54. Former hero・towards the surface

“The start up is slow for the old model after all.”

I heard a voice from the black shadow that appeared from under the debris.
Its form is similar to a person, but it’s not a person obviously.

Slender limbs, a long and thin body. (TN: Slenderman?)
Its head is round.
It’s making an expressionless look similar to a noh mask. (TN: here, slightly creepy though)
It resembles the golem earlier.
That size seems to fit into the body of the golem just now exactly……

It can’t be that the self-destruction just now was an explosion for this guy contained within the trunk to come out?

No, rather than thinking about such a thing, the golem before our eyes?
The head of this fellow is the problem.

It’s going along a strange line, but isn’t that similar to the orb in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the church headquarters in the Imperial Capital?
It’s the thing I have been feeling from yesterday morning.

Why did it get involve in such a place?
That, was the head?

You……why are you here?”

I was addressed by the golem while observing it.
Properly, it came echoing from the orb head.
It’s a somewhat funny sight.

Why am I here?

“I came to help this youth. That’s all.
Who are you? The demon race or something?”

I point at Celes behind me and answered without taking my eyes off the golem.
And, I ask a question in return.

“…….Hmm. I didn’t ask about such a thing, but it’s fine.”

Golem mutters so and suddenly took a stance.

This fellow!
Although I answered, it totally ignored my question.

“Oi! Wait a minute you——”

I tried to continue talking a little more, but the golem rushed at me without caring.

The golem up till a while ago was faster than it looks too, but this fellow is even faster.
Besides, it’s hard to read the trajectory of the arm wrapping around like a whip, that cannot be the joint of a person.

Still, I found an opening and cut deeply while dodging it somehow.

Did the golem conclude that it’s unavoidable too? It guards with its arm.

I recall a single blow to the huge golem a while ago.
Even if it’s guarded, hitting the arm like this will lop it off!

[Kakiin], a high pitched sound echos. However, far from cutting the arm, my sword was repelled.
Moreover, the portion of the blade used to cut at it was broken.

AAAAAAAAAaaaaa!?

I, It’s a lie, are you serious!?
Even though this sword is expensive!

What the h.e.l.l.
Despite strengthening it with magical power, the blade is missing.

Although magical power was loaded into the sword of holy silver, the result turns out to be like this, I seem to lose my confidence.

“O, Oniisan! I think the armor is probably a special object that negates magical power!
Therefore, even if you load magical power, I don’t think you are able to strengthen the weapon!”

Celes behind me gave an advice to the me who received a shock.

Magic nullification?
Ooh, If so it certainly has nothing to do with strengthening.
But, she sure understands it well, such a thing.

“Hee. The elf there. You know it well.
……No, I see, it’s because you fired magic into my external armor many times.”

While letting the arm which repelled my blow go limp, the golem talks to us.
This fellow ignores the words of people, and yet, talks on his own accord.

But, the external armor huh.
Of course, that would be that huge golem state I think.
It was this fellow in that huge golem after all.

Looking properly, it doesn’t seem like my blow was simply repelled.
A cut, more or less, was set in the spot of the armor which received my sword.

Although my sword was broken too, it’s a draw if I can cut the armor of my opponent.
……It’s a sad consolation.

But, what’s to be done?

It’s troublesome with an armor that neutralize magical power.

However, there cannot be such a convenient stuff that can really completely neutralize it properly.
If it’s the G.o.dly sword of destruction, it might possibly go through.

No, let’s use my head before using the trump card without reservation.

It’s not the case that my attacks are completely ineffective.
Then, in the comics I read when I was a kid, when fighting against such an armor, how did it go?
That is of course, a situation of aiming at the joints portion.

Okay, shall I try it once?

Making up my mind, I reduced the distance between us, and attack aiming at the joint portion, particularly the elbow.

The golem too, was it because it knew of the event that came naturally? It doesn’t let me aim at it easily.

Is there something, something to distract this fellow?
When thinking so, the movement of the golem suddenly stopped.

No, not that it stopped, it seemed to be stopped.

The area around the golem’s feet was frozen.

“d.a.m.n!”

Momentarily, the golem howled and turn it’s focus to my back.
This is of course Celes’s action.

It’s now.

I thrust my sword aiming at its left shoulder.
I had wanted to aim at the neck, but the golem had adopt a proper defensive posture there even though it was preoccupied by my back.
The tip of the sword broke and the blade cracked, but it was stabbed into the golem’s shoulder powerfully.

‘Guu, oOo!”

The golem tries to attack me who is nearby with it’s unaffected right arm.

