After distancing myself from Leona, I continued running through the forest, keeping the boss's attention on me. Occasionally, Leona would attack the creature just before it could hit me, but she remained on the defensive, aware that an attack from that creature could be fatal.
Furthermore, as Aurora-sama had mentioned, this boss was partially blind. The reason I say 'partially' and not “completely” is simply because, although it doesn't see conventionally, it can sense the mana of its prey. Well, in the end, I was using that to my advantage to confuse it, as my clones also possessed mana.
As these thoughts crossed my mind, I noticed at the last moment the approaching mouth full of teeth of the boss. Stopping quickly, I leaped backward, successfully avoiding the boss's attack, which collided head-on with a tree.
This was an opportunity I wouldn't miss. Running towards the boss, my eyes met Leona's, who was on a branch above a tree. We both nodded simultaneously and then ran together towards the boss.
"Aura manipulation"
I said, feeling the strength filling my body again. Closing my fist tightly, I struck the boss. Leona, who was accompanying me, also struck the boss, causing it to roll on the ground.
Occasionally, attacks from Fujiwara, Aoi, and Saemi hit the boss, but, as we already expected, the only thing it does is draw its attention, as it doesn't seem to be really affecting it.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble slightly; then, a bird's cry echoed in the area. A large phoenix made of ice appeared between the trees. Of course, it was obvious that this was one of Ana's creations. Apparently, that was the reason she was taking so long to provide assistance.
As soon as the phoenix spotted the boss, it began to run towards it. When they met, the phoenix started scratching the boss, while it just screamed in an attempt to break free. Although the phoenix seemed to have the advantage, it was actually the opposite.
As soon as the boss bit one of the phoenix's legs, slowly, the phoenix began to be drained. More precisely, the mana Ana provided for the creation of the phoenix was being drained into the boss. I didn't know the reason, but it seemed that it wasn't just eating.
As soon as the boss finished draining every last drop of mana from the ice phoenix, its eyes turned in my direction. Then, its belly began to emit a blue glow, rising slowly up to its throat, stopping at its mouth.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
"Leona, get out of here, fast"
Before the monster could advance, I shouted to Leona, even if she didn't fully understand the situation, she promptly moved away. There was no need to worry about Leona being affected, as the monster was still focused on me.
Next, I started running towards the trees. Even hidden among them, I still felt its 'eyes' on me. It made sense, as what it really saw was the mana, so even through the tree cover, it could detect me, as the cover wasn't visible to it.
Then, a blue beam shot from the boss's mouth towards the tree I was in. Without wasting time, I moved quickly out of the attack's range. If that thing hit me, I doubted my body would withstand it, especially because I noticed that the beam seemed to ignore the mana itself.
Once the beam dissipated, I found myself in an area full of trees split in half, with a burnt smell lingering in the air. It was crucial to overcome that threat quickly, yet the lack of detailed information about the boss made me hesitant. Although the move I used to defeat the Lich was a possibility, I doubted its effectiveness as it would leave me vulnerable for a significant period.
Furthermore, employing that attack would likely result in my death. So, instead of relying solely on brute force, I opted for a smarter plan. The first step in devising it was gathering more information.
(Aurora-sama, could you provide more details about the boss? Especially regarding the recent attack?)
Right after my question, Aurora-sama's voice resonated with enthusiasm.
"Hoho, my dear Makoto is finally asking for my help? Yes, yes, of course, I will help you"
After these energetic words from Aurora-sama, she provided a brief explanation about the boss.
"Well, as for the previous attack, the mana it accumulates is stored inside it. In there, the mana becomes more chaotic and destructive, and what it does is simply release that outward"
Listening to Aurora-sama's words, an idea came to my mind, but I still needed a bit more information.
(So, are you suggesting that the lightning it shot is something that could even affect itself if not expelled from its body?)
Upon hearing my words, Aurora-sama made a pondering sound, then spoke.
"In theory, that's probably how it works. Well, I've never seen anyone face a Voragex that way before, so I can't say for sure"
In the end, this would be a risky gamble. If it didn't work, I would likely receive the boss's attack directly, and surviving that was unlikely. While pondering this possibility, another idea came to my mind.
(So... what would happen if it received more mana than it can store while preparing to unleash that attack? I mean, the fact that it needs to store mana implies there's a limit, right?)
This wasn't a direct question to Aurora-sama. In fact, it made a lot of sense, but even so, I couldn't be sure if it was correct or not. Additionally, Aurora-sama didn't seem to have much information about the boss. How can I put it? It seemed like she only had basic knowledge about the boss.