Chapter 4: Boss Battle and a New Ultimate
Chapter 4: Boss Battle and a New Ultimate
The next morning, I was on the first floor of Trinisty Isle. I’d gotten there early, so it was mine to do with as I pleased.
My good buddies, the Island Bunnies, welcomed me with open arms. Dozens of them ran straight at me to attack.
Island Bunny attacked.
But Ren evaded the attack.
Island Bunny attacked.
Dealt 1 damage to Ren.
Island Bunny attacked.
Dealt no damage to Ren.
Log messages flowed down the screen like a waterfall. To be fair, I was gathering up a whole mob of them to mess with.
If I ever had a true home in this game, it would be here. Whenever I wanted to test something on random enemies or just try out a new experiment, I always ended up coming here.
“Hah! Get a taste of my normal attacks!”
With no Canesword equipped, I charged toward a bunny, shoulder-first. This was a simple shoulder charge, the only normal attack in the martial artist’s striking arsenal!
Ren attacked.
Dealt 153 damage to Island Bunny!
Ren defeated the Island Bunny.
Ooh. That’s some good damage!
Though it was only a single hit, it ignored evasion. And I wouldn’t lose HP like this!
Next, I used my Canesword to strike another one.
Ren attacked.
Dealt 55 damage to Island Bunny!
Ren defeated the Island Bunny.
As was apparent from the huge difference in damage, going all-in on VIT was working. Thanks to the evasion-canceling effect, as long as my attack touched the enemy, I was guaranteed to hit.
My DEX was too low to go around swinging my Canesword. Against stronger foes, it would hardly ever hit. Even when it did, it would deal some pretty pathetic damage.
Yes, yeees. My ability to land normal attacks has gone up dramatically! Even if that’s only compared to my own past results.
Next up, trying out my Arts. My AP was already full, of course.
“Windmill!”
With this, I put some distance between myself and the mob. They immediately gave chase. Facing the flock, I began to charge.
“Here comes my killer attack! Explosive Tackle!”
Squatting down low, I surged forward like a rugby player gearing up for a tackle. I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be from the friction between my feet and the ground or what, but my entire body erupted into flames.
Just like that, I plunged into the mob of Island Bunnies, sending each and every one flying!
Mm-mmm! What an incredible kill shot!
Bwee! Bwee! Bwee!
Each of my fluffy buddies screamed as they died in succession.
The charge was pretty narrow, but this Art allowed the user to change directions as they moved.
Very nice. That was exhilarating! I see I can also move to or from enemies as needed.
Incidentally, striking Arts cost both AP and HP. Thanks to activating that Art, my HP had fallen by 10% of my maximum health.
“Hmm. That does make me think, though.”
What happens if your HP falls to zero when you use it? Would you just drop dead on the spot? Or would you survive with 1 HP?
I just had to test it! It was time to knock some bunnies around.
Okay, the next one brings my HP to zero! Let’s do it!
“Explosive Tackle!”
Fwooooosh!
Flames enveloped me, sending several Island Bunnies flying. Then, suddenly, all the strength drained from my body. Unable to move, I fell listlessly on the spot.
“Ouch! Hahaha... All right, I get it. HP falls to zero, you die.”
This was an important lesson. I made a mental note of it.
I would’ve been ridiculously excited if it left me alive, but oh well. Gotta follow the rules. Time to respawn, then.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard a familiar voice.
“Whoa! You died here of all places? What happened?!”
It was Akira. Maybe she was bored so she’d come to check on me.
“Yo, Akira. I was just checking what happens if you use a striking Art to fall to zero HP.”
“Oooh. Testing to see if it leaves you with one HP, then?”
“Yep. But the answer is no.”
“Hahaha. It’s funny to see you on the ground surrounded by Island Bunnies, though. It looks like you lost to them.”
“My name will be forever stained by this shameful display.”
“This is so funny! I’m gonna take a screenshot!"
“Nuh-uh! I’m gonna respawn, so you can’t!”
“Aww, wait, wait! Just ten seconds!”
I gave her permission to take pictures of me, then finally respawned in our classroom. Akira returned not long after.
“Mm. Not enough time to go back, I guess.”
“Yeah. Class is about to start.”
“Darn it. I wanted to do some more testing, but whatever. Guess I’ll do it tomorrow since we’re continuing our quest tonight.”
Right. Yesterday, we’d failed to find Princess Lieliz.
We’d searched a ton of places in the Holy Kingdom of Karanaught using our Eyes of Pegasus, but to no avail. After we’d used up all ten of the Eyes we’d bought, the game had kicked us off for the night. As a result, the guild house was still under occupation.
Today, the plan was to buy ten more Eyes of Pegasus and continue the search. The last one we’d used yesterday had finally reacted, telling us the direction but nothing more. As long as they didn’t move the princess, we should be able to find her.
Surely today would be the day we finished the quest. I was glad I’d been able to test out my new abilities a little before then.
