CH 185

Chapter 185. Peony Subjugation Battle Part 3



***



“SHOOT! SHOOT! SHOOOOOOOT!!”



Deafening roars echoed throughout the battlefield.



Tanks and helicopters were lined up near the boundary line of the City Hall’s “Safety Zone”, and these modern weapons were being fired endlessly by the Self Defense Force.



“What a sight this is…”



A cold sweat broke out on Fujita’s forehead as he stared at the scene in front of him.



It was truly a spectacular sight to behold.



The Self Defense Force was confronting a giant tree monster that was taller than a mountain, and a Dragon was assisting them.



A monster movie—it was a rather unoriginal way to put it, but the expression fit the situation perfectly. 



The modern weapons were being fired at full throttle.



Individually, they weren’t as strong as a Dragon’s breath.



However, each shot carried enough power to have Peony’s “Automatic Defense” activated. 



If these weapons were in their original form, this wouldn’t have been possible. 



It only became possible after Ichinose modified them in her capacity as a “Weapons Craftsman”.



(Skills are such a magical thing…)



They had been able to safely arrive at the neighboring town thanks to a skill that allowed them to traverse between shadows, and they had been able to bring the weapons back thanks to the skill known as the Item Box.



Even their ability to fight had been granted by a skill that helped them repair and improve the weapons.



That said, the one who thought of all these strategies was a high school student. 



He was extremely competent, and it was to the point where he put the adults to shame.



(But that’s all the more reason to work hard and make sure that their efforts aren’t wasted.)



To pay them back for all their hard work, Fujita and the others decided to give it their all.



It was also for that reason that Towada and the other Self Defense Force members took up their arms in spite of their trauma. 



“Don’t stop attacking! Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more!”



“““Roger that!”””



Fujita reenergized himself and handed out further instructions.



*****



On the other hand, at the City Hall…



“There’s no need to panic! Line up in an orderly fashion and keep your composure!”



Shimizu and Nijou, Kazuto’s former colleagues, were in charge of guiding the refugees. 



Igarashi Touka’s “Enchantment” worked to some extent, but it wasn’t capable of fully suppressing the chaos. 



As such, it was their responsibility to calm the residents and guide them to a prearranged location.



“Shimizu-san, I’ve gathered everyone.”



“Same here. All that’s left is to wait for the other side to finish their preparation…”



The frequent sounds of explosions made their skins crawl.



Shimizu shivered at the thunderous sounds of explosions that accompanied Peony’s shrieks. 



“Will this go well…?”



“I’m sure we’ll be fine…”



Nijou’s shoulders were shaking from anxiety, so Shimizu soothed her by hugging her.



However, her heart wasn’t faring any better.



Truth be told, she had doubted the student’s sanity when she was first notified of the plan.



(I understand that we must take risks in order to win, but…)



When Nishino first briefed them about his plan, Shimizu and the Mayor had rejected it without a second thought.



It was because they would have to put everything they had built until now on the line to execute such a plan, and the risk was simply too high.



Unfortunately, they could not think of a better plan, so Shimizu and the Mayor had to bend their knees in the end and allow the plan to proceed.

(…I hate how utterly powerless I am…)



If they had been stronger, they would’ve been able to choose a different path.



However, it was meaningless to discuss what-if scenarios at this point in time.



She knew that this was their only option, but she couldn’t help but pray at the back of her mind.



“—Kudou-kun, Nishino-kun, Fujita-san…please…”



Please be safe.



Given the circumstances, she knew how naïve her wish was, but Shimizu prayed that everyone would be safe and return in one piece.



*****



Up above in the sky—



—Good. Fujita-san’s squad has officially joined the battle. 



This means that it’s time for us to make our next move.



“Sora, fly down.”



‘Have you already used up all the so-called gasoline?’



“No, I still have some tanks in reserve, but we’ll be using them when we’re closer to the ground.”



We haven’t dropped up all the gasoline tanks that we collected, but it’s not like we can afford to use them all here in one go. 



From here on out, I’ll have to use them alongside Sora’s breath. 



“We’ll have to engage Peony in an aerial battle again when we’re down below, so please give.”



‘Hmph, I know. Just make sure that you don’t fall off from my back.’



“Okay.”



“U-understood.”



I nod.



Somewhat intimidated, Nishino-kun replies in a shaky voice.



Sora plunges down, and we begin freefalling at such a fast speed that it feels like my organs are floating upwards.



I concentrate on what’s before me, taking care not to fall unconscious. 



“—They’re coming!”



‘I know!’



Peony’s tentacles begin chasing after us after sensing that we’ve come down.



“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”



Sora immediately unleashes a breath to keep them at bay.



Nishino-kun and I support Sora through “Commands” and the Item Box.



