Royal Capital of Kashiram – North Side
“What’s wrong, Lua-chan?”
The figure before me isn’t Kurinka. The sweet, somewhat friendly voice is unmistakably hers, but the essence is Eerlich. I’ll kill them all, him included.
[Lua’s attack! Dealt 10,402,018 damage to Doppel Kurinka!
Doppel Kurinka has been defeated! HP 0/20,300]
[Lua unleashed Sonic Ripper! Dealt 12,687,430 damage to Getou!
Getou has been defeated! HP 0/46,400]
As the wind from my swing dissipated, the Sonic Ripper I launched tore through the earth, creating a chasm. The road connecting the capital to other towns was beautifully severed, leaving no bridge to cross. A darkness stretched beyond the unfathomable depths. Despite the considerable distance, the shockwave scattered both the Kashiram army and the Phantom even further. Soldiers were sent flying through the air, while Beastkin, who had crossed their arms to defend themselves, were blown away, unable to withstand the force. Normally, I’d think I had gone too far, but right now, I feel strangely distant, as if I’m in a dream. I’m able to exert my strength more effortlessly than usual.
“All troops, evacuate at once! If you don’t want to die, follow my orders!”
The King’s command, despite being human, seemed to resonate deeply. Humans and Beastkin were mingling together as if fleeing from a storm. Even in such a dire situation, I watch as if it’s someone else’s problem. Why am I so calm, even though I caused this chaos?
“Aslat!”
“W-what is it?!”
“Take care of Kurinka.”
“Huh? But the battle is already decided, right?”
“Not yet. There’s still one over there.”
“Yaaah! Sand got in my eyes!”
A girl with swirling blue hair, reminiscent of a tornado, rubbed her eyes. She had been wearing a black robe just moments ago, but now she was clad in red. She’s not like Eerlich or Getou, but she must be a member of the Demon Race.
“I see, that girl was still here…”
“That’s not all.”
“Exactly, you noticed well.”
[Getou has appeared! HP 46,300]
[Eerlich has appeared! HP 65,000]
Eerlich and Getou appeared behind me. I had just defeated them, but they must be eager to see the surprise on my face. I’m not falling for it.
“Hmm, so the ones I just defeated were both Eerlich’s Doppelgängers. And the ones here are probably Doppels too.”
“…Interesting.”
Getou’s eyes twitched slightly. His sharp, bird-like gaze narrowed for a moment.
“Then, what will you do next?”
[Lua unleashed Sonic Ripper!]
I simply cut down the enemy before me with a blank mind. I’ll deal with whatever comes next when it happens.
[Lua deftly dodged!]
The Sonic Ripper I unleashed approached from behind. Just as I thought I was in trouble, I managed to evade it at the last moment, only to dodge another Sonic Ripper that came flying from the left. The Sonic Rippers danced around me like juggling balls, appearing everywhere in the air before finally shooting up from the ground and disappearing into the sky.
Alright, let’s try moving a bit. As I lifted my feet from the ground and charged at Getou, he vanished from my sight, and I was ambushed from behind.
[Getou’s Worm Blaster!]
A pillar of light, wrapped in purple lines like a snake, emerged from the air. Laser beams, as we call them in Metallica, shot out from all directions. After dodging, I was transported to another location by Getou’s spatial magic, only to be targeted again.
Getou didn’t disappear; I was moved elsewhere. Just as Shin said, Getou can freely connect and sever spaces. In other words, if I attack him normally, I’ll just be sent to a different location.
[Lua continued to deftly dodge!]
“Seriously? Is she reacting to that? She’s a real monster!”
“Eerlich, you should transform into Lua. If we overwhelm her with numbers, it should be an easy win, right?”
“Idiot, I’m telling you, after fighting her once, you should know. She can’t be allowed to fight an equal or stronger opponent. She grows stronger in an instant during battle. I transformed into her, copying all her experience, and I still lost! So if we’re going to do this… you understand, right?”
“Unbelievable, to think a monster with such power could blend into human society…”
Amidst their nonsensical chatter, I maintained my murderous intent toward them even in this moment. Now, it’s time to erase them.
“Mimmy! You better get serious too!”
“The weakest one is acting all high and mighty!”
“Huh?!”
“Merhen menheru raru no ru!”
[Excalibur has appeared! HP ?????]
[Moby has appeared! HP ?????]
[Firewood Man has appeared! HP ?????]
While chanting a ridiculous spell, Mimmy danced around, summoning a giant man larger than the Giant Race and an enormous round whale with tiny pink eyes. The whale emerged from beneath Mimmy, lifting her onto its back in an instant. It stood before me like a mountain. The giant wielded a massive sword, while beside him, a wooden figure engulfed in flames trembled.
[Firewood Man’s Flame Nose!]
[Excalibur’s One-Slash Decapitation!]
The two bizarre creatures launched their assault. It seemed monotonous at first, but the flaming figure’s nose branched out, and the sword that was thrust into the ground became stuck. The giant struggled to pull it out, which was almost comical.
