The legend of the Crimson Demon clan started from Suqing

#180 - It's you! Go, Salamander!

Many roads leading to the snowy mountain were blocked, forcing Kazuma and the others to take detours, wasting a considerable amount of time.

Fortunately, with the help of HeatRing, they didn't feel particularly cold.

Finally, they arrived deep within the snowy mountain.

“Is there really an Eternal Crystal in this place?”

“I didn’t even know there was an iceberg so deep in the snowfield.”

“Speaking of which, this scenery is too magnificent… Could it be said that the entire mountain is frozen…?”

Everyone marveled slightly.

In the vast white world, a towering iceberg stood erect.

Under the sunlight, the surface of the iceberg shimmered with dazzling light, those rays seemed to penetrate the clouds and reach the sky. But behind this stern beauty, lay endless cold.

It’s much colder here than outside.

Kazuma shouted to the others: “Watch your step, you’ll slip if you look around carelessly, okay?”

“Seriously, Kazuma is such a worrywart. No one would slip in a place like this, no matter what.”

“…Aqua, why do you have to set up such a flag so solemnly?”

“I didn’t!”

Aqua stomped her feet angrily, as if to defy him. But just then, she suddenly slipped and fell flat on her back, crying loudly.

I told you not to set up a flag.

Yuiyui thoughtfully helped the crying, blubbering goddess up, then asked Kazuma:

“That Snow Sprite King, where is it? We’ve been walking for so long, and we haven’t seen it. If we can’t find it after searching for so long, could it be that the Snow Sprite King is no longer here?”

“That’s impossible.” Kazuma shook his head and said, “If the King wasn’t here, there would be no way to explain the large number of Snow Sprites appearing.”

The number of Snow Sprites on the plains was exaggerated.

In the Crimson Demon Clan's library, there were clear records of the Snow Sprite King's appearance, and now there is no doubt that it still remains here.

“Let’s look again.”

“…But it seems like we can’t go any further here.”

“What did you say?”

Megumin's words made everyone pause slightly.

The iceberg in front of them had formed a cliff, blocking the way forward. The surface of the iceberg was smooth and flat without any steps or anything like that, making it impossible to climb.

The group searched here for a long time, hoping to find a way to continue, but no matter how they searched, they couldn't find it.

“Could there be a fork in the road somewhere along the way?”

“No way, right? In this place with only ice, there’s no way everyone could have missed it.”

“Hey everyone, if we can’t find the King, let’s go back for now. It’s freezing to death in this area, I’m almost frozen stiff…”

Aqua said shrinking back.

In fact, it wasn't just her. Apart from Darkness, who had thick skin, Kazuma and the others were also reaching their limits. Although HeatRing was a high-level magic item, it had its limits, and their stamina was also running out.

“There’s no choice, let’s go back and prepare first.”

After Kazuma said this, everyone turned back the way they came, but—

“Ah, ah, huh?”

“What’s wrong, Kazuma? Let’s hurry back to Axel and eat something hot!”

“…Where’s the exit?”

He actually asked such an idiotic question.

Kazuma couldn't hold it in anymore, pointing at the road they came from and shouting, “Even a hopeless directionless person like me knows the way back, how could you… Huh?”

“…It’s gone. The road we just walked on is blocked.”

Darkness paused slightly.

The road they came from had disappeared… No, it should be said that a wall had appeared, and it was a very strange wall. It was white and cold, and it looked like fresh snow. It even felt soft when touched.

A soft wall?

“What is this?” Kazuma blinked. “Do you guys know what this wall is?”

“That’s not right! This isn’t a wall, it just looks like a wall because it’s so big. It blocked the road while we were exploring! Get away from there, Kazuma!” Kazuma shouted at him.

“It blocked the road… Hey, hey, hey, could this be…!”

His eyes widened.

A playful giggle came from his ear. Kazuma used both his hands and feet to quickly run towards the others, creating enough distance to see the behemoth in front of him clearly.

“It’s huge——!”

What came into view was a giant snowman, made up of two spheres stacked on top of each other. Although it looked as harmless as a Snow Sprite, its gigantic body of 20 meters was still very intimidating.

On this day, Kazuma Sato recalled the fear of being ruled by giants.

Aqua exclaimed, “Hey, that’s a Snow Sprite, right? It’s big, but I’m sure it is!”

“Could that be the Snow Sprite King…?”

Yunyun hid behind Kazuma somewhat fearfully.

That’s right, this is said to be the huge individual that Snow Sprites gather together to create every few decades—the Great Snow Sprite!

“I, I say… can we deal with it?”

“Don’t worry. The Snow Sprite King isn’t hostile to humans, and is actually quite friendly, but…”

Kazuma hadn’t even finished explaining.

Darkness interrupted, “Even if it’s not hostile, it’s troubling that the road back is blocked. We have to find a way to make it leave… Hmm? Oh, oh, oh!?”

