The Demon Lord, uncrippled by debuffs, is an invincible monster.
With a trait called Complete Resistance, it possesses resistance to all elements, is immune to all status ailments, and accepts no debuffs whatsoever.
While it only mitigates rather than negates physical or pure magical attacks, making it not absolutely unbeatable, I know how incredibly difficult that is from having defeated the Butcher, who has the same physical resistance. And for status ailments and ability reduction effects, it possesses complete resistance by default, meaning they will *never* take effect, 100% of the time.
The basic strategy against the Demon Lord is figuring out which aspect of this Complete Resistance to chip away at with debuff quests.
The debuffs we inflicted on the Demon Lord were on three stat aspects: attack power, magical attack power, and agility. We really wanted to lower its physical defense too, but it was impossible given the quest difficulty.
Still, my attack power has reached a considerable level in terms of both hit count and individual power. I should be able to manage even if its defense isn’t lowered. More importantly, to prevent casualties, debuffing its offense was essential. I can proudly say that we made no wrong choices in this regard.
In terms of resistance, we only debuffed physical and paralysis. We never intended to deal damage with magic or elemental attacks from the start. While this makes Sahzan useless from this point, it’s fine because we plan to have her use magic relentlessly during the stages leading up to this.
Regarding attacks that inflict status ailments and ability reductions, even if we strip its resistances, they won’t have a noticeable effect, only changing from “completely ineffective” to “extremely rarely effective.” We still removed Paralysis resistance, as paralysis would be advantageous, but the Demon Lord’s paralysis resistance remains at 95%. Even with an attack that guarantees paralysis on normal enemies, the success rate is only 1 in 20.
Additionally, the Demon Lord also possesses Stun and Knockback resistance. Whether by design or bug, there are no events that can remove these resistances. This means the Demon Lord is always in a super armor state, with no flinching or being blown away, which is more troublesome than I expected. How to land powerful techniques on a super-armored Demon Lord will likely be the final point of the Demon Lord battle.
Besides base stats and resistances, we also sealed its self-regeneration ability and counter-attack properties or methods that could cause sudden accidental deaths. Depending on the strategy, there are even attacks that are more advantageous to leave unsealed. In this case, we left large-ranged, high-risk techniques unsealed, focusing on sealing troublesome long and mid-range attacks.
However, the one lingering concern is the inability to seal the troublesome skill “Homing Flare.” This “Homing Flare” is a common type of skill in games, firing multiple homing fireballs, but what makes it troublesome is the special trajectory it draws, known as random homing. I’ll elaborate on random homing if the opportunity arises, but attacks of this type, while unlikely to hit all projectiles, are difficult to completely evade, no matter how fast you are. Of course, since it’s a ranged attack, it shouldn’t be a problem if I can get within 3 meters of the Demon Lord, but I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy about any unforeseen circumstances.
The danger of this skill isn’t just its difficulty to evade. As expected of a Demon Lord, its attacks are predominantly Dark-attribute. Therefore, I primarily relied on Maki and Sahzan to gather equipment with Dark-attribute resistance. However, this “Homing Flare” is an unusual Fire-attribute attack for the Demon Lord. Moreover, it’s a high-damage attack, so it could be dangerous if it hits Sahzan, who has some vulnerabilities in her defense.
Among our party, only Mitsuki, who has strong resistance to the four major elements, would likely be able to withstand it. Mitsuki can mitigate fire-attribute damage, even if not completely, and with her speed, a full barrage is unlikely to hit her. However, considering what would happen if it hit anyone else… no, even though it’s a powerful attack, the Demon Lord’s magic attack power has been lowered, so I suppose there’s no need to worry.
However, it’s not as if the only things we have are causes for concern. Besides debuffing the Demon Lord, we’ve also made considerable preparations for our own enhancement. First, by having Sahzan visit item shops in various towns, we’ve secured plenty of recovery items. Securing a large quantity of MP Potions, which are somewhat rare and understatedly valuable items with low stock, is especially significant. Thanks to this, we don’t have to worry about the worst-case scenario of running out of MP during the operation. Regarding other consumables, we still have the stock from our previous shop-clearing spree for ordinary items, and for useful finds, we’ve created a list and asked Sahzan to purchase them as soon as she finds them, thus gathering a variety of items. On a side note, Sahzan has also prepared props like ladders for scaling the castle gate after we traverse the Blood Pond area. At the very least, item scarcity is unlikely to be a bottleneck in this battle.
