Episode 231: Depths Conquest
Dvarapala, 150th Floor.
“Don’t let your guard down! From here on out, the [Abyssal Monsters] will increase!!”
Kaira’s shout tightened the Seeker’s resolve.
The current floor was a forest teeming with vegetation, where Great Trees blocked their path. It was still dim, but it felt slightly brighter than the upper floors.
“Good grief, there’s no end to them!”
Akito pierced a large “horsefly” that had fallen at his feet with his spear, looking around with irritation.
Monsters were coming from all directions. There were Seekers in charge of the middle floors, but they alone couldn’t defeat all the monsters.
Yuma and the others, including Kaira and the Peacock King (Mahamayuri) members, had also taken up arms and were fighting.
Ideally, they wanted to conserve Magical Power and stamina until they reached the Depths, but this was no time to be saying such things.
“Anyway, we have to break through here.”
Rui, while circling around the trees, slashed down the horseflies flying at him with a fluid motion. The horseflies exploded in mid-air, turning into sand and falling to the ground.
Yuma also desperately swung his Pickel, smashing the caterpillars on the ground.
“Fighting without ‘Metallization’ is tough…”
As Yuma grumbled and wiped the sweat from his brow, a loud voice came from ahead.
“A, Arachne! There’s an Arachne!!”
Arachne? Yuma turned his gaze. The Seekers at the head of the formation seemed to be in confusion.
“This is bad! We have to go help.”
“Let’s go, Yuma!”
Rui and Akito took off running. Yuma didn’t quite understand, but he said, “A, ah,” and followed after them.
◇◇◇
“Don’t break formation! I’ll handle the Arachne!!”
Kaira gave instructions to the Indian Seekers while running towards the front where the Arachne had appeared.
Several Seekers followed. One of them was—
“Hyah, hyah, hya, Kaira. Even for you, it would be tough to face an Arachne alone.”
“Anik-dono!”
Running right next to Kaira was Anik, a member of the Peacock King (Mahamayuri).
Anik, in particular, showed a nimbleness that belied his age.
“Anik-dono, please lend us your strength!”
“Understood. Leave it to me.”
When Kaira and the Peacock King (Mahamayuri) arrived, the Seekers who had been fighting at the front were lying on the ground, unmoving.
Their bodies were mercilessly torn apart, covered in blood.
Kaira raised her gaze. A grotesque monster stood between the corpses.
A giant spider with sharp claws piercing the ground, with a humanoid monster riding on its back. A powerful monster from the deeper floors, an Arachne.
Moreover, there weren’t just one, but three of them.
“Three of them… that’s troublesome.”
Kaira gripped the Longsword in her hand, glaring at her opponents. The Arachne slowly moved its body and swung its arms.
The spider monster used steel “threads.” Dangerous steel threads that could cut through anything.
But—
“Don’t underestimate me, monster!!”
Kaira poured Magical Power into the Longsword she held, the Magic Enchanted Armament [Greatsword Kanda].
She swung it back greatly and swung it down with all her might towards the Arachne in front of her. The tip of the Longsword collided with the ground, creating a fierce wind that turned into a Wind Blade and headed towards the enemy.
It cut through all of the Arachne’s steel threads, and the wind struck the main body.
The Wind Blade greatly wounded the spider’s body, causing it to dissipate. Seeing the enemy gushing green blood, Kaira swung her blade for a follow-up attack.
Once again, a “Wind Blade” arose, directly hitting the Arachne and turning it into sand.
“Hyah, hyah, hya, as expected of Kaira, who is called India’s number one Seeker. I can’t afford to lose either.”
Anik took out a tool resembling a Basho Fan from the small bag he was carrying.
It was a fan with layers of peacock feathers, and Anik lightly waved it towards the Arachne in front of him.
As thin Lightning crackled around him, each of the decorative feathers flew out, dancing in the air.
“Now, Arachne. Let’s have a contest of strength to see who’s stronger.”
As Anik waved the fan, the decorative feathers flew at tremendous speed as if following his command.
The decorative feathers, imbued with “Lightning Magical Power,” cut through the Arachne’s steel threads and attacked the main body.
“GYAGYAAAAAAA!!”
The decorative feathers became “Lightning Strike Blades” that moved freely, piercing the Arachne’s body.
The spider monster, spurting blood from its entire body, charged towards Anik while screaming in agony.
Anik laughed, “Hyah, hyah, hya,” and spun the fan around.
The decorative feathers that had been flying around separately drew an arc above the Arachne. Thin plasma crackled, and Lightning fell from the center of the circle.
The Arachne, struck directly by the Lightning, was unable to move, charred black and emitting smoke.
Its body soon crumbled, spreading into sand on the ground. The decorative feathers that had been flying around in the air returned to the fan held up by Anik.
When everything merged, it returned to its original Basho Fan shape.
“As always, that’s an amazing weapon.”
Kaira said with a sigh.
“Hyah, hyah, hya, it’s our company’s masterpiece. More importantly, I’m relieved that the Greatsword I made for you seems to be useful.”
“Yes, it’s the best weapon. It’s more familiar to my hand than any weapon I’ve ever used, and above all, its durability is extraordinary.”
Seeing Kaira holding up her Longsword, Anik nodded in satisfaction.
“That’s good to hear. Well, it looks like that side is about to end too.”
“Yes.”
Anik and Kaira turned their eyes to the other Arachne. The four members of the Peacock King (Mahamayuri) were putting up a good fight.
A large man with “Fire Magical Power” wrapped around his axe was cutting through the Arachne’s threads, and a man and woman with “Wind Blades” and “Lightning Magical Power” wrapped around their three-section staffs were crushing the spider’s legs.
Towards the Arachne, whose movements were greatly restricted, a woman with a long spear took aim in a throwing stance.
“Water” wrapped around the tip of the spear, and the woman threw it as it was.
The spear, which had transformed into a sharper shape in mid-air, created a vortex of water as it rotated, piercing the Arachne’s chest. The spider monster screamed.
Struggling in agony, the Arachne collapsed to the ground and returned to sand in a puddle of water.
“Impressive, as expected.”
Kaira let out a voice of admiration.
“It’s good that we were able to defeat the enemy, but it’s a shame that we can’t mourn those who died.”
“It can’t be helped. Let’s move on to the next floor.”
Kaira and Anik turned their backs on the fallen Seekers and led the formation, quickly advancing through the dense forest.
◇◇◇
Yuma and his two companions, who had run with all their might and caught up with the leading group, had come across the battle between Kaira and Anik.
“Oi oi, what’s that!?”
Kaira’s “Wind Slash” from her Greatsword. It was quite powerful, but what caught the eyes of the three even more was Anik’s weapon.
When he waved something like a fan, several metal fragments flew out, attacking the monsters while moving in a zigzag pattern.
The fragments resembled peacock feathers, and each one had a yellow Magic Gem embedded in it.
“I’ve never seen a weapon like that before.”
To Rui’s words, Yuma could only reply, “Yeah.” The weapons of the other members of the Peacock King (Mahamayuri) were also unique.
They were using Longswords, spears, axes, and clubs, but they changed shape in the midst of battle, advancing the fight to their advantage.
“That’s a product made by India’s largest weapons manufacturer… it’s outrageous.”
“Yeah, it’s more advanced than I thought.”
Akito and Rui were amazed by the performance of the weapons.
Yuma looked at Anik’s face. His expression still seemed to have余裕. Had he been through many of these kinds of battles?
Anik and Kaira led the formation, running between the Great Trees.
Yuma and the others followed them, advancing deeper into the forest.