Some might consider it a nightmare.
To a third party, seeing a single human being trampled by a being of a different lineage is simultaneously exhilarating, pitiable, and indifferent.
But what about those directly involved?
For the one being trampled, as I’ve said, it’s likely a nightmare.
And for the one doing the trampling.
“You guys are pathetic. Is that all you’ve got as men?”
The feeling of enjoyment was fleeting, and in the end, I was left feeling unsatisfied.
When I first joined the company, I genuinely thought I could step into the realm of my instructors, but I’m experiencing a strange sensation, having reached a point where I can at least exhibit a sliver of that power.
Looking back, when I used to address Suella with a suffix, I could never have imagined being able to perform such unrivaled feats. Every single day, time and time again, I was defeated by her. She was thinner than me, seemed weaker than me, and even back then, if you asked passersby to compare me and Suella on who looked stronger, the odds would have favored me.
It was undoubtedly the period in my life where I was most thoroughly beaten down.
Yet, I stood up.
It’s precisely because of those experiences that I find myself letting out groans, crawling on the ground, and snapping at the soldiers who look at me like a monster rather than a human.
Perhaps influenced by my instructor, I’ve developed a habit of enjoying battles. As such, the fights against soldiers who immediately judged they couldn’t win and gave up were, it’s true, too one-sided and boring, leaving me unsatisfied.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
Himik spoke to me with a tone that seemed to express concern for my state.
“It’s tedious to keep walking like this.”
“That’s what work is. Endure it.”
Correction, this Fallen Angel harbored no concern whatsoever.
All she felt was dissatisfaction with my actions.
I can understand. Our current movement could be described as a march, not a stroll. I am the only one fighting, and I don’t allow Himik to interfere at all. If this were someone who didn’t make a living fighting, they would be terrified; if they did, they would complain.
“Master keeps telling me to endure. To be honest, I’m unhappy about it.”
She had been expressing her dissatisfaction with her eyes all along.
I almost told her an angel should have more self-control, but since she had already fallen, it would be a meaningless statement.
“When we get back, I’ll give you something sweet to eat, so keep that dissatisfaction tucked away in your ample chest.”
My words were somewhat careless and even included a hint of sexual harassment, but they were an efficient response because information had reached my eyes and ears signaling that the main target was approaching, and I wanted to cut short unnecessary conversation.
“Hmm, understood, Master. For the sake of sweets, I can contain these feelings indefinitely. By the way, Master, what kind of sweet are you referring to?”
Despite me pointing directly at her ample chest, Himik’s mind was already lost in dreams of unknown sweets, making it of no concern to her.
A typical woman would likely show some disgust at such words, but is it okay for her to be this way? I wonder, but if she’s fine with it, then I’m fine with it too.
On that note, I don’t know much about her when she was an angel, but hasn’t she become too subservient to her desires since falling? I’ve heard that top students turn bad because they’ve been too suppressed and their stress reaches its limit, leading them to lose their way… Is Himik’s extreme behavior also due to stress? It feels like I’m witnessing the reality of how the stress plaguing modern Salarymen can affect angels too.
“Who knows. I hope it’s something you’re familiar with. But first, we have to deal with this behemoth before we can have dessert.”
“Shall I defeat it, then?”
“Idiot, weren’t you listening? It wouldn’t mean anything if I didn’t defeat it.”
For the sake of what comes next, it’s more effective for me to defeat this behemoth. I’ll keep Himik as a trump card. And my prediction that by making a commotion, I could lure out the main target was, as it turned out, not mistaken. With a slow, rumbling sound that slightly shook the surrounding buildings, its immense body appeared before me.
“I’ve fought golems many times, but this is the largest I’ve ever seen.”
