A dangerous monster to look at.
　The one-eyed giant is something like Cyclops. What if they shoot beams out of their eyes?

　I don't know why she's crying out all of a sudden, but it's dangerous anyway. It's doubly dangerous.
　This is the one I was led to believe is the Argeese of the Altar Seat (Alter). He can speak just like the bear, and it's almost certain that he can speak.
　You can't achieve the guidance without defeating this guy.

　No, the achievement of the guidance is not important at this time.
　In any case, there's nothing to do but to defeat the monster that's out there.

Diana!　Do you have any idea how long it will take for them to arrive when you ask the priests of Elishe for reinforcements?
'Whoa, we should probably be there in about an hour or so!
That's going to take a while. ......

　Right now it's just the single-eyed giants, but sooner or later orcs, goblins, and even other monsters will spring up.
　We can't keep them all at bay. There is only so much we can do with our current strength.
　But there's nowhere to run against these monsters. Even if we hide, they'll find the source of our magic and track us automatically.
　Ultimately, if it's just us, we can escape. And there's no one to blame for that.
　But my kids, though. ......
　I'm sure they'll reject the option to run away, and I'll have to do the best I can. It's a good thing that you're not the only one who can get away with it.
　Of course, if Elishe's reinforcements come, I'm going to throw them out.

　I can see why the Hitotsutsuutsuki is such a tricky disaster.
　If you're not prepared for it, there will always be damage. And it will come in the form of being killed by monsters.
　Well, I'm in trouble.


　◇◆◆◆◆◇.


　While we, or rather I, were giggling, Shamash was taking action.
　He's going to fight.
　He raises his arm and makes the ice spear that he was also using against the goblins appear in the air.

　There were a total of six sharp ice pillars floating in the air.
　The giant cyclops is a huge target that can't be compared to a goblin.
　All of the icicles turn into bullets with a wave of Shamash's arm and are shot at the cyclops.
　It seemed that all of them had been hit, but--

''Resist!''

　The ice that hit the Cyclops hit the transparent wall-like thing that covered the Cyclops and shattered four of the six.
　Is it called magic nullification ability? Is there such a thing?
　I was going to rely on Shamash-san if I was going to fight, so this might be quite painful.
　But, well, two of them have been hit. I wonder if I can manage it if I push it with the amount of materials I have.

　As for the giants, they look at the icicle and get a scowl on their faces.
　It's a very silly gesture, but that's why it's scary.
　You never know what they might do.

"Whoa!　No, no, no, no, no!　Why do you do it?

　I scream from one big one, ragged lemon sized tears.

'Monsters can be painful: ......
So many things are off limits. What's up with that guy? ......

　Rebecca-san is also slightly drawn out. I thought monsters are 'phenomena' that spring up from magical pools. Mr. Argaes is an amazing creature-feeling type.

　Cyclops, who has shed enough tears to form a puddle, raises the hammer in his right hand with a buzz as if he is throwing a tantrum.
　Blue, white and yellow lightning (glitter) begins to blink around the hammer.
　The sound of a buzzing spark can be heard up here.

　...... akan.
　That's definitely a bad one.

Shamash-san, run!

　I shout.
　Shamash-san and Cyclops are still fifteen meters away from each other.

　Shamash-san looks back at me and turns his head.
　You may not understand what it means to run away.

　The hammer is swung down with great force.
　You know that even Cyclops can't physically reach the hammer.
　I'm sure he's a completely stupid monster, but he's not that much of a bottomless pitiful idiot.

　A moment after the tip of the iron hammer swung down with a gusher of lightning and made contact with the ground, with a violent thunderclap, several thin strands of lightning spread out to the surrounding area.

''--?

　As expected of Shamash-san, he couldn't duck the looming lightning flashes in an instant.
　In an instant, a fountain of light was completed around the center of the explosion.
　The speed of lightning is sub-light speed. There was no way to avoid it.

''Pee!''

　He took a direct hit, went rigid with a jolt, and

'Harare Hire' ......

　Shamash crumbles down without power. I knew it was a bad one!　
　Wasn't a lightning bolt like flying sideways in the first place?　I'm not sure, but I'm sure he was electrocuted.
　This is a hammer with the attribute of lightning. This is exactly what a lightning hammer is.

　I bought a stun gun before as a self-defense tool for Deanna and Marina, and I've tried it on my own body, but there was something really unfashionable about it.
　I really couldn't move. Maybe it's close to that.

　Well, at a glance, Shamash-san's consciousness seems to be fine, so the damage is not that serious.
　No, because the electric shock is not a funny thing, should we call it a blessing in disguise?　This. In fact, I'd say it was lucky that it wasn't very powerful.

