The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

『Helme, deploy <Spirit Ball Conception>. We’re going to use <Elixir Law – Catfish Conception> once more』

I poured mana into Helme.

『――Ahnnn』

Helme’s heavy panting reverberated through my mind.

I don’t think it’s because of Helme’s <Spirit Ball Conception>, but while being excited, Rotalz flew at a low altitude with a trajectory reminiscent of a catfish. While wielding his horn, he blew away many tree demons.

Eva had her swarm of metal pieces take on the form of an orca, before attacking the demons. She kept obliterating the tree demons which were continuously created.

Rollodeen had stopped her fire, but still attacked them with her claws.

Matobe, who was protecting Hina-san and Sana-san, and the Burning Knights cooperated, knocking down tall trees alongside the tree demons.

Overall, the speed of annihilation was overwhelming. It looked like all of them went at it with such a force that even the landscape got transformed.

But, the ones spawning from the roots in the ground kept coming.

The area on the left side, where my friends were going on a rampage, had countless trees destroyed and its soil up-heaved on a grand scale.

Maybe that patch of land will be later arable as a natural field.

But, I shelved that carefree pondering for the moment. My <Shining Chain Lances> didn’t show much of an effect against Sardyne. She might have simply avoided the light spears by reverting from being a giant to her previous state, though.

Either way, she’s probably going to be tough enough since she has the blood of Spirit World gods running through her veins. Maybe she also got a resistance against the light attribute. No, I suppose thinking that Spirit World automatically means weak to light is way too rash.

Even right now, Sardyne was…continuing to create huge numbers of ant-like tree demons from the ground.

Maybe she’s procuring power from the Sea of Trees?

As she glared at Kisara who had fled into the air, Sardyne spoke up, “…Originally, the roots of Kyulha-sama, you say? Still, one with the magic symbol of Mephalla, it looks like your nose and eyes are as effective as mine, huh?”

“――One creed of the Black Witch Church states, “Don’t forget the smell of the divine will and blessing of the great King Tree of Wisdom Storage Kyulha-sama’s roots,” after all.”

“I’ve never heard of such humans. I only used the Sea of Tree paths to come here, you see? In addition, not much time has passed since I was ejected into Sela, so I doubt any churches took notice of me. Ah, but your blood smell is different. Unlike the kin on the wheelchair over there, you aren’t the spearmaster’s kin, are you!?”

Leaving a short pause after Sardyne’s speech, Kisara looked at me miserably, and then answered, “…That’s right. Queen who has inherited the Blood of Destruction, if you oppose Shuuya-sama, the messiah of our church as Damo’Anun Bringer, I shall exterminate you, even if you might carry the blood of Kyulha-sama or the Blood of Destruction in you.”

“Haha, you’re going to exterminate me? Don’t make me laugh, cheeky, black chick. Also, the hair bundles, or whatever they are, protruding out of your spear are certainly pretty, but they’re weird…I wonder are demonic spirits, miasma, or maliciousness contained in them?” Sardyne sneered while narrowing her eyes.

She seemed to be vigilant of the filaments extending from Kisara’s witch spear.

“…It’s miasma. Your Demonic Eyes seem to possess a fairly high quality. Anyway. Thou becomest piercing, Desert Crow. Hyureya.” Kisara also intensified her scowl, and used her supernatural <Magic Breath>.

While making a kind of ancient song resound, she caused great numbers of crows to manifest from the rosaries on both her wrists. Dancing paper dolls were also blended in among the crows. And then her black mask transformed into a helmet imitating a condor. The helmet consisted of a brainpan and visor, but didn’t have a jaw protector.

As the grimoire at her waist shone, the pattern on its front cover changed as well.

Her dignified appearance as Heavenly Four Witch exuded the aura of a strong warrior. It was very promising to see her not being outdone by Queen Sardyne.

She’s an amazing woman, considering she isn’t even a Light Demon Lucival <Head Servant Leader> yet.

After deploying the crows and paper dolls in a defensive formation in the air, Kisara pointed the spearhead of her witch spear at Sardyne.

“Hmm, what a nice song. But, do you really think I’d get gold feet from Mephalla’s scent and you haughtily pointing your spear at me?” Sardyne asked provokingly.

Kisara ignored her question. Instead, she manipulated the crows and paper dolls. The flock of paper dolls formed a defense encampment in a flash.

