It's really not the time for this, but I respond to Kaede in kind, giving her the snog she is long overdue from before. Her shining blue eyes go wide.

It's a short one compared to some, but she should at least sense the passion.

My hearing starts to return with a pop.

"Nnnn... Nii-saaammma..." she cries out as I release her, drool coming down her chin.

"More when it's dead, Kaede!" I shout.

She is quick to adjust her swimming eyes, and nods, backflipping off me.

I pull up as well. Seria gawks briefly, still holding a magic circle and crackling with electricity, as Kaede dashes past her, and produces an obscene number of knives as she dashes, flinging them forwards in a torrent.

Her aim at the bug like eyes is pretty true, and it gets about ten shards of metal stabbed into them.

It roars again, thrashing furiously from losing about a third of its vision and pulling back in a temporary retreat.

Kaede's big damn hero moment is probably the trigger we need to turn this around.

The gap this time is finally enough to allow Seria to get a spell in. I see her grin. She pulls no punches, and I finally get to see use her railgun.

A crackling line of fire and electricity surges from her palm, as literally uses a spoon she had for some reason on her person as a faster than sound projectile.

But the impact is pretty much as one might expect. A massive hole is blown in the left-hand head. It also simultaneously loses two pincers. Blood goes everywhere.

I can't lose the opportunity this time.

I light the vial I am still clutching, and trust in Power Throw as it rears up, screaming.

I feel nervous, because it clinks off the hole, but apparently my luck holds, as it turns into a bank shot and falls in regardless.

It explodes promptly afterwards.

Kraaakooom!

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The already wounded head is actually blown off clean at the neck. The thrashing intensifies.

But not giving it chance to recover, I see Aria take her javelin throwing stance, and she flings her massive spear, covered in light.

Unlike with the Skull Beast, this time it finds purchase, and it skewers the remaining head like one of those joke 'arrow through the head' head-bands.

It falls, crashing in another cloud of dust, its massive remaining tongue lolling. The body rolls aside, and then manages to accidently drop into the spiked pit, sealing the deal.

We did it.

Everyone exhales.

The difficulty surely has spiked again in this area. I want to moan on a forum about it.

Kaede blinks and shimmers as she runs towards me, and then she glomps my side, rubbing herself up against me.

"So, you were following all along, I take it?" I query.

"Yes... I... I couldn't forget Nii-sama after all. I am truly mortified that I held my sword to your throat..."

She pulls herself away and looks sad, tapping the floor with her foot.

I sigh.

"I see. Well... I was rather depressed you did it, more than anything else."

Her eyes water a bit and she grimaces. She really has changed.

"Nii-sama! This one is unworthy to be with you, yes... and if you hate me... I shall be content with... being your shadow... but... if you still... still..."

I grab her and kiss her again, and she squirms.

"Did you already forget what hopeless kind of man I am?" I ask, wiping a tear from her bulging eyes.

She smiles.

"Hehe... a lolicon pervert and a gentleman, yes?"

"Indeed." I nod happily.

"You shouldn't let him have everything he wants, you know." Seria snarks, coming over.

"But it seems I want what he wants, yes?" Kaede interjects, tilting her head.

Seria blinks repeatedly at Kaede's sudden new ability to respond.

"Ufufufu... you have certainly changed, Kaede." She grins wolfishly. "Though with this strange man, anything can happen..."

I laugh and put a hand behind my head.

"That was not a compliment. You are just strange, boy." She grins again.

"Speaking of strange, however, whatever was that move?" She turns back to Kaede, flicking a twin-tail.

"Ikazuchi no Yaiba?" Kaede questions.

"Yes, that. It was very much like my own Thunder Step. Instantaneous movement mimicking the jolt of lightning. But, for sure, this was something I invented. I have not taught it to others. Not even the last apprentice I took."

Kaede blinks.

"Honestly... it is something I have known the motions for... for some time. But... I have never managed it. Like the Suzaku Blazefall... it seems watching others... watching you in this case, Seria-sama, allowed me to comprehend something I could not previously, yes?"

Seria sighs.

"How peculiar. It is truly bizarre because you can, with this strange art, call upon multiple spirit types. Even without them inside you. Kali's art, it is an established... if unusual means, and it is limited to fire... but this... hah... I guess this is another Etranger mystery, if what the boy says about this 'sa-moo-raye' is correct. I must study it further."

"I will give you some of the scrolls later, Seria-sama. I may be the last user alive, now, after all."

Seria looks happy at this. She always appreciates new things to study, doesn't she?

Myself meanwhile... I look back at the Cave Crawler, which is now gushing blood into the pit.

And having just spoken to Seria, I smile wistfully as I wonder about the saying 'lightning never strikes twice in the same place.'