Author: Yume Neiji

I meet up with my comrades and then we entered a suitable café. This is to share the information we gathered with each other in a quiet place. When we sit down on the terrace of the restaurant, we each placed an order with the waiter.

From my seat, I could see the blue sky and the bright sun that dazzled my eyes. The beautiful sea that spreads out below would have been exciting if we were on vacation. Unfortunately, we didn’t come for that purpose this time. After the coffee was brought to the table, I started talking.

“Did you get any useful information?”

“Nothing at all. On the other hand, I was asked what the forbidden island is.”

“I’m the same with Rival. And for some reason, they just laughed at me.”

“All I was told was that there seems to be a man who once went to the island.”

“The story I heard was from a very long time ago. The person who provided the information said that there were people who went to the island several decades ago but it seems like they didn’t come out.”

Erna, Liz and Freya have no harvest. Pero seems to have met someone who has valuable information. Anything is fine right now. I want to know about the island.

“The person who provided me the information was the person who manages the city’s archives. When I told him I would pay him a reward, he was happy to answer my queries.”

“Hmm, so what’s the story of the old days?”

“It’s not that long and it’s not very detailed.”

Pero’s story went like this,

About 1,000 years ago, a human male came to this city. That man asked a sailor to take him to a distant sea. The sailor gladly accepted the request because of the good payment. Following the man’s instructions, the ship continues to sail on the open sea, and one day finds an island. The sailor anchored his boat in nearby waters and lent a small boat to the man who was going to cross to the island. Three days later, the man returned to the ship looking exhausted. After that, he returned safely to the city, but the sailor said he could not ask the man what had happened on the island.

“I’m curious who that man is. I also wonder how he knew about the Forbidden Island.”

“Actually, I asked about that too. He said it was probably Great Mage Moore.”

“Moore-sama!? Moore-sama went to the Forbidden Island!?”

It was Erna who overreacted. I called out to her, “Calm down.”

“It’s just a guess from the person who gave me the information. But the records mentioned that Moore was active in Naji around that time. There are also testimonies that they saw a man in a white robe talking to a sailor.”

“Then it’s Moore-sama for sure! He’s the greatest mage I admire! I can’t believe he has been to the Forbidden Island!”

Snorting heavily, Erna gulped down her coffee. When the situation calms down a little, I told the four of them the information I have obtained.

“So if we meet Lena’s father, we’ll know more about the island huh.”

“It’s very likely. I’m thinking of relaxing here for an hour or so and then visit their house.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting Lena!”

As the five of us are talking about Lena, who we will see for the first time in a long time, a strange group of human adventurers approached us.

A man who looks like a swordsman. A woman who looks like a mage. A woman who looks like a martial artist. A man who seems to be a spear user and a woman who seems to be a large shield user. There are five of them in total.

When the swordsman got close to me, his gaze moved from my head to foot, as if observing me carefully. Their purpose is unknown, but the atmosphere does not seem to indicate hostility.

“Uhm, are you perhaps Shinichi Tanaka of Homeless?”

The man asked me a question, so I nodded obediently.

Then all of them quickly sits upright on the ground and strikes a dogeza pose.

“Make us your apprentice!!”

……Huh? Apprentice?

　◇◇◇

They are a party of adventurers who call themselves the “Sword of Glory”. They came to Sarasvati for training. Of course, they are also here to earn money like the other adventurers.

The name of the leader swordsman is “Liberto”. He has short brown hair and a relatively well-groomed and refreshing face. However, I must add that I would like him to remain silent. When this man starts talking, he has a really smug expression on his face. Well, as far as the analysis results go, it is certain that he is not the kind of person who commits crimes.

The mage woman is “Margaret”. She has a loose pink bob hair with a perm. She had a cute face rather than a beauty, and her plump lips were impressive. Her robe is purple, indicating that she is a high-class mage. Her eyes are lightly turned upwards, and it looked like she was glaring at Erna.

The female martial artist is “Tina”. She has short boyish red hair and an androgynous face. She has an air of innocence, and her big clear eyes are always moving around, in search for something. She looks like an adult, but a child inside. Well, she has the biggest breasts of the three women, and I can’t help but glance at her. Her breasts are so outrageous that they bounce like that. Mufufu.

The person wielding the spear is “Dominique”. He has a toned, masculine, chiseled face and a short green hair with left bangs that hang down to hide one eye. His body is also bulky and toned. However, for some reason, he himself likes to use a fake name, saying things like “I’m Catherine.” I think it’s good to call him Dominique because he’s masculine.

The woman who wields the shield is “Leila”. Her honey-colored long hair draws gentle waves, and her face is very beautiful. Her demeanor is soft and calm giving an impression that she is an adult woman. She didn’t look very strong and she doesn’t look like someone who would be fighting with a large shield though. Unfortunately, she got flat breasts. And strangely, when I looked at her, I didn’t get excited. It is very rare to see such a beautiful woman in front of me after all.

I made the five of them sit in a nearby seat, and I also sit at the same table to ask about the situation.

To be honest, I’m still confused about this. Someone suddenly volunteered to become my apprentice. It’s natural to be bewildered. Moreover, I wanted to know as to why at this time.

“Liberto, right? ……Are you guys serious about apprenticeship?”

“Yes, we want to learn about the strength of Homeless firsthand. If you say you don’t trust us, we can take an exam or whatever. I’m sure we’ll pass it.”

“No. I’m not that suspicious and I don’t intend to conduct any tests. Aren’t you all special-class adventurers?”

“It’s because we’re special class adventurers. We have crawled up to this point by training desperately. We finally made it to a place called top notch. However, recently, we have been feeling that we reached our limits. At this rate, we’ll not be able to reach the master level.”

Liberto had a frustrated look on his face.

Master level? We ourselves are just advanced adventurers…. I wonder why they think about us? Normally, one will feel like it’s pretty humiliating to ask someone from a lower class to teach them.

