Kuro no Maou

Inside the central hive is made of plaster-like white material with the same texture as outside. A white-white indoor with no creeping, even strange cleanliness, says it was made by a monster of worms.

However, the white wall has red muscles running there, thin and vascular, and the strangely biological design disgusts me. Well, I can feel relieved around it because this red muscle is not a wax that is hypnotically induced magic formation like "Last Rose".

Insect vision said it could see ultraviolet light, but "Bugs Brigade" was blurred and brightly lit in the nest whether the part relied on the same visible light as a person. The white walls still have light-emitting areas like the others, and this is the overall illumination.

It's a faint amount of light that's pretty dim, but not even enough to purposefully set the light (torch) on fire. I appreciate the sight secured... but with even the lights, this nest finally seems like an artifact. The bug monster built it, but there must be no mistake.

We thrust through the nest tower, which has such a strange internal structure, sounding bursts and huge shooting noises. Mixed units of ants and kamakiri can be blocked on the entrance passage, but they can be eliminated without stopping. Me, Sariel, and, of course, Brigitte.

Basically, me and Saliel's shooting clean up enemies in the direction of progress. The guy who accidentally hid in a horizontal hole or a wall was terminated by Brigitte's black flash.

What she wields is a single silver sabel embedded with a large emerald. There is no other way to look like you have a weapon. If you're a black wizard, you might have a lot of things in Shadow Space.

It only looks like a beautiful liturgical sword, but apparently, this is a powerful demonic sword that amplifies the power of black magic.

In the temple baths, Brigitte remained unarmed and instantly showed me the power of The Shadow (Nemesis), which cleaves the Luke Spider, but with this sword, its slashing power is even more bouncing. That's why the sasori-type mutant species could also be killed instantly.

"Hehe, do you care about this sword?

"Oh, it looks like a pretty devil's sword though"

"It's a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation."

"Are you glad I brought that up?

"Because it's for use at times like this."

I see, something like a secret weapon to protect the Black Forest?

But I find it uncomfortable instead that it wraps up an aura of intense black magic like a melamera and a burning flame, but still remains dazzling silver in my eyes. Normally, if all that magic density was applied, I would definitely dye it black.

"If you free yourself with all your might, your body will be black and your jewels will stain red. At this level of output, the color will remain the same."

"Is Brigitte telepathically capable?

"Ugh, a black wizard would think the same thing"

Sure, but it's the first thing that bothers me. When this is also called a pinpoint, it's embarrassing and horrible. Lily is all I can read my mind.

"Actually, can it be a weapon of curse?

"No, I'm not cursed. It's just a sword of sorts… 'The Crescent Moon Demon Knife (Shadow Moon)' is now named"

Did you come with a demon knife? An inverse single-edged body is close to a knife if only in its shape. Sabel, so it doesn't look like a knife at a glance, but maybe it was really a knife at first.

Master, we're going out to the hall.

To Sariel's voice, I'll stop chatting with Brigitte and focus on the forward.

Kicking the carcasses of the worms we shot, we went through a cavernous passage and into a vast space.

I didn't know you had a client.

In the hall, the battle had already begun. Sounds from all around us made me realize that some of us would have gotten into the hive, but I didn't know anyone else was going this far already.

It was apparently the adventurers who had reached the hall before us. Four-armed mutant Nightmantis against multiple bodies, flipping a green cloak and fiercely standing around.

The person looks familiar. But it's a man named Dylan, a Rank 4 adventurer who's been involved in the guild.

"Haaaaaa -" Flameworn (Ignis Fullthrust) "Huh!

Dylan's right-handed, red-bodied Flamberge is pounded sharply with a vortex-wrapping flame.

The four-armed Kamakiri has already been cut off three arms and doesn't seem to have enough hands to prevent imminent flaming martial arts. Straight into his torso, the cutting tip of his sword exploded and he was buzzing away his kamakiri as he smashed his crust to pieces. There's a big hole in his chest, plus a fire all over his body, completely non-combatant.

However, using the death of his companion, Kamakiri, still alive, was approaching the rear of Dylan, following a stiff gap shortly after he unleashed martial arts.

"Hmm, let me pull over -" Water Flow Spear (Aqua Chris Sagitta) ""

Though it is the movement that solidifies, Dylan's left hand is gripped with a short wand (wand), made of crystals of clear water. When the wand emitted light, a small dolphin-like animal floated beside him.

