The middle tooth ripped through my clothes and stabbed me in the shoulder. The second tooth missed, barely scratching the skin near my neck. The third and last tooth aimed directly at my heart was missing. Nowhere to be found. Broken.
Whew… That was close… Still hurts! It hurts like hell! But at least I am alive. Okay… Calm down… This fight isn’t over yet. I can’t get cold feet now. Another mistake, and I might die for real. I got caught in a bad position, but I can do this! I can turn things around! Just gotta do things right. Focus… Copy what Katja does. Perfect moves only. Hold back nothing. Yeah… I’m ready now!
The mermaid withdraws her trident, and I stomp the ground to stop myself from falling forward. The sky had gone completely dark at some point. The lights of the various warehouses were now the ones illuminating the area with their artificial hue. The wind picked up, and the sound the nearby waves made when crashing against the harbor was louder than before.
“Huh…? Iroha?” Behind me, Narumi and Carol gasped in surprise.
“I- I’m fine… I can still fight.” Carol was still reeling from her impact against the wall, and Narumi was crouched next to her, supporting her. I shot a glance at them and met eyes with Narumi. “You should pull back. Go back to Hecate and Katja.”
“I…” Narumi clenched her axe with a pained face. She had an opportunity to finish off the mermaid monster, but she couldn’t do it. It’s not her fault that I got hurt, though. I decided I wanted to protect them. That’s all. “Sorry, Iroha… I’ll go back like you said. I’ll regroup with the others, and we’ll be back soon. Just stay safe.” Narumi turned back to Carol and reached for her. “Let’s go, Carol.”
“Don’t you dare! I’m not even hurt… I’m going to fight!” Carol slapped Narumi’s hand away and slowly raised herself up. “I can handle this much! I don’t need your or anyone’s help… Don’t underestimate me…” Carol wants to stay and fight, but is that really a good idea?
“Carol…” Narumi tries to reach out again. “This monster is too strong… You’ll get hurt… Uhmm… Iroha might not be able to protect you… And, and…” Narumi’s mind was racing with thousands of possibilities. She couldn’t find the right words to say.
“Shut up! I don’t need her to protect me! I can handle this! I’ll show you!” Carol stepped back to escape Narumi’s grasp. I don’t think Carol’s thinking straight right now… She’s being stubborn because of the voice she’s been hearing—because of that weird magic on her… But there’s no time for them to be discussing this.
The mermaid failed to deliver the final blow to any of us and started preparing her next move. I was struggling after the last blow, so she approached me, weapon in hand, and started thrusting. These attacks are slower than her swift lunge. With Slash Flurry, our weapons clash, and I’m able to fight on her level. I move the fight away from the other two so they’re not targeted while their guard’s down.
The best thing would be for both of them to leave and let me fight the monster on my own. Maybe they could get Hecate to snipe her or something, but that’s it. If I can fight with all my skills without any worries, I might have a chance. Going back now is the best for Narumi’s mind, but what would it do to Carol’s? She came here on her own because she was doubting herself. She wanted to show the others she was on their level and that she’s not a burden. Are those worries just because of the voice in her head? Or does she actually think that way? Those might be her real worries… If she goes back now, isn’t she going to think of herself as a burden forever?
“Let Carol stay, Narumi. It will be fine!”
“Huh?” Narumi looked at me for a second before locking eyes with Carol. Carol is not backing down. Narumi quickly realizes this and averts her gaze. She turns around and dashes out of the area without saying a word.
Let’s hope I made the right decision… Carol already knows about my powers. If she’s the only one here, I can use all my skills without worry. As long as the voice doesn’t make her act recklessly, we should be fine.
I block another of the mermaid’s attacks and put some distance between us. We both slide back across the wet floor. My left hand sits atop the top left side of my chest, covering the wound from before. Carol joins me for the fight and notices my ragged breath. “Can you really keep fighting? You don’t look too good.”
“Well… That stab was brutal, but I can keep going.”
