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Reigokai: Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope you had/are having a blast!
Enjoy the chapter~.
—–
“Shaaaah…”
“Gwoooh…”
“Giiiiiiih…”
“Shiiiih…Shiiih…”
Unsettling noises were heard the moment those monsters appeared on the surface.
I frowned reflexively.
The air was growing a muddy black from the miasma.
In the middle of them all, there’s a monster the size of a small mountain sitting there.
The 9 heads of this monster seemed to have their respective wills as they wriggled freely in a creepy manner.
One of the heads moved like the wind and swallowed the nearby demonic beasts whole.
*…Gulp*
The neck taking the shape of a monster went down and was swallowed.
The hungry monster wasn’t satisfied with that and continued eating the monsters around one after the other.
“Giyiiih!!”
“Gyaaaaah!!!”
The monsters were running away, trying to avoid being eaten.
“…T-That is…” (Sara)
“The mythological beast and 9 headed dragon, Hydra…” (Sumire)
“…It is eating the monsters on its own though. Isn’t it fine to just leave it be for now?” (Airi)
Sara, Sumire, and Airi were looking down at that monster from afar with fear.
We have arrived at the 1st Floor of the Zenith Tower riding the pegasus of Airi.
I thought 4 people riding the same steed would be rough, but as expected of a legendary mythical beast that has been alive since the era of the first emperor.
It became big enough for 4 people to ride.
It is as big as the elephants that are bigger than horses and are found in the East Continent.
“No, we shouldn’t leave it be.” (Eugene)
“Why, Eugy?” (Airi)
I said this while using the mana detection that I learned just recently on the Hydra.
“The Hydra that’s normally sealed in Tartaros is recovering mana the more it fills up its stomach.” (Eugene)
I can tell the Hydra’s internal mana is slowly getting stronger the more monsters it eats.
“You know a lot, Eugy! Where did you get that knowledge?” (Airi)
“Uhm…I learned about it in the academy.” (Eugene)
“I see. As expected of the Lykeion Magic Academy.” (Airi)
I gave a vague answer and Airi believed me.
“Eugene, you shouldn’t lie. You don’t learn about the special traits of the Hydra even in the Legendary Hero Department.” (Sara)
“Eugene-kun, there was no such class, was there?” (Sumire)
Sara and Sumire got me pretty fast.
“Eh, that was a lie?!” (Airi)
“You must have been told that by that woman.” (Sara)
“Eri-san knows quite a lot after all~.” (Sumire)
“Eh? That woman? Who is Eri?! Hey, Eugy!” (Airi)
This topic is getting dangerous.
“The Hydra has noticed us.” (Eugene)
One of the 9 heads is directing its red eyes at us.
“Aah, you are diverting the topic!” (Sumire)
“It can’t be helped, Sumire-chan. Let’s talk about this some other time.” (Sara)
“So we are still doing this later…” (Eugene)
Let’s just hope they have forgotten after the battle with the Divine Beast.
*…Zuzuzuzuzu*
A black mist begins to cover the surroundings of the Hydra.
And then, the monsters around began to collapse one after the other.
“Looks like a poisonous mist…?” (Sara)
“We can’t get closer.” (Eugene)
Our job is to get the Hydra away from the monster summoning circle.
I can block the poison with my barrier magic, but it is only me and one person nearby.
I can’t protect everyone riding the pegasus.
“I will go alone. Sumire, please share your mana with me.” (Eugene)
“Okay~☆. Here, Eugene-kun♡.” (Sumire)
Sumire wrapped her arms around my neck and her face approached me.
Wait a moment.
“S-Sumire, you can do Mana Link by simply holding hands, right?” (Eugene)
“Kissing is more efficient.” (Sumire)
““…………””
I don’t have the courage to kiss Sumire when Airi and Sara are looking at me with judging gazes.
“Bring out your right hand.” (Eugene)
“Can’t be helped~.” (Sumire)
I grabbed the hand of Sumire and had her share me mana.