　It's like an all-surrounding attack with a special effect using a weapon, so if it's lethal, I don't see how it can be defeated.
　No, even if it's just a temporary disabling of the fight, it's still in serious trouble.

Marina!　Follow me, Mr. Shamash, and I'll collect you!
Yes, sir!
We'll use it if she's too dangerous. We'll use it if it's too dangerous.
What?

　In the meantime, I decided to jump out and collect Shamash-san.
　He's jittery like a cartoon, so I have to help him quickly or we're in trouble. Physically, gosun!　And if they do, they will become mincemeat.
　We have to think of a plan and execute it quickly. We don't have a lot of time, but that's why we have to take the most efficient way to do it.

　The first one (Cyclops) is in the middle of pulling Shamash-san's magic ice spear from his shoulder while struggling to get it out of his shoulder, and he's not paying attention to our movements. It's a good thing he's not the type who goes all out to eliminate the enemy.
　The distance between us and Cyclops is about 15 meters, so retrieving Shamash-san was easy.
　Eh-ho-ho and carry him to join us.

"Ugh ...... sorry about that. You're welcome. It was a terrible mistake to jump out of the car with a good appearance ......

　It still seems to be a bit chattering, but it seems to be surprisingly fine.
　Rather than an attack, it's more like a stun status abnormality.

'No, I can't read that one. I'm glad it doesn't seem like a big deal.
'It's chittering and I can't free my body, but it doesn't feel like there's any damage left in it. ...... But that's a horrible monster, and it's hard for magic to work .......
Are you sure it's not damaged?

　If it's lightning, there's probably a lot of damage left. Is it because they are the demon race that they don't mind?

The only thing that's not a problem is the fact that you can nullify some of that kind of magic. This is still a demon race, so ....... But you guys won't be able to do so. If you can't counter that thing, there's no way to fight it, is there?

　There would certainly be no way to do that without countermeasures. If they all attacked us with that thing, it could wipe us out with one shot. From now on, we were going to have to deal with not only Cyclops, but also ordinary monsters.
　I really don't want them to be able to gnaw on me while I'm still alive when I'm pinned down.
　I mean, that's some kind of magic. I'm not sure about that.

Anyway, let's figure out what we're going to do. We need to take action as soon as possible to avoid any further damage. ...... Fortunately, that one-eyed Titan seems to be slow, so if we can guide it, we might be able to buy some time, but the problem is--

　I look at the entrance to the tunnel, which is still silent now.
　Shamash seemed to understand and nodded with a coy smile.

'...... Ah. Now that the mimics have been hit, the normal monsters are going to come out of the tunnels. In Luklaera, there should have been very few monsters outside the tunnels for years now. The inhabitants won't be able to handle it.

　I can't even imagine what the damage would look like if that were to happen. I don't know how many humans live in Luklaera, but there would be quite a bit of casualties.
　So I'd like to consolidate the flow of all the monsters, even if I have to use decoys if possible.
　But we lack the numbers and strength to do that.

　When I glanced at it, one eye was looking at me with a pouty, stupid face.
　A huge monocular. The eyes are turquoise blue. A low, flat nose. Two kivas sticking out of his lower lip. Mohawk. Half-naked.
　...... It's really punk.
　The action of swinging a hammer down is also vaguely similar to that of punks hitting the guitar and bass.

　There doesn't seem to be anyone around anymore. The local warriors, who were briefed by Shamash-san, seem to have informed them of the situation and helped them escape. The Marco siblings have already escaped as well.
　If that's the case, then of course we are the target.
　Of course, that's a good thing.

　Cyclops is coming towards us like a thief.
　I don't know what it's thinking, but it's moving surprisingly slow, probably because it's so big. It's as fast as a human walk.
　We continued our strategy meeting as we descended the mountain path to keep a constant distance from Cyclops.
　We can hear Cyclops shouting, "What the hell is going on?

　I look at the entrance to the tunnel.
　No other monsters have gushed out yet, but it's only a matter of time.

'If only we could plant another Twilight mimic in the tunnels: ......

　Shamash says.
　It would certainly be for the best. I don't know how many monsters are springing up, but if they all show up, it's a hell of a lot.

'What do you think, Rebecca?'

''We'll just have to ask the demon tribe to hide in the tunnels while we stall that big monster, won't we?

'Yeah, well, that's the smart thing to do, but there's a problem. Monsters are attracted to big magic, right?　Then all of them would gather at Shamash-san's place, wouldn't they? If possible, I think it would be better for the decoy team to take care of all the monsters that are out there, while Shamash-san quickly sets up a mimic.

　So far, there have been no normal monsters in the game.
　The ones that were there before the Cyclops came must have all fallen into subspace after being caught by the Twilight Mimic. But now that there is no mimic, the new monsters that have sprung up will be out there without limit.
　So it's a bad idea if you don't deal with this as soon as possible.

