The World Is Overflowing with Monster, I’m Taking a Liking to This Life

Chapter 188. Peony Subjugation Battle Part 6

To set up bombs inside the Safety Zone.

When Nishino-kun first mentioned this strategy, I questioned his sanity.

The Safety Zone was the cornerstone to our defense.

It didnt make any strategic sense to throw it away from our side.

It was lunacy to do so.

Of course, it would be our last resort. Soras breath attacks, the SDFs assistive bombardment, and the fire from the gasoline and the gas tanksit would be for the best if those could finish it off, butI dont think those would be enough to kill a monster like Peony.

He had a point. My intuition told me that he was right.

We were up against a genuine monster.

There was always that possibility of Peony possessing a hidden card, and worst came to worst, it was possible for it to evolve in the middle of our battle.

It was very unlikely for everything to proceed as planned.

But that still doesnt justify giving up our greatest advantage.

Theres nowhere else except here where we could set up a large amount of bombs quietly and without alarming Peony or the other monsters.

After saying so, Nishino-kun continued his speech.

Previously, Ive asked the Mayor whether or not its possible to reset the Safety Zone.

And did he tell you the answer?

Yes, albeit reluctantly. To summarize, its not possible to reset it in the same location. Not only that, the level would be reset and we would have to start again from scratch. To set up a new Safety Zone, there would also be a one-hour cool-down time.

Hmm

I see, so the level would be reset and the same location wont be available. On top of that, there would be a one-hour cool-down.

It was but a matter of course there would be penalties.

No surprise thereor rather, Im relieved that the penalties are only that much.

They were next to nothing compared to the Safety Zone exceptional ability to fend off monsters.

Roots are vital organs for plants. Peony shouldnt be an exception to this as Treants are technically still considered plants If we can somehow blow away its roots, I think the battle would tilt in our favor.

But the risks involved are too great. Well face annihilation if we fail.

I didnt know Kazuto-san was the cautious type. That said, well be annihilated anyway if we dont win.

Fair point.

He was absolutely right.

Defeat meant annihilation.

In that case, it only made sense to take risks in order to raise the probability of success.

He got me good.

Before I knew it, I was agreeing to Nishino-kuns words.

It didnt feel bad though.

Oh, but Nishino-kun, you seem to be misunderstanding something. Ive always been the type to prioritize my safety.

Then if we end up carrying out that operation, where should we set up our new Safety Zone?

How about the Self Defense Force base in the neighboring town? That place can accommodate a lot of people, and we wouldnt have to go through the hassle of setting up new coordinates since it was our destination in the first place.

What he said made a lot of sense.

We had to go collect the weapons from the Self Defense Force base anyway, so no extra effort would have to be put in.

Not only that, we would be able to transfer a large number of people in a short notice through Momos Shadow Migration and Akas Coordinates.

Once the battle begins, Peony would have to focus on us. For an hour or so, it shouldnt notice anything. Of course, it would be best to defeat Peony before them, but

Hmm

I put my hand on my chin and analyzed Nishino-kuns strategy.

It wasnt a bad one by any means.

If we were to succeed, it would greatly influence the battlefield.

All things considered, however

Id like for us to have at least one more card.

And by that you mean?

What do you say to this? For example, if we had Aka disguised as bullets

By polishing Nishino-kuns strategy even further, we came up with a solid plan.

First, Sora and I would launch a preemptive strike.

Next, the Self Defense Force members would support us.

Thereafter, we would pour gasoline and use our gas tanks.

As a finishing touch, Sora would be there to continue attacking.

In the midst of all this, Ichinose-san would shoot the bullet-disguised-Akas into Peonys body.

If all the attacks failed, we would abandon the Safety Zone and evacuate its residents to the neighboring town.

Then, we would guide Peony to where the bombs had been planted, detonating said bombs along with the bombs that Aka would have mimicked inside the body.

That was the rough summary of the plan.

We were walking on a tightrope, and the strategy was ridden with uncertainties.

It was a risky gamble where a single gear malfunctioning could lead to the plan falling apart.

Convincing Fujita-san and the Mayor was a backbreaking task.

But we did it.

Sora and I survey the scene laid out before us.

Inside the place where the Safety Zone originally stood, theres the figure of Peony whos about to collapse after having a majority of its roots blown away.

This must be a first for it as well.

The trump card that we prepared after risking everything has certainly made an impact on Peony.

If anyone had been missing, the plan would have failed.

Without Nishino-kun, it wouldve been impossible to come up with such a plan.

Without Ichinose-san and Aka, it wouldve been impossible to prepare such a large number of bombs and weapons.

