Suzuki Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! Volume 10

1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-7183-3618-6
Verlag: J-Novel Club
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 250 Seiten

Reihe: Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf!

Kazuhiro and company successfully hold back Gedovar's invasion and challenge the third floor master to destroy the ancient weapon their enemies are after. As the invaders seek the means to control monsters, Kazuhiro discovers an unexpected secret. In the modern world, the group decides to take a trip to a ninja-related facility that Eve has been dying to visit. Volume 10 of the hit isekai/modern fantasy series is here!

Autoren/Hrsg.

Suzuki, Makishima

Weitere Mitwirkende

Yappen

Izumiya, Shoji

Leseproben

Episode 9: Battle for the Oasis

It had all happened before the battle between the Arkdragon Wridra and Prominence Dragon Lavos had begun.

A strong gust of wind swept by. The wind was bone-dry, a characteristic unique to the scorching hot desert region. The unforgiving climate induced constant thoughts of death, even in the minds of seasoned travelers.

The endless, desolate landscape echoed with sand crunching under leather boots. The traveler was visibly fatigued and sunburned in the unforgiving desert heat, yet each step they took was as strong as that of a bison. Their hood was thrown back with another gust of wind, exposing the man’s blue eyes and dull golden hair. He was young, but his eyes showed an unshakable determination, and countless wounds could be seen on what little skin was showing. He had clearly weathered a past far harsher than his age would suggest.

This man continued taking one step after another without uttering a word. Iron chains dug into his arms as he yanked them forward, the movement dragging something behind him. At the other end of the chains was a coffin-sized box, half-buried in the sand, an unfathomably long trail stretching behind it to the sandy horizon. A normal person couldn’t possibly have endured such a feat. The merciless, blazing sun would have exhausted and fried them like an insect in no time. Still, the man’s steps never faltered; he constantly marched forward while dragging the heavy object behind him.

A strong gust blew by again. The man turned his face downward to shield his eyes, only for sand to slap violently against his cloak. When he opened his eyes again, he caught a glimpse of something red—an unfamiliar being that hadn’t been there just a moment ago. The creature looked somewhat like a bird and had what appeared to be small talons. Its blood-colored eyes, scraggly teeth, and overall appearance made it clear it was a demon and monster. It opened its thick lips, revealing a mouth as deep red as if it had just been drinking blood.

“I didn’t think I’d have the honor of meeting you here.” Contrary to its grotesque appearance, the demon spoke quite eloquently.

The man wordlessly continued dragging the coffin-like thing behind him. The demon looked at him, puzzled; he was only ten meters or so away, surely close enough for him to have heard.

“Our war has finally begun. The time has come for us to turn this world upside down. Our days of indignity at the hands of Arilai...of humans, will come to an end, and age will begin!”

The man said nothing. The heavy chains rattled with his movement, and the demon gave him a dubious look. This reaction wasn’t what the creature had been expecting. According to reports, the Prince of Ruin was ostentatious and had a penchant for cruelty, as if to hide his cowardly nature. Even without observing his appearance, his mere presence gave away his identity. The demon was skilled in reconnaissance and power analysis; there was no way he had mistakenly approached the wrong person. However, it was almost as if sharp blades covered the man, meaning he wouldn’t have had such a dangerous air if he had been an ally. Unlike open hostility, the demon felt as if there was no telling what would happen if it took another step closer.

The creature sniffed the air, confirming that no one else was nearby. The man had been walking alone without any reinforcements waiting in ambush. The demon decided to try talking to him one more time.

“Please answer. I must know your thoughts on this,” it said. “Will you choose the path of complete destruction? The fools of Arilai will suffer comically in their despair and bow down before you.”

Those words seemed to have finally reached the man as he slightly parted his dry lips. But the demon couldn’t quite hear what he had said. It tilted its head and moved closer, the sand crunching underfoot as it stepped forward. When it was right in front of the man, he opened his mouth once more.

“That’s my territory,” he said.

The demon cocked its head again, unsure what to make of that statement. Inexplicably, its vision slowly began sliding sideways, even though it hadn’t moved. It looked around confused, then saw a blade flashing several times and its own body being cut to pieces.

“What...?”

