Trisen Castle – Summit
“Wind God’s Kick x 4”
Simultaneously with the start of the battle, I prepared to cast Wind God’s Kick, which doubles agility, on all my allies. The buffs I had already applied to myself were also about to expire, so it was enough for four people, including myself. Thanks to “Parallel Thought,” I was able to activate the skills consecutively without any time lag, making the casting for Melfina and the others as seamless as if it were unchanted.
Honestly, just this alone consumes MP comparable to casting an S-Rank magic. However, the Demon King is a monster with an agility of 2032. Without this, only Melfina would be able to keep up with his speed. We would simply be outmatched in terms of speed.
“Annihilate.”
Just a few tenths of a second after applying Wind God’s Kick to everyone, the Demon King had already closed in before us. As Zel swung his right arm down from above, the Foolish Sword Clive scattered curses. He twisted his body backward, preparing to launch an attack. Rion and Sera scattered to the left and right, revealing their previously concealed Angel Wings. Mel, now in serious mode, took flight and began evasive maneuvers.
Although my agility is the lowest among the three others, I can somehow avoid it. However, if the Foolish Sword were to be swung down as is, this castle where we stand would take a direct hit. Colette and Shutra are on the lower floors. I believe they’ll be fine thanks to the barrier, but I don’t want to expose them to danger if possible. Still, if I were to face this head-on, only death awaits. It’s quite a gamble, but should I aim for the blade with the Great Wind Fiend Scythe…?
“You have arrived just in time, my lord. I will protect those below.”
Hearing Melfina’s telepathic message, I turned my body with all my might. I didn’t hesitate. Melfina had declared it. There should be no room for doubt. All that remains is absolute trust in Melfina.
“Nuuuh!”
The Foolish Sword, swung down, collided with the castle. Fragments scattered with cracking sounds. However, what was destroyed was not the castle, but an ice plain of roses that covered the entire area. The scattered ice shards turned into sharp blades, piercing the Demon King’s body deeply. Even a regular monster would be vulnerable to such an attack, creating a gaping hole. But as expected, it’s tough.
“Melfina, thank you!”
“I made it at the last moment, but ugh… as expected, it’s tough.”
Not just the rooftop, but countless icy thorns enveloped the entirety of Trisen Castle. What Melfina activated was the S-Rank Blue Magic, [Ice Empress’s Thorns]. This magic, the ultimate form of base defense, wraps around the target’s surface to protect against intruder attacks and inflict damage on anyone who touches it. One might think it’s simply a wider-ranged version of “Adamant Rose,” but of course, it’s more than that. Its sturdiness easily surpasses that of the Adamant Rose, and it distinguishes between allies and enemies, providing generous service. The ice thorns constantly grow and, even if a part is damaged, they sprout from the side and regenerate instantly. In other words, as long as Melfina’s MP doesn’t run out, eliminating these surrounding roses would be extremely difficult.
Melfina’s MP is not abundant for using S-Rank magic. Furthermore, this magic consumes mana with each growing thorn, making it very inefficient and difficult to maintain. However, this problem has already been resolved.
“Koku… Fully recovered!”
It’s nothing more than chugging MP recovery potions. Normally, supplying MP with recovery potions during combat creates an opening and is considered a low-tier strategy. And trying to force it could lead to a tragic outcome like Colette’s. But for Melfina, and perhaps for Silvia, another S-Rank adventurer like myself, Melfina can instantly consume an almost inexhaustible supply of recovery potions. This is a feat only possible for Mel, who possesses gluttony and the S-Rank skill “Gourmand.” She even enjoys the horribly tasting recovery potions.
Furthermore, the recovery potions are supplied by Kuro, who is inside Melfina’s light armor. The stored amount far exceeds the reserves of a merchant who could be called a magnate. With this combination, Melfina’s potential MP even surpasses mine.
“Insolence…!”
In reality, these Ice Empress’s Thorns were prepared before I activated the Spiral Super Storm Wall. Otherwise, activating the Spiral Super Storm Wall here would cause the castle to collapse. In terms of the timeline, it was around the time I joined forces with Rion and the others and heard Colette’s plan, before Rion’s party rushed into Shutra’s room. I planted the seeds on the terrace and then made them grow rapidly, covering the entire castle by trailing up the outer wall. It was just in time for it to reach this rooftop. The Demon King, fused with Clive, gained “Magic Detection,” so there was a possibility of being noticed, but it seems he hasn’t gotten used to controlling his skills yet. The thorns destroyed by the current impact are regenerating, and as if to return the favor, they are wrapping around the Foolish Sword to immobilize it.
