“({Block}──)”
Immediately after activating my {Weapon Skill}, I ‘froze.’
To be precise, I realized I had been ‘frozen’ when the ‘freeze’ was released and the scenery skipped, but… well, that’s not important.
“Ruru!?”
“(Alright, it worked!)”
The surface of the White Shield, which had taken dozens of Freezing Light Bullets, was thinly coated with ice, but that was it. It didn’t shatter, nor did it even crack.
This was partly due to the shield’s own durability, but the strength-enhancing {Weapon Skill} also played a big role.
Originally, {Block} is a {Weapon Skill} that can only be used momentarily, but its effect is correspondingly high.
And even if it’s a {Skill} that can only be used for a moment, if time is stopped, its effect continues for that entire duration.
Until now, there was a concern that the target of the ‘freeze’ might be my consciousness, but this time, the fact that {Block} was sustained negated that possibility.
After all, if my consciousness were interrupted, I wouldn’t be able to maintain the {Weapon Skill}.
“Ririri!”
“({Block} coming right up──)”
While my mind was analyzing, my body didn’t miss the timing I had memorized.
Just before the ‘freeze’ came, I activated my {Weapon Skill}, preparing to intercept the light bullets.
But it seemed the Clione had stopped trying to break through head-on.
When the ‘freeze’ was released, the Clione had teleported behind me. …No, it probably just moved behind me while time was stopped, but to me, it looked like instant teleportation.
Perhaps because it used time to move, I didn’t take many light bullets, but that didn’t mean I could be optimistic.
If my body temperature kept dropping, the ‘freeze’ time would get longer, and eventually, I’d start taking damage.
“({Replicant Form}, Quintuple!)”
I replicated five White Shields. Including the one I was holding in front, that made six.
“(Cubic Defense Formation!)”
Up, down, left, right, front, and back. I faced one White Shield in each direction, taking a dice-like defensive stance. My {Clairvoyance} made visibility no problem.
But doing this made me feel like I had gone back to before my {Evolution}.
That said, the White Shield was more like a tower shield—closer to a rectangle—so it wasn’t exactly a perfect cube.
“Rururara!”
“({Block}, Triple──)”
The ‘freeze’ came without a moment’s delay.
I activated {Block} on the White Shields in the direction of the Clione and above and below.
Normally, it’s subtle, but thanks to {Multi-Weapon Style}, I can easily use {Weapon Skills} in parallel.
Even in a pinch, triple activation is possible.
This only defends half of the six faces, but the left and right are sandwiched by ice blocks, so other than the back, I should be fine—,
“(Guh, so that’s what you’re doing. I misjudged.)”
—or so I thought, but the impact also came from the left and right.
It was trying to scrape away at the surface of the ice blocks like a rasp.
Compared to the light bullets, the ice rasp was more effective against the White Shield. If it kept rubbing, it would break, so I had to deal with it.
“(Lightning Strike!)”
I released lightning on both ice blocks.
My current Lightning Strike should easily shatter even the ice of the Great Demon Realm, but… one strike only managed to pierce a hole.
The Clione probably had a {Skill} that increased its strength.
Meanwhile, the Clione seemed to be continuously firing light bullets from the front during the ‘freeze,’ but thanks to {Block}, I didn’t take much damage there.
Another ‘freeze’ was coming, so I used triple {Block}—this time defending the front and left and right faces—and the next moment, I was inside an iceberg.
“(Bad!)”
Reflexively, I realized I shouldn’t be here.
The enormous {Mana} rising from the Clione’s body, on the thick ice slope, was enough to make me think so.
“(Cancel Replication, {Replicant Form}!)”
I dismissed the White Shields and replicated about four Monoceros Drills.
Then, I tunneled through the ice like an earthworm, pulverizing it, heading towards the back of the iceberg, opposite the Clione.
I really wanted to get out of the iceberg, but at this speed, I’d just get intercepted and ‘frozen’ again.
The Clione was focused on activating its powerful {Skill} and wasn’t manipulating the iceberg, so I’d just keep putting as much distance as possible between us.
“(But no matter how I look at it, I won’t make it in time!)”
Ideally, I’d get to the opposite side of the iceberg before it activated, but the {Skill} activation would probably be faster.
Even though the charge time was unknown, there had to be a limit.
And according to my {Trajectory Prediction}, the Clione’s {Skill} had a range that penetrated the iceberg.
It was a very long-range, wide-area annihilation attack prediction trajectory, and it was impossible to dodge inside the iceberg.
“(The best thing would be to interfere, but… Heat Ray Demon Eye! …It’s got countermeasures, huh.)”
The Clione was protected by layers of aurora and ice crystal shields, and it even withstood a single strike from my Heat Ray Demon Eye.
This absolute defense, regardless of {Mana} consumption, was imbued with the “Polar King’s” determination to settle things with the next attack.
“(Then all I can do is defend with all my might!)”
Fortunately, there seemed to be still some time.
While tunneling deeper and deeper, I also implemented defensive measures.
One of them was turning the ice into shields using {Arms Craftsman}.
It was difficult to turn the iceberg of the Great Demon Realm into a weapon in one go, but I could do it bit by bit with the ice nearby, even while doing other things.
The only adjustment I needed to make was to increase its strength.
I also replicated multiple White Shields.
They were my main force this time.
Finally, I activated a certain {Skill} with all my might, waiting for the moment of fate.
It happened almost at the same time as I reached the core of the iceberg.
The Clione’s limitless {Mana} increase stopped abruptly, and I used my {Weapon Skill}.
“(Come on! {Block}, Triple!)”
“Larulolulurelu!”
And then, a white light that would deliver absolute judgment burst forth.