Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (WN) - Volume 16 - Chapter 47

Chapter 47

16-47 . Trial of Zaikuon (2)

 

※16-46 has been slightly revised . There is no problem even if you don't read it, but do have a look if you're curious .
<TLN: has been updated with the revision . Search through the updated parts by searching '#update' keyword on your browser . >

Satou here . Games these days are designed with user friendliness in mind, but I feel that lots of games in the olden days didn't have good tutorials . It's fun to do trial and error, but it kinda feels like lots of those games simply couldn't be bothered to explain stuff .


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"--Oh . "

In the white space where I was taken to by God Zaikuon, a halo around my circumference, and then it turned into a black line the moment it touched the ground .
It's a circle of around 500 meters in diameter .

Along with that, the white space has become dimly colored, it's possible to distinguish the ground and the ceiling now .
It still feels like I'm floating on clouds though .

"I guess that's my opponent?"

A small cube appeared about 100 meters away from me .
The cube transformed with click-clack sounds while turning bigger, and eventually formed a humanoid shape . Its height is about 3 meters .
My AR reading show that it's [UNKNOWN], probably an apostle of God Zaikuon .

『Fight with my apostle, reign victorious . 』

A dignified voice came from behind me .
The rock miko is the owner of that voice .

But she seems a bit weird .
She has absolutely no expressions on her face, and seems lifeless as if she's a marionette .

According to AR reading, she's in [Divine Possession] state .
It seems to be the next stage of the trance state she was in during the ceremony .

『What would the winning conditions be?』
『Defeat apostle . Go out of circle not . Deliberately attack miko not . 』

After saying that, the rock miko is wrapped in a light sphere that emits yellow phosphorescence, and floats away to outside the circle .
While my eyes were chasing her, my ear picked click-clack sound .

Apparently the sound was coming from a cube that separated away from the apostle's hand and transformed into a halberd-like shape .
This apostle prefers close quarter combats it seems .

I could have ended this instantly by instantaneously casting the space magic forbidden spell [Mythology Down] from my magic list, but since that would likely incur displeasures instead applauses, I held myself back .

"Item Box, <Open> . "

I opened my Item Box with voice command, and took out a handmade sword made of orichalcum .
Similar with the magic sword Heim I gave to the [Weed] of Shiga Eight Swords, Heim, this sword is loaded with a magic circuit taken from holy sword Durandal that will restore the blade's sharpness by reciting the Command Word, [Eternal Blade] .

This should be optimal against a foe with unknown methods of attack .

『--Begin . 』

The rock miko announced the starting signal after I unsheathed the holy sword .

--ＺＷＡＥＥＥＥ .

The apostle let out an ear-splitting sound .
At the same time, yellow ripples of light began to course through the apostle's body surface .

It looks exactly the same as the purple ripples that appears when Arisa uses her Unique Skill .

--Fast .

The apostle charged forward at a speed that rivaled Pochi .
I was a bit curious about the weight of a blow coming from its tall stature, but since I had a slightly bad feeling about it, I evaded the blow while slashing at the apostle's leg .

--Hm?

What a weird feedback .
There's no firm resistance, it's like I'm cutting water .

According to AR reading, the apostle's HP gauge has only been reduced by a tiny bit .
Checking on the details, apparently this apostle is in [Invincible Warrior (Champion)] State .

Looks like I could still see its State and gauges even though I couldn't see level and skills .

"--Whoops . "

I jumped away to dodge a stab from behind .
A rapid thrust that made the halberd looked like it was multiplying occurred there .

Since the halberd could seemingly be dealt with by the holy sword, unlike the apostle itself, I was able to thoroughly parry it .
The halberd's speed rivals that of Liza and Pochi, while its thrusting speed toward my openings rivals that of Tama, it's relatively tough to handle .
This apostle is obviously stronger than the apostles that fought against the Weasel Empire's palace knights . The Unique Skill-like [Champion] State probably has boosted up this apostle's strength .

I thought my attacks would work when my opponent was in the middle of attacking, but they barely dealt any damage on the apostle .

