The Sand Golem slowly changes its stance and turns to face you.

Armed with a huge sword and shield, its majesty looks like the Grim Reaper.

Apparently, even the Sand Golem, which is famous for its small fry illusions, gains considerable power when it becomes a boss. I'd be flattened just by its massive body falling on me. The Warding Fingers aren't invincible.

Why do I always have to do this ......?
I'll be exhausted before I despair. When I think about it, ever since I became a hunter I've had a lot of bad experiences.

I thought I was going to die when I went to see the cherry blossoms and the treasure house suddenly appeared. Well, I fell into a coma immediately due to some strange pollen, so when I woke up, everything was over.

The golem lifted its sword with a casual movement. The jet-black sword hides the moon.
Then it swung the sword down to the ground as if it were a threat.

A tremendous wind pressure hit me and Liz. A roar as if the world were collapsing hit my whole body.
Even though I hadn't been hit, one of my "Bounding Fingers" had been triggered. Oh no.

I should have asked a contractor to charge up the Dark Wings of the Night Sky before I came.
It was a simple treasure house and I was careless because Liz was there.

Liz was frowning and covering her ears. She was right in front of me and must have taken the impact directly to her body, but her stance didn't waver.
He is mumbling to himself.

'...... Tsk. The output is too high ...... to catch, huh? I'm not sure. It's not an illusion,......, it's Akasha. I'm not sure what to do.

What's Akasha? I'm not sure.

A huge sand golem put its hands on the head of the column and bent its legs as hard as it could. It acted like a human, and I took a step back.

And then-- suddenly the sky darkened.

The giant golem leapt forward, completely obscuring the moon. It's lightness belies its blunt silhouette.
While I was taken aback, the golem landed about ten meters in front of me.

It looked as if it had been hit by a meteorite. I was paralyzed by the power of the monster that had suddenly appeared in front of me.
I felt like praising myself for the fact that I could still stand up.

Under the moonlight, its majesty became apparent. As Ryz had said, the sand golem was covered in armor that looked like metal all over its body. At first glance, it looked like a heavy knight armed all over its body, not a golem.
The only difference was its size. It was about twice the size of me as a man, not to mention Liz, who was small even for a woman.

I've seen golems a few times myself, but this was the first time I'd seen one this huge.

The sword was black, with strange red patterns running along the blade.
The shield was polished to the point that it reflected my face, and it was large enough to cover most of its massive frame. The wolf knight we met at the White Wolf's lair looked bad enough, but this golem looks even stronger. Is there a rule that phantoms nowadays have to wear armor?

Its head had no organ worthy of an eye. No, the golem had no biological organs of any kind.
The wolf knight somehow knew that he should aim for the eyes, but this creature had no chance.

Well, even if there were, there's nothing I can do about it.

I guess I'll just have to ask the expert, Liz, for a decision.

Liz was elated by the appearance of a monster she hadn't expected at all.
It doesn't seem to matter if it's a person, an insect, or a golem. She asks me in a voice half a tone higher than usual.

'Hey, Cry-chan. Are you really going to let Tee do this?

He was too strict a master. Looks don't have much to do with a treasure hunter's ability, but it's usually impossible.
No, it would be quite difficult even for Liz.

Just as I was about to say that, the body of the golem-like creature that had been standing straight tilted slightly. A high-pitched sound of metal hitting metal echoed, and I saw Tino land through the gap between its legs.

It seems he kicked him from behind. Too aggressive.

The golem turns around with a troublesome motion. Tino said in a tearful voice, as if he was about to disappear.

'Mataa ...... can't do it.'

'......Yeah, you're right.

You don't need to challenge me. .......

The golem turns around and cleaves the ground with its sword. It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your time and money.

It's a blow that could have cut you in half if you took it seriously. His breath stopped for a moment at the sight, but apparently it wasn't a fatal wound, and he quickly got up.

'Mm-hmm, I see. ......'

I nodded plausibly. I knew it,......, but apparently it wasn't all it seemed.
Bigger, faster, heavier. It's not the kind of illusion you want in a level one treasure house. Let's play by the rules.

