Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku - Book 17: Chapter 32

onMonday, September 16, 2019zweindrei

Satou here. I have been on the receiving end of a table flip at the final stage because I did not confirm what our client wanted. But thanks to those experiences, I never forgot to ask during the meeting with our clients, reducing frequency of such tragedies.

◇

“We will protect Aze-sama!”

“Un, Shiro. We will definitely carry out the mission masita gave us.”

Two reliable guards stand before Aze-san.

The wingkin little girls, Shiro and Crow in the latest version of silver equipment.

『Cheeky little–』

『Beat? Let’s beat them up?』

And it’s not the demon god that’s pointing their blades at Shiro and Crow, but pink-haired little girls, demon god’s familiars. Those little girls are brandishing purple-colored equipment including giant scythes.

Since there have been a lot of traffic in and out of Solitary Island Palace lately, they must have invaded by matching their timing.

『Who’s this Aze anyway?』

『That high elf maybe?』

『Who–, cares–』

–Hm?

Are they not here to kidnap Aze-san as ordered by Demon God?

That was when Core Two rushed in.

Along with the green infant dragon, not sure how they got through the gate.

“Shiro, Crow! I brought infant dragon with me!”

–ＫＹＥＷＷＲＯＵＵＵＮ.

–Pipiru! Piru! Piru!

–Chuiiiiiii!

–Kaaaaaa.

Looking again, they’re also with the godbird Hisui, and the sage mice Raven Riders.

Unlike the green dragon, you lot will be in a serious bind if you get hurt so please get back.

『Gyaa, it’s a dragon!』

『I hate those things, they bite!』

『Geez, and we found no egg girl and no demon lords here.』

『Let’s head back before it bites us!』

『Un, let’s!』

The pink-haired little girls seemed to be afraid of dragons, they rushed back into the gate they used to invade while falling onto themselves.

My little clone jumps out of Aze-san’s shadow and speaks.

“Are you alright, Aze-san?”

“Yes, all thanks to these children protecting me.”

‘Ehehe’, Shiro and Crow laughed, after thanking them and the slightly triumphant looking Core Two, infant dragon, Hisui and sage mice, I asked them to keep guarding Aze-san.

Apparently Demon God is targeting reincarnated people like Arisa and demon lords like Shizuka.

He’s probably trying to retrieve the [God’s Fragments] he handed out to them during their reincarnations.

Arisa and the former sword demon lord foxkin girl have my little clones on standby so they’re fine, but Shizuka is shutting herself in the sub-space and won’t come out, while the squirrel Hamsaemon and the retired former rat demon lord Nezu-san that are in the same sub-space have had their [God’s Fragments] removed when they stop being demon lords, so they should be fine.

The ones in danger would be the reincarnated people in labyrinth’s lower layer, the vampire progenitor Ban, little oni princess Yuika, [Iron Stalker] Armor, and [King Mummy] Corpse, four of them–no, and one more.

The reincarnated person, Kei who’s working as an apprentice priestess of Zaikuon Temple at Makiwa Kingdom.

I’ve gotta instruct the member dispatched to Makiwa Kingdom to guard Kei.

◇

“Lyuryu, rout them up nodesu!”

–ＬＹＵＲＹＵＲＹＵＵＵ.

Pochi and her dragon steed, Lyuryu, are overwhelming their opponents at Makiwa Kingdom.

She’s already done dealing with the stampedes at the capital and four neighboring points, and now she’s going around demolishing the purple towers’ stampedes at various locations.

Pochi was quickly done dealing with this one also, so I talk to Pochi via my little clone hiding in her shadow.

“Pochi, I need your help to protect Kei.”

“Yes nanodesu. –Where is Kei at nodesu?”

“Lyuryu’s wings will take you there.”

I asked through my little clone.

After getting the direction from me, Pochi pointed Lyuryu’s nose toward it.

Kei should be fine now.

I changed my consciousness to the little clone attached to Hikaru.

“Hikaru, I need you to do something.”

“OK. Where should I go help?”

