Chapter 431 – New Kin

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The other sword spirits gathered, intending to attack Saraten. Apparently they had designated her as a threat after she had absorbed some of the spirits.

Seeing them all bunching together in the sky like a dense cloud, Saraten immediately began to tremble.

Is she afraid?

『Wahahahaha! I’ll take down all of them! Everyone will be defeated! Itasha, go!』

Ah, I guess she’s simply trembling in excitement. Very typical for her.

I considered throwing the heavy Wave Gourd to assist her, but desisted. I happened to overhear the telepathic message to Itasha, Saraten’s underling-like kin.

『It’s very convenient for the rest of the swords spirits to have amassed in one place like this!』, Saraten thought with something that felt like a laughter added to it.

And as if to demonstrate her own delight, Saraten split her blade in three. Those three sword, each with a small Saraten girl riding on top, were flying straight ahead while spiraling, soon piercing through the cluster of sword spirits in one swoop.

Several illusionary animals and swords were destroyed at once. And although the bloody Saraten blades looked powerful with their sublime hue, they didn’t seem to have the power to absorb any further spirits. Likewise, Itasha didn’t have the fierce power to chase after Saraten’s blades. Nonetheless, Itasha trying to trail after them looked rather cute.

This earned me a blaming meow by Rollodeen, who had been protecting her favorite wolfman Lurun, as she had realized that I was looking at Itasha like some sort of new pet.

The shape of Itasha’s sword spirit possessed a sword blade that fit well with the long and slender shape of the weasel illusion. Its curved point protruded out of the small weasel’s chest as if signifying Itasha’s heart.

Suddenly Itasha’s skin started to glow in rainbow colors. The fainter and thicker hues of the gaudy rainbow colors overlapped and changed like waves. It looked pretty and richly colored.

Moving the body up and down, Itasha acted as if yearning for Saraten like a parent.

Itasha spread its mouth, facing an enemy, and then Itashi bit down on a sword spirit with its weasel-like teeth, broke the enemy apart, and killed it.

『Itasha, follow me――』

And thus the two started to work on the sword spirits.

I looked at Jody and Admos who had withdrawn to the side.

“Let’s leave the sky to Saraten. We’ll head over to the big slug where everyone else is fighting.”

“Okay!” Jody agreed energetically.

“――Your Excellency, please feel free to use me as a stepping stone!” Adomos offered full of spirit while hosting up his bone shield.

“You mean as in teamwork using your shield?”

“Yes, you should be able to use this to your advantage! I think it’ll be a great help for using <Powerful Slash>.”

“I see. Well, we can do this the next time. I also could use Baldok, but I have some plans with this item here so I’ve already taken it out.”

“Affirmative.”

While showing Jody and Adomos the Wave Gourd, I muttered, “Alright, let’s have that tough slug take this,” casting a glance at the slug itself.

Its core was repeated exposed and hidden. I don’t know whether it’s the slug’s vital spot, but it’s fully devoted to defense right now. It dealt with everyone’s attacks by extending countless spike-shaped teeth and shields from its body, capitalizing on the trait of any soft-bodied creature.

At that point, I heard Helme and Dogal shouting to me.

“Your Excellency, please do your beeest!”

“Shuuya-dono! Azol and Lynn have woken up!”

I answered by lifting the hand holding Baldok.

“Roger. Helme, as you can see for yourself, the sky is still infested with lost of sword spirits and illusionary animals.”

“Yes.”

“It’d be easy enough for you to directly deal with the movements of the airbound enemies. But…it’s possible that spirits, who escaped Saraten, attacked Lynn and the others. Even if Dogal is with them, you never know what might happen. That’s why I leave their protection to you.”

“Please count on me, Your Excellency.”

Helme immediately spread out a water membrane. In addition to the shining strings from <Lapis Lazuli Flower>, dark cocoons appeared on both her hands.

Seeing her powers as spirit, Dogal widened her eyes. And even Azol and Lynn widened their eyes while trying to grasp the current situation, but probably because they were surrounded by a spheric water membrane, both girls looked quite frightened.

I removed my eyes from Helme, Dogal, Azol, and Lynn, and cast a stern glance at Jody and Adomos, nodding at them with the implicit message that I’ll get going.

“I’m heading out.”

I heard Adomos yell something about a new shield technique in my back, but since I don’t have any eyes in my back, I’ll look at it next time.

“I’ll serve you in a way that will pose no hindrance to you, Shuuya-sama.”

After nodding at Jody, I picked up the Wave Gourd with my <Chain> after coiling the chain around it, and held it under my left arm with my left hand. I brandished Baldok with my right hand, and boosted. myself once more with <Magic Combat Style>.

As such I started to advance with my Arzen’s Boots scraping the ground of the Sea of trees beneath me.

