“Hmm. This spot should do. It’s hard to see from above, and we have a sweeping view of their nest.”
Just like he said, we have an extensive view of the giant tree they use as their base, but at the same time, I can’t believe what I see.
“Huh?!”
Someone is heading straight for the nest, which is swarming with countless buzzing flies. It’s a woman with azure hair and gold-inlaid armor: the Warmaster’s daughter, Rosalie.
Ack! How reckless…! But in a way, it’s so brave…!
The giant flies keep an eye on the intruder, but they cannot approach her. After a closer look, I notice a pale aura of light emitting from Rosalie’s body. I checked her status once earlier, but it looks like she’s using the special ability Light’s Blessing to ward off the weaker flies.
Nevertheless, before long, the swarm surrounding Rosalie splits into two and makes way…for the Aerial Assault Flies’ leader—Beel Bub. The tension causes my heart to race, but Seiya sounds as calm as always.
“She turned out to be a good decoy. I can snipe Beel Bub from here.”
When I look back in disbelief, Seiya has already materialized Shining Arrow.
“‘Snipe’…? D-don’t tell me…you knew this was going to happen, too? You…expected Rosalie to get angry and head toward their nest?”
“Flies are easy to swat when they’re preoccupied with food, after all,” Seiya casually remarks as Mash and Elulu squint behind him.
“Man, I can’t see a thing…”
“M-me neither…”
It seems ordinary humans’ eyesight isn’t good enough to see Rosalie or Beel Bub from here. Seiya’s vision must have considerably improved during his training with Mitis.
“We don’t have much time. Look over there.”
Seiya points at a swarm of scout flies gathering in the sky above.
“Eek! But why…?”
“Flies have an exceptional sense of smell. They must have smelled Rista’s goddess stench.”
“…! What do you mean ‘goddess stench’?! Are you implying I smell?!”
I sniff my armpits. I don’t think they smell…but I have to make sure just in case.
“Hey, Mash! Elulu! I don’t smell, right?!”
“Y-yeah, you don’t smell that bad!”
“Y-yeah! It doesn’t really bother me at all!”
“…?! Wait! So I do smell a little?! What kind of smell is it?! Come on, tell me!”
“Shut up. They’re going to find us if you don’t be quiet.”
Seiya then points the magic light bow in Beel Bub’s direction.
“I only have one chance. I’ll aim for the head.”
“C-can you do it?”
“I won’t miss.”
What confidence! If Seiya is that confident, then I’m sure he’ll be able to do it! Beel Bub will be dead before we know it! It’s going to be an anticlimactic end to the battle, but I guess that’s what sniping is all about!
But out of nowhere, we are unexpectedly ambushed. Galloping into the grove comes Rosalie’s right-hand man, Bhat, and a few dozen of his men on horses.
“Oh, hey!! If it isn’t the Hero! I had no idea you were already here!”
The flies soaring above all stop in unison in reaction to his deafening cry.
“K-keep your voice down! The flies are going to find us!”
Elulu scolds them, but she’s loud, too.
“What?! How could I be so stupid! I am terribly sorry about that!”
Bhat apologizes even more loudly than before, triggering Mash to panic and turn to Seiya.
“M-Master! The flies are heading this way!”
“Relax. I can still snipe.”
Seiya remains calm, even after being interrupted by our allies and spotted by the flies overhead. His magic bow is still aimed at Beel Bub.
“…I expected this to happen.”
“Seriously?!”
It’s a little hard to believe, but it’s probably true if Seiya says so.
But at the very next moment, standing before Beel Bub near the enemy’s base in the distance, Rosalie shouts in a voice so loud that we can hear her from here.
“I am the daughter of the Warmaster, Rosalie Roseguard! Beel Bub, I challenge you to a duel!”
Ack! Sh-she told them who she was?! What in the world has gotten into her?!
Just then, Seiya’s nose appears to twitch slightly.
“Seiya?!”
“…It’s fine. I expected this to happen. Yep.”
“Wait! Why did you add a ‘yep’ at the end?! You don’t have to force yourself! You can be honest with me if you want!”
