Hell Mode: Volume 4, page 17
When Glaster laid eyes on the Bird Bs, he growled, “Was it you lot?”
“What do you mean?” Allen replied.
“I’m asking if it was you who came up with the plan to seize this fortress and made goddamn fools out of us!”
Ah, he’s getting pissed now. Can’t blame him—even if he turned tail here, he’d be held responsible for doing so on top of losing Castle Lapolka. For all I know, he may even be executed if he loses today’s battle. I bet you never imagined you’d lose the south gate in a day with six-to-one odds, eh, Glaster?
“Pretty much. Thanks to the elves’ cooperation, everything went swimmingly. Of course, it definitely helped that our enemy’s generals were such morons.”
There was nothing to gain in revealing his identity at this time, so Allen just gave a vague answer. Of course, he also took the opportunity to slip in an insult to rile Glaster up even more.
“Y-Y-You! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you with my own hands! Neftira! Yagof! To me!”
“Yes, Lord Glaster.”
“Understood, huff.”
Easily falling for Allen’s provocation, the three demons immediately assumed fighting stances. Glaster wielded a greatsword, Neftira held a staff, and Yagof wore knuckle-dusters. Allen instantaneously analyzed their fighting styles based on their formation and barked out commands to his own companions.
“Krena, you take the big guy. Volmaar, take out the younger one. Dogora, the beastkin’s all yours.”
“The big guy? Okay.” Krena leveled her gaze at Glaster and tightened her grip on her sword.
As the war with the Demon Lord Army would still be continuing, Allen wanted to conceal the details of his intel-gathering methods for as long as possible. This was why, despite knowing the three demons’ names, he still referred to them with rough descriptions. It would be harder to fight them if they were allowed to cooperate with each other, so Allen assigned members of his party to one-on-one matches with each before continuing to study them.
Neftira’s really good at positioning himself. We should focus fire on Yagof first, then.
Allen had wanted to start by taking down Neftira, who was clearly the mage. However, Allen realized that he was actually standing where he could use Glaster as a shield at any time. If pressed, it seemed likely that he would take things into a much more chaotic combined fight, so Allen decided to prioritize the last one, Yagof.
The No-life Gamers also quickly made themselves battle ready.
“Hmph!”
“Oof!”
The fight began with Glaster swinging his greatsword, sending Krena and her griffin flying. Dogora suffered a similar fate facing Yagof.
As I feared, we’re still not strong enough to fight demons one-on-one. Things might be different if Krena is using Limit Break, but even with it, I’m not sure she can defeat a Rank A solo.
The difference in stats between the Gamers and the demons became obvious after they exchanged a few blows. The latter were very much living up to their reputations.
“Krena, stay on him! Keel, focus on healing her!”
“Okay!”
“Gotcha!”
“Cecil, you and I are gonna take down the beastkin first.”
“Very well.”
We need to take them down one by one.
Yagof was nearly twice as tall as Dogora. As Allen and Cecil moved to support Dogora, his giant ax met the demon’s giant knuckles.
“Ugh!”
Dogora utterly lost the exchange and was blasted backward along with his Bird B. At that same moment, Cecil launched a massive fireball at the demon. Yagof had only just attacked Dogora and had yet to recover his stance, and he ended up taking the attack head-on.
“One more—”
“Not happening! Ice Shot!”
Cecil was about to follow up her previous attack when a huge icicle flew at her from an unexpected direction. Of course, it had been from Neftira. Cecil yelped in surprise as her Griff suddenly leaped sideways to evade at Allen’s command.
As Allen was monitoring the vision from the five Bird Bs, the Bird E up in the sky, and his own eyes, he had no blind spots. Despite this, Neftira’s spells were too fast and his movements so refined that dodging them would prove quite a challenge.
Allen pulled himself together and gave Cecil’s Bird B further instructions to avoid everything that came her way so she could focus solely on dishing out damage.
As for me...I currently have three slots that I can Summon with.
Almost all of Allen’s Summons were fighting along the other walls at the moment, but a few that had been serving as shields had apparently been done in, freeing up slots that he could now use here.
“Doras, Cerby, come out!”
On command, two Dragon Bs and one Beast B appeared. He ordered one Dragon B to keep Neftira busy by using Fire Breath from a distance while the remaining two Summons joined the fight against Yagof.
’Cause Yagof is still our first objective.
The barrage of attacks eventually started getting through Yagof’s guard, leaving more and more wounds on his body.
“RAAAAAAH!”
Seeing an opportunity, Dogora landed a full-power swing. This time, it was Yagof who was sent flying, and he crashed into a residential building, bringing an entire wall down on himself.
“Get your shit together, Yagof!”
“I-I’m fine, huff.”
From a distance away, Glaster commanded in a roar that shook the ground, “Enough. Open your Extra Gate.”
Huh? What’s that?
“Yes, sir, huff!”
The hyena-faced man slowly stood back up as a heat haze sprang up around him. The next instant, he had closed in on Dogora and was already mid-swing.
So demons have Extra Skills too! Return, Dora! Come out, Mirror!
