Chapter 105: Full Use of Darkness and Victims
The Demon Lord makes a violent roar and is leisurely flying at around 20 meters up.
It is most likely waiting for an opportunity to attack from above.
The chances of it attacking me hiding in the darkness is low.
“Rifreya! Alex! Crabbell! Even if it charges, there’s no need to intercept it! Aim for the opening after it charges and tries to go back up! Leave the fire breaths to Jojordan!” (Hikaru)
If they were to get a counter while it is charging, they might be able to deal big damage, but the risk is equally high.
It would be safer to modulate both attack and defense.
“Gwaoooon!”
The Demon Lord made a decently big howl while in midair, and then, after baring its giant fangs, it lunged onto Rifreya.
“As if I will let you! [Shadow Bind]!” (Hikaru)
The dark tentacles appearing from the darkness tie up the Demon Lord doing a sharp drop as if welcoming it into its arms.
They were torn up in an instant, but even with that, it still managed to slow it greatly.
If it had been just a few moments ago, it would have been impossible to match the bind with a fast moving target, but it is possible now that my Proficiency has increased. I can instantly make bind appear anywhere.
Forcefully making it brake, it slowed down, but the Demon Lord still charged on, and Rifreya easily avoided it.
The Demon Lord landed on the ground as if sliding on it and tried to regain its posture, but Alex and Crabbel welcomed it with sharp slashes to not let that opening escape.
“Grrrrrr.”
Displeased by the attacks of those two, the Demon Lord moves.
However, it seems like it didn’t deal that much damage. Half-baked attacks won’t be getting through the body of the Demon Lord protected in tough fur.
It is either attacking the base of the neck that is their weak point, or aim for its legs or wing to damage its mobility as much as possible.
“You two, move back! [Phantom Warrior]! [Darkness Fog]!” (Hikaru)
It is dangerous to fight for too long against a Demon Lord. I don’t want what happened to Rifreya to happen all over again. I don’t have any means to heal big wounds.
The Demon Lord caught in the darkness gave one big cry and escaped to the air at once.
It must have learned after having been hit over and over by the Light of Rifreya.
The Demon Lord flaps its wings and flies overhead.
If it wanted to, it could escape somewhere, but you could say this is as expected of a Demon Lord, there doesn’t seem to be the choice of running away.
Those eyes glaring brilliantly were burning with the strong desire of devouring us.
“Hikaru, it really helps that you are giving orders! It is so tough, so big, we were a complete mess not knowing how to fight it.” (Alex)
After fixing their stances again, Alex ran to where I am.
“Figures. With our level, fighting it normally would be impossible. Even just now, Rifreya had been gravely injured and almost died.” (Hikaru)
“Seriously? Is she okay? No, she seems to be okay.” (Alex)
“I had Points, so I somehow managed… But there’s no next time, so let’s buy time here and do this safely. If we just do what we did before over and over, we should be able to manage somehow.” (Hikaru)
“Are you fine on Spirit Energy, Hikaru?” (Alex)
“Somewhat.” (Hikaru)
The reality is that I can fight in a way where I push myself in order to not lose.
There’s a limit to my stamina, so it would end up being a battle of attrition, but it is fine as long as reinforcements arrive.
The explorers participating in this Demon Lord subjugation are all silver rank or higher. Even if not, the arrival of a Demon Lord in itself isn’t that rare of an occurrence.
If adventurers with full stamina and experience battling Demon Lords were to come, our job would be over.
“Now that I think about it, aren’t you using your Spirit Abilities, Alex?” (Hikaru)
“A-Aah…actually, I am still not used to utilizing them at the moment… Also, that guy spits fire, so I don’t think Fire Spirit Abilities would be that effective.” (Alex)
“Wonder about that. Well, if you are not good at it, then there’s no need to force yourself into using them. It does seem like it would be more efficient to just attack normally.” (Hikaru)
“Sorry. Please look forward to it next time. I will practice.” (Alex)
I haven’t had any issues with using Abilities, but maybe Fire Spirit Abilities are difficult to utilize. Or maybe this is the effect of Affection of Spirits.
I do feel like Rifreya said that she also practiced her Abilities quite a lot.
I separate from Alex, and check the state of things while inside the darkness.
Because the attack of before failed, the Demon Lord must have increased its wariness, it isn’t coming down at all.
But that works just fine for us buying time.
And then, it soon happened.
“Ooi! Are you okay?!”
“So that’s the Demon Lord this time!”
Voices of reinforcement came from the other side of the mist.
Armed warriors were rushing over while raising their voices. The explorers that had scattered in the 3rd Floor have reconvened.
I let out a sigh of relief thinking that, with this, things will manage somehow.
At that moment…
“Gwuwaoooooooon!!”
The Demon Lord soared above, and after one big cry, it headed towards the explorer parties that came to help, and spit out fire everywhere. They were quite far away from us still, so we didn’t even have time to warn them.
It must have seen the reinforcement as easier prey, or it might have just been simply an instinctive action.
The explorers who had fire thrown at them, some would block it with the shields they had, and the backline would try to block it with abilities. Those movements were those of seasoned explorers and there were no problems with that.
However, even when spitting out fire, it was using that fire to cover their sights, folding its wings and descending sharply.
The warriors were blocking the fire with shields, but because of that, they also ended up blocking their vision.
A loud sound of collision rang in the place where the explorer parties had stacked up and the big body of the Demon Lord had rammed onto.
They may be silver rank or higher, but they lacked way too much caution.
Because of the sudden heavy attack, the explorers completely fell into a panic. With things in that state, even if they have the numbers, they are just headless chickens.
“Damn it! [Shadow Bind]!” (Hikaru)
The ability I casted while running was unable to show much effect because there was too much distance.
Even in that time, the backline ability users were falling one after the other from the claws and fangs of the Demon Lord.
“Gwuwaaooooooon!!”
Is it a cry of victory? Marchosias, who had trampled over 12 people one-sidedly, did light steps, and flew up again.
“Damn it…! It really is learning in battle…?!” (Hikaru)
It has learned that battling on land isn’t favorable, and has decided to take the strategy of hit and run.
Monsters turn into Spirit Stones when they die, so it is normally misunderstood, but that’s an actual living being. It has enough brains to think of how to fight.
Even if that’s not the case, it can use Spirit Abilities, so it is natural.
“Are you okay?! Recover yourselves before it comes back down, or if not possible, please withdraw to the stairs!” (Hikaru)
“S-…Sorry! We suddenly ended up pulling your legs instead…!”
“No, more importantly, is there anyone here with the means to attack an enemy above? Be it Spirit Abilities or bows.” (Hikaru)
“We don’t have an archer! The Spirit Abilities as well…I’m sorry. It seems like they died in that attack just now…”
“Died, you say…” (Hikaru)
From what I can see, what should have been 12 explorers, have been reduced to 8.
With just one charge of the Demon Lord, 4 people have been killed.
In battle, the formation and your readiness really defines the result of life or death this much.
Marchosias flies leisurely above and awaits a chance for its next attack.
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