Chapter 48 ~ 50 – Unknown and the Trump Card of Darkness Part 1

Raiding abruptly appeared, to what Minato called as『Plant Monster』.

Its name was『Tropical Tyrant』, its strength was of AA Rank, the people who knew that it was the outstanding plant-type demon were not present in the current place.

That demon, after eating all the demons that had lost sanity due to drug, tried to attack the adventurers who were at the war frontlines.

It was inevitable, but against an opponent with true strength of AA Rank......Adventurers of D and C Rank were nothing more than garbage.

The people fighting were, including the covering work were......just Sherry and Zari.

Sherry was attacking by shooting arrows of fire, and while not letting the root and ivy come near, she would search for opportunities, and slash at its body with a fire-clad sword.

The attacks let out by the large body each had widely strong attack range, but for her it wasn’t something she couldn’t evade.

However, for defeating, for piercing through that large body, neither the weapons, arrows and nor the firepower of fire were enough.

Hence, an impression of offensive and defensive was made, for stopping its advance.

And behind her was Zari, who was supporting her with his Sand Magic, and Elk, who was helping in the evacuation of injured people. And also the support by some adventurers who were still fine enough to fight.

And even more,

「......! It came from right, huh......birdie, please do!」

Receiving such a voice,

Alva, who had been firing off appropriate magic attacks while flying in sky, flew off in the direction Sherry gave the command for.

And before its eyes, light of red magical energy started converging......and the next moment, it was fired off as a strong destructive beam that had enough power to easily crumble a stone precipice.

It flew to roots coming from the right, that Sherry saw, and hitting directly it exploded, scattered, got grilled and become powerless.

「......Seriously, that birdie is truly awesome. Is it because it is the pet of Minato-kun?」

「Half is because of that. But the other half is because, Minato had taught it his own original magic sometimes just for fun. That beam is one of those seriously strong original magic」

In the break times of morning practices, Elk had seen Minato teaching Alva magic that he had thought in past but wasn’t able to use them. Alva could understand the human speech, so it amused itself by copying the magic it watched.

Alva gained mastery in all of them, as a result, his battle strength increased drastically.

Before anyone knew it, there was the birth of a Demon Bird which could various magic no one had seen ever before.

That magical energy convergence bombardment was also one of them. It was Minato’s original magic that created a destructive light beam with explosive power just by converging the magical energy particles, and the interaction or whatever between them created it like that.

Its offensive power, in this place, came second to Sherry-san’s arrows. Making those as weapons, while maintaining the distance from『Tropical Tyrant』, Alva was fighting at the battlefront.

Then, maybe it got bored by the storm of attacks coming from all the direction –although it wasn’t known if plants had that sort of emotions- this time, numerous roots and ivy, a number which couldn’t be extended with just finger, sprout out from the whole body of Tropical Tyrant and attacked.

Seeing this, even the face of Sherry and others stiffened. However, they couldn’t retreat......and neither did they think about that.

Including the backup unit, they tried to use all the firepower at disposal and intercept that attack......at that moment,

Alva came, flying to Sherry’s side, and again in front of its eyes the red magical energy started converging, hence the charging of energy started.

......6 at the same time.

「「「......!?」」」

Even Elk had never seen that, unexpected scene, seeing that Sherry and other’s bodies stiffened.

The next moment, converged light changed into 6 destructive beams, and with power not any less than before, all were fired off......It blasted away most of the roots and ivy that were coming at them.

Sherry and others returned to themselves from the explosion sounds and shock waves. They intercepted the rest of the roots and ivy that got past the explosion, and cut down each and every of it.

At the time they finished, Sherry, who still was shocked, asked out.

「H-hey what!? Elk-chan!? That birdie could even do that much!? 6 at the same time......I’ve never heard anything like that!?」

「I also didn’t know! It only shot out one at a time......I never knew that it could be this amazing if it went serious......I knew it was a demon with high magical energy, but this is just......」

「Is that so? No, but that is......Hm?『6』?」

At that moment, Sherry was hooked up in the『6』numbers of attack that Alva just fired off.

Thinking for a bit, she rose up her head seeming to got an idea,

「Hey, Elk-chan......is that birdie,『Nevalides』?」

「! You know about it?」

「Are you serious!? S-So t-that’s how it was......he surely has got something tremendous as his pet......」

Sherry was surprised, having her guess hit the right mark, and sent a fleeting glance at Alva flying right beside her.

