15-11. Phantasmal Labyrinth (3)

 

Satou's here. Dungeons that appear in games are generally made clearable. No matter which nightmarish difficulty you choose, someone from the development staff will always make sure to adjust it so that you can finish it until the end. However, the real life dungeon doesn't seem to be like so....


◇


"Isn't it getting hotter?"
"I can use Air Conditioner magic if you want?"
"Don't~?"
"Noticing labyrinth's abnormality would be harder so don't nanodesu."

I replied Arisa's grumble like so, but Tama and Pochi raised such objections.
Their remarks are proofs that they're more experienced in exploring labyrinths than me.

While feeling a bit proud, I pat the two heads, saying "You're right."

"Nihehe~?"
"It's been awhile since Master patted Pochi nanodesu."

Was that so?

"Master, I also wish for magic power refill later so I tell."
"Sure thing."

When I made a promise to Nana without thinking, Arisa's eyes shined.

"Sexual harassment-type of requests are forbidden."
"No way~"

Getting shot down by me prematurely, Arisa pretends to break down crying.

"Master, we arrived at an open space, so I report."
"It looks like a cylinder isn't it."
"I wonder if the red thing on the floor of this large room is lava?"

Lulu and Liza followed up after Nana.

There's a large cylindrical room with diameter of around 100 meters at the end of the passage, and there's a narrow passage along the wall that goes spiraling below.
Just as Liza's said, the floor at the bottom is filled with bubbling lava and noxious gas.

There are several tunnels along the passage, it seems they connect to the labyrinth's middle layer.
The tunnel closest to the lava is connected to the hero's relay base--the goods depot.

"Ah, he fell."

About at the same time Arisa muttered, Liza threw a steel spear.

One of adventurers had lost his footing and fell headlong toward the lava--or rather, he was going to.
He's dangling on the wall, stitched on the spear thrown by Liza.
Of course, the spear didn't pierce through his body but his study fireproof mantle.

The companions of the adventurer shouted from afar at us to thank you.

After seeing off the adventurers who went into a tunnel, we continue on the passage.
Before long we found ourselves before an impasse.

Stepping stones are floating in mid-air, you'll need to jump over them like in an action game.

"Stop!"

Tama uses this kind of tone when she finds a trap.
Tama who opens her eyes wide is staring at the floating stones seriously.

"Illusion~?"

She points at one of them with her usual tone.
Looks like she found an illusion among the stepping stones.

"That looks to be the case. And this one will rotate and drop you down below if you step on it."

Another stone with a different kind of trap is located right beside it.
The Dungeon Master of this place seems to be a nasty one.


◇


"How long till the relay base?"

I open the map to answer Arisa's question.

--This is?!

"Let's hurry! Everyone prepare to teleport!"
"Understood!"

I waited only a breath after Liza's answer before teleporting us away.
There's a clearly different kind of red flowing on the slanting passage with lava.

"Over there~?"

Faster than Tama pointing her finger, I moved with Ground Shrink to the place where there were sounds of weapons clashing.

"Damn, damn damn, why isn't the Mithril sword working!"
"Kekekekeh, although it'll be different with the lowly Blood Stalker, such attacks won't work on true vampires the followers of darkness--"

I cut the vampire who's saying some stupid thing in two with the Mithril-made Fairy Sword.

Vampire is a troublesome race that can immediately revive even after they're turned into ashes, but that's the more reason I can attack them without reservation.
I ignore the Blood Bead and Magic Cores drop item on the ground and prioritize healing the man.

"Oy, are you still alive? Drink this magic potion."
"Stop, it's already too late. My blood has been sucked by the vampire earlier. I'm already losing my self and wanting blood."

The man spun words while gasping.
According to the AR reading beside him, his statement is true.

"--Item Box, open."

A black square appeared beside him.

"There's supply for hero-sama inside....Take out as much as possible and deliver them to hero-sama...."

I'm moving my hands while hearing him.

He--no, they seem to be the transport troops tasked to carry goods to the hero's relay base.
They're not only composed of Saga Empire's people, it seems there are also adventures from Dejima Island.

"Everyone else in the hero transport troops has died. The items inside Item Box will disappear when I die. While I'm resisting the power of darkness, quickly--"
"It's alright, leave it to me."

I powerfully assure him, the man endures the pain while gritting his teeth.

Soon enough, I dispelled all the miasma, and the man's state changed to normal person after I used the highest ranked magic to recover status abnormality.
For me who is able to dispel demon lord's curse, there's no way that I cannot cancel infection from a mere vampire who isn't even a True Ancestor.

The member of transport troops who has been healed falls unconscious.
He probably has lost too much blood from getting sucked by the vampire.
I'll give him blood-forming medicine once he wakes up.

"Uwahh, there's blood all over the place..."
"Yeah, it seems a vampire appeared here."

