episode_0079
by fnovelpia000
A storm-like slash from the Holy Sword sweeps through the passage’s interior.
Shattered glass shards instantly transform into blue glass swords, following Aruru’s graceful hand’s command.
Becoming consecutive blades, they create a series of more than 10 attacks.
When the chilling sword stops its movement, in the next moment.
The members of the Execution Department surrounding Aruru collapse on the spot.
Aruru shakes off the blood from her sword as if flicking it, then returns it to her waist.
All the duplicated Holy Swords floating in the air scatter into blue light and vanish on the spot.
This makes 11. Still not having joined up with anyone.
Aruru, seeing the Execution Department students heading towards her clearly according to someone’s will, falls into thought for a moment.
`Ariadne’s controller can grasp the interior of the maze. That is, they can divide us and interfere, which means it’s much more advantageous for them.`
And among those currently inside the maze, the most dangerous would be.
Probably Aruru and Cleon, these two.
Especially in Aruru’s case, compared to Cleon who doesn’t possess a demon sword.
The absolute power of the Holy Sword is the greatest obstacle and a target to be wary of.
`But even if they send their students like this, they should know very well that they can’t do anything to me.`
Even if the number of students rushing in exceeds double digits, it doesn’t mean much in such a narrow space.
Rather, there would be a slight chance if they lured her into a wide space and poured all the power of the Execution Department there.
For Aruru, there is no such thing as carelessness, and if it’s against a large number, there’s no room for gaps.
Therefore, they would have to break through the defense of the glass swords with overwhelming firepower in an instant.
To neutralize her, they needed to immobilize Aruru and then unleash high-powered magic.
Does the Execution Department have such talent? Of course, it’s acknowledged that they have more powerful armaments or higher skills compared to ordinary students.
However, overall, considering that they are an organization that has been active in the shadows of the school and has repeated numerous misdeeds so far.
To the point where it raises some doubts, things were going too easily.
Is it some kind of trap, or the miserable reality of an organization that collapsed after losing a central point called the Vice-President?
Either way, if they keep targeting her like this, it’s a good thing for Aruru, as it prevents other students from being in danger.
Even while thinking that, her footsteps, which hadn’t stopped, are halted by the sound of footsteps coming from beyond the corner ahead.
Thud. Thud.
What’s heard is the sound of leather boots. Regular and walking forward with uniform strides.
The footsteps of a well-trained person. The breathing wasn’t disturbed, and it seemed somewhat relaxed.
Aruru didn’t think it was the Execution Department.
Because she had heard those footsteps before.
Aruru smiled as she saw the owner of the footsteps finally appear.
“You were nearby. I’m glad we joined up.”
Just as she was about to approach the other person,
Aruru drew her sword.
She saw the other person’s hand moving and sensed an ambush.
The two swords bounced off each other.
Aruru, with a bewildered face, looked back and forth between her sword, which had moved faster than her mind, and the other person.
“What the heck is this- Keuk!?”
And the other person’s unexpected attack continues.
Brainwashing? Or from the beginning? Aruru’s mind is filled with questions, but
The momentum of this attack was far different from the skills of the person she knew.
The power of the attack itself was too mediocre to break Aruru’s sword, but the speed and number were hard to follow with the eyes.
Conversely, this was not a good match for Aruru, whose abilities grew stronger as the sword broke.
When she tried to swing her sword against the wall or floor to break it herself-
Surprisingly, the walls and floor became a soft material, preventing any impact.
In other words, she wasn’t given a chance to break her sword.
“-No, way…. You!?”
In the next moment, she realizes the possibility she has reached and makes a shocked expression.
But it was already too late.
In the next moment, a hard sensation touches her back.
Having been pushed back by the attack, she ended up touching the wall.
And the wall grabs Aruru as if it were alive.
“Kuk…. Wh, why….”
With a feeling that magic and stamina are draining from her body as if absorbing power.
Aruru loses consciousness on the spot.
She wasn’t careless.
Even if she felt doubts, she didn’t hesitate to cut down the opponent.
What she had been trained as a hero included the teaching that.
One never knows when and where the hand of evil might reach, even if it’s a familiar face.
