Beyond Abyss 60

Chapter 60 Interlude Eighteen – The Prison Of Hot Sand, X

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Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

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 ”This is strange…”

 As we reached the designated area in the management zone, we prepared ourselves to confront Sendou (the blue magician) and his friend.

 I had been monitoring Sendou (the blue magician)’s location using the auto-map, but their progress had significantly slowed down. They seemed to have stopped sending scout, as the four blue markers were now clustered together, wandering inefficiently.

 It’s tricky when Fujisaki disappears from sight and moves, but it buys us time, which is convenient. However, I don’t understand why they’re doing such a thing.

 ”Tsuchimiya-kun, thanks to Valeria-san’s water field, we should be fine here. If we make three water balls in advance and split them up, we’ll be good to go. It took some effort to control their shape, but as long as they move in a simple manner, we should be okay. If Valeria-san adds some light magic to them, they’ll be perfect.”

 ”Alright. Since we still have some time, let’s go over the plan once more.”

* * *

 ”Ugh, seriously, I let you into the party because I heard you were somewhat useful in the underachiever group. But you’re no help when it really counts.”

 Sagara (The blond hair) muttered his complaints while shooting a sidelong glance at Fujisaki.

 ”Shut it! You guys couldn’t even move up to the higher class and are stuck in the underachiever group, aren’t you? In terms of class, assassins are still ranked higher, right?”

 ”What did you say!?”

 ”Cut it out!”

 When Sendou (the blue magician) admonished the tense atmosphere among the two, they each clicked their tongues and averted their eyes.

 ”There’s no need to rush at this point. We don’t know if their goal is the sacred artifact, but they were definitely aiming for key items. Once we reach the boss room, we’ll set up a base and take our time to find and deal with them.”

 ”Sendou, aren’t you directly under the Zeus upper management? Is it okay for you to be doing these sneaky things?”

 Fujisaki casually threw her question at Sendou (the blue magician).

 ”Hmph… Direct superior, huh? All I have to do is report to my immediate boss once I detect a sacred artifact. In the end, I’m just being used. Two weeks ago, I detected multiple sacred artifacts at once, but I wasn’t even informed about what happened afterward. The quickest way for me to climb the ranks is to become the leader of a party with artifact holders myself.”

 ”Becoming a sacred artifact holder means you learn rare titles and skills left and right. If we want to catch up now, we’ll have to jump ship.”

 Shimaki (the black hair) said, glaring ahead.

 ”Listen, Fujisaki. We’re in this together. We don’t know what kind of sacred artifact we’re dealing with this time, but it’ll be equipped by the most suitable person. With My Gift, we’ll keep getting artifacts from now on. The previous scout tried to leak our movements to Zeus, so we took care of them. There’s no betraying here. Since you know now, you’re in it till the end.”

 Sendou (the blue magician) said, giving Fujisaki a cold stare.

 ”O-Okay, I get it… I’m not thrilled about those outsiders acting all high and mighty either, so I won’t complain. But more importantly, is there really a sacred artifact here?”

 ”I could only detect it for a moment from outside the floor, but it’s definitely somewhere on this floor. So, the most suspicious place would be the tightly sealed boss room.”

 ”……”

 As Fujisaki spoke, a staircase appeared on her map screen.

 ”If you go left at the end, you’ll find the staircase.”

 Ascending the stairs to the 9th floor, they entered a wide hallway with a high ceiling stretching straight ahead. The hallway grew dimmer due to the distant ceiling light source, and animal statues placed at equal intervals along the walls emitted an eerie sense of intimidation. The statues atop the stone pedestals varied from coiled cobras to large eagles, lizards, and cats.

 ”It seems like nothing’s changed from when we were here last time.”

 At the end of the long corridor, there was a large double door, which led to the destination room. Upon opening the creaking door and stepping inside, they found themselves in a dimly lit, spacious hall.

 In the long, narrow stone room, there were doorless entrances on the left and right walls, leading to a large, empty room. The walls, decorated with sculptures, had semi-circular holes like windows, allowing a view into the adjacent rooms. At the back, rows of tall stone platforms resembling sarcophagi were lined up. This seemed to be a place where the king’s achievements and treasures were exhibited. Beyond them, two staircases curved outward and rose high to the upper floor, connecting to balconies on either side before the double doors.

 As the group stepped into the hall, they came to a halt.

 ”T-There’s something here!”

 As Fujisaki sensed a presence, she warned, and many somethings suddenly peeked out from the shadows of the stone platforms.

 ”Eek!”

 Fujisaki let out a startled cry and stepped back.

 They were numerous leather bags with the word ‘Tsuchimiya’ on their foreheads, their eye areas slashed horizontally, emitting light. They seemed to sway as if standing, bending, and walking from side to side beyond the stone platforms.

 ”What the heck is this!?”

 ”Huh, they multiplied!?”

 ”Calm down! Just some moss scarecrows! Wind Cutter!”

 As Sendou (the blue magician) unleashed his magic, one of the leather bags was torn apart, splashing down with a splash. At the same time, lightning burst forth from one of the swaying bags, striking Sendou (the blue magician) directly.

