[Part 3/4]
"Sigh, there's no helping it. Then..."
And when Botan turned her gaze to the scorched bear on the opposite side, the teary-eyed bear growled. Sorry, but I value my life too. I'll pray for your soul, so give it up. '((( ；ﾟДﾟ))) I'll be a sacrifice! I can't believe I won't be the center of attention anymore.'
"What the heck are you guys doing?"
""''...''""
"Don't look at !!?"
As Shishimai interfered with the sacrificial discussion, all of us, including the bear, the spider, and I, turned our gazes towards her, only to be shouted at. The bear, in particular, looked like it saw a glimr of hope.
"Um, well..."
Timidly, Tamaki spoke up.
"What's the matter? Are you ready for self-sacrifice?"
"No way! Not that... I an, can any sacrifice work?"
After retorting to Botan's remark, Tamaki asked a question. And Botan replied.
"According to this demon (youma) book, the targets seem to be quite diverse. However, it seems you need to draw a complicated circle under the feet of the sacrifice, so you can't use the rampaging monsters. It'll be challenging to capture one alive."
Still focused on the fierce battle, Botan explained.
"Besides, this teleportation curse seems to have quite a high fuel consumption. The soldiers we summoned earlier didn't seem to provide enough energy."
"If it's okay to use those monster as sacrifices, does that an we can use enemies as well?"
"Yes. ...So?"
Botan tilted her head in response to Tamaki's confirmation-like remark. In return, Tamaki pointed to sothing as a suggestion.
"Yeah. We need a strong sacrifice, right? Then... can't we use that? It's a bit ambiguous if it's alive or not."
She pointed to the mummy king, still wriggling on the floor.
"""''...''"""
Upon Tamaki's suggestion, we exchanged glances again. And then, we quickly reached a decision.
"Everyone!! Draw the circle!! Servants! Got it!?"
Summoning a dog-faced servant as an assistant from the demon book, Botan shouted at . I had already understood what she ant.
"Bodyguard duty, huh!? You can handle it too!?"
"Of course I can!!"
In response to my inquiry and invitation, Shishimai, wielding a naginata, agreed. As if answering her, one of the sli creatures, which had been fighting the aliens, approached us. The dog-faced guards stepped forward to intercept it, creating a path for it to charge towards us.
"Can you do it!?"
'( ・`д・´) I'm on it!!
I swung my Teguruma towards the approaching sli. I tear apart the countless tentacles that extend out, then threw them towards the main body. As a result, nearly a third of the creature's body was cleanly severed and fell off. However, it imdiately started to reattach itself.
'(*´･ω･) Is it done?'
"It seems that slashing attacks are not very effective against its amorphous form...!! What's its weak point!?"
"There's a core sowhere in its body. I tried attacking it before, and if we destroy it, the creature should beco powerless."
"A core, huh...!!"
While defending against the approaching sli, I looked at Shishimai with a serious expression. It wasn't easy to locate the core within the opaque sli. Most likely, the core was constantly moving within its body. Botan might have been able to sense it due to her exorcist abilities, but for ... attacking it blindly proved to be of little use.
"Doryaaah!!"
Shishimai let out a roar. She aid at the wound I had cut open and thrust with her naginata into it. With a thunderous roar, the sli youkai's body fluid splattered around. It had significantly reduced in volu, and she struck it again, slamming it against the wall.
"Huff, huff. There's no need to kill it if we don't have to. So we don't need to aim for the core."
Shishimai, breathing heavily from her powerful attack, wiped the sweat from her forehead and shouted at .
"And your weapon is pretty good too, huh? Let's go with what you did earlier. You open the wound, and I'll shove sothing big inside. ...Got it?"
"Understood...!!"
'(*ノ▽ノ) This sounds aweso!!'
To Shishimai's words, I didn't respond with denial but affirmation. Considering the approaching sli, it was the only logical course of action. Well, spider, it's not like we have any other options, right?
"Haah!!"
"Be blown away, you monster!!"
Shishimai and I coordinated to repel the incoming sli. Our roles were clear, and being both experts in monster extermination, especially since Shishimai was skilled in strength-based combat techniques like Iruka, it contributed to our smooth interception of the monsters.
"I-I can help too...!!"
"Stay behind and cover , please."
Botan, who was preparing for the ritual, stopped Tamaki from trying to join our battle.
"B-But...!?"
"With your skills, you'll only get in the way. It's okay to be passionate, but please don't bother others just for your own satisfaction."
"Ugh...!!?"
Tamaki's eyes widened at the rciless reprimand. She trembled with sha and frustration, but that was all. She had no words to retort. It was evidence that she acknowledged Botan's words herself. She was disheartened by her own powerlessness...
"Why are you moping around!? If you want to cry, do it later!! ...Ugh! You'll support us if things get tough or if we ss up, okay!?"
Tamaki couldn't help but raise her head at the frank words. She looked at Shishimai and , struggling against the sli.
"Miss Tamaki, I apologize for being rude, but we're in serious situation right now!! We don't have ti to treat you—What's this vibration!!?"
'(＃°Д°) Isn't it an earthquake?'
I continued to fight against the sli with all my might while shouting words of encouragent to Tamaki. However, a chilling sensation ran through as the entire room shook violently. And of course, stupid spider, don't raise any flags...!!?
"Hey, hey, hey, is this for real!? Is this really happening!!?"
'(；´ﾟдﾟ｀) Wh-wh-what is it!?
The thick stone door that had been closed was starting to crack and spread as the tremors grew stronger. I instinctively looked behind . My gaze t with Botan, who had been chanting the ritual spell. She nodded slightly. In other words, it ant that it was happening.
The stone door shattered. It couldn't withstand the pressure from the other side.
'Buzzzz!''Bzzz!!''Buzzzz!!''Bzzzz!!''Bzz! Bzz!''Buzz!!''Buzz!!''Buzzzz!!''Buzz!!''Buzzzzz!!'
It was already a turbid stream. The cries of countless insects resounded throughout the room. Thousands, no, definitely tens of thousands of golden beetles rushed towards us like an avalanche. It was a sight that could be described as a swarm strategy, but with insects instead of people...!! '(＃°Д°) Aaahhh､it's so scary!!?'—Hey, you're a bug too, aren't you!?
'Clip-clop!!?'
'Clip-clop!!?'
The first to fall victim were the bizarre creatures that had been aimlessly battling each other. They frantically swatted, crushed, and burned the massive swarm of insects that clung to them, but even more bugs overwheld and swallowed them. The mont they found a wound, they sward towards it. They scread, but their voices were quickly drowned out. Their violent struggles were in vain.
''''Buzzzzzzz!!!!''''
And now, the remaining golden beetles, who couldn't find a target due to the overwhelming competition, acknowledged our presence and charged at us all at once.
"Botan!!"
"'Intercept them'!!"
Upon my shout, Botan, who was conducting the ritual, responded. The summoned guards followed the instructions of the curse and confronted the swarm with their spears and sickles.
'…!!'
'!!!!'
In no ti, they were swallowed by the swarm, but they continued to resist with all their might. They didn't even scream. They were only pseudo-living creatures, so they didn't feel fear. But their magnificent fighting spirit was evident. ...Even though it was just a ans of buying ti.
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