The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 180

Going ahead according to the information I received from Benett, we arrived at the Warehouse District .

It's right next to a brothel and a mansion . Fairly easy to find .

Suddenly it became dark .

Even though it was midday, it became dark for an instant .

What had concealed the sunlight was a flock of birds similar to gray starlings .

A great number of bird shadows passes above us .

"Over there is Pax' house . "

"Eva and Rebecca, you wait here . " (Shuuya)

"Okay . " (Rebecca)

"Nn . " (Eva)

I turn towards Yui and Kaldo .

"Yui and Kaldo, investigate the stores on the left and right . Since there are roofs right next to his house as far as I can see, there should be a route allowing intrusion into the target's mansion . " (Shuuya)

"Yes, milord!" (Kaldo)

"Got it . " (Yui)

Kaldo and Yui nod .

I face Viine .

"Viine, you handle the back . Rollo and I will invade from the front . If there are any movements, contact me through blood letters . " (Shuuya)

"Yes, Master . " (Viine)

Everyone besides Eva and Rebecca scatters .

"Rollo, let's go . " (Shuuya)

"Nya . "

Leaping from the front entrance, Rollodeen exhibits her physical strength and jumps over the roof, landing in the courtyard .

We succeeded in trespassing into Pax' mansion .

――I check the vicinity with Magic Observation and Grasping Perception .

It's a big house, but…there are no signs of people around us .

…I guess he hasn't employed any maids or servants either .

I get off Rollodeen whose appearance is close to that of a lion .

I check my left and right while activating <Hide> at once .

The entrance-way that's covered with gravel is on the left hand side, but I went straight ahead across the courtyard .

Then I quietly opened one of the doors leading from the courtyard into the mansion .

It's a careful, daring…unashamed ― intrusion .

My partner returns to her cat form and ― climbs on her usual spot .

I continued to search the surroundings while feeling the weight of Rollo on my shoulder .

The hallways are normal…

I opened several doors of large rooms .

But, it's only rooms covered in dust…

…Pax is diving in the labyrinth?

All of a sudden…I discover a distorted bronze statue .

At the feet of the shady statue I found suspicious stairs .

…I descend those stairs while making sure to not cause any footsteps――

Eh? My feet aren't slippery, but――

I felt a feedback as if gliding .

The stairs are smeared with blood .

I guess it's because lamps with a faint green, eerie illumination are lining up to the left and right of the stairs .

Having a green color added to the blood on the stairs increases the ghastliness .

That's no poison that will evaporate the soles of my feet upon touch, is it?

I harbored such worries, but my feet were alright .

The bloody stairways continued into the basement while following the curving walls .

I sense magic sources from below .

『Your Excellency, down there…the thresholdVeil seems to have become weak . I can't even predict what might be awaiting us there . 』 (Helme)

『…Looks like it . 』 (Shuuya)

For the time being, I sent a blood message stating 『Discovered suspicious stairway, bloodstained stairs』 to everyone .

『There are no particular changes at the rear gate . 』 comes from Viine .

『I entered a room on the left, but there's nothing unusual here . 』 from Yui .

『I trespassed from the right hand side, but there's nothing to report . 』 from Kaldo .

『There's no one on the street in front . Shuuya, be careful . 』 from Eva .

『I'm bored . Maybe there's a monster at the end of the stairs . Tell us immediately if it gets dangerous, okay?』 from Rebecca .

I went down the stairs together with Rollo .

At that moment something inside a pocket of my bandolier starts to stir .

What is it? Once I take it out, it's the splinter of Holker .

The wood piece is shining in green and trembling with a buzzing .

I suppose that means there's some kind of pollution in this basement…

…For the divine domain Seuros of Plant Goddess Sadeyula and Earth God Gaia…the pollution by apostles of evil gods and apostles of spirit world gods is treated as the same, huh?

I store the vibrating wood piece back into my bandolier, and continue the descent .

A dense, green fog that felt disgusting cropped up .

It's hanging in the air at the end of the stairway, but without minding it, I walked through it .

The sensation of the floor also being blood-smeared――

There were no wet sounds, and the green fog at my feet wasn't poisonous either .

There's a wide room on the right side .

The bloodied floor seems to continue deep inside that space .

I advance while making sure to drive away the green fog by firmly stepping on the floor…

Then I arrived at another, even more spacious room .

A crooked door with a gray frame is visible deep inside .

Seemingly in exchange for torches, there are golden candlesticks with emerald flames, which are brighter than the fog, on either side of the door .

