Chapter 105: Demon Lord Rematch
Translator: ShiroiKaze/Soyokaze Translations
Author’s Note: The Demon Lord side’s “SO STRONK” situation ends at this chapter.
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Floor 999. Finally the last stage of the labyrinth.
However, we’re missing two from our front line; Haster and Miss Levy.
“This is where we have to stop Demon Lord Masayoshi…”
“… Yeah.”
Saying that, we stepped onto the floor, where a single woman stood blocking our way.
The old-fashioned clothes with plenty of exposure on her bewitching body… Huh? Did they have a woman like that in their group?
“Uhh, who are you?”
Without replying to my question, she… Gave an unpleasant smile, one that split open all the way to her cheeks—
Her figure practically exploded, as it expanded and grew.
The body of a snake more than 20 meters long. The upper half remained that of a woman, but that part of it alone accounted for a few meters of it.
Her clearly inhuman appearance took up more than a third of the floor space.
She looks almost like a giant lamia…
My immediate use of “Appraisal” showed me this:
—Snake God Tiamat
“The 999th floor… Guardian?”
“No! If the guardian is here, then that means…”
Yeah, if someone who defeated the guardian is here, then it won’t appear.
Which means nobody in here has defeated it. In other words…
“The Demon Lord already went ahead?!”
Almost as if acting in concert with Alec’s voice, the World Tree began to faintly glow.
“We’re… Too late… That monster became “Unaging” and “Immortal”?”
“—Not yet!”
In response to Marielle’s despair, Alec shouted.
“It took Master a full night to become “Immortal”. That Bahamut bastard said he’d been beating around for a month…”
“Right, if we go now…!”
Even if he’s eaten the bud, that doesn’t mean he’s just suddenly become “Immortal”.
Actually, Bahamut said this once, “Those who ate a dragon’s heart died right there.”
If “Immortality” came immediately, then they shouldn’t die.
We don’t know how much the Demon Lord’s “Full Guard” works inside his body, but if an alteration big enough to remake his whole body is going to happen, then there’s a high possibility he can’t move around right now.
“So I’m thinking… I’ll take this thing on, so you go on ahead, sis.”
“You’re planning on facing the snake god by yourself?!”
“Is that so unreasonable?”
“Of course it is!”
In response to Alec’s innocent-sounding reply, Marle chewed him out.
Fighting a demon beast strong enough to be called a god all alone is an absurd idea in its very basis.
“In that case, hurry and defeat that Demon Lord guy so you can come back. If I just have to dodge around for a while, then I’ll manage somehow.”
“That’s reckless!”
“Even if it’s reckless… I still have to do it!”
At his words I came to my senses.
Among the four of us, the only ones who can stand up to that demon beast are me and Alec.
Marielle doesn’t have enough athletic ability, and Marle would be no match for it.
As for me, I can’t maintain [Body Reinforcement] for any longer than 30 minutes.
So Alec’s the only one who can do it.
“… I understand. We’ll be right back, so you better hang in there.”
“Got it. Don’t expect much; I’ll be waiting.”
“Yuuri!”
“And Marle… If we lose any more hands, then we won’t be able to take on the Demon Lord.”
She has her own important role to play.
Of course Marielle too, and me as well.
And so…
“Uraaaaaah!”
Alec charged toward Tiamat, and slammed Gram against its titanic body.
Though not as long as Sentinel, the great length of Gram amply delivered that arm strength, and cause the giant 20 meter bulk to shift way off position.
We used that opening to slide ourselves in, and run up the stairwell ahead.
~*~
Finally floor 1000… This floor has no ceiling, and is instead surrounded by the dim sky.
Normally, at this altitude, even being able to breathe would be doubtful.
But the World Tree is surrounded by oxygen from its active respiratory responses. Breathing wasn’t hard for us at all.
“I wonder what’s going on with atmospheric pressure and stuff…”
“Yuuri, now’s not the time, hurry—“
It must have been a reaction to the [Light Ball] I was maintaining.
In the center of the large space, next to a conspicuously long extended branch, there a man turned to us.
“Yo, too bad, huh. The bud is already in my stomach… Wait, haven’t I seen you guys somewhere before?”
