Carla, seizing a gap in the battle, headed to the Spirit Altar alone, and Clara, the Crown Prince, and the others, seeing this, also rushed towards the altar.
『BUMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!』
The excited Shugyu pursued them, and I, to stop it, followed after them alone. But I won’t make it in time. Carla, who seems to be using Body Enhancement, is one thing, but at this rate, Shugyu will catch up to the Crown Prince and the others before I can.
“——【Phantom Pain】——!”
Instinctively, I unleash 【Phantom Pain】 towards Shugyu’s back. However, Shugyu, in its excited state, only shudders for a moment, its legs not stopping.
That “technique” using pure Mana Particles would allow me to catch up, but it’s still impossible to kill Rank 5 Shugyu in one blow. I judged so in the accelerated thought process of Body Enhancement, and simultaneously released multiple spells to stall it.
“【Shadow】! 【Weight Up】!”
I sent the weightless 【Shadow】 ahead to cut across Shugyu’s path, and used 【Weight Up】 to increase Shugyu’s own weight.
Even so, only a fraction of a second… neither of them could stall it for more than that. But in that precious fraction of a second, I barely caught up to within “range.”
“——【Shadow Walker】——”
Connecting my Mana Particles to Shugyu, I transferred to its “Shadow,” jumped out from the shadow, and thrust the Black Dagger into its thick neck.
『BUMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!』
But it’s shallow! Obstructed by the tough neck muscles, my strength isn’t enough to pierce through.
While being blown away bodily by the swinging head, I wrapped the Pendulum’s thread around its horn, somersaulted acrobatically through the air, and delivered a powerful knee strike to Shugyu’s snout.
『GAAAAAAH!!?』
Shugyu spewed blood from its nose as it recoiled, and a faint light of reason returned to its eyes. But in exchange, I knew that all of Shugyu’s anger was directed at me.
“…………”
It will be a full-force battle against a Rank 5, but thanks to that, Shugyu’s attention has shifted from the Crown Prince and the others to me. Originally, I was planning to let them reach the altar if there was an opening. I ended up fighting alone because of them, but oh well…
Shugyu, I’ll be your opponent.
『BUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!』
“HAAAAAAA!!”
I’ll fight with all my strength from the start. No holding back.
Shugyu approaches with terrifying speed, slamming its Halberd down on me.
I enhanced the precision of my Body Enhancement with Mana Particles purified to the limit that my body could withstand, narrowly evading Shugyu’s attack.
With this level of purity, only a slight effect can be obtained, but without that slight difference, a Rank 5 attack cannot be avoided.
“——【Illusion】——”
While dazzling its sight by refracting light, I threw the 【Ball-Shaped】 Pendulum.
『GUAAAAAAH!』
Shugyu instantly gave up on dodging the cross-shaped Ball-Shaped Pendulum flying erratically, and flicked it away with its horn as if shaking its head.
Shugyu swung its Halberd as if to sweep me away along with my dazzling figure. Evading it by leaping over it, I slid under Shugyu’s feet as is, and threw the Knife pulled from the slit from directly below.
『BUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!』
Shugyu’s massive body, over two meters tall, lightly danced in the air.
Shugyu, having avoided the Knife by escaping upwards, grinned as if looking down at me sliding across the ground, and threw the Halberd in its left hand down at me.
“Ha!”
At that moment, I rolled across the floor as if bouncing off my spine, evading the Halberd, and immediately threw the Pendulum’s thread at Shugyu’s feet dancing in the air, wrapping it around.
Shugyu, noticing this, kicked through the air, blasting me and the thread into the air.
Not yet. The thread is still connected to Shugyu.
“——【Shadow Walker】——!”
Connecting the Mana Particles flowing through the thread, I “crossed” to Shugyu’s back in an instant.
“Haa!!”
『BUMOOOOOOOOOO!!』
The elbow making an immediate counterattack and my kick intersected, the Blade on my heel scraped Shugyu’s cheek, and the elbow strike blasted me away bodily.
Shugyu and I fell to the ground at the same time. Even so, as I, who had taken damage, lost my balance and knelt on one knee, Shugyu, seeing this, did not hesitate and threw the other Halberd at me.
I can’t dodge it—but—
Clang!!
Several Knives flying from the side hit the Halberd, slightly deflecting its trajectory, and the Halberd flew past me.
“Aria, are you alright!”
“Saved me, Viro.”
Viro, who had caught up, threw the Knives at the last moment. Viro, who had rushed over, stood in front of me as if protecting me, and by the time I got up, Shugyu had also retrieved the Halberd it had thrown earlier and was pointing its Blade at us.
With Viro here, it’s no longer easy to lose, but even with me and Viro, we don’t have a “decisive move” to defeat this guy.
The reason I was barely able to defeat the Orc General was because Golgol took that “technique” head-on.
So what to do? Before that answer could come, the situation had begun to change drastically.
『BUMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!』
The roar of “Black Ox”—the Minotaur Murderer—thundered, and it could be seen heading towards us. …No, that’s not right, Black Ox is aiming for the Crown Prince and the others!
