“And with this… it’s over, wouldn’t you say?”
“Normally, those words are considered a flag, but there are times,” I mused.
My instructor was currently in the process of digesting the soul that appeared after I had eliminated my own body with Chaos Magic.
At first, it struggled energetically, but after several minutes of being on guard, it was now completely still. I had already partially deactivated my combat mode, with the Ore Tree resting on my shoulder.
“So, all that’s left is to subdue the crew of that ship, right?”
“The Divine Sword itself will likely take some time to digest. To kill time, let’s quickly subdue the ship’s interior.”
The only strong presences were Carter and the Divine Sword. The combatants inside the ship clearly didn’t seem to possess the power to match us. They had barricaded themselves inside the ship and were reinforcing their barrier. At that point, their combat power likely relied solely on Carter.
“Are you going to cut it without damaging the ship?”
“Controlling one’s strength is also a reflection of their power, you know.”
“Aren’t you just shoving a troublesome task onto me?”
“Unfortunately, I am injured. Unnecessary labor would aggravate my wounds.”
“Those words don’t seem to come from someone who was gleefully unleashing magic at Carter even while in a critical condition.”
From here on, it was entirely a mop-up operation. The moment they were trapped in this castle along with their ship, there was no longer any escape. My only concern was a potential self-destruction, but if they had the will to do so, they would have already detonated themselves when Carter was defeated.
“Old people with little time left should be cherished.”
“You’ve transcended the concept of lifespan, haven’t you?”
Now that it had literally become a mop-up operation, we slowly began to walk towards the ship.
“Ah, that reminds me,” I said, suddenly remembering something I had forgotten.
“Eshlee, are you unharmed?”
“Do I look unharmed?! What was that?! I almost died so many times!”
I looked for my partner whom I had brought here. She was huddled in a corner of the hall, covering her head and desperately trying to reduce her target area while maintaining her barrier.
“Well, she is a descendant of a Hero, after all. She was quite formidable.”
“You felt a resistance?”
Eshlee, who was complaining that she had nearly died from the repercussions, had tears in her eyes, and her barrier was in a sorry state. If she had continued to fight for a few more minutes, her barrier might have broken.
“Still, that’s quite something. To withstand the Divine Flame. They were scattering it everywhere without any restraint.”
“Weren’t you the one who saved her because you thought so?”
“Why would I need to save a young girl I just met? I didn’t do anything.”
The instructor assured me that the castle itself was sturdy, so that wasn’t an issue, but her safety depended on my own spells. As expected of a Saintess, her defensive capabilities were impressive enough to earn the instructor’s admiration. I almost wanted to try cutting through them.
“What’s with that look in your eyes?! My magic power is already at its limit! What more do you expect me to do?!”
My desire must have shown in my eyes, and I briefly entertained a nonsensical thought that Eshlee’s desperate state, realizing it, was actually a misdirection.
“For now, how about coming out of your barrier?”
“…Are you safe?”
“The enemy is right in front of us, but I don’t think there’s anyone stronger than a greenhorn here.”
“In other words, even if an enemy comes out of this ship, it’ll be handled?”
“If that’s the case…”
“Well, if they self-destruct, it would be quite a bit of trouble.”
“Then it’s not safe after all?!”
However, I dismissed that as mere nonsense and, thinking it was a waste of magic to keep her huddled in the corner indefinitely, beckoned her over. She looked around cautiously like a wary cat, checking for safety.
“Either way, we’re going inside the ship. If you stay here, you’ll be alone.”
“Ugh, I’m coming out.”
Still, I couldn’t wait for her forever. I wanted to hurry back to the company and put Suella and the others at ease. I wanted to subdue this ship quickly. With that thought, I presented her with a choice: either wait alone or come with me. Reluctantly, she dispelled her barrier and emerged.
“Alright, let’s subdue this quickly.”
“As for me, I wouldn’t mind facing someone with a bit more of a challenge.”
“Stop that. There’s a record of a Hero who uttered such words and was defeated by a subordinate of the Demon Lord.”
“Flags exist even in other worlds, it seems.”
We casually walked towards the ship, but it was naturally not easy to get in. The barrier’s strength increased, and they were clearly prepared for a siege. However, the moment they were fixed to the instructor’s castle, they couldn’t escape. If they had just given up willingly, it would have saved us a lot of trouble.
“Well, I can cut it, so it’s fine.”
“You cut it so easily, but from what I saw, it seemed like a considerably strong barrier…”
However, I didn’t want to waste time by being stingy with my effort. So, I sliced through the barrier and created an entrance for us to enter. By the time we passed through, the barrier had sealed itself, but it didn’t matter once we were inside.
“Instructor, are you alright? I’m sensing some sort of holy attribute power.”
At that moment, I felt a force directed at my body and looked around, seeing a magic tool scattering particles like fireflies. This was a holy light that was effective against the undead. I thought it might be unpleasant for him, even if it didn’t cause damage, and turned to look.
“Kaka, it feels nostalgic, but it’s no problem.”
“Nostalgic? Have you been on this ship before?”
“Ah, a little bit.”
I saw a rare sight of the instructor looking nostalgic. I don’t know all of the instructor’s past, so it wouldn’t be strange for him to have some connection to this ship. I didn’t pry into it further. Rather, if he knew how to operate it, it would be a bonus.
“Alright, after the barrier, it’s time for a physical blockade.”
