Chapter 88

After retreating a bit from where we defeated the Smaiter, I thrust the doorknob of the Dimension Room into the wall.

A rectangular light ran across the green wall.

After the light subsided, I twisted the doorknob and pulled it towards me, and the wall opened like a regular door.

When I entered, it was connected to the same white space as before.

There was a lock next to the doorknob, so I made sure to lock it.

With this, there should be no worry about monsters coming in from the outside...

"Haa... We managed to survive somehow."

"Ookura-san, are you okay? Let's treat you and Noelle-san just in case."

"Oh, thanks. It actually hurt quite a bit..."

It was good that we managed to block the Smaiter's White Meteor, but now the arm that received the impact was tingling and I couldn't use it properly.

How much power did that thing have... If it weren't for the pot lid, it would have been dangerous.

When Sisha touched my body, the pain in my arm disappeared instantly.

She then touched Noelle's body in the same way and finished the treatment.

It seems more effective to touch directly rather than indirectly.

Well, I think Sisha's treatment would still be quite effective even from a distance.

"I didn't expect something like that to appear at the end."

"Yeah. How do we defeat it?"

We were all floating on the idea that it would be the last one, and we even prepared to kill it for sure, but this is the result.

I thought there would be a strong monster inside, but I didn't expect it to be that dangerous.

To be honest, I'm starting to think it would be okay to just run back home.

We all groaned and thought about what to do.

In the midst of this, I noticed Noelle sitting silently, looking dejected.

"Noelle? Is something wrong?"

"Uu... I'm really sorry for what happened just now..."

It seems she's still upset about falling over earlier.

I don't think anyone blames Noelle for it...

It's impossible to predict that it would wrap around her feet in liquid form instead of taking a hand shape, and no one noticed until she fell.

It just happened to be Noelle who got caught, but it could have happened to any of us.

"Don't worry about it. It's impossible to avoid something like that. There's no need to worry."

"But..."

"It's okay, really. Here, drink this to cheer up."

"Thank you..."

I patted Noelle's shoulder and handed her a Hi-Potion.

Although her physical condition is fine, I wanted to give her something tasty to change her mood.

As an upper-class potion, the Hi-Potion tastes even better. This one is orange-flavored.

Noelle, who still seemed a bit down, started to drink the potion little by little.

Well, this should be okay for now.

"Let's discuss how to deal with it."

"Isn't the option of not defeating it out of the question?"

"Of course. It won't open if we don't defeat it."

If we could bypass it, we would, but it's impossible to force it open like I tried.

So, I want to find a way to defeat the Smaiter.

"Can't we just keep defeating it until it disappears?"

"Hmm, that's the most likely option, but..."

"That would be quite dangerous towards the end, wouldn't it?"

Luna, sitting cross-legged, rested her elbow on her knee and her cheek on her hand, looking troubled.

I don't even want to imagine defeating it as it keeps getting stronger...

There's nothing more terrifying than something with no end in sight.

If it's that strong after three defeats, what would happen if we kept defeating it until it disappears?

I only want to be on edge like that for gacha games.

Noelle, who seemed to have recovered, joined the conversation and said it was dangerous.

I think I'll give up and run if it gets strengthened two more times.

It's already quite dangerous, and I don't think I can handle it if it gets any stronger.

"Can't we defeat it with Sisha's blessing attack?"

"Hmm... I can't say for sure. With a monster that strong, I don't think a simple hit will make it disappear."

I asked if we could use the attack that was so effective against Sisha's mummy to make it disappear.

She frowned and said it would be difficult.

Against a monster that strong, we might need to insert a hand or a staff directly into its body to inject something.

It's impossible to restrain a monster with 5000 attack power, and it would be crazy to get Sisha close to it.

This is completely hopeless...

No matter how much I think, I can't come up with a way to defeat it safely.

We can't defeat it any further, and it's impossible to restrain it.

In its current state, how can we defeat it so it doesn't revive... Ah, wait!

"There might be a way to defeat it."

"Onii-san, did you have an idea?"

When I said there might be a way, everyone's eyes turned to me.

Ugh... This gaze is a bit intense. It's just a vague idea, and I'm not really confident...

"Well... I'm not sure if it will work. Even if it does, I'm not sure if it will count as a defeat."

It's a good idea, but it feels quite shaky.

