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[White Room]
With a pale light illuminating the surroundings, the moving floor continues to descend deep into the ground.
So deep that the light shining down through entrance can no longer be seen.
“Given the speed at which the floor descends, I think this is about the depth at which Al and I found the door.” (Meila)
“But it looks like the floor is still going deeper.” (Frick)
“There’s a facility further down the place we went in, maybe?” (Al)
“For there to be another area beside the one Maribel and the others worked in, Maribel had no idea. But the number of unfamiliar white-robed people used to increase or decrease suddenly, so there might be a secret room.” (Maribel)
“Secret room, hm. That sounds like something that Vigo who loves to move around sneakily would have.” (Cinzia)
I can’t see Cinzia’s expression from her hollow armor, but I do feel the irritation in her voice.
The floor keeps moving, going further down.
“It stopped! Is this the end point?” (Al)
“Meila, Maribel, step back. I will take the lead.” (Frick)
“The door is opening. Don’t let your guard down.” (Meila)
“I understand.” (Frick)
When the floor stopped moving, the door in front of us, which I thought was a wall initially, starts to open to the left and right.
Dammit, it’s dazzling.
The light is so bright that I can’t see clearly!
Since we were just descending through a dimly-lit hole, being exposed to such a bright light dazzles me.
“Crimson Magic Swordsman Frick-dono and his party. Welcome, to the base of us, ‘Foreigners’.” (Vigo)
I can vaguely make out the appearance of Vigo and Noelia on the other side of the bright light.
As my eyes gradually get used to the brightness of the light, I can see a huge white space spreading beyond the door.
What on earth is the room for?
The room is large enough for dozens of people to move around.
We enter the room while being cautious of the surroundings.
There are no signs of Abyss Walker or enemies so far, however.
That Vigo and Noelia, are they illusions again?
“Now, I will be having the outside dirt that stuck on everyone be cleaned. The rain that will fall is harmless to the human body, so please relax.” (Vigo)
When the grinning Vigo operates something, the door behind us closes and waterfall-like rain begins to fall from the ceiling.
“!?” (Frick)
No sooner than the rain started to fall, the soil golems controlled by Cinzia can’t keep their form and return to become soil.
“Ahh, it’s harmless to the human body, however, it has susceptible reaction to mana, so it may be very poisonous to Cinzia-dono, who has no body.” (Vigo)
“Kh! Vigo! I can’t absorb the surrounding mana from the armor. I’m not gonna be able to move my body like this…” (Cinzia)
Being exposed to the heavy rain, Cinzia falls on her knees, and immediately after, her armor, which is the substitute for her body, disconnects and falls apart.
“Cinzia-sama! Are you okay! What on earth is happening!?” (Frick)
“I’m okay. I can preserve my consciousness with my remaining magic power. However, it seems that the rain washed away the surrounding magic power cleanly, so the employment magic I casted on the armor was released. This must be the reason why the employment magic of Noelia, who has perfect control of her magic power, was undone.” (Cinzia)
“It washed away mana?” (Frick)
“That’s the only thing I can think of. In this place, you can’t use magic that affects the outside, and you can’t recover your magic power naturally. It’s a place that can’t be found in nature.” (Cinzia)
“My body enhancement magic isn’t undone, though?” (Gawain)
Gawain shows off his muscles that has become bigger through body enhancement magic.
“It doesn’t interfere with magic based on the magic power accumulated inside you. You can take it that magics that interferes with the outside like attack magic, employment magic, or support magic are unusable.” (Cinzia)
In other words, because the employment magic /controls golems and small animals by interfering with outside mana, it gets undone when the mana is gone, huh.
Cinzia said attack magic is unusable, but what about Spell Sword?
[I will try.]
Dayle reads my intention and activates Spell Sword.
Looks like Spell Sword is still usable.
But since I can’t recover magic power, I must use it sparingly.