“That guy, he’s guarding that altar!”
Viro’s guess is probably correct. I don’t know about Shugyu and Blue Ox, but the Dungeon Boss, Minotaur Murderer, is likely to be programmed to guard that altar.
“Viro, Aria! Just for a moment, stop that thing!!”
Instructions flew from Dolton and the others who were chasing right behind. It’s quite an unreasonable order, but Viro, who has been with him for a long time, immediately took action.
“No choice!! Aria, keep the red one in check!”
The 【Ball-Shaped】 Pendulum exploded on the side of Shugyu’s head, who was about to chase after Viro who had jumped out.
『BUOOO!?』
“I won’t let you go!”
But, can Viro stop it alone? The reason Dolton initially ordered everyone except himself and Feld not to approach was because there was a risk of instant death from a Rank 6 attack for us Rank 4s.
However, Viro smiled slightly at the Black Ox charging towards him, making the ground tremble, threw a “ball” about the size of a fist that he had taken out of his luggage, and the ball exploded right in front of the Black Ox, who was trying to brush it away with his arm.
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
『BUMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!』
Black Ox, its face burned by the overflowing flames, let out a scream of agony.
“How’s that! The taste of a Dungeon-produced ‘trump card’ that costs five gold coins!”
That’s probably the same as the “Poison Ball” that Samantha mentioned before, a spoil from the Dungeon. However, what was contained in that was not “poison,” but judging from that power, it seems to be a Level 5 Fire Magic, 【Fireball】.
“Are you two alright!!”
In that gap, Feld, who had caught up, slammed his Greatsword into Black Ox, and blood splattered from its back.
“——【Sniper Shot】——”
Next, Mira also unleashed the 【Combat Art】 of archery, piercing Black Ox’s neck.
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
Finally, Dolton, who had caught up, jumped in, swung his huge Mithril War Hammer, and slammed it into Black Ox’s head with all his might.
Gakin!!!
One of Black Ox’s twisted horns was shattered from the middle and danced in the air.
But that’s not right… he didn’t break it. Black Ox used its horn to block Dolton’s attack on purpose.
『Gaa……』
Black Ox, having been shot with an arrow, slashed in the back, and having its horn broken, blocked the attack while glaring at Dolton with its burned face, and blasted Dolton away with one blow of the Battle Axe in its hand.
“Dolton!!”
As Feld stepped forward to protect Dolton who had been blown away, Black Ox unleashed an intense Killing Intent and roar as if to blow away everything that was in the way.
『BUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!』
“Guh!”
The Battle Axe swung horizontally blasted Feld’s massive body, who had instinctively used his Greatsword as a shield, away by several meters.
“Damn!”
At the same time as Viro, who was immediately moving to provide support, entered his field of vision, Black Ox swung down its Battle Axe, and the shockwave swept him away.
The moment I saw that and was about to jump out, the Shugyu, whom I had been holding back with feints, attacked me as if to obstruct me.
“BWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
“Tch!”
Clang!!
My knife and halberd, swung out on reflex, rang with a metallic sound, and I, being lighter, was blown away.
“Aria! Everyone!”
Seeing her comrades in danger, Mira grabbed several arrows and drew her bow. But this chaos and melee also attracted another monster that had been fighting at a distance.
“BUMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
I saw the Blue Ox charging in, mowing down the knights as if in excitement.
“…”
The Blue Ox is coming now too…
But what to do? Mira is somehow trying to hold back the Black Ox, but Dolton and Feld are still unable to stand.
Viro, who had taken the shockwave, also noticed this and started moving to stop the Blue Ox, but he, like me, doesn’t have a trump card to defeat a Rank 5.
“…”
Swallowing blood-tasting saliva, I brace myself, holding the Black Knife and dagger, seeing their unyielding figures.
I’ve long been prepared to be hurt and to die. But it’s not that.
“GAAAAAA…”
Perhaps sensing my “resolve,” the Shugyu stopped for a moment, wary.
I will kill only you. Even if my body is crushed to pieces, even if I’m reduced to just a head, I am resolved to kill you, Shugyu, even if it means tearing out your throat.
“HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
Screaming as if squeezing the air out of my lungs, circulating purified Mana Particles, I draw my whole body like a bow to use the “Primordial Combat Art.”
“BWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”
Seeing that, the Shugyu holds its halberd with both hands and tries to lunge.
In the corner of my vision, Carla reached the “Spirit Altar” and, just before touching it, gave me a fleeting grin.
At the same moment, my weapon and the Shugyu’s, which had lunged out at the same time, were aimed at each other’s hearts, and just as their blades were about to pierce each other, suddenly a white light overflowing from the “Altar” enveloped the entire Arena.
A mysterious light overflows from the Altar. Aria, enveloped in that light, meets “him” within the light.
Next time: Divine Protection of the Spirit
Next update is scheduled for Sunday.
Part 1 will have two chapters remaining. Part 1 will end on Sunday and Monday.