Looks like Hikaru is done already dealing with the stampedes at Bishtal Dukedom, she’s currently patrolling around the central small country group.

“Please deliver a warning to the reincarnated people living in the labyrinth’s lower layer.”

“That’s fine with me, but wouldn’t it be better to do that through Arisa-chan’s Telephone?”

“That place’s got Yuika’s barrier up, you see.”

“Ah, guess Telephone won’t reach them then.”

She’s quick to catch on thankfully.

“Getting there from here would be a hassle. Need me to ask Arisa for a shortcut?”

“Ahaha, I’ll be fine. I can go reasonably fast by making good use of acceleration circles. That aside, can I count on you to take care of the countries around here?”

“Ah, I’m going to ask Tama who’s been dispatched to the southern part of Saga Empire to deal with things here.”

“Ah with Cat Ninja Tama on the case, there’s nothing to worry about then.”

After saying that, Hikaru produced acceleration circles mid air and flew off in the direction of labyrinth city.

『–It’s here.』

『–It’s here.』

Reports from little clones attached to the former sword demon lord and Arisa.

After hesitating for a bit, I changed my consciousness to the little clone attached to Arisa.

◇

“Fuhahaha, where do you think you’re going to, huh.”

『『『Unyaa!』』』

『『『Bully demon lord is scary–』』』

『『『We’re gonna tell milord on you!』』』

Arisa wearing sunglasses on top of her golden helmet is chasing around the purple-armored pink-haired little girls while laughing loudly.

I understood that reference, but please don’t forget that we’re facing a world crisis right about now.

“Oh my, Master. I haven’t forgotten you know. Since there were nothing but mobs, I’ve put > around all the towers I’m in charge with. There should be almost nothing left of the enemy by now, I think?”

I see, so she was ambushed by these little girls during a downtime.

“Should I go capture one of them?”

“Nah, we don’t want to attract Demon God’s attention. Did you remember to check out their goals?”

“Oh yes, I sure did. Those girls are going for the Authorities (Unique Skills) given to us by demon god, they’re apparently collecting it for the sake of Demon God.”

“–For the sake of Demon God?”

“Un, it sounds super bad.”

Must be the Disintegration Factor booby trap inserted by those gods–.

『『『Retreating for now–』』』

The little girls ran away.

“Ah, they ran off. How is it coming along on your side, Master?”

“It should be be done by sunset today.”

“I see, so the last battle ground will still be at the highest purple tower near Saga Empire’s [Hero’s Labyrinth]?”

“Yeah, no change in plan as of now.”

After telling her my progress, I changed consciousness to the little clone dispatched to the former sword demon lord.

◇

“You ought to train more degozaru.”

『『『Kyu~』』』

The former sword demon lord, foxkin girl said in triumphant as she trampled down the dizzy pink-haired little girls.

Just like Arisa, her demon lord form has come undone, but her Unique Skills–[God’s Fragments] are still residing in her.

『An openiiiiing!』

A pink-haired little girl swung down a huge scythe from behind the former sword demon lord.

The scythe’s blade looked as if it had successfully cut the former demon lord’s body in two, but then her body faded before turning into light brown fur.

“That is but an illusion degozaru.”

She failed to learn Primeval Magic like the beastkin girls, but in exchange, she managed to use the illusion art passed down in foxkin family a bit.

She told me that she could only produce one illusion of herself for a short period of time, but I think it’s more than potent enough paired with her swordsmanship.

『Migyaa』

“Judgment, degozaru.”

The little girl that was hit by the sword’s hilt got beaten down to the ground.

She’s probably not gonna die with just that much, but the scene reeks of crime, visually speaking.

“You can let them go if you’re done with their chastisement.”

“Ui, I got it degozaru.”

I gave an instruction to the former sword demon lord through the little clone.

『Don’t think you’ve won yet!』

『Right right!』

『We won’t lose next time, you hear us.』

The little girls freed by the former sword demon lord cursed out.

“I welcome a revenge match any time degozaru.”