The vicinity is illuminated by a powerful green thanks to those candles .

However, that might also be owed to nothing more than the fog being weak around the crooked door .

And, in front of the door…there are door guards . Eight crystal skulls are floating in the air .

Bluish white lights dwell in the eye sockets of the rectangular crystal skulls .

The skulls move irregularly, producing traces of 8s in mid-air .

The eight skulls are flying through the air hectically .

Those eight guarding skulls resemble small autonomous weapons .

I'm certain that they will react if I get close…

But, they haven't noticed me yet .

It's probably because I have <Darkness Adaptation> and <Hide> running .

The only entrance leading deeper into the spacious room is that crooked door guarded by those skulls .

『Your Excellency, should I come outside as well?』 (Helme)

Helme appears in my visual field .

『No, I will bring those skulls down . 』 (Shuuya)

『Understood . 』 (Helme)

Helme vanishes while bowing her head .

There's one huge and several normal magic sources on the other side of the door .

I decide to kill those skulls and proceed through the door .

I summon the Magic Halberd Baldok in my right hand .

"Rollo, I will handle them, so get down and wait . " (Shuuya)

"Nn, nya . "

Rollo jumps down and lands on the blood-smeared floor .

Once her paws touch down, she brings her forepaw to her mouth, seemingly curious about her now bloodstained paw .

She licks the sole of her paw .

Furthermore, she licked the other forepaw that had also become bloodstained .

After repeating that several times, she plomps down with her bum on the floor and starts licking her rear paws as well, but…as her bum also got wet, she started to lick her bum, apparently curious about that, too .

While at it, she licks her belly as well…starting to groom herself on and on .

Given that it would be endless if I watched her, even though it's cute, I switch my focus on defeating the skulls .

I advance towards the crooked door .

While walking, I activate five instances of <Chain Spear of the Ray System> .

Next I cast the advanced water spell, 《Frozen Snake Arrow》 .

The five light lances easily pierce the crystal skulls and destroy them――

However, the advanced spell, ice arrow, vanished as if melting in front of a skull's eye-socket .

My mana decreases .

I guess it was resisted .

The remaining three skulls' eye-sockets light up in bluish white, and the instant they clattered with their teeth, they came rushing at me .

――Fast .

The mouths of the three flying skulls transformed, turning into neat crystal swords .

I swing my halberd sideways at an approaching skull aiming for my head .

The red ax blade hits between the eyebrows and destroys the skull while bisecting it .

The remaining two separate and draw an arc . They point their crystal swords, obviously wanting to stab my head from either side .

I erase the Magic Halberd .

The swords of the skulls clash against each other, causing both swords to point upward as a rebound effect .

"You're highly efficient guards, but that's how far you go――" (Shuuya)

I shoot <Chain> from both wrists while saying so .

The two chains penetrated the skulls that had been thrown back in the air, succeeding in destroying them .

"Nn, nya――"

It's Rollo . Not in her cat form, but as black panther Rollodeen .

It looks like the grooming came to an end for now .

She has started to play ice hockey with the fragments of the shattered skulls .

…I guess it's time to head on the other side of that crooked door .

『Defeated crystal skull guards in battle . Magic source response deemed to be Pax on the other side of a crooked door . 』

I sent that message in blood letters to everyone .

『Master, I will head over there immediately . 』

There's an immediate answer from Viine .

『I will also head into the building's center . 』

『Milord, I'm on my way . 』

It looks like Yui and Kaldo, who entered the mansion from the left and right, are going to come here right away .

『Shuuya, what should we do?』

『Nn, boring here . 』

I feel sorry for the two, but I will have them stand watch on the surface .

『You may come here if it turns into a fierce battle, but for now I'd like you to stand guard there . 』 is the message I send to Rebecca and Eva .

『Alright . 』

『Nn, got it . 』

At that point I heard the sound of someone descending the stairway .

It's Viine, Yui and Kaldo .

"Master . " (Viine)

"Shuuya . " (Yui)

"Milord . " (Kaldo)

Everyone prepares themselves by drawing their weapons .

"It seems the threshold is weak in this area . Be careful since I don't know what might come out . " (Shuuya)

"Yes . " (Viine)

"Whatever it might be, I will slice it apart with Azelos & Versage . " (Yui)

"I shall also show you how I pulverize our enemies with the cursed sword Huejoy . " (Kaldo)

"Nyao . "

Once I see that everyone's ready, I step in front of the crooked door .

