by Hiro Ainana
To be safe, I had Lulu, Arisa, and Mia change into the new equipment I’d recently fashioned for them as well. I also gave everyone fireproof cloaks made from hydra wings.
Just as everyone was almost ready, a warning bell resounded throughout the old capital.
Almost immediately, one of the maids rushed into the room.
“Sir Knight! That’s the emergency alert bell! Please, follow me to the shelter nearby.”
She quickly explained that there were underground bunkers beneath all the nobles’ homes in the old capital for evacuation in case of attacks by demons, large monsters, or other disasters.
As we followed the maid, three more waves of magic power washed over us.
Something was definitely going on.
“Seems like there’s still some trouble. Everyone, please evacuate to the shelter ahead of me. I’m going to scout things out.”
I opened up a second map search.
According to it, another foe had appeared in the center of the arena. And he was a level-71 greater hell demon, at that. He didn’t have any Unique Skills like the demon lord did, but he had “Summoning Magic,” “Psychic Magic,” “Blaze Magic,” and other troublesome skills. I’d better take care of him fast, before he summons anything.
“Arisa.”
“Yes?”
“If things get really dicey, I’ll contact you with the Telephone spell. And if that happens, I want you to teleport everyone underground to the labyrinth ruins immediately, all right?”
“Okeydoke!”
I had a quiet conversation with Arisa as we continued toward the shelter.
“Tell the maid I went to the arena to check on Lady Karina, all right?”
“You got it.”
Entrusting the rest to Arisa, I left the estate alone.
Once I confirmed on the radar that there were no witnesses around, I transformed into Nanashi the Hero and set out toward the arena.
As I traveled, I used my new Clairvoyance and Clairaudience spells to see what was happening at my destination. A window opened in the corner of my vision with an AR display that showed me the chaos.
“Demon! No—demon lord! Prepare to meet your doom!!”
Striking a dramatic pose like an actor, the prince shouted at the yellow-skinned greater hell demon.
The yellow demon had two heads and horns coming out of his shoulders that reminded me of a water buffalo’s. I bet he used the extra head for chants, like the other greater hell demons I’d seen.
Clairvoyance and Clairaudience were sure handy for keeping an eye on a far-off situation.
“THAT SWORD IS CLAIDHEAMH SOLUIS, IS IT NOT? THEN YOU MUST BE A DESCENDANT OF YAMATO.”
With that, the demon summoned monsters to sic on Miss Ringrande and the prince and company.
The summoning spell seemed to be continuous, too; monster after monster flooded into the spectators’ seats.
The former ranged from levels 30 to 40, but the latter were weaker, level 20 at the most.
There were plenty of eliminated tournament contestants in the audience, so they should be able to handle the weaker monsters, but in all the mayhem, they weren’t coordinating properly.
“Brave warriors! You must protect your neighbors! Now is the time to prove your worth in battle!”
The clear, ringing call was probably Miss Ringrande’s.
Realizing the foolhardiness of their behavior, the warriors began to work together to defeat the monsters. They were even protecting the citizens and helping them escape.
Next, I turned my Clairvoyance toward the nobles’ seats.
“The duke has brought His Majesty back to the castle! We must protect the nobles!”
The duke seemed to have used the power of the City Core to teleport himself and the stand-in king to the audience room of the castle.
His heir and other upper-class nobles still remained, though. There must be limits to how many people could be teleported.
Miss Karina and Orion appeared frightened but otherwise unharmed. With Raka, Miss Karina probably didn’t need me worrying about her.
“The barrier! Put up a defense barrier! Can’t we evacuate?!”
“A lesser demon self-destructed and destroyed the passage. We’ll have to secure another escape route!”
High-level knights, priests, and sorcerers protected the nobles, so I figured they were safe, too, as long as the greater hell demon didn’t attack them directly.
Currently, he was half-heartedly fighting Ringrande and the prince while scanning the arena as if in search of something.
The passage for the general seating seemed to be intact. Audience members were pushing one another as they fled.
Trying to shake off the images of red stains and motionless bodies in the stands, I used “Warp” to hurry toward the arena.
I minimized the Clairvoyance window so that it wouldn’t obstruct my view.
As I approached the stadium, the streets became increasingly crowded with fleeing people and carriages.
Some of them were even branching out into the back alleys where I was running. I decided to take to the skies with “Skyrunning.”
Finally, I got within view of the arena’s outer wall and the yellow demon.
The prince and other warriors probably wanted to handle him themselves to gain prestige, but I had friends in the arena. I wanted to finish things up quickly.
First, I chose the Light Magic spell Laser to defeat the enormous yellow demon.
But just as I was about to put my plan into action, something happened.
A ripple of light appeared in the sky, and a sleek silver spacecraft (or so it appeared) materialized.
Hey, you can’t just switch to sci-fi all of a sudden!
According to the AR, the ship was called the dimensional submarine Jules Verne. Since it was named after a famous author, I had little doubt that someone from my original world was involved somehow.
A section of the ship opened, and a number of things that looked like gun barrels protruded from it.