That was the demon’s last word as its head was sliced apart. A spray of blood followed, leaving a bright stain on the otherwise drab desert.

The man took another step forward. Beyond the incandescent horizon was his destination: ruins that had existed since ancient times.

§

The situation in the depths of the cave was chaotic. Even magical barriers couldn’t block the burning smell and heat filling the air. Soldiers had been spraying oil, shooting arrows, and casting dark sorcery spells endlessly. Many of them gathered there felt as if they were inside a burning furnace.

Said soldiers defending the oasis point had quite the disadvantage, because only about a hundred of them were holding back tens of thousands of enemies. This struggle underscored their need to employ unorthodox strategies, as they had no hopes of winning if they played this one by the books. They roasted any demon that entered the tunnel and had to make their enemies believe that sending in any more reinforcements would be pointless.

The men dumped water on themselves and readied their crossbows, witnessing an image straight from hell beyond their peepholes. Flames danced on the burning oil, while countless spores were being spawned on the walls. One could hardly even breathe on the other side of that magic barrier, making the piercing screams and nauseating stench seemingly never-ending. They grimaced as they fired their crossbows.

Arilai’s forces had been training on the second floor of the ancient labyrinth, each soldier working to hone the specific skill they specialized in. This method was groundbreaking for their army, as the standard procedure was for everyone to learn the same skills simply because it was easier. However, many exceptionally talented individuals were willing to train others during downtime, asking for nothing in return. The regimen included training in sorcery, sacred arts, energy control, swords, spears, bows, shields, languages, strategy, and more. Some even learned cooking and farming out of personal interest, and everyone had found joy in bettering themselves. The second floor had naturally been turning into a place of learning.

The results were clear. Dozens of arrows whizzed through the air and directly pierced the eyes of a group of monsters. While the attacks weren’t quite fatal, the creatures looked up at them, many with eyes resembling crushed tomatoes.

“Don’t those bastards fear death?!” one soldier couldn’t help but wonder out loud as the enemies charged forth. Flames engulfed the tunnel, yet the monsters showed no signs of slowing their aggression. They trampled their fallen comrades underfoot, sending embers flying into the air.

A demon that had one of its eyes shot out climbed over a corpse and opened its fanged mouth. Then spiky objects quickly flew toward the stone walls. The soldiers who had been in hiding scrambled, clutching their heads in a panic, fearing that the whole cave could collapse.

“Hey! They’re coming this way!”

The spikes launched from the creature’s mouth had been its pointed fangs, which connected to its nerves. The demon then used the sharp teeth to pull itself toward the wall, slamming into it and the magical barrier. High-pitched screams intermingled with the sound of crumbling rocks. As if that were the cue, a singular red eye glared down the back passage.

“Magic Stone Team, release Hellhound,” Commander Hakam ordered.

The enemy had broken a hole through the magic barrier, causing heat to come flooding in. As the soldiers scattered in the burning air, something flashed red as it passed by. It kicked the rock wall with a heavy thud, revealing itself to be a massive wolf with glowing eyes. A bloody mist mixed with the wolf’s breath as it exhaled, and the distinct smell of demon filled the narrow passage.

The Magic Stone Team referred to those who had a connection with the stones that could conjure magical creatures. It was an initiative pushed by Aja, who had recognized the characteristics of Magic Stones before anyone else and personally appointed the team’s talented members. Through the arts of Empathic Magic, they had the ability to control monsters born from Magic Stones. They had been wielding these arts for nearly six months and even used them to defeat rebels in the past.

“Go! Go! Take ’em down!”

The wolf nodded to the soldiers, then turned its glowing eyes to the breach. Repulsively, the enemy monster had laid white, pointed eggs all around the vicinity. If they hatched, the situation would surely become even worse. The beast lunged at the monster and sank its teeth into its flesh, spraying white fluid all over the place. But the sickening realization that the insides of the monster were still filled with eggs sent a chill down the wolf’s spine.

It immediately decided to incinerate the monster and shot a blast of fire from its mouth, which gradually settled into a steady stream of red flame. As the wolf continued roasting the monster, another summoned wolf charged in and burned the eggs plastered all over the walls. A disturbing screech resounded, and although tentacles lashed out at the wolves, the situation now seemed...