If we ran into any battles, I’d be able to show them off!
◆◇◆
After school, Hell’s Crafters reconvened with Akabane and Kataoka. We formed a party of six and resumed our search for the kidnapped princess.
Since we’d taken the long way yesterday, we could now use the warp room to go directly to the Holy Kingdom of Karanaught.
We departed from the capital, the Holy City Mirjam, heading through the northern suburbs and up a mountain. Plants on the plateau in the middle of the mountain range were beginning to take over the area, creating a natural garden of sorts. Yesterday, this was where we stopped.
This area, apparently called Nayuta’s Garden, would also be today’s starting point.
A gentle breeze sent flower petals dancing through the sky. From where we were standing, we had a beautiful view. You could call it the perfect vantage point.
“This place is sooo pretty! We should have a picnic here sometime.”
We waited for the sightseeing maniac to take her screenshots before proceeding with the search.
First, we had an Eye of Pegasus read data from the Princess’ Skull Ring. I should mention that even though it was called the Eye of Pegasus, it wasn’t something grotesque like an eyeball gouged out from a flying horse or whatever.
Rather, it was a jewel with an eye-like emblem carved into the center. Once it was fed information about the person we wanted to search for, it would float above our heads and point a thin ray of light in the direction of the target.
“She’s northeast of here. Let’s get going!”
All six of us were on rental dragon mounts, allowing us to travel quickly without having to worry about enemies.
We followed the ray of light, consuming five Eyes of Pegasus along the way.
“This is it. The light leads here!”
Our destination was an old stronghold that seemed long abandoned. The stone walls were crumbling, with weeds peeking out of the crevices.
At first glance, it seemed to be in ruins, unlikely to have anyone inside. Yet this was where the Eye of Pegasus was pointing.
“Okay. Let’s get off here and take a look inside.”
Nobody objected. We switched to walking and stepped inside the ruins.
Awooooo!
Shaka-shaka-shaka!
Immediately, monsters resembling wolves and skeletons started heading our way! Fortunately, they were only around level 40. Normal mobs like this weren’t particularly intimidating.
“Woo, it’s button-mashing time! Let’s gather AP while we still can!”
“Aww yeah! Right behind you, Akki!”
“Hmph. Well, this should serve as a warm-up, if nothing else.”
“Lady Nozomi, let me guard you from behind!”
Everyone except for Maeda and me leapt in to crush the enemies.
Against subpar enemies like these, I was at the greatest disadvantage. They weren’t strong enough for me to waste a Dead End on them, so all I could do was watch from afar. At that point, I could use my magic circles to support our party members. But on top of not being very helpful, my circles couldn’t move by default, making me pretty useless all around.
“Times like these can be a bit boring,” Maeda said, standing in the back line with me.
When stuff like this happened, she usually just flung magic around however she liked. Even if she wanted to heal, we had two sword dancers on the front lines, so there wasn’t much need for it.
“Heh. I would’ve agreed if you’d told me that yesterday. But today, I’m a new man!”
On that note, I stepped up to the front line and joined in the battle, shoulder-charging any and all enemies I could reach!
The sheer joy of my normal attacks hitting their target! The ecstacy of actually being able to gain AP!
“Ooh! Ren’s normal attacks are hitting!”
“Mwahahaha! Have you ever seen such next-level evolution?!” I boasted, guarding an attack from a wolf that had stepped out to challenge me. I then countered by throwing my weight at it.
My target tottered back as it sustained damage. After my charge, I swung my staff as a bashing attack to combo, which was evaded with ease.
Afterward, I repeated my shoulder charge. Obviously, this one landed.
Animation-wise, weaving a staff bash between each shoulder charge would let me get to the next strike attack faster than just doing it over and over, so this was the best way despite every other miss. Call me a one-trick pony, but it was better than nothing.
Now I could finally build up AP to use on Explosive Tackle!
“Okay. Over there!”
Once we had finished taking down the last of our enemies, we followed the Eye of Pegasus’ light, stepping foot into a large structure in the center of the ruins.
The effect had run out several times along the way, making this the sixth Eye of Pegasus. I hoped we would find the princess soon.
Creeeeeak...
We pushed open a rusty door and headed inside. The ceiling had collapsed, allowing light to filter in directly.
The Eye of Pegasus was pointing to another door deep within. We made our way to the center of the giant hall.
Just then...
BANG!
The inner door ahead of us was thrown open.
Several men in black sprang out from inside. All of them bore the crest of Karanaught on their weapons.
They weren’t the only ones. More enemies appeared from the shadows, from all around the room, and even from the door we’d entered.
There must have been nearly thirty of them. Incidentally, they were all level 50 crown-marked monsters.
“Whoa, whoa, that’s a lot! They’re really giving us a red-carpet welcome!” I said.
“Were they lying in ambush?! This is bad!” Akira cried.