From what I've seen in the Weasel Empire's fight, white swords and cannonballs coated in dragon fang powder were used to kill apostles, thus I decide to use a white sword from amongst the seized stuff stored in Storage .

"Item Box, <Open> . "

I shifted the holy sword onto my left hand, and took out a white sword with my right .
I didn't replace the sword since the Weasel Empire-made white sword is fragile compared to the holy sword .

While I was parrying the apostle, that's attacking at a warp-like speed from left and right, with the holy sword, I tried hitting it once with the white sword at the right timing .

--ＺＶＷＡＥＤＤＤＥ .

It's super effective .

One hit reduced the apostle's HP gauge by a third .
From what I could gather just now, this apostle is about equal as a level 60s demon .

--ＺＷＡＥＥＺＷＡＥＥ .

With click-clack sounds, the apostle body transformed, its arms increased to six .
It also got itself new armaments; two halberds, two shields, and two curved blades

Well, it's just for show .

It may have more arms, but it's also showing more openings than ever now, probably due to its own arms and weapons hindering itself .
I jump below the apostle with Ground Shrink, and mow down the apostle's ankles with the white sword .
The apostle tried to dodge the slash by lifting up its legs, but my slash was faster .

The apostle who had lost its ankles tried to stab me with its halberd and squashed me down with its shield together, but I went around it and stopped at its blind spot with Ground Shrink, then I stab the apostle's knee with the white sword .


The apostle's HP gauge is almost zero, but I can't deal any more damage even after slashing it many more times .

--ＺＷＡＥＥＺＷＡＥＥ .

The apostle shouted out loud, and then a yellow phosphorous flickered before its HP completely restored .  
Well, I get that recovery is a specialty of holy magic, but this is still a bit annoying .  

Most importantly, the white sword would broke if this kept up .
I'd prefer to preserve the dragon fang swords I have in my storage as much as possible .

"Now then-- . "

I stare at the apostle .

Apparently, I've got to land a hit at the critical spot to beat this apostle .

I ponder the spots that would likely be the apostle's weakness while dodging its attacks .
Normally you'd have thought it should be its head or heart, but things can't be that simple considering it's a god's apostle .
There must be some kind of requirements like having to strike both at the same time or something .

"--Trial and error it is . "

I used Sky Drive to balance out the disadvantages in height, and disarmed the apostle by relying on weapon destruction skill and weapon deprivation (Disarm) skill .
The defenseless chest of the apostle is exposed before me .

--Spiral Flash Thrust .

I rapidly unleashed the finisher move of Hero Hayato twice, drilling a hole on the defenseless apostle's head .
Then I get away from the apostle with Flash Drive, and observe its reaction .

"It'd be nice if this is the end--"

This much shouldn't be enough to finish off a God's Apostle, should it .

My worry turned out to be unfounded as the apostle crumbled into milky white powder .

--Yellow light?

A small yellow light floated out of the heap of powder on the ground, and rose up into heavens floatingly .
It's like the [God's Fragment] that comes out whenever you beat a demon lord .

I think it's probably God Zaikuon's fragment, although its unidentifiable as always with AR reading only showing [UNKNOWN], the chance of that is quite high .

The black circle line on the ground disappeared at the same time the yellow light did .


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<TLN: If you're reading this novel at any other site than Sousetsuka . com you might be reading an unedited, uncorrected version of the novel . >

『Second Trial』

After the rock miko indifferently said that, a yellow ring of light appeared around me like before and drew a circle on the ground of about 20-meter long in diameter .
Apparently, there's no declaration of victor in the match earlier .  

Is it going to be a boxing match this time?

"--Nah, doesn't seem so . "

At a place about 500 meters away from me, another 20-meter circle was drawn, then a cube appeared there and transformed into an apostle with click-clack sounds .



『No changes in victory conditions . 』

In other words, I've got to defeat this apostle with long-ranged attacks .
I put away the nearly destroyed white sword into the Item Box .

『--Begin . 』

--ＺＷＡＥＥＥＥ .