Moments later, heavy booms filled the air as it fired countless high-speed firebombs to shoot down all the airborne monsters.
They didn’t seem to work on the yellow greater hell demon, but they still packed a considerable punch.
Then a man in blue armor appeared on the stern—revealed by my AR to be Hayato Masaki the Hero.
Clad in armor, sans helmet, his face in profile struck me as stalwart and masculine, his black hair cut short like an athlete’s. He looked young for twenty-five, with the kind of understated handsomeness that some girls would probably secretly go crazy for.
He was level 69, too, so the yellow demon should be easy enough for him to handle.
“Look upon me!”
The hero must have used some sort of taunting skill with those words, as the monsters below all turned toward him.
When I looked back, a face guard hid his features.
“HAYATO THE HERO, IS IT? HAVE YOU COME PREPARED TO DIE THIS TIME, THEN?”
“I’m not the same man I used to be! Today I swear to enact my revenge!”
I could probably still use Laser to defeat the demon in an instant, but I would’ve felt bad doing it after that dramatic backstory.
“Stay out of this, you Saga Empire dog! I shall prove that your empire is not the only one that can produce a hero.”
That must’ve been Prince Sharorik. He should really just leave this to the professionals.
“
The “dance” bit seemed to be a magic word; the Holy Sword flew out of his hands to attack the yellow demon.
So I guess the painting at the museum wasn’t outright fiction, just a bit of an exaggeration.
…Oh. The demon batted it away.
Is that all you’ve got, Claidheamh Soluis?
“Your Holy Sword weeps, Prince. This is one of the generals of a powerful demon lord of old—the Golden Boar Lord. He’s a demon of the highest caliber who’s survive
d for hundreds of years. If you wish to live, you had best retreat.”
The hero readied his own Holy Sword.
“
As soon as he said the keyword sing, the Holy Sword Arondight emitted a powerful holy light.
Did my Holy Swords have special keywords like that, too? I didn’t remember seeing anything like that in their descriptions.
I quickly checked Durandal’s info, but it was a no-go. Once this whole mess was over, I’d have to take my time and investigate properly.
While my mind wandered a little, the hero’s comrades emerged from the ship.
Out of curiosity, I used “Telescopic Sight” and “Amplification” to take a peek at his party members.
A beautiful woman dressed like a Shinto priest, with big breasts and a gentle air about her, cast strengthening magic on the party. She had a sexy beauty mark under one eye.
A long-eared female warrior, evidently from the long-eared Booch clan, fired an arrow that turned into ten arrows at the monsters coming toward the hero. What a great fantasy weapon.
The monsters that escaped her shots jumped and landed on the ship, but this time, an agile fighter and a dual-wielding swordswoman took them down in an instant.
They were beastfolk, like Tama and Pochi. The tigerfolk woman with curly hair and the wolffolk woman with a short bob both had lovely features, and their armor suggested they had the proportions to match.
The last member to emerge was a woman with a short staff, luxurious blond ringlets, and an enormous bust. They weren’t quite as large as Miss Karina’s, but they could probably give her sister Miss Soluna a run for her money.
The information in the blond woman’s AR display surprised me.
Her name was Meriest Saga, the twenty-first princess of the Saga Empire.
The “princess” part surprised me, but not nearly as much as “twenty-first” did. You must be a busy man, Mr. Emperor.
At any rate, the hero’s entire party consisted of glamorous, gorgeous women, enough to make me wish death on him just a little bit.
The group got into formation to take on the yellow demon. There was hardly any difference in their levels, so I could afford to let them take care of things here.
So I decided to just help out with rescuing people from the arena and eliminating the small fry instead.
There was a time and a place for everything, after all.
Hero Summoning
No matter how dark the hour, we will never give in to despair. For Hayato the Hero will always be the last beacon of hope. As long as we have him, we can overcome anything. (Ringrande, follower of the hero)
All of us “followers of the hero” carry a protective talisman granted by the goddess Parion.
This sacred treasure draws power from the prayers of the people and the lives of the followers to perform miracles.
I had never encountered a situation so bleak that I had to use the talisman.
And I never imagined that morning that I would have to do so in my own hometown…
That day, I woke up in a melancholy mood.
It was the day I was scheduled to have a fake battle with Prince Sharorik to entertain His Majesty the king and the rest of the audience at the tournament finals.
I should have waited and come with Hayato and the others instead of going on ahead. Have they left the Gray Ratfolk Emirate on the Jules Verne yet? I wondered.
“Lady Ringrande, it is time. Please proceed into the arena.”
I returned to reality, thanked the young official who’d summoned me, and rose to my feet.
Waving at the audience as they cheered my name, I strode toward the battlefield.
“Truly, what a farce this is…”
I never knew how heavy my heart would feel over a battle I was forbidden from winning.
The weight of the magic armor—called Chaftal, which I’d received when I joined the hero’s party—felt especially great, and my footsteps dragged.
I wished I could be doing something else, like sword training with Satou. The boy was young, but he absorbed techniques with astonishing speed. His skills had vastly improved in the short time from our first meeting on the ship to our encounter just yesterday. Perhaps he would even join Hayato’s party someday and accompany me at the hero’s side.