I leaped onto the ship and walked across the deck, searching for an entrance. I found something that looked like one: a magic circle drawn on the deck. It was obvious that this was how they entered and exited.
“Cutting this would be problematic, you know.”
I could cut through the previous barrier without issue. However, this magic circle clearly looked like it would cause problems if I cut it.
“Don’t worry, this is all it takes.”
As I was wondering if there was a key or a way to open it, the instructor passed by me, reached out, and touched the magic circle. In an instant, he grasped the spell and activated the teleportation array.
“Here, let’s go!”
“Yes.”
Thinking that anything was possible, I accepted the instructor’s momentary display of skill with a simple “Because it’s the instructor” and stepped onto the teleportation array.
“Oh, quite a welcoming party.”
“Kaka, so it seems.”
“No, I mean, yes, but not really.”
Waiting for us on the other side were knights who had created a barricade with desks, chairs, and wooden chests, pointing crossbows at us. I had to admit, they had carefully arranged them to create a crossfire, but fortunately, the arrows made of holy silver were useless against me.
“Shoot!”
They opened fire in unison at the signal from their captain, but I wasn’t tired enough to be hit by arrows slower than bullets, nor was I foolish. I fended them off with a single stroke of the Ore Tree and flicked one into the air. I caught it.
“Hmm, rather soft.”
Looking at the arrows, which had deformed from a light blow, I reasoned that it was understandable as they were made of silver, but criticized their deficiency as weapons, stating they were too specialized for the undead.
“Shoot!”
While I was leisurely observing the enemy’s weapons, they finished reloading and I felt them firing crossbows again.
“Hoi!”
However, weapons that fly straight at a constant speed were no match for me. Though numerous, if they intended to hit me, they needed more ingenuity.
“All troops, draw your swords! We charge!”
“Hoo-rah!”
“God, grant us your protection!”
“Glory to the Kingdom!”
Honestly, Carter was truly their strongest force. The knights, who had resolved themselves like a suicide squad, drew their swords and attacked. However, I sustained no wounds against these opponents, who were weaker than Kaido’s group.
“Die! You fiends who bring ruin!”
“Hey, how are we being treated here?”
“Burn, Witch!”
“I’m a traitor, so I shouldn’t be saying this, but you’re like villains drawn in picture books.”
I blocked their attacks with the Ore Tree, brought them to a clinch, easily entangled and disarmed them with a grappling technique, and then delivered a direct hit to the solar plexus with a Yakuza kick, subduing the apparent captain first. Perhaps due to her experience and skill as a Saintess, Eshlee calmly defended against the knights’ attacks with her barrier and counterattacked, blowing them away with a flail. They didn’t go for the instructor. After all, our appearances were completely terrifying. We, who still looked human, were easier to attack mentally. The knights who attacked us one after another numbered about twenty. If I dealt with each one in a matter of seconds, the suppression would be over in less than two minutes. The battle ended with the sounds of impact echoing, and minimal bloodshed. All that remained were the knights groaning and curled up on the ground. It was unavoidable that my handprints and footprints were clearly imprinted on their armor. I clasped my hands in prayer, hoping they wouldn’t bill me for repairs, and then put them to sleep with a spell, ensuring they were unconscious. After that, I could just arrange them by the wall and leave them there.
“There are other crew members too.”
For a moment, I thought that was all of them based on their presence, but there were still people with magical power in the depths of this room.
“There will be. After all, the personnel necessary to operate this ship have not yet appeared.”
“Personnel?”
The instructor seemed to have an idea of who they were but had no intention of moving forward herself, instead urging me to proceed with a glance. Understood, I nodded and proceeded down the single path. The interior of the ship was quite spacious. However, the passageways were narrow enough that swinging the Ore Tree around might accidentally cut down unnecessary things, so I sheathed it on my back. It would mostly be hand-to-hand combat. There was no sign of anyone hiding in the shadows. The knights from before seemed to have been their final fighting force, and the journey was quiet. The ship itself wasn’t that long. There were rooms that looked like cabins along the way, but there were no presences there, indicating they were empty. Therefore, I was able to head directly to what could be called the innermost part of the ship.
“Ah, could you move aside?”
And now, I was agonizing over what to do. Three maids, who looked like non-combatants, stood in our way. Their arms trembled as they desperately suppressed their fear and pointed daggers at us.
“We won’t let you reach the Princess!”
It seemed there was someone called a Princess ahead. Judging by the title, it appeared to be someone of high status. I apologize to the maids serving her, but…
“Sleep.”
Their level was insufficient. By instantly increasing my magic power and intimidating them, the maids lost consciousness and collapsed on the spot. They wouldn’t even serve as a wall. Since I couldn’t bring myself to step on them, I quickly moved them to the side of the wall, clearing a path, and reached for the door.
“Well then, let’s go and see this so-called Princess.”
“Indeed.”
and opened the unlocked door.
“Welcome, Demon Race individuals.”
Waiting inside was a single girl performing a curtsey.
“This is nothing special, but I welcome you.”
She smiled at us with no hostility or malice. My inner feelings upon seeing her were:
Ah, this is going to be another troublesome opponent.
Today’s word: But most things never end.
Thank you for your continued comments and corrections of typos. If you find this interesting, please leave a review, rating, bookmark, etc. I am currently serializing another work, “Pandora Pandemic Panic – Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened Again, But We’re Fighting Back with Things Like Secret Bases!!” Please check that out as well!!
