Chapter 514: This Chapter's Small Fry Enemy Battle

This Chapter’s Small Fry Enemy Battle

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“…………!”

Skeletons, moving around eerily!

Although they’re a common sight in fantasy, this is the first time I’ve actually seen them in person, so I’m incredibly wary.

I lower my hips, clench my fists, and assume a fighting stance.

『Oooh? Oooh? Looks like you’re ready, ‘challenger’ーーー!?』

『Gyahahahaha! Alright, we’re going to kill you! It’s our job, so don’t take it personallyーーー!!』

The skeletons, still laughing—geta-geta—readied their swords!

And then, at that moment…!

…Rin—

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

An incredible feeling of tension.

“…!?”

I involuntarily held my breath.

Cold sweat poured out from my entire body.

That’s how intense… the 【Intimidation】 emitted by the two skeletons holding swords… was.

There’s no wasted movement in their stance, frozen and still.

The image of the skeletons laughing vulgarly is nowhere to be seen.

Standing there are… two true masters!

I don’t know anything about swords, but… my instincts, screaming a warning, are telling me that they’re incredibly strong.

What are they!?

In response to my question, Extra-sama, her voice tense, tried to explain further.

But she didn’t continue.

『【Vertical Flash】.』

Because the moment I recognized that… one of the skeletons muttered those words…!

That skeleton closed the distance without a sound, stood before me… and swung its sword down!

“Tch!?”

I don’t want to take that sword!

The skeleton’s intensity made me instinctively jump to the side to dodge.

I fell to the ground, rolled, and tried to stand up.

And then—

I saw that the skeleton’s swing… created a laceration on the ground with a magical slash, far beyond the reach of its sword.

『【Horizontal Flash】.』

I’m glad I didn’t dodge backwards…

As I felt relief, thinking that—

It seems that the skeletons in front of me aren’t going to let me catch a break.

Towards me, trying to regain my balance… the other skeleton… unleashed a horizontal slash!

A slash… right where my head would be if I were to stand up!

“Rah!!”

I dodged again, instinctively!

I fell backwards, rolled, and jumped into the air, creating distance!

But…!

But… ah, this is frustrating!

『【Vertical Flash】.』

As I jumped up, floating in the air, unable to move…!

The first skeleton unleashed another vertical slash!

That… that slash… is flying!

I can’t dodge it!?

“Don’t underestimate me!!”

I instantly deployed giant 【Black Arms】 from my shoulders!

And then, I fired one of them… towards the vertically-slashing skeleton… with the force of a cannonball!

ZU-PAAN!!

The skeleton’s 【Vertical Flash】 and my 【Black Arm】—

The result of their clash… is a draw.

The flying slash of 【Vertical Flash】 disappeared.

But my 【Black Arm】… from the fist to the elbow, about half of it… was cleanly cut off.

『Ooohーーー!? What a strange thing!?』

『Gyahahahaha! Are you a monsterーーー!?』

“You’re the ones… to talk!!”

I transformed my jet-black attire from a ‘cloak’ to ‘armor’, as I landed.

Thicker armor than usual.

And then, I clenched my fists… and started charging… towards the horizontally-slashing skeleton!

『【Horizontal Sla…』

The horizontally-slashing skeleton, incredibly calmly, tried to deal with my charge—

By swinging his sword horizontally.

If I were to punch him, that slash would have been in time.

But—

“【Great Mantis】!!!”

I opened my clenched fists, extended my fingers… and formed long mana blades there!

And with those blades… at a range that the horizontally-slashing skeleton wasn’t expecting… I sliced him to pieces with a single flash!

『Gyaha!? Hahaha, seriouslyーーー…!?』

And this skeleton… although his swordsmanship is incredible, he apparently lacks durability.

His armor, his bones… many of them were sliced off by my 【Great Mantis】, and he fell to the ground with a clang, breaking apart… turning into black dust… and then, blown away by the wind, he completely disappeared.

『【Vertical Flash】.』

The remaining, vertically-slashing skeleton, without grieving or getting angry at his partner’s death, calmly unleashed a slash towards me.

“Rah…!”

I narrowly dodged it, and then charged at the vertically-slashing skeleton!

Straight… at him!

Before he can slash me!

『【Vertical Flash】.』

But I was a few moments too late!

Before I could reach the skeleton’s attack range—

A deadly slash… was unleashed towards me.

An attack from point-blank range.

No time to dodge.

So—

I’ll… take it!!

“RAAAAAAHーーー!!!”

I screamed, putting all my strength into it, my entire body surging with mana… and took the skeleton’s slash head-on!

ZU-PAAN!!

With a loud sound, a large wound appeared on my body, from my forehead to my chest!

But…!

…It’s not fatal!!

My tough body… withstood the master’s blow!!

“【Magic Strike】!!!”

And then, blood gushing out from my wound, I punched the vertically-slashing skeleton with all my might, my fist filled with mana!

GUSHAA!

This skeleton, just like the previous one, also lacked durability… and his entire body was shattered by my punch.

『Ooohーーー! Amazing! You’re amazingーーー!』

The skull, rolling on the ground, happily shouted, as its body turned into black dust.

『We… are fools! But the training we’ve accumulated over five hundred years is no lie!』

“…Fuu…”

I took a deep breath, listening to its words.

The vast amount of mana gushing out from my soul circulates throughout my body, activating my healing ability.

My wound closes, with a sizzling sound.

『You have defeated us! Proceed, ‘challenger’ーーー!!』

Saying that, the skull also turned into black dust… and the vertically-slashing skeleton was blown away by the wind, disappearing without a trace.

“…Haaaa…”

After confirming that there were no more hostile presences around, I exhaled deeply.

The wound on my body has already completely disappeared.

There’s no problem with my future activities.

However—n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

What was with those skeletonsーーー!?

Contrary to their incredibly pathetic first impression—weren’t they too strongーーー!?

Hey, Extra-sama.

You said those guys were ‘divinely-made… undead’, right?

What does that mean?

Did some god make them into super strong undead?

Is that god the one who did something ‘unnecessary’?

And here—

It’s as Extra-sama was trying to organize the information and explain it to me.

Looking around, I noticed that the phantom princess was standing nearby again.

『Brave one, be careful. This is already enemy territory. The evil soldiers of the Superbad Empire are after your life.』

As I walked towards her, the phantom princess, sensing my approach, started rattling off the predetermined lines.

And the words she spoke…!

『The ones you’ll likely fight near this gate are the two gatekeepers… ‘Ozekumuto’ and ‘Gyahalsu’. Their weakness is fire magic.』

…Useless… strategy information…!