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Last Embryo Volume 6 Chapter 4 Part 18

That is why seeing the Greek ones must have seem so peculiar to Parashurama, who was alive during the times of the ancient India and then went to sleep for a long, long time. Depending on the mythology, they might have even been considered to be peaceful creatures that did not attack humans as long as they have been left alone and no one was bothering them, but the ones they were apparently dealing with right now looked anything but peaceful. Looking like a picture perfect example of a monster belonging to Murderous Species, one of the Cyclopses looked towards where Izayoi and Parashurama currently were, and using his enormous mouth that has just cracked open at the lower part of its head, it realeased a deafening, bone-piercing scream:

「O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O . . . . . . . ! ! ! ! ! ! !」

It’s one eye then started to light up with a sinister glow, and a second later, what looked to be a heat ray or a straight up laser has been shot from it. As it was dragged over the ground in a straight line, it the erupted into a wall of searing flames that burned down the village and everything that was unfortunate enough to be in the laser’s general vicinity. But it did not stop at firing just this single one, oh no. The Cyclops started shooting these sickle of death-like heat rays in every possible direction while seemingly not being intimidated by Izayoi’s and Parashurama’s presence at all, which prompted Izayoi to show a smile more wicked and ferocious than the ones of the Cyclopses, because he took that utter disinterest of theirs as a personal insult to his pride.

「Ha. . . . . . . . haha. . . . hahahahahahahaha! ! ! ! ! You call that an attack?! Get the fuck out of my face with that weak-ass shit!」

The moment when the heat rays shot by the Cyclops were about to hit them head on. . . . . . . Izayoi deflected both of them with nothing but a gesture of casually waving his hand to the right, and immediately after he thrust his fist forward, crushing the eye of the Cyclops that shot them towards them with nothing but the shockwave from that strike to the air alone.

「U U U O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O A A A A A A A A A AA A . . . . . . . . . . ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !」

Having its eye crushed beyond the point of recovery, the Cyclops began to violently thrash around and flail its arms around in berserk rage while it screamed in unbearable pain.

「Yeah, that is right! Now come on, have at. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ughhhhh . . . . . . . . . . . . . !」

Izayoi wanted to immediately follow through with another attack and finish the Cyclops with the next strike, but he was prevented from doing so and stopped dead in his tracks by a sharp, burning pain that begun to pulsate throughout his entire right arm. And when he looked at it to see what the hell was going on with it. . . . . . . he himself had to admit that he was actually surprised by what he saw. Even though it was only for a brief moment, his right hand has been exposed to the full might of the Cyclops’ heat rays, and as a result of that it has been charred red and black just like the Cyclops’ skin, and was additionally covered in deep scars that looked like they would not be easily healed.

(*Tch!*. . . . .Damn, I thought I was going to be fine taking this thing head on, but it is actually much more destructive than it initially looks, huh?)

He thought that these enemies are going to be something that he could just deal with by utilizing his usual tactic of crushing his opponents with brute force alone, but the injury that he just sustained showed him that they are going to be something that he cannot allow himself to go easy on and that he is going to have to maintain maximum alertness at all times, and in the meantime, the Cyclops that lost his eye to Izayoi’s strike continued to run rampant, destroying everything that was around him in blind rage. One of its giant fists approached Parashurama and was about to crush her, but she sliced it into ribbons with her bloody battle axe that she materialized so casually out of thin air. Since the monster lost its sight because of Izayoi she intended to let it off the hook and not do anything as long as it did not attack her directly, but since he was unfortunate enough to swing his fist at her in its blind fury, she decided to treat it as an act of aggression against her, and so she showed no mercy in her retaliatory strike.

However, she did not stop after cutting just that one hand that tried to crush her. She continued to cut of the Cyclops’ limbs one after the other, stopping only when she was absolutely sure that this vile monstrosity is not going to move another step after she cut of its head, which fell to the ground next to the rest of its sliced up remains with no kind of emotional expression left on it whatsoever, in an instant.

「What, that was it? Seriously, that is all that the Cyclopses of the Greek Mythology are capable off? Hmpf, what a letdown and a waste of my time. Compared to them, the Giants that were around in in the times when I was originally alive were much tougher and infinitely more worthy opponents. Then again, they were all on the level of what you would now call a Divine Beast, so maybe that is why they were much tougher to kill than that disappointment just now.」

「Well, well, well, that sound like a pretty cool heroic story. I would definitely like to hear about it in more details, or even better, see you fighting them some more, and lookie here, looks like you are going to have a perfect occasion to entertain me!」

Izayoi said so sarcastically and pointed to a point in the distance, so Parashurama followed the direction to which hos finger was pointing with a suspicious expression, only to become speechless and astonished at what she saw there.

There was more than one rock that were like the one that landed near them, that is to say, the ones that were like the eggs out of which the Cyclipses were hatching after being thrown out of the volcano by the eruption that has occurred within it. Thousands and tens of thousands of such eggs continued to rain down over the entire Atlantis continent, and the monsters within them waited for their chance to break free and wreck havoc upon the land.