I thought it looked big from a distance, but it appears even larger up close. The distance to the enemy, I estimate, is less than a hundred meters. At its stride, it should be within range in about ten steps. For me, it would take less than two seconds to close the gap, even holding back. How about for it? Its armor’s strength, armament type, mobility, reaction speed, etc. I estimate these various factors while observing its movements, allowing for a range of values. Without overconfidence, and staying relaxed, I ready the Ore Tree, holding it as if resting it on my shoulder, so I can adapt as needed. This has become my basic stance recently. A stance that isn’t a stance. I’ve heard that once you reach the realm of a master, not preparing is more efficient, but unfortunately, I haven’t reached that level. I’m a swordsman who knows the techniques but can’t fully master them, a practitioner of my own style. And it’s because I’ve accumulated strength under those who honed me through brute force that I’ve developed a sense for abstract combat. I am an unpolished warrior in training, but fortunately, I still feel room for growth, so I am diligently striving to go as far as I can. While I have a foundation, I certainly couldn’t call it the orthodox path of the sword, but I believe this is fine for me.
“Ah, yeah. I won’t lose this one.”
Even with such training, I can roughly gauge the opponent’s strength. It’s not carelessness, nor overconfidence. It’s a matter of intuition, but I know I can win if I fight normally. It’s been a while since I’ve had this feeling when facing an opponent for the first time, but within that feeling, there’s a subtle sense of discomfort. Why? I feel I won’t lose, and it won’t be a tough fight, yet I also sense the possibility of it becoming challenging. Perhaps it could be said that if the golem uses its full capabilities, it would be a difficult fight? I feel like I’m overlooking something. I engrave the warning in my mind not to be careless due to this feeling, make swift judgments, and decide to finish it quickly. I slightly bend forward to propel myself, but…
“Hm?”
The opponent’s behavior is strange. The opponent isn’t reacting to my movements. I expected the battle to start immediately upon our encounter, without any questions. But after appearing before me, the golem has stopped moving. Based on the movements of the soldiers I’ve encountered so far and the orders they likely received, its inaction is unnatural. After all, I walked down this main street with Himik, her wings spread, attracting attention. Naturally, I encountered soldiers, and as I predicted, they attacked me all at once without listening to a word I said, sounding alarms and calling for reinforcements. It was then, I believe, that my prediction that they would attack without regard for our situation or circumstances was confirmed. As evidence, soldiers were deployed in the direction I was walking, where I assumed the golem would be. I tried to call out to them, ostensibly wanting to talk, but they wouldn’t listen. My words were met not with dialogue, but with a flurry of weapons and magic, starting with iron swords filled with killing intent. Initially, I attacked somewhat seriously, dodging and seeking dialogue, but they were clearly not listening. Their contemptuous attitude towards humans became quite tiresome, so eventually, I switched to a strategy of subjugation. If they keep calling us inferior species, I figure, I’ll let them experience what it’s like to be trampled by an inferior species. From there began a battle that would end only when one of us fell. I had expected the fight against this golem, likely the enemy’s trump card, to be similarly one-sided and immediate, but that was not the case.
“Master, the golem’s magic power is rising rapidly.”
“Ah, I can see that.”
Instead, a red, smoke-like magical energy began to emanate. Additionally, something resembling static electricity started to appear. Its movements were not those of preparing for a fight.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
“It looks like it’s about to self-destruct.”
It was a familiar sight.
“What a coincidence. It looks that way to me too.”
“Is the lord of this place an idiot? If the core of a golem that size explodes, this town will be completely destroyed.”
“You might not want Himik to say this, but I agree.”
While I’m calmly exchanging words with Himik, observing its movements, the golem’s magic power continues to increase.
“Furthermore, it seems our opponents didn’t inform their own side of this.”
The soldiers who were earlier lying on the ground are now acting strangely. The surrounding soldiers are clearly bewildered by the golem’s peculiar movements. And once they realized the golem’s movements were not for combat, the atmosphere drastically changed. Some are shouting for evacuation, while others are fleeing in confusion. It seems the lord who manages this place is quite a scumbag. He appears to be trying to conceal his failures by obliterating this town along with them. Well, it’s just my conjecture, but I don’t think I’m wrong. I can sense that characteristic feeling of desperation.
“A fight against a time limit, huh? It’s no time to be holding back.”
If I hold back against such an opponent and lose, it wouldn’t make sense. With the will to see my children’s faces again, I look at Himik.
“Master, your orders.”
Where did that uselessness go? She knelt on the ground, quietly awaiting my instructions, appearing truly like an angel.
“Defeat the golem in the shortest time possible. There might be interference, but don’t worry about it. Gray and the others will handle it. We’ll concentrate on stopping this rampaging golem in front of us.”
