Chapter 289.2
Chapter 289: If something happens it’s the fault of the person responsible for it, but if they don’t take responsibility they aren’t the person responsible, just irresponsible? Part 2
With a single step I cover 50 meters of distance, and slash forward, cutting space itself. An uncontrollable Dimension Slash loaded with tons of magic power. Slashing through everything it even cut through the Fake Dungeon located 5km away. I’m sure they felt invincible wearing the Church’s extravagant equipment with such defensive effects like『Slashing Immunity』, or『Physical Negation』, or『Magic Reflection』. But it can be cut, you know? There is no way Dimension Slash made with a divine blade wouldn’t cut through that? Having all of my mana sucked out in one go I feel slightly dazed, but the pain of muscles in my whole body being torn, bones shattered, and blood vessels ruptured, or rather, agony, helps to keep me conscious, so this worked out quite nicely. No way any of this is nice! It isn’t, but I also can’t afford to lose consciousness here. While all of the knights were cut in two, the coffin is unharmed. Now I lost two of my trump cards. I’m finally all out of mana and completely in tatters.
Since with all of my muscles being torn I can’t move an inch, I puppeteer myself with『Muppet』and advance a step. Forcibly supporting myself with『Holding』to avoid crumbling down as all of the bones in my body smashed up, I step forward. Covering up the fact that all sorts of blood vessels have ruptured with『Health』 , I make step forward. Just one step and I will reach the coffin, but my body is falling apart.
If only Armored Pres-san and Slime-san both were with me. Even those two could be defeated and killed if they fought solo. The Pres and others would have no chance against her, everyone could end up dead, that’s why… One more step.
I don’t have any mana left. I can only bet on the divine sword now, so please, one more step? Yeah, I can’t reach her like this? After all… Hm, wait? The divine sword, or rather, the Seven-Branched Sword which is the Staff of the World Tree? The hand that was holding it is not there? Aaah…It was torn off. Okay, time for a body slam then. Yeah, it’s a beautiful girl with a perfect figure, I have absolutely no objections to ramming her! So, just one step more? Yeah, I can’t reach her like this?
「Shit, you mere cursed heretics, dare opposing messengers of God… The key『In God’s name, kill all enemies of God.』! Kill that bastard and his comrades and all of the god-defying scum living on this filthy land! Guaaha.」
This, until at the very end? He was still keeping up the barrier to conceal himself, This priest must be the restrainer, who uses some sort of『Mind Control』to keep the girl in check. Looks like the girl is going to be released, even though I don’t have strength to fight left? Seeing me all crumbling, missing a hand and weapon, bleeding from my whole body, with legs broken in more than one place, the commander of the Church’s army, Archpriest-sama, finally decided to show his face.
Then, signal flares appeared in the sky. They’ve done and did it.
Three white ones, the Frontier Army made it in time. But also three red ones, they triggered three overflows.
If overflow in at least one of the spots goes out of control and leaks outside, there will be no other choice but pull back here, giving up on all the towns and villages along the way. We will have to take a stand here to at least protect the Frontier. That’s what is going to happen if the fourth signal flare goes up.
So I can’t allow such a thing to be here. But if we fight, someone will die, in the worst case, everyone might die? And if I die here, then the New Murimuri Castle will be taken. Haaah, this is the worst.
And then, things get even worse, without me being able to make even a single step. The fourth red signal flare appeared in the sky.
Now the Frontier will be obliterated~, everything is over~, oh no, what a nightmare? The Church’s middle-aged men seem very happy with their comeback victory.
But I don’t want to see middle-aged men smiling. Even though I didn’t have enough cards to play, even though I played all of my trump cards… Thank you?
「…………!」
The girl is coming closer. She is approaching with two curved swords, scimitars, in her hands. While restraints were lifted, she is still under control, moving obeying the orders. In that case, that collar that remained on her neck even after the restraints were lifted, must be some sort of mind control-type magic tool.
Examination with Rajingan showed『Collar of Subordination – a collar that forces into obedience』, she must be controlled by that. However, since they kept her restrained, and never went anywhere near the coffin, the control must be not absolute. Well, since she is engulfed in such an absurdly intense magic power, even approaching her is not possible, much less getting to touch her.
This is the Theocracy’s Ultimate Weapons and the trump card. They finally used their final ace.
Alright, let’s do the same.
Swallowing a Full HP recovery mushroom for starters, I then move forward while munching on a mana restoring mushroom. I mean, even if I don’t have any trump cards left, I still have tons of mushrooms?
And applying 『Magic Wrap』, I draw near the girl. I used up all of the tricks, I don’t have any cards up my sleeves anymore, I’m out of mana, but I still have a forbidden move. Or how should I put it, it’s forbidden because I didn’t want to have it, but it can’t be helped anymore. With the Frontier and everyone’s lives on one side of the scales, there is nothing else I can put on the other side!
