Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari (LN) - Volume 22 - Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: In the Sanctuary

“What’s this?” Holn said. We had explained the situation to the lizard men in the village close to the sanctuary and were proceeding to complete the ritual to select the holder of the carriage. Holn’s surprise was due to the gemstone on the whip vassal weapon starting to flash. “Something going on?” Holn held the whip in her hand and tilted her head. Maybe it was a warning about some kind of trouble.

In that same moment, a loud noise rumbled out, and smoke rose from the direction of the sanctuary. We all felt the nasty presence at the same time and started running toward the disturbance.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

“That’s a trap in the sanctuary,” Holn explained.

“There are traps?” I said, surprised. We hadn’t seen any of them.

“That’s right. That one was set up to be triggered if anyone tries to force open the door to the carriage vassal weapon chamber without permission,” Holn explained. They had some security in place.

“This means Piensa has other infiltration squads here?” I asked.

“It looks that way,” Holn agreed. “But I don’t think the Bow Hero would have triggered the trap on the carriage vassal weapon. I have a bad feeling about this.” I’d be more interested if she had any other kind of feeling, given the situation. We quickly arrived at the source of the smoke.

“You’re here already,” said a voice. A wind whipped up, dispersing the smoke, and from it there emerged one of the ones who assume the name of god—one of the ones causing the waves. It was the one we had seen before, the one with the dog mask on. A barrier was crackling around him, and he somehow had the carriage vassal weapon floating at his side. It was trying to resist him but doing poorly. “I knew that nation was after something like this . . . but I’m surprised at the shoddy security,” dog face said. He looked at us as we arrived, seemingly asking for our agreement. “This place is important too. The ancient heroes left all sorts of little traps to annoy us. No more problems from any of this now.”

“You!” Ren had Sword 0 out purely on reflex, readying it to fight.

“Hold it,” dog face barked. “I’m not here for that. But I can see the helping hand we offered your enemies was not enough to stop you. What crazy little ants you are.” The one who assumes the name of god muttered to himself, using the carriage vassal weapon as a shield and dropping back away from us.

“What do you want? What are you doing with the carriage vassal weapon?” I asked. Dog face looked at me with smoldering anger.

“I don’t have to tell you anything,” he growled. “You will pay for your grievous sin of killing a god.”

“What do you mean by ‘grievous sin’? We were simply punishing a crazy spree killer,” I replied.

“And so you interfere with us, espousing justice,” dog face said. Of course, he thought we had the God Hunters behind us. “Looking at the situation, you’re not so different from us! Using heroes as your pawns and enjoying the confusion you cause us!” He seemed to have got the wrong idea—unless that was how the God Hunters operated. If I tried to correct him, I might give too much away, so I decided it was best to just let him rant. “You’re stronger than before. Look at how angry you are. Such murderous intent! Are you trying to threaten me?” dog face accused, glaring at me. My murderous intent had gone unchecked since the moment we first met this guy, but I wasn’t sure it had increased since then. I didn’t know what he was talking about. We had uncovered the hammer vassal weapon’s power-up method, so we were stronger than before, that was true. “The ones backing you will understand now! I’m taking this carriage to stop them from sending you to attack us! Now they’ll see! This world is overflowing with those who seek nothing but domination! There’s nothing here worth saving!”

“I can’t argue with that last part,” I replied. Every era seemed the same in that regard. In our time, we had Melromarc, Faubrey, and Siltvelt all brimming with the desire for conquest, and the nations here in Mamoru’s time seemed little different. The fact the heroes hadn’t come together to stop the waves was proof enough of that. At least they were trying to avoid conflict between the heroes here—that was one improvement over our time. Back there, Motoyasu, Ren, and Itsuki had all considered the other heroes nothing more than rivals to defeat, at least in the beginning.

“Mr. Naofumi!” Raphtalia said.

