Chapter 188-190 - Dial

Karen-san makes the holy sword shine.

“Kuwaa!!” (Karen)

She was desperately trying to somehow break through the defense of Ates and run to help her comrades. But no matter how much light she releases from her holy sword, it doesn’t shake the perfect defense of Ates.

“How unsightly, Karen-san. Making your holy sword sparkle so much is boundlessly vulgar. Do you want to save that much the heroes of the other churches that are your enemies?” (Ates)

“They are not enemies! They are comrades that have overcome dangers together!!” (Karen)

She once again makes the holy sword Saint-George shine intensely. However, that sword slash was easily deflected by the tip of Ates’ spear.

She makes the holy sword shine again.

“How stubborn!!” (Ates)

On the other hand, the other four were more and more cornered at a critical point.

“Ugah!!” “Hiiiaaaa!!” “Kugh!!” “Dasu~~!!!”

At some point in time, Mirack, Celestis, Hyue, and Sasae-chan had been cornered at the center of the stage and had become one cluster of people.

And the previous heroes are encircling them.

It was as if the four inside and the four outside were drawing a circle.

In other words, the current heroes have been surrounded by the previous heroes and had nowhere to run.

“This is as far as you go. It was so one-sided that it was boring.” (Kyouka)

“Truly. I didn’t know our juniors were such let-downs.” (Sarasa)

“If it be going ta be like this, I didn’t even need ta participate.” (Yoneko)

“…Hihihi.” (Juo)

What are they saying. They utilized the elemental affinities to one-sidedly attack them.

“Do you understand now, Mirack?! This is how your naive thinking of cooperation will end up like! Relying on others all the time, you are now paying for not training yourself!” (Kyouka)

“Sis!!” (Mirack)

The big sister is one-sidedly blaming the little sister disciple.

“What’s required from heroes is strength. The strength to wipe out hundreds of monsters on your own. It looks like you, who were playing around as an idol, didn’t even reach that point though.” (Sarasa)

“Sarasa!!” (Celestis)

The gazes between the new and old water heroes were also dangerous.

The encirclement was also slowly closing.

“I’ll tell ya little chicks~. The meaning of the strength that heroes should possess. There be strength that ya absolutely can’t obtain by depending on others.” (Yoneko)

“Hihihihi~~.” (Juo)

Mirack and the others of the current heroes team had their back against each other and were facing the previous heroes that were approaching them from all sides.

That formation when seen from above was like the inside circle is made up of the current heroes and the outside circle was made up of the previous heroes.

“…Thanks for the sermon.” (Celestis)

Celestis said.

“But there’s nothing as saddening as listening to the sermon of idiots.” (Celestis)

“What did you say?!” (Sarasa)

Being told such a bold thing, the closing feet of Sarasa stop.

“Totally agree, Celestis. People that don’t even know where they are standing at and still speak their opinion to others can’t be described as anything but idiots.” (Mirack)

“Mirack, you bastard!!” (Kyouka)

Kyouka also stops her feet at the sharp abusive words of her junior.

“This must be what they mean by you can’t dress up your teeth huh. I am not that good with words, so I will stay silent.” (Hyue)

“I pass too-dasu~.” (Sasae)

The four haven’t given up.

Even when they are cornered in a totally disadvantageous situation…no wait, is this situation really as bad as it seems?

“Listen well, grannies. The reason why you were able to do as you wished until now was because your elemental affinities were fitting more than perfectly. For your side, that is.” (Celestis)

“As long as we fought individually, we wouldn’t have been able to overturn that disadvantage. However, now it is different.” (Mirack)

“Because we four have gathered now after all.” (Hyue)

“Dasu!” (Sasae)

That’s right, it is exactly because the four were dispersed that they were being suppressed by the bad compatibility of their opponent.

But now that they have been driven to the center and the four are in a cluster, there’s no need to force themselves to fight against the disadvantageous opponent.

“You haven’t noticed yet? Normally, the moment we ended up in a cluster, you should notice that your turn has already finished. Being drunk in your advantage, you couldn’t even see the battle formation. You are more muscle-heads than I thought!” (Mirack)

“Enduring has ended. From here on, it is time for…the counterattack!” (Celestis)

The circle of the current heroes made a 180 degrees turn.

At that moment, my brain created an image of a safe dial that has been turned in the memory area, and the safe opening.

What was drawn in the two sides of the previous heroes and the current heroes was…that by doing that rotation to the dial, the opponents of each one had changed.

Mirack’s opponent was the proxy wind hero, Brastor Juo; Celestis’ opponent was the previous fire hero, Kyouka; Sasae-chan’s opponent was the previous water hero, Sarasa; Hyue’s opponent was the previous earth hero, Yoneko-san.

By simply doing a half-rotation, the elemental advantages had cleanly turned!