“Um, yeah, this really is bad. I think there might be way too many of them!” Yano said nervously.
“Wh-What do we do?” Maeda asked.
“I don’t foresee us winning here,” Akabane commented.
Kataoka had a slightly different attitude. “Man, your quest really is high-difficulty! I gotta tell my guild about this later.”
Surrounded, we prepared ourselves to fight. At that moment, another man appeared—one we hadn’t seen before.
His black robe was the same as the others, but his hood was down so we could see his face. He was a young man with pale-blue hair and even features with a touch of sternness behind them.
Froi Jasin: Level 75
Crown Icon (rare monster)
He must be the boss!
“Heh. So, you came all this way to save the princess, eh? Well, no matter. Now that you're here, you’re as good as dead!” Froi grinned ferociously.
“Whoa, this guy’s a real hothead! He’s not even gonna give us a chance to turn back, or threaten us, or whatever?!” I blurted in disbelief.
Now this is just unfair! Who wouldn’t die on their first attempt?! Something this crazy ought to give you the option to leave and come back more prepared!
“Hah! I am a kind man. We all know this ends in a fight, so I’m skipping the pointless dialogue choices for you! The princess is in the next room. If you manage to beat me, don’t forget to take her home with you!”
“Not really what I wanted, but thanks, I guess?”
What kind of game skips conversation options when you really need them? Aren’t the devs worried people are gonna start thinking this game is unfair?
“Hmph. My tedious duties were boring me to death. How about you provide me some entertainment?!” Froi then turned to his subordinates. “Attack! Try to convince me that you gaggle of small fry are worth your salt!”
The Shadow Assassins didn’t say a word, instead pouncing on us in perfect sync. Froi sat atop a nearby stone, ready to enjoy the spectacle.
Ooh. Is he one of those guys who loses because he underestimates you?
This big, bad boss seemed like he was just going to kick back and watch until we defeated his huge horde of assassins.
Heheheh. If so, we just might have a chance! I have a feeling we wouldn’t win if this level 75 rare monster came at us alongside the horde. But if he’s willing to wait, that changes everything. After all, this is a chance for us to grow exponentially! With all these Shadow Assassins to slay, we’re gonna be getting plenty of level-ups! After that, we can probably take that one guy down! We actually might be able to do this!
“Here they come!”
“Aaah! They’re gonna overwhelm us!”
“This is a few too many! What do we do?!”
“Any ideas, Takashiro?"
“Do something about this fast, Sun Tzu!”
This little cutie was coming out of left field with the references again. If Akira was willing to make jokes at a time like this, that meant she had some peace of mind.
In other words, she knew I had some tricks up my sleeve.
I wasn’t one to ignore a request, of course. Perhaps it was time to write my own chapter of The Art of War!
“Draco, get in my arms!”
“Chirp!”
“Enervating Circle!”
I made sure to cast a relatively large one. As the Shadow Assassins closed in on us, my circle enveloped the majority of them. The only ones who didn’t make it in were the long-range fighters, such as those with staves and bows.
“Let’s go, Draco!”
I slipped through the enemy circle and headed to a corner of the battlefield. As I did so, I tried to include as many of those back-liners who weren’t already in the circle as I could. By getting them in the circle and thereby debuffing them, I could grab just the tiniest bit of aggro from all of the encircled enemies. As long as nobody else touched them, they would all single-mindedly chase after me.
It was a repeat of the Enervating Circle monster train from Almishr’s Burial Ground.
This ought to buy us plenty of time!
The close-range fighters would chase me, so I could keep up the marathon forever. The back-liners were a problem, though, as they could hit me while I ran.
“Everyone, let’s start by smacking down the ones with staves and bows who’re attacking Ren from afar! Everyone except for Kotomi, pick a single one to grab aggro from, and then focus your attacks on the one I’m fighting!”
Yeah, that’s a huge help!
Truly, Akira understood my needs.
She, Yano, Akabane, and Kataoka each forced one long-range fighter to target them, decreasing the load on me. Now there were almost no long-range attacks coming my way. The marathon was stabilizing.
Enemies charging at me would be slowed down the moment they touched my circle. However, any magic and arrows coming at me would not.
The biggest threat to my marathon battle strategy was long-range enemy attacks. Though our front-liners were pulling aggro from different opponents, they were focusing their own attacks on just one.
And while their respective enemies were battering them from afar, they ignored it. After all, it’d be real trouble if I died because all the long-range attacks got focused on me.
Fortunately, our party was chock-full of HP-recovery skills. We could make up the loss with healing!
I continued my marathon, waiting for Akira and the others to kill off some of the assassins. Our enemies dropped to the ground one after another, bumping our levels higher and higher.
“Keep it up, and we can win!”
Target Marker and Enervating Circle were a fearsome combo. It may have been boring to an onlooker, but this was my best way of tipping the scales.
Suddenly, Froi stood up from his perch. “I see. Not bad at all!”