He continues.

“Actually, we went to Mana to scout you. We went upto the thirtieth floor of the Great Dungeon in search of the place where you guys live. Unfortunately, Leila was injured at that time so we had to turn back.”

“You’ve made it to the thirtieth level huh. That must have been hard.”

“Yes, it was tougher than I imagined. It made us even more convinced then. Tanaka-san is the one who will give us the opportunity. So, when I found you here, I am so happy.”

He takes my hand and squeezes it. His eyes shone with joy at meeting the person he longed for. I feel sorry for him though. I’m not the kind of person he should look up to. Turning to my comrades, each of them moved their head to express their volition.

Pero nodded, meaning YES. Freya is also a YES. Liz shook her head, meaning NO. Erna…… Ah?, OK if it’s not a woman?

As expected, opinions were divided. It can’t be helped. As long as my comrades do not agree, there is no way I could make “Sword of Glory” my apprentice.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll refuse. I’m busy.”

“It doesn’t have to be long so please consider it! We just need a little time, just for a while, please guide us! Oh, yes, please take this!”

Liberto handed a leather bag to me. It must have been filled with gold and silver coins. I guess you could say it’s a tuition. But I can’t take it. I decided to refuse so I couldn’t accept something like this. However, when I was about to return the bag to Liberto, Erna quickly took it from the side. Opening the mouth of the bag, Erna and Liz began to count the money.

“Ten gold coins and twenty silver coins, not bad.”

“The world depends on money, and those who pay for what they should pay must be respected.”

What a cash bunch! Even though they are my comrades, I feel they’re quite scary. Pero smiled wryly, but Freya nodded in agreement.

“We can’t say that there won’t be another angel attack in the future, so isn’t it our duty to increase the number of people who can fight as much as possible? Moreover, they are special class adventurers, they are people who need to grow further in order to protect the kingdom.”

“Hmm, that may be true, but I don’t think it’s the right time. We are going to the Forbidden Island after all.”

“You can take them with us. I’m sure the voyage will be long. If you use that time to train them, even if not as much as we do, they will surely be able to fight one-on-one with third-class angels.”

With Freya’s persuasion, I began to consider about them becoming an apprentice. With Saint Water, they can grow to the level she described. Besides, there is no merit or lack of merit in taking apprentices.

First of all, they can be expected as a reserve force. The next time I have a problem other than combat, I can rely on them. This is something I don’t really want now, but it might give me the reputation of having raised them. There were a few others, but I was sure that there would be enough change for the effort.

“Alright then, I’ll give you a condition: make Mana your base for a while after you become my apprentice.”

“Mana?”

“Yes. I don’t want you to stay that long, six months at most. Instead, I’ll train you at any time, and you can rely on us when you’re in trouble. Oh, let me emphasize, I won’t lend you money.”

Liberto and the others replied in a cheerful voice, “Yes!”

Of course, there is a purpose in designating their base. I want them to be a billboard for Mana, which is going to be the Food City. The restaurant opened by the chefs who can be said to be Kanzaki’s apprentice is now a very famous restaurant. The supermarket built by Arnold has also been accepted by the residents and it is crowded with many customers every day. As a result, new eateries were opening in Mana, albeit little by little. I also began to see glimpses of people called gourmets. The groundwork is done. Then there’s the question of name recognition.

In the not-too-distant future, my and Kanzaki’s plans may be half-fulfilled.

“So, Master, what are you going to do now? We will follow wherever you go.”

“Hmmm, let’s start by putting this on you.”

I took a block of metal from the bangle and used my metal manipulation skill to create five sets of five rings. They were fitted to their necks, arms, and legs so that they could not be removed by skill. It is a silvery metal with a black tint. It is called Visnir. It is a very heavy substance with properties that are the exact opposite of mithril. It even has the added bonus of making magic harder to use and is a well-known metal in another way that is used to restrain sinners.

“Agh…… Master, what is this!?”

“It’s a strength training device made by Visnir. You guys are going to live with it on you for a while.”

「「「「「What!?」」」」」

“Alright, now let me tell you. We are going to go to an island where the high-ranking dragons roam.”

「「「「「What!?」」」」」

The five of them opened their eyes wide in shock. Well, they were unlucky to apply for an apprenticeship at this time. I’m going to train them hard enough so that they won’t die. Kukuku.

Seeing the pale faces of the five people, I slowly sipped my coffee.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

---

Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next

---

Although we won the war against the angels, we lost something big: the World Tree. From now on, Sanargia will have to live on their own until a new sacred beast appears. I regretted it terribly. The World Tree protected not only one kingdom but also the world. I couldn’t help but feel depressed that I couldn’t protect such a great being. There were still many things I wanted to ask too.

On the other hand, there were things that I gained from this battle —the powerful pieces of armors from the enemy. The oricalchum swords and armor equipped by the third-class angels were collected and distributed to the elite of each kingdom. Well, as for the dragoneuts and dwarves, it seems that they had to remake them due to size issues.

In addition, the number of my familiars increased. The reason for this is the subjugation of the enemy. I turned the corpse of the angels lying on the battlefield into an undead one by one and turned them into my familiar. As a result, the total number of my familiar is now 450,000. By the way, half of the angels were wiped out by Erna’s magic and only ten thousand escaped, so this is the number. What I found a little interesting is that angels are still angels even if they become undead.

When I look at the subordinated angel with my analysis+ skill, I can see the following result.

