Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken - Chapter 228

Translator Corner

Heyya guys, ohisashiburi desu~

I'm on break from college, I can TL without hindrances now!

I know, I know, about the other group, but I do what I want to do!

I hope you can understand~

I've done until ch 230, going to TL ch 231 later~

Please say many thanks to Elephant No.5-san who offered me his help to edit the chapter!

I hope you all have a good day and enjoy your life!

Translator

Guro

Editor

Elephant No.5

Labyrinth’s Encroachment Part 3

The discussion ended on a quiet note, as if disregarding Dino’s scream

Anticipating an unfavorable outcome, Dino promptly made a suggestion.

「Wait, listen to me. How about we do this in a knockout format?

Let each fight happen one by one to decide the outcome. Okay?」

This was Dino’s last resort.

Zero had said that he needed time, so Dino needed to buy that time somehow.

If they just went straight into the fight, nine times out of ten, it would end with the defeat of Dino’s side.

Especially Dino. He didn’t even think he would last longer than a few minutes.

(This is no joke. If those two become my opponent, I’d have to kiss goodbye to any hope of surviving this…)

Dino decided to push this proposal through one way or another.

Dino hoped to earn more time for themselves by making the fights happen one at a time. He was counting on Zero to finish his preparations by the time it came to his turn.

(Nevertheless, I can’t expect such a selfish proposal to go through easily. It’s way too convenient for our side—)

Dino didn’t believe his proposal would be accepted...

『Hmm, Okay! It’s convenient for our side too――』

『Hey!』

『Oops! Don’t mind that. It was nothing to be concerned about!

Anyway, the first one is Gabil, go~! 』

It seemed that Benimaru and Ramiris had some sort of shady conversation.

Conveniently for Dino, the other side also wanted to stall.

(So far so good, luck seems to be on my side!)

Dino was happy that his proposal went through, so he didn’t bother investigating Ramiris’s motives.

And so began a fight in the format of a pro-wrestling exhibition.

The first match was Gabil vs Pico.

The fight ended up being an aerial dogfight, since both were able to move freely in all three dimensions.

It was an interesting match-up, since they both used spears.

(How should I put it, this guy… How in the world did he get so strong!?)

Pico thought, astonished.

It was as if she were up against a completely different person compared to the one she had fought a few days before.

The current Gabil could probably have the strength of an Awakened Demon Lord, rivaling Pico.

Despite her shock, she recognized his strength.

As she continued the fierce aerial battle, she quickly decided that Gabil was a threat no longer to be underestimated.

The combatants merely probed the other’s strength for a while, before both going all out.

However, Gabil’s『Flame Breath』and『Thunder Breath』couldn’t hit Pico, and neither could Pico’s『Black Thunder』and『Heaven’s Judgment』hit Gabil.

In truth, Pico’s『Heaven’s Judgment』 was a very absurd ability. It could reproduce past wounds of previously defeated enemies. However, Gabil’s Ultimate Gift『Pierrot Star』had the Fate Change’s effect negating Pico’s ability.

Pico couldn’t conceal her surprise.

「You bastard! Stop bullshitting me! Why won’t you die already? It’s so strange!?」

「Is it so unexpected!? Does the fact that I’m not dead irk you so much? There is a reason I can’t die, so please forgive me, Miss!」

Despite Gabil’s answer, he was sweating bullets on the inside.

After all, he had already used his trump card, Fate Change.

Once a day, the ability could be used to nullify any kind of damage, but that meant that Gabil could die in one blow.

(Not good. This is really not good! Although I’m already using all of my strength, that lady seems to still have strength to spare… )

If she used her attack again, it would spell Gabil’s doom.

On the other hand, Pico was also bewildered.

Wary of Gabil, she refrained from using a bold attack.

(That guy… His strange confidence is spooky. He’s calm even after receiving my attack, as if it were nothing. I’m in trouble, if that attack can’t affect him, I don’t have any other decisive blow――）

Pico felt uneasy.

Actually, Pico still has some power to spare, but without any other alternatives, she decided to end the match in close combat.

If she took too long, it would end up as a battle of attrition.

No matter how much time Dino could buy them, she wouldn’t be able to recover her strength in time if it came to that.

They were in enemy territory. Even in a one-on-one match, they weren’t evenly matched.

She couldn’t afford to exhaust all her power just for the sake of winning, since Pico’s side couldn’t replenish their forces.

There was no guarantee that Ramiris’s side wouldn’t betray their promise and substitute their combatants with fresh fighters.

She worried that they could be defeated by a hidden enemy if she just burnt herself out.

(In the first place, attacking the enemy just with three people is so unreasonable! I can’t even count on Dino――)

Pico stole a glance at her companions, and saw Dino watching the match relaxedly, as if it weren’t his problem.

(That dummy, just because it isn’t his match, he really thinks it isn’t his problem!)

Pico was incensed.