Seiya lets out a sigh, then gradually lowers the magic bow to his waist.
I—I figured this was unexpected… He’s so stubborn…
That’s when Beel Bub starts hauling Rosalie away.
“Y-you bastard! What is the meaning of this! L-let me go!”
How didn’t she see this coming? Of course you’re going to be taken hostage if you tell them you’re the emperor’s daughter!
But even if we want to save her, we have our own problems to deal with now. Ten giant scout flies have surrounded us.
When I turn to Seiya for guidance, he’s looking right back at me as well. Then, without saying a word, he begins aggressively poking my breasts with his sheath.
“Gyaaah! That hurts! My tiiits! They’re gonna cave iiiin! Don’t take your frustration out on me!”
“I’m not. Rista, go.”
“Huh?”
“I’m telling you to fly. Get over there before they take that stupid woman away.”
…A-all by myself?
“I’ll catch up after taking care of these flies. Until then, buy us some time.”
“Wh-what…?! Even if I do somehow catch up with them, how do you expect me to slow Beel Bub down?!”
“Hmm… Say, Nice weather we’re having today.”
“‘Nice weather we’re having today’?! Is that really going to work?!”
“In any event, don’t take your eyes off Rosalie. That’s all you need to remember.”
“F-fine! I’ll do it!”
With grim determination, I spread my wings and take to the air when a giant, grotesque fly’s face appears right in front of me!
“Eeep?!”
But by the time it tries to grab me, Seiya has already put a magic arrow through its head.
“I’ll open a path for you, so don’t worry. Now go, balloon woman.”
“O-okay! Thanks! …Wait! Who are you calling ‘balloon woman’?!” I yell as I take off alone, chasing after Beel Bub and the kidnapped Rosalie.
Heading north, Beel Bub holds Rosalie tightly in its arms as she struggles. Noticing me, it grimaces and laughs, “Bzz, bzz, bzz!”
“Heh-heh-heh! Well, look what we have here! Those white wings—you’re a goddess from another dimension! Which means that the Hero has finally made his appearance!”
“Yeah, and I have a message from him! Let her go this instant!”
“No problem! After all, I was just planning on using her to lure the Hero out! I have no use for her anymore!”
I inwardly chuckle to myself.
Seiya won’t be able to shoot while you’re holding her! So hurry up and let her go so I can catch her! After that, you’re dead meat!
“Bzz, bzz, bzz, bzz! I’m going to become one of the four generals once I kill the Hero!”
However…contrary to what it said, Beel Bub ascends even higher without releasing Rosalie.
“Huh?! H-hey…!”
I’m taken aback but pursue Beel Bub.
“You said you would let her go!”
“I am! Right after I fly a little higher! Gotta celebrate the Hero’s defeat with some amazing reverse fireworks!”
Wh-what did it just say?!
“Stop right there!”
But Beel Bub only continues to fly higher. I somehow manage to keep up as it soars toward the heavens at an incredible rate until
eventually coming to a sudden stop, flapping its wings in place.
“What do you think?! Quite the view, huh?! Your body would literally explode when it hits the ground from this high up! Splat! I can only imagine the beauty!”
Even then, Rosalie cries out with strength in her voice:
“You’re despicable! Apologize right now for what you did to my men!”
“Huh? Do you understand the situation you’re in? You’ll be meeting them soon enough!”
“Gr…!”
Unable to move and seething with rage, Rosalie grinds her teeth, then fixes her gaze on me.
“Hey!! What happened to the Hero?! Where is he?! Did he not leave to train?!”
“Y-you idiot!”
Beel Bub quizzically tilts its head.
“Hmm? Training, you say? Is he going to try to shoot me with a bow and arrow from the surface, by any chance?”
C-can things get any worse?! It saw right through our plan! Why does this woman always say things that put her at even more of a disadvantage?!
“Looks like I’ll just have to fly even higher before I let her go!”
Thereupon, Beel Bub begins ascending once more with Rosalie in its arms. I try to go after them, but no matter how high they go, there is no sign of them stopping.
