(TN: So, the name of the boss in Japanese is “Poison Flame Turtle Dragon”; I translate it to Tarrasque because that’s what the author calls it in English.)
If we were to call the Tarrasque’s state from a while ago “Physical Phase”, could we now refer to its current form as “Poisonous Flame Phase”? Its shell was spreading poison and flames evenly, just as the name “Poison Flame Turtle Dragon” suggested.
“Hey hey! it sure started to look more dangerous!”
Jigoro’s voice held both surprise and uncontainable joy. It appeared that he had a penchant for dangerous situations. What a battle maniac!
“But you know, neither poison nor flames really do much to me!” Jigoro added.
It was true. As a result of repeatedly enduring and recovering from poison attacks during the Toadman Prince battle, Jigoro acquired the skill [Poison Resistance].
However, it was worth noting that this skill’s level was still relatively low. Consequently, it was unlikely that he could endure the Tarrasque’s [Deadly Poison] indefinitely. At best, Jigoro could withstand the Tarrasque in its [Deadly Poison] state for a bit longer than us. Nonetheless, even with his underdeveloped [Poison Resistance] skill, Jigoro was practically wearing a gas mask, so he should be the main attacker in this boss phase.
“Brother, you should focus…”.
“Gyaaoooooooh!”
Whoa!? The Tarrasque, which had been rather passive until now, suddenly roared and charged at us!
And surprisingly, it was fast! Despite its enormous size, it seemed to achieve an unexpected speed by skillfully maneuvering its six legs. What a troublesome situation!
It appeared that the “Poisonous Flame Phase” was also an attack phase. It was clearly becoming more aggressive.
“For now, Magic Circle Remote Activation, spell adjustment, earth hole.”
“Gaaaaaa!?”
To thwart the Tarrasque’s charge, I used magic to create a large pit in its path. Since it was moving at considerable speed, the Tarrasque which was unable to stop in time, tumbled headfirst into the hole. Quite a comical scene, I must say.
“Gyaooooooo!!!”
However, it didn’t seem inclined to go down without a fight. The Tarrasque began spinning rapidly, much like the Forest Beast Turtle. It forcefully broke free from the hole I had dug. However, unlike the Forest Beast Turtle, it continued to spew poison and flames while spinning, creating a veritable storm of fire.
What a sight! It was quite impressive. I couldn’t help but wonder if I could replicate something like that with magic. I’d love to learn how.
“What should we do, brother? It seems like stopping it won’t be easy.”
Setting aside my silly daydreams, Jigoro was right; conventional means would likely struggle to impede it. So, what should we do?
I quickly considered two options. One was to fall back and chip away at it with long-range attacks. The other was to confront it head-on and engage in a full-on battle. What would be the right choice for us? There was only one answer.
“No other way. Let’s go for a head-on battle.”
“Bring it on!” Jigoro said.
“Well, well, my old bones are in for a workout,” Genjuro added.
Upon hearing about the head-on confrontation, Jigoro seemed thrilled, and Genjuro sounded quite pleased as well, in contrast to his words. It was just like them to prefer a more aggressive approach over chipping away bit by bit.
In that case, it was best to let the two of them unleash their skills to the fullest. My role was to provide support.
“We’ll go with a hit-and-run strategy. I’ll scatter the poison with my [Storm Magic], so take the opportunity to get close,” I instructed.
“Got it!”
“Understood.”
“Alright then… Star Magic Circle Remote Activation, spell adjustment, Wind Pillar.”
I created a wide-reaching wind pillar right next to the Tarrasque, lifting up all the scattered poison. The gas was constantly being released, but as long as the wind pillar was there, it would suck it in and disperse it.
It was just like an air purifier! We should have done this from the beginning. This way, we had eliminated the worry of being overwhelmed by poison, but there was still another issue at hand. The flames were still going strong, roaring high into the air, and even with [Water and Ice Magic], it would be like trying to douse a burning shell.
“Hahaha! This is quite thrilling!”
“Hohohoho!”
However, we couldn’t underestimate the resilience of our two battle maniacs. They approached the monster, threading their way through the flames spewing from the shell. I wondered if Jigoro and even Genjuro, who should have had the [Fire Weakness] skill, didn’t have the fear of getting consumed by the flames.