The upper half of Kisara’s face was hidden beneath her condor-styled helmet, so it was hard for me to tell her expression, but the sharp glint in her blue eyes was apparent. Her wariness was currently at maximum. The edge of her magic garment, which covered a part of her nun’s garb, was fluttering in the wind. Black mana particles were dispersed from the swaying edge.

She kept flying like a fairy.

“――New demons have appeared on the left and right side of Sardyne. I’m bothered by them strangely not emitting any mana,” warned Kisara.

Just as she mentioned, some of the demons, who were kneeling towards Sardyne, were different from the tree-based ones. It seemed as though plant demons with auras, resembling those of the strong fighters that fought in the sky earlier, had been created.

“What, these guys are――”

“――They aren’t counterattacking and their numbers are abnormal!”

The members of 【Sea of Trees Hunt】 yelled.

It looks like they survived the multi-staged attack of stakes and flamberges by the Sardyne giant. The adventurer party drew closer to us while continuously attacking the newly spawned tree demons.

Then they shifted their attention to the lake’s shore where I had abandoned the silver coffin that sealed Kizeleg away.

“What’s that silver coffin? The design on it is fairly interesting.”

“――No magic elements are coming out of it, so let’s leave the treasure chest alone. Right now, we got that diadem-wearing demon to deal with, right?” Aleyza lopped off the head of a demon by swinging her glowing sword sideways.

At the same time, the warrior illusion that floated above her head brandished a glittering sword with a terrifying speed, carving a dazzling sword trace into the air. It caused the heads of the demons in front of her to fly off into the air.

Aleyza was fighting like a warrior. Because of the Amazon-like outfit cladding her body, she reminded me of War Priestess Ivanka.

“――Roger. It’s clear that the plant demon with the diadem isn’t just some new species. But, is the spearmaster a kin of a water god? His movements as he defeated the giant was so fast that I couldn’t follow it with my eyes. A catfish-shaped liquid inhabits his left eye. And the liquid connecting his eyes with the catfish has become a magic water armor protecting one of his body halves, hasn’t it?” The hunk called Ricks commented on my appearance.

But what does he mean with the liquid armor part?

Wondering, I looked down at myself, just to notice something looking like an armor attached to Hal’Konk.

I think its shape is close to a belt like they’d extend from a trench coat. At least its width was similar to that of a belt. It was shining blue and black while connected to buttons and metallic fasteners which were alternatively glittering in black and blue as well. It seems to be liquid, but maybe it’s solid? Is this proof of Helme having grown after absorbing a part of Golgonshura?

It appeared as though <Spirit Ball Conception> had evolved, too.

“And, I thought that gale-like spearmaster had defeated that gigantic plant demon, but…”

“Yep. The plethora of ranged, tree-based attacks she scattered, and now the creation of countless new kin…”

“Her amount of mana is tremendous, too. She’s definitely an S-Class target.”

The dual-spear wielder, Malega, reacted to Ricks’s words, “No way. For her to be related to someone like the Tree King of Wonder――”

Even as he spoke, Malega unleashed a technique that looked just like a Touro stance. 1

He rotated the two twin-bladed spears vertically at a tremendous speed, bisecting the demons’ bodies in the process. Next, after firmly stepping as if extending his left leg diagonally to the front, he tilted his body to the left with the force of hitting the inside of his right elbow against the temple of his own head. Malega thrust out the two spears to the left while also extending his right body half. It was a pose as if he was creating a triangle with his body and spears.

It looks like some yoga pose, but I guess it’s a technique of his dual-spear style.

His spearheads stabbed through the back of a demon diagonally at the front left.

“Malega, those are nice moves. But, the plant demon with the diadem in the center is a completely different type compared to the noble youth, isn’t she?”

“Yeah, but, what should I do? ――I used up my anti-vampire equipment. Even my favorite Pearlhanma Daggers vanished…”

Even as Ricks spoke to Uno, the leader of their party, he extended silver sword blades from his wrists and used them to attack the demons. The silver blades were slender. But, their gleaming points appeared to be sharp.

Just now, he pierced the head of a bulky-looking tree demon with them.

And then, after shaking off the blood or whatever it was of the blades, he moved his wrists as if to draw silver lines in the air, cutting a demon on his left apart.

Is he also using a secret art like Saraten?

