Chapter 375
Arifureta After IV Demon King & Hero Arc NETEMP-CHAAAN-!!
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Kousuke was weeping sadly and began to sit while hugging his knees. He was trembling from the pain in his body and heart. It seemed his damage was serious in various senses.
By the way he was currently in the middle of getting dragged by his collar.
「Oi Endou. How long are you going to sob. Be sharp.」
「I’m affiliated with Nagumo Family, but I might be at my limit already.」
「Don’t speak like someone’s family is a black company.」
Kouki smiled wryly while lightly lifting Kousuke on his arms. As expected from the kindhearted hero――
「Idi-, you-, let go Amanogawa! Do you have some kind of grudge with me-」
「No, it looks like you’ll take a bit more time to recover so I’m thinking to carry you.」
「Thank you! But, your way of carrying! Your way of carrying!」
「Er, is there anything strange?」
「Carrying man with princess carry! No good! Absolutely!」
「……You’re too picky. Endou, the you at that time is already gone huh……」
「Shaddup!」
As expected from the first rate flag architect hero. Even his flow to perform princess carry was as fluent as his sure-kill sword strike.
Kousuke was struggling in displeasure, but Kouki deftly spun him to carry him on his back. It seemed for Kousuke that way of carrying was not a problem, so he went limp and entrusted his weight to Kouki to begin focusing on recovery.
Originally Kousuke’s abyss lord mode had a demerit of needing some time for his specs to increase. In return it had the special quality of giving almost no burden to the body even after the Limit Break state was dispelled.
But, this time that gradual increase of specs was skipped using the secret trick to enter the deepest depth――Last Zell, on top of that he was also using the abyss lord mode in succession. So right now he was quite exhausted.
Currently they were walking through a corridor that they entered through the elevator hole in that place where they defeated the combined heaven soldiers.
「G10, how is it?」
「There is no sign of hostile.」
「That Mother, is it planning to settle this by itself?」
「No, that possibility is low. I had performed a scan and detected a great number of large sized heat sources nearby. Most likely there are many facilities here that it doesn’t wish to get destroyed.」
「I see. Then there’s a possibility that it will send attacks in waves ahead of here.」
「In all probability it must be planning to exhaust us as much as possible before we arrive at its location.」
「Even though it said that it will take us on personally.」
Hajime held such conversation with G10 while exchanging telepathy at the same time. Etemp that was riding on his shoulder attached a thin string on Kouki and others so they could hold a secret talk like using a string telephone.
『Amanogawa, Endou. Pretend to make idle talk. After all Mother might be watching.』
『O-ou? Is this a direct line telepathy?』
『What’s the matter Nagumo?』
Hajime looked like he was talking with G10 from the outside, but in reality he was directly talking into their brain. Kouki and Kousuke almost got a startled look but they somehow feigned their expression.
『Endou, let me check with you. Do you remember the location of the room with the summoning device?』
『Obviously. Scouting is my specialty you know? Even though I was desperately running around to escape, I at least remember the route I took.』
As expected from the man who was nonchalantly the mankind’s strongest. He was really capable outside of battle too.
『Then you go to the summoning device’s location. And then……destroy it.』
『What, Nagumo! That’s――』
It couldn’t be helped that Kouki was shaken up. Kousuke was also similarly shocked. He was told to destroy their way home with his own hand. They couldn’t help but question why they should split up even and did that even if they had their own method to go home.
『Listen. Based on our action at Endou, Mother must have judged that taking hostage won’t be effective. But, it’s not absolute.』
『That’s……true I guess. It was still alright because I was the one summoned, but if someone else get summoned, unless they’re Yue-san or the others, it’ll be checkmate by the time they’re summoned. Especially if it’s the guys with rear guard job.』
『I see……you rescued Endou so gruesomely like that also for guiding Mother’s thinking away from deciding to summon someone else again.』
Kouki and Kousuke showed an expression of comprehension. On the surface they were amusing themselves with idle talk like 「Come to think of it Endou. Just what were you doing before you got summoned here?」.
『It was a blessing in disguise that you were fully armed by chance at that timing. If not, it would be Kaa-san and Tou-san who are usually owning my artifact the most in their daily life. And then if by chance Myuu was also in fully equipped state, it would be her who got summoned.』
The summoning of Hajime’s parents and beloved daughter. Indeed, that would be the worst situation.
Of course, if it was necessary then Hajime would do the same thing to them like he did with Kousuke. If he judged that it was the best way to save them, he would shoot without mercy. But, they were different from Kousuke. They didn’t have a strong resistance to pain or a firm resolve for battle……
『Well, if it was Myuu-chan I got the feeling that she would say 『Papa shoot! Bring it on nano!』while standing imposingly though……』
『You, what do you think Myuu is…….no, that’s possible.』
『It’s possible!?』
『Because Myuu-chan, since she received the gifted education for battle, how should I say it, she felt like an iron-willed little girl. ……She had even stopped calling me with honorific since a long time ago……』
Kouki’s acquaintance iron-willed little girl 「Koone deeesu!」flashed at the back of his mind. Why were the little girls around him were all so determined like this?
