Inside the Cave of Obscenity (WN): Volume 12 - 5

 

The Hero and the Demon King

"Spectacular... Is it okay to say that?"

 It was a few days after Fasalina created a holy sword for Akane and strengthened the barrier covering the entire area of ​​Lishlua.

 The slimes that suddenly appeared from the direction of Grabalt surrounded the mountain, leaving no gap for even a single cat to pass through.

 Monsters, monsters, monsters as far as the eye can see.

 From things close to humanoids such as goblins, orcs, and lizardmen.

 Multi-headed magical beasts such as Cerberus, Chimera, and Hydra.

 Large monsters, golems, cyclops, and ents.

 There are even harpies and small dragons in the sky.

 Slimes of all races and shapes surrounded the foot of the sacred mountain where the holy city of Lishlua was located.

 The number is over 10,000... and it's probably still an order of magnitude different.

"Not very likely, but I don't think we can win."

"Yeah. It's impossible."

 On the other hand, there are about 2,000 people holed up in Lishlua.

 If you include the elderly and children, it's probably 5,000.

 The difference in strength was so great that Akane and Meltia, who had come down to the foot of the sacred mountain and were preparing to intercept them, were even relenting.

 The premonition of death was so strong that the two of them felt like their senses had become stupid, and they moved inside the barrier set up by Fasalina with lighter steps than usual.

 What they were carefully observing was where in this group was the target, the [slime that mimicked a human perfectly].

"Anyway, is that strategy really possible?"

"I feel like there was a saying that if you crush the head, the others will run away."

 Akane smiled bitterly as she blurted out the vague words.

 To be honest, she didn't have the confidence.

 Perhaps those words were meant to reassure herself.

 The opponent is a slime... According to Kara, it has wisdom comparable to or even greater than that of a human.

 Would these slimes retreat just because their leader was crushed?

 She didn't have any confidence, but now that they are cornered to this point, she has no choice but to cling to that hope.

"Besides, first of all, we have to take back the holy sword that slime has. Since it's in its hands, we can't run away or protect ourselves."

"I agree……"

 For Meltia as well, the holy sword held by the enemy is her father's legacy.

 The desire to take it back is even greater than Akane's.

"We'll get the holy sword back and help the girl named Mariabelle. If we do that, we'll have some chance of winning."

(I hope so)

 While Akane said this to Meltia, a question mark appeared in her head.

 Is there really any chance for humanity to win?

 The overwhelming difference in strength makes it seem like the situation is irreversible.

(I wonder what Fasalina is thinking.)

 Even after being driven this far into a corner, the only things she could intervene as a goddess were preparing a holy sword and strengthening the barrier.

 The moment she saw the holy sword being created a few days ago―― the power she felt at that moment was literally from another dimension.

 Akane thought that with that kind of power, it might be possible to make the slime disappear.

(Or maybe there are some kind of restrictions, like not being able to participate in battles on the ground as a goddess...?)

 Or is she saying that even in such a situation, she is hoping that humans can overcome the situation alone?

 Human and goddess.

 It only took a few seconds for Akane, a person from another world, to worry about the power relations that she didn't understand.

"Is there any point in thinking about it?"

"What's wrong?"

"I think it would be easier if Fasalina herself helped us."

"Fufu――"

 When Akane said that, Meltia narrowed her eyes and smiled elegantly while covering her mouth with her hand.

 Akane felt that it was an elegant laugh, typical of a princess of a country.

 For the first time in her life, she was instantly captivated by the sound of her laughter, which she thought was cute and beautiful even from the perspective of someone of the same s*x.

"――Fasalina-sama is lending us enough strength, Akane-sama."

"R-really?"

 Akane asked back, unable to speak due to her admiration.

"She summoned Akane-sama to this world, prepared a new holy sword, and strengthened the barrier."

"Only that."

"We are the ones living on the ground. Perhaps we should also be the ones fighting to survive on the ground―― that's what I think."

 I see.

 Akane didn't understand everything, but she understood what she meant and nodded.

"This is where we live, so should we protect it ourselves?"

(Maybe Fasalina thinks so too.)

