Sword of Gluttony Queen - Chapter 21 - Discovery

Chapter 21 : Discovery

Despite it carrying a huge whirl-patterned shell on its back and the way it moved in a crawling motion, the Gold Maimai went straight towards Mani with a speed that far surpassed my expectation.

Far faster than me.

Crap! My 《Petit Dimordi》 won’t make it in time!

「Mani, protect yourself!」

I warned Mani in a loud voice as I kicked the floor while grasping the hilt of 《Beelzera》.

「Uh…」

Mani gripped her 《Kaguna》 like a bat, using the hammerhead part to protect her chest and head.

The Gold Maimai jumped and collided right on to the hammerhead part of Mani’s 《Kaguna》.

Although Mani was weaker and fell from the impact. Luckily, she used《Kaguna》to protect herself and kneeled in order to prevent collapsing and lying onto her back.

As expected of Mani.

Despite being only given a moment, the way Mani reacted and found the best possible solution to protect herself was superb.

She was calm and composed, she knew at that moment she would lose in terms of power.

Though Mani managed to divert the Gold Maimai’s attack trajectory, the Gold Maimai bounced a little when it hit the ground.

An opening!

It might be confused since it fell in a slightly odd position.

「URAAA!」

I swung 《Beelzera》 to decapitate Gold Maimai’s head.

「GIIIIIIIIIII!」

I DID IT!

This attack should be enough to finish it off.

Though I wanted to use 《Gluttony’s Edge》 on the Gold Maimai, I was afraid I might accidentally let it go.

The next moment, Gold Maimai’s body slipped through 《Beelzera》’s blade.

「… EH?」

I was sure that the blade had cut through the Gold Maimai’s body.

But, the Gold Maimai kept moving as if it passed through my blade that had clearly stabbed into its body and kept increasing its distance from me.

「W-What the….. F4ck!」

I chased after it as I kept thrusting my sword but it dodged all of my swings.

The Gold Maimai was moving even faster than before while zig-zagging to make it harder for me to aim for it.

「《Imu》!…. It failed, it seems I can’t use 《Imu》 on it with my hammer.」

Mani said with a vexed voice.

The figure of the Gold Maimai turned on a corner of this passage and disappeared from our field of view.

「Damn it. That blow should’ve connected but… well I guess its speed is far above mine. It was my fault even though I should be able to kill it in that one blow.」

「…. No, I think your blade actually injured it. Try to look at the place where you hit it with your sword before.」

I looked at the direction Mani’s finger pointed at.

There I saw golden colored liquid scattered around the ground.

「That liquid seems to be scattered from the place where you stabbed the Gold Maimai.」

「… Is the wound too shallow?」

「That might be the case but, I also saw the moment when your blade bit through the neck of the Gold Maimai. It feels like its body suddenly passed though the blade of your sword.」

「Pass through…. The blade of my sword?」

『Well, if it was killed by someone as weak as you just now, some other people far stronger than you should’ve killed it a long time ago.』

Both me and Mani were extremely surprised in hearing Beelzebub’s sarcasm.

Though I didn’t understand what she meant by saying that for a moment, I realized what she was hinting to me after pondering about it for a while.

Beelzebub was trying to tell me that the Gold Maimai has a life saving ability aside from its superior speed.

And that life saving ability… has tricked us.

In short, that life saving ability was some kind of battle art or traits.

Mani managed to make it lose its balance and then I stabbed my sword to its body.

Though these occurrences were just a fluke and that fluke was working for us.

But, that lucky chance alone wasn’t enough for us to hunt down the Gold Maimai.

That life saving ability was the main reason it was able to roam freely up until now despite some time having passed ever since its existence was found.

Quite a few other subjugation parties were formed previously to hunt it, but the Gold Maimai must be quite powerful to survive, especially with that life saving ability.

Thanks to their high value and low danger level, none of the adventurers would tell others about the status of the Gold Maimai even if they managed to have a look into its status with 《Imu》.

That knowledge would be hidden and only taught to their comrades in secret.

Certain information about the Gold Maimai might still be hidden by the person who obtained the details and they might not share it all and keep some of it a secret.

Because the success of the subjugation of this Gold Maimai might change the life of the adventurer who killed it.

It’s still too early for me to give up after coming this far.

「Let’s chase after it, I can follow its trace with my 《Odo Perception・Low》.」

Moreover, the 《Ancient Knowledge》 in the《Beelzera》 would assist me to see the Gold Maimai’s status with 《Imu》.

Though Mani’s level wasn’t high enough to see its status, its status was laid bare in front of Beelzebub’s power.

「You’re right. That Gold Maimai should be weakened as time passes due to its wound. It won’t be able to move as far as before in its weakened state.」

Mani was also agreeing with me.

I expect that defeating the Gold Maimai would give me tons of Odo.

And I wouldn’t have any problem with living expenses too…. At least for a while.

I closed my eyes at once to sharpen my senses while using 《Odo Perception・Low》.

There, I felt the Gold Maimai’s Odo sign slightly away from our position.

「…. Uhm?」

But, that Gold Maimai’s Odo seemed to have met some other signs of Odo.

There are three different Odo signs that have approached the Gold Maimai’s Odo sign.

Those three might be human’s Odo.

It seemed that the Gold Maimai managed to escape after the two parties fought for a while.

「What’s the matter, Dean?」

「…. Another group of adventurers found the Gold Maimai. Things might turn rather tricky after this.」

Though I wanted to avoid any conflicts with the other adventurers… there was no way I could let go of that Gold Maimai so easily.

The best I could hope for was… for the Gold Maimai to outrun that adventurer’s party.