J-just how high is it going to take her?!
I suddenly glance down while chasing them and turn completely pale. All I can see below is a sea of clouds. The surface visible between them looks no bigger than a tiny speck of dust.
You’ve got to be kidding me! Even a magic bow won’t be able to reach this high! More importantly, does Seiya even know where we are?!
Beel Bub eventually stops when we’ve reached an elevation where it’s hard to breathe. Then, with a note of amusement in its voice…
“Bzz, bzz, bzz! Not even a magic arrow will be able to hit me this high up! Now, let’s see you gloriously splatter!”
Beel Bub starts to unhand Rosalie but then glances at me and buzzes in laughter.
“Oh yeah! I’m gonna have to throw as hard as I can so the goddess can’t catch her!”
Shit, shit, shit, shit! Beel Bub has predicted every single one of our moves! I’d be able to catch her if it just dropped her but not if it throws her!
“Y-you cowardly monster! Return to the surface and fight me one-on-one with honor!”
Beel Bub lifts Rosalie over its head, ready to throw her at any second.
Ahhhhhh! What am I going to do?! O-oh yeah…!
Seiya’s advice replays in the back of my head, and I decide to give it a try.
“N-nice weather we’re having, huh?”
A brief moment of silence goes by before Beel Bub responds, annoyed.
“…What are you doing?”
Yeah, what am I doing?! Have I lost my mind?! Ahhh! I can’t save her! Seiya, do something!!
…Just then, I see a faint light out of the corner of my eye. A ray arises from the sea of clouds below before instantly passing by my ear without making a sound.
“Uwoooh…!”
Beel Bub softly moans…while gradually falling off-balance. Instead of launching Rosalie into the ground, its hands unconsciously let go of her. Gravity begins drawing Rosalie back down to the surface, but…
“Rosalie…!”
I immediately reach out to her. The moment she touches my hand, I pull her straight into my arms.
Ack! Her armor is heavy! B-but I managed to catch her! I don’t take my eyes off her for even a second, just like Seiya told me!
“…I-I’m sorry,” Rosalie whispers in my ear, but I’m more focused on trying to process what just happened.
…That must have been Shining Arrow! The magic arrow made it all the way up here! So Beel Bub must have been startled and accidentally let go of Rosalie! Anyway, I can’t believe he was able to reach this height. It’s almost as if he used a sniper rifle with an enhanced scope—no, it was even more precise than that!
I’m moved by Seiya’s talent, but still, I gulp.
“Hey now, you’ve gotta be kidding me. A magic bow? Even though I’m this high? That’s impossible…”
More surprising than the arrow reaching this far up is that Beel Bub was able to dodge it…
CHAPTER 36
Sniper
Beel Bub lowers its gaze in the direction from which the light arrow came, then cautiously mentions:
“I’ve done a lot of research about magic arrows. You could say it’s the only thing humans can use to oppose me, after all… But something’s not right.”
“What do you mean ‘something’s not right’?!” I yell out to it while holding Rosalie in my arms.
“I wasn’t just randomly flying up. I was doing so with magic bows’ effective range in mind. I don’t care how far light arrows can go. There is no way it should have made it this high from the surface. Plus, not even magic arrows can completely ignore air resistance.”
“Hmph! Do you want me to tell you why the arrow made it this far? It’s because Seiya is a Hero of extraordinary talent that’s one in a billion!”
After a few moments of silence, Beel Bub finally opens its mouth.
“…Lucifer Crowe.”
“Wh-what…?”
“It’s the name of a legendary demon who existed in Gaeabrande long ago. They say Crowe could shoot a magic arrow from the Aness Plains to the top of Mount Glastora. But from the surface to where we are is much farther than Crowe’s magic bow’s effective range.”
“Th-that’s because Seiya is far more gifted than any demon—”
“Wait, wait, wait. That’s a little hard to imagine. I mean, Lucifer Crowe’s a legend. For the sake of argument, even if he was somehow as good as Crowe, there is no way a human would ever be able to surpass a demon. And yet, his arrow made it all the way here and with force, too.”