But the opponent was just one step ahead.
At least when it came to dealing with Aruru.
001
At the same time, Cleon, with Tina behind him, was moving through the passage according to her words.
There were times when they encountered members of the Execution Department along the way, but most of them were taken down by Cleon’s surprise attacks.
They were moving forward safely without any proper engagement.
Who would have expected someone to leap up, kick off the ceiling, and rush at them?
Of course, it was different from the Master’s swordsmanship that Cleon usually used.
Talcheck’s swordsmanship is swordsmanship of a realm where each strike tears through the air and cuts the `places that should not be cut` on things that cannot be cut.
As such, it is exhilarating, heavy, and demonstrates tremendous power.
But if the surroundings are surrounded by walls like this, and there’s a companion behind him.
Rather than fighting head-on, Lubera’s assassination sword, which neutralizes the enemy by acting one step ahead, was more suitable.
Cleon thinks that gaining a connection with her and learning swordsmanship from the engraving was an unexpected harvest.
Come to think of it, he was supposed to go to the royal capital and smash the brothel where the Black Magic clan was working, I wonder what happened by now….
“Cleon Instructor.”
He had exchanged letters with Iona before.
She said that she had more work to do at the Institution than she thought, so it would take a little more time to join this side.
She also had a sense of responsibility, and even though she was supposed to leave the Institution freely according to Talcheck’s will.
She said that she would do a thorough handover and take care of all the urgent matters before leaving that place.
“Instructor?”
I wonder what Luti and Ferdia are doing now.
Luti, who would be protecting the city as the Guild Master once again, and Ferdia, who would be treating people for the sake of the organization’s children.
He recalls that Kuon had sent a letter a while ago, but he hadn’t received a reply yet, probably because they were quite busy.
He feels a little lonely, but they are all connected to Cleon by engravings.
If something happens to them, he can know right away, so he doesn’t have to worry yet.
“I… Instructor!”
Cleon, startled by Tina grabbing his hand, turns around.
Tina puffs out her cheeks slightly at Cleon, who didn’t respond even after she called him several times.
“Really, what are you thinking about that you don’t respond even when I call you?”
“…Sorry, what’s wrong?”
When Cleon apologizes, Tina looks around and speaks.
“No, I thought we were getting close to the destination. I was going to tell you before we went in.”
“Already…? You really seem to remember the way well.”
“Hehe, I’m confident in my memory.”
Because I have to remember the cooking recipes!
Tina says, raising her index finger and shrugging her shoulders.
But soon after, she abandons that attitude and becomes worried.
“The central part of the maze – the place we’re heading to now is where the Vice-President’s faction of the Execution Department has imprisoned the Head’s faction.”
“…You said that the Vice-President’s faction and the Head’s faction are in conflict. But imprisonment…. Why don’t they kill them?”
Cleon found it hard to understand the story that the Execution Department’s people, who have no qualms about killing and using outsiders.
Were not killing their internal enemies whom they saw as a thorn in their side, but were just keeping them imprisoned.
Then Tina hesitates and speaks.
“I heard that the Execution Department’s people have made a `Covenant (Geas)` so that they can’t kill each other.”
Covenant. A contract made at the soul level that Luti is also bound by.
If this is broken, in the worst case, the soul is annihilated, and even if it’s a little better, they lose their magic power or their lives.
As much as they move in the shadows of a large group, they would be sensitive to betrayal.
However, as much as that, they couldn’t prevent factions from splitting due to valuing power or values within the group.
The rule that comrades shouldn’t harm each other prevented domination by force, tying their ankles.
The story would be different if this was a group that protected someone or had a noble purpose and united everyone’s will.
But the purpose of these people, as seen in Laila’s memories and from what they have seen and felt so far.
Is that they are like pruning shears that can cut off everything else for their own benefit.
The one holding those shears is probably the Council of 12 Elders.
“The right to control Ariadne, then the members of the Vice-President’s faction have it?”
“The control of the maze is done with the `Control Device` in the central room. You can only touch a part of it, though.”
The original owner of Ariadne is Beatrice, who is no longer here.
As Cleon thought, if there is a will in this maze.
