The Defense of Ireves (10)

"【Dragon Factor】, activate."

My true trump card was, of course, 【Dragon Factor】. This incredibly powerful Skill had strict activation conditions, so I had only activated it once before. I still vividly remembered how it had wiped out the Lord of the Mountain's remaining health in a single blow.

"Hmm, this feels just like it did back then."

The sensation of everything around me, except myself, moving extremely slowly was the same as when I had activated it during my battle with the Lord of the Mountain. My Strength and Agility must have risen to terrifying levels as well.

However, there was one difference. My health recovery speed seemed to have increased slightly too. That meant the duration of 【Dragon Factor】 would be shortened accordingly. All right, I had better finish this quickly.

"Let's switch staffs. There. Shall we?"

I switched back to close-quarters combat after returning to my beloved 'Staff of Hourai.' Now, just how strong had I become?

"H-how fast!?"

Apparently, I was charging at the White Light Power Angel at an astonishing speed. I say apparently because, from my perspective, my speed had not changed at all. Being the only one who could move quickly gave me quite a sense of superiority.

"Hmph! Nnngh... yaaaah!"

I struck the White Light Power Angel's completely exposed torso hard with my staff, then brought down my great scythe. That alone left the White Light Power Angel barely clinging to life, but apparently it was not enough to finish it off. So I swung the great scythe back up and delivered the killing blow.

I was apparently enhanced to the point that an enemy of equal standing could not possibly stand against me. There was no other explanation for how I, who was supposed to be poor at close-quarters combat, had overwhelmed the White Light Power Angel, a magic swordsman-type opponent.

'W-what is that!? Why can you use that Skill!? How!?'

"That's because I learned this Skill."

'That doesn't answer my question! Come on, next! Next!'

I had no obligation to explain it to her so carefully, nor did I have the time. The time limit was steadily approaching, after all. Unlike you, I don't carelessly let my tongue slip! ...Probably.

I had defeated the second White Light Power Angel with that attack, but apparently Aruru was not going to let me off so easily. Perhaps furious that her minion had been defeated so effortlessly, she summoned the next angel without any of the glorious effects she had used before. How slapdash.

"Then let's conduct the next experiment. Astral Magic Array Activation, Dark Lance."

The next experiment was, of course, to determine how much my magic's power had increased. For comparison, I used the same Dark Lance as before. Five Dark Lances appeared, each even larger than they had been then. I fired all of them at the White Light Power Angel.

"Whoa... That's completely ridiculous..."

There had been five Dark Lances, and they had probably struck its 【Dark Attribute Vulnerability】 as well, but I was still surprised at how thoroughly they had killed the White Light Power Angel. Hey, isn't this power increase a little excessive? There was more exasperation than admiration in Nanako's voice.

'You little...!'

"It's still coming? Then let's try the next experiment."

I decided to conduct a third experiment. This time, I would try using a body part that had not existed the last time I activated 【Dragon Factor】. That was, of course...

"Is that... a tail...?"

As Moss-san said, it was a tail. He knew I had one, and had just seen me use it to finish off an enemy. Even so, he was surprised, and I felt exactly the same way.

There were several reasons why. It had grown thicker and longer overall, while every bony protrusion except those at the tip had become razor-sharp, making it look like a collection of blades. The spike at the tip could be extended to nearly twice its usual length, and it had become spiral-shaped, like a narwhal's tusk. Altogether, it had transformed into something incredibly ominous and vicious-looking.

While I was marveling at the tail's shape, the summoned White Light Power Angel immediately closed the distance. I swung my tail to intercept it. The angel was no slouch either; it swung its swords to block the tail... but the instant they met, both swords shattered.

'No way!?'

"Oh... It's even stronger than I expected. Still, there's no need to ease up on the attack."

This time, I thrust my tail into the White Light Power Angel and threw it into the wall I had rigged earlier. 【Trap Magic】 was waiting there, prepared just before I began fighting the first White Light Power Angel.

I had loaded it with a Magic Bomb from 【Explosion Magic】. 【Explosion Magic】 also had a Land Mine that could be used like a trap, but it could only be placed on the ground. 【Trap Magic】 could be set on walls and ceilings as well, so I had used it this time. In exchange, it consumed far more magic power, so I needed to choose between them depending on the situation.

"...Oh?"

Despite the White Light Power Angel crashing into the wall, 【Trap Magic】 did not activate for some reason. What was going on...?

Oh, I see. It was because of Arts Seal. It had dispelled my 【Enhancement Magic】. Just like that, it could probably dispel 【Trap Magic】 as well. I was a little frustrated that one of my plans had been foiled, but I should have been more pleased to have learned that 【Trap Magic】 was dispelled when Arts Seal was used. Knowledge was a weapon all by itself.

"Then I have no further use for you."

I thrust my tail into the White Light Power Angel again, this time aiming for its head. I did not know whether it was a weak point, but common sense suggested that completely destroying its head would kill most things. Then again, this was a game, so it would not be strange if that common sense were overturned.

