We Just Beat It Down and That's the End of It, Right? (12)

'You have done well... You have overcome every trial and made your way to me.'

A vast, dome-shaped space was enclosed by walls glowing faintly blue-green. A giant dragon stood there, its glossy black body dimly reflecting the brilliant white light of the floor. Blue-violet light pulsed through its entire body like veins, giving it an uncanny, divine aura. As it looked at the eight people who had just appeared before it, it spoke in a grave voice that echoed directly in their minds.

'...You look rather battered. It seems the monsters that tested you along the way gave you quite a hard time.'

"Oh, no. This is mostly Takako-san's fault, so don't worry about it. Though the monsters along the way were pretty strong, too."

Tina's twin tails drooped dejectedly as she wore a thoroughly fed-up expression.

A week had passed since Alice, Menou, Rex, Kururu, Tina, Parna, David, and Takako set out from the heart of the Holy Forest to reach the dungeon where the Dark Dragon lived.

Thanks to Tina's healing magic, none of them had any injuries, but for some reason, everything from their clothes to the backpacks they carried was in tatters.

The culprit was Takako's new Skill.

Skill... Fighting Spirit Eruption

Effect... Your dormant life energy surges forth at your will, causing an explosion.

At first glance, it seemed like a Skill that let her freely wield the life energy dormant within her body, a power known as 'ki.' But that wasn't the case: every attack Takako launched came with an explosion, even if it missed. Of course, light slaps and chops that she didn't put any force into didn't cause explosions, but whenever she threw a punch with even a little fighting spirit, an explosion erupted from the part of her body she had focused it in.

Takako herself had no control over it at all, and all the way here, she'd kept dealing massive damage to both monsters and allies alike.

When Takako's blows landed on an enemy, the defense-piercing 'Penetrating Destructive Shockwave' combined with the explosions from Fighting Spirit Eruption to pulverize them, making her incredibly reliable. But when her attacks missed, the explosions would hit her allies as well. As a result, everyone had ended up in this battered state.

'And what happened to that blond one over there? They're in especially bad shape...'

"Thanks for noticing. Please keep telling them how horribly they treat me."

Seeing Rex—who was more than battered and practically charred among the eight—made the Dark Dragon look a little perplexed.

They couldn't leave Takako out of the fighting. Without the strongest member of their party, they would struggle, and one wrong move could put their lives in danger, so they decided that the explosions were the lesser evil and let her fight. Even though Takako's explosions wouldn't cause much damage unless they hit at close range, they were still powerful enough to send people flying from a distance. Everyone except Takako wanted to block them if possible, just to avoid the hassle of healing afterward.

That was where Rex came in. The Skills he'd learned upon reaching Levels 100 and 200 had excellent synergy with Takako's new Skill.

Skill... Super Armor

Effect... You can anchor your feet to the ground through sheer will.

It couldn't prevent damage, but it allowed him to withstand any impact without being blown away.

Skill... Revenge

Effect... You accumulate damage taken and add it to the power of your next attack.

With this Hero-like Skill that let him store the damage he took and turn the tables on even the strongest foes as long as he stayed alive, the group decided to use Rex as a shield against Takako's explosions.

Even when an explosion went off nearby, Rex wouldn't be blown away, making him a reliable shield. And since the damage he took could be put to use in battle, it was a win-win. They couldn't block every explosion with Rex, of course, but thanks to him, they managed to reach the Dark Dragon's chamber easily, with their clothes in tatters.

'Ho ho ho! You two make the perfect partners!'

"David-san, why do you look so happy?"

Tina still remembered David's pleased expression from just a few hours ago, when he saw Takako gazing passionately at Rex, whose Skills seemed perfectly suited to her.

In fact, the two of them were the reason the group had made it to this dungeon. To build up damage with Rex's Revenge, Kururu, Parna, and Alice cast spells at him, which he endured without regard for the pain. Then, after the three of them and Menou cast spells at the hole leading to the dungeon, Rex unleashed 'True Heaven-and-Earth White Lightning Cannon'—a technique he could use without shouting—with its power boosted by all the damage he'd taken. Finally, Takako struck the ground with Charge Blow, adding the power of her Skill, and they opened a passage all the way to the dungeon before the soil could fully regenerate.