(We’ve been fighting for around 20 minutes now…)



Peony has not undergone any “changes” yet.



I haven’t received any mails from Ichinose-san and Rikka-chan either.



As I thought, it’s not enough…



“Sora, fly closer.”



‘Got it.’



Sora listens to my order and flies closer to Peony.



As we get closer, we’re attacked by more and more of its roots and vines.



(It’s evident that Peony’s target is us…)



Despite all the attacks from the Self Defense Force, Peony’s “attention” is on us.



It makes sense though, as Sora’s breath is the only thing that can actually be a threat to Peony.



In the first place, Peony has no way of attacking the Self Defense Force that’s firing within the “Safety Zone”.



One could even argue that it’s natural for us to be its target.



Having said all that…



“—‘The Art of Ginormous Growth’.”



I activate the Ninjutsu just as we are about to be caught.



Peony’s tentacles come to a stop midair and switch their target to the giant clone that has appeared above us.



(Even in this kind of situation, they prioritize the clone over us…)



No matter how many times it devours the clone, Peony’s hunger will not be sated. 



Can’t it tell that its decisions are leading to its demise?



Yes, that must be it.



Anyway, it’s a good thing for us.



“Now, Sora!”



‘Yeah!’



Sora unleashes a breath at my signal.



At the same time, I throw “something” towards Peony, but it gets crushed by Peony’s “Automatic Defense” the moment it leaves the Item Box.



Bushuuuu.



Some form of gas is released to the surrounding.  



“GUAAAAAAAA!”



Before it could hit Peony, Sora’s breath ignites the “gas” in the air, leading to a massive explosion.



“~~~~~~~~!?”



A huge fireball has been formed.



The thing that Peony crushed just now was a gas tank that I took from the port.



Just like the fuel tanks, these gas tanks contain some highly explosive substances.



‘Nu…!’



The explosion results in a violent windblast, and black smoke quickly engulfs Peony’s immediate surroundings. 



We hold our breath at the sight. 



“What a ridiculous power…”



“T-to think it’d be to this extent…”



We’re a few hundred meters away from where the explosion happened, but we can feel the hot air reaching us.



Without Aka’s suits, we would’ve been scalded for sure.



“Will the City Hall be alright?”



“It should be fine.”



The “Safety Zone” that’s centered on the City Hall is located far away from the suburbs, and it is in the windward direction of where Peony is standing.



The smoke and the hot air shouldn’t reach there. 



“Instead, we should focus on what’s in front of us.”



Nishino-kun is startled by my words and turns to face the direction of the smoke.



The smoke hasn’t cleared yet, but I can clearly sense Peony’s presence.



As expected, that explosion wasn’t enough to kill it.



Nevertheless—



“—! That’s…?”



Although the smoke is still hindering our view, something about Peony’s presence has changed.



This is the moment that we’ve been waiting for.



*****



Aisaka Rikka and her group were situated some distance away from where the Self Defense Force was fighting. 



“Shibacchi, has anything changed?”



“Nah, everything’s normal. They regenerate whenever they’re cut.”



Rikka and her friends were silently chopping down the tip of the tentacles that were stuck on the invisible barrier of the “Safety Zone”.



They had been doing this during the past three days of preparation.



Even now, with the battle well underway, they were still hard at work.



(Should we really be doing this…?)



Thinking wasn’t Rikka’s cup of tea, and she wasn’t particularly dissatisfied with what Nishino had come up with, but she was getting a little nervous as nothing was happening despite all the work that had been put in.



Are we really supposed to be doing this?



Is it really alright for us to stay here and continue our work?



(—No, I shouldn’t be thinking like this. I must trust him.)



Rikka suppressed her worries and moved her hands. 



They would never doubt Nishino.



After all, they had always followed his words. 



Chop. Chop. Chop.



Rikka and co. continued chopping down Peony’s vines. 



—It was then that “that” happened.



ZUDOOON!!



It was an explosion of unforeseen scale.



“W-what was that!? What was that explosion?



“Did the Self Defense Force fire a missile?”



“No…that was probably onii-san and Sora’s combo attack.”



It was too strong to be an attack from the Self Defense Force, so it was likely an explosion that resulted from the combo attack involving explosive gas and Sora’s Dragon breath. 



They had already been warned of this beforehand.



(I wonder if Nisshi’s safe…)



She couldn’t see him from this distance, but Nishino was supposed to be riding on Sora’s back with Kudou.



It was the safest place and the most dangerous place at the same time.



She knew that they would have taken measures to ensure that the explosion was contained, but the explosion was of such great magnitude that she couldn’t help but worry.



“Hmm?”



Rikka suddenly noticed a “change” to the vine that she had been cutting.



“…It isn’t regenerating?”



The slash that she had made wasn’t disappearing. 