Hajime sighed while speaking.
『If the one who got summoned is Shia, it’ll be our sure-win right away though.』
『Aa, yeah. Sorry that it was me who got summoned here.』
『W-well, Shia-san’s physical reinforcement is absurd after all……』
『That’s not all you know, Amanogawa. Right now that bugged bunny has even employed seven divine spirits from another world. His wide area annihilation has reached Yue level.』
『No way! Even though she was already mysteriously strong as she was, you’re saying she has become even stronger!? Just where is Shia-san heading for!?』
『Even I don’t know. I can only say that she’s a mysterious life form that can Limit Break naturally.』
Nagumo family’s ultimate weapon “Shia”. In this world where magic couldn’t be emitted, indeed, she would be the invincible bunny.
At the outside Kousuke was talking「Actually after Nagumo and others teleported, I was recruited to subjugate the holy precincts’ monsters that Amanogawa was scheduled to defeat」. Hajime listened to it while continuing the telepathy discussion.
『Anyway, I want to crush the possibility of falling behind Mother. But, I also want to avoid leaving Mother doing as it please. Endou, destroy the device.』
『I see now. Certainly it’s a necessary division of roles.』
『I don’t think that there won’t be enemy near the device. But, we don’t have any time to wait until you fully recover. It might not be sufficient, but I’ll lend Etemp and Netemp to you. I’ll leave it to you.』
『Roger boss. I’ll hurry to join back again with you two as fast as possible.』
Kousuke casually accepted the difficult mission. His words were overflowing with absolute confidence and resolve that firmly promised the completion of the mission.
At the outside Kouki was replying 「I see. So Lily requested you to become my replacement huh」 while feeling a bit surprised inside his heart.
These two had gotten along quite well since the beginning, but it seemed they had formed an even stronger relationship of trust while he was away from earth.
Kouki crossed to Tortus by his own decision, but when he saw Hajime and Kousuke’s current state, he couldn’t help himself from feeling somewhat lonely.
He brushed away that feeling with a wry smile and asked a question.
『Will you be able to steal electricity from the power generator if you lend Etemp and Netemp to Endou?』
『G10, is it possible if it’s you?』
G10 answered yes by flickering his eye.
G10 was conspicuous. Because of that they thought that Etemp and Netemp would be more suitable to steal the electricity, but they wanted to destroy the summoning device no matter what. Besides,
『G10 is almost at its limit right now. It’s clear just from looking at it. Mother won’t think that it’s any threat at all. Right now it should be more wary to Etemp and Netemp after the abilities they showed.』
Kouki nodded I see. Then next it was Kousuke who asked.
『Now that you mentioned it, after you steal the electricity from that power generator, we’ll go home using a gate right?』
Due to the chaotic developments, Kousuke was almost completely unaware of G10’s circumstance and the true state of this world. Kouki noticed that and explained the situation in broad stroke.
As expected, Kousuke scowled and said「This is bullshit」 after being told about the match fixing of this world that was beyond saving. Hajime glared at him with a sidelong glance for suddenly cutting off the outside talk with his cursing. Kousuke coughed. Then he asked a question that suddenly came up in his mind.
『Eh? If you want electricity, couldn’t you take it from the machine soldiers’ wreckages? Even the heaven soldier was attacking with electricity.』
『Elemagia isn’t so convenient that it can gather up emitted electricity and store it. I only made it not long ago.』
In addition, it also needed a considerable time to store the electricity. The amount of electricity it could steal from the wreckages of the machine soldiers wouldn’t amount to much. Time was also precious before the risk of a second summoning by Mother. And above all else,
『If we stole electricity in that place, Mother would be on alert when we stole it from the power generator. It’s best to pretend not being interested at all.』
『Aa, certainly.』
Kousuke nodded in understanding while at the surface he complained「The holy precinct’s monster you see, there was a lot more than reported. What’s more, can you believe it? I got into one-on-one fight with a real Kin○kong. What’s more it was a K○ng that could use magic!」. At the inside he asked about the action that he should take.
『Err, then, where will I be? Should I remain here? Or should I go back one with Nagumo? If it’s guerilla war then I think it’ll be better if I’m here.』
『No, there’s no need.』
Kousuke was bewildered. Kouki too. No matter how they thought about it, Kousuke who could trick even machine’s eye would be the optimum battle strength to buy time until Hajime returned with all his preparations finished.
Why then Hajime reached such illogical conclusion that was unlike him?
The answer to that linked to their conversation at the surface. He told them with his raw voice.
「I’ll kill it. No matter what.」
Kouki realized that Hajime had changed his policy and his eyes opened wide. G10 was also flickering its eye rapidly.
「Hajime-sama? That’s――」
「I’ll finish it off today, right here, for sure. I ain’t letting it get away.」
An overt bloodlust whirled in the air. Kouki and others held their breath. Hajime spoke to them as though speaking to himself. No, perhaps, he was talking toward Mother who must be observing them.