The apostle let out a high frequency noise after the starting signal .
At the same time, ripples of yellow light course through its body surface .

--ＺＷＡＥＥＥＥ。

According to AR reading, this apostle has [Great Caster] and [Vanquish Archer] States .

As a test, I took out a Light Crystal Gun from Item Box and shot with it .

The laser that was shot out of the Light Crystal Gun penetrated the apostle's body, but it didn't deal any damage .
A shot from this gun has about the same firepower as one shot of my light magic [Laser], it appears ordinary magic can't hope to damage apostles .

--ＺＷＡＥＥＥＥ。

As if returning the favor, the apostle shot out an arrow from its arm that had transformed into a bow .
Using the holy sword, I flick off the arrow that was flying at a speed invisible to the naked eyes .

That was quite a weighty blow .

" . . . Orichalcum arrows huh?"

Not to the point that would numb my hand, but it could chip the holy sword if I don't hit it at the right angle .

While dealing the second and third arrows with the sword, I took out an emerald green long wand--a wand made from World Tree Emerald Branch from Item Box .

"■■■ . . . "

I begin to chant a spell while parrying the rain of arrows the apostle rapidly shot out .

--ＺＷＡＥＥＥＥ .

Though I don't think it was mimicking me, the apostle raised its wand-transformed arm high up, and began to draw a real dangerous looking magic circle .
Of course, it hasn't loosened up on the rain of arrows .
I'm not one to talk, but this guy sure is handy .

The magic circle is clad in flashes of yellow, which begins to gradually intensifies .

The apostle finished its chant far faster than me, and then the completed magic circle shot out a white beam .

--Fortress Defense (Fortress) .

I make use of the defensive item, a standard equipment for Pendragon Team, reserved for emergency and block the beam .

Intense sparks scattered on the outer layer of the Fortress's defensive field .

The pseudo-material made from Force Magic turned cloudy, crumbling down at an awful rate .
Fortress is a defensive system made of multiple layers of defensive walls, so another defensive wall would reinforce it before the entire thing collapsed, it eventually managed to endure the apostle's magic attack .

--ＺＷＡＥＥＥＥ .



The apostle added more arms, and created seven magic circles from its now seven wand arms .
Even Fortress wouldn't be able to withstand seven times of the attack earlier .

But, well-- .

I pointed my long wand toward the apostle .

――ＺＷＡＥＥＥＥＺＷＡＥＥＥＥ。

The apostle let out a high pitched noise like it was flustered, but it was too late .

"■■■　■■　■ White Flame of Purgatory <<White Inferno>>"

A flash of white filled the space .

The wide-area annihilation forbidden spell that tends to indiscriminately spread to the surroundings is pinned down only in the space where the apostle is at, mowing it down .  

The thunderous booming sounds and heat followed after the flash, hitting my eardrum and skin .

My vision that quickly recovered thanks to Light-Intensity Adjustment skill showed black smoke and melted red-brownish ground that spread far and away .

No apostle is in sight . Looks like it was disintegrated by the forbidden spell .
Even the Log displays [Defeated Zaikuon Apostle], there's no doubt about it .

Of course the rock miko is safe .

"--Just as I thought . "

Two yellow light orbs appeared slightly away from where the apostle was at, and disappeared floatingly toward heavens .
These yellow lights must really be [God Zaikuon's Fragments] .

I just hope these apostles won't overuse their Unique Skill, get overloaded and turn into demon lord-like beings .


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『Third Trial』

After the rock miko said that, the white space contracted and suddenly regained colors .
Disorderly noises reached my ears at the same time .

The sensation of floating in the clouds also changed into that of stepping on a solid ground .
This place seems to be the arena .

"--Satou?"
"And isn't that the Zaikuon Miko?"

I turned around toward the voices to see Rusus and Fifi .

Unconscious [Magic Warriors of Karion] are laying below them .
Looks like we've showed up at the conclusion of the tournament's final match .

Don't tell me I've got to beat these girls for the last fight?


※ Next update is planned for 2018/5/20