437 – At the End of the Fierce Battle

Mouths of various sizes cover the slime’s body, as it transforms into an unsettling silver-coloured mass. From the centre of the metallic phoenix, I sense a sudden swelling of magic power. I don’t know what it’s doing, but it’s definitely trying something.

“First is the small fry.” “I’ll mow them all down.”

Voices echo from the slime’s open mouths. I swing my forelegs hard, stabbing my claws at the silver body surface. My claws shatter, the bones in my fingers breaking.

It’s not to the same extent as the shell shield, but it’s a ridiculous hardness. The entire body is same hardness.

Damn it, it’s taken out its trump card. Or is this just be one of its normal cards!? Think, what could this skill be? The sensation, the metal… It must be…!

“I’m kind, so I’ll tell you.”
“It’s the superior breath-type skill, [Metal Breath], released at maximum power in every direction.”
“With your high HP, only you might survive.”

It’s magiatite-jii’s skill! It’s the breath skill that sprays ultra-hot vaporised magiatite throughout an area. With how big the slime is, and that number of mouths, it could easily cover half of this entire underground chamber.

With how weakened I have become, none of my attacks will be able to stop the slime that has become a mass of magiatite. If Aro, Volk, or Alphiss are hit, the difference in stats is so great that they’ll die for sure.

“GuuOOOOOOh!”
『I’ll become a wall! Run to the edge!』

I shout at the three with [Telepathy].

『Hey, partner! The target is you!』

My partner warns. I understand that much. It said its objective was to quickly clean up the weaklings, no doubt its aim is to hit me while I protect them, then finish me off. But if I don’t block it, they’ll all die!

The slime’s mouths twist into smiles.

“You really are brave! If you don’t hurry up and run, I’ll shoot, you know?”

The mouths suck in breaths, causing it to swell up. I stand in front of the slime, raising my upper body to become a wall. The space just behind me will be safe from the [Metal Breath].

“A monster this strong… Lilixira-sama… Are we really able to deal with this?”

Muttering ominous things, Alphiss leaps behind me. See! Hurry, Aro and Volk, come…!

“…Is this really okay?”

Glancing back at me slightly, Aro stands still and murmurs something. Then she turns back to face the slime and holds her enlarged arm overhead.

“I see, we’re doing it now!”

Volk, who had been running around below the slime, leaps to Aro’s side and severs her enlarged arm. H-hey, what are you doing!? Is it the fault of that strange sword…!?

“[Gale]!”

Aro points her remaining arm at a large open mouth near the slime’s centre. The wind blows her severed arm at the slime. The wind hits the slime, but it doesn’t budge. Her severed arm gets sucked into the slime’s mouth.

H-hey, what are you two doing! Hurry up and get over here!

“Unfortunately, you’re out of time. Though it’s the best outcome for me. Here you are, [Metal Breath]!”

Suddenly, the open mouths over the slime’s body close as though melting. The slime’s colour shifts from silver to bright red, and its body swells and distorts.

“Eh…? Ah, eh…? No, there’s no way, why, why…”

With the mouths sealed from the molten magiatite, the [Metal Breath] that was meant to be sprayed outside instead explodes inside. Wh-why? What just happened?

“H-h-h-hot… Hot, hurts, hurts… Why, why!”

The phoenix’s body begins to melt, and it staggers. Its spreads its distorted wings, and flies straight up.

It’s a surprise, but this is a perfect chance. I leap up in pursuit and hit it with all my remaining strength. I carve out slime, scattering it apart. From the force of my blow, the slime is thrown to a corner of the room and strikes a wall.

While the slime is flying, I see what looks like a metal core fall to the ground. A small amount of magiatite trails after it. Is that magiatite-jii!? W-when did he… I see! From the start, he had already met up with Aro and hid inside her body!

『…We used the high heat of [Corona] to melt the body, then manipulated it with [Liquid]. That attempt at imitation with half-baked skills was a mistake.』

So he infiltrated the slime’s body and took control of the the magiatite. The slime failed to notice the danger of a similar type of monster hijacking its body, and its advantage of being able to take the strengths of all kinds of monsters was rendered useless. The levels of both magiatite-jii’s [Corona] and [Liquid] are far higher.

『Their magic power and body may be lost, but… With this, I have avenged my friend.』

Magiatite-jii’s core falls to the floor with a clang.

“Y-you traitor! Even though I did so much for you! It was that day! You betrayed me, even though I trusted you and let you live!”

The slime shouts.

I can somewhat understand what happened. For a long time, magiatite has been saying that he wanted to avenge his friend. There were two magiatites, and the slime took the skills and disposed of one of them, while then leaving the other alive to make into a subordinate. The slime really hasn’t been thinking of anything other than getting stronger.

As you said, slime, this battle is decided by the difference between you, who lived only to gain strength, and me, who took the more roundabout route.