Noticing former sword demon lord battle junkiness from her reaction, “I can even go at it now”, the little girls ran off toward a magic circle they produced to flee, “Noo, no more.”

How do I say it, it’s like watching subordinates getting pushed around by their superior.

◇

Since Hikaru seemed to have arrived at the labyrinth’s lower layer, I changed my consciousness to the little clone lurking in her shadow.

“So even Ancestor King Yamato is used as a gofer now eh?”

“Ahaha, Satou doesn’t think that at all.”

“Hyo hyo hyo, that’s just how all men are like, y’know?”

They seem to be at [King Mummy] Corpse’s domain.

She’s talking to the master of the domain, Corpse and his sworn friend, [Iron Stalker] Armor.

“But still, how did you maintain the same looks as you were 700 years ago despite being a human?”

“Oh but it hasn’t been 700 years yet. I repaired a magically induced cold sleep facility from Furu Empire and went into a long sleep until just recently, you see.”

“Cold sleep in a sword and magic world? What the heck is this SF.”

An energetic voice resounded as Armor and Hikaru chatted.

“Corpse! I brought Ban-sama and Yuika with me!”

Behind the vampire princess Semeri who shouted that, a tentacled creature, ropers, carrying a portable shrine with vampire progenitor Ban and little oni princess, Yuika riding on it, followed.

“I heard you have got a business with me, who knew it was a visit by Yamato dearuka.”

“Long time no see, Hikaru-san.”

“Hi Yuika-cchi, last time was at the Solitary Island Palace wasn’t it. And Ban, that curly hair still looks as wonderful as Rau-kun’s.”

“It’s about time you stop praising my point of similarity with characters from shoujo manga every time we meet dearu.”

After renewing their old friendship, Hikaru got to the point.

“–So please, be on your guard.”

“Demon God coming for our fragments, dearuka…”

“Whoa, it sounds so fun above ground.”

“An all out war between gods and demon god huh. –Yuika, what do you think.”

“Eh, um, you mean Founder-sama? Please wait a moment.”

Suddenly getting talked to, Yuika shut her eyes.

Her expression saw a complete change when her eyes reopened.

“There have been many signs of that from Demon God’s behaviors before, I see that he finally acts on it.”

“And on the outset, he is making an attempt to deprive us of our fragments dearuka.”

“Hmph, he’s got a big mistake if he thinks we’re just gonna take it lying down without a fierce one.”

“Hyo hyo hyo. How long has it been since I played with demons I wonder.”

“How about we loosen up Yuika’s barrier and invite them into the minefield huh.”

With a nasty smile on his face, Corpse brandished his skull wand and weakened the barrier.

“Hyo hyo hyo, can’t wait fer’ it.”

“…Not having anything to do brings ruins to men dearuna.”

“You tell me nanoja.”

Armor and Corpse smiled back to back, while Ban and Yuika looked astonished.

“Armor, Corpse, you’re mistaken.”

Hikaru who was late to react at the series of events corrected Armor and Corpse’s misunderstanding.

“–Mistaken?”

“Un, it’s not demons that are coming, it’s going to be little girls who are demon god’s familiars.”

“Little girls huh… I can’t fight that.”

“Boring. I got no interest in harassing kids.”

“Worry, not, Cerulean Blue the first, correcting dayo.”

A flat paper-like demon intruded from between the crack in the barrier Corpse was going to close.

“Greater demon–level 63. Posses Water magic and ice magic. It uses deadly poison and plague as well, careful noja.”

“Tch, just a lone level 63 eh. Corpse and Ban will gonna make a short work out of it. Lemme go first.”

“Worry, not, Cerulean Blue the second, correcting dayo.”

“You guys, have no chance, Cerulean Blue the third, proclaiming dayo.”

“Perish here, and return your fragments to milord. Cerulean Blue the fourth, condemning dayo.”

The flat demon unraveled into tens of demons.

Fortunately, there’s only four greater demons, the remaining tens of demons appear to be support-type mid-class demons.

