They hurled attacks at the ogre lord one after another, yet the ogre lord remained unscathed.
“GOouAaOaA!”
With every howl that bellowed from the ogre lord’s lips, the skills they casted were cancelled.
Gi Za shot his skills one after another, while Gi Go Amatsuki discreetly attacked with his only remaining sword, but the ogre lord remained unharmed. It was as if it had received some divine protection keeping him from harm.
Whether it was from in front, behind, or even down at its legs, not a scratch could be left on its body.
“…What the hell is that freak?” Rashka complained through his ragged breath. The haphazard use of the black light had taken a toll on him.
“A divine protection, perhaps.” Aluhaliha’s brows knitted. In the first place, it was plenty strange that it was even here. This was the holy land of the goblins, home of the revered Lord of Decay.
No one can enter this place without his permission.
If so, then…
“No.” Aluhaliha shook his head, stopping his thoughts.
“I’ll go for his eyes. Cover me!” Princess Narsa said.
The other two goblins nodded, and Princess Narsa pulled an arrow from her quiver.
“Arrow feathers!”
The arrowhead burned a fist-sized flame.
The eyes were the weakness of all creatures. Even the ogre lord shouldn’t be an exception, but it was too tall.
Whether it was Aluhaliha who rode on the back of a rider-beast or Rashka who boasted a tall stature, none could reach past the ogre lord’s hands.
It was too dangerous to bet everything on one shot. If even a single one of them were to go down, the damage dealt to their strength would be too great.
“Don’t rush. We’ll do this slow and steady.” Aluhaliha said.
Rashka, Aluhaliha, and Gilmi covered Narsa as she shot her arrows.
But, since none of their attacks could work against the enemy, then, of course, neither would they work for cover.
“You dare!” The ogre lord grew irritated at their relentless attack. “Earth, tremble for me! (Grand Slam)”
The giant axe descended upon the ground, and the earth shook, breaking the balance of the charging goblins, forcing Narsa and Gilmi’s arrows to miss.
“My heart rides on the wind. (Windea)”
The air shook, and four small tornadoes sprouted around the goblin rare. They struck against the ogre lord only to be dispelled with a blow, but that was more than enough to stop it in its tracks.
“Damn it… Our attacks are just barely enough to stop it from moving.” Gi Za grew impatient as he felt his ether drying.
There was little hope to victory from the start, but now, the battle was growing desperate. Still… they couldn’t stop.
The murderer of the king could not be forgiven.
“Sky, tremble for me! (Ru Grand Slam)”
But, it was in that moment of hesitation, that the ogre lord’s voice bellowed.
It swung its axe, tearing through the air as its frenzied howl bellowed. The axe did not touch the ground, but the earth shook all the same, and the air lashed itself against the petrified goblins.
The goblins have been fighting all this time bloodied and bruised, so, it was no tall tale to say that that one attack was enough to put a stop to them. Gi Za himself was already tottering about as his ether neared empty, and whatever remained of his strength left as that one attack threw him off his feet.
“Damn, it… Are we, so powerless, that we, can’t even, take, vengeance?” Gi Za’s bones creaked as he forced his body to stand. And when he did, he saw the ogre lord set its sights on Aluhaliha.
“…Like a strong wind. Like a whirlwind. (Wind Cutter)”
Clouds of dust rose as two blades of wind tried to stop the ogre lord, but the price for that was the last of his ether.
“If you want to die that badly, then I’ll start with you.” The ogre lord mocked as it approached, then it swung its axe.
He felt death come upon him, and he smiled.
“King… I…”
“My body is like a cloud of dust! (Accel)”
Then in the next moment, a familiar back appeared before him.
“Impossible…”
That nostalgic voice, that ever-familiar chant… It was as if…
“Do the dead dream, King?”
The king turned to him and laughed.
“I’ll listen to your complaints later.”
There was no mistaking it. As soon as he realized that, an inexplicable emotion welled forth from inside him, and he couldn’t look up.
What was that? That burning heat that gushed forth from within, filling every corner of his body.
“Can you fight, Gi Za?” The king asked, but his back commanded him differently. Stand up and fight! It said.
That majestic back full of dignity and glory was the back he had sworn to follow. And so, with shaking hands and creaking arms, and though his legs begged at him to stop as he twisted them back, Gi Za stood up.
“…But, of course. Who do you think I am?”
He would stand together with him and fight. There was no greater joy than that.
Even if he had no more strength, and even if his ether had gone dry, he would stand with the king–––.
Then, somehow someway, he felt the wind blow within.
◇◆◇
I invocated Accel, and rammed my body against the Ogre Lord. The ogre lord was caught unguarded and was thrown off. I used that opportunity to check up on Gi Za.
“Do the dead dream, King?” He asked in a shaking voice I was not familiar with. Looks like he knew about my death. Coming back to life after that is a crazy story wherever you go, it’s not strange he can’t believe his eyes.
But, now’s not the time.
“I’ll listen to your complaints later.” I told him.
Cuts littered his body and his ether had dried up, but aside from that, he didn’t seem that hurt.
“Can you fight, Gi Za?”
Stand up and fight, Gi Za. I need your power to defeat that thing.
“…But, of course. Who do you think I am?”
Arrogant as ever. But, it wouldn’t do any good if you weren’t like that. Weakness doesn’t suit you.
“This is…” Gi Za muttered, and I turned around, though I kept an eye out for the ogre lord. And there, I saw Gi Za kneeling as a black light covered him. Is he… evolving!?
The already human-like appearance grew even more human as his body transformed. The bluish-white skin of his was the only thing that marked him inhuman.
He had five fingers, and his height reached only up my chest. He was small but not overly for a human. And while he had a cold countenance that seemed to speak of his wisdom, he was handsome nevertheless.
Damn it, I’m actually worse off than a beast.
His class has changed from a druid to a shaman. Speaking of which, isn’t this my first time seeing his status?
“It’s been so long since the last time, I’d forgotten what it feels like to evolve.” Gi Za calmly analyzed himself. Too calm, even. He’s reached a class equal to those of the nobles, so I’ll have to give him a new name.
“King,” he called. “It’s coming.”
There was no need to ask what was coming for a fearsome howl pierced my ears in the next moment.
“Cover me,” I told him.
“Leave it to me,” he replied.
And like that, the curtains on our battle against the ogre lord was drawn once more.
