Black Iron Magician

However, Hund’s attack continues to pierce them as if ridiculing them. The tip of the tail, the large spear is not even scratched and its power doesn’t seem to be weakening. There are only a few more barriers left, and Therese gripped the shield of Coalesce tightly once again.

「Come on! I’m here desuwa! Just try to pierce me with that magnificent spear! 」

Therese is trying to get more attention by raising her voice with her Unique Skill 『Beautiful Voice of the Star』. She feels fear, but she has her pride. She has been living thinking only of protecting someone. She thinks that it’s natural as the next lord, and that’s why she’s at her strongest right now. Her firm will to protect Weerel, who’s behind her, makes the bond between the two stronger and creates a new miracle.

The only remaining barriers are the shell shield of Tashitan Tortuga and Therese’s Coalesce. However, at that time, the Staff Fortress Coalesce began to take in the shell. It wasn’t Therese’s intention, but Coalesce’s own action. Vines and roots extended from the center of the shield and combined them perfectly. The reason is unknown, maybe because the two’s thoughts and wavelengths overlapped. However, it’s certain that the defensive power of Coalesce has increased dramatically. Without realizing this, Therese clashed with Hund’s attack.

「Oohoho! Ooohohoho!」

Therese doesn’t stop raising her voice. Haruna advised her to ward off the attack, but she’s stopping Hund’s attack head-on. By doing so, she can direct Hund’s attack toward herself and gives Haruna and Chinatsu more time to counterattack.

If Haruna and Chinatsu fail to finish Hund off, she will die. Even so, she can’t let the chance go. There’s also the possibility that the target of the attack will be changed to Haruna and Chinatsu the moment she wards it off. For Therese, there are only the words of victory and protection, and there’s no way for her to retreat halfway.

「Ugh…! But, not yet!」

Coalesce is enduring it. Even though it’s stopping the attack of the large spear head-on, it’s still enduring it. However, Therese’s legs that are supporting the shield are in so much pain as if they are torn apart. Weerel has warned her not to get hurt, but her whole body is already tattered.

「Even so! It’s me who can endure it desuwa…! GUUUTS~!」

While Therese roared and made an opening in Hund, the attacker pair of Haruna and Chinatsu was approaching the Great Eight Demons. As they ran, they finished their final meeting in front of him.

「There’s no attack coming…. It seems that we are completely out of sight.」

「It’s thanks to Therese-san for taking all the attention of the demon king. But, it won’t last long. The moment we attack, he will probably notice our presence as well.」

「Yes, I know. It’s a decisive moment. Now is the time to show the results of our training!」

「That’s right. Then, let’s go!」

From there, they increased their speed at once and arrived in front of Hund’s face in an instant. Hund’s current form is close to quadrupedal, so his face is lower than before. The target is the part of the mouth where Hund has opened to speak.

「Haah!」

The first attack is an unstoppable continuous attack by Chinatsu’s Flame Magic Sword Pluto. Without minding the consumption of magic power, she is slashing the cracks in the mask over and over again with the flame blade. Rather than slashing, it may be more like an act of gouging open while shaving it.

With Pluto’s flames and Weerel’s water power, the power is immense. If it was the bone of the previous Hund, it could have been cut off by the number of the continuous attack. However, the mask that protects Hund’s face is much thicker and denser than that. The crack widened, but not enough to expose his face.

―――― Glares.

Chinatsu’s eyes met with Hund’s. He has noticed their presence. And almost at the same time, Haruna appeared from behind her.

「How about this!?」

From the upper stance, Haruna knocked down the Doggan Staff with her greatest power. The moment the black blade of the Doggan Staff hit Hund’s mask, the cracks that Chinatsu made collapsed at once, exposing the lower half of Hund’s transformed face. The scattered bone fragments pierced Hund, and his face twisted into a pained expression.

「Garde Ballista!」

「Dosseeei!」

They didn’t stop their fierce attacks. Chinatsu immediately shot a huge stake of light at Hund’s mouth. At the moment it collided with Hund’s teeth, Haruna hit the same spot with the Doggan Staff from behind the stake. Hund’s teeth were shattered by the collision of Garde Barista and the pursuit attack of the Doggan Staff.

「~~~~!?」

Perhaps as the last resistance, Hund’s right arm that resembled a giant dragon claw approached immediately after an inaudible scream rang out. Without exchanging words, Haruna and Chinatsu began their next action.

「Alma Divine Bless! Hard Reflect――!」

It was Chinatsu who confronted that arm. After she formed a light armor and barrier, she was knocked down by the arm and her figure disappeared into the dust. Even so, Haruna didn’t look back. She went straight into Hund’s mouth through the broken teeth, thrust her dominant arm into his throat, and she continued to chant her magic until her magic power ran out.

「Viobomb! Viobomb! Viobomb! Viobomb――!」

She continued to send a mass of poisonous water into Hund’s throat. Even though this magic has a slow firing speed, it has a powerful effect if the target is already there. Haruna continued to produce the deadly poison and kept making Hund drink it. She didn’t stop even when the amount is enough to fill a water pool.

「Gah…!?」

The next thing she knew, she was blown away. Hund’s tongue stretched out like a chameleon and hit Haruna’s abdomen. Even though it was his tongue, the power was the same as being hit by his fist, and Haruna got hit directly by that. When she hit the ground, she somehow managed to break her fall. However, it took more than half of her HP in one go and her view blurred.

「Haa, haa… ah….」

At the place she was blown away, she found Chinatsu lying face down on the ground. She’s covered in blood, probably because she was hit by Hund’s fist earlier. And seeing that there’s no sign of her healing herself, it seems that she’s fainted.

「Ugh…. Regeneration can’t detox the poison, huh….」

Before she knew it, Hund had returned to his original form. He’s probably can’t stand that he’s on his knees.

「Guh…. Just a little more! Therese-san, I leave Chinatsu-chan to you. …… Therese-san?」

Haruna called out to Therese, but she didn’t reply. When Haruna turns her face in the direction where Therese is, she sees that Therese has collapsed while hugging Weerel. Perhaps because she was protecting Weerel, Therese’s right abdomen was severely gouged, and a pool of blood formed on the ground. If she’s being left as is, it will be bad.

「I have to do it…!」

With her Doggan Staff as support, Haruna tries to take her stance. ‘Just one more attack, hurry, hurry, hurry!’ her mind is full of such a thought.

「The greatest despair that can happen in this world, huh. I never thought I would use this….」

Hund is holding something.