Book 6 - 6-32. Mortal Combat with the Demon?!
6-32. Mortal Combat with the Demon?!
Satou’s here. For my work, I had put together a bit of disposable scripts once, but when I got accustomed to it, I could make one in less than 10 seconds.
New recruits were surprised when they see it, but they became able to do it themselves 1 year later. That is if they’re still around after a year.
◇
"Where are those girls now?"
"They’re right outside the city’s wall. Looks like they’re surrounded by zombies."
"Really? We have to help them!"
"Ah, we won’t make it even if we run. I’ll support them with Remote Arrow."
I tell Arisa so, get out to the balcony that faces the city and use the magic. I change into silver mask costume as a precaution if there are any witnesses.
"Uwah, transform? Transform skill?"
"It’s just a skill for changing clothes fast."
I wonder if quick clothes-changing skill is rare?
While feeling slightly weirded out with Arisa’s bizarre tension, I set up a short cane. I’m fine even without using one, but I’d probably look more like a magician with one.
I fire 3 successive shoots with 50 arrows for each shoot.
For some reason my head is tapped from behind.
"What’s wrong Arisa."
"Magic isn’t something that you can rapidly fire. When you’re in front of people, keep around 10 seconds gap for each shoot."
I see, I’ve learned new things from Arisa-sensei.
For now, I have to get Liza and the others out of their predicaments. I’ll let Liza and the others to finish off the lower 20s-leveled monster, so that they would gain experience, but their safeties come first.
I’m worried about the knight from duke Oyugock near them witnessing it, but they probably wouldn’t think that the magic is shot from here, so it’s probably fine.
There doesn’t seem to be anyone who hang around in the city. Although, it looks like there are thieves around, I mark them for now. I’ll leave them alone even if they’re in danger.
It seemed that the people who weren’t rushing to the castle gate were taking refuges in their houses.
Zombies who get into the city are heading straight to the castle gate.
Looks like the baron and the others have somehow able to move into the castle’s stronghold. Even though the fake hero and Ossan seem to be hurt, since they’re alive, there’s no problem.
◇
"Hey hey, what is that clothes? Cosplay? If you just had said it, I could had made cooler costumes than that unfashionable one! Something like cosplay of red comet, or black noble troupe, I want to make you wear many things~."
I’m fine as long as it hides my identity, but I don’t want to become Arisa’s plaything. She’s saying something like, "Mask is romantic after all right.", but I ignore her.
"The forest is strange nano desu."
Pochi pulls the hem of my clothes.
That’s right, I had put them off since I was worried with Liza’s and the others’ safeties, but the giants in the forest were in a pinch.
Fortunately, since giants who are affected with confusion are few, it doesn’t seem to have ended up in friendly fire. As expected, It’s probably easy for the high-leveled ones to resist the magic.
Now then, while I finish off foes which give Liza and the others hard time with Remote Arrow, I take out the wooden holy sword from the Item Box.
I’d like to try how usable this is against the demon in actual combat. In truth, I wanted to try it against the small fry demon like the Splitter, but since this weapon is too conspicuous with many people watching inside, I gave up.
Even if it doesn’t work, I could just use another holy sword.
"You, don’t tell me you’re going to use that wooden sword?"
"That’s right?"
I return Arisa’s give-up face with a straight face.
If I say that I do have other trump card, she’d surely scold me with, "Fight with the strongest one from the beginning."
I’ve used the strongest holy sword when I was fighting Wagahai-kun, however, since the enemy this time is not the type who fights straight, but one who plays dirty, I’m scared to think of the counter if I attack with something that’s too strong.
◇
I ask Pochi to watch the urban areas and the castle gate, while I go to the balcony that faces the forest.
Arisa was also going to come along, but I stopped her.
"What?"
"There’s someone who has see-through skill in the forest. I don’t know how powerful the skill is, so I want to avoid situation where we can be seen."
"Are you fine yourself?"
"Yeah, I’ve hidden my name so it’s fine."
"Wha"
After the incident with Zen I was checking the skill and took the opportunity to investigate the menu further, then I noticed that I was also able to alter my name in the exchange column.
I couldn’t do it freely without limit though, just like with Title, I could only change it with names that I owned. In my case they’re, [Satou], [Ichirou], [Ichirou Suzuki], [(Namae Nashi)], one among four of them. I’ve decided to use, [(Namae Nashi)], when I change into silver mask.
"Your menu is really a cheat huh."
"That so?"
Even though she’s said that it’s plain, it looks like the evaluation is getting better.
I think that you could do it with magic art anyway, and there are probably skills like, [Conceal Name], or [Alias] out there too.
Reflected on the radar, indicators that denote demons are suddenly rushing out of the forest quickly.