“This is bad! Quickly—!”

“Too slow!!” (Celestis)

The current heroes attack their new opponents at once.

It was a complete turnaround.

“Damn it! Dual fire fist, [Flame Burst]!!” (Kyouka)

“Not enough, not enough! If you want to break my ‘Water Blade’, you will need to grow at least 10 more arms!” (Celestis)

Celestis vs the previous fire hero Kyouka.

The surge that the Miki-Moses created had swallowed the fire whirl along with Kyouka.

At the same time, in a different battle…

“How impudent! With the ‘Water Blade’ of my water folding fan, Dahyu, I will—!!” (Sarasa)

“Sobo-chan and Yorishiro-sama said the exact same thing-dasu… ‘When doing something, do it thoroughly’.” (Sasae)

Sasae-chan vs the previous water hero, Sarasa.

The swung earth scythe easily sliced apart the high water pressure blade and approached Sarasa.

“Eeek!!”

The other sides were similar to this, and that clear turnaround had been witnessed by the other pair that was watching from afar; Karen-san and Ates.

“Those idiots!! I told them that much that they should finish the battle while they were still isolated, and yet…!!” (Ates)

“As I thought, it really was you people who did something.” (Karen)

Karen-san calmly approaches Ates.

“Who knows. Don’t know what you are talking about. I am just saying that they are an incompetent bunch of trash that can’t utilize a chance to its best.” (Ates)

“I wonder about that. Do you really think that Mirack-chan and the others coincidentally gathered in the middle? What if they feigned as if they were cornered and skillfully led them?” (Karen)

If it’s just gathering them in the middle, it wouldn’t be complicated at all. However, Mirack and the others moved in such a smooth and coordinated manner to their advantageous elemental affinity sides.

There’s no way they could have led and gathered them without having planned it.

“Impossible. In order to do that, they all have to be same in mind, moreover, there’s the need for someone to be giving the orders from outside…ah!!” (Ates)

Ates makes an expression as if she noticed something.

“Karen-san! Could it be that the reason why you were making your holy sword Saint-George sparkle for a while now was…!!” (Ates)

“That was something we all agreed on beforehand. So that we can quickly coordinate even if we were to be divided.” (Karen)

In other words, with the instructions send out the light from the holy sword of Karen-san, they made an act of being cornered, and were able to deftly gather.

“This is teamwork. You will be falling by the very thing that you people looked down upon so much!” (Karen)

• 189: No breaks

A shrill voice filled with agitation reverberated.

“Now that it has come to this, it is time for melee! Get so close and personal that elemental affinities won’t matter!!” (Kyouka)

Hearing what Kyouka said, I was clear of something.

“We have won.” (Haine)

“Yeah.” (Yorishiro)

It looks like Yorishiro at my side had the same belief.

***

Bring it to a melee and push without caring about the elemental affinities.

Hearing this, the other previous heroes also gathered and took a close formation.

Our current heroes team didn’t stop them and they themselves take a close formation as well.

“Fools! With this, your chance of winning have disappeared!” (Kyouka)

“Why do you think that, Sis?” (Mirack)

Mirack calmly asks the reason behind the boastful tone of Kyouka.

“There’s no need to even think about it! As expected, in here, we who hold the seniority are stronger. We should have clashed straight on from the very beginning without thinking about boring stuff like elemental affinities!” (Kyouka)

“…So she says. What should we do, everyone?” (Celestis)

Celestis glances at Mirack, Sasae-chan, and Celestis; and they all nod.

“““We accept the challenge!””” “-Dasu!!”

The current heroes and the previous heroes; this time, they really are going to be clashing as a team.

“I, the inexperienced Gonbee Sasae, will be the first one stepping ta the front-dasu!! Rest in peace!!” (Sasae)

The first one to spearhead was Sasae-chan.

Brandishing a giant scythe that’s bigger than her body, she charges towards the enemy lines.

“Too naive~, Sasae-chan.” (Yoneko)

The one who obstructed her way from the very front was an earth hero just like her, Yoneko-san.

With a scythe that is smaller than that of the Earth Scythe, she properly stops Sasae-chan.

“With such shabby bloodlust like that, even when ya are an adult, ya won’t be overcoming me, ya know~? It will disappoint Sobo-san.” (Yoneko)

“Right now I be fine with that-dasu! A different person will be overcoming Yoneko-neechan-dasu!!” (Sasae)

The next instant, a transparent something clashed onto Yoneko-san and  sends her flying.

“Ouch!! What was that?!” (Yoneko)

It was the air bullet that the wind hero, Hyue, had shot at long-range.

Since this is a match, she must have restraint the power. Because if she hadn’t, Yoneko-san would have gone right to the afterworld with that one shot.

