Chapter 29

CHAPTER 5 The Reaper and the Scarlet Swordswoman Part I: A Golden Opportunity Just like our first battle, the crab started off materialized, making physical attacks effective. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t let us get close easily. In exchange for her increased magic defense, Seraphina could no longer defend completely against those gigantic pincers. Elitia accelerated and went in front for a moment, and the Merciless Guillotine had two targets: her and Seraphina with her Provoke. “Kyouka, Theresia, let’s spread out!” “Got it!” ♦Current Status♦ > ELITIA activated SONIC RAID > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE attacked ELITIA evaded Elitia drew the crab’s attention and evaded the huge pincer as it crashed diagonally down into the ground. Sand was kicked up from the impact, and Theresia and Igarashi moved in to where they could get in a counterattack. If I can Stun or Confuse it now, then maybe Melissa can get in there with her auto-kill… Crap! ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE deployed special action GHOST BODY Resistance Change: Immune to physical attacks It can change its immunities with skills other than Phantom Drift…! That ruined any chance we had of getting an auto-kill hit in right away, or even of starting a combination attack with Elitia. But that didn’t change the fact we had an opening. I didn’t know if this would be effective now that it wasn’t materialized, but I used the new skill I took before we arrived. Command Support! ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO used HAWK EYES to perceive MERCILESS GUILLOTINE’s weak spot > ARIHITO activated COMMAND SUPPORT 1 Now capable of guiding party members’ target I knew it… The wound I made with Murakumo is a weak spot now! “Theresia, Igarashi! Do a combo with magic attacks!” I shouted. ““……!”” I was going to try and get a status effect in there, specifically, Confusion. Stun had worked on the Sand Scissors, but either would work as long as it slowed down the crab. “Cooperation Support…long-range attacks!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated COOPERATION SUPPORT 1 > ARIHITO activated ATTACK SUPPORT 2 Support Type: FORCE SHOT (HYPNOSIS) > THERESIA activated ACTIVE STEALTH > ARIHITO activated FORCE SHOT (HYPNOSIS) Hit MERCILESS GUILLOTINE Weak spot attack Flinch Combined attack stage 1 > THERESIA activated AZURE SLASH Hit MERCILESS GUILLOTINE ACTIVE STEALTH terminated Combined attack stage 2 > KYOUKA activated SPIRAL LIGHTNING Hit MERCILESS GUILLOTINE Caused ELECTROCUTION Combined attack stage 3 > ATTACK SUPPORT 2 activated 2 times MERCILESS GUILLOTINE resisted CONFUSION > Combined Attack: FORCE, AZURE, SPIRAL MERCILESS GUILLOTINE was CONFUSED Continued ELECTROCUTED state While in the sky, I pulled back my slingshot and fired off a magical bullet, with a single spot in my sights. It’d become difficult to make out all of the giant crab, but it wasn’t enough to hinder my aim since I’d found the weak spot with Hawk Eyes. The bullet struck as it tried to raise its pincer, and it stopped moving for a brief moment. “……!” “Hyaaa!” Theresia used that moment to slash at it with a blue fire–covered blade, and Igarashi jabbed it with a lightning-coated spear. ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE’s shell broke Defense fell Status ailments nullified “GWAAARARAAA!!” “…Its pincer broke!” cried Elitia. The crack in its pincer widened until it was no longer able to support its weight and almost half the pincer broke off. The part that fell to the ground materialized, its tip piercing the sand. We were able to get in a huge hit when only magical attacks were effective… Last time, this is the kind of situation where it materialized. But there’s a chance this thing won’t follow the same pattern all the time! “Leader!” called Melissa. “Arihito, I think now’s the time!” said Misaki. “No, not yet!” ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated PHANTOM DRIFT Speed increased I was right… It knows that we’ve come with a weapon that can kill it immediately! “Melissa, wait until you’re sure you can hit it!” I ordered. “Ah… Okay!” The giant crab’s two eyes moved strangely. One eye looked up to the sky while the other stayed on the ground. “Chirp!” Right after, the Demi-Harpies let out a noise that sounded like a quiet scream. I felt an indescribable shudder run up my spine and decided to trust my instincts. “Everyone, scatter! Misaki, Suzuna, get as far away as you can!” “Okay!” “R-right!” ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated SKY HIGH > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated TYPHOON Wind-inflicted area attack “—Aaaaaah!!” The giant crab noticed us in the sky and deemed us a threat. The moment it leaped into the air, its body released a violent torrent of wind. ““Eeeek…!!”” God…dammit… How many skills does this thing have?! The Demi-Harpies managed to hold on to us, but the lashing winds the giant crab produced left cuts on their skin. My suit was torn, and I saw small lines of blood running down. It was clear that my friends had been injured as well. A light shone on the crab’s back. This gale-creating skill must be one of the ones it stole from Roland. I regretted not learning about all of Roland’s skills before coming here. But even if I had known, it would have been nearly impossible to evade that attack, beyond trying to fly higher in the sky. “Ch-cheep…” “Himiko, can you still fly?!” “…Chirp!” Himiko mustered up some strength and replied. It didn’t seem like the giant crab could continue to use two skills while in the sky, because it fell to the ground again. It wasn’t materialized, though, so it didn’t take any damage from the impact. “Misaki, Suzuna, are you okay?!” “Y-yes… I somehow managed to make it, thanks to your warning,” said Suzuna. “Urgh… My eyes are spinning from being swooshed around…,” said Misaki. I should have made sure I was behind them even though we were in the sky. Now I moved around to their backs and activated Recovery Support. “Ah… It’s fast… But that’s not enough to hit me!” ♦Current Status♦ > ELITIA activated SONIC RAID > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated SOUL-STEALING SCYTHE ELITIA evaded > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated SOUL-STEALING SCYTHE ELITIA evaded The giant crab targeted Elitia with wide-swinging violent attacks, but Elitia continued to evade. If she could at least activate Counter Slice 1, then I could use Attack Support 1 to get in a small hit, but she didn’t have the time to move in right now. If only we could make it so that physical attacks are effective… What do we do?! I couldn’t decide which path to go down… Any choice here couldn’t be changed, and it would have an impact on our future strategy. But I couldn’t sit around confused. The Merciless Guillotine was already starting to target Theresia and Igarashi. “Agh!” “—!” ♦Current Status♦ > THERESIA activated MIRAGE and SHADOW STEP > KYOUKA activated EVASION STEP > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated SOUL-STEALING SCYTHE THERESIA evaded > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated SOUL-STEALING SCYTHE KYOUKA evaded > KYOUKA’s evasion rate increased “Ms. Theresia, Ms. Kyouka!” cried Seraphina. The three of them were using everything they had to draw the enemy’s attention and make sure it didn’t focus all its attacks on Seraphina, our tank. The problem was, it took everything they had to keep up with the crab’s speed, and they weren’t able to take a single opportunity for a counterattack. Even if I tried to support them from the sky, the giant crab kept moving so that it was keeping someone in the vanguard engaged. “It’s fast…but I can still dodge!” Igarashi’s speed increased even more. I could tell she was getting more confident. It was right then that I started to think they could keep dodging forever. “Kyouka, look out!” “Igarashi!!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated DEFENSE SUPPORT 1 Target: KYOUKA > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated NECROBURST > GHOST SCISSORS exploded Hit KYOUKA MERCILESS GUILLOTINE absorbed vitality “Eeeek!” “……!!” ♦Current Status♦ > KYOUKA’s VARIABLE ARMOR +4 broke Unfortunately, Igarashi had come close to the remains of a Ghost Scissors, and it exploded with a flash of magical light. Despite the fact that her Protection Necklace guarded against equipment breaking, it wasn’t able to prevent it. About half of Igarashi’s armor was blown off, injuring her in the process. “How dare you—!” “Ellie, wait!” ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated SOUL-STEALING SCYTHE ELITIA evaded Elitia was enraged, but Igarashi got her under control. At the last minute, instead of stepping forward to charge in, she leaped backward and avoided the scythe. “Ow… This is nothing…!” “—!!” “Kyouka!” Both Theresia and Elitia moved in to help Igarashi. Before the giant crab could lash out at her, Seraphina moved in to block the attack. “GUWARARAAAA!!” “Mr. Atobe, some support please!