The golem didn't seem too interested in Tino and turned towards us without pursuing.
Liz kept her eyes on the golem and asked briefly.

'Do you want me to do it? Do you want to do it, Cry?

Is it a hell of a choice?
Well, I'd love to, but I'm worried about Tino! I don't have a choice.

'I'll take Tino and run away, so you do Liz.

The golem's movement is certainly fast, but it can't be faster than Liz at this size. Liz should be able to escape easily even if she is left alone.
She gave a small smile at my pitiful words. It was a look she hadn't seen in a long time, the one she used to have when we were exploring the treasure house together.

And then, without hesitation, Liz turned herself into a monster much larger than herself.


§


The giant golem with its shield in place retreated as if overwhelmed.
You'd have to see it to believe that it was a girl no taller than half its size who was pulling it off.

A continuous sound, as if a rock drill was being used, echoed through the night sky.
The true nature of the sound was a kick. The shield of the golem is so huge that it hides its entire body. Liz's kicks pierced the center of it in rapid succession. She didn't make a sound, but you could feel her spirit from her back.



The sound was so tremendous that I feared it might trigger the warding fingers.
Each blow was as powerful as a kick. A monster indeed. And yet, the giant sand golem that was still unharmed after being kicked by a hunter who can conquer the level 8 treasure hall is no less a monster.

I mean, if you look closely, it looks metallic. If it's not made of sand, it's not a sand golem anymore. .......

The wide shield with a slight curve boasted a terrible hardness.

It's no surprise that it's made of metal, so it can't be broken by a kick, but Liz's physical strength is nowhere near that level. If it were an ordinary shield, it would have been destroyed, and it would have been impossible to catch it.

However, the sand golem's movements do not stop. It seems to have gotten used to receiving kicks, and swings down the sword in its right hand.
The blade, which is powerful enough to shake the earth, fell from right above Liz, who should have been there, and struck out.

The blade dug deep into the rugged ground, and the ground trembled. A shout shot out from behind the sand golem.

'Hey, T! Get the hell out of here! Don't make Krai wait for you!

'Yes, yes. Sister!

When did you get behind me?
You can't even notice it from a distance, and for the Sand Golem that was facing it, it's as if the target suddenly disappeared.
As expected, Liz seems to be dominating the speed. I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out.

I'm not sure what to do. The sand golem did not pay attention to it.
It didn't even look back at Lizzie, who was behind it.

--It's head was facing me, standing alone and doing nothing.

For a moment, the area near the golem's feet glowed. A moment later, my vision was stained white.

A tremendous heat hits my whole body. In the midst of my white vision, I heard Tino's scream.

It wasn't until the darkness returned that I realized I had been attacked.
The golem stepped back as if upset. He saw a red glow near his feet as he stepped on the ground.

It seems that a heat ray or something suddenly shot out and hit me. And it seems that the warding fingers prevented it.
The latest Sand Golem is really bad. ...... It can even attack from a distance. It's not a small fish. I'm not sure what to make of that.

For some reason, the golem did not fire a second time. It just went rigid on the spot. It's as if it's surprised that I'm safe from its unprotected heat rays.
Of course, it was probably just my imagination, since a phantom golem shouldn't have any emotions.

A dull thud echoes, and the golem kneels down. It seems that Liz kicked its legs from behind.

'There's no way a heat ray will work on Kry-chan! You son of a b*tc*! Magic attacks have long since been surpassed!

I see. So I've transcended magical attacks? ...... That's a new one on me.

The golem shakes convulsively with a violent metallic sound. You can't help but laugh a little.
You try to get your hands on it and regain your position, but you can't move at all. Liz's kick won't let you do that.

She's kicking harder than she was kicking the shield earlier. She's probably upset that I attacked her.
If it were possible, I would have done something before I was attacked, but I don't want to be extravagant.

I mean, isn't it bad? I didn't take any damage at all, but that golem.

A sturdy phantom is Liz's natural enemy.

The way she fights - or rather, the way bandits fight - is to toss and turn with her quick movements and strike at the vital points.
She's very strong, but she's not very good against opponents who don't have such a sharp point.