 Well, that said, she doesn't think there will be any children if humanity perishes... Akane let out a small sigh so that Meltia wouldn't notice, and stretched out slightly.

 The thick tunic and pants they had prepared for her rubbed against her skin, and the light metal armor she was wearing on top of that rubbed against her skin, making a small noise.

 The high-necked sweater and jeans that came with her had been forgotten in the slime castle.

 Well, she couldn't afford to collect it, so it couldn't be helped.

 She ended up having to buy new underwear, but they weren't too uncomfortable.

"Anyway, even though we live in different worlds, the clothes we wear are similar."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. It blends into your skin much better than I imagined... There's nothing weird about it, okay?"

 Akane suddenly became curious and asked Meltia for her opinion, and the silver-haired princess gave a big nod with a carefree smile.

 Although she is not tall enough to reach Akane's chest, her breasts, which are twice as plump as hers, sway greatly.

 Although the outfit was reminiscent of a mage's with little skin exposed, Akane felt that it actually emphasized the charm of a woman that could not be hidden in the ascetic atmosphere, making her look even more erotic.

 When the word [transistor glamor] comes to mind, she thinks it's definitely true.

 Despite her young appearance and short height, she has large breasts and buttocks that are comparable to an adult, or rather, since she is older than Akane, they are suitable for her age.

 She was convinced that such an unbalanced and beautiful body would probably be rarely seen anywhere else on Earth.

 The owner of such a s*xually attractive body was looking at her with a smile like a girl's.

 Akane felt embarrassed and averted her gaze, then looked outside the barrier again.

(I have to defeat it, right?)

 It's not about whether she can defeat it or not.

 It has to be defeated.

 Akane stayed strong and Meltia and her continued to search for the perfect humanoid slime... Alfred.

・

・

・

"Will the army be deployed to the east?"

"Yes. I’ve heard that the humanoid slime was in the west. We’ll put almost all our forces on the east side to gather them, then have them subjugate the humanoid slime on the west side, where we’ve thinned out."

 A few hours later, the final strategy meeting was held in a tent at the foot of the sacred mountain.

 Fornelis is in command.

 A few days have passed since Grabalt collapsed, and the shock of losing her country has probably subsided, her voice becoming firmer.

 ...However, Akane felt a dangerous atmosphere there.

"300 Grabalt warriors who have finished their treatment, 2000 Lishlua priest soldiers, and 3,000 elderly and child soldiers... From among them, I entrust to you, Akane, 200 mixed troops of Grabalt and Lishlua."

"Do I take command?"

 Akane could hear the anxiety in her voice.

 As a modern person, she has no experience of leading an army, and her connection to this world is weak to begin with.

 She was worried that the people around her would not listen if someone suddenly appeared and gave them orders.

"No, I'll put someone under you who can command. It's Julia."

"Best regards, Akane-sama."

 After saying that, the blonde fox-eared beastman, Julia, bowed deeply.

 Normally, she would do the salute used in Grabalt, but she heard that bowing is the custom in Akane's world, so she did it that way.

"Nice to meet you, Julia."

"Also, I'll leave Meltia with you. Magic is conspicuous, so unless you're interrupted in a one-on-one situation, it might be best to keep it inconspicuous until the very last moment."

"I understand. Fornelis-sama... will you be in command of the east side?"

"Yeah. I will lead the rest of the troops on the east side―― and Kara will be there as well."

"I understand."

 Everyone here understood that one of the enemy's targets was Kara.

 A scientist who created the slime-killing poison [Valhari Water]. The opponent that slimes are most wary of.

 Its importance is probably on par with Goddess Fasalina and Hero Akane.

"…What if the humanoid slime heads east aiming for Kara?"

"The sacred mountain of Lishlua is huge. Even if the slime noticed Kara's presence and started moving, it would take half a day on horseback. No matter how amazing the slime is, it would cover this distance in one go. That would be impossible."

"Besides, should we launch an attack and stop it once they are divided?"

"That's how it is"

 Normally, it would be perfect to send a messenger to check the situation, and if the target starts taking action, then send in additional forces to stop it.

 They don't really have that kind of strength.