"Kew!"

With a high squeal, the little dolphin floating next to Dylan spewed a sharp stream of water out of his mouth.

Kamakiri, who attacked Dylan's back, pulled herself off by a laser beam-like 'Water Flow Spear (Aqua Chris Sagitta)', unable to step in until she made it.

"Now we have two more, we'll decide all at once! Haaaa...... Secret moves" Torrent Flame Dance (Twister Duo) "!

"Demon Bullets (Barrett Arts)/Sweeping (Burst)"

I was also free to watch in silence, so I shot the four arm Kamakiri, who had two left, me and Sariel, one at a time. The number of arms is doubled and the number of hands is doubled. It's a vicious mutation, but the crust hardness doesn't seem to change much, and if I kept shooting, I could be a beehive.

"I was wondering if there was an innocent cross spear in there, you. Totally, this is why the rest of us don't know what courtesy is."

Fine, Dylan, who seemed willing to roll out his temperamental grand moves, rushed out the flames of Flamberge, which began to burn violently, while the neighboring dolphin swallowed the water he seemed to be storing all over his mouth and had managed to cancel his moves.

It shouldn't be easy to stop the activation in the last minute, but Dylan gets his ass on with a cool face. Think of his hard work, it's not very frustrating either.

"Sorry, I was in a hurry, I was in the way."

"Well, that's the same thing as me"

"Are you alone?

"This time it's solo. I didn't expect you to catch up so soon."

Shit, and bitter-faced Dylan.

His infiltration capability is considerable, because he was earlier than me, who had made his way and stormed straight with great firepower, and had reached this point. I guess I was confident myself.

"Master Chrono, it seems we can go from here to the top."

Are you not interested in the adventurer Dylan, Brigitte just shows you the way ahead.

"Dude, is the Mistrea witch with you... you dickhead, can't he do it this time?"

Look at Brigitte standing behind me quietly, and Dylan is in the mood to give up. Apparently, you know how strong she is. No, maybe it's common sense in Morrigan in the first place. Maybe Brigitte is the strongest.

"We're going up like this, Dylan, but what are you gonna do? You want to come with me?

"I don't have a reason to work with you guys...... but if you're going the shortest route, even if you don't want to, we're not going to be together"

Are you unwilling to leave? Well, in front of Brigitte, I don't want to imitate Dylan stabbing me from his betrayal back. Adventurers are important for their skill, but their reputation must be preserved. If you have a bad reputation, it will also be difficult to be truly successful.

"All right, let's go"

Thus, while we rendezvous with Dylan, we move on to the hive.

The hall has a blowout of about ten meters, and you can climb straight to the upper floor. Based on historical tactical information, the tower central hive is essentially divided into multiple hierarchies, with a hall near the center leading to the upper floor. This hall is built to be different from each other on every floor, so there is always one hierarchy that can be raised. Perhaps to prevent intruders from climbing straight between the queens. To live, it seems inconvenient.

We got to the first hall, but it's not a bug's nest, so it's not politely stairwelled. If there's a passage that leads up like a slope, it's mostly just vertical, like this hall.

Humans need equipment and skill to climb vertical walls, but for the bug-shaped monster guys, it's normal to walk. One thing to be aware of when dealing with them in their nests is that they come running through fine, whether on the walls or on the ceiling.

But even a mere man, a master of martial arts makes it possible to run the wall. Saliel had no difficulty, climbing the hall walls to Tokotoko, and Brigitte walked with the usual face.

I'm not used to walking on vertical walls yet, so this time I'm a big guy, wire mover with demon hands (bind arts).

Oh, Dylan is climbing with a pickel-like tool in both hands, stabbing a wall. It's a little reassuring to see someone climbing in the normal way.

Each climbs up the hall in their own way to find the next route.

"What do you say, Sariel?

"... probably in this direction"

Even when it comes to exploring routes, I can't rely on Sariel's exploration.

In the meantime, it's unclear how many meters above ground, but it's just the same guys that come out the second floor, so proceed without a problem. There's also one more member of the jump in called Dylan.

"Hey, Sariel, what's Dylan's dolphin with you?

Between fights, I ask Sariel softly what concerns me.

"A kind of elemental spiritual (elemental) of water. Adventurer Dylan is supposedly a magic swordsman class who simultaneously exercises swordsmanship by magic swordsmanship and magic by spirituality."