''No, but ...... I can't ask you guys to go that far. This is a Lucraella problem to begin with.

Mr. Shamash. I've already missed the time to ask and answer those questions, if you've decided to do it, you need to figure out how to do it with maximum efficiency. The best thing is that Shamash-san can safely and speedily set up another mimic to prevent any more monsters from coming out. Of course, even if it's not a mimic, you can use magic or something to collapse the entrance to the tunnel and block it off.

　I don't have time to argue with him. It's not even a matter of time to spare. You have to make a decision and act quickly, or you'll be in danger.

Thank you, Ayase. ...... let's make a monster torch.
"Monster Torch?
'I can make a torch from the demonic crystals that will attract the monsters. Just for a little while, just play the decoy and I'll be right back.

　Oh, such a good one.
　I guess the point is that by creating a pseudo or actual mass of magical power or something like that, it would be a target for the monster.
　Indeed, with that, Shamash-san's actions might not be inhibited.

''Then I'll make it right away. Note that while the torch's flame is lit, all the monsters in the vicinity will be drawn to this flame, so be careful. ...... You really don't mind, do you?

Let's make this quick. If we have to, we'll just throw the torch and run.

Okay. ...... helpful.

　He told them so and chanted some kind of spell, bumping into a handful of magic crystals in his hand.
　Then the magic crystal transformed into a single blue-white torch.
　The torch has an unrealistic black flame shining on it that looks like it was drawn in ink.

''Wow.''

'Okay, ....... Now all the monsters should be targeting this. I'll be back in a minute, so keep an eye out for me.

Yeah. I mean, where's your escort?　There will be monsters, and it will be hard to do it alone. I, or even Marina, can put it on you.

It's useless. You'll have to fight a few monsters, but I'll make sure that you proceed in conjunction with your cloaking magic.

　I didn't know there was such a thing as "magic of hiding". It's really diverse.
　In the fantasy world, it's nice to have a natural cheat called magic.
　Even in the real world, the only thing I can think of that would work is to run away from a meal!

So, have a good day.
'Of course. I'm going to be your slave, you know.

　Haha, he laughs cheerfully.
　That sounds like a great death flag. I thought, but I didn't say that.
　Well, it should be okay. It's not too shabby either.

　When Shamash chanted the magic of concealment, his presence was instantly diluted. Then he made a big detour down the road and sneaked into the tunnel.
　The effect of the monster torch is instantaneous, and the one eye (...) is coming towards us without paying attention to Shamash.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a few more monsters in the tunnels, and if you find them, Shamash's life is nowhere to be found.
　But we have to trust them.

Okay.　Let's run away too. With the difference in foot speed, we'll retreat, taking down the one that protrudes from the one-eyed giant (Cyclops)!　Torch, take the torch and bring it to the front!　Elepippi is a tool-bearer and Etowah's bodyguard!　Deanna, use the spirit stone to make sure you can use your recovery magic at all times!　Marina, Miss Rebecca and I are in combat!　The grand master and the master must protect Etowah and the others!　Mr. Aeon, stay in the middle!



　◇◆◆◆◇



But what are you going to do, Giraud?　You can run away, but if you keep going down, it'll be right into town!
'I know, ....... At least I hope we have someone available, like a Lucraela warrior or something.

　I'm told that there's an old mine in Luclaera that has been turned into a dungeon, and that there are warriors or adventurers who make money there, but the only people you can count on are those professional adventurers.
　The warriors with mines will have their own guards (no matter how many twilight mimics they set up, they won't be able to leave their posts), and unlike Elishe, they don't seem to have resident knights. The MPs seem to be there in their own right, but they don't seem to be expected to be a fighting force.
　The other thing that's up in the air is whether or not Luclaera's elves will help or not.

''At any rate, we will have to fight. After all,''
'That's fine, but what about the attack you just made?　That's called Pica.

　Rebecca, as expected, is not very good at lightning.

I was surprised, but it was beautiful.
'That sounded amazing!　It rumbled and shimmered, so that must be lightning!

　Marina was right, it could have been beautiful. But it's also a vicious attack.
　Etowah seemed to have guessed that it was lightning.

''As for that attack, there's something I want to try out, so let's give it a try. You have to block that one, you can't do anything but attack from a distance.
'What?　What do we do?　Do you want to try using a shield?
'No, Rebecca, I don't think those attacks could be blocked by the shields.

　It would only electrocute the shield as well.
　In fact, it could even have the opposite effect with a metal shield.　

