, and the air around her change



She had activated “Berserk”.



“I’M HEADING IIIIIIIIIIIINN!”



She jumped into the flock of Ants fearlessly.



***



At the same time, near the City Hall—



(Yes! The surprise attack was successful!)



While smiling inwardly, I look towards Titan.



There’s a gigantic hole in its forehead.



The hole’s something I made using a pile bunker.



Large cracks can be seen all around its face.



(But…what a ridiculous power.)



I subconsciously stroke the pile bunker on my right arm.



The pile bunker has a rugged design and is essentially a meter-long “nail” from its tip to its base.



—-“Ichinose Special Ver. 00 A Man’s Romance”



To be honest, Ichinose-san’s naming sense is devastating, but the power behind the pile bunker is the real deal.



Two days ago, Ichinose-san obtained the occupation “Weapon Craftsman” through Gatcha, and the first thing she did with it was to craft this pile bunker.



At that time, it was the most powerful weapon she could make with the materials that I had in my Item Box.



It’s an armament with extremely low fuel efficiency, requiring 10 small magic stones and 20 MP per shot, but the power behind each blow is as anyone can see.



So why am I not constantly using such an overpowered weapon?



The reason is exceedingly simple.



–Because the recoil is so terrible that it can’t be used.



A tremendous recoil capable of tearing apart the user’s body is inflicted on the user just by using it once.



I tried it out using a clone, and the clone’s body was ripped apart the moment it tried to use the pile bunker.



That being the case, the same will occur to me if I were to use it.



Also, since clones can’t use skills like “Shadow Manipulation”, their aim isn’t very accurate, so I can’t rely on them to launch suicide attacks.



Although it was made with great effort, it was destined to rot in the Item Box, greatly disappointing Ichinose-san.



It was Kiki’s “Reflection” skill that solved the predicament.



If I apply Kiki’s “Reflection” on myself in advance, the recoil from the pile bunker is also reflected back when I use it.



To be more precise, the recoil adds on to the pile bunker’s momentum.



This way, the pile bunker can have an ultra high output without putting the user at risk.



Kiki’s entry into the team served as the light we needed.



“My hands are fine… Kiki!”



“Kyu!”



Kiki appears on my shoulder using Momo’s “Shadow” and applies “Reflection” and “Support Magic – Buff” on me.



While the faint light wraps around me, I store my armament in the Item Box and begin running.



When it comes to running speed, I’m superior to the Golem.



I sneak under the Golem’s legs and position myself behind it.



“‘Wall Walking Technique’.”



Using the Golem’s body as foothold, I rush towards the Golem’s head before immediately rearming myself with the pile bunker.



“GO!!”



A huge nail is launched into the back of Titan’s head.



The reflective film shines and the force from the recoil of the pile bunker adds onto the tremendous power of the spike.



“RU~O~O….~O~O~OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONN!!”



Titan is overwhelmed from the immense pain.



“Momo! Now!”



“Wan!”



Momo appears from her “Shadow” and breathes in deeply to let out a “Roar”.



“Wa~o~o~o~o~o Oo Oo Oo Oo Oo Oo oooooooooooooon!!”



Her roar shakes the air in the surrounding area.



It wasn’t just her “Shadow” which leveled up. Momo’s “Roar” has also become much more powerful than before.



And Momo’s “Roar” was the final nail in the coffin.



Cracks spread throughout the entirety of Titan.



Ichinose-san wasn’t shooting blindly at the Golem.



I had her shoot key locations which I identified beforehand using “Critical Aim” so that the impacts of her bullets would be most easily transmitted throughout Titan’s body.



Alone, they do not deal much damage to the Golem.



However, thanks to them, the damages from the front and back attacks of the pile bunker and Momo’s “Roar” are being amplified very rapidly.



Eventually, the cracks on its body will converge at a single point, and when it does so — even a large boulder would be split apart.



“Ru~o~ooo…o, ~o~oooo…”



Titan, who is already tattered, squeezes out its last bit of strength and swings its fist.



However, at the next moment, its arm crumbles.



Following that, its right foot breaks apart as well.



No longer able to keep its balance, Titan falls forward.



Inside its heavily damaged head, I see “that” deep inside its mouth.



A huge, circular rock that is about the size of a watermelon. That is probably Titan’s “core”.



“…Ruoooooo…”



Titan glares at us with resentful eyes. The pressure being exerted is still great, but it lacks the power from before.



The moment it fell to the ground, I had felt a sudden decrease in its power.