Spirituality? It's a less familiar magic system, but it's a kind of magic that the Druids specialize in. You're from Morrigan, so something like familiar magic.

"When it comes to elemental spirits (elemental), don't remember the snowmen in the Asbel Mountains"

"Having flesh as an organism is a testament to its high magic density and its evolution as a magical organism. Dylan's dolphins are classified as high spirits"

He seems more amazing than I thought. With that spirited dolphin in his partner, Dylan will probably have just enough strength to do it solo as well.

"But I think you saw that dolphin somewhere."

"... how to get rid of you"

"Ah!"

Yes, it's a mysterious dolphin character who appeared on a set in a help search, out in old computer office software. Dylan's spirit dolphin looks a little cute and deformed, like a stuffed animal, so it's similar to that character.

"It was awesome refreshing. Thank you, Sariel."

"No, it was just in Yuriko Shirazaki's memory"

Has Shirazaki also searched "How to get rid of you" and that dolphin bastard? I didn't know that word would come out first...... but, after all, this is something I'm so glad to hear when stories in the original world come through.

"Hey, what the fuck are you talking about! We got eyes on the next hall, be on guard!

We jump into the second floor hall while Dylan pisses us off with a secret story.

What was waiting for me there was a sasori-type mutant Luke Spider, who was the first gatekeeper. That number, really triplets.

"Shit, you're a big shot. Let me do everything I can from the start! Haaaaaa, the secret trick" torrential flame dance (twista- "

"Darkness."

"'Shock Through (Fully Charged Thrust)'"

"" Nemesis Riser ""

A bursting black triple strike before Dylan's flames and water currents were unleashed.

My darkness leaves behind a black-and-red, flame-like trajectory painted by the great bosom of "The Neck Break" to break Luke Spider.

Sariel's masterful martial arts skills, which can be played with black and purple sparks, pierce the giant body of the spider from head to ass.

And Brigitte's black magic, as it did at the entrance, carried Luke Spider without difficulty.

There were three Luke Spiders waiting in the hall. All three, defeated by a single blow, left Dylan with no one to target.

"... hey, let me make this easier."

Saying, Dylan rushes to put out the blaze of his sword, and the dolphins gook the water.

Something, I'm sorry. Never meant to take your turn or get in the way...

"Master Chrono, let's move on."

"Oh, yeah, you are"

Brigitte instructs you to move forward without even looking at Dylan who feels sorry for you. Adult, there was nothing else than answering.

Then, the third floor and the next fourth floor are also appropriately exceeded.

There's been a lot of boulders, but still, it's not enough to stop us. Even if it is sandwiched at the same time as it was intended, the rear can be blocked by blocking it with "Black Wall (Wo Le)". He tries to break through by scraping it galloping, but Sariel's combined use of lightning magic electrocutes those guys who stick up like electric fences.

Where they struggled to break through, the front was wiped out and we were moving on. You can't be caught up.

Neither did the mutant species waiting in the hall have more strength than the sasori type. They're usually about the size of a species, to the extent that they're swarming there in numbers.

"Fine, I think I've come to the top."

"Now, it's roughly over a hundred meters above ground"

The nest is 350 meters high. If the hive on the side of the sky is 50 meters in diameter, there will still be 200 meters, even in the tower part alone.

"Not yet, looks like a long way to go"

"I wish I could keep going at this pace."

"Central hives aren't that sweet. As we approach the Queen, the ones who protect us grow stronger."

"It's like you have experience."

"Like, I don't, I do. This is the second time I've dived into Central Hive."

I see, was Dylan an attacker? I guess that's why I was also in the audacious act of getting in alone.

"Hey, let's talk about a new face."

The flock of Pawn Ants was waiting for us on the fifth floor. But it's about twice as big as the guy I've been dealing with.

No, not only that, he doesn't look the same. Besides, the colors are white.

"Shit, you haven't even climbed half the way up yet, but you're already a gerbil. Careful, their armor's hard!

Take Dylan's advice and let 'The Grid' go for now. Together, Sariel also shoots' Voltex '.

In the wake of a large caliber demon bullet, White Ant's Pawn Ant will crush his head and pull a thousand legs off... but his front leg, which has developed as big as a scoop, won't crumble just with a crack in it. Only that front leg crust is twice, no, more than triple thick and highly stiff.

