Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (WN)

16-75. Saga Empire, Battle at the Imperial Capital (5)

"Yes, Red. Activating 《Absolute Throne》 so I tell."

A belt-shaped light circles around Nana, branching into top and bottom, and turning into a sphere.

Countless magic circles pop up on the sphere's surface, its exterior is transforming into a shell of light while the magic circles are constantly changing.

"This looks more like a Shell than a Throne doesn't it."

Arisa gave her impression while floating in the effective range of <<Absolute Throne>> along with Nana.

That's right, Throne doesn't only cover Nana, it puts Arisa and the girls along with even Lulu's floating fort inside the light--in the safe space.

"Incoming~?"

The bullhorn woman's omni-directional attack assaulted them.

It's like a diffused version of the petrification beam shot from her snake hair, it's a Petrification Shower.

The Petrification Shower was blocked off by an invisible barrier wall just above the Light Shell, gray crumbles scattered into the surroundings furiously.

"Ooh, it's not working!"

Arisa shouted while clenching her fist.

"No, Red. The barrier's outer layer is getting scrapped off. Lifting off Movement Lock. Switching to Mobile Defense Mode."

Right after Nana said that, Throne flew off in the sky as if sliding.

Unlike Fortress and Castle, Throne is capable of traversal.

"It's moving kinda like a UFO."

"I can't believe there's no inertia inside."

Arisa and Hikaru were impressed at the inertia-less traversal inside.

"Nana, get some distance. I'll do something about the Reflect thingy, so Hikaru-cchi, and Lulu, please have at it."

"Our opponent has a Reflect-type Unique Skill, you know? Can you even interfere with it?"

"Fufuhn, just leave it all to Arisa-chan! There's ways to go about it without a direct confrontation!"

Arisa winked shoddily.

"And Fenrir?"

"Let's have that kid as an insurance after the two."

"Got it."

While they were talking, Lulu Floating Fort's Acceleration Barrel was deployed, the holy shell loaded.

"Oh crap! Lamiko-san, Aegis!"

Hero Fuu shouted out loud.

"Shield of Aegis on a Medusa demon lord?"

Arisa tilted her head in puzzlement, feeling something's not right with the Greek myth setting.

"Wrong! Lamiko-san is a Lamia demon lord!"

The keen eared Hero Fuu corrected Arisa's murmur with a loud voice.

All the effort to hide her race with some kind of sacred treasure had gone to waste by this disclosure, but it must have been one important thing that Hero Fuu could not yield.

This functionality that enables those inside Throne to have a conversation with those outside was installed due to Arisa's persistent request.

"I'm shooting!"

『IGNITION!』

The Floating Fort's assist voice replied to Lulu as she pulled the trigger.

The holy shell that has been accelerated to Mach 20 speed flew straight toward the bullhorn woman while leaving a laser-like blue trail behind.

At the same time, a giant dark purple magic circle--Aegis, appeared in front of the bullhorn woman.

The Aegis that made it by a hair's breadth reflected Lulu's holy shell back.

"Nyu!"

Sensing the crisis, Tama's ears stood straight up.

Pochi who was standing next to her had her tail briskly tucked in between her legs.

"Fools--"

Believing in his victory, Hero Fuu muttered.

His face turned to that of a shock a moment later.

"--No way!"

The holy shell that had been reflected by Aegis got reflected back right when it was between the bullhorn woman and Throne, coming back to the bullhorn woman once again.

After a back and forth like that of a ping-pong ball hitting a smash wall, the holy shell reached its limit and broke apart leaving only blue light.

"I saw it."

Arisa is looking at the bullhorn woman who's slightly bleeding out.

She was hurt by the shredded bits of broken holy shell.

The bullhorn woman's Unique Skill [Shield of Reflect God (Aegis)] can only reflect attacks that hit the shield part--in other words, it can only defend against frontal attacks.

"I have confirmed it also. We're launching a surprise attack from the sky. Tama, send me and Pochi onto the back of Lyuryu standing by in the sky."

"Nin nin~"

"Wait! Don't be reckless, she can turn you into stone."

"It's okay nanodesu! Armor person will protect us with its 『Falanxu~』 nodesuyo."

"My armor can deploy Phalanx eight times, while Pochi's 64 times. There is nothing to worry about."

