Chapter 55 The Troublesome Duo
"However, this is a problem, Liora."
"? What is it? Dear, God?"
"It seems some players rushed ahead. The battle has already started… At this rate, the encirclement might be broken before we even arrive."
"Humans are foolish, yes."
"They're spirits though."
Our decision to grind levels right up to the last minute backfired.
In a hurry, we mounted Samurai (in horse mode) and raced toward the battlefield.
◆ From Dodon's perspective
A dense forest, thick with overgrowth.
Part of it had been cut down by the players, turning it into a small clearing. This place was supposed to become an arena for drawing in and fighting Gimora. Discover hidden content at empire
The plan was for a large number of players to lure Gimora here and attack it as a group.
But that's not how things turned out.
"Damn it…"
Dodon was one of the front-line players.
He had already lost two NPCs in the past, but since switching to his current NPC, things had been going smoothly.
He had even defeated Helmuth and was now aiming to be the first to take down Gimora.
What a fool he had been.
"Why… Why did it turn out like this?!"
The party that Dodon had assembled had already been wiped out.
Everyone, except for Dodon's contracted NPC, Era, had been lost. Gimora, who had already taken down countless NPCs, cracked its neck as if bored.
"What did you expect? I am one of the Four Heavenly Kings. Of course, I am strong if you fight me head-on. You really thought I was weak just because I have been running away? Tch… What a fool!"
'As she says… It'smy fault ughhh—I can't lose Era!!'
"Ugh… Era! Run, get out of here!"
Dodon quickly turned to his contracted NPC, Era.
There, a badly wounded boy lay on the ground, discarded like a rag. He looked as though he could easily blend in with the surrounding corpses at any moment.
Era was by no means weak.
He was level 68. Originally a mid-level adventurer, Dodon had diligently supported him and turned him into a formidable warrior.
Not only had Dodon equipped him with a powerful title, but he had also provided him with unique skills and strong weapons.
And yet… Gimora was on a completely different level.
They should have waited until they had encircled it. His obsession with being the first to defeat it had blinded him to the situation.
'I'm… I'm nothing more than an average player after all…'
Realizing this now was too late.
Gimora's hand was reaching out toward his contracted NPC. Dodon's [Manifestation] time had already run out, leaving him with no choice but to watch.
To witness the final moments.
"Someone! Someone, please help! I'll apologize! It was all my fault!"
Dodon had a deep attachment to Era.
They had spent countless days adventuring together. He knew Era was just an NPC, just a game character that could die.
There was no reason to panic over something like that.
But.
But the time Dodon had spent with Era was irreplaceable to him. It was as if he had been talking to a real person, as if he had found a true friend.
Even with Dodon's difficult personality, Era would always give a wry smile and put up with him.
'Oh Dodon, you're hopeless.'
That smile—Era was, to Dodon—
"Please stop! He's… He's my first friend!"
"Tough luck. Seems your contracted spirit was a fool."
A wind bullet was unleashed.
A devastating blast, like being struck by a direct gale… an inevitable fatal blow.
The swirling dust turned the entire area white. But in the midst of that whiteness, a presence even purer than the surrounding whiteness made an entrance.
Through his tear-filled eyes, Dodon saw it… he witnessed it.
The figure that cut through the dust with her shoulder.
Standing in front of Dodon.
A young girl, lazily carrying a large scythe on her back, exuding the overwhelming presence of a grim reaper.
Contrary to the dense aura of death around her, she had a halo above her head and a pair of wings on her back, making her look like an angel.
A contradictory, purely beautiful figure.
"A-Liora?!"
Without paying any attention to Dodon's wide-eyed exclamation, the grim reaper girl twirled her eyes in madness and smiled with ecstasy.
"God says…"
The young girl, who had sliced through a seemingly unavoidable magical attack with her scythe, pointed her weapon at the boss and declared.
"You will die here."
"Heh, scary. Killing women and children… as a knight, that's terrifying."
Gimora raised its sword, and Liora, wielding her scythe, leapt toward it.
A battle between top-tier players was about to begin.
Dodon, drenched in tears, could only watch and pray.
The young girl, cloaked in darkness, spun her eyes in mad devotion, and her lips curled into a sinister smile.
"Keep attacking, Liora!"
