8-15. The Day of the Final
Satou's here. There's this famous quote from Shakespeare, "To be, or not to be", but I thought that it was a quote from some battle manga character until after I had entered high school, such was my dark past. Everyone has ever misunderstood something right.
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Today Tama has been acting strange since the morning.
Just when I thought that she's walking randomly in the room, she quarrels with Pochi, then Arisa, or rather, she clings to them and rolls on the floor.
"What's wrong? Tama."
"Nn~? Something is itching~"
"Pun pun nanodesu! Today's Tama is strange nodesu."
Oh? Pochi looks unusually touchy too.
Tama thrusts herself on my lap which has Mia sitting on it as if she's pushing her, and then she's snuggling on my lap. I wonder what's wrong? It's rare for her to cut in by force.
"Chevalier-sama, are you not going to watch the final match today?"
"Yes, I've been asked to make the feast for the celebration of the final, so I'm going to go to the castle after a bit."
I hear that several nobles have asked the duke's butler. Only upper nobles are allowed to participate in the balls and banquets that the king will attend for the next several days, I can't participate on them. As expected they can't say that I have to cook on the balls and banquets I won't participate in.
In that regards, the celebration today isn't only attended by the winner and nobles, but also the martial artists who have participated in the main matches, and influential people of the duchy capital, so I've been asked to make several dishes like on the ball before.
Since the king seems to be attending the final today, lady Karina and her brother are also going to attend.
It looks like Tama has calmed down after I gently brush her back, she's sleeping with difficult face.
Right at that time, the duchy capital shocks.
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It was not an earthquake.
It was like an active sonar from a submarine, a signal from search magic was passing through once.
However, the power was not ordinary.
"What was that? Just now?
"Signal?"
"Some kind of bell sound has come nodesu!"
"Master, ready for battle."
Not only me, it seems that half of the members have perceived the signal earlier.
The reason why Tama has become emotionally unstable is probably because she's sensed the antecedent.
Liza has started equipping the new equipments I've given her the other day. Slightly later, Pochi and Nana have also began to change. My eyes are happy, but I can't keep watching it, so I ask Lulu to put a partitioning screen before Nana.
"Tama, change your clothes too."
"Aye~"
According to the map, demons have appeared. They're in the sky above the arena.
The arena is populated with 20 people who are higher than level 40, in addition to lady Ringrande, the prince and his companions. The demons have picked the wrong time. They probably would be eliminated before I could intervene.
"What's happened?"
"It's the demon again."
"Eh~, again~"
Really, I wish they learn some self-restraint soon.
Arisa and the others are also changing to the new equipments I've created the other day. It's thinner than Liza's, but they're all matching white leather. I've replaced everyone's weapon except Liza's with casted magic swords. They look quite different from the ones I've sold on the auction before, and the inscriptions are carved with 'Satou Pendragon'.
Looks like the demons can use [Summoning Magic], [Mind Magic], and [Fire Magic]. They likely will summon various things if they're given time, so let's dispose of them quickly.
After a bit of time has elapsed after everyone's began changing, the sound of duchy capital's alarm, the town bell, begins resounding.
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The nobles' houses on the duchy capital have underground shelters in preparation of demons' attack. These shelters are built abnormally strong for the sake of the nobles' own safeties. The ones that are in the upper noble house have the same strength as the outer wall even.
A bit later after the alarm have rung, a maid of this mansion comes to lead us to the shelter.
"Arisa."
"Hoi, hoi~"
"Please take refuge to the underground shelter with everyone. I'll send you a signal if it gets truly dangerous, I want you to immediately teleport to the underground labyrinth with everyone if that happens."
"Aye aye."
I guess this is alright for the anti-demons measure.
I'm asking Liza and the others to deal with another troublesome thing.
"Liza."
"Yes!"
"The carriage of lady Sera is being chased by villains. Go with Mia and Nana by horses to protect her."
"I understand."
"I understand, master."
"Nn."
It seems that all members of the wings of liberty are trying to kidnap lady Sera.
I can go help her directly, but it'll be troublesome if some strange flag gets raised, so I'll leave it to Liza and the others. They should be able to handle it with their strengths. Since lady Sera seems to be escaping toward this mansion, I teach the general route to Liza and the others.
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I go together until the duke's castle, refuse to enter the shelter, and go out.
I change into Nanashi, silver masked hero version, and go toward the arena.
For the time being, I activate the new magic [Clairhearing], and [Whisper Wind] to grasp the situation. The focus is the arena where I'm going.
