by Okina Baba
Normally, I can use Short-Range Teleport to get to anything within eyeshot, but apparently, it doesn’t work like that when that damn mystery barrier is in play.
I guess it’s because Spatial Magic can’t do anything until you’ve designated a point in space for it to work on.
But it’s impossible to designate any space within the barrier. If I try, I’m just wasting energy.
And even if it’s not touching the barrier directly, any space that’s too close to the barrier is still hard to target properly.
The mystery barrier seems to act on space itself, so maybe that’s why.
Dammit, these barriers are a pain in my ass!
Who the hell developed such a dangerous thing?!
It was Potimas, obviously!
I wish that guy would just drop dead already.
Preferably in the past, before he has a chance to develop this damn barrier.
Does anyone have a time machine I could borrow?
I just wanna pop in to whenever Potimas was born and kill him on the spot.
Then the past would get rewritten, so the barrier would stop existing in the present.
Whew. Okay. Time to stop thinking about stupid things and focus on my job.
I can ward off the fighters without a problem, and the Demon Lord is bringing them down left and right while protecting the wyrms, so I should be able to destroy the main gun before it fires its second shot.
If I miss with the bazooka, then we’re totally screwed, so we have to get as close to the UFO as possible so I can fire from a distance where I can’t possibly miss.
…Huh? Wait a second.
Get close to the UFO?
Q: Where am I keeping the bazooka again?
A: In Spatial Storage.
But if I’m near the mystery barrier, I can’t use Spatial Magic.
Well, shit!
I won’t be able to take out the bazooka if I’m too close to the UFO!
And since Hyuvan is a speed-centric dragon, we’re getting closer to the UFO by the second.
It’s practically right under our noses already.
Uh-oh. I gotta take the bazooka out fast!
Panicking, I hurriedly try to pull the bazooka out of Spatial Storage.
It’s stupidly big and long, practically the size of a telephone pole.
Dammit! This thing is huge! How am I supposed to get it out?!
And of course you choose this exact moment to show what you’re made of, you damn grunt!
How are you speeding so close to the UFO without losing a second?
C’mon! Slow it down a little!
I won’t be able to pull out the bazooka!
This is a stupid yet serious predicament I’ve found myself in here.
But somehow, I barely make it in time!
Just as I manage to pull the bazooka out entirely, the effects of the barrier make the entrance to my Spatial Storage disappear.
Geez, that was close.
If that had happened while I was still taking out the bazooka, it might’ve gotten broken in half.
Or, like, gotten split between two dimensions or whatever.
“Nice! You ready, girlie?! Here goes nothin’!”
Seeing that I’ve got the bazooka out, Hyuvan charges right toward the main gun.
Pretending that our plan never came this close to being totally ruined, I put on a blank expression and ready the bazooka.
Seriously, nobody needs to know that the ground troops almost got blown away because of my stupid miscalculation.
Whew. Good thing I made it in time.
Seriously.
I steady the bazooka on my shoulder.
There’s no complicated mechanism involved in firing this thing. All you have to do is pull the trigger.
Although you need to be crazy strong just to be able to hold up this giant thing.
The UFO’s gun is right in front of us.
Even a total noob wouldn’t be able to miss from this distance.
Perfect!
With that decided, I pull the trigger.
Bad move, as it turns out.
Between the stress of what just happened and the relief of making it in time before the second shot could be fired, I guess I was a little too careless.
I stupidly forgot exactly who made the bazooka in my hands.
Light blasts out of the bazooka.
This bazooka is apparently a similar weapon to the UFO and the aircraft, since it shoots a beam of light instead of physical ammo.
Now, that’s all well and good.
The problem is, the light also blasts out of the other end, right toward me.
Uh-oh.
As soon as that thought crosses my mind, I relinquish my tight hold on Hyuvan’s body, shoving off as far away from it as I can.
It’s not like I did that with any real forethought, but it would’ve gotten caught up in it if I stayed there, so I think that was the right move.
Caught up in what, you ask?
The exploding bazooka, that’s what!
The light from the bazooka hits the UFO’s main gun head-on.
True to Potimas’s guarantee, it busts right through the gun and blows through the wall beyond it.
That’s also good.
But the light from the bazooka also blows away the hands I was holding it with.
Not only that, but the shoulder that was supporting it and even my human head.
In fact, my whole damn human half goes flying off, and half my spider body gets blown up right with it.
Luckily, I’m able to avoid any more damage thanks to the fact that I’m now free-falling away from the light.
That also distances me from the barrier’s range enough that I can use magic again.
Forcing myself to stay conscious, I desperately cast Healing Magic on myself.
Thank goodness I learned Miracle Magic, the advanced form of Recovery Magic.
Otherwise, I could never have recovered from half my brain being blown away.
I probably still wouldn’t have died, thanks to my Immortality skill, but I wouldn’t be able to think with my whole head missing.
Even half my brain being gone is a huge problem. It takes time to heal that kind of injury, so I’m not gonna be able to fight for a while.
