Chapter 86

Previous Summary:

(Excerpt omitted) ~ From Mizuhashi Mihō's Perspective ~

There was a decisive difference in the flames that were part of us.

While the flames that enveloped me were bluish-white, the flames that emanated from Lily were red.

...And while I was small, Lily was big.

I won't say what, but she was big.

This seemed to indicate that she and I were fundamentally different beings, and I felt a dark emotion stirring deep within my chest.

Mizuhashi Mihō: "Whatever, I don't care anymore _(:3」∠)_"

Lily: "Wait"

32

The roar of the mad beast pierced my eardrums.

The being in front of me was no longer anything that could be called Takaya Jun.

A creature that was once Takaya Jun.

A beast devoid of reason and intellect.

His left arm, swollen to several times its original size, was raised high.

"Rooooaaarrrr!"

The body of the roaring mad beast was riddled with injuries.

His dominant arm was nearly torn off, his right chest bore a gash that reached the bone, and countless cuts from my attacks covered his entire body.

In this state, he could barely muster 20% to 30% of his full strength.

But even that 30% was more than enough to tear my shield and arm to shreds, dealing a fatal blow.

That was the extent of the power gap between us.

Therefore, in the battles up to this point, evading the mad beast's attacks was a given.

By doing so, I managed to hold my own against this monster.

However, I was now holding Lily.

I couldn't evade the attack in time.

I couldn't count on the help of my injured and fallen comrades.

It was a situation that could be described as a desperate predicament.

So, I had no choice but to give up.

...But that was impossible.

What did a hopeless situation matter?

What did an insurmountable predicament matter?

I couldn't kneel to such things.

After all, I couldn't have rescued Lily on my own.

Gerbera, who had held her ground despite severe damage.

Rose, who joined the battle despite losing her lower body.

Kato, who carried Rose and moved despite lacking the strength to fight.

Because of their desperate efforts, I was able to hold Lily in my arms once again.

This situation was a result of their efforts.

I wasn't alone.

Therefore, it was unacceptable for me to give up on my own.

Until the very end, I would fight and struggle without giving up.

With that resolve, I began to circulate the magic power flowing through my body at the fastest speed possible.

With my right arm occupied by holding Lily, the only weapon I could use was the shield on my left arm.

If I couldn't escape, my only option was to endure.

What was needed was the endurance to withstand the mad beast's attack.

While my combat abilities were enhanced by magic power, it wasn't enough.

What came to mind was the image of Gerbera, the strongest white spider in the deepest part of the forest.

If I could possess the immense strength that Gerbera once displayed against Tenjou Daita, it should be possible to withstand the attack of the injured mad beast.

Of course, it was impossible for a human to match her physical capabilities.

In fact, it was impossible for even a monster.

That's why she was the strongest high monster in the forest, a legendary hero.

However, in my case, things were a bit different.

This was because the flow of magic power I used to enhance my physical abilities mimicked Gerbera's.

In this world, unique phenomena occur due to the flow of magic power.

Theoretically, if I could replicate Gerbera's magic power pattern, I should be able to reproduce her physical abilities and strength.

Of course, considering the terrifying power gap between Gerbera and me, it was unrealistic to maintain such a level of magic power constantly.

But what if it was just for a moment?

Could I drive my magic power to the same intensity as Gerbera's?

Today, I was in better condition than ever.

Even I found it a bit strange.

Perhaps because of this, I came up with such a bold idea.

I believed I could do it.

I focused my mind on the fierce yet beautiful battlefield figure of the girl captured in my heart.

--- The sensation of her body, tightly embraced in my arms, remained.

--- Her loving gaze was clearly etched in my mind.

--- I felt her presence and her heart closer than ever before.

So, I just had to mimic it.

My heart beat strongly.

In sync with its rhythm, I circulated my magic power in a single breath.

With all my might, I recreated the torrent of magic power that raged within Gerbera.

The muscles infused with magic power generated an impossible amount of power.

The skeleton became more robust to support the generated power.

The nerves sent signals demanding more than their maximum capacity to every part of my body.

The changes didn't stop with my body.

A heat surged through the core of my left arm, where the shield was raised.

Asarina, the other life within my left arm, asserted her presence.

Asarina was a parasitic vine—a monster of the forest's deepest part, the Iron Vine, which had undergone a mutation after sprouting within me, a cheater.

Her existence naturally followed the principles of a plant.

A large tree cannot grow in poor soil.

