First Outer World Story Series: The Black Mist that Devours - Chapter 53
Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter
This time, there are particularly cruel descriptions involved.
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(Ichiko POV)
“There’s a big shot coming at usssss!”
A man alerted all of us by yelling at the top of his lungs.
As it surged forward, a two-meter-tall lizard with red thorns protruding from its back emerged, knocking many people off in its path. No, given its oppressive presence, you could even call it a dragon. And on top of it, there was a demon that looked like a red pepper with limbs growing out of it. Evidently, this demon seemed to be a rider.
“Name identification! The lizard is called ‘Spicy Thorny Lizard’ and the one on top is ‘Capsicaman’[i]!”
“You bunch of slaves! All of you will be killed by this Gochu-capsicaman!”
Spicy Thorny Lizard and Capsicaman? It is likely that the Spicy Thorny Lizard is equivalent to the Cuélebre in “White Mist and Black Swamp Forest,” and the Capsicaman is probably a demon that can be conjured up at level 4 of the Demon King.
That would mean the combat will be challenging no matter how many level 1 human beings were present.
“All of you retreat! We will be the ones to confront those creatures.”
With a booming yell, the humans around me distanced themselves from the foes.
“…!”
And as the surrounding humans withdrew, Izumi swung her axe wide and bashed it into the face of the Spicy Thorny Lizard from the side with all her force.
However, the Spicy Thorny Lizard showed an expression that indicated it was ineffective, and jerked its neck in a broad sweep, sending Izumi hurling away.
“Tch! How dare you hurt Izumi!”
After witnessing Izumi’s being blown away, Mugi-san unleashed a multitude of ?Firebolt?.
“You slaves are so impudent!”
“Gugyagyagya!”
Nonetheless, the Capsicaman on top of the Spicy Thorny Lizard produced a red shield to obstruct ?Firebolt?, and once it ceased, the Spicy Thorny Lizard shot the thorns on its back like a javelin.
“Not good!”
“Hah…! Ah!”
When I invoked ?Long Edge? and swung the dagger that has become like a long sword, it blocked the thorns. Nevertheless, the blow it delivered proved to be grave. Moreover, the thorns apparently radiated a substantial amount of heat, and even though I merely repelled it, I felt as if my HP has been reduced.
“I’ll stall for time! ?Mud Barrier?!”
One of the human beings around me utilized ?Mud Barrier? to enclose Spicy Thorny Lizard with a wall of mud.
“As if this kind of thing can stop us!”
But then, perhaps due to the skill of the Capsicaman, an explosion burst out causing the wall of mud to be scattered.
“Then let’s fire a volley! ?Aquabolt?!”
“?Blast?!” “?Windbolt?!” “?Glacial Till?!”
Yet, the moment the wall crumbled, all the humans in the vicinity simultaneously launched attacks with skills that can be deployed from long range.
Their impact was so ferocious that the area was awashed with a deafening boom and a cloud of dust and smoke.
“Did they succeed?” Mugi muttered involuntarily.
But, Mugi-san. That’s a flag[ii]. As it stands…
“Don’t get carried away, you slaves!”
Both the Capsicaman and the Spicy Thorn Lizard were still alive and well, albeit somewhat damaged.
“Let’s go!”
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
When the Spicy Thorn Lizard lunged at them, several unfortunate people in the immediate area were run over and perished while uttering their death cry. And I needed to act swiftly to put an end to those demons!
“Hmph!”
With my sword drawn, I moved in front of the charging Spicy Thorn Lizard and used my sword to restrain it, prompting the Spicy Thorn Lizard to come to a standstill. Even Izumi followed my lead in suppressing it, and consequently, the Spicy Thorn Lizard’s onrushing ceased.
“What!”
The Capsicaman let out a shocked yelp.
This is my opportunity. It is the perfect time to execute that thing I have been discreetly practicing for some time.
“Izumi! Mugi-san! Please hold them back! I’ll get ready!”
“(Nod.)”
“Alright!”
At the same time as I leaped back, Izumi wielded her axes in both hands in all directions while evading the Spicy Thorn Lizard’s assaults. Despite the fact that her blows only inflicted minor damage to the Spicy Thorn Lizard, it was agitated by the absence of hits on Izumi.
Simultaneously, Mugi attacked with a combination of ?Fox Fire? and ?Firebolt? with the aim of suppressing the Capsicaman’s movements, leaving no time for the Capsicaman to counterattack while forcing him to constantly bring out his red shield to defend against the attack.
And meanwhile, I was concentrating the power within me on the edge of the blade, which I held in my right hand while adding more strength with my left hand.
Frankly speaking, I was not certain that what I was about to do will be successful. After all, this was the first time I have performed this technique in a real fight, and I hardly ever had any success with it in practice. Furthermore, this was not a technique that is based on a proper theory.
Even so, I had no alternative but to do it. The two of them were repressing them now, but their MP and SP were not unlimited. f their strikes ceased, many more casualties would be inflicted in the smallest of gaps.
“…’I am the one who leaps through the void, a kin of the Mist King. I seek the head of my adversary, the flower of life, the fountain of blood’.”
As my chanting ensued, my vision rapidly constricted due to my extreme immersion, until all I can see was the edge of the sword in my hand, and all sounds around me were rendered inaudible.
“‘Leap, O blade. Until I reach what I seek, cast this blade down upon my foe’.”
Within my grip, the blade began to assume a black aura, gradually increasing in brilliance.
“Both of you, retreat! ‘Cut! Slice! Sever! Outer Skill?Senkiri-kaishaku’[iii]!”
And with that, I brandished my sword broadly to the side.
However, the edge of that sword that was visible earlier was now no longer in view. This was because…
“What did you… gaaaaaaaa!”
“Gugi, gyaaaaaaaaah!”
…that blade was continuously being driven into the Capsicaman and Spicy Thorn Lizard until their heads fall off.
Outer Skill?Senkiri-kaishaku.
That was a skill that fell outside the boundaries set by the skill system which I conceived of when I witnessed Kurokiri’s outer skill, Kurokirinoko.
By combining ?Short-range Teleportation? and ?Decapitation?, this technique was used to continuously sever an adversary’s head until it falls off, scattering the flower of life and triggering a fountain of blood.
“Hah… what a skill you possess. I’ve never heard of this before.”
“It is only natural that you have never heard of it since I devised it myself.”
“I see…”
Mugi’s face turned pale at the sight of the two demons who were still being beheaded despite the fact that they had already been severed halfway to demise, and I lifted their heads up while I elucidated the situation to her.
The Senkiri-kaishaku ended when the heads of Capsicaman and Spicy Thorn Lizard were torn off by my technique, and at the same time I passed out due to SP exhaustion.
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T/N:
[i] The name is derived from Capsicum pepper
[ii] Well, I guess people would understand what flag means these days from anime but in simple terms, the context here means it’s impossible for them to have such an easy victory
[iii] Senkiri means thousand slashes and Kaishaku means to assist someone committing hara-kiri by beheading him
[iv] The enemies could be more than a duo. Japanese language lacks plurals and I am simply assuming it is two enemies
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Check out other Outer World Story series in order: Outer World Story: The Black Mist that Devours (First series), Outer World Story: Pumpkin Sorcerer (Third series), Outer World Story: Basilisk of Ice Sculpture (Fourth series)