Part 8 of 9
“You have my gratitude for sending White to this world, and to me.”
Demon Lord Ariel’s voice is full of warm feelings toward that fake Wakaba.
I can tell from her voice that the Demon Lord trusts the fake Wakaba completely, at the very least.
“The destruction of the system, and the collection of the resulting energy. It’s a method I left as a hidden feature, but given the current state of that world, I would say that it’s the correct choice. While the plan the Word of God pontiff there came up with isn’t bad, either, between the uncertainty and the huge losses involved, there’s a good chance it wouldn’t produce enough energy.”
At Wakaba’s words, everyone turns to look at the pontiff.
Finally, he speaks, as if he can’t handle the pressure of all those stares.
“My plan was to kill all of the gods who exist in this world.”
Huh? I don’t think I get it.
“What do you mean by that?”
Yuri is the one who questions the pontiff. Apparently, she didn’t get it, either.
“A god is a life-form containing an immense amount of energy. And the system has the ability to collect energy from any living thing that dies, even if that living thing is a god. If a god were to die, the system would be able to collect its energy, you see.”
Ahh, that’s why you were gonna kill the gods?
Wait a sec. Doesn’t that mean…
“So you intended to lay waste to Goddess Sariel, the ivory god, and even your own ally, the ebony god?”
“Just so.”
Without another word, Yuri fires attack magic at the pontiff.
Huh? Wha—?!
“Watch out!”
Barely a second before the spell can hit the pontiff, Shun jumps in the way and blocks it.
If he hadn’t made it in time, wouldn’t that have killed the old pontiff?!
“Yuri! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“I could ask you the same question. Get out of the way so I can kill him, Shun.”
“What? Are you hearing yourself right now, young lady?”
Ms. Oka seems distressed at Yuri’s words.
“But that man needs to die immediately. How dare you speak of the gods that way? Hurry up and die, Pontiff. Die.”
Yikes! When did Yuri get so scary?!
“Yuri. I can understand where you’re coming from, but please restrain yourself for now. This is no time for us humans to be fighting among ourselves.”
“…Oh, all right.”
Shun manages to get Yuri to reluctantly back down.
Is it just me, or does it seem like the pontiff is gonna end up dead no matter how things shake out?
It is pretty awful that he was gonna kill the ebony god, his own ally.
Even if it’s for the greater good, you’ve gotta draw the line somewhere, y’know?
Nobody likes a backstabber for a leader.
“Well, that’s just one more reason that I intended to destroy around half of humanity, to make up for the lack of energy.”
“Right! That’s what we came to talk to you about!”
We got off topic when we realized the evil god was really Wakaba. I almost forgot that the real reason we’re here is to do something about her stupid plan to destroy half of humanity!
“It’s as I just said. The ebony god’s side’s methods wouldn’t create enough energy. The only way to complete the revival of this planet with the system still running would be to sacrifice approximately half of mankind. Which is why I intended to supply the remaining energy in the event of the ebony god’s victory. If the ivory god’s side wins, half of humanity or so would die anyway. Either way, half of humanity is either going to die or get destroyed. That’s just how it is.”
What she just said is basically a death sentence for humanity.
The pontiff sinks to his knees.
“But…that means everything I have done…”
“I wouldn’t go so far as to call it pointless. You were just too late.”
The pontiff hangs his head at Wakaba’s harsh words.
“Still, the planet will be saved, and half of humanity will live, when originally the planet would have been destroyed and all of humanity with it. I think that’s a solid outcome, don’t you?”
Yeah, it does sound like a win when you put it that way. But for those of us who currently live in this world, it’s a serious problem.
“Isn’t there anything we can do?” Shun presses desperately.
“Did you want to do something?”
“Of course it is.”
“Well, I could do something about it.”
“Please!”
“Then what will you offer me in exchange?”
That stops Shun’s enthusiasm in its tracks.
“The ebony god offered me that planet. He pleaded that I could do anything I wanted with that world if I would only restore it and save Sariel’s life. I accepted the offer, not that a dying planet has any real value, and decided to create the system and control it.”
Wakaba’s eyes flick toward Shun.
“Half of humanity. What can you pay me in exchange for saving it?”
Shun falls silent under Wakaba’s level gaze.
Wakaba was within her rights to make the planet into a game because she received it as fair payment from the ebony god.
Offering her something without any value wasn’t sufficient payment.
That’s why the system has been wringing energy out of this planet’s people all this time.
It’s like they’re paying off a debt.
We don’t have anything of value to offer, either.
If we did make a deal to save half of humanity, how long would it take to pay it off?
Would we be reborn in the same world over and over like this world’s residents, forced to pay off the debt ourselves?
Just thinking about it gives me the shivers.
Maybe a part of me still felt like this wasn’t my problem because I’m a reincarnation.
Like I wouldn’t become a slave to debt the way these people did.
But when I consider the possibility that I might meet the same fate, it scares me. No thanks.
