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High School Hack and Slash Chapter 144 Part 3

A huge man who assumed an American football-like set position activated an anti-army buff skill that no one else could use.

It was a skill of the same system as the『Crusade Declaration』, a unique skill of the『Hero』 type classes.

「We’re going to lay waste to him! 『The End-of-the-century World (Mad Max)』!」

A dry, scorching wind blew from their feet, sublimating their minds and fleshes into tyrannical plunderers.

These guys, harboring not even a shred of fear, turned into bundles of violence and charged at Hercules.

In addition to physical blows, they spit fire, poison mist, or even spit from their mouths as they pleased.

Little by little, but surely, Hercules was being whittled down.

◇ ◇ ◇

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

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

「Yes. The stage side seems to be doing well, I suppose. Given things, looks like things will come to an end without us needing to use our trump card.」

In a corner of the audience seats, which had now turned into a fortress, Rinko, looking down at the stage, heaved out a sigh of relief.

『Guild』, a Craftsman skill that was their greatest advantage, allowed the twelve of them to pool and share their SP.

Them ending up having their emotions and senses synchronized was both an advantage and a penalty.

Therefore, it was not a skill that was used on a daily basis.

However, the advantage of being able to unite guild members and use vast amounts of SP at once was a blessing so powerful and dangerous that even they themselves were unaware of it.

If all of their SP were to be poured into the creation of Mikan’s『Armed Golem』, as they had prepared themselves for, a Goliath with strength comparable to Hercules would likely have been born.

Or there might have been the option of confronting him to buy time, even if it wouldn’t amount to a fight.

Or she might not have been able to control the feedback from Goliath that had gone beyond her capacity.

Or, along with Hercules, she might have chosen the option of『Soul-body Self-destruction (Trigger Distract)』 as a last resort.

These were ultimately no more than hypothetical talks that might have come to pass.

「Err, we don’t have the equipment, so to make it any stronger than this is… Huh, it seems stronger than your favorite sword, was it?」

「Please keep bringing them to us~. We have swords and spears in stock, you know~.」

「Emergency food distribution you say? As expected in such a place is… Well, we’ll make it, though.」

In the center of the defense wall, which had already been subjected to triple-layered expansion, the Craftsman group were chattering as they engaged in creative activities.

The ones in charge of the defensive forces were the students who had gathered from the surrounding area.

The weapons recovered from the Dragon Fang soldiers were recycled and supplied to the students who had come to watch the tournament empty-handed.

The Dragon Fang soldiers, who had lost their resurrection authority (gimmick), were being defeated in greater numbers than the newly sprung up ones.

「Shaaa! With this we’ve pretty much cleared up the surrounding area.」

「I wonder if we’re earning EXP from these things.」

「I don’t remember how many I killed. So working for nothing will be a huge no for me, dang it.」

Among them, the ones who had put up remarkable efforts were the trio known as the Tridiots.

They were swarmed with high-pitched cheers as well as favorable gazes from the girls who had taken refuge in the fortress.

「… tsk. You lowbrow females. Stop ogling at someone else’s man, duh.」

「Your true nature is showing. Ruruka.」

A blatant tongue clicking could also be heard from a part of them.

「Good work to you too, Amane. I’ll give you a reward for your hard work later, okay… That’s why, put those fishes out away already, so cold.」

「Ahaha. But with this we’re one step closer to….」

 

―― Please tell us of grief-stricken despair, O Muse. As despair is exactly the light that allows a story to shine …. ――

 

The narration could be heard in every place in the arena.

「Oioi, there are still more extras, huh.」

「A little big… is not all there’s to them. Looks like they’re『Named』 monsters. Hyperenor, it says.」

Next to Shou, who put his hand on his forehead and let out a sigh, Byakuya, whose right eye was wide open, was looking up at the new Dragon Fang soldiers.

A number of Dragon Fang soldiers that had sprung up all over the venue boasted a size more than twice of the ones thus far.

Even though their speed remained the same, they were beginning to mow down their surroundings with power befitting their huge bodies.

「Don’t you dare look down on me, you damn skeletons! I’ll crush all of you… Guhaaa.」

「Kyaa, Eiji! I mean, this is no time for striking cool poses, is it?!」

「… No, it wasn’t that cool, was it?」

Rushing toward him, Ruruka and the others dug up Eiji, who was buried in the barricade.

「Try a little harder. Yankee.」

As a petite girl held up her hand, a soft light enveloped Eiji.

「Y, yeah. That’s a life… saver?」

「Wh, what in the world is this? This skill….」

「Oops, yup. Looks like you’ve been training it well up until now. That child, too, has safely evolved, I suppose.」

The girl who casually stepped in pointed to the mechanical armament (gimmick arm) in Eiji’s hand.

「Huh? Evolution, you mean this tonfa, huh?」

「I suppose. The mechanical armament (gimmick arm) pile tonfa was formed mainly from monster materials, after all. Just like a primeval armament (nature weapon), it is a weapon that grows by absorbing EXP.」

「This guy is….」

Eiji held up the partner that had grown accustomed to his hand, having conquered the dungeon alongside him.

「If it’s now, 『Awakening (Agite)』 should be possible. Now, go give it a try, I suppose.」

「A, agite? What is that?」

「Hell if I know! I mean, holding it back is getting handful, so get back here already.」

「Oops! Oioi, this is not the time to sleep, you know. Eiji.」

Behind the huge Dragon Fang soldiers who stood in their way, the army of skeletons that was springing up again was getting ready.

「I see, I suppose you first years haven’t learned of it yet, huh. Awakening (Agite) is, hmm… According to Saki-chan, you rouse your strength with an oomph, and the put your spirits into it with a swoosh, I suppose?」

「Oomph and then swoosh… huh. Thank you! That’s a very easy to understand advice.」

Giving a sidelong glance to Ruruka and the others, who sported a dumbfounded look on their faces, Eiji, jumping up like a spring, confronted the giant Dragon Fang soldiers.

「Let’s go, pal! … Go oomph, like this, and then go swoosh, right?」

「Sorry. Eiji, if you’re tired, you can take a rest, you know?」

Eiji, pierced with lukewarm gazes, released his crossed arms to the left and right.

「Uoooooh! 『Awakening (Agite)』!!」

In response to that trigger word, which was chanted without even a shred of shame, the mechanical armament (gimmick arm) pile tonfa evolved in shape.

When it came to the awakening of primeval armament (nature weapon), the manifestation patterns where they had their forms transformed were a lot in number.

The gauntlet-like armoring covering both of Eiji’s arms looked as if they were dragon scales.

The knuckle guards were that of the jaws of a dragon, and its protruding fangs were assuming the forms of two piles.

As Eiji clenched his fist, the sharp, gleaming fangs were set up with a clang.

「… Eiji, did you eat something strange?」

「Ah. So that was the skill used by the high rankers, huh.」

「Ooosha! Let’s go for a return match, you giant bastard!」