“Armor, Ban, Yuika, buy me time. I’m gonna cast a forbidden spell.”

“My turn first–”

Armor took out a weird magic sword furnished with gears and protuberances.

“> Magic Sword Machinery Heart!”

With the activation verse recited, the gears on the magic sword began to spin as the blade transformed while making sounds.

I don’t get the point of this transformation, but it’s a pretty good gimmick that raises your tension high just by watching it unfolds. Had Arisa and Pochi seen this, they would definitely want to mimic it.

“> Claiomh Solais!”

Hikaru unleashed Claiomh Solais to guard Armor while she herself began chanting the lesser version of anti-god magic to be used against demon lords.

“Foirnis, use this.”

“A jet black katana with a blood-colored line huh–my friend, Ban, you know your stuff noja.”

“Hmph.”

Progenitor Ban fetched two japanese katanas from Item Box.

He handed over one of the swords while calling the soul name of Yuika to her, and drew the other, a red katana with a black line for himself.

“Ban-sama, leave your back to me!”

Semeri shouldering a scythe ran up to Ban’s side as if emphasizing her glamorous body.

There were several other shadows hot on her heels.

“Audacious.”

“Shiki is right! Try to score a win against us first before you claim Ban-sama’s back!”

It’s the wives of Progenitor Ban, the vampire princesses.

“Right right!”

“Hey wait, I already scored lots of wins against fatty!”

“I am not fat! Just a bit well-rounded!”

“Leave playing around for later dearu.”

“”YES! BAN-SAMA!””

Warned by Ban, the vampire princesses cut up their wrists to produce blood swords before attacking the mid-class demons.

The demons skilfully used their flat bodies to evade the slashes.

“I shan’t lose to Armor and Ban noja–Divine Sight.”

Purple light swept over Yuika’s body.

“These demons’ weak points are the crest on their waist nanoja! Break that point and they can no longer dodge to 2D!”

Hearing that, the vampire princesses started aiming at the crests on the waists, felling the mid-class demons one after another.

“As expected of my sworn friend Foirnis! 『Concentration』–Phantom Blade.”

Ban sheathed his red katana, then after a purple light swept over his body, he unleashed a draw-slash sword skill toward one of the greater demons.

“–Water Blades.”

The greater demon produced countless swords made of water stream in an attempt to block Ban’s sword.

“Meaningless.”

Shiki who was following Ban like his shadow muttered.

As if proving her word, the stream swords got smashed into pieces, and the upper half of that greater demon got finely chopped into pieces before it could find out how.

“Amazing as always Ban-sama!”

Semeri jumped gleefully like it was her feat.

“–A shallow cut dearu.”

“Correct dayo. Eat counter dayo.”

The greater demon that should have been pulverized turned into a cerulean blue mist and blew away the upper half of Ban’s body.

“””BAN-SAMA!”””

“Fret not.”

“Shiki is right. I mean Ban-sama is immortal after all.”

The younger vampire princesses were beside themselves worrying over Ban, while the older generation princesses including Shiki watched attentively, convinced of Ban’s safety.

“Ah! In the purple whirl!”

“Will Ban-sama’s blood win, or will it greater demon’s water current–”

“Pointless question.”

“–Good grief. Like Ban-sama would lose against a mere greater demon.”

The vampire princesses watched over the inhuman fight between Ban and the greater demon while they clashed with the mid-class demons themselves.

The fierce fight between water and mist finally came to a conclusion, a filthy blue water splashed down the ground.

The red water that had remained in the air turned back into Ban.

The older vampire princesses were right, Ban came out victorious in the inhuman fight.

“Don’t think you’ve won just yet dayo.”

“Hmph. Should you really focus fully on me dearuka?”

Progenitor Ban spoke to the regenerated but tattered greater demon.

At the end of his jerked chin, three of the greater demons were locked in Yuika’s trick.

“Kuhahahaha, nothing less to expect from greater demons, they even survived Death Game! Next is Death Counter nanoja!”

Yuika is cornering the greater demons using Unique Skills which I’ve never seen before.

