Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Vol. 8

by Ryo Shirakome

  Let us turn back time to a few minutes ago. Right after Hajime and Yue left to fight the human-shaped cockroach, another wave of black monsters assaulted Shea and the others still on the platform. Suzu hurriedly attempted to put up another barrier, but then hesitated.

  “......”

  Right now, the cockroaches swarming toward her seemed unbearably cute. They were as irresistible as a litter of kittens coming to play. To shut them out with a barrier would be too cruel. After all, all Suzu wanted was to frolic with them.

  “Hey, Suzu!?” Shizuku screamed.

  Shizuku couldn’t stand this girl at the best of times, and now she was trying to shirk her duties? Unacceptable. For a moment, Shizuku debated chopping Suzu’s braids off in punishment, but she knew now wasn’t the time for that.

  “Rise up, O furious gale— Purgatory Blaze!”

  An instant before the black wave swallowed the group, a blazing tornado rose up to protect them.

  The spiral of flames was so large it covered the entire platform they were standing on. Though they were massive in number, the small cockroaches were still just cockroaches. Unable to withstand the whirlwind of fire, they died one after another as the wave tried to crash through and failed.

  “Pull yourselves together, girls. Did you forget why you came here? It certainly wasn’t to give yourselves up to the enemy, was it?”

  Tio’s words were a huge wake-up call not just for Suzu, but also for Kouki. He started and turned to Tio. She had her hands out in front of her and was glaring sharply at Suzu and the others.

  “S-Sorry,” Suzu mumbled.

  “Save your apologies. Right now, you need to focus on doing your duty. A Barrier Master’s job is to protect their comrades, is it not?”

  “Y-Yes!”

  Though Suzu held no particular love for Tio right now, Tio’s words still resonated within her, and she found herself nodding. For some reason, even though she was a hopeless pervert everyone currently hated, no one could ignore the weight behind Tio’s words.

  “She’s actually acting like the legendary dragonwoman she’s supposed to be!” Shea exclaimed.

  She stared in wonder at Tio.

  “Who are you!?” Kaori whispered as she brandished her greatsword at Tio. She looked as if she’d just encountered some incomprehensible creature. At that, Tio’s lips twitched as she spoke.

  “I-Is there no limit... to your disrespect? Well, I suppose I deserve it considering how I normally act. However, that’s not important right now! My spell’s nearing it’s limit, so the rest of you need to get your act together!”

  Though they still couldn’t believe how reliable Tio was being, Shea and Kaori both turned their attention to the problem at hand.

  A second later, Tio’s spiral of flames vanished. Shea and Kaori prepared to intercept another wave of cockroaches, but they found the area around the platform empty.

  “Hm? Oh, they went to deal with those two.”

  Shea looked up, where Hajime and Yue were in the middle of dueling the human-shaped cockroach. Despite the sheer numbers the cockroaches possessed, they couldn’t afford to split their forces when it came to fighting those two. Either that or they were unable to take action independent of the human-shaped cockroach’s orders now.

  Either way, Shea was glad that the cockroaches’ attention wasn’t focused on them. Neither she nor Kaori were good at handling large numbers at once. Though it irked her to no end that it was thanks to Hajime and Yue that she could take it easy.

  But while her burden was lessened, it didn’t mean she had no enemies to face. In fact, the stronger enemies had been left to Shea’s group. They had to deal with the swarm of half-human-shaped cockroaches, each of which was half the size of the human-shaped one.

  There were already 200 of them, and more were spawning every second. Before long, they blotted out Shea’s view and she could only catch glimpses of Hajime and Yue’s fight. It wouldn’t take much more time before even those few gaps were closed up.

  “Hey, wait, I don’t care how awesome those things look. If we don’t fight them here, we’re screwed.”

  Cold sweat poured down Ryutarou’s back. However, it seemed he’d managed to shake off his misgivings about fighting creatures he found cute. He raised his fists and fell into a combat stance.

  “What, you’re really gonna fight them!?” Kouki looked at Ryutarou as though his friend were insane.

  Irritated by Kouki’s half-assed attitude, Shizuku snarled.