Without Momo, it wouldve been impossible to transfer so many people to the neighboring town in such a short time.

Without Kiki, it wouldve been impossible to negate the Treants inherent stealth skills, and we wouldnt have known that such a convenient underground space to set up bombs existed.

Without Sora, the strategy itself wouldve been impossible to execute.

Without the Self Defense Force, it wouldve been impossible to operate the vehicles and train with the weapons.

Without Fujita-san and the Student Council President, it wouldve been impossible to persuade the residents and take command of the overall situation.

We are able to go head to head against Peony in this manner because of everyones cooperation.

Just a little more.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Peony is about to die.

Its presence has weakened considerably compared to before.

Just a little more, a tiny bit more, and we would win.

All the more reason to not let our guards down.

One more move.

The location of Peonys Achilles heel which we pinpointed during our previous battle.

If Soras breath lands there, it will be our victory.

Sora, can you do it? Just one more shot. Just one more shot would do.

? Whats wrong, Sora?

Soras not replying.

Whats the problem?

Sora suddenly presses her stomach as if in pain.

Guu.uuu!

Sora! Oi, whats wrong? Are you okay!?

Guuuwhy now!

Soras posture collapses, and we begin spiraling down.

! Aka!

Furu furu!

Aka cancels its mimicry and inflates its body.