“But we fight for those who that doesn’t apply to,” I continued. That was my answer, and I was sure it was the correct one. It was the answer I’d reached after coming to this other world, meeting so many people, and being saved by them. “So we’re going to do everything we can to piss you off and stop you in your tracks. It might sound shitty, but that’s what warfare is.” That was the root of it. “Strategy,” “tactics,” there were all sorts of names for it and ways to wash off the dirt and legitimize it, but that was the root. I’d do whatever it took to protect those who needed my protection. I did have people to protect and people who had treated me kindly here. After I came to another world, my desire to be believed, my desire to protect others, had allowed me to withstand all the obstacles in my way. I felt so strongly that, yes, it was true, I sometimes did feel pleasure at defeating those trying to harm the ones I was protecting. “Just remember this,” I said. “Don’t do anything that you aren’t prepared to have someone else do to you.” That shut him up for a moment. None of these idiots ever considered that possibility. It was a principle of combat to try taking as little damage as possible. But at the same time you needed to prepare for the worst. I was going to treat these naive idealists who only dreamed of victory to a brutal life lesson.

“Hah. Enough bluster from you,” dog face snapped. “Do you really expect the ones observing you to send aid?”

“Maybe they consider you so weak we don’t require any aid from them to defeat you?” I quickly shot back. It seemed worth inflating my bluff a little, making it sound like the God Hunters didn’t even consider this guy worthy of their time. “Should you be carrying on like this? Surrendering now and begging for your life might be the best idea.” I was worried for a moment that I was laying it on too thick. This one who assumes the name of god had been a commentator on the waves, just like the one we killed. I wanted him to start worrying that maybe the God Hunters were taking out his audience, even now. That they could do anything they wanted. The more he feared them, the more power he attributed to them, the better it was for us. If he got worried or scared, he might make a mistake. He might create an opening for us to strike.

“Listen to you! Pond scum from some backwater world running your mouth!” dog face barked. It sounded like my taunts had found a target. I used my eyes to signal Ren, Mamoru, Holn, and the others to be ready to take back the carriage vassal weapon. Ren read my intent and took a small step forward—and just that movement was enough to grab dog face’s attention. The glare he gave me from beneath his dog mask looked deadly enough to kill. Then he lifted the carriage vassal weapon high up into the air. I tried to think of a way to get it back . . . Then I recalled that the carriage was a vassal of the bow.

“Mamoru, as a hero, order the carriage vassal weapon to increase its resistance,” I told him. The method they were using to bind the vassal weapon had to be the same as the one used by the resurrected in our time. This wouldn’t have any effect if the weapon was with a chosen holder, but it certainly didn’t look like that was the case here. That meant we could order the carriage to resist and hopefully set it free.

“What do you mean?” Mamoru stammered. He didn’t know what I was talking about! They probably hadn’t encountered any resurrected trying to steal vassal weapons in this time. That meant this fell to me. I lifted my shield . . . and then the one who assumes the name of god suddenly moved at incredible speed.

“I’m not falling for your taunts,” dog face said. “I know this is what you want. That’s why I’m taking it away from you. And that’s not your only punishment!” Shouts went up from multiple people before I could even ready my shield. The one who assumes the name of god closed in so fast that he left afterimages behind. Then he grabbed Melty’s collar where she sat on the back of Chick and lifted her off into the air. I cursed. We’d been close to taking him down, but this was completely out of left field. “I’m taking this one as a hostage too!” dog face crowed.

“Melty!” I shouted, the others joining in. Shadow and Eclair leapt forward, but the one who assumes the name of god escaped up into the air, still clutching Melty tightly.

“Oh? Why would you take me hostage?” Melty asked, keeping down her moans and taunting her captor in a tight voice.

“You’re exactly the one we want. There’s been talk about you,” dog face said. “The little vixen, smartest among the slime, who has diplomatic skills.” “Vixen” was the name someone had called Melty’s mother.

“Hah. I’ll take that name as an honor, coming from you,” Melty replied, a regal smile on her face. She actually looked proud. For her, maybe being called “vixen” meant she was getting closer to her mother. I actually liked the sound of it too—and that totally disarmed it from having any negative connotations. “Removing me from play isn’t going to have any negative impact on Naofumi’s political dealings. There are plenty of others who can take my place,” Melty said.

