As Alex nears Black Waltz No. 1, he sprints forward, clutching one of the Annihilation Grenades prepared beforehand in his left hand and wielding his [Sword of Pluto] in his right. Without hesitation, he strikes, stabbing his sword toward where a human neck would be, piercing directly into the figure’s dark form.

You have dealt 34 x 3 = 102 damage to Black Waltz No. 1

Wasting no time, Alex ignites the fuse on the grenade and shoves it deep into the shadowy space that should be the black mage’s face. With ruthless precision, he then slams his shield into the enemy’s back, forcing him face-first into the ground, pressing the grenade firmly against the earth.

Alex leaps away, throwing himself to the ground just in time to evade the explosion, barely dodging both the blast and the deadly shrapnel that follows. A few stray shards graze his shield, but he remains unscathed.

You have dealt 63 damage to Black Waltz No. 1

You have dealt 11 damage to Black Waltz No. 1

You have dealt 10 damage to Black Waltz No. 1

You have dealt 09 damage to Black Waltz No. 1

You have dealt 11 damage to Black Waltz No. 1

…

You have dealt 11 damage to Black Waltz No. 1

You have dealt 21 damage to Black Waltz No. 1

You have killed Black Waltz No. 1

“Damn, that was brutal!” Alex exclaims as he assesses the damage. All eleven shrapnel shards hit their mark, each delivering significant impact. Between his initial strike, the grenade’s explosion, and the fire damage, Alex calculates he dealt close to 300 points of damage, a feat that obliterated Black Waltz No. 1 despite its status as a boss. The mage’s lack of defensive capabilities had left it vulnerable to Alex’s relentless assault.

Zidane glances at Alex, clearly grateful for the backup, astonished that Alex managed to take down the black mage with a single, vicious attack.

Turning toward Sealion, Alex notices the creature remains undeterred by the demise of its master. The massive beast, covered in sharp ice shards with patches of bone visible around its head and chest, watches them coldly, unfazed and ready for battle.

“I’ll hold the frontline, Zidane! Can you focus on dealing damage? The blue gem seems like a weak spot,” Alex calls out.

Zidane nods, and the two charge toward Sealion. Alex raises his shield, blocking Sealion’s wing attack, while Zidane moves in to land a clean strike. As they pull back, Alex spots a glimmer at the site of Black Waltz No. 1’s demise. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly scoops up the item while returning to his position by Zidane’s side.

You received Chest (Green)

“Hehe, combat looting, always a smart move,” Alex mutters with a grin. “It’s not like there is a loot window popping up in everyone’s face.”

Before he can appreciate his find, Sealion casts “Blizzard,” sending shards of ice hurling toward him. With Basic Footwork lvl 1, Alex sidesteps while raising his shield, reducing the spell’s impact.

You have taken 12 damage

Alex and Zidane exchange a quick nod and launch a coordinated counterattack. They toss a pre-conjured Annihilation Grenade behind Sealion to avoid taking any damage themselves.

You have dealt 21 damage to Sealion

You have dealt 3 damage to Sealion

You have dealt 2 damage to Sealion

You have dealt 2 damage to Sealion

Alex notices that the grenade’s fire damage doesn’t quite reach the beast. Instead, only minor damage from the explosion and a few shrapnel shards connect. But along with Zidane’s grenade, the combined assault is enough to make Sealion howl in pain.

“The gem in its chest, it’s turning yellow! Be careful!” Alex warns.

Sealion casts again, this time aiming a powerful “Blizzara” at both Alex and Zidane. Alex sidesteps, bringing his shield up just in time, but still feels a deeper, biting chill pierce through his defenses. The cold seeps into his body, numbing his hands and legs as he struggles to keep his grip.

You have taken 23 damage

Zidane, though making a swift evasive move, also takes a hit. Just then, Alex notices Zidane entering Trance, his body glowing with raw energy, a timely transformation that brings a sense of relief. Determined to do his part, Alex pulls out his [Mr. 5’s .44 Caliber 6-Shot Revolver] and takes aim at the now-yellow gem on Sealion’s chest.

You have dealt 27 damage to Sealion

Zidane swiftly darts in, landing a solid hit with his daggers before retreating to avoid another wing swipe. He then channels his Trance energy to unleash Tidal Flame, one of his powerful Dyne abilities, sending a scorching wave of fire at the beast.

Sealion lets out a guttural scream, the intense flames dealing severe damage and seemingly weakening it further. The magical gem on its chest shifts to a menacing scarlet red, signaling Sealion’s desperation. Cornered, Sealion gathers his remaining strength and casts Tsunami, unleashing a massive wave of water laced with frost, crashing violently toward them.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Realizing the imminent danger, Alex hurriedly consumes a [Potion] from the Final Fantasy 9 universe, quickly followed by a [Healing Potion] from the Fantasy Realm to restore as much health as possible. To maximize effectiveness, he uses the Final Fantasy 9 potion first, knowing that the generic medicine from the Fantasy Realm reduces the potency of similar items.

You have recovered 15 HP

You have recovered 20 HP

Bracing himself, Alex raises his shield, but the force of Tsunami slams into him with relentless fury, nearly sweeping him off his feet.

