Chapter 233 – The difference between him and me
「Gonroya, be silent. Don’t put in extra」
In spite of a silly dispute, Ranpou´s fingertips move hecticly. Immediately, nearly one hundred iron golems were catalyzed by Ranpou’s magic and with armors and shields, they march like knights when a line of troops is formed.
「The opponent is undead. You know that, don’t you?」
「I know. So don’t be so terrible. It’s not good with light and fire」
Gonroya wields his cane while complaining. Then, red and yellow lights cover the golem’s armors from the tip of the cane. The power of the spirits of light and fire strengthened the weapons and shields of the golems.
「Ah, what? You want to change places?」
Gonroya asks Russ. Next to Russ, there was still Lena who is still sewn to the ground.
「Do you bother moving around when biting louses come together? I’m not. I’ll drive them away with my hands」
「It’s fine! Don’t bark later!」
At the same time as Ranpou commands his golem’s army´s assault, Russ covers Lena with the 8th rank sacred magic, 『Sanctuary Barrier』. In addition, the 5th rank undead magic 『Skeleton Creation - Ga March』 is casted. More than 500 skeletal soldiers crawl out of the soil and rush towards the golem army as they stand up.
「Hahh」
Ranpou snorts. The sword swung down by a skeleton soldier is repelled by the shield of the iron golem or without scratching the body of the iron golem, the sword breaks. The number of skeleton soldiers was more than five times the number of iron golems, but their individual strengths were far too different. Even if the iron golems don’t use a weapon, just swinging their arms will blow several skeleton soldiers away. It was even more striking to eat swords and shields that were enriched with Gonroya’s spirit magic. When slashed with the swords with the attributes of light, the skeleton soldiers become dust. When hit with the shields of the attribute of fire, they become charcoal.
「Haahaa! What’s the matter!! It’s not a big deal even though you had such a big mouth!」
「Is it possible to achieve the accuracy and movement that cannot be achieved with a normal golem by combining the strengths of the three jobs, 『Spirit magic user』’, 『Earth magic user』 and 『Puppeteer』?」
Ranpou has not loosened the barrier that he is developing for even a moment. Nevertheless, Russ did find out about Ranpou´s jobs. However, there was no uproar from Ranpou. Diving deep into high-ranked labyrinths, you will find monsters that are as intelligent as or better than humans and they use magic and skills that no one has ever heard or seen of. The intuition of Ranpou, who had experience of exploring many labyrinths, had told him that. Perhaps the undead in front of him has a high-level skill in Analysis or is a similar magic user.
「What’s wrong with that? Rotten Undead――tsk」
The head of the advancing iron golem suddenly disappeared, which was dispelling skeleton soldiers. The cause was on the ground. The ground was swamped by the 4th rank black magic 『Swamp Creation Marsh』 by Russ and the iron golem was enemy of its own weight and had no way to resist the sinking. However, the sinking of the iron golems, which were sinking one after another, stopped.
「You´re called 『Ice Mass Goronoya』. but you can use other spirit magic, can you?」
Gonroya’s 4th rank spirit magic, 『Hard Earth Call』, pushed the swampy earth back to its original soil.
「Take this!!」
Ranpou’s iron golem jumps and attacks Russ. It was a light manner so as not to think that it was a iron golem. As you can see, iron golems were rushing to Russ from all sides.
「Are you serious?」
The iron golems´s attack were all blocked by Russ’s barrier.
「No matter how cleverly you are in manipulating, they’re only a mass of iron. Do you really think you can beat me?」
「Idiot」
Ranpou was hiding three mithril golems behind the iron golems. The gap between the iron golem’s body is used by the mithril golem´s shaking drill to attack Russ´s barrier.
「Yes!」
At that time, when it was thought that the mithril golem´s drill had penetrated the barrier and that it had interfered.
「Hey. Why did you release the golem?」
「No. I didn’t release it」
The three mithril golems have disappeared. A mass of mythril, which had been the catalyst, had fallen to Russ’s feet.
「Mythril is a material that can easily pass through magic. It is easy to return it to the original earth mass if you cut off the manipulating magic by taking the interference with the barrier――in this case mithril ore. It would have been a learning experience」
「Don’t underestimate me......」
Enraged Ranpou crosses both hands. Originally, the iron golems should have attacked Russ all at once.
「What!? This rotten undead has done something to my golems!」
「Fool. Where is the idiot who bothers to answer?」
All iron golems had their iron bodies corroded, rusted, and sealed by Russ’s 6th rank black magic 『Corrosion - Garl』. Ranpou noticed this and at the same time unpacked and reconfigured the iron golems.
「What the hell is that....... Are you imitating me?」
Before Russ, three skeleton knights were kneeling. The difference from the skeleton soldiers earlier was that the bones that make up the body were mithril.
「You. If you can control the golem like me, try it!」
After studying the structure of the human body by himself and training enough to give out one’s blood, there is a precise golem operation of the present Ranpou. It was nothing but an insult to see it and to do it by the imitation.