The bullhorn woman continued on with the petrification beam attack even while Arisa and Liza had the discussion, but Nana led the bullhorn woman outside while evading the attack with skillful maneuvers.

◇

"Dammit, dammit, what the hell are those guys. Lamiko-san is a level 95 demon lord I tell you! She wasted a third of Saga Empire during her active era, she's one of the only five great demon lords. I get it if it's a level 92 hero, but how'd a bunch of level 80s guys overwhelm her!"

Hero Fuu who's being protected inside the bullhorn woman's cleavage cursed out. Looks like he hasn't noticed that he's being a bottleneck to the bullhorn woman as she's protecting him with both her hands.

"Dammit, these guys must've got cheat equipment--"

Hero Fuu hit on something all of a sudden.

(That's it, we just have to catch even one of them and snatch their equipment. With Lamiko-san's equipment evolving Unique Skill 『Free Equipment』, she'll make it her own. Might as well catch every last one of them and make their absurd bombardment and defensive powers Lamiko-san's own.)

Hero Fuu smiled wickedly like that of a villain.

(I'm sure they think that Lamiko-san only has two Unique Skills, 『Queen of Petrification (Medusa)』 that can shoot out petrification beam from her snake hair and omni-directional magic circles, and the attack reflection 『Shield of Reflect God (Aegis)』.)

As hero Fuu racked his brain, the bullhorn woman's wounds recovered before his very eyes.

(The 『Unlimited Regeneration (Rebirth)』 that the fake kansai accent gave me was useful as expected. Too bad the other one, 『Master Wizard』, isn't usable since it's not a good match with Lamiko-san. If it's really a skill that allow anyone to use any magic like that guy told me, even these heroes and their cheat equipment would be nothing...)

Hero Fuu has no idea.

[Unlimited Regeneration (Rebirth)] and [Master Wizard] given to the bullhorn woman by the goblin demon lord were of of Lich Demon Lord and Fake Lord Shin.

Just how did Unique Skills from defeated demon lords that should have been sealed in the [Divine Sword] and [Divine Gift Talismans] got here--.

Hero Fuu has no way of knowing that mystery.

◇

"How could the demon lord that had perished along with the Snake God Labyrinth by the hands of the Heavenly Dragons 800 years ago be here..."

The emperor muttered while looking at a screen showing the situation outside displayed in the City Core Room.

Neither his supporting aides nor his protector knights were beside him.

"My subjects that I should have been protecting had all already been killed by these demon lords huh."

The emperor derided himself while looking at numerical values displayed by City Core.

"For me to shamelessly survive by myself after losing everything..."

The emperor had no idea that the people were taken to safety with Arisa's space magic while he was devoting himself to hold the castle against the raiding vampire demon lord.

"Emperor of the world's greatest Saga Empire is nothing but an incompetent man."

Clenching his fists until they're bleeding blood.

--You must not give up yet.

Voice of a child echoed in the emperor's ears.

"Now I'm even hearing things..."

--Can you hear me, o child of mortals. I am calling your mind.

The emperor corrected his postures to hear the intermittent voice.

"It cannot be, are you God."

A phrase that would have been spouted off by any reincarnated person sounded fresh to the emperor who was born in this other world.

--There is no time. I shall bestow you the mean to seal away the wicked demon lord and the fallen heroes.

The owner of the voice continued on without replying to the emperor.

--Command the City Core to accept. I shall bestow you a seal art that once sealed away Demon God.

Even though normally he should have been more wary about the possibility of this being a trap, the emperor operates the City Core just as the voice tells him to, as if he's being controlled.

--O my dear mortal child. Endeavor your utmost.

"By your will."

The emperor operates the City Core with eyes that have lost their lights.

City Core should originally have an automatic defensive function that protects its master from mind control.

However, the aforementioned function in this City Core has been turned off by an unknown party.

◇

"Lyuryu, armor person, let's go with Capatult vertical dive bomb nodesu!"

On the back of a white dragon flying high in the sky, Pochi shouted out loud.

With no one correcting her about 'Catapult' part, the strategy progresses on.

――ＬＹＵＲＹＵＲＹＵＵＵ。

『YES MY GIRL. DIMENSION CATAPULT ACTIVATING』

A silver flickering board appeared in front of the white dragon that has initiated a nose dive. It's an acceleration board.

The white dragon accelerated at once, surpassing speed of sound.