“Just get to the point! What are you trying to say?!”
Beel Bub lets out an ear-wrenching, roaring laugh.
“There’s only one conclusion possible! The Hero shot that arrow while flying, and he’s closing in on us as we speak!”
“What…?!”
The fly monster points at the sea of clouds below with its pointy hand.
“Just like a hunter crouching in the bushes, he’s hiding somewhere inside this vast sea of clouds! Wait. Actually, he’s probably moving around while concealing himself to make it harder to find him!”
I-it’s just a stupid fly, yet it’s calmly analyzing the situation just like Seiya!
Taken aback by Beel Bub’s surprising intelligence, I glance at the blurred surface in the distance and clench my teeth.
It’s probably spot-on with its analysis of the situation! There is no other way to explain the precision and power of the arrow that almost hit Beel Bub! After taking care of the flies on the surface, Seiya must have noticed that we were out of his magic bow’s effective range, so he flew after us! Then he must have hidden in the clouds somewhere just like Beel Bub said…!
“Hey, Goddess! Do you know what this means? I am the fastest being in the sky in the Demon Lord’s army! There is nobody who can defeat me in the air! In other words, he will have no way to defeat me once I find him! The moment I do is the moment he dies!”
I put on a bold face, but my heart is violently hammering against my chest.
Wh-what are you going to do, Seiya?! You’ll be in serious trouble if you miss!
Beel Bub looks down and taunts Seiya in a powerful voice.
“Yo, Hero! Show me what you’ve got! I won’t run or hide!”
The monster talks a big game, but it’s paying close attention to the clouds so it’s ready for Seiya’s arrow. I secretly use my goddess powers, increasing my dynamic vision. Then I survey the clouds below. Rosalie looks up at me as I hold her in my arms.
“Goddess! Is the Hero going to be okay?! Can he beat that thing?!”
“I-it’ll be fine! Seiya said he was perfectly prepared! He’s going to win! Of course he’s going to win!”
S-seven points?! That means there are seven arrows! This is… Don’t tell me it’s…!
“Seven-Shot Shining Arrow!”
This is what makes him one in a billion! Despite being human, he’s already at the Goddess of Archery’s level! And Mitis said that if you use Shining Arrow and spread out all seven arrows…then it would be absolutely impossible to dodge—such a monster doesn’t exist! The luminous points I see in the sea of clouds are all over the place! I bet he calculated and spread his shots so he would hit Beel Bub’s head, arms, legs, and wings! There’s no way to dodge this! It’s like a human trying to dodge a shotgun fired point-blank! It isn’t possible!
I am sure of our victory, but…
“Bzz, bzz, bzz! Rolling Dodge!”
With my goddess-enhanced dynamic vision, I see Beel Bub twist its body like an acrobat before spinning and dodging each ray of light, in spite of them traveling faster than the speed of sound.
Rosalie freaks out even before I do.
“I-it dodged all of them?!”
“Th-that’s impossible…!”
Th-th-this can’t be happening! The Goddess of Archery gave this seven-shot rapid-fire attack her stamp of approval, and yet…!
So this is what it means to be an S-ranked world! The difficulty is beyond the common sense of the gods!
And with that, a sense of despair hangs heavily over my shoulders. The once boundless sea of clouds slowly opens…right where the powerful magic arrows were shot, and before long, the sky is crystal clear. Just as Beel Bub predicted, soaring there is the Hero holding a bow of light.
“There you are, Hero!”
Th-this isn’t good! Seiya is at a huge disadvantage in close combat in the sky! B-Beel Bub is going to kill him…!
Beel Bub instantly speeds in Seiya’s direction as if planning to tear a defenseless human apart. But out of nowhere, the monster suddenly vomits a purple liquid.
“Gwa…ha…!”
“Huh?! Wh-what’s going on?!”
It looks like Beel Bub has no idea what just happened, either. However, it doesn’t take me long to figure out.
The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious, Vol. 2 Page 6