At the same time, I activate Shadow Manipulation to form a spider-web near the ground.

~~~!

We manage to escape unscathed by falling on the double-layered cushion formed by the shadow and Aka.

T-thanks, Aka.

Furu furu!

Aka sticks out a part of its body and points at Sora as if to say, Nevermind that, tend to her first.

Oh, right.

Sora! Are you okay?

I immediately rush to where Sora has crashed.

She isnt responding.

Her breaths are uneven, and shes clutching her stomach.

Did we not remove all of Peonys poison?

But it doesnt seem like Soras suffering from poison.

(Could there be something elseHm?)

At that moment, I sense something, something which I would have usually missed because of Soras overwhelming presence.

Inside Soras stomachI sense the presence of another being.

No way. Could this be

Soraare you perhaps..pregnant?

Sora doesnt reply, but the presence in her stomach is a clear indication that my guess is right.

Why!? Why havent you told me such an important thing!?

Silenceyoure but a mere human!

Sora gets up and glares at me.

Im finejust give me the orders!

Sora

Its evident that shes overexerting herself.

She must be quite close to giving birth to her child.

The presence in her stomach is growing stronger, but her own presence is getting weaker.

She wont be able to shoot any more breaths like this.

If she does, it would definitely affect childbirth.

What should we do

GIGIGIGI!

GIGIGI!

THERE! FOUND THEM!

Giant Marimos begin gathering beneath us.

Shit! Stop disturbing us!

I swiftly open my Item Box and crush the incoming Marimos before they could reach us.

However

GIGIGIGI!

LET ME EAT! LET ME EAT! LET ME EAT!

GIGIGIGIGIGI!

ET ME EAT!

GIGIGIGIGI!

LET ME EAT! LET ME EAT! LET ME EAT! LET ME EAT! LET ME EAT!

As if to mock us, the number of giant Marimos in our vicinity grows.

Its not only the ground. Flocks of giant Marimos are floating overhead as well.

A moment later, they all open their mouths simultaneously and mercilessly fire their tongues at us.

*****

Meanwhile, Nishino and his friends were at the Self Defense Force base in the neighboring town.

The bombs that we set up should have exploded by now

I wonder if onii-san and Sora-chin are okay

We must have faith in them and await their return. Until the battle at their end is over, we must protect this place at all cost.

They still had one hour left until the Safety Zone could be reconstructed, so Nishino and his friends had to protect this SDF base no matter the cost.

Nishino-san, all the non-combatants have evacuated into the buildings.

Also, people have been stationed in places where monsters could possibly sneak in.

How well are the residents inside coping with the situation?

Theyre so calm about it that its kind of eerie. The Student Council Presidents skills are working their charms.

Although Im reluctant to admit it, its true that those skills are useful in these situations

There hadnt been any hiccups in persuading the residents of the City Hall to relocate to the SDF base.

This could all be attributed to Toukas Enchantment and her rhetoric.

Nishino was once again reminded that she was second to none when it came to rallying the masses.

The Presidents siblings are cleaning up the monsters in the surrounding regions.

Whats more, her twin siblings were exceptional fighters.

Within three days, the twins had exterminated most of the monsters that gathered near the SDF base after Peonys emigration.

But as we feared, we werent able to find any survivors.

As expected

Not a single survivor was found in the base or the houses and buildings around it.

Peony had probably devoured them all.

(It must have come to our town because it ran out of food)

They were already very late into the game, but Nishino finally knew why Peony had invaded their town.

Anyway, all we have to do is protect this place. Lets do our best, everyone!

Roger!!

With their weapons drawn, Nishino and co. observed their surroundings.

Soon enough, they appeared before them.

GYIGYIGYI!

GYIGYI!

GYIGYI GYIGYI!

Giant Marimos that were about a meter in diameter.

They were the Fertility Eating Ryes, monsters created by Peony.

As I thought, the seeds get scattered all the way here

In their previous fight, Peony had fired the seeds to these monsters in all directions.

Some of those seeds had landed all the way over at the neighboring town.

Their numbers were small compared to what Kazuto was facing, but they were still formidable foes.

If they attacked carelessly, there was a good chance of being splashed by the Marimos poison.

Dont approach them carelessly! Keep a distance while youre fighting, and focus more on defending!

Under Nishinos command, the students faced off against the Fertility Eating Ryes.

That said, most of them excelled in close-quarters combat, and this included Rikka.

With limited ways to attack from afar, they were expecting a tough battle.

That was when Goshogawara stepped up.

My turn.

Goshogawara-san?

He was holding onto an extremely thick log.

For a moment, Nishino wondered what he was planning to do with it.

NUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! EXTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEND!!

The moment Goshogawara swung, the log stretched.

Wut?

GYI!?

Not only was Nishino stunned by this, the Fertility Eating Ryes in front of them were shocked as well.

The log which was now more than 10 meters long swept through the battlefield and smashed apart several Fertility Eating Ryes, consequently making them explode into a fountain of poison.

Of course, the poison was too far away to harm Nishino and the others.

Nishino and the others entered a daze.

On the other hand, Goshogawara smiled in satisfaction as the log returned to its original length like a vacuum cleaners cord.

What was that?

U-umGoshogawara-sanwhats up with that log?

This? Its a log made from one of Peonys branches. I had Ichinose-chan tinker with the surplus branches, and this contraction-extension function was added when it got turned into a weapon (log).

For real!?

Logs are amazing!

Nishino was blown away.

He turned around to face Ichinose, who was taking a break behind him.

I was surprised by the outcome as well. Logs are amazing, arent they?

No, well.eh.

NUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

Leaving aside the speechless Nishino, Goshogawara continued swinging his log and steadily reduced the number of Fertility Eating Ryes.

It was a very surreal sight to behold. A run-of-the-mill Ossan was holding a log and swinging it around.

Fuufuuu just a little more left.

While holding onto the log, Goshogawara wiped the sweat off his forehead.

Already, the number of Fertility Eating Ryes had been reduced considerably.

Seeing the log, and to an extent, the Ossan, as major threats, the remaining units did not try to venture closer.

It was the best development that Nishino and the others could hope for.

(Fifteen minutes have elapsed. As long as we keep this up, well be able to defend this place)

Forty-five minutes remained until the Safety Zone was reset.

There were no more monsters around, and only a few Fertility Eating Ryes remained.

Well be fine. Nothing should go wrong so long as we keep this up.

That was what everyone believed.

Howeverthey shouldnt have been careless.

They shouldnt have let their guards down in the face of hope.

The worlds malice was not so kind as to overlook that opening.

GIGAAAAAAAA!!

Suddenly, one of the Fertility Eating Ryes charged at Goshogawara.

By stretching out the log, Goshogawara prepared to crush it.

It seemed no different from before.

Just as the log was about to land, however, the Fertility Eating Rye opened up one of its innumerable mouths and uttered a speech.

ad

Eh?

That was when Goshogawaras movements stopped.

Is something wrong, Goshogawara-san?

Nodidnt you hear a voice just now?

A voice?

Unlike Nishino who appeared suspicious of what was going on, Goshogawara was strangely drawn in by the voice.

He stared at the Fertility Eating Rye that had been a whisker away from being crushed by the log.

However, he should have ignored the voice and crushed the Fertility Eating Rye without hesitating.

It hurtsdad

!?

It was abundantly clear that the Fertility Eating Ryes voice had changed from what it was before.

A portion of the Fertility Eating Ryes bumpy surface changed form and took the shape of human faces.

Its painfulhelpdad

DearPlease, kill me

What emerged from the Fertility Eating Ryes surface were the faces of his beloved wife and daughter.

It was at that moment that the memories of his wife and daughter that he had been deprived of came rushing back.

Forty-five minutes remained before the Safety Zone could be reset.