Demon Ash (3)

Next turn, turn 5.

If I hadn't attacked carelessly and had instead stacked buffs to this point, leaning on Ursula's Belzebute to whittle… regrets are for later.

"Guoooooooooo!"

Despite its colossal size, fast. With ridiculous speed, it attacked first.

Already 2x faster than even our fastest, Cellas…

It got off 2 attacks.

Gogogogogo…

A strike like a mountain falling from the right. No — one more from the left.

"Holy Shield!"

With this, Libera and Ursula defended completely. Cellas completely evaded.

But…

Zugaan!

Zugaan!

Saria and I took the attack head-on and were blown away.

The surroundings went pitch dark.

Tremendous shock and G-force!

… Honestly, super terrifying!

… But everyone fighting was even more scared. No time for whining.

Without HP's protection… nothing short of instant death. Probably wouldn't even have a corpse-shape left.

No — if I could survive this pressure, you could load me into a cannon and fire me, and I'd survive atmospheric reentry bare-bodied.

HP, amazing.

My HP was 37 remaining.

… Unbelievable. From that attack, just 2pt damage.

Master HP — no matter what attack — only 1 damage per hit. Amazing.

Saria, even if Endure activates, with combo hits she's done. But…

"… Dragon Art - Naga!"

Yes-here-we-go! Only usable on combat-incapable, a bit awkward, but Saria's super-powerful skill, Dragon Art - Naga!

"Dragon Art - Ultimate Breath!"

Zugagagagaaan!

"Divine Art - Gungnir!"

Saria and Cellas, as calculated.

"Demon Art - Demon-Blood Awakening, Demon Art - Belzebute!"

Ursula at 200 damage was a bit underwhelming, but…

Its remaining HP, 843! … should be. Originally just an estimate, but since dot-counts had been matching perfectly so far, I'd go ahead and assume accuracy to the ones place.

"Guoooooooooo!"

It sucked in magic-ash, and the turn-end power-up triggered.

Penetration, don't come, don't come, absolutely don't come…!

Don't come…!

I'd throw flags aside.

Just pray, just wish! If it granted my wish, that was all I needed!

I prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed.

The result…

Good — not the red light of penetration! Then OK!

"… But what's that silver aura? I don't really recognize it…"

By the color of the effect, you can mostly tell which effect it is.

But that silver glow…

"Probably damage-reduction type."

"I see. Well, with Ursula's Lævateinn, no problem."

"Mm, just so."

Damage reduction… with Cellas's and Saria's attacks, how much damage could we still inflict.

Or rather, Saria had already used her trump-card Dragon Art - Naga, so impossible already, right?

Turn 6.

Gogogogogo…!

Again, a nightmarish 2-hit combo like the sky falling from the sky.

"Holy Shield!"

Libera protected Ursula and herself completely.

Cellas evaded. And…

"… Surely, win. I believe. Ursula, Libera, Naoto-chan."

Saria smiled and…

Zugaaan!

Strength spent… But no looking back.

"Hit it! Ursula!"

"Demon Art - Lævateinn!"

Dogo dogoooo!

Calculation-free 200 damage. Splendid.

"Divine Art - Gungnir!"

65 * 50 * 15 * 2 / 2094 = 46, 4-hit for 184 damage!

Should've been.

"… Not even 1 dot drops with Cellas's attack!"

… Meaning, what we could say for sure was 43 damage or less — reduced 1/4 or more.

But by intuition, the reduction rate was 1/10.

I was so locked in now that I felt I could read even the variation in not-decreasing-1-dot.

Working off that estimate, remaining HP looked like this.

This guy, stubbornly trying to last 10 turns…!

Zu, zuzuzuzu…

Once again Great Magical Beast Black Cyclops Type-Zero absorbed magic-ash.

You're helping me clean up, aren't you?

Fine, I'll clean from here on, I'll work hard at it, so just die around here!

"Guoooooooooo!"

Empty as my heart's scream was, this thing still meant to push on.

This damn Roomba.

So until this thing's cleaning was done, we'd just have to keep it company.

Yet another effect buff had been tacked on. The colors were all mixed together, hard to read.

Penetration's color was red.

If red came, we were done. Ursula falls. 1/10 was still not damage we could withstand.

Not red… I think. Probably! Probably the blue of guaranteed-hit. Let it be that!

Turn 7.

Dogogogogo…

Again, the sky fell.

Dokkaan!

Great eruption. The ground collapsed and floated up.

Dokkaan!

Again, the sky rained down. Aah, right, 3-hit. It had surpassed Cellas's speed by 4x.

Dokkaan!

HP 34.

… Well, we must be annoying this thing too. After all the nuclear-bomb-class attacks it was generously dropping on us, it still couldn't squash flies like us with a generous pochi.