The girls who have caught up frown at the disastrous scene.

"Tama and Pochi, gather the ashes on the ground and put it inside this jar."
"Aye, dustpan~?"
"Time to display Pochi's exquisite skill with broom nodesu!"

Rustle-rustle, the two gather the ashes that was originally a vampire into the jar.
The magic core among the ashes is needed for the vampire to revive so I'll put it in a different location than the other magic cores.

I'm going to leave the punishment of this vampire to the [True Ancestor] Ban in the labyrinth's lower layer.
He will no doubt give the appropriate punishment to a vampire.

I start the next high priority work.

"Satou?"
"Just look."

After telling Mia who looked puzzled, I concentrate on the opposite side of the space.
I thrust my hand at the slightly wavering space.

--There's a reaction.

I forcefully expanded it just like that and then the goods that were inside it fell down.

"W-wait, don't tell me."

I affirm the surprised Arisa.

I interfered with the Item Boxes whose users had died from outside and took out the contents.

"....Geez, you're absurd like always."

Arisa sighed, looking astounded.

"Arisa can do it too right?"
"It may be possible if I have several bottles of high-ranked magic recovery potion, and a mid-level space magician assistant for measuring the position of the space. "

--So it's not like she can't do it.

In my case, it's just that I don't need the prior preparation is all.


◇


Now then, next we'll be heading toward the relay base but....

"--Annihilated?"

I affirm Liza.

"Yes, they were caught in a surprise attack by some strong monsters and annihilated."

I found the survivor earlier after seeing that the relay base was annihilated and searched the circumference for any survivor.

Two monsters are lurking at the place where the relay base was, a Mimic Salamander that has [Mimic] race-specific skill, and an Illusion Golem whose race-specific ability is [Optical Camouflage].

Both of them are level 50, it seems they hide their bodies when there's no enemies.

Worse, a level 60 Lava Golem is lurking on the floor above the relay base.
Since the ceiling is thin, it's probably going to drop down when the hero is fighting against the two monsters.

"Now then, what should we do--"

I'd like to hand over the revenge battle to the hero, but it's probably going to be tough for them who have been exhausted from the battle with the demon lord to fight the three monsters.
I don't think the hero himself would lose, but his followers and fellow travelers won't get out of it without any victim.

I evacuate the sole survivor to the [Sub-space] that's been copied from the Phantasmal Labyrinth and head to the destroyed relay base.

"Over there and there, monsters~?"
"Not yet, wait a bit okay."
"Aye."

Tama was going to dispose of them quickly, but even though the two level 50 monsters are weaker than her, their HPs are too high, so I refrained her.
I think Tama can win against them alone, but it would take time and destroy the relay base further.

"First, let's bring them to a place that's easy to fight in."

I execute the second [Another World] today, and create a sub-space for battle.

"It's like the mysterious magic space that often appears in Tokusatsu isn't it?"

Without minding Arisa's remark which had various meaning mixed in, we pull the three monsters into the sub-space I've created.

--ＢＵＷＡＲＥＴＷＥＥＥＥＲＹＷＡ. <TLN: Likely from "bareteru", literally means "exposed.">
--ＭＶＡ.

The Mimic Salamander that was mimicking as a huge rock and the Illusion Golem that was being transparent showed themselves up.

"Guess I'll call the one above too."

It'll be troubling if it enters the battle later, so I destroy the ceiling with the Short Stun magic.

--MUWAGUUUUEMVA.

While roaring incomprehensibly, the level 60 Lava Golem fell down with the ceiling splinters.
It's scattering sparks around, so it looks quite showy.

"Master, your order please."

Liza who's concealing quiet fighting spirit asks.
The other girls are also waiting for my reply.

"Defeat them--you can go at full power."
"Understood."

We're in the center of the sub-space created by [Another World] so there should be no problem even if the girls go at full power. Probably.

"Mia, create the appropriate artificial spirit."
"Nn, Water Dragon (Leviathan) ■■--."

Per Liza's instruction, Mia spoke the artifical spirit's name and began to chant.

"Nana, take care of the enemy in the middle. Keep them at bay until the other vanguards join."
"In agreement with Liza's instruction, so I inform. Equipment Installation."

When Nana muttered so, the artificial magic equipment (Raka Clone) in the form of a choker opened an entrance to sub-space behind her with space magic [Garage].
Transparent [Magic Hands] that extend from it strip off Nana's equipment and install the new golden armor.

The transformation scene looks similar to the ones in various media, but the transformation time is too long compared to ones in fiction.
I won't ask for it to be one millisecond long, I just want it to be one second at least.

Nana who's been equipped with the golden armor activates the 『Castle』 mode and takes up defensive position with the great shield ready.

The girls who saw Nana's equipment change begin to change theirs similarly.
The enemies are coming to attack of course, but they're trapped in Arisa's space magic [Labyrinth] and can't get close.

