Ch.142142. Boss Battle

“A Jokchinda… A mere magical girl from this tiny world?”

“Ha. I’m the one who threw you into that marina, you know? Even though you’re weaker than Vine.”

“It’s nonsense to say the user of a tool is weaker than the tool itself.”

“Huh? You were beaten to a pulp and collapsed that day.”

“Do you consider a surprise attack honorable? Are you properly aware that I was in an environment where I had no choice but to be defeated?”

“What bullshit. So… you think of Vine as a tool, is that it?”

“What does it matter when I’m trying to create a world where everyone is happy? Such small sacrifices are trivial compared to the great work we’ll achieve.”

“…Then are all your subordinates just your tools?”

“Isn’t that obvious? Is your rapier so precious to you?”

“…You sick bastard.”

“It’s all for the sake of every living being.”

“Sure… But you know that no matter what you say, it’s useless to me, right? Because I’m the one who made the contract with Ellis.”

“Ha. So you’re the audacious magical girl who stole my tool. A thieving cat. Then as its owner, I should take it back.”

“…Seeing people as tools. Hah… Yet you talk about ideals. I don’t know if you think that makes any sense.”

“All our organization members follow me well. Isn’t that logic already resolved?”

“Really… Further conversation seems unnecessary. I’ll have to put you back to sleep.”

“To think you’d fight me when I’m in perfect condition, how truly amusing.”

There’s no point in continuing to talk with this madman.

A being that should be excluded from the world.

Yes, that’s what Vine always used to say.

But.

Now that I think about it.

It’s somewhat true.

This person.

This boss.

No, should I even call him a person?

This being.

A being that should be excluded from society.

I’ve confirmed it clearly.

Even without Ellis’s memories.

He’s definitely a being that should be excluded.

Not Vine…

But this boss.

I don’t even need to draw my sword.

I’m already holding it.

Simply, to this madman.

“I will judge you. And I will save everyone. And Ellis. Vine.”

“Ha. Do you truly think that’s salvation? The lower classes suffering from the stupid arguments of those at the top. You’re going to eliminate me, who’s trying to change this world where wealth breeds wealth and poverty breeds poverty?”

“A pathetic excuse. I won’t listen. Just seeing how you treated your cherished subordinate… Vine, isn’t that reason enough not to listen to you?”

“Ha. Fine… Come at me with full force, magical girl!”

An ominous aura grows around the boss.

The boss rises from the throne where he was sitting.

He alone bears the growing negative energy.

“Ellis, Citrus. Stay back.”

“Blanc…”

“Yunseul… no…”

“Rather… this is a problem I need to solve. By resolving these things today, both Vine and Ellis can return.”

“…Blanc.”

“Ellis. You too.”

“Blanc… I, I… I…”

“I’ll listen later. Citrus, take care of Ellis and fall back.”

I sharpen my sword with magic power.

I charge at the boss, holding my sword glowing with white magic.

Clang!

Of course, the boss wasn’t just going to take the hit.

At some point, he had covered himself with metal magic armor.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

“…That was just the first strike.”

Ominous magic gathers in the boss’s hand.

The magic forms into a sphere, soon taking physical form.

“Then. My turn.”

The boss throws the gathered magic straight at me.

I deflect the magic sideways with my sword.

BOOM—!

The ominous magic instantly converts to explosive force.

It leaves a huge gash in one of the walls.

“What? You’re weak.”

“That was merely a warm-up.”

We’ve only exchanged one attack each so far.

Now the real battle begins.

I kick off the ground to close the distance with the boss.

I kicked so hard that the ground was dented.

But of course, the boss doesn’t let me get closer.

The way he fires volleys of ominous magic bullets

Feels just like watching Vine a moment ago.

It’s too similar to how something wearing Vine’s shell fought.

“Ha… so that’s how it was.”

“What are you muttering about?”

“If that’s the case… then it’s nothing special.”

Vine fighting like a puppet, simply mimicking the boss’s movements.

What I could read from that appearance.

Was he responding that way based on his experience of overwhelming firepower in combat?

Thinking about it, that’s ultimately arrogance and misjudgment stemming from his own strength.

How would he respond if facing someone with comparable power?

