“Retrieve it!”

The scythe that had been snapped fell to the ground, but it would be dangerous to leave it like that. Without waiting for a response, I quickly detached myself from the arm I had been clinging to and entered the 【Hideout】 along with the scythe.

The sharp scythe gleamed black and glowed intensely.

At about 1.5 meters in length, it looked capable of easily cutting through a person. I could leave it right at the entrance of the 【Hideout】, but it might be dangerous for anyone else coming in later. So, I decided to place it in the other room. It was heavy for its size, but I could drag it with my tail.

“…Phew.”

As I entered the 【Hideout】, I let out a big sigh. The Boss Mantis’s actions were predictable, and it wasn’t particularly dangerous, but I was probably tense. I felt like I needed to wash my face and have some tea.

…Ah, this is it. The moment when the tension breaks. It certainly makes you relax…

“…Heh!”

I slapped both of my cheeks and refocused my energy.

There was still one scythe. The other side was still intact, and more importantly, I hadn’t delivered any significant damage yet. I needed to crush the legs and land a strike to the body or head for it to mean anything. I knew that attacks with 【Shadow Sword】 and 【Crimson Bee’s Sting】 were effective, and I could definitely be of help.

Looking through the peephole in the door, I saw Alec, standing some distance away, repositioning 【Red Shield】 on his back and preparing to attack the Mantis.

It was safe to go out now. Time for the second round… Let’s go!

◇

Second round. Now working on the left arm’s scythe.

With the threat from the right arm gone, Alec was focusing on attacking the legs. Meanwhile, I was clinging to the left arm, attacking its joints, but… I started noticing some changes in the boss’s behavior.

Until now, the Mantis had only moved its body or swung its scythes to attack. But now, with only one scythe left, it started using new attacks—like charging or jumping to try and crush us. It seemed to have stopped underestimating us.

The boss was still tough, heavy, and large, which made it a threat, but that only mattered if it landed a hit. Eventually, I got the hang of dealing with it.

I was about to go all in on the left scythe… when I saw something in the corner of my eye.

“Reinforcements! Three Great Apes!”

While I was clinging to the arm and swinging 【Shadow Sword】, I saw the Great Apes charging toward us.

The other monsters were still paralyzed, but it looked like the apes were unaffected, and they were coming straight for us. They were strong… the apes. This new wave of enemies was a bit troublesome.

I had the boss under control, and it felt like I was gaining the upper hand, but we were already outnumbered. I couldn’t afford to split the team to deal with the apes.

I could handle it, but taking on three apes alone, or even one, would be tough. It would be hard for the others to fight multiple enemies at once…

“Don’t worry about it! Let’s just group up. We’ll deal with them all at once!”

While I was contemplating, Zighart raised his voice. Even if the reinforcements were troublesome, it was better to fight together and provide mutual support than split up the group.

“Understood! Let’s take them on! Sera, focus on the Great Apes! Leave the scythe for later!”

“? Got it!”

I responded to Alec’s orders, but… I wasn’t sure what to do next. Should I just fly around and keep them distracted?

◇

“Sera, now!”

Amid the loud explosions of magic, Fiora gave me her cue.

“Alright!”

I rushed toward the three Great Apes. Fortunately, the dust obscured my movements, and they were slow to react. On the other hand, I could see perfectly through the snakes’ eyes.

“Ha!”

I activated 【Crimson Bee’s Sting】 and kicked the heads of all three apes in quick succession. The core of the apes was deep in their chests, and even with the length of 【Shadow Sword】, I could just about reach it. But to hit it, I needed to get closer. Eventually, that would be the goal, but for now, I was weakening them by continuing my attacks.

“Whoa…!”

I disengaged before the dust cleared. The apes were swinging their arms around, but I was already out of their reach.

The fight with the apes was mainly handled by Fiora and me. The plan was simple—Fiora would use magic to stop their movements, and while they were stunned, I would land kicks and do damage…

We fought near the boss’s left side. Though we were a bit far, if we timed it right, August could move in for the finishing blow. With 【Wind Garb】, it wouldn’t be an issue at this distance!

Zighart could probably finish it with one blow, but that would require some magic charging. It was a bit difficult while fighting the boss, so I’d let the Captain handle that.

“Not bad. Let’s keep going.”

“Alright!”

I returned to Fiora’s side, but just as I did, the Great Apes started charging toward us.

“August…!?”

It was unexpected, but a chance nonetheless. Fiora tried to call for August, but another unexpected event happened. The boss leapt high into the air. It had jumped before, but it was always to attack. This time, though, it leapt to escape the assault from Alec and the others, heading toward the Great Apes.

The huge body passed just below us in midair. We could have attacked, but the sheer force of its flight made me hesitate. It landed with a heavy thud, shaking the ground, right behind the Great Apes.

How far did it jump? I thought it was giving its all, but it might have been hiding even more strength.

Now, it had joined forces with the Great Apes. We began regrouping, led by Alec, but…

“Huh?”

For some reason, the boss swung its remaining scythe horizontally, slicing through one of the Great Apes standing before it. The ape was neatly split in two, from its belly up to its chest.

What a sharp cut…

And then…

“…Eeeh?”

It hooked the upper half of the ape’s body with its scythe, brought it to its mouth, and began eating.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sera: 【Hideout】+1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garb】・【Floating Orb】+1【Shadow Sword】【Crimson Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eyes】【Dragon’s Lungs】【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