“Hey, Eugene, you need my mana too…right?” (Sara)
“Eugy…you used my mana when you fought the Great Demonic Beast, right? Let’s do it again.” (Airi)
Sara and Airi got closer to me together.
The back of the pegasus isn’t spacious even though it has gotten bigger.
I feel like I would fall with any form of shoving.
“C-Calm down, you two. We don’t know how long it will take to be the bait of the Hydra and destroy the monster summoning circle. Please save your mana.” (Eugene)
“Okay.” (Sara)
“Got it, Eugy.” (Airi)
The two agreed even if reluctantly.
Sumire continued sending me mana in that time.
I can feel my body steadily getting hotter.
“The hair color of Eugy is…” (Airi)
“The red haired Eugene-kun is so cool.” (Sumire)
My hair color changed to red with the influence of Sumire’s mana.
“Sumire, Sara, can you clean out the monsters in the place I will be landing?” (Eugene)
“Yeah, leave it to me, Eugene.” (Sara)
“Okay, Eugene-kun.” (Sumire)
I look right below the pegasus.
There’s thousands of monsters roaming around the 1st Floor of the Zenith Tower.
“Hey, Eugy, what about me?” (Airi)
“Please keep those two safe. Also, please follow up at whatever moment you see fit.” (Eugene)
“My instructions sound very throwaway.” (Airi)
“Really?” (Eugene)
I made eye-contact with the discontented Airi.
I believe that Airi will be able to take the best action in the required scenario even if I don’t tell her in detail.
That has been the case since long ago.
“Can’t be helped.” (Airi)
Looks like that got transmitted.
“I will be going then.” (Eugene)
I say this and jump down into the horde of monsters.
◇◇
I freefall while listening to the wind hitting my ears.
Right before I landed onto the horde of monsters…
*FWHOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!*
My vision turned bright red in an instant.
It is the magic of the Ifrit, Sumire.
Sumire is shooting her offensive magic and swallows me along with the enemies like usual.
I block it with my barrier and land on the ground.
I have strengthened my body with barrier magic, so I barely felt any of the impact from landing after jumping down high in the air.
“That’s impressive firepower as always…” (Eugene)
I was watching how the monsters were turning into charcoal from Sumire’s magic.
The ground melted into red and the temperature of the air is most likely in the hundreds.
My lungs would most likely burn into a crisp just by breathing if I didn’t have a barrier on me.
The air is undulating like a mirage due to the heat.
A black giant figure approached me from deeper in.
“Hydra…” (Eugene)
It is not as big as a Great Demonic Beast, but the pressure its body gives off is beyond that.
It doesn’t show any signs of faltering at the magic of Sumire.
On the contrary, it seems to be groaning discontentedly at the fact that its food is being burned down.
*…Zuzu…zuzu…zuzu*
The Hydra was approaching while making unsettling sounds.
It is moving slowly.
It is most likely because of the black chains wrapped around its body.
Each ring of those chains is the size of a person.
It seems to have noticed me, but it must not think of me as an enemy, it is only giving me attention on the level of an ant walking on the ground.
I would like to draw its attention a bit more as bait.
I draw my white katana -the Heaven Sword- from my waist and take a stance.
I was thinking about unleashing a ranged technique, but…
“[Light Saber]!!” (Sara)
Sara’s Holy Sword shot an energy blade from above.
*Slash!*
The skin of the Hydra was injured and blue blood came out from it.
“““““““““SHAAAAAAAAAH!!!!””””””””
The roar of the Hydra mixed with anger made the air and ground tremble.
I see the pegasus of Airi take distance from the Hydra in the corner of my vision.
Alright, I can fight without any distractions.
The Hydra chases after the pegasus of Airi.
I stand in between them and wait for the Hydra.
(Mana Blade: [Flame Blade].) (Eugene)
The white katana begins to shine bright red.
“Shaaaa!!”
One of the heads opens its mouth wide and comes here wildly.
(Twin Heavenly Sword Style – Wind Stance: [Kamaitachi]!) (Eugene)
“Kuh!!”