What are we going to do then?
'Well, we'll see. And if it doesn't work, you can collect it like Mr. Shamash did earlier.
Oh, Lord!　Is it okay, sir? ......?
'I'll be fine ...... probably. If it comes down to it, I've got Deanna's magic. You're not going to die in one shot. But that doesn't mean you have to jump out of the way, Marina.
Yes, sir.

　I stepped forward, borrowing a one-handed sword from Elepippi.
　Cyclops stopped and gave me a questioning look.

'What?　You mean you didn't want to run away?

　He's a pretty good talker. He can't communicate.

A little bit. I'll tell you what, are you a guy by the name of Argyz?
Yeah. How did you know about this?　That famous?　I
Ummm, yeah, .......
'I see. Yumei....... Sissi, sissi.

　Arguese smiles secretly with a hand over his mouth.
　It's a strange one indeed.

　Well, anyway, it's fixed now.
　If you defeat this guy, your guidance is accomplished. Or rather, no matter how I look at it, it feels like it came out of my guidance, so all I can say is sorry to the residents of Luklaera.
　But this is force majeure!　It's the event planning companies that are to blame!　The genie!　It's not my fault!

　Arguese smiles and shows no signs of attacking me.
　It's hard to be a monster and not be belligerent enough. When he comes out, he kills everyone on the ground!　You declared.

　When I take a few more steps closer, Argyeth stops laughing and braces himself with a straight face.

'Oops!'　You almost got us killed. If you get any closer, it will get chattering.

　I didn't lie to you about anything, but you've caught me off guard.
　No, I lied about being famous, so I guess that's why I cheated. Well, it doesn't matter.

I don't think chatter works on me. I mean, we all have an amulet that chattering doesn't work on.

　He blows at random.

'Ugh, ugh!　Chattering is a killer move!
If you don't believe me, go ahead and try.
Oh, no!　It's an outright lie!

　He throws his arms up in the air and calls out, "Lies, lies, lies. It's a pain in the ass and I wish I could get on with it, but maybe this isn't so bad because it buys me time.

'Whoa!　Eeeeeeeeeeee!

　And then he raises his chirpy attribute hammer.
　The same large swinging motion as before.

'Hohoi.'

　I thrust the steel sword I borrowed from Elepippi into the ground in front of me and kept my distance.
　In the next moment, lightning draws a loose parabola with a thunderclap and a fountain of light is completed, with the hammer swung by Arguese in the center.
　But--.

?
You see? It's not working.
?

　It's not working at all.　I shrug my shoulders, and Argues-kun cracks his huge monoculars and tilts his head at me.
　No, it's not really cute. ......



　◇◆◆◆◆.



'Hey!　There it is again!　Why isn't it working?!

　Cyclops screams.
　It's a crown, having its boastful bilious attacks nullified repeatedly.
　As for us, we're actually on the edge of it, but we need you to assume that we're ineffective opponents. And if you don't use that attack, it really makes the fight easier.

"It is amazing. The Lord is a wizard.
"Haha. Even the Federation's new weapon (beam rifle) doesn't matter if it doesn't hit!
I don't know what the words mean, but I'm incredibly confident!

　Marina yells in admiration and rejoices.
　Hmmm, Date's repeated "Fear of lightning strikes!" on the wide show. I didn't see a feature like that.
　It may be a coincidence that it worked, but I'm glad it worked out .......

'Gu...... guzo ......!　Geez, whoa!

　I swing the mallet down again without any s*xual discipline.
　I'm alone in the front of the pack, and with a whip, I thrust the steel sword I received from Elepippi into the ground in front of me.
　A thunderbolt is drawn to the sword, and with a beech-cone, the circuit is completed.
　An electric shock slipped through to the ground.

　The lightning, of course, does not have a will of its own.
　I don't know why there's a directional nature to the lightning that runs beside it, but if you let it go, it'll be sucked into the ground. So if you put an iron rod on the relay point, it will be guided there by itself. It's called a lightning rod.
　Shamash-san said it was witchcraft, so I was a little concerned, but the fact that it has the same characteristic of passing through the nearby easy-to-pass path was a big help. If the target was always a human being, it would have been a disaster.

　I suppose it would be better to surround them all and fight them together, but that's not possible until after the lightning countermeasures are taken.
　Fortunately, Arguese is a bit of an idiot, so he only thinks that "it's disabled for some reason".
　I hope they stop using it because it doesn't work: .......

　By the way, the other monsters that came out of the tunnels were numbed by Argeese's chattering attack.
　The Argeese's hammer of lightning is a thin bolt of lightning that flies about 20 meters into a 300-degree area around you, so monsters coming at you from the torch will take a hit on their own.
　Goblins and the like are killed by a single blast, so it's a very powerful weapon.
　Orcs, which are quite large in stature, can be a good obstacle, and you can probably fight them safely by rolling them around in the area where they are stuck.