Chapter 237.1 - Yamata no Orochi Subjugation Battle・Final Phase I
「ASUNA, RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!」
But I knew that even if I shouted like tha Asuna wouldn't move fast enough to get away from the range of attack.
The breath was strong enough to evaporate everything that got hit directly by it.
Asuna would die for sure if she received a direct hit from that blazing red vortex. It wouldn't even take 10 seconds till the attack was unleashed.
And the current me wasn't strong enough to save her either.
「UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」
But I still ran.
I invoked both 『Grand Walker』 and 『Ground Shrink』 , I ran with my full power toward Asuna until it felt like the muscles of my legs were about to be torn.
I barely arrived in time, but I had no way to cope with this situation.
Even his defense magic wouldn't last more than three seconds before a breath attack.
Perhaps I should take Asuna out of the range―― No, that was impossible.
Yamata no Orochi's breath had a big range. It had a vast range of attacks, but it could be dodged since it didn't have the precise aim... But the head was clearly aiming at Asuna.
This attack wouldn't miss its target for sure. Unavoidable attack.
My sixth sense warned me that I wouldn't survive an attack of that scale.
The sixth sense that had been sharpened by the training of Souma style ever since my childhood, and boosted by my 『Hero』 vocation, told me of my own certain demise if I took such attack head-on.
That's why it kept ringing non-stop in my head, warned me unceasingly as I charged toward the unavoidable deadly breath attack.
It kept telling me that was dangerous. And I'm going to die.
I had no way to block the breath attack. I would die. My current action of jumping in front of a breath attack was akin to suicide.
Whether I made it in time or not, Asuna would die for sure.
Asuna would die, and I would be killed in the most stupid way too, without a corpse. Nothing would be left―― I wouldn't be able to protect anything.
「But still――」
I couldn't abandon my comrade even if I knew that I couldn't save them in time.
Kenzaki Asuna was my friend, maybe more than just a friend.
I wouldn't let her die, not under my watch.
That's why please make it in time.
Even if a certain death was approaching, Asuna was still alive right now.
When I found Reina, she was already dead.
I couldn't protect Reina. I couldn't be there for her, to protect her when she died... Even though she was my cherished childhood friend.
But not this time!
「――I'll protect you for sure this time!」
I ran.
The breath had already been fired, and the gigantic red vortex of magical power was fast approaching.
As if to serve as a last warning―― Another step and you're dead.
What should I do?
「ASUNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
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「――This is bad.」
I was hit by a sense of despair since the melting rate was much slower than I expected.
I knew that Mei-chan was fighting a desperate defensive battle right above this well. The gargoyles seemed to have managed to break the wall and enter the fortress.
They wouldn't be able to fight for too long.
I was saved, but since the shell didn't melt that easily, we ended up in a pretty precarious situation.
「Dammit, I'll be screwed for sure if we fail.」
I was responsible for the distribution of the personnel for this plan. I wouldn't have any excuse left if we failed here.
I might be burned on stake like that of witch trial, or shaman's trial in my case.
「Dammit, for me to be so mentally pressured like this is just...」
I single-mindedly focused my attention on 『Rotten Bog』 while pressured by anxiety and impatience.
I could create a deep and extremely powerful bog thanks to the best offering―― But even with that, it would still take a lot of time to melt Yamata No Orochi's shell.
I'd been on the three meters mark, which made me wonder just how many meters were left to dig.
「If it's as thick as bedrock, then I won't be able to finish this until the evening.」
This was a critical moment where every second counted, and yet I could still talk carefreely like this.
But there was really no other way but to use 『Rotten Bog』 to drill Orochi's shell.
Maybe it was my fault for not melting it fast enough. Or everyone's fault for not being able to buy more time. Or the fault of this damn shell for being so thick.
I even started to think about who should be responsible for this.
Man, I must be really cornered by anxiety this time.
「All that is left is how much time the people above can buy for me.」
I've said again and again that there is no going back, but depending on the situation, we would face total annihilation if we didn't retreat when we needed to.
I shifted my attention a bit to see the situation on the eastern battlefield where the five heads were suppressed.
「....」
My offshoot woke up, peeping from the trench to see the situation on the battlefield.
After I started my part of the excavation job, I turned off the control with this offshoot to focus on my job... But the situation on the battlefield was the same as before.
At a glance, all was well and there were no casualties. Everyone was doing their best in their aforementioned position.
But they were surely starting to get pushed back. Orochi's head didn't have to worry about their stamina.
Just as I had expected, the balance tipped against us since the last time I saw the situation on the battlefield.
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