His somersaults and cartwheels were fast.

I guess he’s someone with assassin-like abilities who’s mastered a unique sword style.

“My skill stakes didn’t work either. <Orness’s Strings>――! As part of 【Savage Land Skill Exploration Church】, I’d love to catch her, but…”

With her golden eyes gleaming, Uno expanded string clad in reddish violet flames into the vicinity from both her hands. The parts of the demons touched by those strings changed their color into reddish violet. Immediately following, the demons stopped moving.

“――You mean it’s also Skill God Reford’s wish?”

Ricks’s daggers, connected to him through magic lines, stabbed into the demons that stopped moving. Ricks shifted from an elastic movement like that of a swaying willow to a forward-bent posture, and closed in on a demon he had stabbed with his daggers while somersaulting. And then he thrust out the silver swords growing out his wrists at the demon’s head.

The silver blades sank into the demon’s head, penetrating it as if cutting through butter.

His exclusive helmet on top of the expressions and motions displayed by him as a handsome guy were, honestly speaking, pretty cool.

I guess I’ll try to imitate him by extending Saraten halfway from my wrist.

『Vessel, don’t come up with unnecessary stuff. Rather than that, offer the blood of that plant demon to me』

Saraten retorted after having read my mind.

『If you bicker about it like that, you won’t get a turn instead』

『Uuughhh! You stupid vessel!!』

Saraten suddenly lost her nerve, screaming out with an adorable voice.

“――Ricks! I’m part of the exploration church, but I have no memory of ever becoming Reford-sama’s kin!” Aleyza yelled while wielding her sword.

Ricks was in the middle of a backward somersault after cartwheeling. After delivering a drop kick against a demon with both feet, he spread his arms to the sides while standing up, stabbing the heads of the demons on his left and right side with his silver blades.

Then, just like that, Ricks rotated his body sideways so as to face Aleyza. While twisting his blades through the heads of two demons.

“――Don’t be so upset, Aleyza. We’re comrades who have connections to gods of the divine domain, aren’t we? I’m well aware that you’re a war priestess of the War God Faith.”

“I’m a war priestess of War Goddess Ishlur. You know that it’s a denomination of the War God Faith, don’t you?”

So there exists a War Goddess Ishlur besides War God Vice, huh?

“Leaving that aside, the demons, which keep spawning from the tree roots, don’t fight back at all. Most of them keep bowing their heads, don’t they?”

With a broad grin, Ricks sent a wink in Aleyza’s direction.

He’s probably in the middle of putting the moves on her or something like that.

“Ricks, you’ve stopped moving. Just like the spearmaster and his friends are cleaning up, we must also secure a path of retreat! We’re going to continue getting rid of the enemies just like this――”

Intensifying her glare, Uno tossed a scroll behind her. An explosion followed a flash of light from that scroll. In addition to the explosion, small, solid toruses manifested in the air. Those small toruses pinned down the demons, which appeared from the ground like bugs, from above, creating an escape route.

“Aye.”

They headed towards their escape route while purging the demons around them with splendid teamwork.

“But, their spawn rate sure is fast. These mysterious tree demons are essential as information for the Left Leader.”

The instant Ricks said so, a demon different from the tree-types, threw a fist at him who let his guard down. But, Malega dealt with the attack by blowing away the punching demon with a rotational kick into its belly.

“――Thanks, Malega.”

“Don’t mention it. But, that diadem-wearing demon isn’t normal. We have to hurry with the retreat.”

“What’s the spearmaster going to do?”

“I’m extremely curious about that as well, but you know that he’s no opponent we could seize on the fly, right? That’s why I agree with Malega’s view. We must report about this and the matter of the noble youth to the Left Leader.”

Sardyne detected the members of 【Sea of Trees Hunt】 retreating, and summoned flamberge-shaped swords from both her hands, pointing them at the adventurers.

The tree demons, which continued to spawn anew, withdrew to the sides as if to enact Moses’s ocean-splitting, creating a path for Sardyne.

“You tiny, impudent humans! Don’t expect that I’ll allow you to escape after you’ve been slaughtering my kin――”

Sardyne shouted, starting to dash through the newly-created path in a forward-bent posture. The members of 【Sea of Trees Hunt】 had meddled in our fight, but the party had some beauties within its ranks.

