Akatsuki Translations

Diz, holding Akane modeled as a sword, was somewhat struggling to attack the wall-like Slime King blocking her way.

“Flames don’t work… huh. Blazing Sword seems meaningless.” -Diz

《Anything else? 》-Akane

“Among the weapons you can currently imitate, there doesn’t seem to be any that would be effective.” -Diz

《Hmm. 》-Akane

Akane groaned at her own lack of power, but it wasn’t her fault.

The Slime King was troublesome. Its weakness was clear. The core. The Slime King definitely had a core that maintained its giant body. If that was destroyed, the entire being would die.

However, conversely, attacks on anything other than the core were completely ineffective. Attacking anything other than the core would only exhaust them. This was the reason why the threat of the 【Slime King】, which was just a giant slime, jumped up. The difficulty of attacking the core skyrocketed. The thickness of its body was incomparable to that of a normal slime.

The thickness of the body to the core alone was several dozen meters, and the pure volume was extraordinary.

“Moreover, its body is pitch black, so the location of the core isn’t immediately apparent. Is this Yog’s harassment?” -Diz

《It’s coming!! 》-Akane

At Akane’s signal, Diz leaped. In the spot where she had been, a part of the pitch-black slime seeped out from the ground and instantly tried to devour her.

“【Astral Flower ・ Bloom】” -Diz

The Astral Cloak flashed. The starlight contained within scattered around her, becoming a shield to protect her, a foothold, and transforming into swords.

“【Lightning Fire】” -Diz

The moment she took a stance in the air and swung her sword, lightning burst forth. The radiance of the starlight that emerged from the cloak intensified, and the strength of the light jumped up. Along with the delayed roaring sound, the body of the 【Slime King】 was blown away, but…

“Well, it seems we can’t do anything with random attacks.” -Diz

A giant hole opened in the belly of the Slime King, which was modeled after a dragon’s body. However, after a while, the hole closed up. It was back to normal in just a few seconds. Diz readied her sword again.

《Next, aim for the head? 》-Akane

“I think it’s pointless. If we aim for the head, the core will move to the torso this time.” -Diz

《It’s reading our movements? 》-Akane

“It might be a survival instinct. In that case, destroying the entire thing at once is the best… What’s that?” -Diz

Diz was puzzled. The 【Slime King】 in front of her began to change again. The head modeled after a dragon, the bloated torso with it attached, collapsed. It changed shape. She thought it would attack while doing so, but that wasn’t the case.

Upon seeing its new form, Akane let out a small scream, and Diz frowned.

《…Huh? 》-Akane

“…Uwaaah, ‘Aesula.’” -Diz

With a voice filled with deep pity, Diz referred to what the Slime King had formed in front of her. The one who had just been made “whereabouts unknown” by Ur and Shizuku appeared before him. The Slime King had transformed the dragon’s head into Aesula’s head.

Aesula’s head sitting on top of the bloated, eerie dragon’s body. It was an uncanny and utterly ridiculous sight. However, the Slime King probably had no intention of merely imitating a ridiculous appearance and degrading the dignity of the dead. Then, what was its purpose?

“No way…” -Diz

As soon as Diz realized it, the Slime King, modeled after Aesula’s head, made a strange cry while randomly moving its facial features.

At first, it sounded like a meaningless roar, but gradually, it took shape. And then,

『UUUUUUUUU【U-U-U-U-ri-gan-di-n-n-n-N-N-N-N-】』

“…Seriously?” -Diz

The Slime King, modeled after Aesula, shouted the name of the Earth Spirit. It was a sight that would make the eyes of the Temple’s residents, who were believers in the spirit, bulge out and foam at the mouth, but one couldn’t help but imagine the “worst” result.

And it turned out exactly as the worst-case scenario.

《Diz!!! 》-Akane

“This is really the worst, Yog!!” -Diz

The earth approached. Without even using magic, the ground swelled up and took the form of spears to attack Diz. Diz cursed and ran through the air again.

