STOP IT WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! HITSUGIIIIIIIIIIII!

This attack isnt something that I can avoid with a jump or a step. As I realize this, I put everything I have into defending against it.

Please leave it to me, Goshujin-sama! Here I go

The defensive spell that I possess is theShieldspell, which hasnt changed since the times of the reconstruction experiments on me. Using this spell bare-handed just hardens the black magical power and produces only a low-class defensive spell.

In Hitsugis hands, the shield is constructed using wire-shaped strands woven together, increasing its defensive ability and raising it to a medium-class spell.

And now, with the evolvedBlack Chain CurseIron Cage, the shields power should increase even more.

The shield is composed not of hardened wires made of black magical power, but chains of black steel that have absorbed the Greed-Gores iron sand.

This is a new spell for me, but Hitsugi teaches me everything I need to know. Including the fact that this is no longer a mereShield.

Metal Shield!

I produce a tough barrier that possesses the luster of real steel despite its pitch-black color. The rectangle that is large enough to cover my entire body is more like a solid lump of metal than a shield.

There are two chains forming a cross shape across the rectangular mass of heavy steel, contributing to its unrefined appearance. Of course, despite this appearance, it should definitely be as powerful as any other high-class defensive spell.

However, even this wont be enough to stop the Greed-Gores sword of lightning so I think, but at this point, Im out of time.

With a vicious howl that accompanies the roar of lightning, the Greed-Gore releases the sword of iron sand.

It moves too fast for me to even perceive with my eyes, just as I thought it would. I wonder if its being accelerated through electromagnetic induction, like how a railgun works.

Either way, before I know it, the black blade has pierced through the shield of black steel.

Tearing the two chains to pieces at the point they intersect, it penetrates the steel wall.

Even so, theMetal Shieldhasnt collapsed, and it hasnt allowed the attack to pass through completely. Its somehow managed to allow only half no, two thirds of the blade through.

But that is still enough for the blade to reach my body.

However, Im still unharmed. Thats because Im holding two more reliable shields in my hands.

The first is theHungering Wolf SwordEvil Eaterin my left hand.

Thanks to its magical power absorption, Ive avoided taking damage from the fearsome electrical discharge from the swords blade.

Unfortunately, the fang-blade wasnt able to withstand the swords penetrative power; Evil Eater has been skewered by the black sword.

The Greed-Gores blade broke through the shield and pierced the fang-blade, but what stopped the tip of the blade from reaching me is theAbsolute Malice HatchetNeck Cutterin my right hand.

Back when it was stillStomach Render*, it was pierced by the Eighth Apostle Ais attack, but this time it has held firm. Not even a millimeter of the enemys blade has reached my chest.

*TLN: This was previously translated as Hara Retsu

With my two weapons held out in front of me crossed over each other to form two more layers of defense, Ive somehow managed to survive the attack.

Itd be bad if the Greed-Gore were to follow up on that attack now, I have to start a counterattack

Guh, haah... Shit...

However, my body opposes my will to fight. I fall backwards to the ground, face-up.

Goshujin-sama?! GOSHUJIN-SAMAAA!

As I hear the maids heartbroken cry echoing in my head, I feel the sensation of the ground hitting my back. My senses are really dull right now.

No, thats not right. Ive gone numb.

Hitsugi and my weapons stopped the blade. Evil Eater prevented the electrical discharge from burning me to a crisp. However, thats all that my defense managed to do.

Theres no doubt that Ive received the Paralysis Status Effect that is an additional effect of lightning-element attacks.

During the mobility experiments, I experienced paralysis to some extent, but back then, it just slowed my movements a little. Right now, I cant even move the tip of a finger. My whole body is paralyzed.

The explosive, paralyzing electrical attack has caused my two weapons to fly out of my hands. They fall uselessly, their blades sinking into the ground.

Goshujin-sama, please get a hold of yourself!

Im perfectly conscious, but my body isnt listening to me at all. Even though I can open myShadow Gate, theres no way I can take a Potion from there and drink it.

The Morjuras aphrodisiac had no effect on my reconstructed, strengthened body; my resistance to drugs is high, and I should be far more resilient to Status Effects than the average human.

I think this full-body paralysis will pass in five minutes, but theres no way that the Greed-Gore will miss this opportunity.

Of course, Im the one who chose to leave the fortress and engage in close-quarters combat. And theres is no way that Nells restorative magic can reach me from the fortresss walls.

This is really bad.

The Greed-Gore takes a step. Not towards the fortress, but towards me.

Ah, damn it, it looks like it wants to finish me off. In this state, while I cant move a single finger, theres nothing I can do

Oi, Tentacle Man, what are you doing here?

Suddenly, the view of the sky that I have no choice but to look up at is interrupted. I see a young man looking down at no, looking down on me.

I only have a vague memory of this handsome face, but from his black hair and crimson eyes, I can guess who he is.

If it were a cute face whose gender and age were ambiguous, I would assume that it is the divine Demon Lord, but since its not, theres only one other person who it could be that has inherited that bloodline.

Nero Julius Elroad. Avalons First Prince, and Nells older brother.

It seems that my fate hasnt been decided just yet.

Leave this guy to us! Nero, you get back to the fortress!

As the Wrath-Pun is easily taken control of by the Parasite and begins to rise from the ground, Kai shouts these words at me.

He is normally a fool, but I can trust his quick decisions at times like this.

As we left Iskia Fortress, it was already on the verge of falling. With the Greed-Gore headed there, theyll all be annihilated in less than five minutes.

Right now, at least one person has to get back no, this guy wont let more than one of us get away from him in the first place. In any case, its as clear as daylight that if one of us dont make it back to the fortress as soon as possible, itll be too late.

Rather than me being chosen for this because Im the leader, well, if you consider our abilities, then its an appropriate decision. Im the one who can get back to the fortress the quickest, too.

