Chapter 42
"Ooooooo!!"
"Djugogaaa!!"
The roars of the Gravekeeper and Ratman King collided. They should have been nothing more than simple voices, but the volume sent a tingling vibration through every bone in my body.
It wasn't just me. Iris and Ruby, and even Jigoro and Genzuro, had all stopped moving. C-could this be the power wrought by a level difference?!
"Oooo!"
"Djuaa!"
The Gravekeeper took a sharp step forward while raising the sword in his right hand. In response, the Ratman King cast Fire Magic... most likely Fireball.
Although it was the lowest-tier 【Fire Magic】, the Gravekeeper had 【Fire Vulnerability】. A direct hit would inflict damage that couldn't be ignored.
"Hmph!"
"What!?"
"He cut the magic!?"
The Gravekeeper actually sliced apart the approaching Fireball with the sword he had raised! Ruby and I couldn't help crying out in shock. It was that astonishing.
"Dj-djii!"
But the Ratman King wasn't shaken. He targeted the moment the Gravekeeper cut through the magic, casting 【Light Magic】 while leaping sideways.
"Oaa!"
But the Gravekeeper was no slouch either. This time, he sliced apart the Light Magic with the axe in his left hand. So even an axe could counter magic? How enviable. Still, I definitely didn't want him as an enemy. He might completely shut me down!
Even though there was a considerable level gap, the battle between the Gravekeeper and Ratman King was evenly matched. The Ratman King appeared to have the advantage because he could exploit the Gravekeeper's weakness, but in a one-on-one fight, a close-combat specialist who was fifteen levels higher should have had an overwhelming advantage. So how had things turned out like this?
"What do we do, Izam?"
Jigoro asked me. Our plan was to let them wear each other down and reap the benefits. So the smartest choice would be to leave them alone until one fell, then defeat the other while they were badly wounded. However...
"We're intervening."
"That's more like it!"
That would be boring. Why should I sit around watching NPC monsters kill each other? Then we'd take one of them down together, before ganging up on the other.
"Intervention is welcome, but which side are we helping?"
That was true. Regardless of the logic behind it, the duel between the Gravekeeper and Ratman King was an even match. Our intervention would tip the balance in one side's favor.
I think everyone knows which side would be the smarter choice to support. Obviously, the Ratman King. It would be easier for us later if we teamed up to defeat the stronger-looking enemy.
"The Gravekeeper, of course."
"I knew you'd say that~"
"...I thought you would."
But! I couldn't possibly let a rat that could use 【Light Magic】 off the hook! Besides, after beating up the Ratman King's forces alongside the Gravekeeper this whole time, switching sides with a line like, 'Heh heh, I'm all about efficiency now,' would go against my aesthetic!
"All right! Let's go!"
Jigoro took off the instant I made my decision. The fact that he chose a position that would let him pinch the Ratman King between himself and the Gravekeeper showed that his earlier lapse had taught him a lesson.
"Djuuuu!"
"Ha-ha! You can't hit me anymore!"
As if unwilling to let Jigoro approach, the Ratman King swung his staff. Jigoro dodged it by a hair and slammed a sharp kick into the Ratman King's right knee.
"Djuaa!"
"Whoa, that was close!"
Still, one kick to a non-vital area couldn't possibly inflict much damage. The Ratman King openly displayed his irritation and swung his staff again to drive Jigoro away.
Jigoro didn't push his luck. He jumped back to create some distance. Perhaps intending to kill the fool who dared approach despite being weaker than him, the Ratman King pointed his staff at Jigoro.
It looked like he was about to cast some kind of magic. But could we really let him pursue Jigoro that far?
"Here, here! Over here!"
"Dju...!"
While the Ratman King's attention was focused on Jigoro, Genzuro approached and slashed him with his sword. The Ratman King's armor was designed to firmly protect his neck, so an instant-kill attack was impossible. Genzuro's slash could only cut across his back.
The armor itself also seemed to be quite powerful. Even Genzuro's sword could only scrape against it with a harsh grating sound and failed to cut into the flesh. Even so, Genzuro's attack had managed to inflict a small amount of damage. Apparently, it couldn't completely block the impact of a slash!
"Djuuuu!"