「Don’t chirp biting louse」
Behind the skeleton knights are the figure of three men. It can be said that it was not a reality but a spiritual body because the bodies of the men were thin and transparent and countless old wounds are carved innumerable to the body which had been trained splendidly.
「I have a bad premonition」
「Gonroya, lets do it together!」
「Yes, yes. My partner is really noisy」
Gonroya and Ranpou were quick to judge and act. Thousands of ice and iron spears are deployed around them. It is 2nd rank spirit magic 『Iron Javelin』 and 『Hail Javelin』. Each one is so powerful and magical that it is incomparable to the one used by average magic users. Obviously it’s not a scale of interpersonal scale. Thousands of spears with murderous intent were shot at Rus at once. Countless holes are drilled in the ground, turning up and the terrain transforms in an instant. During that time, Gonroya and Ranpou continued to release their spears without releasing their hands.
「Gonroya!」
「I know, I know」
Ranpou shouts out of sight of the view blocked by the dust. Gonroya activates 1st rank spirit magic 『Gale』. The strong wind blows the dust cloud far away and when the view opens,
「Quite noisy biting louses」
The ground remained intact and clean, as if nothing had happened about three meters around Russ. Incredibly, only three skeleton knights have prevented the thousands of spears emitted by Gonroya and Ranpou from being able to even annihilate them with a small army.
「That’s a good place to stay. From the situation, that skeleton must have knocked it down」
「It’s not a joke. So what? You say that the sword held by that skeleton has knocked off all our spears?」
Ranpou, who cant understand the situation, sends three iron golems. It was his pride that didn’t allow him to lose in such a situation. However, the first iron golem is discarded by the skelett knight in the middle, the second by the skelett knight on the right and the third by the skelett knight on the left after the attack. The three skeleton knights were formidable. Despite having mithril swords, they defeated the iron golems with one strike. Moreover, it is Ranpou, who is said to have no one who can compete against him in manipulating golems.
「Going easy on someone......I’m not such a character」
Gonroya mutters while looking at Ranpou with a stern expression.
「I’m going to fight against those skeletons, so you take on that rotten undead」
「Hmm, isn’t it harder for me?」
「I’ll join you as soon as I knock them down」
With that said, Ranpou takes out Damascus steel from his item pouch. One of Ranpou’s trump cards, following the mithril golems, he creates ten golems made of Damascus steel.
「Tsk. It’s going to be harder here」
Gonroya scratches his head and confronts Russ, as if he had gotten the short end of the stick.
「Are you mistaken? Do you think one biting louse can beat me?」
「I don’t like it either. Well, that’s not true. More than that, those skeletons weren’t summoned by dark magic, right? Its undead magic, to manipulate the dead?」
「The three Zepol brothers have been doing what they call villainy in their lifetimes. These scums can work for me. I just want to thank them」
「No matter how bad you are――wait. Zepol three brothers!? Aren’t they villains who are among the seventy-seven most evil villains」
「You will soon become friends」
「I’m a beastman’s rear guard, so if you look down on me it will be painful for you」
The appearance of Gonroya, a physique suitable for a bear beast, with a cane was somewhat humorous.
「I’m not underestimating you because you´re a beastman. I mean a biting louse like you don’t know how to fight me. And I know beastmen rearguards who are stronger than you」
「Ha, Haha....... It’s about me. When I think of a beastman who is stronger than a carnivore like you, I can only think of the beast king in the Large Tree Ocean of Filcy」
「That’s not the case. Isn’t the beast king who reigns in the Large Tree Ocean of Filcy a typical vanguard?」
「Do you know the beast king?」
「It’s going to be enough to talk and earn time」
Unexpectedly, there was frost on the ground only around Russ and Gonroya.
「Hee, it looks like you’ve used your mind――what!!」
When Gonroya stomps on the ground, the frost covering the ground suddenly becomes thick ice. It has no effect on Russ who is floating in the air.
「Take this!」
Further, as Gonroya stomps on the ground, a number of icicles grow from the ground, surrounding Russ like a cage.
「I don’t know if I can afford to die!」
A giant ice blade unfolds when Gonroya shakes his cane. It is the 6th rank spirit magic, 『Giant Leftover Ice Blade - Ice Edge』. It’s magic for giant monsters, such as giants, but it is fired towards Russ who cant move because of the ice cage.
「Is that above me your best?」
Russ isn’t stunned by the approaching ice blade. He looks up at the sky. The ice mass falling from the heavens come into view through the gaps in the ice cage. When Russ first appeared, that’s the magic that Gonroya suddenly released and his nickname came from. It was the 7th rank spirit magic 『Ice Mass Sky Crash』. Moreover, there was not only one ice block this time. Five massive ice blocks covered the heavens.
「There’s nowhere to run. That’s why you heard that, didn’t you? I’m going to change the place!」
「Don’t get carried away, you biting louse」
Divine power overflows from Russ´s cane and converges immediately. When you think that dazzling light has gathered, it is released towards the heaven. The 7th rank sacred magic, 『Vajra´s Hammer - Lardo Muu』, God’s hammer, which shatters everything quickly turned the five ice blocks created by Gonroya into dust. The crushed ice blocks become hail and pour down on the earth.