'Not yet!'

"She's still summoning another one!?"

Even though she knew the angel could not win, Aruru summoned another White Light Power Angel. Her aim was undoubtedly to stall until the time limit expired. She knew about the Skill called 【Dragon Factor】, so she probably knew its conditions for deactivation as well. It would end either when my health recovered above ten percent or when the three-minute time limit expired.

Even while rampaging after my dramatic power-up, once that time was over, I would be nothing more than a dying skeleton. Meanwhile, Aruru was continuing to summon angels at what could only be called an unlimited pace. When you looked at it that way, perhaps we were still at a disadvantage after all.

"This should be about right. Let's finish this."

I prepared myself while deflecting the fifth White Light Power Angel's sword with my great scythe and tail. If you asked what I was preparing for, I would naturally answer that I was going to use Dragon Breath, the powerful technique that could only be used once while 【Dragon Factor】 was active. Before that, however, I needed to ask the goddess one thing.

"By the way, Aruru, 'Goddess of Light and Order,' what will happen if this temple collapses?"

'If that happened, I wouldn't be able to summon any more angels... Wait! Ah, don't tell me!?'

I smirked behind my silver mask. So that was it. If you listened carefully to Aruru's words, it became clear that the temple was what allowed her to summon angels one after another. She had been letting things slip so badly that even a child could figure it out.

And it seemed my deduction had been correct. It would have been difficult not to laugh. This would end the battle while also accomplishing my original objective of destroying the temple. It was truly killing two birds with one stone!

'Wait! Stop...!'

"Here goes, Dragon Breath!"

The instant I activated Dragon Breath, something resembling an extremely thick black flame was expelled from my mouth. The reason I call it 'something' is that the flame looked vaguely like a mass of ghosts, or something, all wearing expressions of agony.

Of course, that might have been my imagination. Still, I had the sort of appearance that suited grudges and miasma. It would hardly be strange for my Dragon Breath to have an equally bizarre appearance.

In any case, my Dragon Breath pierced the White Light Power Angel, then shattered the temple's main doors and the area around them before continuing straight toward Ilevus's front gate.

Oh, crap. There were a lot of players over there. There must have been plenty of NPC soldiers there too. I no longer felt much reluctance about killing them, but if I went too far, I would still feel rather bad about it.

Besides, the temple might not collapse just because I made one huge hole in it. So, while continuing to breathe Dragon Breath, I tilted my face upward. The temple was gouged from the doors all the way to the ceiling.

By the time I was facing straight up, Dragon Breath cut off. At the same time, all the strength drained from my body. It seemed 【Dragon Factor】 had worn off.

"Man, I'm really starting to wonder whether you're even the same player as me."

"I agree with Nanako. Which of us is the villain...? Wait, we were villains from the start, so... yeah, I've lost track of which of us is the boss enemy."

"Now that you've seen this, I'm absolutely recruiting you, you hear?"

Just as I returned to normal, Nanako and Moss-san each landed on my shoulder and staff and said those things. Nanako's comment aside, Moss-san's was nothing but a compliment to me, you know?

"Whoa, this thing looks like it's about to collapse."

"And it seems she can't summon the next angel either."

"Indeed. Then, before we run..."

'The temple... My temple...'

Inside the temple, which was on the verge of collapse, I stood before Aruru's divine statue. Compared to before, it now emitted only a feeble light. I spoke to her as she stood there in a daze.

"Goddess Aruru, did you understand the full force of my power? This is what happens when you make a monster player your enemy. And this is my declaration of war..."

'Unforgivable!'

Huh?

'I absolutely won't forgive you! You! I don't know where you are, but once I find you, I'll beat you to a pulp! Just you wait...'

Before Aruru could finish speaking, falling rubble crushed the divine statue in which she resided. Apparently, she had recognized me as an enemy before I could formally declare war.

All right, that accomplished my original objective. Now all we had to do was escape. The temple had been sliced open from the inside as if by a black sword, and if we dawdled, we would end up buried beneath the rubble too.

"Then let's head back. Our event is over."

"Hold on! Before that, let's loot this angel! It's bound to drop all kinds of useful items!"

"I agree with Nanako. We aren't in such a hurry that every second matters, so I'd like to obtain something besides experience points as well."

"...You two don't miss a trick. Fine, then hurry."

The three of us looted the angel's remains and left the city of Ilevus. While we were doing so, the effect of Arts Seal finally wore off, letting us use Base Teleport to return in one go.

And so the event I had entered as the only participating member of my clan came to an end. I had gained new companions, connections, and all sorts of items, so it had been a very fruitful event!

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You won the battle.

Your Race level increased. You acquired 1 SP.

Your Job level increased. You acquired 1 SP.

【Enhancement Magic】 level increased.

You learned a new Attribute Enhancement spell.

You acquired Title, 'Angel Slayer'.

You acquired Title, 'Aruru's Nemesis'.

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