 The messenger who ran to Fonteau hasn't returned either, so they should assume that he was probably caught by the slime on the way.

 Fornelis and the others had no choice but to stop them here.

 ...That's because there isn't enough strength left to think of a secondary strategy.

"One from me too."

 At that, Kara raised her hand.

"You don't have to worry about your safety on the eastern battlefield. Here, we have women on the front lines, and men on the rear guard."

 Kara had come up with a hypothesis during the retreat earlier.

 The humanoid slime... It was the meaning of Alfred’s existence.

"Ever since that perfect humanoid appeared, the slimes' behavior has changed―― I think everyone has noticed that they also started killing women."

 Kara spread out the map of Grabalt on top of the Lishlua map spread out inside the tent.

 Red circles are drawn in about a dozen places.

"The place where we were attacked in pursuit... the battlefield where the Grabalt warriors were killed."

 Among them, she points her finger at the battlefield near the border of Lishlua.

"However, in the last few battles, the slimes started attacking women... They're still behaving in the same way as the slimes we've been fighting."

"Thinking from that, we think that other slimes are probably changing to kill people due to the influence of the perfect humanoid slime."

"Does that mean the slime is giving such instructions?"

"Maybe it's an order or control, but it seems that the Demon King that Maria's father defeated a long time ago gathered together monsters, each with their own individual will and habits, and made them attack humans."

――Perhaps the [Demon King] is someone who has the ability to twist the will of monsters and make them listen to what it says.

 Kara's thoughts made everyone around her realize that there were similarities between the [Demon King] that the hero defeated and the slime.

 Fornelis, who had fought that Demon King, gasped.

 She had asked her what she had to say beforehand to avoid confusion, but no matter how many times she heard it, it was still bad for her heart.

 She didn't want to think about it, but she thought maybe another Demon King had been born.

"Since Goddess Fasalina appeared on the ground, we should think that there is something special about that slime, even if it is not a Demon King."

"That's right. However, the Demon King and this guy are different... He came out to the front line defenseless. We're not going to let this opportunity pass!"

 Following Kara's words, Fornelis explained and visualized the situation of Grabalt's battlefield and Lishlua by overlapping the maps.

"If we think about the sacred mountain of Lishlua―― centering on the foot of it, it’s considered that if you fight in the opposite direction, west and east, only women’s lives are safe."

(Just because it's possible doesn't mean it's possible.)

 Akane had heard about this a few days ago.

 She remembers being asked what she, who has the hero intuition, thought about that consideration, and she answered, [Maybe so].

 It's about possibility.

 They don't have time to look into the content―― if anything, these words are meant to reassure women.

(Well, maybe it's better to be violated than die...)

 She can't clearly say which one is better.

 But it's much better to be violated and kill a hundred slimes afterward than to end up dead.

 But that's not all.

 Not killing women is one of the slime's few weaknesses.

"That's why this opponent won't come to kill you like before... they won't come to take your life. Fight with peace of mind."

 After Fornelis declared that, she powerfully tapped the table on which the maps were stacked.

 Having an opponent who doesn't have murderous intent makes it much easier to fight.

 While it tries to grab you, it gives you a few chances to attack.

 What you will do with that opportunity―― what is important is your decision.

 When making a decision, the tension you feel varies greatly depending on whether it is [death] or [humiliation].

"We did what we could. Even with the Valhari's Blessed Water, Kara wasted no time in sleeping and prepared as much as she could."

 Outside the tent, three wooden boxes and about thirty glass bottles of blessed water were prepared.

 Although it is too small compared to the number of slimes, it is a deadly poison that can definitely kill slimes.

 If they don't use it in the wrong place, they should be able to deliver a fatal blow.

"Even if you get injured, the priests of Lishlua will heal you."

 Outside the tent, the priests who were skilled in miracles of recovery gathered around the [Saint] Jenna and were also preparing for battle.

 The battlefield is not just about fighting and dying.

 Healing the wounded is also a battle.

"We're ready. All that's left is to do it."

 After speaking up to this point, Fornelis checked her surroundings and saw that the expressions of everyone gathered inside the tent had not changed at all.