Uh, I’d prefer if he kept loafing around for a little while!
“No need for that, my man!” I said. “Go on, just put your feet up!”
“Not a chance. Why, I’m a man of action! Frozen Bomb!”
Froi cast his spell and a glittering, blue bullet of ice landed at my feet, freezing a wide area.
“Dammit!”
Not only did the ice deal a hefty chunk of damage, but it also locked my legs in place. This was the Frozen status effect.
There were more than a few Shadow Assassins caught up in his magic as well. Like me, they were frozen to the ground and unable to move. However, about half of them were still mobile, and they were all headed straight for me.
I could guard against any frontal attacks without taking damage, but they were also coming at me from behind. Since I couldn’t move my legs, I had no way to fend off the guys at my back.
Shadow Assassin attacked.
Dealt 66 damage to Ren!
“Ngh!”
“Oh no! Ren!”
More Frozen Bombs rained down on Akira and the others as they tried to rush to my aid. Thus, their legs were frozen as well.
Meanwhile, the enemy attacks continued.
Shadow Assassin attacked.
Dealt 71 damage to Ren!
Shadow Assassin attacked.
Dealt 64 damage to Ren!
This is bad!
I saw death in my future. If I fell here, it was almost guaranteed that the party would be annihilated.
Grrr! Is this what they call being driven into a corner?
“But wait, I say!”
It was then that a man’s voice echoed from above.
“No way! It can’t be!”
That voice, that weird catchphrase! I’d never forget this guy.
It was him! He’d come to save us!
“Oh? Who dares get in our way?! Show yourself!” Froi shouted, incensed by the interruption.
“But wait, I say. Look up!”
I looked up to the edge of an open hole in the ceiling.
Mr. Pervert to the rescue!
A shining, iron mask covered his entire face. A small, crimson scarf was wrapped around his neck, and he wore a red pair of budgie smugglers to match. If I had to give the outfit a name, I would call it the Pervy Three-Piece.
He was standing in his characteristic pose: spine straight and tall with his arms crossed over his chest. The deep-red rose painted on his skin was eternal proof that I had taken part in this man’s depraved proclivities.
“Brother, it’s you!”
“Heya, sis. I see you’re in a tight spot. Worry not; your trusty older brother is here to give you a hand. Hah!”
He descended from the edge of the ceiling, doing moonsaults in the air before landing. Then he struck a weird, birdlike pose. I never knew what to expect from this dude.
“Call me inelegant, but I, with my brotherly heart, could not help but leap into action when I found out my little sister was in danger! I hope you can appreciate these feelings of mine!”
“Umm, err, thank you very much!”
Ooh, Akabane’s eyes are darting all over the place! She’s blushing, too. Could it be that even she’s embarrassed by him?!
The sheer shame of her perverted brother appearing at her darkest hour—even Akabane couldn’t “appreciate” that!
“Oho. You there, don’t show off your impeccable style in my domain.”
Froi’s reaction caused our entire six-man party to scream in horror.
“Eww!”
Is this guy’s fashion sense bugged or what?!
“Hey, guys! I bet Akabane has some thoughts about that,” I said, gesturing to the heinous getup.
“Wh-What are you saying?! I never—”
“Hm? What’s the matter, my dear sister?”
“Err, nothing! Now, look, we can’t move. Please do something about this, and fast!”
“Right! Prepare yourselves. Bear witness to my beauteous dance!”
The masked nudist began to twirl and dance, causing the ice at our feet to disperse.
Ugh, male sword dancers creep me right out.
These dances belonged to people like Akira, who could marry cuteness and titillation with every shake of her hips!
“And now... heyo!”
He sprang into the air, whirled around, and clapped his hands twice. Yep, it was still weird, especially since this man was practically naked. I just couldn’t take it seriously.
But the game harbored no such bias, so despite how it looked, the dance worked perfectly. In fact, it fully replenished everyone’s HP! This was the incredible healing power of someone over level 200.
“Come! Notice me, curs! Fall upon me, I dare you!”
Healing that much at once caused all enemy aggro to focus on him. The Shadow Assassins rushed in his direction.
However...
“Bwahahaha! Dull, far too dull! Learn to aim!"
They couldn’t even hit him! Evade, evade, evade... It never ended!
“I’ve drawn in all the weak mobs! Defeat the boss now, friends!”
“Uh, gotcha!”
I stepped in front of Froi.
“Hmph. You challenge me, do you?”
As we glared at each other, Akira came to my side.
“We’re safe for now. Still, we were almost goners back there.”
Maeda and Yano weren’t far behind.
“I’m not sure if I should be delighted or disgusted.”
“Hey, wait. Why’s that masked guy just evading instead of counterattacking?”
Apparently having heard her, Akabane’s brother struck a strange pose as he turned to look at Yano.
“Hah! You may not have guessed, but I am both progressive and a vegetarian! I do not wish to take the lives of others!”