「Hostage won’t work against me. But, it targeted my relative. I’ll make it pay for that. It declared war at me at the time it dragged Endou here.」
Hajime’s words weren’t covered with anymore excuse like “for the sake of the people of this world”. This battle was already a war that declared to Hajime. In that case there was no other option except extermination to the enemy.
Not to mention that if he went home once and prepared, a new summoning device might be created and someone else got summoned. That would be unbearable.
What if Mother summoned someone else not as hostage, but as revenge for the damage they inflicted to it or it killed them in order to agitate Hajime and co mentally?
「By the time it became clear that it can summon my relatives with pinpoint precision, by the time it cane into possession of that knowledge, Mother cannot be left alive. I’ll kill it no matter what. This is the highest priority.」
There wasn’t any leeway to take the safest plan of returning home once to prepare. He would dive through the borderline between life and death. Just like how he faced the god of another world in the past, he would kill Mother with an unwavering determination.
The plan of returning home for the time being contained a risk of his family getting summoned and harmed. Such plan had become a secondary plan inside Hajime.
His verdict toward Mother was undoubtedly his true feeling.
「I see. Before we realized it, this battle has already become our battle too.」
「……Forgive me, Hajime-sama, Kouki-sama, Abyss Lord-sama.」
「You can call me Kousuke.」
「Don’t apologize. I’ll make you thank me a lot after I murder that thing. I told you already right?」
「Yes you have. Indeed, if it’s something that I can do then ask me for anything. Of course I’ll also thank Kouki-sama and Kousuke-sama too.」
「No, that’s why stop with the abyss lord……wait that’s wrong! No, it’s not wrong! It’s fine like that! Thanks! For correcting yourself properly! All the guys around me, they won’t correct how they call me like there is a curse hanging over them――」
「Hajime-sama. I detected a vertical passage. Most likely it’s an elevator that connect to upper floor.」
「Endou, where’s the device? Above?」
「……No, it’s this passage. We’ll part here.」
His talk with the earnest G10 was cut off so naturally. Kousuke buried his face onto Kouki’s shoulder while muttering that weakly. Even though he hated getting carried like a princess, his gesture right now was like a maiden……
Kouki smiled wryly while pulling him off him casually.
「Endou, bring this with you.」
Kousuke immediately got depressed, but he immediately switched his feeling with his kinda steely force of will. And then he confirmed that Etemp and Netemp were riding his shoulders while accepting the tablet-shaped thing Hajime held out to him.
「It’s a space distortion bomb. Etemp and Netemp know how to use it, so ask them on your way.」
「Roger. ……Nagumo, Amanogawa, be careful.」
He silently held out his fist.
Hajime and Kouki looked at each other. Their faces became slightly disgusted the moment their eyes met but……both of them shrugged and lightly tapped Kousuke’s fist with their own.
「What’s with you two? You move exactly the same. As I thought you two have become slightly close――」
「I’ll shoot you know?」
「I’ll slash you know?」
「Why!?」
These guys are really brutal! Kousuke turned around with a face that expressed so.
「G10 too, be careful. Especially from getting mixed up with these two.」
「Thank you very much, Aby-sama.」
「It’s Kousuke you know!?」
Kousuke made a tsukkomi that was gradually becoming his forte and dashed into one of the corridor that branched off from their path.
His presence instantly became vague even from the perception of the demon king and the hero.
「Now then, before he return――we’re going to kill it.」
「Yeah. After all it’ll be pathetic if we end up needing help with this and that.」
Hajime and Kouki advanced forward once more.
「Be careful. Countless enemy reactions above. They’re lying in wait for us.」
Bring it on, they said while brimming with killing intent and fighting spirit.
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Kousuke followed his memory and ran toward the hall of the summoning device after parting from Hajime and Kouki.
He was able to recover to a certain degree during the conversation befor this, but he only had thirty percent of magic power remaining in him. He was in a quite severe condition.
But, his footsteps were steady. There was no uneasiness in his heart.
「The demon king is resolved for even deathly battle for our sake. Then I’ve got to accomplish a merely “difficult” mission perfectly.」
「「Ii!!」」
Encouragement(?) that really sounded like「Exactly!」「Go all out!」 came from both his shoulders. Kousuke sported a wry smile.
He absolutely wouldn’t let a second summoning victim to appear with his honor as the demon king’s right hand in the line. He would destroy the device no matter what before someone else got summoned.
He kicked away his tiredness to outside his awareness with that mettle and put even more strength into his feet. His speed increased drastically. Etemp & Netemp on his shoulders were screeching in high spirits.
But alarm bell suddenly caressed his instinct.
「There’s no time to pay them any mind-」
There was a T-junction ahead of his gaze. Kousuke sensed a presence at the right path. He camouflaged himself with everything he had before that presence and leaped. His feet touched the wall and *ton* with a light step his body twisted toward the ceiling.
Even without using gravity magic, running on the ceiling for several steps was easy as pie.
A small squad of upperworld machine soldiers turned around the corner right at that timing within his inversed field of vision. They didn’t turn around even when he landed without any sound behind them. Such thing should be impossible originally.