"Lulu, remain on stand-by and prepare to shoot anytime. Arisa, please command the support and rearguard appropriately."
"Yes, I understand."
"Okay, leave it to me."

Behind Lulu and Arisa, Tama and Pochi are waiting Liza's instruction with impatient faces.
Liza probably leaves them for the last since no doubt these girls are going to jump out the moment they've been given the order.

"Pochi, overrun the enemy on the right. Tama, assist Pochi."
"Roger, nanodesu."
"Aye aye sir~?"

The two who took shutan pose just for having their turns took Liza's instruction.

"Physical Reinforcement."
"Magic Circulation and Accelerated Thought too naanodesu!"

Tama and Pochi activate their own support skills.
Arisa and Nana put buff-type skills on all the vanguards.

"Right on mark~?"
"Pochi wants Master's reinforcement magic too nodesu."
"Sure, 『Divine Light Blade』 and 『Divine Light Shield』."

Losing to Pochi's cute request, I used the advanced force magic I learned from Hikaru on her.
The names sound like they're of Light magic, it's confusing.

"Overflowing with power~?"
"Fully ready now nanodesu."
"Then I'll release the [Labyrinth] okay."
"Aye."
"Yes, nanodesu."

The girls replied back Arisa powerfully.

"Raka-san, we're going too!"
『Umu, I'll be supporting to the best of my ability.』

I grab the nape of Lady Karina who was going to rush out with Liza and the others.

"You can't Karina-sama. Let's watch them here with me."

It's dangerous for Lady Karina to be near Liza and the others when they're serious.
I think it should be fine with Raka's protection, but I can't guarantee her safety in case she's hit by Liza's dragon spear or Pochi's holy sword.

"I-I also want to fight together desuwa!"
"It's fine."

I'm thinking of letting her have enough battles to let the new name of her technique instilled in her heart.
We have to think the new name for the technique before that though.

"I'll let you fight all you want later."

When I tell her that with a smile, for some reason Lady Karina's face becomes blue and she begins to tremble violently.
Perhaps it's because I made her work a bit too much during the training to learn [Magic Power Operation] back then.


◇


"Labyrinth, release."
"There's no lost child~ so I coerce."
"Tou, nanodesu!"

The moment Arisa released her magic, Nana said some questionable provocative words, Pochi rushed out using Flickering Movement while drawing her sword.
The Illusion Golem intercepts Pochi by swinging its fist at her.

"Shadow Bind~?"

Tama threw kunai at the Illusion Golem's shadow, stopping its movement with Ninjutsu.

"Blue Fang Arc Moon Slash, nanodesu."

Pochi's holy swords draws an arc, cutting the Illusion Golem from below to above.

--Boom.

Pochi kicked the ground at the same time her sword touched the golem, and the golem got thrown up with enough force like it's going to be cut in two.
The holy sword drawing blue light sharply cuts the golem's body.

--Boom boom.

With the second jump, Pochi jumped up 10 meter high, and the holy sword came out of the golem's shoulder.
The golem's enormous HP has been decreased to 40%.

"Pochi, niice~?"
"Not yet, nanodesu!"

Pochi holds her knee and spins a bit.

"Blue Fang Rupturing Strike."

--Bang.

Kicking the air, Pochi pierced the golem like a cannonball.
The golem's HP decreased even further to 30%.

I'm going to overlook the fact that Pochi's body has been buried in the ground due to her over-enthusiasm.

The golem's splinters and dust are greatly scattered at the surrounding, Arisa and Mia who are hiding behind Lulu complain.
Even my Attentive Ears couldn't hear them since it was covered by the roaring sound though.

The golem raises its stout arm at Pochi who's stopped moving for revenge.
The Shadow Binding seems to have been removed by Pochi's attack earlier.

"Don't worry be happy~?"

Tama who's cloned herself before I knew it surrounds the golem with magic swords shining red.

"Crimson Fang Furious Hundred Slash, nyan."

More than a hundred slashes mercilessly assault the golem.
The golem's HP decreases slightly every time a red light flashes.

Her offensive power is lower compared to Pochi's, but the torrent of slashes that slip through the golem's defense break its hand, gouge its stomach, and drill its knee.

--ＭＶＡＭＭＭＭＶＶＶＶＡＡＡ.

Voice tinged with fear greater than when it was facing off against Pochi echoed, in the end, the golem became a mountain of crumbling wreckage.

"You did well you two. The next enemy is of equal strength. Give it your all."

Liza asked the two who had finished their battle for the last battle.

The Mimic Lizard that was fighting with Liza was quickly defeated by 16 stabs of Liza's Dragon Spear during Pochi's first attack earlier.
Please use your finisher at least.

I watched over the girls' peerlessness while thinking like that, and then we went back to the original labyrinth.

Because Hero Hayato is arriving at the relay base.




















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