Episode 46.19

Jiza was the first to use up her mana.

Activating and maintaining the binding chains ate up an enormous amount of mana. To top it off, she even unleashed <Seven Headed Blue Wand> at full power. Of course she wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

The four metallic orbs lost their floating capability and fell down. The chains broke apart as well.

Jiza stopped her offensive. She has no more strength left to cast magic.

Argent Flame Wolf glared at the remains of the chains, and then those chains evaporated away.

With its freedom regained, the wolf glared at Jiza.

Then one of the magic circles shot out a blue-colored offensive spell.

The magic crawled along the ground toward Jiza.

Ui jumped out on reflex and tanked the attack head-on. With her right hand still gripping her sword.

Magic barrier generated by <Necklace of Intuador> clashed with the blue colored spell, creating an explosion.

It was not due to the barrier blocking the attack, but the barrier being blown away. Ui's <Necklace of Intuador> seemed to have exhausted all its mana.

Argent Flame Wolf attempted to lunge at Jiza.

Lecan struck its forehead with a great sword.

<Sword of Agost>. Also known as Dragon Destroying Blade. A special sword blessed by the temples, forged by a human mastersmith for the sake of destroying dragons.

Argent Flame Wolf's forehead cracked open.

A terrifying wave of hatred assailed Lecan.

However, Arios wouldn't let this chance go away. He cut at the wolf's left hindleg from behind.

Argent Flame Wolf yelped. Looks like that attack worked.

Julius also slid in and slashed at Argent Flame Wolf's abdomen from below with his <Gale Sword>, but the wolf twisted its body to dodge that attack.

Lecan did something unusual at this point. He can't explain why he did what he did then even at a later date.

Lecan turned around and loudly gave an order to Ui.

<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka.com >

"Thrusttt!"

Almost at the same time as his shout, Argent Flame Wolf jumped toward Jiza and disappeared.

Ui thrust her sword at an empty space.

Argent Flame Wolf emerged there and her sword pierced into its right eye.

The wolf mowed Ui down while yelping. Ui got slammed hard on the ground.

The wolf ended up leaping over Jiza and made a u-turn after landing, it then launched itself at Jiza who still couldn't move well.

But Arios rushed in and cut at the root of its left foreleg. Terrific mobility as always.

"<Flame Spear>!"

This moment of flinching afforded a Flame Spear landing directly on the wolf's face.

Magic arrows let loose by <Bow of Yelvitz> hit the other side.

"<Wind>!"

Lecan utilized the power of <Gale> to make a mad dash toward the Argent Flame Wolf's face.

With his sword lifted overhead, Lecan ran past Ui and Jiza's sides, straight toward the Argent Flame Wolf.

The wolf did a short leap at Lecan. Lecan swung his sword down aiming at its head.

Several things occurred in this exact moment.

First of all, Argent Flame Wolf kicked at empty air and changed its course.

Arios's slash went at the head of this course-changed wolf.

The wolf very narrowly dodged this slash.

This maneuver put itself directly in Lecan's sword trajectory. The sword struck Argent Flame Wolf's head.

The boulder-crushing power of the <Sword of Agost> knocked the Argent Flame Wolf down.

The crashed wolf lifted its face up and looked at Lecan.

Mysteriously enough, there was no shred of anger in those eyes.

Arios drove his sword into Argent Flame Wolf's neck.

But the instance that sword touched its body, the wolf vanished.

One piece of pelt remained in its place.

Lecan willed himself to stand despite his extreme fatigue and spoke to Arios.

"Arios. Good work. Managed to land a hit on that thing's head thanks to your assist."

"Yes well, I just felt like you were asking me that."

"You're a great help."

Arios is reliable as ever.

Lecan fell on his knees.

Then he laid down on the ground, all limbs sprawling.

"Phewwww."

"It's over huh."

"Yea."

"<Purification><Purification><Purification><Purification><Purification>."

Eda healed the group with her <Purification>.

Lecan laid down for quite sometime before getting back on his feet and spoke to the group.

"Arios, that was well done. Eda, and Julius, you performed your roles well. And, Ui. Obaba's life would have forfeited if not for you. Splendid job."

Ui's metal armor has been torn up badly. There's traces of blood in her mouth. She might not have lived through it without <Purification>.

"It is all thanks to Lecan-dono."

"And, Obaba."

Lecan was taken aback as he turned at Jiza.

There was no longer a figure of an ambitious looking elderly lady, instead there sat a decrepit husk of an old woman that had lost her zeal.

"Lecan-chan. Thanks so much."

Her voice had no springiness to it either.

"You seem quite worn down there."

"I'm feeling my life's greatest sense of fulfillment right now. I've no more regret left in this world. Lecan-chan. Arios-dono. Eda-chan. Julius-chan. And Ui. Thank you, thank you all."

"Don't say it like you're gonna croak here. Let's talk about the future instead."

"What does the future hold now?"

"Have you gone senile. A task force assembled by board of director guys must be waiting for us outside."

"Ah, right that. I don't really care about that now. But I suppose we ought to split the reward now."

"I'd like to check one thing first."

Lecan took a thin wand, carefully weaved preliminary casting and cast <Appraisal> on the pelt left behind by the Argent Flame Wolf.

It's a pelt of Argent Flame Wolf. It really was one then.

(Do Divine Beasts spawn in dungeons? The heck this is all about.)

It's got unimaginable magical and defensive properties. Lecan isn't used to appraising pelts, but there's no doubt turning this pelt into armor will result in a protector with defensive property far beyond Petitfire Dragon's and flexibility that allows for highly mobile acrobatics.

(I was planning to give everything we got in this expedition to Obaba.)

(But I want this.)

(Really want this.)

"You've got a face saying, 'I want this', Lecan-chan."

"Ah, no."

"Feel free to take it as yours Lecan-chan. That's the only way I could repay my debt to you."

"You sure."

"Sure am. But in exchange, it would please me if you could yield <Chaotic Magic Wolf>'s body to me."

"I don't mind. What about you guys."

None of the members objected.

But that was sure on extremely close call of a fight.

They might have prevailed, but it didn't feel like they truly finished it off. To Lecan, it feels as if the Argent Flame Wolf decided to end the battle as a commendation for their show of valor.

Still, making use of <Genesiac Grace Gear> proved difficult. He might have been able to seal Argent Flame Wolf's movement with <Talisman of Darkness Demon>, but so will the other members. There was no time or place to use <Ring of Undying King>. That said, it's still reassuring to have these aces up sleeves for when push comes to shove.