This bastard… After calling me things like “slave” and “slut” he went and forgot my damn face?!
“We’re the adventurers that you half-killed five years ago. More importantly, where’s the bud?”
“Ooh, those guys… Good job surviving. Actually, why are you still a shrimp?”
“That’s just the kind of species I am. More importantly, where’s the bud?”
“There’s things like that too? Leave it to a fantasy world I guess.”
Why did you believe that? Are you a genuine idiot…?
“More importantly—“
“You’re friggin’ obnoxious, I told ya I ate it. And don’t order me around. The hell you think you are, you want me to rape you?”
“You’re lying. You shouldn’t be okay if you’ve eaten that.”
Hearing my reply, the look brought to his face showed confusion.
Then he held is stomach and started laughing. He literally grabbed his belly and laughed in a way that would even put Monty Python to shame.
“Kuh, kuhahahahHAHAHAHAH! You, you sound like you know a little something about this, huh? But you know, against my “Full Guard,” I guess even that poisonous part must have been neutralized.”
“Don’t tell me you really…”
His gift even suppresses toxins then?
Spurred on by my doubts, I activated “Appraisal”. I investigated the Demon Lord’s abilities. The result—
—Status Effects: “Ageless”, “Immortal”
Hard to believe though it is, there’s no mistake. He appears to have eaten the bud.
“Yuuri…”
“It would seem that it’s true.”
“That can’t be… That means I can’t get revenge for Alma?”
“No… This doesn’t end yet!”
This may end up being for nothing… But we still have room to struggle!
I take out Third Eye, use [Body Reinforcement], and prepare the volley.
In this situation, with no bystanders around, I can attack at full strength.
“Take THIIIIS!”
Together with my shout, I released the arrow.
The attack by modified iron arrow gouged out the ground as it closed in on the Demon Lord.
In response to that arrow, covered in a vacuum blade, the Demon Lord took Sentinel from his back with one hand, and crushed the arrow.
“Kgh, such a ridiculous…”
“Confirmed, you’re an enemy.”
“But I’m not done yet!”
Next I deployed a charged particle-creating [Heat Flash], and unleashed it at the Demon Lord.
Wood chips from the World Tree’s floor, destroyed by Third Eye’s attack, ignited and assaulted the Demon Lord in a flash of light.
The Demon Lord took Agni Blaze from his waist this time, and crossed it with Sentinel in defense.
This way, even if he withstands the direct hit from [Heat Strike], the extreme radiant heat could burn his throat and lungs.
“Plus, at the very least… I blocked his sight!”
Making use of my now enhanced physical abilities, I jump directly in front of him.
I’m not carrying a close combat weapon, so I pulled an iron arrow out and used it to try and gouge out his eye.
“If the skin is too tough… Then how about the eye!”
The response I felt in my hand was a sensation like hitting hard rubber.
After taking the [Heat Strike], the arrow that I stabbed at his slightly opened eyeball… Didn’t even sink in a single millimeter.
“Friggin’…!”
“Your darting around is getting annoying, twerp!”
Masayoshi immediately righted his stance and swung Sentinel sideways.
I drop to the ground and let it pass, and this time deliver my knee kick to his tender spot.
To be honest I didn’t really want to do it, but maybe this part of him…
“What, you want to touch it, you fucking slut?!”
The feeling I got was as if I had just kicked a rock away.
As he swung down his axe in response, I used Third Eye’s flexibility to turn it away, and leaped backwards to take some distance.
Right now my strength is [Reinforced] enough to tear apart rock, or even iron. If I didn’t have that much muscle strength, then I wouldn’t be able to draw Third Eye, after all.
Even so, he’s not taking the slightest damage… This is making my choices problematic.
Plus his “Immortal” status effect makes using the “trump card” I prepared pointless. Because even if I manage to kill him, he’ll just regenerate from his “Immortality”.
“But… That doesn’t mean I’m out of options.”
“Hah, you still wanna go? Stop now and I wouldn’t mind making you my sex slave… No, how about my meat slave?”
“Take a look in a damn mirror and think again.”
“Oh, how fun… Die!”
—After experiencing death time after time, the mind would be the first thing to die. To break. I have experience with that.
