Chapter 72: Dedicated to a Moment Part 19

First of all, retrieve the thrown Togetsu [Waxing] and [Waning]. The Marsh Daggers [Re: 2] or Empire Bee Twin Blades would be overwhelmed in a clash; only those can be the trump card.

"The timing is... now!"

In this split second connecting [Kasairyu] (Pyroclastic Dragon) to [Hai-fubuki] (Ash Blizzard), I broke away at maximum speed from the technique that completely rooted Wethermon the Tombguard in place, and ran toward [Waxing] which was stuck in the ground.

"First one retrieved!"

"[Ooshike] (Great Storm)."

"Hah! Anything other than [Nyudou-gumo] (Thunderhead) is a sweet (dere) move!"

Slipping under Wethermon the Tombguard's armpit, I ran toward [Waning]. There's no time to look back; predict the development from the technique name he so politely announces.

"[Raisho] (Thunder Bell)."

"Thank yoooou!"

It's the ultimate sweet move; I'm on a roll right now! While I sprinted full tilt, lightning struck repeatedly behind me. In that opening, I reached [Waning]'s position and retrieved it. First stage cleared for now... Good, it's charged (.........). I immediately stowed Togetsu into my inventory and checked my skills while gripping a resurrection item.

(One hundred seconds remaining, four lives left... Heh, so it's an endurance battle in the end. I'm getting fired up.)

Nothing makes my heart race more than an endurance battle where the end is in sight. A contest of patience with a boss character, a dead heat in the final spurt. Any expression is fine; even if I end up bedridden after this, I'm going to overuse my brain to the limit right now. [Seiten Taisei] refers to the sequence of a thirty-second rush finishing with [Tensei] (Sky Clear). Rather than a technique, maybe I should call it Berserk Mode... Anyway, I'll stretch the time to the limit and earn one hundred seconds.

"Prepare yourself, Wethermon the Tombguard. Even if I die (....), I'll have you keep me company."

"[Raisho] (Thunder Bell)."

Dodging lightning, evading the instant-death Iai slash, parrying the palm grasping for my life. And then the thirty seconds arrived. Wethermon closed in right before my eyes and raised his katana.

"Here it comes...!"

"My Ultimate... [Tensei] (Sky Clear)."

No need to succeed here. This is a rehearsal for the time to come... I'll die without hesitation. Finishing the preparation for self-resurrection, I dared to attempt a bare-handed parry against the katana being swung down. Moving my fist in a hook shape from the side to overlap with the katana—if my fist is here at this timing, I have to move it a little faste—

"Uoooh, Respawn!"

"[Seiten Taisei]."

"You don't have to try that hard, you know... Oops, watch out."

Now, next set. Ninety seconds remaining!

At the same time Sunraku and Wethermon's battle entered its climax, the battle between OiKatzo, Pencilgon, and the Kirin Armor was also reaching its peak.

"No way, who would think a beam cannon would come out from inside after smashing its stomach!?"

"Thanks to that, it's in Berserk Mode! What do we do about this!?"

Pencilgon's accumulated damage finally broke through the Kirin Armor's robust armor, exposing the contents hidden by the abdominal plating... but what appeared was a beam cannon scattering massive amounts of light and heat. Furthermore, it seemed the deployment of the beam cannon was the Kirin Armor's own trump card. Tearing off the ropes, the Kirin Armor began indiscriminately unleashing all its weaponry. As the giant turned into the eye of a typhoon raging with missiles and lasers, OiKatzo and Pencilgon pondered what to do while watching from a distance.

"The only saving grace is that it's rampaging regardless of aggro, so as long as we keep our distance, we can rest or prepare. But if we mess up, it might intrude on Sunraku-kun's side..."

"If so, there's only one thing to do. We keep going until that Berserk Armor shuts up, Pencilgon."

"Yeah, yeah. So, do you have a plan?"

Although not as outwardly expressive as OiKatzo, Pencilgon harbored the same feeling. Looking at the big picture, as long as they managed to deal with Wethermon, the battle itself would be a victory. But they weren't the type to give up easily when told to abandon something they had cornered this far, simply saying "Yes, understood." And there was one more reason they wouldn't give up on defeating the Kirin Armor.

"My prediction is he'll say: 'I was holding down the Unique Monster's main body all by myself, yet you guys couldn't even defeat a mechanical horse that was just big?'"

"Personally, I think he'd just snort without saying anything."

The image of the Kusoge Gamer snorting with a probably incredibly annoying face floated vividly in their minds. After all, they were confident they would do the same if their positions were reversed.

"By the way, Your Excellency, I have a brilliant plan."

"Let's hear it, Strategist-dono."

"First of all, I will..."

Unless it was a situation with no room for joking around (like the current Wethermon subjugation battle), most of Pencilgon's proposed strategies came with "Good-for-nothing" attached to the front. Therefore, hearing the "Sure-kill Strategy to slaughter the Kirin Armor in one blow" explained with her usual grin, OiKatzo accepted it despite wearing a very complicated expression.