“I be leaving mah back to Hyue-neechan-dasu!! CHARGE!!” (Sasae)

The extreme frontliner Sasae-chan, and the backliner assist of Hyue.

A really ideal role allotment.

“…With the support of a wind element, things get difficult~. Someone, please help out?” (Yoneko)

There was someone in the previous heroes team that answered this.

“Hyue……I will crush you…..” (Juo)

The proxy wind hero, the apparition-like woman called Brastor Juo. She hunts with her wind gun rebellion, Koumei.

Compared to the wind long gun of Hyue, the wind gun rebellion of Juo has several tens.

Thinking about it normally, she wouldn’t have a chance of winning, but…

“[Flame Burst]!!” (Mirack)

The fire dragon that Mirack gave rise to had easily driven away the balls of the wind gun rebellion.

“Wide area of effect attacks are a trait of the fire element! Added to that, there’s the affinities between fire and wind! You chose the wrong opponents!” (Mirack)

“That goes for you too, Mirack!” (Kyouka)

The previous fire hero Kyouka also gave rise to a ‘Flame Burst’. Moreover, due to it being released from the two fire knuckles in both of her hands, the heat and power were practically double.

“How disappointing, Mirack! You can only control one fire fist, so you are easily pushed back by me! What’s with that shabby ‘Flame Burst’? That fire dragon has so many openings and it is more of a worm!” (Kyouka)

It is true that the fire dragon of Mirack had openings here and there, and compared to that, the one Kyouka released came from both of her arms, so the two of them could cover the openings of each other.

Kyouka’s fire dragon certainly looked more impregnable than that of Mirack’s fire dragon, but…

“Sorry for the rudeness, Sis Kyouka, but the reason why my ‘Flame Burst’ has openings is because they are necessary. In order to let the attacks of my comrades pass.” (Mirack)

“What?!” (Kyouka)

Several water bullets pass through the openings of the fire dragon ‘Flame Burst’.

“Wa?!”

And they erase the ‘Flame Burst’ of Kyouka in the blink of an eye.

The one who released those was of course the water hero Celestis.

“Nice! Don’t you think we are gradually becoming a good combination?!” (Celestis)

“Don’t say such provoking things!” (Mirack)

Mirack unrestrainedly released vicious fire attacks and secured a safe zone; Sasae-chan jumped into the enemy lines and dealt fatal damage; Hyue is assisting them from the backlines and covering their blind spots; and Celestis is in the middle lines freely changing to maintain coordination.

But those are not the only components that form their teamwork.

Even when outside their formation, Karen-san was holding down her opponent Ates while using light signals to provide instructions.

That’s why the other four know about the movements of the others and can fight only looking at the front.

The control tower, Karen-san; the space securer, Mirack; the frontliner, Sasae-chan; the backline supporter, Hyue; the one serving as the middle and holding them together, Celestis.

I would even dare say that their teamwork is already reaching the point of perfection.

And compared to that…

“Sarasa! Sarasa! What are you doing?! You are supposed to be dealing with the water one, right?! Don’t dilly-dally and crush her already!” (Kyouka)

“Why are you ordering me around? The reason why you are in trouble is because you are weak, right? Wait, hyaaaa!! What are you doing?! Are you thinking of shooting the back of your allies?!” (Sarasa)

“……..You are…at fault for spacing out in place……More importantly, quickly extinguish that fire. With that in the way, I can’t control the wind gun rebellion properly.” (Juo)

“Who cares~. The shooting of the Wind-san on the other side is so persistent that I can’t move the way I want~.” (Yoneko)

…The previous heroes were in an atrocious state.

They only move with their own self in mind, so it creates friction. And the current heroes are taking advantage of that like crazy.

They are not trying to cover for each other’s weaknesses, shave off the strong points of each other like crazy, and are unable to show even half of their actual strength.

“Ei, move back, useless bunch! Now that it has come to this, I will wipe them out by myself!” (Kyouka)

“You are the one who should be moving back, you useless trash of a truant! I can easily take care of those teenagers myself!” (Sarasa)

“…Shut up…useless people.” (Juo)

“Every single one of ‘em be useless~.” (Yoneko)

The front of the previous heroes had completely fallen.

They had turned into plain piled up trash.

Mirack and Celestis, Sasae-chan and Hyue; they respectively held hands and were pointing their hands like guns.

Combined elements…

““[Steam Explosion]!!”” (Mirack+Celestis)

““Sand Worm!!”” (Sasae+Hyue) “-Dasu!!”

Double attack of combined elements.

An explosion that occurs by evaporating a large amount of water in an instant and a sand storm had blown away the previous heroes that were unsightly bickering with each other.

““““Gyaaaaaaaa~~~~~~~~!!!!””””