And yet Shun responds without hesitation.
“I would give you anything that I have to offer.”
“Even the lives of all of your friends and acquaintances?”
“No. Those aren’t mine to give. All I can really offer is myself.”
“You want to pay for half of humanity with your life alone? How arrogant. And greedy, too.”
Shun has no response to that.
Obviously, no one could argue that Shun by himself has the same value as half of humanity.
Like Wakaba said, if he honestly thought that was an even exchange, then he really would be arrogant.
And at this point, maybe it is greedy in a way, trying to save the world without a single sacrifice.
“Even so, if there’s even the slightest possibility, I can’t let it go.”
“Yamada.”
Demon Lord Ariel utters Shun’s old name in a dangerous tone.
Negishi and Sasajima, who are also on the ivory god’s side, look equally displeased.
From what I’ve heard, Shun pissed off the Demon Lord during their weird little telepathic meeting, too.
The ivory god’s side hasn’t forgiven this planet’s people for depending on the gods to do everything for them.
So I bet they’re mad that Shun is begging a god for help now.
“This world’s problems should be solved by its own people. And at this point, a peaceful solution just isn’t an option anymore. You do realize that you’re just embarrassing yourselves by refusing to accept that and trying to wriggle your way out of it, don’t you?”
“…Maybe you’re right. But I want to keep trying, even if it is embarrassing. I guess I’m not gracious enough to accept the idea of making a sacrifice like that.”
“It’s not making a sacrifice, not really. Someone has already been sacrificed this whole time—Lady Sariel, that is. The people of this world have forgotten that. And now they’re freaking out because it might finally be their turn to pay the piper. Do you really not see how stupid that seems from my point of view? Hmmm?”
Demon Lord Ariel is still just sitting in a chair, looking frail.
But somehow, the anger she’s giving off is so intense I can barely breathe.
“I told you before, didn’t I? If you’re going to get involved in this battle, you’d better be seriously prepared. And you told me that you are, because it involves you, too. I’m sure that means you’re also prepared for us to take you out if we feel you’ve crossed the line, right?”
As the Demon Lord speaks, Negishi and Sasajima both reach for their weapons.
I automatically crouch into a fighting stance, but to be honest, I don’t think we can win this one.
“Please, wait a minute! I’m not your enemy!”
“Sure seems that way to me.”
Uh-oh. It’s starting to seem like we’re gonna have to throw down.
Just then, someone claps sharply.
“Let’s leave it at that for now, shall we? It wouldn’t be any fun for me if things end with the human side getting wiped out here.”
My relief that Wakaba put a stop to the fighting only lasts a moment.
It “wouldn’t be fun…”
Is that seriously the only reason?
“Demon Lord Ariel, your point is perfectly valid. However, you too have turned to reincarnations and the ivory god for help. Surely you can’t claim that argument only applies to humans.”
“…You’re right. I apologize.”
Whatever her reasons, at least it seems like Wakaba convinced the Demon Lord and her people to lay down their arms.
“Yamada, the answer to your request is no. There’s nothing you can offer that would convince me to save that world peacefully.”
“I…I see…”
“However, I will give you a chance.”
All of us who were hanging our heads look up at once.
“That world has been much more pleasant since the reincarnations arrived. The ivory god’s efforts. The Demon Lord Ariel’s decision. The determined struggles of Julius the Hero. The diligent efforts of the Word of God pontiff. The survival strategies for demonkind from the likes of Agner and Balto. And of course, the lives and actions of the reincarnations themselves. They instigated enormous change in a world that had been at a standstill. My little boost was a big success. I really rather enjoyed watching it all unfold.”
Wakaba talks about the events of this world like she’s reviewing plot points from a movie.
“And what’s more, you found the hint I left for you and managed to make it all the way here. Surely that is worthy of a bonus.”
In spite of the positive-sounding statement, an ominous mood fills the air.
It’s a lazily intimidating atmosphere, if not quite a violent one.
Wakaba stands from her chair.
“So here is your bonus stage. I’d like to see you defeat me. If you emerge triumphant, I will save the world for you. Not to worry—I’ll hold back as much as I can, of course. That doesn’t mean I’ll have mercy, though, you understand?”
For a moment, my legs almost give way.
The aura around Wakaba fills me with raw, instinctive fear.
This is it…!
This…feeling!
It’s the same supernatural sense Wakaba gave off in our old lives.
Like you’re gazing into an infinite, hellish abyss.
When we first met the fake Wakaba, I was certainly intimidated by her godlike aura.
I guess you could say it was more divine and immense than the sense I got from Wakaba.
But I still felt like the real Wakaba was scarier.
The fake Wakaba’s presence didn’t feel as darkly unknowable, even if it was strong.
That’s why I knew on instinct that something was wrong.
That it wasn’t really Wakaba.
And now, the real Wakaba is showing us just a glimpse of her power.
Is this seriously what it’s like when she holds back “as much as she can”?
