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Chapter 238
Boss Battle?!
The monster standing before me was thankfully still four-legged… But not thankfully, it was quite big. I guess if it were to stand with its two hind legs, it’d even be taller than me…
The monster’s body looked like a combination of a deer and a tiger—its head had antlers like horns, face like a tiger’s, and ears like a dog’s…
W-w-w-what the heck is this monster?!
I’ve never even heard about such a monster!!
“Reynald, what kind of monster is this?!”
The first thing in my mind was to turn to my walking encyclopaedia—Ein.
“That… Is that… a conjuring?” Ein’s answer came up with an unsure tone.
“Conjuring?” I tilted my head, unsure.
“It’s an ancient magic that not many can do… They can make apparition like this monster out of their magic. And it will stay, even if their creator has left… That’s why, conjuring,” Maiara explained.
“Ah… So it is based on the creator’s imagination, huh? Never seen a monster like that.”
It’d be cool if such a monster really exists!
I swallowed my last sentence as I continued to stare at the Conjured Chimera in front of me.
That was when I noticed…
“There’s a key hanging on its neck!” I said as I pointed at its neck. At the same time, the chimera shook its whole body, just like what dogs used to do especially after they got wet.
I wonder what it’s doing, shaking like that? Don’t tell me it’s actually tame?
“Hey, we just need to take the key, then?” I asked again when I noticed that the monster didn’t seem to be chasing after us.
“Yeah, it’s not attacking at all… The quest here is to grab the key from this conjuring, then?” Ein also speculated.
“Don’t drop your guards,” Maiara warned.
We nodded.
At that time, I had this inkling in my mind.
Although it seemed fierce, there seemed to be an element of a dog in this conjuring. Dogs tend to be tame and cute, so could it be a test of courage?
If we were able to look past its fierce exterior and treat it with care, could it be cooperative and willing to give us the key?
I walked closer and treated it like I would treat a dog. I crouched down, extended my hand towards it gently and…
“GRAAAAWRRR!!”
“AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!”
…and I ran away as it suddenly went berserk on me.
“Yeah… Seems like it’s the type of conjuring that will be tame to its creator only. Knowing that none of us are its creator, it will go berserk, wanting to tear our limbs…,” Ein crossed his arms and spoke.
“Say that sooner!” I said as I continued to run, becoming the bait without my consent.
“Bryne clîewen!”
Suddenly, I heard Maiara’s voice at the same time as there was a bright flash of light coming from behind me.
I turned around to see that Maiara had attacked the Conjured Chimera with her magic, halting its track before it turned to chase after Maiara.
“Maiara!!”
Somehow, it seemed as if the Conjured Chimera’s speed and fierceness increased the moment Maiara attacked it.
It really scared me to see the Conjured Chimera pouncing on Maiara.
“Bryne flân! Bryne clîewen! Gâl lid!”
Maiara didn’t waste any second as she continued to attack the conjuring repeatedly as she distanced herself from it.
Light magic, light arrow, light spears… Any kind of light attacks rained down on the conjuring.
However, the attacks only disturbed its movement. The conjuring didn’t seem to be damaged at all, oddly!
“Let’s help her!” Ein said.
“Eh?”
I wanted to say that it was obvious, but I was surprised when I noticed Ein who dashed off towards the conjuring right after he uttered those words.
Ein isn’t a fighter, right?!
But at that moment, I saw Ein suddenly taking out a small sword from inside his magical pouch and swinging it—Grabberton’s style, minus the power that the original style had.
Right…!
Though Ein is the Loera family’s heir that seems to have mostly Loera traits, his father is still part of Grabberton family!
By this time, I had completely forgotten that Ein was part Grabberton as well, and it was natural for those with Grabberton blood to wield swords.
However, it didn’t seem like Ein was strong enough to wield the usual Grabberton big swords and to swing it in Grabberton style.
Even so, it was enough to contribute to a fight!
Blood rushed to my brain when I saw Ein swinging his sword.
I too, can wield swords and fight with them!
I immediately materialized a sword from my light magic—as I remembered that we were still in disguise—imbued it with more magic and started swinging it towards the chimera.
“Hyaahhh!!” I tried slashing the conjuring with my magical sword, but it didn’t seem to give any significant damage other than stopping it…
“If slashing doesn’t work, what about…,” I took a deep breath as I imbued my body with magic and leapt while swinging my sword.
“Stabbing it?!” As I said it, I swung down my sword on the conjuring’s body, with its sharpest edge facing it.
With this angle, my speed, and the impact of this attack, it would surely stab at the conjuring’s body!
The moment my magic sword touched the conjuring’s body, however, it felt as if its body was made out of iron or barrier—for my sword didn’t stab through its body, but it was deflected!
“Gahhh!!”
I wasn’t prepared for this outcome, so I faltered a bit before jumping on the air to distance myself from the Conjured Chimera.
