𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫
“『Fist of Flame』!”
ㅤ
The first move Dragburn chose was the same punch enveloped in flame as last time.
However, even if the move is the same, the power behind it is incomparable to before.
First of all, it’s fast.
Dragburn, who was supposed to be relatively slow due to his extraordinary offensive and defensive power, is moving at an incredible speed.
It’s still modest compared to Ruberto-san’s Instant Slash, but it’s definitely faster than a normal Blade.
ㅤ
“Huh?!”
ㅤ
And above all, it’s this power.
I stepped in front of Stella again, just like before, and deflected Dragburn’s fist with Distortion.
Even if the power has increased, it’s still brute force without finesse, so the deflection works.
However, the power I felt when our blades met is more than three times the original.
And this is riding on a fist that has become faster, which is terrifying.
Moreover, the heat of the flames enveloping the fist has also increased.
Kurotenmaru might be able to withstand it, but Onryomaru would probably melt if in contact for more than five seconds.
If it lands a direct hit, it’s best to think that not just me, but anyone, would lose their life.
ㅤ
“Ha ha! You can even block my full-powered attack! You are indeed a rare strong warrior!”
“『Holy Sword』!”
“What?!”
ㅤ
Stella, who sprang from behind me, drove a Holy Sword attack, enveloped in light magic without incantation, into Dragburn, blowing him away.
If God’s words are to be trusted, the enhanced Holy Sword should work even against the Four Heavenly Kings. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Huh?! Hard. . . . . .”
“Ha ha ha ha! You have become stronger than before! That hurt quite a bit!”
ㅤ
Dragburn has minor injuries.
It seems that just an ordinary attack imbued with non-incantation magic cannot inflict much damage, as his defensive power has also increased.
Still,
ㅤ
“Hm?”
ㅤ
Dragburn let out a puzzled voice.
That’s because the wound isn’t healing.
Last time, the damage was regenerating so quickly that it seemed immortal, but this time, there’s no sign of recovery.
The true Holy Sword has the effect of inhibiting recovery.
In the Official World, for the decades between Stella’s defeat by the Demon King and my challenge, the Demon King’s wounds did not heal.
The current Holy Sword is not fully unleashed, but it seems to be exerting enough power to hinder Dragburn’s regeneration.
The effects of God’s enhancement of the Holy Sword are definitely showing.
If we keep stacking our attacks or unleash a big move, we have a good chance of winning.
ㅤ
“Interesting! It wouldn’t be fun without something like this!”
ㅤ
Even knowing that his wounds aren’t healing, Dragburn shows no signs of flinching. Instead, he increases his fighting spirit and moves on to the next attack.
Magical power gathers in Dragburn’s mouth, forming a lump of flame.
It’s a breath attack.
He’s using the distance to launch a long-range attack.
ㅤ
“『Heat Dragon. . . . . .”
“””『Lightning Strike』!”””
“What?!”
ㅤ
However, multiple lightning spells struck Dragburn directly, paralyzing him and stopping his movements.
As a result, the magic he had gathered dispersed, and his breath attack fizzled out.
It’s an attack from Balzac and the Elf squad.
The damage is almost nil, but it serves as good interference.
ㅤ
“Leave the support to us! We may not be able to provide much help with our power, but we will hold him off with all we have, staking the pride of the Elves!”
“”Thank you!””
ㅤ
While expressing our gratitude, Stella and I move forward.
We close the distance with Dragburn.
ㅤ
“How annoying!”
“『Quagmire』!”
“Ugh!”
ㅤ
As Dragburn tried to step forward and raise his fist, one of the Elves created a swamp at his feet using magic.
Caught by it, Dragburn’s posture is disrupted.
Stella immediately swooped in for an attack.
ㅤ
“Is that all you’ve got!”
ㅤ
Dragburn, in a disheveled stance, swings his fist with brute force.
I leap in front of Stella once again, serving as a shield.
This is my role within the Hero’s Party.
Seeing me, Dragburn changes his movements.
Of course.
Dragburn is no fool.
He knows that if he attacks the same way, it will just be deflected again.
ㅤ
To blow me away, Dragburn releases a roaring flame from the tip of his elbow, using it as thrust to accelerate the speed and destructive power of his fist.
He doesn’t think about feints or deception, just a straightforward show of raw power.
A style that maximizes his own strengths, without any petty tricks.
Softness cuts through hardness.
In a way, it’s the right approach.
ㅤ
“But.”
ㅤ
My swordsmanship is specifically designed to kill such opponents.
Softness controls hardness, and with the controlled hardness, pierce the enemy.
The stronger the enemy, the stronger my sword becomes.
ㅤ
“『Explosive Flame Fist』!”
“Sixth Strike━━.”
ㅤ
I’ll use that impressive strength against you!
ㅤ
“『Sky Rebellion』!”
“What?!”
ㅤ
Last time, my attack only managed to barely crack his bones.
However, Sky Rebellion, like my other techniques, draws its essence from using the enemy’s power.
Sky Rebellion permeates the most vulnerable part of the enemy with the force of our clashing attacks, sandwiching the unstoppable force of the enemy’s attack and destroying it.
Given that Dragburn’s attack power has increased since last time, so too will the destructive force of Sky Rebellion.
The concern is that Dragburn’s defensive power has also increased, but it can’t match the rate at which his attack power has grown.
Judging from the damage he took from Stella’s earlier attack, it’s roughly twice as powerful as before.
That should be more than enough for Sky Rebellion to be effective.
ㅤ
There’s a snap, and the sound of Dragburn’s wrist breaking rings out.
Simultaneously, Dragburn stumbles due to the repelling force.
It’s not damage from my Holy Sword, so he’ll recover soon, but an opening has been created.
ㅤ
“『Angel Thrust』!”
“What?!”
ㅤ
At that moment, Stella’s thrust explodes into Dragburn’s chest.
The focused power of her Holy Sword shatters Dragburn’s scales, pierces through the flesh, breaks the bone, and sends him flying.
ㅤ
“Ugh?!”
ㅤ
Dragburn coughs up blood.
The monster is bleeding.
It’s working.
It’s definitely working!
ㅤ
“Keep attacking!”
“””Yes!”””
ㅤ
Balzac’s command rings out, and Elves scatter in all directions, firing attack spells at angles that won’t interfere with us.
The plan seems to be to accumulate some damage here.
If other attacks can dig into the wounds caused by the Holy Sword, they might inflict some irrecoverable damage.
Naturally, we follow suit.
Once again, I take the front, and Stella positions herself behind me as we charge at Dragburn.
This formation is the basic pattern of our teamwork.
If we can’t handle it, we’ll wear him down before we can.
ㅤ
“Hahahaha! Good! Very good! You’re worth defeating!”
ㅤ
Despite being pelted by a rain of magic and attacked by the threat that we are, Dragburn still laughs fearlessly.
Magical energy gathers again in his mouth, forming a ball of fire.
He’s preparing to breathe fire.
The same scene as before.
But unlike last time, Dragburn doesn’t fire right away, instead gathering even more magical energy.
Naturally, the more energy he gathers, the more powerful the fire breath becomes.
Just like the attack that scorched the Divine Tree.
If he can’t bring us down with his current firepower, he’ll simply raise it.
A simple and straightforward display of brute force.
And that’s what makes it terrifying.
Dragburn clearly understands the method that allows him to exhibit his power to the fullest.
ㅤ
“D, Don’t let it fire! Make it misfire just like before! 『Lightning Strike』!”
“””『Lightning Strike』!”””
ㅤ
The lightning magic unleashed by the elves strikes Dragburn once again.
However, Dragburn remained unfazed, as if to say that such instant-cast spells are nothing to be afraid of if you see them coming.
In that case!
ㅤ
“Stella!”
“I get it! 『Moonlight Blade』!”
“『Dark Moon』!”
ㅤ
In response to Stella’s long-range attack, I also launched a counterattack, albeit a weak one.
Blades of light and darkness, resembling the moon, assail Dragburn.
Light takes the lead.
Darkness follows the exact same trajectory as the light, as if gouging out any wounds the light might have inflicted.
To defend against this, Dragburn crossed both arms.
His arms had thicker scales and tougher muscles than other parts of his body.
The two strikes only left a single gash on his robust arms.
ㅤ
“If long-range won’t work!”
“Close combat it is! 『Luminous Frenzy』!”
ㅤ
Stella dashes past me and begins to rain down an unrelenting barrage of light on Dragburn.
While not a major skill, each strike is powered by the Holy Sword, making them significantly strong.
Dragburn silently withstands all of it, arms still crossed.
