Arc 11: Desert’s incident
Chapter 82: Manta, and The Reunion
Huge. Is what I thought the moment I saw that Fureizu. Back when we fought the cricket one, it was the size of light motor vehicle, but this time, it was about as big as four big buses.
On its head…. Or rather the leading portion of body, there are two lined up parts on what seems to be an almond shaped head as I thought, there are things in sight which look like a cores s.h.i.+ning in orange inside of those.
Whether it is matching the hugeness of its body, the core of cricket type from before was about the size of baseball, but this time they are about the size of basketball. With this, it might will be impossible to pull them with [Aport].
「What should we do?」
Rin turns to me, asking for a decision. We could run away without fighting. Frankly, I don’t have any obligations or duty to this country.
However, if it crosses over the desert, pa.s.sing over The Great Forest, will it turn to Misumido? More importantly, will it turn to Belfast? A lot of victims might appear. Among them might be our acquaintances, including people whom we’ve been indebted to.
「Let’s do it. We can’t afford to leave it alone 」
We will stop it here.
It is fortunate that there is nothing in desert. There is no need to mind the damage as well.
「However, how do we do it? If we a.s.sume it holds the same abilities as the one before, any magic will be absorbed, wouldn’t that make it terribly hard? Moreover, this time it’s flying」
It is exactly as Elsie says. There is Yae’s katana which was transformed with Mithril, but it is not clear how far it will take us. In the first place, how do you attack a flying enemy?
「We have no choice but to a.s.sault it with indirect attack magic. Hit it with something like [Ice Rock] or [Rock Crash]」
Lindsey and Yumina agree with Rin’s remark. After somehow knocking it down onto the ground with those attacks, I, Elsie, and Yae will start directly attacking its body. We have no choice but to go with that method.
「All right, Let’s go!」
I open the [Gate], and we jump out onto the desert surface. High in the sky the crystal Manta s.h.i.+ning from reflecting the sunlight moves calmly.
To see it in person with my own eyes, I can feel its size even more. it is from being looked down on, its intimidating presence has increased again as well.
Drawing out Brunhild, I pull the trigger. Gakyun gakyun the bullets slip and are repelled off the body of the crystal Manta.
「So normal bullets are ineffective….」
With a considerably hard surface, its streamlined body can completely avert power, I guess.
「Come forth hail, giant ice blocks, Ice Rock! 」
When Lindsey invokes the magic, a huge lump of ice materializes high above the Manta, and falls down as it is.
The lump of ice crashed into the Manta body, but against the body floating in the sky, without displaying much of its power, it continues to falls down into the desert. What a waste of effort. Such words appeared in my mind.
It’s like throwing a stone at a styrofoam board floating in the water. We can’t beat him to the ground with this.
The crystal Manta slowly turns this way. Light is gathering in between the crystalline lens embedded in the cores. I’m not sure but I have a hunch that this is bad!
「Everyone, spread out!」
Everyone immediately reacts to my words, and start running away from this spot. In the next moment, the Manta begins to shoot the bullet of light, and blows up the place where we were. A huge sand column rises with the fierce explosion, showing its destructive power.
「You’ve got to be kidding… If someone receives that blow, there won’t be anything left….」
To shoot it needs to acc.u.mulate for several seconds, guess that’s a relief. We can somehow dodge it.
As if to make fun of my thoughts, this time the Manta’s tail extends, and curls it underneath its abdomen. And like a machine gun something is fired from the tip, attacking us once again.
「Kuu ! ?」
We dodge whatever it was being shot at us, and while it was adjusting its posture, I confirm the thing which pierced the desert.
It’s transparent arrow crystals, or should I say Bo Shuriken. Either way they’re extremely dangerous.
When I look around to confirm everyone’s safety, Lindsey fell down holding her foot.
「Lindsey !」
「I’m okay. It is just a graze, that’s why…….」
As Lindsey cured her injured leg with recovery magic, she firmly stood up. To this girl, the tip of the tail was pointed at her. This is bad!
「Accel ！」
Using the ability of the ring I gave, Elsie accelerates towards her younger sister’s position. Towards the downpouring rain of Bo Shurikens, she raises her left hand gauntlet. Due to the wind effect granted by the gauntlet, all the crystal bullets go astray.
「Touya-dono! Using the [Gate], send myself above this fellow!」
「…..! Understood!!」
Though I hesitated for a moment at Yae’s proposal, I opened a [Gate] at her feet as she requested, and sent her several meters in the sky above Manta.
「Prepare yourself ! !」
Yae swung down her katana to drive the mithril blade into the Manta’s back. However, it is far from a fatal damage.
Yae kicks the back of the Manta to jump off. Oioi, if you fall onto the desert from this height…!
「Touya-dono! [Gate] !」
! I, I see !