Just in case, thinking so, I raise my hand.



Titan’s “core” shatters. It’s the handiwork of Ichinose-san.



With that, Titan’s body shuts down and falls apart for good.



Only a purple fist-sized magic stone is left behind in the mountain of rocks.



“Puhaa….”



I slump down on the spot.



Finally… it’s over.”



“Wan!”



“Haha. Momo, good work.”



I gently stroke Momo who begins licking my face.



Ah, this is the best.



“Kiki must be tired as well. I’m really thankful that you joined us.”



“Kyu! Kyu kyu~♪!”



Kiki rubs her body on me as if she couldn’t accept losing to Momo.



What a cute girl.



“Oh, that’s right. Momo.”



“Wan!”



Momo dives into her “Shadow”, apparently because she understood what I wanted.



A few seconds later, she reappears from the shadow with Ichinose-san in tow.



“Good work, Ichinose-san.”



“Thank you for your hard work as well, Kudou-san.”



Ichinose-san sits down next to me with her shoulder touching mine.



“After a short break, let’s head towards where Nishino-kun and his friends are. They should still be in the middle of their battle.”



One of Aka’s clones is with Rikka-chan, so we should be able to arrive there quickly using Momo’s “Shadow Migration”.



“Y-yes.”



“Ichinose-san, do you want to stay here and rest?”



Kiki can only cast “Reflection” a certain number of times.



I had Ichinose-san hold back from using Kiki’s “Reflection” so that I can attack with the pile bunker, so her body should be at its limit.



“No, I’ll go. Please let me go with you…”



Her eyes are not dead yet.



She probably wants to be of help to Rikka-chan.



“Okay, but let’s collect some of Titan’s fragments along with its magic stone.”



The MVP this time around is Kiki, so I’m planning on giving the magic stone to her.



By the way, I wonder how much levels Ichinose-san increased by.



Since I didn’t hear any announcement about the acquisition of experience, it means that all the experience went to her…



Ah, so frustrating. The difference in our level has widened again…



“Oh, Kudou-san. How much level did you increase by? I didn’t hear any announcement on my end, so yours went up considerably, right?”



“Eh?”



Suddenly, Ichinose-san drops a bomb.



***

Meanwhile, in the Underground Shopping Mall.



“Okay! Push onward! We’ll be victorious if we keep this up!”



“““UOOOOOOOOOOO!!”””



Nishino and his group were fighting against the Queen Ant and her subordinate Ants.



Already, only 20% of the Soldier Ants were left, and Queen Ant Alpha was also in a sorry state with one of her arms missing.



“Things are progressing well.”



“Yes, but we should remain on our guards. Shimizu-san, how many do you have remaining?”



“Two Magnum Blasters and four smoke-type pesticides. It’s slightly lacking, but we can cover for the lack of pesticides with our skills.”



“Then Shimizu-san and her group will attack from the right. We will attack from the left.”



“Understood. Everyone, we’re almost there! Let’s do our best!”



Inspiring one another and covering for one another.



Nishino and his colleagues were in an advantageous state.



In a battle between two “flocks”, the side which first gains the upper hand would be at an absolute advantage.



“Gyii…..”



G-gyiii….gyiii…”



The Ants were clearly being affected by the momentum from Nishino and his colleagues.



“Gyii…”



Realizing what was happening, the Queen Ant suddenly let out a screech.



“GYIIIIIIIIIIII!!”



“W-what? They’re suddenly changing their movements?”



“Be careful! We have no idea what they’re planning on doing!”



With her screech as the signal, the Soldier Ants began to gather under the Queen Ant.



The Queen Ant which was at the center slowly swung down one of her sickle-like arms.



“Gigyaa!”



The arm pierced through one of the blank Ants, killing it instantly.



Then, the Queen Ant raised its sickle again to kill another Ant.



She even used her fangs to chew on another individual.



“W-what’s she doing? She’s eating her kind!”



“Not only that, she’s randomly killing her troops.”



“What is she thinking…?”



“How should we knowing what a monster thinks? But if she’s willing to kill her own kind, that’s good for us. Let’s finish this once and for all!”



“““OHH!!”””



Nishino was contemplating while watching the scene unfold.



(Why on earth is she killing them?)



What was she planning on doing under these circumstances?



In the end, monsters are monsters.



(….No, she’s killing… her own kind…?)



It can’t be…



Nishino eventually arrived at a certain “thought”.



“Stop her from killing the Ants! Eliminate her immediately!”



“Eh?”



Although everyone else made incredulous expressions, Rikka instantly made her move.