I judged that RollodeenBlack Panther has properly heard my words, too .

She has stopped playing ice hockey and heads towards the door .

She places both forepaws on the door, and scratches the door's surface with her sharp claws .

She's demanding, "Open this door, open it nya . "

While smiling at the indescribably cute act of hers, I pushed the door open .

Blood smell hangs in the air .

It's a huge wide space expanding to the left and right .

Candle stands with lit green flames are lining up in equal intervals .

A golden carpet continues deeper inside .

Moreover, the entire place was shrouded in a green fog .

It's just like an audience hall for royalty and nobility .

Sitting in a luxurious chair with a backrest…was a largely built person wearing a skeleton helmet .

Behind that chair, there's a pillar wall with emerald-shining, eerie engravings modeled after insects .

The tall person leans a long-handled weapon that seems to be a magic spear against his right shoulder .

He's tilting a blood-filled skull cup in his left hand to the side…

Blood dripped down from the cup on the heads of many naked women groveling on the floor .

Slaves?

Once I look properly, I see that the women's shapes from the back of their heads, along their spines, down to their toes weren't those of humans .

Their bones are deformed . Protrusions similar to carapaces stand out on their skin .

Red light dots are generated by each bone joint .

From their fingertips demanding blood…

Many small, tentacle-like pipes extended and wriggled…

It's unnecessary to check with the Kaleidoscope .

『This guy is Pax, eh? Your Excellency, I will come outside . 』 (Helme)

『Yeah, please . 』 (Shuuya)

『Yes . 』 (Helme)

Helme is ejected outside from my left eye .

"Intruders, huh? Even though they were replicas, there shouldn't exist that many people capable of defeating those eight Spirit World Commander Skulls that I obtained in the labyrinth…" (Pax)

The man stands up while shouldering his magic spear .

Creaking sounds can be heard from his thick and heavy armor .

The man kicks away the women groveling on the ground, and walked over with a lumbering and a forceful gait .

I put myself on guard while touching the Kaleidoscope .

"Who are you people? To illegally trespass into my mansion, and moreover…again those guys from the dark guild of the other day?" (Pax)

I focus on the border lines around Pax that are displayed in my bluish white frame sight .

I scan him .

Starting with his feet, his shape is weird . His internal organs have been changed as well…he's not human at all .

And, his head is completely fused with a bug . His skeletal frame is pulpy . Squid tentacles that seem to have a damp, sticky, disgusting texture squirmed out of his mouth .

――――――――――――――――

？？？？？High Life Form eｘee8？＃＃

Brain Waves: abnormal

Body: abnormal

Gender: male？？

Overall Physical Strength: 479

Elenium Integration: 22102

Weapons: present

――――――――――――――――

It's obvious from the values that he's completely abnormal .

Just like me, this guy…might actually be called a new species .

"…Something similar . Rather than that, your name is definitely Pax, right?" (Shuuya)

"Indeed…if you know my name, I guess your members of that 【Nose of the Large Bird】 dark guild?" (Pax)

"I don't know any nose of the large bird…" (Shuuya)

"Lies! Even though I especially went to Tandarl and chose slaves from the brothels there…for that to result in creating a reason for your obstinacy…would it be fine if I forcibly stole the slaves away in this city? No, it was an order from Hyuriox-sama to do it secretly…" (Pax)

Pax mumbles by himself .

Mine City Tandarl, eh? It seems he had a fight with a dark guild nesting in that city .

"…Can't you remove that mask?" (Shuuya)

"Shut up! Foolish humans…I will have you regret having trespassed into my mansion . " (Pax)

Pax readied his magic spear which possesses a blade edge as wide as a two-handed sword .

The blade is flickering like a flame while shining in orange .

Monsters, whose womanly faces had been turned into bugs, pass Pax on both sides from behind and charge at us while raising strange voices .

The women's arms transform, resulting in their arms' ends becoming pointed like bone swords .

"Rollo, bloodkin, I leave the small fries to you . " (Shuuya)

""Yes!""

"Nyagoa~"

The black panther Rollodeen unleashes several tentacle bone swords at the bug women .

The tentacle bone swords simultaneously pierce the torsos of several .

Rollodeen moves to the right side while blowing away a candle stand with a green flame .

The other bug women chase after Rollodeen .

"Rollo-sama!"

Viine yells worriedly, and slashes at the backs of the bug women with her snake sword .

She immediately ran towards the right hand side .

Helme emits sheets of water sprays from her entire body .

