Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (WN)

16-22. Sania Kingdom (3)

Satou here. I have some knowledge about ways to exterminate gigantic creatures. It was from a robot anime I watched, many times I nodded in agreement at the methods used in it.

I never thought that I would end up putting that into practice myself until I came to another world though...

◇

"Secret Art--《Sun Slash》"

I'm currently watching the Master Swordsman rushing toward the gigantic Land King.

A crescent-shaped golden light is approaching the Land King's head.

--ＧＷＡＭＷＵＥＥＥＥＥＥＥ.

The light exploded at the Land King's head, and the shock wave raised a cloud of dust.

"--Did that do it?!"

The master swordsman went and raised a flag with his clichéd line while glaring at the cloud of dust as he fell.

Thought that's not really the reason, light pole-sized black whips come out of the dust cloud and assault the master swordsman.

"NUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The master swordsman parried the black whips.

The black whips and the 『Golden Sword Heraruoph』 clashed, scattering intense golden and black sparks around.

"He parried that well."

"He's also handling the next attacks well so I comment."

Liza and Nana exchanged their impressions of the master swordsman's fight while standing next to me.

"TCHHHHHHHH"

The master swordsman managed to parry the blows from several of the whips, however, he couldn't deal with a black whip coming diagonally from above and jumped up to evade it.

He's unexpectedly nimble for a heavyweight-class mass of muscles.

"Master, desperate situation so I inform."

Four black whips charged in to attack the master swordsman in air.

"Secret Art--<>"

The master swordsman made use of the recoil from using the move.

What a desperate battle if I ever see one.

The identity of the black whips came to light when the cloud of dust cleared away.

"Master, those black things appear to be that Land King thing's beard."

"Yeah, that seems to be the case."

Apparently, those things are the beard of one of the Land King's heads.

"Quite a close combat so I report."

An intense combat between the master swordsman and the freely moving Land King's beard is unfolding before us.

Haifa of the [Clan on Wand] stuck on the Land King's head seems to have suffered no damage as she's protected by crystal-like gem.

There's a reason why the Land King who's on a whole order of magnitude different level keeps on fighting the master swordsman.

"Crunch crunch~?"

"They're like snacks nanodesu."

Tama and Pochi suddenly showed their faces up from the shadow on my feet.

Just like the two said, tentacles growing from the sea anemone on the Land King's back have been catching the fleeing Sand Demon Scorpions, bringing them to its mouth and crunching on them.

Its attacks on the master swordsman feel more like swinging your hand to shoo a bug away than to kill an enemy of equal level.

But well, I have to praise the master swordsman who manages to keep parrying attacks that would have been fatal if even one hit him.

"Is the school over already, you two?"

"Aye aye sir~"

"Pochi made sure to do the end of blast greeting too nodesu."

The two made the shutan pose when Liza asked.

Pochi probably meant to say [end of class] there.

"Master, the master swordsman's reinforcement so I report."

Several sand ships approached the Land King.

"--We are the herald!"

Swordsmen of the [Clan of Sword] who saw the master swordsman's fight came forward to challenge the Land King.

Their attacks are repelled by the Land King's protective barrier, but that barrier's health gauge is decreasing every time their attacks hit it.

Mowed down.

Blown away.

The swordsmen keep on fighting recklessly nonetheless.

The Land King who was eating the scorpions while ignoring the swordsmen seems to find it annoying, it's inhaling greatly, getting ready to shoot a breath.

"Secret Art--<>"

The master swordsman's attack reached its wide open mouth.

However, the Sun Slash only managed to break the Land King's protective barrier.

"Awawa~"

"Oh no nanodesu."

"Master, it's a dangerous pinch so I report."

Tama, Pochi and Nana brought their peril to my attention.

"Don't worry."

Two white lights flying from the other side of the sand sea hit the Land King's eyes now it's lost its barrier.

--ＧＹＢＭＷＵＯＯＯＯＯ.

The Land King screamed for the first time.

Even a gigantic creature would feel pain on their eyeball it seems.

""UNCLE!""

A sand ship that was standing by on the other side of the sand dune showed up.

Looks like Zanza boy and Myufa of the [Clan of Sword] are on board that ship.

It seems the white lights earlier were Sun Slash shot by Zanza boy and Myufa.

"Zanza! Myufa! We're gonna kill the Land King with the golden sword!"

""OU!""

With the master swordsman leading, Zanza boy and Myufa jump onto a slanting boulder on the desert and run on it.

Apparently, they intend to jump on the Land King's head from that boulder.

The Land King's beard come to attack them midair.

"Shoot!"

The master swordsman who was rushing in the air shouted.

