Chapter 56

Seeing the powerful T-rex-like monster, both my instincts and reason screamed in alarm.

My legs began to tremble.

I punched my thighs to forcibly stop the shaking.

"Kuuna, Anne. We can't beat that thing. We need to run if possible."

The two of them nodded. They didn't seem to have the courage to face it.

The question was whether we could escape. If it wasn't interested in us, it wouldn't chase us.

Our eyes met. I saw clear intent to kill in its eyes. It didn't seem like it would let us go.

The T-rex shifted its center of gravity forward, preparing to charge. It was clearly ready to fight.

Sensing the impending battle, the two of them got into combat stances.

Kuuna made the first move.

"【Steel Flame Spear】!!"

Kuuna launched her signature magic, the Flame Spear.

Among the short-casting-time spells, she relied most on the Flame Spear.

She could launch eight Flame Spears at once, but the 【Steel Flame Spear】 combined those eight into one, increasing its power and specializing it for single targets.

Anne was also moving.

As Kuuna prepared her spell, Anne ran while casting the 【Moon Slash】 spell.

Thanks to the improvements in her magic circuits and the training with me, she had learned to use magic regularly, reducing the casting time and making it possible to cast during battles.

I didn't move. I began preparing to support them.

"Roooooar!!"

The T-rex roared at the sight of Kuuna's Flame Spear. The air itself seemed to vibrate.

The 【Steel Flame Spear】 struck the T-rex's chest, and immediately after, Anne's enhanced, fatal strike, the 【Moon Slash】, attacked its right leg.

"What!?"

"How...?"

Their voices overlapped.

Kuuna's 【Steel Flame Spear】 barely pierced the surface, causing only superficial wounds and minor burns, while Anne's 【Moon Slash】 was stopped at the skin's surface.

"Anne! Jump back with all your might!!"

I shouted at the top of my lungs. As Anne jumped back, the T-rex spun its body and attacked her with its tail, which had gained centrifugal force.

Anne jumped back, but the distance wasn't enough. She would be hit by the tail. However, the wind magic I had prepared, anticipating this, carried her just out of the attack range.

However, the tip of the tail grazed her, sending her flying several meters. Anne flew through the air and crashed to the ground, rolling.

"Anne!!"

Kuuna shouted and ran to her.

Hearing her cry, the T-rex's attention turned to Kuuna.

"Roooooar!!"

It charged at Kuuna.

Despite its massive size, it was incredibly fast, moving at more than twice my top speed. Kuuna, distracted by Anne, was slow to react.

Kuuna noticed the T-rex's charge a moment too late, turned to face it, and her face turned pale. She realized she couldn't dodge or block it.

I stepped between Kuuna and the T-rex and cast a spell.

"【Magic Silver Refinement: Black Pattern Shield·Wall】"

I refined a large shield that had once stopped a boar monster's charge.

Three stakes extended diagonally downward from the bottom and sides of the shield, piercing the ground and anchoring it firmly.

I adjusted the angle of the spikes on the shield's surface.

The plan was to stop the charge, use the force of the charge to impale the spikes, and then send an electric current through them.

But...

"Roooooar!!"

The moment the T-rex's head hit the shield, both the shield's spikes and the stakes anchoring it to the ground broke. It paused for a moment, but as it raised its head, I was blown away by the force.

"Of course, I can't stop it completely."

But it was within my expectations. At the very least, I had bought Kuuna time to regain her composure.

I controlled my posture in mid-air. I had prepared a cushioning wind spell, anticipating that I wouldn't be able to stop it. Layers of wind caught my body, gradually slowing me down. I thought I had avoided damage.

However, the next moment, the T-rex jumped.

Moreover, it skillfully twisted its body in mid-air and brought its tail down on my head.

"What!?"

That movement was unexpected.

If I were hit by that, I would die instantly.

I quickly melted a spare mithril ring from my thigh to create a thread-tethered arrow. I quickly stabbed the arrow into a nearby tree, pulled the thread, and moved through the air, narrowly avoiding the tail.

The tail that narrowly missed me struck the ground, creating a crater that seemed almost comical.

What is this out-of-scale monster?

"Roooooar!!"

Seemingly frustrated at failing to kill me, the T-rex roared again.

I desperately tried to think.

If we continued to fight, all three of us would surely die.

Is it possible to escape?

No, it's impossible. It recognizes us as prey, and its speed far exceeds ours.

... No, if I use my trump card and leave Kuuna and Anne to their fate, I could escape alone.

I need to make a decision.

"Kuuna, Anne. Run with all your might to the seventh floor underground!! The entrance on the fifth floor is severely collapsed. It's impossible to clear the debris in a short time! It's better to go down!"

I shouted at Kuuna, who had run to Anne and helped her up.

I couldn't just let them die.

I decided. I would use my trump card to hold the T-rex and give them time to escape.

It was better than me escaping alone.

"But, Soji-kun, against this monster!"

"I can do it. I'll hold it off!! You two, go!"

"How can you do that!? What will happen to you after we escape!?"

Kuuna looked at me with a tearful, desperate face.

"Stop it!! What can you do by staying here!? Do you want all three of us to die? I can fight alone! So get out of my way!"

I shouted at the top of my lungs.

For some reason, my heart ached.

"Kuuna, let's go."

Anne, who had stood up, pulled Kuuna's hand.

"Anne, but..."

Kuuna still hesitated. Anne whispered something in her ear.

Then, Kuuna nodded, turned her back to me, and, after a worried look, the two of them started running.

This is good.

No matter what happens, they will be safe.

"Roooooar!!!!"

The T-rex, instead of attacking me, was about to chase the two of them.

It lowered its head and extended its tail straight, ready to charge.

If it continued, it would catch them in an instant.

"Ah!?"

The T-rex tried to run but couldn't take a step. It struggled to take a step but couldn't move at all.

... Because I was holding its tail with both hands.

It turned to me with a furious expression.

The moment our eyes met, I hugged its tail with all my might. The tail squished with a disgusting feeling.

"Rrrr! Roooooar!!"

The T-rex let out a sound that was both a scream and a roar.

Now, it could only see me. Yes, its only natural enemy. It turned and swung its short arms at me. I blocked it with my left hand.

"Alright, round two. Shall we continue?"

I smiled arrogantly.

Black magic runes began to dance on my skin.

They were made of miasma.

... Miasma, a powerful force capable of creating monsters.

Players had been researching ways to harness it. I had always been at the forefront in this field and had developed two spells.

The first was 【Miasma Emission】, which injected miasma into the body. It was an extremely effective attack method but had the drawback of only working on non-human targets.

The second was a spell I created to overcome the weakness of the first.

By absorbing miasma into my body and letting it coat my skin, I could turn it into a strong armor.

Now, over a hundred magic stones' worth of miasma was circulating through my body, giving me overwhelming attack and defense capabilities.

This was my final trump card.

"【Emblem Armor】"

I could fight in this form for only a short time.

Even with the burden reduced by external application, using this much miasma would inevitably damage my body. This was a double-edged sword, even more so than 【Extreme Body Enhancement】.

Would Anne and Kuuna be able to escape safely?

While thinking about this, I clenched my fist and raised it.