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Volume 1 Chapter 21-2: End This

「Sakura, it says you can use fire magic, but do you understand how?」
「I’m fine. Sakura could do nothing but think for the longest time, so if it’s imaginative power then there’s no issue.」

I see…I wondered why Hotaru-san’s magic affinity was so high, it was because they had been in a state where thinking was all they had.

「Then you know what you have to do?」
「Un, leave it to me. Divert, disturb, avoid close combat, and pelt it with magic right?」

She gave me a perfect answer so I patted her head gently while she closed her eyes in joy before disappearing.

Fast! I couldn’t even see her…really like a ninja. Agility Boost + was really showing off.

『(火遁) Katon: Baku (矢雨)』 (TN: Remember Naruto?)

With a roar the Floor Boss’s back exploded.

GUGIIIEEEEE!!

It looks like Sakura’s fierce attack has begun. Sakura’s movements were baffling and I barely caught sight of her. It was mostly likely a result of her 『Invisibility』 skill. It seems her ability to hide was higher when used on herself than when I used it by proxy.

『Katon: Arrow Rain』

Sakura’s magical attacks continued, and this time flaming arrows began pouring down on the boss from the sky. Just as she had told me, she was using fire magic with skill unthinkable for an amateur.

It seemed that Sistina was fighting at a longer distance as well so that she wouldn’t get caught up in the attacks.

As they kept it busy I hurried to Hotaru-san’s side. As I ran my left arm screamed in pain, but as I caught sight of Hotaru-san’s injuries the pain was blotted out by my shock.

She seemed frail like never before, her left leg was gone from the thigh down, and the kimono around her hips was ripped to shreds by the creature’s fangs as blood flowed endlessly.

I was sure that she wouldn’t make such a mistake normally. She only got tricked because she was rushing to kill it before my injuries worsened and she felt fear I might die. If she didn’t kill it fast enough I would end up wounded again. Worse I might die. She probably thought of all that.

Her injuries were caused because of my own weakness.

I wanted to reach her faster…I wanted to apologize.

『What are you even saying ja…you’re already strong. It’s true that you lack training, but it hasn’t been a full week since you came to this world ja. Normally no one could fight to this degree. You have plenty of talent…I guarantee it.』
「Hotaru-san….」

She seemed to sense my feelings as she smiled wryly.

『Katon: Spear』

GUGIGIGIGIGIIII!!

Sakura’s fire magic didn’t cease. This time a thick fire spear pierced through the joint on the draco mantis’s left scythe. The flames cooked it from the inside out causing the blade to hang limply.

It probably burnt the nerves out as well.

Amazing…it seems like Sakura has good compatibility with this boss. But…after turning into a person for the first time and using magic like that over and over…wouldn’t she run out before long?

Even if things looked one-sided for the moment this battle was still very dangerous.

『Not good Soujirou ja! It’s trying to do something!』

Certainly I saw the Floor Boss looked different.

Up until now the boss had been attacking ceaselessly, trying to kill Sistina and Sakura, but after losing one of its scythes it seemed to roll up its body into a defensive ball.

「What the heck is it doing…if it only defends then Sakura will beat it to death…」

I was worried it was about to pull something, but it stopped moving and defended.

Sistina and Sakura didn’t let the chance slip and began cutting and beating it with their weapons.

Because it defended its weak points it was hard to say how much the attacks actually hurt, but it was certainly being damaged. Before long the Boss would run out of stamina and keel over.

Could it actually….be the end?

As I wondered that, I suddenly felt a bad premonition.

Wait a second…is it swelling? This is bad!

「Sakura! Sistina! Get away!」
「「Eh?」」

GUUUGIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!

「KYAAAAAA!」

bishii! Bishiii!

I stood absentmindedly and stared as blood squirted from my body.

But at this point I couldn’t care less about my own wounds.

All that was left in my mind was Sistina, Sakura, and Hotaru-san lying on the ground covered in blood.

Don’t f*** with me….don’t you goddamn think I’ll let you get away with hurting my beautiful girls.

I felt something in my mind snap as an unprecedented freezing sensation spread through my thoughts.

I extended my hand backwards and ordered…

「Hotaru, come!」
『Understood, my Master.』

The next moment I felt the comforting weight of Hotarumaru settle in my hand.

clang clang

I instantly swung down and cut the weights off of my legs and they fell to the ground. Then I changed my grip and cut off the rest that were attached to my body.

Then I stepped forward to face the floor boss who was now one size smaller. I glanced at Hotarumaru which was now missing the tip of her blade and had a large nick in the blade. Thinking about the creature’s defensive strength I could cut through the scales if I was prepared to break her.

However, after Sistina and Sakura’s attacks, it had shot out its scales to drive them away. Now that it didn’t have those to interfere, I could fight without too much burden on Hotaru-san. However, it’d be even worse if Hotaru-san was wounded further. Whether it was a slash or a stab I needed to end this in one shot!

I prepared myself and dashed forward.

「Sou…jirou-sama….I’ll leave the rest…to you.」

Sistina said with a smile even as she lay on the ground bleeding.

「Sou-sama sorry…I….messed up…」

Sakura had probably run out of magic near the end and was too late to move. She had a large number of scales in her legs and couldn’t stand as she looked at me with a tearful face.

And…

『Don’t worry about me ja. Go all out!』

Hotaru who’d offered me her everything.

I charged forward with the trust of the three people who were my reason to live in this world. My thoughts were cool to the point that I remained unshaken even seeing their injuries.

That’s why I could dodge the right scythe’s strike.

Dodge the bite.

Dodge the tail trying to brush me away.

Dodge the sweeping scythe strike.

Dodge the crushing move with the body.

Dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge dodge!

Time felt slow as I dodged the Floor Boss’s rapid and smooth attacks. It had gotten faster probably due to losing its scales.

The attacks were fierce and fast, but it felt impatient. It was probably nervous because it had used its trump card yet there was still an enemy facing it. It was injured, tired, and missing its defensive scales. It finally felt the danger it was in.

But I was also covered in wounds. I had removed all my weights and entered Super Three Kingdoms Musou Mode (self-styled) using my full power to its limits.

It was only a matter of time before the draco mantis showed a fatal gap or I ran out of energy, but I had no intentions of backing down. Even if my left arm felt like it would fall off, even if my wounds bled, and even if my brain felt like it was burning from extreme focus!

「UOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」

….Gu GUGUIIIIIEIEIEEEEAAAA

Finally I saw the light of fear in the Draco Mantis’s eyes as no matter how many times it attacked it was unable to hit me. I let out a roar when I saw that and it seemed to react by screeching out to shake away the fear and that open mouth was striking towards me.

I took a single step back as if in slow motion the open jaws passed by me. I saw the eye of the creature passing by and saw the terror dwelling within, but I didn’t care.

I exploded forward, stabbing Hotaru to the hilt into the Draco Mantis’s eye.