Nidome no Yuusha - Chapter 166

Zolchia is a desert city full of greenery along the border that separates the Gilms Beast country and Lunaria Theocracy.

A legendary town surrounded by fine sand dunes and a forest of trees with various mysterious ecology, said to have a fairy garden deep within the forest.

It was an important city for the beast country to serve as the gateway to the Lunaria Theocracy.

The beastkin supremacy that became more and more widespread as the confrontation with the kingdom of human supremacy deepened, just like the kingdom, its ideology was abandoned as it moved away from the capital and along the border.

The two countries whose direct borders were lost due to the rise of the Empire, except in the vicinity of their ruling classes where it is more convenient to practice supremacy, were both influenced by the Theocracy's doctrine of『Equality except for monsters and demons』, and the Empire's ideology of 『Strength is the only thing that matters in this world』, so descrimination by race was almost non-existent.

And, having become a strategic point for transportation between the two countries, the export of trees that I call fantasy plants, and the city with the high difficulty dungeon called 『Dicey Armed Troops Arena』 at this moment, has become a supply base for sending logistics to the frontlines of battle against the demons who are attacking this continent across the sea.

A city with a vibrant atmosphere similar to that of narcotics that can be said to be a special demand for war, although it has a different atmosphere from the usual.

That is the city we arrived at when we returned to this world.

And we continued to dive into the dungeon under the city’s control, the 『Dicey Armed Troops Arena』.

『Giilaaaaa!!』

「Ooh, wa, wa! 」

Inside the dungeon, the stone walls make several compartments as if it were a beehive from above.

There are various environments such as grasslands, ice fields, sandy ground, and hard rock floors in each compartments, and there are large monitors with a picture of some kind of monster in every compartment, and beneath them are huge slot boards with several levers.

Looking up there was a clear blue sky in the sky.

Even though the actual dungeon with a cave-like entrance was under a cloudy sky, the sun was shining from our first step inside.

This is the type of dungeon that I call a different dimension type, where the environment changes drastically inside and outside.

In one of the separated compartments, Yuto is engaged with several monsters surrounded by sandy ground and stone trees.

「Kuh, shit」

The monster he is fighting is Woody Bear. The monster with a large manastone exposed on its chest with a figure like a giant wood carving of a bear, is a monster that is also ranked higher in the B rank due to its ferocity.

Yuuto's machete cuts into the Woody Bear's shoulder down and then it got stuck in the middle, getting all furious he then violently swings his arm.

Yuuto who quickly let go of his prized machete, leaped backwards to gain distance, he decisively gave up attacking in spite of the dangerous situation. Not a bad judgment.

「Yuuto, apply your weight to the machete. Seeing as maneuver is ineffective, if you don't chop it down now, it'll be too late by its next action. Look for a moment to regain the initiative」

I called out to Yuuto from atop the stone wall that separates each compartments.

「Oh, uh, even if you say that, ugh, dammit! Take this!!」

『Giruu!?』

Aiming at the timing as it prepared a big attack, Yuuto kicked the machete that was stuck in its body, and cuts its arm right off. The machete falls and sticks into the sandy ground and the Woody Bear moves as if ignoring the pain sensation, but naturally losing one arm disrupts its balance.

「Listen to the voice of the Beast Party, 『Spirit Drain Parade Devil』

After a while, Yuuto’s arm turned into the exact same arm as the Woody Bear, he then struck the pointed tip of the machete against the green manastone exposed on the monster’s chest.

The Woody Bear, who lost his power after its manastone was broken, solidified like a stone and fell on the spot. The slot board indicating the number of remaining monsters embedded in the stone wall changes from 『5』 to 『4』.

At that moment, Yuuto’s whole body shines.

That is the power of 『Spirit Drain Parade Devil』 obtained by entering into a contract with me. The ability to take in the power of broken manastones and draw out the power of the monsters.

「Whoa, Wow!?」

「Come now, don't get distracted. Keep track of your surroundings at all times. Feel the bloodlust」

「What do you mean by feel the bloodlust, Arghh goddammit!!」

Yuuto starts fighting again against the next Woody Bear who attacks without giving him time to catch his breath. There seems to be no problem here then.

「If there were to be any, I guess that would be Mai……」

Just before my line of sight, unexpectedly, No, more than I expected, lies my sister who was getting more and more familiar with battles.

「Oh, dear brother, I have annihilated all in my end. What shall I do next?」

Behind Mai who was facing me with a composed expression is a group of Lamia that has been severely cut down and lying all over the marble floor.

The Naginata in her hand is surrounded by a dense wind of magic power that clings around the blade.

Some of the monster flesh that were cut down by the blade were burned out, some were frozen, some were petrified, some were swollen and burst from the inside, and some were darkly discolored due to an ominous curse.

Lamia is a monster that has a snake body and a human upper body, and it is a C-rank monster by itself. However, because of its skillful magic techniques and collective tactics, the threat level of the bunch rises to low A rank.

「……And she just breezed it」

『Ten-Thousand Evil Wind Blade』.

The ability to enshroud the wind with pseudo-attributes of fire, water, earth, light and darkness in the weapon you wield. That was the ability that Mai obtained in her contract with me.

Each characteristic has a set level, and the level increases every time a monster is defeated, and its performance increases.

Owing to her original foundation, the level of her body usage is quite sufficient for an amateur.

The strength at which she annihilates her enemies while testing out her various abilities, is hard to believe that it is still not yet half a month since she came to this world. I guess, right now she has enough power to stand her ground against a top-class adventurer.