《Has Urigandin gone cuckoo?! 》-Akane

“Yog said it. That is a ‘successful chimera.’ In other words, there’s a high possibility that the Earth Spirit recognizes it as a human.” -Diz

《It really has gone cuckoo!! 》-Akane

Akane’s scream was reasonable. Diz also wanted to complain a bit to the Earth Spirit. Even if it didn’t possess judgment on human good and evil, it should have had a little more discretion.

《In front!!! 》-Akane

“Whoa.” -Diz

The calamity continued. A cliff suddenly appeared in front of Diz, who had been running through the air. Diz stopped her feet. The earth spears were approaching from behind, and from the cliff in front of her…

“Ugh.” -Diz

The body of the Slime King began to seep out. Its body, which had seeped into the earth, gushed out from the cliff all at once, trying to pour down on Diz like a tsunami.

“【Magic Severance ・ Ten Flashes】”-Diz

The black flashes that severed magic were unleashed in an instant. The shockwave from that single strike caused the Slime King’s body to burst and the cliff to collapse, and it occurred ten times. The attack that seemed to envelop Diz created a momentary blank space. Diz ran through that blank space and escaped.

『ＧＧＧＧＧＧＧＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡ！！！』

The Slime King with Aesula’s head screamed as if irritated. Perhaps reflecting the person’s personality, it seemed quite short-tempered.

“What should we do? It can’t perfectly control the blessing of the earth, but still…” -Diz

《Withdraw and get weapons? 》-Akane

“If we leave this thing alone, it will definitely destroy several cities.” -Diz

《It’s always like that. 》-Akane

“It really is.” -Diz

While laughing, Diz continued to think about how to deal with the Slime King.

The earth and the slime had surprisingly good compatibility when facing them. One of the weaknesses of slimes was the heaviness of their movements. Without feet to kick the ground, they could only crawl with their bodies, so they were slow unless they were falling and letting gravity take over. This problem was solved by moving the earth itself, seeping into it, and being carried.

It was troublesome. If they carelessly left it alone, it could contaminate any place through the ground. No–

“…Already, huh.” -Diz

《Ugh, it’s like polluted water spreading. 》-Akane

When Diz looked down at her feet, the earth was being invaded by the Slime King’s body. It wasn’t just that its body was stretching along the ground. The earth was mixing with the Slime King. It could be called contamination. The beasts and insects that had been on the ground were being devoured, and small cries could be heard from all around.

And this was expanding. It was far more efficient and malicious than the Gashadokuro that had become the minion of the Gluttonous Dragonling. If left unchecked, the core might start multiplying, leading to a fatal situation.

“…Hurry and burn the entire earth to ashes, huh?” -Diz

《It’ll be tough to defeat the squishy thing after that, you know? 》-Akane

“There’s no other choice. I’ll push myself.” -Diz

《Roger… Hm? 》-Akane

“Akane?” -Diz

《Hmm… Hmm… From Nii-tan, communication. It’s a bit far. 》-Akane

“Ur?” -Diz

Through Akane, Ur and Diz could use communication magic similar to the adventurer’s ring. So contact was possible. However, it was questionable why he contacted them in this situation. He should have understood the dire situation on their end.

If he still contacted them with that understanding, it must be something important.

“Connect us. Ur?” -Diz

《Diz… Aka… can… hear… also… 》-Akane

“It’s cutting out a lot, but I can hear you. What is it?” -Diz

The fierce attack of the Slime King had started again. Diz was fending it off and continuing to attack while searching for the core. But as expected, its body was already starting to be covered by the blessing of the Earth Spirit. The attacks were less effective than before. It was becoming difficult to pierce through its body.

Perhaps the only saving grace was that due to its giant size, the blessing was not complete. However, it was still troublesome.

“Sorry, but I have almost no time. Please make it quick.” -Diz

《There… get… away… 》-Akane

“Get away?” -Diz

《Get away…! 》-Akane

Get away?

Before she could think about the meaning of the words, Diz turned around at the new presence, faster than expected. And she was able to understand the meaning of Ur’s words.