But supposing the Demon Lord was made an invalid… The wounds in his mind and heart would eventually heal. This is something I’ve also experienced.
If, at that time, he’s still “Immortal,” what would he do while driven by revenge…? Truly frightening results would probably be waiting.
In the moment while I want thinking about that, this time Masayoshi went on the assault.
I secured some distance using my speed. Around me spread a fog-like barrier.
Marielle must have cast [Fog Wall] on me as per our Agni Blaze countermeasures. This should mostly be able to mitigate flame damage.
“Think that’ll work against this thing? Ignite!”
Reacting to the keyword, the Agni Blaze in his left hand gushed forth flames.
Sure enough, Masayoshi isn’t taking a speck of damage from it. Even though Miss Levy’s hand was burned in an instant by it.
Brandishing the flame axe, Masayoshi brought it high over his head as he came in for the strike.
Using the moisture of the fog all around me, I made frost to stick to one of his eyes.
“If direct attacks don’t do any damage, then how about a cooled vapor effect!”
I sent wind over the frost to evaporate it all at once, and used that vapor to accelerate the cooling effect. Plus the eyeball’s moisture should also be taken with it.
But the result was the frost alone being taken away. Forget magic effects, he’s not even taking anything from secondary physical effects.
“God dammit all!”
“My gifts are the greatest!”
“Too bad the one using them is the worst!”
Masayoshi swung both Sentinel and Agni Blaze around like they were fans.
The slightest touch would send me flying. I barely dodged them as I piled on counterattacks.
Luckily his technique was nothing to be amazed about. His style made use of his high physical strength and stamina to take an attack and use that opening to make a counterattack.
If he knew he could take my attacks beforehand, then he should easily be able to deal with my level of skill.
“… Hee, Haah!”
“What, breathing a little hard, aren’t you?”
But I guess the main issue ended up being basic endurance.
Though my vitality may be strengthened, trading blows with the high speed and inexhaustible endurance of the Demon Lord is bringing on more fatigue than expected.
Cut.
Dodge.
Stab.
Strike.
Shoot.
Attack after attack was repelled, I would think of another method, and it would be repelled again…
Before I knew it, enough time had passed that [Body Reinforcement] was about ready to give out.
I had just about exhausted all of my options too. And then I must have lost concentration.
After dodging Sentinel, I took a clean hit from Agni Blaze’s fire attack.
“Guauh?!”
I screamed like a dog, rolled on the ground to quench my burning left hand, and continued rolling to gain some distance.
“Ah, aaah… Haghua…”
As a point of relief, the wound wasn’t fatal. A wound like this will be regenerated by “Golden Ratio” for me.
Uh-uhh… “Golden… Ratio”…?
“”Golden Ratio” is… The gift’s… But he… With his current… Status effects—wait?”
I couldn’t finish my thoughts while being tormented by the pain.
But I think that, just now, I was overlooking something important… And I feel like I was about to realize something fatal.
“What’re you mumbling about, did ya go crazy from the pain? Hah?”
“Shut… Up… I’m getting… to something good. Could you not interrupt me?”
“You are a seriously irritating brat, ya bitch!”
As he came in for the attack, I used a [Wind Blade] to sweep his feet. In the moment while he tripped a bit, I took my distance, and used [Wind Wall] to block off the space.
And on his side of the wall—
“[Sonar]!”
I hit him with a full power blast of ultrasonic waves.
If he can hear sound, then I should be able to damage his eardrums. If I can manage to break them, then I can neutralize him.
Even if it didn’t break them, then their having the flexibility to take enough sound to surpass human limits should put a burden on the brain!
And on this side I have the [Wind Wall] to disturb the sound, and mitigate the damage…
“Even then… This much damage, huh?”
As my vision shook, I took a knee and looked at Masayoshi.
Sure enough he had fallen to the ground, writhing around. He’s probably never taken so much damage since coming to this world.
“If I don’t… Stand up first…”
As I tried to control my shaking knees, a light of healing was sent to me. It was Marielle.
The shaking in my vision righted itself in a moment, and I was once again thankful for that healing… Ability…?
“… Marielle, I have a request.”
“What is it?”
And then… I declared my final bet.
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Author’s Note: The 5th act is planned to end on chapter 110.
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