By Effugium December 24, 2023
In short, it was a “mountain of swords”.
Of course, it’s not about the upside-down scrubbing brushes-like cute stuff [i] used for ikebana.
It is a huge mass of sword, with a slope of about sixty degrees, constructed from countless types of blades ranging from small sculpting knives to meter-long slashing swords.
『It’s like the pile of rice from that old tale.』
「No, it’s not something heartwarming like that. If anything, it’s more like a myth or something of that nature.」
Kirika, who was still trapped inside the crystal, and Rintaro, looked at the top.
The torrential downpour had passed, and the out-of-this-world presence stood majestically in the middle of Tokyo, reflecting the sunlight that streamed in through the clouds.
It is only slightly smaller in size than the Tokyo Tower, but it is still overwhelmingly tall and massive compared to the surrounding buildings. It was as if all the swords that mankind has produced since the dawn of time were gathered here.
It’s not good to think about, but Retto and Utako, who were caught in the avalanche of swords, were surely under it.
「This large number of swords…… no way……」
「Anikiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!」
Mixed in with the sound of steel clashing against steel, a voice calling out for Rintaro reached his ears. As soon as the owner of the voice spotted Rintaro looking up at the mountain, she rushed toward him, despite the poor terrain.
「Anikii! And Kirika is safe as well, ssune!」
「Samecchi, let’s talk about the matter of you sending the threatening letter some other time. But more importantly, what the hell is going on here?」
「It was troublesome, ssuyo! Because of Samecchi doing Jinkonkonkyu, a sword fountain with free mega-sized bowl of rice appeared, ssu.」
「Okay, let’s calm down. I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.」
As Rintaro placed his hand on the shoulder of the panicked Samecchi to help her breathe, Bearion and several other mysterious beings who must have been in the vicinity gathered around.
「Sorry bro, we did everything we could……」
「As expected, this joke of an object is Minato?」
「Yeah, but I don’t know how it happened. Damn, Mikarikki, that little beetle ran away at a time like this! Bugs can’t be trusted after all!」
Did Mikariki, by any chance, also trapped under that mass of swords? If so, Rintaro quietly clasped his hands together in his heart, thinking that he had lost a valuable person.
「More importantly, is Minato alive? She didn’t look like she’d last that long with that wound……」
「Ou, that’s the thing……」
Just as Bearion was about to say something, a loud sound interrupted his words. A helicopter was flying above Rintaro and the others, making a loud noise.
The emblem shining on the side of the aircraft immediately identifies it as belonging to the Hero Headquarters, not the press.
『This is Flying Squadron Apache Five, circling over target. Target Alpha remains silent. Also, we have visual of multiple mysterious beings in the vicinity. As reported by scouts, target Alpha is believed to be composed of inorganic material. …… No, wait, something’s wrong.』
Zuzuzu…… gogogogogogogogogogogogogogogo…….
With a rumbling of the earth, the mountain trembled.
The entire mountain, composed of countless swords, moves slowly, as if it were a living creature. And then, as if part of the mountain’s surface had suddenly become inverted- and then…
Hyugoooh!!
Hundreds of swords were ejected in a single mass toward the helicopter with a tremendous wind noise.
『Attack confirmed from target Alpha! Six Two, move to evasive maneuver!』
As Rintaro and the others looked up, the helicopter quickly turns around like a hawk in midair. The helicopter is the combat helicopter of the Hero Headquarters, and its maneuverability is well documented.
However, the swords scattered in the air and hit a wide area in the sky like a scattering bullet. It was difficult to avoid them all, even with their great maneuverability.
Several swords pierced the side of the helicopter, and one of them unexpectedly hit the tail rotor. The helicopter, which had lost the key to its attitude control, spun around and rapidly lost altitude.
『Woah! Six Two Control Lost! Repeat, Control Lost! Six Two Down!』
A line of black smoke was drawn across the sky, and the next moment, a large pillar of fire appeared on the ground.
「Does something this big actually move…? It’s more like a giant slug with an automated defense system, rather than a mountain.」
All the mysterious beings had their mouths open, staring vacantly at the crawling “monster”, probably the world’s largest creature. If we had to name it, it would be Sword Mountain Monster Swordminagon.