【Analysis Result: Homeless Angelton: A sacred beast born when a third-class angel was turned into an undead and then subordinated. It boasts ten times the power of a normal third-class angel. Rarity: SL, Overall Ability: SS】

【Status】 Name: Homeless Angelton Race: Homeless Angelton Magic Attributes: Wind, Light, Holy, Nothingness Magic: – Skills: Appraisal (Intermediate), Sword King Technique(Intermediate), Shield King Technique (Intermediate), Disguise (Intermediate), Presence Detection (Intermediate), Danger Detection (Intermediate), Search (Intermediate), Physical Enhancement (Intermediate), High-Speed Flight (Intermediate), Universal Adaptation, Intimidation (Intermediate), Leadership (Intermediate) Dominantion rate: 100% dominated by Shinichi Tanaka Evolution: Conditions are not met < Evolution Requirement: Analysis (Beginner), Limit Breakthrough (Beginner), Stealth+ (Beginner), Ultra High-Speed Flight (Beginner) >

Angelton was born as a sacred beast…. perhaps it was related to the fact that he possessed a Holy Attribute.

Well as for the appearance, Angelton’s body was as red and clear as a ruby, and her eyes were filled with purple light. Jet-black wings covered in feathers grow from his back and it is immediately recognizable that he is an undead angel.

As for the five second-class angels, I have also succeeded in subjugating them. Their abilities remained powerful even now that they had become undead. I assigned each of the five bodies a number from I~V.

【Analysis Results: Homeless Archangelton I: A sacred beast born when a second-class angel was turned into an undead and then subjugated. Compared to ordinary second-class angels, it boasts ten times power. Rarity: SSL, Overall Ability: SSL】

【Status】 Name: Homeless Archangelton I. Race: Homeless Archangelton Magic Attributes: Fire, Light, Holy, Nothingness Magic: – Skills: Analysis (Intermediate), Scythe Technique (Intermediate), Camouflage (Intermediate), Stealth + (Beginner), Danger Detection (Intermediate), Search + (Intermediate), Limit Breakthrough (Intermediate), Awakening (Intermediate), Cancel Nullification, Ultra-Fast Flight (Intermediate), Universal Adaptation, Intimidation (Intermediate), Leadership (Intermediate), Great Slash (Intermediate) Domination rate: 100% dominated by Shinichi Tanaka Evolution: Conditions are not met < Evolution Requirements: Analysis (Beginner), Breaking Through the Limits (Special), Awakening (Special), Indomitable Spirit>

His body is blue, clear and beautiful like sapphire. His eyes have a purple light similar to that of the second-class angel. He had jet-black wings on his back and he uses scythe as a weapon, just as he had done when he was alive.

I decided to leave each of the five of them with a unit of homeless Angelton and unite them as Angelton’s army. In addition, they are incorporated under the umbrella of Suketarou. I decided that the five of them would have the same authority as the ten divisional commanders who were already there.

Well, that’s how the skeleton army expanded.

As for the fact that my enormous military power has been exposed to other kingdoms, although there are some negative opinions about me, I was generally viewed favorably. It may have been because of the fact that my familiars were actively helping with the reconstruction.

However, I must put that on my checklist for now. Eventually, when this battle is over, I may have to go into hiding with my familiars again. Even if they are not seen as enemies, they are still powerful beings after all. There will be a lot of people who will go after me for sure. It cannot be said that Shinichi Tanaka’s threat theory will not exist in the future. I didn’t want to go through that trouble.

“Fua~, it’s really tiring to travel all night.”

Erna, who is currently riding a wyvern yawned loudly. Liz, who was on the other wyvern, was already sound asleep, and Pero was dozing off while being held by Freya. It was the third day after we departed from the forest city of Zara.

We now entered the territory of Naji Kingdom. We will soon arrive in Sarasvati, a port city in the country of Naji. The World Tree said that the Forbidden Island is on the other side of this continent. However, it is almost impossible to get there by ourselves. First of all, I don’t know the place. I don’t have the physical strength to keep flying with my comrades. There is no information about the island or its vicinity too. It’s like being told to find an oasis in a vast desert where you don’t know where it is. Moreover, to say that even the angels cannot find it could mean that the island has some kind of disguise.

An oasis that you can’t find is the worst there can be. Thus, I was looking for someone who had been to the island before.

“But I wonder if anyone in Naji has ever been to the island.”

“Of the five kingdoms, the one with the most active fishing are Estent and Naji. I’ve heard that some areas in Sanargia and Kycilia are doing a little bit of it.”

“Heh~, I didn’t know that there is an area of fishing in Kycilia which is covered with desert.”

By the way, the reason for the lack of fishing in Dartan is that dwarves like to live in the mountains and have no interest in the sea at all. Apparently there is not even a single ship there.

“Estent has a large number of ships, but it seems that there are very few deep-sea sailors, while Naji, on the other hand, is active in the open sea, so the performance of their ships is high and they got many experienced sailors.”

“Lena’s father owned a big ship and was very skilled, so you’re convinced to ask for his help huh.”

“Mmm. Lena’s father might know about the people who came to the island too. I think it’s the perfect place to gather information. If we can negotiate well, we might even get a ship.”

While having such conversation, we are heading to Sarasvati. It felt like a vacation to go to that city. I was looking forward to meeting Lena too. As the city begins to appear on the horizon, the wyverns gradually lowered their altitude. Descending into the woods to avoid the public eye, we made our way to the city with familiarity.

“This is surprising. It seems to have changed a lot from before.”

Freya’s surprised exclamation was what everyone thought. This is because humans are walking around the city normally. Moreover, I can see quite a number of them. From the way they dressed, most of them looked like adventurers.

“Recently, it seems that the Kingdom of Logas and the Kingdom of Naji have officially formed an alliance. I am sure this change is due to that. I’ve also heard that the number of immigrants from Naji is increasing on the eastern frontier.”

“I see. Now that the freedom of entry has been granted, it led to an influx of adventurers seeking to get rich. Many of the magical beasts that inhabit Naji are not seen in the kingdom, and if they bring back the materials, they will be priced high due to their rarity. On the other hand, the citizens from the kingdom could also bring in some goods.”

“Yeah. In addition to that, there are benefits to have the beastmen an ally. There may be many other reasons for it, but it means that the current Naji is worth it for the adventurers to come even if they have to fight over it.”

