Chapter 175: Advance
“Seah!”
I swung the Dark Twin Holy Swords, crushing the Gargoyle’s neck. I dodged another Gargoyle’s attack with a backstep, then stepped in and unleashed a counterattack.
Before my eyes, there were four Gargoyles that I could see.
It was a back attack from the Gargoyles.
“Guuh!”
“Eih!”
From behind, I heard Eleonore’s groaning voice and Cornelia’s somewhat unenthusiastic kiai. The vanguard, for their part, were in the middle of battling the Living Armors.
Originally, we were fighting Living Armors, but then the Gargoyles launched a back attack.
If this were a game, there wouldn’t be any intervention from other enemies until the battle ended, but this isn’t a game, it’s reality. There’s no way the enemy would leisurely wait until the end of the battle. Dammit!
“Dee!”
Just then, Claudia called out to me with a sharp voice. Was there some kind of problem?
I quickly checked behind me. Lily, Claudia, Cornelia, Eleonore. Everyone was alright. However, I didn’t miss the fact that Eleonore’s right arm was bent in an unnatural direction.
“Heal!”
After casting 【Heal】 on Eleonore, I immediately stepped to the right. A Gargoyle’s ferocious biting attack sliced through the air where I had been just moments before.
“Un-Limited!”
I gathered strength in my left arm and slammed a left Zangeki into the outstretched neck of the Gargoyle.
Gagin!
With a sensation like striking metal, I crushed the Gargoyle’s neck. It’s impossible for me to cut down Gargoyles like Cornelia can. Even though I have these prized Dark Twin Holy Swords, I’m using them no differently than a blunt weapon.
The Gargoyles in this Demon God Castle are many times harder than ordinary stone Gargoyles. The Gargoyles’ attacks themselves are monotonous, so they aren’t particularly difficult enemies, but they drain a lot of stamina.
Well, it’s a relief that they’re not as strong as the Living Armors Cornelia and the others in the vanguard are fighting.
But I need to defeat them quickly before more enemies close in. If I dawdle, I could get surrounded and beaten to a pulp.
“Un-Limited…!”
I launched an assault towards the Gargoyles.
◇
“Heal!”
The moment I heard Dee’s voice, the pain in my right arm vanished. Dee had assessed the battle situation and cast 【Heal】 on me.
Dee… Even though you’re fighting against Gargoyles yourself…
I, Eleonore, felt a sense of shame. I mustn’t burden Dee any further. He’s holding back a swarm of Gargoyles all by himself, after all.
Before my eyes are what are called Living Armors, moving suits of full plate mail. There are two of them.
My role is to draw all the enemy’s attacks upon myself, create an opening in their defense, and connect it to our allies’ attacks.
“Yaaaaaaah!”
I dashed forward and shouted at the top of my lungs to draw the enemy’s attention to myself.
At the same time, the Living Armors also began to move. The weapons the Living Armors wield are greatswords. They raise them high, intending to intercept me.
Maintaining a forward-leaning posture, I dashed and stepped into the Living Armors’ range.
Instantly, the two greatswords of the Living Armors swung down.
I had been waiting for that moment.
My forward-leaning posture, as if launching an assault, was a bluff. My center of gravity shifted backward in an instant. Backstep.
The two greatswords grazed past my nose, struck the floor, and let out a deafening roar. Ria and Onee-sama would not miss such an opening.
“Eih!”
Ria dashed forward as if gliding and bisected the torso of the right Living Armor, which had just swung its sword down.
Even though Living Armors are said to be monsters of full plate mail, they are not hollow inside. They are monsters more akin to Gargoyles, solidly packed with metal on the inside.
To bisect that. Her tremendous swordsmanship was truly awe-inspiring.
“Seyah!”
Onee-sama is not to be outdone. The tip of the holy spear Onee-sama wielded accurately pierced the red jewel on the chest of the left Living Armor—its weak point, as Dee had taught them.
Having struggled with what weapon I should wield and having tried all sorts of weapons, I understand. How difficult it is to accurately pierce the small red jewel on a Living Armor’s chest with a long weapon like a spear.
The right Living Armor, bisected by Ria; the left Living Armor, its Core pierced by Onee-sama. Both rapidly rusted and weathered away. Nothing remained afterward.
With the two Living Armors gone, my field of vision cleared up a little, but my gaze immediately met with other Living Armors.
Just how many more Living Armors are there…? Scolding my faltering heart, I readied my sword.
“Pierce through.”
Words muttered softly from behind. It’s the activation of Lily’s magic. Skillfully avoiding us, stone lances flew.
Lily’s Stone Lances pierced, destroyed, and pulverized the supposedly hard Living Armors. With this, the Living Armors are dealt with in one go, but in front of us, there are shadows of new monsters…
“As expected of the enemy’s main stronghold…!”
I dashed through the space between the weathering and disappearing Living Armors and slammed my sword into a newly appeared bipedal, frog-like monster.