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Chapter 114 Toka's Determined Struggle
I infused renki into my gauntlets and wrapped it around my legs to boost both the strength and agility of my weapons. The intense back-and-forth battle was finally reaching a precarious balance.
"Come on, hurry up and die! Onee-chan needs to reduce her replenishment time, you knowwwww!?"
Bute-san, slashing at me with wide-open eyes, was a bit... well, quite terrifying.
No, no, I couldn't lose to sheer intimidation!
"I want to taste onee-chan, savor her! So die now, die quickly, die right nowwwwwww!"
"You can taste her to your heart's content later after you come back to your senses!"
This person was undoubtedly strong. As a trained military person, she was undoubtedly stronger than me, a mere blacksmith. However, her being under someone's control worked in my favor. Thanks to that, the intricate strategies that could only come from rich combat experience were completely absent.
"Now! I want to taste her now! I want to suck on Onee-chan's lips right nowwwww!"
She swung her sword recklessly while shouting bizarre things. At first, I was overwhelmed by her power and speed, but—
"My eyes are getting used to it... I can see it now!"
In the long, drawn-out exchange, I became accustomed to her attacks, completely anticipating her patterns.
She initiated a wide horizontal swing from the left and I was able to deflect it with my gauntlets. She then rotated her body to deliver a powerful upward slash from the right.
"At this timing... now!"
Lowering my body and circling around her left side, I evaded the attack while simultaneously delivering a reiki-coated punch straight into her back.
"Gah!"
Letting out a low scream, Bute-san's body was sent flying.
After bouncing on the ground two or three times, she then stopped moving. ...She's not dead, right? She's just unconscious, isn't she?
"Ugh, onee-chan... *lick* *lick*..."
Alright, she's alive. It seemed the brainwashing hadn't worn off yet. How about Joanna-san and Leah-san?
"Kill... Die... For the mission..."
Faced with Leah-san's spear barrage, Joanna-san was on the defensive. Covered in scratches, she seemed to be on the verge of exhaustion.
"It's bad if it continues like this! I don't make a habit of interfering, but...!"
Disassembling the gauntlet on my left arm, I transferred the iron sand to my right arm. Creating a double-sized giant gauntlet, I deployed the armor and ignited the thrusters at my elbow.
"Joanna-san, brace yourself for a massive punch!"
With the boost set to maximum, I charged towards Leah-san. At a speed and force that made my small body levitate, I shot straight at her.
"Sorry if you get caught up in this!"
**BOOM!!!**
"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Alright, direct hit on Leah-san. Joanna-san managed to avoid being caught up in it by leaping backward. Leah-san was sent flying and slammed into the wall, and was now splayed out like a starfish. ...I made sure to hold back, but she's still alive, right?
"Ugh... ugh..."
Phew, that's a relief. We managed to get through this without having to kill anyone. It looked like the horde of monsters had mostly been dealt with by the golems and the dragon.
"That was quite a splendid punch, huh? I really am grateful."
"I'm the one who should be grateful. Thanks to you drawing Leah-san away, I was able to win. You're quite skilled."
She hadn't exhibited any particularly suspicious movements, and maybe I'm overthinking this. ...No, it's still too early to draw conclusions.
"Well, I was barely managing not to die. But that was a good punch. Truly worthy of a dwarf."
"Enough of that... Now, let's go after Kyrie and the others. We need to reassure Mel, who might be crying."
"Yes, let's hurry. Rugolf is a formidable enemy, and we don't know if we can win while protecting Beato-chan and the others. Oh no!!"
*Zbashhh!!*
"...Huh?"
What was that sound just now?
*Bushuuuuuu!!*
"...Joanna-san?"
What happened?
In front of Joanna-san, standing with arms wide open was a tall man with dark skin and white hair. Swinging the sword in both hands downward, blood gushes out forcefully from Joanna-san's body.
"...First, one person."
"To... Toka-san... I'm glad... you're safe..."
*Thud.*
Joanna-san fell forward, and from beneath her prone body, a pool of blood slowly spread.
Was there another controlled demon? Did Joanna-san get slashed while protecting me? She can't be dead, right? She can't be dead.
Various thoughts swirled and whirled in my mind, turning into a chaotic mess. In that moment of distraction, the towering man didn't miss his chance.
"Mun...!"
*Swish!*
"I...!"
A deep step followed by a sharp upward slash. I instinctively leaped backward, but my delay caused the blade to cut deep into my leg.
"Dragon!!"
Summoning the magical dragon, I jumped onto its back. Despite the severe bleeding from my leg, I could manage this.
"Golems, please!"
The thirteen golems, having completed the elimination of the monsters, simultaneously attacked upon my command. Meanwhile, I hastily tore my clothes, using them as makeshift bandages to staunch the bleeding.
I thought I could have a brief rest while he fought the golems, but then—
"Renki Long Blade."
With renki enveloping the sword, an invisible blade extended. And with a single swing, he managed to separate the upper and lower halves of all the golems.
"One enemy left..."
While looking up at me on the back of the mechanical dragon, the enemy raised a blade of Renki.
"First..."
His sword could reach this height. I ordered the dragon to make a sharp turn, but in this confined space, its maneuverability was severely restricted.
*Zwaaah!*
Its wing was sliced off, leading to a crash and explosion. I barely managed to jump off, and then I rolled on the ground, tossed by the shockwave.
"Damn it...!"
The large demon wouldn't miss this chance. Transforming the renki blade into a shorter size, he charged toward me. To adapt to close combat, I reverted the massive gauntlet for charging back to its normal size and reconstructed it on both hands. And so began a close-quarters exchange.
Compared to Bute, this person had power but was slower. Unfortunately, with my injured leg, my speed had taken a hit too.
"If I kill you... the mission will be complete. I'll be recognized by everyone..."
With each heavy blow I blocked with my gauntlet, my body staggered. I couldn't muster a counterattack; my injured leg prevented me from holding my ground. Unable to dodge effectively, my injuries accumulated rapidly.
"Ugh... tch...!"
With every grazing strike, my wounds multiplied, and my entire body was soaked in red. Completely torn apart, just like Kyrie, that's me now.
"This is bad...! I can't do this alone...!"
"Give up... Just give up... Surrender and contribute to my achievements..."
Yes, I couldn't win this alone. Alone, that is. Golems weren't living creatures. Even with just the upper body intact, as long as the parts were undamaged, they wouldn't stop functioning.
The crawling upper half of the golem latched onto the opponent's leg.
"What...!"
He lost balance the moment he was pulled.
"Bugger off!!"
"Oh... guuah...!!"
I delivered a solid uppercut to his jaw, sending him flying upward close to the ceiling, and then he crashed down headfirst. He remained motionless. However, I didn't have the luxury of confirming his health, not for that demon nor for Joanna.
(Ah, no, my eyes are getting blurry...)
My legs lost strength, unable to support my body, and I collapsed in a sprawl. Joanna, I hope she's alive. If she is, I need to apologize properly. She risked her life to protect me; I have no choice but to believe in her.
(My consciousness... fading away...)
The dim ceiling blurred, and everything in front of me became distorted. Will I wake up properly from this?
(Kyrie, Beato, and also Mel. I'm sorry. I promised, but it seemed I wouldn't be able to go and help you.)
Hoping for their safety and for Joanna's well-being, my consciousness descended into deep darkness.
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