The movements of Swordminagon are seemingly slow, but their substandard size means that every time the mountain made the slightest twitch, the structures on the ground suffer tremendous damage.
From traffic lights to buildings, let alone abandoned cars and street trees, the mountain moved slowly, swallowing everything as fast as it could walk.
「They dropped a helicopter…… Brother, this is finally getting out of hand. What do we do?」
「I don’t think Minato is moving this thing… but since it’s moving, it’s likely that she’s still alive. so my answer is one.」
「Digging Minato out of this big mountain and rescuing her, ssune!」
Samecchi gripped a small scoop in both hands. Is she thinking of digging up this pile of swords, each weighing 1 kilogram on average?
Little Kirika, still in her crystals, frowned.
『Easier said than done, senpai. How do you plan to dig?』
「Besides, even if we could get close to Minato’s main body, there is no guarantee that we can rescue her safely, right?」
「The honor of a deeply guilty person accumulates across countless years, and the poet will surely praise the hero’s name, which is as numerous as the flowing blood.」
「That’s the thing, there are too many obstacles… Huh? Isn’t there something strange mixed in just now?」
When Rintaro and the others turned around, they found a squat, caddis-shaped mysterious being that was supposed to be dead, the number-two mutilation mysterious being of the Strange Insect Army, Mikarikki. Somehow, one of its long antennae had been removed.
But there was someone there who was far more striking than Mikarikki.
There is no mistaking their neutral yet unusually slender silhouettes.
Their feet were as long and slender as branches as they stepped on the floor of swords, and their garments, as gaudy as poisonous flowers, were too alien in the gray city.
His eyes, with long lashes, still had a suspiciously sexy look to them, even when covered by the butterfly mask. The mask did not hide the bewitching beauty and danger that lay beneath it, but rather accentuated them even more.
One of the top executives of the Ark Dominion, the king of all insects. He was the strange insect general Zazoma, an expert in poisons and medicines, shrouded in mystery and the scent of flowers.
「The cursed thorns, seduced by deceit, pierce the fleeting heart of the innocent maiden’s spirit, carrying the burden of sin. And so, her tears become a waterfall, seeking to cleanse impurities. The vessel of her chaotic eyes holds the favor of the gods and overflows with the blessing of blood.」
「Zazomaa! You’ve been watching us from the beginning! Where have you been all this time!?」
The Hundred Beasts General, Beerleon, took a swing at Zazoma. Zazoma, however, did not seem to be bothered or offended, but simply smiled graciously.
「Well, well, rain is a natural enemy of us insects, after all, Hohoho.」
「Um, Mikarikki-san. What did General Zazoma say just now?」
「Yes, Master Zazoma said, “This is the true power of Swordminus, the Sword Mountain Mysterious Being”.」
「This is……? That Minato’s……?」
Mikalicki curtsies once again and cleared his throat.
「Let me explain to you, yes.」
The beetle’s exoskeleton made it impossible to read any expression on his face. However, the tone of his voice conveyed an air of seriousness.
「……Does that have something to do with Mikarikki-san’s rare visit?」
「Yes, of course. For some time now, Minato-sama had been undergoing a very rigorous training under the guidance of the three leaders of the Ark Dominion, led by our Lord Zazoma.」
「Oi goraaa! Who was leading, who!」
「Ojiki, We are in the middle of something important, so please shut up, ssu!」
「Kuuun……」
The Hundred Beasts King was chastised by Samecchi, and he cowered with his ears drooping like a scolded puppy. Rintaro felt a little sorry for him, but decided to ignore the situation, preferring to keep his mouth shut for now.
「May I continue?」
「OK, ssuyo! But Zazoma’s training was the most boring, ssu. We were just drinking tea, ssuyo.」
「Hohoho, that was a really harsh thing to say. ……Well, it was good that Minato-sama acquired power, but. Having too much talent can also be a double-edged sword was what we think. The problem is the control of that power.」
Mikarikki then held out the palm of his hand in front of Rintaro’s eyes. On the palm wrapped in a white glove was a “dead insect” as small as a button on a piece of clothing.
