Abyssal Kraken Subjugation Battle (2)

-Chwaaaak!

‘Muohohohoho!!!’

Ethan’s sword strike, empowered by the Sharp Blade buff I cast on him, sliced through one of the Kraken’s arms in a V-shape, like chopping a large green onion.

To be precise, he first sliced it at a 45-degree angle with the sword in his left hand, then blocked the falling and flying tentacle fragments with the sword in his right hand.

Regardless of the process, there was no doubt that his strike had landed effectively. Thanks to it, I was certain that we no longer needed to just evade the monster’s attacks.

‘I thought I was going to die from fear.’

If that attack hadn’t landed, not only Ethan but also I, who was behind him, would have been flattened like dried squid, side by side.

If we died grotesquely like that on this lake, not even Celista, let alone Celista’s grandfather, could save us. Then, Ethan’s and my weekend date would have ended in a truly dog-like death.

It was a relief that Ethan trusted me and swung his sword to the very end. If he hadn’t fought with all his might, the buff wouldn’t have been enough to make up for the lack of power.

‘They say buff magic is more effective with higher trust, which means….’

A sudden thought almost complicated my mind, but for now, I focused on the battle at hand.

What was more important than how Ethan’s and my relationship would change in the future was whether our lives would survive this battle.

I had managed to get into the Academy, so there was no way I was going to die here to some event boss.

“Huh, huh…?”

Meanwhile, Ethan stood there, sword in hand, momentarily lost in thought, as if he couldn’t believe he had actually severed one of those gigantic tentacles.

I shouted at him with all my might to snap him out of his dazed expression.

“Snap out of it, Ethan! Is this the time to be standing around foolishly?!”

“Ah, alright!”

“Remember that sensation properly! And that if I cast a Support Magic on you, you can cut through that thick tentacle twice!”

“Twice? So I can do it one more time?!”

“You just cut it with both swords simultaneously! It’s already used up, so from the next attack, only use one sword at a time!”

“Ah, alright! I’ll be careful!”

The advantage of dual sword technique was the ability to deliver powerful attacks with two swords, but it was somewhat vulnerable to Support Magic that applied to ‘number of cuts’.

A buff like ‘Sharp Blade’, which increased cutting power for the next N attacks, essentially consumed the count twice as fast.

Since the same Support Magic couldn’t stack, each use had to be careful. I hadn’t had the leisure to explain that just now.

‘Still, since he’s cut it once himself, he’ll probably gain confidence in cutting with a single sword next time.’

At the very least, it was safe to assume he wouldn’t be dumbfounded and unable to do anything when facing an incoming tentacle.

He was Harold’s son, after all; he should naturally have that much guts.

Of course, even with my buff, it was practically impossible for Ethan’s current capabilities to sever the Kraken’s head, and since I, unfortunately, had no daggers or spirits, I only had one effective means of attack.

Simply telling him to shut up and follow was the best option in this situation.

“Ethan, among the methods we can use right now, the only way to kill that monster is Mana Blast.”

“Mana Blast, you mean that magic that throws a giant orb of mana?”

“Yes. So, while I gather mana to use Mana Blast, Ethan, you….”

“You want me to buy time against that thing? Leave it to me, Lilith.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

Ethan understood perfectly before I could even finish my sentence.

And he nodded without hesitation, even though I was asking him to take on a dangerous role.

Of course, I couldn’t just make him buy time defenselessly, so I used ‘Sharp Blade’ on Ethan once again….

“Dodge, Lilith!”

“Hikyaaaak?!”

-Hwiiiiiik!

As Ethan pulled me into an embrace and laid us down on the water, the Kraken’s tentacle narrowly brushed past our bodies.

It came from behind, so I couldn’t check it in time. Of course, I had been careless too.

“Th-thank you, Ethan.”

“Be careful, Lilith. You have to use Mana Blast to defeat it, right?”

“…That’s right.”

Yes, Ethan was right.

If I died foolishly here, Ethan would almost certainly die too.

For me, it was a second life I unexpectedly gained, so it was whatever, but not for Ethan.

In other timelines, he was always a villain and a detestable character, but this was the first time he could live a proper life.

It would be too much of a waste to let him die here.

“As I said before, it’s twice. Use it carefully.”

“……Okay.”

A faint aura of mana rose around Ethan’s body as he received the Support Magic from me.