He ran and ran. He increased his speed as though there was a demon hot on his heels.
「……Too few」
Kousuke muttered to himself while slipping through several enemy groups like a ghost.
At present, Mother had understood that hostage wouldn’t really be useful and it also should be wary for a repeat of another abyss lord. Taking that into consideration then certainly there wasn’t any need to split its fighting force to guard the summoning device.
Even so, the security shouldn’t be so light that he could pass through without any trouble like this.
「Tsk. The door is locked.」
He had several explosives in his possession. He could blow up this door by using them up, but if the explosives didn’t cut it, in the worst case he would have no choice but to open a path with the cutting ability of the “Destruction Heavenly Sword of Scorching Brilliant Lightning Flame”.
It would consume his magic power significantly but……at the instant his hand reached into his pocket while thinking that,
「Ii!!」
Etemp-san leaped. It soared using the jet propulsion in its legs and clung on the console beside the door. As soon as it landed, its mouth slid open to the side and something like a chip was taken out. That thing got inserted into the console.
Then the sound of *pip* that informed the unlocking of the door came out.
「I!! (Smug!!)」
「Oo! I see, there’s no way Nagumo didn’t foresee this kind of situation huh. No, was it G10?」
Just as Kousuke guessed, Hajime had thought of a countermeasure in case G10 fell into malfunction.
Since G10 was cracking the door at the beginning, it collected the data and created the backup and unlocking system. And then before Kousuke parted from them, while he was pretending to do a comedy skit with Hajime and Kouki, G10 handed that chip to Etemp.
With this Kousuke could follow the route that he had memorized without getting blocked. He showed joy in his face……
「Geeh!?」
At the other side of the opened door, a squad of machine soldiers with rifles at ready was waiting. His expression twitched.
The moment the door that shouldn’t be closed was opening, they would start strafing the area with no question asked. It was a logical tactic with the intention of killing the enemy with surety whether the opponent was Kousuke or not.
The path was straight. There was no obstacle. The crossroad was more than 20 meter behind. The storm of rifle bullets that was fired here would surely look like a wall.
Then, in that instant there was *bashuu* sound and a trail of fire flew toward the enemy formation. Right after that, a terrific flame blast bloomed.
「Nice, Netemp-san!」
「I-!」
The attack that beat the enemy to the punch was a pencil missile that was fired from the inside of Netemp’s back. It was one of its two precious missiles in reserve.
The firing formation of ten rows of enemies crumbled. Kousuke avoided being driven into a corner. Etemp spewed out spider string to the defeated machine soldiers and tied them simply while Kousuke jumped over them and broke through.
However, the attack just now attracted enemy attention too much as expected.
(Crap!?)
Ten things that looked like sentry gun came out from the corridor’s ceiling, wall, and floor. Their gun muzzles were forming a wall of bullets once more.
「Don’t use it!」
「「I!?」」
There were three remaining missiles in total that Etemp and Netemp had. The missile’s effect wouldn’t be much again the sentry guns that appeared with set distance away from each other. Kousuke immediately gave the order because he wanted to save the precious highly destructive weapon.
And then his eyes narrowed silently. Behind the sunglasses that he was still wearing. Although he didn’t become the lord in this kind of place because it was his trump card.
(Just avoid the critical hit-)
The ability of the sunglass――aka “Heavenly Eye (named by the abyss lord)” was activation of “Foresight” and “Light Speed”. Countless muzzle flashes flashed in an instant.
Within his expanded awareness, he visualized the firing lines with “Foresight” from the angles of the gun muzzles.
Kousuke had no demonic firing skill like Hajime or divine sword skill like Kouki. He was just barely able to imitate them when he used gravity magic.
Other than his thin presence, his base ability wasn’t at cheat level like the demon king or hero by all means. Therefore in front of a situation that made his special trait meaningless, he was originally just a common existence……
However, that was why, because he kept struggling despite that――Kousuke was tenacious, and strong.
The experience he had accumulated made him unconsciously drew out his short sword. And then he protected his vital also unconsciously. He lowered his body, moved one side of his body behind to make his profile smaller, reducing the surface area that could be targeted by the bullets.
「Gah, guh, ah!!」
An instantaneous defense. The merciless bullets gouged his shoulder, arm, and side. The intense pain made his instinct urged him to yield. He beat down that instinct with his guts 「It’s just a scratch」 and twisted his body while throwing his short swords with his hands.
Two gun muzzles were hit and faced another direction. A path was opened. Kousuke made a convulsing smile while feeling a bullet grazed his ear while rushing forward even then with accelerating speed.
The first wave was cleared.
He flicked the switch of his invisibility and deceived the machines’ eyes while moving to their blindspot and,
「Collect!」
「「I!!」」
He caught the two short swords behind him that were retrieved using spider strings without even looking. He was leaving a trail of blood behind, even so his movement sharpened even more and ran around the floor to the wall and to the ceiling like jet coaster to shake off the targeting.