Sorry. Im counting on you.

Weve already beaten this thing once, itll be a piece of cake! Well take care of this quickly and head over there to back you up.

Just make sure you come back before I finish the Greed-Gore off.

After this brief exchange, I turn back and head towards Iskia Fortress.

As I leave, Sharl and Safi look like they want to complain, but in this kind of emergency situation, even they wont say selfish things. They might pick a fight with me about it later, but Ill deal with that when the time comes.

The three of them hold the Wrath-Pun in place while I turn my mount around and quickly get away.

Speed High-Boost.

The running Unicorn speeds up as I cast my strengthening spell, and at the same time, the wind currents surrounding us begin to deflect this annoying rain. What a handy side-effect.

When Kai, Safi and I were hurrying to get to Sharl earlier, I was moving about this fast. Well, for an adventurer, this is pretty fast, but now that Im on my own, I can go a bit faster.

Sonic Walker.

I use the martial arts technique that grants the fastest movement. Its one of the higher-class techniques in modern magic, or at least among known martial arts techniques.

The two speed-boosting effects, the spell as well as the martial arts technique, increases my speed by more than double. The only people capable of reaching this speed are probably the small portion of adventurers who excel in horse-riding techniques, or the elite knights of Spada.

This increase in speed requires the caster to have considerable ability, but requires even more from the mount the mount must be talented.

The only one who can keep up with my full power is you.

Thats right; mounts other than this Unicorn wouldnt be able to withstand my double speed-boost.

I saved this Unicorn from poachers who had captured it in the Asbel mountain range, just before I moved to Spada to study, I guess.

I hadnt accepted a quest to destroy that poaching organization; it was really just a pure coincidence.

Unicorns are famous for only allowing maidens to ride them, but to think that Id be the one to prove that theyll let men ride them too if theyre tamed properly.

Back then, I thought it was annoying for getting so attached to me, but now I have accepted it as my companion, the only one who can move at the speed that I desire.

Thanks to this Unicorn, Im able to make it back to Iskia Fortress in half the time it would otherwise take me.

Good, the fortress hasnt fallen yet. Wait, where have all the monsters gone?

I can only see corpses of various sizes on the ground; the large army of monsters that were advancing on the fortress has completely disappeared. Its impossible that theyve invaded the fortress and are all now inside there.

But whats even more impossible is for the monsters to have been wiped out without us. If we had that much fighting power, we wouldnt have accepted the plan to defend the fortress in the first place.

So then, this situation why is the Greed-Gore rampaging around in front of the fortress all by itself?

I have a vague suspicion, but I dont want to accept that suspicion as true. However, seeing the reality with my own eyes, I have no choice but to take it in.

Nell, you used theRadiance Exile...

The one standing on top of the half-destroyed fortress walls, holding theScale of White Wingsas if to say that shell never back down, is undeniably my younger sister.

Why are you here? And how did you even come all the way out here in the first place?

There are too many questions I want to ask, but whats done is done. And the reason that she would do something so reckless is obvious as well.

Im sure she heard about the danger closing in on Iskia Fortress from the messenger that Will sent out. Upon receiving such news, Im sure she wouldnt be able to sit still and do nothing.

Me and her other companions of Wind Road were here. Three hundred students from the academy as well. This is Nell, who would accept a quest to eliminate bandits in order to save a few female students who have been attacked by bandits. Theres no way that she would do nothing.

Even so, I didnt want her to come here. Its just too dangerous.

Well, I cant do anything about it now that shes here. Shes swept away all the other monsters, so all I have to do is finish this guy off.

And as I get close enough to the Greed-Gore to challenge it

Tch, that guy is...

The Greed-Gore fires the same greatsword of iron sand that it fired at the Wrath-Pun. Its target is not me, but the man who is fighting it on his own right now.

He instantly uses a defensive spell that creates a large, black shield, but the shield is pierced and he collapses onto the ground. For a guy who challenged the Greed-Gore on his own, he looks pretty pathetic.

If it were just an academy student or one of the adventurers who came out for the rescue effort, thats all that Id think of him.

But this guy, this man is

Oi, Tentacle Man, what are you doing here?

Kurono, why are you here, of all people?

I climb down from my Unicorn and look down at the face of the unsightly Kurono lying on the ground.

... Fu.

He laughed. Oi, is he making fun of me? Did you think I wouldnt know? The one who brought Nell all the way here is you, isnt it?

I dont see any of his other allies; the only ones who werent at the fortress when I left it are Nell and Kurono.

Nell isnt capable of an attack that could have broken through the ring of monsters surrounding the fortress. Therefore, the only one who could have possibly rushed here is Kurono.

In other words, without this guy, Nell couldnt have made it all the way out here even if shed wanted to.

Just how much will this man get on my nerves before hes satisfied? Should I kill him shit, calm down, I dont have time to deal with this guy right now, right?

You just stay there and sleep, Im going to take care of that guy. Dont you get in my way.

Well, hes probably under the same full-body paralysis that Sharl was hit by earlier, so he wont be able to do anything anyway.

Unlike Nell, Im not nice to everyone. Im not going to go out of my way to give him a Potion.

Speaking of Nell, shes looking flustered, looking as if she wants to fly down over here from the fortresss walls... Is she that worried about me fighting the Greed-Gore on my own?

For now, it seems that Will is doing his best next to her to calm her down. Please keep stopping her.

Since Nell is anxious and all, I suppose its time that I put an end to the Greed-Gore.

This is a Rank 5 monster, an enemy I cant let my guard down against, and the original plan was to fight it with four people.

Having to fight it on my own is such a pain. The thought of just trying to buy some time crosses my mind, but

You hurt Sharl. Im not going to be satisfied until I cut you down myself.