202話 覇道にして王道
「石コロじゃ少し見づらいけど問題ないね」
「夜間であの光量なら十分だな」
夕輝と晃夜の感想通り、ルナリーのアビリティはかなり役に立ってくれた。
魔導人形『月影のルナリー』は双子の兄ルチルと比べて全ステータスが低く、能力的に使いこなすのは困難だった。
だけど、天侯が月夜の場合は違う。
全ステータスが3倍に上昇し、月夜に限り使用できる有用なアビリティを持っている。
アビリティ『月夜の道しるべ』。
【月光を浴びて輝く石が、脅威的な存在への道しるべとなって導いてくれる。その軌跡は敵の居場所や方角を知れ、追跡にも役立つだろう】
【発動条件】 天侯:月夜  オブジェクト:石ころ
このアビリティは普段、モンスターをターゲットに設定すると自分にとって脅威的な存在がいるであろう場所まで石コロが光り、その道筋を辿るのに使う類のものだ。それを今回はターゲットを
これによって敵が砦のどの箇所に兵力を重点的に置いて攻めてくるか、容易く看破できた。俺達は守りを固め、敵は意表を突く事ができずに真っ向から俺達の防衛ラインとぶつかる事になった。
「今のところ、戦況は上々だね」
「敵は攻めあぐねてるな」
親友たちが冷静に戦局を見極めようとしている。
砦側の俺達は高い壁をよじ登ろうとする敵を有利な高所から叩き落とし、攻撃を加え、弓矢を浴びせ、中には岩なんかも投げ落としてる兵士もちらほらと見える。
時々、敵の魔法攻撃が炸裂してこちらの被害も多々見受けられるけど、まだまだ高みの見物ができる程に、こちらの兵士達は磐石だ。
「ミナ......」
唯一気がかりなのが、門上に陣取ったミナだ。
ミナの傍には姉も配置されているから、そこまで不安になる事はないけれどあそこは一番の激戦区だった。敵は閉ざされた門を突破しようとやっきになって突撃をかまし、それをさせまいと門上の兵士達が奮闘している。
「シンさんがついてるでしょ」
「ミナヅキさんは大丈夫だろ」
「......うん」
正直、戦闘で心配というより、さっきの会話が途中になってしまった事が気がかりなのだけど......今は集中する他ない。
圧倒的に防衛側が有利に戦闘を運んでいるといえ、油断は絶対にできない戦なのだ。
ジョージの仕入れた情報だと、イグニトール側の砦をあと一つ落とせば勝ちという情勢をヴォルフは積極的に拡散しているらしい。
それを耳にして勝ち馬に乗ろうとする
つまり防御の一手を貫いても、いずれは数の暴力に押され敗北は決定している。ならば早期で敵の気勢を挫き、相手に明確な敗北を植え付ける必要がある。
唯一の逆転方法は、俺の『
それでもベンテンスは手を取ってくれたし、他の敵だって戦況によっては軍門に下る可能性だってあるはずだ。
そこで姉たちの作戦は、頃合いを見て相手の本丸を一気に叩く。
つまりどこかのタイミングで討って出なくてはいけない。
それを見極めるのが、戦況を最も高い場所で観察できる俺達の役目なのだ。
「相手の本隊がどれだかわからねぇな」
ベンテンスのぼやきに親友二人が応じる。
「今は三方向から攻められてるけど、どれも数的には同じだね。門前と右、それに背後」
「気になるのは『一匹狼』に所属してそうな子供
たちは大人の影に隠れて何かしてる」
あれは......地面に手をつけたと思えば、他の大人
「大方、ヴォルフの野郎が嫌われもんだから、その団員にだってアタリは厳しくなるってもんだろうよ」
ベンテンスの考えも一理ある。けれど俺はどうしても子供
そんな俺の小さな疑念を嘲笑うかのように、戦局を大きく揺るがしかねない転機が訪れた。
「門前と右側の敵が崩れたね」
「背後は相変わらず攻め続けてはいるが、突破は難しいだろうな」
二人の言う通り、重い反撃を壁上から受けた敵兵が分散し、後退し始めている。攻めきれないと判断した敵傭兵たちが一旦退いて、どこかで集結しつつある援軍と合流して大勢を立て直そうとしているのは明白だった。