There’s no way we can beat her.
I hear a few whumps and turn to see the pontiff and the demon guy going down.
Looks like they couldn’t handle Wakaba’s powerful presence.
“Pontiff?! Mr. Balto?!”
Hyrince runs over to the two men and calls out to them, with no response.
They must have passed out completely.
“Dammit! What are we supposed to do?!”
“That’s obvious, eh? We shall simply have to fight.”
Old man Ronandt sounds resolute.
Fight? Against that? Are you for real?
“Yes…you’re right. Let’s do this, everyone.”
Shun draws the Sword of the Hero.
Katia and Sue stand on either side of him, while Yuri and Ms. Oka bring up the rear.
Oh, come on!
They’re all raring to go! That means I have to do it, too!
I transform from human form to wyrm form.
Fine, let’s just get this over with!
Besides, when you think about it, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to slug Wakaba in the face and get away with it!
At least, I’ve gotta pump myself up like that or I might pass out, too.
“…When you say you’d ‘save the world,’ to what extent do you mean exactly?”
Demon Lord Ariel addresses Wakaba calmly.
“Good point. I should make myself perfectly clear. If you can defeat me, I will keep alive all of the people who would otherwise die when the system was destroyed. I’ll refrain from wiping out half of humanity, too, of course. I shall also supply the rest of the energy needed to restore the world. Ah, yes, and as for Goddess Sariel’s life span…I imagine if she were freed from the system now, she would die immediately. Instead, I will ensure that she stays alive for around the same amount of time as your remaining life span, Demon Lord Ariel.”
That sounds like more than anyone could have hoped for.
The Demon Lord’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Then I suppose we have no choice but to fight, too.”
With that, she rises from her chair.
So she can stand…
But it’s clear at a glance that she’s pushing herself already.
Still, with super-scary allies like Negishi and Sasajima, it’s deeply reassuring to have her on our side.
“Let’s begin, then, shall we?”
For a moment, I don’t understand what’s happening.
All I know is that Shun goes from standing in front of me to getting tackled aside, and Hyrince, who tackled him, crashes backward.
“Huh?”
I barely recognize the idiotic-sounding voice as my own.
Looking down at Hyrince, I see him crumpled on the ground with a giant hole in his chest.
Clearly, he must have died instantly.
“I told you, didn’t I? I’ll hold back, but I won’t have mercy.”
Wakaba shakes out her right hand, scattering blood everywhere.
It’s only then that I finally understand that her right hand must have pierced Hyrince’s heart.
“By the way, if you were to convert my current strength into stats, I’d say they’re around a hundred and fifty thousand each. See? Very generous of me to hold back so much, isn’t it?”
That’s easily a hundred times stronger than the average human.
We don’t stand a chance in hell.
My heart was already broken before the battle even began.
The evil god D was really Wakaba.
That was a shock, of course.
I think all the other reincarnations must have been just as surprised as I was.
Except for Fei, who somehow accepted it right away.
But after the initial shock, it started to make sense to me as we spoke.
It was as if I finally had an explanation for why something about the ivory god seemed off.
The ivory god definitely looked and seemed like Wakaba, but there was always a strange disconnect that I couldn’t quite explain.
Fei must have sensed it even more strongly than I did.
As I thought back to the elf village, I remembered that she was staring intensely at the ivory god the whole time.
She must have been suspicious of her even then.
Still, I don’t know what to make of the claim that the ivory god’s true identity is a spider.
That must be Wakaba’s idea of a joke, I guess.
Then, next thing you know, we wind up having to fight her…
“Mr. Hyrince?!”
Right away, Hyrince jumps out and takes a hit that was aimed at me.
By the time he hits the ground, there’s a huge hole in his chest, gushing an endless stream of blood.
It’s a fatal wound—no, he must be dead already.
“You should really pay better attention.”
A voice next to my ear sends a shiver down my spine.
Ah, I’m dead.
That’s my first and only thought.
But I didn’t die.
“Quit spacing out, will you?!”
Something sends me spinning away through the air.
For a moment, I don’t know what happened, until I catch sight of Wakaba and Sophia clashing in my whirling vision.
The shock waves of their impact with each other must have sent me flying.
Is this fight really so intense that just being near it could knock you out?
“Urgh…!”
I manage to right myself before I hit the ground, landing on my feet.
But that’s the most I can do. It doesn’t seem like I could set foot anywhere near that fight.
Sophia attacks with her giant broadsword, while Wakaba deflects it with twin blades that I didn’t see her holding before.
As the broadsword swings down, her attack also freezes their surroundings—except for Wakaba herself, who stays unaffected with a cool expression.
Then a barrage of swords rains down on Wakaba.
Just as Sophia jumps away, the swords hit their target and explode.
I can feel the blast of heat on my face.
It’s like a volley of missiles.
That was an attack from Kyouya’s exploding magic swords.