I invoke [Gate] just under Yae’s feet in the sky, and put the exit beside me, 1 meter from the ground. She disappears into the [Gate] in the air, and lightly lands next to me. Phew.
「Please do not make it bad for my heart…..」
「I’m sorry -degozaru」
However, even Yae’s mithril katana had little effect. How can we even damage this guy!?
Similar to the cricket type from last time, there might be no other choice but to break the core as I thought, but aside from being unable to use [Aport], there are two cores.
The tip of the tail turns this way. Kuu, not again!
「Wind come whirling, storm bulwark, Cyclone Wall! 」
A defensive wall of wind surrounds me and Yae created by the incantation Yumina spoke. The arrows fired by the Manta are swallowed by the swirl and vanish into the sky. We’re saved.
However, when the sandstorm vanished, this fellow jumped in front of our eyes, trying to shoot the ball of light turned this way at this exact moment.
「Ha, Accel ! 」
Holding Yae in my arms, I withdraw from this place with acceleration magic. A large explosion hits behind my back. It was dangerous ! Unexpectedly, this fellow, his head is also good.
「Come forth rock, pulverization crag, Rock Crash !」
Rin’s magic strikes the back of the Manta with a large rock from above, but like Lindsey’s magic from before, it does not seem to be effective.
It’ll be bad if this keeps up… We don’t have a trump card. Sooner or later we’ll be cornered. Then there’s a possibility of someone getting hurt… I can feel cold sweat running down my back.
「Kuu, is there no choice but to draw back temporarily with a [Gate]…. ?」
「Are? When I was wondering who it was, Touya?」
「Eh ?」
While holding Yae in my arms, I unintentionally turn around to the out-of-place voice.
Even though he was amidst a scorching desert, there was a boy with white hair wearing a long white m.u.f.fler.
「End….. ?」
「Yo」
It was the monotone boy I met in town before, smiling with a raised hand. Why is End in this kind of place? No, before that how did he get here? A while ago there was no one here. It’s just a desert as far as the eye can see, I should have noticed if he came to such a place.
「It has been a while. I came because I detected a sign of Fureizu, but by no means did I expect to meet Touya 」
「End….. You know about Fureizu?」
「Do I know, you ask? Well, there are various reasons for that. Nevertheless, since coming here I encountered up to [Middle Cla.s.s Kind]. It seems the [Barrier] is at its limit already」
Middle Cla.s.s Kind? Barrier? What the heck does this boy know ?
「Ma, Wait for bit. First of all, since I will take care of that」
Ma, wait for a bit. For now, since I will take care of that.
「Ha ?」
While smiling and saying so, End walks towards the Fureizu Manta. Aiming at such a guy, crystal arrows start raining relentlessly, but in the next moment, End’s figure disappeared from that place.
「Eeh ! ?」
Looking around the vicinity, End’s figure is nowhere to be found. Is it a transparency magic? No, that magic just deceives the sense of sight, it doesn’t erase the sense of presence.
「Over there -degozaru!」
Yae points at the Fureizu while in my arms. End was standing on the back of the floating Fureizu. When did he…!?
「Now, then」
End casually drives a kick onto the back of the Fureizu. Raising his right leg, he just brings it down, it was a slow kick. With that alone a crack appears on the Fureizu, and in no time it runs through the whole body.
Before long Pakiin! When I hear a big crash that sounded like gla.s.s shattering, With a rattle, the Fureizu collapsed.
What the ! ? What did he do ! ?
With the falling sparkling crystal, End gets down onto the desert. From the broken remains of the Fureizu, he picks up the two basketball-sized cores, and while holding them in both hands, he smashes them with each other to bits.
Clapping his hands as it is, he comes this way.
「What the heck did you do?」
I threw at End the question I had in mind.
「Nothing? I just destroyed him by striking with magic causing the same peculiar oscillation as this guy had」
Huh?
Is it resonance phenomenon? Though it might not be the same thing since it is magic…
「End….. Earlier you talked about [Barrier]? What is it?」
「There’s something like a net which prevents the Fureizu from entering this world. However, there seems to be a tear. This fellow might be one of those who got through. However only guys of this level seem to be able to come here as of yet」
End mutters while looking at the fragments of crystals scattered in the desert.
「These guys are no more than underlings moving for the sake of accomplis.h.i.+ng a common goal. They are not important」
「Goal?」
「To search for the sleeping [King] of Fureizu. Same goal as mine」
……. What did you say?
「O~to, it is time for me to go. I have a little arrangement, you see. Then Touya, it will be good if we meet again 」
「Wait~ !」
End smiles and, ignoring me trying to detain him, completely vanishes from this place. What the heck is this magic? A teleportation ?
「Fureizu [King], is it….. ?」
While I was racking my brain with the riddle End left behind, everyone was running towards me with a blank amazed look.