"...■■■■ Air Hammer"

"...■■■■ Air Hammer"

"...■■■■ Air Hammer"

Wind magicians that remained on board the sand ships used their magic to forcefully changed the three's directions midair.

That was quite an acrobatic coordination.

They must have been trained from the twice-in-a-year Sand Demon Scorpion Hunt.

"""Special Move--<>"""

The master swordsmen and the two's swords are emitting golden colored lights.

Just when they were about to reach the Land King's head, they were stopped by the restored Land King's barrier.

"I'll do it!"

Myufa unleashed her finisher, creating a huge crack on the barrier.

"I'm sorry, Nii-sama."

"Leave it to me!"

Zanza boy's golden light sword hit the crack that Myufa made and completely broke the Land King's barrier.

""UNCLE!""

The two that landed on the ground along with the barrier fragments shouted together while looking up.

"Double jump~?"

"He used Pochi's technique nodesu!"

I didn't see it myself but apparently the master swordsman landed on the Land King's head with a double jump.

"Perish, Land King!"

The golden light sword of the master swordsman is stabbed into the Land King's head.

Then the master swordsman shoved down the sword into the head.

--ＧＹＢＭＷＵＯＯＯＯＯ.

The Land King screamed and shook its head.

"NUOO"

The master swordsman is clinging on the sword stuck on the Land King's head.

"Ah! It came off nodesu!"

"Fly high~?"

As Pochi and Tama were watching restlessly, the master swordsman got blown away in the air along with the golden sword.

Then the black whip-like beard rushed in to attack him.

The master swordsman managed to evade the first one by double jumping midair, but he couldn't cope with the second one coming from the side in time and got sent flying and bouncing on the sand sea at high speed.

"Stone skipping~?"

"It's the stuff you do at the river nanodesu."

Well it does look like one for sure.

The golden sword that fell from his hand is sinking into the sand sea.

I lengthen the [Magic Hand] and put the golden sword in the sand into my storage.

I'll teleport the master swordsman who's sinking in the sand to the outskirts of Sania Kingdom like with the others.

Priests and magicians have gathered at the outskirts, probably because I've been teleporting people there.

They surely would receive treatment in time even if I leave them alone now.

"Master, should we intervene, so I ask."

"No we can't do it here as that won't clear the trial's condition."

God Heraruon's order was to show off his power to the kingdom's populace, therefore the Land King has to get a bit closer the kingdom's shore.

I'll make sure to decrease the number of victim as much as possible for the time being.

◇

"Master, the Land King has come into view so I report."

The Land King finally came into our view after we teleported back to Sania Kingdom and waited at a high ground.

It should arrive at the port in an hour.

Swarms of Sand Demon Scorpions that are running away from the Land King have arrived at the port first.

Sania Kingdom's regular army and magicians are fighting them back, but they're having a hard time since the main forces, the [Clan of Sword] and the [Clan of Wand] aren't with them.

"It should be some time before the Land King arrive, let's give them a hand."

"Aye aye sir~"

"Roger nanodesu."

Tama and Pochi replied with the shupin pose, Liza and Nana nodded like they were saying "I've been waiting for this."

We jumped off the high ground and went from roof to roof toward the port.

Fort-like structures and iron fences buried in the sand are working to hold the Sand Demon Scorpions back from landing on the port.

However, the structures are squeaking, the iron fences are distorting.

Really drives down the feeling that Sania Kingdom is in a precarious situation right now.

"We'll back you up, so I gallantly inform."

Nana positioned herself between the soldiers and the Sand Scorpions, and cut off the scorpion's scissors in one slash.

"""The 『Clan of Sword』 are here!""""

"We can do it now!"

"Negative so I inform."

"We are subordinates of Earl Pendragon."

Nana and Liza corrected the soldiers who had a misunderstanding.

"Tally ho~?"

"Oh no, so many prey nodesuyo."

The two are running on the sand sea while cutting down the Sand Demon Scorpions in one hit.

Pochi must have said that because she was hesitating which prey to beat.

"Who're those brats?"

"Ain't them an elf and a dwarf?"

"A-awesome, they're stronger than the 『Clan of Sword』."

While watching that, I jump on one of the structures.

"W-who are you?"

"We're reinforcements."

"R-reinforcements?"

"Yes, the Sania King has given us his permission."

With the help of Deception skill, I made up some excuse to the soldiers on watch, took out a magic bow from the magic bag and took a stance.

I picked ordinary arrows from the storage and shot them at Sand Demon Scorpions located away from the girls.

Since I've put minimal amount of magic edge on the arrowtips like before, the Sand Demon Scorpions are sinking nicely.

"J-just who are you?"