“Still… It’s still not over. I have [Life Mana], as long as I have that, there’s no way I can lose…”

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Three owl faces emerge on the surface of the slime’s body.

“Let’s begin again.” “No matter how many times it takes.” “Until all of you are exhausted, until I win…!”

『Why don’t you stop the bluff. I know it’s a convenient skill, but it’s not something you can use endlessly like that.』

The slime’s movements stop with a twitch.

Ever since [Life Mana] was used, the slime’s speed has clearly fallen compared to the start. I’m sure the reason it used the low-level magiatite skills was because it had no choice. I was too panicked to notice it at first, but if I compare the slime as it is now to the one I have been fighting until recently, I can see a difference.

『That triple owl… They’re rapidly use healing magic to compensate for the damage of [Life Mana], right?』

At first glance, the slime’s [Life Mana] skill seemed to both restore 500 MP when it had none, and even significantly replenish its HP that had fallen to half.

But, there’s no way there could be such a broken ability. With the slime’s various HP recovery skills, it burnt through MP to restore HP, then used [Life Mana] to convert HP to MP. If that cycle was positive by even a single MP, it could repeat it over and over again to greatly restore both HP and MP.

However, repeated recovery of MP through skills is enough for even Aro to show fatigue. For the slime, if it uses three of the magic-specialised owl and alternates between [Life Mana] and healing skills, there’s no way its body would be able to last. In fact, its movements have become dull. If it was just me it might be able to force its way to victory, but with the arrival of Aro and the others, and the damage of the magiatite surprise attack, it might not have the strength left to forcefully heal with [Life Mana].

“…Don’t speak as though you know.” “I still have lots of skills that I haven’t used yet.”

Blue flames rise from the slime. The three owl faces revolve around, melting inside the flames.

“…I had meant to never use it again, but-” “There’s no helping it.”
“It’s okay now.”
“This entire underground chamber, I’ll-” “Transform it into a hellscape.”

Still clad in blue flames, the slime moves. The phoenix raises its burning wings high. The flames covering its entire body turn black.

“I didn’t think I would be driven into a corner to this extent, but the ones who will die will be you.” “Do your best to try and run.” “Before you are vaporised in an instant, that is!”

Wh-what are you going to do!?

“Burn to death! [Great Blowfly Ring]!”

A huge magic circle appears in the centre of the chamber―Within an instant, it transforms into a ring of towering black flames. The temperature of the entire hall leaps up.

“Hahahaha! It’s a skill that uses hellfire to burn everything other than the user, who is protected by an armour of black flames! When the phoenix used it, I was outside so I was able to outrun it, but how about now?”

I hurriedly check the position of Aro and the others. Not only Aro and Alphiss, but even Volk is staring dumbfounded at the huge ring of black flames. I quickly run around the room, stretching out my neck to secure the two of them in my mouth.

『Partner! Jump to the right and pick up the stupid knight and old man!』

I jump to the right as indicated. My partner nimbly picks up Alphiss and magiatite-jii in her mouth. G-great, we were able to collect everyone!

“Right now, you-” “Made a mistake.”
“You should have left your allies.” “And searched for a way out.”
“Though there is no such way.”

The ring of black flames appears to contract for a moment, but then it expands outward at a staggering speed. Just from staying in the room, it can get this hot!? Does it want to burn the entire basement to the ground!?

I curl my body up, covering myself with my wings. The hellfire wraps around my body and passes through me.

【Resistance skill [Fire Attribute Resistance] has risen from level 3 to 4.】

I feel my cells burning away and my body carbonising.

『Partner! Use [High Rest]! As many times as you can!』

『We’re almost out of magic!』

『Even so, please do it! Use everything left from what we from Alphiss, and everything we’ve recovered over time!』

The light of [High Rest] covers my body. I feel my crumbling body once again restoring itself with the healing magic. But soon, it’ll burn away again.

【Resistance skill [Fire Attribute Resistance] has risen from level 4 to 5.】

Heat and agony consumes me. My body is one thing, but as the surroundings are engulfed in flames, I can’t even breath. I might die… As such a feeble thought enters my mind, I desperately try to deny it. If I gave up here, everyone would die. I still haven’t settled things with the slime.

Just as I think my senses have been burned away too, the pain suddenly eases.

“Why…?”

I stand up and shake my head. Light enters my darkened vision as I open my eyes. Some fires still remain throughout the room, but that black blaze is nowhere to be seen.

“Why are you still alive…?”

I lower my head and spit out Aro and Volk. Although they were protected by me, it seems they still received some of the heat, and both of them are covered in horrible burns. But, they’re still alive. Beside me, my partner spits out magiatite-jii and Alphiss, and similarly it seems the two of them are just barely safe.

“N-no way… This can’t be…”

The slime shrinks back.

Sorry, but… The ouroboros is specialised in endurance. Had I chosen a different dragon at A rank, this would have been the end of me. That skill really had an incredible scale and power. But, this it over, right?

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