「Hou? Wells hit, it looks like they are going to be a major pain in the ass to deal with.」

「Agreed, even more so since they do not seem to be going for quantity over quality here. So, how are we going to handle this?」

「If we take only the two of us into account then we could probably hide all we want, but escaping while helping the natives as well is going to be one hell of a daunting task. I still refuse to acknowledge you, kid, but I still have a dept of gratitude to pay to the natives for taking care of me, so I could really use your help to keep them safe.」

「That is all that I needed to hear. Then first we should meet back up with Homura and then. . . . . .」

At that moment, when they have turned their backs to the volcano, their backs have been assaulted by the intense feeling of a terrible thirst for blood.

「. . . . . ! ! ?」

Doing so almost reflexively, Izayoi swung his fist and Parashurama did the same with her battle axe, but there was no one there. Only the giant volcano in the distance that continued to shoot out lava and Cyclops eggs. Feeling the cold sweat running down their backs, the two of them continued to watch as that truly apocalyptic scene continued to unfold before their very eyes.

「Heh, looks like a great deal of bothersome things must have happened while I was asleep. Tell me, kid, did the Gods of Little Garden were always assholes with suicidal tendencies?」

「. . . . . What do you mean by that?」

「Exactly what I said. You felt that just now as well, did you not? How insane the Gods have to be to be throwing a 「God Slayer」into the 2nd War for the Sun’s Authority as well?! When faced with something like that, most if not all of the average participating Players are going to be erased without leaving even their bones behind if they try to go against such a thing!」
Parashurama’s words then triggered something within Izayoi. Indeed, he has already felt such intense bloodlust and murderous intentions before. It was two years ago. . . . . . . . . at the moment when The Great Demon Lord has been brought back to life. The City of Glass and Blazing Flames has also been overrun by Giants and swallowed up by a volcanic eruption similar to the one that was happening right now. Many dragons have lost their lives, and even the man-eating fiends were being turned to dust. And when the people saw what was happening, they were stopping in their tracks to sing and scream the following words in lamenting voices:

「The Hell’s Cauldron」has been opened!

「No way. . . . . . ! ! ! Sorry, but could you run away first? 」

「Huh? N-No, wait just a goddamn minute, kid! Did you not hear the word I said just now. . . . ?」

「Just go and take Homura and the others someplace safe! And feel free not to treat it like some debt you would have to repay!」

Pushing his creaking body onward, Izayoi left Parashurama and wanted to be on his separate way as Parashurama tried to immediately chase after him, but both of them were stopped when Homura and the others suddenly appeared right behind them.

「Hey, wait just a damn moment! Wait I said! Where do you even think you are going, huh?! You of all people should be well aware that your body is not in a condition where you can just casually wonder off alone to God knows where like it is not a big deal at all!」

「Hey, you. . . . . . . . . are you the doctor kid?」

「I am not a doctor! I am a researcher! There is a difference between the two, thank you very much!」

「I do not give a damn about what you are or what that difference is, to be honest. The only thing that I do care about is this: are you the only ones left here?」

Parashurama asked while looking at Homura, Suzuka, and the Albino girl that Suzuka was still holding in her arms. Homura then nodded at her question, And Suzuka shoved the girl into Parashurama’s hands.

「We have a message for you from Indra! It says:「The two of you, you and this girl, are currently under the temporary protection of 「The Heavenly Army」. As soon as you wake up, make your way to the west coast of Atlantis and board the Giant Spirit Train that is going to be waiting for you there!」! That is all!」

「I-I see. . . . . . . well, sorry for making you go all this way just to tell me that.」
「Miss Parashurama, we are going to run away together with the natives while helping them escape, so you focus on getting yourself and that girl to safety as soon as possible!」

Since Tokuteru was not involved in the War as a Player, he has already retreated to the Giant Spirit Train together with the letters Homura gave him, because it would not make any difference if he was here or not, but nevertheless, it must have been heartbreaking for him to be unable to fight in such an emergency situation. And on the other hand, Parashurama herself did not know how she should feel about being protected by 「The Heavenly Army」, because a number of its members are actually her acquaintances, so she felt like going to a place that might be crawling with them was not the greatest of ideas right now.

「*Sigh* I guess it cannot be helped. But maybe I should pay the debt that I owe to you first, boy?」

「Ehh?!」

Almost as soon as Homura screamed, a bloody battle axe destroyed three rocks falling towards them in midair. The Cyclopes, who were crushed before they had a chance to form properly, returned to the ground as mere rubble.

「Now hurry up and get a move on! The natives should have a bunch of safe places in case of happenings like this one, so we have to get there first! And you, little girl. You just focus on clinging onto me and not letting go no matter what, got it?!」

Parashurama then started running along with Homura’s group and her bloody battle axe in hand. It will not be long before the eruption of the volcano covers the entire continent, and the giant Cyclopes continued to devour the land, trees and every living being they encountered,

All for the sake of accumulating power.