The ideal would be to sever the arm, and perhaps I should try using the 【Shadow Sword】… but if the blade doesn’t cut through and my fingers snap instead, that would be a disaster.

So, here we go…!

“…One, two!”

With the 【Ankle Bracelet】 grabbing hold, I vigorously swung my right leg up towards the joint right next to it, activating 【Fiery Wasp Needle】.

“Ugh… Nnngh!? “

I landed a kick, but… what does this mean!?

Though it wasn’t covered in exoskeleton, it’s still a powerful monster, a Demon King species at that. I probably can’t crush it, and it might even withstand the purple lightning surrounding my right leg. I had considered that possibility. It didn’t have much effect on the boss monkey either.

But this mantis… I can’t tell if it’s affected or not.

There’s no sensation of smashing it, but I am pushing into the joint slightly. It seems like the 【Fiery Wasp Needle】 might be effective on its raw flesh… maybe.

I watch for a response, but… I can’t read its expression to tell if it’s working or not. Additionally, unlike beasts, its body’s sensation is hard to gauge. With a crackling sound, I keep pushing. That’s all.

“So… what now!?”

In that case, I’ll push harder! Using the 【Ankle Bracelet】 as support, I tried to push my body in further with the 【Floating Orb】 when I suddenly made eye contact with the mantis. Its eyes, about the size of my head, seem to be staring at me… Then, it opened its mouth…

“Whoaa…!?”

It tried to pull my arm towards its mouth. I quickly pulled back, but if I had stuck to attacking the joint, I might have been chomped on…

I wanted to try the 【Shadow Sword】, but I’ll save that for next turn. It’s tough, and its strength is formidable, but I feel like I could go for a part that’s not covered in exoskeleton.

“Seria, how are we doing?”

Even though I had attached myself, I quickly backed off with just the kick. Maybe they wondered what was going on. Alec called up from below.

It’s just a casual remark, but somehow it makes me feel more at ease.

Could it be? Is it the effect of the 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】?

Looking down, I see it’s not just me, everyone else is keeping their distance too. Looks like it’s time to regroup.

“I don’t think it’s completely ineffective! But if you stay attached for too long, you might get eaten!”

“I see… What should we do? Can we continue like this?”

“No worries! We can still keep going!”

Well, when I thought about getting eaten, I did lose a bit of color, but… it’s not like its neck is stretching, so I can handle it. The key is not getting too caught up in attacking. Yeah… with one attachment, I’ll go for one or two… up to five times.

“Alright…! Let’s do it again. I’m going in!”

At Alec’s command, the attack resumed. Here we go, second turn!

◇

“Ha!”

Another attack round had passed since I joined the assault on the boss mantis.

The 【Fiery Wasp Needle】 didn’t have much effect. It probably worked, but it felt like the force was being absorbed. Well, I’m kicking in a curved direction, so that can’t be helped. If I could kick from the opposite side or the flank, that would be ideal, but since it’s covered in exoskeleton, I decided not to push my luck.

So, after the second turn, I switched to slashing with the 【Shadow Sword】. It’s tough, and one swing doesn’t cut through completely, so I strike five times and then quickly retreat… repeating the same action. But thanks to that, I finally managed to make a small cut after a few attempts. At first, it was small, but if I keep targeting that spot…

“Maybe we can bring it down soon?”

Looking at the boss, I see its right arm, the scythe, hanging limply. This is the result of my persistent efforts! More than two-thirds of it is cut, and for the last one or two turns, it’s been swinging it around without much control. Watching it, I’m starting to worry what’ll happen if it’s severed.

Well, it’s still a threat, but with this, I’m finally ready to take action to defeat this mantis. It’s been time-consuming, but cutting off the scythe is the preliminary step. I’ve been holding off on attacking its legs for this.

“Take it down next time! I’ll keep its attention here!”

“Got it!”

Responding to those words, Alec grabbed the shield on his back. If it’s just one scythe, it should be able to block it. If the 【Red Shield】 can draw the boss’s attention, there’s no need to worry about getting eaten, and we’ll take it out in one go!

“Here we go!”

I attached myself to the arm and, eyeing the hanging scythe, I slashed at the joint with the 【Shadow Sword】. Greenish blood or some kind of fluid spilled out from the cut, but the 【Wind Garb】 deflected it. Since even a small amount of Cymodoki was enough to be problematic… I realize now how lucky that gacha was!

“Oops… it’s almost time.”

As I swung down, I felt a strong, hard resistance at my fingertips. It seems I’ve cut into the exoskeleton at least in some areas.

It was tough, but it did work on the mantis’s body. Cutting through this will be impossible. So…

“Haah…!”

I activated 【Serpent’s Tail】, wrapping it just before the scythe and pulling hard in the opposite direction of the joint. Something, possibly a vein or nerve, snapped and the connected part was left with only the outer skin… the exoskeleton.

I can’t tell if it feels pain or not, but the boss is fixated on Alec’s 【Red Shield】 and doesn’t seem to be paying attention to me right now. I don’t understand insects well… but either way, the preparations are done.

“One more time!”

With my right foot activated by 【Fiery Wasp Needle】, I stomped hard on that spot. A loud crack echoed, followed by the sound of something hard hitting the ground. Finally, I succeeded in severing the boss’s right scythe.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Seria ・【Hideout】 +1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind Garb】・【Floating Orb】 +1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Sting】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Snake’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】・3 cards

Seriana ・【Range Identification】・【】・28 cards
Elena ・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・3 cards
Alec ・【Power Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・5 cards