Published at 27th of July 2022 11:39:42 AM

656 The Second Eclipse

Miias [Split Beasts] smash cleanly into Aros magic attacks. Having seen their stats, theyre offence-oriented and generally on the low side for ranks.

They dont have endurance skills, so Aros [Gale] is just barely able to defeat them. If Miia attacks with numbers using [Split Beast], then Aro tripling her attacks with [Darkness Kaleidoscope] will be more advantageous. Especially [Gale], which is an excellent area attack.

Miias upper body resolutely readies her greatsword.

Even though you want to bring it to a physical exchange, you should have already caught on that its my area of expertise. Besides I still havent used [Godspeed Flash] in this form yet.

I gulp.

[Godspeed Flash] is a skill that amplifies speed for an instant, allowing for incredibly swift sword strikes. Any strike made using it has a simple and straightforward movement. However, even with that in mind, theres no mistake that its an awful skill to face.

Is it even possible that shell hint at using [Godspeed Flash] and then attack normally? No, thats wrong. With her personality, its hard to believe shell bluff using words. I should plan to receive a frontal attack from [Godspeed Flash].

Paying close attention to the tip of Miias sword, I grip my own tightly in my hand. Her arm moves. The moment I perceive that, I evade instinctually and leap backwards.

Everything ends in the next instant. Sometime within that, Miia has completed her sword swing.

The pain travelling across my chest is completely slower than her sword. The surface breaks and blood flows. My consciousness starts to waver.

We did it master-dono!

Unexpectedly, Ive fallen behind in an exchange of swords.

Miia grumbles.

The blue branch from the treant armour wrapped around my body pierces into the gigantic thanatos. It was a burst from treants [Wood Counter].

The moment Miia swung her greatsword, I evaded and changed the angle of my body. As a result, I successfully made Miia slice treant instead. Since I leapt backwards and had the treant armour protecting me, I got by with only a light injury.

Thanks to the treant armour, Ive gained a tremendous advantage. Luck was on my side as well. Since I couldnt perceive Miias sword in point blank range, I just reacted instinctually. I read Miias personality correctly as well I knew she probably wouldnt bluff about using [Godspeed Flash].

If this situation were to repeat another ten times, I might be the one that ends up being cut down. Even so, we are the ones who made this possible.

I put strength into my sword swing. With Miia defenceless after receiving a direct attack from [Wood Counter], I cut down with all my strength at her human body and dragon head.

Rotten meat scatters in the air. Two of the six eyes on the thanatos dragon are crushed and scatter through the air. To follow up, I swing horizontally with all my might. Miia blocks with her greatsword, but her posture is weak. I manage to cut deeply into her abdomen.

AaaA, AAAAAAAAaaAAAAA!

The dragon head splits its mouth wide and roars. Black smoke erupts from its mouth.

[Plague Breath]. Theres a concern about poison or curse statuses, but by nature of us having similar affinities, it shouldnt have much effect. Aro has high resistance to abnormal statuses. Treant might be affected, but if that happens then Ill heal him after we get through this. Miia should be using it simply for camouflage.

Taking advantage of [Plague Breath], Miia heads backwards to the wall and climbs up it, taking distance from me. Treants branch that had pierced into her with [Wood Counter] snaps off and falls to the ground.

If she escapes, Aro and treants MP will reach their limits before long. I need to defeat her here by all possible means before she can recover!

I jump onto the spiral staircase and pursue Miia whos escaping upwards.

Wait right there, Miia!

I aim for Miia with [Dimension Claw]. Freely moving her big frame, she cleanly dodges while climbing up the wall.

The slashed rotten meat tears off and shapes themselves into snakes and bees, heading in my direction. Shes used [Split Beast] once more.

Whether it was because Aro successfully took care of them earlier with [Gale], the number of beasts this time is high. There are a total of eight. Each of them arent particularly strong at this point in the battle, but nonetheless, Miia can create as many rank-equivalent monsters as she wants. She should be squandering considerable HP and MP on this. Miia is using her full strength to get out of this situation. Her actions are probably because she understands that Aro and treant will have to withdraw from lack of MP if she manages to weather this.

Dragon-god-sama, please target Miisan!

Well deal with those monsters somehow!

We need to brace for some damage and press the attack, or shell get away!

Aros [Gale] sends the [Split Beasts] flying away. Even if shes unable to kill them all, if she can just send them falling down, Ill have enough time to close the distance to Miia.

Miia stops and turns to face us.

I attack her huge body with a series of [Dimension Claws]. Her carapace cracks and decaying flesh scatters, spraying fluids into the air.

We can do this. From that breakthrough earlier, it has been proceeding almost perfectly. Since Im paying close attention for any sign of her using any of her dangerous skills, she should no longer have any chance to force them out.

In addition to the damage from my greatsword earlier, her HP should have also been eroded by using [Split Beast]. Ill defeat her right now at any cost before she can activate [Eclipse]!

Miia thrusts out her left finger at me. No, not me at treant?

[Death]! [Death]! [Death]!

at this point, shes using the instant death magic [Death]? That should only be effective against lower rank opponents.

I consider just pushing forward without hesitating, but then I realise her intention. Miias target is the treant armour.

As a world treant, he has exceedingly high HP and defence, and has many excellent skills despite some of them being too specialised. However, with that in mind, its other stats are considerably lower. The strength of his magic is less than half of Aros. He could easily be killed by a direct hit from [Death].

Guh!

I kick far off the wall while twisting my body. As though chasing me, three masses of black light appear behind me in the air.

Treant almost received a fatal blow as a result of a instants blunder by me, but weve somehow managed to avoid it.

By wavering and choosing to evade, youve given me time. Youre unexpectedly tenacious; Im surprised. But this is the end.

Black light gathers within the dragon head of the thanatos.

Its the second [Eclipse]! Shes taken considerable distance. Will I reach in time before she activates it?