「ヴォルフの野郎は見つからねえが......おう、指揮官さんよ。どうすんだ? ここで一気に叩くか?」
「チャンスだと思うよ、タロ」
「早い話、攻め時だぜ」
「突撃の号令拡声機は準備万端であります!」
この場の全員が攻勢に転ずるのに乗り気な意見を次々と出してくるので、俺もその気になって『門から討って出よう!』と号令を発する。
こうして門からは姉が率いる『首狩る酔狂共』を先頭に、俺達の精鋭部隊が撤退を図る敵兵たちの首を破竹の勢いで刈り取っていく。
そんな無双を体現した戦いを目にした、別の味方傭兵たちも次々と我先に武功を上げるべく、門から出て突撃をかましていった。
「ありゃぁ、俺らの出る幕もねぇな。敵の奴らは崩壊じゃねぇか」
ベンテンスが溜息を吐くが、俺や夕輝、晃夜は喜び合った。
こうして戦況は万々歳に見えたその時。
事態は急変した。
先頭で残党狩りに興じていた『首狩る酔狂共』と、彼らが率いる民兵たち80人程の後ろ、つまりは続々と味方兵が突撃に参戦しようとして走っていた地点に大きな沼が唐突に出現した。
深く黒い茶色、夜だから正確な色みは判別つけづらいが、とにかくそれが突撃部隊の後続の足を絡め取ったのだ。かなりの深さまであるようで、腰から胸まで沈みこんでいる傭兵や民兵も多く、突然の事態に軽いパニック状態になっている。
それはあらかじめ計算されていた計画のようで、ここが好機とばかりに敵の後方部隊が弓なりに矢を上手に飛ばし、沼に足を取られた兵たちを射殺していく。
そしてやはりと言うべきか。撤退していた敵はくるりと向きを変え、一丸となって『首狩る酔狂共』を包囲しながら殲滅しようと動き出した。これはあらかじめ予定されていた疑似撤退だったというわけで。まんまと敵の誘いに釣られてしまった『首狩る酔狂共』は背後が沼で逃げる場所もなく、数的にも圧倒的に不利。80人前後の部隊に対し、敵は600から700弱はいる。
「おいおい、ありゃぁ連携地変魔法アビリティだぞ。時限式魔法の一種だが、トラップ系統に属するやつだぁな。しかし、あんな大規模なもんをタイミング良く成功させる奴らがいるだと?」
ベンテンス自身、時限式の魔法スキルを多用するためか、俺達では見た事もないあの現象を知っているようだった。
「ベンテンス、一体どういうこと?」
「あの大沼召喚は、ごく最近に発見されたアビリティでよぉ。複数人がバラバラに沼化させたい箇所に両手をついて数秒待機する。それで時限式の沼化は設置完了なんだが、これは一人最大3カ所ぐらいまで設置可能って聞いてんぜ。んでもって、複数人が仕掛けた沼化の魔法を一挙に発動させる奴があらかじめ決められててな、そいつが沼化の魔法を仕掛けると他の沼化地点もカウントダウン開始っていう複合魔法だわな」
敵の子供たちは大人達の影に隠れて、時限式魔法を仕掛けていたのか。
しかも子供達を発見される可能性を考慮して、俺達が子供傭兵は酷い扱いを受けている、と錯覚させる芝居までうっていたわけだ。
「だがこいつは難易度が半端ねえ。既に沼化を仕掛けた他の奴らは、本命の沼化が発動するまでの間、30秒毎に魔法使用じゃお馴染みの提示問題を正解し続けねぇといけねぇんだ」
クラン・クランは魔法を発動するのに、使用者だけが見える問題が提示される。それに正解しなければ魔法は発動しないという鬼畜仕様だ。
「それって......」
「あぁ。かなりの練度が必要だな。まぁ詠唱問題を勉強し尽くした奴らじゃないと、こんな綺麗に決まらねぇ。どこかしらでもっと早く沼化しちまったりする箇所が出てたはずだ......完全に攻略し尽くしてるぞ」
もしタイミングを失敗していたら、味方を沼に落としてしまう。そんなリスクを平然と背負って、しかも見事に作戦を完遂させた子供
