“We’re being attacked…?”
『Looks like it』
The dozens of 〖Mana〗 beams launched into the sky curved sharply near the ceiling and were now heading towards us.
『Just stay behind me for now』
“Understood.”
I spoke casually to Fiss, who was right behind me when the beams were fired.
There wasn’t a shred of tension, but that’s how relaxed the situation was.
The beams fired from the city were similar to those used by the “Colossus,” but their speed was drastically slower.
Judging by the strength of the 〖Mana〗 I felt, their power was probably the same.
We were quite far from the city, and it would take some time for them to reach us.
“(Hmm, the aim is scattered. So they’ve factored in evasive maneuvers, huh?)”
I muttered internally as I observed the beams.
Only a few seemed like they would hit me, with the majority falling in a trajectory that would surround me.
“(There’s also the possibility that they’re trying to lure me into a false sense of security.)”
It was possible that they’d make it seem like only five or six would hit, then have all the beams target me at the last moment.
I had no idea how many times they could change the trajectory, so I couldn’t let my guard down.
A concentrated barrage wouldn’t even scratch me, but Fiss was behind me this time.
“(The shape… an umbrella shape should do it.)”
I contorted the front half of my body into a shield-like shape.
And finally, the beams landed. Over twenty beams shook the grassland.
“(No change in trajectory, and the power is about the same as a Dire Beast’s normal attack. I was overthinking it.)”
The situation I had feared didn’t happen, and the beams simply exploded and disappeared.
The sensation of the blast was also similar to the “Colossus’s” beams.
“(Still, the accuracy is incredible.)”
I looked around, impressed.
The beams seemed to have hit evenly around me, and the craters they created formed a perfect circle.
They were sniping from a great distance, and even bent the beams mid-flight, yet they were so accurate.
Maybe the one who fired the beams—or those who fired them—had a 〖Skill〗 like 〖Trajectory Prediction〗.
『Well, I can withstand tens of thousands of these… what do you want to do, Fiss?』
I asked Fiss, who was curiously gazing at the holes the beams had made.
I was asking if we should approach the city or turn back. She tilted her head and replied.
“For now, why don’t you undo your Transformation Magic?”
“(…Ah)”
That’s right. I had explained that I was transformed into a hard cube by magic.
Fiss probably thought we were being attacked because I was mistaken for a Demon Beast.
I was a slime, so it wasn’t a misidentification, but still.
“(Crap…)”
I activated my 〖Speed〗 of over a thousand and put my mind into overdrive.
I came up with several excuses, compared their impact on the future, checked for contradictions, and chose the one I thought was best.
『—No, you shouldn’t do that』
“? Why not?”
She looked puzzled. Well, yeah. If I were in her position, I’d have the same look.
But I couldn’t agree, so I used the excuse I had prepared.
『Undoing the transformation consumes a lot of 〖Mana〗. I won’t be able to fight for a while. There’s no guarantee the residents are friendly, so I want to avoid that… Besides, there’s no guarantee that city is a human city』
As if to support my claim, beams shot out from the city again.
The number seemed to have increased slightly, but the speed and 〖Mana〗 were about the same as the first volley, so I continued talking without concern.
『There are all kinds of Demon Beasts in the world. Among those I’ve fought, there were even Goblins who made weapons out of iron. It wouldn’t be strange for some to build a city. And besides—』
“Besides?”
『—There’s also the possibility that the city itself is a single Demon Beast』
Fiss’s eyes widened at that.
“A Demon Beast like that… exists?”
『I can’t say it doesn’t. It’s not uncommon for Demon Beasts to take on forms that are far removed from living creatures during their 〖Evolution〗. We even fought a shapeless shadow-like Demon Beast during the Demon Beast Cult’s attack』
By the way, the most non-biological Demon Beast I knew was a cube-shaped slime that could turn its body into a weapon.
At that moment, the second wave of beams landed. The density was higher than the first, but I easily withstood it.
Fiss watched this and nodded once.
“Hmm, that makes sense. Surely, even the strongest mage couldn’t fire so many spells at once.”
She seemed to have reconsidered and thought of the beams as a Demon Beast’s 〖Skill〗.
Indeed, if there were multiple individuals of the same species that had 〖Evolved〗, they could use the same 〖Skill〗 simultaneously.
But considering the analysis results of the “Colossus,” the one firing these beams was—well, that could wait.
『So, what do we do now? Do we go forward, or go back?』
“I want to get closer… is it dangerous?”
『No, not at all. Like I said before, this is nothing to me』
“Then I want to find out what it is.”
She clearly stated her intentions, which was rare.
Frankly, I was also interested in that city… and by extension, the “Colossus’s” Mana Crystal weapons.
Besides, if it’s a city in the Underground, it shouldn’t have any contact with the outside world.
If slimes don’t live in this area, there’s a chance I could sneak in as a human with Fiss’s help.
Even if we failed, the risk of information leaking out was low, so there was no way I could pass up this opportunity.
After that, we discussed several plans for after we entered the city, and we were ready.
『Alright, let’s go. Hold on tight』
“Okay… but shouldn’t we call out to them first?”
『Nah. They probably wouldn’t hear us at this distance, and they’d just think a Demon Beast is holding a hostage』
She seemed convinced and grabbed onto the handle-like shape I had transformed into.
At the same time, the third volley of beams was fired.
『Hold on tight』
I said that and started running.
I was being targeted by the beams, but I deliberately didn’t use 〖Blink〗. I started with a moderate 〖Speed〗 so as not to throw off my passenger, and gradually increased my speed.
I quickly escaped the bombardment range, and before I knew it, the distance to the city was halved.
A 〖Mana〗 dome-like thing covered the city, but judging by the 〖Mana〗 I felt, its strength was low.
The city gate opened, and Golem-like creatures, about two sizes smaller than the “Colossus,” appeared from inside. Before they could do anything, I broke through the 〖Mana〗 barrier with a body slam.