Well, well… Though the outcome wasn’t as what I wanted, at least our attacks successfully halted the chimera until there was finally a considerable distance between us and it… Hahaha!! (T__T)
“Grrrr…,” the Conjured Chimera growled at us as it seemed to be readying itself for another attack.
We locked eyes, being alert to one another, but nobody seemed to be ready to break this stalemate yet.
“Let’s attack it together!” Maiara commanded.
“Graaarrhhh!”
As if it understood what we wanted to do, the Conjured Chimera leaped towards us, not giving us the time to arrange our united attack.
“Let me!” Ein quickly rushed off to hold the chimera back with his sword.
“…Eynald!” I almost yelped his real name in surprise.
The distance between Ein and the chimera was so close now!!
“Escha, let’s attack it with our strongest magic!” Maiara quickly told me.
“Right!” I snapped out of it and focused on chanting my best light magic.
Ein, be safe…!
“O light, I beseech your help!”
“Betlic oferyrnan!”
At the same time as my chant, Maiara also shouted her chant.
I was chanting in the ancient language to make sure the magic was more powerful. But surprisingly, Maiara switched to chanting not in ancient language!
A giant cross of light appeared before me at the same time I felt that a huge mana was drained from my body, as it aggressively launched its blinding attack towards the chimera.
Meanwhile, I saw Maiara swinging her hand as countless light appeared from all over her body, moving as if they were small birds of lights, before they merged and launched from Maiara’s body—the giant bird of light hurling at the speed of the light towards the Conjured Chimera—
“…!”
Ein noticed our attack as he quickly jumped back, dodging the attacks.
Our attacks successfully hit the conjuring only, the impact between our magic and the conjuring caused a blinding light at the same time as some dust flying around.
“Cough cough… Did we do it?” I tried to open my eyes, waiting for the surrounding dust and light to disappear, revealing the place where we attacked the conjuring last time.
With this kind of impact, it would surely be defeated, right?
I gave it my all, and Maiara seemed to have given it her all, too…
“What?!”
“Grrr!!”
There it was, growling with what seemed to be a smug face, with a body that only seemed to be a bit scathed…
Eh?
It was such a rapid progress, but I definitely saw its wound healing up very quickly!
“So, it’s not like we didn’t do any damage… We damaged it, but it’s regenerating so quickly?” I said with a trembling voice.
How are we to pass through this boss battle, then?
“…The medium is this area, huh?” Maiara muttered.
“But we’re locked up here. We can’t go anywhere,” Ein said and then he suddenly looked up as if he had an idea and said slowly, “What if there’s a trick?”
“A trick…?” I asked.
“Graaaawrrr!”
But the conjuring didn’t seem like it wanted to let us finish the conversation, as it pounced and attacked us.
It seemed to target what it perceived to be the weakest link among us, as it aggressively lunged itself to Ein and…
“Aah!!” Ein’s calm voice suddenly went up several pitches with this scream, but I’d scream too if I were in his place—the Conjured Chimera actually bit on his shirt and carrying Ein with it!
The Conjured Chimera swung Ein around as if it was playing with it before it…
“It’s throwing Reynald!!” I quickly gasped at the situation when I noticed it swung Ein to another direction with such impact, after making sure it leapt quite high above.
I reflexively chased after Ein, wanting to do whatever it is in my power to help him.
“Go after the conjuring!”
Surprisingly, Ein didn’t look too panicked as he instructed me to not worry about him.
Huh?
I halted my steps, but I was in dilemma since Ein clearly seemed like he needed help!
“Take this!” Maiara was the first one to react, however.
She swung her hand and a fierce light beam emerged from her hand, causing the monster—who wasn’t ready for another action yet—to be pushed by the light beam and hit the other side of the wall.
At the same time, I saw Ein tinkering with a small object that suddenly showed up in his hand before he landed safely without any issue.
“Please continue your words from before,” Maiara told Ein.
W-whoa, this is so savage!!
“If we can’t defeat it, what if we just focus on escaping from this place?” Ein said calmly, as if he wasn’t the person that the conjuring swung around earlier.
“Ah…!” But thanks to his words, it finally dawned on me.
“Let’s go grab that key! Now’s our chance!” I said as I saw the chimera collapsing on the ground once all the dust and light were gone.
I quickly dashed towards the chimera, wanting to quickly snatch the key and escape from this situation.
“No, wait—”
“Careful!”
I heard Ein and Maiara’s warning from behind me.
Just as I was wondering what could be the problem since the conjuring was now lying defenseless on the ground… Suddenly, the Conjured Chimera turned its head to look at me with its red eyes glowing.
And in the next moment… It suddenly disappeared from its former position.
“Huh?!”
I was running frantically and it was hard to stop so suddenly, but the scenery right in front of me frightened me so much to the point of turning silly.
Right, suddenly…
The Conjured Chimera’s wide open mouth and its sharp teeth were right before my eyes!!!!!!
*Insert PTSD flashbacks from Puella Magi Madoka Magica’s episode three*
It won’t end that way for Escha, right…?
Wow, I sure did something wrong, to the point my cm is in waiting list now…