"…!"
Amaranth, behind me, began to tremble violently, her teeth chattering.
"What's wrong? Are you afraid of heights?"
"No, it's not that... I'm cold."
"Why not wear the Rakshasa Sword? It blocks heat, cold, and even electricity, right?"
"My magical power is almost depleted. Using the Onijin Sword's release just once is probably all I can manage now. I can't afford to use more magic."
"Ah, I see. Well, bear with it then."
"You seem unusually unaffected by the cold..."
"…"
Indeed, why didn't I feel the cold, despite Amaranth's obvious discomfort? Probably because of Holly's frequent possesshions, my body had toughened up.
Determined to finish this quickly, I was startled when Amaranth suddenly clung tightly to me from behind.
"…ugh…"
Though necessary for her to cling onto me as we rode together, the force of her grip was uncomfortably strong.
"What's going on? Is it the cold?"
"I'm... getting scared of the height..."
"What?"
"It's too high…"
"Well, we are heading above the clouds…"
"…I'm really getting scared now… Can we go down for a bit?"
"What!? No way we're going down!"
"The thought of fighting at this altitude is insane…"
"You were the one who suggested it!"
"I didn't realize how different it would be in reality… I'm regretting it now."
"Regret all you want, but make sure you take down that dungeon boss. I can't do it."
"…Understood…"
"…"
This was bad. Amaranth was completely unreliable.
Holly's advice to fetch Shion seemed more sensible now. Turning to Holly, I found her in a foul mood.
"…You two seem to be getting along quite well. You really have no discernment, do you…"
It wasn't about getting along; I was just being clung to. Being embraced from behind by a glamorous woman might be considered a perk, but it was painfully intense due to her strength."Huh? Riding the Pegasus Sword and climbing a rope ladder are completely different things!"
"Is that so?"
"…"
"Where exactly is this 'core'?"
Upon reaching above the clouds, I scanned the surroundings.
"…Crow! There it is!"
Following Holly's direction, I saw it – a space producing spherical black clouds distinctly different from the surrounding black clouds. The black orb, intensely dark, seemed to generate the surrounding clouds without losing its density.
"That darkness resembles the monsters and the boss from the dungeon. That black orb must be the core."
"Amaranth! That's it! Hit that black orb!"
I instructed Amaranth, who was shivering and clinging to me.
"Alright… I got it…"
Amaranth grabbed the Onijin Sword from her back, aiming its tip at the black orb.
I had wondered how she managed to wield such a long two-handed sword on her back. Apparently, she used the Onijin Sword's deployment feature to attach it to her back, detaching it only for use.
"Cure, I can't aim properly. My hands are trembling too much."
As I pondered this, Amaranth's admisshion struck me. Missing the shot here would be disastrous.
I held the reins with my left hand and placed my right on the Onijin Sword along with Amaranth's.
"Just point the tip?"
"Yes, sorry… keep it steady like this…"
Together, we aimed the Onijin Sword at the core of the black clouds.
"Here goes."
At that moment, a blinding flash and thunderous roar overwhelmed me."…!"
The flash and impact were tremendous. Such a powerful magical attack - beyond mere lightning, it was an indescribable blade of light. Despite the blinding light, I clenched my right hand, which was pressed against the Onijin Sword, ensuring the aim didn't deviate.
"…"
Eventually, the flash subsided.
"…It didn't work, Crow…"
"What?"
Holly muttered with a sigh. I looked at the black orb hit by the Onijin Sword's electric slash. The core of the orb was gouged out, but it was already regenerating. It didn't seem like it would vanish from the effective strike.
"Why…? It should have hit!"
"That woman wasn't at her best. The power was insufficient, and the aim was slightly off."
Off target? Even in such a huge orb, there was a more precise core?
Focusing on the regenerating black orb, I noticed something in the area being repaired - a black gem, like the embodiment of darkness itself. That must be the real target.
"Amaranth! Can you shoot again?"
"…No, I can’t… I'm sorry…"
Amaranth behind me slumped over, exhausted, her complexion terribly pale from depleted magic power and the surrounding cold.
"She's useless, isn't she? You might as well throw her away."
"…"
Holly's suggestion to casually dispose of a woman struck me as harsh. I wasn't particularly feminist or chivalrous, but dropping an exhausted, defenseless woman from this height was out of the question. It'd be inhumane, even though Holly wasn't human.
"…"
There was no time for our usual back-and-forth. We had come too far to just return and fetch Shion. Fortunately, the exact location of the core was revealed by the previous attack. Despite the attempt being fruitless, I wasn't ready to give up and call Shion yet. The key was right there, thanks to the first strike."Amranth, I'm sorry, but could you stick with me a little longer?"
"What are you planning?"
"I've spotted its weak point. I'll dive in close, then you slash it directly with the Onijin Sword."
"…! Very well. Just this once, I entrust my sword to you."
"Holly! Lend me your strength! Enhance my body even further!"
"…Ha, ha, ha! You're not one for such lines, are you! But of course, I will!"
Holly's face lit up with a smile as she possessed me.
Explosive power coursed through my body.
I could feel my body reaching a new realm of strength.
Power surged within me, thoughts became clearer, willpower soared.
Is this a glimpse of a hero's strength?
"Amranth! It'll be tough, but use the Rakshasa Sword!"
"Understood!"
Behind me, I could sense Amranth transforming the Rakshasa Sword from its cloak form to full armor.
With a deafening roar, the Tenma Sword lunged towards the black orb.
We cut through the air with unprecedented speed.
It was a velocity I couldn't have endured if not for Holly's possesshion.
At that speed, the Tenma Sword zoomed towards the orb.
The orb, sensing its own peril, rapidly morphed.
In an instant, the surrounding black clouds transformed into spear-like shapes.
"…!"
Countless spears attacked us from all directions, along with tentacle-like appendages trying to ensnare and hinder our advance.
"Amranth! Hold on tighter!"
"Yes!"
The Tenma Sword deftly dodged the numerous spears and tentacles. The landscape whirled around us, upending heaven and earth.
But it allowed us to get closer to the core of the black orb.
"Here! Cut it doooown!"
"Aaaaargh!"
We plunged towards the center of the black orb, screaming.
The view was engulfed in darkness, blinding me completely.
I couldn't see where we were flying.
But then,
"…! There's resistance!"
The moment Amranth's Onijin Sword sliced through the core of the black orb, the scenery around us transformed completely.In an instant, the black orb and the surrounding black clouds vanished, dissipating into nothingness.
"…"
As the black clouds disappeared, revealing the landscape below, I thought to myself, "Wait, wasn't that just about the coolest thing I've ever done?" It's as if I've used up a lifetime's worth of coolness in one go. But then again, Holly was the one controlling the Tenma Sword, and it was Amranth who actually cut through the dungeon's boss, the black cloud's core. So, as usual, it was my signature move: "passing the buck."
"Yikes…"
After successfully defeating the dungeon's boss and returning to the ground, I found myself in a dilemma. Amranth was convulsing and had lost consciousness due to exhaustion, magic power depletion, and hypothermia.
I laid her on the ground to monitor her condition. It seemed like she was suffering from severe hypothermia due to magic depletion and a decrease in body temperature. Her consciousness didn't return, and the convulshions didn't stop. This could be life-threatening.
"Holly, what do you think we should do?"