 Slime is a monster.

 They violate women, they kill men.

 Even if they surrendered, the outcome would not change, and Fasalina, Akane, and Kara would probably be killed without any questions asked.

 In that case, they had no choice but to fight.

 There is no place on this continent to run away to, and even if they did run away, there would be no destination.

 Will they win and live or lose and die?

 Given those two choices, there is only one path a person can choose.

"Win"

 Fornelis said so in a firm voice.

"Kill the slime that mimics a human, take back the holy sword, rescue Mariabelle, and this time, with the blessings of Goddess Fasalina, we will kill all the slimes… we will win!!"

"Ooh!!"

 Inside the tent, enthusiastic voices rose up along with words of encouragement.

 The chances of winning are quite low.

 ――Even if they knew that, there was no one who would run away.

・

・

・

 The slimes didn't try to forcefully break the barrier.

 Once, the advance team that arrived at Lishlua touched the barrier, but the slime convulsed as if struck by lightning and evaporated in a cloud of white smoke.

 Goddess' barrier.

 An invisible wall strengthened by the power of Goddess Fasalina herself, far more powerful than the walls erected by the priests of Lishlua.

 Even though it had broken through once, it was only through the [human body].

 The barrier does not affect the human body... monsters can enter the barrier by passing through the human body.

 The slimes, who are monsters, cannot break through the barrier on their own.

 Therefore, the slimes, which numbered tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, remained only surrounding Lishlua, and were unable to advance any further.

 Alfred, who is imitating a human perfectly, is no exception.

 He also touched the Goddess' barrier, but his fingertips became charred, carbonized, and collapsed.

"…………"

 He waits. For that moment.

 Humans will not sit still. Absolutely.

 Humans need food as well as water to survive.

 The knowledge within him believed that there were only a few weeks worth of food left in Lishlua, and that humanity would come out before that.

 If they don't do that, they can't fight.

 People cannot fight on an empty stomach.

 Before they run out of food... no, they have no choice but to fight a decisive battle while they still have time.

 Because that's the only way for humans to survive.

 So all he had to do was wait.

 If someone comes out, kill them and enter the barrier through their corpse.

 That was it.

 A high sacred mountain. Wide barrier range.

 But the number of slimes doesn't matter.

 An overwhelming difference in quantity.

 That's enough.

 And three days after the siege of Lishlua.

 Finally, movement occurred within the barrier...

 He just keeps waiting.

 Just one thing. When his natural enemy... the human who created the deadly poison dies.

 The existence of humans glaring at him inside the barrier has no meaning or value to him.

・

・

・

"It's starting."

"Yeah."

 Akane and the others were waiting on the west side of the sacred mountain of Lishlua, as agreed in advance.

 To the east, the troops commanded by Fornelis have begun battle―― they can hear their battle cries, albeit slightly.

 The black-haired hero grips the hilt of the holy sword that was adjusted for her and holds back.

 Until the slimes from the north and south join the eastern battlefield.

 The number exceeded tens of thousands, and a force of less than 5,000 would not be able to maintain the front line for even an hour.

"Slimes can't pass through the barrier... I heard they did once, but it was because they passed through a human body."

"Yes. That's why Jenna-sama and the others were cornered, and Lishlua was in danger of collapsing."

 During that commotion, it was Meltia's magic that repelled the slime and the blonde mage who had entered the barrier.

 That's why she can still remember the scene of that battle cry.

 The blonde mage Frederica and the humanoid slime.

(I wonder if she still works with the slime...)

 And.

(I hope Fenelieka-san is okay...)

 A red-haired female demon who was caring for the injured in the royal castle when the Grabalt's World Tree was cut down.

 Did she get caught up in the collapse of the royal castle, or was she lucky to be saved? She doesn't know yet.

 She didn't see the body, so she hoped she was saved, but she didn't have the time to go look for her.

 ――Here, the reason why she doesn't write it off as [because she's a monster] is probably because Meltia accepts her as a companion who traveled with her.

(Maria, Fenelieka-san―― I will definitely come to your rescue after this battle is over. Please be safe.)