「ガキどもは覚えが早い。クラン・クランっちゅうのは年齢別に問題の難易度が変わってるようだが、いくらガキ共の問題が簡単だとしても......ちぃ、何度もやっちまえば問題の出題傾向はある程度絞られてくるってわけか。俺もゲームをしながら、まるで知識を蓄えるテスト勉強をやった気分に何度もさせられたぜ」
まずい。
である『首狩る酔狂共』、特に姉を失うのは手痛すぎる。
ミナの率いる民兵隊も沼にとらわれ、ミナ自身も沼に沈んでいるのが見える。なんとか魔法で反撃をしているけど、弓兵には届かないし、矢を蹴散らすために魔法行使をしている。あのままではすぐにMPは枯渇するだろうし、俺が渡しておいた『森のおクスリ』も尽きてしまうだろう。
せるだけの手段はねぇぜ。撤退を命令して、『首狩る酔狂共』は見捨てるしかねぇな」
「はぁ? 嬢ちゃん、何言ってやがる」
「攻撃の主力を見捨てたら、防戦一方になってしまう。それはいずれくる援軍に押されて負けを意味するよ。それと俺達が敵の本陣、指揮官を狙っているように、あっちだってこっちの指揮官を狙ってる可能性がある」
「だから嬢ちゃんは一番守りの堅い、ここにいるんだろうが。俺達の大事な指揮官さまだ」
「......ベンテンスらしくないな。こんな所で臆病者にみたいに、大人しくしてるのが性に合ってるのか?」
俺の挑発にすごんでくるベンテンス。だが、それを軽くいなして涼しく笑う。
「ルチル、ルナリー......こっちにおいで」
胸元へ双子の魔導人形ルチルとルナリーを抱きしめ、護衛の仲間達を見渡す。
「ダメだよ、タロ」
「あぁ、ダメだぞ」
そんな親友たちの制止が出る直前、俺は砦の高所を駆けて飛び出した。
双子人形と共に、身体を暗き夜空へと任せるようにジャンプしたのだ。
「なんてことしやがる! 正気か!」
ベンテンスの怒鳴り声は後ろへ置いていく。
クラン・クランは高所からの落下ダメージの判定が厳しく、この高度から落ちたら確実にキルダメージを負う。だが、俺にそんな心配は無用。
風呼び姫
「ブルーホワイトたん」
だけども、今回は彼女の名を呼ぶ。
「何でしょうカ、
「かしこまりましタ、あるじ様の着地はワタシが安全ニ」
双子人形を抱えた俺を、後ろからお姫様だっこするブルーホワイトたん。
彼女の氷のように冷たい表情を見つめながら、俺は『導き糸』を操作し『氷花』を発動させる。広範囲に渡って氷の花を生成させるこのアビリティだが、今回は空中使用からの氷の造花が下に向けてクルクルと伸びていく。
「まるで氷の
口にして、そこまで優雅なものではないと知る。実際はブルーホワイトたんの両足が、ガリガリと氷花を削って滑り下りているわけだ。
唐突に出来上がった青と透明の歪な形の塔は、そのまま沼へと着水して地面の底へと突き刺さる。
ブルーホワイトたんは優雅に沼に入る手前の氷上でストップし、俺を降ろしてくれた。
沼に足をとらていた味方の
それでも俺は言ってのけるしかない。
「助けに来た。さぁ、やり返そう」
強気で大胆不敵、自信たっぷりにそう言い放ち、味方を鼓舞するのが俺の役目。
混乱し、身体と共に気持ちまで沈みきっていた味方達は、俺の言葉に雄叫びを
この戦いに望む結果の全てを手に入れる気概で歩みだす。
これが唯一の勝ち筋が見える方法なのだと。
「さぁルチルとルナリー、お遊びの時間だ」
「ご主人さま、楽しむ」
「ご主人さま、なにするの?」
キョトンと俺の腕の中で首を傾げる、『月影のルナリー』は可愛らしい。
双子の共鳴時に発動できるものは特に、だ。
「ルナリー、『罠への報復』をお願い」
「ご主人さま、おもいっきり?」
無垢な赤ちゃんのように質問をしてくるルナリーに。
俺は左手に装着した『導き糸』を動かしながら頷く。
「あぁ、思いっきりだ」
204 202 Stories Make It A Hegemony, King'S Road.
