MUSHOKU TENSEI

Volume 16 Chapter 8 - Quagmire vs. Dragon God

Part 1

A full two days north-north-east of the magic city Sharia.

There was a deserted village.

The village was buried in a forest.

The forest expanded due to a calamity 40 years ago that was caused by an abnormality in magical power.

The village was immediately overrun, and those who lived there were forced out of their homes.

Since then, those who visited this forest had essentially only been monsters or adventurers who have business with monsters.

A single man walked toward that village.

He had silver hair and golden pupils.

Wearing a white coat made from some kind of hide, while vigilantly looking around, not riding a horse, just walking.

He walked through the forest in a detached manner while checking the compass in his left hand that he gazed at with sharp dot-like pupils.

No monsters attacked him.

Although their eyes shined from gaps in the deep forest's thickets, whenever the man approached them they would flee like small animals.

"…Here, then."

Looking at the deserted village pointed to by the compass, he halted his footsteps.

"Why a place like this…"

While grumbling that, the man slowly walked into the deserted village.

A place that used to be a road was covered in weeds, and a place that used to be a field had become a forest.

Buildings that used to be houses were pierced by large trees, or turned into masses of green by ivy.

He walked through the village that had been overrun by the forest, but then his feet stopped before a certain place.

It was the center of the village, where there probably used to be a well.

In that place was an obviously suspicious building.

A light brown cylindrical building, and the only one that wasn't surrounded by vegetation.

A stone structure that one couldn't help but think had been constructed recently.

The door looked brand new.

He looked at the compass in his left hand, confirming that where he was heading was that tower.

And then, although somewhat cautiously, he laid his hand on the doorknob.

"…Nanahoshi, are you there?"

The tower's interior was simply made.

There were no windows or corridors.

The floor was slick, painted with something like oil.

Next to the wall had been set incense and a jute bag tightly packed with something.

The source of the strange smell filling the air was probably that incense.

"…What is this place?"

Looking around, he identified another door right in front of him.

He grabbed the doorknob, this time without hesitating.

At that instant, he felt pain as though something had pricked his hand.

"Mu? I wonder if that was just my imagination."

He looked at his hand, confirmed that there was no blood, then went inside.

On the other side of the door was another room with the same layout.

Seeing how the floor slanted, it seemed that the building itself had been constructed underground.

While puzzled by those thoughts, he proceeded toward the interior without being particularly wary.

En route, he became more wary due to the uncanny posters reading [Please take off your footwear here] and [Guests, please put on this hat] and the like, but he ignored them all.

While remaining watchful of occasionally trivial traps set on the doors that seemed intended for mice, he slowly continued inward.

The place he finally arrived at was a strange space.

It was a cylindrical room and an atrium.

The wide open sky in place of a ceiling was roundly cut off.

It felt like being inside a chimney.

"…What is this place?"

He furrowed his brow and confirmed that the compass's point indicated the center of this space.

In the place that was indicated lay a single box.

A single piece of paper had been spread out beneath the box.

He carefully approached it, then looked at the paper.

Letters had been written on the paper.

[Hitogami]

He immediately picked up the box and opened it.

"Mu!"

When he did so, smoke started to pour out of it.

As he dropped the box, now on guard, he heard a metal sound.

Right next to the box, which continued to spew out a incredibly large amount of smoke, a silver ring had fallen to the ground.

It had been in the box and flown out when he dropped the box.

The ring was faintly blinking red, and his compass pointed to it.

"…Nanahoshi?"

As he went to pick up the ring, the following instant.

The sky shined.

"!"

He immediately kicked the ground strongly and tried to dodge.

But the oil-covered floor didn't allow him to do that.

The sole of his foot quickly lost its grip…

A thick bolt of lightning fell toward him--toward Orsted.

---Rudeus's View---

Upon high ground which overlooked the deserted village that Orsted had been lured into.

I lay in wait there, and the instant I saw the smoke rise, I sent a full-powered "Lightning" toward the target site.

It should have hit him.

I practiced over and over again for this day.

I even made sure to cover the floor in canola oil for the sake of him not being able to avoid it immediately before it hit.

But this wasn't the end.

If he could be taken down with this, he wouldn't be called the strongest instead of Atofe and various others.

I stood my staff upon the ground and gathered magical power.

I imagined a giant cloud, a supercell.

