Chapter 49: The Beast of Thunder and the Dreaming Girl (Part 10)
◆Dungeon City Sakurahana – 336th Dungeon [Eternal Darkness] 10th Floor
“Jupi-chan!”
Haruka enthusiastically embraced the returned Jupiter.
“You did so well, you did so well!”
“It’s thanks to everyone that I was able to come back. Thank you, truly.”
“Jupi-chaaaan!”
The sight of the beautiful girls joyfully reuniting in an embrace was truly moving.
However, I had to interject with a remark that would dampen the sentimental mood.
“You two, save the lovey-dovey stuff for later! The battle isn’t over yet!”
Don’t just leave Szilard there seriously unleashing his thermal art! Damn, I’d love to get in on that too. But according to the Hammurabi Code, if a man intrudes on a yuri space, it’s punishable by public flogging and execution. Gotta hold back, gotta hold back.
“Hahaha! Affectionate camaraderie is a good thing, is it not? I’d like to be included as well.”
“Even if you’re Szilard, if you tried that, it’d be a capital offense, you know?”
“Then why don’t you comfort me instead, Kyouichirou? How about we have dinner together sometime?”
“Eh, uh, absolutely! I’d love to!”
“Kyou-san…”
“Even for you, that’s too much.”
What the hell!
It’s pretty much the same thing you guys do!
“Hahaha! You all are truly entertaining – quite unlike that beast over there!”
In sync with his words, Szilard’s thermal art flared up in intensity.
The next moment, a blazing vortex of flames ruthlessly engulfed the beast’s body.
This technique that burned away the enemy’s entire being was like a manifestation of the infernal regions.
No matter how one meets their end, being incinerated in that way is simply unforgivable.
Skin, organs, even the air – everything must be reduced to ash, huh? Gives me the chills, for real.
“……………………”
And yet, the beast remained silent.
Not even a death rattle or a cry of agony – it just stood there stoically amidst the hellfire.
“The calm before the storm, as they say. To weave an incantation so steadily while being scorched – what a stalwart beast you are.”
True to Szilard’s words, Keraunos was accumulating power.
Storing it up, storing it up, storing it up – it seemed he intended to unleash the condensed spiritual energy in one final, cataclysmic attack.
Whether burnt by flames or rent by blades, in his current state he could endure it all.
For the Keraunos before us was one disconnected from Jupiter.
The pitiful old thunder god, having his contract with his partner overturned and his parent-child relationship dissolved, was now free from the influence of Jupiter’s accessories.
The brief interval between the nullification and renewal of the contract – or perhaps this too was just another trial.
Perhaps the objective was to not only defeat him mentally, but prove our superiority in raw power as well.
…Oh well.
I can ponder the details later when I have time.
For now, responding to Keraunos is the top priority.
“Proceed as planned. Szilard, maintain the thermal art while staying behind me. Haruka and Jupiter, you two will be behind him.”
The three of them nodded briefly, shifting into their designated positions with agile movements.
“Given his impulsive nature and the lack of a visible focal point, his final attack will most likely be a linear one.”
I couldn’t just blurt out that I knew this from playing games,
so I had to come up with a semi-plausible rationale.
“I’m not sure about the power, but a linear attack should be manageable with my [Four-Dimensional Defense]. This is the first layer. And as supplementary protection on the flanks, I’d like Szilard to…”
“Erect an anti-thermal energy barrier, right?”
“Yes, please do that.”
With a refreshing wink that only a handsome man could pull off, Szilard swiftly constructed the barrier.
Maintaining the raging inferno and the dashing wink while simultaneously creating the barrier –
truly, our Szilard is on another level.
“And Haruka, your role is…”
“To intercept if the focal point appears, and to reinforce the defense line. Leave it to me!”
“Yeah, I’m counting on you, partner.”
We lightly bumped fists, sharing our passionate resolve.
And to that ritual of ours, a somewhat timid fist gently joined in.
“I… I want to fight together too.”
Tentatively, yet with firm determination, Jupiter spoke.
“Any task, no matter how trivial. I want to help everyone out.”
“But you, you’re already exhausted from facing him head-on…”
Indeed, Jupiter’s body was visibly fatigued,
her lips tinged with cyanosis and her limbs trembling.
It’s no wonder.
Even in the spiritual realm, she had been battling her own trauma up until just recently.
Her body had been taken over by Keraunos, and her mind was overloaded from the epic clash.
Objectively, she could barely even stand.
Honestly, I wouldn’t want to put her in a position of fighting or striking back. And even if we defeat Keraunos, he’s hardly going to lend us his power.
So, I wanted Jupiter to stay calm, but…
“That has nothing to do with it,”
the silver-haired girl said, defiantly swinging her twin tails with all her might.
“It makes me so happy that everyone is fighting for me. But this battle is a seed I planted, a responsibility I have to bear. I can’t just run and hide in the back. I’ll fight until the end, together with everyone.”
Her expression was as usual, lacking in emotion, but her gaze was resolute.
Geez, you’ve really grown up in no time.
You’re saying some pretty cool stuff now, aren’t you?
I took a bottle of healing activator from my pocket and handed it to Jupiter.
“Drink that and try to sense the flow of spiritual power. If you detect any movement from Keraunos, report it to us immediately. Can you handle that without collapsing?”
“Noooo problem,”
the petite girl replied, giving a thumbs up.
Even with her legs trembling, she was heroic enough.
“Alright, then your position will be next to Haruka. And if Haruka decides it’s too dangerous, take a break, okay?”