She remembered that it was only necessary to buy time untill Zero completed his  preparations. As a result, Pico decided to throw caution to the winds.

「The next one will finish it!」

「I was hoping the same!」

Both of them shared the same sentiments, and decided to end the match with their secret techniques.

「Fallen Spear!!」[1]

「Draconic Vortex!!」[2]

The two raced towards each other.

On impact, both were blown back at the same time.

As a testament to the terrifying power of their attacks, both of their bodies twirled in the air like a drill before crashing into the ground, giving neither a chance to break their fall.

『Okay, that’s a wrap! It’s a draw~!』

Ramiris proclaimed the end of the first match.

The result was a tie, but there was a big difference in the aftermath.

Gabil was covered with wounds all over his body, unable to fight any more.

On the other hand, Pico was only pretending to have sustained heavy damage.

「……Hey. Why did you hold back at the end?」

「Ah, you noticed? Well you see, if I don’t save some of my strength, won’t it be hard if I need to run away from this place?」

「I see. Apparently, you noticed my intentions?」

「Of course. You, how many times do you think I have accompanied you? I can tell what you’re thinking.」

「Okie dokie. That’s good. I intend to escape as soon as I see the chance; like hell I’m dying together with Zero.」

「Roger~! Garasha seems to have noticed too. I think that she will earn us a lot of time fighting that hardy guy, you know?」

「Really? That would be a great help. To be honest, my opponent is no joke at all, that Zegion guy is seriously dangerous… I really, really want to run away right now, you know?  I don’t think he can take a joke…」

「We-well, good luck, I guess? It all depends on how well Garasha does…」

As Garasha left for the battlefield, Dino and Pico discussed their plans.

Pico has some energy left after the fight.

Dino thought that was good.

Dino wondered whether trusting in Zero was a good decision.

In this situation, it could be said that Pico made the correct decision.

「Good, then you should take a rest now. Just don’t be too at ease.」

「I’ll do just that.」

Pico started resting, and Dino turned his attention to Garasha.

“Good grief” Dino thought as he focused on the next fight.

The second match was Gerudo vs Garasha.

Both combatants specialized in defensive ability, so although it was not flashy, the battle steadily developed into an intimate exchange of skill between experts.

Gerudo wielded a Meat Crusher and a Huge Shield, while Garasha used a Longsword (Orthodox one-hand sword) and a Circle Shield (Round shield).

Gerudo’s fighting ability had evolved with him.

Although he did specialize in his defensive abilities, his offence was nothing to scoff at.

However, as it took some time to accumulate the power to activate it, he couldn’t use it to hit Garasha

To begin with, Gerudo’s Ultimate Gift『Gourmet Lord Beelzebub』was an Army Scale ability.

It was better suited for buffing his allies rather than strengthening himself.

As a result, Gerudo’s defense was more or less equal to Garasha’s all-purpose defense.

Unlike Pico, Garasha was more balanced between offence and defense.

Garasha possessed more offensive power than Gerudo, which should have given her the upper hand.

But that was not the case…

「You, how can you repel all of my attacks? Don’t look down on――」

「Even though I look like this, Rimuru-sama has granted me the title of “Barrier Lord”. You should know that you cannot break through my defense.」

Gerudo adeptly repelled Garasha’s attacks.

But that was not all.

Despite Garasha’s superior offence, for some reason, Garasha’s attacks didn’t scratch Gerudo, while Gerudo’s attacks slowly wore her down.

Gerudo’s experience didn’t lose to Garasha’s experience accumulated over a long life.

Although he didn’t stand out among the residents of Tempest, Gerudo had never neglected his training. As a result, his skill was top-notch.

His defense rivaled that of Albert.

His movements seemed to present many openings, but it was all just an attempt to bait his opponent.

Of course, Garasha didn’t fall for it and she didn’t attack carelessly.

(I had thought I could earn some more time, but…… it seems I can’t afford to hold back here.)

Garasha praised Gerudo inside her mind.

As Garasha had expected, the fight had turned into a stalemate. It was a plain battle fraught with deceptions hidden in plain sight.

　　　　　◇◇◇

The intricate interplay was mesmerizing to the trained eye.

However, it looked extremely tedious to an amateur.

「I’ve had enough of this… 」

A small, childish whisper was heard in the control room.

Gerudo and Garasha’s fight looked unremarkable; neither side used any spells or special moves.

The intricacies were lost on a child like Ramiris.

「Hey, can’t we make this a draw again and start the next fight? I wanna get to tormenting Dino!」

「Don’t be silly! We need to stall for more time, you are with me, right, Ramiris-sama?」

Benimaru tsukkomi-ed Ramiris who started to say silly things.

Possibly because Benimaru had grown weary of speaking so formally to Ramiris, his speech became more relaxed.

From the start, he never did put much effort into doing so, but now, he just didn’t care.