Naturally, the Ratman King swung his staff to drive Genzuro away as well. Genzuro avoided it with shuffling footwork... Wait, what!?
"Oh!"
"Hm!?"
The Gravekeeper leaped into the gap created when Genzuro dodged! He caught the staff with his sword. This was our chance, wasn't it?
"Now, Iris!"
"Yes!"
"Don't forget about me!"
I unleashed a Flying Slash with my scythe, Iris slammed the wooden mallet held in her tentacle into his wide-open torso, and Ruby drove her dagger into his right leg. Every one of those attacks dealt barely a drop in the bucket's worth of damage, but that was fine. We had drawn the Ratman King's attention!
"Take this!"
"Diii!"
Jigoro approached the Ratman King with his stance lowered until he was practically crawling along the ground, then kicked the enemy's right leg again, sweeping it out from under him. Jigoro and Ruby seemed to be focusing their attacks on the right leg. Then let's follow their lead!
"Iris, restrain him! Aim for the left leg! Star Magic Array, Remote Activation: Thorn Whip!"
"Yes!"
The five Thorn Whips I created and Iris's tentacles wrapped tightly around the Ratman King's left leg. We were certainly at a level disadvantage, but our full-strength restraint should hold for a few seconds!
"Dj-dj-djii, aaaaah!"
"Ugh! I'm sorry!"
"Tch! It didn't even last five seconds!"
I had chosen Thorn Whip because moving forcibly against it would cause damage, but he simply ignored that and tore it apart! Iris's tentacles seemed to have held on until they were on the verge of being torn off, but even that wasn't enough.
"That was enough!"
No, apparently five seconds was short, yet still five seconds. During those five seconds we had bought, Jigoro, Genzuro, and Ruby closed in again and attacked the right leg with a kick, Genzuro's newly readied odachi, and a dagger. I thought these attacks wouldn't do much damage either...
Crack!
A very dull sound rang out from the Ratman King's right leg. Could it be fractured?
"Djuuuu!?"
The Ratman King stood with his right leg raised slightly, as if protecting it. It really looked like his right leg had been snapped.
"Oh!"
"Dju!?"
Hm! The Gravekeeper was moving now. But had he deliberately charged straight at the Ratman King? That left the Ratman King defenseless, too busy blocking the sword and hand axe in the Gravekeeper's hands.
...Was he creating an opening for us? If so, I'd be happy to take advantage of it.
"Now! Attack with everything you've got! Star Magic Array: Activate, Thunder Arrow!"
"All right!"
"Hyaaah!"
"Take this!"
"Eat this!"
My magic, Jigoro's fists, Genzuro's odachi, Iris's large hatchet, and Ruby's dagger all wounded the Ratman King. His excellent armor might have helped, but after being exposed to so many attacks, the damage was steadily accumulating.
He had already lost around twenty percent of his health during his one-on-one fight with the Gravekeeper, and our steady chipping away had finally brought his remaining health below thirty percent. If we could keep pushing, this would be easy!
"Djugaaaaaaaaa!!!"
"Gwoh!?"
At that moment, the Ratman King's body seemed to grow a size larger, and he actually used brute strength alone to forcibly shove the Gravekeeper away! Had his strength increased now that he was at death's door?!
We couldn't carelessly approach him now. But this was exactly when us mages could shine!
"Everyone, fall back!"
The three melee fighters, sensing that I was about to do something, immediately retreated from the Ratman King. Our teamwork had been honed enough for them to make that move instinctively!
"Star Magic Array, Remote Activation: Magic Bomb!"
Boom-boom-boom-boom-BWAAAM!
I formed magic circles around the Ratman King's head and detonated five Magic Bombs inside them. Surely he couldn't come away from that unscathed!
"Djugaaaah!?"
As expected, the Ratman King was staggering. Five bombs had detonated at point-blank range. The magic damage was one thing, but the damage to his inner ears from the sound, flash, and impact must have been considerable too.
This kind of realism is what gives FSW such a wide range of tactics! It's amazing that almost every spell can be put to use! Though, Dark Sword, you should wait a little longer for your chance to shine.
"Djugagaa!"
"Oops! Triple Magic Array: Magic Shield."