「Mikarikki-san, this is……?」
「They are parasites that live in the human body and regularly inject venom into their hosts.」
「Do you keep such a ghastly insect?」
「Isn’t he cute? But he’s already dead…… He couldn’t stand the cold of the river in the middle of winter, I’m afraid.」
A river in the middle of winter.
At Mikarikki’s words, Rintaro and Samecchi looked at each other. Minato lost control of her ability just after she fell into the river.
And now, as expected, her “ability” had gone out of control, creating the sword mountain monster Swordminagon, which is composed of tens of millions of swords.
The parasite’s venom was responsible for controlling the excessive power of the sword mountain mysterious being, Swordminas.
「Do you understand now? Our master, Zazoma-sama, gave her not a method to control her power, but the “means”. And having the means mean that……」
Rintaro’s eyes turn to Zazoma.
The beauty, the master of insects and poison, silently offered Rintaro a small bottle. The reddish-black liquid shook with a tap inside the vial.
It is the secret medicine of Zazoma, which rescued the Hundred Beast Army trapped in the crystal and even healed a wound once cut by the anti-mysterious being sword “Kuroageha”.
It was the last vial of the special medicine that would return the buggy out of control mysterious being cells to normal.
「We, the Strange Insect Army, managed to secure just that one bottle with all our might. Please accept it, heinous general Deathgreen」
Rintaro slowly reached for the vial.
With this, they can stop Minato’s outburst, which had literally turned into a sword fight. Surely it would be possible to rescue Minato.
Zazoma’s hand gently wraps Rintaro’s hand, as if handling a ring studded with jewels.
The vial, which was lighter than expected, was handed firmly from the hands of Strange Insect General to those of the Heinous General.
「Umm…… Thank you. General Zazoma.」
Clutching the vial carefully, Rintaro bowed deeply. It was a sincere thank you, different from the previous time when he had received the medicine through a business transaction.
Zazoma silently lowered his eyelashes and brushed a thin, white finger across Rintaro’s cheek and whispered in his ear so that no one else could hear.
「May the glory of the Heinous Corps be with the Strange Insects Army forever.」
It was the first time Rintaro could understand Zazoma’s words without translation.
By Effugium December 24, 2023
In short, it was a “mountain of swords”.
Of course, it’s not about the upside-down scrubbing brushes-like cute stuff [i] used for ikebana.
It is a huge mass of sword, with a slope of about sixty degrees, constructed from countless types of blades ranging from small sculpting knives to meter-long slashing swords.
『It’s like the pile of rice from that old tale.』
「No, it’s not something heartwarming like that. If anything, it’s more like a myth or something of that nature.」
Kirika, who was still trapped inside the crystal, and Rintaro, looked at the top.
The torrential downpour had passed, and the out-of-this-world presence stood majestically in the middle of Tokyo, reflecting the sunlight that streamed in through the clouds.
It is only slightly smaller in size than the Tokyo Tower, but it is still overwhelmingly tall and massive compared to the surrounding buildings. It was as if all the swords that mankind has produced since the dawn of time were gathered here.
It’s not good to think about, but Retto and Utako, who were caught in the avalanche of swords, were surely under it.
「This large number of swords…… no way……」
「Anikiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!」
Mixed in with the sound of steel clashing against steel, a voice calling out for Rintaro reached his ears. As soon as the owner of the voice spotted Rintaro looking up at the mountain, she rushed toward him, despite the poor terrain.
「Anikii! And Kirika is safe as well, ssune!」
「Samecchi, let’s talk about the matter of you sending the threatening letter some other time. But more importantly, what the hell is going on here?」
「It was troublesome, ssuyo! Because of Samecchi doing Jinkonkonkyu, a sword fountain with free mega-sized bowl of rice appeared, ssu.」
「Okay, let’s calm down. I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.」
As Rintaro placed his hand on the shoulder of the panicked Samecchi to help her breathe, Bearion and several other mysterious beings who must have been in the vicinity gathered around.
「Sorry bro, we did everything we could……」
「As expected, this joke of an object is Minato?」
「Yeah, but I don’t know how it happened. Damn, Mikarikki, that little beetle ran away at a time like this! Bugs can’t be trusted after all!」
Did Mikariki, by any chance, also trapped under that mass of swords? If so, Rintaro quietly clasped his hands together in his heart, thinking that he had lost a valuable person.
