I’ve kept you waiting.
A Rank 7 monster, Chimera.
Even Aria can fight it, she lacks the means to defeat it. Kitty-chan, being of the same beast type, is Rank 6, but because they are of the same type, the difference in combat power directly translates to a difference in strength.
Kitty-chan’s Combat Arts could inflict serious damage, but even so, the difference in power makes it not a decisive blow.
And even I, in my current state… cannot defeat the Chimera.
Normally, it’s an opponent that you can barely damage even with Divine Protection, so in my current state, I couldn’t surpass the Chimera’s regeneration ability.
Even if I could use Divine Protection, the power would be subtly reduced due to the loss of the fire attribute, so I don’t know if I could produce the same power as before.
I thought about it…
What is a “Magician” in a party?
In the past, I only thought about becoming stronger on my own.
To sink a great nation into a sea of fire all alone, to annihilate a Knight Order single-handedly, to massacre high-ranked warriors single-handedly, to burn down a city single-handedly, I sought only pure “power.”
But that is something beyond the scope of humans. For that, I had no choice but to sacrifice my very life.
So, what do magicians in adventurer parties like Aria’s do?
Probably the opposite of what I used to do…
Using the knowledge to become a magician, assessing the battle situation, and using magic to make the party thrive, not just the individual.
But… that’s not like me.
“Aria… listen to me.”
When I explained it really simply, Aria frowned at me and gave me a look of exasperation.
“Aren’t you an idiot…”
Aria said, turning her sharp gaze forward.
“Well, shall we do it?”
“That’s why I love you.”
I thought Aria would say that.
“Nero.”
“Gaa…”
When Aria muttered briefly and moved her fingertips to give instructions, Kitty-chan, who had been keeping the Chimera in check from a distance, let out a momentarily dissatisfied sound and braced himself, contorting his whole body.
“–Real Breaker–”
Light was emitted from Aria’s entire body, and at the same time, it appeared right in front of the Chimera.
“Haaaaaa!”
Aria swung her blade at the Chimera.
“Giiii Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
The Chimera screamed at the “Pain” of being cut to pieces all over its body.
The Chimera has dull pain receptors, so that scream isn’t because of the pain. The Chimera was wary of Aria, who has high combat power. So this scream should be more out of shock than pain.
But it doesn’t end there–
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Dogon!
Kitty-chan, who had jumped out at the same time as Aria and was circling around the room, aimed for the moment when the Chimera was confused by Aria’s attack, and slammed a claw strike Combat Art into it from the side.
“Giiiaaaaaaaa!!”
The Chimera immediately regained its posture, bracing its multiple legs, and turned its claws and fangs towards Kitty-chan.
Kitty-chan, having just used a Combat Art, can’t evade.
Kitty-chan knows that too. Both Kitty-chan and Aria, being warrior types, make it a standard practice to create openings for the enemy to avoid counterattacks.
That’s why–
“–Light Night–”
At that moment, Aria cut in between the two giant bodies, deflecting the attack as if to hide Kitty-chan from the Chimera.
It’s not as easy as it sounds. It requires the delicacy and courage to deflect a descending blade with your fingertips. Moreover, Aria used the light and darkness of Illusion Magic, deflecting multiple attacks with kicks and punches without even inflicting pain on the enemy, and withstood the Rank 7 attack.
The movement doesn’t use activation words, but it should be close to the Short Sword Skill Level 5 Combat Art [Dancing Ripper].
Other Combat Arts cannot be layered on the Combat Art [Iron Rose]. But Aria reproduced the Combat Art that she had used many times and engraved into her body with just her senses.
Even so, it should put a tremendous strain on her body. She can’t use it many times.
Both Aria and Kitty-chan are giving it their all. Thinking about changing the battle situation, they stopped fighting with reserves and are squeezing out their power. If they had failed to parry even one of the Chimera’s fangs and claws in the current exchange, it would have been over there.
That’s why…
“Not yet.”
Aria, Kitty-chan, and even the Chimera, had stopped moving for a moment in the current exchange, …just for the blink of an eye.
“–[Rock Blast]–”
I, who had been clinging to Kitty-chan’s tail, fired Rock Blast from almost directly above at close range, crushing several heads and embedding the rock.
“Gigyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!”
This time, the Chimera’s scream of damage echoed.
You weren’t that wary of me, the one with the lowest combat power in the current situation, right? That’s why stratagems are meaningful because the enemy has intelligence.
At that time, in the brief moment when Aria started moving, she involved me in the movement at the same time, and handed me over to Kitty-chan, who crossed paths with us on the way.
Should I say I was caught rather than grabbed?
“–[Cataract]–”
It’s not over yet, okay?
The huge mass of water created in the air was slammed onto the rock, embedding the rock further, and at the same time–
Doooon!
The embedded rock exploded, blowing away the back of the Chimera.
“――――――――――――――ッ!!!!”
The genuine screams from the Chimera’s multiple heads filled the wide space.
“Nero!!”
“Gaaaaaaaa!!”
Without missing that opportunity, Aria and Kitty-chan slashed and crushed the remaining heads.
But at that moment–
“――――――――――――――”
A discordant sound from multiple beasts.
The grotesque monster was transforming into something even more grotesque.
Something huge burst out from the Chimera’s crushed back, blowing away Kitty-chan’s giant body, and Aria barely dodged it but was knocked down onto the floor.
And I was–
“Snow!!”
Aria’s voice echoed.
At the same time, something huge emerged from the rear of the Chimera, and a huge log-like object sent my body flying.
“–!”
The layered [Rock Skin], [Veil], and even [Bless] were peeled off in an instant, and I, with my arm and ribs broken, coughed up blood as I flew through the air.
“Giiii Gyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Immediately, the transformed Chimera came after me.
Four huge limbs twisted together…
Huge wings made by bundling tentacles extending from the back…
The form, which had carefully selected and specialized its body for battle, looked like a “Dragon” with multiple heads.
It seems impossible for me to fight in this state…
Ah…
“…As calculated.”
The place I was blown to was behind the Chimera. It was unexpected to be this damaged, but the direction and distance were as planned.
The way an adventurer party’s magician fights is different from my way of fighting.
To see such a fleeting “Dream.”
For me to fight for someone other than Aria–
It’s really not like “me”…
The way a magician fights is to crush it with violence.
That’s why I was blown in this direction.
I knew from the beginning that even if I spammed Level 5 magic, there was a low possibility of defeating the Chimera.
So, in a state without a decisive blow, I had the two of them give it their all to draw the Chimera’s attention.
In the meantime, I would get behind the Chimera as much as possible.
The Chimera, being intelligent, never let us go behind its sides or further, even when moving in battle.
What happens if you get behind the Chimera?
Even in that isolated island dungeon, the Minotaur Murderer chased after me the moment I moved. The monsters bound to the dungeon had to do so.
That’s why, chasing after me who had been blown to the rear, it even let go of Aria and Kitty-chan, who had shown an opening.
Dosun!
My body was slammed onto the floor, and even though I defended with magic power, I wondered if a broken rib had pierced me, as more blood stained my mouth.
The Chimera approaches me.
But, too bad…
The flight distance was enough without even having to fly myself.
“…I’ve come. Dungeon’s ‘Spirit’.”
I, who had been blown away, arrived faster than the Chimera could catch up, and placed my blood-stained hand on the innermost altar.
What Snow wishes for…
Next time, that power will be revealed! Is this kind of development okay in an after story!
Volume 6 of the book version will likely be released around the same time as Volume 3 of the comic adaptation.