 Meltia holds the magic staff made from the branches of the World Tree that was given to her by her mother tightly to her chest for a different reason than the nervousness she felt just before the battle.

 Even her mother was receiving treatment at the sacred mountain behind her... the royal capital of Lishlua.

 There's a person behind her to protect.

 In front of her is someone she wants to help.

 With this determination in mind, Meltia forgets the fear of battle.

"The monsters from the north and south have started moving to the east!!"

 After several more minutes passed, Julia's high-pitched voice rang out in the atmosphere filled with suffocating tension.

 The soldiers who had been monitoring it revealed that the monsters from the north and south began to move towards the eastern battlefield, aiming for Kara, as originally planned.

 Has Kara's existence not yet spread to the West, or do they think that there is no problem even if the humanoid didn't move?

 ――In front of Akane and the others, a human figure surrounded by about 1,000 monsters is reflected.

"Okay! Let's start the battle!!"

"Yes!!"

 When Akane declared, Julia raised her long sword.

"We will risk our lives to stop the other monsters so that Akane-sama can fight―― risking our lives!!"

"Ooh!!"

"Let’s end everything here!!"

"Ooohhh!!"

 When Julia and Meltia raised their voices, the 200 warriors of Grabalt and the priests of Lishlua raised a battle cry.

 Just the sound of a loud voice makes the fear fade away.

 ――After all, there is a slime here that mimics a perfect humanoid form.

 He came to kill people.

 That's why there were many male warriors in this unit.

"Let's go!! ――Follow me!!"

 Finally, Akane raised her holy sword and declared.

 At the same time, she ran towards the outside of the barrier.

 Beyond that is a blond slime with the exact same appearance as a human―― Alfred is waiting, motionless.

"I will definitely defeat you here!!"

 While holding the holy sword, she marched ahead faster than anyone else.

 Then, several slimes stood in front of Alfred.

 A humanoid with a head resembling a giant elephant, an ugly orc, and a small goblin.

"You’re in my way!!"

 Akane approached the three bodies without warning.

 An elephant holding a huge piece of wood as a weapon raises its right hand.

 Akane's holy sword has yet to reach the area, but the giant elephant has launched a pre-emptive attack due to the length of its arms and the length of its weapon.

"――――!!"

 Akane didn't block the attack with her sword, but accelerated further and jumped into it before the raised weapon could hit the ground.

 Judging by her visual estimation, she jumped into its bosom and flashed her holy sword from a perfectly safe distance.

 The feather-light sword cut the slime liquid in half with a sharpness that didn't even make the sound of the wind.

 In its trajectory, there is a [core] that is the slime's weak point, and its shape collapses as it is cut into two.

"One!"

 Using the momentum of swinging her sword, she changed her body position and turned towards the goblin, who was looking for an opening to attack.

 Akane's reaction was quick.

 ...It was too fast.

 The goblin thrust at her with the rusted and tattered long sword in its hand, but she avoided it by simply using the momentum of changing direction, and decapitated it with the quickest movement.

 Also, it easily destroys the [core].

 Finally, when she comes face to face with a physically strong but slow orc, she swings her sword several times before she can catch her breath.

 ――With just that, the bipedal pig-shaped slime was chopped into tiny pieces.

"Three."

 She took one deep breath.

 She doesn't feel tired, and she doesn't feel like she has used up her energy.

"Now, come."

 Meanwhile, the other slimes became ready for battle, and at the same time, those who were following Akane also caught up.

 The battle has begun.

 Nearly 1,000 slimes and 200 humans.

 During the collision, the vanguard only stood up for a moment, and the slimes, who were superior in size, strength, and numbers, quickly tried to crush the humans with their force.

 However, there is a hero here.

"I'll leave the rest to you guys!!"

 Akane sets her sights on particularly heavy and huge monsters and defeats them at once, balancing out the momentum of the collision.

Then, this time, she used the heads of the slimes as footholds to head deeper.

(I'll defeat you right away!)

 Aim for just one.

 A slime in the shape of a human.

"Fuu."

 There were a few slimes left around that slime... whether they were the last guards or if they simply didn’t have a sense of camaraderie.