"I will go as well――" (Helme)

She declares . Then she rotates herself while producing a spherical, sharp, glistening sword from her hips as starting point .

She cuts the torsos of the bug women, who approach her, into round slices with her spherical sword .

Yui stabs the chest of a bug woman who has drawn close from the left side of the red carpet with her katana . As she sends the corpse flying to the side while twisting and withdrawing the hilt of her skull crusher,

"Tentacle women, over here! I will give you blood――" (Yui)

While provoking them with a loud voice, she moves, taking along a big number of women to the left side .

"――Yui!" (Kaldo)

Kaldo's eyes shine crimson .

Blood veins have popped out next to his eyes .

"――You're taking along too many . " (Kaldo)

The vampire-like Kaldo warns Yui while splendidly lopping off two heads .

He runs after Yui while slaughtering bug women .

"…To cut down my kin so easily…the strong shadow user…is not here, but I guess the leaders of the dark guild――" (Pax)

Pax analyzed while looking at the situation around him .

After moving swiftly which doesn't suit his large build, he thrust out his magic spear with its conspicuous orange blade in the middle of his carefree talking .

I repel the orange blade tip approaching my chest with the red ax blade of my halberd .

I target Pax' chest with my red spear's return thrust――

Pax hits his right tekkou against the red spear .

He easily repelled my thrust by pushing the spear to the side .

"You're able to counterattack on top of being able to follow my movements, huh…?" (Pax)

As expected, he's strong .

"Stop the prattling and come . You're originally a lancer as well, right?" (Shuuya)

Pax responds to my light provocation with,

"Hah――!" (Pax)

While laughing, he rotates his magic spear and mows it down .

I turn my Magic Halberd sideways in an instant, and sweep it to the side on the same trajectory as Pax' spear .

The red ax blade clashes against the orange blade in midair .

――There's a scream-like collision sound in the space between me and Pax .

A unique mana light is produced by the intense red and orange flashes .

Mana sparks scatter into the vicinity .

The mana sparks, which are like faint remains, vanished as if melting into the atmosphere .

The two magic spears separated while numbing our hands that held the weapons .

"Fuhahahaha! You ain't a member of something like a dark guild, aight!?" (Pax)

He says while easily rotating and handling the repelled magic spear .

Pax laughs hard enough to make the skeleton helmet shake .

Once he fixed his hold on his spear, Pax swiftly raised the spear overhead .

――It feels like he will slap down the orange blade .

I clad my feet in Magic Combat Style and raised the speed by one level .

Without receiving the orange blade possessing a swollen wind force behind it――

I dodge by shifting my body half a length――

I aim to stab Pax' arm with the red spear .

Pushing out the spear, I pierce through his bug arm alongside his right upper arm defender .

The thick bug arm is scalded by the red spear .

The skin festers, and parts that seem to be flesh and bones melt and burn .

"Guooh――" (Pax)

As it had apparently been effective, Pax raises a painful voice .

However, wriggling tentacles cover the wound originating from areas that haven't been burned .

He promptly regenerates a brand new bug arm .

In an instant Pax showed a spear skill-like motion――

"It's my return gift to you . " (Pax)

He unleashed a sweeping slashes that seemed to tear through space .

In a hurry I turn around the Magic Halberd and receive the attacks with the top part .

――But, each and every single swing is heavy .

I defend and repel, but Pax repeatedly mows down while violently swinging his spear with speed and address .

Are you Guan Yu!? is what I think while watching the fierce orange blade――

Another orange sweep is unleashed .

I focus on my back muscles without receiving the blade .

I succeed in dodging the orange blade with a paper-thin difference by turning to the left .

I charge the momentum of that rotation into the halberd and unleash a <Powerful Slash> .

Pax slants his magic spear .

He makes his spear rotate in a circle in order to dampen the power of the red spear's <Powerful Flash>, which causes fire tracks, skillfully defending against the <Powerful Slash> .

That defense maneuver was my aim .

I deliver a feint lower kick .

Pax dodged the kick by jumping slightly .

It's a good chance ― time to press for a conclusion .

I thrust the Magic Halberd out at Pax' floating torso .

Of course that thrust is simply repelled .

The orange magic spear's butt closed in on me while drawing a circle as counterattack .

I can cope with that .

I perform a rotation with my toes as axis with such a force that it whirls up some fog from the floor's surface .

I avoided the approaching spear butt .

And at the same time I made the Magic Dragon Gem at the end of my Magic Halberd crush against Pax' helmet just as he landed while putting the momentum of my gyration into the strike .

