Evil Avalon

Chapter 150 Crab legs

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

―― Perspective of Narumi Kano ――

The white-coated dual swordsman plunged their blades deep into the side of a Kinrankai member, twisting them as if gouging the flesh. The damage was fatal. Unable to endure for even a moment, the Kinrankai member collapsed on the spot, blood pouring out of the wound and spreading across the floor.

However, mere death was not the end in this battlefield. Another white coat approached and chanted something. The supposedly dead Kinrankai member rose again with a wail of resentment, turning their blade against their former allies.

Those fighting against the resurrected puppet soldiers were having their mental strength thoroughly worn down. Even those retreating to the rear shuddered at the gruesome battlefield, with some beginning to flee down the emergency stairs.

Even so, I thought that escaping would only result in them being caught and killed by the "demons" lurking outside. But given the horrific scene, it was hard to blame them for clinging to the faint hope of an "escape game."

(Things were going so well just a while ago…)

The Kinrankai, led by Lord Kuki, had enough momentum to push the enemy back temporarily. Even those of us at the rear had managed to defeat a whip-user, significantly boosting morale. Yet now, several of our members had been felled, and those who remained were sluggish and uncoordinated.

Meanwhile, the white-coats’ movements had visibly improved. Their slashes and magic attacks radiated with palpable power. It was all thanks to Sanada’s skillful use of various buffs tailored to each individual. I couldn’t help but be reminded how much influence an exceptional supporter could wield in group battles.

(Lord Kuki and Lord Rokurogi are still holding on, but… this is a losing battle no matter how I look at it. Alright then…)

I averted my gaze from the battlefield and downed an MP potion in one gulp while hiding behind a table. Next, I stirred the magical energy deep in my chest, confirming that I had a sufficient reserve. Finally, I placed the flat stone my brother had given me into my palm and—

“(Is that stone… supposed to be the key to overturning this situation?)”
“(Considering what happened with that giant soldier earlier, I won’t dismiss it entirely, but…)”

Kirara, my older sister, and Chii-chan leaned in to peer at the stone in my hand, their faces close as they pressed me for an explanation. I answered honestly, “I’m going to call… a friend.” But their reaction was to exchange glances and let out an exaggerated sigh.

Still, my friend might be stronger than even Lord Kuki or Lord Rokurogi—maybe even stronger than my brother. They’re the perfect ally to flip this hopeless board in our favor.

The situation was dire. While being watched skeptically by the two beside me, I extended my arm and focused my magical energy, calling out in my mind.

(Arthur-kun! Over here! Please come to me!)

Following the method Lisa-nee taught me, I gripped the stone tightly and poured my wish into it. Before my eyes, a bizarrely colored magic circle appeared, shifting between hues of blue, red, and yellow. I channeled my energy into it, but… huh? It felt like pouring into a bucket with a hole in the bottom—there was no sign of it filling up.

At first, I thought it was a malfunction or that I’d made a mistake, but upon closer inspection, I noticed a tiny bit of energy gathering… maybe. Could it be that activating this magic circle required an astronomical amount of energy?

Panicking, I rummaged in my pocket and pulled out my last MP potion. Even if I drank it, it was unlikely I’d have enough magical power to complete the spell… What do I do now?

“(You’re lacking magical energy, correct? Use mine.)”

Kirara-oneesama placed her hand over mine, which was trembling as I extended it toward the magic circle. A warm, tingling sensation, like a comforting electric current, flowed into me. I marveled at how soothing someone else’s magical energy could be when there was no hostility behind it. Watching the magic circle intently, I hoped to see it filling.

Nope. Even with the two of us, it wasn’t even 10% full. While it might be sufficient for me to cross over, summoning someone as powerful as Arthur-kun required an immense amount of magic.

The fragile hope I had grasped began to crack, crumbling away. Fear and anxiety gripped me, and I nearly lowered my arm. But then, an astonishing surge of magical energy joined the mix—Chii-chan.

“(There’s something extraordinary on the other side of that magic circle… I want to see what it is for myself.)”

She said this as though she were merely curious, but I knew better. She must have seen how desperate I was and decided to help. I flashed her the brightest smile I could manage and said, “Welcome aboard!” Her response was to glare at me, a vein popping on her forehead, as she averted her gaze—yet she continued supplying her magic. She’s quite the charming tsundere, isn’t she?

With three people contributing their strength, I still felt it was far from enough… or so I thought. But when I looked at the magic circle again, its brightness had increased significantly. Magical energy, unable to dissolve into the air, was swirling around it like a vortex.

From the amount of magic accumulating, it seemed to have jumped to about 30%. If that were true, then Chizuru’s total magical energy was nearly ten times my own. How could that be?

