Sendai Yuusha wa Inkyou Shitai

Well, enough of that, here is the first chapter of what I have for you.

The Preceding Hero and the Flash Flood?

「Kikiki……A bit more, just a bit more.」

In a deep, dark place, there was a little girl. The Vampire Princess Paimon.

Holding a crystal ball that was the size of a softball in one hand, she looked into the crystal sphere, and because of the welling up feelings of delight, her mouth was turned up into a smile.

「With just a bit more……My wish will come true!」

What was reflected in her eyes were the black haired young boy and girl.

「For 1200 years, I have waited……ッ!」

Recalling it, anger welled up.

「1200 years of being sealed in this land by the miko, and having my power snatched away that that witch……Finally, my wish……My household’s dearest wish will come true!!」

Putting strength into her grip, the crystal ball made a sound, crumbled, and scattered. However, without stopping to even care about it, she raised her hand overhead.

「Lineage of Miko 『Sora』, come before me. With you as the sacrifice, I shall bloom once again as the “King that Controls Demons”!! Ancestors, see me clearly. Miko, watch me, and Witch, wash your neck and wait for me. I, shall rule all in this world!!」

Her golden eyes gleamed ominously within the darkness.

◇

Having spent the night in the tents, we continued through the floors with great vigor.

This was because, compared to the floors until now, the number of appearing monsters was gradually getting smaller.

And then, when we got close to the boss floor, finally, the monsters stopped appearing.

「That’s weird, normally, they would be coming out to the point of being really unpleasant.」

Fiona muttered that while surveying the vicinity.

Without anything but the walls, the ceiling, the water that submerged us up to our ankles, and the floor existing, the figures of monsters trying to obstruct us couldn’t be seen at all.

「We’re lucky that they’re not coming out. ……I guess that kind of thinking really would be unreasonable, wouldn’t it?」

It’s not like that possibility couldn’t happen, but Bernadette’s thought probably wasn’t right.

Now that Fiona, who has dived into this labyrinth many times over, has felt that something was abnormal, there should be something that is happening.

「！ ……Yashiro-aniki, there’s something here.」

Her fox ears standing up right and her being vigilant, Kuon extended her hand to the short sword on her waist.

When I grasp the handle of the Magic Sword so as to follow suit, the Magic Sword Ravenbrand groaned with an 「Uumu」.

「What’s wrong? Making a weird voice like that.」

「……Kiddo, this jus’ might be terrible opponent.」

「Ah?」

As it was about to say something, as if acting in concert with Ravenbrand’s words, that suddenly happened.

「っ!? Everyone, get behind me!!」

「Eh……」

A rumbling and ominous sound engulfed the vicinity, and in the next instant, a raging stream of a height that easily surpassed our heights came rushing at us.

「Wh, what is up with this all of a sudden!?」

Angelica panicked from the nearing raging stream that came with a force that surpassed imagination. Of course she would. Just a little while ago, no, just a second ago, this suddenly happened even though it was all calm.

「Kuon, use 『Zetsuei』!!」

「Leave it to me, Aniki!」

Drawing her short sword, Kuon lined up beside me, and made a blade of Maryoku on her short sword.

「『Zetsuei』!」

「Uooohhhh!!」

Kuon fired the blade of Maryoku at the same time she swung, and I fired a slash wave that was born from the after-effect of swinging Ravenbrand downward.

The blade of Maryoku and the slash wave tore up the raging stream……And the scattered water became spears and went through my shoulder.

「っ, Magic!?」

Nay, it wasn’t magic. However, the “thing” that I mistook for magic went through my body.

「Uwaah!?」

「Kuon! Tsk!!」

The spears of water also made an attack on Kuon who had also cut the raging stream beside me, and they went through her left foot and thigh.

「Yashiro-san! Kuon-san!!」

「Use Heal on Kuon! I won’t let you make a second attack!!」

Leaving Kuon to Bernadette, I tore up the spears of water that once again attacked us.

When I cut up about ten of the spears of water, the attack came to a sudden stop, and in exchange, the water at our feet was drawn back, and in the end, the water had disappeared.

「Just what in the world was that.」

When I sheathed the Magic Sword into its scabbard, my eyes met with Fiona’s.

「I didn’t feel the power of the spirits. ……Most likely, it’s an opponent that specializes in manipulating water.」

「I bet.」

Magic was a marvel that appealed to the surrounding spirits and would then get invoked. Since it was Fiona, who was able to feel nearby spirits, that was saying this, there was no doubt about it.

If that’s the case, the only other thing I can think of is an 『Ability』.

Things like 『Snatch』 that Zephyr possesses, or 『Foresight』 that Baba-chan and Lililuri possess, they happen without borrowing the power of the spirits, and are the embodiment of marvels that are similar to magic yet completely different.

「However, if that’s the case……Is it a Mazoku?」

Starting with Agniera and Terakio, most of the Mazoku’s fighting techniques are things that come from their personal abilities. Agniera specialized in manipulating flames, and Terakio could change the hardness of his body into something similar to steel.

If it were a Mazoku, freely manipulating water wasn’t impossible.

「Is it the work of that Vampire?」

「……That’s probably, not it.」

That girl was similar to Baba-chan in that she was a theatrical type that liked to see people’s reactions to her deeds. If they were to meet with Paimon, she should be waiting in the waiting in the boss room.

「Oi, kiddo, could I get a sec?」

As I was worrying, the sheathed Ravenbrand called out to me.

「What’s wrong?」

「……I have an idea on what it is.」

I was surprised by the words of the Magic Sword that waited a bit before answering.

「You know what it is!? Wait, why do you know about it?」

「I had cut it before. It was strong, and we weren’t able to defeat it but……It’s probably that guy.」

「Cut it you say……What’s its name?」

When I asked that, Ravenbrand said each word with a low voice.

「Sea King Dragon Leviathan. ……It’s a Marquis-class Mazoku.」