Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyusoukyoku (WN)

17-41. Netherworld Invasion

Satou here. Someone said incompetent allies are far more dangerous than capable enemies. I believe it was a saying originated from war times, but I was made aware of the truth in that saying once I took part in a team effort for developmental work.

◇

“Please, I beg you! Save milord!”

Once I was done saving Seryuu City and cleaning up lunar orbit, the pink haired little girl in purple outfit asked me to save Demon God.

“Master, what about the moon?”

“Ah, yeah right. I’ll put it back now.”

I went back to lunar orbit with Unit Arrangement and put the moon back to its orbit with the assistance of Menu’s AR readings.

The Nether Gate itself was a magical object floating in the core part of the moon, it was already destroyed after eating multiple anti-god magic.

『Geez, what if the people below suffered from disasters because of it?』

『I’ll do something about that.』

It looks like the moon’s orbit has slightly shifted due to its temporary removal, but it should not affect things much if I adjust it back little by little over time.

『I’ll go erase some tsunami for the time being.』

This was a daunting task during the Divine Punishment, but now that I could erase them all from orbit, it was a simple matter.

There were also some storms and climatic changes occurring here and there, but I’m putting my hope on respective territorial lords to fix those up with the power of City Cores.

After all, it’s still better than suffering from Netherworld Hazard above ground.

◇

“Hey, hey, come to Netherworld and save milord, pretty please. You’re the only who can do that, Irregular.”

“Why~?”

“A girl said so.”

“Who is she nanodesu?”

Now that they understand each other thanks to translation magic, Tama and Pochi are listening to the purple little girl while sharing their snacks with her.

“Master, I don’t think you need me telling you this but don’t you go to Netherworld out of sympathy, you hear me.”

“Un, I’m in agreement with Arisa-chan!”

Arisa and Hikaru reminded me for the umpteenth time.

“Please, don’t worry about that.”

I’d like to have a sightseeing tour in Netherworld, but we don’t have such luxury in our current situation.

I don’t plan on starting that [Go to Netherworld, take back White Radiant Crystal stolen by Demon God] quest god Tenion gave me before we’re done dealing with Netherworld encroachment here.

“…Satou-san.”

Sera who was clad in green light is looking at me with a difficult look on her face.

“Could it be, another Oracle?”

She’s getting treated like a gopher by god Tenion, I kinda feel bad for her.

“Yes…”

Sera looks hesitant.

Did something bad happen?

“It seems the three male gods are leading their armies to invade Netherworld.”

They’re probably trying to take the White Radiant Crystal back, but a direct confrontation would cost them much Divinity, I’m amazed they’d even pick that option.

“–Why would they?”

“I’m not surprised god Zaikuon doing that but yeah, why god Heraruon and Garleon too?”

Blunt, but I get what Arisa is saying.

“That’s… Apparently god Parion has been kidnapped by Demon God.”

Zena-san had a shocked look on her face, “Oh no!”, when she heard that.

“Once the gods found out about that, the three male gods rushed to Netherworld in order to take god Parion back.”

I see, I get it now. Judging from what I saw at Realm of Gods, all other gods adore god Parion.

However…

“Was she really kidnapped?”

“What do you mean?”

“The god Parion I saw at Realm of Gods seemed like she was attached to Demon God, see.”

I think she even might have gone to Netherworld on her own initiative to negotiate for the White Radiant Crystal’s return.

“Master, wouldn’t the young organism know about that, so I ask.”

“She would likely be privy indeed. Let us ask her.”

Princess Sistina nodded to Nana’s opinion and went to ask the purple little girl whether she knew about god Parion.

“Parion? Who?”

The purple little girl tilted her head to the side.

“Did you see Demon God bringing another god from outside?”

Lulu matched her line of sight with the girl’s and asked a different question.

“Milord was sleeping all day, he wouldn’t do that you know?”

Oh right, she was saying, “Save milord!”

“Raka-san, what do you think?”

『Well now, I do not believe the little one was spouting lies. However, instead of Demon God, it’s possible that other demons might have done the deed of kidnapping god Parion.』

“Tama, what do you think nodesu?”

“Don’t worry be happy~?”

Pochi was mimicking Lady Karina’s and Raka’s conversation, but Tama seemed exhausted, she was just flopping down on a carpet in the ship’s bridge.

“Tama, please answer Pochi seriously nodesu.”

“Unyunyu~?”

Pochi shook Tama’s body.

Tama was squinting her eyes relaxedly, but then she suddenly jumped out, shaking off Pochi’s hand.

“Nyu!”

“Wawaa–are you angry nodesu?”

Tama ran toward the window and surveyed below through a circle-shaped monitor.

This is perhaps–.

“Something weird over there~?”

“It’s Tama’s 『Weird』 nodesu! Master, this is bad nanodesuyo.”

–Yup, already searching the Map.

“”Satou-san.””

Zena-san and Sera are looking at me anxiously.

Nothing abnormal on the Map, yet. The location is at–.

“–It’s around 『Country of Transformation』, Pier Rock Kingdom.”

