Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku

12-25. Sakura-colored Greater Demon (2)

Satou’s here. Enemies in games that can’t be defeated unless you follow the required steps were popular once. Maybe because their bad reputation from the feeling of absurdity, it gradually got off the mainstream, nowadays enemies that could be defeated "quickly" by following the required steps seemed to become popular.

◇

『Now then, what are you going to do poyo? Normal attacks don’t work on me poyo. Resign and attack me using your unique skills poyo.』

--Fumu. Unique skills huh

By using the light magic [Illusion], I create images that resemble the violet special effect like when Arisa uses her unique skill.

『Looks like you’ve finally felt like it poyone.』

"S-stop! Do you want to become a demon lord!"

While guarding Mito who’s continuing to cast the forbidden magic spell in order to destroy the magic circle, Ten-chan screams in fluster.

--Chanting?

So she still needs to chant to use the forbidden magic even though she’s a hero...

I strike the demon with [Condense] and [Laser] magic combo.

Unlike the time with the whales, I don’t have the bad taste to make the sakuramochi demon into ingredient, so I freely operate the laser to turn it into small pieces and then burn it with [Furnace Flame (Forge)].

I showed the effect earlier so that the demon would not evade this attack.

It was an insurance since it’d be annoying if it used a magic like reflection.

The sakuramochi demon was defeated soon after it screamed poyo, but it seems this really won’t end so easily, the demon is reviving with translucent body like earlier.

"You violet hair! Don’t use advanced magic, use forbidden one!"

『Only that degree is useless poyo. Magic power is overflowing today so I can revive as many as I want--』

Without waiting for it to finish talking, I repeat the same magic combo from before.

Ten-chan is throwing me advices in jumble, but I can’t do the impossible.

Good grief, if I had known that it would turn out like this, I would have made Arisa and Mia get to be able to use forbidden magic from the forbidden library.

『Kyokyokyokyo, I’ll revive no matter how many times--』

At the same time the sakuramochi demon is revived, I strike it with the same combo again.

"Wha--"

I could hear voice of surprise from Ten-chan’s direction, but I don’t have time to mind it so I ignore her.

The attack just now passed through the demon that had just appeared.

It’s like the invincibility time when your characters revive in retro games, the demon can’t be damaged even though its body can be seen during the moment when it’s reviving.

It was saying something about magic power earlier, so I tried defeating it by using [Mana Drain] on the surrounding area, and tried using [Break Magic] when it was reviving and when it was about to be killed, but there was no difference.

I tried repeating it for about 10 times, but the demon doesn’t stop getting revived.

--If magic is no use, then I’ll try using holy swords next.

I take a casted holy sword from my Storage, and put the collected magic power in Durandal to it, to the point where it’s about to be overloaded.

Dazzling blue light begins to emit from the casted holy sword.

Of course, I’ve put on the show with the violet special effect like before.

『Hou? Dual wielding holy swords poyo?』

I move to below the sakuramochi demon with Flash Drive, strike it with full-power [Remote Stun], launching the demon several meters above.

While ignoring the grating poyopoyo sound, I get to the ground right below the sakuramochi demon with Ground Shrink and then throw the casted holy sword straight above.

--A dazzling flash lights the surrounding blue.

The thing that was a casted holy sword penetrates the sakuramochi demon, tears the magic circle 100 meters above, and disappears into the sky.

The sword was already crumbling when I threw it, so it probably has truly disappeared.

The sakuramochi demon that had been penetrated by the casted holy sword keeps its form for an instant, but in the next moment, it changes into several pink ring-shaped mist, after that, it disappears in the air along with an explosion.

I see Ten-chan’s jaw dropping like it’s going to fall on the edge of my view.

Her beauty look has been ruined.

◇

『That just now surprised me poyo. As expected of the egg given the god’s power poyo.』

So it’s really revived again huh--

One thing, that just now was my normal power. I didn’t use any unique skill.

Ten-chan who was being dumbfounded until now pulls herself together after seeing the sakuramochi demon and vigorously recovers.

"It’s useless no matter what you do! If you use such unreasonable power that much, you’ll really turn into a demon lord y’know!"

I look above Ten-chan’s voice, but Mito is still chanting the spell.

The forbidden magic takes too long...

--Huh?

If you need to chant to use a forbidden magic, then that means the Meteor Shower that can be used chantlessly is an advanced magic?

There are magics with higher power than that huh.... Truly forbidden magic, the world could break.

As a result of thinking such a needless thing, the sakuramochi demon attacks with its feelers.

While fleeing to the sky, I cut the feelers with Durandal.

I cut all the advanced force magic attacks that the sakuramochi demon casted to rush after me. It’s a magic for besieging a castle with its pillar-sized magic arrows.

Compared to other magic element, force magic doesn’t have any magic that has wide-area effect, so there might have been no need for me to escape to the sky in fear of collateral damage.

"Crush the space around that guy if you want to defeat it! Otherwise, you’d only be exhausted."

『It is as that fly has said poyo. With this much overflowing magic power in this space, I can revive infinitely poyo.』

The sakuramochi demon replies to Ten-chan’s shout by putting on airs like it has a leeway.

However, there’s a hint in what it just said.

I talk with [Tactic Talk].

"--Arisa, did you hear it just now?"

『Off course!』

I feel my strength drained after hearing Arisa, but now isn’t the time to make a retort.

"Come, Arisa."

『Okkay!』

Arisa who teleported comes beside me.

"You called I jump out, jan bara jan jan jan--"

"Build a barrier first."

"Hoi sir!"

I stopped her stupid entrance line and made her act.

Arisa takes out a wand that’s like it’s made from emerald. It was a wand made from a branch of the world tree I collected in the void sky.

