Volume 1.5, Chapter 4 - Kohaku and Rirei
Inside the forest filled with singing of the birds, in the centre of the forest's opening a giant lizard with sharp scales had hugged his tail with his eyes closed.
Since there was nowhere to hide in the surroundings we pounced at him all at once.
"TAKE THISSSSS!!"
As I jumped in first slashing at the giant lizard——the Blade Lizard, he avoided by rolling on the ground and started his counter-attack on our party's members.
"Myu-chan! I know you didn't get to fight in front lately, but you're overdoing it!"
Even while she spoke worriedly, Hino-chan held the large hammer in her hands and without letting her guard down, swung it with all her strength aiming for Blade Lizard's head.
"Gughgyah——?!
The Blade Lizard who was durable enough to withstand such a heavy blow was appropriate for a boss mob.
"Next, he went Luka-chan's way!"
"Tobi-san! Please match me!"
"…understood."
Dressed in brand-new crimson armour, equipped with an one-handed sword and a shield Luka-chan protruded the shield to block the Blade Lizard's rush.
"——!! Ngrrh!!"
As her entire body was pushed towards the ground by Blade Lizard's tackle, she subsequently parried a tail swing with her shield.
Facing against the Blade Lizard who was a mob difficult for beginners to deal with, Luka-chan slashed him with all the fighting spirit she had, matching that, Tobi-chan approached in that moment and thrust her dagger aiming for the gap between scales.
In order to prevent us from chasing it the Blade Lizard bristled his scales and rolled on the ground to the side, moving away from us.
In the meantime we verified our cooperation.
"How is it, Luka-chan? The 【Shield】 Sense you newly picked-up?"
"Hmm, it's slightly different from what I imagined. But, it works well balancing out the weapon I use now so I'd like to try it for a little longer."
"Rather than that, what about you, Myu-chan? To think you'd miss first strike, I'm more concerned with that one."
"…worrying."
"Ahaha… so you noticed after all?"
When Hino-chan pointed that out, "yes indeed" said and nodded Tobi-chan, who was freshly recruited to the party.
Until yesterday we have practiced cooperation in party of four. After fighting weak mobs and Big Boars who are appropriate to our levels, we scheduled to defeat a boss mob, Blade Lizard today.
"Um… actually, I succeeded in defeating a Blade Lizard all alone last night."
"Myu-chan, you're rushing ahead all alone again."
Hino-chan muttered appalled.
Meanwhile, the Blade Lizard who rolled around warily had recovered and stretching out his limbs, he took a stance for a rush.
"Myu-san! We're going to talk about this properly later!"
"Got it! Let's do our best to take down the rest of his HP then!"
Told so by Luka-chan I once again raised my one-handed sword and circled around the Blade Lizard from the right side.
Luka-chan stood in front of the Blade Lizard, Hino-chan on the left, Tobi-chan stood in a position from which she could support us anywhere.
This time's subjugation of the boss mob, Blade Lizard, was a test for the roles in the party we have come up with.
Luka-chan alone didn't use her usual fighting style, but using a 【Shield】 Sense she safely practised how to grasp the timing for parrying with a sword and avoiding attacks. The shield and the sword she was using were remaining drops from the Living Armours, if there isn't enough of them, we can always go and get more.
Like that, we have become a party of three ultra-physical vanguards and one assassin-type.
"These days we're all vanguards, let's go pound him down!"
"In that case, I'll attack properly so that Myu-chan can fight!"
Matching me as I ran towards the Blade Lizard, Hino-chan also ran while carrying her hammer on her shoulder.
The Blade Lizard felt my approach and twisted his body, swinging the tail full of bristled sharp scales. The moment I noticed the initial motions of his attack I thrust my heels onto the ground to reduce my speed and averted my upper body.
Although I felt the wind pressure from Blade Lizard's tail swing that passed right in front of me, I succeeded in avoiding.
It was an attack pattern I have experienced many times both in the β version and just recently when I challenged it multiple times before going to bed. I avoided it by hair's breadth and moved a step in.
If I fought alone I would have delivered two light attacks and escaped, but now I stepped in.
"I won't let you get her! HAAa!!"
Hino-chan struck a heavy blow to the Blade Lizard's side from the left and stopped his movements for a moment.