The sentry guns started to shoot at the wrong direction in confusion. With that this situation was already in the bag. He stored away his short swords and took two knives in exchange, and threw them. The gun muzzles were diverted once more and he slid through the forcefully opened hole in the firing lines to breakthrough.
After getting that far, he arrived at a corner that was exactly like in his memory. The storm of bullets that was fired from behind barely missed him when he escaped from the firing lines with a sharp turn at the corner.
「Haha-, what a mayhem-」
Out of the frying pan and into the fire. A group of sword soldiers was rushing here from ahead of the passage.
「We’re breaking through!」
「「IiIIIIIIII-」」
He had no time to care about the enemies and increased his speed. Etemp-san and Netemp-san’s tension was also rising without end for some reason!
Facing the charging sword soldiers, Kousuke leaped to the right. Naturally the sword soldiers also moved to way but……
At the same time when Kousuke leaped, Etemp leaped to the left and spewed spider string at midair. The tough string disturbed the sword soldiers’ movement when it hit from the side and Kousuke somehow charged through.
Another sword soldier attacked right after. This time Netemp that was sliding on the floor entangled it with spider string from right below. Kousuke danced to the same beat and ran on the ceiling. Even when the sword soldier swung its heat blade, it didn’t reach him.
When Kousuke moved to the left, Etemp would go to the right. When Kousuke was sliding, Netemp would jump to the ceiling.
The two spiders and one human toyed and broke through the machine soldiers with perfect movement that was unbelievable for their first teamwork.
Even when a shield soldier charged to block the passage,
「Ii (Eat thisss! Sure kill――)!!」
One of Etemp’s legs fired something slimy that stained the floor with milky color. The shield soldier slipped stupidly when it ran through it and fell.
Kousuke somersaulted above it while that unknown something splattered his cheek slightly. He hurriedly wiped it and noticed.
「Mayonnaise!? Why mayonnaise!?」
It was one of the convenient function that every single arachne would surely have at minimum.
Netemp didn’t want to lose and *pew pew* spewed out liquid too. Black liquid dirtied an assault soldier’s eye! It didn’t have any particular effect! The drifting scent from the liquid was――
「You even have shoyu!? I can’t help but hate Nagumo’s playfulness now!」
He wanted to literally complain what the hell are you equipping them with. The shoyu didn’t have any particular effect so he was shot at like usual. Of course he dodged them just barely, but he felt a chill in his stomach.
Netemp scratched its head 「Tehe☆」 on his right shoulder. It irritated him so he punched it. Netemp went *pew pew* at midair for the second time.
This time an assault soldier that was approaching got its two arms melted. It seemed that it was a melting liquid.
「The effect difference is horrible!」
Kousuke launched a flying knee attack on the assault soldier that could only stayed rooted on the spot and sent its flying while not forgetting to make a tsukkomi.
And so,
「I can see it-, behind that door! Etemp-san, please!」
「I-!!」
Etemp flew at the console with its jet propulsion and went cracking. Kousuke didn’t slow down and charged at the opening door.
Etemp fired its string at the ceiling and swung at the door that was starting to close. It also fired mayonnaise at the eye of assault soldier that was aiming its rifle to prevent them from entering!
The assault soldier wiped its eye with its hand but……the mayonnaise stretched! It spread!
「No, you can just switch to your other sensor……」
Kousuke’s polite tsukkomi didn’t reach from the other side of the closed door. Etemp twirled with a wonderful backflip and landed on his left shoulder. Its front legs snapped up in a pose.
Netemp gave applause *pechi pechi pechi-* to it.
「Well it’s fine though……ouch ouch」
Kousuke stood up while grimacing at the wounds all over his body. He turned around and looked at that thing that was placed at the middle of a space that looked really similar with the place where they fought the combined heaven soldier.
Several metallic arches surrounded a pedestal. There were pillars at its four corner with multiple lenses that emitted blue light attached. A coil shaped cone was pointed toward the center of the pedestal from the ceiling.
It was the summoning device.
It would be mission complete after destroying it. Then he would only need to reinforce Hajime and Kouki.
But……
「Hm, well, there’s no way it’s just left undefended isn’t it」
There was a heavy mechanical sound. A footstep.
That sound――came from above.
When he looked up with a twitching face, there was a machine soldier clinging at the ceiling. Different from his expectation, it wasn’t a heaven soldier.
「A new type huh. It’s my first time seeing it. ……A machine soldier that isn’t humanoid other than heaven soldier.」
The six legs that clutched at the ceiling quietly let go. Its landing caused a tremor. It had thick armor at its upper body like a shield soldier. Four more arms stretched out from there.
Although there was difference in the number of legs, its appearance was like――an arachne.
「I!? Ii——-i!!」
「I, I-,iIIII!!」
「Aa~, err, is it that? You two want to say You damn copycat! or something?」
That seemed to be the correct answer. Etemp & Netemp looked horribly enraged. Their red eyes were shining fierily. They were brimming with killing intent. They expressed We’ll show you which of us is the better arachneee!! with their rising spirit.
In respond the guardian thrust its two upper arms forward. Right away, *kashun* those arms transformed and two gatling guns showed up from inside.