“…Got it,” she replied, still a bit anxiously.
But if she’s stationed next to Haruka, she should be safe.
“So Haruka, I’m counting on you to look after this one.”
“Hehe, Villain-san is actually kind, isn’t he?”
“Where’s the kindness in that? I’m exploiting a puny brat who’s about to collapse.”
“Aw, you’re just putting on a tough act again-“
A familiar elbow gently poked my side.
A mix of ticklishness and embarrassment welled up, so I forcefully turned away and moved to the front line.
I fired the trigger of Eccezax, infusing it with spiritual power.
The cannon’s roar echoed through the heavens, triggering the new detachable combat logic that I got from Gren-san.
The pitch-black greatsword began to undulate and change shape,
gradually rounding out until it had transformed into a perfect circle.
“Alright, transformation complete.”
What emerged was a massive shield.
The glossy black slime steel had a rugged, yet appealing look.
Yes, the new form of Eccezax that Gren-san designed for me was not a weapon, but a piece of armor.
It was a custom-made item focused solely on maximizing surface area, rather than weight or durability.
Normally, shields are designed with an emphasis on weight and toughness,
because their purpose is to provide protection.
No matter how large the area it protects, it is useless if it can’t defend against enemy’s attack.
That’s why Mr. Glen said that in designing a shield, we first decide what kind of attack it is supposed to protect against, and then we add functions to suit the purpose
But this large shield is different.
Its primary function is to cover a wide area, and the defensive capabilities were added later.
I’m well aware that the balance is off and the shield’s specifications aren’t particularly impressive.
However, for my use, this area-focused design is ideal.
Because this is a specialized piece of equipment meant to be used in conjunction with “Four-Dimensional Defense”.
In other words, it’s the ultimate barrier against area-of-effect attacks!
“Szilard-san, please hold your attack for a moment. I need to deploy this.”
“Very well. …Though that is quite a large circular shield. For a moment, I thought a castle wall had appeared.”
“Haha, that’s the best thing about this-!”
As it touched the ground, a deep, resonating vibration rang out.
Haha, I can’t see anything in front of me.
The shield completely blocks my view.
Relying on my heightened spiritual senses, I carefully adjusted its positioning, keeping an eye on Keraunos’ movements.
Even with Szilard-san standing by, a mistake on my part could be disastrous.
Caught between the ominous spiritual disturbance from the front and the mental burden of protecting my comrades’ lives, my head felt like it might explode.
Part of me wanted to run away.
Another part was ready to give up.
I’m weak.
I’m no heroic protagonist with an unwavering will.
No matter how much I train my body, I’m still afraid.
No matter how much combat experience I gain, the hardships still weigh on me.
But I can stand here, shamefully acknowledging my own frailty, because of my comrades.
I love seeing them live happily.
The fact that they believe in someone like me fills me with pride.
So I will raise this shield.
“Come on, Keraunos. Your tantrum is nothing more than a kitten’s sneeze.”
The spiritual power swelled.
A mournful growl.
Who could have imagined that the mid-boss of the Grand Route, now restored to its true power, would face off against the mid-boss from the tutorial?
But that’s alright. I’ll take it on.
I may be a cornered rat, but I’ll subdue Villain Keraunos.
Come on, come here.
Come. Come. Come. Come.
“Hurry up and come, you cuckold mongrel!!!”
In that moment, someone’s something surely snapped.
It’s unclear whether it was simply a reaction to the sound, or an enraged response to the provocation.
But one thing is certain – Keraunos had entered a state of combat readiness after a long period of charging.
The calm before the storm had come to an end.
The embodiment of crimson fury, having reached the critical point, is now unleashing divine power here.
And—-
“AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”
And the final blow is unleashed.
The lightning-fast beam of wrath, which surpasses even Shirard’s deadly technique in power, is a “disaster” of immense force.
This technique, bearing the title of the master in the official history, is so powerful that even the protagonist’s party who have reached the Grand Route cannot withstand it without any countermeasures.
Of course, the situation is quite different from the game era.
However, it would be a miracle if there was a nerf to the skill’s power… well, it’s unlikely to happen nine times out of ten.
Surely, it doesn’t even consider the danger of harming the beloved Iupiter.
Or perhaps, after the previous trial defeat, it has now even come to see the master Iupiter as an enemy.
Considering its self-centered nature, this is entirely plausible.
It cannot accept the daughter’s rebellion.
It hates the daughter who refuses to reciprocate its love.
A child who disobeys the parent has no reason to exist.
—-So, kill her.
… How laughable.
It’s a mass of contradictions.
To casually kill the target it had decided to protect, it’s the kind of troublesome guy that would make even the most hardened fans and supporters lose their composure.
But sorry, lightning father, your defecation of feelings ends here.
Your technique is too filthy for my precious comrades—-!
[【Four-Dimensional Defense】 Ballistic Defense, successful. No damage to the three behind.]
[… I’m relieved.]
In the monochrome world, I take a deep breath.
Although, due to the backlash of the skill, my body is in a state of suspension, so I didn’t actually exhale.
It’s more like an “air breathing”.
[Then it’s just a breathing motion, isn’t it?]
[Then let’s call it an “atmospheric breathing.”]
[You suddenly became very chuunibyou-like.]
As always, this woman is full of complaints.
But in this frozen world, she’s taking the time to talk to me.
I can’t treat her carelessly.
I couldn’t even if I tried.
[That’s a commendable attitude. If you’re always this honest, you’d be easier to handle.]
[Yes, yes, evil god, evil god.]
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