「Well, in my home place, there are various legends there. Among that it comes out......the Nevalides I mean, apparently they have 6 brains」

「Come again!?」

「Don’t cow have 4 stomachs, and bugs have『compound eyes』, right? It’s something like that. It is said that there are 6 brains of Nevalides, with each single brain having high intelligence matching to that of humans. And they are able to use them properly. While one brain is awake, the other brains sleep in a rotation, hence they need no sleep. And if using each of them when using magic, they are able to let out magic with power far surpassing normal power. It’s natural, after all the concentration and thinking circuits just got six-fold」

「......Now I don’t even know how to be shocked」

For the time being, Elk and others understood the reason why he was able to shoot 6 destructive beams without any decrease in the power.

Along with the fact that there 6 brains rotating at full speed inside that bird’s head.

However not thinking any deeper, they just considered Alva as a reliable ally, and again faced the enemy.

Then, abruptly,

「......If I had to say reliable, the owner of this birdie is also the same」

「Yeah......that’s indeed, correct」

「Don’t talk currently. Concentrate, come on concentrate」

Sherry and Zari were scolded with words as if being slapped.

However, even Elk, who scolded them, had looked along with others in the oblique direction, however......in the next second their eyes returned back to the front.

The fight occurring there was reflected in all their eyes, for just a second.

The fight against Tropical Tyrant, an AA Rank demon, was indeed tough, even though they had powerhouses like Sherry and Zari, along with Alva, whose race was outside the norm.

If this were a normal situation, they seriously needed the power of Alva’s owner, who just happened to be the strongest powerhouse present here.

However, no one said that, without speaking out any complaints, they all were fighting by themselves.

Of course that was because......they knew that he was also fighting with another enemy, a lizard, which obviously seemed like an extraordinarily strong opponent.

And also because, only he was the one who could take on that as an opponent.

Currently, just for one second, it was reflected in their eyes......

「Haaaaaaaaaaaah—-!!!」

『Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaa—-!!』

They attacks were exchanged at a speed that couldn’t be discerned by eyes, it was a fight on level that only Sherry could know what was happening there.

The people concerned, no one interfered. They couldn’t.

Because they knew that they couldn’t do a thing, and there was meaning in speaking anything.

☆☆☆

——Gyooooooo

With a speed that a normal person wouldn’t even be able to notice let alone react to it, a hand with 5 sharp claws reached out towards my head as if wanting to break it.

I, who was already showing my seriousness with the magical energy of『darkness』, dodged that attack as if something jumped in my chest.

Before the other attack came, I strike its stomach with my tightly-clenched and magical-energy-loaded fist.

However the feeling that was transmitted from the fist that hit it was, as though I had punched some humongous iceberg.

The solidness surpassed my expectations. The scales were also tough, and the flesh behind it was also quite solid.

......It completely made me remember about 4 years ago.

And, barely an instant, it showed a strange wavering which made me doubt if it faltered or not, and the Unknown let out its next attack soon after. The attack of the other arm flew at a frightening speed.

I closed up enough therefore, I judged it would be difficult to dodge, and guard myself with my arm......the next instant, a attack with power far surpassing the power of『Naga』’s rush impacted on my arm.

I purposely didn’t stand firm. I let the power fly away like that and reorganized my stance.

My arm became a little bit numb......but no problem. I can move it.

There in no time, Unknown let out another attack with its claws, but I forcibly warded it off by punching from the side.

And then, with my other arm......this time,

(If stomach is not good then attack the......face!!)

Taking a solid stance, I punched the face of Unknown with all my might.

This time it apparently worked, it bent backward greatly, and Unknown’s body stiffened.

Without a moment’s delay I tried to send out another attack, at that moment, in the peripheral vision of my eye something blackish was reflected, at the same time, sound of cutting the air rang out......and I at once averted my upper body.

The next moment, no nearly the same time, the whip-like tail buzzed and grazed my cheek.

*pssh*, my cheek was cut, and blew flowed from the single line.

......It has been a while, since I have shed out blood from an attack by a demon and not mom. It might be the first after using『Elemental Blood』.

historical

While thinking something like that, I performed back somersault, flew backwards, and made some distance between us.

Dear me, there was not even a cerebral concussion after hitting it with my whole power, huh. The teeth didn’t break and the scales also weren’t smashed. The facial shape was also the same as before. Its bones were also fine, I bet it.