I'm willing to take the most dangerous role, but I'm not sure if it will succeed...

"Still, that's amazing, Ookura-sama! To come up with such an idea, you're truly impressive!"

"Since we came to this dungeon, you've had some good ideas."

"I'm looking forward to what you've come up with, Onii-san."

"I'm hoping this will be the end."

Noelle and the others looked at me with hopeful expressions.

It's a bit overwhelming to be praised like this... What if I fail...

My stomach started to hurt a bit as I decided to share my idea with them.

●

To put the plan into action, I came to where the Smaiter was alone.

After losing sight of us, it seemed to be moving around the dungeon aimlessly, making it hard to find.

I was wearing an Invisibility Cloak, so it hasn't noticed me yet.

I followed the Smaiter's back cautiously, checking the map app.

It's about time...

"Hey! Over here!"

We were close to the target location, so I took off the cloak and shouted with all my might.

Hearing my voice, the Smaiter turned around and started running towards me, swinging its body from side to side.

After confirming it was chasing me, I started running towards the target location.

This guidance is the most important part. Failure is not an option.

The area around the target location had already been cleared of monsters by Noelle and the others, so there was no worry.

However, there were still a few mummies wandering in the corridors leading there.

"Whoa! Get out of the way!"

A mummy that noticed me moved to block the corridor.

I shouted and body-checked it, sending it flying.

More mummies from deeper in the dungeon started reacting and coming towards me, but I ignored them as much as possible and body-checked those I couldn't avoid, continuing to run.

The white demon of the dungeon is chasing me from behind.

I can't waste time dealing with these guys!

In less than five minutes, I could see the target room ahead.

It felt incredibly long, even though it was a short distance, because I was running so hard.

Finally, I reached the entrance to the room and turned around.

"Now!"

The moment the Smaiter approached the entrance to the target room, I shouted.

Hearing my signal, Noelle, who had been hiding, came out of a nearby room.

She usually comes out shouting, but this time she was silent.

Thanks to that, she approached quickly without the Smaiter noticing and hit it with her shield from the side.

As planned, the Smaiter was sent flying into the room.

Good... So far, everything is going according to plan.

This room is the one with the pit where we found the third fragment.

It's a very deep hole where even a statue dropped in makes no sound.

If we can drop it there, I don't think it will be able to return, no matter how strong it is.

Even if it doesn't count as a defeat, it's worth a try.

Since Noelle and the others couldn't come up with a better idea, we decided to execute this plan.

"Don't let it escape!"

The Smaiter, which had entered the room, started moving to come out.

At that moment, Estelle, who had been hiding, came out.

Her body was enveloped in a purple aura, indicating she was using a skill.

She fired a fireball, similar to the first attack, from outside the entrance to push the Smaiter back into the room.

It looked the same, but thanks to the skill, it had enough power to shake the dungeon when it exploded.

If the Smaiter used its White Meteor, Estelle's magic would be deflected.

So, I asked her to use her skill to overwhelm it quickly.

Thanks to that, the Smaiter ran out of energy and fell before it could use its skill, being blown by the explosion to the edge of the pit.

Good! If we can drop it while it's down, we've got it!

This will ensure it falls down there!

"We did it—What!?"

I was celebrating its fall, but before it hit the ground, the Smaiter's body started glowing white.

It then shuddered violently, spun in the air, and landed perfectly on the small platform.

Reviving that quickly!? No way... That didn't work...

"Ookura-sama! It's still up!"

"Ookura-san! Mummies are gathering! Hurry—"

"I know! Damn... This is bad."

After hitting the Smaiter, Noelle, who had been holding back the mummies with Sisha and Luna, shouted.

We had planned for Estelle to handle everything while Noelle and the others held back other monsters.

As expected, the explosions attracted more mummies, and the floor was covered with the slimy liquid of Ligas Manus.

Moreover, the Fluer Mummies we had defeated when we first ran from the Smaiter were now running towards us.

Ah, what a hellish scene.

"Ah, it's coming! Estelle, be careful!"

"Right, this time I'll knock it down!"

The Smaiter, which had landed on the small platform, did a backflip and moved to the platform with the treasure chest.

From there, it started running and charged towards the entrance, enveloped in white light.

The White Meteor of the now stronger Smaiter.

I gripped the pot lid tightly, thinking it would hurt more than the first time.