As things progressed, the two of them effortlessly leaped forward, right in front of the Tarrasque. Jigoro was still aiming for the face as always, while Genjuro had reverted to his three-sword style and targeted the front right leg.
“Ooraaaaaaaaaa!!!”
“Nuuuh!”
Jigoro’s fist once again smashed through the spikes growing on the monster’s face, and Genjuro’s slashes tore through the tough fur and landed on the front leg. Neither strike was fatal, but they undoubtedly accumulated damage.
“Gaaaah… Gaaaaaah!!!”
In response, the Tarrasque naturally launched a counterattack. Previously, it had relied primarily on its long tail as its main weapon, but that had already been severed by Genjuro. So, its attack options were now limited to biting and scratching with its front legs, just as before.
The Tarrasque had six legs, allowing it to support its body with the hind and middle legs, giving it the freedom to maneuver the front legs. Perhaps due to its current aggressive mode, it swung its massive front legs, which were as sturdy as large trees, in all directions.
“Hey hey! Is that all you got!?”
“Look look, can’t even hit us!”
Even in the midst of this violent onslaught, which could have easily taken my life with just a graze, the two of them remained unfazed. They skillfully evaded the front legs and bites while provocatively taunting the monster.
“Grr… Grrraaaargh!!!”
In general, the intelligence of FSW monsters was low, but they were equipped with sufficient AI to get angered when mocked. So, in human terms, the current state of the Tarrasque could be described as having its face turn red with anger and becoming visibly agitated.
“Kyukyuu!”
“”Keeh!””
In other words, the monster couldn’t see its surroundings very clearly. Because of this, both Karl and the summoned Aerial Eagles were gradually wearing down the Tarrasque’s health with spells from medium range. While the power of a single attack couldn’t match the vanguard duo, the continuous attacks were likely accumulating significant overall damage.
“…Alright, the enhancements have been refreshed. I can finally join the fray.”
I hadn’t been idly watching from the sidelines. Instead, I had been timing the renewal of everyone’s enhancements.
Now that it was done, I could join the battle. I was determined to settle the score for Karl’s wing!
“First off… Magic Circle Remote Activation, Spell Adjustment, Earth Change.”
I used the Earth Change spell to manipulate the geology beneath the Tarrasque’s hind and middle legs. I transformed the large gravel and smaller rounded stones that formed the ground into fine, loose sand.
Furthermore, I expanded the spell’s area of effect through spell adjustment, but the expansion was in the downward direction. In other words, the ground had turned into sand to a considerable depth.
“Gah?”
However, that alone couldn’t inflict any harm on the Tarrasque. In fact, in the face of the massive body and overwhelming weight of the Tarrasque, turning the ground into sand at its feet had no effect whatsoever.
“Next up, Magic Circle Remote Activation, Quicksand. Sink!”
I transformed the ground into sand with the Earth Change spell using [Earth Magic] and then swiftly conjured an impromptu antlion pit using the Quicksand spell from [Sandstorm Magic]. I had always wanted to try out this combo. Now, how effective would it be?
“Gaaaah!?”
Oh, it seems quite effective indeed. The Tarrasque was gradually sinking as its legs were caught in the flowing sand. Its cries conveyed confusion and bewilderment. It was truly in a state of utter confusion!
“All right, let’s follow up.”
I continued to apply a barrage of [Curse] and [Witchcraft] spells. Oh, I knew that poison wouldn’t work, and I refrained from using the instant death spell because if it happened to succeed, my companions might turn on me.
“Grrr… Gugagah…!?”
Alright, things were shaping up nicely. It seemed like most of my spells had taken effect. It was probably due to the steady leveling up and the effects of the “Skull Mask”. Now, the Tarrasque was suffering from hallucinations, auditory illusions, illusory pain, paralysis, and disease, all while writhing in agony. Hahaha! Must be tough, huh?
“Scaryyy…” Jigoro muttered.
“…I’m so glad that Isam is on our side,” Genjuro remarked.
“Kyukyukyu!”
The two who had witnessed the unbecoming spectacle of what was supposed to be a boss were inexplicably giving me looks as though they were seeing a monster. Hey, hey, I knew I was being quite ruthless, but was it really necessary for my comrades to look at me that way?