I only reply the asking soldier with a smile and focus on decreasing the Sand Demon Scorpion's number.

"Something's coming from the sand sea!"

A scout soldier gave a warning.

It's probably because the sea anemone-like thing on top of the Land King has come in sight.

"S'that, a Sand Worm?"

"There's also Sand Bugs coming to prey on the scorpions, lots of them."

"--W-wrong."

A voice of despair was mixed among the confused soldiers.

Looks like there's someone who noticed the identity of that thing.

"What is?"

"That's the Land King."

"--Eh?"

"That's... The Land King from the legends."

The soldiers whose faces had turned pale looked at me with imploring looks.

Not sure why they were looking at me, but since I'd like them to quickly take refuge, I gave them an affirmation it with a serious look on my face.

"W-we've got to run."

"Run and what then! Behind us are the kingdom's populace!"

"B-but!"

The soldiers are stuck between a rock and a hard place as their fear and their sense of duty clash, so I'm going to give a push on their back.

"You should evacuate the people around the port."

"Evacuate? Right, we've got to lead them to safety!"

"H-however, Sand Demon Scorpions swarms will flood the city if we abandon this place!"

Looks like I haven't pushed their back enough.

"Please don't worry. Look, the reinforcements are coming over there."

Since I had defeated most of the faraway enemy, I put down the bow and pointed at the main street connected to the royal palace.

"""It's the 『Clan of Wand』!"""

The people riding on the back of the running camels are of the [Clan of Wand].

Sania King probably helped them escape their confinement.

『Everyone, come back here.』

I called the girls back with space magic [Telephone] so they won't get swallowed up in the [Clan of Wand] magic attack.

"Take position to bombard the Sand Demon Scorpions! The big one is coming later. Don't waste your mana!"

An elderly Clan of Wand person gave directives to his subordinates with a very loud voice belying his age.

"I'm baack~"

"Returned nanodesu."

Pochi and Tama who came back leaped and hugged me.

Nana and Liza came slightly later.

"Master the bombardment has started so I inform."

"That's quite the firepower."

The Clan of Wand's magic annihilated the Sand Demon Scorpions one after another.

Vivid enough to make [Clan of Sword] and regular army's struggle earlier seem sad in comparison.

The magic Clan of Wand used looks like explosion magic at a glance, but it's slightly different than the explosion magic we use.

A magic circle is produced before the wand before the magic is invoked, then that magic circle compresses the user's mana and shoots out.

I've never seen the formation of that magic circle, I think it's a local technique of Sania Kingdom.

It kinda feels similar to the vile magic circle Demon Lord Believers used somehow, but investigating further is too much work, ignoring it should be fine as long as the sparks don't come flying here.

"Now then, looks like it's about time for the star performer to take the stage."

The Land King is coming closer the port.

"Do not fret! With our 『Clan of Wand』 secret move, a creature that's merely big--"

The elderly person who was making a speech noticed something and stopped speaking.

"--Haifa? Did she take away the Sun Gem Wand and attempt to control the Land King--"

I see, that's how she got stuck on the Land King's head.

"All members, aim at Haifa!"

"""ELDER?!"""

The [Clan of Wand] people sounded perplexed at the elder's words.

"If the Land King was resurrected in incomplete state through the Domination Art, it should cease when the core of that art, Haifa is eliminated."

I'm not sure if the elder is telling the truth, but it seems the [Clan of Wand] people believe in it.

"Anti Sand Demon Scorpions attack might not work on it. Put as much mana as for when you're up against a Sand Bug or a Great Demon Scorpion!"

The [Clan of Wand] point their wands at the Land King.

Similar to the one Haifa carried, topaz-like gems are attached on the tips. Those don't seem to be Sun Gem.

And when they finished chanting, countless magic cannons were shot from the wands at about the same time.

"Tamaya~"

"Kagiya nanodesu!"

Tama and Pochi shouted like they were watching fireworks.

The magic cannons hit the Land King's barrier and broke it into pieces, scattering crystal-like glitters around. Quite a sight to behold.

The offensive capability of these attacks didn't seem to rival the [Golden Sword Heraruoph] that the master swordsman had, the Land King suffered little damage having only its outer skin scorched.

"Here comes the counter~?"

"Danger nodesu."

The Land King mowed down the structure where the [Clan of Wand] encamped themselves.

Furthermore, the Land King is taking a deep breath with its head pointed toward the royal palace.

This one would be dangerous if left alone.

"Wall of light?"

Liza muttered quietly.

Looking closely, there's a transparent wall enclosing the palace that shines faintly. It's [Protective Barrier: City Core] according to AR reading.

However, I'm not confident it could block that.

"Everyone, let's go."

It's hero time.