 ――But.

"Wow... Fasalina said that she's the most amazing mage in this world now, but it might be true."

 Akane, who had moved behind them, was distracted, and the monsters took advantage of the gap, and the ice magic was released, freezing every single slime that existed in that straight line.

 Akane thought it was like a laser.

 A freezing ray that freezes everything it touches.

 Exactly as that expression fits, hundreds of slimes freeze at once in just one flash.

 It seems that the liquid slime and cold magic go very well together.

 The same goes for the slime that was near Alfred.

"But even with this, your face hasn’t changed."

 Akane said this to Alfred while holding the holy sword.

 No reply.

 His expression hasn't changed either.

 However, the opponent also holds a holy sword and confronts her.

"――――――"

"………………"

 Immediately, the battle began.

 Akane and Alfred have different goals, but they share the same desire to end the battle quickly.

 Akane is so that none of her comrades will be killed.

 Judging from her appearance, Alfred was convinced that Kara was somewhere on the battlefield.

 The slime cannot share information unless it absorbs many beings―― he still does not know where Kara is.

 However, he was convinced that Akane was on a different battlefield... so he tried to end the battle all at once.

"I won’t let you do it!!:

 He raises the holy sword above his head.

 Akane immediately understood that he was thinking of releasing the power of the holy sword and blowing away the barrier.

 However, there was no way the current Akane would overlook such a chance-filled action.

 When she closed the distance with a step that was incomparable to the first time she faced him in Grabalt, both of his arms raised above his head were cut in half in an instant.

 Both arms holding the holy sword―― from the elbows forward are flying in the air.

 However, Alfred's expression did not change.

 A new arm immediately grew from the cut surface, merged with the arms flying in the air, and brought the holy sword closer to him.

"Wha!?"

 Both arms instantly regenerate and are swung down.

 Akane instantly dodged half of her body, and then kicked Alfred's holy sword, causing it to deviate from its trajectory.

 ――A blade of light was released, splitting the earth and gouging out the ground several hundred meters away, accompanied by a shock wave.

 If Akane hadn't kicked the blade and changed the direction of the slash, that alone would have dealt a fatal blow to Meltia's group.

 However, it was fortunate that the attack missed and some of the frozen slime was caught in the light of the holy sword and blown away.

"That's messed up."

(I can't believe he's doing this to his own subordinates!)

 In the first place, slimes probably don't have any sense of camaraderie.

 Although she knew this, Akane was angered by such behavior and increased the force of her attack.

"I won’t let you swing it again!!"

 True to her declaration, she attacks Alfred with slashes that are like rain, and when he tries to unleash the power of the holy sword, she deflects the attack away from her companions.

(The power is weaker than that time―― can you adjust the power!? You didn't say anything about that, Fasalina!!)

 The power of the holy sword released was much weaker than when it severed Grabalt's World Tree.

 Based on Akane's quick movements, he decided that it would be better to make a series of attacks that could kill one person, rather than one powerful blow that could blow away the entire sacred mountain.

 Akane had never heard of being able to adjust the powers like that, so she cursed in her mind, but there was no point in putting it into words.

 Now that she knows it can be done, she gets in the way of it.

 Interfering with the slashing attack, deflecting it if it swung, and not letting her allies suffer even a single casualty.

 ――Still, people were screaming from behind.

 Monsters and humans.

 There is a fundamental difference in their physical abilities, and they are now overwhelmingly outmatched in terms of strength and numbers.

"Quickly―― I'll finish it!!"

 Akane swings her holy sword while breathing erratically.

 By slashing with such force and speed that one can even see afterimages, she finally destroys one of the [core] inside Alfred.

 She doesn't stop and destroys two or three more.

 Alfred is on the defensive and has no time to swing the holy sword.

 If he tried to forcefully release his power, Akane would instantly cut off the arm holding the holy sword.

"There's still more―― you, coward!!"

 If she were to compare it to a human, it'd be a heart... To think it has ten or twenty of them... From Akane's point of view, that's nothing but cowardice.

 Unable to hold back the words of complaint, Akane speeds up her attacks even more.