Each of them packs unbelievable explosive power, and he’s raining them down on Wakaba without holding anything back.
Even from this far away, it feels like the fiery heat might burn my skin.
I’m sure even Wakaba won’t be able to stand up to such a strong attack.
…But a moment later, Wakaba calmly strolls out from the heart of the blaze.
“Monster…”
Fei stares at Wakaba, looking shaken.
How can she seriously say that this is her holding back as much as she can?
I don’t see how we can possibly beat her.
At the very least, I doubt any of my attacks would lay a scratch on her.
In fact, I can’t keep up with her movements at all.
I probably wouldn’t even be able to hit her with an attack, never mind dodge any of hers.
If I tried to jump in, I’d only get in Kyouya’s and Sophia’s way.
It’s no use. Clearly, I’m not fit to be an attacker in this fight.
So instead…!
I race over to where Hyrince is lying on the ground.
His eyes are unseeing, and his chest has already stopped moving.
He’s dead.
But I have a skill that can change that!
My Mercy skill, which allows me to bring the dead back to life!
I activate the skill and begin reviving Hyrince.
Little by little, the hole in his chest begins to close.
But it’s happening too slowly.
While the Mercy skill can bring the dead back to life, such an extraordinary power comes with plenty of restrictions.
It won’t work on a body that’s too damaged, and there’s a time limit, too.
You can only revive someone right after they’ve been killed.
Please! Let this work!
As time creeps by slowly, the hole finally closes up completely, and Hyrince’s body convulses at once.
“Nng? Huh? Am I…?”
“Mr. Hyrince! Are you all right?!”
“Shun? What happened? Ah, that’s right! Something pierced my chest?!”
Hyrince quickly sits up and puts a hand to his chest.
“There’s no wound? Was I dreaming or something?”
“No, I used my Mercy skill to bring you back.”
Mr. Hyrince gives me a look of surprise.
“Really? Then you saved my life. Thank you.”
“Not at all. I don’t think there’s anything else I can do in this fight.”
I glance toward the battle unfolding a short distance away.
Sophia and Kyouya are working together to attack Wakaba.
Sophia’s broadsword, red liquid, and ice bear down on Wakaba mercilessly, along with Kyouya’s magic swords, fire, and lightning.
Yet Wakaba still appears to be fending them off unharmed.
Even though all those attacks look strong enough to obliterate me without a trace…
“…I don’t think I can jump into that fray, either.”
“Yeah…”
Mr. Hyrince and I nod at each other.
“So I’m going to try to support them as a combat medic. You know, with my Mercy skill.”
“No, wait! You can’t do that!”
For some reason, Hyrince forcefully objects.
But using the Mercy skill is the best I can do right now…
“The Mercy skill comes at an enormous cost.”
“Yes, I know. It raises your Taboo skill level, right? But mine is already maxed out, so it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“No! There’s another, much bigger price!”
So there’s an additional cost I don’t know about besides the no-longer-relevant Taboo skill?
Judging by Hyrince’s intense expression, it must be something fairly serious.
But I haven’t felt any symptoms yet…
“Listen carefully, you hear me? Every time the Mercy skill is used, it erodes the user’s soul. That’s how difficult it is to revive the dead. In other words, the more you use it, the more your soul is worn away. If you reach your limit, your soul could be destroyed forever.”
“What? You’re kidding, right?”
“It’s true.”
The cost is so severe that I blurt out a doubtful question in a near-hysterical voice, only for Hyrince to respond with a dead serious look in his eyes.
He’s clearly not joking about this.
So that means every time I use my Mercy skill, my soul gets closer to destruction?
“I don’t know how much of your soul has been eroded now. But if you use it too much, it’ll definitely have a negative affect on your next life. Hell, it could even affect your current one.”
The blood drains from my face.
So all this time, whenever I’ve used this Mercy skill to save other people’s lives, I’ve been shortening my own?
…Isn’t that a small price to pay, then?
“Mr. Hyrince, even so, I’ll keep using the Mercy skill.”
“Shun?!”
“My life isn’t nearly enough to save half of humanity.”
It’s just like Wakaba said earlier.
My life alone wouldn’t be a fair trade for the lives of half of humanity.
“But if it can save the lives of several others, that’s a great deal, don’t you think?”
I’m scared of my soul getting worn away, of course.
But I can’t let that stop me from using the Mercy skill now.
I came here prepared to face the consequences, just like I told the Demon Lord.
“Now that is admirable indeed.”
Just then, the light dragon Byaku unwinds himself from my arm.
Then he wraps around the arm of Sue, who I didn’t realize was standing nearby.
“I shall lend you my strength, girlchild. If you care for this boy, fight for all you are worth.”
“Byaku?!”
“Envoy of my lord, do you not think this a fitting battle to bet one’s life upon? Indeed, if not now, then when am I to ever venture that risk?”
“But still…”
“Girlchild, thou shalt lessen the number of lives lost in this battle, that we might reduce the burden on this boy.”