  “Kouki, stop spacing out. You heard Nagumo-kun, didn’t you? Our feelings have been reversed. What you’re feeling right now isn’t real. And if we don’t fight here, we’ll die.”

  “I-I know, but... Oh yeah, Nagumo’s here! All we have to do is focus on defense, and he’ll handle everything for us!”

  Wasn’t the whole reason you came here because you couldn’t stand to rely on him for everything!? Shizuku thought as she glared at Kouki. He winced, but held his ground. After all, he trusted Hajime far more than he did Shizuku. As he was about to argue back, the half-humanoid cockroaches charged the group. Their time limit was up.

  There was no more time to think about what to do. The one to kick off their battle was naturally Shea.

  “Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” She loosed a deafening war cry, channeling all of her negative feelings into this one strike. A large red sphere appeared in the air in front of her, and she smacked it with all of her might. The air itself shook as Drucken sent her kendama flying like a massive cannonball.

  Any cockroaches in its path were crushed to a pulp, leaving a huge hole in the cockroaches’ encirclement.

  “Stop ignoring me, you little devil!”

  It appeared Shea was still mad at Yue and Hajime. She couldn’t stand how they’d just ignored her and went off to battle by themselves. She leaped into the sky, leaving a crater as big as Hajime’s on the platform below. Shooting through the opening she’d made with her kendama, she headed for where Hajime and Yue were fighting. However, the half-human-shaped cockroaches swarmed in from all sides to stop her.

  “I don’t have time to play with you guys! Get lost!”

  Shea blushed a little as she watched the mass of half-humanoids surround her. But while she was glad for the attention they were giving her, she didn’t hesitate to send their speeding frames flying with a thwack from Drucken. The cockroaches flew around the cavern like pinballs.

  As their bodies were sturdier than the mini-cockroaches, they were surprisingly bouncy. The noise they made when Drucken smacked into them was almost comical. Soon enough, the air was filled with whizzing, crushed corpses. And not a single one of them touched Shea.

  Even when they tried to surround themselves in corrupting miasma, one strike from Drucken was all it took to obliterate them. The cockroaches then attempted a simultaneous assault from all directions, but found themselves swept aside by Shea’s kendama.

  She was tearing through them like a howling gale. No enemy could hope to withstand the combination of her warhammer and kendama.

  “Nnnnnngh! I wish I had as much mass destructive power as the others!”

  In the end, though, Shea was still a close-combat fighter. While numbers could never truly overwhelm her, neither could she mow them down efficiently. She glanced over and saw Hajime and Yue fighting together even as they fought each other, and puffed her cheeks out in jealousy.

  A few cockroaches tried to jump on her while she was distracted, but she just blew them away with a casual roundhouse kick. The two half-humanoid monsters were blown away and joined the hundreds of others bouncing around the room. Kaori watched with unbridled jealousy as Shea blasted her way through the monsters.

  “Amazing...” Kaori knew how strong Shea was, but this was the first time she’d seen the bunny girl fight so many enemies up close. She was so engrossed in watching Shea that Kaori forgot to fly off and try to join Hajime and the others herself. Of course, she continued to cut down the cockroaches that attacked her on
the platform and mow down others with her silver feathers, so it wasn’t like she’d forgotten to fight.

  But this is just... borrowed strength. Kaori’s old doubts rose to the surface.

  “Did you not make your peace with those feelings in Melusine’s ruins?”

  “Huh?”

  Tio turned back to Kaori as she fired scattered shots of her breath to back up Kouki and the others. Kaori bristled at having been seen through so easily, but before she could protest, Tio continued.

  “It matters not how you obtained it, the power in your hands is now yours to wield. Besides, you sacrificed your own body to obtain this strength, don’t belittle your own efforts.”

  Shocked by Tio’s words, Kaori showed the merest hint of an opening. A single cockroach took advantage of that opening and flew in from above, but Tio casually shot it down with a wind blade. Her precision and focus were unparalleled.

  “Be proud of yourself, Kaori. It is because of your own efforts that you are standing here with us.”

  “Shut up... I don’t need you to tell me that, Tio.”

