Chapter 438: Conclusion and Inheritance

“GuuoOOOOOOh!”

Roaring, I tear apart the slime with my forelegs. The shell of the [Cursed Millenium Turtle] appears over the slime’s phoenix body and blocks my attack. It really is hard. I can’t break it with my claws.

“I haven’t lost, I haven’t lost, I can't lose!”

Five tentacles pierce through the crushed human upper body that is attached to the phoenix’s neck. The tentacles twist towards me in the air.

“Don’t get full of yourself, Irushiaaaaa!”

My partner bundles the tentacles together and crushes them in her mouth.

『Hit it now!』

You don’t have to tell me! My partner pulls, and the slime’s balance falls apart. I sink my foreleg deep into the slime's exposed abdomen, then tackle it with my shoulder, sending it flying. The slime’s body shoots backwards, and the tentacles in my partner’s mouth tear off.

““IrushiaaaAaA!””

Countless screams escape from the open mouths over its body. My partner slurps down the liquefied tentacles. She tilts her head back to swallow, then spits it out.

『Tastes bad.』

…The battle’s already over. The [Great Blowfly Ring] was indeed powerful, but it looks like that was the entirety of the MP that it forcibly recovered with [Life Mana].

The slime has to be suffering from a considerable amount of backlash, too. Its movements have slowed. Judging from its reluctance to use it, I can guess that [Life Mana] was only ever meant to be a one-use thing. The slime’s movements now are a mere shadow of what they were.

Dazed, the slime’s body crashes into the wall. The impact sends shakes into the surroundings. The shock triggers the collapse of the underground chamber that had become fragile from the fire. One of the pillars collapses, and rubble begins to fall from the ceiling.

This is bad… I need to finish quickly.

I can do this. I can push through and kill the slime. The problem is that my body is also reaching its limits. The damage from that blaze is still affecting me. I can hardly heal at all.

“U-uu…”

Aro staggers as she walks. She's carrying Volk and Alphiss on her back and enlarged arms. I see the magiatite core poking through from a spot where her flesh is missing. It looks like she’s gathered them all together to protect them from the remaining fires from the [Great Blowfly Ring]. It looks like she’s unable to fully heal from the damage, her skin having become cracked and dry. Her left leg is partially torn off and painful to look at.

“Guuoh”

『Aro, please get away from here. It’s about to collapse.』

I call out, and she blinks and looks up, a bitter expression on her face.

“Dragon-god-sama, but… What about you!”

『I have to finish this. Partner, please.』

I transmit, and my partner sighs.

『…If we kept enough for a [High Rest] or two for ourself, we’d be a bit safer though.』

Even as she says that, my partner uses [Soul AppendmentFake Life] on Aro. A black light covers her as vitality returns to her body that had become like a sand statue.

“Dragon-god-sama! Y-you can’t! If you use your precious healing on me, you won’t be able to defeat that monster! I-I’ll stay too!”

“GuuAaah!”

I roar as powerfully as I can.

『There’s no time, so hurry! Don’t you understand that if you fail, Volk and magiatite-jii will die!? Do you want to give the slime more time to pull itself together!?』

Aro trembles, then lets out a small sad laugh.

“…I already knew that Dragon-god-sama is that kind of person. But, it’s still… A bit unfair.”

As she says that, carrying Volk and Alphiss on her back, she dodges through the rubble and runs in the direct opposite direction from the slime.

『…Did you think that if you didn't say it like that, she wouldn’t have left?』

My partner asks me. I stay silent, and turn back to the slime.

『…If we lose to the gooey thing now, it won’t be a joke.』

Even if we won, there’d be no point if they all died. Even though using MP here might be disadvantageous, there’s no way I could leave them to die. If I push myself just a little, we can get a happy ending where everyone is okay.

As I step forward, my leg shakes. I suppress it through willpower, then take a step, and another step, towards the slime.

“Laplace…  My probability of winning…? Eh, no way… That’s not true, right? Why h-has it gone down again?”

The slime stands stock still from shock. I walk towards it, then knock it flying again. I understand the feeling of wanting to rely on predictions, but this is no time to be clinging to gods.

I again close the distance to the slime as it lies defeated and its body begins to dissolve. The phoenix’s body breaks down, leaving only the humanoid upper body in a pool of liquid.

“It’s not true… I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it. My, ah, my survival rate? Th-that's not what I want to hear! What is this, what's happening!?"

The slime shrinks back, doing what little it can to get away from me.

“Stop, stop! Let me go! No, I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”

I continue forward. A falling piece of rubble hits my head. Blood splatters from my left eyelid. But still, I open my eyes wide and step forwards.

“N-no! If I die here, I won’t be able to fulfil my promise! My promise with God-sama, that I would take them out! So…!”

Upon seeing me continue closer, unphased after being hit by the rubble, the slime’s expression again breaks down.

【Title skill [Calamity] has risen from level 9 to MAX.】

…Hm, I got it here? Because I triggered the collapse? But still, I feel like the timing is too convenient. With that, I now have three negative titles maxed out.

【Title skills [Path of Evil: LvMAX], [Mean King: LvMAX], and [Calamity: LvMAX] have transformed into [Demon Lord: Lv1]】

【The transfer conditions for the divine skill [Asura Realm] have been established.】#

…Aah, as I thought, that’s what it is.

Hey, what sort of plan is this? You’re watching me now, right? You’re watching me, the slime, and the Saint, aren’t you?

【Are you directing that to us, I wonder?】

A message comes into my mind.

【Congratulations.】【With this, it'll return to the original scabbard.】

【To you tell the truth.】

【Even if that child won.】【It would have been good.】

【But the one who won-.】【Was you.】

I hear the sound of polite clapping. I can’t think of this as anything other than mocking me.

【If you use the authority too much.】【Laplace will refuse because it’s too annoying.】

【Just when it’s getting this interesting-】【We can’t exactly let-】【[Asura Realm] be erased.】

【It’s a gift.】

…It’s nothing but incomprehensible things, spoken unilaterally to me. I don’t want to get involved with that sort of thing.

【Besides, for us-】【This might be-】【For the best.】

【That child is craven.】【Cruel.】【Spiteful.】【Cowardly.】【A liar.】

【It’s not completely out of the question, but they’re unsuited to be the protagonist, aren't they?】

…You’re saying that? I’m pretty sure you’re the one who egged it on.

“God-sama…? I-I still haven’t lost! I will be the one who wins! If we fought a hundred more times, I would win all hundred of them! Th-that’s right, I can still do this!”

Three owl faces pop onto the surface of the slime’s body. As the faces spin around, the slime’s body is engulfed in blue flames. Inside the flames, a frail human figure sways, appearing as though it could disappear at any moment.

“Now… My HP and MP are restored. Aha, hahahaha, it's unforunate that you’re so worn out. Come, come… Let’s begin the final round…”

…It’s too pitiful a sight. I already know from the previous fight that [Life Mana] isn’t suitable for forced recovery like that.

【Divine skill [Asura Realm: Lv-] has been acquired.】

【Characteristic skill [God’s Voice] has risen from level 5 to 6.】

【Title skill [Laplace Interference Authority] has risen from level 2 to 3.】

Mercilessly, God’s Voice informs me of the skill inheritance.