「That was so close.」
「Are you okay, Kotori?」
「I…I'm okay!」
Though the defensive wall was mostly destroyed, it barely managed to protect them from the fla tornado. The hot wind wasn't the only reason the three girls were sweating profusely.
Since Sakura and Ryouko were your orthodox spellcaster type, this was their first experience in close combat. Even though a fire-breathing monster wasn't that rare in this dungeon, a monster that used a magic wand, and magic was actually a rare case.
And the one who fought that rare monster, the fla magician type gogma, were that duo or trio since Kotori was included.
The magician-type gogma who swung around its magic wand which looked like a bishop's staff as it fired one fireball after another had already surpassed Cerberus' heat radiation in terms of heat alone.
Even though their side had two spellcasters, one hit from gogma's fire arrow was enough to incapacitate them. On the other hand, in spite of being a magician type with a big fra, the gogma's toughness far surpassed their expectation. In spite of scalding and bleeding from all over the place after receiving so many 『Lux Sagitta』 and 『Ice Sagitta』, it was unperturbed, as if all of their attacks was only on the level of a scratch.
On the other hand, the pair of girls raised defensive magic as soon as Kotori sensed that the gogma was about to fire a spell more powerful than an interdiate spell. The gogma's timing in invoking its spell was that of an experienced combatant.
Both Sakura and Ryouko were forced into a defensive battle by gogma's firepower. Though it wasn't that strange if they lost to their far more superior opponent long ti ago, they barely survived thanks to 『Sage』 Kotori's assistance in reading their opponent's move with 『Magical Power Analysis』.
Kotori let her comrades know the timing for attack and defense, moreover, she was also the one who did covering fire for her comrades when they were about to be attacked by gogma as soon as they showed an opening, and was also assisting Yuuto in one way or another.
「A deadlock huh…」
「But, we're in a better situation thanks to Sakura’s healing magic.」
Their sole advantage over the gogmas was the fact that they had Sakura, a healer.
Though Sakura was an amateur when it ca to close combat as a magician, she mastered a little bit of swordsmanship since she always saw the spar between Asuna and Yuuto, their vanguard. Thanks to that experience, she could use 『Healing Light』 on Yuuto who fought a fierce battle against four-ard gogma when he needed it.
「But now, we're also on the side that needs reinforcent.」
「The best we can do right now is keep this guy at bay. We've no choice but to wait for Asuna and Minami to make a breakthrough in this situation.」
It was vexing but the three couldn't do anything since they simply lacked the firepower to defeat their opponent and assist their ally.
「We've no choice… but to believe in them.」
Despite her vexation, Sakura couldn't help but accept the fact that she lacked firepower and needed her comrade's assistance while sending 『Healing Light』 to Asuna and Minami who fought a fierce battle beside them.
「O-Ou~… eh, it's not hurting anymore!?」
「Sakura's healing magic huh. That was close, Natsukawa.」
「Shank you~u, Sakura-cha~n!」
Though Natsukawa Minami seed to be as cheerful as usual, it was in fact a facade to prevent her heart from breaking under this situation. She was really grateful for Sakura's 『Healing Light』 which ca in ti but, she barely hanging in there with just a light graze from gogma's attack.
「FUOGAA! MUGOO, UOGAAAA!」
The gogma who fought against Minami and Asuna was a swordsman type with a wind elental magic sword like the one used by the four-ard gogma. That gogma wasn't just big, it was really fast on top of that. The enchanted sword fired 『Air Sagitta』 which combined with exquisite swordplay had cornered Minami and Asuna.
「Nevertheless, this is a tough one huh.」
「Uuh, still long way to go~.」
In this situation, where the two vanguards fought against one opponent, they were lucky that the battle occurred in wide space.
The swordsman gogma was powerful but the duo received assistance from Sakura in the form of healing magic and Kotori's warning when their opponent was about to use the ability of the wind sword. Thus, the two could fight calmly while raising their vigilance on their opponent's special attack.
Minami stabbed on the gogma's back with her 『Wild Van Dead Knife』, and then released electric shock, the 『Shock Bolt』, and added poison stocked in 『Sea Demon's Water Current Whip』.
Asuna made an even deeper cut with 『Purification Sword』 and forced massive bleeding with 『Fla Red Saber』.
The swordsman gogma who received relentless attacks of the two had its movent impeded due to the poison in its flesh, there were countless cutting wounds on its skin, moreover, there were scalding wounds all over its body. But, the way it acted… as if those wounds were trivial.
「BUGA, BUGO, VUNGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
Its war cry hadn't weakened at all. Rather, it seed to be more fired up the more blood it shed.
And yet, it still managed to block the attack aid at its vital spots such as the head, just like a mad warrior who maintained its sanity in berserk mode.
「We just need to land a critical hit to end this fight as soon as possible and yet…」
「Geez, this guy is so~ persistent! Just drop dead already!」
The two of them had no other choice but to keep inflicting wound after wound to the swordsman gogma while keeping in mind the fact that they're racing against ti.