"I didn't know you had enough shields to stop the demon bullets."

"Master Chrono, I'm going forward."

"I'm out, too. Sariel, cover me."

Copy that, Master.

White ants approach with their front legs like shields, so as to prevent demon bullets. If you want to take them down with one blow, it's quicker to slash them with a sword.

I can break every front leg, my 'neck break' and Brigitte's 'Shadow Out (Nemesis)' would be effective. If the two of you go out into the vanguard and leave your cover to Saliel, who is a good aider of accurate shooting, you should be able to push this stiff flock of defensive white ants, even against you, without stopping.

Dylan asks for rear alert with the dolphin.

"Let's go!

He switched from "The Grid" to "Absolute Grievance" "Neck Break" and stormed the approaching legion of white ants like a moving wall with Brigitte. Break through with force.

A black sword flash cleaves the white ant's crust and opens the blue blood path.

The only thing they can prevent is the front with the front leg up. If the guard opens at all or shows his belly, even Saliel's demon bullet jumps in and eats through relentlessly.

It's troublesome compared to a regular Pawn Ant, but it doesn't stand in the way to keep going.

"Ugh."

"Sounds like fun, Brigitte"

"It's very easy to fight because Master Chrono will lead you. It's like you're dancing at a dance."

Well, even though you're impromptu, you're a wacko putting together as an avant-garde. It would be basic to stand around to suit them. Well, some guys ignore it fine, and I hear it's common for adventurers to be able to rub it because of that lack of collaboration.

It's just that I'm blessed with Lily, Fiona, and now Sariel and the members, so I've never had the experience of rubbing it. Other than that, because the guys I put together on a temporary basis were just hands-on...... hmm, am I still a kid who doesn't have a lot of difficulty being a general adventurer?

"If these guys are around, they can fit in at their leisure."

"It's so nice to be able to behave like a gentleman even in battle, Master Chrono"

Ah, I'm so ashamed to be complimented on a point I'm not even proud of!

"No, nothing special... Brigitte is the one you can count on. Swordsmanship, black magic."

"Hehe, thank you -" Black Thorn Sentence (Punisher Thorn) ""

Brigitte's black magic, rolled out with a nice smile, is bursting into the white ants that are coming to kill her.

As the shadow at her feet soars forward without sound, countless black spears pop out of it. Like Kenyama, an elongated and sharp needle skewers the body of a white ant from the defenseless underside at the size of a spear.

If you are on the belly facing the ground, the armor is thin and the shield on your front leg, which boasts the greatest defense, does not help prevent a black needle from sticking up directly from the bottom. Poor, impetuous and coming, the white ant was rolling to the side of the aisle with the needle moving so that the phrase, whose body was not disturbed, was skewered without doing anything in particular.

Well, if the spear itself that stabs the opponent forms as black magic, it's a wack that can keep it running and imitate like this. In the direction of forming the blade with black magic, it is a move not found in my black magic that did not develop much.

Again, seeing other people's black magic is very informative. Besides, don't get motivated to develop it. Still, the possibilities of black magic are widening, which makes me feel once again.

But I think Brigitte, who smiles and releases black magic that falls into the tragic category for what it is, is a little scary. The qualities of a combat maniac...

"Really, I can count on you"

"Thank you"

Well, the road is going well, but now that the kamakiri and spiders have emerged that have served to enhance the appearance of white ants, they're finally going to eat the stomping.

We proceed with vigilance to the newcomers we have yet to see, but fortunately, no more enemies emerged than the white ants.

Even beyond the fifth floor hall.

Tired of it, repetition of the same pattern.

"... feels strange"

"Yes, the white ants are attacking at regular intervals."

Did Brigitte also notice? Ever since the advent of White Ants, they're the only ones to emerge, roughly the same number of herds. And if we leave that herd, a little, the same number appears again.

By continuing to fight the same number of enemies in a certain rhythm, you feel the illusion of being run over the same place in an extended manner.

Reminds me of the trap that Last Rose invites me to illusion... but this, I feel, is more of a different intention.

"Hey, what's up? If you don't get up there, they'll come out again soon."

He defeated the White Ant unit that was forming in the hall on the sixth floor, ready to climb up, just as he had just done.

But I tried to let go of the demon hand (bind arts), I finally realize at that moment.

"We have enemies! He's invisible!!

I shouted, almost waving 'neck break' in my head.