Not only me, but the other three seemed to understand Pero’s words. Among the adventurers, I can also see a few merchant-like figures. It’s hard to imagine coming to such a dangerous foreign land. In a sense, they are adventurers too.

We immediately head to the harbor where Lena’s father would be seen. I am hoping that he has some clues on who may have crossed over to the island.

　◇◇◇

“They haven’t come back yet?”

“Baja’s ship has often not come back for two or three days in the past. I am sure they are grazing somewhere this time. You could wait until noon. They should be back by then.”

“Thank you for your valuable information. This is my thanks in return.”

I offered a bottle of sake to the fisherman who provided the information. When he received it, he grinned and said, “You are quite courteous huh.” Although it is a cheap sake from the kingdom, it is still a rare item here. It’s great for a small reward.

By the way, Baja is Lena’s father’s name. Last time, I missed asking for his name, so I’m glad I knew it now.

“What are we going to do now? We still have time until noon.”

“I got an idea. I’m going to have you guys gather information on various parts of the city. Our meeting time is around 11 o’clock. The place shall be the port. Please collect any information related to the island, no matter how trivial it may be.”

“But what should I do if I am asked for information fee?”

“Hmm…. then I’ll give you the money for it. Don’t waste it.”

I handed a bag of silver coins to Liz. Erna and Freya quickly put out their hands as well. I think all three of them are getting paid well. However, this is also part of the task in hand. It may be reasonable to think of it as an expense. I also give them a bag of silver coins and then I forced Pero, who didn’t want them, to take one bag as well.

“Eh? Me too?”

“Feel free to use it to get information.”

“Un! Thank you!”

My son is wagging his tail in delight. He is really cute. I’d like to do cuddle that fluffy tail of his….

We all scattered around the city and started interviewing people. I am in charge of markets and restaurants near the port. I thought that if it was a place where sailors gathered, it would be easier to gather information.

The two restaurants were bad. I visited about five fish market shops, but I couldn’t get any useful information. I decided to try to hit on the fishermen, but at this time of day, they were all out at sea and there were only a few boats left in the harbor. Maybe our timing is bad after all.

Suddenly, I noticed an old man standing in the harbor. At first glance, he looked like an old man that could be seen around, but his eyebrows were yellow, thick, and long, almost like ornamental hair. He looks vaguely reminiscent of a rockhopper penguin.

“Old man, if you don’t mind, could I ask you something?”

“An? That’s fine, but it’s not free.”

“I’m going to pay for it depending on the content of the information I get.”

“That’s okay. What do you want to ask?”

I asked the old man if he knows anything about the Forbidden Island. His eyes widened and then he smiled.

“You are a curious child huh. How do you know about such a place?”

“You sound like you have been there.”

“No, no, I’ve just heard about it. Someone else has actually been there. There used to be a sea cat named Jana Zañas, who went out to sea and didn’t come back for almost half a year. One day, when everyone thought he was dead, Jana suddenly came back.”

“Does that mean that Jana went to the Forbidden Island?”

“Apparently. Everyone thought it was a joke at first. There were so many things that Jana said that were impossible to be true. But when he showed what he had brought back, the people who doubed him disappeared from this city.”

I wonder what Jana Zañas bring back. My curiosity was stimulated, and I involuntarily swallowed my saliva. The old man continued to talk, laughing through his nose.

“Changing the subject, what do you think is the most necessary thing for sailing?”

“Isn’t it water and food?”

“You’re right. It’s impossible to continue voyage without water and food. It’s even more absurd to come back from an island that’s probably thousands of kilometers away from the continent with only a raft.”

“He came back with a raft? Then what about his water and food during that time?”

“Nothing. All he had was one big fruit. You maybe wondering what is amazing about that fruit, right? That sweet fruit dripping with juice keeps returning back to its original state no matter how much you bite into it. It won’t disappear and it doesn’t rot. It’s impossible, isn’t it?”

An infinite fruit that don’t rot?

Certainly, if I can see such a thing, I can’t help but believe the teller’s story. In fact, I would like to try a bite of that fruit too.

“Where is that person named Jana now?”

“He died a long time ago. If you had come about thirty years ago, you could have met him. He was a good friend of mine and he was a good drinker too.”

“…… He’s already dead. It’s a shame.”

“Don’t be so depressed. Jana’s son is still a sailor, and if you want to hear more about it, you can go to him.”

“What’s his son’s name?”

“Baja Zañas. He is the best seacat sailor in the city.”

I was so surprised that I couldn’t speak. He said that Lena’s father was Jana’s son. If that’s the case, we’ll have to wait even longer for his return. I really need to hear more information about the Forbidden Island.

I then took out a bottle from the bangle. I took a Dwarf Killer made in Dartan. Moreover, it is a vintage piece that is ten years old. I decided to give it to the old man as an information fee.

“Isn’t this a vintage dwarf killer? No, I can’t take this thing.”

“Thank you for providing me such valuable information. Please accept it.”

“Hehe, I kind of feel that it’s too much. I’ll tell you where the Zañas family’s house is then.”

When I confirmed where Lena’s house was, I thanked him once more and then I parted ways with him.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

---

Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next

---

I was stunned as I looked at the felled World Tree. The enemy has achieved its goal. Zazi, who is in charge of stopping me, laughs out loud at that sight.

“Now it is possible for a first-class angel to descend here. The fate of humanity will be decided, and the plan of the main god Goma-sama will be carried out without delay.”

“…………”

“Look at the sky. The way the barrier disappears is beautiful.”

Hearing his words, I looked up and saw a rainbow-colored barrier shattering like glass. Normally it is invisible, but it seems that it can be seen only at this time. The hole in the barrier was rapidly widening as it collapsed. As the World Tree was killed, the barrier stopped functioning.

