kscans

Chapter 251 - The Amalgam

"BUOOOOOOO!"

"Ngh!"

I somehow managed to meet the downward diagonal slash that came with a war cry.

Listening to the creak of protest from both my arms, I slid the greatsword down and to my right. As a cannon-like blast of destruction erupted beside me, I ignored the flying stone fragments and slashed at the four-eyed creature's right arm.

But it was blocked by the oval shield in its left hand, which it had grabbed at some point.

"NUUUN!"

"Tch!"

Forcefully parried, I leaped to evade the greatsword's horizontal sweep. As it passed beneath my feet, I kicked the flat of the blade to jump again.

I got above the four-eyed creature and, using my Flügel, attacked from directly overhead.

My blade, accelerated by fire and wind. A slash that would have felled even Shuten Douji with a direct hit. But the creature deliberately thrust its head into my blade's path.

The blow, aimed for its shoulder, struck its acorn-shaped helm. The curved surface deflected my strike, which traced a red arc in the air with its flames before being sucked into the ground.

As I completed the swing, carving a massive line into the floor, a shield bash came at me. Whoosh. A blow that parted the air.

"You...!"

Before it could connect, I kicked the four-eyed creature's side to create distance. The shield cut through empty air, and the shockwave pushed me even further back.

I was about to crash back-first into a pillar behind me, but I released wind from both feet, turning my soles toward my direction of travel as if doing a backflip.

I immediately kicked off the pillar to move, and the greatsword passed through the spot where I had been.

With a deafening roar, the alabaster pillar, so thick it would take several adults to encircle, was pulverized like candy. That thing was less a sword and more a club.

No, it was sharp. I corrected myself; comparing it to a weapon was a mistake. That was a dragon's claw.

I landed about ten meters away, and the four-eyed creature turned its face toward me. But immediately after, it raised its shield.

Ice spears converged on that spot. Approaching the speed of sound, they shot through the air like a school of migrating fish.

Dozens, perhaps even hundreds of spears collided. The sound of thick glass shattering filled the space, and the four-eyed monster was enveloped in ice shards and dust.

Readying my sword, I created even more distance. Blanc lined up beside me, and I could feel Erina-san and the others behind me.

"A fusion?! Ugh, for now, we'll call it an Amalgam! I had Erina-kun show me with the mirror, and its stats alone are completely on par with Shuten Douji! Avoid combat if at all possible!"

"Unfortunately..."

I swallowed hard and lowered my center of gravity even further.

The swirling ice particles were blown away by an ear-splitting roar.

"GAAAAAAA───!!"

"It doesn't seem like it's going to let us escape...!"

My lips twitched at the vision my premonition showed me. If I showed it my back, I would die in that instant.

I exchanged a brief glance with Blanc.

Right now, that was all the communication we needed.

The moment the four-eyed Amalgam took a step, I leaped diagonally upwards to the right. Blanc, with its tower shield raised, released a gust of wind and charged forward.

A pure white blade swung horizontally at the approaching silver wall. Knocking the shield aside as if to break its guard, the Amalgam swung its greatsword with the speed of a one-handed weapon.

Blanc evaded the blade aimed for its head by releasing wind forward. Just as the greatsword cut through empty air, I slashed at the back of the Amalgam's head.

Simultaneously, Blanc swung its right-hand longsword at the creature's neck. A pincer attack from front and back. But I could see the Amalgam's eyes swivel to track the longsword's blade.

Whirl. The monster turned its body into a tornado. Just by spinning at high speed, it unleashed a gale that gouged out the floor and pillars alike, and the greatsword it swung as it turned aimed for my torso.

"Tch!"

I forcefully pulled back the sword I was about to swing and received the tip of the enemy's blade with my pommel. Unable to withstand it, I was blown away by the impact.

In the corner of my eye, Blanc's massive body was also sent tumbling across the floor by a shield bash.

How absurd...! That ridiculous strength...!

I slammed into a pillar, the air forced from my lungs. I gritted my teeth, held onto my consciousness that threatened to slip away, and flew sideways. Using the still-intact pillars as cover, I continued to track the enemy's position with my mana.