It should have just swept away the void - a definite bargain. Blue blood erupts out of the space where nothing is supposed to happen.

Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!

And, like scratching the glass, a ringing howl of deafness.

It was the bees that made the noise and fell before me.

Bishopby mutant species.

Unusually long hands and feet, especially tails with poisonous needles, are as long as tentacles, a disgusting appearance. The silhouette is much more like a mosquito, a gagambo, than a bee.

And his body is clear. No, it is precisely a stealth ability to hide one's appearance by changing the color of the body surface to accurately reflect the view on the other side of the body.

The nasty intuition is, yes, the same as when Leki was attacked by a hiding Assassin type guy on the way to evacuation in the Battle of Gratney Oct.

They've been after us ever since we started fighting the White Ants. Made the rhythm of alertness crazy by letting it fight with the same feeling. By attacking at regular intervals, the body naturally becomes accustomed to that interval.

When such a slight psychological gap arose, he and the others had finally set it up.

He visually hid himself, turned off his feathers, and targeted us with a poison needle planted at his tail.

"Ha... if it was my first look, I might have sucked"

Because of my careless, irrevocable failure, my vigilance against the assassins who disappear and strike me was sharpened.

On the brink, the shame of my voice or my own guess, Sariel and Brigitte were brilliantly returning the invisible Bishopby.

"Ugh, shit... I'm fucked..."

"Dylan, no way, you ate a poison needle?

Was it the limit of Rank 4's strength, only Dylan couldn't prevent a bee ambush?

He has a definite stab wound to his shoulder, although he returned Bishop Bee properly with a flaming flamberge. Not as injured as a deep hand, but stabbed by a poison needle.

What the hell is his poison effect?

"Paralysis poison... Chick, my body, it's not moving anymore..."

"What about the poisoning?

"I've been using it for a while... but he's not going to be able to move."

Let it go and it will heal in there. If I could be at rest, I'd be talking about.

"It's my mistake, go."

"What?

"Pull my leg, I'm not going to... Go!

Is this what a veteran adventurer is prepared for?

I don't even have to think about what would happen if I left you in a place like this with your immobile body. Even so, Dylan doesn't ask for any help.

"Master Chrono, let's go. We can't afford to be helping him."

"Brigitte, you..."

"Whoa, what are you mad at me for? Isn't the witch right? In the middle of the dungeon, the enemy hit me and I can't move. The dumb one, I'll leave it... of course, but"

"He's also a fine adventurer. I'm ready. There is no place for Master Chrono to feel responsible."

Sure, maybe.

I came here of my own free will. And a monster hit me with a mistake. If you're an adventurer, it's a natural failure, a natural cause of death.

An adventurer is a profession like that, and I know very well that this is the world.

"Oh yeah, let's move on"

So I don't have to worry.

Without getting lost, I carried Dylan.

I remember Sariel every day in Pioneering Village, so I remember how to tie a good knot. It's a tentacle of the demon hand (bind arts), so it might feel a little creepy though.

"Hey, what are you going to do? You're pathetic, you sweetheart!

"I can help, I help. It's just that."

Everyone will be. In front of you, there are people who are in such trouble that they are dying, and if there is a way that you can easily help that person without much hassle, there will rarely be such bad people as bad enough to make a choice not to do it on purpose.

This is a lower hurdle than delivering a child crying away from their parents in a department store to a lost center.

Besides, my partner, the Spirit Dolphin, sounds queer and worries about you. Letting it go would be pathetic, too.

"You don't know what's going on! This is a sweet place in the middle of Central Hive where you can carry your luggage and attack!!

"You're the one who doesn't understand. I am the chrono of Rank 5 Adventurer" Element Master ". Don't lick Spartan's hero."

The only thing to protect is not 10,000 refugees, just one man. As much as Dylan takes on one person, what do you mean? It's so easy to win.

"This, you stupid bastard... go on your own"

Yeah, I'm on my own.

I'll just help you on my own. As a matter of fact, it's more than just because it's natural as a person... I'd like to put on a little bit of cool as your husband in front of Saliel's eyes.

"Ooh, dolphins are adorable -"

"Whoa, what the fuck! Hey, what the fuck is this tentacle!?

Once carried, if Wasawasa and tentacles jump out of the back on their own, they become entangled in spiritual dolphins floating beside Dylan.

I know it's rare, Sheep, but please, just stay jiggy today.