The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 40: Peerless Henkai

“Guna-sama, Guna-sama, where are yoou?”

Sounding like it is congested, its characteristic hoarse voice vibrates.

This voice is the Godo gatekeeper.

“Oi, Henkai. The guard monster has come so let’s kill it.”

“Understood, I will do it.”

Henkai reaches back, takes the adamantine axe in both hands, and leaps out of the prison.

Immediately after-

“Nannandaa.”

I can hear the Godo scream along with the sound of flesh being split by metal.

Fast-

Perhaps, is this onion oyaji really strong?

I grasp the key ring in my left hand and I signal Rollo with my eyes to “go outside.”

I hold the magic sword and appear in the passage leading to the prison pool.

There is the corpse of the Godo that was cruelly cut down and the figure of Henkai shaking the blood from his ax.

“I did it. It only took a moment.”

“I can see that. The adamantine tree ax is powerful.”

Henkai raises the two axes.

There should have been one ax…but now there is one in each hand.

“Two axes?”

“Aah, it’s a mechanism exclusively for me to create a pair, so without being able to respond, this guy easily died. Maa, its body was slow. It had four arms, but its only weapon was the log metallic rods, so-“

Henkai proudly spins the axes in his hands in a display as he talks.

His hold moves from the upper handle of the ax to the lower as it rotates.

He handles the axes like a juggler.

The magic jewels on the back of his hands shine brightly leaving behind a trail of light as he handles the axes.

The refined movements indicate the peak of skill as an ax user.

Henkai is a Dwarf and his short stature is no different.

However, with the adamantine equipment and his axe handling his brave figure has a bigger presence than a human.

After all, from his atmosphere his that armor is must have been what Henkai was equipped with in the past.

Being impressed by Henkai’s slight movements with the axes, I check to the corpse on the floor.

“…I will take this guy’s head. It’s an item requested by the guild.”

“Guild? So, you are from the adventurer’s guild?”

“‘Well,’ but I don’t know about that, I did receive a request from the adventurer’s guild.”

“Unlike the countries, the adventurer’s guild seems to be the same.”

Henkai said so, considering something.

Meanwhile, I cut off the oblong godo head.

I touch the bracelet and saying “Open,” it displays the item window.

I touch the storage character.

Then, the holographic window changes from light green to black.

“Please store item” is displayed at the bottom.

When I put the godo head in the black window it is sucked it.

“Oh, it worked. I can put things in this way.”

The black window immediately disappeared.

Finally, I go to confirm that the head is entered properly.

◆ : Person Mark : Storage

Item Inventory　25／85

Intermediate Restoring Potion×154

Intermediate Mana Restoring Potion x110

High Grade Restoring Potion x43

High Grade Mana Restoring Potion x44

Gold Coin x25

Silver Coin x88

Ancient Magic Book: Zohedron Trap x1

Large Staff of the Moon Spirit Tree x1

Priest Necklace x1

Mana Amplification Potion x3

Dark Language Magic: Dark Wall x1

Dress of Dark Shadows x1

Stone Ball of Return x13

Crimson Shark Leather High Heels x1

Magic Armrest of Lightning x1

Ring of Dusk x1

Notes of Ancient King Permon x1

Peterson’s Passage Fragment x1

Socks of Varuda x5

Picture Scroll of Sebdola-kami x1

Ancient Writing Stone of the Dawn x3

Dark Crest Magic: Dark Shackles x1

Ronto Manuscript x1

Ten Wicked Pictures Shitatop x1

Godo Head x1

It seems to have been properly entered.

I push the “storage” character again and make the black window appear.

I put the key ring in the item box.

Should I prepare some stone balls of return to escape from here immediately?

I select “Stone Ball of Return” from the item inventory and designate the amount.

Two appear from the window.

“Henkai, you can immediately exit the labyrinth if you use this stone ball.”

“How do I use it?”

I talk after putting the stone ball on the ground.

“Hold the stone ball and put mana into it. You should be able to return to the entrance.”

“Maa, I can’t escape so easily. So, what is Shuya going to do?”

Hearing Henkai I give him a big grin.

“I won’t return yet. I haven’t finished collecting the request items. And my things are in the hall with the throne. As soon as I recover my things and gather the request items I will say good bye to this place.”

“I’ll come with you. I may be able to help so I might be a little helpful if there is an ‘obstacle?’ Besides, I have a grudge to settle after being trapped in this labyrinth for all these years. I want to act violently.”

Henkai flexes his arms and shows off his well-developed biceps.

“I understand the feeling. I don’t mind- but, what will you do if Sabido, the six-eyed master of the labyrinth, shows up?”

“That, six eyed? Labyrinth master?”

Henkai’s onion head shakes a little in excitement.