The Saint-class water spell "Cumulonimbus".

The sky instantly became covered with dark clouds, as lightning and heavy rain began to fall.

I gathered even more magical power.

I sent magical power into the staff, not trying to oppose the sensation of it being dragged out from the depths of my body.

What I visualized was ice.

Centering on the deserted village, I stopped the movement of every molecule.

I steadfastly lowered the temperature.

[Frost Nova]

I loaded the maximum scope and maximum force into the spell I'd used countless times, and released it.

The downpour of heavy rain steadily became frozen.

The ice layered and stacked up.

Once the ice had become like a mountain, I stopped casting.

The next move.

I loaded magical power into my staff.

I created a rock in the sky above the deserted village.

I focused all my magical power into increasing its size, creating an inescapably large rock, directed its acceleration downward, then fired it.

The rock struck with such a speed as to make one think that its large form had suddenly teleported.

The ground shook.

A little later, a rumbling sound reached my ears.

A little after that, the sudden gust of wind and shock wave reached me.

While holding my arm in front of me to protect my eyes, I gazed at the rock's landing point.

The ice had been smashed, and two thirds of the rock had been buried underground.

If that was a direct hit, I don't think he survived, but…

"…Did I get him?"

I tried saying that.

No reaction.

Could it be over?

That would be nice, but…

The moment after I thought that, the rock broke apart.

"Hiiu!"

An unbelievably terrifying killing intent was sent to my location.

Fear ran through my spine.

My legs trembled, and my eyes watered.

I dived toward the magic armor that I'd set immediately next to me.

I fed magical power to its parts as I'd practiced hundreds of times, set up my posture, and grasped my staff.

I felt the killing intent approaching.

Activation complete.

In order to deal one more blow, I gathered magical power in the staff held in my right hand.

I visualized a nuclear explosion.

With the intention of putting all my magical power into it, I sent magical power from my arm into the staff.

I pointed the staff, yelled out, and shot out the spell, and at the same time held my left hand out in front of me and concentrating magical power into the absorbing magical stones.

The center of the deserted village lit up.

Slightly later, flashes of heat ran across the ground as though they were licking it.

I confirmed out of the corner of my eye that all the trees burst into flames and turned into black shadows.

Slightly later, the explosion came.

But this magic armor that contained my magical power weighed several tons.

I withstood the blast without flinching.

After carefully waiting for the destruction to settle, I lowered my hand.

An enormous mushroom cloud had risen from the center of the deserted village.

I couldn't see the ground well because of the smoke, but I had loaded enough force to blow away everything.

That was probably the highest class of force out of everything I'd ever used.

"…"

And yet.

And yet, my body wouldn't stop shivering.

The killing intent which had been inevitably drawing closer since earlier hadn't disappeared.

It was drawing near at a fierce speed.

It had been so far away, and now it was already so close.

My teeth were chattering.

I clenched my hand that was shivering with fear, placed my staff in the holder on my back, mounted the Gatling gun on my right arm, and held the shield in my left hand.

"Fuuh… uu… haaa… aah."

I took a deep breath.

My throat trembled.

Forcing down the anxiety and terror that rose from my abdomen, I faced toward the densely rising smoke and prepared my right arm's Gatling gun.

"…Fuu! Fuu!"

That was the first move.

If I ended up losing the initiative, I would definitely lose.

In the first place, did I do any damage?

Was there any effect from the poison set on the door, or the narcotic that was set to burn, or the traps on the way there?

I put in as much power as possible into the four offensive spells I used just now.

If he was completely unhurt by all of that, wouldn't this Gatling gun-like magical tool be unable to scratch him?

No, in the first place, did I even hit him?

There's no way I wouldn't hit him with a spell of such vast scope.

I shot it out with the highest class of force and scope to make sure he wouldn't avoid it.

From a place so far away it couldn't even have been seen by an eye of foresight.

From a place that Orsted wouldn't be able to predict, no matter what magical eye he might have.

<I saw the figure of a person.>

"Take thiiiiiiiiiiiiis!"

While yelling, I activated my right hand's Gatling gun.

The magical power ran through it, generating and firing Stone Cannon bullets at a tremendous rate.

The cannonballs cut through the air, an incessant [Kyuinkyuin] shrieking sound echoing through the surroundings.

The mass of cannonballs with overwhelming speed blew away the clouds of dust.