Obviously, normal Healing Magic takes a lot of time to restore a missing body part.
Especially a complicated organ like the brain.
In fact, if I didn’t have both Immortality and Miracle Magic, I’d be dead right now, wouldn’t I?!
Yeah, I know, that must have been exactly what Potimas was trying to do!
Yes, that bazooka did exactly what he said it would.
It destroyed the main gun and made a hole for us to enter the UFO.
The fact that it’s one use only was true, too.
I mean, obviously you can’t use it a second time if this is what happens!
How are you gonna fire it again when it blows itself up, not to mention takes the person who fired it down with it!
Which means Potimas intended to kill whoever used it—either the Demon Lord or me.
I knew that guy was our enemy!
How evil do you have to be to go after our lives while we’re trying to save the world here?!
Gravity carries me toward the ground.
Most of my power is focused on healing my brain right now, so I can’t reposition myself in midair.
I gotta finish healing my brain before I crash into the ground!
Luckily, it turns out I’m worrying for nothing.
Something catches my body from below.
“You okay, lady?!”
Hyuvan scoops me onto its back right in midair.
Ooh, nice catch, buddy.
I know I called you a grunt and all, but you’re my favorite person in the world right now.
Dashing gallantly to the rescue when I’m in danger? You just gained a massive opinion modifier with me.
I can’t use Telepathy pr
operly just yet, so I tap its back to let it know I’m all right.
“You’re alive! You had me sweatin’ it out that you was dead, you stinkin’ idiot!”
Hey, I’m not an idiot, and I don’t stink.
Ahhh, my spider brain is finally intact again.
Boy, Miracle Magic is crazy, restoring half my brain in such a short time after it was blown away like that.
Guess they don’t call it “Miracle” for nothin’.
“Hang in there! I’ll find someone in a jiff who can use Healing Magic!”
Hyuvan’s all worked up now. Sorry, pal, but I’m already on it.
It seems like it’s about to turn around and leave, so I stop it with a telepathic message.
“It’s okay. I can heal myself.”
We can’t turn back now.
I’ve gotta bust into that UFO right away.
“What? You sure?”
“I’m sure. Please bring me there.”
I point at the UFO with a spider leg.
I should be able to finish healing by the time we get back up there, so it’s no problem.
Right, I’ve got a job to do.
I’ve gotta get my revenge on the dirty bastard who’s on his way into the UFO right now!
Heh-heh. Just you wait, Potimas!
I’ll make you pay for trying to kill me!
THE VAMPIRE MISTRESS AND HER SERVANT DISCUSS POTIMAS
“The more MA energy you use, the shorter the planet’s life span gets. People didn’t know that back then, so they mistook it for an unknown source of limitless energy and used it to their little hearts’ content. That’s what put their civilization on the path to destruction.”
“Such grave foolishness. They must not have held a speck of the wisdom you described, young miss.”
“I told you, we can’t blame them. A certain bastard deliberately set them up, remember?”
“Young miss, you must not use such crass language. Even if he is a bastard.”
“What else am I supposed to call him?”
“You have a point, but still…”
“That bastard killed my parents and tried to kill both of us, too.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“And Ariel told us that he’s always been a bastard, even in ancient times when that civilization still existed. If that’s not a bona fide bastard, then what is?”
“I understand your feelings, but I do not think it befits a lady to say ‘bastard’ so many times.”
“Oh? Me, a lady? Goodness…”
(The young miss is embarrassed.)
“…Do you think they’re all right up there?”
“We need not worry about Lady Ariel and Lady White, I am sure. Although I am a bit concerned for Miss Ael and company.”
“But they’re with Potimas, remember? I wouldn’t be surprised if that bastard tries to stab them in the back.”
“That certainly is possible. However, I am sure that Lady Ariel and Lady White will be prepared for such an eventuality.”
“Right. You’re right, of course.”
“Besides, even that man would surely not attempt such foolishness when the world is at stake, no?”
“Yeah right. Potimas is a bona fide bastard, remember? Whether the world’s in danger or not, he’d gladly betray someone if given the chance.”
“My apologies. I confess I thought the same thing, but I did not wish to say so.”
“Right? This is the same guy who discovered MA energy and convinced humans to use it even though he knew that could destroy everything. Why would he care if the world’s in danger or not?”
“Indeed. I suppose there is no reason he would be concerned for the fate of the world now when he is the very same man who endangered it in the past.”
“Not to mention, isn’t he the one who developed that UFO in the first place? How many times does he have to put the world in danger of destruction before he’s satisfied?”
“I suspect he will continue to do so until he dies.”
“What a scary thought. But the scariest thing is that you’re probably right.”
RESTRAINT
“Hrmph. So you survived, eh?”
When I reach the UFO, I receive this brazen greeting from Potimas.
We’re currently entering the UFO through the hole where the main gun used to be.
Amid the whirling dust and debris, Potimas looks completely calm.