"Haa——《Fifth Breaker》!"
By cooperating we could do things we can't do alone. A combination attack starting with one person's attack, then stopping enemy's movements to make an opening for using Arts.
"I'll join in as well. ——《Shock Impact》!"
I was able to deliver a large amount of damage with five consecutive slashes by using an Art, but I was exposed to attacks. However, the strong blow Luka-chan added on top of it had prevented the enemy from counter-attacking. Then, Tobi-chan thrust her dagger continuously at the Blade Lizard whose movements were stopped, delaying his recovery.
And, together with Luka-chan right after we were released from the Arts' fixed movements——
"——Avoid!"
At the same the commander, Luka-chan spoke everyone focused on avoiding a large tail swing of the counter-attacking Blade Lizard.
In our party we didn't concentrate hate on one person, all of us avoided attacks.
Instead of having one person gain high amounts of enemy's hate, so to speak, we used tactics where everyone attacked and acted as a decoy at the same time, with high emphasis on avoidance. Therefore, the one who has become the target now was——
"Ahaa, me!"
Involuntarily, a happy laughter leaked out of my mouth.
"Luka-chan, everyone, match the timing!"
"Understood! Don't get hit by an attack, okay?"
I told Luka-chan to match my timing for a simultaneous attack, but she worried about me getting attacked instead. In fact, even though we emphasized on avoidance with our tactics our stats weren't as low as to be defeated with a single blow. Also, we did take bad status received from the enemy into account. What's left, is to enjoy the avoidance's thrill and to draw the enemy to myself!
"Now now, this way!"
To attract the Blade Lizard so that he charges at me I didn't move too close in or too far out. I avoided attacks from his claws and tail as well as jagged fangs as I approached the location I aimed for, then started running at full speed behind the Blade Lizard.
『"SURYAAAA——"』
Responding to my sudden action the Blade Lizard turned around and rushed at my back. However, I kicked off the ground and ran vertically up a trunk of the only tree that was in the surroundings.
The Blade Lizard put its front limbs on the tree trying to chase me as I climbed on top of it. Using his hind legs and tail dexterously he leaned on the tree with his huge body and reached up to where I was.
"What a shame! See ya."
I kicked off the tree's trunk and jumped into the air. Doing a backflip I passed right next to the Blade Lizard's claw.
"——《Light Shot》!"
For a parting gift, in the middle of a backflip I fired a light bullet at the Blade Lizard's back.
I dealt damage to his back, but that wasn't the end of attack.
"Myu-chan, nice decoy! ——《Smash》!"
Hino-chan's crushing blow was hammered into the Blade Lizard's back and sandwiched between the hammer and the tree trunk, the boss was stunned.
"What was that movement just now?! I'm curious, but for now let's strike him down. ——《Fifth Breaker》!"
"——《Backstab》!"
Since the Blade Lizard tried to stand up Luka-chan cut the left leg and the tail supporting his body, meanwhile Tobi-chan crept up from behind the boss and slashed the right leg's tendon.
With that, the boss lost support and separating from the tree trunk, leaned backwards then fell on his back.
At this stage the Blade Lizard had 30% HP remaining and was stunned, lying down on the ground he exposed his abdomen - the only place not covered in sharp scales. There were only a few seconds left until he recovers, but I didn't miss the chance.
"Take this!!"
I kicked off the ground jumping high up and thrust downwards piercing the Blade Lizard's chest.
"It's still a boss mob, huh! So hard. But——!"
I leaned on the half-way pierced in one-handed sword to push it deeper in. It seemed like the stun status expired with that as the boss started flailing his limbs and tail to escape, but I ignored that and pressed my palm onto him at zero distance and——
"——《Light Shot》《Light Shot》《Light Shot》!"
Dealt damage with light magic.
In order to prevent the boss from failing its limbs and standing up, Luka-chan with others delivered damage to his head, limbs and tail.
I clenched the sword pierced deeply into the boss, by holding it I prevented myself from falling off the violently shaking body and continued to fire light bullets at him, finally able to decrease his HP to zero.
『"SURARARAAAA——"』
Finally, along with feeble cries the Blade Lizard had turned into particles of light and disappeared.
Were Yun-oniichan to see this one-sided battle——he'd say something like "Stop that! He's way too pitiful!
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