I can't let it out of here.

Estelle was still using her skill and, with a powerful voice, opened her book, raised her staff, and fired a fireball.

I watched from a position where I could protect her at any time.

It's frustrating not being able to use ranged attacks in situations like this...

The Smaiter, which received the attack head-on, broke through the fireball just like the first time.

However, after receiving the fireball, the light around it flickered slightly, and the side of its head twitched.

It seems her attack with the skill wasn't completely ineffective.

Still, it broke through the fireballs one by one and continued to approach us.

This won't stop it.

Noelle and the others are already struggling with the mummies, and it seems we have no choice but to give up...

We can't take any more risks, even for the sake of the gacha.

Let's retreat this time.

"Move! I'll do it!"

"Luna!? Hey, that's dangerous!"

Just as I was considering using the escape device, Luna, who had been fighting with Noelle and the others, jumped in front of me and Estelle.

She entered the room with the pit, stopped in front of the charging Smaiter, and readied her spear.

Thinking it was dangerous, I rushed to follow her, but it was too late, and the Smaiter was already in front of Luna.

However, Luna didn't panic, stepped forward with her left foot, and thrust her spear forward with all her might.

The spear, which seemed to be using a skill, glowed red and struck the Smaiter with a thick beam of light.

The white and red lights collided, and a shockwave spread throughout the room.

They were evenly matched, and neither moved an inch.

"Ugh, ugh..."

Luna was making low sounds, indicating the strain.

Her black robe flapped, showing how much force she was under.

"Ah—"

The moment Luna was pushed back slightly, she let out a short breath.

The balance was broken, and the foot she had stepped forward with started to retreat.

The red glow of the spear, which had been pushing back the white light, was gradually being pushed back.

"Whoa! Ugh, Luna! Don't go in alone!"

"Hey, Heisaburo?"

"I'll hold it back, and we'll push it in together!"

I reached Luna's back and grabbed her shoulder, which was about to be pushed away.

I wanted to take her place, but that wasn't possible.

So, I tried to support Luna by bracing myself and preventing her from being pushed back.

This is... This is really intense... How can she hold it back with such a small body...

"That's helpful."

Luna, who had let out a relieved sigh, whispered without turning around.

The red light of the spear, which had been pushed back, gradually started to push back the white light.

Returning to the initial stalemate, the spear started to push the white light back and approached the Smaiter's body.

Finally, unable to withstand it, the white light around the Smaiter burst and disappeared, and Luna's spear pierced its body.

The spear penetrated the Smaiter's body and protruded from its back.

It seemed to have died from that one hit, as the upper part of its body leaned forward on the spear.

Thanks to Estelle's attacks, its health must have been reduced.

Luna, still holding the spear enveloped in red light, lifted it and threw it into the pit.

A red meteor fell into the dark hole.

"Haa, haa... We did it. We did it!"

"Finally, we pushed it in..."

I exhaled deeply and sat down, confirming the light of the spear had disappeared.

We did it! We finally defeated it this time!

Luna also sat down, looking relieved.

After a while, light gathered in her hand, and the spear returned to her.

Haa... Is this finally over?

"Ookura-sama! Don't just rest, we need your help! There are a lot of mummies!"

"How many are there!?"

"Ah, sorry! I'm coming!"

I was basking in the satisfaction of a job well done, but Noelle's cries of distress snapped me back to reality.

I had forgotten, but more and more monsters were gathering here, not just the Smaiter.

I immediately stood up, gripped my bar, and headed out of the room to support Noelle and the others.

"Luna, you can rest. Estelle, take a break too."

"Right... I'll do that."

Estelle, whose skill had run out, was sitting down with a pale face.

The backlash from the skill isn't as bad as Noelle's, but it's still quite severe.

Luna also seemed tired, so I let the two of them rest.

"Luna, you helped us this time, but don't do something like that suddenly. I thought my heart would stop."

"Sorry. It looked dangerous, so I just acted."

Although it ended well, I warned Luna, who had acted quite recklessly, just in case.

I was surprised she would do something like that.

"...Heisaburo, thank you."

"Sure, take a good rest."

As I was about to leave the room, I heard Luna's small voice from behind.

Turning around, I saw her cheeks flushed, looking embarrassed, and looking away.

I gave her a thumbs up in response and headed out of the room for the final task.