It took Allen less than a split second to decide the best course of action. One of the Dragon Bs assigned to fight Yagof disappeared and was immediately replaced by a Stone B that appeared right in front of Dogora. The Summon lifted its round shield as Yagof, who had been somewhat caught off guard by its sudden appearance, threw a punch with all of his might.
The two collided with a great crash. Although Mirror’s shield did crack a little, it managed to fully absorb Yagof’s attack. There was a beat of silence, then a dazzling light burst forth and Yagof was sent flying once more.
Nice! As expected of a move that withstood even an attack from the Hero!
“Yagof!” Glaster cried.
Allen was not one to let an opportunity go. He knew Yagof would go flying and had therefore positioned the two remaining Summons accordingly.
“Use Hellfire of Fury and Ninefold Crunch, NOW!”
Yagof staggered to his feet, dazed from being slammed against a wall twice in quick succession. Before he could gather himself again, the Summons’ attacks fell without mercy.
Oh wow, the demon gave XP. This amount is eighty percent according to the rules of distribution, which means the full value is eight million. That’s even more than the dragon boss! Hrm, it was surprising that they have Extra Skills too. What was it that Glaster called it? Ah, right, “Extra Gate.” Interesting.
“H-How dare you!”
“One down, two to go. We’re getting there.”
Allen’s composure cut a sharp contrast with Glaster’s rage.
“Who the fuck are you all?! You’re not elves!”
“What makes you think I’ll tell you? And you should really be worrying about yourself, not me.”
“What does that mean?!”
The fighting had been paused due to Allen and Glaster’s exchange. Their respective companions, as well as the soldiers nearby, listened intently.
“It means you’re gonna die here. That’s the least you can do to atone for making such a mess out of Rohzenheim.”
“What—”
Honestly, though, I’d have more to gain if they’d run away. If I’d sent Ellie with them, I might’ve even gained intel on Demonic Deity Rehzel.
If the three demons had withdrawn to Fortenia with a regiment of their forces, Spirit B could possibly have been able to blend in and find a way to be present when the demons reported to their superior, the one who was presumably in command of all the monster forces in Rohzenheim. However, that plan had flown out the window the moment Glaster blew his top and dragged the other two demons with him to the south gate.
“Dogora and Krena, focus on this guy. His Attack seems to be ridiculously high, so be careful not to take any of his strikes head-on.”
“Noted,” Dogora nodded, lifting his battleax in readiness. “Thanks for the backup just now.”
Glaster similarly lifted his greatsword and the fighting resumed. The No-life Gamers surrounded him, piling on the attacks while maintaining a certain distance.
At the same time, Allen turned to target Neftira and back Volmaar up. The demon was dodging all of the elf’s arrows through skillful maneuvering and even healed Glaster every once in a while. He was also firing off the occasional Attack Magic from behind Glaster’s back. All in all, Volmaar was having trouble dealing with him on his own.
Here’s how a Summoner fights! “Dora, Cerby, go!”
Roaring loudly, the two Summons appeared right behind Neftira, who was in turn watching Glaster’s back. Their attacks landed on him just as he turned around.
“ARGH!”
Both attacks caught Neftira directly.
Good. He probably has an Extra Skill too, so let’s quickly finish him before he uses it.
“Dora, Hellfire of Fury.”
A newly made Dragon B used its Awakened Ability, blasting Neftira directly away to where another fresh Beast B was laying in wait. It, too, used its Awakened Ability as Allen directed. Even when Allen was far away, he could deal close-quarters damage to enemies. The Summoner class shone in how it could easily slip into an opponent’s blind spot and take advantage of their weak points.
Problem was, Neftira was using everything he had to heal himself. Despite having taken so many Awakened Abilities, he was still alive.
“He’s like a cockroach... Guys, I think we might have to focus on the old guy instead. Wear him down while I make sure this other one can’t heal him. If he activates his Extra Skill, step back.”
“Okay!” Krena nodded.
Allen had started off thinking that Neftira, being a mage, would have low Endurance and thus be easy to defeat. When he learned that was not the case, however, he promptly changed up his strategy.
“Now I see,” Glaster suddenly murmured. “With that much power... You must be a Liberated. To think that one has appeared among the humans...”
“Huh? What was that? ‘Liberated’? You’re talking about me? Wait, is it ‘liberated’ as in having opened that ‘Extra Gate’ you mentioned just now?”
Are these unique terms used within the Demon Lord Army?
“I finally understand why we lost so many times. So this group— No, you. You were the reason.” Glaster stared at Allen, his rage from before gone without a trace.
“What’s a Liberated?” Allen repeated. Don’t keep it to yourself; share it with the class.
“And you don’t know your own position, I see. However...things are completely different with a Liberated in the picture.”
A heat haze sprang up around Glaster.
“Neftira! I’ll hold them here. Inform Lord Rehzel that a Liberated has shown up!”
“Wh— Understood, sir! Right away!”
Despite being taken by surprise, Neftira understood the command. And by the looks of things, Glaster was now willing to lay his life on the line.
“GO!”
“YES, SIR!”
