The Defense of Ireves (8)

The White Light Power Angel charged at us as if it had gone mad, so we hurriedly scattered to evade it. Apparently, it had never considered stopping; the angel slammed headfirst into a temple pillar and snapped it in half.

...Couldn't we accomplish our original goal of destroying the temple just by letting this thing rampage for a while? That would make the victory feel less satisfying, though, so I do intend to defeat it.

"It seems we won't be allowed to take it easy. The more it moves, the closer it gets to destroying itself, but it may defeat us before that happens. Nanako, you'll have to burn through your summons."

"That's the usual story, boss."

"Moss-san, stay on standby."

"Naturally. Approaching it now would be suicide."

"Sorry. I'll make sure you get your moment to shine. ...Here it comes!"

There was no time for a careful strategy meeting. It wasn't some strategy to stop us; it had simply become incapable of doing anything but attack. Good grief, the sort who doesn't think at all is the type I have the hardest time dealing with.

"Nanako!"

"I'm completely tapped out now! You lot, go get yourselves killed!"

Nanako poured all his remaining magic into 【Summoning】, calling forth as many summoned creatures as he could. Rather than sending them all at once, he divided them into several groups and sent each group charging in with its timing staggered. What would happen then?

'Zazazaza...'

We already knew that the White Light Power Angel prioritized attacking anything that approached it. In that case, every time one of Nanako's groups drew near, it would swing its sword. And each time it swung, it would take damage. That was Nanako's plan.

Given the level difference between them, the damage Nanako's summons dealt to the enemy was probably no more than a drop in the bucket. That meant the self-inflicted damage would definitely be greater. Crafty? Don't flatter me.

"Now! Dispel, Magic Boost, Magic Boost, Magic Boost, Magic Boost, Magic Boost!"

I removed the Enhancement Magic affecting me with Dispel from 【Curse Magic】, then immediately piled on as many enhancements to magic potency as I could. I was going to use up all my magic too!

"Magic Stone Absorption, Astral Magic Array Activation, Spell Adjustment, Dark Arm!"

I had the staff absorb the Dark Attribute magic stone I had prepared, then used Dark Arm with its output raised to the maximum by Spell Adjustment. Five black arms resembling a giant's appeared, seized its four limbs and most badly wounded wing, and trapped the White Light Power Angel.

Even I have to admit that power was tremendous. I had used my most proficient 【Dark Magic】 after applying the greatest enhancement currently available to me. Combined with the enemy's 【Dark Attribute Vulnerability】, the effect was immediate.

'Zaza... Gagagagaga...'

The White Light Power Angel desperately struggled to break free of my Dark Arm, but it did not budge. If anything, the cracks running through the angel's body grew larger with a series of loud crunches from the pressure of its grip, and the amount of white particles spraying out increased as well.

"Now, Moss-san!"

"Yes! Blade Wing Slash!"

At that moment, Moss-san spread his wing-arms wide, then brought them down like hand blades toward the base of the enemy's wing. The Martial Skill Moss-san used literally turned his wings into blades and let him deal slashing damage barehanded. His right wing-arm sank halfway into the White Light Power Angel's wing.

"Grrrr... One more! Blade Wing Slash!"

By damaging the wing, Moss-san caused even more particles to pour from the White Light Power Angel's wound. They steadily drained his health, but Moss-san ignored it and unleashed Blade Wing Slash with his left wing-arm at the same wing root.

'Gag...'

"We did it!"

Moss-san's Blade Wing Slash, unleashed while he endured the damage, finally severed the White Light Power Angel's wing at the root. He had successfully destroyed one of its body parts. It was only one of its four wings, but that also meant its ability to flap them had been reduced to three-quarters.

As a result, the White Light Power Angel's ability to thrash around was greatly diminished. Thanks to that, my Dark Arm dug in even deeper. Good, this will work!

'Beep... Gagaga... Zazazazazazazazazaza!!!'

The moment I became certain of our victory, the White Light Power Angel began emitting an especially loud noise. Come on, not this pattern again!?

"Whoa!?"

"Gaaah!?"

"Huh...? Wait, we're not taking much damage, are we?"

A tremendous shockwave burst from the White Light Power Angel and struck us hard. Despite its impressive force, however, the actual damage was not all that great. Even Moss-san, who had been hit by the shockwave at point-blank range, still had health left.

"But... it seems a problem greater than the damage has occurred."

"All my summons are gone..."

"Izaam-san's buffs have worn off too..."

The shockwave's true purpose was not to deal damage. Apparently, it had an effect similar to the forced cancellation of magic—the Dispel of 【Curse Magic】. No, since it dealt damage while affecting a wide area, it might even have been a superior version. But it seemed its effects did not end there.

"And I can't use magic, either. How about you two?"

"Me neither. Moss-san?"

"Martial Skills too... No good. It seals both magic and Martial Skills? That's ridiculous!"

On top of that, it came with the added bonus of the 【Magic Jammer】 effect and sealing Martial Skills as well. Just as Moss-san said, the effect was truly absurd. This was cheating! A dirty trick!

"Hey, goddess lady! What the hell is this!?"

'Huh!? This is a spell called Arts Seal from 【Void Magic】... Wait! Why am I answering your question...?'

"Apparently so, boss."

I see. It was apparently pure magic. In that case, I couldn't call it cheating. I should be able to use it myself someday, after all.

So, when activated, it released a small amount of damage and spread the effects of Dispel and Magic Jammer. But could a spell with effects this powerful really be used without any restrictions?

"Thinking normally, a reasonable price would be consuming almost all its magic power, right?"

'What!? How did you know!?'