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated DEFENSE SUPPORT 1 Target: SERAPHINA > SERAPHINA activated IMMOVABLE BREATH Increased chance of counter > SERAPHINA activated WIDE STANCE Knockback effects against SERAPHINA nullified > SERAPHINA activated AURA SHIELD > MIRRORED SHELL PAVIS’s special effect activated SERAPHINA’s magic defense rose sharply > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated SOUL-STEALING SCYTHE I felt like my heart stopped. I’d guessed that attack had been magical because it had slipped right through Roland’s defense, but it wasn’t impossible that I was wrong. The scythe swung down toward Seraphina’s shield. There was no going back. The moment the scythe touched the shield, there was an impact totally unlike when two physical objects collide, and the giant crab’s scythe was repelled with a loud noise. “Haaaaaah!” ♦Current Status♦ > SERAPHINA activated SHIELD PARRY Nullified SOUL-STEALING SCYTHE > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE’s actions temporarily halted “She did it!” “Amazing… Seraphina blocked the scythe!” That defense brought us back from the brink of destruction and set us up for a counterattack. Both Igarashi, who had taken damage, and Theresia fell into offensive stances. Melissa was also likely coming in for an attack. This was a once in a lifetime golden opportunity to get through this. Part II: Crimson Petals I was going to give the order to start a combo attack using the opportunity Seraphina made for us, but I saw Igarashi touch a hand to her broken armor. What on earth is she…? Oh, right! “Theresia, back me up!” said Igarashi, and Theresia readied her sword to make the second stage of the combo, followed by Seraphina. “Suzuna, take Sacred Words!” I ordered. “Okay!” She didn’t hesitate. Her license glowed, responding to her will to take a new skill. “Holy symbols that repel the wicked, grant me your power!” ♦Current Status♦ > SUZUNA activated SACRED WORDS Holy attribute added to ARIHITO’s weapon A white character appeared on my black slingshot. I had a suspicion that the Holy attribute would be effective against the giant crab while it was immaterialized like this since it was a Named version of the Ghost Scissors and had a skill with “phantom” in the name. Would it end up for better or for worse? If I was wrong and it wasn’t going to materialize even if we hit it with a massive attack while only magical attacks were effective, we’d have no choice but to keep fighting without our instant-kill attack. Our magic attacks haven’t been our main strength up until now. Can they be powerful enough to become a threat…? It’s now or never! “Cooperation Support…defensive line!” “…!!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated COOPERATION SUPPORT 1 > ARIHITO activated ATTACK SUPPORT 2 Support Type: FORCE SHOT (STUN) > ARIHITO activated FORCE SHOT (HYPNOSIS) Hit MERCILESS GUILLOTINE Combination attack stage 1 > THERESIA activated AZURE SLASH Hit MERCILESS GUILLOTINE Weak spot attack Slight knockback Magic power combustion Combination attack stage 2 Theresia targeted the weak spot even without an order from me. That meant each person understood what area was effective to attack after I’d used Command Support once. The giant crab was engulfed in blue flames as it burned. It had been temporarily stopped, and now it flinched, followed by a knockback effect that pushed it back. Igarashi was already spacing herself to get in the third stage of the combo. That was when my guess as to what she was doing turned into a certainty. “Ethereal Form!” ♦Current Status♦ > KYOUKA activated ETHEREAL FORM > KYOUKA switched weapon to AMBIVALENZ > KYOUKA’s armor changed to ETHEREAL state Abilities restored Increased speed, magic defense “Sh-she transformed… Arihito, she transformed!” cried Misaki. I doubt Igarashi herself even anticipated this. Her magic filled in the sections of her broken armor, and winglike shapes sprouted from her back. Then she switched to her double-headed spear, whose power increased by the amount of damage the user had taken. After switching, she lashed out with a magic attack that she could use with any spear she used. “Come forth…Lightning Rage!” ♦Current Status♦ > KYOUKA activated LIGHTNING RAGE Hit MERCILESS