“…All right. For my dear brother.”
“Wait a minute! Sue?!”
“I will lay my life on the line just as you have, Brother.”
With that, Sue runs away.
And with such speed, too?!
That’s definitely faster than she was ever able to move before.
Is this the “strength” Byaku said he was going to lend her?
“What kind of dragon is Mr. Byaku, exactly?”
“He specializes in support. He can enhance someone else’s stats, as you see now, and can also use Healing Magic. Little Miss Sue’s stats are probably somewhere in the tens of thousands now.”
Say what?!
“What’s truly terrifying is how easily Sue is handling that massive boost in her stats. Most people would fall all over themselves if they tried to wield power that was given to them so suddenly, and here she is controlling it with ease. I guess she really is a prodigy.”
Just as Hyrince says, Sue is already attacking Wakaba without the slightest hint of awkwardness in her movements.
She’s always been a true prodigy, able to keep up with me all along, even though I had the huge head start of being a reincarnation from birth.
Her instincts are a whole lot better than mine.
It gives me hope that she might even be able to handle a fight against Wakaba.
“If you and Sue are so determined to fight, I suppose I’d better follow your lead, too.”
“Katia?”
“Come on, work!”
Katia mutters something to herself.
Has she decided to do something in this battle, too?
“There it goes!”
Her face lights up with satisfaction.
“There what goes?”
“Appraise me and see for yourself.”
Blinking in confusion, I follow her instruction and do so.
And then…
“Wait, wha—?!”
There’s something strange about the information that pops up before my eyes.
Her skill list is far shorter than it should be.
“Huh?!”
I let out another exclamation of surprise when I see one of those few skills.
[Chastity].
It’s one of the Seven Heavenly Virtue skills, a ruler skill.
“You’re aware of my unique skill, are you not?”
At that, it all finally comes together.
Katia’s unique skill is called Conversion.
It’s a weird skill, one she always complained was basically useless.
The effect: It can turn a skill back into skill points.
In short, it lets you reallocate your skill points.
But the exchange rate isn’t 100 percent. The more you use it, the less beneficial it becomes.
So Katia decided to keep this skill locked away, and never used it once.
But now, looking at her current state, it’s clear what she decided to do.
“You finally used Conversion?”
“Precisely. Though I lost most of my skills in the process.”
Most of Katia’s skills are gone.
All that’s really left is Chastity and the handful of skills gained from the Ruler of Chasity title she acquired as a result.
Since her stat-improving skills are all gone, too, her stats have even gone down a little.
They’re still easily over a thousand, on average, making her stronger than most ordinary soldiers.
But in this particular battle, stats like that are practically worthless.
Even my usually impressive stats and skills would only slow our side down, after all.
That must be why Katia decided to convert all her skills back into points and bet everything on the Chastity skill, which might just come in handy.
“Mr. Hyrince, are you familiar with the Chastity skill, by chance?”
“Chastity is a barrier-based ability. Its defense is even higher than a Divine Dragon Barrier.”
“Why, that’s exactly right! So without further ado, I’ll serve as our tank. I shan’t let you get so much as a single scratch, Shun!”
Now this is promising.
I’ll be the healer, and Katia will be the tank.
This way, maybe we can at least be helpful as support, even if we can’t do anything as attackers?
“Well, that’s just great. Now I’ve lost my role as the tank.”
Mr. Hyrince’s giant shield was obliterated by that first attack.
I guess it was as good as a piece of paper on this kind of battlefield, anyway.
It didn’t stop Hyrince from being killed by that strike to the chest.
“But I guess it’s a good thing I came with a little insurance.”
A sly grin spreads across Hyrince’s face.
Then, three magic circles appear around him.
Is he…summoning something?
Sure enough, three summons appear: Wind Dragon Hyuvan, Ice Dragon Nia, and Dark Dragon Reise.
“Huh? But how?”
“I made a familiar contract with each of them before we came here. So that I could summon them in case anything happened.”
“You got it, boss man!”
“Oh dear. I was rather hoping I wouldn’t have to do anything…”
“Well? I assume you wouldn’t have summoned us unless something rather serious was afoot, hmm?”
Hyuvan looks amped up, Nia heaves a lazy sigh, and Reise peers at where the others are fighting Wakaba with great interest.
“Some crazy stuff went down, and now we’re fighting the evil god D. If we beat her, we get a happy ending.”
“Thanks for the short and simple explanation.”
“So we just gotta jump into that there shootout and lay the beatdown on the stranger, yeah?! Wait, why’s that one look like a funky copy of the white spider dame?!”
“That’s the evil god D! Go defeat her!”
“I suppose that is easy to follow, but wasn’t there any more eloquent way to put it?”
“There’s no time for a more detailed explanation. I’m counting on you three!”
“Gotcha! Let’s do this!”
Hyuvan takes his dragon form and goes charging into the fray.
Nia transforms as well, slinking over reluctantly.