You have taken 61 damage

Alex Kerber: Lvl 1

HP: 69/130, MP: 78/80

Thanks to Alex’s timely use of medicine, he withstands the attack with over half of his HP intact. Beside him, Zidane, barely standing after the onslaught, musters his remaining strength to unleash another Tidal Flame. Alex sighs in relief. "This should be the end of it."

The attack lands on Sealion, sending the beast into a state of further agony, its form wavering. It appears to collapse but, shockingly, remains upright.

“What…? How is it still alive?” Alex stares in disbelief. “It was already in the red; this thing should be dead by now!” He notices something, the gem on Sealion's chest has turned from red to a sinister black.

“Damn it, this is way off the script!” Alex realizes he has no time to hesitate and decides to go all out. He throws his last Annihilation Grenade lvl 1 and immediately conjures three more, igniting each one and hurling them in quick succession. His MP drains rapidly, leaving him on the verge of collapse, his mind throbbing from the exertion as four rapid explosions engulf the enraged beast.

Messages flood his vision too fast to read, but he sees Sealion still standing, a grim silhouette amidst the dissipating smoke. The creature prepares to unleash a new form of Tsunami, glowing an ominous bright blue, visibly charged with frost energy.

Desperate, Zidane gathers the last dregs of his Trance energy, leaping forward to unleash a final Tidal Flame that collides with Sealion’s wave, neutralizing it with a massive burst of steam before Zidane collapses, utterly spent.

Alex, breathing hard, realizes they won’t survive another clash like that. With a final push, he steadies his revolver in his left hand, taking precise aim at the black gem. He fires, then leaps, raising his sword high before cleaving down.

[Mr. 5’s .44 Caliber 6-Shot Revolver] effect activates: Explosive ammunition!

You have dealt 24 damage to Sealion

You have dealt 31 damage to Sealion

You have dealt 40 damage to Sealion

You have killed Sealion

You received Chest (Blue)

Genius Conjurer's subskill: Arcane Medieval Armory activating...

Analyzing battle, enemy, and host. Generating unique skill…

Sealions Icewing Embrace (Level 0 Base):

Effect: Summons an imposing ice armor around the user, encasing their entire body and existing armor in razor-sharp ice spikes that damage any melee attacker and protect the user from damage. Two large, frost-covered wings extend from the back, allowing the user to slowly glide downwards. The armor also imbues the user’s weapons with frost magic, causing additional frost damage with each attack. While active, the armor absorbs nearly all external damage until its durability is exhausted, shattering upon depletion. However, it is highly vulnerable to fire-based attacks, which deal increased damage to the armor’s integrity.

Level Cap: Master Conjurer. Requires 1000 Fantasy + 500 per level to upgrade.

Cost: 50 MP + 5 MP per level.

Duration: 10 Minutes + 1 minute per level

Armor Durability: 10 + 1 per level

Frost Resistance: 50% + 5% per level

Additional Fire Damage to the Armor: 50%

Ice Spike Damage (physical): 20 + 2 per level

Frost Imbuement Damage (frost): 10 + 1 per level

Note: This devastating ability conjures Sealion’s might into a monstrous armor, designed not only to protect the wearer but also to unleash icy devastation upon enemies.

Note2: Please keep in mind that because the armor's base material is ice, the 10 durability of this armor will deplete much faster than that of an iron armor. Don’t assume invincibility for the entire duration of this ability.

Special Quest updated:

Mission: Gain the recognition of Pluto by killing the following 3 enemies:

Black Waltz 1 - 1/1 Black Waltz 2 - 0/1 Black Waltz 3 - 0/1

Alex collapses to the ground, breathing heavily.

After a few moments, he pulls himself up and reads through the system messages, feeling a mix of excitement and intimidation. Finally, another conjuration ability, and this one feels like it's on a whole new level, even compared to his powerful Annihilation Grenade.

The ability seems almost like a temporary god mode to him, granting near-total protection from damage so long as the armor’s duration or durability doesn’t deplete. Highly defensive but also devastating to melee attackers who dare strike him, the armor even imbues his weapons with frost magic, making each attack more lethal. The only downside is that it’s vulnerable to fire, taking 50% additional damage from fire spells, though Alex thinks that’s manageable. The real drawback is the spell’s immense cost, a whopping 50 MP at level 0, which almost completely drains his entire MP pool, essentially limiting it to a once-per-battle advantage.

Alex grins, thrilled at his new conjuration ability and the rewards from both the green and blue chests. He walks over to Zidane, who’s still catching his breath, and helps him up.

"Great job defending against that last attack, Zidane. You saved us back there!" Alex says, hiding his knowledge of Zidane’s true identity. "When you’re in trance, it’s like you tap into a power that’s on another level."

Zidane chuckles. "It was nothing. We should check on the others. It was probably that so-called Black Waltz’s magic that knocked us all out so suddenly."

As they head back toward the sleeping forms of Steiner, Vivi, and Garnet, Alex subtly glances upward and catches sight of two small figures observing from the shadows, one dressed in blue, the other in red jester costumes. “Lucky for you two I don’t have the chance to introduce you to a bit of icy hell,” he thinks, smirking. "Consider yourselves lucky."