In a state where we don’t know when it will explode.
“We’ll incapacitate it without causing collateral damage.”
“Understood.”
We immediately began to act. I quickly channeled magic into the Ore Tree, extending its roots around my arm. Himik flew into the air and began firing probing magic arrows.
“You’ve naturally made preparations, right?”
As if in response to our attack, the golem’s eyes glowed suspiciously, and it suddenly moved, catching the magic arrow with its arm. The arrow dispersed into magic before it could even touch its armor.
“Master!”
“I know!!”
“So, I can go all out then!!”
“Denied!! Why would you think that!?”
“If it’s not that attack magic, then there’s nothing else but full power!”
The start is serious, but why does this continue to happen? My aim is focused on Himik, so I have the余裕 to talk while running, but this sense of listlessness is something I want to get rid of.
“Is it only one way or the other for you?!”
“I’m a close-combat specialist! Without my weapons, all I can do is unleash my magic with all my might!”
“Then draw its attention and feint!”
“Understood!”
The golem, as if fulfilling its role, attacks Himik in the air, who has become useless except as a decoy, with its greatsword. Its strength is immense and its movements are swift, but if I concentrate on dodging, I should be able to avoid being hit. With each swing of its weapon, the surrounding buildings crumble, and debris rains down. Amidst this chaos, I run towards the golem’s feet.
“First, I’ll take your legs!!”
A strategy for fighting a giant is, first and foremost, to neutralize its height. For a bipedal creature, crushing one leg can neutralize its height. Magic was already refined, and the Ore Tree pulsed as magic circulated rapidly. I swung it with all my might towards the golem’s right ankle.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!”
It’ll cut. Certain of it, my strike, released with a war cry, targeted the soft joint and severed the golem’s ankle. Suddenly losing its support, the golem lost its balance and knelt. At this point, the golem finally considered me a threat. As the golem, clad in armor resembling Western plate mail, spotted me, it reached out with its free hand towards me, not holding the greatsword.
“Hmph!”
A spear shot out from its fingertips. I sliced through all five spears with a single stroke, evaded the attack, which I knew was meant to slow me down, and continued to charge. There’s no more room for error with the self-destruct countdown. I don’t have time to think about where to cut. I can vaguely sense where the magic is concentrated. The place where a human’s heart would be. Abnormal levels of magic are being generated around its left chest. If this doesn’t work…
“Himik! Prepare for a full-power attack!! If I fail, it doesn’t matter!! Unleash your full power at the ground and blow the golem away!”
“!” Understood!”
I’ll have to accept the possibility of a huge crater forming in this town. While giving instructions, the exchange of magic with the Ore Tree continues. Just as a runner’s heart beats faster and larger, my magic grows and strengthens. Himik’s instructions, serving as a backup, are also complete. Himik flew high into the sky and began generating immense magical power. I admit, with that, she could blow the golem away, but the damage would be considerable, I thought with a wry smile. I then used the golem’s body as a foothold. Attacking this giant from below is impossible for me at this moment. Therefore, I decided to cut it down from above. Without any wasted attacks, I leaped to a position where I could sever its heart, paying no mind to the golem swaying as it tried to shake me off, and using its unstable body as a platform, I leaped further into the sky. As I spun in mid-air, at the same time, the golem’s self-destruct limit seemed to have reached its critical point, and its heart began to glow at a level that made it impossible to see directly. Closing my eyes, I gripped its position by feel alone. I clearly felt the wave of magic before it exploded. While my mind understood that I should evacuate,
“Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeest!!!”
Before the explosion could even begin, my body, driven by the will to sever it, accelerated towards the ground with the incredible technique of kicking the air.
“Shaa!!”
The moment I reached the ground, I swung the Ore Tree, and felt its sure impact. Cutting through the explosion. With that sensation, the golem, which had been kneeling, slowly collapsed its immense body. The magic that I had felt emanating from its massive form was gone. Was it due to overheating, or some other reason? Watching the now silent giant, I took out a cigarette from my chest pocket and lit it.
“Master, was my turn not needed?”
“Don’t worry. We can eat sweets now, right?”
“Then it’s fine!”
Today’s quote: This was taken care of. Now, it’s time to secure profits.
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