But I seemed to cut a little bit within its mouth, more or less, it even spit out a little red blood mixed saliva......just that much. I’m losing confidence here.

And, this strong blow exchange......didn’t even take two seconds, just how fast was this battle going at? This fight was a fight that exploited the concentration power and nerve-transmission to their extreme limits.

I thoroughly thought. That this『Unknown』in front of me was different from all the demons I had fought till now.

Compared to that time 4 years ago, I had surely become strong.

However, even so, I couldn’t see bottom of this guy.

But well, it wasn’t an opponent could be complaining about.

I can only defeat it as soon as possible, using all of my 16 years.

I concluded that unwillingness was banned, and before the other attack came at me, I rotated the『darkness』magical energy in my whole body in a large quantity, that even naked eyes could see black colour seeping out from my body, and charge it.

This was my limit quantity, so that I don’t stop moving after charging too much.

Seeing my appearance, the Unknown’s eyes showed wariness.

However, its fighting spirit didn’t seem to have weakened. Well, I didn’t expect that from before, though.

And immediately, the Unknown rushed at me as if saying『Just great! 』.

Without having chance to feel the vigour and pressure, it covered up the 10 metres distance I had opened up in just an instant, and again its strong arm swung.

Its claws neared me from the side, as if to gouge out my face......Or so I thought, but

(......!? Feint!?)

Right before I tried to guard against it, the arm suddenly stopped, changed its trajectory, and was pushed out as an overarm stroke seeming just like a spear. Its aim was......my throat.

「Oooooh!?」

The overarm stroke neared me with the force of piercing and opening a hole –it also seemed possible to happen if I took it head on-, but I knock it down by punching down from above with my knuckles, and before another attack came, I let out a kick and seized its stomach.

With the full charge of『darkness』magical energy, my physical abilities were enhanced even more than before. My horizontal kick that attacked it in under that condition, bend the body of Unknown in the shape of symbol『<』.

I tried to beat it down before a counterattack came, but again in my peripheral vision, the black tail buzzed.

However without evading this time, I caught it and gripped it hard.

「Heave......Hooooooooo!!」

Like that, I swung it with the trick of giant swing, and letting on the centrifugal force, I fling it away, towards the forest.

Without entering the bushes, Unknown hit a thick three and fell down.

And because I had fling it with my whole power that the tree that was hit made an enormous『doooom』sound and was smashed. The tree had a trunk of 1 metre thickness.

It broke, and pinned the Unknown below.

......But, Unknown normally stood up. It normally brushed off the tree.

Well, indeed it wasn’t unhurt this time.

If someone saw this scene, it would appear like I am on the offensive.

It was like that, though......in truth, my mind was flustered a tad bit that I didn’t had enough leeway to speak words like that.

After all, there had been no demon till now, which used clever things like feints.

Moreover, that precision in it wasn’t something just on the level of skilful. It had quite the speed, even though the movements were completely different, it nimbly changed the trajectory without any feeling of forcibly changing it.

I doubt there would be many humans who could do that.

I again felt, that fighting strength and everything else out of norm.

Its movements were more accurate than a machine, and smoother than a human. It even had the high physical strength and stamina like a demon. Moreover, judging by the fact it even had a idea to use something lithe like feints, it was apparent that it also had high intelligence.

Adding everything, it could only become something that I could yell this at: Holy ShiT!!!

Normally, demons lack at least one of those parts, henceforth they were an existence that humans could fight against......but for a demon having all of this, could now only be called as living calamity. I’m moved to tears.

I again felt that I would die if I let down my guard......and now I attack.

I took on a stance that could intercept any attack, let it be arms or tail, like that I kicked off the ground and approached it, there the Unknown waiting for me, for some reason, opened its mouth wide. Why?

Subsequently, *hsssss*......the sound of inhaling greatly rang out.

Don’t tell me it could fire out fire or something? or venom just like『Naga』? Or, does this guy also has the magical energy and would fire magical bullets?

The next moment,

『———iiiiIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA———!!!』

「Wtf......!?」

「「「Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!?」」」

「「Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!?」」

The thing that came at me wasn’t magic or flame, but......an outrageous loud voice.

No, not just loud voice, but it was ridiculously high voice. Like ultrasound, or something like high frequency.

More directly than blow attacks, that mystical sound wave invaded from my ears......with a *whonk* it jolted my head, and an outrageous attack hit me that almost stopped my thoughts.