  Even though she was supposed to hate Tio, Kaori couldn’t help but feel a little grateful. She only lashed out at Tio in a childish attempt to cover her own embarrassment. In order to distract herself from the warmth spreading through her chest, she redoubled her efforts to tear through the wave of cockroaches. A barrage of disintegration feathers tore through the monsters, breaking them apart.

  Naturally, Tio saw through those feelings as well and continued with a small smile.

  “Shea, too, is special in her own way. You would be better off not trying to compare yourself to her.”

  Shea certainly was special. She was the only beastman who possessed mana, and even without that, her strength was abnormal. Kaori assumed that was what Tio was referring to, but Tio shook her head.

  “No, I’m not referring to her abilities. I mean her fortitude.”

  “Her fortitude?”

  “Yes, her fortitude. Remember, Shea is a rabbit girl. Originally, she had no love for fighting.”

  But she knew her wish would never have been granted if she didn’t fight.

  “Through all the tears, through all the terror, she continued to press forward. All so that she could stand together with those she loved. While this world seems to have granted Kouki the title of hero...” Tio glanced up at Shea as she said that.

  “I believe that neither he nor even Master are worthy of holding that title. If the word hero defines someone who possesses limitless courage, then no one is more deserving of that moniker than Shea Haulia.”

  It surprised Kaori that Tio held that much respect for Shea. What surprised her even more though, was that Tio was able to voice such feelings in this situation.

  “Hey, Tio. Shouldn’t your feelings be reversed too?”

  Even as Tio conversed with Kaori, she continued to back up Kouki, who was still lacking the will to fight, and Ryutarou, who was slowly being overwhelmed. It was amazing how calm she was able to remain. It didn’t seem at all like her emotions had been reversed. Either that or Tio had secretly hated everyone all along.

  “Hmph, I care not for you lot. In fact, I can feel displeasure welling up simply from talking to you. But what of it?”

  “Huh?”

  Tio turned her gaze back to Kaori. Kaori gulped, overwhelmed by the intensity in her eyes. Tio grinned, then turned around and unleashed another storm of breath at an oncoming army of cockroaches.

  “Feelings alone... cannot hope to match the 500 years of experiences I’ve lived through.”

  Her memories served as her guide, keeping Tio from being swayed by the reversal magic. She had long since grown out of the age where she let herself get swept along by temporary feelings. No matter what her current feelings were, so long as she retained her memories, Tio Clarence would never let herself be swayed by hate. Inside her, both love and hate, right and wrong, were eclipsed by the weight of her own experiences.

  After wiping out another group of cockroaches Tio turned and stated her thoughts clearly.

  “Compared to my duty, my feelings are of little importance. While I may despise you at the moment, my memories are telling me that you’re someone I wish to protect.”

  Duty, obligation, and honor. Those were what drove Tio onward, and she would never betray that part of herself. And that was also why she wasn’t shaken.

  “Kaori, I will protect you. I swear it on my pride as a black dragon, and on my job as a guardian.”

  Tio spoke with the authority and dignity of a king. Kaori found herself captivated by the unwavering resolve in her eyes, and her lustrous black hair, fluttering in the breeze. She felt a deep sense of relief wash over her.

  “I-I-I don’t need your protection! I can handle myself just fine!”

  And so Kaori once again lashed out to hide her embarrassment. Unfortunately, she couldn’t hide the blush spreading up her face. In a way, the scariest part of this feeling-reversal magic was how cool it was making Tio seem.

  Chances were, Tio had to suppress her own perversions in order to keep her feelings in check, which was why she seemed even more perceptive than usual. And when Tio wasn’t acting like a masochistic dog, she really was a reliable, cool, older sister.

  Having once more found her resolve, Kaori made to leap off the platform and join Shea in her fight. The faster they were able to sweep away these half-human cockroaches and join Hajime and Yue’s battle, the better. Not because she wanted to help them, but because like Shea, she was pissed at them.

  However, just before she could leap off, the unspeakable happened...

  “Kyaaa!?”

  “Ahhh!”

  A familiar scream pierced her ears. She turned around, half on instinct, and saw Shizuku sprawled on the ground. It seemed she’d slipped on the fluids of the cockroaches she’d killed. A mistake like that was fatal. Another cockroach raised an arm wreathed in corrosive smoke.