“Yeah. Have you not seen him?”

“I have not. I remember that the labyrinth had such a name. Anyhow, when I was imprisoned I was attacked by the Kushanan and other demonic beings.”

I see, so he never saw the boss like character.

“If we go now the chances of coming out in the center of the labyrinth is high. If he shows up it is best to run away. He looked strong. Ma, I can’t be certain without fighting him.”

“Understood. However, I would like Shuya to hold onto that ‘stone of return’ as my hands are occupied with my weapons. I have no bags to put it in.”

Henkai explains while indicating the ax on his back.

“…Got it. If Sabido shows up is it okay if I decide to fight? If there is time, I will hand you a stone then.”

“Ou. It’s fine.”

Henkai shows his dirty teeth as he laughs.

I then look at Rollo.

“I’m going to get my bags. I am going back to the hall from before. Rollo.”

“Nya.”

Rollo cries and raises her tail with a feeling of saying 『Understood, Nya』

Then, the metal bar the godo dropped enters my sight.

“I can use this-“

I pick up the metal bar weapon.

At the same time, I throw Kuna’s two rings in the item box.

I put away the magic sword Bitou.

I am still only an amateur with the sword…

I will try using this metal bar instead.

I swing around the metal bar to get a feel for it.

It is lighter than the black tanza spear, but I can still use it since it is a rod.

I wield the metal bar lightly and leave the prison.

I walk along the passage.

“Nu, going so soon?”

Henkai follows belatedly.

I remember the way we took so we can make our way back properly.

As before, the passage is illuminated with a strange light.

The pale-yellow liquid dripping from the walls and fills the grooves, giving off light in a congealed form.

It functions as a light source in the labyrinth.

The eerie uneven walls continue for a while.

As we walk, a section of the wall cracks and white steam gushes out.

Uhya, it makes a loud sound and scares me a bit.

Henkai also seems to have been caught off guard and is holding his weapon.

I am familiar with it, but the sound from the unpleasant wall is eerie.

I walk along such a passage.

As I advance, the smell of the stinking prison gradually fades, and I adjust to the noises.

This corner…on the other side of the wall there is a swarm of monsters…

There is a reaction with Presence Detection and <Pheromone Touch>

Setting my hand on the wall, I look at the ring on my finger.

-I remember now.

The Dark Hellbone Knights.

Should I summon the Boiling Knights?

I look back and wave at Henkai.

“There are monsters around the corner. I am going to summon Boiling Knights so do not be surprised.”

“N? What knights?”

Ignoring Henkai, I touch the ring.

Two magic lines appear from the ring, one red and the other black. The magic line extends to the floor and adheres.

As I have seen before, the floor boils.

The Bone Knights appear with a little smoke.

“Your Highness. Boiling Red Knight Admos is here.”

“Your Highness. Boil Black Knight Zemeckis is here, what is your order?”

The two go to one knee and bows their heads.

The floor that had been boiled returns to normal as if nothing had happened.

On the other hand, Henkai’s jaw is hanging loose and his eye are opened wide.

“I want you to go wild around that corner.”

The two Boiling Knights salute with their long swords and shield.

“Ha.”

“We obey.”

The Boiling Knights charge into the swarm of monsters.

Then, Henkai’s angry roar suddenly beats my ears.

“Ah! Those are high ranking soldiers from Sebdola! Is Shuya a summoner, an archmage? Possibly, do you have elven blood? Are you related to 【The Great Empire of Befaritsu】?”

Henkai’s cheeks are flushed in rage.

He is looking at me as if I am his mortal enemy and his eyes are sharp as he clenches his fist around his weapon.

He completely changed.

Should I say, what is wrong?

“…Wait, wait, what’s wrong? I’m not an Elf. Look at my ears. What just happened was thanks to this magic tool. Also, I’m not an arch mage. I can use a little magic. I am normally a spearman. And then, I think that 【Great Empire of Befarittsu】 is a country that doesn’t exist anymore…”

Henkai growls as he ruminates over what I said.

There is an uncomfortable silence.

…Henkai begins to talk.

“…That’s also right. Iya, I’m sorry. I was recalling the old days. Fighting with a high ranking elven magician that could use summoning magic had to be avoided. I remembered a skeleton called a high-class soldier from the world of spirits.”

Everything seems to be okay and he has calmed down.

His tone is calm. It is probably all right by now.

“Hou…those fellows I use aren’t skeletons anymore-“

Then I look down the passage to entice Henkai.

The Boiling Knights are fighting over there in the same way as a person.

The gallant figures of the Boiling Knights that Henkai fought, again, his eyes grow wide in surprise, and our eyes meet before we nod.

He seems to understand after seeing the Boiling Knights going wild.

