“Haa… haa… we should be safe if we’ve come this far.”
Tanaka was breathing heavily, his shoulders heaving. He had been helping the injured with the Seekers of Sakura Port, but the battle had intensified, and they had evacuated to the outskirts of the city.
Now, they had retreated to the gates surrounding the city and joined up with the Self-Defense Forces outside.
“Tanaka-san, I don’t see Kanzaki-san and the others anywhere?”
It was Minazuki of Sakura Port who called out to him. Perhaps because the fighting had been so fierce, his battle suit was tattered.
“Ah, those two are fine. They’ve probably evacuated to another location.”
“I see. If that’s the case, then that’s good…”
As the two were talking, a roar could be heard from a slightly distant location. When they turned their faces, they saw Okawara and the other Seekers from IBI Corporation.
“Seriously, you guys! Aren’t you ashamed to be saved by those guys!? They’re a minor, insignificant company in the industry!”
Okawara was yelling at the employees of IBI. The employees who were being scolded turned their faces away, looking dissatisfied.
“But, President, there’s no way we could defeat those Monsters! It’s completely different from what we heard!”
“That’s right. If that old man Kanzaki hadn’t come, we would have all been dead.”
Young male and female Seekers voiced their complaints to Okawara. Okawara couldn’t refute them and glared at his subordinates while grinding his teeth.
“It seems they were saved by Kanzaki-san.”
Minazuki smiled happily.
“Well, the president is the type of person who can’t abandon others. He seems to dislike Okawara-san, but he probably couldn’t leave him alone after all.”
Tanaka chuckled along with Minazuki. He could easily imagine Kanzaki and Yuma going to help Okawara.
As for the prideful Okawara, it must have been quite a shock.
“Indeed, there’s no need to worry about those two. It’s strange that the company isn’t famous when there are two such strong Seekers.”
Tanaka gave a wry smile at Minazuki, who was looking at him with those words.
It goes without saying that Kanzaki is strong, but he couldn’t reveal the reason why Yuma is strong. Tanaka, facing Minazuki, who seemed unconvinced,
“W-Well, it means the company has a bright future!” he said, trying to gloss over the situation.
◇◇◇
“Tennoji-san! Are you alright?”
Rui rushed to Tennoji and the others.
“Rui, are you not injured? You were fighting the Hell Garm, right?”
Tennoji asked worriedly, but Rui replied firmly, “I’m fine.” However, his soot-covered and tattered appearance was no different from Tennoji and the others.
“More importantly, what exactly is that Monster…”
When Rui turned his eyes to the Black Monster, Tennoji and Ishikawa also shifted their gaze. The Monster was walking leisurely, heading towards the place where the Red Ogre had been blown away.
“A gruesome appearance… it doesn’t look like an ally at all.”
Ishikawa muttered bitterly. At that moment, a vehicle came running down the central street of the city.
It was a communication vehicle from the Self-Defense Forces, equipped with special communication equipment to improve radio interference caused by Mana.
Tennoji thought that Honda must have called for it.
And Seekers with rifle-shaped devices approached from three directions, maintaining their distance.
–If I remember correctly, those are the guys with the “Mana Measurement Device.” So, they’re still here…
They encircled the Black Monster, drawing a circle around it.
If they were noticed, they might be killed. As he was worrying about that,
“…Can… you hear… me, Tennoji…”
A voice could be heard from his earpiece.
“Yes, I can hear you. Honda-san!”
Tennoji held his earpiece with his hand and responded immediately. It seemed that the radio had been restored thanks to the communication vehicle.
“We’re sending Seekers with Measuring Devices… to measure the Mana of the Black Monster.”
“Yes, I can see them from here.”
“But, if the Monster doesn’t stop moving, we can’t get an accurate measurement. Can you somehow attract its attention and stop it from moving?”
“…You make it sound so easy, Honda-san.”
Tennoji smiled wryly and looked at the Black Monster. It didn’t seem to be using magic, but its strength and defense were greater than the Red Ogre.
He didn’t want to get too close, but… thinking that, Tennoji replied.
