Chapter 56 - The Sword-King of the Wedge Enshrines a God, The World Hails the Scales of the Hymn - Part Two
"—!"
It was a miracle I didn't freeze. Managing the shock of my weapon being pulverized, I dodged the approaching kick by a hair's breadth and dove between the giant's legs, sprinting to the far wall.
When I looked back—the [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King], having delivered a kick that seemed to make the entire floor tremble, was now calmly lowering its right leg, controlling its armored body with a dexterity that defied its massive size.
Perhaps because I had put more distance between us than ever before, or maybe it was an interval after its excessive onslaught… the giant knight once again assumed its pre-battle stance—and, as if nothing had happened, raised its greatsword towards me.
"…Tch."
Casting aside my overwhelming sense of powerlessness with a single click of my tongue, I tossed the remains of my warhammer, which was now little more than a piece of the handle, into my inventory.
Looking back, I realized I had become quite reliant on it since I got it. It was a simple, almost foolishly designed weapon in both appearance and concept… but I had grown fond of it, so its loss left an undeniable pang of sadness.
"…I'm officially…"
…out of options. I never thought a sword would work against an armored opponent of that size, but I had foolishly assumed that a blunt weapon might deal some damage.
It wasn't that I was paying the price for not caring about the quality of my weapons other than my Anima, saying, "I'm not having any trouble." The fundamental problem was that a rookie like me had run into a monster like this in the first place. That was the irregularity.
In any case, I never expected my only viable offensive option to be shattered. And naturally, since it was destroyed before it could fully transfer its force, the enemy's HP was almost untouched.
—Wait, hold on a second.
"You've gotta be kidding me…"
How many HP bars does that thing have? One, two, three, four… eight? Eight stacked bars? The most I've seen so far was the [Dusty Worm]'s five. Isn't that a bit much?
That snake was nauseatingly tough, but I could still send its head flying and deal a tiny bit of damage by smacking it with the now-deceased violence of mass.
Since most of its attacks would kill me instantly, the opponent's attack power isn't that important. But in the other crucial categories, durability and agility, this thing is undoubtedly superior to the desert serpent.
Its agility, in particular, is unmanageable. If you just lined up our AGI stats, I'd probably come out on top. The reason I'm forced onto the back foot in terms of speed is simply due to the scale difference between us.
It's like being in a supercar and still getting crushed by a giant monster's slow walk. The serpent was a handful, but this thing is faster and has a much smaller turning radius—it's no wonder I can't keep up.
The numbness in my hands, which had been lost to the shock, was starting to fade, and my HP bar was back to full thanks to the regeneration effect from Sora's evolved skill… but now, what to do?
Judging from its relentless pursuit so far, it seems this [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King] is a rather single-minded type when it comes to its hostility. After several clashes, I had retreated to the outer edge of the floor, but the giant knight, which had also returned to the center, paid no mind to Sora, who stood frozen about ten meters away.
Well, that's convenient for me… I gestured to Sora, who had frozen at a delicate distance, to "get back to the wall," thinking that shouting might provoke the stationary giant to move.
My partner, with whom I'd developed a good rapport, immediately understood my strange hand signals. She gave a single nod and began to slowly retreat, careful not to draw its attention.
Now, without my partner by my side, it was a repeat of the opening of the battle. I had no way of knowing what kind of thought routine it was given, but I was grateful for the chance to have a break—if not for that, Sora and I would have been sent back to town long ago.
"That said, this is a checkmate, isn't it…"
I muttered to myself and summoned my [White-Flawed Straight Sword] to my empty hand, but even an Anima is still in its infancy… a fledgling vessel at the very start of its journey. I couldn't imagine it standing a chance against something that had shattered my most powerful attack head-on, and at that point, our victory had already vanished.
As I expected, the massive double doors that served as the entrance to the floor had closed at some point. I didn't need to test them to know they wouldn't open again until this battle was decided.
The outcome was already set—all that was left was to decide how to go down in style.
"Might as well try…!"
I abandoned all thoughts of offense. I wouldn't charge in, I would just focus on evading—to add a single star to an otherwise miserable defeat, I steeled myself and launched my second charge at the [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King].
My AGI stat, including equipment bonuses, is 450. This is a number that even a veteran player (Kagura-san) confirmed surpassed that of max-level players.
Of course, a higher number doesn't automatically mean superiority. On the contrary, it means that my other stats are significantly inferior to players of the same level.
On top of that, the number of skills I've learned, my proficiency with them, and the quality of my equipment are all unmistakably that of a rookie. Even if my stats are numerically superior, I'm sure experienced players have various ways to boost their performance.
It's frustrating to think in terms of conjecture, but in reality, high-level players in this virtual world could probably handle this thing—but right now, I have no weapon but my own two feet.
"Ngh, no way!!"
If I calmly watch the start of its motion, I can see that its agility isn't that outrageous. But again, the multiplication of that with its massive size is just unreasonable.
Imagine a clever giant monster that moves with human-like agility. Does humanity even stand a chance against that?
The greatsword, which stirs the wind with just a flicker of its tip, comes at me with tremendous speed, swung as if it weighs nothing. At top speed, the blade naturally blurs, and trying to dodge while watching it is impossible.
If I hadn't been predicting the sword's trajectory from its wind-up to its swing, I would have been cut in half many times over by now. I'm using every bit of my seemingly excessive agility stat just to stay alive.
"Damn it…!"
I'm sorry, but I don't have the luxury of thinking about Sora's turn or anything like that. The moment the effect of [Spectate Yell] wears off, I'll be vaporized before we can even coordinate.
I told her to watch its movements closely with her observation skill, but this is beyond seeing or not seeing. Our overall specs, including player skill, are completely insufficient.
"Ugh… seriously, this thing is just…!!"
—It's hopeless. I'm struggling, but with my top speed boosted by support, I can't even find an opening to counterattack.
Little by little… but surely.
As if to avert my eyes from the surrender that was creeping into my heart, I continued to perform my pathetic evasion—no, my desperate escape.