“Fast――”

Even while commenting like that, Jody kept up with me. Adomos’s speed was also abnormal, but he fell far behind us two. From his mana source I could tell that he was a slight distance away from us.

And just like that, we charged into the battle against the slug.

After casting a fleeting glance at the Wave Gourd in my left hand, I focused on <Blood Mana>. Just as with <Spirit Blood Clothing – Lucival>, I could feel that this southwestern part of the forest was barely within the range of the Lucival temple (probably because of Lucy’s growth).

However, I won’t use <Spring of Spirit Blood> so often. Lucy had doodled her scribbles all over the village, planting small trees. And by increasing the number of underlings, she had als expanded her domain. Moreover, she was continuing to grow by sucking Quiche’s blood.

Still, I think I’m too far away here. If I had brought Lucy with me, it’d be easy to activate the spring over here, but even then it’d cost me a huge amount of <Blood Mana>.

Instead, I invoked <Blood Path – Open First Gate>. Releasing blood through the skin of my left arm, I dyed the gourd’s surface with my own lifeblood. And immediately following, I activated <Blood Path – Open Third Gate>, and thus invoked my blood acceleration.

“All of you, I’m sorry, but…get away. I’ll take the best part,” I declared powerfully to my friends while activating <Tail of the Crushing Evil Spirit Tree>.

Several shining, arm-sized trees were created. Handling them like a wave of branches, I sent them in the direction of the slug.

Meanwhile everyone listened to my words, orderly retreating like a trained army unit. As soon as a bright, silver moon appeared over their heads, the wolfmen immediately scattered (apparently one of Higlia’s skills).

On the other hand, Zemetas swiftly moved to the side to not get in my way, before taking a detour while running towards Adomos.

While aware of their movements, I powerfully focused on <Sealer’s Seal>. Chains extended from both my wrists. Weaving their way between the trees, the chains headed straight for the slug and penetrated it.

All these things happening in an instant caused the alliance members to scream and stir. But that was understandable.

My whole body was clad in blood while chains extended from both my hands. If I had equipped the gasmask-like vampire mask on top of it, I might have screened upon the sight, too.

Either way, I manipulated my chains, making them entwine themselves around the slug. The glowing trees also seized the slug with a slight delay.

In an instant, I pulled the slug, which had its movements sealed with two layers of trees and chains, towards myself.

But――

The slug separated the part of the body that had been protecting the exposed central part. The huge slug became smaller, but at the same time it escaped the constraint by chains and trees.

Not bad! It’s really got powers equal to those of a guardian.

But, in return, its central part has become completely exposed now. Did it give up on defending?

Still, I could understand if it’s only <Chain>, but for it to even overcome the light-based trees…although you could say that its darkness attribute has to be quite strong, I guess it’s simply hard to prevent a target from moving with trees and chains if the opponent has a sticky, soft body while possessing several attributes.

While I was admiring its tenacity, the group of separated soft bodies created several huge tentacles with all sorts of shapes in no time. They used those tentacles to attack me in a sort of counterattack while using the momentum of having been pulled by me.

Without caring about that, I followed my plan, and activated <Call of the Water Goddess> after scattering water with life magic. Dispersing my mana in the vicinity while focusing on saint art, I used the Ring of Mist Mirage. Coupled with the effect of Akreshys-sama, a mist was created around me within several milliseconds.

At the same time, as the mist enveloped my whole body like armor, I invoked <White Flame Sage Hands>. At once, a huge amount of burning, white spear hands hot out of the mist. The swarm met the swarm of tentacles, as if countering a counter attack, shooting them down.

But, after all, the slug is a spirit and thus quite strong.

It surpassed the interception of <White Flame Sage Hands>, unleashing more tentacles which looked like butts that possessed crowded arrays of shark fangs on them. Those tentacles approached me with irregular movements like whip

I won’t dodge them!

Instead, I met a fierce drill from the upper right by thrusting out Baldok with my right hand.

――I activated <Blood Drill>.

The storm-shaped spearhead buzzed as it was engulfed by blood. It clashed directly from the front with the disgusting drill dick. Upon contact with Baldok, the drill didn’t part to the sides, but got turned into minced meat instead. The gooey tentacle meat got scattered all over, its pieces shooting away with the speed of bullets.

Some hit me. Mixed in were some sharp, hard shark fangs too.

I guess I put too much power into my <Blood Drill>.

My body got injured, but I endured. Focusing on Hal’Konk, I equipped the Evil Dragon King-based violet armor, which allowed me to repel most of the attacks, I believe. Earlier I had prioritized looks and mobility, so yeah, it was my own carelessness…

Without much of a delay, the next batch of tentacles approached me. But I didn’t use Baldok for these. I used my bare hands in a vampiric manner to fight them off. Soon after, I activated <Drain Soul>.

The indecent-looking tentacles dried up in an instant. The effect spread all the way to the bases of those tentacles.

