Chapter 19

Thank you for your comment, "What are you going to do with that white lie?"

I always appreciate those who send me corrections for typos... I guess it's because I write purely on a whim.

(But if I lose my momentum, I can't keep updating every day)

★ Red Gate Frontline of the Red Magic Empire ★

"The armlet-type 'Hero Armament' that your father is wearing, 'Kimiutsusukagami,' has the effect of completely reflecting any shock without any decay."

At Non's explanation, Lark's eyes widened.

"What...!? With that, we can defeat any enemy, can't we!?"

"But the principle of the orbs that serve as fuel is unknown, and your father must have used more than one just now."

"How many of those orbs are left!?"

"...Three or four."

Lark looked up to the sky. He had thought they might have found a way to defeat the incredibly huge monster, but this...

"There were originally fifteen, but we used them to confirm how the armament is used."

"Damn, that's no good!"

At Lark's curse, Non frowned,

"...But it's enough to make that giant monster wary."

Endyoga, not understanding what was happening, licked its blood-soaked front paws while carefully observing Dante. Dante remained motionless, firmly grounded.

Indeed, Dante had said he would "buy time." There was no lie in those words.

"...In the end, it's up to me to finish this."

Non, who had been continuously using healing magic, let out a deep breath and laughed.

"No, we can still do more. The Hero Armament we found is not the only one."

Endyoga's nose was very sensitive, but in this city filled with the stench of countless monsters and humans, it wasn't very effective for detecting enemies.

Relying more on its eyes, Endyoga still couldn't spot the small figure.

It wasn't just because it was small.

Its form seemed to melt into the space, and when it remained still, it was impossible to see.

Endyoga, having lived for an incredibly long time, had never seen such technology—Raji would have called it "optical camouflage" if he saw it.

(A little more. I can get a bit closer.)

The cloak that barely covered Mimi's small body was a magical item with the effect of optical camouflage—a "Hero Armament" called "Tasogarenikyu." Unfortunately, it was too small to hide an adult, but fortunately, it seemed to require no fuel and could be used semi-permanently—so far.

After witnessing Dante repel Endyoga's attack, Mimi donned "Tasogarenikyu" and ran through the alleyways, moving to Endyoga's rear.

(So big...)

Looking up at the towering Endyoga, goosebumps ran down Mimi's spine. But she shook off her fear.

(If I don't try hard here, Raji will laugh at me!)

The magical item she had left in Aba's tent to check Raji's survival was broken. She didn't have time to confirm what that meant.

But she knew it wasn't good.

Considering the current situation at Red Gate, it wasn't something to be optimistic about—worst-case scenarios kept flashing through her mind. In other words, Raji might be dead.

To shake off that worst-case scenario, Mimi had chosen to rush into danger. When fleeing from the empire's pursuers, she didn't just run away; she insisted on "passing through the checkpoint and getting inside, then retrieving the 'Hero Armament'!" She chose to "take out" the lookout at the discovered location and proposed using the retrieved "Hero Armament" to deal with the suddenly appearing Endyoga.

Now, she was leading the charge against Endyoga.

She felt that if she didn't move, if she didn't take action, the thin thread that connected her to Raji would be severed.

She didn't want to face the worst-case scenario.

Using her status as an "adventurer" as an excuse, she was taking risks.

(This distance, I can make it.)

Mimi pulled out a metal magical item with a dial and a handle that could be firmly gripped. If Raji saw it, he might have thought it looked like a "grip strength meter" used in gym class, but its color was a dull gold.

(I'll borrow the power of the "Hero Armament"!)

At that moment, perhaps because of Mimi's tension or just a premonition, Endyoga briefly turned its head.

One of its three remaining eyes caught Mimi's face and body, which were partially exposed from "Tasogarenikyu."

『————』

Just before it opened its massive mouth to roar,

"This way is faster!!"

Mimi cast "Flower Magic" on several vines she had pulled out from her pocket. They extended at an incredible speed and entangled Endyoga's left hind leg—but from the monster's perspective, they were too thin. It was like a few strands of hair entangling a human.

For a moment, even Endyoga was taken aback.

But that was exactly what Mimi needed—she grabbed the handle of the "Hero Armament" and pulled the lever.

The third "Hero Armament"—the last one they had, "Dainehautafu"—activated.

The dial glowed blue-white and spun.

A high-pitched, ear-piercing sound rang out in the direction the disc was pointed, and Endyoga staggered back, but of course, the effect wasn't just to make noise.

『!?』

The entangled vines turned black, and Endyoga lost its balance and fell.

『Gurururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururururur