arc3 · 192-ch192

Chapter 192: Kokushi Musou & Queens ④

Floor thirty-two, the previous record depth, was going smoothly with this lineup too. Terror's Symbol never showed, and beyond a few scratches from a monster surge, they reached floor thirty-three without any real trouble.

"Floor thirty-three, easy as anything. But here..."

"It's here... can even this bunch beat it?"

"Crap, I'm getting seriously nervous."

Since this is a live stream, my PC screen shows comments flowing faster than I can even read them — but the people exploring can't see any of that. Even through the drones' cameras, you can feel the tension coming through.

Last time, the Lich had been waiting right at the entrance to floor thirty-three. Apparently even Queens had never fought one, so they decided to hold a strategy meeting on the stairs.

Shinonome-san was relaying everything they'd learned about the Lich last time to the Queens members, leaving nothing out. To a high-rank explorer, intel on an unknown monster is seriously valuable. Handing it all over so freely — Shinonome-san is generous to a fault.

Queens seemed well aware of that too, and thanked him properly for it. If anything, this kind of information trading is apparently just business as usual overseas. A difference of national character, I suppose.

Last time we couldn't even get data on its movement speed, so who knows how much that matters. If that thing can move fast, it'll be a handful even for this lineup.

With the strategy meeting wrapped up, the moment had finally come: the joint Kokushi Musou and Queens party versus the Lich. Filming the faces of the eight as they headed for the battlefield, we made for the place where the Lich waited.

"Mr. Gaia. It would seem best if we took command here."

The moment Jim laid eyes on the Lich, he proposed that to Shinonome-san. Shinonome-san moved to object at once — but catching the seriousness in Jim's eyes, he seemed to swallow the words.

"That thing's strength is real. We leave this to you."

Rather than risk their chance at victory, Shinonome-san had chosen the pragmatic option, holding his own feelings in check.

"That gave me chills..."

"Something about the atmosphere..."

"I guess at Jim's level, you really can tell."

"A wise choice. But this one is beyond even our hands. I judged that we require your help. Its chant speed is a threat, so above all, dispersing our attacks will be essential. I and Mikey, and your Sora and Ryuga — the four of us will close in. Gaia need not join the attack. Sora and Ryuga will strike in alternation, so devote yourself to guarding them. Elsie, you take charge of Mikey's defense. That means the healing will fall to Shizuka. Vivvi will cover the four of us. Any questions?"

Jim had built the plan in an instant. It seemed like sound direction, based on a proper grasp of both sides' strength. Nobody asked anything, so apparently everyone felt the same.

"Jim admitting he needs help — is this guy the real deal?"

"Forgive me, Jim. I doubted you."

"Crap, he's a genuine explorer, isn't he."

"I go first. Follow."

Coming here to dig up information on SS from England, I'd been on pretty high alert around them — but watching this, I could feel that they really are explorers too. The challenge of the unknown, the battle against a powerful monster — confronted with those, they simply cannot help themselves. That's the kind of people they are.

"‡¶†ゞ∮∋∝"

The Lich, noticing Jim, began chanting. The same incantation I'd heard last time. Dark magic incoming from above.

Gan! Gan! Gan!

The black needles raining down from above, Jim was blocking by holding his shield overhead. Incredible, that shield made with Weapon Generation. It's blocking the Lich's magic outright.

"§*∫†∂∮∬∧"

Seeing that, the Lich switched its magic instantly. About ten fireballs the size of softballs lined up above its head and hurled themselves at Jim.

This time Jim planted his feet and readied the shield to his front. Hmhm — not just holding it, he's driven it into the ground. So he means to endure even the shock of the explosions.

Don! Don! Don! Don!

One, two, three fireballs struck the shield dead-on, but Jim didn't give a single step. And the moment he'd blocked them all, Mikey sailed over his head toward the Lich. Nishikyo-san followed right behind.

"‡¶†ゞ∮∋∝"

The Lich loosed its dark magic again, but this time, the moment Elsie finished her chant, a shield so transparent it was nearly invisible appeared above Mikey's head and stopped the dark needles. A barrier, is it?

The black needles aimed at Nishikyo-san had been blocked by Shinonome-san's Stone Shield. Perfect coordination, this far. The viewers seemed captivated too — the comments had thinned out dramatically.

"The first... '∝∋¶∀‡∫' — ri... this is bad!?"

Just one step short of reaching the Lich, Mikey noticed the thing's hands wreathed in lightning.

Bam!

The Lich clapped its palms together, and a wave of lightning swept the surroundings.

"Gwah!"

"Ugh!"

"Gh—!"

Mikey, closest of all, was blown away. Nishikyo-san came flying after him and went tumbling across the ground. Jim alone held his shield up and endured the lightning strike — but his charging momentum had been stopped dead.

"Heal the wounds, heal the wounds, heal the wounds!"

Kannami-san's healing magic wrapped the three of them without a moment's delay. The burned skin on Mikey and Nishikyo-san was visibly knitting back together — but the drain on Kannami-san's mana must have been steep, because her face went pale all at once.

"The whole fight flips in one hit...?"

"Way too strong..."

"They're not beaten yet!"

I quietly eased Hayate over to Kannami-san and set two Mana Potions down right in front of her.

"!? SS-san — thank you."

Wobbling as she was, Kannami-san took the Mana Potions and drained them in one go. Perhaps because she was in a hurry, a single drop slipped past her lips and ran down her neck.

"Forgive my poor taste at a time like this... but my heart skipped a beat."

"I'll feel bad about it later too. Just let me say it now — beautiful."

"Screenshot taken..."

"Cover me."

Three people's movements were stopped — but one person was still standing. Kitora-san. Shinonome-san's Earth Wall had made it in time, and he was unharmed. The rearguard, for the record, was safe behind Elsie's barrier. Glad Asahi was back there too.

The Lich, having fired off spell after spell, had paused its chanting for a moment. Kitora-san seized that opening and closed the distance like a shot.

"Shooting Arrow."

On top of that, Vivvi loosed an arrow trailing silver behind it. An Archer skill, presumably — a single strike packed with an enormous amount of mana.

"‡¶†ゞ∮∋∝"

Its spell cooldown must have ended, because the Lich began chanting dark magic again. This time, instead of needles, it created a black vortex. The arrow Vivvi fired was swallowed by that vortex and vanished.

But because it had spent its freshly-recovered spell on defense, it allowed Kitora-san to close in even further.

"Thunderclap Fist!"

As if returning the favor, lightning gathered in Kitora-san's right fist. The fist shot out in a straight punch, and the instant I thought it had reached the Lich...

Fwee!

The Lich darted up into the air and evaded the kill shot.

"No way — it can move THAT fast!?"

Seeing that movement, Vivvi let out a cry of despair. Kitora-san, too, was glaring at the Lich with a bitter look.

"This is bad news, no?"

"All that magic and moves like this on top? That's just cheating."

"The Lich is way too strong."

"Fall back for now."

Jim, recovered from the lightning, gave the signal to retreat. On that signal, Shinonome-san threw up an Earth Wall and Elsie raised her barrier to buy time. In that window, the vanguard made it back to the rearguard.