Chapter 663: Hello Headquarters, Please Lend Me a Wonderful Weapon
Now then, what should I do? After running around for a few minutes, I realized that the real threat isn't the "Holy Sword"... it's those sword-claws on both its arms. Well, both of them are definitely bad news, but those arms are far exceeding my initial expectations.
First off, the most insane part is their range of motion. Even though they already move more like scythes than actual claws, those front limbs can twist as if rotating a wrist. It's clearly different from standard entities—it's a movement meant for handling bladed weapons.
And then there's the "Holy Sword". One look is enough to tell it's obviously dangerous, and judging by the traits of the Crystal Scorpion family, there's no way it's just a normal sword. It looks like it's packing some nasty, newbie-killer mechanic, but that isn't the truly terrifying part about it.
It has completely designated its role. It doesn't just swing the "Holy Sword" around blindly. It definitely possesses the firepower to kill us in a single blow, but it only swings its tail by completely dedicating it to being a large-scale, decisive attack. In other words, it's a finishing move. For a scorpion, it's using a terrifyingly delicate battle style. You really didn't need to resemble the hardcore Swordmaster in that aspect, too.
"Speculation: A prolonged battle."
"Like always! If we can beat it before the morning sun rises, that's fast enough!"
Tch, this hurts too much—I've almost completely used up my main firepower... the Exceed Charge of the Re-Legacy Weapon. Well, regarding the Brilliant Scorpion Gauntlets, maybe it's because I'm using the power of its own kin, but it hasn't been a very effective strike anyway. Even so, it should still contribute more damage than just slashing away with raw physical strength.
But I haven't exhausted my hand yet. Even if I don't have a massive trump card, I can still win by lining up low-cost attacks and beating it down... In other words, the Weenie Beatdown tactic!!
"I'm counting on you, 【Swirling Vortex White Waves】! Even if you can't deal a million damage in one hit, if you have the durability to land one damage a million times, it's practically the same thing...!!"
It's been a while since I've gone full throttle. Let's beat each other down with our resources, "Golden Age"!
"Saina! Aim for the tail within reasonable limits!! Even if it's not super effective, we're screwed if we don't break that thing!!"
Since the bodies of Crystal Scorpions are almost entirely made of minerals, their claws and tails can be destroyed to some extent... However, Destructive Poison is terrifyingly ineffective against them, and they're the kind of thing you can only finally break after thoroughly bashing a specific spot over and over.
That's why the basic tactic is to make the scorpions crash into each other to break them or make them brittle, but unfortunately, His Imperial Majesty is an absolute believer in one-on-one duels. We have to break it with our own strength... No wait, isn't this practically an impossible game?
"I won't get discouraged! I won't give up! I won't let you live to see the morning sun!!"
Seiten Style「Kirikaze」. The Seiten Style looks like a sword-based school, but in reality, it's practically bare-handed—or rather, it's full of techniques that don't rely on the blade. The only skills that actually use the sword are in the "Wind" branch. But whether they're useful or not is a different matter entirely. Rather, the Seiten Style seems to proudly declare that as long as you have "Wind," you can pretty much handle anything...!!
Closing in for a draw strike. A disadvantage in size can conversely be an advantage in size. No matter how skillfully those sword-claws move, it can't hide the openings created simply by how large they are.
My target is the head, where the golden crystals have developed like a crown. The feedback is far too hard to believe it was an effective strike, making the hand gripping the hilt slightly numb, but damage still went through.
"Sorry, but I have absolutely zero intention of having a swordsmanship contest with you!!"
Tossing the Swirling Vortex White Waves aside, I imbued a skill into my clenched fist. Eat this orphanage punch, "Warphan"!!
A soft jab generated a shockwave capable of toppling even a Giant, pushing the "Golden Age"'s body away. However, it seems His Imperial Majesty has no intention of being launched sky-high so easily. Though they tend to be overshadowed by the sword-claws and tail, the leg strength responsible for that terrifying mobility kept it from being blown away much, despite taking a direct hit to the face from a knockback-specialized Exordinary Skill. It planted its feet and actually endured it...!!