“I’ll try somehow.”
He opened and closed his hands, circulating “Lightning Magical Power” through his body.
Electricity crackled from his hands, and his hair began to stand on end. He had taken some damage, but he could still go on.
“Tennoji, are you going to fight that Monster?”
Ishikawa asked worriedly. Taizen and Rui also held their breath.
“Honda-san contacted me and said they want to measure the Monster’s ‘Mana Index.’ To do that, we have to stop the Monster from moving.”
“Stopping that guy… it sounds pretty tough, but we have no choice.”
Ishikawa smiled slightly. Taizen and Rui also nodded and readied their weapons.
It wouldn’t be impossible if the four of them worked together. Everyone thought so and rushed out at once.
They spread out to surround the Black Monster.
“Let’s go!!”
Everyone answered “Ooh!” to Tennoji’s shout. Ishikawa, who took the lead, raised his axe high.
“Eat this!!”
The swung battleaxe smashed the concrete, and a large amount of “Water” created by magic gushed out.
The water became a surging blade and attacked the Black Monster.
When it hit the Monster, the water burst, rising like a tall water column. The impact and roar enveloped the area. Without pause, Taizen also pointed the cannon on his right hand.
“Go!!”
The “Silver Bullet” fired from the Magic Enchanted Armament [Electromagnetic Throw Gauntlet] was charged with Lightning and attacked the Monster, which had stopped moving.
The moment it hit, an explosion occurred that was blinding.
Flames danced, and heat spread. They had taken the initiative. Tennoji used the discharge from his feet to close the distance in one go in order to follow up with an attack.
Just as he was about to punch with his fist wrapped in Lightning, at that instant–
“What!?”
Two Hell Garms pounced on him. Because he had been running at full speed, he couldn’t dodge.
He braced himself for the attack, but the dogs attacked the Black Monster instead of Tennoji.
Tennoji somehow twisted his body to avoid the Hell Garm and distanced himself from the Monsters.
“Are you alright! Tennoji!?”
Ishikawa rushed over in a hurry. Tennoji said “Yeah” and wiped away his sweat.
Looking, he saw the Hell Garm biting the Black Monster’s shoulder and leg, growling while leaking fiery breath.
“What? Why are the Monsters fighting each other?”
Tennoji made a puzzled face. Fighting the Red Ogre was one thing, but there was no precedent for Monsters fighting Monsters in the first place.
While he was wondering, the Black Monster moved.
It grabbed the head of the dog biting its shoulder, forcibly tore it off, and slammed it into the ground.
The dog’s head was crushed, and a large amount of blood spread.
It also tore the other one off its leg, grabbed its head with both hands, and slammed a knee kick into its face.
The dog groaned and spurted a tremendous amount of blood from its face. The Black Monster released its hands and kicked the dog, which was falling powerlessly, with all its might.
The dog, scattering its internal organs, flew into the sky and then fell to the ground after a while.
With a loud noise, dust rose, and pieces of flesh scattered. The dog was covered in blood and convulsing, unable to move.
“It took down the Hell Garm so easily… this guy is–“
Tennoji frowned, but he noticed that the Hell Garm was regenerating rapidly.
“Ishikawa! Rui!!”
When Tennoji shouted, Ishikawa and Rui reacted immediately.
“Oh!”
“Understood!”
The two instantly entered attack mode. Ishikawa slammed his axe into the ground, and a surging “Water Blade” appeared and raced across the earth.
It hit the convulsing Hell Garm and burst, cutting off its head as it was.
The dog’s head rolled away and disappeared into sand. Rui also approached the crushed Hell Garm and cut off its head in an instant, not giving it time to regenerate.
The rolled head began to burn with a crackling sound and turned into sand.
Rui jumped back from the spot, regained his posture, and distanced himself from the Black Monster.
Tennoji also gathered “Lightning Magical Power” in his body and entered attack mode. But, he stopped abruptly when he saw an incomprehensible sight.
It was because the Black Monster was looking at Rui and had stopped moving.