[Iroha Shinohara: Lv.21]
[HP: 833/2012]
I lost around 200 HP during my fight with the fish, so that one blow alone removed a big chunk of my HP. Though I think it’s a miracle I’m not dead. An attack that powerful near so many important vital organs should have killed me instantly. I was lucky Katja got this weird armor/dress for me. It absorbed a lot of the impact. It still doesn’t explain why I survived such a big wound. Is it because of the HP system? Even if I didn’t die, I shouldn’t be able to keep using my arm like normal. Does the fact that I still have HP prevent me from dying? The bleeding has mostly stopped too. How is that even possible? Either way, I can fight like normal, and that’s all I need to know.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The mermaid is strong. One of the strongest monsters I’ve faced so far. She’s on the same tier as the pumpkin monster in the Forest of Illusion and the lightning bear in the valley. Violence Impulse is not gonna save me this time. But she’s not completely out of my reach… I haven’t used almost any of my active skills yet, so I still have plenty of MP… Let’s see how well she can handle me when I burn it all!
“Cover me, Carol.” I use Agility Burst and shoot out in the mermaid’s direction. She thrusts the trident in self-defense, but I parry it with Slash Flurry. Without missing a beat, I land the next four follow-up hits now that she’s defenseless. Her skin is tougher than it looks, while her scales are just as tough as they look. Four small cuts open on her body, causing little more than a flinch.
I knew it was not gonna be that easy… But this is a good start. I managed to draw some blood, meaning I can damage her—I can kill her!
Carol obviously wasn’t going to stay still, and she followed up my advance with an attack of her own. She hit the mermaid’s blind spot and opened another shallow cut on her body. She’s not faring any better than me when it comes to damage. But Slash Flurry is not my only attack.
The mermaid swung her trident in an arc in front of her, forcing us both to take a step back. Carol reacted in time and got out of the way effortlessly. Seems like she’s got it under control… That’s good… She hasn’t lost mind just yet. She refused to retreat with Narumi, so of course she wasn’t just going to sit and watch. At least she’s being careful. If that’s the case, I think she’ll be of some help.
While gripping her trident again, the mermaid lowered her stance and focused her attention on Carol. Is she trying to lower our numbers by taking out the weaker enemy first? Of course I’m not gonna let her do that… Agility Burst! I dashed in her direction and aimed my other attack. Heart Piercer! I lunged forward with a devastating thrust from her diagonal. She shifted her body around so I’d hit the hard scales, but that won’t help!
“Grriiieeek!” The mermaid let out an ear-piercing wail as my sword broke through the scales near her waist. Heart Piercer has a unique little property where it ignores part of the enemy’s defenses. If she’s a tough nut to crack, it just makes Heart Piercer that much more effective.
I need to keep up the pressure! The mermaid now saw me as a real threat and grew cautious. She took a step back. And I chased by using Agility Burst again! Can’t give her a break now! I thrust my katana forward again, and she narrowly dodged. There was a bit of a delay, so she moved to counterattack. I recovered with Slash Flurry and caused her to narrowly miss her thrust. Only one swing of the flurry was necessary to deflect her, so the next four slashes landed, leaving more small cuts on her. And now, I’m in position again, so… Heart Piercer! This time it stabbed straight through her chest.
“Griiieee!” Did that hurt? I don’t even need to ask… That’s payback from earlier… I know it stings! The mermaid then raised her hand in my direction, and a big ball of water appeared right in front of my face.
*Splash!*
Damn! Ahahaha! It’s like I’m at the beach and just got hit with a giant ass wave right in the face! The impact threatened to send me flying, but I ended up just sliding across the floor while desperately trying to remain on my feet. I lowered my head to look at the mermaid ahead. That was something else… I shook my head to get the water off my face, causing my hair to dance. Alright! I’m awake now! Water is not gonna keep me away for too long though!
I rushed back in with Agility Burst, ready to unleash another Heart Piercer. This went on not just once but multiple times. Some hit… Most missed… I’m making progress. Heart Piercer! Miss. Slash Flurry! Pull back the katana. Aim again. Heart Piercer! Gotcha!
But seriously… How tanky is this creature? What’s her level? How much HP does she have?