“Heh. A happy ending, eh? HOW THRILLING.”
Reise’s tone changes partway through the statement.
Looking over, I see something like a half-human, half-dragon.
Is that their dragon form?
We watch as Reise leaps after the others.
“Well, that summoning used up all my MP. There’s nothing else I can do now. Pretty useless, huh?”
Despite his self-abasing words, Mr. Hyrince looks satisfied.
“I was able to summon those three, thanks to you reviving me, Shun. But I’m of no further use now. So if I die again from here on out, you don’t need to revive me. I wouldn’t be any use to you anyway.”
Hyrince’s broad smile is at odds with his absurd request.
“…I can’t do that. I decided to win this fight without losing anyone, remember? So I won’t let anyone die. If you do, I’ll bring you back.”
Saying it aloud reminds me of what I have to do.
“So please do your best not to die, all right?”
“Honestly…my adoptive little brother has turned out to be awfully greedy. And unreasonably demanding, to boot.”
Hyrince chuckles and shakes his head.
But then his expression turns serious, and he starts issuing orders.
“Shun, you’ll use your Mercy skill to bring back anyone who dies. Miss Yuri and Ms. Oka will be in charge of healing otherwise. Ms. Oka, you have the Charity skill, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Ms. Oka nods at Hyrince’s question.
“That means you can use Miracle Magic, yes? So you should handle the seriously wounded, while Miss Yuri can deal with lighter wounds. But your roles should be flexible, depending on the situation, of course.”
Miracle Magic is the advanced version of Healing Magic, able to heal wounds that the unevolved version can’t handle.
This magic comes with acquiring the Ruler of Charity skill.
“Ms. Oka’s Charity skill has the effect of improving the regenerative abilities of anyone it deems to be her allies. Wounds that aren’t instantly fatal should be fairly manageable. If someone does get instantly killed, that’s where you come in, Shun.”
Charity is one of the Seven Heavenly Virtue skills, which apparently gives any of the user’s allies the equivalent of HP Ultra-Fast Recovery LV 1.
As long as they don’t die, they should recover from wounds at a remarkable rate.
I’ve never experienced the effects for myself before, probably because I didn’t usually get wounded when we were working alongside Ms. Oka.
…At least, I hope it wasn’t because she didn’t consider us allies at the time.
“Ms. Oka, please think of everyone here as allies except for D, as strongly as you can. If you aren’t confident enough, the skill might not register them as allies.”
“Understood!”
Wait…does that mean maybe we really weren’t registered as allies before?
N-no, I’m sure it’s just that I never got injured in front of her.
That’s got to be it.
“Miss Katia, you protect the rest of us with your barrier. Miss Fei, you’ll be our transport.”
“But of course!”
“Right. Not like there’s much else I can do anyway.”
Katia responds with enthusiasm, while Fei sounds a little relieved.
I don’t know how powerful Katia’s barrier is exactly, but with our stats, a single hit from Wakaba would be enough to kill any of us.
Katia’s barrier has to be able to ward off Wakaba’s attacks or it’ll all be over.
And Fei will use her size and speed to bring us to the dead or wounded.
It’s a role only she can manage.
“…So there’s nothin’ for me to do, huh?”
As we all figure out our roles, Natsume is just standing there.
With his abilities…honestly, I’m not sure there’s much he can contribute.
Natsume’s brainwashing with his Lust skill, while powerful, is more useful for long-term strategies than head-on battles like this one.
It was the same way when I fought him.
He needs to use it on someone repeatedly over a long period of time to successfully brainwash them.
And his other ruler skill, Greed, has the incredible effect of absorbing the abilities of any enemies he defeats…which still hasn’t been enough to make him stronger than I am.
And if I’m not any use on this battlefield, Natsume must be even less so…
“Guess you and me will be a burden together, brother.”
Hyrince slings an arm around Natsume’s shoulder.
“Don’t ever call me that again.”
Natsume cringes away from Hyrince, scowling.
“Well, let’s just try and do whatever we can, anyway.”
Undeterred, Hyrince claps Natsume on the back reassuringly.
Just then, two giant creatures appear.
“No way!”
Queen taratects.
Two imposing legendary-class monsters tower over us.
Demon Lord Ariel must have summoned them!
On top of that, more summoning circles appear all around the queen taratects.
Soon, an entire swarm of spider monsters is being summoned.
“Wow. They’re terrifying as an enemy, but it sure is reassuring to see them on our side.”
Hyrince whistles as he watches the spiders continue to multiply.
“Looks like they’re going all-out, too.”
“Agreed.”
The Demon Lord must be just as determined as we are to beat Wakaba.
Then we’d better make sure we give it our all, too.
So we can win it all and finally give this world a happy ending.
But despite my hopes, even as Sophia, Kyouya, Sue, and the ancient dragon chiefs all attack fiercely, Wakaba still stands there unharmed.
I’ve been waiting oh so long for the chance to put my power to good use.