“Eek! Don’t look at me, please!”
“Well, um, at least he’s a very kind older brother,” Maeda said meekly.
So he’s a pacifist? Wait, then how did he get to that level?! I know pacifist runs are a thing, but this makes no sense!
“My values do not change just because we’re in a game world! In fact, I daresay it is because there is no penalty for cruelty that my willpower is truly tested!”
He crossed his arms once more. Again, a blasphemy against cool poses!
“What about the part where you’re an exhibitionist here just because you won’t get arrested?”
“D-Do not press me on that point!”
“Yeah, Takashiro! Stop talking about it!”
Dammit, Kataoka, I want answers!
“Very well! If you aren’t coming for me, I’ll just have to make the first move! Orbs of Cocytus!”
Countless glimmering, blue orbs appeared around Froi, each around the size of a fist. They hovered close to their caster, apparently in order to protect him.
“What is that?!” I shouted.
“I’ll scope it out!”
Akira swung Skyfall. The shockwave approached Froi, but one of the many orbs collided with it. As a result, the shockwave dissipated.
“The orb just brushed it off!”
“So that won’t work, huh?”
“Takashiro, I’ll try stealthing and getting closer.”
“All right, good luck.”
“Yep. Shadow Walk!” Kataoka vanished into thin air.
Meanwhile, Maeda attempted to cast some magic. “Perhaps fire will work. Fireball!”
The fire collided with Froi’s Orbs of Cocytus.
Pssshhh!
This was accompanied by the sound of steam rising, causing both to disappear.
“We can nullify the orbs this way!”
“Nice. Keep it up, Maeda!”
“Understood!”
She cast Fireball again.
“Fools! You really think your one-shot skills will work?!”
Froi held his palms above him, sending several blue shimmers flying toward Maeda.
Oh no, he can control them freely!
Fireball fizzled out on contact with the first, and the rest were still headed her way.
“Eep?!”
“Kotomi, watch out!”
Yano rushed in front of her and guarded them with her shield.
Plink-plink-plink!
As the orbs hit Yano’s shield, they spread ripples of ice across its surface. Soon, the ice reached her legs, freezing them to the ground.
“Brrr! Cold, cold, cold!”
Even through the guard, she lost about half of her health.
“I’ve got your back, Yuuna!”
“Keep it together!”
Akira and Akabane used their dances to heal Yano’s HP and remove her freeze status, respectively.
“Hah! You have only prolonged your death!”
Again, Froi launched his orbs.
“Not even close. Backstab!”
Ooh, nice, Kataoka! Kick some ass!
“Hmph!”
But in that instant, all of the orbs around Froi swarmed Kataoka!
Plink-plink-plink!
“Whoooa?!”
“Kataoka!”
Oh no! He took too many hits at once!
Kataoka’s HP went from being nearly full all the way down to zero.
If only we could dive in, chip at him a little, and then dip back out. But whenever one of us gets within his range, his orbs just maul us to death. This guy’s one heck of a nuisance!
Akabane sneered. “Goodness. Dying like that is just pathetic!”
“Aww... Sorry.” Kataoka fell limply on the spot, dead as a doornail.
This meant there was only one ability that could get us through this now. We didn’t have the time to take things slowly and test this out, so I trusted in my spark of inspiration and began operating the system menu.
“But look, the orbs are gone!”
Akira was correct. The focused attack on Kataoka had consumed all of the Orbs of Cocytus.
“Maybe now it’ll work!”
Akira quickly struck the ground with Skyfall.
“Orbs of Cocytus!”
Once again, the newly formed orbs repelled her shockwaves.
“Wha?! Geez, that cooldown is so fast!”
I could understand her frustration.
“Hmph! You there, the pink one! You’re one hell of an eyesore, you know that? I can’t stand women who dress so provocatively! Have you no shame?!”
“I-I don’t dress like this because I want to! Besides, it’s none of your business!”
“Yeah! And y’know, this is one of the most conservative outfits she has!”
Having finished menuing, I stood with Akira and protected her from this verbal onslaught.
“Ren, stop butting in and making things worse!”
Aww, she’s mad at me!
“Hah! Look, there’s another one of you over there! But you’re more plump, so it’s even less pleasant to look at you.”
“How dare you! Are you calling me fat?! Is there a world where this isn’t considered harassment?!”
Well, Akira did have a much larger bosom, and she was shorter than Akabane to boot. Still, she wasn’t fat in the slightest.
It just came down to a difference in tastes. Akira was a healthy and voluptuous cutie, whereas Akabane was more of a traditional beauty.
“Now, now. Akira, listen up...” I whispered my strategy into her ears.
“Whaaat?! Do I have to?!”
“Yup. Now, let’s get started! Devitalizing Circle!”
I cast a wide magic circle—not large enough to empty my MP bar, though. I made sure to keep my MP at about 10% of my max HP.
“Send them to their doom!”