A control device might be needed for someone other than Beatrice to control this maze.
“Then…. Is the Head of the Execution Department also imprisoned?”
“The Head, you say? Why, about her.”
Tina answers Cleon with a slightly trembling voice.
Cleon looks at her reaction for a moment and narrows his eyes, but soon answers her question.
“I heard that something called… Demiourgos is needed. And that the Head of the Execution Department has it.”
Then Tina seems to hesitate to speak for a moment before speaking.
“The Head of the Execution Department…. Is not captured. She ran away. Abandoning those who believed in her.”
“…What?”
Cleon, a little surprised by Tina’s words, turns to look at her.
“She is the only person who can grasp the entire maze without using the control device in this maze. She can move around and enter the maze without being noticed by anyone.”
“…So, the owner of Ariadne is `her` right now.”
Cleon knows that Ariadne already has an owner, but of course.
Apart from her will, there is a device prepared to control the maze itself.
He could feel that the conflict between the Head and the Vice-President was more severe than he had thought.
And if the Head isn’t in here, then the recovery of the Demiourgos is impossible.
And – one more thing.
Regarding the identity of this girl Tina, the doubts still don’t disappear.
She reacts as if it’s natural for him to go out in front and fight to cut down enemies.
No matter how familiar she is with handling meat and knives in cooking, cooking and fighting are completely different.
When a person screams (even if they don’t scream) and falls in front of your eyes.
It was natural to be surprised or nervous.
Above all, no matter how well she has memorized the way.
She confidently guides them on which way to go and is well-versed in the internal situation of the Execution Department.
“Tina, you’re perhaps-”
Just as Cleon was about to say that.
“Oh my, is that…. Instructor Cleon over there?”
When they turn around at the familiar voice calling him, they see Riomes walking over from a distance with a relaxed expression.
Her body has blood splattered on it, which doesn’t seem to be hers.
Dark magic and light magic in both hands.
She must have already experienced a battle with someone.
“Riomes.”
Cleon looks at her for a moment, then takes a handkerchief out of his pocket and hands it to her.
“Your face, there’s blood on it.”
“Oh my, is that so? I didn’t notice at all.”
Riomes smiles with gratitude and wipes the blood off her face with the handkerchief she received from Cleon with gentle movements.
“You didn’t kill them, did you….”
“I just stabbed their pressure points to block their movement and incapacitated them. Because blood splattered from the narrow hole, it flew to me like this.”
She looks at Cleon’s handkerchief with blood on it for a moment and says. Her face was flushed and red.
“Shall I wash it and return it to you?”
“Do as you please.”
“Ahem…”
Then, a clearing of the throat is heard from behind Cleon.
When both Riomes and Cleon turn their eyes to her, Tina was emphasizing that she was also there.
“Oh my, this young lady is-”
“Tina. She says she’s a student in the Culinary Department.”
Cleon tries to continue what he was going to say earlier.
Then-
“Of course, I know her! I asked Tina to make me Woorang and Wooshin (bull’s genitals) dishes before!`
“… …”
When Riomes says with sparkling eyes, Cleon’s expression hardens instantly.
“It was the first time I had it, and it was really delicious! It’s quite a rare ingredient, so I couldn’t get it easily, but I happened to eat it. Woorang wasn’t as chewy as I thought-”
“Ah, ah… Okay. Yeah. I got it.”
Cleon cuts off Riomes’ words and sighs.
Tina was also giving a slightly stiff smile while looking at Riomes like that.
“Come to think of it, Instructor. You were going to say something, right?”
Tina asks Cleon that.
Her face was full of curiosity.
However, Cleon looks at her for a moment and shakes his head.
“No, it’s nothing.”
With those words, he walks towards the direction Tina pointed out, step by step.
“…Hoo.”
Tina and Riomes’ eyes meet.
Riomes looks at her for a moment, then gives a seductive smile, turns around and follows Cleon.
002
After that, Cleon and Riomes continued to walk through the maze’s passage with unstoppable momentum.
Riomes used her frail-looking long arms and legs to flow magic power into the enemy’s vital points, incapacitating them.
The technique she showed during the interrogation was something that affected the mind.