The greatest sacrifice I can make, the last thing that I didn’t give up until the very end… That’s right, my Affection Rating-san!
While my body completely recovered, it still hurts. After all, this is the agony of my heart and the scream of my soul! This is the pain of Affection Rating-san being ground to dust! I mean, it’s really painful? Yeah, the design of『Incubus’ Eyepatch』 [1] is so miraculously cringe that even an 8th grader at the very peak of 8th grader syndrome would writhe in pain from the excessive cringiness. A leather eyepatch inscribed with a magic circle and decorated with a chain at the edges is bad enough by itself, but it even has a jewel attached right in the middle, an item agonizingly painful to look at? I thought that I had to seal this item, and did my best to hide it, but to think I’ll end up putting it on with my own hands. But the forbidden move『Incubus’ Eyepatch – MiN InT 50% Up, Magic Eye Enhancement (Ultra), Illusion, Charm, Puppetry, Memory Manipulation, Mind Control, Mental Pollution』has the mind-controlled girl, the priest, and the surviving knights that were hiding, all frozen in place.
But the Church is a bunch of low-lives very proficient in mental attacks. They surely must have some sort of a countermeasure, and the 『Collar of Subordination』on the girl is powerful too. I won’t be able to win with mind control. It definitely will be immediately resisted.
That’s why using this chance I approach the currently paralyzed girl, and after rendering her powerless by putting on her 『Chains of Prometheus – Binding, Disable all Powers』I then put『Choker of Submission – Forces into a state of absolute obedience』[2] on her. Yeah, it’s even scummier version of『Collar of Subordination』, higher tier so to say? Overriding control with its stronger version, I snatch the command authority from them. No, I mean, if there is such a cute girl fallen on the ground, not picking her would be rude? Maaan… Like, thank you very much for giving me something so wonderful right when I was so hopelessly troubled by the lack of options left?
「Uuuugh…」
「Erhm, are you alright, or rather, while I strongly suspect that there is nothing more no alright than getting caught under Mind Control by a highschool boy, then having your entire body bound in chains by him in that short while and rendered completely powerless, only to have a collar of absolute obedience put on you after that, but it’s not worth sweating small details, or rather most of it is like false accusations, I also have prepared sweets for a bribe, so let’s not worry about this? While in this state, it must be not convincing to hear that it’s alright from me, but is it wrong for a cringe-looking highschool boy to expect a favorable impression while wearing this eyepatch that would scare even an 8th grader away with its awful design? Which is a mistake to ask to begin with, and I’m sure you don’t feel that way at all, but it’s alright? Yeah, the alrightness of this situation is so complicated that I’d be quite troubled if you ask me what exactly is alright, but could you please just be alright without reading too much into all of this? So can you sit down and wait for a bit while I make it even more alright by returning middle-aged men with the geezer fetish back to the old geezer? Ah, this is tea and sweets. If you are hungry, here is bento, feel free to have it? I’ll leave it here, but let me warn you in advance that responsibility for ONE MORE SET is not alright with me. I’ll be going then? I guess?」
(Nod-nod?)
Looks like she is fine with it? She is munching on a crepe bit by bit, so it surely must mean『OK~』. But with everyone replying without saying anything I always end up looking like a mentally ill person who keeps talking to himself, so can you do me a favor and reply properly? Well, she seems to be busy eating, so not a chance, I guess.
She seems to have trouble eating, so I remove『Chains of Prometheus』and put re-seal it back into my item bag. Re-sealing it at this point isn’t going to do much to the great impact dealt to Affection Rating-san, that must’ve plummeted straight into Great Depression, or might be even vanished somewhere, but first I need to deal with the fanatic middle-aged men.
As expected of the Church’s special high-grade equipment, they are beginning to resist『Incubus’ Eyepatch』. Alright, let’s tear it off? Naturally, there is nothing fun about stripping middle-aged men of their equipment, but since it seems pretty high tier, it might end up being useful. Since red flare was shot, it means that a stampede will begin in one hour. Taking away all of their equipment and weapons, I also pick up their wallets and valuables, since they happened to be fallen on the ground. Yeah, I was throwing it in a pile as I was taking stuff from them, so it happened to be on the ground.
Losing resistances from the equipment they fully fell to 『Mind Control』becoming mindless puppets, but who the hell ever asked for puppet middle-aged men! I don’t need this! It’s fine to just leave them be and I’m kind of pressed for time here, but considering the hellish suffering of middle-aged men pandemonium, just leaving them be pisses me off, so I order them to tear off hair from each others’ heads before leaving. Go bald.
Let’s hurry, when the black smoke for retreat rises it’s a stampede. It’s now possible to retreat here, so let’s go out and crush that fourth one.