I’m going to save them――

Making that decision, I clad my whole body in Magic Combat Style, and started to run with Magic Combat Step after covering my feet with blood. At the same time, I manipulated my <Chain>.

The two chains, which crossed each other paths as they advanced at a terrifying speed, bisected the torsos of the small-fry demons who stood in my way while bowing their heads. Then I erased the two <Chains> and <Threw> Baldok while jumping towards Sardyne.

I succeeded in taking her by surprise as the red spear stabbed into her belly.

“――Gyaaaaah!”

Without caring about her screaming, I closed the distance, and delivered a kick against Baldok’s butt end, pushing it even further through her body.

While confirming that the new red spear and ax blade had drilled into her abdomen, I pulled out Baldok.

The round wound in her belly closed up in an instant. And she hurled the flamberge around her right shoulder at me while intensifying her glare.

I met the flamberge by hitting it from below with a compact swing of Baldok. The red ax blade, with its new shape, clashed against the flamberge, causing a dissonant, metallic clang to toll into the vicinity.

“――That weapon chipped my sword. But――”

She attempted to cut my leg with the flamberge in her other hand. In response, I jumped, dodging her lower slash.

But, Sardyne matched my motions, swinging down her flamberge while rotating her body. While landing, I held up Baldok diagonally, warding her flamberge off to the left. In the same motion, I delivered a mid-tier kick at Sardyne’s torso while focusing on keeping my balance with my pivot leg and Baldok’s butt end.

However, Sardyne reacted to the kick. She parried the kick by drawing a semicircle with her flamberge from below to above.

Next I targeted Sardyne’s head. I’m going to chop that diadem once more!

————— End of Part 1 —————

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Putting that strong desire into the rotational force of the red ax blade, I swung it down. But, Sardyne crossed the flamberge in front of her face, completely blocking the ax blade.

Furious sparks illuminated Sardyne and me. I suffered some burns, but without minding that, I swiftly unleashed a <Water Drill> after pulling back Baldok first.

Red spear and ax blade, engulfed by water steam, headed for Sardyne’s chest, but while moving sideways, she caused her flamberge to clash with Baldok’s spear.

Sardyne shifted her flamberge from a vertical to a slanted orientation, parrying Baldok. Nevertheless, Baldok’s spearhead, which had changed due to the spiraling motion and being clad in steam, caught onto the flamberge with a part of its blade that had been spiraling as if chasing the flamberge’s motion.

I succeeded in flicking off that flamberge away.

At once, I drew back my right hand, which held Baldok, and sent out a low-tier <Fang Stab>.

Yet, Sardyne advanced with an astounding speed while smiling. Baldok’s spearhead only managed to graze her femur. But because she had stepped forward before, Sardyne dodged the <Fang Stab>.

Sardyne, who had easily entered my bosom, targeted my belly with the other flamberge. In a hurry, I dealt with it by using my left fist after wrapping it up with <Chain>――

Eh? Did I misread her intention?

Sardyne hooked Baldok’s central part with the wave-shaped blade of her flamberge, and turned the flamberge around, forcing Baldok to also turn.𝑏𝑒𝑑𝑛𝘰𝑣𝑒𝘭.𝑐𝑜𝑚

After motioning a punch with her bare-handed arm, she grabbed at Baldok.

“――Hihi, no one said I can only use swords.”

“Looks like it.”

I canceled the <Chain> coiled around my fist, and quickly placed my left hand on Baldok’s handle, now grabbing its handle with two hands. I tried to suppress Sardyne’s flamberge with my strength as Lucival.

It developed into a contest of strength as we glared at each other. Sardyne’s swordsmanship and close combat techniques were sophisticated. No wonder that the demons around us prostrated themselves towards her in awe.

“I’ll take the halberd that wounded me for myself!”

As she curtly announced her intent, her gaudy silver and gold diadem shone brightly.

It looks like she wants my Baldok. Apparently she’s planning to snatch the magic halberd from me after flinging me away through the motional force of powerfully rotating her flamberge.

But, there’s no way I’d relinquish my weapon so easily to her.

“My spear kumite is――”

Sardyne grunted in surprise at the same time as I erased Baldok. After launching an uppercut with my left fist, I drove a right elbow blow into her torso, which had lost its balance due to the sudden disappearance of the resisting force in the power struggle.

“――Gueeeh!” Sardyne wheezed something similar to a magic breath out of her mouth.