I shouldn't have been thinking about anything unnecessary. Perhaps he had identified me as a threat, because the Ratman King cast 【Light Magic】 straight at me. His aim was accurate despite still being unsteady.
Judging by its shape, it was probably Light Lance. Damn, I want to learn how to use it too!
I pushed those feelings aside. In response to the enemy's attack, I stacked three Magic Shields one atop another. The first one shattered, but the second held.
Oh? So a Dual Magic Array will be enough next time? I'm glad I got that data!
"Don't look away!"
"You mustn't forget us..."
"You can't forget us, right!?"
There was no way my companions would overlook the opening created when I used magic. Their attacks continued to whittle down the Ratman King's health. If he tried to deal with the magic, he was exposed to melee attacks, and if he dealt with the melee attacks, magic came flying at him. I understood very well now how difficult it was to fight a group alone.
"Hmph!"
"Chuguguh...!"
Even when he tried to drive Jigoro and the others away with his staff, the Gravekeeper blocked it for us. The Ratman King's stats seemed to have increased after he became critically wounded, and every time the Gravekeeper blocked an attack, the Ratman King sent him flying. Even so, having someone handle defense for us was incredibly helpful. It gave me openings to use magic!
"Try this next! Star Magic Array, Remote Activation: Dark Mask."
"Mogogogogo!?"
If he could hit us with magic while he had a clear line of sight, then we just had to block his vision. Dark Mask was useful for situations like this.
"Mogagah!"
Though his vision had been blocked, the Ratman King hadn't forgotten that my companions were nearby. He swung his staff around wildly to keep us at bay. But my companions weren't so easy to fool that an attack with no aim or purpose could accomplish anything!
"Strike three, you're out!"
Keeping his stance low, Jigoro slipped through the gaps between the staff swings and closed in deep within the Ratman King's guard. Then, using the momentum of standing up, he drove an uppercut into the Ratman King's chin.
"Mugug!!"
"Now!"
The Ratman King's marker displayed STUN after the attack to his chin. Taking advantage of his completely defenseless state, Genzuro unleashed a slash at a gap in the Ratman King's armor. He aimed for the back of the right knee, which the Ratman King presumably couldn't move.
"Mogoooo!"
Armor couldn't protect the joints completely, so unlike before, Genzuro's odachi cut deeply into the Ratman King's right leg. The relentlessly targeted leg had apparently finally given out, unable to support his body any longer. The Ratman King dropped onto his right knee.
"I can finally reach it!"
"That's right!"
Dropping to one knee meant that he could no longer move, but it also meant that he was shorter. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, Ruby slashed the exposed joint through a gap in the Ratman King's armor, while Iris actually slammed her wooden mallet into his face.
"...!?"
The Ratman King let out an inarticulate scream. But that didn't mean we were going to ease up on our attacks.
"Let's bring this to an end. Star Magic Array, Remote Activation: Thorn Whip."
I deployed Thorn Whip across the floor once more, binding the battered Ratman King to the ground while he remained on one knee.
"I'll assist."
Iris's tentacles joined in, and the Ratman King was once again bound so tightly that he could hardly move. Unlike last time, Ruby and Genzuro had severed the tendons at several of his joints, and his kneeling position was unstable. He couldn't put any strength into his limbs, so escape was impossible.
However, this was a humiliating position for someone who called himself a 'king,' even if only in name. We should finish him off quickly. But before that...
"Would you like to deliver the killing blow, Gravekeeper-dono?"
At least, I figured I should ask our ally. Without his defense, we wouldn't have been able to defeat the Ratman King so easily.
"..."
In response to my question, the Gravekeeper silently shook his head. Apparently, he was leaving the final blow to me. In that case, let's finish him off quickly.
"Jigoro."
"Sure thing. Leave it to me."
Jigoro approached the Ratman King, who was struggling to escape his restraints somehow, and raised one leg high.
"Divine Beastification... See ya. I had fun!"
"...!!"
With that, Jigoro, wrapped in a golden aura after transforming into a divine beast, brought his heel down squarely on the top of the Ratman King's head. The blow was powerful enough to cave in his splendid helmet, and the Ratman King finally breathed his last.