Even if she was using a mage-type job, such a massive difference in MP shouldn’t exist. Either her level was over ten times higher than mine… or she must have some kind of unique skill. Whatever the case, it was a surprising but welcome discovery.

Still, it didn’t change the fact that we were far from the necessary amount of magic power. At Kirara-nee-sama’s call, the staff members hurried over and began channeling their magic energy as well. However, the accumulation was slow—agonizingly so—and the sense of urgency continued to grow.

In the center of the battlefield, Rokurogi-sama was being forced into a three-on-one fight, with the sounds of clashing metal and explosions echoing non-stop. His high-powered skills were being neutralized by two opponents working together, while a third white-coat warrior circled around behind him for sneak attacks. It was the same anti-elite strategy that Kinrankai had used earlier.

Kuki-sama was also in a dire situation. Though he unleashed slashes powerful enough to blast massive holes into concrete walls, his opponent—a white-coat warrior—met those strikes head-on and matched his blow for blow. Kuki-sama had always relied on overwhelming brute strength, but it seemed Sanada-sama’s buffs were giving his opponent the upper hand.

Kaga-san was still alive, but he was on the defensive, overwhelmed by his own allies who had been turned into puppets. Scanning the battlefield, I could see fatigue written on everyone’s faces. Nearly half of Kinrankai’s members had already been taken down, and it was only a matter of time before the entire force collapsed.

Despite this, the magic circle was still less than halfway full. The suffocating pressure of desperation threatened to crush me. I gulped down my final MP potion—the fourth one, leaving my stomach sloshing uncomfortably—and poured the replenished magic power into the circle as quickly as possible. That’s when an unnervingly cheerful voice broke through the tension.

"Oh my, it looks like you’re doing something interesting. Might I ask what you plan to do with that magic circle?"

I turned toward the voice to see Sanada-sama walking slowly toward us. He was cloaked in black magic, his twisted smile radiating malice.

"Now, now, no need to be so tense. Relax. Let’s have a little chat—‘Rise Dead.’"

A surge of black magic erupted, taking the form of ghostly faces before slamming into the ground and summoning another magic circle. Judging by its pattern, it was some kind of summoning spell. Something eerie and terrifying was about to emerge.

First, a bloodied hand reached up, followed by an entire battered body crawling out. Beside me, I could hear Kirara-nee-sama gasp audibly. It was no wonder—what appeared was a hotel staff member, now a puppet, wearing a shredded uniform that revealed a kunoichi suit underneath.

The puppet knelt before Sanada-sama, blood trickling from its mouth and body as it bowed its head in submission. This sight enraged Mikami-sama, the clan leader. With a look of fury, she stepped forward, her expression cold and unforgiving.

"Sanada-sama. Betraying your homeland and killing my subordinates… prepare yourself."

"Prepare myself? Surely you jest. Do you think someone like you could defeat me—?"

Before Sanada-sama could finish, Mikami-sama threw a kunai straight at him, her actions swift and resolute. Yet Sanada-sama didn’t flinch. He didn’t even bother dodging. Instead, the puppet next to him intercepted the kunai mid-flight and knocked it away. Looking closer, the puppet’s body was coursing with an excessive amount of magical energy, likely enhanced by some skill.

Two other white-coat warriors began to approach as well. One wielded twin blades, and the other wore crimson gauntlets. Both of them had already taken down multiple allies. Among the retreating forces, only Mikami-sama could hope to match their strength. But even for her, facing them alone was a reckless gamble.

Nevertheless, she stood firm, her dress flowing as she readied her concealed weapons, determination burning in her eyes. Though Kirara-nee-sama must have been worried sick, she knew better than to interfere in a battle between experts. Instead, she gritted her teeth and focused on pouring her magic into the circle.

The battle began in earnest, with cannon-like skills exploding and landing dangerously close. The shockwaves and dust reached all the way to me, leaving my hair and dress coated in sand. But I couldn’t afford to care. Filling the magic circle with power was the only way to protect Mikami-sama—and all of us.

As I poured my restored magic into the circle with singular focus, Chizuru poked my cheek.

"Um… Kano-san. There’s… something like a crab leg growing out of the magic circle."

She pointed with her pale, unblemished hand at the center of the magic circle. There, a single, fluffy, white stick-like object was protruding.

A crab leg? No… that was a spider’s leg. Could it be Arthur-kun?

Arthur had said he would appear in his spider form, but his legs seemed nearly twice as large as the last time I’d seen him. Or maybe the real issue was that the magic circle wasn’t even halfway charged with mana, yet he was forcibly trying to emerge.

