Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody

Satou here. I believe that both family disputes and revolutions ultimately stem from accumulated dissatisfaction. What might seem like meaningless venting to ordinary people could actually be a strategy by rulers to prevent the overthrow of a nation.

◇

“Master, what is that over there?”

“It looks like black clouds or perhaps a mist,” I replied.

While watching the fishing on the Little Sand Sea from the deck of the airship, I turned in response to Liza and Nana’s words.

In the distance beyond the Little Sand Sea, I could see something like a black haze.

“Maybe it’s a sandstorm?”

I opened the map to check.

This place is the Great Desert, just west of the Labyrinth City Selbira. Beyond the mountain range in the central southern part lies the Little Sand Sea: a desert filled with fine, water-like sand.

Despite the name, the Little Sand Sea is vast—about the size of three Japanese archipelagos placed side by side.

At the spot where they saw the black haze, there appears to be a dead dungeon known as the Sandstorm Labyrinth.

Using spatial magic’s distant vision, I observed dozens of tornadoes swirling protectively around the center of the Sandstorm Labyrinth.

That must be what appeared as the black haze.

Curious, I brought the airship closer.

“Getting too close might be dangerous.”

As we neared within a certain distance, several tornadoes approached like watchdogs.

“Tornado typhoon?”

Before I knew it, Tama had climbed onto the deck railing, watching the tornadoes.

She must have arrived by using ninjutsu to traverse shadows.

“Tama, don’t skip class!”

“Are you sure I’m not skipping?” she replied with a mischievous grin.

Checking with spatial magic, I confirmed that Tama was attending class at the Royal Capital’s elementary academy.

“A shadow clone?”

That’s not really how shadow clones work.

“No ninjutsu during class,” I warned, giving Tama a playful pinch on the cheek.

She laughed, “Nya ha ha ha!” It was quite fun.

“Master, a sandship is under attack by bandits.”

Beyond the Sandstorm Labyrinth, at a considerable distance, a medium-sized ship was being attacked by more than ten small yacht-style ships.

“Emergency?”

I grabbed Tama as she tried to investigate and pushed her back into the shadows.

“There’s no need for you to get involved. Go back to class.”

“Okay~”

Though disappointed, Tama disappeared into the shadows with a quick “Nin nin.”

Well then, looks like it’s time for me, the hero, to go and help.

◇

“—Looks like help wasn’t needed after all.”

I headed toward the medium-sized sandship under attack, but gigantic fireballs unleashed from that ship began to annihilate the smaller vessels one after another.

Since rescue wasn’t necessary, I told the brownie at the helm to circle the airship at a distance.

“Master, are those small ships pirates?” she asked.

“No, they’re sand bandits, apparently.”

They’re definitely outlaws, so I had no intention of stopping those who were crushing them.

“It doesn’t look like they have it easy though.”

The medium ship was sinking the small ones with a single blow, but it seemed to rely not on fixed weapons but on a single wizard aboard.

From the AR display, it looked like the wizard’s remaining magic power would run out soon.

The sand bandits seemed to realize this, too—they weren’t fleeing despite several of their ships sinking.

“Master, shall we take care of the sand bandits?”

“Yeah—”

I nodded in agreement at Liza’s suggestion.

For some reason, Liza and Nana looked at me expectantly.

“Go teach them a lesson.”

“Understood.”

“Catapult launch, commencing.”

Part of the deck separated, and rails for the catapult extended.

A magic circle with four acceleration gates appeared on the rails.

Liza and Nana took out surfboard-style hoverboards and moved toward the catapult.

Those hoverboards were playthings we made during our acceleration gate experiment in the Great Desert.

Ahead, the medium ship had already sunk half the sand bandit ships, but it seemed the wizard’s magic had finally run out—the remaining six ships were closing in to board.