Our individual capabilities have also improved. Ringo and I have learned new special skills, and thanks to the Butcher, our levels have also risen considerably. Both of us are level 178. While it feels a bit lacking to challenge a level 250 Demon Lord, it’s a decent achievement given the limitations. As for the other companions, Mitsuki said she leveled up a few times through various events. I haven’t heard her final level yet, but she’s undoubtedly stronger than she was ten days ago. As for Sahzan and Bear… well, it is what it is, but Maki has definitely gotten stronger.
Maki’s case is different; since her initial level was high, she couldn’t level up. Instead, she modified her equipment. Thanks to acquiring a large number of meat cleavers from the Butcher, the minimum standard for everyone’s weapon performance has been raised. Moreover, Maki has a trait that other humans don’t: like me, she has no accessory equipment restrictions. Being able to equip ten rings is a significant advantage. We equipped her with mainly resistance-focused gear, giving her formidable defense. This is in preparation for her role in the Demon Lord battle. In the Demon Lord battle, I will act as the vanguard, staying close to the Demon Lord and attacking. Maki will stay slightly behind, and if she can participate, Mitsuki will be on standby, attacking when opportunities arise. Ringo, Sahzan, and Bear will be in the rear, and if necessary, Ringo will use the Ninjato skill “Invisibility” to protect the two. If I am forced to move away from the Demon Lord for any reason, its long-range attacks will begin. Maki is intended to fill that gap. If I am pushed away from the Demon Lord’s vicinity by knockback or similar, Maki, with her excellent defense and reflexes, will instead approach the Demon Lord and draw its attention until I return. It feels a bit uncertain, but if she focuses solely on defense when approaching, Maki’s abilities should be sufficient.
Then there’s the timing of my use of “Incarnation of Rage.” “Incarnation of Rage” cannot be used if allies are nearby, but its restriction isn’t that strict. It’s enough that no allies are around at the moment of skill activation, and the range isn’t that wide. The Demon Lord’s chamber is quite large, so if we move apart, I might be able to use it even mid-battle with the Demon Lord. In any case, I explained the signal for me to use “Incarnation of Rage” and the necessary distance in detail. I explained it three times to Sahzan, as I’m particularly concerned about her. Even with all this explanation, I have a feeling she might forget in the heat of the moment, but I’ll count on the support of those around her.
Explaining all this took quite some time. After answering everyone’s questions, I gave Ena, who remained frozen, one last farewell in her current state, and we left the mansion.
Our destination: North. The roaring Belion Volcano, where the Demon Lord’s castle stands.
Along the way, we conducted coordinated attacks experiments against monsters. Initially, we only encountered monsters below level 100, but as we approached Belion Volcano, the monsters’ levels increased. The final enemy level reached 175, but…
“Easy peasy!”
“…Mm.”
Before our strengthened selves, they were swept aside with barely a struggle. I didn’t even need to fight; Maki and Ringo dispatched them one after another. Even Sahzan, who was our biggest concern, seemed to be well-managed by Bear, who sat on my shoulder, brandishing a meat cleaver (which, through weapon synthesis, had the same attack power as a butcher’s knife). …Though I wish he wouldn’t swing it around on my shoulder; it’s a little scary.
Finally, we reached the foot of Belion Volcano. The Demon Lord’s castle is located within the volcano’s crater. Naturally, we couldn’t see it from here. However, we could sense a malevolent aura emanating from deep within the mountain. Perhaps it was due to the dark, unmoving clouds of black lightning that hung perpetually above the crater. As I felt a primal fear from these dark clouds, a symbol of the Demon Lord’s power, I also recognized a surge of strong fighting spirit within me.
(…I can still go, right?)
Mitsuki has the Explorer’s Ring, so she doesn’t need to worry about the meeting point. It would be more efficient to advance as much as possible. After confirming that no fatigue was visible on anyone’s face, I decided to press forward. The enemies in Belion Volcano were strong, and the mountain was steep, but there wasn’t anyone in my party who would give up at this point…
“…Wait, you guys, just a mome— *guk!*”
…Well, there’s one. I thought our equipment was perfect, but I forgot to tell Sahzan to wear something more suitable for mountain climbing. The monsters were no problem at all, but perhaps due to her thick-soled boots, Sahzan tripped repeatedly, and each time, we had to stop. I suppose she brought it on herself, but after tripping so many times, I started to worry.
“Uh, Sahzan? If it’s too tough, we can take a short break here…”
I suggested out of concern, but Sahzan, breathing heavily, shook her head.
“Don’t say something so foolish. There’s no time to stop here. You should know that better than anyone.”
Sahzan declared defiantly, though her breath was catching. Seeing her, I couldn’t help but reassess my opinion of her.
“Sahzan, you…”
Sahzan is often misunderstood due to her attire and behavior. However, one’s true worth is revealed in extreme situations. The real her is—
“Now, Soma! I grant you permission to carry me!”
—I thought she was the lowest of the low.
To my immense annoyance, the moment I carried Sahzan, our marching speed increased dramatically, and we soon reached the vicinity of Belion Volcano’s crater. If we advance further into the crater, lightning will strike from the black clouds above. Fortunately, there were no signs of monsters emerging from the Demon Lord’s castle, so waiting here for Mitsuki seemed like the best plan. When I set Sahzan down and announced a break, everyone began to spend their time as they pleased. Ringo immediately started practicing Skill Cancel on the spot, while Sahzan muttered complaints and flapped her dirty cloak. And Maki,
“…Soma, um, is it okay if I ask you something?”
She asked, glancing at Ringo and the others who were a bit distant, in a subdued voice. Sensing a desire for a private conversation, Bear, the perfectly understanding plush toy, slid off my shoulder. Then, turning to me, he gave a thumbs-up… or something like it.
*I thought, ‘You don’t have fingers,’ as I turned back to Maki and nodded.* Maki seemed a little surprised by Bear’s action, but she began to speak in a hesitant tone uncharacteristic of her.
“Um, you see. If we defeat the Demon Lord, the game will be cleared, right? Then, we’ll be able to return to our original world, won’t we?”
Maki asked with her eyes showing 80% anxiety and 20% anticipation.
“Ah. Come to think of it, I haven’t explained that either. Unfortunately, that’s probably not going to happen.”
If clearing the game guaranteed a return to reality, I would have acted accordingly from the start. Nekoneko is a completionist game; in other words, it never ends. Defeating the Demon Lord is technically a game clear, but the presentation was incredibly lackluster. After immense struggle, when the Demon Lord was finally defeated, a blindingly spectacular death effect occurred. During this, the Demon Lord’s dying words were heard. Once the light subsided, a full-screen staff roll suddenly appeared. The five-minute staff roll, accompanied by an overly epic soundtrack, couldn’t be skipped or fast-forwarded. While it was possible to log out from the general menu, doing so would revert the data to the state before defeating the Demon Lord. After enduring that torturous five minutes, and upon the final message of the staff roll, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYING,” the scene returned to the Demon Lord’s empty chamber without any intervening events or even a return to the title screen. From there, players had to make their way back to town through the monster-filled Demon Lord’s castle, completely devoid of any lingering sense of accomplishment. In fact, since there was no save upon clearing the game, dying on the way back from the Demon Lord’s castle meant having to defeat the Demon Lord again—a truly awful system. So far, there have been no logout options, and the reason we were transported to this world isn’t particularly related to clearing the game. The possibility of us returning to our original world after defeating the Demon Lord is extremely slim.
“…I see.”
When I explained this, Maki nodded with a slightly disappointed, but more so, a relieved expression. Seeing her expression, I worried I might have misled her.
“I’m sorry. I should have explained properly.”
If Maki had been cooperating with the intention of returning to our original world, I had done her a disservice. I sincerely bowed my head.
“Oh? That’s unusual. Soma apologizing to me.”
But Maki just laughed heartily. She didn’t take it seriously at all.
“No, you know, this is really important! Because, well… we might die.”
Saying “die” out loud, I felt a sense of ominous premonition and anxiety wash over me. …It’s true. This battle is different from any we’ve fought before. This time, I can’t do it all by myself. At the very least, we’d have to take on the Demon Lord together to win, and it’s unlikely everything will go according to plan from start to finish. And if something miscalculates… We might never see any of us again in this group. The thought sent a chill through my body. Until now, whether for better or worse, I’ve been too absorbed to truly face that fact. I must defeat the Demon Lord for Ena. I planned it so that no one from the town or my companions would become casualties. But even so, if any of my companions were to die to defeat the Demon Lord… But seeing my state, Maki smiled again.
“Honestly, that’s not something new. I want to help the knights, and I want to help you, Soma. I accept the dangers that come with it. …And besides, everyone here has come prepared for that.”
As she said that, I realized. My companions had gathered around me before I knew it. Among them, the masked Magician stepped forward.
“I have my own objectives. Don’t flatter yourselves into thinking I’m only here to help you.”
“Sahzan…”
With a voice full of resolve, a stark contrast to her earlier pathetic state, Sahzan declared.
“It’s impossible for me, the immortal, to die… But if, by some infinitesimal chance, that were to happen, it would be an unavoidable tragedy of fate that cannot be stopped by mortal hands. Therefore, meaning… I will absolutely not resent you. That’s all!”
Sahzan, who had hastily stepped back, was now flanked by Bear, skillfully holding a meat cleaver between his fingerless hands. Bear raised his free hand and…
—*Guh!*
He made something that resembled a thumbs-up. *Again, I mentally retorted, “You don’t have fingers,” but his spirit reached me.*
“…Soma.”
Finally, it was Ringo. Even at a time like this, Ringo showed no expression; she looked at me with her clear eyes.
“…I will help Soma. That is why I am here.”
That’s right. Compared to anyone else here, Ringo has no reason to defeat the Demon Lord. I’m dragging her into this…
“…No.”
But Ringo looked at my face and shook her head strongly, more so than usual.
“…Because I want to. Even if you say no, Soma, I will follow you.”
Ringo’s voice, though still not very loud, held a strong will and wouldn’t budge an inch.
“Everyone…”
Even after hearing such words, I didn’t know how to respond. I felt ashamed for not having considered them.
“It’s okay, Soma.”
But Maki smiled at me.
“Ultimately, love and courage will win.”
It made absolutely no sense and was completely illogical.
“You always say the most nonsensical things.”
“Eh! Not as much as Soma!”
But it was strange how her words began to calm my heart. And then,
“—I completely agree. Your nonsensical actions are far too numerous.”
A voice called out to my back as I stood there.
“Mitsuki!”
As I called her name, she casually stated that she had completed her task, as if there was no need to ask.
“I’ve been listening in a little from the middle. In short, everyone believes in you… Now, hold your head high. Are you really going to face this critical battle that determines the fate of the world with such a dejected face?”
She tapped my back and then started climbing towards the summit.
“Mitsuki! Is it okay? Getting this close to the Demon Lord’s castle…?”
As if to say it needed no answer, Mitsuki turned back, her cat ears twitching as if beckoning us. Drawn by them, we ascended the final path and soon stood at the crater’s edge.
“That’s… the Demon Lord’s castle…”
Below us, a spiral descent path. And far beyond, the imposing Demon Lord’s castle loomed from the depths of the earth.
(We’ve finally come this far…)
The moment I saw it, all my memories flashed through my mind: Ena frozen in place, the days of training, and the faces of my companions who had followed me. For just a few seconds. Savoring them,
“Let’s go. Let’s defeat the Demon Lord. And then…”
I turned to my companions and declared.
“—We will definitely all return here together!”
Looking at the faces of Ringo, Mitsuki, Maki, Bear, Sahzan, and my companions, I made my resolve. I will exert my utmost, no, even more than my best. And if any of my companions are in danger, I will absolutely protect them, even at the cost of my own life! I will not let any of them die! Not for Ena, but for my own desire to continue being with my companions. I made a firm vow.
I plan to charge full throttle from here to the climax of the Demon Lord arc. I’ll do my best not to run out of breath, so please bear with me.