Don’t tell me, surprise attack?
I immediately make Remote Arrow to stand by.
"W, what."
"It’s the demons, they’re jumping out of the forest."
Hearing that word, Arisa readies her cane from the middle of the room.
No, looks like that’s not it. The demons are not jumping out, but blown away by someone. As a proof, the split bodies (Splitters) are annihilated the moment they’ve gotten out of the forest.
The demon’s real body who’s gotten blown out of the forest is floating in the air while facing the forest.
I can’t see it since it’s too far, but it’s probably floating with magic power. When I look hard at it, some skills become available. Might as well activate them.
>[Distant View Skill Acquired]
>[Bird’s Eye Skill Acquired]
>[Seeing at a Distance Skill Acquired]
What’s the difference between Distant View and Seeing at a Distance skills? Later when I ask Arisa, it seems that distant view lets you see far away things while they’re still looking small, and Seeing at a Distance lets far away things look to be closer. Looks like the former narrows your view, while the latter let you see details in far away things.
"Uh, my magic could had reached it if it was closer."
I guess it’s about 2 kilometers away.
"Won’t it reach if you you use Over Boost?"
"Nope, nope, it would reach, but if it’s that far, the power would be too thinned out."
A little idea hit me, I take out a bolt and a crossbow from the Item Box. About the crossbow, I tried dissembling it once to understand how it worked--since it was boring to reassemble it back just like that--I remodeled it. Liza wasn’t able to pull the bowstring since I went too far with the remodeling.
"Wait, if you’re using normal arrow, even if it reach it won’t deal significant damage you know?"
"Is it like that?"
I cut the bolt in half using the Troll Slayer dagger. I feel that Arisa would scold me if I casually use a holy sword for that, so I use this one instead.
I engrave the same pattern as holy sword on the remaining half of the bolt and pour the blue liquid that I’ve used to make the wooden holy sword. Since I’ve stored it in the Storage, it’s still fresh.
After I’ve finished pouring the blue liquid, I put it on the magic bestowing stand and complete the process. It may be the result of me doing it once that I’ve done this far without even taking 30 seconds.
"You, you’re making it as if you have production skill related cheat huh."
I put glue on the bolt and attach a thin piece of metal on it.
Alright, holy bolt is complete.
The cost is about 20% of holy sword. This might be more usable than that.
I put magic power into the Holy Bolt.
Since Arisa has had put 100 MP into the the holy sword just fine, first I’ll put around 50 MP.
It’s fine.
Continuing on, 100 MP.
The demon seemingly has noticed the light leaking from the window, it turns toward here.
In order to restrain it, I make the standing-by Remote Arrow to encircle it.
"Demons aren’t something you can defeat with beginner class magic."
"It’s just for restraint."
Oh?
Even though I’ve said that it’s for restraint to Arisa, the demon’s health is gradually decreasing from the remote arrows that hit it. Looks like it doesn’t have instantaneous recovery like No-Life King. It might be unexpectedly beatable with rapid firing of Remote Arrow.
When I put 200 MP into the Holy Bolt, it begins to shake. It’s the same pattern like with Liza’s spear. It would probably explode if I put more.
Now then, I wonder how much damage will it incur?
Since the restraining Remote Arrows are encircling the demon like a cocoon, the demon is already doing everything it could just to avoid the magic arrows.
I’ve decided on the aim, and shoot the holy bolt.
And then, several hundred meters away after the shooting, the holy bolt causes a small explosion--
"Aah."
"I guess it’s impossible for a such hastily-made thing."
From there, it rapidly accelerates and flies.
Drawing blue tracks of light, it sucks up the demon--
"Huh?"
--It flies away beyond the empty sky while leaving several circles that looks like black mist.
It was too anticlimactic of an end, but since the log displayed, [Short Horn Demon is Defeated!], I did have properly defeated it.
I watch the black mist disappear while tapping the golden wooden holy sword that doesn’t get its turn.
"Hey, what about the demon? Is it coming here?"
From Arisa’s point of view, it only looked like a small explosion.
"I’ve beat it."
I clown around for a bit, but it doesn’t fit my character. Arisa is befuddled. Good, it was really good that I didn’t attach, "Tehee."
"Holy weapons really work well against demons huh."
I deceive her with a straight face.
"Wha!? This cheat guy~~ what about my turn~."
Arisa flops down on the carpet exhausted, but I won’t say to her that, being a reincarnated person with unique skill that she is, we’re the same kind.
The giants are dropping off a person who looks to be the young lady on top of the passage of the city wall. I can’t see the magic tool with the see-through skill called Raka-san or something. It probably could either becomes small or transparent.
I’m getting a hunch that this will be bothersome. I lead Arisa and the other away from this place quickly.