"It's a little hard to see, but it's not a problem."
"That's enough light in the night."
As Evening Fai and Shaking Night felt, Lunary's abilities were quite helpful.
The Magic Guide doll Lunary in the Moon Shadow had a lower overall status than her twin brother Lucille, and it was difficult to use it competently.
But not if Heavenly Marquis is the moon and night.
All stats have increased threefold and have useful abilities that can only be used on moon and night.
Abilities: Moon and Night Signs.
[A stone that shines in the moonlight will guide you as a sign to a threatening existence. That trajectory will help you know where and where your enemies are and will also help you track them]
[Activation Condition] Heavenly Marquis: Moon and Night Object: Stone Place
This ability is usually the kind of thing that stone colors glow to places where setting a monster as a target would be a threat to you and use to follow its path. When I set the target as a mercenary (player) this time, some rolling stone colors glowed around the fort, and I could see in which direction there was a Wolf spiritual soldier.
This made it easy to see where the enemy would be attacking the fort with a focus of force. We hardened our defenses, and our enemies ran into our defensive lines head-on without being able to make a move.
"So far, so good."
"The enemy is attacking."
My best friends are calmly trying to identify the battlefield.
We on the fort's side knock down enemies trying to climb high walls from favorable heights, attack them, shower them with bows and arrows, and some soldiers throw down rocks.
Sometimes, enemy magic attacks burst and we can see a lot of damage to this one, but these soldiers are rocks enough to still see the heights.
"Mina......"
The only thing that bothers me is the mina that set up on the gate.
My sister is also located beside Mina, so although I am not that anxious, it was the best war zone there. The enemy is trying to break through a closed gate, and the soldiers on the gate are struggling to make them do it.
"You have Mr. Singh on you."
"Mr. Minazuki will be fine."
"... yeah"
Honestly, rather than worrying about it in battle, I'm concerned that the conversation I just had was halfway through... there's nothing else to focus on right now.
Even though the defense overwhelmingly carries the battle in its favor, it is a battle you can never be caught off guard.
According to George's purchased information, Wolfe is actively spreading the situation of winning if he drops one more fort on Ignitol's side.
The number of mercenaries (players) who listen to it and try to ride the winning horse explodes, and they gather more and more as enemy reinforcements to settle.
In other words, even through one hand of defense, all are pushed by a number of violence and defeat is the decision. Then we need to frustrate the enemy early and plant a clear defeat on the opponent.
The only way to reverse this is by taking enemies to your side with my Commander. How this trait can be exploited is an important part of the battle.
Still, Bentens took my hand, and the other enemies should have the possibility to go down to the military gate, depending on the circumstances of the war.
So the sisters' maneuvers see each other around and slap the other's main circle at once.
I mean, we have to discuss it at some point in time and get out.
That's what we do to make sure we can observe the war at its highest level.
"You don't know which team they're in."
Two of my best friends respond to Bentens' blur.
"We're being attacked from three directions now, but they're all the same in numbers. In front of the gate and to the right, behind it."
"What bothers me is that I don't see any child mercenaries (players) who belong to the Lonely Wolf. So you haven't put in the main force yet?"
"No, I'm here. The child mercenaries are hiding in the shadows of adults and doing something."
That... I thought I got my hands on the ground, and I was hit by other adult mercenaries (players) and fell over.
"For the most part, I don't like Wolfe's bastards, so even his crew will be tough on clams."
Bentens has a good idea. But I was really concerned about the actions of the child mercenaries (players). There's no way that the wolf of those crew thoughts can keep quiet when the kids are treated like that.
As if to mock my little suspicions like that, there was a turning point that could rock the battlefield a lot.
"Enemy collapsed in front of the gate and on the right."