“Ugh… Ur is being reckless too.” -Diz

《Isn’t that dangerous?! 》-Akane

At the end of Diz and Akane’s gaze was the 【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】, the center of this disturbance.

Uuga, which should have been silent under Echelle’s instructions, had somehow raised its body and opened its huge palate, accumulating “crimson lightning.”

《IT’S GOING TO FIRE!! GET AWAY!!! 》-Akane

Diz leaped away at once. Immediately after, a tremendous amount of red heat rays burned the Slime King.

　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

A little earlier

Inside the【Dragon-Devoured Uuga】, the “Command Center”.

“…What the fuck is this?” -Ur

“…Yeah, I understand how you feel.” -Echelle

Echelle, who had introduced it to Ur, who was frowning at the sight before him, also showed a somewhat perplexed expression without hiding it.

Echelle, who had been transported to Uuga by Diz, had regained consciousness with Kalkara’s care and had been investigating the Dragon-Devoured Uuga without sparing any time to rest.

And there was this place. Presumably, it was the 【Command Center】 prepared by Aesula.

“It’s so luxurious.” -Ur

In response to Ur’s amazement, Shizuku expressed a simple and carefree impression.

The place was constructed in an awfully extravagant manner. A pure white room made of true alabaster, renowned as the “jewel of stones” that could not be scratched even by any famous sword. Decorations adorned with colorful jewels, a shimmering chandelier on the ceiling. The impression was of extreme elegance.

Honestly, it was hard to believe that this was a place to control a fearsome familiar.

“During Uuga’s construction, I was instructed to build this place in advance, so I knew about it. That man was quite particular about it.” -Echelle

After seating Echelle, who was still not in perfect condition, in a provided chair, Kalkara touched a huge crystal in the center with her hand.

“It’s a crystal of far-sight. If we activate it…” -Shizuku

The moment she touched it with her finger, the crystal lit up. The crystal, which had been a dark blue color, shone white and then projected a scenery inside it. It was the view of the Dragon-Devoured Uuga’s main body. And it also projected the place where Ur and Shizuku had been until a while ago, where Diz and the others were currently battling the Slime King.

“Diz, Akane. Are you still safe?” -Ur

“As expected, it’s getting even bigger. The Slime King.” -Shizuku

“Man… I really want to provide some assistance if possible…” -Ur

The figure of the Slime King, which continued to grow larger, was clearly visible even in the crystal of far-sight. The sickening dragon shape, the head that seemed to resemble a human form, was it just his imagination? Leaving that aside, although Diz was fighting, there was no sign of it being held back for now.

Of course, it wasn’t an opponent that Ur and the others could handle alone. But conveniently, Ur and the others were now aboard a giant familiar that was equal to or surpassed that Slime King. There was no reason not to use it.

“Kalkara, how does this familiar fight? By ramming?” -Ur

Ur asked for confirmation, but Kalkara shook her head.

“The specifications of the familiar itself were decided only between the heretics and Aesula. I don’t think I’ve disclosed them to anyone, even my close associates.” -Kalkara

Aesula seemed to be a man with an extreme hunger for power and monopolistic desire. Ur clicked his tongue. But he was probably planning to rebel against the Wise Heavenly King with this familiar. There was no doubt that it possessed some kind of fighting power. In that case,

“Echelle. Can you make the familiar fight?” -Ur

He called out to Echelle, who was sitting in a chair. She looked up, and her complexion was indeed poor. She had already been exhausted from the battle of spirit power with Aesula, and now she was pushing herself to come here. He wanted to let her rest if possible, but she was also aware that now was a situation where she had to push herself.

That’s why Kalkara also glared at Ur with a furious expression but didn’t stop him.

“Echelle.” -Ur

“…I can do it. If I order it to attack, it should do so. Uuga should have that much functionality. But I don’t know what will happen after that.” -Echelle

“…It’s going to be an impromptu performance.” -Ur

Honestly, he was hesitant to use such an incomprehensible giant creature. But even as they were doing so, the darkness of the Slime King reflected in the crystal of far-sight continued to expand and advance. Would it reach here at this rate? Or would Diz hold it back and destroy the Slime King? It was unclear which way it would lean.