「Don’t forget our mission here!」
Their objective wasn’t to defeat the guardian, but to destroy the summoning device. Kousuke informed Netemp & Etemp whose pride was stimulated and started running to the side.
Etemp & Netemp also fired spider string to fly at another direction.
Right after that, *vuo-* a sound like the space was bursting apart resounded and a storm of bullets violently swept sideways.
Seeing the barrage sweeping toward him, Kousuke――
「Fuh, there is no more need to be sparing after coming this far. Now-, it’s party time!」
Turned into abyss lord!
He ignored the strafing gatling gun and threw a kunai to the summoning device. And as he expected, the gatling that was on the verge of turning the lord into a beehive suddenly shifted up.
Over there, Netemp was entangling its spider web at the left gatling gun and pulled it up.
In addition Etemp clung on the enemy from the side and inserted one of its legs into the base of the right gatling. Right after that, *kinnn* a sharp jarring noise was created. Immediately after, that part crumled and the gatling also feel on the floor.
It was Etemp’s weapon “Vibration Destruction”. It had a compact body, so its endurance was low. Its leg would also crumble if it used that weapon once more, but it wasn’t a bad exchange to take out one of the gatling guns.
Like that the lord’s kunai that was attached with explosive splendidly reached the summoning device――just before it could,
「Kuh, as expected it won’t be that easy!」
He made a turn while smiling wryly. The arachne soldier’s head rotated in a circle and the rifle that was built inside its mouth shot the kunai midair.
The kunai was deflected to the corner of the room and scattered flame blast and shockwave grandly.
At the same time the arachne soldier’s whole body generated a force field to blow away Etemp & Netemp. And then,
「What!?」
The lord unconsciously let slip a voice of shock. That was how fast it closed the distance to him. Its third and fourth arms were holding large heat blades that it wielded with great mastery.
The lord somersaulted to dodge. He landed on the ground and leaped to the side at the same time. He circled to behind it……although he planned that,
「What’s with that agility even though it’s that big-」
Perhaps it was the true worth of having so many legs. With an astounding footwork and balance, the arachne soldier followed closely right behind the lord. The large heat blades rotated together with its wrists to become a high temperature round shield that cornered the lord.
Naturally Netemp was giving backup even during that time while Etemp attempted to destroyed the summoning device.
「「Ii (Blow up)!」」
Netemp fired its remaining pencil missile while Etemp fired its two missiles at the same time.
Even so, the arachne soldier crushed that attempt with overwhelming specs that didn’t put shame to its role as guardian. Unbelievably, the arachne soldier let out intense jet propulsion from its bottom and soared.
On top of that, it went between the summoning device and the missiles in an instant and blocked them using its large heat blades as shield. The blades didn’t get away unscathed, but in exchange its left gatling gun fired.
In addition, its back armor activated and two cannons were set up on its shoulders from there. The cannons then sparked right away.
「Tsk!!」
「「Ii!?」」
The railguns were about to trample the lord and the arachnes. Even if they tried to avoid direct hit, just the shockwave would blow all of them away.
It seemed this arachne soldier possessed the complete set of all the functions of the upperworld soldiers.
「This isn’t funny at all! Fu-ha-ha-」
His body was tattered. His magic power was also running dry. In addition, there was some kind of commotion from the entrance. Most likely the machine soldier forces that he bypassed were trying to open the door.
It was completely an emergency situation.
But, however,
「It’s not a reason to yield here! After all, the lord is――」
「Ii!!」
He wasn’t allowed to finish.
Etemp landed on his shoulder and clung there, and then as though to say「I’ll pick up your bones later!」, it compelled the lord to go recklessly.
The tip of its leg let out a needle *shakin* that stabbed into the lord’s neck. The needle was filled with “Cheatmate DrDrink”. If possible he wished to ingest it through mouth instead of injection though.
「Fuh. Very well my friend. I won’t hold back! After all, I am the one and only――ah, ouch, it hurt!」
「Ii!!」
It used the empty needle to stab him repeatedly!! He somehow understood what it wanted to say. Perhaps something like 「Netemp-chan is buying time by itself right now! Stop making embarrassing speech and start fighting right away!」.
In fact, Netemp-san who transformed its legs into small drill to challenge the arachne soldier and continued attracting its attention with flamethrower even while it got flicked away was looking like it was almost at its limit.
The lord said 「S-sorry」 while turning, then it activated “Last Zell” even while getting stabbed one last time by Etemp.
Because he entered the greatest depth in one go consecutively like this, he could feel his body screaming.
「And so what-, everything is for my friends’ sake! Etemp! Match your movement with me!」
「I!」
Netemp was blown away by the railgun’s shockwave at the corner of his sight. The sight of it crashing on the wall with great damage was reflected in his eyes.
He would end this in one go here. He would push through no matter how great the burden to his body was. He would pay back Netemp’s dedication with a struggle to the death.
「OoOOOOH!! ――”BLACK CALAMITYY”!!」
It was atypical for the abyss lord. There was no bombastic original naming. He mustered all his power and activated the gravity magic. The fired barrage of bullets and railgun pulverized the ground in front of arachne soldier because of the gun barrels that were forcefully dragged down.