• 190: Explosion

“When they began to crumble, it turned around instantly-desu wa ne.” (Yorishiro)

“Yeah.” (Haine)

At the battle stage, I see four previous heroes lying down uncouthly.

The victor is practically decided already.

Four of the previous heroes are out of commision already. The one remaining is Ates who is in a one on one versus Karen-san.

“But to think it would be decided so easily. It looks like the difference in experience has shown.” (Haine)

“Experience?” (Yorishiro)

Yorishiro makes a wondering face.

“Isn’t it the contrary? If we talk about the accumulated experience, Ates-san and the others should have an overwhelming amount because of their seniority, right?” (Yorishiro)

“When talking about experience, the quality is more important than the quantity, Yorishiro.” (Haine)

Karen-san and the others have fought several times against opponents that would make them say ‘this is impossible’.

The Fire Cow Phalaris; the Great Sea Dragon, Hydra Serpent; Grandma Wood; Beelzebub; and the Demon Lord, Raphael. They are all dreadnought level and normal humans wouldn’t even be able to oppose them.

Karen-san and the others have defeated those kind of opponents while all tattered.

The mercilessness of the dangers they have tasted are different.

It is exactly because those girls have overcome those dangers that they won’t crumble over just any danger that rolls on them. They have obtained that tenacity.

“I see. Even if their weaknesses were completely attacked right at the beginning of the match, but the girls did a good job in enduring.” (Yorishiro)

“They were at a cliff standing on their tiptoes though.” (Haine)

Compared to that, the previous heroes have worked as heroes for a long time, but the only things they have fought are the mass-produced monsters of the Mother Monsters.

Maybe they didn’t experience any true danger as they finished their duty as heroes?

“That’s why those girls were weak once they were cornered. Without knowing about a way to endure in extreme situations, they crumbled instantly. It truly is a show of their difference in experience.” (Haine)

“One first-rate experience surpasses a hundred common experiences. It is the same as male experience-desu wa ne. I also don’t need experience with any man aside from Haine-san-desu wa.” (Yorishiro)

I am not talking about that.

At any rate, the match is settled with this.

This is the victory of the current heroes team.

***

“Now, what’s the matter, Ates-san?” (Karen)

I ask this of the previous hero, Ates, that is standing alone in the battle stage.

“The only remaining previous hero is you. Just like how you said just a few moments ago, want to be ganged up?” (Karen)

Mirack and the others were already running towards them and they had surrounded Ates with all five of them.

Seeing this, Ates…

“…Fuh…”

Went out of battle stance and lowered her spear.

“Don’t joke around. I don’t want to do something as tiring as fighting a one versus five. I hate fights I can’t win.” (Ates)

“Wa?!”

All five current heroes made an expression as if they had been hit by that statement.

“If it is the victory, I will give it to you girls. In this occasion, that is.” (Ates)

Leaving these words behind, Ates enters the entrance gate she came out from before and left the battle stage.

“W-What be the meaning of this-dasu…” (Sasae)

“I don’t know. I don’t know, but the previous light hero has fled from battle. The remaining previous heroes are all down. In other words, this is…” (Mirack)

“Our win!!” (Hyue)

At the same time, ear-shattering cheers were made by the audience.

This was exactly what announced the result of the battle.

For a moment I was wondering what would happen, but as expected of those girls, they were able to obtain victory with their own power.

“Now referee, the match is over! Announce our victory already!” (Celestis)

Referee?

Now that she mentions it, there was one more person aside from the 9 heroes there; a tenth person was there.

Isn’t that the announcer girl that appeared at the very beginning?

Or more like, there was a referee in this kind of match? What was she even refereeing?

“Just as you explained in the beginning, you are the one that judges when they can’t fight anymore, right? Announce the defeat of those old women collapsed there already!” (Celestis)

I see.

Even from the audience seats, I can tell that Kyouka, Sarasa, Yoneko-san, and Juo that are lying down on the battle stage are completely unconscious and unable to fight anymore.

However, no matter how much time passes, the judgement of knocked out didn’t come.

In time, a change occurred.

The woman that seems to be the referee took out something from her pocket.

“?!”

From the audience seats where I am, it is hard to tell, but…is it an ethereal device?

It was small enough that it can be hidden inside a pocket.

She held that device with her right hand, and with her left hand, she scratched the pin at its tip.

“Watch out!!”

The first one to break into a run was Karen-san.

“Eeh?!” “Waa?!” Dasu?!” “Wa?!!”

The other four were late on their reaction due to the suddenness of it.

The finger of the referee lady was trembling and didn’t seem like she was able to take off the pin. But even with that, she still managed to take it off right before Karen-san reached her.

Karen-san lunged her, and because of that, the lady let go of the explosive and was send flying together with Karen.

Karen-san embraces the lady with her whole body as if covering her, and then…an explosion occurred.