Chapter 162: The Battle Against Mirage
I sat in the driver’s seat, guiding the six-horse carriage. Aboard the large carriage were Cornelia and Lily, along with the other members of Reginleif. We were headed for a dungeon east of the Royal Capital, known as the Mirror World.
Our destination, the Mirror World, was already visible in the distance. The dungeon had the appearance of a Western-style castle.
From the castle’s peak, something like a blue aura stretched straight upwards. This was proof that one of the Four Heavenly Kings was in this dungeon, sending power to the Evil God.
The Evil God is protected by four blessings: HP Doubled, Physical Damage Taken Halved, Magical Damage Taken Halved, and Attack Power Increased. This dungeon is the source of one of them.
That blue, aura-like light grants the Evil God the power of Magical Damage Taken Halved. To stop it, we need to defeat Mirage, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Evil God stationed in this dungeon.
Well, in the game, to be frank, if you leveled your allies close to max, it was possible to ignore the Four Heavenly Kings and just brute-force your way through the Evil God even with all four blessings active.
But this is reality. If there’s a risk we can reduce, however small, we should.
◇
A castle wall stood as if separating the world from the Mirror World. Reflected on that wall were an annular solar eclipse, a dim sky, and the members of Reginleif disembarking from the carriage.
The Mirror World, true to its name, is a dungeon where everything inside is made of mirrors.
“It’s reflecting!”
“Mm.”
“So this is the Mirror World, is it…? I feel like I might misjudge distances…”
“There are no mirrors this large even in the royal palace. I wonder how they were made…”
“Be careful. The inside is full of mirrors too. They’re arranged like a maze. More importantly, you all remember the plan, right? Let’s go.”
After confirming that everyone in Reginleif nodded, we immediately entered the mirrored castle gate.
Our formation had Eleonore at the very front. Lily was positioned in the center of the middle row, with Cornelia to her right and Claudia to her left. And I was in the center of the rear row. Viewed from above, you’d see we formed a cross shape, front to back and side to side, sandwiching Lily to protect her.
Well, it’s our usual formation.
“Here I go…”
Eleonore, shield at the ready, quietly passed through the castle gate and entered the dungeon.
We had advanced about five meters, perhaps? There was a mirrored wall in front of Eleonore, who was leading the way, and just as she was about to change direction—
“Un-Limited…”
Muttering, I activated Un-Limited, then turned and leaped towards the rear, back the way we came.
“Hraaah!”
And then, I swung the twin Holy Swords in my hands through empty space—!
“Gabahak?!”
Dark, viscous blood spurted from the space I had slashed. The supposedly empty space began to distort. The distortion was large. The scenery looked disturbed, like television static. Its form resembled that of a large lizard.
“How did you know—?!”
“Get him!”
“Mm!”
“Eei!”
“Seyaah!”
Ignoring the words of Mirage, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Evil God, I swung my twin swords again.
From behind, I sensed Lily casting a spell, and Cornelia and Claudia joined the fray. Cornelia’s Holy Sword sliced off one of Mirage’s forelegs, and Claudia’s Holy Spear Gae Bolg pierced its large left eye.
“Guooooh!!!”
Just as I was about to sever Mirage’s thick neck—Mirage’s form suddenly vanished. It disappeared just like it had been hiding initially.
“Don’t let him escape!”
Easier said than done; I had no idea where Mirage was.
Damn it. I predicted he’d be troublesome, but he’s a real pain in the ass.
“There.”
“Guhaaah?!”
At that moment, Lily’s magic activated behind me. It was Lily’s specialty, earth magic. A spell that thrusts giant rock stakes from the ground.
And at the base of the emerged giant rock stake, its lizard-like form, pierced at the base of its tail, was visible as a patch of distorted scenery, like television static.
“Nice one, Lily!”
The moment I activated Un-Limited again and tried to approach Mirage, it detached its tail with a ripping sound. A lizard shedding its tail, huh? You’re not a lizard, dammit!
Damn it. He’s hidden himself again.
Hm?
What’s that…?
Empty space, or so it should have been. But there was a black patch, as if a hole had opened in the space itself. From that black patch, fresh blood was scattering like water gushing from a hose.
I see! The wounds!
Mirage’s true form is a chameleon! If it changes its skin color to become transparent, then the wounds where its skin is missing should be visible!
“Yaah!”
“Guh?!”
Eleonore must have noticed it too. As Mirage tried to slip past her, it was met with Eleonore’s Shield Bash.
For a brief moment, just an instant, Mirage’s body stiffened.
“Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Using the strength amplified by Un-Limited, I leaped high above Mirage, swung down my black twin Holy Swords as if filleting a fish, and finally, took off Mirage’s head.