The arachne soldier’s balance crumbled from the impact. The lord somersaulted over the arachne soldier and took out the tablet from his chest pocket which he threw to the summoning device midair. At the same time Etemp chased after it with its jet propulsion.
「Go-, ny friend! I won’t let anyone get in your way-」
「Ii—!!」
The lord entrusted the trajectory of the space distortion bomb to Etemp and landed on the back of the arachne soldier. He pulled out two kunai.
And then he took a stance and launched a chaotic close-range battle with the arachne soldier that rotated its waist around to face him.
「In the end you’re just a machine no matter how tough you are-. Foreign object in your moving part is fatal for you!」
The lord stabbed his two kunai into two arm joints with all his strength. He was then blown away by a force field that came to existence for an instant but,
「I won’t let go! Accept the embrace of darkness obediently!」
Steel strings were let out from the romance fingerless glove. The strings wrapped around the arachne soldier’s head and tied it up midair. The lord grinned fearlessly instead toward the impact and pain running all over his body while throwing his kunai. He splendidly succeeded in making the enemy’s last arm to also play a discordant sound *gigigi-* too.
The arachne soldier picked another option and ejected bluish white light from its underside. It intended to tackle Etemp together with the lord.
「I said that I won’t let you!」
It was truly the last shot.
「Kuh, haah――”Black Calamity”!!」
Red alert was rining noisily deep in his mind. There was a sharp pain running inside his brain. His body was insisting that they were already at the limit.
「DON’T UNDERESTIMATE MEEEEEEE-」
Magic power was flowing out like waterfall. He was on the verge of running dry, but he maintained the magic with just his guts.
It was worth doing. The gravity field certainly kept the arachne soldier rooted on that spot. It also couldn’t aim its cannon. The rifle inside its mouth also couldn’t secure a line of fire.
And then,
「It’s our victory.」
The space distortion bomb finished activating.
And then――
「I!?」
Just before the spider string could fix it in place, a rifle bullet sent the tablet flying. Etemp was also sent flying together with its three legs that were blown away.
The lord was taken aback and turned his gaze around. There the entrance had been pried open. An assault soldier was there with its rifle raised……
「Kuah」
The abyss lord mode reached the limit and got forcefully dispelled.
A terrible sense of fatigue attacked him. Although it wasn’t as intense as a normal Limit Break, Kousuke lost strength in his feet and fell on his knee.
The arachne soldier got away from the gravity wedge with that opening. There was no way it would let go of this chance.
「Gahah!?」
Kousuke’s body was mowed down by a single leg as though in a retaliation. His body flew horizontally. He bounced on the floor several times before his back crashed hard on the wall.
And then Kousuke saw it within his flickering consciousness.
The railgun of the arachne soldier was aimed at him.
The machine soldier force flooded in and took position around that arachne soldier. They were aiming at Etemp that was trying to stand up desperately in slight distance away.
The summoning device also suddenly started activating. It might be trying to summon someone else again. Sparks were starting to come out.
No good, anxiety welled up inside. Kousuke desperately moved its body in order to make his next move――
「You, what are――」
「Ii!!」
He noticed.
Netemp who only had a single leg with a part of his body damaged and only had cracks on it had arrived at the summoning device without him noticing.
Most likely it fired its spider string and crawled on the ground while reeling in the string until it got that close.
However, Netemp had used up almost all of its equipment. Just what could it do in its state?
The answer to that became clear when Etemp cried furiously.
*Pi-pi-pi-* A clear sound was beeping.
It was the sound of countdown.
Kousuke gasped in surprise. But it wasn’t just him, the arachne soldier and the upperworld soldiers too.
They turned their gun muzzle at Netemp in panic but――it was already too late.
「Ii——–!! (Netemp-chaaaaaaann!!)」
Etemp’s voice was crying out as though it was yelling Stop. Netemp quietly raised its one remaining leg,
「I’ll be back！」
And became light.
A flash that dyed the field of vision completely white surged out. It was then followed by a horrendous shockwave that trampled the space.
Stirred up by the violent wind, Kousuke crashed on the wall once more on his back. It felt like his consciousness was blundered. Even so Kousuke yelled in such situation. He didn’t know whether his voice box really produced any voice, but he couldn’t stop himself from yelling.
(Stupid idiotttt, why, why did you self-destruct……there was still another way! You stupid idiottttt)
This was a life or death struggle.
The destruction of the summoning device was a mission that they had to accomplish with their life on the line.
That was why, the fury welling up inside him wasn’t directed toward Netemp who splendidly accomplished the mission, but toward himself who was forcing it to take that choice.
His eyes weren’t blinded by the flash thanks to the sunglasses.
Kousuke yelled at his own body that was screaming in pain to get up. He grabbed the tablet that was sent flying to near him.
He quickly ran his eyes over the tablet. As expected from such a dangerous bomb, it was made to last. Also thanks to the rifle bullet only hitting its edge, the bomb’s countdown was still continuing.