It is quite amazing that he can bring a huge golem to its knees with a kick, but he is out of luck. It's not as if the golem has a sense of pain or fatigue, and if you can't damage it, you can't defeat it.

The golem swings the sword in its right hand while being attacked from behind.

Then it swung down at me.

The distance between me and the golem is nearly ten meters. There's no way I can reach it.
I'm caught off guard, but the tip of the huge sword strikes me beyond its original reach.

He threw the sword. When I realized this, my "warding fingers" had flicked the giant sword away. Isn't the hit rate too good?

My eyes almost went black. The heart beats like a fast bell as you prepare for death.
Even though I understand that I am protected, there is no way I can get used to the feeling of death.

I have now 'died' twice.

The sword bounced off the ground a few times, then stopped in a cloud of dust.
I hid the trembling in my limbs, crossed my arms and gave her a smirk, imitating her.

'There's no way I can get through a physical attack. I'm level 8, remember? I don't even have to evade it.'

Well, I couldn't even if I tried. ....... Was it hard-boiled?

The golem has stopped moving again. I'm sure you've heard of the level and you're freaking out. These days, golems are very advanced.

There are only four warding fingers left. Let's get out of here before we get attacked again. ...... I can't move my legs.

I can't move my legs.

Just in time, Tino jumps in, out of breath.
I've done nothing, and yet I'm not being attacked. I didn't do anything, and yet I was attacked.

You hold Tino, who seems to be upset and jumps at you, and calm him down.
You'll be able to see tears in his eyes, his face is pale, his hair is disheveled, and his equipment is dirty, but he doesn't seem to be injured.

In his right hand, he is holding the treasure trove he found. He's the epitome of a hunter.

However, being relied on by a junior player like this gives me an indescribable sense of superiority. The strength returns to my trembling legs.
I even feel a sense of mission to protect this junior at all costs.

This junior is several times stronger than me, though.



'てぃいいいいいいッ！ いつまでクライちゃんに抱きついてんだころすぞッ！？'

'ッ！？'

確かに隙だらけだったが,戦場で弟子に言うことじゃない. 厳しい師匠だ.

ティノが雷に撃たれたかのように震え,ゆっくり離れる. まだ泣きそうな顔をしている.
が,後は逃げるだけだ. どうせ泣きそうな状態でもティノの足は僕と同じくらい速いだろう.

ゴーレムが再起動する. 諦めたのか,後ろを振り向き,リィズに向かって腕で薙ぎ払う.
リィズがあろうことかそれを足場に飛び上がり,ゴーレムの頭を蹴り飛ばす.

巨体がバランスを失い地面に倒れる. リィズも蹴りの反動で大きく後ろに跳び,華麗に地面に着地する.
リィズが一人いると安心感があるな. 僕はひらひらとそちらに手を振った.

'リィズ,ここは任せたよ'

'はぁい. ……てぃー,しっかりやれよ. 殺すぞ'

'は,はいッ！ お姉さまッ！'

さっきからティノ,'はい'と'お姉さま'と'ますたぁ'しか言ってないな.

ゴーレムが身を起こす. 頭部を蹴飛ばされても堪えていないらしい. あれほど蹴られた脚部にも目立った破損は見られない. あれに弱点はあるのだろうか？

僕はその前に堂々と立ち塞がるリィズを確認すると,ティノの手を引いて遠慮なく逃げ出した.



§ § §


何だこの化け物は…….

ノトはゴーレムを通して水晶玉に投影された映像に戦慄した.

ノトがその弟子たちと生み出した迎撃システムは戦略級のゴーレムだ.
金に糸目を惜しまずに研究に研究を重ね生み出されたそれは,最高級の宝具を幾つも購入できる程の金がかかったが,ゴーレム技術の最先端を走っている自信があった.

この世の神秘を解き明かす『アカシャの塔』が使役するに相応しい代物だ.
今の所一体しかいないが,王国の正規騎士団など相手にならない. 高レベルなハンターを複数人相手にしても十分圧倒できるだろう.

陸戦型ゴーレム『アカシャ』はあらゆる状況を想定し作られている.