Forcing himself into existence by shoving his legs into a summoning magic circle to activate it? It made me want to pause and reconsider the very purpose of summoning magic. But the immense power radiating from those white legs left me no time for such idle thoughts.

With a sound akin to the rumbling of the earth, the magic circle rapidly filled with mana. The floor, walls, and ceiling vibrated violently, as if the entire building were shaking.

“What... what incredible mana... How can such a being exist?”

Chizuru-chi stared wide-eyed, holding her breath in shock. Even Misami-sama, Sanada-sama, and the white-coats had halted their fighting, mesmerized by the overwhelming surge of mana.

I recalled Arthur once boasting he could "instantaneously destroy the Lich King we defeated with the combined strength of Colors." If that claim was true, then Arthur's true power was on a level no one in Japan had ever experienced.

As everyone stood frozen, trying to comprehend what was happening, the magic circle continued to fill with mana. The small hole through which a single spider leg had protruded began to widen, allowing thick streams of dense magical essence to flow in. It was as if the depths of a dungeon and this venue in Tokyo had become physically connected.

More white legs began emerging—two, four, and then more—followed by the “main body.”

A final surge of purple lightning coursed through the circle, causing the vibrations to stop abruptly. An oppressive silence descended. Emerging from the circle was not the white spider I had anticipated.

“Uooohhhhhh! Finally! I made it through!”

What came out was a half-human, half-beast figure: the upper half of a young girl, about the size of a five-year-old, atop the body of a massive white spider. She had grown significantly larger since the last time I saw her, nearly my own height now. Was this really Arthur? I couldn’t be certain.

The creature lowered the arms it had been raising in a celebratory pose and began scanning the room. Its gaze settled on me, peeking out from behind a table, and in an instant, it propelled itself forward with startling speed, its eight legs spinning fluidly like a blur.

“Kan-ooooo-chan! I finally made it! The hole was way too small, though—it was so hard to squeeze through! Oh, wait... isn’t that Kirara-chan and Chi-chan too?! My name’s Arthur, and—”

“Arthur-kun! Listen!” I interrupted the strange childlike spider before the conversation veered too far off course. “Those people in white coats—you need to take them all down!”

This bizarre little girl was undoubtedly Arthur. As peculiar and fascinating as her appearance was, I couldn’t afford to let her derail the conversation. The situation was dire, and I needed to explain quickly.

“The building’s going to explode! Those white-coats have killed so many people, and Onii hasn’t returned yet!”

“Yeah, I’ve been watching everything through that stone, so I understand the situation. But geez, where is Calamity in all this mess? It’s unbelievable.”

Arthur referred to the escape artifact that my brother had given me. It was a remarkable item, capable of connecting specific locations and allowing not only travel but also the transmission of images and sound. Even if communications were jammed, the direct spatial link meant information and movement remained unaffected.

The original plan had been for Onii to infiltrate the clan party alone while Lisa-nee and Satsuki-nee analyzed the information relayed through this stone to determine our next course of action. That my brother had kept all this a secret from me… well, I’d have to insist on being included next time.

For now, Lisa-nee and Satsuki-nee were hurriedly preparing for combat, as this party had not been intended as a battle scenario. Despite being on the brink of despair, just knowing that trusted allies were nearby dispelled the loneliness I’d felt moments earlier.

As everyone stood motionless, trying to ascertain Arthur-kun’s true identity, Sanada-sama was the first to act.

"So after the 'giant soldier,' now it's a monster that can speak human language? Japan truly has some unique skills… I can't help but want to acquire it for myself."

"That's impossible. You see, we're going to crush you right here and now."

The half-human, half-beast girl turns to face Sanada-sama, who had been scrutinizing her with a curious gaze, moving each of her eight legs in turn. She licks her lips and flashes a wicked grin that rivals Sanada-sama's own.

"You intend to 'crush' me, do you? It seems monsters don't know their place. Even if they can speak, they clearly lack intelligence."

"Sanada, I was willing to turn a blind eye if you had simply leaked the [Samurai] information and left this country quietly. But you've caused this much chaos… I won't forgive you anymore!"

"…Where did you… learn that information?"

Sanada-sama, who had maintained his composure even under provocation, suddenly exuded an aura of killing intent. He gestured with his hand, gathering ten of the white-coated fighters, issuing some kind of command. What was this about leaking [Samurai] information?

The white coats formed a semicircular formation around Arthur-kun, taking their positions while receiving buffs from Sanada-sama. Though they had been fighting chaotically before, their sudden switch to a proper formation clearly showed their wariness of Arthur-kun.

Ten fighters, all at the top level of Japan's hierarchy, able to contend with even Kuki-sama or Rokurogi-sama. Against them was a small, half-human, half-beast girl exuding no signs of magical power. Kirara-oneesama cast me a worried glance, but I nodded firmly in response.