"Guaah――" (Pax)

Pax' head is thrown back with a force as if it's being torn off .

He's blown back, crashing against the luxurious chair with his back .

After destroying the chair, he crashes into the wall with its eerie engravings in the shape of being spread-eagled .

A part of the pillars collapses on this occasion . Pax gets dragged down by the wreckage of the crumbling wall and gets buried .

The sensation when I hit his head gave me a thick feedback .

A normal human would have definitely died from that, but there's no way for that to apply to him .

The moment I thought so, tentacle arms broke through from within the rubble, just as I had expected .

The tentacle creature that ought to be Pax stands up .

"…" (Shuuya)

The large armor that covered his body is dented and damaged .

The helmet has come off . Blood streams down from the place that seems to be his head . Half of it is crushed, exposing a smashed, warped face .

Just as I had seen with the Kaleidoscope after all…

Pax' face lacked any humanity .

It's a face like the cracked shell of an egg .

A single orange light dwelt in the darkish part that seems to be a sunken-in eye socket .

His shoulders have partially transformed into tentacles . The end of his arms have completely changed into pole-shaped tentacles .

His torso has turned into a soft, crowded living thing similar to tentacle branches that functioned as intestines .

He has two human legs, but countless tentacle legs similar to a squid or octopus are overlapping those human legs, growing to the left and right like a skirt .

"…I shall praise you for injuring me to this degree while having a human body . " (Pax)

I'm not a human, but whatever .

It just means that this guy hasn't seen through that fact .

"I don't care about your introductory remarks . Just hurry up and come at me . " (Shuuya)

At that moment countless tentacles from all over Pax' body extended towards me .

I still won't make use of <Demonic Brain Speed> .

――Blood Mana <Blood Path - Third Gate> .

I activate <Blood Acceleration> .

Having increased my speed, I chop up countless tentacles with my halberd while at the same time repeatedly moving at high speed by performing a step work as if jumping back and forth .

"Nuuooooh―― Stop squirming around!" (Pax)

I don't allow him to home in on me by exhibiting fine movements .

I continue to dodge, dodge, slash, but…getting through this with a defensive stance reaches its limit around here .

Answer ranged attacks with ranged attacks .

In the middle of a spin jump after an one-handed cartwheel while evading as if dancing, I mowed down a single tentacle approaching from midair with my Magic Halberd, and then shoot <Chain> from both wrists after extending both arms to the left and right .

The two chains went straight for Pax' main body while piercing through the many tentacles chasing me .

Pax retreats swiftly, trying to get away, but the two chains seize his abdomen and stab into it――

"Gyaaah――" (Pax)

The evil god's apostle screamed pathetically .

Immediately following that, I rapidly cast 《Ice Bullet》 and 《Ice Arrow》 .

Next I activate five <Chain Spear of the Ray System> in a row .

The teardrop-shaped 《Ice Bullet》 hits the main body, but disappears as if being sucked up by tentacles . 《Ice Arrow》 also directly hits the main body's nether region, but vanishes .

But, one of the light lances pierces the carapace shoulder . The second stabs the neck . The third penetrates one of his human legs . The fourth pierces the torso, and the last one pierces through the head's egg shell .

"Guuoooooh――" (Pax)

The rear of the light spears splits apart and turns into a net while spiraling, wrapping up Pax' tentacle body .

Pax has his body turned into countless, torn-off pieces of meat, but I guess as expected of an evil god's apostle, I don't manage to turn the whole body into pieces of meat .

"Gu-doldol, fugnu, bou de la shubi…" (Pax)

What? Pax' tentacle body muttered something that appeared to be some kind of chant .

At that moment new tentacles are produced from within the body, and the light nets covering him are destroyed by being forcibly torn apart from within . Pax' body passed through the chains stabbing it, too .

For real?

Countless tentacle types are wriggling around . Once Pax completed regenerating something like a new face,

"Not bad…" (Pax)

He begins to talk while revealing a cruel smile .

His torso and legs have been renewed as well .

Moreover, the fog enveloping the surroundings gathers and flows inside Pax?

"…I have revised my recognition of you . To force me to use the blessing of the evil god Hyuriox-sama…I shall recognize you as threat category S . " (Pax)

He had become a new Pax .

Let's revise my recognition of him, too . While late, I now understand completely .

This guy is different from my enemies so far .

I make the extended <Chain> vanish .

The new Pax tentacle body absorbs everything as if being given mana by the green fog drifting in the vicinity, filling his whole body with mana, and then releases that mana .