At Froi’s order, Orbs of Cocytus rushed in our direction.
I stood in front of Akira, covering her. If I took the countless attacks coming our way, I’d most likely end up dead like Kataoka. But I wouldn’t let that happen!
“Final Strike!”
I immediately activated Final Strike on its own. My upcoming ultimate move would not include this Art!
“Now, here comes my ultimate!”
Fwoosh!
My body was enveloped in crimson flames!
The blue orbs landed immediately after, but they evaporated on contact with the fire. As proven by Fireball, flames could nullify the orbs.
Thanks to that, I knew I could use an ultimate that created a flame aura!
“What?!”
“All right! Here comes my new killer move!”
Still enveloped in flames, I squatted down and twisted my upper body, ready for a Quickdraw.
I maintained that stance as I charged toward Froi.
Psssh, psssh, pssssshhh!
Every orb coming at me evaporated into steam.
The flames around me left a trail as I ran, morphing into a flaming bird. It symbolized Suzaku, the Vermilion Bird of legend.
This was the new ultimate I had chained together! I had only just discovered the combination, and this was my first time actually using it.
It was made up of Turnover, Explosive Tackle, and Quickdraw.
“Vermilion Wing!”
My flaming Quickdraw seized Froi!
I continued to run as I swung my blade, leaving Froi in a pillar of flame behind me.
“Gaaaaah?!”
Ren activated Vermilion Wing.
Dealt 3,555 damage to Froi Jasin!
Aww yeah. This is even mightier than Dead End!
Furthermore, having Explosive Tackle as a component meant that my charge passively damaged enemies around me. That meant I could keep running as I destroyed the Orbs of Cocytus.
It did present some problems, though—namely, careful HP maintenance to make sure Explosive Tackle didn’t kill me, along with needing to have AP ready.
Still, as long as I could clear those conditions, this outstripped Dead End! Being able to knock Final Strike out of the third slot of Skill Chain was nice too.
When I used Final Strike alone, I could wait to unleash my next blow until the cooldown ended, allowing me two activate it twice in a row. Waiting for a second cast like this was more efficient overall.
But if I added Final Strike to the ultimate, I couldn’t do that. If the skill wasn’t usable, I’d be barred from using the ultimate move at all. Excluding it gave me more options.
“Dammit! How dare you! Orbs of—”
Froi was so focused on me that he didn’t notice Akira fast approaching!
I had blown away every last one of his Orbs of Cocytus, which made it easy for Akira to close in on him without taking any damage.
“Not this time! Ultimate move!”
“Ngh!”
He swiftly reacted to guard, but it was pointless... for Akira had equipped Angelic Charm!
“Aerial Crescent!”
“Hrngh?! What?!”
With his guard nullified by the armor, Froi was helplessly launched into the air.
I’ll take this opportunity to craft my next Canesword!
“Akabane, use Sword Samba on me! Yano and Maeda, focus fire now!”
“Right away!”
“A’ight! This might just be our chance!”
“Yes, sir!”
Akabane activated her Sword Samba. My Final Strike and Turnover were now ready to be used again!
As Akira entered the second part of her ultimate move, Froi fell and bounced off the ground.
“Ultimate move: Shadow Blaster!”
“Fireball!”
“Urgh!”
While he was still unable to act, I cast a magic circle to manage my HP. I still had AP left.
Let’s keep it up! Time to combo again!
“Here comes another one! Final Strike! And... ultimate move!”
Once again, Suzaku’s flames enveloped my body.
“Vermilion Wiiiiing!”
BWOOOOOSH!
Ren activated Vermilion Wing.
Dealt 3,555 damage to Froi Jasin!
“Waaagh!”
Another massive pillar of flames engulfed him.
“I’m not done yet either! Aerial Crescent!”
With the second activation of both our ultimate moves, Froi’s health had fallen by a whole 70%.
I’ve still got more in the tank. Time to finish this all at once!
Or so I thought.
Just as Froi was hit by the second Aerial Crescent, he was abruptly surrounded by a dark-grey sphere.
“You’re not half bad, fools! I’ll remember your faces! Next time we meet, I’ll pound you into the dust! Get ready to die!”
By the time the orb had shrunk and blinked away into nothingness, Froi was no longer there.
For real?! This guy is one of those bosses who retreats when he takes a certain amount of damage?!
Once Froi had escaped, his Shadow Assassins likewise disappeared.
“He ran away? Woo! We wooon!” Akira cheered.
Maeda was equally excited. “Yes! We’ve done it!”
“Nice!” cried Yano. “We really pummeled him!"
Akabane let out a sigh. “That was quite the challenging quest.”
“Heh. Well done, everyone. Perhaps you didn’t even need my assistance,” said the masked nudist.
“Chirp chirp! Chichichirp!”
In the midst of everyone's joy, I was silent.
I took out the Otherworldly Lens and nabbed some screenshots of Akira.
