CH 58

(Third person POV)

When Ichiko awakened after exercising her Outer Skill Senkiri-kaishaku, three days had passed in which Mugi and her group had escaped from the “Red Tilt Taiji Cave”. It was around the time when they were only two days away from the former border line.

“…This place is…”

“You finally woke up.”

“Mugi-san. Where are we?”

Ichiko sweeps her gaze over the surroundings. All around her, various kinds of trees are growing, and they are moving somewhere along with a sort of animal trail. Incidentally, Ichiko herself is being carried on the back of one of the rescued human beings, while Mugi is running alongside her.

“I don’t know the name of the place. However, if things continue as they are, we should be able to reach the former northern border in a another two days.”

“I see.”

“But there is one issue. Ichiko, can you access contact with the Fog King right now?”

Mugi inquires Ichiko with a somewhat stern look on her face.

“Kurokiri… well, huh?”

To answer her question, Ichiko attempts to initiate contact with Kurokiri. But,

“I can’t establish a connection…”

For some reason, the communication with Kurokiri fails to work.

“I knew it. As a matter of fact, I can’t get in touch with the Fox Princess-sama either. By the way, other communication skills and transceivers are also not functioning for some reason, and not only us, but also our pursuers, the Spicy King and his subordinates seem to be in the same predicament.”

“That’s evidently strange.”

While Mugi expresses her incomprehension, Ichiko also gives a quizzical look.

“Well, the only thing we can do now is to flee while eliminating our pursuers.”

With that said, Mugi and the others continue heading for the north.

(Ichiko POV)

“I never expected this many foes.”

“But if we can fend them off here, it will be a victory for us.”

During the night, after two days from the time I woke up, we have reached the border line of the north.

Nonetheless, five days after our exodus, we have finally been cornered by the main force of the pursuing party. Therefore, we are now at the tail end with me, Mugi-san, and Izumi, and a group of humans who are level 3 or above.

Our adversaries are mainly Karajin, with a few pairs of Spicy Thorn Lizards and Capsicamans. In the midst of it all, there are dogs with red thorns, brilliant red slimes, and red-scaled snakes.

“Shall we get started? Both of you.”

“(Nod.)”

“Hah. If I can survive here, my level will skyrocket too…”

Thus, the battle commences with the three of us serving as the vanguard.

“≪Decapitation≫!”

“Shaaaaaa!?”

With the use of my ≪Decapitation≫, the head of the red-scaled snake is severed.

At this stage, I have slain 20 hostiles, but some of them possess scales as solid as those of Spicy Thorn Lizard. Should the dagger I am wielding not have been constructed from the scales of Cuélebre, I can easily picture it shattering in the course of the battle.

Nevertheless, since the dagger I am clutching now is equipped with a ≪Long Edge≫, ≪Keen Edge≫ and ≪Fog Magic Grant≫, I would classify it as a long sword cloaked in fog rather than a dagger.

“Dieeeeee!!”

“How naive of you. ≪Short-range Teleportation≫ and ≪Decapitation≫.”

“Gaaaaaah!”

And as the enemy is pondering what has happened for a moment, he gets slashed from behind, allowing me to send him to his death with a single strike from my usual transportation skill.

“Even so, I wonder where on earth such a large number of them came from.”

“Who knows. But one thing is certain: the adversary is in a great hurry.”

“(Nod.)”

Mugi-san, who has somehow arrived nearby, responds to my soliloquy.

Of course, the enemies are still assaulting us during this period, but apparently, the contrast in combat capabilities between the three of us and them is preponderant.

Well, I suppose this is the disparity between those who have been engaged in battles with hostile opponents all this time and those who have only dealt with individuals who have been on the run until now.

“Damn! What power they have! Now that this is happening, I’m counting on you! Spicy King-sama!”

One of the Karajin grips a pendant embedded with white crystals in his right hand and utters a yell. Then, with that shout, an enormous volume of red light burst forth from the pendant, engulfing the whole area in radiance.

Subsequently, a 5-meter-tall giant with red thorns sprouting from his body emerges. That giant dons a crimson mantle and waistcoat and has a misshapen taiji diagram engraved on his chest with a massive cloud of red powder drifting around him, while simultaneously exuding a potent sense of despotism.

“That… can’t be…!”

“…!”

Mugi-san opens her mouth in disbelief while Izumi takes a step back before she realizes what has transpired.

But their reaction is justifiable. After all, the giant that has materialized in front of us, his true identity is…

“Now that I, the ‘Crimson Scattering Spicy King,’ have made my appearance, I suggest that you all prepare yourselves.”

a Demon King. He is the “Crimson Scattering Spicy King.”

“First, let’s examine a few things. ≪Manipulator of the Crimson Dust≫.”

The Spicy King directs his right hand in our direction. Simultaneously, a substantial amount of red powder settles in the area, exacerbating the humans in the vicinity to swoon, collapse, and become immobilized.

However, whether it is because of my high level or the fact that I possess ≪Fog Cloak≫, it seems to be ineffective on me.

“Is the property of that powder the same as that of Karajin’s?”

I mutter something along those lines while grasping a speck of powder that is wafting around.

However, it appears that this powder also has an impact on their own comrades, given that all of the monsters that had been assailing us before have fled.

“Here I come…”

The Spicy King aims his left hand towards us. In that instant, a chill sweeps through my body, accompanied by an involuntary shriek.

“All of you defend yourselves in any means necessary!”

“≪Thunderline≫.”

A small bolt of lightning shoots out of the Spicy King’s left hand in the direction of the powder surrounding us, encompassing the whole area in an explosion boom and fiery wind within the ensuing instant as I deploy my ≪Fog Cloak≫ to its maximum capacity at the same time.