There might not be a single adventurer in Japan who could stand against such a force. But if it's Arthur-kun I know, then—

The first to move was a dual-blade wielder, who slashed in with such speed that an afterimage seemed left behind. Almost immediately after, a martial artist and a dagger user attacked from the left and right, their magic erupting with force. A three-pronged, full-power weapon skill assault.

The remaining white coats also moved in unison, initiating a second wave of attacks. Multiple blades cut through the air simultaneously, closing in on Arthur-kun—but he merely raised his hands and gazed at the ceiling. He didn’t even bother to look at the attacks.

I clenched my eyes shut, bracing for the carnage to follow, but no sound of weapon skills striking reached me, no matter how long I waited. Slowly opening my eyes, I saw the white coats frozen in place, their weapons still raised.

"You rely only on your eyes to perceive the battlefield, and that's why you get caught. You lack the basics of combat."

Arthur-kun smirked as threads surrounding the area revealed themselves, seemingly in response to his magic. The white coats struggled against the threads entangling them, but as Arthur-kun spread his arms and gleefully declared, "It's magic-drain time!" they slumped lifelessly, drained of energy. The threads had forcibly sucked out their magic power.

The threads were so fine that they could only be detected with magical sensing, yet they were strong enough to resist even the white coats’ efforts to sever them. Worse, they drained magic on contact. The fact that such threads had been set up in just an instant was almost unfair.

The sheer absurdity of it made me feel like stepping back, but the cheers of those watching from behind rose loudly. To see the white coats, who had overwhelmed even the best adventurers and members of the Kinrankai, reduced to shambles in an instant was incredible. I couldn't help but join in with a pumped fist alongside Chizuru-chan next to me.

"This skill is pretty eco-friendly, don't you think? Even the magic power of scumbags like these can be put to good use. But still, it’s not quite enough to replenish my magic fully—"

Suddenly, a blinding light filled the venue, and Arthur-kun twisted his upper body lightly, seemingly reacting to an attack.

The magical attack that had just been unleashed was so powerful that it melted through the spider silk—something even the white coats couldn’t cut—and cut through the concrete walls behind them, leaving them glowing red-hot. A tremor shook the entire building shortly after.

"Stand back. That opponent is more than you can handle."

"Understood… However, they seem to have uncovered quite a bit of our information. Please proceed with caution."

Bowing deeply, Sanada-sama retreated to the rear. In his place, the silver-masked figure who had fired the beam stepped forward. That attack, which I hadn’t even noticed until it struck, was not only absurdly fast but overwhelmingly destructive. This person was undoubtedly the leader of the Holy Empire's forces. Their presence was extraordinary.

But then again, so was Arthur-kun. While he might usually seem carefree, I knew he had insights rivaling those of Oni-san, and his thread skill was just one small facet of his abilities. Even faced with that devastating magical attack, Arthur-kun showed no fear, his mischievous smirk unwavering.

"Well, well, Mikhail Maxim. This must be our first meeting in this world, huh? I’ve got some business with that Sanada Yukikage over there."

"…You even know my name. I’ll make you spill everything you know."

The silver mask and robe were cast aside as Mikhail Maxim revealed himself. Beneath the disguise was a Western-looking man in a suit, neatly adjusting his tie and straightening his posture despite the imminent battle. His composure was almost unnerving.

As Mikhail began to walk forward, he slid his left hand horizontally, creating a barrier around himself, while his right hand cast buffs that caused his body to glow green, red, and blue. Barrier magic and buff magic at the same time.

Meanwhile, above Arthur-kun's head, a small, dark cloud appeared. He reached into it and pulled out something so terrifying it made my breath catch. A gigantic scythe, emitting a deafening, high-pitched wail as it radiated overwhelming magic that warped the very space around it.

It was no ordinary magical item. Next to me, Chizuru-chan’s eyes welled with tears at the sight of it. I wanted to scold Arthur-kun for pulling out something so horrifying.

"Well then, I’m off, Kano-chan. Taking down that guy’s going to be a bit of a hassle, so tell ‘Saiaku’ to jump in as soon as he gets back, okay?"

Spinning the scythe effortlessly, Arthur-kun strolled toward Mikhail with a hum. Moments ago, the fiercest battles between top-tier adventurers had raged here, but what was about to unfold would be on an entirely different level. Even if I told Oni-san to join the fight, there was no way he’d agree.

Checking the time on my wrist terminal, I saw it was 7:40 PM. The building was set to be destroyed by 8:00 PM, leaving little time. All I could do was brace myself for what was about to happen and think about what I could do in the meantime.

TL Note- 20 minutes to go....

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