GUILLOTINE Weak spot attack Caused ELECTROCUTION Combination attack stage 3 > Additional attacks from LIGHTNING RAGE 3 stages hit MERCILESS GUILLOTINE Weak spot attack > ATTACK SUPPORT 2 activated 5 times MERCILESS GUILLOTINE was STUNNED Weak spot attack Continued STUNNED state > Combination attack: FORCE, AZURE, RAGE MERCILESS GUILLOTINE’s STUN state was lengthened Weak spot attack Continued ELECTROCUTED state Blue flames licked at the crab’s shell. Igarashi closed in on it and thrust her spear at its mouth. Lightning exploded from her spear, and since there were no other potential targets in the area, all the lightning that would have struck the surrounding area arced toward the giant crab, increasing the power of the attack. Will this do it…? Maybe Elitia can get in there, too! If Igarashi had her mirage warrior, we’d get even more attacks in there with one volley, but Cooperation Support 1 only worked for up to three people. Instead of aiming for simply increasing our number of fighters, I was hoping to get in a huge combo hit. Everyone watched what happened after that volley. The crab had been translucent, but suddenly we were no longer able to see through it to the other side… ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE materialized Nullified magic Status ailments removed The Stunned, blue flame–engulfed giant crab suddenly materialized. “GUWAAARARAAAAA!!” It still had plenty of vitality. The giant crab raised its broken pincer and scythe as if to testify to that, but— “Now! Misaki, Melissa!” “Take it out, Melissa! Morale Discharge, Fortune Roll!” ♦Current Status♦ > MISAKI activated FORTUNE ROLL Next action will succeed automatically I didn’t know where Melissa had gone—at the very least, she wasn’t in front of the giant crab. Seraphina’s gaze alerted me to Melissa’s location: She’d been waiting this whole time and was about to use the Ambush skill she’d just learned. “I’ll bring you down!!” ♦Current Status♦ > MELISSA attacked AMBUSH effects activated Hit MERCILESS GUILLOTINE Critical hit I just barely caught sight of Melissa circling behind the giant crab in midair and raising the sinister-looking Forbidden Scythe. Time seemed to stop. Would the auto-kill effect actually work? All I could do in that moment was pray. ♦Current Status♦ > FORBIDDEN SCYTHE’s special effect was activated > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE was hit with auto-kill effect > 1 MERCILESS GUILLOTINE defeated “—GUWA…RAARAAA…RAA…” The fierce giant crab fell. Rumbles echoed across the beach as the ground trembled from the crash when its long legs lost their strength and its body plummeted to the ground. “We did it… Wow, we really did it, Arihito!” I heard Misaki crying in joy. Igarashi and Theresia turned back to look up in my direction. But I, along with several others, noticed something. I didn’t want it to be true; I didn’t want to think that the battle would continue even though our strategy had succeeded. ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE activated REINCARNATE > MERCILESS GUILLOTINE summoned MERCILESS MOURNER All of a sudden, a figure clad in a crab shell appeared in front of the immobilized Merciless Guillotine. It looked like the humanoid version of the giant crab and was vastly smaller, but I could sense that it was even more powerful. ♦Monster Encountered♦ MERCILESS MOURNER Level 9 Dropped Loot: ??? “A-Arihito… It’s…” “It’s coming!” It started moving without a moment’s delay. The blades on the outside of its shell-clad arms flashed as it went for the closest person: Theresia. “—!!” “No you don’t!” “Elitia!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated DEFENSE SUPPORT 1 Target: ELITIA > MERCILESS MOURNER attacked ELITIA defended Elitia covered Theresia, who didn’t have time to react, and defended against the attack with her sword. They weren’t that different in size, but the Mourner’s attack pushed Elitia backward. Just before I thought she might try to get in a Counter Slash 1, the monster lashed out with its other arm. ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS MOURNER activated PHANTOM BLADE Hit ELITIA “—Aagh?!” Its second attack landed before Elitia’s. If this thing was faster than her, then no one in the party would be able to keep up with it. ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS MOURNER activated EXECUTION KYOUKA evaded “Ah… It’s so fast!” A slash of its arm meant it could reach even an opponent it wasn’t engaged with. It looked like it cut nothing more than air, but its range was longer than it appeared. Igarashi managed to evade thanks to the effects of her Evasion Step. Even so, if she had used it a split second later, she would have been hit. Theresia knew it would target her next, but she didn’t fall back, instead readying her sword and shield. But I knew she wouldn’t be able to handle this monster; it was faster than Elitia. “O devotee, my Guard Arm has recovered. It is now available for your use.” I heard Ariadne’s voice in my mind. She’d deemed that this was a time when it was necessary. “All right… Go, Ariadne!” “……!!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO requested temporary support from ARIADNE Target: THERESIA > ARIADNE activated GUARD ARM > MERCILESS MOURNER activated PHANTOM BLADE Hit THERESIA No damage Ariadne answered my request, but even though the Guard Arm halted the attack, it didn’t stop the monster. ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated DEFENSE SUPPORT 1 Target: THERESIA > MERCILESS MOURNER attacked Hit THERESIA “……!!” Theresia wasn’t able to completely brace herself against the horizontal slash with her shield. She was launched into the air and went crashing into the sand. I couldn’t cry out or even go down to save her. I knew that if I lost my composure, people would die. “—No more…!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated DEFENSE SUPPORT 1 Target: SERAPHINA > SERAPHINA activated PROVOKE MERCILESS MOURNER’s hostility toward SERAPHINA increased > SERAPHINA activated IMMOVABLE BREATH Increased chance of counter > MIRRORED SHELL PAVIS’s special effect was activated SERAPHINA’s magic defense rose sharply > MERCILESS MOURNER activated PHANTOM BLADE Hit SERAPHINA > MERCILESS MOURNER activated PHANTOM BLADE Hit SERAPHINA The intervals between its attacks were so quick that I couldn’t respond with another Guard Arm request. Seraphina couldn’t even bring the damage from one attack down to zero, but she didn’t fall a single step backward thanks to her Immovable Breath skill. “—Seraphina, it’s no good!” shouted Suzuna. She, along with the rest of us, knew that Seraphina was risking her life to buy us time. “I will not retreat a single step… You cannot push me back!” “Suzuna, use Auto-Hit! That should be able to land!” I ordered. “Okay!” ♦Current Status♦ > SUZUNA activated AUTO-HIT Next two shots will automatically hit > ARIHITO activated ATTACK SUPPORT 2 Support Type: FORCE SHOT (STUN) > SUZUNA activated STORM ARROW Hit MERCILESS MOURNER It wasn’t Stunned or slowed down…but still! The monster was wary of Suzuna’s arrows and stopped its series of attacks against Seraphina to fall back. But it was still within range to use its long-range Execution attack. Even our lowest-level member, Melissa, was in range. ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS MOURNER activated EXECUTION It didn’t turn around; it just whipped its right crab shell–covered arm behind it. Neither Melissa nor Cion had any way of dodging it. I should have ordered her to get out of there the moment her auto-kill attack was successful…before she was targeted. All sound faded. I couldn’t do anything to intercept. This creature was faster than Elitia—there was nothing the rest of us could do to beat that speed. She’d always been that fast. She had always saved us from destruction with that sword of hers. “—Hyaaaaaa!” ♦Current Status♦ > ELITIA activated BERSERK and RED EYE Attack power and movement capabilities increased Magic drain begins > ELITIA activated SLASH RIPPER Hit MERCILESS MOURNER Action canceled A red blur streaked across the beach and blew the enemy away. Based on what happened, I guessed she had slashed at it horizontally. “Ellie!” Her eyes were dyed crimson, and a red aura surrounded her body. This was completely different from when she’d just used Berserk. “I will not let my friends get taken from me again… I will scatter you across this beach like crimson petals!” The monster’s shell was gouged, but it stood against Elitia with no less hostility than before. “Master, Elitia cannot maintain this state for very long,” came Murakumo’s voice. She was right; we needed to end this as soon as possible. ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS MOURNER activated CREATE GOLEM > 16 SAND SCISSORS summoned The creature spread its arms, and I saw Sand Scissors sprout up here and there, and I knew. I knew that it was thinking the exact same thing as us—that it absolutely wasn’t going to lose this fight. Part III: All-Out War Each of the Sand Scissors was still level 6, the same level as the Arachnophilia. I didn’t waver even though I saw an absurd sixteen of them appear. We still had ways to handle this; we hadn’t exhausted the attacks available to us. “Melissa, Cion, you did a great job! Get out of there before they surround you!” I ordered. “…But I can still…” “Woof!” Melissa was still trying to get in an auto-kill hit. But it wasn’t like Elitia could stop the monster every time it targeted Melissa. Cion seemed to understand that well. While the Merciless Mourner was glaring threateningly at Elitia, it seemed to radiate hostility in every direction. In the sky, the Demi-Harpies were terrified and didn’t seem like they could move in any closer, but they were prepared to do what was needed if it came down to it. Then, before Elitia and the Merciless Mourner could cross blades again… “Morale Discharge, Soul Mirage!” “……!” ♦Current Status♦ > KYOUKA activated SOUL MIRAGE All party members gained a MIRAGE WARRIOR > THERESIA activated TRIPLE STEAL All party members received TRIPLE STEAL effects The Demi-Harpies didn’t get a mirage warrior, but everyone in the party other than Cion, who was in the secondary party, was strengthened by the effects of Igarashi’s and Theresia’s Morale Discharges. That meant there were two Elitias’ worth of attack power, both of their abilities skyrocketing thanks to Red Eye. “Hyaaaaaa!” Elitia started the fight. Two blurs of the golden-haired swordswoman closed in on the monster. “We’re going in, too… Suzuna, your flute! Misaki, can you still keep going?!” I said. “I—I think I can just about do it somehow… I won’t hold you back!” said Misaki as Suzuna pulled out her flute. It was made from a massive horn but looked like a normal sideways flute. The two Shrine Maidens readied their flutes. ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated ATTACK SUPPORT 2 Support Type: DARKNESS BULLET > ELITIA and her MIRAGE WARRIOR activated BLOSSOM BLADE > MERCILESS MOURNER activated BLOCKING Elitia used her strongest skill as her first move. It reached sixteen stages because she was in Berserk, and then went past sixteen. As hard as it was to believe, however, the monster raised its arms and took Elitia’s vicious attack straight on. “—I’ll cut you down!” While she was violently slashing away, a light emerged from Suzuna’s flute. The Sand Scissors had just started to move, but they froze the moment her music started. And I had already pulled the trigger of my magic gun to support Suzuna’s sound attack with another bullet. ♦Current Status♦ > SUZUNA activated SACRED WORDS Holy attribute added to SUZUNA’s weapon > SUZUNA and her MIRAGE WARRIOR inflicted area attack with SILVANUS’S FLUTE Hit 10 SAND SCISSORS Ineffective against MERCILESS MOURNER > ATTACK SUPPORT 2 activated Hit 10 SAND SCISSORS > ATTACK SUPPORT 2 activated for MIRAGE WARRIOR’s additional attack Hit 10 SAND SCISSORS > 10 SAND SCISSORS defeated > SUZUNA recovered vitality and magic Successfully stole loot from 8 targets The Holy-attribute sound wave crashed into the Sand Scissors, stopping them in their tracks where they were shot by black lightning from the Darkness Bullet. Having a mirage warrior didn’t double Attack Support 2, but since my support applied to Suzuna’s mirage warrior, the black lightning struck the Sand Scissors twice. “W-wow… That combo was, like, insane!!” said Misaki. I hadn’t expected it to go that well, either. The Merciless Mourner seemed to have an immunity to sound because the attack didn’t affect it. On the other hand, ten Sand Scissors turned back to sand, and a number of them left behind what looked like magic stones. On the ground, Igarashi and Theresia attacked the Sand Scissors coming at them. They, along with their mirage warriors, used Lightning Rage and Double Throw, and that, with my support, meant we’d wiped out all the summoned crabs in the blink of an eye. But Elitia and the Merciless Mourner continued to exchange ferocious blows. The Mourner was being hit with a rain of slashes from a second round of Elitia and her mirage warrior’s Blossom Blade. I started to feel concerned when Elitia went to use it for the third time. “Urgh… Ah…” The strength suddenly went out of her body. Being in Red Eye state drained too much of her magic. It was already depleted. “Ellie!” ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS MOURNER activated REVENGE BLADE Attack power increased by number of times defended I have to make it! “AAAAAaaaaah!!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO activated CHARGE ASSIST ELITIA recovered magic > ELITIA and her MIRAGE WARRIOR activated RISING BOLT MERCILESS MOURNER defended Nullified attack Critical hit > ELITIA’s UNICORN RIBBON’s special effect was activated A portion of the attack ignores the enemy’s defense on critical > ELITIA and her MIRAGE WARRIOR activated additional attacks Hit MERCILESS MOURNER > ATTACK SUPPORT 2 activated 4 times Hit MERCILESS MOURNER > ELITIA recovered vitality and magic Failed to steal loot “—!!!” The Merciless Mourner screamed in wordless rage and stumbled back as it was hit with Elitia’s strikes and my black lightning. Elitia and her mirage warrior had used Rising Bolt, a skill with few attacks, but she was able to use it with the magic I’d given her with Charge Assist. It managed to completely destroy the Merciless Mourner’s defense, despite how perfect it had seemed. Smoke wafted from the Merciless Mourner, but it didn’t fall. Elitia recovered a lot from the effects of Triple Steal and moved in to strike again, but— ♦Current Status♦ > MERCILESS MOURNER activated JET SLAUGHTER Targets: KYOUKA, THERESIA What?! Instead of attacking Elitia, who was directly in front of it, the Merciless Mourner pointed one arm at Theresia and one at Igarashi, then launched its bladed shell covering at them. It was trying to take down at least one person with it. A single attack from a level-9 Named Monster like this could be fatal to anyone in the party. But she was there with her large shield ready, as if she’d read the attack. “O devotee, now is the time to give strength to your ally. Call on the armor of your Stellar Mechanical God,” came Ariadne’s voice. That’s right, she’d said something before. She’d said that when our party’s combined level reached 20, I would be able to use a Guard Variant. “Ariadne, I request your support!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO requested temporary support from ARIADNE > ARIADNE activated GUARD VARIANT Targets: SERAPHINA, SERAPHINA’s MIRAGE WARRIOR This wasn’t the Guard Arm—it was a different protection from Ariadne. It worked by strengthening a member of the party who carried a shield. Thankfully, Seraphina accepted the change that happened to the shield in front of her eyes and continued with her action. ♦Current Status♦ > SERAPHINA activated AURA SHIELD > SERAPHINA’s MIRAGE WARRIOR activated halved AURA SHIELD > MIRRORED SHELL PAVIS’s special effect activated SERAPHINA’s magic defense rose sharply > SERAPHINA activated BODYGUARD Target: THERESIA > SERAPHINA’s MIRAGE WARRIOR activated BODYGUARD Target: KYOUKA > JET SLAUGHTER hit SERAPHINA and her MIRAGE WARRIOR GUARD VARIANT’s special effect was activated Physical attacks reflected > MERCILESS MOURNER hit with 2 stages of reflected attacks > SERAPHINA recovered vitality, magic Failed to steal loot “—Gah…ah!!” The two shell pieces the Merciless Mourner shot bounced off the huge shield and were repelled. Actually, they were launched back with the same force. “This shield…does more than protect!” exclaimed Seraphina. The shield returned the enemy’s physical attacks as they were. You could tell from looking at the damage of the impact left on the Merciless Mourner’s shell that it was a threatening attack, even to itself. The mirage warriors hadn’t yet disappeared. All the monsters it had summoned had been defeated. Its shell was no longer in one piece. But the Merciless Mourner still faced down Elitia. “…I’m ending this!” ♦Current Status♦ > ELITIA and her MIRAGE WARRIOR activated BLOSSOM BLADE > MERCILESS MOURNER activated DESPERATE MEASURES Attack, defense, and speed increased > MERCILESS MOURNER activated BLOCKING The red blurs that Elitia and her mirage warrior left in the wake of their swords looked like bountifully blooming flowers. The monster took those attacks head-on and continued to hold its own. It didn’t have only incredible offense; its defense was probably head and shoulders above that of other Named Monsters that appeared in the labyrinths in this district. But we were a group, and the enemy was alone. Even if it maintained its impenetrable defense from its front, its response to attacks from behind was slow. That moment of delay could mean its death.