「Haahaa. I thought you’d do something about it」
Gonroya, who consumed a huge amount of MP and breathes roughly, squeezes his last power to release magic. A lot of the crushed ice surrounds Russ. He was sealed in an ice coffin about 10 meters per side.
「Ranpou! I’ll leave the rest to you!!」
After he casted the 7th rank spirit magic, 『Ice Coffin Chain - Ain Doe』, Gonroya who overworked his limits and consumed his MP fell down to the ground without standing, leaving the rest to Ranpou.
「Leave it to me!!」
Ranpou´s whole body, who fought fiercely against the three mithril skeleton knights and won the battle, is full of blood. However, Ranpou could not miss this one and only chance created by Gonroya. It was not a humanoid, but a quadruped golem with a total length of about eight meters that was dismantled and reconstructed from the ten golems made of Damascus steel. Moreover, from the head to the buttocks, something like a tube penetrated the body. When the quadruped golem stabs its feet into the ground and locks its body, it aims its barrel at Russ.
「Take it!」
As Ranpou put magic into it, the quadruped golem´s barrel blew something out. A shell that combines Damascus steel and Mithril approachesRuss while drawing a spiral. The shell hits a wall of air, generating a shock wave and accelerating further. When Gonroya looked up and looked at Russ, he seemed to sneer at Gonroya, who was sealed in an ice coffin and couldn’t even move one finger. A violent crashing sound should have sounded. The ice collided with the shells and should have smashed Russ. However, the crashing sound cannot be heard at all. The shell changed its trajectory diagonally upward, as if to avoid Russ and disappeared leaving a trail in the sky.
「I can’t afford to eat it directly right now」
The ice coffin is slightly cracked. The cracks continued to spread and eventually shattered as they spread to the corners of the ice coffin.
「So you let me parry it with my barrier, Isn’t it your job as biting louse to avoid that? I’ll praise you for that」
「Yo, You......」
「It’s a reward. Feel free to pick it up」
Russ raises his cane. Then, a black torture device in the shape of a young girl appeared, gently trying to lure Ranpou into its body.
「Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!?」
「Ra. Ranpou!」
Ranpou’s screaming of agony echoes and red tears spill from the eyes of the black iron girl.
「I don’t want to sell fights to Master at this level. There’s a lot to know about it. No way, you guys, give Namari a little trouble――ku, kuku. Kuhahaa! I see. Give up. You’re dying in vain」
Russ read from Gonroya’s expression and laughs.
「Monster......」
「I’ll let you follow soon」
When Russ tries to stab Goronoya, the black iron girl is prying open from inside.
「Y, You......ee! Wh......What......heee!! Bu, bu......bu, I´ll kill you!!」
Ranpou, full of holes, roars constantly at Russ.
「Ho. Did you turn yourself into steel and prevent it, but it seems you didn’t go unhscathed. All right. I’ll finish you off just as you wishes」
「Br......Bring it on! You――guaaaaa!!?」
Suddenly, raging thunder and wind blew Ranpou away.
「......I, I, cough. I’m......not a small fish」
It was Lena who blew Ranpou away with the 7th rank black magic 『Fujin Raijin』.
「It’s a lie......」
The hair on Gonroya´s whole body who saw Lena’s hands stands up. Both palms were torn in two. No, Lena, who decided she couldn’t pull out the Mithril pile, cut it herself.
「Lena-dono, how did you make my barrier――」
Russ stretched out to protect Lena and noticed a hole in the 『Sanctuary Barrier』 that would allow anyone to pass if she couldn’t. It is a technique that interferes with the barrier through magic power that Ranpou and Russ showed. Lena used the technique she had seen only twice, but, unfortunately, released Russ’s 『Sanctuary Barrier』 from within.
「......Cough. I, I’m......losing, you’re a......small fish!」
Next, Lena glares at Russ.
「......Co, Cough. You......say, I’m......beside Yuu......I, I wasn’t qualified to stand?」
After that, Lena loses consciousness, spitting out blood. In a distant place, Russ saw Ranpou moving slightly. At the moment of eating Lena’s 『Fujin Raijin』, he immediately expand a stone wall with 3rd rank spirit magic 『Cover Wall』, push the steel thread to the ground like a lightning rod and further change his body to steel to defend himself. Nevertheless, the extremities of the raging winds pressed and bent the limbs in unexpected directions and thunder, which could not be completely escaped, scorched the body and produced black smoke.
「It might have been too early to make a decision」
Russ muttered without being heard by anyone. Russheals Lena who falls on the ground and doesn’t move with sacred magic. With enormous healing powers, damaged organs and broken palms in Lena’s body are quickly restored.
「Carry Lena politely」
Skeleton Knight summoned by Russ holds Lena and follows Russ.
「Wa, Wait! Do you turn a blind eye on us!?」
Russ looks back at Gonroya’s call.
「The excitement has been cut off. Besides Master told me that I shall keep you alive」
Gonroya was left without stabbing and couldn’t even follow. Until the departure when Russ disappeared, Gonroya could only follow with his eyes.