Standing up, I immediately began chanting Mana Blast towards the giant monster before us.

-Hwiiing!

As soon as I began chanting the Mana Blast spell, the Kraken immediately brought its next attack down on me.

For a moment, I desperately wanted to cancel the spell and run away, but once started, Mana Blast was not a spell that could be abandoned midway.

And since I had decided to trust Ethan completely, there was no way I could stop here.

-Chwaaaak!

‘Guohohohoho…!!’

Ethan, forced to use his first opportunity to protect me from the tentacle that flew in as soon as I started chanting.

The first opportunity was wasted so futilely when I hadn’t even chanted a quarter of the spell.

Starting with a better opportunity would only increase the mana consumed for Water Walking, so it was an unavoidable choice for the stable power of Mana Blast.

Fortunately, the giant Kraken, whose tentacles had been severed several times already, hesitated to launch its next attack, becoming wary as soon as it was hit by this one.

That brief moment gave me a little more time to extend my chant.

“…All mana imbued! Pure power….”

‘Just a little more!’

Mana Blast was completing itself in my mind, gathering every bit of mana I had.

As my chant lengthened, the mana orb forming above my head gradually grew in size.

When I had chanted about three-quarters of the spell, a second slicing sound reached my ears.

-Chwaaaak!

‘Muohohohoho…!!’

‘…Second time.’

For now, I had to assume that the effects of the Support Magic I cast on Ethan were completely used up.

Time was tight. It wouldn’t be strange if my magic completed first, as long as the monster didn’t suddenly act strangely.

Whether the calculations aligned perfectly, the sure-hit spell I chanted was somehow completed before its next attack came flying.

With the final incantation, the massive mana orb in my hand shot towards the Abyssal Kraken.

“…Release! Mana Blast!!”

-Hwiiiiiing!!!

…And, at the same moment, the monster’s final attack flew precisely towards me.

Since it was an attack aimed directly at me, not Ethan, this was not something that could be avoided by moving my body or hiding underwater.

Since I had reached level 12, I might not die in one hit if I was lucky… but honestly, hoping for such a future was practically a miracle.

Well, it couldn’t be helped. In fact, this strategy was clumsy in many ways from the moment I first conceived it. I hadn’t even prepared for a battle with this monster today.

It was a battle I started thinking that if I was lucky, we might at least die together, so ending it with only one of us dying was actually better.

“Lilith!!”

“…….”

…It seems I won’t be able to answer your confession.

If I had known this would happen, I should have at least said I liked you, even if it was just empty words.

No, if I had just done what Ethan wanted from the beginning, regardless of the Saint’s power or anything else, I might have felt less sorry.

Just as I was resigning myself, hoping that if I had to die, it would be an instant death to minimize the pain, a person’s shadow suddenly blocked my vision.

…It took me a little more time to realize it was Ethan’s shadow.

-Chaeaaang!!

“…Ethan?”

Ethan, who had clearly used up both of his cutting opportunities, appeared boldly before my eyes, charging at the tentacle with his dual swords.

His reckless appearance almost made me wonder if I had miscounted the uses.

However, there was no longer any shimmering light of ‘Sharp Blade’ around Ethan as he swung his swords before me.

Facing the giant boss monster’s suction cups, Ethan, with his dual swords, looked more serious than anyone.

…What was even more surprising was that Ethan was ‘deflecting’ the Kraken’s tentacles.

“……Huh?”

My thoughts momentarily froze at the unbelievable sight unfolding before my eyes.

Even if the monster had taken some damage from the previous attacks, Ethan shouldn’t have been able to withstand the Kraken’s attack right now.

But contrary to my thoughts, Ethan was sweating profusely, parrying the giant tentacle in front of him with his two swords.

From the tips of his blades, faint blue, flame-like energies occasionally sparked.

Wait, if that’s the color of his energy, then surely….

‘Ethan, he, could he have already reached Expert….’

-Kwaaaaaang!!!

The moment that irrelevant thought inadvertently crossed my mind, a massive explosion echoed from the Kraken’s head.

Simultaneously, the tentacles that were overwhelming me and Ethan were flung into the air as the main body lost its balance and collapsed.

“W-we’re alive….”

-Pungdeong!

“…Ugeueulp?!”

Oh, right. I don’t have any mana left for Water Walking.

…I’m screwed. I can’t swim.