Chapter 172

172 – The Tenth Stratum – The Realm of Demons and The Awakened Interceptors 5

Aerial took longer to get to the fourth area compared to how fast he had been advancing thus far.

It was enough time for me to summon the Reaper Knight Furcus and have a little chat with her.

Even after I teleported, I’m sure the Monsters in the third area are hard at work.

Caim and Vepar are wizard types. Each of their bodies may not be strong, but instead, their magic is fearsome.

On top of being fast, Aerial is prioritizing reaching me, so they have to resort to space-changing magic in order to stop him.

Even he can’t ignore raging seas, wild storms, Water Blades, and cannon fire.

While thinking about that, I consulted with Furcus about something.

「…Interesting.」

She agreed to it.

And then…

「Is Sir Lemegeton in?」

Aerial, who finally arrived, was noticeably less unscathed than before.

His body was covered with small cut-like wounds. Even in the areas where his skin isn’t exposed, his outfit is cut and you can see the wound underneath.

It could have been Caim’s handiwork, or even Forneus’s.

If it was the Eloquent Thrush Lord Caim, it would’ve been with Wind Magic.

If it was the Sea Monster Forneus, it would’ve been with Water Magic.

Normally, he is a mild-mannered, gentlemanly Sea Monster, but in battle, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Just him moving his large body can be a terrible blow to the enemy, and no one stands a chance against his bite.

Also, as I experienced that time I visited the sixth stratum with Milla, he is able to use Water Magic.

He moved immediately after only having his fin summoned, so it is hard to imagine him being inept when the rest of him was summoned while he was just falling.

After he swallowed Aerial whole, I wonder what happened.

This is the second time that he’s swallowed someone whole in this Raid Battle. He was ripped apart from the inside the first time, so I’m sure he has prepared a plan for that this time.

After all, he is also a Monster of the Demon King Castle.

「Dragonkin and Majin… It appears that the next area is Sir Lemegeton’s area, right? Or perhaps the next area is one where only his subordinates are lying in wait…? Either way, it’s almost time. Isn’t that right…Ms. Furcus?」

So Aerial says.

While looking straight at me.

The reason for this is simple.

It is because I am riding the black armor.

Furcus’s armor is a Magic Tool. Only someone with an exclusive key can use it.

The key is not intended to be inserted and used, but only to indicate the qualification of the pilot.

This is why Furcus normally wears her Registration Card around her neck.

Borrowing that from her temporarily, I pilot the armor.

The cockpit is simple. There is a seat, elbow rest, and a lever to adjust the seat. When I close my eyes, my field of view switches to that of the helmet.

You wouldn’t be able to judge who was inside based on appearance.

I myself am suppressing my Magical Energy signature.

That said…

This isn’t something that can fool someone like the Storm Hero Aerial.

「…What happened to your beloved spear?」

Furcus’s spear wasn’t in my hand.

Aerial moved quickly.

He swung the Holy Sword in his right hand over his shoulder. He swung as if he was going to stab himself in the back, but it was the right decision.

Because by doing that, the blade stops the tip of the elongating spear that was aiming to stab him in the back.

Immediately after, he lets go of the sword and turns around. He grabs the falling sword and there was a flash.

The blade-shaped wind spins like a propeller, shredding the spear all the way down.

In an instant, it travels all the way, cutting it until the butt of the spear, and there is the Reaper Knight Furcus.

The moment that he guarded against her attack, she already broke the spear and dodged out of the way.

As the spear was cut, the remaining part left in her hand is the longer part, meaning the main body, and it can expand and contract once more.

She closes the distance quickly and starts stabbing.

Countless branches grow from the point where the spear broke, and only the part used for stabbing grew straight. The other branches move to wrap around Aerial’s body and Holy Sword.

Furcus protrudes her Ogre horn as her skin turns red.

That small frame holds such unimaginable speed and agility.

Aerial stops the stab with his left hand and pulls the spear to his side.

Furcus’s body jerks forward but she immediately adjusts her posture and kicks off the ground.

「Mm.」

Grunted Aerial.

The part of the spear that he grabbed bent.

The spear that grew straight and true only moments ago, now went limp.

Using her small frame to full advantage, Furcus slides in between Aerial’s legs like a small animal.

All while still holding the spear.

She points the butt of the spear to his back and extends it.

「Heh.」

The cheerful Hero lets out a laugh.

His Holy Sword scatters Wind Blades that cut the spear’s branches to shreds.

He forcibly turns around while slashing his blade horizontally in a flash.

Along the trajectory of his blade, there is a raging wind that cuts everything in range.

There are very few safe zones. You could say that there are practically no safe zones unless you dodged a far enough distance from him.

One of the few safe zones is only around the attacker’s body.

The Wind Blade does not fly in a trajectory that would harm the one who released it.

My sword master focused on the sword hilt held by the Storm Hero.

Furcus, who jumped just before getting hit, lands on that hilt.

She deftly steps on Aerial’s finger, flips magnificently, riding the momentum, and kicked him square in the chest.

A dull, heavy sound rang out and he was blown backward.

If he was an ordinary man, that kick would have removed his upper body’s existence from this world, but alas, he is a Hero.

No, it’s not just that. At that moment, he temporarily deployed an armor of air.

Stabbing his sword into the ground to kill his momentum, he grinds across the floor, eventually coming to a halt.

I could see Aerial’s mouth move, forming the word「Splendid…」.

In the next moment, the three Dragonkin who assaulted him were cut in half by his sword. The total of six individual body masses all turned into Magical Energy Particles and scattered.