“We’ll find out the truth of that soon enough,” dog face said. “You’ve touched upon the anger of all-powerful gods, and now you’ll pay the price!”

“All-powerful gods, you say? And yet you can’t see the future?” Melty chuckled. “What a joke.”

“You scum! You dare mock us!” dog face raged.

“I’m just telling the truth,” Melty said. “If you are all-powerful, then you don’t need to take hostages. This display of your ineptitude proves you aren’t as powerful as you think.” Seeing her standing her ground, I realized Melty displayed both the regal nature of the queen and the strength of Trash. “Be honest! Tell us you don’t want to die and ask us to stop! Beg us not to kill you! But that won’t be enough for Naofumi and the heroes of Siltran to forgive you!” Melty said defiantly. Dog face grunted. “Like Naofumi always says! Only fire if you’re ready to get shot!”

“Silence! Say another word and your life is forfeit!” The one who assumes the name of god tossed Melty toward the carriage vassal weapon. She was drawn into the barrier and lifted away. The gemstone on the carriage vassal weapon glowed and changed into the shape of a carriage. Melty was placed inside.

“What are you planning to do to Melty?!” I shouted.

“That all depends on you. Let the ones behind you know! If you want your friend here back, drop the barrier and withdraw or she won’t be the only one paying the price! Let’s see what your justice is really worth!” The one who assumes the name of god vanished from view, laughing as he disappeared.

“Shit!” I cursed. His speed had been incredible. He took not only the carriage vassal weapon but Melty too. If I had closed in a little more, I might have been able to deploy an Air Strike Shield and save her.

“Zhield Hero!” shouted Shadow.

“Hero Iwatani!” cried Eclair. There was panic in their voices, and confusion at what to do next. “I still wasn’t fast enough . . . I need to be faster!”

“Try to calm down,” I told them. “He took Melty as a hostage. That means they have no plans to kill her right away, and I doubt he’s building a harem like a resurrected.”

“I won’t allow that!” Eclair shouted, surging to her feet. “Queen Melty stands alongside the heroes as one I must protect, no matter what!”

“That’z right!” Shadow agreed.

“We need to work out where they’ve taken her and find a way to save her,” I said. “Shadow, what do you do again?”

“Recon and infiltration. But I’ve no idea where to ztart!” Shadow said, exasperated already. “They are like heroez, zipping around.”

“I think I can help a little with that,” Holn said, pointing at the gemstone in the whip. A faint beam of light was extending out from it. “I think the carriage vassal weapon is telling me where it is.”

“Zo I just need to follow thiz light?” Shadow asked.

“That’s right, but it won’t be that simple,” Holn replied. She looked in the direction the light was pointing. It was right toward Siltran. But no, that wasn’t it. Even I knew the light was indicating a destination beyond that friendly nation. It almost didn’t need to be said.

The final destination of the light was Piensa, the nation the ones who assume the name of god had already taken such an interest in.

“Queen Melty,” Eclair said softly.

“How can we get her back?” Shadow asked.

“It seems that the ones who assume the name of god are blaming those they think are behind us for some kind of barrier that’s getting in their way,” I said. “When we fought them before, they said something about not being able to search for us. It sounds like some function of the 0 series is working in our favor again.” It wasn’t clear if this was a physical or mental effect. They had come at us with this new approach, however, rather than just using force. They wanted to avoid fighting us head-on. If we could remove any chance of escape and force them to fight, maybe we had a chance at defeating them.

“The carriage seemed to understand the situation, because it changed shape to protect Melty,” I recalled. “I don’t know how effective it will be, but it’s a vassal weapon. We can pray it can do something to help. That’s pretty much all we can do right now . . . Anyway, I’ve no intention of giving up.” The carriage vassal weapon was sharing its location with us. There was still hope. We couldn’t give up now. “We will take back Melty, obtain the carriage vassal weapon, and fight them head-on. I think the time has come for Piensa to finally be eradicated from this world.” We had plenty of heroes on our side. They had some too, but I didn’t care. We’d overcome all sorts of odds this far. We had to save Melty.

In that moment, a large shadow dropped down slowly from the sky, accompanied by the sound of heavy wingbeats.