Seemingly sensing the danger of getting sucked up itself, the slug spirit detached the withered tentacles out of its own volition. And because of that, the slug’s main body became even smaller, exposing a crooked crystal.

It has apparently used up its mana since it’s not regenerating anymore.

“Kyuuu, kyaaa,” it screamed, “kyuyuyu.”

It retreated, trying to get away. But, I didn’t let that chance slip away.

Simultaneously to activating <Thime’s Dark Flames>, I sent mana into the Ruby Loop. Adombrally puffed up from the ring as usual, but he himself didn’t appear. Instead, the flames of darkness leaking out of the ring instantly covered one of my arms. The flame covering my fist had taken the shape of a dragon.

Kicking off the ground, I charged at the slug in a forward-bent posture. I closed the distance to it in an instant.

Just like that, I extended my right fist as if about to punch it, but instead grabbed it. As soon as my flame-clad fingers came in contact with the slug, I could hear sizzling and smell something burnt.

Without minding any of that, I struck the crooked crystal with the Wave Gourd in my left hand. Immediately following that, a flash was released from the gourd and loud gongs, as if some pulse was beating inside the gourd, could be heard. Those heavy sounds turned into shock waves.

The shock waves blew away my mist mirage. And immediately following the shockwaves, the gourd’s tip turned into a huge flower. While releasing a rusty gleam, the flower sucked in the crystal alongside the slug.

I mean, it continued to absorb my blood and the blood of the Tree King’s troops, but for the gourd to spout such a flower…

Right after absorbing the slug’s core, the Wave gourd started to rattle. The design of its metallic surface changed. And the flower puffed up like Adombrally did when appearing. Simultaneously its color changed into a burning crimson.

Blood gushed out from the center of the gourd. The blood shower quickly came to an end, but a female body clad in blood manifested above the crimson flower. At the same time, a Baroque-styled, gloomy requiem started to play.

Her hair was a mix of silver and pink. It was swaying and fluttering as if a wind was blowing from below. The hair ornament next to her ear was a small gourd with golden and rusty colors. A pair of cute, doe-like horns was growing on her head. Ping beads were hanging down from the tips of those horns. Her eyebrows were silver while her eyes were light blue. Her nose bridge was straight and high. Her lips were small with a faint layer of lipstick applied.

Beneath her slender neck and collarbone bulged a voluptuous chest.

She was quite close to a human in appearance. She wore a camisole as an outfit. Straps extending to her neck pushed up her breasts. Her flesh-colored shoulders were exposed and felt more emphasized than her big boobs.

It was an extremely charming get up. And although it also had some frills, half her body was exposed thanks to a transparent fabric. Far from being an outfit, you could clearly see bone-like parts and blood vessels. And the transparent breast of hers hosted something similar to the crystal that had been absorbed a little while ago.

Her new heart?

She also wore various accessories like rings, but possessed less fingers than humans.

I guess it’s proof of her being a different species; a female shaped alien.

Small slugs and snails were visible at her slender fingertips. They contained mana.

Also, she looked human overall, but only her upper body. Her lower body was connected to the Wave Gourd, fused with the blooming flower.

The lower body was trembling…don’t tell me she’s like a freshly-born fawn…?

Hmm? A hand with a similar shape to hers extended straight upwards from a part of the flower. Does that mean she’s still growing? Is it possible for countless hands to soon pop out? Maybe she’ll also grow legs at some point?

While I thought all that, she stared at me, and said, “…My Lord, thank you for the mana and blood. I have become your kin. Please tAkE CAre of me from now on…”

She was talking Common. Her language somewhat resembled that of the Tree King’s forces.

Because I got <Spirit Employment>, I must have enslaved her like Helme, I suppose.

“Did you use my blood and mana as nourishment? Though it looks like other blood and mana has been absorbed as well.”

“Yes, it’s a combination of countless different mana.”

“Nn, nyaa.”

The black panther Rollodeen came next to me and greeted my new kin.

“Hello, Divine Beast-sama,” she humbly lowered her head.

The slugs and snails, which were floating around her while playing music, also bobbed their heads. Kinda cute.

I erased <Thime’s Dark Flames>.

At that point, the ancient wolfmen came close.

“Shuuya, that woman, or rather…this was supposed to be your Wave Gourd…”

“Did it absorb the berserk spirit?”

“Looks like it.”

After answering Higlia and Ryokline, I looked at my new kin once again.

“…Do you remember anything from before? If you have a name, I’d like you to tell me.”

“My only memory of the past revolved around my love of music.”

Music, huh? So that’s why the slugs and snails are playing music, huh? It looks like we can soon form a Lucival band at this rate.

“Music, huh…? So, you don’t know your name?”

“I don’t.”

“Is it okay for me to decide on one?”

“Nn, nyao.”

It sounds like Rollodeen wants to decide.

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