"By the way, Katzo-kun, any rope left?"

"All broken in one hit from the earlier rampage. I knew it was a weapon type with low durability originally, but I wish they made it a bit sturdier..."

"Spoiler alert: You can make the highest durability rope weapon currently available in Tenbird."

"Hahaha, if I can't use it now, it's worth less than a pie in the sky!"

OiKatzo downed the last MP recovery potion in one go and performed self-buffs for the umpteenth time, while Pencilgon checked her remaining stock of spears and took one out.

"Ah, what a waste, what a waste. I wonder how much money is needed to make just one of these... I'm pretty sure it was over a million. Well, it's my old hand-me-down, so I have no resistance to using it up until it breaks............ No! Yeah, none!"

"I saw the conflict there... Alright, let's do it!"

And the final strategy began. On the ground devastated by missiles and lasers, the shadow of the Kirin Armor maintained its pitch-black darkness even under the black moon illuminating the white night sky. Into that shadow, as massive as its owner, the thrown spear was thrust.

"Thou, the sewing one. I, the binding one. Nestled in all creation, yet pierce the incompatible universal black. [Shadow Wedge]!"

"Did full chanting add a correction to power?"

"I don't usually do it, but this time I want even 1% more probability...!"

[Shadow Wedge], a magic that consumes the durability of the weapon itself just like [Broken Shell]. Its effect, though restricted to piercing the enemy's shadow, is to literally and completely seal the movements of the shadow's owner. However, there is a history where it was nerfed because its effect of binding anything—be it a goblin or a wyvern—without question was too powerful when first implemented.

"With this size, it'll last five seconds at best! This is our only chance!"

"Okay! I'll match the timing on my end, so don't miss!"

For the few seconds the Kirin Armor's rampage stopped completely, the two took different actions for the same purpose. OiKatzo closed in on the Kirin Armor, while Pencilgon conversely gained distance.

"With this, my weapons are exhausted... For this to be the last one left is somehow fateful or something."

The last spear remaining in Pencilgon's inventory. One of a series that bears the same name despite being different weapon types, requiring materials from monsters larger than players, true to its inscription... Its name is "Giant Killing - Skewer." As the name suggests, it is a spear with damage correction against monsters with bodies larger than the player.

"I'm counting on you, Giant Killing... I entrust this to you!"

Winding up Giant Killing - Skewer in her right hand, aiming for the Kirin Armor's exposed abdominal turret.

"Really, everything is so dramatic... 'All or Nothing (Kenkon Itteki)'!"

That was exactly Pencilgon's current state of mind, and also the name of the throwing skill. The heavy spear, released by Pencilgon with all the power she possessed, tore through the sky trailing effect tails, flying toward the Kirin Armor. And just before the tip of the thrown Giant Killing - Skewer landed, a single shadow followed it.

"Red, Blue, Yellow... Three-Color Mix [Fist Aura: Heavy Black Impact]!"

If one were to list the multiple events that happened almost simultaneously in order, it would be like this:

First, the spear used for [Shadow Wedge] shattered, and the Kirin Armor's binding was undone. Next, the thrown spear hit the Kirin Armor, which had been released from restraint and was about to switch to attack. However, that attack did not reach a decisive blow. And almost simultaneously with the spear's impact, the highest firepower OiKatzo possessed punched the butt end of Giant Killing.

"I name it: Human-Powered Pile Bunker!"

"Just sink already... You Hollow (Garandou)!"

The spear, which should originally gain penetration power referencing Pencilgon's STR, received a second stage boost from OiKatzo and pierced deeper and deeper into the Kirin Armor. Due to the unreasonable usage and the load of advancing through the Kirin Armor's body—which was robust even if not as hard as its armor—cracks ran through the entire spear. However, Giant Killing certainly carried out the result true to its name.

The cracked spear tip peeked out from the Kirin Armor's back, and the Kirin Armor's movement stopped. And then, an explosion. Giant Killing shattered, but from the explosion that was clearly not at an acceptable level, the Kirin Armor shook its body as if convulsing two or three times, reached out its hand one last time... and collapsed.

"...I'm, tireeeed."

OiKatzo, whose body went limp to the point of being unable to fight due to the recoil of [Heavy Black Impact], collapsed onto the ground and exhaled deeply. Pencilgon also relaxed her shoulders, but bracing herself that the main event wasn't over, she headed toward Sunraku.

(Sunraku-kun is still alive but... fleeing? Why, buying time... I see.)

Seeing Wethermon the Tombguard launching a fierce assault without pause, and Sunraku dodging... no, running away (....) from it, Pencilgon thought for a few seconds and then shouted the question he likely needed most right now.

"Sunraku-kun! How many seconds do you need (....)!?"

To that, Sunraku's answer was simple, yet clear.

"Fifty more... No, twenty seconds!"

"Switch!"

"Can you do it!?"

"We're doing it!"