I caught sight of the silver-haired man with a tattered cape and soot-filled face.

Was there any damage?

None?

There was blood on his chin.

Aren't those burns around the base of his neck?

It's all right. Although it wasn't much, he definitely did take damage.

"!!"

Our eyes met.

The hawk-like sharp glint of his eyes perceived my figure.

The eyes of a hunter who'd discovered his target.

<He began to sidestep in order to avoid the downpour of rock cannonballs.>

I opened my eye of foresight as much as possible and tried to read Orsted's movements.

His movements were fast, seeming blurred as they stacked on top of each other.

I aimed the Gatling gun so as to obstruct him from evading it.

The time lag from firing to impact was essentially non-existent.

Even so, Orsted evaded all of them as though he could see their trajectories, gradually approaching me.

One step, two steps.

Orsted steadily closed the distance while maintaining an expression like that of a bird of prey.

Occasionally he'd grimace as a rock cannonball grazed him, but that was all.

As if to say that even a direct hit wouldn't be fatal. As if to say there was nothing to fear.

As if to say that he always fought against enemies with this level of attack.

That wasn't the case for me.

I felt a shudder toward that zombie-like unsentimental way of fighting.

My heart fractured at the sight of that movement which seemed to tell me that all of my attacks were futile.

But for now, I still had the advantage.

While telling myself that, I stepped in order to match him.

If Orsted came from the right, I'd move back and to the left.

If he came from the left, I'd move back and to the right.

If he came from the front, I'd load onto him with the Gatling gun.

If he fell back, I'd load onto him with the Gatling gun.

That way he'd never be able to close the distance between us.

The fight would continue with me in a position of complete advantage.

Just as I'd simulated it.

In order to further corner him, I cast magic with my left hand.

My aim was beneath my and Orsted's feet.

The spell was Quagmire.

The moment I raised my hand to activate the technique after having immediately completed it.

Orsted raised his left hand toward me.

"Disturb Magic!"

The magical power I'd finalized was stirred up by his magical power.

He was trying to transform meaningful magical power into meaningless dregs of magical power.

"Kuh!"

I forcibly used the technique formula for Quagmire.

That was possible for me.

I'd been doing it for a long time.

While teaching Sylphy Disturb Magic, I would practice trying to counteract that by completing the technique.

I might have been doing that all for this day, this time, this moment.

Orsted's eyes opened wide.

Looks like it was the first time somebody checked his Disturb Magic… Uoh.

The instant it became muddy at Orsted's feet.

He activated magic in order to coat it.

The portion that had been mud was covered in a plate of earth.

And then he moved his right hand toward me.

As I instinctively began to use Disturb Magic on his right hand…

<My vision was covered in light.>

I shuddered.

I stopped the Gatling gun and took a huge leap to the side.

My field of vision was filled with scenery that wasn't light.

The ground in front of where Orsted had pointed his hand had sunk greatly inward.

I didn't see what kind of spell it was.

Fire?

Maybe some other kind. Could it be gravity?

Was what I saw just now not light, but… death?

I didn't have any time to think about it.

Orsted ran toward me with his hand out.

Disturb Magic doesn't work.

He can negate Disturb Magic too.

I activate my left hand and right hand at the same time.

While restricting his movements with the Gatling gun, I would use the absorbing magical stones to negate his magic.

I held both of them toward him with that intention…

I realized my mistake.

Orsted's magic disappeared.

But at the same time, the barrage of rock cannonballs heading toward Orsted also lost their effect, turning to sand and disappearing.

Orsted closed in.

Still directing his right hand toward me, with his left hand held at his waist defensively, he swung it down aiming at my heart.

"…!"

My instincts had me choose to evade with all my power.

Attempting to escape to directly behind me, I used both feet attempting to leap backward, but…

I didn't make it in time.

Orsted's fist struck my chest area.

The sound of metal coincided with Orsted disappearing from my vision at a terrifying speed.

I heard a [Hagyan] sound from behind me as tree after tree passed by through the corners of my eyes.

(Aah, so this is the sensation of being blown away.)

The moment I thought that, I struck a large tree and stopped being blown away.

At the same time, my full body received the full g-force, giving me pain as though my internal organs were being torn off.

My vision went black for a moment, but it recovered right away.

The magic circles that Cliff had inserted into the magic armor instantly healed my body.

But when I looked at my chest.