"Y-Yes…! God-!"
Liora swung her scythe as if she were dancing. Opposing her, Gimora effortlessly parried each of her high-speed attacks. To be blunt, in terms of technique, Liora was completely outclassed.
No matter how many times she was cut, Liora relentlessly charged forward. She looked like a mad dog, her face twisted in a crooked grin, her eyes spinning wildly with fanatic devotion.
Liora seemed weaker than Gimora.
"But," I muttered.
Liora swung her scythe wide, sending Gimora flying. The smile on her face strained, hiding the pain beneath. A single drop of sweat trickled down her dried, undead cheek.
"Damn, this is troublesome!"
"I have God on my side."
At this moment, Liora held the advantage. I had been continuously casting [Darkness] to support her, enveloping Gimora's vision with a dark cloth.
I also created platform of darkness beneath her feet, disrupting her balance every time Gimora tried to step forward.
Although it was a skill that only created tangible darkness, it was the pinnacle of disruption techniques.
Thanks to this, Gimora, despite being the stronger opponent, couldn't fully unleash her potential.
This is the essence of CC, crowd control—dominating the battlefield like a deep, all-encompassing darkness.
That said, Gimora is one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon Lord's Army, a battle-hardened foe.
As an ordinary human, eventually, she will see through my disruptions. I must always be one step ahead of her thoughts, always breaking her predictions.
This battle, more than a fight between Liora and Gimora, is a mental contest between Gimora and me.
"So the real nuisance was the dark spirit," Gimora murmured.
"There is no spirit."
"Huh?"
It irked me to hear Liora being underestimated. The moment Gimora glared at me, Liora's speed surged. This wasn't due to any skill but pure fanaticism driving her to boost herself.
Caught off guard by the sudden acceleration, Gimora was grazed by her scythe.
[Swift Killing Blade]
The skill that slashes agility itself caused Gimora's speed to slow slightly.
"This is a real pain!"
Gimora cast a wind spell on herself, granting him a speed buff that exceeded the amount he had just lost. Liora, now open after her attack, was defenseless.
I could sense Gimora aiming a strike at Liora neck. However, Liora calmly let go of her scythe and activated a martial arts skill with her bare hands.
"[Offering: Dance of the Maiden]"
This was one of the arts from the [Shrine Maiden] skillset. It was a technique of pure martial arts, dealing direct damage with rapid, powerful kicks.
As Gimora raised her sword, Liora's small foot stomped on her face, the leapt.
"Dear God!!!"
"Yes, I have your scythe right here."
"Thank you! Thank you very much!"
Liora summoned Samurai through [Tame] and tried to capture the fallen Gimora. However, Gimora enveloped herself in wind, controlled her posture mid-air, and escaped.
"Samurai, activate new mode."
『――!』
Shio began to transform. It took the form of a massive cage. A mimic-made colosseum, encircling both us and Gimora.
This was Mode: Prison.
Gimora chuckled dryly.
"This is insane. You're going this far against the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings?"
"It doesn't matter. Before God, all are equally trash."
"You shouldn't call people trash, little lady."
Gimora sighed as if giving up, quietly inhaled, and spoke.
"Guess I'll stop running then."
It seemed Gimora was about to get serious.
▽
I had heard about Gimora's skill set from Jack-Jack, who was once her friend. Though she had become undead, her core abilities likely hadn't changed much.
Name: Gimora Arsine
Gender: Female
Level: 100
Race: Elf (before becoming undead)
Job: Great Adventurer
Magic: Wind Magic 100
Production: Document Work 100
Skills: Appraisal 100, Item Box 100, Knightly Arts 100 Army Command 100, Escape Techniques 100, Anti-Knight Arts 100 Magic Power Enhancement, Physical Enhancement, MP Auto-Recovery 100
Title: Self-Deriding Anti-Knight
Unique Skill: Supreme Execution Boost
This was her profile.
Surprisingly, Gimora wasn't built for direct combat. However, her skill set is what makes her such a formidable opponent.
Even the strongest, Eculis, once said that Gimora was stronger than him.
The most troublesome ability is her unique skill, [Supreme Execution Boost], which enhances the success rate of all her actions.
In short, it's a cheat skill that ensures his strategies and moves always succeed.