C’mon, can you blame me?! I missed my chance to get some shots of Angelic Charm last time! This is a very rare opportunity!
The shutter made a couple of satisfying clicks.
Nice, I got some! I’ll look back on them fondly!
“What the—?! Geez, Ren! At a time like this?!”
Akira returned to her usual gear in a jiffy, but I’d already gotten my fair share.
“Thanks for the best pic ever. I’m one-hundred-percent satisfied!”
“I don’t care about that! C’mon, this is more embarrassing than you think!”
“Now, now. It looked very nice on you.”
“Ughhh!”
The masked nudist, who had been watching us from afar, cleared his throat. “Ahem! Friendship is truly beautiful! Well then, my work here is done. Farewell!”
With unusually light bearing, he leapt back to the hole in the ceiling and disappeared.
Huh. Well, I guess I ought to be grateful. If he hadn’t shown up, we probably would’ve been dead meat. After all, he made it so that we only had to defeat Froi instead of his whole army.
“Moving on... Let’s find the princess!”
Froi said she was in the room back there, right?
We progressed through the open door, and there was Princess Lieliz!
She was bound to a pillar and had a gag stuffed in her mouth, but she seemed to have no real injuries.
“Haah! Ahh, thank you, everyone. You’re the people from the guild shop I was kidnapped from, right? I apologize for all the trouble. A hail of my gratitude upon you!”
Yep, this princess still speaks like a weirdo.
“Oh, what happened to Anita?! I don’t see her among you.”
“Anita was thrown in jail because she couldn’t protect you.”
“Egads! I cry you mercy!”
Wait, what?
Maeda translated her archaic speech for us. “I believe she means ‘beg your pardon?’”
I guess I understand, but...
“This simply won’t do. I’m sorry to impose, but could you take me to Anita?”
We had no reason to refuse.
Thus, with the princess in tow, we returned to the castle jail.
“Your Highness! Thank goodness you’re safe! Are you unharmed?!”
Anita rejoiced for her princess’ safety with tears in her eyes.
“Unbend, Anita. I am all right.”
“She doesn’t want her to fret,” Maeda said, now clearly annoyed.
This was supposed to be a really moving reunion and all, but the princess somehow managed to kill the mood.
Anita, on the other hand, was giggling with joy. “Hehe... Hahaha. You seem well, Your Highness. I couldn’t be more relieved.”
Though they were NPCs, there seemed to be a bond between them—something we could never intrude on.
What a well-made game.
With the princess home and Anita free, we returned to the guild house. At last, we were able to reopen our store.
And with that, we had successfully cleared the hidden quest, “The Abduction of the Incognito Princess.”
◆◇◆
Tantaraaa! Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-tantaraaa!
As we walked the red carpet, trumpeteers belted out fanfare on either side. It kinda felt like a big welcome party, with us as the returning heroes!
“Ooh, this is awesome.” I whistled.
“Gosh, I’m terribly nervous.”
“Ditto, Kotomi. I’m pretty uncomfortable.”
Commoners like us weren’t exactly used to grand formal ceremonies like this.
“Don’t worry, girls,” said Akira. “All you have to do is stare straight ahead.”
“And maintain a refined posture,” added Akabane.
Our two celebrities were perfectly calm, of course.
“Just like that! Stately as ever, Lady Nozomi.” Kataoka was operating as usual too.
In the end, we made it through the door to the throne room. The throne was occupied by a dashing older man wearing a crown.
At his side was Princess Lieliz.
Among the civil and military officers that lined the sides of the room, I spotted the princess’ personal escort, Anita.
After rescuing and safely returning the princess, we had been summoned to Telluna’s royal palace. Normally, players can’t enter this area. This was a rare experience!
“Greetings, valiant youths. Thank you for coming!” The king was all smiles. He seemed more affable than I’d expected.
We knelt down and bowed our heads in respect. In reality, most of us were just imitating Akira and Akabane.
“Saving my daughter’s life was truly a noble deed. Allow me to express my thanks.”
He, too, bowed his head. It felt kinda weird to see a king doing that for us.
“But this sort of heroism is to be expected from scholars of our country’s greatest academic institution. Even I feel a sense of pride. I can only pray that you will continue to serve our nation—nay, our world—after your graduation.”
We all nodded at once.
“Now, I’m told that Lieliz has something to give you. I implore you to accept it!”
Ooh, a present?! This must be our reward for completing the quest! Come on, I’m chompin’ at the bit here!
The princess stepped forward. “This tragedy only occurred as a result of my own selfishness. But thanks to all of you, I have come home safely and Anita has gone unpunished. Gramercy, everyone. I offer you my sincere gratitude.”
As everyone’s representative and the guild master, it was my duty to reply. “It was nothing. I mean, we couldn’t just stand by when a princess was abducted before our very eyes. But, uh, do you have any idea why those guys from Karanaught did that?”