While enduring, it continues to gather the magical energy for its breath attack.
It is taking damage.
Its arms are gradually getting tattered.
ㅤ
Yet, Dragburn remains unfazed.
ㅤ
Enduring, enduring, and enduring.
Charging, charging, and charging.
And finally. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Stella! Fall back and cast a barrier!”
“Huh?! 『Holy Shield Barrier』!”
ㅤ
I called Stella back the moment before Dragburn was about to release its breath attack, judging that we wouldn’t make it in time.
Stella quickly takes a step back to swap places with me, and immediately casts a defensive barrier in front of Dragburn.
ㅤ
“””『Holy Shield Barrier』!”””
ㅤ
The elves also cast barrier spells to reinforce it, resulting in multiple overlapping barriers.
Stella’s is instant-cast, but the elves’ are fully chanted.
They had started chanting barrier spells when Stella began her close combat, to make sure Stella wouldn’t get caught in it.
The elves are indeed talented.
Though how much that talent will mean in the face of that creature is uncertain.
ㅤ
Dragburn opens its mouth.
Having endured our relentless attacks, it finally releases the breath it had been charging.
ㅤ
“『Blazing Roar』!”
ㅤ
It felt as if the sun itself had fallen.
Such an immense amount of heat.
An incredible density of flaming radiation.
The barriers set up by Stella and the others are easily penetrated, and the burning inferno approaches us.
ㅤ
“『Slashing Sweep』!”
ㅤ
There’s no way to prevent this except for the Slashing Sweep.
I wish I could use the Final Killing Sword, but it’s still beyond my capabilities right now.
My skill level is still insufficient.
And, a simple Slashing Sweep won’t cut through this fire.
The density of the flames is extraordinary.
The magical power is tightly compressed, and the gaps that should be cut with the Slashing Sweep are hard to see amidst the flames.
ㅤ
Still, I swing my blade.
The difficulty is akin to widening the boundary of a dense layer of earth.
And once or twice won’t suffice.
I have to keep cutting until the flame radiation ceases.
My physical and mental energy is rapidly drained.
The heat that I couldn’t entirely deflect burns my arms, causing agonizing pain.
ㅤ
“O Guardian Power, a fragment of divine might! Manifest a holy shield to repel the invasion of evil and protect us! ━━『Holy Shield Barrier』!”
ㅤ
To support me in such a situation, Stella cast a barrier spell from behind.
Not an incantation-free spell, but a fully chanted one, albeit hastily recited at a rapid pace.
Prioritizing activation speed, the spell wasn’t highly ranked, so it was quickly consumed by the flames. Still, I was grateful for any delay it provided.
Even a few fractions of a second to rest allows me the opportunity to observe the flames more closely.
If we can manage to halt the flames even a little, a weakness will emerge somewhere.
Strike at that new weakness, and I can somehow cleave through the flames!
ㅤ
And so, cutting, sweeping, scattering.
I was somehow able to fend off the scorching hellfire.
My arm is hot.
My mithril gauntlets are glowing red.
If not for them, my arm might have burned off halfway through.
ㅤ
“『Advanced Healing』!”
“Haa. . . . . . Haa. . . . . . That helps.”
ㅤ
Thanks to Stella’s healing, I managed to recover, but the damage is extensive.
In that single blow, almost all the Elves were wiped out.
I think some may still be alive because I scattered them as much as I could with my Slashing Sweep, and Balzac, who has divine protection and is more resilient than ordinary people, still looks capable of fighting.
But the other Elves are either dead or incapacitated.
Our fighting strength has dropped sharply.
Meanwhile, the enemy, although accumulating some minor damage, is still largely untroubled.
ㅤ
Cornering him a bit, only to be flipped over by a single blow.
ㅤ
This is the real power of the Four Heavenly Kings.
What to do?
Can we win by grinding it out in this condition?
No, honestly, it’s quite tough.
I’d like to end it all at once with Stella’s special move, but that takes time to chant.
To give such a high-level skill to the real Dragburn, the chanting time would also be considerably long.
To buy that time with our current capabilities. . . . . .impossible.
In that case, it’s better to have Stella also participate in the attack and wait for reinforcements.
The odds of winning could fluctuate significantly in the time it takes for reinforcements to arrive.
ㅤ
“Allan. . . . . .are you okay?”
