696 – Two Counters

Jornes’ [Gravidimension] has arrived…!

If she hits me with a flurry of attacks backed by the apocalypse’s attack power, my MP won’t last. Even if I survive, there’s no way I’ll have enough MP left to fight her abbadon form. If I make a mistake in my response here, it’s all over.

But, at the same time, this is an opportunity. Jornes is also running low on MP. As long as I can get through this, she won’t have enough left to use [Gravidimension] again, and she’ll be forced to give up on [Angel Mirror].

It’s entirely down to how well I can deal with this [Gravidimension].

[Wormhole] won’t make it in time. It takes too long to specify the coordinates and create the gate. Of course, I also couldn’t have afforded to stay still long enough to cast it while she was chasing me.

Getting smaller or bigger with [Dragon Mirror] won’t help me escape from the distorted space. I know that from the first time I received it. I could use it to vanish completely, but the MP cost will be awfully high. If I take that option, I’ll still come out behind in the MP exchange.

Though it’s still far better than taking a flurry of blows as a result of [Gravidmension], so if there’s nothing better…

I could try using [Gravity], but I don’t think it’ll be enough to take me out of the range of [Gravidimension]. [Ideal Weapon] is versatile, but I don’t think there’s anything it can do about this situation.

If I can’t avoid it, then should I try striking back at Jornes from where I am? No, that won’t work. My fixed posture puts me at an overwhelming disadvantage, and I’m still suffering from the status conditions she gave me.

If I try fighting back with magic, she’ll block with [Resist] and [Mirror Counter]. I can’t move, so it’s easy for her to see the angle it’d be coming from.

Is [Dragon Mirror] my only option…?

Suddenly, an idea strikes me.

This can work… In this situation, and only at this moment, there is a way to shatter Jornes’ expectations and deal massive damage to her. Whether it’ll kill her or I’ll run out of strength first is about fifty-fifty, but as cornered as I am, those are good odds.

“GuoOOOh!”

I use [Gravity] to fall, trying to shake off her aim through irregular movements.

But, the [Gravidimension] is larger than last time. Unable to escape, I remain restrained within the distorted space.

…She probably made it even larger with [Magic Scale Magnification]. She must have thought I’d be able to adapt if she used the skill the exact same way twice in a row, so she held back slightly the first time.

But, I wasn’t expecting to be able to get away through [Gravity]. The real challenge is from here on.

The [Gravidimension] is costing her a lot of MP. As a result, Jornes has no choice but to take the shortest route to reach me while I’m still defenceless. She can’t afford to waste this opportunity. Even if things look bad for her, she can’t abort her attack.

That is why this is massively different from last time. Jornes now has too little MP for me to worry about [Chant Return]. There’s no danger of her copying any expensive skills I use.

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Come at me, Jornes. I produce a magic circle of black light.

Jornes visibly reacts. She’s poised to use either [Resist] or [Mirror Counter].

I need to keep drawing her closer until the last moment. Not yet… I need to keep building it up until she lifts her claw to strike. The timing is essential. The precise moment I release it will decide who wins.

[Resist] and [Mirror Counter]. One negates while the other reflects, but they’re used almost the exact same way.

It seems the advantage of [Resist] is the speed of its activation. She can erase incoming magic at short range. But, it didn’t look like it’s useful for erasing very wide-scale magic. I don’t think she could use it to block something like the continuous rays of Miia’s [Eclipse], as they would keep coming no matter how much she erased it.

On the other hand, [Mirror Counter’s] strength is in its duration and its effectiveness against skills with high directionality. Unlike [Resist], it can work against large-scale skills, as it doesn’t need to block the entire skill to protect her body.

However, [Resist] and [Mirror Counter] both share a weakness. Neither of them are effective against wide-scale magic attacks that lack directionality.

『[Hellgate]!』

The magic circle expands, and the surrounding area erupts in black flames. The sudden hellfire wraps around both me and Jornes.

【Normal Skill [Hellgate]】
【A type of spatial magic. It calls out to the world of the dead to immolate the enemy with hellfire.】
【The hellfire does not affect the caster.】
【Raising the skill level will expand the scale of the effect.】

【The attack power is high, but an equivalent cost is required.】

With as wide a scale as [Hellgate]’s, it doesn’t matter that I can’t move. The flames also don’t affect me, so I can use it at point-blank range. [Hellgate] is usually too risky to use, since the HP and MP cost is too much, but as Jornes has no choice but to charge at me, now is the perfect chance to use it.

[Mirror Counter] can’t block the directionless [Hellgate], and if she uses [Resist], more flames will come at her a moment later.

“Guuh…!”

Jornes tries to pull back, but she’s already mid-swing. It’s too late for her to stop. I catch her decelerating claw with my chest, then quickly sink my fangs into her foreleg.

『Caught you…!』

The black flames form into the shape of giant skeletons and surround Jornes.

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