Chapter 462: O Dragon, O Dragon! Part 39

Author's Preface

Eh!? Is it really okay to cheat the cost of nineteen Baragiaras with Pangea Moon today!?

Fimbul isn't dropping, so here's an update.

A no-skill restriction on its own is fine. The problem is that this isn't a solo fight, it's a raid boss.
Because aggro is flying all over the place, it's hard to grasp the exact timing Siegwurm is looking at "me."

"The moon is... good, it's still holding up."

The Exile Cloth comes equipped by default with a function to "accumulate MP by bathing in moonlight" on each part of the set.
The Star Cloak of Lapistella has a restriction where accumulated MP can only be used to cast the magic set within it, but this armor has no such restriction, meaning it can be used to fuel the cost for Centipede Type Tausend.

And as long as I'm bathed in moonlight, I have a constant MP supply even during combat. This is the reason why I, with a base MP stat of under 100, have been able to keep wielding Centipede Type Tausend up until now.

"So damn tough... Psyger-nee! How are the other clones doing!?"

"Attacks seem to go through them better than the main body, but look at the time... even if the folks who pulled back to heal return, we lack the firepower."

"Fighting the Color Dragons at the same time really was a design flaw...!!"

Damn you, Amachi Ritsu! Are you trying to turn even ShanFro into a trash game!?
But I won't let you. Watching a game I have a decent amount of attachment to slowly fade and die out is kind of painful, even if it is a trash game. I'm gonna win out of pure spite...!!

As if agreeing with that resolve, a single streak of light tore through the night sky and struck Siegwurm's head—specifically his horn—without a millimeter of deviation, exactly like the three shots fired before it.

『Nuguu! Again...!』

"...Tremendous accuracy."

"Well, the 'Jungle Piercer' is at least capable of that much...!"

After all, this is the guy who casually pulls off headshots even with a driftwood musket. If you let him use ship-mounted weaponry, of course this is what happens...!!

"Hmm... I'd give that last one forty points. I was aiming for the same horn, though."

Muttering a failing grade to his own shot, Yashirobird leaned back in the gunner's seat, keeping a vigilant eye on the Golden Dragon King rampaging in the distance while confirming a new arrow being generated in the "Ballista."

"Man... Brunbas is a good ship. I don't really get the name, but having a ballista as the main cannon is pretty tasteful."

The seafaring ship "Brunbas" was naturally built on the premise of aquatic combat. In fact, while it clearly possessed a structure intended for close-quarters combat—such as an armed ramming prow for head-on collisions and "Blade Wings" on the port and starboard sides designed for passing strikes—it also came equipped with a "Main Cannon," which was to be expected of a warship.

Originally, it was just supposed to be a simple crossbow installed in the center of the deck, but after the "Sponsors" provided an amount of Lapisteria Star Crystals capable of buying out an entire city, it was modified into something far beyond a mere kinetic energy launcher.

───Its name: Type-Six Magitech Ballista 『Repnorca』.
It was something that should be called a ship-mounted, high-output magitech bow, one that formed arrows through magical power supplied by Lapisteria Star Crystals and fired them with tremendous destructive force.
...As an aside, the "Ballista" part was named by its creator, Norman, while the "Repnorca" part was named by Sunraku.

"Man, having so many tanks around sure makes it easy to aim."

"W-why is there a ship in a place like this...? Is this yours!?"

"Can we operate it too!?"

Just as Yashirobird had done a short while ago, players who had boarded the deck began tossing questions one after another at Yashirobird, the crew member.

"Ah, this is actually someone else's property. I can use it because I'm in their party, but I hear if unrelated players stay on board, your Karma Value goes up for trespassing, so you should probably be careful."

"Seriously!?"

"Crap. Ah, good luck with the cover fire!!"

"Thanks, thanks〜"

It was a lie. To begin with, Karma Value is a hidden stat, so there was no way to know on the spot whether it was actually going up or not. But if declared with complete confidence, people tend to be easily fooled.

Freely accepting their cheers, Yashirobird narrowed his eyes as he made fine adjustments to the reloaded ballista using the steering handles.

"If I'm gonna shoot, I might as well take off at least one of them... Rrright!"

The fired arrow tore across the battlefield...

Tearing across the battlefield, I use Siegwurm's knee as a springboard to run even higher. I'm a little jealous of those light warriors casually strolling through the air, but since my base specs are already boosted, clumsily applying body-strengthening magic might just result in me getting sent flying straight off. Man, I really want a mid-air walking skill, though...

『You intend to board my back! Naive!!』

"Gwaa!?"

"Dragon Ride failed!"

The players who reached Siegwurm's back faster than me via manual climbing were blown away by the flapping of his wings.
But listen here, I've played giant-monster-climbing to the point of literal death. If you want to peel me off, you're gonna have to bust out a breakdance at the very least!!

"Yo."

『You...!!』

"I sever like an axe!!"

Gain!! The purple blade of Centipede Type Tausend deflected. Well, I didn't hold much hope that it would snap in one hit anyway... but I definitely saw it.

"It chipped a little bit...!"

『Nuaa!!』

"Whoa!"

Mid-air! Thrown off! Twist my body! Landing!!

"Instead of chipping away at it little by little, forcing my way in and bashing it is definitely an easier way to break it..."

But I doubt the same trick will work over and over. Also, because the battlefield is too densely packed, unlike the tanks who can form up ranks when push comes to shove, vanguard DPS classes are constantly bearing the risk of traffic collisions.

At this point, wouldn't it be better if Siegwurm just wiped everyone except me out with a breath attack or something? Just as I was thinking that, the vanguard actually got evaporated by a breath attack, but since players are basically immortal anyway, I realized a few minutes later that it still didn't give me any comfortable room to move.

And then, it happened.

『As of the current time, the subjugation of the "White Dragon Bryreinyego" has been confirmed. The Last Attacker was the NPC "Dirnadia of the Peerless Twin Swords [Moralltach & Begalta]."』

NPCs stealing the spotlight from players, a classic trope... Wait, no!!
Bryreinyego kicked the bucket? Hold on, Eldranza was dead from the start, Dreadhowl died, Bryreinyego died... the only ones left are Brockentried and Noirlind?

"Hey, hey, hey, can we actually pull this off...!"

Only two Color Dragons left. No matter how outstanding his durability is, Brockentried has been fighting nonstop since the beginning of the decisive battle phase. Even if he hasn't entered Hazard Mode, it wouldn't be strange for him to drop at any moment.
But more than anything, the fact that Bryreinyego—who produced a massive swarm of trash mobs—is dead is extremely bad news.

"Are the crafters coming...!!"

...Just kidding.

It's about time. Let's be honest, what's about to happen is definitely going to leave a grudge. But even so, everyone decided to do it, and I've lent no small amount of help myself, so this is no longer the time to hesitate and whine about it. If things go south, I'll just seek asylum in Rabituza!!

Skull Azuchi-kun... Let's do some infighting. After all, cannibalism and dragging each other down is humanity's specialty.

『Declaration of War accepted!!』

『Bone-Clad Keep, Skull Azuchi vs One-Night Castle, Scorpion Sunomata』

『Commencing Anti-Castle Warfare!!』

Author's Afterword

A Declaration of War for Anti-Castle Warfare is possible if "the Resource Values of both sides are roughly equal" or "the combined Resource Values of the structures—adding the total Resource Values of players belonging to the same party or clan as the structure's owner—are roughly equal" (Non-public info from the investigation clan [Library]).

Scorpion Sunomata... Just how on earth did they secure resources on par with Skull Azuchi...