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High School Hack and Slash Chapter 138 Part 1

Trusting to Chance

―― the peripheral world 『BIBLIOTHECA』, the glazed myth 『＊＊＊＊』――

――『Poem of Champion Reaching the Realm of God』, 『Stands』 domain ――

「Ev, everyone, ple, ple, please calm down!」

「Y, yeah, yes. I recommend calm and collected actions!」

In a corner of the audience seats, where shouts and screams mingled, the academy newspaper announcers, Resu and Kome, were continuing their live broadcast.

The number of Dragon Fang soldiers that had sprung up throughout the arena exceeded the number of students who had come to watch.

If they had been calm, or if this had been inside the dungeon, they should have realized that the Dragon Fang soldiers were not such formidable opponents.

In terms of level, they were weaker than the monsters in the difficulty level known as the middle level, or at least the 14th stratum, 『Land of the Dead (Undead Carnival)』.

Even if they were a tough opponent for first-year students or those of the enjoy group who were endowed with classes unsuitable for combat, their side had enough force to suppress them.

However, except for the participants of the tournament, they had equipped themselves with nothing but fashion-oriented armaments.

And then, above all, they had fallen into panic as a foreign object known as another world (raid) had descended into the everyday world known as the above ground.

「We have just received information! The monsters popping up in the arena are known as 『Dragon Fang Soldiers (Spartoi)』. Their ranks (level) range from 30 to 50, in other words, they are the kind of bunch that are only slightly better than a 『Fighter』 who has just done a class change to a second step class!」

Resu, holding the microphone, announced concrete information.

In a state of confusion where everyone had fallen into panic, information so simplified that there was no need for them to process it was easier to convey.

Many of the academy newspaper club members were holders of 『Officer』-type class.

So were Resu and Kome, but there were also some club members who could use their analytical skills at a more profound level.

「Yes, yes. Apparently, their race is not undead, but a kind of golem. They are a lot in number, but put it bluntly, I think they are small fry.」

「Everyone, please deal with them without getting flustered! You can use your skills in the arena, but do be careful with friendly fire. Those with vanguard, please protect those who cannot fight.」

「…Yeah, yes. We have just received information. Barriers have been erected around the arena, and it appears that escaping outside is no longer possible. I repeat. We are unable to escape from the arena. The group over there who are trying to escape in an unsightly manner, there are some high-leveled, battle-able people amongst you, are there not? Do resolve and brace yourself!」

Many of those who were trying to escape from the exit before anyone else were high-leveled upper grade students.

In a sense, they could be said to boast high level crisis management abilities.

All of them had come to an understanding that the other world (raid) quest 『Tartarus Arena』 had been reactivated.

◇ ◇ ◇

―― the peripheral world 『BIBLIOTHECA』, the glazed myth 『＊＊＊＊』――

――『Poem of Champion Reaching the Realm of God』, 『Heavenly Sky Gate』 domain ――

「Goo, gaa! Gaaaah!」

A beastly roar covered the stage.

A club boasting gigantic mass cut through the air, emitting a burning smell.

Big and heavy, that sole fact made it strong, plain and simple.

Much less to say, despite it being a gigantic body, there was not a shred of sluggishness in its movements.

A battle-worn war master boasting unrivaled physical strength.

The one who was born to be so was him, champion 『Hercules』.

「Don’t falter! Don’t you break the formation!」

「Formation! Anti-humanoid raid boss defensive type beta, it is-squeak.」

「Hey! Don’t you fucking run away on me now, you piece of shit. I’m gonna stab all the chicken bastards, who would show their asses to the enemy, from the back, okay.」

On the stage where the four stages had merged into one, as it was in the audience seats, a state of confusion was ensuing.

The first to run away were the players of the current S-ranked clubs.

Having reigned as the top dogs in the cage known as the academy, they had already turned into cattle whose only purpose was to maintain the lukewarmness of their privileges.

At this point, there was neither significance in raising their prestige, nor need to earn internal points.

Including the A-ranked clubs which were called academy powerhouses, the clubs that were maintaining their order as they faced Hercules were few in number.

「So that is Hercules, a super class raid boss, huh? … He looks stronger than the pale-faced baldy, does he not?」

「His hair is certainly unkempt, but you see… Aren’t his stuffy muscles about the same?」

「Shizuka-chan, Mai-chan, ca-ca-ca, calm down-n-n!」

「Otoha-chan, take a deep breath! With me, inhale~, exhale~, inhale~, exhale~.」

Mikan, raising and lowering her hands, repeatedly took grand and deep breaths, going: suu haa suu haa.

It was a very adorable gesture, but it was out of place on the stage that had turned into a battlefield.

Even so, it succeeded in calming her feelings down.

「You seem quite lax there-squeak.」

「Ah, Nenene-chan!」

A girl clad in heavy armor, carrying a huge shield, and with bunny-ears standing on her head joined the group.

The other members of the Black Honey were also with her.

「Really, geez, I just can’t stand it. To think things would turn out like this.」

「… your warning, was a life saver, but … the development proceeded too fast …」

「Squeak. But if we hadn’t receive it, I’m not sure if we wouldn’t have fallen into panic-squeak.」

The students on the stage were forming groups by club.

The fact that Dragon Fang soldiers were springing up all over the arena naturally meant that they were appearing in the stage area as well.

However, to the members on the stage, they were as good as small fry.

「Geez, so persistent! Stay away from me, duh.」

A half-moon blade shot out from her fingertips of Mai, who swung her arm, mowed down the armed skeleton soldiers in one fell swoop.

Having their spines broken, limbs shattered, and heads blown off, the Dragon Fang soldiers were restored as if a video that was played backwards.

That was the original authority (gimmick) named the 『Gatekeeper of the Underworld』.

Therefore, no matter how many you defeated, their number would not decrease, and on top of that, new Dragon Fang soldiers would spring up from the ground.

They might be small fry, but monsters that were impossible to defeat continued to rise in number ceaselessly.

That was the authority (gimmick) known as the 『Water-Serpent of Ceaselessness (Lernaea)』.

「Given things… As expected, I guess it must mean that the 『Twelve Labors (Hercules Quest)』 have all been resurrected.」

「It’s not so funny of a situation-squeak. Challenging a super class raid with your flesh and blood… squeak.」

「… moreover, the fact that it’s of the Lore type, is the worst …」

Impossible to conquer unless you followed the special arrangements.

Such were the other world (raid) quests of the Lore type.

「Awright. I’m on fire. This is more interesting than PvP battles! Tetsu-kun, let’s go!」

「Leave it to me! I’ll cut off Hercules’ head.」

「Wait, you guys. Were you listening to what we said, I wonder? It’s impossible to defeat that Hercules. Not yet, as of now.」

The muscle head group who were about to charge in were stopped.

Hercules, blowing away the surrounding students as if they were wood splinters, continued to stand imposingly in the center of the stage.

He did not do anything boorish like chasing after them to finish them off, but lorded over the arena as an absolute powerhouse.

This did not mean that he harbored no hostility.

Perhaps it was a composure that he could pinch and crush them anytime, as well as his pride as a champion to urge them to put in order their preparations for battle as soon as possible.