"Naoto…! Safe!?"

"Don't worry about me. Ursula, Libera, Cellas, you're safe, right?"

"… Mm. All safe."

Our attacks.

Ursula's Demon Art - Demon-Blood Awakening: 2 uses left.

It also had preemptive, so let's save the very last 1 to deal 200 damage all at once as a finisher.

This 1 we'd use right here.

"Demon Art - Demon-Blood Awakening, Demon Art - Lævateinn!"

Dogo dogo!

Remaining 425.

"Divine Art - Gungnir!"

65 * 50 * 15 * 2 / 3141 = 31, 4-hit for 124/10 = 12 damage.

Good, 413. Five more Lævateinn's worth left. If Cellas did a little more work, 4 Lævateinn's.

… Not sure I should be banking on the ones digit, though.

… Need to hold for 3-4 turns. Minimum 3 turns. Until then… whether penetration grew on it.

Without penetration, complete-defense couldn't be broken. Barrier-break and such existed, but…

Aah, no good, only risks came to mind.

… Aah, I hated this luck-dependent stuff. We should win by skill.

But in terms of skill — the moment I'd failed to spot that it powered up per damage, I'd already lost.

Even so…

Even with skill inferior, if fortune favored me, if we could win…

Winning would be fine. I should be that favored by fate.

… Now, the win rate should be at the level of "OK as long as a 1 doesn't come up in 2 rolls of a die"!

That probability… I'll grab it!

… For RNG manipulation, should I pull some gacha?

No, if a UR drops, that'd be bad too. Don't.

"… From here on, nothing more can be done. Libera protects me, I unleash Lævateinn…

"That's all.

"Sure, if Cellas trims a little more, that's a help, but… no matter, we'll manage.

"Hence, leave the rest to me and Libera.

"Thou, together with Cellas, take the fallen and retreat. As soon as Lyuka wakes, teleport."

Ursula said such a thing.

"W-what kind of nonsense are you saying!"

I unintentionally shouted.

"I'm in earnest!"

Ursula glared at me, fastening a serious expression to her beautiful face.

"Thou hast great ambition, no?

"Naturally, if I win, no problem.

"If I fall, this quest fails.

"But, that's where the damage ends.

"I… taken in by it, may not die.

"Even if I die… I will reincarnate, surely. So long as I have Belzebute's power.

"At that time, I'll bring Libera even by force.

"… Then again, take the reborn-us in as companions.

"… So, thou alone, must not die."

"Don't kid me! … Ursula, Libera! If you two die, there's no meaning!"

"Thou art not alone! There are those left behind! Kanan, Adelia… everyone awaits thy return.

"Thou too art now S-Class. Use us Garumon, choose thine own path of survival. That is a Master's responsibility."

"I don't know that kind of responsibility! If I have any responsibility, it's that we all return safely, every last one of us!

"… Besides, we still have more than enough chances of winning.

"Skipping the moment of long-awaited victory would be a waste.

"If there were no chance of winning, I might consider your proposal."

I smiled.

… The "would consider if no chance" part was a lie, but.

"… This stubborn fool.

"But at least, get Cellas to retreat. That way…"

"… If Ursula and Libera fall, I'd instantly stow everyone in capsules and flee.

"Cellas would rush to me. Pick me up and full-speed escape. Such retreat plans — there might be some, then."

"Mm, exactly so."

… In practice, hard. Already greatly outpaced in speed.

In this world, hitting an enemy trying to flee wasn't even difficult.

"… But no good. I'm going to have Cellas land attacks for 2 more turns no matter what. That further lowers the risk.

"… After that, as Ursula says, have Cellas retreat."

"… Tch, you stubborn ass!"

Turn 8.

Some buff… probably grew.

Not red… I think. I think, but I didn't really know. I'd gotten too absorbed in the talk with Ursula.

Well, whatever. Whether we won or lost was up to fate now.

"Guoooooooooooooo!"

Dogo dogo dogo dogo!

Heavens fall, earth falls, oceans fall — like the world being shaken violently, a nightmare-grade massive combo.

The bastard's attack time should only have been a few seconds, but like time during an earthquake feels long, it felt immensely long.

… Without HP protection, I'd be ground mince with no bone left — no, considering the energy slammed in, I'd have been reduced to ash and vanished.

For all the magnitude-10-class earthquakes hitting in a 4-hit, with HP 30… taking just 4pt damage and still alive — this HP system really was amazing.

Whether the original world or this one was harder to die in, opinions might split, but compared to instant death in a major earthquake or being run over by a car in the original world, here — a major earthquake meant HP-1, and you're fine — so this world might be harder to die in.

The problem was, plenty of people artificially manufactured such "major earthquakes."

Now, Ursula…

"Demon Art - Lævateinn!"

Dogooooo!