She had arrived at the same prediction as Nishino.



As swift as a gale, Rikka rushed at the Queen Ant.



Of course, the Ants tried to top her on her track.



“Ants! Do not move from where you are standing!”



Nishino activated his “Command”.



The movements of the Solider Ants halted for a split second. Rikka made use of this opportunity and stepped on the heads of the stationary Ants, jumping forward with great force.



(Hurry… hurry!)



Experience could be earned by defeating monsters.



However, this law didn’t apply only to humans.



The same went for beasts, insects, and even monsters.



“YAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”



Rikka’s weapons cut through the Queen Ant.



As a result, muddy body fluid began bursting out from the Queen Ant’s abnormally swollen abdomen.



“Did it work…?”



“Gyii…”



Almost at the same time, the Queen Ant’s fangs tore apart the body of a lone Soldier Ant.



With that, light started overflowing from the body of the Queen Ant.



“!?”



“Step back, Rikka!”



Rikka jumped back by using one of the nearby Ants as a stepping stone.



A blinding light illuminated the surrounding area for a few seconds.



Soon enough, the light disappeared and it became dark and silent.



“W-what….?”



Only a huge abdomen was left where the Queen Ant previously stood.



Dokun. Dokun.



It was pulsing.



“I have no idea what that is, but let’s end this before anything happens!”



One of the staffs from the City Hall dashed forward with his spear, but in that instant, his neck fell off from his head.



“….Huh?”



Until the end, he was oblivious to what had happened to him.



Then, “something” stepped on the head that was rolling around.



The remaining abdomen had popped like a balloon, and when the muddy body fluid finished scattering, one monster appeared from within.



It was an Ant with the upper body of a female.



It looked just like Arachne from the Greek myths. [1]



Her upper body was like that of a flawless beauty.



Despite appearing inanimate, her beautiful and sensual figure, which was covered by several crustacean shells peculiar to Ants, fascinated everyone around her.



Nevertheless, the lower half of her body maintained its terrifying appearance of an Ant.



She was well over 2 meters in height, and the intimidating air around her was incomparable to before.



While everyone else was staring at her in awe, she slowly opened her mouth.



“—~I~i~a…~AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”



Queen Ant Alpha screeched as if to celebrate her rebirth.



***



“Didn’t Ichinose-san get the experience?”



“? Didn’t it go into you, Kudou-san?”



“Eh….?”



I can’t make sense of what she’s saying.



However, it doesn’t look like she’s pulling a joke on me.



Well then, let’s first collect the magic stone and the fragments of the Golem.



I pick up Titan’s magic stone.



Since Titan was a named monster, its magic stone is quite massive.



The purple magic stone asserts its existence on my hand through its mass.



“Eh?”



However, the stone cracks the next moment.



And that’s not the end of the story.



The crack spreads throughout the magic stone before disintegrating into pieces.



W-what just happened?



“The magic stone broke?”



“Y-yes…”



What? It’s not like I put much strength into my grip… huh?



Suddenly, I remember something.



Didn’t something similar happen yesterday while I was with Fujita-san?



I had picked up a magic stone among a pile of debris, but it dissolved into powder the next second.



“….”



Neither I nor Ichinose-san heard the announcement regarding the acquisition of experience, and the magic stone had disintegrated into nothing as I held it in my hand.



“….Can it be that…”



I am bombarded by a horrifying premonition.



The ground begins to shake violently the next instant.



“….W-what’s happening…?”



Ichinose-san’s countenance also changes abruptly.



No, it shouldn’t be…



The horrifying premonition continues to escalate.



My heart begins beating nonstop, and my breathing becomes irregular due to the disturbance.



A huge shadow is cast upon the ground which has been split up.



“You’re…. kidding….”



We witness the reemergence of the earth Golem, a being so large that it could be mistaken as a building.



The worst part is that it isn’t alone.



The number of shadows gradually increases one by one.



We stare at the scene in front of us in a daze.



The shaking subsides, and in front of us stands five earth Golems.



The Golems that appeared open their mouth in unison and let out roars so powerful that they damage my skin.



“Ah…”



This is bullshit… this is just a load of bullshit…



Our plan should have been perfect.



I had gone over the plan with Ichinose-san and Nishino-kun countless times.



Everything was for the sake of this battle.



But — everything has been overturned.



The roars that signify our despair echo in our ears without end.



*******************************************************************************************************************************



[1] Just in case you guys start bashing me, yes, I know that Arachne is a spider, not an ant.