But just as I thought that, the sword finally came free, along with a green vine. The vine wrapped around the sword, stretching up to the sky, and something began to fall.
[A massive seed rains down from the vine!]
“Fall back further! There’s no way to survive this!”
As soon as the seeds hit the ground, they exploded, boom, boom, boom. New vines sprouted from the explosions. The cavalry and Beastkin, who had been fleeing, had somehow united, helping each other. Beastkin carried humans who had lost their passive abilities, while humans banded together to help injured Beastkin.
“W-why are you helping us…?”
“I don’t care if you’re Beastkin or whatever; those unknown creatures are far more dangerous! Look! They’re even trying to involve you, their own allies!”
“That’s right! We’re not asking you to love us humans, but at least try to understand us better!”
“Follow us!”
Dwarves and Beastkin captured by the Kingdom of Kashiram were leading the way to the capital’s entrance. Right now, it didn’t matter if they were Beastkin or humans; they were all aiming for the same place. In times of crisis, both Beastkin and humans could be so brave, yet the Demon Race…
“Hehehe, Mimmy is a Mental Health Magic user! Anything summoned by Mental Health Magic doesn’t adhere to the laws of this world!”
“In other words, our common sense and concepts don’t apply.”
“But I just managed to slice that weird rabbit earlier, right?”
[Mental Health Rabbit has appeared! HP ?????]
“Nah, just kidding, hop!”
When the falling seeds didn’t explode, the rabbit from earlier popped out. Three little pigs danced together, and as the rabbit joined in, it spun its long ears and began to float. The momentum from its spinning sliced the pigs into pieces. When another pig gathered the pieces and stuck them back together, they returned to their original form. I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. It’s truly baffling.
“W-what is this…?”
“Ku ku ku, that kid who was so furious is now completely under Mimmy’s control… This is the terrifying power of her Mental Health Magic. No matter who it is, they’ll be captivated by this bizarre spectacle and have their emotions reset.”
[Brick Pig’s Trotter Kick! Could not deal damage to Lua!]
I was kicked hard from behind. It was the dropkick that Seigel mentioned; it didn’t hurt at all, but I found myself face down on the ground, unable to stand up for some reason. Meanwhile, something was causing a ruckus around me; tiny little people had somehow glued my hands and feet to the ground.
“Little people find giants to be quite rare!”
“You think you can capture me with this?!”
I tore apart the ropes binding me and stood up, heading straight for Mimmy without hesitation.
“Lua-chan, stop!”
Kurinka stood before me, and I immediately recognized that this was Eerlich. But in that brief moment, a gap had formed. Since she looked like Kurinka, I couldn’t just attack without hesitation. It might be more accurate to say it was instinctive. I realized that creating such a gap was Eerlich’s objective.
[Getou’s Worm Blaster! Dealt 452 damage to Lua! HP 42,560/43,012]
“Ouch! Seriously?!”
“Hehe, over here.”
Getou and Eerlich teleported to a position that was set up for them. Behind the eerily smiling Getou, the Royal Capital loomed, which meant they were trying to prevent me from firing the Sonic Ripper. From this distance, the Royal Capital looked quite small, but the Sonic Ripper had enough power to cleave it in two, even from here.
Their strategy was layered with clones and Kurinka transformations, along with Mental Health Magic, all tailored to exploit my personality. It was a subtle approach, but the fact that I had already taken a hit was the most effective part. They were definitely trying to wear down my mental state and kill me. And the final touch would probably be Eerlich. If he unleashed a clone that looked like me, things would get even more complicated.
“Lost your spirit, have you? What’s wrong? Weren’t you going to kill us?”
“Lua-chan, hang in there!”
【Lua’s attack! Dealt 10,102,395 damage to Doppel Kurinka!
Doppel Kurinka has been defeated! HP 0/20,300】
【Lua’s attack! Dealt 10,243,990 damage to Getou!
Getou has been defeated! HP 0/46,300】
“Haha… I can’t help but laugh.”
They must think they can’t lose since the real body is hiding somewhere. And this Mental Health Magic—whatever it is—I don’t know how it works, but if I attack normally, they just come back like that rabbit. The fact that they were able to withstand the soldiers’ attacks means that’s how it works.
“I struggled a bit, but I’ve figured it out now.”
“…!”
How long do they think I’ve been fighting in the pitch-black darkness of the Abyss Cave?
“Hey! Getou, don’t hesitate! Now’s the time, right?!”
“…He’s not the type to bluff. It can’t be helped.”
Another clone of Eerlich, somewhere else, shouted out. What is “that”? Is there something more?
“…Come.”
Whether a laser would shoot out or a monster would appear, I couldn’t predict the scene that unfolded before me.
“Do it! Numark!”
Suddenly, my feet sank into the ground. The once-solid earth twisted and morphed into an unpleasant sensation.
“Next! Cancel!”
A massive army summoned by Getou. Not just a few hundred, but possibly over a thousand. They surrounded me and unleashed something all at once.