Seeing this, one might think that she can actually handle a sensory sensitivity of 3000 times without any problems.
“Haa~ Instructor Cleon. You’re as strong as I’ve heard.”
Cleon, next to Riomes, shakes off the blood from his sword.
He also lightly cuts the opponent in the direction where the blade is, creating gaps in their body to avoid killing them.
The mana shock flowing through the blade penetrates the body and takes away the opponent’s consciousness.
If you cut the enemy with mana shock surrounding the blade from the beginning, the magic power scatters on the surface of the body, so the effect doesn’t properly live.
It was a technique that required a momentary control of magic power, where you had to flow magic into the blade with a very slight interval from cutting with the sword.
Riomes’ technique is also mainly about controlling magic power, so she must understand the difficulty of the technique that Cleon is doing.
Tina quietly speaks to the two people while looking around for a moment.
“Now, if you turn ahead, you’ll see the heart of the maze, judging from how it’s not noisy, it seems like no one has arrived yet.”
“Then it looks like the two of us will be cleaning up?”
When Riomes says to Cleon, Cleon seems to be hesitating for a moment.
“Aruru hasn’t arrived yet?”
“No matter how skilled the Head of the Swordsmanship Department is, or how much of a Holy Sword Hero she is, finding her way in the maze might not be her specialty.”
Riomes replies to Cleon as if telling him not to worry.
Certainly, if the opponents they have met and defeated so far are the average skill of the Execution Department.
Aruru will be able to protect herself without any problems, even alone.
“…Even if they try to escape through the control device, there’s already a barrier deployed outside, so it’s okay to just drive them in.”
If the maze is closed while there are people inside, they will be automatically discharged outside.
Even in that case, the students of the Execution Department who cannot pass through the barrier will be quietly bound.
“That’s right. Those who don’t have our permission can’t get out of this barrier. It’s like a confinement play, which makes me feel excited….”
“Huh? Then what about me?”
Tina says, seeming flustered by Riomes’ words.
Then, Cleon was about to answer her.
“There’s no reason to stop you from passing, so you can pass through the barrier.”
“That’s a relief~ If I don’t go back to my room soon, I’m too worried about the ingredients that have been left for two months…”
Riomes throws cold water on Tina, who is answering while stroking her chest.
“Well, you might be asked to make a statement or testimony before that, though.”
“Ugh, Ugh… Is that so.”
Tina droops her shoulders.
Cleon gestures to those two as if telling them to lower their voices now.
In a state where he is sticking close to the corner, he confirms the state of the maze’s heart using a mirror, which is one of the know-hows he gained during his adventurer days.
Then, there are four Execution Department students who appear to be executives, and the figures of less than 10 students imprisoned behind bars in the corner.
Those are probably the members of the Head’s faction.
And in the center of the room is something that doesn’t quite match the form of this maze.
A huge device with a mechanical material shape, like an altar.
In the middle of it, something that looks like a handle was inserted.
“Is that the control device?”
“Yes, they use that to open the entrances and exits. It seems like it’s also possible to demolish the maze itself in an emergency.”
“Then, if we use the control device to demolish it, we can send everyone outside the maze.”
Riomes and Cleon look at each other for a moment and nod.
They seemed to have decided what kind of operation to carry out by exchanging glances.
“B, be careful!”
Tina cheers for the two in a small voice.
“I’ll take the two on the left.”
Riomes walks forward with elegant steps, loosening her hands.
Each time she walks, the hem of her long skirt, which is open on the side, which is her combat attire, sways, properly exposing her thighs.
“Then I’ll take the right side.”
Cleon also draws his sword and prepares magic in one hand.
With this, he will be able to put an end to the evil connection with the Execution Department that has been going on since Elesia.
“Kuk! Intruders! Prepare to intercept!”
Soon after, Riomes and Cleon.
The executives of the Execution Department, who confirmed the appearance of the two monsters from the Department of Holy Studies, each picked up their weapons.
What they have are armaments that seem to have a hazard rating attached to each of them, with enchantments that are risky and powerful.
Soon, they rush towards each other as if someone started first.
A large spark flew as each other’s weapons collided.
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