Chapter 18: Imperial Capital – Martial Arts Tournament – 05
As we called for the people on the road to evacuate, we finally reached the tall tree that served as our landmark.
Late to arrive were the five members of the Polar Drake and Miss Dorozitte.
“There’s definitely a foul smell in the air. No doubt about it, it’s the scent of a Demon. And it’s quite potent, so there must be either a large number of them or some particularly big ones,” Larni said, wrinkling her nose as she drew her longsword, Purple Wolf. Everyone began to ready their weapons.
I pulled out That Which Equalizes All Things and the Immovable Fortress Wall from my Item Box. As I gripped these two weapons, I felt a sense of calm wash over me.
“Those are some impressive weapons,” Jaze from Polar Drake remarked, clearly taken aback by my gear. Despite his surprise, he and the others maintained their readiness.
“Yeah, at this point, I can tell. This is the presence of a Demon. I wonder if the Gate to Another World reported in the forest has opened,” Miss Dorozitte mused, approaching the woods with a look of intrigue while holding a magnificent staff she had drawn out without anyone noticing.
“Grand Master, it’s dangerous to approach the Gate to Another World. You might get sucked in,” Jaze warned.
“Ah, I remember hearing about that. I would love to visit that Other World beyond the gate, though,” she replied.
“We need to prepare first. I don’t think this is the right time,” Jaze interjected.
“With Soushi around, perhaps that timing will come again. Mariane is glaring at me, so I’ll hold back for now,” Miss Dorozitte said, stepping back, which elicited a sigh from Mariane. It seemed they all knew she might actually attempt something reckless.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from deep within the forest. Trees were being uprooted. It seemed a large Demon was emerging.
“Let’s fall back a bit,” I instructed, and everyone distanced themselves from the forest. About fifty meters away, the sound of destruction rapidly approached. As a tree toppled toward us, what appeared was a type of large Demon I had never seen before.
To put it simply, it resembled a grotesque centaur.
It had a massive human torso, with three insect-like legs extending from each side. From the neck of that torso sprouted a smaller human upper body.
Its face was expressionless and flat like other Demons. Its arms were abnormally long, nearly touching the ground. It stood at least ten meters tall, a being that anyone would recognize as an aberration of nature.
“Grand Master, this one is a Gulfact. It’s the strongest Demon we’ve faced so far,” Jaze said, readjusting his greatsword.
But his words didn’t stop there.
“…What!? More are coming!?”
Indeed, three new Demons emerged from the forest in quick succession. The second and third appeared instantly from the Gate to Another World, seemingly possessing a skill akin to Swift Run.
“Those things will hit you with enchanted strikes. They can also unleash magic from their mouths, but their physical blows are far more dangerous. Definitely avoid them,” Jaze warned, showcasing the information-sharing prowess expected of an A-rank adventurer.
However, given my combat style, following Jaze’s advice would be difficult.
“I’ll take the lead as usual. Everyone else, look for openings to attack.”
“Yes, Soushi-sama!” “Okay!” “Let’s go!”
At my command, the team spread out.
Freinir, Sfenia, Shizuna, and Geshura, the backline, moved further back, with Shizuna’s Spirit iron golem stepping forward as a shield. Standing at two and a half meters tall, the Spirit was an incredibly reliable wall.
Larni and Mariane took the right, while Karma and Sakurahime took the left, already in their designated positions.
Miss Dorozitte joined the backline, readying her staff.
As I stepped forward, shield raised against the three expressionless Demons looming over us, I prepared to execute my usual strategy. Especially against an unfamiliar enemy, it was crucial for my team to observe their attack patterns.
“Hey, hey, Soushi! That’s risky!” Jaze shouted.
“Don’t worry, Jaze. Just watch closely. This is the form of a seasoned adventurer,” I replied, hearing Miss Dorozitte soothing Jaze.
Now, it was time for Provoke.
Grind!
With a sound like metal scraping, the Demons sprang into action. They charged at me with incredible speed for their massive size, surrounding me in a half-circle and striking with their fists from three directions.
I used the Immovable Fortress Wall and That Which Equalizes All Things to absorb and deflect their blows.
The first Demon, having its initial strike parried, unleashed a series of attribute-enhanced attacks from far above.
Each strike was terrifyingly heavy. However, compared to the reckless Demon that had charged at me before, these felt relatively mild. While I couldn’t completely evade the hits, the damage was merely a strong bruise. There was no way they could force me to take even a single step back.
As the Demons focused on me, spears of fire, rock, and ice pierced their upper bodies in the hundreds.
The brief flash of light was likely Freinir’s Divine Halo, reducing the Demons‘ striking power by about ten percent.
Perhaps due to the decrease in defense, a significant portion of the Demon‘s torso was gouged out by the magic.
Grrrr!
The Demon turned its face toward the backline for a moment.
That was when the frontline struck. Their target was the six legs.
With a single swing of their weapons, Larni and Karma severed the massive legs with Purple Wolf and Beast King’s Fang.
Mariane unleashed a flurry of rapid strikes, while Sakurahime danced gracefully with her naginata, each successfully severing a leg.
The left and right Demons each lost two legs, staggering as they struggled to maintain their balance. They opened their mouths, preparing to unleash magic against their attackers, but before they could, magic spears struck their faces once more.
Gyaaaah!?
As Larni and Karma delivered additional strikes, the two Demons fell to the ground, their massive bodies collapsing.
“I’ll take the head!”
“Hey! Leave the head behind!”
Larni and Karma weaved through the thrashing arms, closing in on the two Demons‘ necks. With a powerful downward swing, they decapitated the Demons like executioners.
“While they are indeed strong, they don’t seem to be our match,” I concluded, swinging my mace at the remaining Demon in front of me.
The invisible Shockwave engulfed the Demon, shattering it beyond recognition, scattering its remains in all directions.
“Hahaha! Truly, Soul’s Guidance is incredible. Jaze was right; it was undoubtedly a strong Demon, yet it couldn’t even put up a fight,” I remarked, turning to see Miss Dorozitte doubled over in laughter and the Polar Drake members frozen in shock, mouths agape.