"Body clone art nanodesu!"

『PHYSICAL MIRROR IMAGE』

More Pochi is appearing on the white dragon's back.

"Nin nin."

64 Pochi and innumerable cat ninjas are clinging to the white dragon.

"Deathblow, Magic Edge Vorpal Strike Excelion, Stand by nanodesu!"

『YES MY GIRL. EXTRA MODE ACTIVATING.』

Pochi's armor is transforming into Assault Mode, a mode that specializes in charging attack.

"Here we go."

Liza who accelerated herself by shooting magic edge cannon out of the sole of her feet leaped off the white dragon the first most.

Faster than sound, the beastkin girls rained down on the bullhorn woman straight from above her.

--ＬＷＵＨＵＡＭＺＩＥＥＡ.

Either she had a Crisis Perception skill, or it was a wild instinct, the bullhorn woman attempted to move the Aegis she was using to protect herself against Lulu and Hikaru's assaults to above her.

However, she simply won't make it in time.

"Magic Spear Dragg Buster."

Liza's deathblow that could even drive away a dragon pulverized the bullhorn woman's left shoulder.

"Magic Edge Vorpal Strike nanodesu!"

48 of the 64 Pochi were hit by the snake hair's petrification beam, but the remaining 16 Pochi struck the right shoulder one after another.

"Uwaa, whoa, whoa--"

Hero Fuu who was thrown off the cleavage due to the impact was saved by one of the snake hair, landing near her ear.

"Nin nin~?"

The invading cat ninjas who were hiding in Pochi's and Liza's shadows jumped out of shadow and cut down the snake hair.

"How dare you do that to Lamiko-san's hair!"

Hero Fuu's soul magic turned the snake hair into undead that then proceeded to chase the cat ninjas around.

The cat ninjas who were being chased around by undead snake hair looked like they were having fun somehow, but eh, must have just been imagining things.

--ＬＷＵＨＵＡＭＺＩＥＥＡ.

The bullhorn woman who should have lost both her shoulders mowed down at Liza and Pochi with her arm.

The two managed to evade a direct hit using Flickering Step, but they got swallowed in the gale produced by the shockwave, they couldn't evade all the debris flying toward them like buckshot, exhausting all the [Phalanx] defense system installed in their armor.

Liza and Pochi tore apart the raised cloud of dust that looked like a black smoke, rushing to a safe spot.

"Oh good, looks like the two are fine."

Arisa patted her chest in relief.

"Regeneration."

Mia murmured while pointing at the bullhorn woman's shoulders.

The shoulders that have been pulverized by Liza and Pochi are regenerating with white smoke rising out of them.

"Knew it, it's got regeneration--Mia."

"Nn, order."

Inside Throne, Arisa gave the signal to Mia.

Lesser Fenrir that was lurking in the debris jumped out and bit off the bullhorn woman's snake torso as she passed by.

--ＬＷＵＨＵＡＭＺＩＥＥＡ.

The bullhorn woman screamed out loud and strangled Lesser Fenrir with her snake torso.

Even the part that had been bitten off by Fenrir is regenerating back.

"Here's our chance. 『Space Disintegrate』 at Hero Fuu--"

"You can't."

Hikaru steps forward in front of Arisa.

"You've got to leave that stuff to an adult who has dirtied her hands once."

Hikaru casts <<Multiple Javelins>>.

The rain of spears makes use of Lulu's Accelerated Barrel before rushing off toward Hero Fuu, who's clinging onto the bullhorn woman's ear, at 20 times the speed of sound.

◇

"Uaoo, I'm falling--"

Hero Fuu desperately clung onto bullhorn woman's ear trying not to fall off her when the platinum-colored wolf was bitting her.

He let out a sigh of relief after the bullhorn woman retaliated and stabilized her posture.

His eyes caught sight of approaching death before him.

Invisible spears are raining down on him at unbelievable speed.

Hero Fuu managed to miraculously caught sight of it due to the excess adrenaline pumping in him, however, he possessed no power to go against that.

He could only stare at the approaching death, a cruel miracle.

And, after a momentarily pause.

Rain of force spears exceeding 20 times speed of sound collided.

Red blood dyed the bullhorn woman's shoulder.

――ＬＷＵＨＵＡＭＺＩＥＥＡ。

The bullhorn woman's enraged roar echoed above Saga Empire's sky.