「Wait a moment, Vice Commander!? Please call me Supreme Commander-dono!… Well, you do have a point. Fine then―― whatever, let it continue!」

「Yeah yeah. So? How’s the progress going?」

「Uhhhh, the isolation rate has exceeded 90%. After a little bit more, we’ll be ready.

And, it seems that guy’s assimilation rate is at 70%. We made it in time because Rimuru had told us about it ahead of time!」

「All right. That seems good, doesn’t it? Then, please endure it a bit longer.」

Ramiris and Benimaru nodded at each other.

Having gotten Ramiris’s consent, he turned back to the screen.

Benimaru felt that it would be outrageous to stop the fight.

Unfortunately, judging by the previous match, Gabil would have to face more training under Hakurou and Agera, but Gerudo’s fight was magnificent.

Unlike Ramiris, Benimaru was fascinated by the elaborate fight.

He marvelled at how Gerudo made up for the difference in ability with sheer effort.

The fight was reaching its climax―― the end of the fight was nigh.

　　　　　　◇◇◇

Gerudo and Garasha were engaged in an intense sword fight.

The pace accelerated, and their plain fight was now plain no longer.

In their attempt to overwhelm their opponent with powerful strikes, each stroke of their swords cut into the ground, kicking up a furious gale of sand.

Those watching were captivated by the beautiful, but deadly, dance that unfolded before their eyes.

And then everything went silent for a moment.

“The next strike shall decide the outcome”, so everyone thought.

However――

「As I expected, that retreat was just a ploy. Although I didn’t think that level of attack would break through your defense――」

「Yeah. I didn’t have that much leeway, but it’s not to the extent that I needed to retreat. Besides――We won’t retreat without an order.

Everything was as Rimuru-sama desired.」

「Hum. In other words, you guys weren’t being cornered, but you guys were luring us in. It seems we have lost before even fighting.

I guess it’s alright. I admit my defeat here, is that fine?」

「Hmm!?」

Garasha conceded his defeat, taking Gerudo off guard.

『Okay then~! The victor is Gerudo!

Well now, come on out, Dino! You didn’t forget what you did to me before, right? This time is my turn to beat you to dust!』

Before Gerudo knew it, Ramiris’s voice came from the sky, announcing the outcome.

Her ulterior motives had shone through, but the conclusion was still a conclusion.

It was a godsend for the bored Ramiris.  She completely ignored the fact that ‘how unfortunate’ was written all over Benimaru’s face.

But since the Gerudo himself wanted to say something, Benimaru didn’t voice his complaint.

「Is it alright……? You still have not gotten serious yet.」

「Well, I don’t mind. You have evolved too and seems like you haven’t mastered your power yet.

I would like to have the real conclusion in a place where we can fight each other with our full power.」

The two combatants met eyes, and chuckled.

Thus, the second pair’s match also came to an end.

When she returned to Dino’s side, Garasha muttered quietly.

「Not good, Dino. That guy has become abnormally strong.

I’m certain that it would be a close fight even if I went all out.

I don’t think that I would lose if we fought seriously, but I would be extremely exhausted by that long fight…」

「I know, right? There are other strong people here, so it would be suicidal to tire ourselves out.」

「Pico’s judgment is correct. You should be as careful as possible, you know?」

「Yeah, I know……」

With that, Dino stepped forward.

However, his feet felt heavy.

(Say, Ramiris’s aim is me, isn’t it? Even though they told me not to tire myself out, it’s not like I want to do so. Even now, I still don’t wanna fight. Alright, I’ll just drag it out while fighting Gerudo…)

『Ah, Gerudo. You must be tired, right? You should withdraw!』

Dino thought about such underhanded stuff, but Ramiris beat him to the punch.

Gerudo obediently agreed to withdraw, and was replaced by the tag team made up of Beretta and Zegion.

(Damn it! Did she see through my plan!?)

Although Dino complained in his mind, he couldn’t do anything about it.

His opponents were Beretta and Zegion.

Clearly, they weren’t opponents that Dino could win against.

Then, suddenly, an idea popped up in his mind.

「Ah, that’s right! I will also withdraw――」

『Bzzt~! Rejected!!』

However, his idea was immediately rejected by Ramiris.

With eyes like a dead fish, Dino turned his gaze towards Beretta and Zegion.

And suddenly, a small question came to his mind.

(Ehh? That Zegion….. Did he have such little energy?)

Having fought Zegion before, Dino felt a sense of incongruity.

However, Dino didn’t have the leisure to be worried about that.

He had tried to delay the moment of reckoning, but instead, it came closer.

(Damn it, that Zero. Hurry up, don’t blame me if you don’t make it in time!!)

Dino was the one most worried about not making it in time.

With a sigh, Dino reluctantly prepared to fight.

---

[1] 堕天終撃麗槍 Daten Owarigeki Reiyari (Fallen Angel’s Beautiful Final Spear Attack).

[2] 真・渦槍水竜撃 Shin・Uzuyari Mizuryuugeki (True Vortex Spear’s Water Dragon Strike).