 ”Ugh!?”

 ”Sendou!”

 ”Aaaaahh!”

 Sendou (the blue magician) stumbled, and Fujisaki fell backward against the wall.

 ”I-I’m okay! Magic Protection!”

 Sendou (the blue magician) quickly recovered and used defensive magic.

* * *

 ”Tch! My magic still gets mostly absorbed by the defense barrier.”

 I, from the entrance, had been peeking into the room to the right, hiding and observing through a hole in the wall.

 The leather bags I mass-produced, manipulated by Maekawa-san’s Water Ball magic, while Valeria infused them with Light magic, making them faintly glow from within. They looked cool, like the monoeyes in robot anime. With Sendou (the blue magician) using defensive magic, my attack magic probably wouldn’t have much effect anymore. But it should have at least shaken them up.

 ”I see it! That’s the main one! Wind Fang!”

 ”What!?”

 Sendou (the blue magician)’s magic tore through one of the leather bags.

 That guy, what’s he up to!?

 His magic accurately pierced through just one of the more than ten leather bags, which had ‘Royal Palace’ written on it. It didn’t really mean anything, but it was kinda nice that he noticed.

 I quickly unleashed a lightning bolt without an incantation. This magic has a wide range at the activation point and is easy to aim. I targeted a black-haired guy wearing plate mail, making it look like it was fired from nearby leather bags.

 ”Ahh!?”

 ”Shimaki!”

 I thought lightning would work well on someone in full metal armor, but it just seemed to bounce off a bit. As expected from magic items. Sure enough, this guy named Shimaki (the black hair) didn’t fall but instead angrily drew his sword.

 ”Damn it! Stop messing around!”

 Shimaki (the black hair) raised his sword and charged towards the sandalwood pillars. Now, here comes the real deal.

 ”Permafrost!”

 At that moment, Nishina-san’s voice echoed, and the room’s temperature suddenly dropped.

 ”Magic Break!”

 Immediately, the blond guy slammed his spear into the floor, shattering the freezing air.

 That guy sure is troublesome.

 ”Ugh!”

 Hano-san, wearing a leather bag over her head, raised her hands and let out a roar on the landing above the stairs. There was a waist-high railing in front of the double doors, and everyone was crouching behind it. Maekawa-san and the others also stood up, overlooking the hall.

 ”They’re resisting!”

 ”You’re underestimating us!”

 ”Take them out!”

 Sendou (the blue magician) raised his staff, aiming at Maekawa-san and the others.

 ”Super Cutter!”

 A large crescent-shaped blade of green light roared towards the landing.

 That looks dangerous!

 ”Water Mirror Shield!”

 But when Maekawa-san thrust out her left hand and shouted, a huge round shield of water appeared in front of the landing, intercepting and dispelling the blade of wind.

 ”What!?”

 Valeria had cast her Water Field magic on the landing, enhancing water-based magic and techniques.

 ”Ice Arrow!”

 Nishina-san raised her Nectar Staff and aimed at Sendou (the blue magician), shooting ice arrows.

 ”Wind Shield!”

 But when Sendou (the blue magician) used magic, the ice arrows changed course at the last moment, hitting the floor beneath Sendou’s feet. He’s definitely skilled in magic battles.

 ”What’s with this power!? Dealing with magicians is troublesome! Kill them quickly!”

 The leather bag had already lost control and fallen to the floor. Shimaki (the black hair) cut through the line of sandalwood and headed towards the stairs. Just as the blond guy moved to follow, I moved to the entrance of the room and revealed myself. I can’t let them go to Maekawa-san and the others.

 ”The real deal!”

 The blond guy stopped and glared at me. What does he mean by “real deal”? It’s not like that’s my clone or anything. I stood firm and tapped the floor with my spear, invitingly.

 ”Sendou! I’ll handle him!”

 ”Don’t let your guard down, Sagara. These guys aren’t just ordinary beginners.”

 Sagara (The blond hair) started running towards me. I stepped back from the entrance, but Sagara changed course, jumped, and effortlessly leaped into the room through a semi-circular hole. He must have been wary of traps.

 While keeping my distance, I guided Sagara towards the center of the room. Shimaki (the black hair) headed for the landing, but Fujisaki was still sitting near Sendou (the blue magician). I need to be wary of him coming this way too.

 Sagara slowly advanced, taking a glass bottle from his belt pouch. He bit and pulled the cork, then poured its contents onto the tip. Is it poison or something?

 ”Sorry, but I’ll finish this in one blow. This is holy water, Tsuchimiya.”

 Sagara peered into my face and smirked.

 Was my weakness holy water?

 It’s hard to believe all of a sudden, but since I’ve never had the chance to touch holy water before, I can’t say it’s impossible. As an ordinary high schooler, I feel uneasy, but I’ll stay cautious.

 ”If it doesn’t hit, it’s no big deal.”

 I said cynically, hiding my confusion.

 ”I’ll pull it out! I’ll poke a hole right through your belly!”

