“Suzuna, play your flute… It’s got the Silent Stone!” Suzuna didn’t waste time answering; she started playing the flute immediately. The Silent Stone gave it a different timbre than it had with the stagnation stone. ♦Current Status♦ > SUZUNA activated SOUND OF SILENCE > SIMIAN LORD MINION: HEALER fell silent > No effect on BLAZING SIMIAN KING > No effect on SIMIAN LORD MINION: PUPPETEER > SIMIAN LORD MINION: HEALER activated HEAL WOUND Activation failed We stopped her from healing it… Without perfect resistances, our status ailments should get through! “Just a little more… But how’s Theresia?!” Right—Theresia had to deal the final blow. But she wasn’t in any condition to stand and fight, even if Recovery Support would help. And meanwhile, though the Simian King was bleeding all over, it still refused to kneel. The sinister atmosphere hadn’t lifted. “Woof…!!” Cion took notice and ran as fast as the wind to help the fallen Theresia. A memory of our first battle with the Simian Lord flashed in my mind. In that memory, I saw that the monster had another weapon: the giant chain wrapped around its body. “GHAAAAAAH!!” ♦Current Status♦ > BLAZING SIMIAN KING activated CONCEALED WEAPON CAST > CION activated EMERGENCY EXTRACTION Even assuming Cion reached her mark in time, she would be wrapped up in the chain along with Theresia. As weakened as Theresia was, being restrained in and of itself would be too much for her. We should have saved her earlier… Wait, no… There’s still time! “You would do well not to forget us. Allow me to sever these bonds once again!” “Stellar Sword, activate! Arms Device Limiter, release!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIADNE summoned GUARD ARM > ARIADNE used MURAKUMO to activate BLADE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH: STEEL SLICE > BLADE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH: STEEL SLICE hit PURGATORIAL SHACKLES Destroyed PURGATORIAL SHACKLES Murakumo and Ariadne cut away the memory that struck fear into Alphecca. The Simian King jeered at us as it began to heave its chain; the glee drained from its face before the chain left its hand. At that moment, the Simian King looked desperate to survive.
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♦Current Status♦ > BLAZING SIMIAN KING restrained SIMIAN LORD MINION: HEALER and SIMIAN LORD MINION: PUPPETEER > BLAZING SIMIAN KING began charging FLASH OF DEVASTATION With two of its arms, the Simian King grabbed hold of Rury and the Puppeteer to use them as a shield. This prevented us from attacking while it began to gather their magic power into its forehead. We were powerless to fight back. One of us had to take the Simian King’s attack—and I didn’t need to know the specifics to understand that whoever Flash of Devastation hit, the result would be the same: death. “This is it… This is my time…!” ♦Current Status♦ > SERAPHINA activated PROVOKE Increased BLAZING SIMIAN KING’s hostility toward SERAPHINA “Seraphina…!” “I’ll take the blow… So please, Mr. Atobe, make sure Theresia gets there!” Seraphina meant to sacrifice herself to give Theresia a chance to counterattack. But I didn’t want to lose Seraphina. There had to be something I could do—but what? “Fear not, devotee…for I shall protect you without fail.” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIADNE summoned FYLGJA > FYLGJA activated ARMOR CHANGE FYLGJA powered up SERAPHINA’s ALTERED GLACIAL PLATE +1 > SERAPHINA activated AURA SHIELD > FYLGJA activated CONSTRUCT Defensive power of each defensive skill increased “I am Fylgja. Don the armor of a Hidden God, devotee; I shall protect you.” Fylgja’s voice resounded as Seraphina’s armor changed shape. The Simian King was smiling again, confident that it could kill Seraphina. The magic that it gathered in its forehead burst outward in an explosion of light. But at that moment… “Runes, grant me strength… Alternate Body!” “Everyone gets out alive… Everyone!” Misaki cried. ♦Current Status♦ > SERAPHINA activated ALTERNATE BODY Maximum vitality increased by half of magic power > BLAZING SIMIAN KING activated FLASH OF DEVASTATION Hit SERAPHINA > MISAKI activated POOL CAP Reduced damage to SERAPHINA to avert death MISAKI fainted Seraphina blocked the Flash of Devastation with her Mirrored Shell Pavis. Even with the combined defensive power of Fylgja and the Altered Glacial Plate, Seraphina likely wouldn’t have survived if it hadn’t been for the Alter Rune effects and Misaki’s Pool Cap. “Hyaaah… I’m toast…” “Misaki…!” The Simian King had tried to claim at least one of my companions and take them over to its side. But it wasn’t getting its way. While Seraphina intercepted the Flash of Devastation, I made my way over to Theresia’s side. “……” The hex marked on the back of Theresia’s neck was spreading. She could no longer move. I’m still going to save you, Theresia… I swear I will! I knew I’d gained another level the moment we defeated the Battle Puppet. “Theresia…let’s do it together. I know we can!” “……!” I propped Theresia up and held her upright. With great difficulty, she managed