Normally, it would’ve healed by now, but nothing of that sort was happening.



This was clearly a “change” from before.



“Could this be…”



Rikka chopped down a different vine. 



—It wasn’t regenerating either.



That wasn’t all.



The vines that had attached themselves to the invisible barrier were peeled off one after another as they wilted.



—Everyone present at the scene was stunned by what they had witnessed.



“Shibacchi, this—”



“Yeah, this must’ve been what Nishino-san was talking about. Hey, someone should quickly send a ‘mail’ to Nishino-san!”



“O-okay!”



Someone whose hands were free sent the ‘mail’, and “they” were soon notified of the news.



*****



—Rikka-chan’s group has contacted us. 



“Kudou-san, this…”



“Yes, there’s no doubt about it.”



Our prediction had been spot on. 



Based on the ‘mail’ that we received from Rikka-chan’s group and Peony’s presence on the other side of the smoke, we can roughly guess Peony’s current state. 



“———”



A good portion of its body has been burnt to crisps, and its canopy is continuing to burn even as we speak, with its branches falling to the ground one after another. 



Peony had been hit by an unprecedented blow, and this has brought about a huge change—its “Regeneration” has stopped.



“Finally…I can finally see an opening…”



The breath attacks from Sora, the bombardment from the Self Defense Force, and the detonation of the fuel tanks and the gas tanks. 



We’ve finally reached this point by concentrating all our attacks on Peony in a short amount of time.



—Yes, we’ve reached Peony’s “Regeneration limit”.



Peony’s “Regeneration” isn’t infinite. 



Although it’s powerful, it should use up a fair amount of “something” since it’s categorized as a skill.



We didn’t know whether that “something” was MP, nutrients from external sources, sunlight, or nutrients in the earth, but we surmised that it had something to do with its “predation” pattern based on its unusual appetite and behavior.



To put it in simpler terms, it uses the energy that it intakes to fuel its “Regeneration”.



That’s why we’ve been thwarting its attempt to prey on others since the beginning of the battle by employing “The Art of Ginormous Growth” and Sora’s breath attacks.



We cut off its supply of energy and forced Peony to constantly “Regenerate” by concentrating all our attacks on it.



As a result, its supply of energy has been depleted, and it could no longer “Regenerate”.



—A short but intense battle. 



In a drawn out battle, we would’ve had no chance of winning because of Peony’s monstrous defense and regenerative abilities.



With that in mind, our plan was to overwhelm Peony in a short amount of time, thereby depleting its energy reserve and depriving it of its ability to regenerate.



Fortunately, everything turned out the way we expected.



Now that its “Regeneration” has reached the limit, we can exploit another one of Peony’s “weakness”.



All creatures, more specifically monsters, have an Achilles point known as the “core”.



Taking into account the difference in the speed of regeneration and the points that Peony prioritized during our battle—



“—The central part of its root system.”



Peony’s “core” should be there.



As long as we know where it is, all we have to do is to focus our attacks on that point.



It’s about time we make our first “preparation”.



“Sora, we’ll be relying on you again!”



‘But of course!’



Sora starts accelerating and enters the thick smoke at full speed, flying towards where Peony should be standing.



Focus.



“To your right!”



“—”



The smoke shifts slightly to the side, and we are greeted by Peony’s tentacles that have rushed through the smoke to attack us.



Sora narrowly avoids the strike.



“To your left! Above you! To your right! 12th o’clock! 5th o’clock!”



‘Chii!!’



Dodge, dodge, dodge.



Sora keeps dodging the barrage of attacks from Peony.



“—‘Do not move’!”



“Kyu!”



Nishino-kun issues out “Commands” and Kiki helps out with her “Reflection”.



Sora takes advantage of the short opening to close in on Peony.



(More… just a little more…)



Focus.



We must time it well so that Sora’s breath could do maximum damage. 



If we’re close enough, her breath attack should be able to reach Peony’s core.



Until that moment arrives, I must focus.



We’re just a couple of meters away… a little more…and now!



“—Sora, now!”



‘Got it.’



We’ve arrived. 



Peony is now within Sora’s attack distance.



From here, Sora should be able to output her maximum damage.



Sora unleashes a breath without beating around the bush.



“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”



She must have been prepping up for this moment.



The breath that Sora unleashes is the strongest I’ve seen up to this point.



It pierces through Peony’s “Automatic Defense” and reaches Peony’s root system without losing its momentum.



Go!



Pierce through Peony’s co…



‘————o.’



Hm? What was that just now?



Just now—



“——No.”



A…voice?



Could it be Peony’s?



“——No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”



“—!?”



A shiver runs down my back.



What is this?



Something’s coming!



Something dangerous is coming!



“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”



Something explodes out of Peony in the next moment.