When she’s this strong at her current lowered level, I can’t imagine just how powerful Yuika is in her prime.

“Come now, quickly undo your curse noja. If you don’t do it in the next three seconds, your souls are gonna be broken into pieces, no matter if you’re a demon noja.”

One greater demon that couldn’t undo the curse in time disappeared into blue mist while wailing ghastly.

“Yuika, I’m good now!”

Corpse who was done reciting forbidden spell shouted.

Hikaru is about done with her chant as well.

“I see that Corpse is done preparing. You play along with Corpse now. Out of goodness of my heart, you’d better be ready with defensive magic, hear me?”

–ＢＺＬＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＸＹＥ.

–ＢＺＬＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＸＹＥ.

“Gnaw upon them, >”

Hundreds, thousands of wolf-shaped specters welled out from within darkness in ceilings and grounds, and then they rushed toward the greater demons with their ink-like lower halves.

Two of greater demons that survived their match against Yuika amassed thick blue barriers around themselves, but those barriers were quickly getting bitten down into pieces by the wolf specters.

The wolf specters eventually bit and tore the barriers down, and flooded onto their next target, the greater demons.

The specters are gnawing on the greater demons.

Quite a wicked magic.

No wonder it’s got classified as a forbidden spell.

–ＢＺＬＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＸＹＥ.

–ＢＺＬＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＵＸＹＥ.

The demons blew apart the specters with their magic and peculiar ability, but unfortunately for them the difference in numbers is simply staggering.

No matter if a swing of their fists and tails break several wolves, no matter if their magic and peculiar ability swallow dozens of the wolves, they’re up against an army of thousands.

There’s no way to repel it easily.

“Tch, these greater demons sure are sturdy.”

Corpse’s grumble is right on the money, two greater demons survived through the forbidden spell.

Only the demon that missed its chance to put up defensive barrier died by Corpse’s forbidden spell.

“Yuika, yer’ gonna take responsibility for this ya hear me?”

“Aye, understood noja. But, your worry is unwarranted, no?”

Yuika glanced at Hikaru.

“Ban! Withdraw the vampire princesses! Yuika! Take Armor to a safe zone!”

As instructed by Hikaru, the vampire princesses who were fighting off mid-class demons fell back, and Yuika activated her [Unparalleled Arm Strength] Unique Skill to drag the sitting Armor that had used up his stamina back.

“Lesser Mythology Extension”

Hikaru’s delayed anti demon lord forbidden spell burst out, the remaining two greater demons and several mid-class demons vanished beyond the flash.

“What the heck, those demons got evaporated just like that.”

“That’s one amazing forbidden spell nanoja.”

“First I’ve seen this forbidden spell dearu.”

Everyone besides Corpse clamored when they saw Hikaru’s forbidden spell.

“Yamato. That a modified version of the forbidden spell I taught Satou, yeah?”

“Un, that’s right. –Interested?”

“…Hell naw. Seeing that is enough. I’m gonna make one myself now.”

“Ahaha, Corpse you haven’t changed at all from back then, still really hate to lose.”

Hikaru’s laughter echoed in Corpse’s domain.

This side looks to be fine.

Next, let’s check all the girls one by one starting from Lulu.

◇

“Awesome, those monsters just went poof with every shot.”

“The buckshot that purged the swarm in front of the rampart was already amazing, but that sniping is just something else.”

Lulu is sniping down the purple tower’s vanguard monsters from on top of a tower connected to a rampart.

The wind brought murmurs from guards stationed on top of the rampart to her, yet Lulu was unaffected, she just kept sniping on.

I’m sure she’s concentrating so much she couldn’t hear a word.

–Crisis Perception.

I felt danger from a distortion in space in the sky.

Looking up, I saw something trying to come out of a purple distortion in the sky.

“Oy! Look at that!”

People looked up at the sky as they noticed it.

“Demons!”

It seems like the second round of stampedes sparked by Demon God will be an army of demons.

※ Next update is planned for 9/22