Next, I aimed for her heart, thrusting out a spear hand after accumulating mana in it in the style of my <White Flame Sage Hand>. The mana-lade spear hand went through a part of Sardyne’s chest protector.

However, no bleeding came from the wound. Well, I didn’t sense a fleshy response from my spear hand, so I guess it didn’t reach all the way.

Lastly, I delivered a left turning kick against her solar plexus.

“Guuh!”

Grunting quietly, Sardyne lowered her head and fell back.

“My master was surprised as well――” I dashed while bragging about my spear kumite.

I entered the motion of a dropkick, but the idea was a different one. I planned to smash Sardyne’s diadem who was retreating while tottering.

A hick against her temples hit her head. The feedback through Arzen’s Boot was solid.

In the next instant, Sardyne got blown away. While revolving sideways, she bumped against many demons. But at the end, Sardyne got back up as if being propped up by the demons around her.

The area where Arzen’s boot hit was now dented, reproducing the shape of the boot’s instep. But, her neck protector had transformed so as to block the head kick. It had extended upwards as if imitating a swan’s wing.

Just like that, Sardyne moved her arms, holding them up in front of her chest.

Is she creating some religious sign with her fingers? An attack? No, it’s something else.

A small magic crest appeared in front of Sardyne’s face. Another crest with the size of a button manifested in front of her chest.

Next, a small, dazzling magic crest also appeared in front of her buttocks. Then a rain of mana poured down on Sardyne from inside the vertically aligned crests.

As her whole body was basked in mana, the bark armor at her chest expanded. As if fusing with the rest of her armor, also including her neck protector, it turned into a new magic armor. It consisted of a material that seemed to combine steel and ceramic.

Moreover, new, steel-frame-like trees grew out of her feet, stabbing into the ground and thus connecting her with the soil.

I guess she intends to recover.

“I don’t have any plans to obediently watch you regenerate like that,” I declared while signaling Kisara and Eva with my eyes.

My partner was outside my field of vision as she was protecting Sana-san and Hina-san.

I kicked off the ground with Magic Combat Step, charging forward. Simultaneously I activated 《Frozen Snake Arrow》. Next I retrieved an Ancient Dragon Dagger from my chest strap, and <Threw> it. The 《Frozen Snake Arrows》 spiraled as if coiling around the dagger as they all headed for Sardyne.

But, a demon stepped forward so as to protect her. He wore a grim helmet with countless horns.

The restraining dagger and 《Frozen Snake Arrows》 ran into the big hammer swung by the demon. He easily blocked my dagger and magic.

Yet, I kept advancing without minding that. After an initial restraining stab, I’m going to release a <Thrust> with the aim to pierce the burly, armored demon alongside his hammer.

“――I shall not allow you to touch Her Majesty the Queen.”

The demon swung the hammer up from the bottom left, matching his swing with the red spear’s restraining stab. Sparks scatter from the spot where both collided.

But, he couldn’t block the <Thrust> which spiraled as if engulfed by a storm. The instant, the spear drilled through the hammer, made out of steel or wood while containing mana, the hammer burst open with a loud screech, turning into small pieces.

Helme followed up for me on the hammer fragments. Countless hands extended from a part of the catfish layer, grabbed the fragments, and pulled them inside their liquid.

At once, the fragments were shot back out from the catfish’s mouth, hitting the demon with the peculiar helmet.

It was a nice assist from Helme.

In the meantime, I had erased Baldok from my right hand. Next, I tried to summon it into my right hand again, but the demon, now unarmed, moved unexpectedly quickly.

He charged at me while taking the fragment blows shot out by Helme. He closed the distance to me, and sent a punch with his mana-laden right fist at me. It looked as though his bulky shoulder blurred.

His speed in switching to close combat was completely different from the other demons who were merely bowing their heads.

While moving my body to the left, I shot <Chain> out of my left wrist, piercing through the demon’s right fist. Moreover, I had <Chain> coil itself around his arm.

“Guuaaaah!”

I reeled in <Chain>. Naturally, the demon was dragged closer to me with the chain. I grabbed his right arm, and deliberately lowered my waist as if to hit the ground with my knees. The demon was pulled down as well, his posture falling apart as if he was prostrating himself in front of me.

While I erased <Chain>, I twisted the demon’s arm sideways so as to have his back lay on the ground. Due to the force behind the rotation, the demon’s arm got twisted and broke.