However, he didn’t want to just watch the battle where his fate was at stake.

“…Alright, Echelle. Once we’re far enough away from the temporary city, please give the attack order.” -Ur

“–I understand. 【Uuga】!!” -Echelle

『――――――ＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡ……』

Echelle gripped her palm engraved with the control seal. The glow of magical power was emitted, and at the same time, Uuga started moving. It could be seen in the crystal of far-sight. Surprisingly, even though Uuga stood up and started walking, there was almost no shaking felt in the command center. It was unclear what kind of magic was applied, but the back of the familiar seemed to be designed quite safely.

Instead, a different change occurred.

“Ur-sama.” -Shizuku

Shizuku looked up at the surroundings of the room and spoke. Ur did the same, and the jewels adorning the room began to emit light. A strong red light. At that moment, they realized that they were not jewels but processed magic stones.

The entire room flickered red. A sound like an alarm repeated. They had only given the order to attack, but the situation was clearly strange.

『ＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡ』

“Echelle? What is Uuga trying to do?” -Ur

“…Probably” -Echelle

Echelle, who had given the order, also turned to Ur with some hesitation. Then, looking a bit uncomfortable,

“A beam.” -Echelle

“A beam.” -Ur

“Going baaa.” -Echelle

“Baaa…” -Ur

It was a very simple but easy-to-understand explanation. Ur was silent for a moment, somehow digesting those words. Then, he concentrated his consciousness on Akane and called out to them.

“Akane! Diz! Can you hear me? Both of you!! Get away from there!!” -Ur

“Everyone, please sit in a chair immediately! Crouch down!!” -Shizuku

Even as he spoke, the sound and the brightness of the light in the room intensified. Shizuku called out to Kalkara and at the same time sat down in a chair prepared nearby. Ur did the same while repeatedly calling out to Diz and the others.

《Sorry… almost no ti… make it qui..ck… 》-Diz

“Get away from there!!! It’s going to fire!! Get away!!” -Ur

Even as he called out, the light kept getting stronger and stronger. The crystal of far-sight was no longer showing Diz and the others or the Slime King. Only an intense red light.

“It’s coming!!” -Ur

『ＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡＡ！！！！！！！！！』

Immediately after, an unprecedented roar and impact ran through the command center.

Since they were sitting in fixed chairs presumably prepared for this purpose and crouching down, they didn’t fall over, but the impact made it difficult for Ur to stand up for a while.

The impact lasted for a long time. During that time, neither the brightness nor the impact weakened at all. It was an overwhelming release of power, probably the strongest force Ur had ever experienced.

Covering his ears from the roar, Ur shouted in a half-desperate tone.

“YOUR BROTHER IS A DUMBASS, ECHELLE!!!!” -Ur

“I THINK SO TOO!!!” -Echelle

Their screams were quickly drowned out by the roar.

　　　　　　　　　　◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆◆

The long noise of destruction, which lasted for more than a minute, was finally heading towards convergence.

『ＡＡＡＡＡ……』

Along with Uuga’s quieting cry, the light and sound subsided. Confirming this, Ur slowly raised his body and stood up.

“…Is everyone safe? What about Akane and Diz…?” -Ur

“We’re fine.” -Shizuku

“I thought… I was going to die.” -Echelle

“Over here… the crystal, it’s recovering.” -Shizuku

The crystal of far-sight, which had become invisible due to the intense flash, began to normalize.

“…This is.” -Ur

“The terrain has changed.”

The earth was gouged out.

It was probably the “beam” that Uuga had spat out earlier. A deep, long, and large groove had been created in the earth that should have been an endless plain. The surrounding area was completely scorched and turned into a wasteland.

“…Your brother really is an idiot.” -Ur

“I really think so…” -Echelle

He didn’t feel like thinking too much about what he was originally trying to do with a familiar that could cause destruction that transformed the earth. Suddenly, he noticed an ominous phrase written in magic-created letters on the desk in front of the commander’s seat, something like 【Anti-City Annihilation Magic Cannon】, but he decided to forget about it.