"You're in front of the mighty evil god! You're holding your head too high! Prostate yourself!!" (Pax)

He unleashed a green mana blade with a spherical shape .

There ain't no way that I will be hit by something like that!

I jump while activating <Magic Hand guided by Thought> .

I dodge the mana blade, but…

"Naive!" (Pax)

Once the new Pax shouts that, he makes the mana blade change into the shape of a huge tornado . I was dragged into it .

I surround myself with <Magic Hand guided by Thought> as shield, but it's meaningless . I tried to create a shield with <Chain>, but I'm too late . I completely receive the whirlwind blades which are powerful enough to create green lightnings .

They are repelled by Illias' Overcloak scattering countless violet sparks, but since many mana blades break through across my whole body, my right arm, legs, head, neck, and collar are cut, regenerate, are cut, and regenerate . My head is severed halfway and my blood dances violently in the air . But I regenerate repeatedly .

"――Nuuaaaahh!" (Shuuya)

――It hurts sooo much .

Alongside the violet sparks, I repeatedly bleed while receiving wounds, regenerating, and receiving woulds again .

The spiraling vortex and large amounts of my blood blended together .

I crash down while bloodstained, jump back, and secure a distance .

As result of me getting through the tornado of mana blades, plenty of blade remains, flesh and blood has been left behind on the ground .

"…Even that didn't bring you down!? But, how about this then? I offer my entire mana to the great evil god's army corps! Emerge and engageee――" (Pax)

The new Pax tentacle body released the expanded mana from within his body in an explosion .

At that instant, space warps, and a large army of countless bugs begins to appear from that space in the twinkling of an eye .

――A swarm of bugs, you say!?

The bug swarm swooped down on me like a sandstorm with a terrific speed while wriggling and releasing strange noises .

It's a speed and extent that makes defending impossible . The bugs with their distorted shapes devour me .

They are eating my face and arms, the places not covered by my overcloak and armor .

――Ooouuch .

My face, nose, lips, and eyes are eaten, and my sight is stolen, but they keep regenerating right away .

It fucking hurts . More so than before . My senses are paralyzed .

Yeah, being eaten while alive really hurtzzz .

I'm sure any ordinary person would go insane .

But, while crunching on the bugs that entered my mouth,

"Are there any proteins in these? Ahahahaha――" (Shuuya)

"F-Far too mysterious…you laugh while being devoured?" (Pax)

Utilizing the bleeding occurring all across my body, I activate <Blood Chains Banquet> .

From the very start, they cannot understand this mad pervert that is me .

Hence, if it's countless bugs, I will oppose them with countless blood chains .

I release the blood chains in a full circle around me . The blood chains became micro chains without exception, and pierced the bugs .

In an instant the swarm of blood chains start to eat into the eating bugs surrounding me .

"Blood chains…continue eating and eating . It's their just deserts . Pain for pain, eye for eye, teeth for teeth . Have them taste hell while still alive . " (Shuuya)

The swarm of blood chains turns into a raging wind . Passing through the bug swarm, they penetrate the new Pax tentacle body, encroaching and devouring everything .

Almost all tentacles covering Pax' body disappeared due to the blood chains .

The soft bodied, thick main body and they eyes with the orange light twinkle, flicker, obviously feeling shaken .

"W-What kind o-of person are y-you? I, I…" (Pax)

At last Pax' body that has huge amounts of green blood trickle down apparently realized that I'm no ordinary being .

"Shuuya is Shuuya――" (Rebecca)

It's Rebecca's voice . It appears she invaded from the surface .

She threw a cluster of blue flames at Pax .

"Gaaaaaahh! Hooot!" (Pax)

Pax' body, which has been devoured by the blood chains, receives the cluster of blue flames on top . The flames open a large hole in the center of his body, wrap up his entire body, and burn it hideously .

Rebecca prepared herself by drawing a circle with her hands clad in blue flames, leaving a trace of blue fire in midair .

Several clusters of blue flames hover atop her palms, seemingly ready to be shot at any time .

Oooh, somehow that's really cool . She doesn't appear to be any longer the magician she used to be .

Rather it looks like blue qigong balls have been produced by a fist style master .

How amazing .

"Nn, this guy is the evil god's enemy――" (Eva)

Many green blades wrapped up by violet mana stabbed the whole body of the new Pax, who's burning while enveloped by blue flames, opening a big hole in his torso .

"Gueeehhh . " (Pax)

Pax' scream .