Regret and despair ooze inside me. I did not underestimate the angels. But the enemy was one step ahead than me. Now that the barrier has been lifted, an army of angels will come rushing in. Since they are talking about exterminating humanity, their total number must be beyond imagination. In that case, it can be said that there is no longer any way to counter them. We don’t have the strength to fight millions or hundreds of millions of enemies.

If only I was able to protect the World Tree….

But no matter how much I regret it, I can’t change it back.

“Impossible! Why, why is there still a barrier!?”

Zazi yelled angrily so I looked up at the sky again. I also doubted my own eyes. The collapse of the barrier had stopped. On the contrary, the barrier had begun to repair. The hole in the sky is getting smaller and smaller. Eventually, the barrier was completely closed.

“What’s going on? Is the World Tree still alive?”

“That’s impossible! My comrade definitely killed that tree! It should be impossible to maintain the barrier anymore! All I can think of is that there is another being who can create the barrier —the fallen God Tree! That traitor!”

Zazi’s face contorts heavily, revealing his anger.

I still haven’t fully understood the situation, but I could understand that an entity called the God Tree had repaired the barrier. In other words, there’s still something I could do!

I then accelerate and slashed Zazi. My slash was blocked by a scythe, and a high-pitched metallic sound echoed through the woods.

“Looks like your plan has failed.”

“Not yet! We will carry out the orders we have been given! If killing the World Tree doesn’t work, the next step is to kill that God Tree! There will be no hindrance to Goma-sama’s plans!”

“Then I will do everything in my power to stop that. God can’t just do as he please, right?”

We then exchange blows in mid-air. As our fight resumed, my determination reached its peak. There is still hope. I can’t allow the annihilation of humanity. As these words ran through my mind, a large amount of sweat erupted from my hand holding the sword. The next moment, the sword is repelled by the scythe and completely slips out of my hand. Losing my weapon, a cold sweat broke out from my forehead, and Zazi raised the corners of his mouth sharply.

“You got impatient. It is foolish to lose your weapon in the middle of a battle.”

“Uh! Just what happened to me?!”

Not wanting to miss this good opportunity, Zazi goes on the offensive at once. He swings his scythe at me many times. I could only continue to dodge as I flew backwards. However, it was not so easy to escape. He did not even give me a chance to pick up my weapon. He continued to chase after me, trying to reap my life.

“If you don’t have that sword, you won’t be able to strike me with that Thunder Emperor thing. Just give me your head as soon as possible.”

“I refuse. I still have a lot of things I want to do.”

Saying that, I use familiar creation at the angel. A gauge appeared in my field of view and a red bar come out. Immediately, the green bar starts to push from the left side, but it does not go up easily. I had expected it. I know that it is difficult to turn an angel into my familiar. Still, I will continue to create chances.

“Ugh, what did you do!? I can hear your voice in my head!”

Zazi stops moving and presses his forehead. Seeing that, I closed our distance and kicked the scythe he is holding from below. His weapon leaves his hand, spins around and falls to the ground. Now we can fight on an equal footing again. I then slammed my fist into his side.

“Guu!? How dare you human!”

“Ubu! Do you surrender?!”

From there, it was a fistfight. My fist sinks into his body, and his fist shakes my vision. Even though I enhanced myself with skills and changed my race, what hurts still hurts. The blow causes my bones to creak and accumulate damage to the internal organs.

We hit each other with so many attacks that we couldn’t even regenerate ourselves in time.

“This is my real trump card. Heaven and Earth Meridian Hole!”

I strike my fist directly at the red dot that appeared on his forehead. The red dot spread out in a double circle to indicate a hit. Then,  the whites of Zazi’s eyes turned upwards and he falls helplessly. The heaven and earth meridian hole is the end of evolution of pressure point. Its biggest feature is that it can make acupuncture points appear in any place. The search for acupuncture points, which could be said to be a weak point, has been improved, and it is now possible to press the acupuncture point instantly whenever I want. It can be said that it is a one-hit killer skill.

I descended to the ground, pick up my sword, and look for the other Zazi. I don’t know what they’re going to do so I have to get rid of them as soon as possible. As I was thinking so, I saw the body of Zazi, whose head had been cut off, falling nearby. It seems that the person who defeated it is my clone. Then, the third-class angel that was flying over the city began to retreat.

“From the way it looks, it seems safe to assume that we have defeated all the second-class angels.  This could be said to be a victory for the time being.”

However, I couldn’t be happy when I thought about the current situation where the World Tree had been defeated. The sacred beast that I was supposed to protect was killed, and the city was ruthlessly destroyed. People were still fleeing, and fires continued to spread throughout the city. The enemies are gone, but there is still a lot of work to be done. First of all, we have to put out the fire.

“Paoooooon!”

I heard the cry of an elephant and then it started to rain. Looking at the sky, there are no rain clouds. That was weird… Then, when I look at the largest pond in the city, I saw Airavata squirting water with its long trunk. It is working hard to extinguish the fire in the burning building. Mabia also moved around the city to help people. Mabia rescues children and elderly people by sticking its head into the building. Silva used a bell he had brought from somewhere as a bucket to help fight the fire. He lifts even larger pieces of debris with his massive body, picks up the unconscious, and gives them to the people of the city.

But the damage is still growing. Because it was a city of nature and rich with many trees, it was difficult to extinguish once a fire was ignited. In addition, dry winds were blowing from the north, accelerating the spread of the fire. If it goes on like this, it will be bad. The city is about to disappear even though the enemy has finally been defeated.

“Shinichi! We’re in trouble! The sacred tree!”

“Erna! You’ve come at the right time!”

Erna rushed in at the right time. I immediately asked her if she can use magic to extinguish the fire.

“I haven’t tried it, but I can probably do it with magic. I’ll use all my magic to save Zara.”

Raising her wand, she released an immense amount of magical energy, transforming it into water as it converged into the sky above. I don’t know how much water there is, but a giant water ball rotates and emits pale blue light in all directions. Then, the water ball changed shape and began to spread in the shape of a disk. It gotten so big that it obscures the sky in the city. It was at that moment when a lake that stretched for several kilometers appeared in the sky. Everyone was stunned by the sight. Even the Sacred Beasts stopped their movements and looked up.