Moreover, I could also hear......the voice of Elk and others fighting the Plant Monster in a far place. Just how far this attack reached!?

Due to this attack from an completely unexpected angle, I had my stance broken......without a moment’s delay, the Unknown again took an strange posture.

It was extremely forward bent posture, just like the crouching start of track and field athletes.

And the next moment,

I kicked the ground with enough force to gouge it out......and rushed at me without hesitation.

I abruptly crossed my arms in front of my face to guard, but I wasn’t able to stand firmly.

The next moment, due to the tremendously powerful ramming attack......I was sent flying away at a speed that I could feel the wall of air crashing at my back.

Some blinks later, something crashed my back. Apparently something collided with me. From the feeling......it appeared to be a tree?

「Wha......Eh!? M-Minato!?」

「T-That surprised me......Minato-kun, are you fine!?」

Subsequently I heard the gentle voices of girls which were 1 million times much kind to ears compared to that ultrasound.

No, that was fine, but why could I hear the voices of Elk and Sherry, moreover it seemed like they were really close to me.

Then, the seeming tree, at least based on the sensation it gave, seemed to move as if squirming......

「Wai, Minato it’s dangerous......」

『Gaaaaaaaaa!!』

「Whoa!?」

So it truly was a tree, but of Plant Monster, eh!?

I performed a forward somersault to evade the arm of roots falling at me, as I did, the place I was at before......the ground of the place I crashed into after being blown away, now had several roots piercing.

Of all things, I collided with this, huh! I believe they were fighting at a far place.

In other words, it turns out that I was blown away with a force that I could easily cross over an enormously wide plaza. Just what is that power, it far surpassed that of truck and dump trucks.

——That’s right! Unknown!

I turned around, and the Unknown was just jumping while in full speed, while aiming at me. It rose up its hand and swung down its claws.

I tried to stop it but at that moment, the tail moved, and I noticed that. In other words, its main attack was that......another feint, huh!

I dodged horizontally while not being assaulted by it, and this time, know what, the tail violently jolted, used the recoil and changed its whole body’s course, again coming at me. wtfh, ain’t that tail too much convenient!?

However, in that case it wouldn’t be able to use the tail this time, and I took the stance for taking on the attack with my gauntlets.

The claws attacked that, and the moment I thought an impact would come......the Unknown,

Didn’t attack me with the claws, but......damn, it clenched its hand into a fist.

「!?」

To my surprise, the claws, for not becoming a hindrance, were stuffed in the spaces between fingers......it had become something like a thorny knuckle duster. Like that, a fist that looked fiendish attacked me.

Taking the attack that was heavier than claw attacks, the arm guarding me was flicked off......the next moment, the Unknown stepped in again and its tail was swung.

The moment I thought to guard against it with my other hand, again the tail changed its direction strangely with force, and this time its leg............leg!?

Eh, kick!?

Moreover that way of kicking by using the other leg as axis, and kicking horizontally while using centrifugal force was, don’t tell me......

(Don’t tell me, it’s my kick......!?)

The kick captured my stomach horizontally, and this time it was my body that turned into the symbol of『<』.

「Ah, Aargh......!」

Immediately after, before I was able to catch my breath, again that fist approached me.

Seeing closely, it was difficult to tell due to difference in the length of our arms, but this way of punching also seemed similar to mine......?

While enduring the pain from the creaking abdominal muscles, I took on the stance to guard with my left hand. No, even if I can’t guard against it, it would be good to just ward it off......when I thought that, just before the punch hit my hand, its hand opened up, and the claws attacked me.

Then,

*stab*

「That huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtttttttttttttsssssssssssssss!?」

Like that, the grabbed arm......was bitten by those sharp fangs. (TLN: yeah fangs and not claws.)

It cleverly aimed for the area between upper arm and elbow......the area without the gauntlet protection.

My skin and muscles weren’t even pierced by swords or scratched by axes, but currently they were bitten, by sharp and solid fangs, along with the help of masseter muscle power of the jaw. At the same time, an unusual pain attacked me.

It was completely surpassing the level when I was bitten by the stray dog in my previous world, this pain wasn’t a laughing matter, but for some reason I seem to have experienced it......

Ah, that’s right, it was the pain I felt in my last moment of my previous life.