I had my hands full with just avoiding the bite of the Hydra and swinging my katana to try and cut down its head, but the wind pressure made from the head of the Hydra passing by was enough to send me flying.
(!!)
I mitigated the fall, but another attack came at me.
*PANG!!!!*
The ground was gouged out with the impact.
Not only that…
(Poison… No, acid…?) (Eugene)
The spot that took the attack melted and turned into what looked like a swamp.
I most likely can block the poison with a barrier, but my footing will definitely get taken out.
I can’t approach that spot anymore.
(The poisonous swamp of the Hydra-chan that made a lot of legendary heroes suffer~.) (Eri)
I hear the nonchalant voice of the Demon Lord.
(How about giving me an advice or two instead of just watching?) (Eugene)
I complained.
(I have no words to say to a man that was getting all starstruck from having 3 women surrounding him!) (Eri)
‘Hmph!’ -she scoffed and said in a cold voice.
I told her with strength that I wasn’t starstruck, but at that moment…
— “Gaooooon!”
— “Gyaaaoooooooo!”
— “Guooooooon!”
— “Gyaooooon!”
— “Guoooooooooon!”
It has suddenly gotten noisy.
(There’s more monsters.) (Eugene)
There’s twice as many monsters I can feel with my mana detection.
Looks like more were summoned.
A number of beams were shot at the horde of monsters.
(That’s…) (Eugene)
(Looks like the 12 Knights and the high ranked explorers are doing their best in their attempts to destroy the magic circle.) (Eugene)
There’s even dragons within the monsters that were summoned.
One of them rushed at the explorers, but…
*Ring*
A bell-like sound that doesn’t suit the intense battlefield echoed and the head of the dragon dropped.
(That was…the Fairy Blade of the 1st Knight-sama.) (Eugene)
The Mana Blade that’s said to be the strongest in the Dungeon City.
The monsters are cut without noticing and just die.
The rumors rang true as the monsters sliced by the 1st Knight-sama were falling one after the other without raising a cry.
*…Zuzu…zuzu…*
The Hydra is trying to turn away.
Is it trying to eat the summoned monsters again? Or was he attracted to the 12 Knights and the high rank explorers?
“As if I will let you!” (Eugene)
I used the Sky Step of the Twin Heavenly Sword Style and headed over to the Hydra in a position that’s outside its perception.
The skin of the Hydra is all gooey and is covered in an even more poisonous color, making it hard to move.
I could feel the poison corroding the barrier, but I still continued and arrived right above the Hydra.
“[Beheading Lion]!!!” (Eugene) <TLN: Changed from Dance of the Lion>
The edge of fire slashed the crown of its head before the other heads of the Hydra noticed me.
— “SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”
A scream rang.
Black blood began to spurt out like a fountain and showered me.
“Gah! Guh!!!!!”
Sharp pain coursed through my whole body.
Wh…at…?!!
(Eugene, use my mana!!) (Eri)
Eri’s impatient voice rang.
(…I employ my contract with the Demon Lord.) (Eugene)
The mana of a Demon Lord flowed through me just when I was on the verge of losing consciousness.
The pain in my body began to withdraw.
I jump down from the head of the Hydra and take distance.
I cast healing magic on myself.
(What was that just now…?) (Eugene)
It was as if my barrier magic didn’t work at all.
(The blood of Hydra-chan might have been imbued with concentrated deadly poison and curses…I think? But I didn’t expect it to break through even your barrier, Eugene.) (Eri)
Eri told me with a flustered voice.
(Didn’t you already know?) (Eugene)
(I didn’t. There wasn’t an idiot that would face Hydra-chan in close quarters combat when its whole body is lethal poison even when I fought against it in the mythological era with the other angels.) (Eri)
(…Speaking of which, the mother of Rebecca-senpai, Rosalie-san, also fought off the Hydra with long range magic attacks.) (Eugene)
(That’s what you would normally do.) (Eri)
Then, I did the most stupid attack against the Hydra?
(Come on, don’t feel down. Look, it seems like your attack was effective.) (Eri)
(Eh?) (Eugene)
I looked at the Hydra, and the head that I slashed at is laying on the ground, completely drained.
