Chapter 100: Joint Struggle and Chaotic Abilities
“We are going to get as much distance as possible!” (Hikaru)
“Okay!” (Rifreya)
The 3rd Floor is a garden.
We have come here countless times already, and I have a decently good sense of direction, so I know the route leading to the stairs, but this place is made in a way to make you get lost.
In other words, the way to the stairs is by no means a straight line.
There’s the need to make turns a lot of times on our way.
If it were to come at us from overhead in a straight line, it would catch up to us in an instant.
“Wait, there was this too…!” (Hikaru)
I wanted to run to the stairs of the 2nd Floor in one go, but Alex and his party are fighting monsters.
“I will assist too!” (Rifreya)
“Please do!” (Hikaru)
With Rifreya entering the fray, the Treant was defeated pretty quickly, but the several tens of seconds lost here are painful.
“Rifreya! Alex! It is going to catch up soon! Be careful above!” (Hikaru)
The Straying Big Mist Garden is always covered in a dense mist, and even if a monster is flying above, it is hard to catch sight of them. Moreover, the mist at the ceiling is denser.
The Demon Lord should be really close…
“[Dark Sense]!” (Hikaru)
A perception wave runs through the mist and detects the location of the Demon Lord.
It really is aiming for me; 50 meter distance.
“[Darkness Fog]! [Shade Shift]!” (Hikaru)
I cover my body with darkness at the highest capacity, and create a clone of myself with Shade Shift in order to increase my evasion rate as much as possible.
Even one hit of the Demon Lord would be the end of me.
We are currently 5 people. If we see it as 1 party, it shouldn’t be that bad of a fighting force.
But I don’t know how to fight against a monster that flies.
My only means of attack is the Night Bug.
Marchosias showed up from the air, flapped its wings while raising a growl, but didn’t show signs of coming down.
The next move…
“[Dispel].”
The voice coming from the Demon Lord resonated directly in my mind.
Maybe because of the effects of that, my Darkness Fog and Shade Shift had their Spirit Energy diminished into glittery particles…and disappeared.
“Damn it! This is a Chaotic Ability?!” (Hikaru)
“Hikaru! Hide behind me!” (Rifreya)
Rifreya takes a stance with her giant sword and stands in a way as if protecting me.
Marchosias flies around 20 meters above us, and seems to be observing us. We don’t have any effective attack means for that distance.
“[Summon: Night Bug]!” (Hikaru)
I summon dark rhinoceros beetles that should at least serve to annoy it.
The Demon Lord barely paid any heed to the insects flying around. As I thought, Abilities that deal low sustained damage are not effective against Demon Lords.
We watched the movements of the Demon Lord while backing off bit by bit, heading towards the exit.
“Alex and his party, do you guys have any attacks that can shoot it down? Be it Spirit Abilities or anything.” (Hikaru)
“At that distance, it would be rough… I can only use till the 3rd Ability, and Crabbell is Earth, so it would be impossible in midair. Also, Jordan is water.” (Alex)
“I see. Thanks. I have Darkness and Rifreya is Light. We both don’t have effective long range attacks.” (Hikaru)
In that case, we can’t do anything until it comes down.
I can’t make Shadow Bind appear in midair either.
Marchosias flies around while making a displeasing flapping noise.
It would growl every now and then. There’s no doubt it is finding the appropriate timing to attack.
Retreating while directing our attention to the movements of the Demon Lord was reducing our progress to a crawl, however, we can’t just expect to luckily encounter other explorers.
It is regrettable that the hunting horn dropped. If we had pushed ourselves there to get it back, this might have been a different development, but…there’s no point brooding over that now.
“Hikaru! Be careful!” (Rifreya)
Rifreya lets out a voice of urgency.
When I turned my gaze, the flying Demon Lord opened its big mouth and a flame of red and white was forming in its mouth.
“It is going to spit out fire!” (Hikaru)
Warning them was all I could do.
Bright red fire covers my whole vision with a terrifying sound. It is not a speed that I can avoid the moment I see it.
The next instant I was prepared for death…
“[Water Screen]!” (Jojordan)
The ability that Jojordan casted created a sudden water wall, and it blocks the fire.
The sizzling sounds of fire being evaporated by water was reverberating. It was blocking the fire breath of the Demon Lord almost perfectly. Jojordan may look feeble, but it seems like he is quite the skilled Spirit User.
“Thanks for the save!” (Hikaru)
“Not yet! It is coming!”
Marchosias flapped its wings with great force once, glided in the air, and began charging our way.
“Rifreya!” (Hikaru)
“Yes!” (Rifreya)
It is hard to use Darkness Fog in an ‘offensive manner’ against an enemy that’s charging from above.
But if it is with the means of Rifreya…
“[Light]!” (Rifreya)
A dazzling sphere appeared onto the opponent rushing straight as if it were trying to crash onto it, and it burned the eyes of the Demon Lord.
The Demon Lord that was blinded on all fronts falls onto the flowerbed of the garden while destroying it flashily, sliding on the ground.
This is the chance of our lifetime.
“Right now! Press on!” (Hikaru)
“Yeah!”
Rifreya, Alex, and Crabbell rush the Demon Lord.
“Ooooooh! Take this!” (Alex)
The spear of Alex lunges towards the Demon Lord, and in that instant…
A voice once again resonates in my head.
“[Fear].”
An indescribable wave was emitted from the Demon Lord, and we, who were leaning forward, had eaten it all defenselessly.
Something pierced through my whole body.
“…Kuh! W-What’s this?” (Hikaru)
The Demon Lord in front of me suddenly felt overwhelmingly scary, my knees trembled, and strength left my whole body from the fear.
Rifreya, Alex, Crabbell, and Jojordan; they all fell on their knees and were in a state where they couldn’t attack at all.
Fear.
So a chaotic ability that instills fear.
“Damn it! Damn it! Move! I’m telling you to move!” (Alex)
“Even though it was our chance…!” (Rifreya)
Doesn’t seem like they can move either.
The Fear Ability that shows its effects in its surroundings. It isn’t just for show that it is called a Demon Lord, huh.
This is incredibly bad. The word ‘wipe’ surfaced in my mind.
“[Darkness Fog]…! [Bind]…!” (Hikaru)
I squeezed out all the strength I could, and covered everyone into the darkness including the Demon Lord.
I control the movements of the Demon Lord with Shadow Bind.
I must buy as much time as possible.
“Everyone…! Fall back for now…!” (Hikaru)
I control the Darkness Fog and secure a path of retreat for everyone.
Fortunately, Marchosias doesn’t have night vision, so it spun around in place, and it is simply wary of its surroundings.
The effect of the ability must have dissipated a bit because of the time, I could feel some strength in my legs now.
“Alex! You can hear me, right?!” (Hikaru)
“Yeah… I can hear you…! What was that just now?” (Alex)
“It must be a Chaotic Ability that binds the heart with fear. Anyways, I will keep it distracted here! You guys go call for help! We will be wiped out if we deal with it with just us!” (Hikaru)
“Are you going to be okay, Hikaru…?! To fight it with only you two is just…” (Alex)
“We will manage somehow! Counting on you!” (Hikaru)
“Got it! Don’t die!” (Alex)
Alex and his party run off.
It is already impossible to run with them. Someone has to keep it distracted. If we were to get attacked from behind, no one would be left.
There’s no choice but to have them bring help here.
(Can’t run away from the Demon Lord…huh.) (Hikaru)
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