Just as she approached, the Snow Sprite King, like a playful child, suddenly jumped up and pounced on Darkness.

If snow sprites were the size of a palm, soft, and light, they would be acceptable. But a giant body 20 meters tall, even if made of snow, is quite imposing.

Darkness was instantly pinned underneath it, groaning in pain.

"Da-Darkness (Miss)!" X5

"So, so uncomfortable… What heavy pressure… I-I can't take it! Hehe!"

…It doesn't seem that way.

She seems to like it quite a bit.

"—Just like that, without realizing the size of their huge bodies, they actively frolic and play with humans, which is why humans get seriously injured."

"Is this really the time for a calm explanation!"

Kazuma Sato was somewhat helpless towards Yunyun. She seemed to have known this would happen and deliberately let herself be pinned under the Snow Sprite King.

Afterward, everyone stepped in to help, even though Darkness shouted not to mind her and to let her enjoy it for a while. The others didn't agree to her absurd request.

"Ku! Ha… Ha…"

Darkness, who had been rescued, gasped for breath and exclaimed, "This… is amazing. I felt like I was about to be crushed by that massive body… Wonderful!"

"Why are you so happy?"

"If I had to say, it's the same as always."

The perverted knight is unshakeable.

Yunyun looked at the giant Snow Sprite King. "But this is really troubling. If we don't move that Snow Sprite King, we won't be able to leave this place. And if we want to get the Eternal Ice Crystal, defeating the Snow Sprite King is a must."

"That's what you say, but what are we supposed to do against such a big guy…!"

Kazuma Sato's head ached.

It's all greed's fault. He thought the Snow Sprite King would be like the snow sprites, a minor character not worth mentioning. Who would have thought it would be such a behemoth? He should have never come!

"Ah, move…!"

He pushed the Snow Sprite King's body with all his might, but the wall in front of him was as if it had taken root and didn't budge.

"…Damn it, I can't push it at all. Hey, everyone, don't just stand there like idiots, come and help!"

"Why don't I just use Explosion magic to blow it to smithereens!"

"Stop it, Megumin, don't do anything reckless, we'll disappear along with it!"

Yunyun quickly stopped Megumin, who was about to go berserk.

Normally, it wouldn't matter if she acted recklessly, but this is a snowy mountain. If an avalanche is triggered, no one can expect to return alive. That's common sense.

"If we can't move it, then we'll just have to defeat it, right? Isn't that the original purpose?"

"That's impossible in the current situation. Even if it's just a snow sprite, it's too dangerous to face such a big guy! And the Snow Sprite King isn't like us, it won't weaken because of the cold, right? At least we have to find its weakness…"

"Light of Saber!"

A bright flash of lightning struck the Snow Sprite King's body.

Kazuma Sato covered his face with his hands and cried out, "Yunyun, why did you suddenly attack! If you anger it…!"

But in reality, the Snow Sprite King wasn't angry. Instead, it shook its body, looking as if it wasn't hurt at all.

"Hmm, electric magic isn't effective?"

Yunyun scratched her head.

The Crimson Demon clan's library introduced the Snow Sprite King and said that the clansmen used Purgatory and Heat Blast and other fire-attribute magic to defeat it, but Yunyun hadn't learned fire-attribute magic.

She thought that electric magic would be effective, but now it seems that the heat from the electric magic wasn't enough.

"As I thought, it's still Explosion magic…"

"Denied!"

Before Megumin could finish speaking, Yunyun loudly rejected her.

"But if we don't defeat it, we'll just be trapped here…"

She was right.

Just as everyone thought they could only fight even if it meant acting recklessly, Aqua suddenly shouted to everyone:

"Hey everyone, look over here—"

"What is it? We're busy right now, can't you say it later!"

"Kazuma, that's not a very nice way to talk to a goddess, you know. I finally found a way to make the snow sprites inside the Snow Sprite King fly out, and I was going to tell you."

"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you when we get back…"

Kazuma Sato was quite perfunctory, but he quickly realized something.

"—What did you just say!?"

"So, the snow sprites will poof out. By roasting the Snow Sprite King with fire… Come on! I choose you, Fire Salamander, go!"

Aqua put the Fire Salamander in her arms on the ground, and it quickly crawled towards the Snow Sprite King under her command, desperately emitting its own heat.

"Look, if you roast the surface of the Snow Sprite King like this… Ah, they're coming out!"

Large numbers of snow sprites floated out of the Snow Sprite King's body, and they were coming out faster and faster.

"Yunyun, is the Snow Sprite King really made of snow sprites?"

"…I don't know either. The Crimson Demons always used magic to kill it in one hit, so I didn't know about this. But since it's made up of snow sprites, this situation is normal, right?"

Is that normal?

The small fries gathered together and became huge. It's really just like a slime!