Safe. Splendidly, she slammed in the attack.

Remaining 313.

Shun!

"… Nuh."

Cellas's Gungnir-throw — evaded by that colossal body like instant teleport.

So what had grown on it was evasion. Lævateinn had guaranteed-hit, so unrelated, but Cellas's attacks…

"Divine Art - Stormbringer!"

This is all that can land. But…

65 * 50 * 15 * 2 / 4711 = 20 / 10 = 2pt

… No good. Cellas can no longer shave the remaining 13 HP either.

"Cellas, that's enough. Like I said earlier.

"… Once, retreat. Watch from afar, and if anything happens, come rescue.

"… Of course, I intend to end this in victory!"

"… Under… stood. Good fortune in battle."

Shuba!

Cellas took flight and retreated.

… Cellas, with Divine Art - Raphaela active, having to turn tail and flee from a monster she was fighting…

It struck me with feeling.

Well, her duration was just running out anyway, good timing.

"Guoooooooooo…!"

Turn-end power-up.

Spine-chilling. Soul-crinkling.

Now, stat-ups didn't matter. Just whether the red light came or not.

Live or die, an extreme-edge dice gamble.

… Orange light. No, close to red, gave me a chill… but no. Not red. Won.

That was the attack-UP-type light. Doubling, that sort of thing? Pointless…

Now, 2x or 10x at this point, didn't matter.

Turn 9.

Gwan gwan gwan gwan…

The world shook.

I'd thought this world's system of more attacks via higher speed was unreasonably powerful, but…

Thinking carefully, the 4-attack cap is quite a restriction.

I mean, that thing was 70x as fast now.

While I'd jump once in side-stepping, it could jump 70 times — and only 4 attacks. Pretty unreasonable, in a way.

HP 26.

If this dragged much longer, I'd die too. Well, we'd win before then, so fine.

Now, Ursula…

"Demon Art - Lævateinn!"

Zugaaan!

Aah… how beautiful she is. My Demon Lord.

There's no way someone that beautiful dies.

That'd be the world's loss. There's hardly anyone of her value to the world.

Despite this being an utter pinch, I was somewhere… optimistic.

She couldn't possibly lose somewhere like this. Couldn't possibly die.

… So.

Now, turn-end power-up.

This was it. If the red light didn't come here, we could manage. The next turn, just preempt and crush.

So, if only the red light didn't come here…

"Guoooooooooooooo…!"

"… Ursula."

I threw myself over Ursula.

I completely embraced her slim body, covered her whole.

"Naoto…"

Ursula softly called my name.

… That's all she could do.

The plan was singular. Libera and I, the two of us together, would cover Ursula, and I'd take all of the penetration damage… if I could do that, we won.

There was no other trick.

Putting Ursula in a capsule to ride out the damage… impossible.

Capsules, in fact, you couldn't put someone in instantly. You'd be attacked before finishing. If attacked, same as going through a Gate. With bad luck, death.

So during combat, capsule-stowing was treated as combat-incapable.

Don't think extra thoughts… protect Ursula.

That alone was what I thought of.

"… Naoto-sama, Ursula-sama. The two of you, even at the cost of my life, I shall protect.

"… Holy Shield!"

Libera, betting all, raised her shield.

"… Nice. Libera, deflect even slightly, so the penetration damage definitely hits only me."

"Yes!"

… There's no way. An attack like the one crushing everything in the world.

That a shield could block an attack like a heaven-and-earth cataclysm hitting — too unreasonable.

This was nothing but thanks to the world's system.

To be defended by such a system riding piggyback, and on top of that, control it?

There was no way.

If Libera fell first, penetration was beside the point. About 100x absurd destructive power would rain straight down. Instant death.

Well, even penetration's 1/10 damage was 400 x 10 = 4000 damage. Take that, and nothing but obliteration.

… From this absurd-destruction all-target attack, protect Ursula 4 times.

1 time, Endure might come through. 3 more times.

… Impossible. But…

"Hugging Ursula, totally got hard. Once it's over, let's have sex hard."

"Mm, good. Splendid."

Ursula smiled.

… Somehow, I felt I could do it. To protect this smile, I… could become infinitely strong!

Dogoooooooooooon!

Pouring shock, rubble, destruction, destruction, destruction…!

Biri biri biri biri biri…!

The vibration of the air… all of it, struck through my body.

But…

"…!?"

Uh, what happened? One hit… endured. Ursula's damage was a mere 50 or so.

Eh? On what logic?

… Even though I'd thought I could, now that I actually had, I didn't understand.

Libera was protecting Ursula with Holy Shield. The damage penetrated that defense, slammed into me…

But my guard was perfect, and almost all of it I'd taken and stopped? Amazing!

… No, well, Master HP had the property of taking any damage as 1 point.