As I daydreamed about such a pleasant future, I entered the circle that designated my starting position.
Seeing my arrival, a valet called for His Highness, who appeared from a waiting room.
The shrieking young girls filling the stadium had no idea of his true nature.
With a smooth metallic shing, the prince drew the Holy Sword Claidheamh Soluis from its blue sheath.
…It was beautiful.
I had never seen such a fine sword.
The otherworldly blue light radiating from the blade made it all the more mesmerizing.
Bewitched by the magnificence of Claidheamh Soluis, I thought back to my beloved hero Hayato and his Holy Sword Arondight.
In my memory, it glowed a vivid blue that called to mind dependability rather than beauty.
“The exhibition match between the Witch of Heavenly Destruction Lady Ringrande and the Bearer of the Holy Sword Prince Sharorik shall now commence.”
The referee was dressed like a jester as he announced our names.
The prince scowled, likely displeased with the order in which our names had been read. Ill-tempered as always.
On the starting signal, I supplied my armor Chaftal with magic power.
Its enchanted circuits granted me Body Strengthening and created several layers of physical defense magic over the armor.
It wasn’t terribly efficient with MP, but I could face grave injuries if I didn’t use it against a Holy Sword.
Next, I infused my lightning broadsword with power to invoke “Lightningblade.”
I’d obtained this powerful weapon by defeating a floormaster in a labyrinth. It wasn’t quite as strong as a Holy Sword, but it still boasted higher performance than any ordinary Magic Sword.
“— Ah!”
Sensing danger, I cut my strengthening magic chant short and leaped aside.
Fireballs blazed through the spot where I’d been standing, flames exploding over my back.
…A Fire Rod? No, at that speed, it must be a Blaze Rod.
Wasn’t that a military weapon? What was that stupid prince thinking?
“Brings back memories, doesn’t it? You made it yourself at the academy.”
The prince’s Holy Sword left blue traces in the air as it sliced toward me.
So fast! Maybe the legend that Claidheamh Soluis could fly really was true.
I blocked the Holy Sword with my broadsword.
What a heavy blow! I was going to injure my wrists at this rate.
Instead of transferring onto the Holy Sword, the lightning on my blade scattered into the air.
If it were an ordinary sword, it would’ve easily paralyzed or even knocked my opponent unconscious.
As payback, I swung my blade toward the prince’s legs, but the barrier generated by the prince’s white armor stopped it.
Of course. His armor was a legendary item made in the era of the ancestral king Yamato, after all. It was no surprise that it would have similar defenses to Hayato’s Holy Armor.
I added more magic power to Chaftal to enhance its defense.
For the moment, I let my armor protect me from the prince’s sword and focused on attacking.
Use skill: “Strike.”
My accuracy would be lower, but my attacks would be more powerful.
Use skill: “Spellblade.”
My sword glowed with red light.
I didn’t generally like to waste magic like that, but this was no time to be conservative.
Use skill: “Sharpblade.”
I didn’t intend to kill him, of course, but I had to come at him with all my strength if I wanted to break through his defenses.
“Whirling Thunder
Blade!”
I wasn’t sure why, but I shouted the attack name without thinking. Hayato’s foolish habits must be rubbing off on me.
I’d assumed the prince would block the attack, but instead I landed a direct hit, piercing through his armor’s barrier.
Damn. If I didn’t stop now, I would win the match.
I managed to kill my blade’s momentum and stopped just before dealing the prince a deadly blow.
But of course, he couldn’t miss an opening like that.
Claidheamh Soluis hit me square in the side, and I went flying across the arena like a ball.
Cheers, screams, and boos jolted me awake. I must have passed out for just a second.
Through my hazy vision, I saw fireballs flying at me in rapid succession.
Stopping my attack must have hurt the prince’s bloated pride. The rage in his eyes was alarming.
I used the short Explosion Magic spell Quick Burst to blow up the fireballs.
But our battle ended there.
It was interrupted by the howls of strange figures that burst out of the floor beneath the audience seats…and the summoning circle they created in the sky.
WE’RE ALL IN DANGER.
My instincts set off a warning so strong it felt like my skull would crack.
I quickly started a Magic Blast chant.
“ —”
“Giving up on the sword and resorting to magic, are we, Ringraaaande?!”
The prince came charging at me with his Holy Sword.
This wasn’t good. He hadn’t noticed the summoning circle above us; I was the only one who saw it.
I had to stop my chant to dodge his attack.
I should have finished him off with my sword before. Now he had prevented me from stopping the summoning.
Clawed yellow feet descended from the summoning circle, followed by the rest of the enormous body.
It was a demon—a greater hell demon.
Suddenly, I remembered something Hayato told me before.
He had once been forced to flee from an opponent: a yellow greater hell demon.
Bitterly, he’d said that half his party had sacrificed themselves for his escape. Back then, I couldn’t believe anything could defeat Hayato’s unbelievable power, but now I understood.