「More importantly, is Minato alive? She didn’t look like she’d last that long with that wound……」
「Ou, that’s the thing……」
Just as Bearion was about to say something, a loud sound interrupted his words. A helicopter was flying above Rintaro and the others, making a loud noise.
The emblem shining on the side of the aircraft immediately identifies it as belonging to the Hero Headquarters, not the press.
『This is Flying Squadron Apache Five, circling over target. Target Alpha remains silent. Also, we have visual of multiple mysterious beings in the vicinity. As reported by scouts, target Alpha is believed to be composed of inorganic material. …… No, wait, something’s wrong.』
Zuzuzu…… gogogogogogogogogogogogogogogo…….
With a rumbling of the earth, the mountain trembled.
The entire mountain, composed of countless swords, moves slowly, as if it were a living creature. And then, as if part of the mountain’s surface had suddenly become inverted- and then…
Hyugoooh!!
Hundreds of swords were ejected in a single mass toward the helicopter with a tremendous wind noise.
『Attack confirmed from target Alpha! Six Two, move to evasive maneuver!』
As Rintaro and the others looked up, the helicopter quickly turns around like a hawk in midair. The helicopter is the combat helicopter of the Hero Headquarters, and its maneuverability is well documented.
However, the swords scattered in the air and hit a wide area in the sky like a scattering bullet. It was difficult to avoid them all, even with their great maneuverability.
Several swords pierced the side of the helicopter, and one of them unexpectedly hit the tail rotor. The helicopter, which had lost the key to its attitude control, spun around and rapidly lost altitude.
『Woah! Six Two Control Lost! Repeat, Control Lost! Six Two Down!』
A line of black smoke was drawn across the sky, and the next moment, a large pillar of fire appeared on the ground.
「Does something this big actually move…? It’s more like a giant slug with an automated defense system, rather than a mountain.」
All the mysterious beings had their mouths open, staring vacantly at the crawling “monster”, probably the world’s largest creature. If we had to name it, it would be Sword Mountain Monster Swordminagon.
The movements of Swordminagon are seemingly slow, but their substandard size means that every time the mountain made the slightest twitch, the structures on the ground suffer tremendous damage.
From traffic lights to buildings, let alone abandoned cars and street trees, the mountain moved slowly, swallowing everything as fast as it could walk.
「They dropped a helicopter…… Brother, this is finally getting out of hand. What do we do?」
「I don’t think Minato is moving this thing… but since it’s moving, it’s likely that she’s still alive. so my answer is one.」
「Digging Minato out of this big mountain and rescuing her, ssune!」
Samecchi gripped a small scoop in both hands. Is she thinking of digging up this pile of swords, each weighing 1 kilogram on average?
Little Kirika, still in her crystals, frowned.
『Easier said than done, senpai. How do you plan to dig?』
「Besides, even if we could get close to Minato’s main body, there is no guarantee that we can rescue her safely, right?」
「The honor of a deeply guilty person accumulates across countless years, and the poet will surely praise the hero’s name, which is as numerous as the flowing blood.」
「That’s the thing, there are too many obstacles… Huh? Isn’t there something strange mixed in just now?」
When Rintaro and the others turned around, they found a squat, caddis-shaped mysterious being that was supposed to be dead, the number-two mutilation mysterious being of the Strange Insect Army, Mikarikki. Somehow, one of its long antennae had been removed.
But there was someone there who was far more striking than Mikarikki.
There is no mistaking their neutral yet unusually slender silhouettes.
Their feet were as long and slender as branches as they stepped on the floor of swords, and their garments, as gaudy as poisonous flowers, were too alien in the gray city.
His eyes, with long lashes, still had a suspiciously sexy look to them, even when covered by the butterfly mask. The mask did not hide the bewitching beauty and danger that lay beneath it, but rather accentuated them even more.
One of the top executives of the Ark Dominion, the king of all insects. He was the strange insect general Zazoma, an expert in poisons and medicines, shrouded in mystery and the scent of flowers.