I just wanna say that Heroes are absurd. They are extraordinary. A Job that boasts strength that defies common sense.

They are the ones that garner the most attention in a party, and the ones whose actions everyone most looks forward to. Just the fact that a party cannot be formed without them shows how important of an existence they are to Dungeon Clears.

And right now, we’re fighting the cream of the crop of Heroes.

I recall what I once said to Fenix.

Interesting Clears can happen because allies are around.

When you have lost all your allies, you can get serious.

You can freely use the magic that you normally don’t use out of fear of getting your allies caught up in it.

I told my best friend, who was worried about being the only one in the party with overwhelming strength, to not say such silly things.

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How a team attracts attention and how an individual attracts attention are different.

Each has its own appeal, and a Hero can attract people either way.

Right now, Aerial hasn’t lost all of his allies.

But since there are no allies around that will get caught up in his magic, he can attack without restraint or concern.

「I’m torn…truly, I am spoiled for choice. However, I must apologize, Ms. Furcus.」

I’m sure he wishes to do battle with Furcus.

But if he did that, that would give me time to create more Magical Energy.

It’s a priority problem. He chose Lemegeton.

He became a blur, and I couldn’t see him anymore. No, it’s more like he is approaching me at terrifying speeds.

Furcus tries to stop him with her spear, but he is essentially a human-shaped Wind Blade now and couldn’t be stopped.

「…」

In this very short amount of time, I manage to capture him in his sudden rush.

I have him using the right arm of the armor that I’m piloting.

My eyes aren’t particularly good and my reaction speed is average. Even if I were to train them, there are limits. Fields that I have no Aptitude for are very hard to improve.

Even so, my eyes were once praised by Furcus.

She said that I had strong observation skills.

An Adventurer fanatic. Now turned Monster, where my hobby has become useful.

The Adventurers on the Terminal screen who I respect and go crazy over. I have watched their actions countless times, over and over and over.　

Especially the higher-ranked ones.

That’s why I knew.

I couldn’t follow him with my eyes at all.

However, if you know the starting point and the endpoint, then it doesn’t matter what route he takes to get there.

All that’s left is to prepare my hand at the expected spot.

The timing is difficult to grasp, but it isn’t impossible.

「…I knew it.」

His head that is sticking out the hand of the armor looks up at the helmet.

What did he confirm just now…?

It was only for a brief moment so it could have been a trick of the light, but the way he looked at me wasn’t how one looked at an enemy, but rather how one looked at a friend…

「…!」

In the next moment, the sound of creaking metal could be heard.

I remember how difficult it was for the Gale Hero Ewan to break free.

That’s how strong the grip strength is on this armor.

Even though I am gripping him will all that the armor can muster…even though…

The hand is opening.

I immediately apply pressure with the left hand to restrain him, but he can’t be stopped.

Starting with Furcus, the remaining Monsters turned their attention to me, but there was a flash of light.

The number of Monsters that didn’t get defeated, excluding the Reaper Knight Furcus and I, were two.

Lighting in the form of a man was running across the floor.

Smoke was slowly rising from Furcus’s body.

She was being burned by lightning.

Even so, she pointed her spear at her enemy and held her ground.

Unfortunately, the others were cut up by the Hero turned lightning.

It was the Thunder Hero Scathach’s Thunder Domain.

「We meet again.」

Furcus responds to the lightning-clad Scathach’s words with her spear.

Back to my situation, Aerial has just escaped my hands.

「I already know where you are in that armor.」

Restraining him was only to buy time.

That’s right, I was able to stall for time.

His blade approaches. Just as he is about to pierce the armored chest section…

「To me…Agares.」

The Time Demon Agares was summoned in the cockpit.

「…I wondered where I would be summoned to when you were to call upon me, but I must say, isn’t this a little too narrow, Lord Chief of Staff?」

I get it. This is a space that wasn’t meant to accommodate two men.

I put the key on the elbow rest and give an order to Agares.

「Return this armor to its owner.」

「As you command.」

Before I knew it, I was on the shoulder of the armor.

「Oh? Looks like I was just a little too late.」

No kidding.

Aerial stabbed the cockpit seat with his Holy Sword.

He looked up at me, our eyes met. Well, through the mask at least.

「Trade blows with Furcus’s spear to your heart’s content.」

After that began the plan for Agares to use Spatial Mobility to teleport Furcus to the cockpit and start piloting it.

…I apologize for the new ventilation hole in the cockpit, but operating the armor itself should have no issue.

Agares joins the remaining Majin. It won’t be easy for them to escape this.

「Well done. You have made it this far without having to unleash your horn.」

「The time that I unleash the horn will be the time that you are defeated.」

「You don’t know that until you try.」

Then, I teleport to the final area.

I exit the staff-only hidden room into the final area of the tenth stratum, only to be greeted by my ally.

「Welcome back, Len.」

The Undefeated Hero Ellie.

「Yeah.」

「You’re back faster than expected.」

「Is there a problem?」

She smiles and laughs.

「Not at all. I’m not particularly a fan of waiting.」

「That so?」

「Aren’t you glad to finally be able to fight as well?」

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It is true that I have been fighting battles so far, but they were battles where I borrowed my allies’ strength and then retreated.

I would summon an ally, and then run deeper inside.

Would I be happy to fight Aerial and the others?

I think about it. No, I don’t have to think about it at all.

I put one foot in front of the other, going to meet my other subordinates as my lips form a smile.