It's a metal attack using <Thought Guidance Force> unleashed by Eva who has transformed her wheelchair into its Segway mode .

Those green metals are surely the ones she obtained from the golden treasure chest the other day .

"――All the small fries have been defeated . "

Immediately following Eva's attack, Yui stabbed Pax' body with a thrust of her special katana while saying something like that .

"Milord, I have slain the enemies . " (Kaldo)

Kaldo's diagonal slash from the shoulder homed in on Pax' body .

At that point,

"Allow me to do the finishing touch . "

As she says so, Viine's beam arrow directly hits Pax' body with its vivid sword marks .

Many green snakes spread in a circular form from the spot where the arrow impacted, and penetrate Pax' entire body .

In the next moment the lump of meat that used to be Pax' tentacle body exploded, scattering in all directions .

From a part of the exploded tentacles, a single, small, rat-like bug creeps across the floor in order to get away .

I seized the tail of that bug and examined it from close-by .

"…YoU aRe a GOd's pAwN?"

The tiny bug asked .

"No . I came here on my own accord . So, what are you? You're not Pax, right?" (Shuuya)

"THeN yoU'rE nO PawN…? I aM GaBAl, dIreCt suBorDiNaTE Of HyURioX-saMa . "

"Gabal . I guess you're the bug that parasited Pax' brain originally?" (Shuuya)

"Why, dO YoU kNOw thAt!?" (Gabal)

"Shut it or I will crush you . " (Shuuya)

I blew several of the bug's feet away with <Chain> .

"…tO tHReaTeN thIS mE…" (Gabal)

"How many of your little friends are left in Pelneet?" (Shuuya)

"CouNtlESs ObSerVAtioN tYpeS . i diDn'T coUnT TheM . " (Gabal)

"Are there any other guys that completely turned into bugs like Pax?" (Shuuya)

"…" (Gabal)

"I might let you go if you answer . " (Shuuya)

"ReALly? thErE iS . A fAke, As mERe buG, iGnoRIng oRDerS anD LeAVing oN a JouRnEy ouTSIdE PelNeEt…" (Gabal)

What was that…? Such bugs exist too? What a truly interestin' world . 1 It's not as if the pun is funny, though .

Seeing as he separated here, it's possible that Pax hasn't been completely possessed, isn't it?

"…There are no other fellows that fully turned into bugs?" (Shuuya)

"NOnE . " (Gabal)

That means there are several bugs that have parasited brains, but none that act as flashily as Pax…

Okay . I guess this much is enough .

"I see . Bug, farewell――" (Shuuya)

I extend <Chain>, stabbing the bug .

At that moment the wood piece of Holker, which had vibrated inside the pocket of my bandolier, calmed down .

"Nyao . "

Rollo shows up in her black panther form .

"Uwaah, Rollo…"

Rollo has turned the bug women's corpses into something like dumplings and neatly stabbed them with several tentacles .

"Rollo-chan, that's too severe . " (Rebecca)

"I helped out, too!" (Helme)

So Helme assisted Rollo? No wonder that the corpses are all together so tidily .

"Nn, several dozens bodies?" (Eva)

"Wow! It reminds me of the time when I boasted about having caught a bluish white tiger in the past . "

"Nothing less of milord's divine beast-sama . " (Kaldo)

"Rollo-sama…you want to brag, don't you?"

As Viine says, RollodeenBlack Panther drops the bug women's corpses in front of me .

She returns to her usual black kitten form, and turns a look at me as if asking to be praised .

"…Well done, Rollo . " (Shuuya)

"Nyanyanya~"

After whirling around on the spot and meowing happily, she rubbed her head against my leg, and then climbed on my right shoulder along my back .

"…It looks like there are other people infected by bugs, but what are we going to do?"

Rebecca asks while approaching me and extending a finger towards Rollo's nostrils .

"As expected, finding them will be difficult, I think . If we discover one, we can ask Shana to purify them? Shana's song should work if it's before a complete possession . "

"Shana?"

Rebecca raises her eyebrows and glares at me .

"Another woman?" is what's written on her face .

"Yeah…a person working as adventurer while being a songstress . " (Shuuya)

"Hee . " (Rebecca)

"Master, perhaps we should welcome Shana-san as comrade?" (Viine)

"I wonder . If she wishes for it, I will gladly accept her, but…" (Shuuya)

"Nn, another woman…" (Eva)

Eva and Rebecca look unhappy .