And for a place to die after finally fighting to my fullest.
We creatures called the ancient dragon chiefs are still only a pathetic imitation of true dragons.
In truth, we are chimeras born of Potimas’s experiments.
Unlike Ariel and the other humanoid chimeras who were in the custody of Goddess Sariel’s orphanage, we ancient dragon chiefs bore appearances close to those of the real dragons.
As such, we were treated not as children to be protected, but as beasts.
Perhaps we had other brethren who were experimented upon and died without my knowledge.
In fact, I do not doubt it is so.
It was Lord Güliedistodiez who protected us all the same.
That is why we feel such respect for our lord.
No doubt Ariel feels similarly toward Goddess Sariel.
Unlike her, however, we were designated as monsters by the system.
Yes, even the gods saw us as beasts.
So we chose to pursue the path of being our lord’s kin and underlings.
We gave up on blending in with humans, yet refused to be reduced to mere monsters, and obtained the position of an administrator’s loyal retainers.
Along the way, we carried out various roles, increased the number of our kin, and built a foundation on which we could live in this world.
Hyuvan set to the task of purifying the polluted wasteland.
Iena took charge of the seas to prevent people from roaming into the open ocean.
Nia, Nguyen, and Gohka each had their own territories to control, too.
And I was in charge of sealing away the Sword of the Demon Lord.
The main reason for this is that I was a leftover, with no territory of my own.
There was another reason, too: My power was special compared to the powers of the others.
If the time ever came that the Sword of the Demon Lord was needed, my power might be needed as well.
So I was sealed away along with the sword.
You see, I deliberately built up my abilities for a particular purpose.
Namely, to do battle against gods.
The only kind of power that works against gods is the sort of ability that attacks the soul.
Heresy Attacks, which directly assault the soul.
The Rot attribute, which deals in death.
Abyss Magic, which extinguishes the soul.
I put the majority of my skill points toward these specialties and prioritized their growth.
All in case an outside god ever attempted to invade this world.
But of course, such a situation is highly unlikely.
According to my lord, Administrator D is not only far stronger than he is, but feared even among the other powerful gods of the universe.
No god would ever attempt to invade a world under Administrator D’s control.
If they did, it would only be out of incredible ignorance.
So my existence was nothing more than an emergency measure—for the unthinkable event of a god’s invasion, though it would be quite a serious matter if it did come to pass.
But even as an emergency measure, I would be of precious little use.
If a god did invade our world, it is our lord who would be the first to face them down.
My power would only be necessary if our lord were to lose.
And if our lord could not defeat the invader, then surely I wouldn’t stand a chance.
I was much too weak to serve as a proper emergency measure.
A deeply limited solution, though still better than no solution at all: That is the sum of my existence, my purpose.
My moment would only come in the unlikely event that my lord were to be defeated, and even if that moment did come, I would be more than likely to lose as well. In the grand scheme of things, it made no difference whether I existed or not at all.
One cannot help but laugh.
In the million-to-one chance that my lord lost a battle, I was the insurance with a billion-to-one chance of succeeding in his stead.
None would ever carry more than the faintest hope that I might prove useful.
Thus, I had no real sense of purpose.
I longed for a moment where I could shine.
Where I could put my power to use.
A place where I could finally demonstrate the meaning of my existence.
And if such a place and time exists, surely it must be here and now!
“Hiyah!”
I unleash a Heresy Attack with the heel of my palm.
Unlike the other ancient dragon chiefs, my body’s structure is still fairly humanoid even in dragon form.
Thus, I am the only chief who uses human martial arts.
And it just so happens that martial arts combine very well with skills that add an attribute to strikes, like Heresy Attack and Rot Attack.
Administrator D blocks my palm strike with her sword.
The blade digs deep into my skin, and I pull back my hand.
But it’s only a matter of seconds before the deep slice in my palm seals itself.
The elf known as Missoka has used her Charity skill to enhance all of our regenerative abilities.
Thanks to her, I can fight without worrying about such wounds as these.
Still, I mustn’t let my guard down for even a moment.
D’s sword speeds toward me.
My stats average around eleven thousand each.
Even then, her movements are still faster than my eyes can follow.
There’s no time to dodge, either.
Just as the blade is about to slice off the top of my head, another figure intercepts it.
It’s Sophia, using her broadsword as a shield against D’s attack.
On top of that, she’s trapped D’s leg with red ice.
I take that opening to spring out in front of Sophia with a flying kick.
But D manages to break the ice and dodges away.
“Too bad. We almost had her.”
“INDEED.”
Though she dodged our onslaught, it still had an effect.
Administrator D is deliberately avoiding my attacks.
Against me alone, she always dodges or guards with her sword, even though she seems to take no damage from the others’ attacks regardless of whether they hit her directly.
This in spite of the fact that attacks far stronger than mine in terms of stats and raw destructive power have been raining down on her nonstop.
This proves that my attacks will work on Administrator D.