The Amalgam, having scattered the vanguards, turned its face toward me. Its foot, stepping forward for a follow-up attack, was suddenly frozen solid.

The ice particles that should have been blown away by its roar had, at some point, gathered around the monster.

"Freeze!"

With a凛とした voice, icy battering rams slammed into it from all directions.

The Amalgam leaped to evade them, and I sprang from the shadow of a pillar. My flame-accelerated slash collided with the white greatsword, and since we were in mid-air, the impact sent the creature's massive body flying.

With a nimbleness that defied its size, the Amalgam spun and tried to land on a pillar with the soles of its feet. But Blanc slashed at it there.

Its downward diagonal slash with the longsword was smoothly parried by the shield, and a counter-attack was unleashed. The knight blocked it with its shield, and both were sent flying by the recoil.

The Amalgam landed, digging two lines in the floor with its heels and tearing up the stone pavement to decelerate. I circled around to its front and charged with a war cry.

"Ooooooh!"

"BUAAAAAA!"

My wind and fire slash, empowered by a horizontal spin and centrifugal force. The Amalgam blocked it with its greatsword, but this time, its weapon was knocked upwards.

Without pause, I slammed my left palm into its face and poured mana into it.

"Explode!"

Focused wind and fire. It became a heat ray, incinerating the right side of the Amalgam's head.

An explosion briefly filled my vision, but I sensed the enemy's movements through the flow of mana and my premonitions. A white palm and a roar tore through the superheated air.

"GAAAAA───!"

"Hmph!"

It had abandoned its shield to grab me, but I knocked its arm down with my sword. It was tough, but I managed to cut the flesh.

As its arm went down in a spray of blood, my own body went up from the recoil. Carrying the momentum, I spun, parallel to the floor, and swung my blade at the monster's scorched face.

Tearing through carbonized flesh and bone, my blade crushed its brain. A fatal wound for any normal creature. But this was no normal creature.

"BOOOOOOO───!"

If it was a part of a dragon.

Its left arm, connected only by the bone of its thumb, grabbed my half-sword, holding it embedded in its head. With its right arm, the Amalgam raised its greatsword.

I let go of the hilt, but it was too late to evade. A block───no.

Thwip.

A ninja sword pierced the ear exposed through its broken helmet.

A girl with flowing blond hair, using the creature's log-like arm and shoulder as a foothold, twisted the hilt. The remaining left side of its brain was destroyed, and the Amalgam's movements stopped.

Erina-san, spinning her body around the hilt like a gymnast, kicked the monster's neck and pulled her sword free.

After tracing a red arc, the white giant fell backward with a heavy thud.

I retreated with her, reformed my sword in its sheath, and drew it again. I took my stance. I wanted to believe it was dead this time, but...

Slither. Mana circulated within the giant's body.

"Not yet!"

I roared and charged. Responding to my voice, Blanc also raised its longsword and ran.

The Amalgam, which had jumped up without using its arms, using only its legs and back muscles, gripped its sword with both hands and took a stance. Rage filled the remaining left side of its face as it let out a war cry.

"GUOOOOOOOOOO───!"

It can still move with just its cerebellum?!

"Zeaaaaaah!"

I met the down-swinging blade head-on with my half-sword.

Heavy. The floor beneath my feet caved in, and I sank to my mid-shin. As a creaking protest echoed from my entire body, I forcibly 'rotated' my blade.

I slid the sword, along with the enemy's blade, from right to left, simultaneously pulling my sunken feet free and moving myself to the right. A parry, and a twist of the hilt to pin it down.

Thud. The tip of the greatsword buried itself in the ground next to me. Almost simultaneously, Blanc slashed from the side at full speed. Judging that a sword interception was impossible, the Amalgam immediately let go of its hilt.

Now unarmed, it dodged the horizontal slash aimed for its neck by leaning back. Then it placed its hands on the floor, inverted itself, and swung its legs around in a capoeira-like motion.

My reaction was slow, but Blanc blocked the kick with its right forearm. As the Amalgam tried to use the recoil to leap back, it was struck by an icy battering ram.

Squelch. The ice pillar pierced its abdomen. The monster gritted its teeth, trying to brace itself and withstand the impact.