“Guuuoo!”

The demon hit the hard ground with his back. While standing, I delivered a kick against his flank with the instep of Arzen’s Boot.

I sensed how his side gave way from the feedback, but it still felt hard. Due to the kick’s impact, the demon was blown away while tumbling across the roots on the ground, coming to a halt at Sardyne’s feet.

“……”

Seeing how her subordinate got attacked, Sardyne’s eyes gleamed ominously.

Just for caution’s sake, I maintained some distance from her.

“Nn, Sergilon doesn’t work? These two new demons are Sardyne’s close aides?” Eva asked.

It looks like she sent out Sergilon’s Steel Orbs while I was fighting. But, seemingly having been showered by black rain from a black cloud, her steel orbs had fallen to the ground, their color changed.

Apparently the magician demon, who caused a small black cloud to float above his head, unleashed a weird defense technique.

“Figures. He’s probably the same as that hammer demon.”

Suddenly a part of the black cloud above the demon transformed into something akin to a shield, deploying in front of the queen in order to protect her.

I summoned Baldok while wondering whether I should kill the magician demon first. But at that moment, I saw Kisara descending from the sky at a steep angle, releasing a <Thrust>-based technique at the demon’s head with her witch spear.

But, the demon stretched his slender neck like a crane, avoiding the stab. Even as the witch spear’s butt end approached him, he rotated his body, cleanly dodging Kisara’s attack.

The magician demon moved around while capitalizing on his spindly body. While engulfing his body with the black cloud, he kept evading the sharp thrusts lunging at him in succession.

The witch spear’s skull spearhead emitted faint, metallic noises, sounding kind of mortified. Blood splattered from the spearhead, but it was rare for the spear to strike and miss so often.

Arbor and black clouds dispersed from the dodging demon. While repelling Kisara’s stabs and sweeps with a black cloud shield, he completely blocked all of her chain attacks. His skillful retreats while winding his body were distinctive of demons.

The demon and Kisara kept drifting towards the left side with their exchange of blows and evasions.

Rotalz keenly watched from above, aiming for a good opportunity to attack, but he didn’t join Kisara’s offense. After all, many of his attacks affected a wide range, on top of him having a huge frame. Hence, he was avoiding to drag Kisara into his attack.

“For the Hammer of Destruction, which I was given by Her Majesty, to be destroyed instead…”

The burly demon stood up after taking my kick. Sardyne held up a hand, transferring branch-patterned mana to the demon. It seemed as though her regeneration had finished.

“So you recovered, huh?”

Sardyne nodded in reply to my question. She stared at Baldok with a frightened expression that didn’t fit a queen at all.

“…That’s only natural, no?” Sardyne’s voice was trembling. While touching her diadem with her fingers so as to check its condition, she added, “But, What’s that chaotic weapon? Cutting this horned diadem, absorbing the blood and mana of Kyulha-sama and Rashinz Lebioda-sama, and changing its form? And then it even managed to destroy Durga’s weapon…”

Knock down with a feather, and so on. No, I guess that’s wrong, Baldok is anything but a feather. 2

Lifting up my favorite weapon which has been growing so fast that it devours through my Spirit, I stared at the new shape of its spearhead. While having kept the width of the red ax blade, the spearhead had extended while spiraling upwards. The new ax blade, which protruded to the side from close to the base of the red spear head, and the part that used to be the red ax blade had been connected while creating mother-of-pearl inlay patterns.

The tip of the spearhead had lengthened in comparison to before and become broader?

In short, a spear like a storm with its spiraling blade coiling in a vortex, eh? It might be better to call it a rain, no, storm cloud. It’s become a weapon with a fierce form. It might have evolved into a Mythological item.

The shaft and the position of the grip didn’t change, though. It fundamentally remained a violet, metallic staff. The big Magic Dragon Gem was still affixed to its butt end, too.

“I shall protect Her Majesty…”

The hammer demon appeared to be cautious of me who had hoisted up Baldok. While clasping the hilt of the broken hammer, the demon stepped forward with his right arm powerlessly hanging down.

He was wearing an integrated costume armor connecting his helmet and his armor. His head was a helmet-shaped cluster with the areas of his eyeballs being depressed. But I could still tell where he was looking.