"Behind you is still attacking, but it's going to be hard to break through"
The two are right, enemy soldiers who have received heavy counterattacks from the wall are dispersing and starting to retreat. It was clear that the enemy mercenaries, who decided they could not attack them, were about to retreat and reunite with reinforcements that were gathering somewhere to rebuild large numbers.
"I can't find the Wolf bastard... whoa, Commander. What are we gonna do? You want to slap me here all at once?
"I think it's a chance, Taro"
"Quick talk, it's time to attack"
"The order loudspeaker of the assault is ready!
Everyone on this scene comes up with one opinion after another that they're willing to turn into an offense, so I'm curious about that too, 'Let's get out of the gate!' and issue Decree No.
Thus, from the gate, our elite troops will mow the necks of the enemy soldiers as they retreat, beginning with "The Drunken Neck Hunters" led by their sister.
Seeing a battle that embodied such unrivalled sight, the mercenaries of another side went out of the gate and made assaults to raise their martial arts before us.
"Well, there's no curtain for us to come out. The enemy is falling apart."
Bentens sighs, but me, Evening Fai, and Shaking Night rejoiced.
Thus the war appeared to be in full swing at that time.
Things have changed dramatically.
A large swamp abruptly appeared behind the 'neck hunting drunkards' who were in the lead and the 80 or so militiamen they led, that is, at the point where successive allied soldiers were running to join the assault.
Deep black brown, it's hard to tell the exact color because it's night, but anyway, that's what tangled the legs of the assault unit. It seems to be up to considerable depth, with many mercenaries and militias sinking from the waist to the chest, lightly panicked by sudden events.
That sounds like a pre-calculated plan, where the enemy's rear troops fly arrows well into bows all the time, shooting and killing soldiers whose feet were taken by the swamp.
And should I say it again? The enemy, who was retreating, turned around and, united, set out to annihilate the 'Neck Hunting Drunks' as they besieged them. So this was a pre-planned pseudo-retreat. The "Neck Hunting Drunk Communists", who have been fished by the enemy's invitations in earnest, have no place behind them to escape in the swamp, and are numerically and overwhelmingly disadvantaged, with enemies ranging from 600 to less than 700 against troops of around 80.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. It's a collaborative geological magic ability. It's a kind of time-bound magic, but it belongs to the trap system. But you think there are those guys who make such a massive thing a success in good time?
Bentens himself seemed to know that phenomenon that we had never seen before, in order to use more time-bound magic skills.
"Bentens, what the hell are you talking about?
"That Ouma summons was discovered very recently in Abilities. Stand by for a few seconds with your hands where multiple people want to swamp apart. So the time-bound swamping is complete, but I hear it can be installed up to about three places per person. There's a predetermined one who activates the magic of marshmallowing planted by multiple people, and when he plants the magic of marshmallowing, the other marshmallowing points start counting down."
Were the children of the enemy hiding in the shadows of the adults and doing time-limited magic?
Besides, considering the possibility of discovering the children, we even had a play that gave the illusion that child mercenaries were being treated badly.
"But this guy has half the difficulty. The others who have already planted the marshmallow must continue to solve the familiar presentation problem with the Wizard every 30 seconds until the marshmallow of their fate is activated."
Clan clan activates magic, but presents a problem that only the user can see. If you don't answer that correctly, the spec says magic won't work.
"That's..."
"Oh. You need a lot of practice. Well, if you're not the ones who studied all the chanting issues, you can't decide so beautifully. There must have been somewhere where they'd swamp faster... they're totally attacking us."
If the timing fails, they will drop their allies in the swamp. I am amazed at the sophistication of child mercenaries (players) who took such a flat risk and completed the operation brilliantly.
"The kids remember fast. Clan clan seems to change the difficulty of the problem by age, but no matter how easy the problem is with kids... Chi, if you do it over and over again, do you mean that the trend of the problem will be narrowed down somewhat? I've been playing games again and again, and I feel like I've done some test studies to build up my knowledge."
Not good.
It's too painful to lose the Neck Hunting Maniacs, especially my sister, which is the point of the attack.