“Aquarius!!”

The water turned into a waterfall and fell into the area where the fire was raging. White smoke rises and water pours into the streets of the city. When the fire was extinguished, Erna lost her strength and she leaned into me.

“You did your best. Thanks to you, many lives were saved.”

“I’m happy to hear that but…… I’ve used too much magic. Let me rest for a moment.”

I carried Erna on my back and head to the World Tree that has been cut down. There, the Sacred Tree, breathing weakly, was conversing with Queen Diana.

“—I will do so.”

『I’m sure everyone can get by without me. I guess it is time for your parent to leave. 』

“Parents think of their children, and children think of their parents. We elves will never forget you, who have watched over us for so long. The people of Sanargia will forever engrave the World Tree in their hearts as our parent.”

『I’m getting sleepy…… It’s strange even though I’m a plant…..』

“Rest in peace, Sacred Tree-sama.”

When Diana said that, the world tree never spoke again. I landed close to her and sat Erna on the ground. I nodded to the queen and then I bowed deeply to the sacred tree.

“I’m sorry. If only I had noticed the enemy’s intentions earlier….”

“It can’t be helped. There is nothing we can do about it now. Besides, I too, was to be blamed for this catastrophe. I was overconfident in the power of the Sacred Tree. I underestimated the enemy’s abilities.”

“I feel the same way. I never thought that disguise skill would make them slip through the net. What’s more, they had thoroughly marked me. They prepared for a double strategy.”

Diana nodded silently. I can see the extreme fatigue on her face. I’m a little worried that she might fall.

“It seems that the enemy was several times better, but it is fortunate that the barrier was spared from collapse. It would have been the worst if the Sacred Tree hadn’t told the God Tree about the crisis at the last minute.”

“Why the God Tree?”

“According to the Sacred Tree, it is the God Tree that binds the life force of the Sacred Beasts into the barrier. I don’t know the details, but it seems that the God Tree repaired the barrier in some way in response to the warning of the Sacred Tree.”

“So, to be precise, it is the God Tree that is creating the barrier. If that was the case, the angels should have aimed for the God Tree instead of the Sacred Beasts, right?”

“It’s probably because they can’t find out where the God Tree’s location is. The forbidden island where the God Tree is located is in a realm where nothing can just come near. I’m guessing that even the angels are having difficulty to find that place.”

I see. That’s why they targeted the Sacred Beasts instead of the God Tree. However, in that case, it may be difficult to go to the forbidden island. I want to see what kind of existence God Tree is.n But if I can’t even step into it, I have no choice but to give up. Besides, right now, I have to focus and prepare for the angel’s next attack.

A figure with bat-like wings swooped down from the sky. When she landed in front of us, she brushed off the dust by tapping her skirt with one hand.

“It’s terrible. I didn’t expect that beautiful Sanargia would end up like this.”

“What’s the point Eva?  The battle is already over.”

“I did not come here to help. I received a good news so I came to tell you about it.”

“Good news?”

I tilted my head in confusion and question marks were formed in my head. Eva jumped lightly on the rubble and stood on tiptoe looking down at us.

“A messenger of the God Tree appeared in front of me just now. He wants to invite the Homeless to the forbidden island. In particular, Shinichi Tanaka is absolutely required to come.”

“I didn’t expect to be summoned by the God Tree, but I will have to decline that invitation. We have to be prepared for the next attack of the angels.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. The barrier that is currently in place is as perfect as it used to be. I don’t think angels will attack us for a while. Besides, don’t you think that the one in command has a responsibility to find out why the barrier was re-established?”

“….…”

I couldn’t argue with that. Certainly, I should understand the reason why the barrier was re-established. Is this transient or permanent? If it has a limited amount of time, we have to take measures.

Then Erna, who was sitting, stood up and smiled.

“I’ve heard the conversation. Let’s go to the Forbidden Island.”

“Is it okay? Your hometown is in this state……”

“That’s why the more we need to go. Let’s save them by doing what only we can do. And it’s not too late to help with the reconstruction. It’s okay, the queen has father and mother here.”

Diana replied to Erna’s words, “That’s right.”

It’s decided. The Homeless party will head to the forbidden island.

“Looks like things has been settled. Now then, I shall take my leave.”

When Eva shows her back, I activated Analysis+ on her.

I remembered that my clone had said that I would understand who she really is if I do so.

【Analysis result: Eva Kreis (Shadow): One of the Four Demon Kings. She rules the vampire clan. A faithful servant of the God of Destruction and even now, she secretly hopes for the resurrection of her Lord. Eva Kreis’ clone. Rarity: S, Overall Ability: S】

【Status】 Name: Eva Kreis Race: Crown Vampire (Shadow) Magic Attributes: Wind, Darkness, Evil Magic: – Skills: Analysis (Intermediate), Fang King Technique (Intermediate), Fist King Technique (Intermediate), Search+ (Intermediate), High Speed Flight (Intermediate), Universal Adaptation, Pressure (Intermediate), Dictatorship (Intermediate), Paralyzing Eye+ (Beginner), Improved Blood Manipulation(Advanced), Flash Fist(Advanced), Red Qi wave(First Pitch) Evolution: ―

I was speechless. The Eva in front of me is not real. She is the clone of demon king, Eva. When I saw the word “servant of the God of Destruction”, I doubted if she was really on our side. Perhaps humanity will have to fight against angels and demons from here on.

I didn’t look up at the sky because of the turmoil that awaited me.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

---

Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next

---

The scythe and sword collided making sparks fly. Each time, a roaring sound was heard and a shock wave was generated in the area. The two of us separated and clashed repeatedly, forming a figure 8 pattern as we continue to fight and defend indefinitely.