The chest plate was dented and cracked.

The crack was being steadily mended, but slowly.

In any case, I withstood a single blow.

I'm so glad that I made that part of the armor particularly thick.

The killing intent followed me.

He chased straight after me and arrived in front of me.

I activated the Gatling gun.

I pointed it toward Orsted and let out a barrage.

But Orsted once again brought his right hand toward me.

No good, at this rate it'll be a repeat of what just happened.

The armor is in this state from one hit.

If it's hit over and over, the armor will eventually be pierced.

What should I do?

Magic doesn't work.

Even if I block Disturb Magic, Orsted has a technique to resist it just like Moore.

In contrast, I have no idea what magic Orsted is using.

Could I be at a disadvantage in a long distance battle?

In that case, I'll go forward.

I'll believe in the power of the magic armor, and hit him hard.

"Uoooooo!"

"Nu!"

I charged at him with a yell while shooting out a barrage with the Gatling gun.

Orsted brought back his right hand in defense.

I moved both legs.

I brandished the shield in my left hand and rammed him with the weight of my entire body.

<Orsted assumed a Water God Style defense.>

The instant my eye of foresight grasped that, I pointed the sharp end of my shield at Orsted.

In order to stab Orsted with the sword whose force increases exponentially proportional to the strength of the enemy's defense.

Our bodies clashed.

The heavy sound of metal rang.

I felt the lingering sense of having struck something very heavy, as Orsted blew backward.

Orsted's arm scattered blood in midair as he gazed at me like he'd discerned something annoying.

I can do this.

I immediately set up the Gatling gun, pointed it, and fired.

A tremendous number of rock cannonballs flew out, hitting Orsted in midair.

His clothes were shredded, and below them was a body full of wounds.

There were burn-like scars, cuts, and scratches.

They received the rock cannonballs, and fresh blood scattered.

Orsted made a huge sound and fell to the ground.

I can do this.

He'll be killed.

If the rock cannonballs land a direct hit, he takes proper damage.

His skin repels them, but it breaks and blood comes out.

In which case, he'll eventually die.

Right now, if I deal as much damage to him as possible…

"…No other choice, huh."

Amid the sound of the rock cannonballs cutting through the air, I heard that voice.

In an instant.

The atmosphere changed.

A chill ran through my body which made me feel like it had become winter instantly.

At the same time, my eye of foresight lost track of Orsted.

My other eye was able to see him.

Just what…

Orsted disappeared from my other eye, too.

"Iih!"

Feeling an indescribable terror, I tried to twist my body and jump to my right.

I heard a sound from my left arm.

When I turned to face it, Orsted was there.

He was there, swinging a katana-like sword.

And then, the left arm of the magic armor made a large noise as it fell to the earth, displaying the cleanly amputated surface.

Part 2

"Gaaaaaaaaaooooaaaaa!"

Orsted let out a roar.

At the resounding yell like an electric shock, my body became numb as though paralyzed.

Voice magic.

A magic particular to the beast races.

In that instant, it seemed like I'd lose consciousness.

But I barely endured it, and jumped to the side.

While indenting the ground, Orsted broke into a rush.

The moment I aimed the Gatling gun and tried to activate it, Orsted swung his sword.

It was cut to pieces and fell to the ground.

I still have my right arm.

There's a slash mark on the armor plate, but he can't cut it from that distance.

Orsted is right in front of me.

His posture is still that of having slashed.

I concentrated magical power into my fist.

Holding nothing back.

I drove my fist toward Orsted's face while firing "Electric".

I felt a wet slipping sensation.

When I looked, I saw that Orsted's sword was lodged in my arm.

He had deflected it.

Both my fist and the electric shock inside my fist.

Behind Orsted, purple lightning licked the forest.

A large tree split and burst into flames with a great sound.

Orsted's arm, and the sword lodged in my arm, moved slightly.

"Uaaaah!?"

The armor's right arm, along with my arm inside of it, was cut short.

I felt sharp pain.

But with no time to grimace at the pain.

Orsted pressed toward me, swinging his sword.

I had no time to consider what I should do next.

He landed a kick into my stomach.

Alongside an unpleasant noise, my body floated for an instant.

The impact was delivered completely internally.

"Boeeh!"

I spat out gastric juice at the shock which seemed to rupture my stomach.

My view was blurred with tears.