Mina's led militia is also caught in the swamp, and Mina herself can be seen sinking in the swamp. I manage to fight back with magic, but it doesn't reach archers, and I'm exercising magic to kick the arrows. As it is, the MP will soon be depleted, as will the 'woodland cousley' I gave it to you.
"Yah... I don't have the means to make that situation go away. I'll have to order you to retreat and abandon the" Neck Hunting Maniacs. "
"Huh? Miss, what are you talking about?"
"If you abandon the main force of the attack, you will be on the defensive side. That would mean losing if any reinforcements pushed you. And just as we're targeting enemy headquarters, commanders, there's a chance they're targeting commanders over there."
"That's why the lady is the toughest guardian, I guess she's here. Our most important commander."
"... that doesn't sound like Bentens. Like a coward in a place like this, is it right for you to be grown up?
Bentens comes awesome to my provocation. But I laugh coolly, not lightly.
"Lucille, Lunary...... come here"
Embrace Lucille and Lunary, the twins' guide dolls to the chest, and look over at the companions of the escort.
"No, Taro"
"Oh, no, you can't."
Shortly before such a cessation of my best friends, I jumped out of the fort's heights.
With the twin dolls, he jumped to leave his body to the dark night sky.
"Holy shit! Are you insane!"
Bentens' yelling leaves behind.
Clan Clan is tough to determine fall damage from height and will definitely take kill damage if it falls from this altitude. But don't worry about me like that.
If you can call Princess Wind (Garuda) Hu, you have the means to equip her with the dress Mithola gave you, "Dancing Circles in the Sky (Rondo)".
"Blue White Tan"
But this time I'll call her by her name.
"What is it, Lord?"
"Yes, sir, the weasel is safe for landings."
Blue white with a twin doll and a princess behind her.
Staring at her icy, cold expression, I manipulate the "Guide Thread" and activate the "Ice Flower". This ability to produce ice flowers extensively, but this time ice flowering from aerial use grows in circles downwards.
"Like an ice spiral staircase?
Mouth it and know it's not that graceful. In fact, both legs of the Blue White Tan are slipping down by sharpening their gullies and ice flowers.
The blue- and transparently distorted shaped tower, which can be abruptly done, falls straight into the swamp and pierces the bottom of the ground.
Blue White Tan gracefully stopped on the ice in front of me entering the swamp and dropped me off.
The mercenaries (players) on the side who had their feet in the swamp would look at me like they were being taken aback. The feeling was painfully understandable.
Still, I have to tell you.
"I'm here to help. Come on, let's do it again."
It is my role to be strong, bold and invincible, confident enough to say so and inspire my allies.
Those allies who were confused and sinking into feelings with their bodies responded with a roar for my words.
Walk away in the mood to get all the results you want for this fight.
He said this was the only way to see the winners.
"Come on, Lucille and Lunary, it's time to play"
"Enjoy, master"
"Master, what are you doing?
I lean my neck in Kyoton and my arms, 'Lunary in the Moon Shadow' is adorable.
Especially the ones that can be activated when the twins resonate.
"Lunary, please retaliate against the trap"
"Your husband, are you funny?
to Lunary, who asks questions like an innocent baby.
I nod as I move the 'guide thread' worn on my left hand.
"Oh, I wish."
I Became a Beautiful Girl, but I’m still an MMO Junkie
美少女になったけど、ネトゲ廃人やってます。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-became-a-beautiful-girl-but-im-still-an-mmo-junkie/
Adventure Comedy Fantasy Gender Bender Mystery Psychological Shoujo Ai
Accelerated Growth Adapted to Manga Age Regression Alchemy Appearance Changes Appearance Different from Actual Age Beautiful Female Lead Chuunibyou Curious Protagonist Cute Protagonist Demi-Humans Disabilities Doting Older Siblings Fairies Famous Protagonist Fast Learner Friendship Loli Male to Female Misunderstandings MMORPG Multiple POV Mysterious Illness Older Love Interests Overprotective Siblings Past Plays a Big Role Past Trauma Pill Concocting Popular Love Interests Race Change Sword And Magic Virtual Reality Weak to Strong
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n0170db/
星屑ぽんぽん