The Silver Ogre grinned and raised its sword. In the next instant, it was right in front of me, its greatsword swinging down with terrifying speed.
「Yuuki-san! Gahhh!?」
Haruka’s voice rang out as my body was violently thrown backward. The sound of steel clashing echoed through the hall as Haruka and I were both sent flying.
「Haruka!?」
「I told you… I’d protect you…」
Haruka had blocked the Silver Ogre’s attack with her shield, but her lower body had been deeply slashed, and blood was pouring out.
「Damn it! 『Those wounded before me, be healed by my power! Let this strength mend every injury! —Perfect Heal!』」
「Are you okay, Haruka!?」
「Yes! Thanks to you, Yuuki-san, I’m fine!」
Haruka stood up beside me. I hadn’t let my guard down—or so I thought. But I had clearly underestimated the situation.
I glared at the High Ogre. The way it stared at us, watching Haruka recover instantly, suggested that it had expected as much—or maybe it was just thrilled to have found a worthy opponent in this dungeon.
Or perhaps it was simply confident. Either way, it let out a vile, echoing laugh.
「You bastard…」
I gripped my sword and shield tightly and channeled reinforcement magic throughout my body. I launched myself forward and drove a powerful kick into the Silver Ogre’s shield.
—CRACK CRACK CRACK!
The shield was reinforced with metal, but it was still wood-based—and it splintered under the force of my kick. Using the shield as a foothold, I twisted my body and aimed for its neck.
「Haaaahhh!!」
The High Ogre leaned back, narrowly dodging the attack. I flipped backward and created some distance, but it quickly turned toward me.
「GRAAAAAAHHH!」
It roared and charged at me, the sheer pressure of its presence overwhelming.
「UOOOOHHH!!」
I raised my shield and focused my magic to parry the blow… but the sheer strength behind the strike made my hands go numb.
「You… goddamn brute!!」
I countered, aiming for the softer flesh inside its joints. The strike wasn’t deep, but it managed to draw blood.
「GAAAAAHHH!!」
「HAAAAAHHH!!」
Our blades clashed repeatedly, each exchange leaving new wounds on the ogre’s body. Every time I created an opening, Touka’s arrows would fly in, disrupting its movements.
「Ugaaahhh!!」
Frustrated, the Silver Ogre ripped a chunk of rock from the wall and hurled it toward Touka—but Haruka’s shield intercepted it, blocking the attack completely.
「UGAAAAHHH!!!」
「Like hell I’m letting you through!!」
As the Silver Ogre tried to charge toward them, I struck at a vulnerable point—aiming for a spot that could have been a fatal blow.
「GRAAAAAAAHHHHH!!」
「Damn it! It’s this dangerous even when it’s just flailing around!!」
Its massive sword came down, but I deflected only the strikes aimed directly at me. The problem was the sheer unpredictability of its wild swings.
「True… but this does open up some openings!!」
—CLANG! CLANG!
The sound of swords clashing and sliding off shields echoed through the hall as we traded blows. Strike after strike, the fierce exchange continued.
Little by little, the Silver Ogre was accumulating wounds. From an outsider’s perspective, it might have seemed like we were gaining the upper hand, but internally, I was growing more and more desperate.
(I can’t create an opening for a decisive strike…)
A powerful spell would give us an advantage—but casting one would require time, and just defending against these attacks was already pushing me to my limit. I couldn’t possibly ask Haruka to hold the line alone.
And shortening the chant would weaken the spell’s power—meaning it wouldn’t be enough to deliver a fatal blow.
(If I’m going to strike, it has to be with everything I’ve got!)
「Haruka! Work with me! We’ll parry it together and gain some distance!」
「Yes!!」
「「Haaaaaaaahhh!!」」
—CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!!
「And here’s a bonus!! Touka!」
「Leave it to me!!」
「GYAAAAAARGHH!!?」
We knocked it off balance—its knee left unguarded—and I drove a throwing knife into the exposed joint while Touka’s arrow pierced it from the opposite side. It was the first truly effective strike we’d landed.
I backed away, catching my breath. At this rate, we were going to get worn down. The Silver Ogre’s stamina was several times greater than ours—it was only a matter of time before we got overpowered.
「Looks like we’ll have to go all-in… Haruka, Touka, get over here!」
They regrouped beside me as I kept my gaze fixed on the Silver Ogre. I quickly outlined the plan.
「Think you can pull it off, Haruka?」
「You can count on me!!」
「Touka?」
「Obviously!」
「Good. Then let’s do this!」
We spread out, each of us raising our weapons.
「First, let me disrupt its vision! 『Shards of ice, become sharp bullets and strike down my foe! —Ice Bullet!』」
It was a shortened chant, so the ice bullets were only about the size of pebbles—but it was enough. The Silver Ogre wouldn’t be able to ignore them.
The barrage of ice struck the ogre’s body. The damage was minimal, but the sheer number of projectiles clearly irritated it. It flinched, trying to swat them away.
「Touka! Now!」
「Been waiting for this!」
—WHOOSH!
At my signal, multiple arrows cut through the gaps between the ice shards—one of them embedding itself in the High Ogre’s left eye.
Taking advantage of that moment, I closed the distance and drove my final knife into its other eye.
「GYAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!」
「Guh…!!」
Blinded and in agony, the Silver Ogre thrashed wildly. One of its swings struck me hard, sending me flying. But before I hit the ground, Haruka caught me.
「Thanks, Haruka… 『My magic, heal my wounds—Heal.』」
I restored my aching arm and stood up.
「Haruka, cover me!」
「Yes!」
「『O my magic, form a spear of absolute frost! Pierce through the enemy before me, freeze them to their core, and steal their life—Ice Trident!』」
I gathered my magic, creating a massive three-pronged spear of ice.
「This ends NOW!!」
I hurled the enormous Ice Trident toward the Silver Ogre.
With both its eyes destroyed, it had no way to evade the attack. The spear struck dead center—an explosion of icy shockwaves and frozen mist erupted, sending the ogre sliding backward for several meters before coming to a stop.
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