全身を覆う特殊装甲には関節部を含め隙は一切なく,高度物理文明の砲撃すら耐えうる.
右手に握った主兵装,『真理の剣』は魔術と極めて高い親和性を持つ希少金属で出来ており,魔術によりその切れ味を増強している.
内蔵する膨大な魔力により生み出された膂力で放たれた斬撃は打ち合った剣ごと両断するだろう.

防御兵装である『断界の盾』はソフィアのアイディアだ.
全身を特殊合金の装甲で覆った隙のない『アカシャ』にとって,盾など本来不要なものだが,強固に主張したため採用することとなった.
装甲よりも一段強度の高い金属でできており,特に防刃に特化した性能を持っている. どんな宝具を使ってもそれを貫くことはできまい.

他にも素早い盗賊を想定した光線魔法の射出や,内蔵魔力を噴出し一時的に障壁を張る機能など,過剰とも言える機能が詰め込まれている.
知識や研究を重んじる『アカシャの塔』からも高すぎると苦言を呈された程だ.

絶対に負けるわけにはいかない. 非常事態を想定しての最終防衛システムだ.
相手がレベル８の認定を受けているハンターでも負けるわけがない.

しかし,その自信は数分の攻防で木っ端微塵に砕かれていた. つい先程まで性能に絶対の自信を持っていたノトの弟子たちもその光景に青ざめている.

アカシャを相手に一度も攻撃を受けることなく渡り合う『絶影』も驚異的だが何より――

'ありえない……物理攻撃も魔法系攻撃も効かない,だと！？'

回避されたのならばわかる. 防御行動を取ったのならばまだ納得できる.
だが,千変万化はそれを無防備に受けた. にもかかわらず――無傷.

熱線は単純な攻撃だが回避しづらく,上級攻撃魔法並の威力を持っていた. 高レベルのハンターでもまともに命中すればひとたまりもない.
『真理の剣』の投擲だってそうだ. 単純であるが故に防ぎづらい.

'な,何かの宝具では！？ アカシャの攻撃を受けて無傷の人間なんているわけがないッ！'

'だが,二回だ. 一度なら結界指を使った可能性もあるが,そう何度もアカシャの攻撃を防げる宝具があるのか！？'

'魔力障壁の可能性は――ない,か'

'術を使った様子はない. クソッ,どんなからくりだ'

混乱と得体の知れない者を見た恐怖からざわつく弟子たちを見て,そのあまりに無様な様子に,ノトは嘆息する.
未知を前に,好奇心よりも恐怖を感じている. 好奇心が,知識欲が足りていない.

こんな時に頼りになる二番弟子と三番弟子はゴーレムの操作のため研究室に残っており,一番弟子はいない.

何より既に,気づかれるはずがなかった使い魔の監視を看破されている. それも,付近を見張るのに使っていたサンドラビットだけでなく,ある程度外側の監視に使っていたサイモスまでも,だ.

アカシャは精神的な支柱でもあった.

弟子の一人が恐怖のあまりに震える声をあげる. アカシャの製造に特に熱心だった弟子だ.
ゴーレム技術に精通し,アカシャの性能に自信を持っているからこそ,この状況に耐えきれないのだろう.

'この表情を見ろ. この余裕を見ろ. まるで攻撃してみろと言わんばかりの無防備な佇まいをッ！ ほ,本当だったんだ……俺達を,どうでもいい. 取るに足らないものだ,と'

'ただの偶然だ. 忘れよ. まだアカシャが……負けたわけではないッ！ 研究は成就しつつある. 今は奴らがゴーレムにかかっている隙に退くのだッ,いいな？'

動揺する弟子たちを一喝する. だが,その言葉に説得力がないことをノトは理解していた.
偶然などという単語で済ませるには状況が出来すぎている.

弟子たちがノトの強い言葉に,冷静さを取り戻す.
言い合っていた所でどうにもならないという事を理解したのだろう.

'し,しかし,千変万化は――ウサギの飼い主は巣穴の中だ,と――既に,ここも――'

'……この近くにサンドラビットの巣が幾つあると思っている'