“Pier Rock is the kingdom where god Zaikuon’s main temple is located, is it not.”

Princess Sistina pointed out the thing I didn’t want to notice most when she heard me.

Such pairing brings nothing but bad omen.

“Far Sight.”

“Yes, Mia. Activating the ship’s Far Sight equipment.”

Nana zoomed up at the direction with Mia’s instruction.

“Doesn’t seem like anything is going down there.”

“Arisa, look at the main temple!”

As Arisa murmured, Lulu pointed at the location where Zaikuon’s main temple is at.

“The temple, it’s!”

“Are those giants?”

“No, they’re the spitting images of those figures projected in the sky.”

Sera replied to Zena-san.

The three male gods broke through god Zaikuon’s main temple, showing themselves up.

What the heck are they playing at now…

“Those gods are supposed to be invading Netherworld, aren’t they?”

“Un, I’ve got a real bad feeling about this.”

Arisa affirmed Hikaru.

“Master, should I direct the ship there, so I ask.”

“–Right yes, do just that.”

Nana slipped into the shelter-shaped cockpit and turned the ship around.

While feeling some slight G that couldn’t be absorbed by inertia control unit, I changed my equipment with Quickdressing skill.

“Liza, Pochi, Tama, you three come with me to scout ahead.”

“Acknowledged!”

“Yes nanodesu!”

“Aye aye sir~?”

–ＬＹＵＲＹＵＲＹＵＵＵ.

I teleported to Zaikuon Main Temple at Pier Rock Kingdom with Unit Arrangement, bringing along the three beastkin girls with me.

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >

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“Those male gods appear to be fighting against something.”

Liza gave her report while looking down from above as she floated in her powered exoskeleton.

It was not mere projections, but their real materialized bodies though I had already noticed that when I saw them in the monitor.

“Pitchy black~?”

“Something black is wriggling around nodesu.”

Black sludge overflowed out of the temple, wriggling around like sea anemone’s tentacles and entwining the male gods while pulverizing buildings in the area.

『It’s like watching an epic clash between Kaijuu.』

Arisa gave her impression through Familiar Link.

I can’t even afford to respond back. The situation is relatively critical now.

Tentacles aren’t the only danger from black sludge as it’s also spreading out and turning buildings and plants into Netherworld like what happened at Seryuu City.

And just after I went all the trouble separating Netherworld from Human World, these gods just went and connected it back. What a pain in the rear.

–[Another World]

Since I couldn’t intervene the gods and black sludge, I moved all people and animals of Pier Rock Kingdom into a copy of the country in a sub-space.

Used up lots of my mana, but now we don’t have to worry about lost lives.

“Nyu!”

“Master! Tentacle person is storing up its energy like gugugu~ nodesu!”

“Pochi, get Lyuryu away from the capital’s sky!”

The beastkin girls’s voice overlapped.

Almost at the same time, the compressed black sludge flung itself all over the place.

I immediately defended against it with space magic-made barrier, but I couldn’t manage to stop the black sludge from spreading above the now uninhabited capital.

“Lotsa something are coming out nodesu.”

“Demons, or not~?”

“Yeah, those are apparently apostles.”

They look exactly like the apostles that emerged at Weasel Empire though they have been corrupted by black sludge.

『Get off me! Malice of Demon God!』

『Eii, forget saving Parion, you even got us into this mess! Is this the best you can do, after all that boasting about being the first seat?!』

『Shut up, Zaikuon! That is rich coming from you who incited our enemy to lead such a massive attack back! How can you not comprehend that!』

The black sludge kept gushing out furiously behind the quarreling gods.

I should repair the barrier quickly.

After recharging my mana, I opened Menu’s Magic Tab.

–Mythology Jail

Just like before, I detach the uniting point to Netherworld, plugging up the gushing hole.

『These impurities! They’re on my body–』

『NUOOOO, get away from me Heraruon! You’d get those impurities on me. Do something about this, Garleon!』

『No you get away from me! These impurities cannot be allowed to–』

The gods are struggling hard against the black sludge coiling around them.

–They’re in the way.

I can’t use anti-god magic on the black sludge due to their presence.

They’d get dragged in it if I did.

“Nyu!”

“Master, the apostles!”

The blackened apostles went after Liza as well as Pochi and Tama riding on lesser dragon Lyuryu.

“Pochi isn’t an enemy nodesuyo!”

–ＬＹＵＲＹＵＲＹＵＵＵ.

The apostles continue to charge at them without heeding Pochi’s and Lyuryu’s call.

This is bad.

–Unit Arrangement.

I brought the beastkin girls and Lyuryu outside the barrier.

『Master, it’s terrible! The Netherworld is encroaching fast!』

Images of the surroundings overlapped with Arisa’s shout through Familiar Link.

The barrier that I had supposedly blocked with Mythology Jail was getting distorted as Netherworld gushed out into Human World.

Looks like the situation is seriously getting out of hand.

Good grief, it’s not like I’m doing a debugging death march (crunch time) now, enough of these ever-cropping up issues please.