Even as it was sent flying like a cannonball, it scraped the floor with its feet and shattered several ceiling-supporting pillars with its back. Then, the Amalgam crushed the block of ice in its grip.

But───I had caught up, bursting through the scattering ice fragments.

"Hiiiiyaaaa!"

A flash of fire and wind. This time, I sent its head flying.

Carried by the momentum, I flew for several dozen meters before landing. I immediately reversed direction, tearing up the floor to decelerate forcefully.

The Amalgam, its head completely gone, stood motionless for a few seconds before finally seeming to realize it was dead and kneeling.

Warily, I closed the distance, and the giant's body began to turn to salt.

"...Looks like we got it. And there are no other enemies around."

"Phew..."

At Erina-san's words, I let the tension drain from my shoulders and leaned against a nearby pillar.

"Aira-san. For now, no significant damage on our end. We've defeated the Amalgam."

"Thank goodness... The other adventurers are also fighting Amalgams. But luckily, they've managed to meet up with other parties and are fighting them off together."

"Is that so. Seems like we're the unlucky ones."

"You're used to fighting alone. Sorry, but hang in there."

"Understood."

I took a deep breath and let it out.

That Amalgam's skill was definitely higher than the previous Sachs. It was probably sharing information with the ones fighting other parties, updating itself.

...This is seriously rough.

"No weakness, Kyo-chan!"

Erina-san started slapping me on the shoulder.

"Sorry, was it on my face?"

"Nope! Just a feeling!"

I couldn't help but smile wryly at her cheerful declaration.

Mia-san joined in.

"It's alright, Kyouta-kun. The enemy is strong, but you have undoubtedly gotten stronger too."

"...You're right."

I felt my level go up by one again.

The 'vessel' I absorb from my opponents... what you would call experience points in a game, was larger than usual. The enemy's strength was a factor, but the fact that Erina-san and the others had reached their limit probably had an effect too.

In other words, if I lost my nerve, we couldn't win. Even if it was just false bravado, I had to let out a war cry and charge the enemy.

"Kyo-chan has always been more about brute force than skill anyway! Just charge straight ahead and crush them!"

"What a way to put it."

I pushed off the pillar and gripped my sword again.

After lightly tapping the stone pavement with the tip of my shoe, I let out a small breath.

"But you might be right. Charge in and cut. Simple is good."

"Exactly! Now, let's go full throttle!"

"Don't forget to use your items, too."

"Right. I'll do my best to drink my potions, too...!"

Mia-san had a huge smile, but her face was pale, a truly pitiful sight.

Since there wasn't much I could do about that, I just gave her a vague smile. Do your best.

"Aira-san. May I ask for the next route?"

"...Right. Right. Your group should cut straight through that room, and take a left at the crossroad right outside. There should be stairs leading down."

"Understood. You do your best too, Aira-san."

"Of course. I can listen to up to ten people at once. Information management is my forte."

"Who are you, Prince Shotoku?"

"Though I only have one mouth, so my responses are limited. Just like the good prince."

"Yeah, yeah. More importantly, a report. The enemy used not only swordsmanship but also martial arts. Also, they'll keep moving unless you take off their head. Crushing half their head isn't enough to stop them."

"Acknowledged. I'll relay that to the other adventurers. I'll also share any information we get over here with you after I've sorted it."

"Yes. Please do."

"Leave it to me. Well then. Don't die."

"I'll return those words to you, verbatim."

Ending the call with a wry smile, I exchanged glances with my comrades.

We were mentally and physically exhausted, but not enough to hinder our continued fighting. Blanc's arm, which took a kick, didn't seem to need replacing yet. We began to walk through the labyrinth once more.

We proceeded between the rows of pillars, heading for the edge of the wide space. It was quite a large area; after walking for about fifteen minutes, a huge exit leading to a passage finally came into view.

Leaving the previous space and proceeding a little further, we arrived at a crossroad. Turning left, we found a staircase right in front of us.

It was so long it seemed to lead to the depths of the earth, impossible to see the bottom even with the lit braziers. I took a step onto it.

As the echo of our footsteps filled the air, we began our descent.

I wonder... how many more stairs do we have to go down to reach the dragons' lair?