The remaining time was――three seconds.
「I’ll blow up all of you!」
He tossed the bomb with a side throw. The target was the arachne soldier and other enemies that were blown away until the wall.
*Katsun* The tablet bounced once on the floor and when the flash vanished, it exploded right in front of the arachne soldier at the same time.
The space distorted, twisted, converged, burst, and returned.
The arachne soldier and most of the upperworld soldiers were caught by that absolute vortex of violence and pulverized to pieces.
Kousuke scolded his shaking legs and charged without delay.
He unsheathed his short sword and leaped at the remaining ten-odd upperworld soldiers. He ignored his state that was in normal mode or the exhaustion assaulting his mind. With a movement that was the very definition of bloodcurling……
The remnants of the upperworld soldiers were annihilated without being able to offer any decent opposition.
「Dammit all……」
He didn’t know who he was saying those words to.
The mission was completed. But, there was no way he could rejoice.
Kousuke turned on his heel with an unbearable feeling and headed to where Etemp was.
That last scream.
Etemp had lost Netemp that could be considered as its partner. Just how much grieve it was in right now?
「Etemp-san……」
There was no reaction. It stayed unmoving. It didn’t even twitch.
「Etemp-san-」
He called at it strongly.
Etemp, reacted. It slowly lifted up its remaining one leg……and then,
「I!」
「I!?」
Ofr some reason it punched itself. Kousuke went 「Eh?」 with his pupils turning into dot.
「I! I!!」
「I~I! I-!」
He wondered why. Etemp looked like it was playing two roles by itself.
「Eh, that, huh? Etemp-san?」
There was no reaction. Kousuke thought 「Don’t tell me……」 with a slightly twitching expression while calling at it.
「……Netemp-san?」
「I!」
It seemed that it was Netemp-san.
「What about Etemp-san?」
「I!!」
It seemed Etemp-san was also there.
「Eh? What!? What’s going on!? I know that the inside of you guys is an enigma, but this is really an enigma! Didn’t Netemp-san self-destruct and die!?」
「I~~? I~I?」
「I-I!」
Etemp body was deftly playing two roles in front of the confused Kousuke to whisper something at each other.
Unfortunately Kousuke was unable to understand what they were saying but……
If by chance he could understand what they were saying, then Etemp-san and Netemp-san were saying something like this.
――Haa? I died? What is this person saying?
――He doesn’t know that you just need to possess something else if there’s no body
――Normally anyone can guess that much isn’t it? If it’s master he’ll guess it right away
――Well, about that, you know, it’s this person
――Pitiful isn’t he
――Yes, he’s pitiful
「I don’t really get it but, I know that for now Netemp-san is safe and become together with Etemp-san and you two are making fun of me.」
The tragic feeling inside Kousuke had vanished without a trace.
Come to think of it, that 「I’ll be back！」 voice, it was intentionally the voice recording of a certain person himself. To think that these arachne had such function, he felt half understanding and half resentful.
And then, for such option to be expressly installed on them meant that from the beginning it had been assumed that a romance attack like self-destruction could be done as many time as one liked as long as the body could be switched. Kousuke noticed that too.
In other words, that self-destruction was a completely normal attack for Etemp-san and Netemp-san. 「I wish you would tell me beforehand if it’s like that……」 Kousuke couldn’t help but hold his head in his hands.
Setting that aside, if asked why Etemp-san was screaming like that……
――More importantly Netemp-chan! You self-destructed intentionally!
――Yes? What do you mean?
――Don’t play dumb! You should know that the space distortion bomb wouldn’t break just from that much!
――And so what?
――You just want a new body!
――I heard that recently master is pouring his effort to develop a maid robot
――I know it! You’re planning to beg master for the body with the achievement of completing the mission through self-destruction!
――That’s right! Do you have any problem with it!?
――Oh my, how defiant! I’ll be the one to receive the maid body!
――No! My dearest wish the cute humanoid body will be mine!
――The new thing belong to the big sister! It’s common sense!
――Haaaah, this is why delusion is really terrifying! The like of you is just a big sister (lol)!
――What did you sayyy! Eei, get out! Get out from my body!
――No-, absolutely no!
――Just enter one of the garbages scattered around here!
――The body created by master is better!
――What are you saying when you self-destructed one just now huhhh!
Of course Kousuke couldn’t hear such conversation. But, seeing the Etemp body was punching itself and rolling around, he could guess that the two inside there were quarreling.
Kousuke was suddenly assaulted by exhaustion and let out a long sigh 「Haa~~~~~~~h」.
But, right after that, a terrific tremor shook the building. Vibration was coming down from above. It felt like that vibration was reaching until the bottom of his stomach……
「Was it a lightning strike?」
Kousuke’s expression tensed. He lightly picked up Etemp body in his fingers and put it on his shoulder.
「For now, mission complete. We’re both completely battered but, let’s do our best for a bit more.」
「I!」
The vibration and thunderclap that reached this far intermittently made Kousuke imagined the intense battle at the mountain summit. He whipped his exhausted body and left that place.