“I wonder... I believe I have an idea of what they were trying to prevent.”
“Huh?”
“Your Highness!” Anita shouted menacingly.
“Oh, ehehe. Try as I may to comprehend, their motives remain occulted. One day, we may haply know.”
I heaved a huge sigh.
“Occulted”...? I guess we can just assume she doesn’t know.
“Leaving that aside, allow me to meet you grace for grace. Please, take this.”
She offered an item to me with a smile, which I accepted.
“Thank you very much, Your Highness.” I thanked her and took a knee once more.
In doing so, I took a little peek inside the pouch she gave me.
Princess’ Skull Ring (O)
Type: Accessory
Level: 1
Effect: Multiplies experience gain by three. However, stat boosts upon level-up will be divided by three.
No way! I don’t want this freakin’ thing! I had a bad feeling about this, but come on! This is our reward for a quest that difficult?! What a disappointment. Well, I guess the Rush Ring I got along the way was reward enough.
“I put all my heart, body, and soul into making this ring! I hope you treasure it!”
Her radiant smile was pretty cute, though.
After the ceremony, we returned to the guild house and had our own little celebration. It was nothing fancy; we just cracked open some sweets, junk food, and juice that we’d brought in.
Akira had whipped up the pancakes and cookies from scratch. She was improving her cooking skill more and more by the day.
I’d love to sell some of her creations in our shop.
“Hey, Nozomi?” Akira said.
Naturally, we had included Akabane and Kataoka in our party.
“My, what is it?”
“Thank you for helping us today. We couldn’t have cleared it without you.”
“Oh! I, erm, well, it’s not as though I did it for you! It’s just that my brother and I happen to like this shop, so we would hate for it to remain closed!”
Ah, her prickly side is coming out.
She turned away with a huff, but the way her nose was twitching proved she was actually happy.
“Haha. Well, I was hoping to offer you a reward of my own. Will you take it?”
“I-If you insist, then I suppose I shall.”
“Okay. Hold out your hands.”
“Sure.”
With a smile, Akira handed something to Akabane.
It was a full-face, iron mask that had been painted pink using Libra’s Brush!
“Do you like it?! It matches your brother’s!”
Thwap!
Akabane slapped the pink mask out of her hand!
“I would never wear something like this! Are you trying to pick a fight with me?!”
“See, I told you she’d hate it!” shouted Yano. “Who wouldn’t get offended over this thing?”
“I-I tried to stop you too,” piped Maeda.
“The heck’s wrong with you?” I asked Akira.
Here I had thought that when it came to picking a gift for a girl, it'd be best left to another girl. At the very least, Akabane seemed to understand that it wasn’t a prank or anything.
After that, I turned to Kataoka. “Here, man. This one’s for you.”
“Ooh, thank you! I’ll treasure it forever!”
It was made in the vein of the “Don’t Bully Me” Shield, except this one was a “You’re a Useless Follower” Shield. The perfect product for the real masochists out there, it featured a drawn version of Akabane looking down at you with a cold glare. I’d figured Kataoka would like it, so I’d had Yano draw it up for me.
I’m just glad he loves it.
“Argh! I really thought you’d like it, though!” Akira cradled the iron mask with tears in her eyes.
You’re the one with weird tastes, girl. But hey, that’s my best friend for you. Might as well try to back her up.
“Akabane, just so you know, I don't think Akira meant anything rude by it. She’s just got awful taste, y’know? Look, she’s even crying!”
“Ah... Oh? Th-Then I suppose I must!” Akabane reached over and snatched the mask back from Akira. “For now, I will accept it, if that will make you happy.”
“Thank you, Nozomi! Do you wanna try it on?!”
“What?! I couldn’t!”
“Oh. Okay then.” Akira was deflated.
Seeing this, Akabane was conflicted yet again. She wanted to get along well with Akira, not bring her down.
“All right, fine! I’ll do it, so please don’t make that face! Watch!”
Carried away by the flow of conversation, she put it on!
That poor girl!
“Ahahahahaha! Wow, you look craaazy!”
What the hell? Don’t point and laugh! She endured all that shame for you!
“H-How dare you! How about you try putting it on, then?!” Akabane, understandably angry, forced the iron mask onto Akira.
Oh, yeah. Crazy is the perfect word to describe it.
“Nooo! Yuuna, you take it!”
“I don’t want it either! Kotomi, it’s yours now!”
“Wait, no! Stooooop!”
It really livened things up, so maybe it’s actually the ultimate party prop?
“Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp!”
In the end, the mask was left upside-down on the floor. Draco was more than happy to crawl inside it and roll around.
“Err, at least it won’t go to waste,” I said.
Just then, we heard a voice from inside the mask.
“Rolly, rolly, roll. Fun, fun, fun!”
What the—?! D-Did Draco just...
“DID HE JUST TALK?!” everyone else blurted at once.
That he did. I guess pet dragons can learn human language!