Libera had defended, converting its attack to penetration damage.

This penetration damage had some directionality, a laser-like effect range.

Thanks to that, the damage range fit within the width of my body.

So damage to Ursula was only side-effect level.

… If Ursula's body had been a bit larger, the penetration damage would've hit her, and her HP would've been blown away.

… But in exchange, Libera was now… near-death. She'd had 4000 damage of penetration rain down on her.

… This Endure system was amazing too.

Take damage 20+ times your HP and you'd be immediately combat-incapacitated, but if Endure activated, you're alive, so…

Dogooooooon!

Again, raining down, heaven's strike.

"Haaaaaaa!"

Libera, mustering her last strength, defended.

Same attack — I'll take all of it! Even dead, I won't let it pass Ursula…!

… Again. Damage to Ursula was a mere 50 or so, and Ursula… survived.

With this, twice I'd protected Ursula. 1 time, Ursula's Endure could be expected.

But… no good, its action count was 4. 1 more, there'd be no helping.

Without Libera, 40000 damage of all-target attack would just fall evenly on me and Ursula, so…

But…

"… Ursula-sama, Naoto-sama…

"I said. I'd… protect…!"

"… Libera! Eh, still… safe!? Y-yes!"

Endure probability descended: 100% → 10% → 1%.

The chance of Enduring twice in a row was 10%.

Here, that 1/10 chance, Libera pulled…!

Doggoooooooooon!

The 1%, she couldn't pull. Libera was instantly drained and fell. But… to the very end, she'd converted its attack to penetration damage.

"I won't let it pass…!"

If it's just repeating the same thing 3 times, I can do it…!

… Unbelievable. Its attack… ended. Three times, weathered.

With damage to me only, somehow… Ursula wasn't combat-incapable!

With HP in single digits, still standing.

"… Well… done. Thou hast grasped a slim chance…! Truly… thou art the best!

"Leave the rest to me!"

Ursula stepped out from my shielding.

"Guooooooooooo!"

Dogogogogogo…!

Great Magical Beast Black Cyclops Type-Zero was unleashing the final hit of its 4-hit combo.

"Kuku, come at me. With all thy might, take a swing at me!

"In exchange… let me too swing at thee!

"Demon Art - Lævateinn!"

Dogoooooooo!

Against the Great Magical Beast's thrust fist, Ursula struck back with all her might using her own black-flame-clad fist.

Naturally, Ursula's tiny remaining HP was blown away by 40000 damage.

… But as a matter of course, Endure activated.

Ursula stood defiantly amid this superlative storm of destruction, 100% with sheer will.

And then…

"Guooooooooooo!"

Its final power-up… And the magic-ash, every last grain, was absorbed by it.

The final power-up it got was combo.

… If this had grown a little earlier, no matter how I'd flailed, I couldn't have defended against penetration.

"Great Magical Beast Black Cyclops Type-Zero. Cleanup, well done.

"… With this, thou art done. Die!

"Demon Art - Demon-Blood Awakening, Demon Art - Lævateinn!"

Dogo dogoooooo!

Ursula, with the rather scathing line, slammed in a flowing 2-hit combo.

"… Go… gogogo… gogogogogo…"

Giving a strange groan…

Zuzu… zuzuzuzu…

Great Magical Beast Black Cyclops Type-Zero crumbled and fell…

Zuzuzuzu…

And then turned to dust, and on the wind… vanished.

"Oo… ooooooo… ooooooo!"

I shouted in spite of myself.

"We did it… we did it, we did it!"

"… Ursula-sama! Naoto…!"

Cellas flew over.

"Aaaah! You! Sheesh! Sheesh! Hold me, I love you!"

It was rare for Cellas to be this worked up.

Catching Cellas…

"Ursula, we did it, we won!"

"… Aah… but… I'm tired. When we get home, to my heart's content, sex… we must…"

Ursula said, and… crumbled.

She'd squeezed everything out to the limit. Naturally.

"… Rest well. Truly… thank you."

A bloodied, beat-up victory.

Melville… unless he handed over Uriela Aisha or something, this didn't square, damn it…

But we'd won, we'd won…

And where Black Cyclops had fallen, a single sparkling orb remained.

"… Hm, what is that?"

Cellas picked it up; I checked the system.

Core… well, a drop item, maybe.

I'd thought there was no core, but a tiny palm-sized core like this existed.

Or, born from the Great Magical Beast's fall.

"… Maybe it's some precious item?

"Like, something needed for Ursula to become a Demon God."

"I-I don't know, but…"

Well, Cellas would be at a loss too.

No point thinking about it now. Let's ask Almaria-san later.

… Aaah, but, tired, really tired. Mega-tired.

… When I got home, I'd let everyone heal me thoroughly.

So, as soon as Lyuka woke, we set off straight on the road home.