(Fufufu… Looks like the Mana Blade of an Ifrit was super effective. The weakness of Hydra-chan is fire, moreover, Sumire-chan is still a Godkin even if it is only the tip of it. There’s faint divinity in her mana. No doubt getting slashed with something like that is going to be painful.) (Eri)
(I see…) (Eugene)
I sigh in relief.
I was on the verge of dying there, but it wasn’t a waste.
“Shaaah…Shaah…”
The red eyes of the Hydra are staring at me-.
Looks like it is completely targeting me now.
I ready my sword and glare back at the Hydra in place.
My role is to buy time.
What’s next is…
“We did it!!!”
“We have destroyed the monster summoning circle!!”
I heard the voices of 12 Knights and the high ranked explorers.
Alright, the Dungeon City won’t be destroyed by a million monsters now.
Just when I relaxed for a bit there…
“Eugene-kun!!! Watch out!!!” (Sumire)
I heard the voice of Sumire from above.
And I also see a wyvern diving my way at the same time.
It seems like most flying monsters are targeting the pegasus of Airi, but one of them apparently came here.
They are normally not that much of a threat though…
(Must be the poison of before…) (Eugene)
My body is heavy.
I gave up on avoiding it and decided to endure it with my barrier, but…
“Northern God Sword Style: [Haze Slash].”
A calm tone and the faint sound of an unsheathing blade.
The wyvern was sliced in 3 by the time I noticed.
This sword style is…
“President Robert?” (Eugene)
The strongest swordsman of the academy was standing there with his hair tied behind his back.
“Sorry, Eugene-kun, for taking your prey.” (Robert)
“N-No…you helped me out there. More importantly, I heard you were injured in the tournament.” (Eugene)
“‘The Dungeon City is in danger, so what are you doing not participating too?’ -is what the Holy Maiden-sama told me strictly. Matrona-sama was in a bad mood from me not winning to begin with, so I couldn’t go against her.” (Robert)
‘Hahaha!’ -President Robert laughed heartily.
So this is the kind of guy he is.
But what bothers me the most is…
(I couldn’t see the trail of his blade at all even now.) (Eugene)
The mana detection that I trained together with Eri can’t follow it at all.
What’s going on?
(Hmm, you might have lost if the finals had not been with the spear user but this knight here.) (Eri)
Eri stabbed where it hurt.
(Stop. Don’t say that.) (Eugene)
I somehow managed to win against Claude, but that might have just been because I train with him often. I probably would have lost against President Robert.
“Now then, we have destroyed the monster summoning circle. What’s left is…” (Robert)
President Robert directed his sword at the Hydra without knowing about how I feel, and seems to be searching for something above.
I noticed that it is the broadcasting device of the Zenith Tower that sends the footage to the Dungeon City.
Everyone from the Dungeon City is watching with bated breath.
There’s also that person included within those…
“Well done, everyone.”
The voice of Principal Uther rang in the 1st Floor of the Zenith Tower.
His voice rang with pride.
“The Dungeon City won’t be trampled by a Stampede now. The Peacemaker can be activated in 1 more hour. If you do, it won’t be difficult to defeat the Hydra and the—” (Uther)
In the middle of the Principal’s words…
“Was the difficulty too low?”
A voice rang from the whole Zenith Tower of Babel.
This way to make your voice travel is different from loudspeaker magic.
It is similar to the Voice of the Angel that I heard at the time when I challenged the trial in Floor 100.
But I am familiar with this voice.
“Dungeon Master…” (Eugene)
“What?” (Robert)
President Robert made a dubious look.
The very culprit that caused this situation, Anemoi Babel, is interfering again.
■Comment Response:
>The exam for white magic is crazy. I am impressed Eugene managed to pass.
-Right?
Eugene would have been able to get through with just barrier magic and healing magic even without making a contract with a Demon Lord.
■Author’s Comment:
A 3rd volume is going to be happening apparently!
I am truly thankful to all the readers that bought the book!
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