“I’m fine. My arm can still move.”
ㅤ
Plus, I have a trump card.
It’s a newly developed technique, unstable because it’s new, but I can’t afford to hesitate now.
A new technique of mine, existing in a domain I could never reach in the Official World.
Time to show it off.
ㅤ
“Hahaha! You can still move, right? You can still fight, right? Then entertain me more!”
ㅤ
Dragburn goes in for a counter-attack.
Just as I was about to unleash my new blade. . . . . .
ㅤ
“『Judgment of all Attributes』!”
“Huh?!”
ㅤ
Seeing a massive spell engulf Dragburn from behind, I changed my action.
Seriously?
Much faster than I thought.
Should I say, as expected of humanity’s protectors?
ㅤ
“The healing power, as a part of the divine force, grant your blessing of compassion to the wounded warriors. ━━ 『Advanced Healing』!”
ㅤ
A completely chanted high-level Healing Magic is spread throughout the area, fully healing my incomplete recovery and making the Elves on the brink of death combat-ready.
Moreover, a large warrior stands in front of us, worn-out, facing Dragburn.
Seeing the dependable comrades who rushed over, Stella calls out their names.
ㅤ
“Ernesta-san! Rin! Blade!”
“Stella-san! Allan-kun!”
“We’ve kept you waiting! Everything will be fine now that we’re here!”
“Yeah! Quickly defeated a high-ranking dragon and came over!”
ㅤ
The Hero’s Party is assembled here.
They rushed over in just a few minutes after the signal spell was launched.
Furthermore, they led many Elves, who had been off fighting the high-ranking dragons.
And if the Elf forces are assembled, so is the one leading them.
ㅤ
“Sorry for the delay. We will now commence the original strategy.”
ㅤ
Saying this, Eltrait-san thrust his staff into the ground.
Following suit, the other Elves performed the same action.
ㅤ
“O Light Spirit, guardian of a corner of the magic’s reason, answer our call and create an impregnable fortress from the great earth.”
“””O Light Spirit, guardian of a corner of the magic’s reason, answer our call and create an impregnable fortress from the great earth.”””
ㅤ
In sync with Eltrait-san’s incantation, the Elves join, and countless chants come together to form a single grand spell.
It serves as a cage to trap the external enemies threatening this world, a fortress to face off against formidable foes.
The magic, which had been decided upon in the pre-battle strategy, is now activated.
ㅤ
“『Ironclad Fortress』!”
“””『Ironclad Fortress』!”””
ㅤ
Huge metal walls rise from the ground, encircling Dragburn and us.
Within these walls that resemble an arena, we remain with our frontline, Stella and Blade, facing our enemy, Dragburn.
Furthermore,
ㅤ
“O Guardian Power, a fragment of divine might, hear our prayers. Envelop us, who stand against the invasion of evil, in layers of sacred power, and protect us.”
“””O Guardian Power, a fragment of divine might, hear our prayers. Envelop us, who stand against the invasion of evil, in layers of sacred power, and protect us.”””
“””『Quintuple Sacred Barrier』!”””
ㅤ
This time, Rin takes the lead in casting a dome-shaped barrier spell, sealing off attacks from inside the fortress to the outside.
Thanks to this barrier, Elves rapidly assemble on the fortress walls that are now more secure, albeit not perfect.
Their number, truly. . . . . .
ㅤ
“In preparation for unforeseen circumstances, we left a thousand in the village for defense and have gathered all other forces here. Nine thousand Elf troops, present!”
“””Present!”””
“Ooo. . . . . . !”
ㅤ
Seeing about nine thousand Elves gathered, Dragburn displayed an expression of joy.
Four Holy Warriors and nine thousand elite Elves from a powerful race, plus me.
If we can’t even defeat one of the Four Heavenly Kings with this, humanity is doomed.
Yet, the fear that not even this guarantees a win existed.
Even now,
ㅤ
“HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA! Excellent! You’re all excellent! Now, stake your lives and come at me with all you’ve got!”
ㅤ
Dragburn displayed a fearless grin as if he had not the slightest intention of losing.
All reinforcements had arrived, and the final formation was near perfect.
If we don’t defeat him here, it’s the end.
We must. . . . . .
ㅤ
“Defeat you. . . . . .Dragburn!”
ㅤ
Thus, the decisive battle with Dragburn moved into its second round.
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