In the aeroplane accident, the fragments stabbed my body here and there, it was the same that time. How nostalgic. But as natural, I’m not at all happy about that, damn fuck it.

The fangs of Unknown kept on digging deeper as if wanting to bite everything off, and make me a one-armed person.

I even heard the scream of Elk from far away. Argh, geez, don’t create situation that would make a girl worried, you damned reptile!!

「DON’T. UNDERESTIMATE. MEEEEEEEEEE!!!」

It was impossible to tear off with my power, or rather, I judged that as dangerous......and so I converged magical energy in the area Unknown was biting into......and changed it into the magical energy of『lightning』and『fire』.

I launched it with my full power, and the electrical discharge of the highest voltage started. At the same time, my arm started giving out ultra-heat that Unknown couldn’t keep on biting me anymore. From my wound, no from my whole arm the fire and lightning seeped out.

With the lightning attack and flame attack, the Unknown immediately released my arm having been hit by an unexpected attack......in that chance,

「It’s just the repayment, you damn big lizard!!」

I charged my right fist with『wind』magical energy to the limit, and along with a windstorm I sent if flying away.

Including the repayment from before, I sent it towards the roots of Plant Monster.

And, because this place was still within the attack range of Plant Monster, that I took back steps and while reaching a safe place, I......converged『light』magical energy in my paining left arm.

Pushing aside the black colour of Darkness, the white coloured magical energy now covered my wound.

「Minato!? Wha......are you fine!? Do you still have your arm!?」

「I’m fine......and yeah, it’s still connected, the bones are also fine」

While I was speaking, the cells were revitalized with magical energy and magic particles in my blood vessels, like that the restoration proceeded. Gradually the haemostasis also proceeded, and the flowing blood stopped.

There wasn’t enough time to close up the wound itself......but good, the blood had more or less stopped. The pain also had decreased a bit.

Around that time, the Unknown, who had been fighting with the roots, finally cut down all the roots and vines with its claws and tails and leaped out.

As expected, with its tough scales and muscles, there wasn’t even a scratch on it even with the root punches.

But, apparently the damage from my punch still remained, so I heaved a breath of relief. If it had healed completely in such less time, I would’ve been in a bad situation.

But the situation didn’t change for better. If talking about injury, then obviously I had a serious injury. After all, my left arm had been injured to a level that I can’t disregard it.

Moreover the other side, little by little......has been imitating my combat abilities, and the variation of attacks has been just increasing.

Its stamina was also of unknown numbers, so protracted war would be dangerous......looks like I would’ve have to finish this in a short time.

......I’ve got no choice.

Let’s use my trump card.

☆☆☆

Only 3 people and 1 bird sensed that the atmosphere changed.

The people on the battlefield, Elk and Sherry, along with Neil-chan, who had been standing in a far place to not get engulfed in the fight, these three noticed it, and also Alva, the『Nevalides』.

The atmosphere drifting around Minato changed, err, the magical energy drifting around him changed......and those 3 people and 1 bird, sensed it with their sensitivity.

Before they were able to guess about its true identity, the next moment,

He crossed the arms in front of his face in the shape of character『X』, closed his eyes and concentrated his mind......then large amount of『darkness』magical energy emitted from his body, so much that it already far surpassed anyone’s imagination.

And that didn’t disperse in the atmosphere......but it started coiling around the body and was converging.

Its appearance was just like, a tornado or typhoon of violet colour. With Minato as the centre, that dense translucent Darkness Energy was coiling strongly while creating a whirlpool.

The darkness then, just like cotton candy coiling around splittable chopsticks, started twining around Minato’s body and wrapped it......it appeared to be like that.

At the same time, the translucent Darkness magical energy, became more dense, and it became so dark that other side couldn’t be seen, hence covering the body of Minato. His figure became an silhouette, and soon enough that also couldn’t be seen......like that step by step.

Due to the excessive magical energy quantity, the surroundings also suffered from the waves of that enormous energy......the adventurers who were the mages that could sense magic felt as if literally being hit by a storm.

Even the Unknown showed wariness to the current bizarre situation and didn’t come any closer.

......And after some seconds passed that seemed like several hours had passed,

「『Dark Joker』......Install......!!」

Along with that voice,

The tornado of darkness burst and scattered while raising a loud explosion noise......from inside that, Minato appeared in an appearance where he had already got out of the stance where he crossed his arms in『X』alphabet.

......However,

On this head were two-->>

next page