 Dying from that, regardless of holy water, seems unfair. Being said to have died from “holy water” feels unjust.

 Sagara (The blond hair) charged with his spear, but suddenly changed his expression and swept away the empty space on the right.

 ”Magic Break!”

 He canceled my Blast before it was launched! Does he also have a skill for sensing magic power?

 Sagara jumped back to create distance.

 ”You! What did you just do!?”

 ”Who knows. Try taking it and find out.”

 The effect of the blast is unknown because of the defense barrier, but not knowing what’s going on is more unsettling. I won’t let him control the pace easily anymore.

 Sagara, unlike before, now carefully approaches while keeping an eye on his surroundings. This kind of atmosphere is easier for me to handle.

 As the distance closes in and we’re just at the edge of each other’s range, Sagara stops his steps, and tension fills the air.

 In a brief moment, countless attack and defense patterns flash through my mind. Since he’s faster, I’ll wait for him to make the first move. If I act first and fall into his trap, I might easily get countered.

 Sagara pulls his spear closer and leans forward. It’s an unfamiliar stance. It seems like he’s going to use a skill, but I’m using Blast from the front to crush him.

 ”Magic Break!”

 Since he’s aware, I can’t just ignore it.

 As Sagara’s spear bounces up to crush the magic, I thrust out my Kondou Spear. Of course, he anticipated it, and the tip of his spear immediately strikes down from above. His spear then moves as if wrapping around my Kondou Spear.

 A grappling move! It’s an advanced technique to disarm the opponent, but it’s not that easy to pull off. He’s underestimating me.

 I follow Sagara’s movements, flicking up the tip of my Kondou Spear and rotating it, then stepping forward to thrust with a stone thrust. Sagara sweeps away the tip with his stone thrust while rotating his body. At the same time, I rotate my body in the same direction. Our aim is the same: to use centrifugal force to strike the opponent.

 Sagara’s footwork is smooth as expected. But the one-legged rotation from the Azure Dragon (Seiryu) style is slightly faster. Sensing the disadvantage instantly, Sagara interrupts his attack and holds his spear up with the stone thrust to catch my Kondou Spear.

 ”What’s wrong, expert? Aren’t you feeling confident?”

 ”You…!”

 After a momentary stare-down, Sagara leaps back to create distance.

 That was a bad move! I’m in a vulnerable position to be attacked right away. As I tried to step in to strike his exposed body, I felt a chill and stopped in my tracks. Sagara, with his hands down, was so defenseless that it almost made me reflexively reach out.

 In the next moment, Sagara’s right wrist moved, and the tip of my spear that had remained at my feet bounced up.

 ”Ugh!”

 I leaned back and jumped away. The torn leather bag fell away, and my field of vision widened instantly.

 I discarded the bag, which was just hanging on me, and Sagara stared at me wide-eyed.

 ”Weren’t you… supposed to be dead!?”

 I didn’t understand. Oh, did he think I died in the previous battle? Well, it’s understandable, considering there’s no way I could’ve survived normally.

 ”Too bad, but the goddess of victory is on our side… No, we have five of them. You don’t stand a chance against us.”

 ”Shut it! Whirlwind Thrust!”

 Sagara comes charging at me at high speed, but I’ve seen this move before. I have some room to spare. I’ve figured out his reaction speed already. With a pincer attack of Blast and Azure Thunder Fang, I can take him down. But I also have my pride as a spearman. If I don’t win with skill, it won’t be a complete revenge for last time.

 My focus intensifies, and the tip of my spear seems to move like pieces on a chessboard. I deflect his rapid successive thrusts like a machine. While deflecting the third thrust, which he didn’t show before, I step deeply to the right.

 I thrust short with my Kondou Spear towards his exposed left side. Sagara quickly tightens his side and blocks with his arm armor, but my continuous thrusts of Leapstone don’t stop.

 ”Urgh!? Damn it! You!”

 I unleash a barrage of thrusts at Sagara from close range while circling counterclockwise around him. He’s not like that goblin leader from before. Sagara, despite being flustered by the close distance, manages to deflect my attacks around the middle of his shaft. However, he’s struggling to keep up with my footwork and gradually loses sight of me in front of him. Skill isn’t something you can easily fake. No matter how fast you move, executing rapid and intricate movements at high speed requires corresponding skill.

 ”Damn it!”

 Sagara, about to be outflanked, resorts to a desperate attack, but he can’t catch me as I smoothly slide through the close distance, leaving only afterimages behind.

 Yep, he’s done for.

 In that moment, my Kondou Spear pierces into his right thigh from behind.

 ”Guah!”

 If his legs stop, it’s over. I drive a three-hit combo into Sagara’s back and create some distance.

 ”Guuh… damn it…!”

 Sagara staggers, slowly turning towards me. His shirt is drenched in red from the spear piercing through him.

 ”You… are you really level 4?”

 ”Huh? No way. I’m level 1, idiot.”

 ”What…!?”

 In the next moment, my Kondou Spear pierces his heart, and Sagara collapses onto his back.

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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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