The Battleship Elpis
Rion touched Maou’s shadow and dragged it out. What was he doing? Maou’s shadow. The shadow he grabbed clung to Rion’s arm, then his whole body, and dyed Rion blacker and blacker, as if it were the blade of Akrama. Rion, who had been enveloped in a cheerful atmosphere, suddenly transformed into a ruthless expression he wore during one-on-one combat.
“What on earth is that?”
“It’s the trump card for Alex and me. In Pritia-chan’s style, you could call it the final form, can’t you?”
Maou looked at Rion anew. He immediately understood that the shadow he wore, his transformed atmosphere, his serious expression, and above all, the strength hidden within him had changed. The reason was entirely unknown, but he was now a more troublesome opponent than Gordiana. His accumulated experience and instincts, honed through countless brushes with death, screamed at him. Maou shifted his focus to Rion as the most dangerous opponent. This decision, made in the blink of an eye, was not mistaken; it was a very accurate judgment.
However, if there was one mistake, it was that Maou stood in the direct line of fire between Rion and Gordiana. Furthermore, he was surprised by Rion’s slight transformation, stared at him, and tried to gauge his strength. Even if it was only for a moment, it meant Rion was unconsciously pushed out of Gordiana’s awareness.
“Embrace of Love!”
“Wha—!?”
Just as Maou’s attention was on Rion, pink walls surged from both sides of him. It was Gordiana’s surprise attack, taking full advantage of the opening. She approached with her giantized arms at tremendous speed, yet embraced him gently, as if handling delicate flowers. Gordiana’s warm body temperature, palpable even through the armor, might have been the energy of her kindness. The principle was unclear, but Maou felt a strange sensation as his strength drained from his body.
“Uooooo—!”
If he let his guard down for even a moment longer, he felt he would drift off into dreams within seconds. To shake off that feeling, Maou shouted with all his might. It sounded a bit like a scream, but only he knew the truth.
(It’s useless to cut it with a sword. You, who first experienced my healing power firsthand, should know that.)
That’s right, even if he were to wound Gordiana with the power and status of a god, her body would instantly repair itself and return to its original state. The embrace of love that bound Maou was no exception; no matter how much Maou struggled, he couldn’t escape.
“Damn it! But with your power, I—”
“Yes, that’s why defeating you isn’t my role. It’s hers.”
Gordiana, holding Maou, remained still in that spot. It was a suicidal tactic, using her entire body as a target to make his attack more likely to hit.
“It’s you, as expected, little sister!”
Rion was clad in Alex’s shadow, thanks to the “Creeping Thing” skill, and had mimicked Maou’s “Absolute Resonance” from Maou’s shadow using “Mimicry.” Rion, in Shadow Wolf Mode, was granted the benefits of Absolute Resonance. If Kuromel’s status resonated with Maou, then it would also resonate with Rion. Rion now wielded Kuromel’s power—a power that rivaled a god’s.
“If you have the strongest shield, you should attack with the strongest spear. That was the plan from the start. Right, Maou-san? Even you, Maou-san, can kill me with this, can’t you?”
“—!”
Yes, he could kill him. Even with the power based on Kuromel’s status, if he took a direct hit, he would die. However, Maou had not given up yet.
(What tremendous resolve, what a well-thought-out plan. To turn the tables like this from such an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation, I honestly never expected it. I truly respect you all from the bottom of my heart. But you know, that’s not something you can handle so easily. Even if I’m immobilized here, aiming and attacking is an extremely difficult task. Besides, unless you hit a vital spot, you won’t die in one hit!)
Maou pondered. Absolute Resonance was a skill that averaged Kuromel’s stats and applied them to each category. In other words, strength, durability, and magic power would all be the same value. That’s why, unless the hit was exceptionally unlucky, Rion’s attack, even if it landed, wouldn’t reduce his HP to zero in a single blow. He believed that an uncontrollable force wouldn’t hit, and even if it grazed him, he would survive. Conversely, he was even thinking of using that attack to break free from Gordiana’s restraint.
“Explosive Fire!”
“Companion Snow Doll!”
However, that thought was immediately shattered. Emma had cast S-Rank Red Magic “[Explosive Fire]” on Rion, a magic also favored by Efil. It was a support spell that doubled the power of the next attack. With this, Rion’s attack reached the domain of god-slaying, capable of dealing a devastating blow with just a graze.
The only remaining issue was whether it would hit, and the probability of that had also greatly increased. The reason for this lay in the S-Rank Blue Magic “[Companion Snow Doll]” cast by Sylvia. By chanting this spell, Maou’s body was covered in a thin layer of snow that could be brushed off, but it continuously accumulated from an unknown source. Like Gordiana’s healing power, there was no end to it no matter how much he resisted. Moreover, he was currently immobilized by Gordiana’s embrace. However, what struck Maou as strange was that this snow also covered Gordiana, who should have been Sylvia’s ally. The snow enveloped both Maou and Gordiana, forming a powerful goddess-like snow statue.
“Hmm, the target just got bigger. Companion Snow Doll transmits damage through the snow. So, any part of the snow statue you hit will deal damage to the enemy.”
Companion Snow Doll was Sylvia’s original magic, created for this very moment. It had strict usage conditions, such as being less effective if the target kept moving. However, with the giant Gordiana currently holding Maou, it was a perfect opportunity. It also had excellent compatibility with Rion, whose powers were difficult to control.
“You intend to attack me—and her along with me…!”
“Correct. And you corrected yourself very well, that’s a high score.”
Maou struggled. Gordiana embraced him. Despair that wouldn’t loosen its grip.
“Rion-kun, just hold your weapon! If I get accidentally nudged, I’ll definitely die! Just swing with all your might when the time comes, I’ll adjust it so that’s all you need to do!”
“Understood!”
“Alright, next up is your turn, Ecchan!”
“Yes, I’ll show you! Boga-style Jet Propulsion, known as Blazing Breath!”
Serge held Rion and stood back-to-back with Emma, who thrust out the sun’s scrap metal. Then, Emma’s greatsword erupted in flames. The three shot up like rockets. After maintaining a certain momentum, Emma separated first. Serge, carrying Rion, reached directly above the snow goddess statue.
“Got him! Show ’em your best move one last time!”
With a full-powered throw, Serge hurled Rion. Like a black meteor descending from the sky, Rion shot straight towards Maou. By some coincidence, his appearance resembled Maou’s radiance when he unleashed the power of the Sacred Sword.
