295 – Elf Village Battle ⑤
Author’s note: Demon King’s perspective
「How pathetic.」
That voice that’s repellent in the extreme, can be heard coming out from speakers installed somewhere.
「In the end, this is all you amount to. The only one I have to be cautious against is Gyuriedistodiez. Against me who has make preparations on the assumption of facing a genuine god, surely you didn’t think you could actually win? That’s why you are and will always be a mere girl.」
Maybe it’s just my imagination but he’s unusually talkative. Maybe he’s just that happy.
「Nonetheless, we’ve known each other for a long time. It would be an insult for me to go easy on you at the last. Consider this as you being worthy enough for me to destroy you with all my might. I evaluated you high enough to actually decide to use this Gloria Type Ω on you, which was built to take on Gyuriedistodiez.」
An evaluation that doesn’t make me happy is dispassionately spoken through the speaks. Right in front of me, is a machine weapon that appears to be entirely looking down on me.
「This is deeply moving. An association of many years, is finally coming to an end today. I’ll settle what’s going on outside soon. Farewell, my greatest failed work.」
Then, the blade of that machine weapon swung down towards me.
☆
Going back in time a little.
I separated from Shiro-chan and co, and went down the descent that carried on endlessly by myself. A passage that continued down into the ground. Potimas is waiting ahead of this.
Then, after finally coming to the end of the descent, there was a place like a vast warehouse. I think that this room was most likely used to store the robots that Shiro-chan is mopping up above. It’s not just used for storage, but for performing maintenance as well it seems, as there’s suitable looking machines dotted here and there.
「Welcome.」
Suddenly, a voice resounded out of nowhere. Echoing through this enclosed room, it wasn’t clear where it was coming from. However, even with that echoing voice, there was no mistake about the owner.
「Potimas.」
「Indeed.」
Potimas sounded uninterested in his response. Simultaneously, there was a thunderous roar behind me. On turning around, the passage that I had came down is shut by a massive metal door.
「How foolish. Didn’t you suspect there would be a trap?」
At the same time that I could hear Potimas’s disdainful words, my body lost its strength. The power that was humming throughout my entire body until then, vanished as if dispersing. Perhaps it would be better to say that it was erased?
A magecraft jamming barrier. Probably because it is laid out across the entire warehouse, my status values vanish. In the situation where my status values are gone and my skills are unusable, I can’t use any power beyond what my appearance might indicate.
「I certainly never expected you to actually walk into the trap by yourself so easily. When a path in enemy territory is shown so ostentatiously, I would think it’s normal to distrust it. Nothing but a mere girl in the end. Or rather, nothing but a mere insect I guess.」
A number of robots of the same type that I saw above ground came out from the interior of the warehouse. They surround me, who cannot use my strength due to the barrier, and point their guns at me.
「How boringly simple. Ours is an association of many years. I’ll at least send you off without suffering.」
A flash of fire bursts from the guns. Being turned into a beehive after being shot at with a hail of bullets from every direction – is totally not happening!
I jump and quickly rise up into the air, performing a flip so that my feet land on the ceiling. Jumping off from the ceiling, I accelerate with gravity to do a dropkick that lands on a robot. The armour of the robot I kicked is crushed, and it’s hopelessly broken.
「Oh-ho.」
Potimas speaks out with an admiring voice. That tone implies that he’s still very composed.
「You sure don’t get it.」
Therefore, in order to destroy that composure, I’ll make this declaration.
「I came in order to make you feel despair. What do you think the fastest way to achieve that is? It’s by breaking through all the traps that you’ve prepared, and boldly coming to stand before you.」
「Humph. You’re sure are talking big.」
「Consider the best use of short time you have left to live, and face it with composure. Because I’ll be coming to stand before your main body before long, after having torn through all your traps and the machines you’re so proud of. When that happens, feel free to turn pale with fright and beg for your life.」
On hearing my caustic words, Potimas emitted a low “kukuku” laugh.
「Try it if you dare, little girl.」
While I wonder whether he’s finished speaking or not, all the robots around me prepare their guns at once. The moment I leap off the ground and leave that spot, the place I was in until just now was pierced by bullets.
I might have said all that, but the situation is not good. It’s one thing if I can get to a place without the barrier, but I’m at a disadvantage fighting in this place where I can’t make proper use of my status values. Although I acted tough, my odds of success are not even 10,000 to 1.
A magecraft jamming barrier. It temporarily prevents the power of the System from reaching, the most troublesome kind of barrier for all those living within this world. If the status values supported by the System’s assistance are lost, then those living within this world can’t use any more power than their appearance suggests, or even less. In my case, I can’t use any more power than a mere girl, as Potimas calls me. In human terms my body stopped growing in the first half of my teens after all. I would like to say at least one complaint about why couldn’t I have grown at least a bit more. This body is so dainty, and lacking in muscle. What is known as status values in this world are supported by magecraft, combined with the calculations of the physical ability scores provided by one’s natural body. In my case, my status values are almost entirely supported by magecraft, as my underlying physical strength is an insignificant amount of the total numerical value. In short, what I’m trying to say here, is that having lost the magecraft support due to the barrier, I’m now in deep trouble!
As if! I guess that’s what Potimas is expecting me to be thinking? I predicted this to happen anyway, so I’ve taken countermeasures already.
There is a flaw in magecraft jamming barriers, which is that they can’t obstruct magecraft within the interior of the body. In other words, if I am able to intentionally activate magecraft within my body, then it’s not negated. Together with Shiro-chan, so that I’ll be able to manifest a similar level of fighting strength whether I’m inside a magecraft jamming barrier or within the System normally, I’ve practiced using internal body strengthening magecraft. Different from a skill, a magecraft technique. By using that, the enhancement that is normally left entirely to the System, can now be manually manifested instead. Even if there is an obstruction, the energy that gives form to my status values is still within my body. If that’s the case, then I just have to master how to use that without depending upon the System. As a result, although I can’t use skills within this barrier like magic that manifest outside the body, I’ve become able to manifest a physical ability that’s almost identical to what I can within the System. My combat abilities are: a physical offensive ability of about 90,000, a physical defense ability of about 90,000 and a speed of about 90,000. These robots which are of similar fighting strength to a low ranked dragon species, are no match for me at all.
I sweep through the robots swarming towards me. They’re turned into scrap. And then, from the interior, another robot comes out. Maybe this robot is special compared to the other robots that have appeared until now, as its outward appearance noticeably stands out. It is a human shaped robot with slender limbs, and a profusion of angular forms. With an overall height of about three meters, it’s not that large.
「This is our secret weapon. Should you be able to defeat this, then even I would shower you with praise.」
「Whatever.」
I clench my fists. No matter what comes, I just have to pulverise it!
「But then, I doubt you’d even be able to face it properly though.」
Ignoring Potimas’s bullshit, I took a step forwards. I was supposed to take a step forwards. A dull impact was felt by my head, and gradually pain spread out at the same time.
「Huh?」
I didn’t know what had happened. All I could understand was that I had collapsed. However, I don’t know what caused my collapse. Even when I tried to get up in a rush, I couldn’t put any strength into my body, not even to move a finger.
「How pathetic.」
Then, as if sneering at me, Potimas’s voice resounded from the speakers.