'Hahhhh!


　A flash. Sherry swung her sword to the side and slaughtered the last Scorpion 《Scorpion》.


''Huh...''


　As expected, she starts to breathe on her shoulder as she is getting tired. Then she decides to sit there for a little while, thrusting her sword into the spot.


　--It's only been half an hour, isn't it?


　So fed up, Shelly is fed up. While wiping her own sweat, she sets fire to the corpse of the Scorpion 《Scorpion》 that is lying on the spot in large quantities. There was a peculiar smell of burning proteins, but it didn't bother her so much right now. Because this was by no means the end of this battle.


　Thus, it had only been about half an hour since Shelly started fighting, but she had already slaughtered more than a hundred Scorpions, the Scorpion. This level of Scorpion is not Shelly's enemy. He was no longer a swordsman whose skills could rival even Bell. As a swordsman who is practically the strongest swordsman in the human race, there is no way that Shelley would fall behind the Scorpion 《Scorpion》.



　But that was only if the opponent was a single person. The current situation is clearly different from that.


　Although there is light coming from outside, this place is dimly lit. Yes, Shelley was alone in this basement. Even if you try to climb up, this place is too deep, even Sherry, who is a stone's throw away, can't climb it.


''It's here........''


　He sat up and held his sword again.

　The ones there were more than a dozen Scorpions [Scorpions]. Their tails, which stretched out as if they were slithering to the heavens, were a clear indication of their hostile intentions.


''Hmm........''


　Taking a breath, Shelly then begins to deal with the large number of Scorpions, Scorpion, again.


　How Shelly got into this situation is a bit of a step back in time.




　◇



You're gone.
Yes, sir.
Do you feel anything?
No. Not particularly.
I see.


　The second platoon to which Sherry belonged. Roy and Sherry were currently walking in the front line. In this squad, these two are responsible for opening up the front line. Incidentally, Eve is in the rear, and the composition is composed of other first-grade and second-grade anti-magicians in between.


　Right now, as per the strategy, they were searching the perimeter of the relevant underground facility. However, that was from the ground, but so far there was nothing strange about it.


　While everyone was keeping a sense of urgency, a voice came from above us as we continued on. When I looked up with a bang, there was ... something that looked like a person. He was dressed in a suit and his hair was in an all back. From top to bottom, he was dressed as if he had just been tailored. Not a stain, not a speck of dust on him.


　Of course, at a glance, he looks human. However, there is no one here who could sense the magic element that surrounds it and mistake it for a human being.


"Human?　No, the witch or that...
Looks like it. Do you want to do it?
'Oh. Of course.


　When Roy says that, all the members of the second platoon form a line and take the lead position. It's inexplicable that it appeared from the air, but now is not the time to talk about it.


　A demon. And that too, this demon must be a higher level demon. All of them were aware of that.

　A higher level demon. That is the general term for those who have the highest battle power among the demons, as defined by humans. The possibility of them appearing in this operation had been considered, but they hadn't expected to meet them themselves... Sherry was already reaching for the sword at their waists as she thought that.


'It begins and ends with a courtesy. Humans, it is my pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am the Holy Twelve Apostles, fourth in the hierarchy. My name is Aurir. Henceforth, please know that....


　No one makes a move as Aurir reverently curtsies in place. The tension is maintained, but he continues to speak as if he isn't going through it at all.


'Well, humans. I don't really want to fight with you guys here.
You.... what do you want?


　It was Roy, the captain, who asked the question. Then he smiled bewitchingly at Aurir and returned the words.


''Purpose?　That's right. To put it bluntly, I'd like to delay it a bit.
You want to delay it?
'Yes, sir. I cannot say more, but the course of this battle does not matter to us. No matter how much progress you guys make in this land, do what you want. It's just ... it's too early to tell.
What do you mean, what do you mean, you're not...
Well, now I'll say goodbye.


　When Aureel raised his hand with a bang, they all held up their weapons.......but what came next was a completely unexpected phenomenon.


''.........na!''
Collapse?
Not good!


　Yes. The moment he raises his hand and then snaps his fingers, they all fall from the spot. As it is, they are all falling together as they are pulled into the darkness. But there was only one person, only one antimagician who was trying to use that rubble as a springboard to climb up.


''........I'll kill you!
Oh, you're Shelly Amis.


　It was Sherry. Everyone except her had already been swept up in the collapse, but Shelly was the only one who was working hard to move her body up and over. But..........


'Too bad. It's a bit, too late.


　A moment later, more debris poured down from above, as if more collapses had begun.


'We'll see you again,'


　With those words, Shelly was being swallowed up into the abyss.



　◇


Hmmm... so much for that.


　And so on for another half hour. An hour had passed since Shelly had fallen. She was alone and had reached what looked like a small room. She didn't know if the rest of the squad had done so. She didn't have the singular ability to perceive a large area, the Extra, like Yuria and Liane.

　For once, it can't be helped, but it's not good to stay alone as it is.

　Shelly had just finished killing all the hordes of Scorpions 《Scorpions》. All of them, without exception, have been cut cleanly from their brains and are dripping their bodily fluids onto the ground with thuds.


　--I have no choice but to go, right?


　Stopping here was one option, but she didn't think she could take it too long waiting for help. And although Shelley's perception of a wide area was poor, she could sense that an unusual magic element was being sprinkled from one place.


　Probably, Shelly predicted, they were fighting.


''Let's ... go.''


　Murmuring to herself, she settles her sword in the scabbard at her waist. At the same time there is a snap, she walks forward as it is. From here on out, this is completely unknown territory. I know that there are dungeons in this world. It's because as knowledge, it's taught in the Counter Demon Academy. And Yulia also said she had stopped by them during those two years of exile.


　A dungeon, or in other words, a labyrinth, but it was a mysterious underground facility. I don't know who created it and why, but there are various theories that it was created after the twilight took over.


''........''


　Proceeding through the darkness. There was no light at all, just darkness. Sherry was constantly activating the Absolute Realm 《Fortist Territory》 to check the situation around her. It was the singular ability 《Extra》 that put everything within a five meter radius under his control. He usually used it for combat, but this time he was able to apply it to explore his surroundings as well. Although I didn't expect this kind of case to happen, but even so, being able to grasp the area within a five-meter radius of me was quite an advantage.


　They wouldn't needlessly run into walls, and they could also react to any surprise attack.


　Incidentally, this usage was something that Bell had taught him. Bell has taught Shelly everything she has experienced herself. This time, Bell had experience in this matter as well. He said that when advancing through the darkness, the Absolute Realm [Fortis Territory] is useful.


''A........door?''


　As they were moving forward, Shelly felt a door in front of her. It was big. It must be about three meters long.


　Should she open it? Or do I find another way?


''You'll just have to open it.


　When he decided to do so, Shelly went deeper.