Naly, the fact that they couldn't go to help Yuuto, and their comrades unless they defeated their opponent as fast as possible―― Yes, everyone's thoughts in that place were united. Everyone did their best, fighting a desperate battle that they never experienced before.
Sakura, Ryoko, Asuna, Minami, including Yuuto, everyone was completely focused on the opponent before them. Thus, they failed to realize.
The giant four-ard gogma vs Yuuto. Magician gogma vs Sakura, Ryoko, and Kotori. The swordsman gogma vs Asuna and Minami.
They forgot the fact that there were still two gogmas left in that place.
The hamr wielder gogma and the axe wielder gogma. Even with the best party composition, they fought one gogma at most. They failed to realize that it was a fight in which one single enemy was enough to overturn the stalemate.
But every single one of the party was too occupied with the enemy before them.
Thus bringing a question, where had those axe wielder gogmas and hamr wielder gogmas disappeared to?
Or rather, why they didn't help the other gogmas. The answer was… because they're too occupied with the enemy in front of them.
A fierce battle to death unfolded in one corner of that extrely spacious room, the 『Berserker』, Futaba iko fought against those two gogmas by herself.
===
「Haah… Haah…」
As expected, it depleted her stamina at a rapid pace.
They were blessed with successive victories as of late, including powerful enemies like living armor, but thanks to their powerful line-up, they never experienced hardship during the battle.
But now, in a situation in which she couldn't hope for the other's party mbers' assistance, she was pitted against two gogmas at the sa ti, defeating both of them might be as hard as defeating the four-ard gogma.
She didn't even receive healing magic from Sakura. No matter how powerful her base stats had beco after receiving『Berserker』 vocation, it didn't an that she didn't have a hard ti fighting against two gogmas at the sa ti without any assistance at all.
「I've never experienced this kind of situation aside from the battle against the armored bear.」
She recalled that the last ti she fought with her life on the line was when she fought the armored bear right before they t Souma Sakura and Co.
「Haa… I wonder what is Kotaro-kun doing right now…」
The only mont she could relax her mind was when she recalled about him. Her chest was overflowing with love whenever she thought about him, and that joy would turn into dread and anxiety that was enough to make her cry in the next mont.
In short, she was showing signs of emotional instability. Ironically, the person herself was aware of that.
And yet, iko kept swinging her weapon, burying one enemy after another, her face was as docile as a sheep despite facing storms of weapons that were brandished with killing intent to kill her as if the battle itself was a trivial matter to her.
「UOGA!」
Sure enough, the blazing axe-wielding gogma started to increase the power behind its attack.
But due to how skillful iko used her black shield, adjusting the angle of her shield right before the mont of impact, the attack ended up sliding down instead of striking down the shield. The blazing edge of the edge ended up striking the stone floor in vain instead of striking its real target.
「MUGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
The other gogma used that chance to swing its hamr which could pulverize everything with its powerful impact towards iko.
「Uhm, whoopsie!」
iko used her jet-black halberd. Though the blade that was attached to its spear length handle was too big for humans, it was still too small compared to the hamr that was forged to match the gogma's huge stature.
iko skillfully manipulated that halberd with one hand, crossing blows right from the front with the hamr that was swung with gogma's both hands, repelling it.
Every single one of her swings was not only empowered with her berserker strength but also added her martial art, 『Shock』 too.
「Fu-haa…」
「BGRRRRRRRRRR…」
「MGGGRRRR…」
Strong, both iko and the two gogmas felt the sa. Their battle might look like an unfair battle of two against one but, in fact, it was a deadlock for both sides.
As a 『Berserker』, iko had the highest physical damage amongst the mber of Yuuto's team. It wasn't self-conceited, but a fact, even iko realized that fact.
And her power was enough to kill a gogma who was far higher and heavier than her in a single hit in a one-on-one battle.
But from the gogma's perspective, iko with her superhuman strength that rivaled them despite being a human was their greatest threat. Their instinct had told them that they would lose against her in a one-on-one battle.
They actually felt relieved that the two of them were the ones who dealt with this terrifyingly powerful woman allowing the battle to enter a state of deadlock. Since their side was starting to gain an upper hand in the other battle, all they needed to do was hold this woman in this place until their comrades finished off the woman's comrades. By then, they could use their superior number to defeat the woman, a despicable but just act.
Strangely, the line of thought of the gomas was no different from Yuuto and Co, the humans.
「If it's going to be like that ti, I guess I've no choice but to use that――」
Knowing that her side was the one that was slowly being cornered, iko reached the conclusion that she needed a temporary power-up to break the deadlock.
iko made that decision as she parried her opponent's onslaught. She wasn't scared. Instead, she felt so sort of joy within.
The reason being the trump card that she was going to use was the one given by Kotaro.
「Lend your power―― Kotaro-kun!」
She took out a small leather bag from her pouch in the gap between the two gogmas' attacks. The content of that leather bag was a white powder.
This was the second ti she used it after the battle against the armored bear.
Yes, the thing she took out was gomas' infamous doping, the 『Reagent Ｘ』 which was given to her by Koutaro as the trump card in case iko was overwheld by her opponent.
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