to stand on her own two feet and hold the Gloria Stiletto in a backhanded grip. “GIIIGIIGII… GYAGYAHHH!” The Simian King snickered, as if the moment it’d been waiting for had finally arrived. “……!!” ♦Current Status♦ > BLAZING SIMIAN KING activated INCITE TREACHERY Target: THERESIA The Simian King played the very last card in its hand: attempting to take control of Theresia as the hex consumed her. If Theresia turned hostile, we’d have no way to land a single hit with a Curse Eater weapon. Without that, Theresia would never be free of the hex, even with the Simian King dead. “GHUGAGA… GHAAAGAGAGA…!” “Theresia…!” Elitia cried out. She could have unleashed her Scarlet Trails and destroyed the Simian King—but she didn’t. Instead, she strode up and stood in front of the monster, completely defenseless. The Simian King reached a hand toward Elitia, ready to unleash its purgatorial flames. We’d fought so hard to get into a winning position, but a direct hit at such close range would completely turn the tables. But then… “…GHHH… GHAHA…” The Simian King’s confidence melted away along with its ferocious grin. “—!” ♦Current Status♦ > THERESIA’s PSYCHE BARRIER 1 activated > PSYCHE BARRIER 1’s success ensured by THERESIA’s and party members’ Trust Levels > INCITE TREACHERY was nullified PSYCHE BARRIER 1 deactivated The Psyche Barrier Lynée had deployed pulled Theresia back from the brink of ruin. “GAH… GHAAAHHH!” Elitia turned back our way. The Simian King panicked, pushing forward its hostages as if to parade them in front of us. We were watching the last moments of this monster, who had caused such long, horrible suffering for so many Seekers. “Theresia… Elitia… I’ve got your backs!” ♦Current Status♦ > ARIHITO learned ♦×○※3 Skill identified as ATTACK SUPPORT 3 > ARIHITO activated ATTACK SUPPORT 3 Support Type: THERESIA’s attacks Target: ELITIA “GUWOOOAAAHHH!!” The Simian King spit its last vicious roar at us—but that was no longer enough to scare me and my friends. “You’ve underestimated humans for the last time, Your Royal Monkeyness.” ♦Current Status♦ > ELITIA unleashed accumulated SCARLET TRAILS Activated 105 stage attack > THERESIA’s attacks hit 105 times due to ATTACK SUPPORT 3 Critical hit > Defeated 1 BLAZING SIMIAN KING Activated CURSE EATER > BLAZING SIMIAN KING’s SEALS OF SUBORDINATION vanished Elitia sheathed her sword. She unleashed her Scarlet Trails one after the other, with enough time between them for Theresia to strike along with each of them with the Gloria Stiletto. The cornered Simian King took the full force of the assault. In its desperation to survive, it had used every trick at its disposal. Creating the Battle Puppet, trapping Seekers in the Blazing Red Mansion—maybe all of that had been for the sake of survival. But what was it hoping to find when it outlived everything? What was its goal then? I might never find out. The only thing that mattered in that moment was that we’d won. All I wanted to do was rejoice that Theresia, Rury, and the rest of the Seekers were free from the beast’s clutches. “Rury!” The subjugated Seekers pitched forward and fell face-first from the Simian King’s enfeebled arms. Cion rushed in to catch the Puppeteer in the nick of time, while Elitia grabbed Rury. “Rury… Rury… Please, Rury, wake up…!” Elitia pleaded with her friend as the rest of us stood by watching. Tears fell from her eyes. “…Ellie…,” came the sound of Rury’s voice at last. “Ah… Ohhh…” She was safe. I breathed a sigh of relief as my chest swelled with emotion. “…Thank you…for working so hard to save me…all this time…” “O-of course… I…I just couldn’t take losing you… All along, I just wanted…to talk to you again…” Back when I first met Elitia in District Eight and heard of her quest to rescue Rury, it almost felt as if that day would never come. Other Seekers shunned Elitia and called her names, but she kept fighting, even though she fought alone. All her heroic resolve, all her effort and devotion, had finally been rewarded. “……” “Everything’s going to be all right, Theresia. The hex is gone… I’m so glad.” Theresia clung to my arm and looked up at me. Beneath the lizard mask, her mouth curved up into a smile. We’d fought to win back people who were precious to us—and we’d won. There was no way I could ever thank everyone who’d fought alongside me and everyone who’d pitched in to support us enough. Igarashi wiped tears from her eyes. Misaki and Suzuna, too; Misaki was still a little woozy from using Pool Cap, but she’d at least recovered enough to stand up again. Kozelka and Khosrow smiled at me. Even Ceres and her crew had made it all the way into the central stronghold—after seeing how greatly the tide of battle had changed, I assumed. “Arihito… I am glad to see you made it through the fight without any casualties.” “Yeah… Thanks to you, Ariadne, Murakumo, Alphecca, Fylgja—and everyone else.” If any one of us hadn’t been there, I doubt we would’ve been so successful. Thus ended our long struggle against the Simian Lord. The only thing left to do for the time being was to share in the joy of victory.