「The cursed thorns, seduced by deceit, pierce the fleeting heart of the innocent maiden’s spirit, carrying the burden of sin. And so, her tears become a waterfall, seeking to cleanse impurities. The vessel of her chaotic eyes holds the favor of the gods and overflows with the blessing of blood.」
「Zazomaa! You’ve been watching us from the beginning! Where have you been all this time!?」
The Hundred Beasts General, Beerleon, took a swing at Zazoma. Zazoma, however, did not seem to be bothered or offended, but simply smiled graciously.
「Well, well, rain is a natural enemy of us insects, after all, Hohoho.」
「Um, Mikarikki-san. What did General Zazoma say just now?」
「Yes, Master Zazoma said, “This is the true power of Swordminus, the Sword Mountain Mysterious Being”.」
「This is……? That Minato’s……?」
Mikalicki curtsies once again and cleared his throat.
「Let me explain to you, yes.」
The beetle’s exoskeleton made it impossible to read any expression on his face. However, the tone of his voice conveyed an air of seriousness.
「……Does that have something to do with Mikarikki-san’s rare visit?」
「Yes, of course. For some time now, Minato-sama had been undergoing a very rigorous training under the guidance of the three leaders of the Ark Dominion, led by our Lord Zazoma.」
「Oi goraaa! Who was leading, who!」
「Ojiki, We are in the middle of something important, so please shut up, ssu!」
「Kuuun……」
The Hundred Beasts King was chastised by Samecchi, and he cowered with his ears drooping like a scolded puppy. Rintaro felt a little sorry for him, but decided to ignore the situation, preferring to keep his mouth shut for now.
「May I continue?」
「OK, ssuyo! But Zazoma’s training was the most boring, ssu. We were just drinking tea, ssuyo.」
「Hohoho, that was a really harsh thing to say. ……Well, it was good that Minato-sama acquired power, but. Having too much talent can also be a double-edged sword was what we think. The problem is the control of that power.」
Mikarikki then held out the palm of his hand in front of Rintaro’s eyes. On the palm wrapped in a white glove was a “dead insect” as small as a button on a piece of clothing.
「Mikarikki-san, this is……?」
「They are parasites that live in the human body and regularly inject venom into their hosts.」
「Do you keep such a ghastly insect?」
「Isn’t he cute? But he’s already dead…… He couldn’t stand the cold of the river in the middle of winter, I’m afraid.」
A river in the middle of winter.
At Mikarikki’s words, Rintaro and Samecchi looked at each other. Minato lost control of her ability just after she fell into the river.
And now, as expected, her “ability” had gone out of control, creating the sword mountain monster Swordminagon, which is composed of tens of millions of swords.
The parasite’s venom was responsible for controlling the excessive power of the sword mountain mysterious being, Swordminas.
「Do you understand now? Our master, Zazoma-sama, gave her not a method to control her power, but the “means”. And having the means mean that……」
Rintaro’s eyes turn to Zazoma.
The beauty, the master of insects and poison, silently offered Rintaro a small bottle. The reddish-black liquid shook with a tap inside the vial.
It is the secret medicine of Zazoma, which rescued the Hundred Beast Army trapped in the crystal and even healed a wound once cut by the anti-mysterious being sword “Kuroageha”.
It was the last vial of the special medicine that would return the buggy out of control mysterious being cells to normal.
「We, the Strange Insect Army, managed to secure just that one bottle with all our might. Please accept it, heinous general Deathgreen」
Rintaro slowly reached for the vial.
With this, they can stop Minato’s outburst, which had literally turned into a sword fight. Surely it would be possible to rescue Minato.
Zazoma’s hand gently wraps Rintaro’s hand, as if handling a ring studded with jewels.
The vial, which was lighter than expected, was handed firmly from the hands of Strange Insect General to those of the Heinous General.
「Umm…… Thank you. General Zazoma.」
Clutching the vial carefully, Rintaro bowed deeply. It was a sincere thank you, different from the previous time when he had received the medicine through a business transaction.
Zazoma silently lowered his eyelashes and brushed a thin, white finger across Rintaro’s cheek and whispered in his ear so that no one else could hear.
「May the glory of the Heinous Corps be with the Strange Insects Army forever.」
It was the first time Rintaro could understand Zazoma’s words without translation.