Honestly, I feel weird. When I think that Zazi, who I should have killed, is right in front of me again, I feel like I’m repeating that battle. However, what is different from that time is that I am fully composed at this moment. Now that I know the identity of my enemy, I won’t have such emotion.

“Murdering a second-class angel and possessing a divine artifact, just how many great sins are you planning to commit? Apologize to God by having yourself killed. If you don’t, you will be reborn as a livestock in the next life.”

“Then let me ask you, wouldn’t a god who wants to recreate the universe himself, commit murder too? I think that anyone who orders an angel to exterminate humanity is a villain no matter how you look at it.”

“What you are talking about is the measure for you people. From the great rules that God has established, it does not matter what happens to humans. And because God is a God, he cannot be punished.”

It’s a pretty convenient rhetoric. After all, God is so great that he can do whatever he wants. I don’t know the details of what God is or what he is, but from what I’ve heard, he doesn’t seem to be much different from a person who is floating in power.

I turn upward to gain momentum and cuts him. The scythe and the sword crossed each other once again, and each other’s weapons resonated like a tuning fork. This must have happened because both were made of orichalcum. While making a beautiful sound, we regained momentum and then slashed at each other.

“What is the re-creation of the universe that God is trying to do? Why does it have to be done?”

“Alright, let me tell you, ignorant one. The current universe is an imperfect world that only repeats the struggle for survival, and the main god, Goma-sama, who was concerned about this, rose up to make the world a perfect form. There will be a new world where there will be no hatred, no conflict, only joy and no sadness.”

“Hmm, that would be a really boring world then. Are you really okay with that?”

“Angels simply obey God’s commands. That’s the joy and the meaning of our existence.”

Zazi said as he casts a spell with his left hand. A red translucent wall was released and passed through my body. However, there is no harm on me. As long as this black robe exists, all magic will be nullified.

“I guess it’s no good after all. As the report said, all magic will be nullified huh.”

“Report? Who did you hear the information from?”

“We exchange information through telepathy. All the battle data as we fight right now is being sent to the angels outside of this world. Even if you beat me, the next angel will surely kill you.”

So he was fighting with the expectation that he is going to lose huh. As expected, angels are troublesome opponents.

He swung his scythe and unleashed an invisible blade. Not to be outdone, I also unleashed a dragon slash. The two blades collided and canceled each other out in mid-air. From there, I accelerate sharply and made a slash. As the weapons bounce off each other, I use that momentum to rotate my body, launching the next attack. We crossed swords again, and the weapons resonated with each other.

“The slack is over! Limit Breakthrough! Awakening!”

My presence grows on a grand scale. I activated limit break through and then I activated Superhuman Transformation upon awakening. My power also surged, and a purple aura envelops my body. Then, I activated the race, second-class angel. Pure white wings appeared on my back, and when combined with the black bat wings that were already there, a total of two pairs of wings assert their existence.

As expected, Zazi’s eyes widened at this scene.

“Those wings…… it belongs to an angel….…”

“I can get the race of the one I defeated, and I can also add that basic ability to myself.”

In other words, the power of Vampire, Emperor Dragoneut and second-class angel is added to my basic ability. From there, my abilities are further improved by superhuman transformation, limit breakthrough and awakening. As my ability has improved to this level, I won’t even need to use dragon transformation.

“M-monster! It’s presumptuous to even call you a human!”

“That’s rude. I’m still human.”

 I defended Zazi’s onslaught with one hand and landed a kick into his open abdomen. Drawing a trajectory as if drawn by a ruler, he fell to the ground with a thud, making loud sound and causing a cloud of dust to rise.

We are in the woods away from the battlefield, so there won’t be any problem. I pointed the tip of my sword to the sky and activated the magic jewel. This sword, which is the sixth great treasure, is not sealed unlike other treasures and can exert its original power. Since it is the first time I’m using it, this might be just a good time for getting used to it.

“Lightning Emperor Strike!”

An enormous amount of purple electricity that seemed to fill the sky was emitted from the blade. Thunder roars, and the high amount of heat causes the air to expand rapidly. When I swing my sword down to the place where Zazi had fallen, a thick lightning bolt fall to the ground. Immediately afterwards, a loud roar echoed, and a strong hot wind ran around.

When the light fades away, I turned my attention to the place where I attacked. There was a large hole with a diameter of 100 meters. It’s indeed a great treasure. The power is extraordinary even though I made some adjustments on my power.

When I checked with enemy search skill, Zazi seemed to be still alive. When I got closer, I saw a guy who had lost his lower body lying near the hole almost breathless. Apparently, I missed my aim. There’s a problem with my control huh.

When I look into his face, he smiles for some reason.

“Defeating me…… do you really…. think it’s over?”

“What do you mean?”

“We knew early on that you guys are gathering your forces…… trying to protect the Sacred Beasts…… We were behind the…..”

Zazi died in the middle of telling the story.

……behind?

With a start, I turned my gaze in the direction of Zara. There was a lot of black plumes rising in the sky. They got me. This massive attack was a diversion. I soared into the sky and generated a sonic boom to head toward the city at the speed of sound.

There were a number of fires in Zara. People screamed as they run away, and the angels who are chasing them wet their swords with blood one after another. It was a one-sided massacre. Residents, young and old, men and women, were killed.

“Uwaaaaaa! Mother!”

Below, a young girl was crying as she clung to her injured mother. An angel walks up to her with a drawn sword in one hand.

“Child, return to the flow of samsara.”

“Noooooooo!”

An angel swings a sword at a girl.

Terrible!

I approached from behind the angel with rapid acceleration. I cut off the neck of the enemy as I pass by and then I land while reversing my body. I slid on the cobblestones and put the brakes on my feet.

“Mother! Mother!”

“Run away…. Leave me….. I don’t have much time left.”

“I don’t want to! Let’s run away together!”