Either way, his whole body was covered by a tough-looking armor. But, is that demon not emitting any mana? Is he a strong warrior like Delhart? Going by his appearance, he has the same vibe as the armored guy of the Shadow Wing Brigade I fought in the past.

At that point, the magician demon returned to his queen’s side after distancing himself from Kisara. He lined himself up next to the hammer demon.

“Durga, Neleus, move aside,” commanded Sardyne with a frosty, dignified voice.

Her subordinates inclined their heads towards Sardyne as she alighted from the root behind them.

“……”

Obediently following Sardyne’s order, the two demons acted just like Suke-san and Kaku-san. 3 Sardyne observed the magician demon called Neleus. A shower of black rain was pouring down on his tree skull from the black cloud that had endured Eva’s attacks.

I didn’t understand the meaning behind it, but he shook his body, which resembled those of humans, to the sides. His four, long and slender arms were loosely swaying, too. His hands possessed four fingers, including the thumb. Each and every finger was thick and crooked.

A kind of alien-like magician, huh…?

He wore what appeared to be glittering magic gems around his collar with the gems shining light blue. And his indecent attire looked like some patch work of cloth and wood.

“――Shuuya-sama, sorry for being unable to take him down,” Kisara said while coming back

“Nn, don’t mind. It was the same for me as well.”

Eva and Kisara nodded at each other.

Because Eva is my bloodkin, it’s only natural, but the two are quite reliable while giving off an aura of being friends, comrades, or lovers.

Now then, time to put a stop to merely observing the situation. I guess I’ll first answer Sardyne’s question.

“…This is a Magic Halberd. It’s made of the materials of the Evil Dragon King. According to the appraisal of a certain, excellent item appraiser, it’s a Legendary item. It looks like it has continued to absorb all kinds of blood and mana ever since then. And, with your mana and blood as triggers, the Magic Halberd has apparently evolved even further.”

I should try to draw out the power of this new Baldok, I suppose…

While imagining how I’m speaking to Baldok, I focused on <Meditation>. In the next instant, a skull patterned mana aura was ejected from the surface of Baldok’s spearhead as if it was laughing. Next, the aura’s shape as it coiled around the scales kept changing its form while absorbing my mana.

Just as Evil Beast Segilogun, Evil God Steertop’s clone, distorted monsters I’ve never seen before, and more kept gathering,

“Shuuya-sama, you have unified with Baldok’s mana…”

“Nn, like the blood chain armor! Leave her men to us, and focus on the queen.”

“Sure…,” I responded to Eva and Kisara with my voice lacking strength.

Even while feeling the typical thirst for blood of a vampire, I sensed power from Baldok. How mysterious.

“Nnn, nyaaa.”

I could also hear Rollodeen’s loud meowing from far in the back. She might have raised her face to roar towards the brightening sky as morning was just around the corner.

Alright, I’m gonna manage this new Baldok like I did with the restive Saraten!

『Did thou say anything to me?』

I started to walk while ignoring Saraten’s voice in my head.

At that moment, a darkness, which seemed to be an illusion of the Evil Dragon King, spread out from Baldok while mixed with violet and crimson colors. The scent of humus tickled my nose.

『lEt mE DeVoUR NOnhuMaNsSs!』

I felt like I heard such a voice reverberating in my head.

“What? An ancient dragon of darkness?”

It’s different from <Beginning Dusk>, but also similar? It’s not like I’ve yielded myself to the illusion of the Evil Dragon King, but…the sensation of Baldok devouring me still persists.

A storm of crimson, violet, and black from the pulsating Baldok turned into a whirlwind and blew violently to my right front. My mana was absorbed by Baldok.

I intended to move naturally, but while twisting my waist and right hand…in the state of preparing to thrust out Baldok…the distance to Sardyne was shortened in an instant.

Sardyne looked dumbstruck. The spiraling red spear created a storm of countless crimson blazes, as if the spirits of dark mana and the Evil Dragon King’s head of violet mana devoured each other, and drilled through Sardyne’s torso.

Queen Sardyne’s upper body vanished without her even screaming. Her lower body’s trees dissolved and fused with the ground. At the very same moment, the demons, which had spawned around us, vanished as well.

※ Piiing ※ <Crimson Storm Drill> ※ skill acquired ※

Oohh, Baldok’s new technique. It’s truly become a Nonhuman Life-Devouring Magic Halberd