But, I was quicker to drive my magic through the sword.

Imagining it, a flame bullet was invoked at the tip.

It wouldn’t be made of material with magical resistance even for the interior of the armor, for a guy like this.

BONN! Together with a sound, the left shoulder of the golem is blown off.

“Okay!”

Kicking the stomach of the golem whose posture has collapsed, I drew out a distance.

Waiting and looking from a distance, the area near the left shoulder is making a Pachi Pachi sound.

Although it was the same for the machine-like monsters in the upper floors too, in the case of calling it pachi pachi, does electricity pa.s.s through it?
No, it not that strange that there is electricity and machine because it’s a different world.

A machine making independent actions wasn’t something known on earth, and I only thought that it’s somewhat amazing.
Is something doing magical support in the area?

Wait, now is not to time to do this kind of investigation.

Although a heavy blow was given, my weapon is worn out too.

Well, the other party lost one of its arm, and there is a large hole at the tip of the shoulder.
I should aim and drive magic through there.

“Phew…… You did it as expected.
Well, I didn’t think I could win from the beginning.”

Suddenly, the golem started declaring its defeat.
What’s expected, saying ‘as expected’.
Not thinking that he could win, he evaluated me highly.

“What? Are you giving up?”

“I surrender. Therefore, I will escape now for the time being.”

The golem doesn’t have any expression, but it says that it will escape in a light tone.
According to the words I’ve heard, a number of students and teachers from the school were sacrificed due to this fellow.
And also, I want to examine the orb of the head.

“It’s bad, but I do not intend to let you go?”

I say so, and try to resume attacking.
But.

“No, I can escape. Because, look.”

Golem points to my back.

I confirm my rear with magic without moving my line of sight, and there is a swarm of machine monsters there.

c.r.a.p.

I did not notice because of the magic power disruption and concentrating on the battle.

It’s already not a situation where I can just concentrate on the golem in front of me.

“Celes! Here!”

I turn around and ran to her spot.
At the same time, the swarm of machine monsters attacked.

After that, there was already no sign of the figure of that golem anymore after I defeated all the crowd of monsters with Celes.

s.h.i.+t.

It ran away successfully.

No, well, the ending situation can’t be helped.
I am not a type to mull on failures.

Since Celes is rescued safely, it’s fine.

“It seems to be safe for the time being.
That’s right, Celes. It’s a nice timing to stop the feet of the golem when I was fighting it just now. Thank you.”

That was a really good timing.
And despite not arranging it beforehand, I can say that it’s the best support.
It was something just as expected of someone called a genius.

“N, No, it isn’t so. If it was helpful, that’s great.”

Once again, modesty.

“No, it was really good.
But, magic is not effective against that fellow right?
You were able to freeze him well?”

“I do not think the effect was directly targeting the enemy for that, because the surround was frozen.”

Wow.

“I see. Though it isn’t possible to to make the card of G.o.d a subject of magic, applying magic to a field is something that a target can’t be chosen huh.”

“Eh? Erm…….? Card of G.o.d? Field? Can’t choose a target?”

Hah.
Having said that she is a genius, can she not understand my example?
She wasn’t able to. Am I a fool?

We return to the 20th floor after confirming that there is no longer danger in the surrounding.

When we return, an explosion sounds in the distance.
And, the sound of collapse.

We went to check that location in a hurry, but it was in a state that I couldn’t tell what was in the mountain of debris there.

Celes says that this seems to be the place where the locked door was at the start of the current event.

So that means. by the action of the escaped golem making this explosion, it’s for the sake of destroying some kind of evidence.

Mmm.
It isn’t clear.

It was so even at the bas.e.m.e.nt of the church too, but although an event like this happened, I don’t understand what it is at all.

Come to think of it, the feeling since yesterday morning, that worrying feeling disappeared too.

Is it saying that that golem is already no longer around this area?

Haa.

I totally don’t understand what kind of situation this is.

Because it’s already somewhat troublesome, I shelf all the things that I don’t understand.
Anyway, I’ll take Celes and return to the ground now.

I’m pretty worn out without noticing.
With my precious expensive sword in tatters, both my heart and wallet are in tatter too.

I have to look for a more powerful weapon for my personal use.
I’ll try asking if Rithina happens to know when I return to the ground.

After that, while aiming at the top, I caught up with the marquis and other students and was able to return to the ground in 4 days in the end.

Ahh, I want to be quickly healed by everyone.
I want to be serviced fully surrounded by 4 maids.

There is no choice but to put my hope there now.