If it were Vine.

It would have been a fight giving his all, knowing his own level and his opponent’s.

But this fool sees me as beneath him.

He doesn’t think he’s facing an opponent of similar caliber.

Well, looking at him, I wonder if he’s ever fought someone of his own level.

Not in this world, but in all the worlds Ellis has been part of, whether conquered or failed.

What has he actually done himself?

Just showing fear and charisma to his subordinates.

Using his army’s strength against the weak, those without protectors in this world.

While he himself never even entered the battlefield.

I know his strength well.

Exaggerated and inflated.

A typical verbal fighter.

Well.

I can’t say he’s weak.

Even if we brought everyone here—Citrus, Plum outside, Garnet… and so on

It clearly wouldn’t be enough.

But.

Still.

He’s a match for me.

“Ha, if I use you as material, I could surely create an excellent monster. Different from the failures made in this world. I could create a world that truly realizes my ideals. However… I’ll have to erase that disgusting memory. Along with those mental images.”

“What are you talking about?”

BOOM!

This time I launched an attack from my side.

He seems to think I’m on par with Vine just because I fight with a sword directly.

Vine is so tricky that you can never handle her with just one type of attack.

Even if you close the distance to counter her ranged weakness, she’ll suddenly be stabbing you with a dagger!

But this demon lord.

Even as the distance between us shrinks.

Even though he can see it.

CRASH!

“If you keep wasting magic like that, you’ll be in trouble.”

“The amount of magic that humans like you worry about. I don’t care! Do you know where my magic comes from?”

“What are you saying?”

“Do you know why our Eden works so hard to gather negative energy? It all comes back as my power. The energy contained in human emotions. Among them, the most efficient and, above all, the easiest to obtain. After we take you in, I plan to extract energy from magical girls in turn. Kuhaha! That way, there’s no need to inefficiently extract from ordinary people. We’ll extract despair from magical girls. Since they’re all girls, isn’t it simpler and easier?”

There’s no need or reason to listen to a madman’s speech.

But I’ll give you credit for managing to talk while blocking my attacks and running away.

But.

Not content with Vine.

My sister.

You’re going to touch my siblings?

I can’t overlook this anymore.

I fire magic bullets filled with rage that’s risen to my head.

I launch bullets of magic imbued with light attributes at that boss.

And while doing so, I don’t forget to close the distance.

I wrap my legs in magic and kick off the ground again to charge.

I drive him toward the wall.

Whether he knows this or not.

He looks at me with a composed posture, countering my attacks with dark magic bullets.

I wonder why this boss doesn’t have a weapon of his own.

Ah, he left it next to his chair?

That shows how much he’s underestimating me.

BOOM!

CRASH!

Well, that’s fine with me.

It means there won’t be any more variations.

It’s just a repetition of this pattern.

If that’s the case, then.

I draw out more magic.

Though I haven’t reached it yet.

I draw it out to the level that would trigger the next awakening.

I change my approach.

I no longer care about what’s coming from the opponent.

It’s no different from how he was during Ragnarok last time.

If that’s the case.

I think only of attack.

And little by little.

Little by little.

The distance decreases.

Eventually, I drive him against the wall.

“Ha. Is this all you’ve got?”

“Kugh…?”

So easily, immediately.

I disperse the sword he was trying to create with his magic.

Unable to block anymore, the boss wraps his arm in magic.

He blocks the sword with that magic-wrapped arm.

“Urgh…! Is this… all?”

“Stop the bluffing.”

If I push just a little more, I can cut his neck.

The boss is being pushed back.

Just a little more.

Just a little more.

I draw out more magic.

I put more strength into my arms.

I sharpen my blade even more.

“Tsk… has the young one reached his limit?”

I hear someone clicking their tongue somewhere.

And then, the boss’s body swells up with light.

BOOM—!

A sudden explosion.

Caught in that explosion, I was thrown back to where the kids were.

At that moment.

The doctor retrieved something glowing, opened a warp gate, and escaped.

“In this case… it’s difficult to maintain the brainwashing without… a contract is useless… I’ll have to start over.”

With the doctor’s muttering voice.

What was thought to be the final battle.

Ended leaving an unsatisfying feeling.