(… However, at this rate, she will lose after standing her ground to some extent. Now then, what to do)

She will probably lose in a fight against opponents of equal or higher rank, no, even against a slightly inferior opponent who has conquered life and death situations. It's not as if it's Mai's fault, it’s just her lack of experience.

「Dear Brother?」

「……It's nothing, just thinking for a bit. Now next, drop the levers in the order of red, blue, red and green」

Just as this dungeon is called 『Dicey Armed Troops Arena』, a random number of monsters randomly selected by pulling the lever appear, and the inside of the compartment is switched to the corresponding environment.

This was a dungeon for battle maniacs to fight randomly in that manner, a pseudo Monster House.

「This, this, this……, right?」

As she pulled some levers, images of monsters displayed on something like a monitor changes randomly, and the surface of the board with three zeros turns around.

Eventually, the movement stopped, and the monitor had a picture of Flame Leo, a B-rank lion monster with a burning mane. And the numbers 『0』, 『1』 and 『3』 appear in the slots.

At that moment, the floor of marble turns into a ground where lava rocks and lava stones roll, the stone trees disappear, and huge rocks about the size of the back of a person discharging from a magma hanging at the top appears.

The door to the next compartment, which was opened at the same time as the whole group of Lamia got annihilated, closes again.

And, a flame lion appeared as if rising from the ground. At the same time, Mai begins to fight the monster.

(Good grief, this is so vexing, even if they're raising their levels at a stretch with power leveling, to think that they will both become so strong in this short period of time……, it's enough to make me lose confidence)

If I am to secure a certain level of safety for them in this world, then the quickest method is to make them accumulate experience and raise their level high. Even if their level is raised all of a sudden, it will be difficult for their body to catch up with the inherent techniques, so it is not exactly a method I would choose as my first choice, but the war with the demons has already started so I can't be too picky.

However, contrary to my expectations, the cognitive ability of the two to master my powers is simply astonishing.

Just as I was getting overwhelmed by a heartbreaking feeling thinking, as expected, the talents of handsome guys and beautiful girls are indeed different, the presence of monsters cropped up again.

(……Whatever. Anyway, I already decided that they will continue power leveling till they drop today)

In this dungeon, the doors to move to other compartments are opened by annihilating the group of monsters that appear in each compartment, which is also the mechanism with which to advance.

However, one time, a sorcerer who had learned flying magic thought to go over the wall. And as a result of putting it into practice, the sorcerer lost his lower body and quit being an adventurer.

『『『 GaluaAAAAAAAAAAAA !! 』』』

A group of lower-ranked attribute dragons was seen in the distance.

In this way, a group of dragon species attacked the human who tried to capture the dungeon illegally. Also, as long as they're in a distance higher than the wall, even if they're annihilated, they will revive and attack without giving any room.

Unlike Leticia’s Glen, the evil dragon, and the rest, it is just a flying lizard that flies through the sky with no intelligence or reason, but still dragon species is dragon species. The race of the strongest creature of A-rank with only its physical abilities.

Moreover, unlike usual, it does not leave manastone or corpses except for experience points, so it has no monetary value.

As a result, no one tries to go over this dungeon wall.

But that doesn’t matter to me right now. What I want now is to share more experience points with the other two members in my party.

In other words, it is a sweet and efficient hunting ground for farming experience points.

「Thirty-eight, it's so great that their numbers just increases stupidly the more they're defeated」

I brought forth 【The Tear Blade of Lightning Spear】.

「―――Reverberate, whether it falls or not, the gentle Thunder Emperor shed tears. So long as it is a world of constant sorrow, at least shed the tears here and now. With no voice to reply the roar, even if I was alone, even if it disappeared in the blink of an eye」

The magic power, which was poured into the azure sword of seven crescent moons raises a roaring sound.

The long chanting to increase the power that I normally don't do.

『Hey, this guy, again……』 『You gotta be sh*tting me, who the heck is that guy』 『Black hair, black eyes, was there someone like that among the high-ranking adventurers?』 『What intimidating pressure……, holy sh*t』 『How come someone like that is unknown?』

(Nice, nice, they caught on at just the right time)

Many adventurers are heading to the forefront of the war, but there are still several adventurers in the dungeon.

With the exception of parties engaged in battle, many of them were staring at the dragons heading towards me, and look at me imagining what is to happen.

「―――The fitting voice of grief is don in darkness, the curtain of the unreachable tragedy is don in twilight」

(Now, look carefully, look carefully and burn it into your eyes)

This cycle that I don’t know how many times I have repeated.

At first, the cold gazes that were directed at me, steadily turns into awe after slaughtering the dragons more than once.

「―――Scream, Lightning Emperor,『Lightning Emperor・ Nightlong Black Lightning』」

At that moment, the magic power that was poured to the limit was transformed into a violent thunder light that was dyed in black, and attacked all the dragons that were flying towards me.

Crackle crackle zaap!!

『『『GyruruAAaaaaaaruuAara!? 』』』

In the midst of the roaring sound that didn't last up to a moment, the dragons, which were obviously destroyed by excessive power, and their scales which had colors corresponding to their respective attributes were uniformly dyed in black.

The dragons, which were completely burnt, fall down as if they were pulled to the ground, and disappear without leaving any particles.

『Just how many can he use?』 『Just before was Fire, and before that was Ice, and before that was Earth am I right?』 『That can't be simple sorcery, right? Perhaps a unique ability?』 『At any rate, it would be hardpressed to find a rearguard of that level』

Voices filled with admiration leaked.

I chuckled at the contemplated reaction.

That's right, be surprised, the more my presence is rumored, the more my plan moves ahead.

I took a backward glance at the adventurers leaving me behind in the dungeon and returning outside.

(Please do your best okay? Because you guys are my lovely live bait)