No matter how much potential Asarina possessed, being rooted in a human like me set a limit on her capabilities.

However, that limit was now surpassed.

At my command, Asarina evolved into the optimal form for this situation.

The discomfort in my left arm increased.

I could feel Asarina's roots, which functioned as organs to generate and support power, extending past my elbow and reaching halfway up my forearm.

It didn't stop there.

Vines sprouted from the back of my hand and coiled up my wrist to my shoulder like snakes.

The flexible and strong plant body of Asarina reinforced my arm firmly.

If the mud shield applied by Dirty Sludge, a servant of Kato Riku, to Bertha increased her defensive capabilities, this could be described as an exoskeleton that enhanced both power and durability.

My left arm was reinforced both internally and externally.

"---"

This was the final change.

A small crack sounded from within me.

Was it the cry of my physical body, unable to withstand the sudden changes?

Was it just an illusion?

Or...

"Raaaaaah!"

I roared, shaking off my doubts.

I focused on Lily's body in my right arm.

Soft, warm, and dear. I wished with all my heart that she wouldn't be lost.

With that resolve, I could shake off any doubts.

"Rooooaaarrrr!"

With a roar, the mad beast swung its log-like arm.

Facing the transformed creature head-on, I thrust my shield forward with all my might.

My shield collided with the beast's arm with a forceful impact.

"Aaaaaah!"

The mad beast's monstrous blow.

But my blow, infused with the magic power of the white spider, was also monstrous.

The tremendous shockwave surged through my left arm and into my entire body---

***

--- I regained consciousness.

"Huh...?"

At first, I couldn't grasp the situation.

It seemed I had lost consciousness for a moment.

I was still standing, my shield-bearing arm extended.

My limbs were intact, and I was still holding Lily in my right arm.

In front of me was the mad beast.

It was a step farther away from me than it was just before I lost consciousness.

The mad beast staggered back as if it had unexpectedly hit a wall.

That was the result of my all-or-nothing effort.

The mad beast didn't seem to have taken any damage.

The slight stagger was probably just a delayed reaction to an unexpected situation.

As evidence, it had only taken a single step back.

As it planted its feet, the mad beast let out an angry roar.

Its yellow eyes were bloodshot, and its madness had intensified.

The counterattack would come soon.

Whether I chose to flee or defend, I needed to act quickly.

But...

"...Cough."

A failed breath escaped my throat, mixed with blood.

My diaphragm was spasming.

My body was numb to the tips of my fingers, and I couldn't move properly.

On top of that, an abnormal level of exhaustion washed over me.

My trembling legs gave out, and I fell to my knees.

"Damn..."

I tasted blood and the bitterness of my own inadequacy.

If it had been Gerbera herself, she would have surely deflected the mad beast's attack and countered.

Even in my best condition, the reproduction rate of the magic power flowing through my body wasn't 100%.

Additionally, the difference in the base physical specifications meant that even with the same enhancements, the results would differ.

Still, the fact that I managed to withstand the mad beast's attack, which would have crushed my body like paper, meant that for that moment, I had come closer to Gerbera than ever before.

However, the strongest white spider of the forest was still far away.

The mad beast raised its arm again, this time to end my life.

"Damn..."

With my barely functional body, I tried to assume a defensive stance.

To keep the hope my comrades had passed on to me alive, I refused to give up until the very end.

Struggling to lift the shield, which now felt like a boulder, I heard a cracking sound.

It was the sound of a restraint being broken.

The death rattle of the chains binding the girl.

And it was also the cry of hope for us.

"Kyaan!?"

The massive body in front of me was blown away.

I was scooped up by an arm that extended from beside me.

A slender, soft, and reassuring touch.

The arm that had protected me since the moment I was thrown into this world alone.

Kicking off the ground, the arm's owner moved away from the mad beast.

I was gently placed on the ground.

A wry smile escaped my lips.

"...In the end, I was saved."

I had intended to save her... but it didn't work out.

"I showed a weak side."

"No, that's not true."

Lily, freed from the magic item "Sin's Shackles," shook her head at my words.

Her flaxen hair swayed.

A beautiful smile bloomed on her slightly dirty face.

"I told you before. I love you, Master, for trying your hardest to help us. That hasn't changed."

"Lily..."

"You're amazing, Master."

She lovingly caressed my cheek.

"I love you, Master. Leave the rest to me."

With that, Lily stood up.

She faced the beast with yellow, rage-filled eyes with a calm and determined gaze.

"We will take care of this."

◆ I will update again.