“I thought this was an advantageous place, but it appears that you can still use Spell Sword here. Well, to have you deign to hold a discussion with us, let’s have your magic power reduced.” (Vigo)
Seeing Spell Sword activated, Vigo operates his device again.
Then, the white wall splits to the left and right, and Abyss Walkers appears.
“Kishaaaaa!”
The newly appearing Abyss Walkers have pure white bodies, with almost none of their characteristic black scales.
So fast! They’re moving much faster than any Abyss Walkers that had ever appeared before!
After quickly narrowing the distance, an Abyss Walker’s claw grazes my cheek.
I try to regain my posture in an attempt to counterattack with Dayle, but it launches another attack so quickly that I have no time to catch my breath.
The best option is to dodge it, huh.
The speed of its attack isn’t one that I can follow clearly.
The onslaught of the white Abyss Walker continues without rest.
“Ahh, those Abyss Walkers are prototypes, you see. They’re specialized in attacking instinct and speed, so do be careful.” (Vigo)
“Nuuuuu! Haaaaa! They are fast, but if you catch them, that would amount to nothing!” (Gawain)
Gawain, who got clawed on his shoulder, constricts the Abyss Walker’s body like he’s hugging it.
The constricted Abyss Walker let out a scream, before its body split up and down.
“Fuuuuh! I managed to kill it, but it hurts like hell.” (Gawain)
From the wound on Gawain’s shoulder, blood spills and falls to the ground.
“Gawain-shishou, please don’t overdo it!” (Frick)
“If you don’t throw caution to the wind now, then when will you? We have to rescue Noelia at all cost.” (Gawain)
“That’s… right.” (Frick)
After being inspired by Gawain’s words, I reposition Dayle, and plunge into the group of oncoming Abyss Walkers.
Now that I can’t use attack magic, I have no option other than to cut them with Spell Sword.
I just have to follow the enemies’ movements properly.
I have yet to reach the top as a swordsman, but I must display skill worthy of someone who had been taught swordsmanship by the Sword Master Alfine.
I cut off the claws of the crowding Abyss Walkers and avoid them with a paper-thin margin.
Then, taking advantage of an opening, I drive in the magic-clad blade of Dayle into the body of an Abyss Walker.
“Gishaaaaa!”
The white Abyss Walker who is struck by the Spell Sword is unlike usual—Spell Sword exerts a considerable effect on it, litting its body on fire.
“It works!” (Frick)
“Well, they are prototypes, after all. They don’t have the anti-magic black scales that the normal type has. Their attacking instinct is high, and they are fast, but their resistance to magic is practically zero. They’re extremely vulnerable to long-range magic. They should be strong in this environment, however.” (Vigo)
Vigo, who is watching the battle, turns his gaze to the white Abyss Walker who has burned up and fell to the ground.
That Vigo, to tell us the weaknesses of the Abyss Walkers, what the hell is going through his mind?
Slipping through the attacks of the swarming white Abyss Walkers, I take advantage of the openings that appear, and slash them with Spell Sword one after another, setting them on fire.
Quickly, the number of white Abyss Walkers is decreasing.
But at the same time, my magic power is exhausted, to the point that I can feel the bottom.
“This is the limit of the prototypes, huh. Well, they’ve fulfilled their purpose. Ahh, to increase the success rate of the negotiation, allow me to increase the number of hostages.” (Vigo)
As soon as Vigo operates his device, a grid made of light rises up from the ground where Maribel, Meila, and Sophie are.
“Meila, Maribel, Sophie!” (Al)
“Hold it right there, Al-dono, I wouldn’t touch that grid if I were you. If you do, you would be gone from this world without leaving even a single hair. If you want to save their lives, please hear me out.” (Vigo)
“Dammit, Vigo, what the hell do you want to do!” (Frick)
“As I’ve been telling you, I want to negotiate. Now then, please move on to the next room.” (Vigo)
After saying that, Vigo’s figure disappears from the spacious white room.