 She didn't stop.

 She skillfully adjusts her position according to Alfred's movements and swings her sword wildly.

 No, the others can only think that she was swinging it wildly against it, but it was all a slash to destroy the [slime core].

 Kendo is her specialty.

 It can even be called a sword technique that is used in actual combat.

 Following her instincts and intuition to cut through the [uncomfort] that gets stuck in her thoughts.

 That is the slime's [core] ――It was a strange feeling, each and every one of its multiple hearts.

"You, you, youuu!!"

(Hurry up! Die―― quickly!!)

 Besides, there was fear inside Akane.

 The fear of being trapped and violated by the slime.

 Akane's face clearly shows the certainty that if she loses here, she will be violated again.

 But that fear becomes power.

 The force of the sword increased further, and it seemed to be tireless as it sliced ​​Alfred's entire body.

 Alfred's miscalculation may have been Akane's growth.

 Growth that can only be described as rapid. No, perhaps it would be better to describe it as evolution.

 The woman who couldn't even get close to him in Grabalt a few days ago was now cutting him to pieces. Unilaterally.

 Alfred is by no means weak.

 Although its body is human-shaped, its magic, sword skills, and physical strength far exceed humans and other slimes.

 However, he can't catch up.

 He wasn't even allowed to put up a proper defense, and were just cut into pieces one-sidedly.

 The [core] within him is being destroyed at a tremendous rate.

 There are 200 [core], but there are only 11, 10, 9... 6 left.

"I said I wouldn’t let you do it!!"

 Alfred could not bear it and held the holy sword above his head, not caring that his body would be cut in half.

 Containing all the power he has. He tries to obliterate the mountain in front of him.

 But.

"That―― I’ve been waiting for that!!"

 Akane's holy sword flashed across his raised arms.

 Both arms holding the holy sword danced in the air.

"Fuu!!"

 Before the holy sword could be retrieved, tentacles extending from the cut surface were flying in the air, Akane used Alfred, who was defenselessly focused on the holy sword, as a foothold and jumped high, kicking him far away.

 Akane's body becomes defenseless for a moment as she jumps.

 However, Alfred doesn't pursue either.

"――――"

 Colorful magic appeared around him.

 A fireball, an ice spear, a blade of compressed air that distorts the space, an electrically charged sphere...

 If there is no chance of winning with sword techniques, he would use magic to blow her away.

 He thought it would be more efficient that way.

 Jumping backward while Akane's body is in the air to open up the distance. Deploy magic. Release the unfolded magic.

 When Akane's feet touched the ground, dozens of magic bullets of various attributes were in front of her.

 ――But.

"――――――!!"

 Akane avoids the attacks with her skillful handling, deflects and slashes with her holy sword, and survives for just one second.

 But that one second was more important than anything else.

 Both legs absorb the impact of the fall, bending her knees.

 Once she was able to move her legs freely, the black-haired hero jumped out towards the source of the magic bullets being shot out like a storm.

 It's not about running away. Don't just push through until the magic power wears off.

 Challenge from the front.

 The magic passes right next to her ear, close to her skin, close enough to touch her armor.

 She doesn't care if a few strands of her black hair, the mark of a hero, are cut off.

 The holy sword deflects only those that will hit her, and avoids everything else with minimal movement.

 To an outside observer, it would appear as though magic was slipping through Akane―― the speed of the attack was rapidly accelerating due to the efficient and god-speed evasion.

(I'll end it here!)

 Alfred steps back without changing his expression.

 However, the action of preparing the magic gets in the way and the reaction is slow.

 If the magic interception stops in order to escape quickly, Akane will gain even more momentum and immediately jump into him.

 If that happens, Alfred, who has given up the holy sword, will have no way to protect himself.

 If he doesn't stop the magic, she will keep the current momentum and step into him in a few seconds.

 The difference between a moment or a few seconds later.

 Alfred recognized the outcome with the countless consciousnesses within him―― and before he could give an answer, Akane finally caught the slime within range of the holy sword.

"Die!!"

 In an instant, Akane twisted her body to avoid the magic that was fired at close range, wasting no time to deflect it, and chopped his body into tiny pieces.