《…Ur… can you hear me? Ur! 》-Diz

“Diz? I’m so glad you weren’t caught up in it.” -Ur

《I thought we were going to die!! Idiot!! 》-Diz

Hearing the two voices echoing in his head, Ur was truly relieved. If Diz had really been caught up in that explosive light, it would have been no laughing matter. Instead of sending salt to the enemy, they might have sent their allies to the afterlife.

He vowed in his heart never to carelessly use that attack again.

《That was crazy, I couldn’t move at all. 》-Diz

“I was really worried it might get in the way, but I’m relieved. What about the Slime King?” -Ur

《It’s fine! 》-Diz

“Why?” -Ur

He couldn’t help but ask bluntly.

《Most of the Slime King’s body was blown away by that. It should have been significantly weakened. But the core of the Slime King itself hasn’t been destroyed yet. It’s probably underground. 》-Diz

“Like a mole?” -Ur

《The troublesome thing is that it can use the blessing of the Earth Spirit. And there’s one more troublesome thing. 》-Diz

“I don’t want to hear it, but go ahead.” -Ur

《The Slime King went in your direction. It’s using the blessing of the earth in combination to move towards Uuga at super high speed. If it was moving even during that storm of destruction, it might already be there. 》-Diz

“Damn it.” -Ur

But it was he who had given the order to attack. It was the height of reaping what he had sown.

《We’re heading in your direction too, but the other side has a faster start and movement speed. Can you run away, or can you order Uuga to attack again? Towards the ground in a wide area. 》-Diz

“Echelle. Can you do that thing from earlier one more time? This time, dig up the ground.” -Ur

“I understand… No, wait a moment.” -Echelle

“What’s wrong?” -Ur

Echelle was silent for a while, gripping her control seal. Perhaps searching for information that only the master of Uuga could know, she did so with her eyes closed for a while, then nodded and looked up at Ur.

“Uuga says it’s tired.” -Echelle

“Tired, huh…” -Ur

Two feelings welled up simultaneously within Ur: a feeling of “that’s understandable” and a feeling of “what the fuck do you mean ‘tired,’ idiot,” and they canceled each other out. Now was not the time to think about it.

“Diz, Uuga can’t move. It seems to be tired.” -Ur

《I see, that’s ridiculous, can’t be helped. 》-Diz

Diz seemed to have thought the same thing.

《The monster called 【Slime King】 isn’t very smart. If it perceives Uuga as a threat, it’s only logical that it would move to attack Uuga directly, but–》-Diz

“But?” -Ur

《Considering the ‘material,’ there’s a possibility that it’s being unusually clever. Brace yourself. 》-Diz

At the same time as Diz’s communication was cut off, the command center shook violently.

“Whoa?!” -Ur

Despite the shaking being kept to a minimum even during Uuga’s attack earlier, it was intense. The reason for the difference was clear. There was no need to look into the crystal of far-sight, because the “cause was peering through the large window of the room.”

“It’s the 【Slime King】.” -Shizuku

“What a quick arrival…” -Ur

The 【Slime King】, with its pitch-black, translucent torso and blue-purple core, was clinging to the command center. Although its volume had clearly shrunk compared to when they first saw it, it was still gigantic. The earlier shaking was from this impact.

“—-!!!!!” -Echelle

Echelle let out a scream that was not even a voice.

It was understandable. After all, on the head of that Slime King–although it shouldn’t have had something like a head in the first place–was none other than Aesula’s head attached to it. Aesula’s head, which had been peering through the window, moved its face closer to the large window and then opened its hollow mouth, which had no tongue, teeth, or anything, and screamed.

『ECCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCcheEEEEEEEEEllllllllllllllllllllllLLLLLLLLLLlllllllleEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! 』

“…Damn, that’s terrifying.” -Ur

Ur succinctly expressed his impression and readied his dragonfang spear as if to rouse his exhausted body.