“By freezing the castle’s outer wall, we will have a double defense along with Colette’s barrier.”
Melfina proposed this to prevent over-reliance on Colette’s barrier and to build a stage that could withstand the battle with the Demon King. Colette’s excited reaction, “M-Melfin-sama’s joint work!?” was just before she decisively confronted Shutra.
“As expected, this alone won’t stop him…!”
The azure roses are entwining the Demon King’s legs and the Foolish Sword, but Zel doesn’t seem to mind at all. The thorns of the ice wound the Demon King’s feet, but the wounds are healed instantly, and he forcefully breaks free. This is likely due to the “Natural Healing” gift from Clive. The damage from the ice shards has also been completely healed. With his high max HP, his recovery speed is fast. He will recover quickly from any mediocre attack.
“But, compared to before, he’s not as fast! The thorns are hindering him!”
Rion confirmed that Zel’s movements had slowed down, gripped the Black Sword Akrama, and leaped forward.
“Don’t let your guard down! He’s still using Green Magic—”
“Stop.”
—Paralysis. It might be one or two seconds in terms of time, or perhaps even shorter. However, its effect is incomparable to the first instance, and the King’s Command spoken by the Demon King was clearly taking effect. Perhaps exceeding the tolerance threshold, the Ring of the Goddess vibrated as if trembling. The short time felt long, like eternity. Move, move. Only these words were listed within my parallel thoughts, but the Demon King moved first.
“It’s m-me…”
He headed towards Rion, who had started running towards the Demon King moments ago and was closest. The Ice Empress’s Thorns wrapped around the Demon King, hindering his advance, but for some reason, his speed didn’t decrease. Checking his status, the “Wind Foot” skill was listed under the buffs.
“S-Sister Sera, I recall seeing a scene like this in your combat data… I’m sorry!”
“You idiot! Hurry up and move, me!”
With the agility increase from Wind Foot, the hindrance from the thorns has been neutralized. The Demon King is already before Rion. If this continues, the three of us won’t make it in time.
“First, one!”
“Gwon! (Not a chance!)”
Alex leaped out from Rion’s shadow and engaged the Foolish Sword with the Lethal Play Sword held in his mouth. From behind, he manipulated shadows, grabbed Rion, and tossed her out of the Demon King’s attack range. Alex, who was inside Rion’s shadow, seemed unaffected by the King’s Command. The Demon King must not have expected this. There was a slight hesitation in his sword strokes. Nevertheless, the difference in abilities between Alex and the Demon King was too great. Despite his efforts to resist, Alex was blown backward. The Lethal Play Sword was released from Alex’s mouth and spun through the air.
“Guh!?”
Swapping places with Alex, Rion grabbed the Lethal Play Sword, accelerated with Heavenly Walk, and in coordination with the Black Sword Akrama, slashed at the Demon King’s head. That wasn’t all.
“Well done, Alex!”
Sera, who had arrived quickly, struck the Demon King’s side with a crimson fist, levitating his giant body in the air. This ensured that Alex was merely blown away with his sword.
“I am caught unaware. More than that, I am displeased.”
Melfina followed up and pierced its heart with the Sacred Spear Luminari. It was an attack on a vital point, yet the Demon King showed no signs of falling. I would like to strike alongside them, but for now, I have something else to do. I caught Alex, who had been blown away, with wind, and then—
“Die—. —!?”
I contained the Demon King’s voice with a silent wind barrier. The range was limited to just around the Demon King’s mouth. As expected, the Demon King, thinking the King’s Command was still effective, used it again at this moment, but his voice would no longer leak outside the barrier. That move is unusable. I’m sorry to trouble you while you’re perplexed, but please think of another plan quickly. My female party members are going to attack one after another.
“Kyuun…? (Where is Rion?)”
“Thanks to you, she’s safe. In fact, she’s already participating in the attack.”
While not a fatal wound, he has still taken considerable damage. After stroking his beloved dog, who is a bit too large, I completely healed his HP with White Magic and, just in case, cast an unbinding spell. Yes, Rion has switched back to the Lethal Play Sword now… Here, I took out the Demonic Sword Caladbolg from Kuro and had Alex hold it in his mouth. Incidentally, I also applied Wind God’s Kick.
“Alright, shall we go get revenge? Alex.”
“Gau! (Yeah!)”