When I looked at the girl’s mother, I saw a deep wound in her abdomen. The bleeding is severe and it is quite dangerous. I gave her a rainbow mushroom.

“Eat it, most injuries will heal.”

The woman took it tremblingly and took a bite.

“Strange…… The wounds that I thought couldn’t be saved are closing up.”

The mother, who had fully recovered, stood up and thanked me. The girl was also smiling again because her mother was saved.

“I want to ask you one thing, how did the angels get to the city?”

“I don’t know either. All of a sudden, they appeared out of nowhere and started killing people.”

“It’s strange, this city is within the search range of the World Tree….. Once they got closer, it should have known right away……”

The World Tree Treant is quite strong. It is a humongous tree that has lived for 100,000 years. It wouldn’t be surprising if it had an extraordinary offensive power. However, on the other hand, there’s also a weakness. It is this city. No matter how strong the World Tree is, it cannot attack once the enemies enter the city. That’s because it loves the elves and loves the city the most. Therefore, when the angels entered the city, there is nothing the World Tree can do anymore.

I took out a paper bag from my bangle and give it to the girl’s mother. There was a large amount of Rainbow mushroom inside.

“This…… this is?”

“I want you to give it to the wounded after you guys have evacuated somewhere. There are still a lot of people who can be saved.”

“I understand. I’d love to help.”

“Also, I’ll have them escort you guys until you can evacuate.”

I summoned three skeletons. The mother screamed, but she was relieved when she realized that they were on our side. This would make it easier for her to help the wounded during the evacuation. The mother and daughter then run with their escorts.

Now then, I must defend the Sacred Beasts and exterminate the angels. This requires manpower. Without at least five clone, it is impossible to bring the situation under control. Therefore, I decided to activate the Division Skill and create multiple clones. By the way, there is a limit to the number of people I can create. I found that up to seven clones can be created, and that the appearance that used to be young has been improved and can be duplicated in exactly the same form as the current me. Well, the appearance can be changed in any way due to the racial characteristic of primitive humans, but it might not be something to be happy about though.

My clones scattered in the city at their own discretion, and their weapons are procured locally. Since the angel is in possession of the orichalcum sword, it should not be a problem.

I myself, decided to head to the World Tree. If the angels attacking the city have a commander, they will surely come after the Sacred Beasts themselves. This is because a third-class angel cannot defeat a sacred beast that has great power.

I heard multiple explosions occur at the base of the World Tree and around its top as I draw near. No mistake. Each Sacred Beast is engaged with an angel. First of all, I head to Airavata, who seems to be the most in danger.

“No matter how many of them come to us, we can’t let them win. I’ll make sure to burn their wings!”

“We, the Sacred Beasts, are the protectors of this world and people. Even if it is against the heavens, we will carry out this will.”

Mabia fires fire arrows like a machine gun. Airavata was running a laser of light magic into the sky from the tip of its long snout. The third-class angels fly around the area without being able to get close because of the onslaught of the two of them. There seems to be no problem here.

Then I soared and moved to the top of the World Tree.

“Hmph! Teryaaaa!”

Jumping from branch to branch, Silva was battling an angel. He punched one of the angels with his big, sturdy fist and fight off any enemies approaching from behind with a back kick. Still, the angels keep coming to him like a fly. Silva shouted, “Thousand palms!” and then released the bottom of his palm. The next moment, dozens of blue lights emanated from his palm and hit the angels directly. A series of loud explosions occurred afterwards.

“Silva! Are you okay!?”

“Oh little one. There is no problem here. Rather, protect the World Tree. A second-class angel has been flying around waiting for an opportunity to attack.”

“Is there still one here? ……I understand. I’ll do something about it.”

I made a sharp turn and descended to the body of the World Tree. There was certainly a reaction when I used enemy search. An enemy was flying around at high speed.

I swoop in and cut directly from above, Zazi reacts and repels the slash with his scythe. Not yet. If I let him escape now, it may be irreversible. Using the momentum of being repelled, I rotated my body in the air.

Dragon slash!

A yellow-green light from the blade drew a line and cut off one of Zazi’s legs.

“Gua!?”

“I won’t let you escape! Explosive Sword Dance!”

I threw powerful swordsmanship at point-blank range. After the explosion occurs, Zazi falls to the ground at high speed, destroying buildings. Descending close to the ground, he slowly rose from the rising clouds.

“Have you noticed our goal?”

“You almost got me. I didn’t expect it to be a large decoy operation.”

“Did you think we, messengers of God, had been idle for the past month? That was not the case at all. We used disguise to impersonate the common people and deceive the eyes of the World Tree.”

“Then, you guys were hiding in the immediate vicinity next to us this whole time……? It now makes sense that you guys appeared here out of the blue.”

I can’t help but feel frustrated. I didn’t know that disguise was a skill that could allow them to slip enemy search. But now is not the time to regret it. Fortunately, I made it in time before they could complete the operation.

But for some reason, Zazi starts laughing.

“You were expected to be the biggest obstacle for us, so we decided to prepare a stopper. A two-fold one too.”

“Don’t tell me……”

“It wouldn’t be strange for an angel to disguise himself as another angel, right?”

I hurriedly looked around and saw a third-class angel holding a scythe right next to the World Tree. His body blurs for a moment and then transforms into the form of a second-class angel.

Darn it! Was this guy in front of me the stopper?

I rushes to the place, but Zazi, who is holding me back, stands in my way.

“I won’t let you go. The Sacred Beast will be eliminated as planned.”

“Move! I have to go to—!!”

At that moment, the scythe was swung at the World Tree. The invisible slash passed through the huge tree and went diagonally upward. There was a pause of a few seconds. After that, the giant tree slides down at an angle and falls. The tree that fell on the city made a huge sound and shook the earth violently. Smoke rises into the sky, obscuring the sky like a sandstorm.

On this day, the World Tree was lost from Sanargia.

This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.

---

Previous ⚜ Table of Contents ⚜ Next

---