“It looks like it…”

He mutters in shock.

Judging from Henkai’s reaction, I had better give up on displaying the Boiling Knights in public…

The Boiling Knights are rampaging on the other end of the passage.

I can hear to the death rattles of the monsters.

The Boiling Knights seems to be fighting as planned.

If there are any dead hoguts from the guild request I will collect the subjugation evidence.

I stealthily look at the condition around the corner.

“It’s overwhelming. They seem to be all right. -Henkai, we can advance while we hunt the remaining monsters.”

“Ou, I will go wild too.”

“Nya, Nya.”

Rollo shifts into her battle form as well.

Her figure swells up and her feelers are extended in the air.

Henkai stares at such a Rollo, and suddenly stops moving…

He does not seem to be as surprised anymore.

Looking at my face, as if to make a complaint, he sighs and shakes his onion head side to side.

Henkai eyes appeal as if to say “I’m not surprised.”

While walking down the passage I observe the movements of the Boiling Red Knight and the Boiling Black Knight fighting nearby.

They are actively fighting as they please.

The strange monsters are crushed very easily.

A wreckage of blood and flesh is scattered across the ground of the passage.

However, there are still plenty of monsters in the passage.

The malformed fleshy monsters made of fused hands and heads are gathered around the Boiling Knights in a swarm.

The hands are extending out the bone knights and the heads are shooting some kind of protruding drill from their mouth, using a weird attack.

The Red Boiling Knight blocks the oncoming tongue drill with its shield.

The one deflected by the shield is pushed forward.

Twisting the shield to the side with a jerk, the fleshy tongue drilled monster is smashed into the wall, then retreats.

The head of the lumpy flesh monster is suddenly caught between the shield and the wall to be crushed like sesame.

Black Knight Zemeckis jumps out the defend the blind spot of the retreating Red Knight Admos, swinging its long sword vertically.

The head of the fleshy lump monster is severed with a single sword strike.

The black and red Bone Knights cooperate to defend each other’s backs as they move.

Again, a shield takes another attack, and a monster is cut down by a long sword.

They destroy the crowding monsters one after another.

Satisfied with the condition of the combat I go to the side of the Boiling Knights.

“This degree of power is amazing…”

With a stiffened face Henkai mutters so, and looks amazed at the Boiling Knights’ achievements.

Then-

The enemy reinforcements arrive.

This guy, this is the hoguts from the guild request.

“What, this guy!”

A newly appeared beastman monster cries.

“The target. I will kill-“

“Garuu!”

When I say so Rollo moves first as a panther.

She stabs a feeler bone sword into the chest of a hoguts, and instantly retracting the feeler-she pulls her body towards the hoguts’ chest/

She bites into the hotguts’ scruff.…

Without using its weapon, the hoguts soldier goes into convulsions.

It falls to the ground, grasping its neck.

Fast. She beat me to the punch.

Ma, this is fine. The subjugation evidence is the tail.

The tail of the collapsed hoguts is hanging limply.

I pull it off and toss it into the item box.

I kills hoguts as I advance down the passage.

As I climb the stairs near the hall the hoguts attack from above on the stairs.

“Gin Race. Slaughter!”

“OOOoo.”

So many. Well now.

“This time, I’ll deal with these fellows-“

A strange voice rises. I pole vault.

Saying that, I stretch out the metal rod in front of me- and run up the stairs.

The end of the metal bar collides powerfully with chest of the Hoguts near the front.

The hoguts is blown back and is swallowed up by the line of its comrades.

The hoguts that were going to attack me from the side of the staircase are caught in the shock and roll down the stairs.

Henkai and Rollo kill each of the Hoguts that roll down the stairs.

As I climb the stairs the retreating hoguts yell threateningly and attack.

Quickly- I brandish the metal rod in all directions.

To secure the space in front of the staircase, again, I step forward and come out.

The metal collides with hoguts as it moves- the hoguts’ metal armor becomes dented and they are thrown away.

With that timing, I raise a voice full of fighting spirit and continue attacking.

I wield the metal rod to bend vertically and smash the skull of the hoguts in front of me.

Then, I swing at the hoguts feet and three fall together.

I aim to stomp my feet down on the heads of the fallen hoguts- their heads are crushed with a ping.

Again, attacking with the metal rod, I kill three of them in a row.

-This metal rod, I can use it like a huge mace.

Is this okay?

I look at the metal bar, and discover it is bent in the middle.

Arriving late, Henkai and Rollo come up the stairs.

“We killed everything that fell to the bottom.”

“Nya.”

Rollo looks boastful as well.

“Got it. The hall with my bags is just a little ahead. Let’s go.”