"'Demon, no demon lord, your fate is over now.'"
This voice, it's the prince. It is a level 71 demon, but it's not the demon lord you know?
It's chaotic there, but precisely because it's the final of the martial arts tournament, a lot of domestically influential and powerful people are there, so they haven't been overran it seems.
"'Brave warriors, let's cooperate together to subjugate the monsters. Magician, prioritize supporting the warriors with reinforcement magic over attack magic.'"
This voice is lady Ringrande's.
I guess the demons have summoned monsters as their soldiers, people beside the prince are fighting them. Among the monsters that have been summoned, there are more than 10 with upper level 40. Looks like explorers, knights, and martial artists are cooperating together to fight the high level monsters. The clamor that I can hear is very lively. They probably really like the fighting.
"'Barrier, put up the barrier defense.'"
"'It's no good, the escape passages are collapsed, we have to secure the way out.'"
I thought that it's strange the nobles aren't escaping even though the king body-double is going, so it's because of that. Clairhearing and Whisper Wind are convenient.
I guess the passages for general audiences are fine, people are rushing out from there. There doesn't seem to be anyone who dies from getting trampled. Since most of them seem to be hot-headed people, the worry is needless.
Using Sky Drive and Ground Shrink, I go to the top of one of the spire near the arena, and stand there.
There demon has two heads, yellow skin, and two water buffalo-like horns on its shoulders. Since it has two heads, I wonder if that means it can use magic simultaneously like the golden wild boar-head king.
I want to tell "Read the air" to lady Ringrande and the other skirmishing people, but since there are people I know in the arena, let's quickly clean this up.
First, I guess I'll defeat that important looking upper demon with [Laser] of light magic.
As if waiting for the decision, the space is cracking and a ship is appearing.
While producing ripple of lights as if coming out of water surface, a silver streamlined ship that looks like a space ship appears.
A man wearing blue armor--the hero, Hayato Masaki, is standing on the bow. I'm told that he was level 61 when Arisa met him, but he's level 69 now.
"'The great me, has arrived!'"
I wonder if that words are laden with provocation skill, the flying monsters are heading toward the hero.
"'Hou, hero Hayato, are you prepared to die by appearing in front of us?'"
"'Don't think that I'm always going to be the old me! I'll have my revenge today!'"
I can end it in an instant with [Laser] now. But it's hard to shoot it.
"'Fall back you dog of Saga empire! I'll prove that hero is not the monopoly of Saga empire.'"
It's the prince. You should've leave it to him.
"'<> Claiomh Solais'"
The <> earlier seems to be some kind of password. Claiomh Solais leaves the prince's hand while shedding blue light, and assails the yellow-skinned demon. Oh~ the picture that I saw in the museum back then doesn't seem to be an exaggerated lie.
Ah, it's repelled.
Claiomh Solais sure is weak.
"'The holy sword will cry, prince. That demon is the chief executive of the great demon lord of old--golden wild boar-head king. The highest class demon who has survived for several hundred years. You should withdraw if you don't want to die. <> Arondight.'"
After receiving the password from the hero, Arondight that he's holding is furiously shedding holy light.
I wonder if there are passwords like that for the holy swords I have? I've become able to read explanations of magic tools thanks to the book of magic tools, but it only has magic tools from the present day written in it, so I'm still not able to read the holy swords'. If it's just passwords, I probably can decipher it, let's check it out when I get some free time.
The hero's companions who have appeared from the ship put reinforcement magic to the hero. Out of curiosity, I use [Clairvoyance] magic, but I shouldn't have done it.
A priest-like beautiful woman of loose fluffy-type kyonyuu casts reinforcement magic. The mole under her eye looks good.
An archer-like long ears-kin woman is intercepting monsters approaching the hero. One arrow splits into 10 along the way and swoop down the monsters. Judging from the red light that it had let out, it was probably a magic arrow.
The monsters that have escaped the archer's attacks lands on the ship, but they got quickly eliminated by a light warrior, and a twin-sword warrior. Those girls also of ears-kin. A tiger ears-kin, and a wolf ears-kin. The tiger ears has ponytail, and the wolf-ears has short hair, they're both beautiful women with well-shaped breasts.
The last one is a beautiful woman with enormous breasts and luxurious blond hair holding a long cane. She seems to be comparable to lady Karina. She's doing something drawn-out, and begins chanting a spell.
In short, the followers are all glamorous beautiful women.
Riajuu, go explode.
What should I do.
Should I clean this up while being like Toruma by not reading the mood.
To shoot, or not to shoot, that is the question.