Chapter 332: Sheena No.3’s smile

Despair. I almost had no more magical power remaining. To be honest, it was taking all my effort to remain conscious.

Would I be able to defeat another Demonic King Dragon?

That said, I couldn’t just stand and watch.

“Pochi! Let’s go help Suzuki! Let us ride you.”

“Master, your body ─ ─”

“Don’t worry, I may not be able to use spells but I still have my sword.”

Although in actual fact, it was taking all my strength to stand.

Nevertheless, I had the highest attack value among all of us.

And only I have the One Strike Instant Kill chance.

I climbed onto Pochi’s back.

“I’ll lend a hand too.”

Talwi climbed onto Pochi as well.

“ … I will accompany Master too. I am Master’s Guardian Sword after all.”

Haru rode as well.

She’s such a reliable girl.

We could even defeat another five or ten Demonic King Dragons … well, that was an exaggeration.

Body, please hang on long enough for me to defeat one more.

※※※

Suzuki, Jofre, Elize, Sheena, and Centaur were being chased by the Demonic King Dragon that just appeared from the lake.

They have not been killed by the Demonic King Dragon by now due to Suzuki’s efforts.

“Grand Cross!”

The Holy Warrior ultimate skill Grand Cross that Suzuki released ─ ─ a Light Attribute sword wave in the form of a cross, injured the Demonic King Dragon. It was not a mortal wound but it served to restrain it.

And other than Suzuki, there was another working even harder ─ ─

“You can do it! Centaur!”

“Hang in there! Centaur.”

Centaur was fleeing while carrying the four of them.

Using the rope that was wrapped around Sheena No.3’s body, Jofre’s sword and Suzuki’s tomato that he received from me, they were enticing it to run by ‘Dangling a carrot in front of the nose of a horse’ or rather ‘Dangling a tomato in front of Centaur’s nose’.

It’s speed surpassed Pochi and it was even slightly faster than the Demonic King Dragon that was flying at full speed.

The distance gradually increased.

Just as I thought that they’ll be able to escape at that rate.

Centaur leaped high ─ ─ causing Elize to fall off.

“Elize!”

Jofre shouted out Elize’s name

“I’m fine so Jofre should run!”

Elize shouted back but Jofre didn’t run.

He pulled the tomato in front of Centaur back and caused it to turn around.

Suzuki didn’t complain either.

Abandoning a girl and escaping was not a choice Suzuki would choose.

“Meteor Blade.”

Suzuki used a skill.

The Light Attribute sword wave rained down onto the Demonic King Dragon, causing fine cuts.

To put it another way, that was all the damage he could deal.

However, perhaps he realized that they could not flee as he slowed down in order to land.

“It’s sink or swim huh …”

Suzuki muttered and leaped off Centaur and readied his sword, channelling energy into it.

Light began to gather to Suzuki’s sword.

During that time, Jofre forcibly pulled Elize’s hand and pulled her onto Centaur.

“It seems like an amazing skill huh … Elize.”

“It seems like an amazing skill right … Jofre.”

Jofre and Elize said together as they looked at Suzuki’s skill.

That skill was the Holy Warrior’s Secret Technique.

An advanced Grand Cross skill that gathers the user’s own magical power in their sword before releasing it.

As he would lose most of his magical power after using it, Suzuki has only used that skill a few times.

He would have gathered all his strength in a few more moments.

But the Demonic King Dragon was flying straight for him.

He would not make it in time.

That was when.

Jofre and Elize, riding Centaur, appeared in front of him.

“Go! Centaur!”

Jofre lowered the tomato in front of Centaur’s nose directed at the Demonic King Dragon.

It seemed as though they planned to body tackle it.

“No, the Demonic King Dragon negates any attack below a certain value! Even if you do that ─ ”

Just as he shouted that, Centaur’s body tackle connected.

The tomato flew into Centaur’s mouth due to the impact and the Demonic King Dragon ─ ─ was sent flying for a couple of meters.

“ … Hahaha, what an outrageous donkey. But it bought enough time. Thank you!”

Suzuki said and released his skill.

“Grand Cross・Neo!”

The strike he released flew over Centaur’s head by inches and struck the Demonic King Dragon dead center.

Suzuki was strong.

He possessed strength to be called the Hero, possessed the divine protection ‘Protagonist Correction’, was pulled into incidents and fought against strong foes. However, when in a pinch, he would be helped by people such as Jofre just now and get the chance to land an ultimate skill.

Just like the protagonist of a novel.

However, this was not a novel.

Reality was a lot harsher than novels.

The intense strike from Grand Cross・Neo blew the Demonic King Dragon away ─ ─ its wings were tattered and it could no longer maintain flight.

But it was still alive.

It took one step, two steps in their direction, its footsteps were as though the footfalls of the grim reaper.

Looking up at the mountain peak, he could see Pochi flying toward them.

However, the Demonic King Dragon’s claw would reach Suzuki before Pochi could.

(At least I have to buy enough time for Jofre-san and Elize-san.)

Thinking that, Suzuki pulled out the last dregs of his strength.

However, a single girl tapped his shoulder.

“Suzuki-san, I want you to pass this to Master.”

Sheena No.3 passed Suzuki a metal plate and walked toward the Demonic King Dragon.

Along the way, a single disc fell out but she walked straight ahead without taking notice of it.

※※※

That was bad. Suzuki and the others were going to die at that rate.

We still did not reach within range for Slash.

I didn’t have any strength remaining to use spells.

“Pochi, fly faster.”

I shouted but I knew that Pochi was flying at maximum speed.

At that rate ─ ─

That was when Sheena stood in front of Suzuki.

“What’s she planning to do!?”

Sheena didn’t have any means of attacking.

She didn’t have any weapons and she couldn’t use magic either.

Despite being an Automata, she didn’t have any beam attacks and she could not transform by combining.

Despite that, why was she walking out?

Was she planning to buy time?

It was pointless, the Demonic King Dragon negates any damage below a certain value. Her attacks would not be able to buy any time.

Or that was how it should have been.

But I recalled something.

『Sheena No.3 uses a Philosopher’s Stone in her head so my self-destruct power is even stronger than Master’s spell desu. 』

… Don’t tell me!?

Sheena No.3 looked at me.

She smiled brightly.

And then ─ ─

She ─ ─

After the light dissipated and the ringing in my ears stopped, what remained ─ ─ no, nothing remained at all.

Perhaps she calculated it as the explosion did not reach where Suzuki was standing.

Despite said to possess resistance toward Fire Attribute, that explosion blasted the Demonic King Dragon into pieces.

It was far stronger than my Boost Ancient Nova.

Sheena No.3 wasn’t lying.

But I wished that she did.

“ … Sheena … that idiot …”

I collapsed on Pochi’s back due to magical power depletion and lost consciousness.