"I didn't know, though..."

That goddess was forever letting things slip. Even though they were both goddesses, she was worlds apart from Ifa-sama, whose cunning made her impossible to read. The individuality of goddesses was quite fascinating.

"It can't use magic or Martial Skills either, but since it used up all its magic, does that even matter? That leaves those of us who remain forced into a straight fight without magic or Martial Skills. I see. It's truly a spell like a last fart."

"Is this really the time to say that!?"

"To put it mildly, we're in a hopeless situation, aren't we?"

Indeed, we were in a hopeless situation. From here on, it would be a pure slugfest—a clash of our respective stats. As rear-line Jobs, Nanako and I were naturally at a disadvantage, and even Moss-san would find it extremely difficult to overcome the level difference through sheer force. Only monsters known as real cheats, such as Jigorou and Genzourou, could accomplish that without difficulty. It was impossible for us.

"However, we still have two ways to turn this around. First, I can still use my equipment. Arts Seal does not seem capable of interfering with the effects of magic items. And the second is..."

I returned my beloved 'Staff of Hourai' to my inventory. Nanako and Moss-san looked surprised when they saw that, but I had no time to worry about it. I pulled a spare staff from my inventory. It looked as though it had been made from an ordinary, twisted wooden branch, but it had been dyed a pure white, a color that did not suit me at all.

"This staff."

"That is...?"

"Could it perhaps cast some incredible magic?"

"No. If we're only talking about its effect of increasing magic potency, the staff I was using until now is far superior."

If it had the sort of effect Nanako suggested, I would have called it a trump card rather than a spare. More to the point, the 'Staff of Hourai' was simply too excellent. I had brought this one precisely for situations like this. It would have been fine if I had never needed to use it, but I suppose this was what they meant by being prepared for the unexpected.

"Huh? Then what's the point?!"

"No, we couldn't use magic in the first place. You aren't the kind of person who would forget that, are you, Izaam-san?"

"Exactly. Well, just watch."

Using the effect of 'Moon's Hagoromo,' I flew into the air and moved above the White Light Power Angel. Then I raised the staff in my hand and pulled the trigger set into its grip.

"Take this!"

"M-magic!?"

At that moment, the tip of my staff popped open with a click. Black mist poured out from inside. It closely resembled the magic Dark Wave. What was its true nature? Let's see what it really was.

――――――――――

M09 Fourth-Grade Tactical Staff

A staff equipped by a Gamma-Type Magic-Driven Golem of the Mage type.

A mechanism inside stores magic stones and can release the magic power of an installed magic stone.

Equipment Effect: 【Magic Effect Increase】 Lv3

【Magic Power Release】

――――――――――

This was the staff carried by one of the humanoid Magic-Driven Golems I had fought in the Ancient Ruined City. It had nullified Magic Jammer and launched a magic-like flame attack even inside the Resist Field, where we could no longer use magic. The mechanism behind it was 【Magic Power Release】. The staff itself contained a device that allowed it to use a pseudo-spell even under Magic Jammer.

The magic stone I had fitted inside the staff was one with the Dark Attribute. That was how a Dark Attribute attack was fired from its emitter.

'Gagaga...'

"And now, Short Teleport!"

Just before the White Light Power Angel thrust its sword up at me, who was high overhead, I activated Short Teleport from 【Space-Time Magic】. That may seem strange, but it wasn't.

There was one way to use magic even inside Magic Jammer: 【Talisman Arts】. No explanation should be necessary for that one. It had played a major role in our battle in the ruined city, after all. Like the staff, this was an item I had brought along for the event. Short Teleport carried me behind the White Light Power Angel.

"With this! It's over!"

After moving behind it, I slashed the White Light Power Angel's neck with my great scythe while thrusting the tip of the tail I had kept hidden until now into the spot where its heart would be. I doubted it had a vital spot, but the habit beaten into me by Jigorou and the others made me aim there anyway.

'Gah......'

The White Light Power Angel, already barely clinging to life, finally fell. All strength left its body as it crashed to the ground, where it lay completely motionless. At the same time, the particles leaking from its wounds stopped as well. We had finally done it!

"Did... did we?"

"Looks like we won..."

Nanako and Moss-san did not seem to feel that they had truly won yet. I understood how they felt. I was still wary that the White Light Power Angel might revive again.

"For now, we should have been able to defeat this thing..."

'I won't let you!'

Oh, right. Goddess Aruru was still here. And the fact that she was butting in surely meant that nothing good would come of it.

'How dare you! But I can still summon intermediate angels! The rank of this temple only lets me summon one at a time, though!'

As she said that, the same light as before shone down, and a new angel appeared. It was not a White Light Power Angel, but a White Light Authority Angel. Since she had said this was the limit, there was nothing particularly strange about it.

But now she was giving us an encore? Hahaha! At this point, I could do nothing but laugh.

"I can't do this anymore..."

"Another battle after all that..."

It was only natural for the fighting spirit to drain from the two of them. They had fought such a fierce battle and finally thought they had won, only to be told to do it all over again. Moreover, the way Aruru put it suggested that even if they defeated it again, there would be another one after that. It was as if we were being told that fighting itself was meaningless.

'Heh-heh! Give up and let yourselves be defeated already!'

"No, I can't do that."

I was not the sort of player who would be told to give up and simply reply, "Oh, is that so?" before backing down. If I were, I never would have made it this far. Besides, there were still things I could do, so I would never declare defeat!

"I haven't lost yet. I'll show you my last-ditch struggle!"

'W-what are you going to do!?'

With that, I grasped the base of my great scythe's blade and thrust its tip into my own eye socket.