Neftira, who had finished healing himself during Allen and Glaster’s talk, turned tail and fled as fast as he could. Allen would not have minded if he had run away at the start, but the situation had changed.
Oh no, that’s not good.
Without further ado, Glaster began launching a full-out assault.
“Krena, use your Extra Skill now!”
“Okay, got it!”
Krena enveloped herself in a heat haze as well and swung her greatsword at Glaster. An ominous darkness burst out from his own weapon as he used it to deflect her strike.
“And you are a Sword Lord. Impressive.”
Glaster was doing all he could to reach Allen, and Krena was doing all she could to stop him. Their respective weapons clashed again and again. Even though Krena had activated Limit Break, Glaster still appeared to have the advantage in stats.
So even Krena can’t do this alone... Wow, Neftira sure is quick on his feet.
By now, Neftira had already run far away. Allen would have gone after him if not for Glaster standing smack dab in his way, and it was taking Krena everything she had just to match the demon’s speed. With no other choice, Allen tried sending a few Summons to attack Neftira but stopping a healer endlessly healing himself proved beyond their capabilities. Before long, Neftira had completely disappeared from sight.
Figuring that he had lost his window of interception, Allen gave up the chase and decided to focus solely on fighting with Glaster. Now that the demon had lost all means of recovery and was getting whaled on by all the No-life Gamers, it did not take long before he collapsed to the ground.
Before breathing his last, he wheezed, “Ha ha ha, we win. Death is all that awaits you now. If this is all the strength you have, you won’t last a second against Lord Rehzel.”
Still smirking triumphantly, Glaster dissolved into dust.
Oh! I can finally use Deputize!
“What’re we gonna do about the one that got away?” Cecil asked as she walked up to Allen. She looked at the direction he had run off in, which also happened to be the same direction where Fortenia, the elven capital, lay.
“Well, there’s no point crying over spilled milk. All right, let’s change gears. Looks like the elves have finished taking over the walls. Let’s help with finishing off the monsters still left in the fortress.”
After that, the No-life Gamers regrouped with the forces coming down from the walls and participated in the cleanup operation. With Glaster gone, the monsters had regressed to terrified husks of themselves and posed no threat whatsoever. By sunset, Allen and the elves had finished up, having seized complete control of Castle Lapolka.
At the same time, Neftira was still making a mad dash for Fortenia. Suddenly, he heard a woman’s voice calling out to him from behind. He turned around and found the girl who had been serving him tea in the fortress desperately trying to catch up, pushing herself hard while floating above the ground. Nefitra stopped to wait for her, still casting Healing Magic on himself despite being out of breath.
When Ellie reached him, she smiled, saying, “I cannot allow someone of Lord Neftira’s station to travel alone; the danger is much too grave.”
Neftira was so touched by her words that he immediately allowed her to travel with him.
Chapter 11: Overflowing Prayer
“An elven force of 50,000 has defeated 300,000 monsters and succeeded in recapturing Castle Lapolka.”
The good news spread throughout the cities like wildfire thanks to the Spirit Bs. Upon hearing of what could only be a miracle, all the elves thanked the Sovereign of Spirits profusely and prayed for peace and the longevity of their queen.
This battle served as the end of one chapter of this war, but there was still much left to be done. Because the Demon Lord Army had likely been expecting to be besieged, the bulk of the forces dispatched to Castle Lapolka had been of the undead variety that did not require food, such as skeletons and suits of armor. Some could still be concealed within the compound, and leaving them to their devices for days, months, or even years would obviously be a problem. As such, squads of scouts with detection abilities were working in concert with Allen’s inexhaustible Summons to go through the entire fortress with a fine-tooth comb.
At the same time, the No-life Gamers decided to return to Tiamo, leaving Field Marshal Lukdraal and the other generals behind in Lapolka. The front lines were important, but so was discussing future plans with the queen and the generals still with her. As such, Allen’s group planned on using their Bird B’s Jet to head back that night.
Allen had been in the middle of considering whether to have Cecil or Volmaar ride with him when Krena had asked if she could join him instead. She apparently had something she wanted to talk about with him in private. This was why she was now riding behind him.
“I’m sorry, Allen.”
“For what?”
“If I knew how to use my Extra Skill properly, then the demons wouldn’t have found out about you.”
Oh, so that’s why she’s looking so down.
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” he replied. “In that situation, even if you had been able to use your skills, Neftira just might have gotten away regardless.”
Considering how fast the demon had run as well as his ability to continuously cast Healing Magic on himself, killing him would have been nigh impossible. At the time, ordering the Summons fighting alongside the elves to go chase after Neftira would have meant leaving the elves to die. Most importantly, Glaster had proven far more powerful than any Rank A monster once he activated his Extra Skill. If Allen had taken off to pursue Neftira himself, at least one of his companions would have ended up dying to Glaster’s blade.
“In the first place...” Allen continued.
“Yes?”
“I managed to have one Ellie to accompany Neftira. I’m pretty sure he’ll let her meet Demonic Deity Rehzel.”
Just in case, Allen checked the vision he was Sharing with the Ellie in question. Sure enough, she was currently hurrying toward Fortenia with Neftira at a blistering pace.
