Battle with the Monster’s Leader
“Too bad, isn’t it? It all ends here.”
Surrounded by monsters, I hear these words. The voice is familiar, but the figure emerging from the trees, clad in armor, is completely unfamiliar.
The armor bears a striking resemblance to the odd attire of the beastmen, yet it’s ostentatiously flashy. The armor incorporates shining blue crystal-like components, which reduce its protective coverage. Conversely, its jet-black coating has thickened, accentuating muscular outlines. Unlike the beastmen who forgo helmets to accommodate their ears, this figure sports a helmet extending to the neck, prioritizing style over functionality.
“From here on out, I’ll handle our adversary with this Rising Suit!”
Asuru, donning the eye-catching armor without a hint of embarrassment, brandishes a blaster rifle and announces his intention.
“You…”
“We’ll discuss this later. Step back for now.”
Asuru advances to shield me from the bewildered monsters, initiating a swift and ruthless onslaught.
The armor, presumably known as the Rising Suit, sparkles with the movement, leaving afterimages. Asuru doesn’t merely evade; with each maneuver, he fires his rifle, quickly reducing our pursuers to lifeless husks.
However, not all fall so easily. One monster, shoving its comrades aside, steps forward.
“That’s…”
“What is that? I’ve never seen such a creature before.”
Asuru, momentarily doubtful of his rifle’s efficacy, scrutinizes the newcomer.
“That’s the leader of the monsters! Be careful! The Blaster didn’t affect it!”
“Oh…”
The creature, adorned with semi-transparent organ-like appendages, stands before us.
“Admirable, leaving your underlings to face us directly. A desperate strategy, but who am I to judge?”
Asuru, rifle slung over his shoulder, addresses the monster leader with a familiar tone.
Despite his casual demeanor, the tension between them escalates until it suddenly explodes into action.
“Take this!”
Asuru, seeking to validate my warning, fires. Yet, the scene unfolds as before.
Steam rises from the monster leader, unharmed by the beams. The cloth-like organs seem to dissipate the beam’s energy.
Not only that, the creature extends its right hand toward Asuru.
“—Huh!?”
Caught off guard, Asuru is struck by a dark red lightning bolt, thrown back by the immense force.
“Grraaahh!?”
The impact burns and smokes his Rising Suit. Even at a distance, the heat is palpable.
“Damn it!”
Asuru, thrown against a tree, quickly recovers. Could this resilience be due to the Rising Suit’s protection?
“The enemy’s attack wasn’t psychic. It appears to absorb laser energy, converting it into a counterattack.”
“Seriously!? So firing was a mistake.”
Eve’s voice emanates from the suit, leading Asuru to curse his carelessness. Worse yet, the suit’s systems shut down from the attack.
“Huh? No way!?”
Unsure what a system shutdown entails, it’s clear the suit’s power is dwindling as the crystals dim.
Silence falls, but the monster leader’s superiority is palpable as it approaches.
“Asuru! Escape and leave me! Your armor’s compromised, isn’t it?”
“Do you think I’d abandon you now? I still have magic!”
Discarding his scorched rifle, Asuru conjures magic with both hands.
- Fire.
- Water.
- Wind.
- Thunder.
Four disks, each a meter in diameter and of different elements, manifest. This severing magic is advanced, and I’m astounded that a human, without the elves’ long lifespan or ears, can wield such power. Even with my magic, I could only manage two disks.
“Take this!”
Asuru launches the disks, each striking the leader without fail, yet…
“…It’s not working!?”
To his dismay, they shatter upon contact, utterly ineffective.
“Damn it!”
Faced with failure, Asuru opts for hand-to-hand combat.
“Oh… Yaaah!”
His attacks, a series of magnificent strikes, belie the suit’s inoperability, yet they make no impression on the demon leader.
Predicting Asuru’s five-strike combo, the creature seizes his arm.
“Ugh!?”
Struggling in vain against its grip, the leader lands a blow to Asuru’s head, cracking his stylish helmet to reveal his face. Seizing this moment, the monster also captures Asuru’s other arm.
“Arrrgh!”
As the monster opens its jaws wide, presumably to crush Asuru’s head, but Asuru smirks and retorts.
“You fool.”