[Iroha Shinohara: Lv.21]
[HP: 572/2012]
[MP: 141/1006]
I’m running out of juice here… How is she still standing? Did I miss that much? I thought I was doing well. Either way, I may be reaching my limit, but so is she. The mermaid’s not huffing and puffing like I am, but I can see the signs of exhaustion in the way she’s moving. She took a lot of damage during our exchanges. I had the advantage the whole time. She must have realized by now that it will be hard for her to win this battle.
Seeing the mermaid’s movements slow down, Carol starts approaching her from behind. She landed a few blows, but overall, there were a lot of moments where the fight got too fast for her to keep up. Now that the mermaid’s stopped, she’s going for it, but is that really a good idea? “Carol…” Please be careful…
“Ki- ki- kill! Usurper… Mu- must kill!” After assuming a defensive position, the mermaid lifted her head and started looking around. Has she given up or what? Her attention isn’t focused on me anymore. If she’s not careful, I might just end things.
The mermaid then looked behind her and spotted Carol, but it was too late for her to defend. “There!” Carol stepped forward and buried her sword into the mermaid’s back. Despite how tough her skin is, Carol’s thrust managed to hurt her. The mermaid let another high pitch wail out and turned around with a clumsy swipe. Carol fails to react in time, getting too engrossed in her small victory, and the mermaid smacks her. Carol lets go of her sword and falls on her butt.
“Kill… Mu- must must must must kill! Kill kill kill kill! Usurper… must kill!” The mermaid’s voice echoes creepily. It sends a chill down both our spines. Carol locks eyes with the mermaid with a terrified look on her face. The mermaid bends forward, then shoots out in Carol’s direction.
Dammit! She’s targeting Carol again! Agility Burst! I can’t let her get to her! Is she obsessed with Carol or what? Is Carol her target? I have to protect her! She’s not killing anyone… Not on my watch!
She reaches out for Carol with an outstretched arm. Trident extended forward as far as it could go. It’s gonna reach her any moment now… Can I get there in time? It’s too late to get Carol out of the way. It’s too late to place myself in the middle and block. Might not even work. I have to aim perfectly! I only got one shot at this… Can’t hesitate! I gotta do this! Heart Piercer!
The power of the thrust gave me the extra bit of momentum and reach necessary to reach the trident with the tip of my sword. With incredible focus, I managed to hit my target. An echoey, metallic ping followed by a thunderous shatter. The tip of my sword hit the trident right in the middle, diverting it from its trajectory. The mermaid missed Carol and shattered the trident as it hit the hard floor next her.
Carol looked as if she had just seen a ghost. Her life flashed before her eyes. She held her breath, bracing herself for something that never arrived. The tension turned to surprise, exhaled in a loud burst of relief. But it’s not over yet. Though, it might as well be. The mermaid, still bent on finishing her job, jumped back and conjured another ice javelin above her head.
Ice magic takes her longer to create than water, and I’m not even gonna give her a chance to finish! Using what’s essentially the last bit of my MP, I unleash my last Agility Burst Heart Piercer combo! My sword pierces her chest without much resistance, and the ice above shatters. In the following moments, a crystalline mist falls on me from above. Her arms drop, and her body slowly leans back, until she eventually falls and drops in the ocean behind her…
“It’s done…” Wow… No Violence Impulse. No one doing all the work for me. I did, didn’t I? That’s gotta be a first for me.
The tension left my body, and I turned in Carol’s direction. Just as I start to relax, a stinging pain in my left shoulder suddenly flares up. That’s where the trident stabbed me earlier… Damn… It’s awful!
Carol saw as I grabbed my shoulder with a stumble and raised herself up. “I- Iroha… I…” She reached out with her hand before pulling it back a moment later. “You… No… You’re wrong! I’m not useless! It’s not my fault, IT’S NOT MY FAULT!” A blinding light hit me for an instant before being consumed by a strange darkness. Carol fell to her knees and hugged her own shoulders. “IT’S NOT MY FAULT! IT’S YOUR FAULT! If only you had never shown up… IF ONLY YOU NEVER EXISTED!”
I may have lost too much blood. I’m seeing some kind of shadow surround Carol… What’s going on? What is this now? Wasn’t it over?