Clang!
The severed tail stinger crashed to the ground with a heavy thud. The moment it struck, the stinger disintegrated into a pile of gray ash.
Sizzle, sizzle!
From the severed base, fresh flesh rapidly regenerated, forming an entirely new tail stinger in seconds.
The sheer speed of regeneration made Ais pause briefly, but she quickly sprang away from her previous position.
Boom!
The newly grown tail immediately struck down at the spot she had just vacated.
Though Ais managed to evade with ease, that instant of distraction left a small wound on her face—not from the stinger itself, but from a shard of rock flung up by the impact.
'So fast!'
That single lapse in focus had nearly cost her. She could now clearly feel the vast difference in power between herself and the creature before her.
But the real problem was its regenerative ability. The tissue she had just cut off had fully regrown in an instant. It was almost absurd.
"As a monster capable of absorbing divine power, it differs fundamentally from ordinary beasts. There are already creatures in the Dungeon with frightening regenerative traits—but after consuming divine energy, this one's regeneration is on an entirely higher level."
"I see…"
Hearing Bell's calm explanation, Ais began to understand. Indeed, a monster that could devour divine power would naturally possess such monstrous regeneration.
"Even so," Bell continued, "no matter how strong its limbs may be, the key to every monster remains the same—its core."
The Magic Stone.
That single thought immediately flashed through Ais's mind.
"Don't worry too much about its body," Bell added. "Its legs are completely numb—practically useless now. It can still move a little, but not enough to fight properly."
"The tail spikes can still attack, but their range is limited."
Ais's sharp eyes scanned the creature's form, quickly determining the maximum reach of its tail strikes.
Its attacks could only cover the area immediately surrounding it. Without the ability to move, the range couldn't expand at all.
"The ground will start collapsing soon from all that impact damage," Bell warned. "Be careful when it starts gathering power to strike again. It's been pushed into a corner, which means it only has one move left."
Ais's eyes narrowed, and sure enough—Antares shifted, angling the blue crystal that imprisoned the goddess Artemis directly toward her.
Every instinct screamed danger. The sheer killing intent made her skin prickle. Evading this strike was her only choice—if she took it head-on, she'd be obliterated.
She darted to the side, slipping into one of the creature's blind spots—its flank.
An immobilized Antares was the perfect shield.
As long as it couldn't move freely, its side was the safest place to be. Unless it could twist its whole body, it would never be able to reach her there.
The blue crystal at Antares's center began to gather a dense, white radiance. But it was too slow—by the time it tried to line up its aim, Ais had already vanished into the dead angle of its attack.
However, Ais quickly realized—she was never the target.
Swoosh!
A massive pillar of energy, wide as a well shaft, fired straight toward Bell.
"!?"
Ais's eyes widened in shock. She hadn't expected the creature to go after Bell. Her face tensed, every muscle freezing from sudden dread.
But Bell, standing calmly where he was, simply watched the incoming beam of light without the slightest hint of fear.
"Just a beast after all."
Crack!
The light arrow stopped dead two meters before Bell, slamming into an invisible wall. Bell's only reaction was a cold, cutting remark.
"Who'd be dumb enough to stand around unguarded on the sidelines?"
Since setting foot in Orario, Bell had been cautious every step of the way. There was no chance he'd be caught off guard now.
The invisible barrier absorbed the divine energy from the light arrow, strengthening the layers of the internal ward. Of course, Bell had been ready for this from the start. But since he wasn't supposed to act—otherwise, he'd steal the "Excelia" meant for the "Sword Princess"—he simply stood there, observing the fight.
Had he chosen to intervene, Antares might not have lasted long anyway. With "Gluttony," "Greed," and "Envy" mixed together, even the Hydra's poison alone would have driven the creature to the brink of suicide.
"Phew…"
Seeing that Bell was unharmed, Ais exhaled softly—but she didn't dare relax. If she lost focus even for a moment, the scorpion's tail might swing her way next.
Its crystal core, its greatest weakness, was positioned at the front—guarded by two massive, vigilant claws. To strike that weak point, she'd have to be prepared for an immediate counterattack.
Was there a way to evade those claws and still reach the crystal?
Yes.
Ais's mind instantly formed the simplest solution.
"Tempest!"
Wind surged around her sword as she infused it with a torrent of magic. The blade of the Desperate gleamed, wrapped in razor-edged wind that could slice through the monster's iron-like shell with ease.
This time, she didn't waste any of her magic on defense or speed—everything went into pure offense.
Even that didn't satisfy her.
Snap!
She crushed the Rune Stone in her hand. In that instant, all five of her Status parameters surged to the absolute limits of her natural potential.
The overwhelming power rushing through her veins made her feel as if she could reach the heavens.
But she knew better. That sense of omnipotence was just an illusion—a familiar misjudgment after a sudden leap in strength. She had felt it before, and quickly grounded herself.
Recentered, she kicked off the ground.
Her speed exploded. In a single flicker of motion, she was already behind Antares—so fast that even she was taken aback.
'This is… my speed?'
There was no time for awe. She focused her mind, gathered her energy, and swung for the bases of the three tail spikes.
Shhh!
A faint slicing sound split the air as all three stingers were severed in a single blow.
"ROOOOAAARRR!!!"
Howling in pain and shock, Antares finally realized that the "little bug" it had been watching was gone.
By the time it turned its attention toward its tail, Ais was already at its right flank.
Without hesitation, she swung down at its right claw. Then she dropped low, channeling explosive force through her body, sliding beneath the creature's massive frame. Her eyes locked onto the left claw.
The instant she cleared its underside, she raised the Desperate high and drove it upward, piercing straight through the left claw.
Clang!Clang!
Both front claws hit the ground almost simultaneously.
A faint flush colored Ais's cheeks as she steadied her stance. She had executed every move in a single breath. Though she had disabled all of Antares's attack limbs, the effort left her muscles stiff and trembling.
Before she could even catch her breath, she saw the severed tail spikes and claws begin to regenerate. She drew in a sharp breath and gathered every ounce of her remaining magic. What came next would be her first true strike—and her all-out attack.
"Tempest!!!"
Wind converged around her sword, spinning violently until it formed a compact cyclone.
This was Ais's strongest technique.
She gripped the hilt with both hands and charged straight toward the crystal.
Clang!
The instant her blade touched it, a surge of unimaginable energy erupted from the crystal, clashing head-on with her storm of wind.
'So hard!'
Ais gritted her teeth. Victory was right there—how could she stop now?
Her father's and mother's expectations, the promise she had sworn to keep—none of it allowed her to falter.
"Forward!"
Her right hand clenched tighter around the hilt; her left hand pressed hard against the pommel.
"I will overcome this!
Now—move forward!!!"
Suddenly, the wind around the blade went wild, the force multiplying.
The sword tip pressed almost flush against the crystal, straining against its resistance.
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out as fractures began spreading from the point of contact.
Crack… crack… crack!
The cracks raced outward as her power overpowered the crystal's resistance.
Finally, the crystal lost the strength to fight back.
BOOM!!!
...
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