However, Karl was the sole exception; his eyes were filled with excitement and joy. Oh, Karl. Do you truly understand my greatness? You’re a good boy, indeed.
“Come on, seize the opportunity now. Attack quickly!”
“It’s not exactly clear, but understood!”
“Indeed!”
“Kyuu!”
As the Tarrasque, buried in the quicksand and suffering from a plethora of status ailments, found itself unable to do anything, Jigoro, Genjuro, and Karl launched their assault. Meanwhile, I would maintain the status effects with my [Curse] and [Witchcraft] spells, all the while keeping an eye on its health bar.
Paying attention to the monster’s health was, of course, a precaution against its [Dragon Force] skill. From my own experience, I knew just how dangerous that skill could be. The moment it activates, it’s like the protagonist in a manga being pushed to the brink of death before an epic comeback begins.
Our strategy was to chip away at the Tarrasque’s health until it was barely above ten percent and then unleash our maximum firepower. It was a delicate balance, and we weren’t sure if we could pull it off, but we had no other choice.
Well, the [Dragon Force] had a constant regenerative effect, and it would be forcefully canceled once its health reached a certain level. So, the best and easiest move was to have everyone throw healing items at the monster the moment its health dipped below ten percent and triggered the [Dragon Force]. If it were just me, I would have done it without hesitation.
However, Jigoro and Genjuro detested such a passive approach. Two individuals who played the game in search of battles with nonexistent powerhouses wouldn’t approve of a strategy that seemed like exploiting a game mechanic.
Interestingly, they didn’t consider long-range attacks using magic, weakening the enemy with [Curse] and [Witchcraft] spells, or even using poisoned weapons as underhanded tactics. To them, it was all just different facets of battle. They recognized that magic for a mage, curses for a curse user, and poison darts for an assassin were equivalent to fists and swords for them.
When I heard that, it struck me as a remarkably stoic tale. At the same time, I sincerely felt fortunate to have these two as my companions. I couldn’t bring myself to betray the unwavering trust of these seekers of the real battle path. And so, it was only fitting that we should join forces with all our heart and soul to defeat the final form of the Tarrasque.
“We’re getting close! Everyone, prepare for your most powerful attacks!”
“We’ve been waiting for this!”
“Got it! Hyaaaah!”
“Kyuooooo!”
As we continued, the Tarrasque’s health was approaching ten percent. So, everyone began preparing for their most powerful strikes.
Jigoro readied his skills like [Divine Beast Transformation] and [Incarnation of Flame and Thunder], and he also prepared the skill [Armor Breaking Fist], which was a skill of the “Mad Ogre Battle Gauntlets”; the gauntlets were a reward from the dungeon event. This skill allowed him to reliably destroy an enemy’s shell or armor while delivering a blow that ignored their defense; however, it could only be used once every two days. Naturally, the Tarrasque’s shell was his primary target. It was clear that now was the perfect moment to put this skill to use.
As Genjuro tightened his grip on his swords, each of the three blades underwent a transformation. The blade of the large sword turned jet black, while an ominous aura reminiscent of grudges overflowed from the striking sword and short sword.
The reward from the “Trial of the Azure Moon” was the large sword (Odachi) with the name “Crescent Moon – Large sword”. It had several abilities specialized in cutting, including one called [Dawn’s Hour]. When used, it came with the drawback of being unable to use the sword for a full day as a recoil, but in return, it significantly boosted the performance of the large sword.
As for the striking sword (Uchigatana) and short sword (wakizashi), they were part of a set known as the “Nameless – Cursed Blades”. These weapons had been submerged at the bottom of the underground lake where the Lesser Small Naga dwelled. Thanks to Iris’s careful sharpening and restoration work, they became usable, revealing themselves as unexpected cursed blades.
Infusing these blades with magic power triggered a unique status ailment called [Cursed Wound], which prevented wounds from healing until the curse was lifted. While this was a potent ability, it came with risks: the blades couldn’t be sheathed once drawn, and with each strike against an enemy, the wielder’s vitality was drained. According to Iris, even a brief touch could deplete a significant amount of vitality, so it was a skill to be used sparingly. Now was the time to take that risk and go on the offensive.
I, too, began my preparations for the final strike. There was no room for holding back in this situation. I would crush the enemy in one powerful onslaught! With that determination in mind, I started building my magic.
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