And everyone here knows it.
Of course, that means I’ve become the main offensive force.
Everyone else is backing me up to help ensure that my attacks might hit their target.
Truly, it’s quite a thrill.
Here I am in the leading role on such an important stage.
It is the first time I have ever felt so keenly that my existence has a purpose.
I am satisfied.
All that remains is to put everything I have into this role, until the curtain closes on my life at last!
Soon enough, we find ourselves in something of a stalemate.
Everyone on our side is striving to land my attacks.
Administrator D does everything in her power to prevent it.
We keep piling on attacks and defenses by any means necessary.
Everyone here ranks among the most powerful fighters from our world.
As such, they all have command of many different techniques, enabling us to attack from any and all angles.
Yet D only uses her twin blades, perhaps because she is holding back her power.
She cannot hurt us unless we get close, but due to her unbelievable speed, it is difficult to prevent her from closing the distance in an instant.
What’s more, a good offense is indeed the best defense: Since our side does not let up on attacking for a moment, there are thus few opportunities for D to go on the attack.
Yet, despite our onslaught, we have yet to break through D’s defenses.
I doubt this is due to any special skill.
If her words are to be believed, she is simply enduring thanks to her approximate stats supposedly being in the range of a hundred and fifty thousand.
And because it is so simple, it is difficult to circumvent.
The only way to deal with such high defenses would be to break through with an even more powerful attack.
But the maximum value of any stat is 99,999.
It is impossible to reach a value like 150,000 within the constraints of the system.
In other words, the only way we can damage D is to either escape the limitations of the system, or to use a special skill like mine to deal damage that disregards the target’s defenses.
Desperation is slowly starting to settle in.
My stamina and MP are limited, you know.
If we keep fighting like this, my attacks are inevitably going to slow down.
And if that happens, we’re out of options.
We’ve got to break through D’s defenses before then somehow, or…
“EH?! NO!”
I let my impatience cause a lapse in judgment!
Just as the queen taratects’ twin breath attacks hit D, I jumped in while everyone else was at a standstill.
The queens’ attacks didn’t do any damage to D.
And if she doesn’t have to worry about being hurt, she doesn’t need to think about defense.
That means that for a moment, she has the option of going on the offensive.
D’s eyes meet mine as she turns in my direction.
Her gaze, with pupils so dark it’s like I’m being pulled into an abyss, is fixed on me.
Then her swords slash toward me.
“Harmony!”
Just then, all the attacks stop.
The sword passes right through my body without hurting me, as if it has no substance at all.
I don’t know what’s happening, but now’s my chance!
“YAAAAH!”
I unleash all my might in a single punch.
For this first time in this fight, I finally feel a clear impact.
My attack damaged her!
“Conquest!”
Another shout echoes.
In that moment, strength swells throughout my body.
Is this some kind of buff?
“Hey! This won’t last long, dammit! Make it count!”
Ah, it’s the reincarnation called Natsume.
And the “Harmony” skill before that was invoked by the pontiff.
Are these the secret second skills that come with the ruler titles granted to holders of Seven Deadly Sins or Seven Heavenly Virtues skills?
When you acquire a ruler skill, it automatically grants a corresponding title.
Usually, the first skill that comes with the title is a powerful but standard skill, while the second is a special skill that can only be acquired by gaining the title.
These special skills can only be used if the holder has ruler authority.
And it is best not to invoke them at all.
They are much too powerful, and using them always results in serious recoil for the user as well.
These skills are intended to be used against gods, like my Heresy Attack, Rot Attack, and Abyss Magic skills.
The pontiff’s Harmony skill probably nullifies an enemy attack completely.
And judging by this sensation, Natsume’s Conquest skill must add the user’s stats and skills to the stats and skills of all their allies.
Both are incredibly powerful skills.
As such, they must come with serious consequences.
They used those skills in spite of that in order to create this opening!
Just as Natsume says, we must make it count!
First, the queens’ threads wrap around Administrator D and hinder her movements.
Nia’s ice freezes over D on top of the threads, pinning her in place completely.
“Root of Evil!”
Sophia uses a skill on top of all that.
This, too, is one of the special skills that accompanies a Seven Deadly Sins skill.
An ominous aura surrounds her broadsword as it strikes Administrator D.
It pulverizes the ice around D, with a shattering sound like the scream of a banshee.
Yet in spite of this powerful attack, D still moves to counterattack against Sophia.
Then a blast of air strikes her: Hyuvan’s Wind Magic.
The powerful gust bears down on her, preventing her from moving for just a moment.
Sophia takes that opportunity to jump back, and Wrath leaps into her place.
“Wrath! Enma!”
On top of activating the Wrath skill, he also uses the special skill that came along with its corresponding title.
Blazingly hot flames erupt around Wrath’s body, giving him the appearance of some powerful god of judgment.
The flames bear down on Administrator D.
I activate my magic as well.
Part 8 of 9