I caught the Swirling Vortex White Waves as it fell according to the physics engine, and immediately retreated. I evaded the sword-claws of the "Golden Age," which had initiated an attack with terrifying recovery speed, and closed in once more to match its follow-up strike.
Seiten Style「Kanrai」. It's not like there's soft flesh beneath a hard outer shell—the "Golden Age" is almost entirely crystal down to the marrow, so whether this is effective is debatable, but it's still a piercing technique. Since we're at it, I'm going to burn through all my skills and rampage so hard that even the cooldown-halving of "Fool" won't be able to keep up.
"Request: Fifteen seconds. I will activate my maximum strike firepower."
"Leave it to me!!"
The Golden Scorpion's true home ground is the night, illuminated by moonlight and the starry sky, but the exact same applies to me!!
Perhaps because I've dealt with scorpions so often, or maybe because I got messed with by Lycaon—a literal embodiment of the night—right from the very beginning, the blessings brought by the moonlight aren't something it gets to monopolize.
"Live it up, Imperial Majesty. I'll humor your little sword fight."
I swapped weapons against the "Golden Age," who leaped in with wild excitement. Transitioning from the durable Swirling Vortex White Waves to the Treasure Sword of Boundary Light, I pointed the Night-Glowing Blade—shining crimson under the moonlight—straight at it.
I haven't completely grasped the "Golden Age"'s action patterns yet, but unlike the tail holding the "Holy Sword," which unleashes one-hit kills precisely when and where they're needed, the attacks from its sword-claws are its main battle tactic, meaning they are specialized in volume and adaptability.
The "Sword" with the claws fully deployed, the "Scythe" with them half-deployed, and the "Fist" with the claws stored away. As for the fist mode, due to the nature of striking with the joints of the claws, the demerits are significant. It feels more like a desperate measure, so my caution toward it is low. In other words, what I need to watch out for are the scythe and sword attacks.
Naturally, an attack that causes instant death just by landing should be treated with the utmost caution, but that's not all. It doesn't just swing its sword-claws simply; it possesses the dexterity to convert the very act of switching from scythe to sword, and sword to scythe, into an "attack"... To fight it, I have to get into close range, but close range is the most dangerous, compounded further by mobility you would never expect from such a massive frame.
"If that's the case, I'll start by crushing those 'options'..."
I maintained the absolute limit of distance—just out of range of the scythe, but right on the edge of the sword's reach—and thoroughly concentrated the "Golden Age"'s attention on me while raining down attacks with the long-range slashes of the Treasure Sword of Boundary Light.
I'm so glad the ground was flattened out. Don't think you can catch me that easily, Imperial Majesty. The Fool of the Rootless Weed has some incredibly light footwork...!!
"Fifteen seconds!!"
"Request Authenticated: Based on the Contractor's enemy engagement level corresponding to the Reconquista Project, temporary usage of the Class VIII Armament 'Vectored Thruster Pile' by Conquista Doll Elma=317 is permitted. Transfer... complete. Using immediately."
"What's with that wonderful weapon!!?"
Calling forth a massive pile bunker from out of nowhere—one so enormous it couldn't even be aimed without being supported by a gigantic tripod—Saina pointed the tip of the giant metal stake directly at the "Golden Age"... Okay, I understand. I just need to stop its movements, right?
Can't be helped, I'll humor your close-quarters brawl...!!
Author's Afterword
・Vectored Thruster Pile
A special armament for Class VIII (enemies roughly on the level of early-stage Genesis Kin/Tribes). It slams the stake into the target using the explosive force of mana particles, repurposing jet engine technology. Due to its nature as a weapon, using it leaves the user wide open against Class VIII enemies. Therefore, utilizing it requires either the resolve that "I will be destroyed," or the absolute trust that "there is someone here who will draw the enemy's attention for me."
Comments
Post a Comment