"It can't be helped in Shuuya's case . He's a peerless lancer . I don't think anyone will be able to forget him once they see his spearmanship . " (Yui)

Yui addressed Rebecca and Eva .

"Nn, agree . " (Eva)

"That's true, but I don't want the number of rivals to increase . " (Rebecca)

"Even I actually want to monopolize him . But, once I met the man I loved again after a long time, you were already with him, you know? Do you understand my feelings?" (Yui)

Yui says while becoming slightly teary eyed .

After glancing at me sorrowfully, she revealed a sad expression and averted her face .

"…I'm sorry . " (Rebecca)

"Nn, sorry . " (Eva)

Rebecca and Eva apologized to Yui .

It's somehow difficult to start talking in this atmosphere, but…I suppose I will explain .

"…It's possible that Shana's voice can heal the people who have been parasited by a bug . In reality my combat slave Fuu had been infected before, but Shana's singing voice apparently caused a strong reaction against the bug, forcing it to release Fuu and come out of her body . " (Shuuya)

"I participated in that battle, too . " (Viine)

"Your Excellency, I also watched while dwelling in your left eye . " (Helme)

"Ah, true . " (Shuuya)

"Humph, I see . A singing voice, eeeh…?" (Rebecca)

Rebecca admires while stretching the end of the sentence .

"Nn, being able to defeat it with singing, wow . " (Eva)

"I have a body that possesses the Eye of Baycala, who is a god of the spirit world, but for singing to be effective against an evil god's bugs; that's certainly mysterious . It might be the power of a god related to Seuros at work here . " (Yui)

Yui explained while looking into my face .

"I hear it's an exclusive mermaid skill . If it's a sea god, and moreover a god related to the divine domain, it will likely have some influence, I think . " (Shuuya)

"Sea God Sepiton, a god of the divine domain said to be the younger brother of Water Goddess Akreshys?"

"I see . I guess that's the connection . " (Shuuya)

The words of the evil god Steertop cross my mind, about how easy it is for people related to the gods, spirit world, or spirits to gather in Pelneet, even without the person themselves being conscious about it .

"…We defeated the apostle . I guess we're going back home for now? Or, are you going to search this mansion?" (Shuuya)

As I asked everyone, my eyes caught Pax' magic spear which was buried under rubble .

A magic spear possessing a naginata blade that shines in an orange light and has a width similar to that of a two-handed sword .

It resembles the Azure Dragon Scimitar said to have been used by Guan Yu .

Guess I will take it . Its usage frequency might diminish since I have the Magic Halberd Baldok, but for my collection…

"The rooms above on the left side were empty . " (Yui)

"Same on the right side . " (Kaldo)

"I intruded from the back, but there was nothing noteworthy there . " (Viine)

"I see . I guess it's either Zaga's place of the prince's mansion after returning home for a moment then . " (Shuuya)

"Nn, okay . " (Eva)

I pick up the magic spear . I check the magic spear's handgrip by swinging it several times .

Its weight is not that different from Baldok . No, I think it's a bit lighter .

"Are you going to use that beautiful weapon?"

"Yeah, I might actually put it to use . Perhaps I will become the founder of a dual spear style . " (Shuuya)

The thing with the dual spear style was a joke, but while looking serious, Yui mutters…

"It seems possible, if it's you, Shuuya . " (Yui)

…while staring at the orange blade .

"Haha, a dual spear style is a joke, of course . After all I'm at a stage where I'm improving almost every time even with just one spear…well, it might be fine to try playing around with the idea by holding a spear in the left and right though…" (Shuuya)

"I agree with Yui . Master, you should be able to handle a dual or even triple spear style . " (Viine)

"Nn, if you had two more arms, a quad spear style would be possible, too . " (Eva)

Eva talks while stretching out the black tonfa .

"In Shuuya's case, our bodies wouldn't last if he had four arms, don't you think?" (Rebecca)

"Nn, Rebecca, obscene…" (Eva)

"W-What! Even your face is red, isn't it Eva?" (Rebecca)

It developed into a light quarrel from there .

I stay silent and store the magic spear in the item box while focusing to keep smiling .

Then I took out the 24-faceted orbTrapezohedron .

I fiddle around with the globe by turning it around atop my palm in order to check its surface .

And then I directly turned it towards the facet linked to the mirror at home――

I trace that facet with my thumb ― activating the gate .

"Now then, beautiful ladies . Time to go home . " (Shuuya)

While talking so as to calm them down, I hug everyone, and we return home by passing through the gate together .