“Hey, what’s the big idea, punk? If you was behind that kablooey, you ain’t gettin’ off scot-free!”
Hyuvan glares at Potimas menacingly, but the elf is defiant.
“Do you really need me to explain it to you?”
Potimas’s attitude only makes Hyuvan’s rage even more intense.
It could’ve easily gotten caught up in the explosion of the bazooka if I hadn’t jumped away, so I can understand why it’s so angry.
The dragon that carried Potimas here joins Hyuvan in directing powerful anger toward Potimas.
And of course, I’m plenty pissed off myself.
Yet, despite the furious gazes focused on him, Potimas’s lax attitude doesn’t change.
“So what yer sayin’ is, you went and did that on purpose. That right?”
Hyuvan’s Telepathy carries the weight of a final warning.
Potimas snorts. “And what if I did?”
Clearly, he’s not about to apologize.
The only response he gets is an attack.
Hyuvan’s claws rake through the air where Potimas was standing just seconds ago.
However, the dragon’s roar of frustration tells me that didn’t go the way it hoped.
“Oh dear. That was close.”
Potimas is now standing a short distance away from Hyuvan.
He dodged the attack of a dragon specialized in speed.
And judging by the way he’s brushing the dust off his clothes, it didn’t take a lot of effort.
…This guy’s totally a narcissist.
Every damn move he makes comes off as smug somehow.
“Tch. Lucky break. I won’t miss next time.”
Hyuvan gets ready to attack again, but Potimas holds up a hand to stop it.
“Are you sure about that? If you were to dispose of me now, it would make dealing with the GMA bomb far more difficult.”
“But not impossible, pal.”
“However, no one but I will be able to do it quickly. Who’s to say that the bomb won’t be dropped while someone else is trying to figure it out? Or that they won’t accidentally set it off in the process? Is it really in your best interest to harm the only person guaranteed not to run such risks?”
Hyuvan growls unhappily.
Potimas is basically using himself as a hostage. And unfortunately, it’s working.
The Demon Lord does have the plans for the UFO and the bomb, so it wouldn’t be impossible to disable the bomb with those as a guide.
But I have to admit that none of us will be able to do it as quickly as the man who developed these weapons in the first place.
If we want to be absolutely sure this will go smoothly, this guy is our best bet.
Even if he’s not the safest or most optimal choice.
“What is your role, you so-called dragons? You exist to keep this world running smoothly, do you not? Think about it, then. Is destroying me right now in a fit of anger really what’s best for this world or not?”
Potimas spreads his hands melodramatically.
As soon as it hears the words “so-called dragons,” Hyuvan reluctantly backs down.
Hyuvan’s grunt-like attitude makes it seem stupid, and I’m pretty sure it is, but it does understand its place.
If it puts its emotions aside, it can easily conclude that it wouldn’t make sense to kill Potimas now.
Although I’m not sure if letting him live is necessarily a wise move, either…
But considering its role and responsibilities, Hyuvan can’t kill Potimas.
And Potimas knows that,
which is why he’s being a huge asshole about it.
“How will your precious boss feel if you doom the world to destruction simply because you threw a tantrum over being nearly killed?”
Since Hyuvan can’t respond, Potimas just keeps fanning the flames.
“It’s not myself I’m mad about, pal. But you owe the white one an apology, if you ask me.”
Oh my gosh. Hyuvan’s not mad on its own behalf; it’s mad because I almost died?
This is one hunky dragon! Pretty cool for a lowly grunt.
If I were a dragon myself, I’d probably fall for it.
I’m not, though, so we’re safe.
“Ridiculous. We have been enemies from the start. What is wrong with attempting to get a leg up on your enemies?”
“You trash! Stickin’ to your guns, huh?!”
Hyuvan bares its fangs at the unapologetic elf.
However, because of its position, Hyuvan can’t lay a hand on him.
That’s got nothing to do with me, though.
And if the man himself says there’s nothing wrong with trying to get a leg up on your enemy, that goes for me, too, right?
“Hnnngh?!”
Since Potimas is totally focused on Hyuvan, I swing my giant scythe at him.
My body’s already been restored to full power thanks to my Miracle Magic.
On top of that, the UFO’s mystery barrier seems to affect only its exterior, not the interior.
In other words, I can use my skills in here no problem.
I should be able to fight to my full capabilities.
Which means I can catch Potimas off guard with a surprise attack and finish him before he has a chance to activate that barrier!
Potimas barely dodges the first attack.
But after that, he has no chance to dodge the second swing.
Gotcha!
But my confidence turns out to be in vain.
My scythe freezes in the air mid-swing.
The scythe and my body have been stopped by thread so thin, it’s nearly invisible.
There’s only one person who can pull that off.
“White, I get how you feel and all, but could you hold off for now?”
The Demon Lord is walking up behind me.
It’s not a surprise, though. Thanks to Detection, I already knew the Demon Lord was inside the UFO.
But I wanted to see what she was going to do, so I’d been ignoring her.