  However, Kouki was right next to her. He saw what had happened. Furthermore, Suzu was right behind her. Plus, Tio’s breath could easily handle a monster of that caliber.

  None of those possibilities even entered Kaori’s mind though, and she acted faster than she could think. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of Shizuku, her greatsword held aloft.

  “Ah... Kaori...”

  “Shizuku-chan...” Even though she hadn’t needed to save Shizuku, even though other people were better positioned to do it, Kaori had rushed to her side anyway. She forgot all about her grudge against Hajime and Yue for leaving her behind. Her body moved on instinct, despite the fact that right now, Shizuku was someone she hated as much as Hajime. Before she could even think about what she was doing, she’d acted.

  And as she did so, she felt her body grow lighter. The dark feelings that had been weighing her down ever since arriving here vanished. The corners of her lips naturally turned upward into a smile. It wasn’t the kind of smile you could show to someone you hate.

  “On your feet, Shizuku-chan! This is no time to be resting!”

  “Huh? Uh, okay.”

  Kaori grabbed Shizuku’s hand and pulled her to her feet. Shizuku looked at her in shock, but Kaori had already turned back to engage another group of cockroaches.

  “Don’t worry Shizuku-chan, I’ll protect you.”

  “Ah...”

  Shizuku thought back to the moment back in the royal palace, when she’d resigned herself to death. But the sword that had been meant to kill her never reached her. Her best friend, Kaori, sacrificed herself in order to save Shizuku. Even though Shizuku had sworn to protect Kaori, when it counted most she was the one who’d been protected. And because of that, her best friend had died. A sharp pain pierced her chest. At the same time, it felt as though some oppressive aura that had been shackling her until now vanished.

  Shizuku turned her back to Kaori. Not because she hated her best friend, but because she trusted her. The two girls fought back-to-back, and Shizuku uttered words of
gratitude.

  “Thank you, Kaori. But don’t forget, I’ve got your back too.” She drew her katana in a flash of light, and her blade sliced through a cockroach with pinpoint precision.

  “I know!”

  A flurry of silver feathers shot forth. At the same time, Kaori’s healing magic enveloped the party, healing their wounds, their exhaustion, and restoring their mana.

  “Tio, Shizuku-chan and I’ll take care of this side! You take care of that one!”

  “As you wish!”

  Tio reacted instantly, shifting her focus. Her gaze held a newfound respect for Kaori. The group spread themselves out in a triangle, with Tio handling one side, Kaori and Shizuku handling another, and Kouki, Ryutarou, and Suzu handling the last one. Even now, Kouki still hadn’t overcome his aversion to fighting the cockroaches. Ryutarou was trying, but his irritation with his comrades kept getting in his way, dulling his blows. Suzu, on the other hand, was having trouble matching her barrier’s positioning to her comrades’ sloppy movements.

  Fortunately, Kaori, Tio, and Shizuku were able to cover for the three of them. That still left the area above them, but Shea had that covered.

  “Uryaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

  With a yell, she unleashed another pale blue shockwave of energy, blowing away the cockroaches descending on Kouki from above. Kaori looked up, smiling, and yelled.

  “Shea!”

  “Leave the skies to me!”

  She’d given up on joining Hajime and Yue and had decided to assist her comrades down below. As for why, well, the blush on her face and her twitching ears made it obvious. She’d overheard Tio praising her. With her arrival, their offensive power skyrocketed. While there were more of them, the half-humanoid cockroaches were inferior versions of the human-shaped ones. Tio, Shea, and Kaori were more than a match for even an army of them. Such a weak foe couldn’t even be considered a trial.

  50 human-shaped cockroaches bore down on Hajime and Yue. This meant they had to fight 50 approximations of an apostle. The monsters all left afterimages in their wake as they charged forward. Once they’d closed the distance a little, they fired out compressed pellets of corrosive smoke. Rather than dodge the fist-size spheres, Hajime pulled a massive black shield out of his Treasure Trove and blocked them head-on. The shield was large enough to cover both him and Yue and they huddled behind it as the hail of black smoke slammed into them.