“My role ends here, but…”
“Now it’s my turn… this Custom Magic developed specifically for the Flash Strike Girl.”
At that moment, I finally understood who these people were. Each of them had a wolf-like emblem etched into their bandanas and armor. Their cheers sounded as if they were about to start a party. Yes, they were.
“Dispel!”
At the same time, I found myself completely immobilized. It was that so-called Dispel magic; I couldn’t muster any strength in my body. My heart raced just a little. Moreover, what they unleashed all at once were flames, ice, and lightning. But that wasn’t all; mixed in with that storm of attacks was something else.
【Lua is paralyzed!】
【Lua has been poisoned!】
【Lua is confused!】
【Lua’s attack power has decreased!】
【Lua’s defenses have decreased!】
【Lua’s speed has decreased!】
My entire body tingled, nausea surged, and my mind became a jumbled mess, leaving me utterly confused.
“All at once! Fire!”
【Comet Wolf Brigade’s total assault!】
A torrent of magical fury rained down.
“Don’t let up! The Comet Wolf Brigade’s Custom Magic assault unit, led by Cancel, will continue until I say stop!”
“Getou! Now’s the time, right?!”
“Yeah.”
【Getou transformed into Lua!】
【Doppel Lua has appeared! HP 263,000】
【Doppel Lua has appeared! HP 263,000】
【Doppel Lua has appeared! HP 263,000】
【Doppel Lua has appeared! HP 263,000】
【Doppel Lua has appeared! HP 263,000】
“Full power Sonic Ripper!”
Shot after shot rained down on me, and my consciousness began to fade.
“Cancel! It was worth teaming up with the Phantom! Even the monster girl won’t stand a chance against this!”
“Shut your mouth!”
“Yeehaw!”
“This is what happens when you go against us, the Comet Wolf Brigade!”
“I’m getting hyped!”
“Yeeeeeah!”
Everything was a mess. Just a complete disaster.
“Dispel… a Custom Magic that erases all resistances. This is a realm even Sage Hast couldn’t reach… Hehe, the day my name, Cancel, echoes through the magic community is near.”
It was truly chaotic.
“I can’t see through the blast and smoke, but surely there’s nothing left of her now?!”
“The Phantom over there is helping too! There’s no way anything alive could survive this!”
“Hey, hey, hey! Eat my Custom Magic, Flame Whip Arrow!”
“Plasma Strike!”
“Add my Hydro Screw to the mix!”
“Electricity and water combined, hehehe!”
Wow.
“This will ensure our main forces don’t get cocky! Even that ‘Knight’ and ‘Luke’ brat that the captain favors!”
“So shut your mouth… wait.”
“Ugh… it’s a total mess.”
My mind was tangled, and it had been a while since I felt this way. This was definitely confusion from a status ailment. How nostalgic; I used to suffer from this a lot.
【Lua’s confusion has been cured!】
Nausea and headaches were intense, and it felt like my insides were being stirred up, as if I had suffered severe burns. This was definitely poison.
【Lua’s poison has been cured!】
On top of that, tingling had spread to my fingertips, which was also unpleasant. Paralysis, the scariest of all status ailments. After all, if you get hit by this, you can’t do anything. You could be eaten alive.
【Lua’s paralysis has been cured!】
Now, all I had to do was take a deep breath and exhale.
【Lua’s stats have returned to normal!】
“Cancel? What is that?”
“…Standing up, you say?”
The storm of cannon fire that had been so loud was starting to quiet down. One by one, they gave up. They realized that nothing they did inflicted any damage, and the smart ones stopped attacking. Then, I heard it—something clattering together in a nervous rhythm.
“W-Wait… this can’t be happening…”
“Ah, ah, ah… that brat is… is, is overcoming her status ailments by herself…”
That sound was the clattering of armor as the thieves trembled.
“She’s coming this way…”
“Indeed.”
Status ailments can be overcome on your own. I learned that in the Abyss Cave. I don’t know about erasing resistances, but if that’s the case, then all I have to do is do the same thing again.
“Cancel! It’s your responsibility! There’s no way to kill a monster like that! I don’t want to die yet!”
“Yeah! Take responsibility and die for us!”
“No! Don’t come this way!”
The man named Cancel, with neatly parted brown hair, stood there in shock. He didn’t seem to hear the jeers around him. It seemed he was the first to fall into despair. Yes, despair. Right now, this Disballade was speaking to me.
“This sword is called Disballade. And you know what? This sword says it embodies despair.”
I didn’t mean to scare them. The real terror was yet to come. If they were this scared now, they might faint from fear.
【Lua takes no damage!】
“Just a little… I haven’t truly ‘guarded’ in a while.”
Eerlich, who was disguised as me, fell back, and Getou, who had completely lost his composure, sat down. Mimmy curled up like a pill bug, hiding under her hat on top of a whale. I wouldn’t forgive any of them.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Ah, ah… ah… ah… ah…