While falling on my backside, I turned my broken off right arm toward Orsted and fired off a shock wave.

Orsted slashed upward.

I heard a loud sound and nothing more.

By the time I realize that the shock wave had been cut apart, a kick had landed in my face.

Pain ran from my neck to my shoulder.

"…!?"

I suddenly noticed that I'd fallen down.

When I straightened up and tried to stand in a state of panic, Orsted was right in front of me brandishing his sword.

I'm going to die.

"Purge!"

I yelled without thinking.

At the same time, the back plate popped off, and I was ejected from the magic armor as if pulled.

An instant later, the magic armor was cut in half.

I struck the ground and rolled roughly.

I can't see him move.

I can't do anything.

I can't follow Orsted's movements.

"Gaha… geho…"

My entire body hurt.

Even though I'd only been struck through the armor a few times, pain ran through my body as if my entire body had been struck.

My chest hurt, my stomach hurt, my right arm hurt, my neck hurt, my back hurt.

It was difficult to breathe.

It felt like my body couldn't move well.

An incredible exhaustion.

Huh?

Could it be that I've… run out of magical power?

"Aah… haah…"

Orsted's eyes were directed toward me.

I shuddered.

I don't have the armor anymore.

I need to escape.

Or I'll be killed.

Before that, my right hand, where's my right hand.

"Goheh!"

Before I knew it, I'd been kicked flying.

Pain assaulted each part of my body.

Face up, my chest was stomped on.

"Uguh…"

A groan leaked from my throat.

Something cold was pressed against the hot nape of my neck.

I saw that Orsted had thrust his sword before me.

Am I going to die?

I couldn't win after all.

I'm going to die.

"I was wondering who it was. So it was you, Rudeus Greyrat. I heard that you were living peacefully, so why did you go after my life?"

It looks like Orsted isn't going to kill me right away.

Maybe because he spared my life once.

Maybe because I've already lost the ability to fight.

Well, whatever.

"Hitogami said…"

"…Hmph, so you really were Hitogami's apostle. Die."

Orsted took his foot off my chest, and held up his sword.

"He said you'll destroy the world, and my descendants will help you kill him."

"…What did you say?"

Orsted stopped moving.

"Hitogami said to fight you to stop you from destroying the world."

"…"

"He said that's why, if I kill you, he'll overlook my kids, my family…"

Lying face up, I clung to Orsted's legs.

And then rubbed my head against them, and cried out my words.

This is the only thing left that I can do.

"I'm begging you. Please don't destroy the world. It's fine to kill me. Don't take away my kids, my future. I'm begging you. This is the first time. The first time I've been so happy. I'm begging you. Give up on Hitogami. I'm begging you."

I cried.

I'm powerless and pathetic.

Uncool.

What am I doing.

Sheet.

"…I can't do that."

The instant I heard that, I bit Orsted's leg.

"Fuguuuuaaa!"

Still biting, I lifted my right arm that was spurting out blood, loaded all of my remaining magical power into my fistless arm, and let it all explode at once.

With the intention of killing him even if it killed me too.

"Disturb Magic!"

I was kicked away, lost my concentration, and my magical power dispersed.

My awareness became distant.

The next time I used magical power, I would definitely faint.

"Even if you possess an element of Laplace and have vast magical power, if you keep using large spells like that one after another, you'll still run out of magical power."

Orsted extended his hand.

I'll going to be killed.

I'll be killed.

If I'm killed, Orsted won't die.

If Orsted doesn't die, Lucy will…

Roxy will… Sylphy will…

They won't die.

I won't lose.

I need to win no matter what.

But my body won't move.

I have no magical power.

Blood is pouring out of my arm.

My consciousness is dim.

My vision is dark.

Orsted's hand covered my view.

Ah, ah, aah.

Aah…

I should have at least decided on a name.

Part 3

"Mu!?"

Orsted jumped aside.

"…?"

Before I knew it.

A single human was standing there, as if to separate me and Orsted.

She was a tall woman.

She wore dark clothes and a stylish coat.

In her hands was a single-edged sword with a seemingly transparent blade.

I was looking at her from behind, so I couldn't see her face.

Aah, but I know that hair.

That wavy hair long enough to reach her waist.

Deep crimson hair, as if someone had thrown unmixed paint on it.

"Looks like I kept you waiting, Rudeus."

Eris Greyrat stood there.