“Understood. However, the ones who were summoned, what about the bone knights? We left them behind…it is okay?”

“Aah, those guys are fine. They can return to hell whenever they’re ready.”

They can return even if destroyed. As we walk down the passage I touch the ring and order them to return to hell.

“Hou…is it really okay?”

“There’ no need to worry.”

Henkai’s eyes are full of doubt, but I continue down the passage without minding it.

However– midway, I stop.

In front is a group of beast hoguts soldiers waiting and buzzing noisily as if to say “We won’t let you pass.”

The beastly soldiers are yelling in a taunting manner.

Running at the hoguts while raising a war cry- the hoguts threaten us with their dirty teeth dripping with saliva.

-Pushing through such a group of hoguts- a hoguts with a large frame appears.

This hoguts is one size bigger than the other hoguts.

Is it a different kind?

The large hoguts from the rear begins speak loudly.

“I’m here, this is as far as you will go! Dwarf, come at me bro!” (TL: Okay, I’m not sure what he says in this line, but I’m sure he didn’t say “come at me bro!” Meh, artistic freedom.)

The large hoguts does not have a claw like weapon, it reaches it hands the take sword like a glaive from its back, spitting out its words.

A cry of joy arises from the hoguts-

Responding to the cheering the hoguts raises the sword in one hand and turns the point of the glaive to us without looking back.

The large hoguts raises a strange shout and charges.

“Shuya and beast familiar. I will kill this fellow-“

Henkai smiles with a strange aura and turns his unshaven face.

With an adamantine ax in both hands, he confronts the large hoguts.

Without waiting to talk, Henkai charges in.

Ooi. Is this okay?

Despite my worries about the large hoguts, Henkai charges at the descending weapon.

The large sword approaches Henkai from above.

Henkai disregards it- and throws his ax!?

The thrown adamantine tree axe rotates through the air.

Isn’t this fast?

The ax flies while drawing an orbit of yellow light and smashes into the face of the large hoguts.

The dull sound of meat being destroyed resounds.

The large hoguts lets out a roar and collapses to the ground.

However, the large sword the hoguts is holding collides with Henkai due to inertia.

I small explosion of air happens.

Yet, Henkai wears a presence that suggests such a thing could not threaten him. He stops the blade of the sword above his shoulder with the ax in his left hand.

He towers like a wall on his two small feet.

Continuing, Henkai reaches up with his empty right hand.

Then, a yellow line comes from the back and extends to the head of the large hoguts.

The yellow line connects to the ax stuck in the large hoguts’ head and pulls it back into Henkai’s outstretched hand.

Wao, amazing. He has such a projectile weapon.

Is the magic jewel on the back of his hand related?

When I consider such a thing, Henkai uses his left arm to blow away the large sword above him.

“UGOOAAA! I am the Silken Commander, Henkai! Come at me AGOAAAA!”

Incredible intimidation. My ears are ringing.

Did that guy use his battle cry for war?

Is it some kind of skill?

Henkai’s loud voice and the defeat of the large hoguts causes the hoguts in the back to suddenlystop growling and jeering, falling silent.

“Henkai is strong.”

“I still have some way to go.”

Henkai shakes his onion head and shouts at the beast hoguts soldiers.

-Henkai’s peerless rampage begins.

When he swings his ax to the right, a hoguts is decapitated.

Swinging his left ax down he splits a hoguts’ head in two as if it is wearing no armor- the adamantine tree ax caves in the chest like it melts through the armor.

Both axes are immediately stained with blood and his hair and armor quickly follows.

“Hey, it looks like I won’t have a turn.”

“Nya.”

Rollo answers briefly and walks next to me.

Ma, this works.

This weapon is ruined.

I’ll get rid of it so I throw the bent metal bar at the group of hoguts with my full strength.

The metal rod breaks when it hits the first hoguts, but the fragments pierce through several surrounding hoguts due to the effect of the <Throwing> skill.

I am unsure if it created an opening, but with that the hoguts in the passage begin to retreat.

Because they retreated I can easily collect the tails of the dead hoguts.

With this I have completed all requirements of the request.

Other than a side passage along the way, the passage leads to the octagonal space with the throne.

“Oh, we’re here. It’s my black spear and bags.”

The kukri sword I asked Shisho to make…

I look at the ceiling but cannot find it.

…It seems to have gone somewhere.

I liked it… but nothing can be done about it.

Shisho, sorry…

Sabido Kentsiru is not sitting on the throne.

There is no one there but beyond the throne the dungeon still seems to continue.

However, in response to the uproar, I thought he would come to defeat us…

In the end, no one is here.

I am a little disappointed.

Now then, I should collect everything…

Intending to return, at that moment.

Magic essence flows out from behind the throne like a wave.

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