 In the blink of an eye, all six remaining [cores] are destroyed, and Alfred's body is kicked away before the mucus can no longer hold its shape.

 She had heard that slimes can continue to function for a while even if they lose their core.

 That's why, after Akane kicked him, a tentacle like a spear grew from the corpse, but she cut it down without letting her guard down.

"Ha… haa, haa…"

 At this moment, Akane realized for the first time that her breathing was irregular.

 When she thinks back on it, she feels like she wasn't even breathing properly.

 She didn't know how much time it took―― Looking back, she saw slimes in the shape of monsters who had no time to cover Alfred.

"I... I won..."

 She finally got that feeling.

 There are still a lot of slimes and the situation is still dangerous, but it's great that she was able to defeat the most troublesome being.

"Alright!!"

 Akane took a moment to catch her breath and tried to attack the slimes from behind in order to help Meltia and the others.

 She took a step forward.

 ――She felt an unusual sense of hostility, as if ice had been thrown down her spine, and looked towards where Alfred's corpse was.

 What she saw was not a corpse.

 It's already in the process of melting and disappearing.

"Ah, ahh..."

 Unconsciously, a trembling voice, like a scream, escaped from her lips.

 ...The slimes that existed to guard Alfred.

 When the thing, which had been helplessly frozen by Meltia’s ice magic, shattered, Alfred appeared from within it.

 From everything that was frozen.

 The number is four.

"What's the meaning of this..."

 The answer is simple and clear.

 Like other monsters, Alfred also created the same individual.

 Same ability.

 Slimes that imitate goblins imitate goblin abilities and lifestyles, and so do orcs, chimeras, and harpies.

 Appearance and behavior are directly connected.

 For some reason Kara and the others didn't understand, the slimes had nearly omnipotent abilities, yet they led imperfect lives.

 So it's the same with Alfred――.

 It's a slime with no limits.

 ――In front of Akane, four Alfred deployed magic that was more than four times as powerful as before.

 Fireballs, ice spears, blades of air so compressed that the space appears distorted, and electrically charged spheres.

 Even behind the scenes.

"...I don't see how this is possible..."

 The monsters that were attacking Meltia and the others.

 The monsters behind had changed into the shape of Alfred.

 The only reason it can take any shape is because it's a slime.

 Since there are various forms of monsters, it's only natural that they have the ability to change.

 In the first place, the worst thing is... it would be possible for everything that exists to transform into an individual called [Alfred].

 However, this was the first time they had seen it change before their eyes.

 That's probably because he recognized Akane as a threat... but from her point of view, it was enough to make her lose her will to fight.

 More than 10 [Alfred] deployed their magic in front, rear, left and right... and fired all at once.

"Kuh――――!?"

 There's no time to scream.

 Akane instinctively ran away in a relatively safe direction and slashed as much magic as she could.

 She wanted to make sure she had enough space to avoid it, but additional magic was fired from the side where she slashed it, so she didn't have time to escape.

 Instinctively, she only chooses attacks that will hit her directly, and she tries to stay as far away from the range of magic as it shoots out like a storm.

(No good, I'll die...)

 Before Akane could escape from the storm, one of the magic that continued to fire with such force that even Akane's reaction couldn't keep up with hit her right leg.

 The hero's body was stronger than a normal person's, so she didn't bleed, but the pain made her right leg numb.

 She can't move.

 Her legs stop for a few seconds.

 ――Akane's consciousness disappeared at that moment when she was hit by so many magic bullets that she could no longer see in front of her.

 She was lucky.

 Akane's body was stronger than she thought.

 Or maybe Alfred had gone easy on her.

 Even though there’s a small sinkhole in the spot where Akane stopped, Akane’s wounds aren’t that bad when she’s blown away.

 ...Even with the hero's strong durability, it was still enough to cause her to faint, so if it were a normal person, they wouldn't have left a trace.

 But.

 Akane loses consciousness and the holy sword is out of her hands.

 More than ten Alfredo gathered around the female hero who was completely defenseless.

 To observe the person who killed him for the first time.