Arisa’s magic encloses the sakuramochi demon in a cylinder-shaped barrier.

『This is.... Poyo?』

This isn’t the time to mind the sakuramochi demon’s surprise.

I replenish Arisa’s magic power that has been used up with [Magic Power Transfer].

"I forbid the use of unique skill."

"Eh? But Arisa-chan’s highlight..."

"Use normal space destruction."

"Hooi."

The moment Arisa’s wand shines, the advanced space magic [Space Destruction (Smasher)] strikes the sakuramochi demon--

◇

--Return Teleport, urgent activation.

I reacted to the crisis perception instantly and took Arisa back to the mansion with teleport.

I didn’t know the detail since it happened instantly, but I perceived that at the moment Arisa’s [Space Destruction (Smasher)] destroyed the sakuramochi demon’s defensive barrier, some kind of reflection skill or magic activated.

It’s probably the sakuramochi demon’s trump card for when it’s about to be truly defeated.

--How troublesome.

"Wh-what did just happen?"

"It’s probably magic reflection. We were almost done in by our own magic."

While doing Magic Power Transfer to Arisa, I told her my opinion.

A greater demon who was a close aid of the [Golden Wild Boar King] used the same thing too during our fight back then, so there’s probably no mistake about it.

An advanced force magic [Magic Reflection] exists, so it’s probably that.

It seems that it can’t reflect higher-ranked magic, so I think my magic is fine, but the fact that Arisa’s and Mia’s magic can’t get through it is painful.

『Master, we have completed evacuation of the inhabitants on the adjourning points where the greater demon appeared, so I report.』

『Completed~?』

『Here is completed too nanodesu.』

Alright, with this I can use attacks that are a little bit more powerful.

After thanking everyone, I tell them to withdraw and then I get back to the battlefield with Flash Drive.

During the slight time I was away, the sakuramochi demon has changed its target to Mito.

Several pink feelers are attacking Mito.

The automatically-moving Claiomh Solais and Ten-chan are barely preventing the feelers from reaching Mito.

It seems Claiomh Solais’s attack power is weak when it’s moving automatically, it’s barely able to deflect the feelers.

I draw close with Flash Drive, clear away the feelers, and bear the full brunt of the sakuramochi demon’s attacks.

◇

--Now then, let’s use the next hand.

If I can’t crush it together with the space, I’ll prioritize cutting off its mana supply.

Mito’s spell chanting isn’t going to end for a while.

While defending from the sakuramochi demon’s attacks above him, I open the map and search for the objective.

Even while doing that, I’m not forgetting to continuously fire [Remote Stun] and [Remote Arrow] to defeat the small fry appearing in the royal capital.

I finally discovered it 17 seconds later.

The objective’s position is 300 meters below the place where the sakuramochi demon appeared, in a hollow cave-like place.

It seems several dozens of Light of Liberty members are there.

The thing I’m looking for is in the center of those guys.

--Holy Grail. Its state is [Chaos].

I thought of destroying it with [Condense] and [Laser] magic combo, but I got a hunch that the filled-up Holy Grail has become a barrier on its own, so I canceled it.

....Of course, another reason was because it would hit the people around it too.

After meditating a bit, I make a decision.

"Liza, do you want to try fighting a greater demon?"

『If Master orders, I will fight it fully even if I cannot win.』

Liza replied me immediately.

"Everyone, how about it?"

『Ofu couse.』

『O-of course, I’ll fight nodesu!』

『Accepting Master’s order.』

『A silly question isn’t it~』

『Nn.』

『I-I’ll work hard.』

After confirming everyone’s reply, I tell them the strategy.

Their objective is purely buying time until I destroy the Holy Grail.

By using Behemoth the artificial spirit as a shield, I order the vanguards to attack with Hit-and-Run strategy.

"Lulu, are the Fortresses usable?"

『They can’t. They’ve become "Hung-up".』

"Then I ask Lulu to guard Arisa and Mia. There might be demons lurking about, so you have to be quite careful."

『Yes!』

Even while having these conversations, I incessantly hit the sakuramochi demon with [Remote Stun] down to the ground, denting the surrounding ground.

I do this so that the damage would flow to the sky even if the demon used advanced magic.

"Arisa, devote yourself to isolate the battle area. If possible, use barrier magic to block the demon when it’s about to use advanced magic."

『You say some difficult things. But, leave it to me! I will surely undertake Master’s request (order).』

The strategy starts with Arisa’s manly remark.

I hit the sakuramochi demon with [Explosion] once again, and change place with everyone after defeating it once.

"....■■ Magic Beast King Creation (Create Behemoth)"

Mia who’s on the edge of the battlefield summons a creature that looks like a mix of an elephant and a hippo.

I finally understand its large size in this place where there are other objects around.

"PUWAOOOOWWNNN!!"

Behemoth roared and assaulted the sakuramochi demon, locking with each other.

"Magic Edge Spiral Strike (Vorpal Strike) nanodesu!"

Pochi who has been shot from the catapult through the [Acceleration Gate] on Echigoya’s roof does the first hit to the sakuramochi demon.

The attack breaks through sakuramochi demon’s protective barrier like it’s a thin glass, and stops on the demon’s body.

Then it’s followed by Tama who’s shot from the [Acceleration Gate].

--It’s alright, they can fight against it quite evenly.

The sakuramochi demon excels at defensive power and revival, but its attack power is the lowest among all the greater demons I’ve fought so far.

It can’t harm our girls who are protected by the golden armors made from orichalcum.

The demon has a trump card, but I’d be back from destroying the Holy Grail before he could use it.

Let’s quickly destroy the Holy Grail and put and end to this fight.

I have to clean this up before the end of the day, for the sake of everyone’s big performance, and the celebration for Lulu’s coming of age!