Chapter 12: The Reaper of the Dungeon and the Sword of the Six Flowers, Part 4
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Dungeon City Sakura – 27th Dungeon [Eclipse] 1st Floor
The change came abruptly.
In an instant, the spiritual power that had surged through my body vanished, and simultaneously, Al’s supply abruptly ceased.
The reason behind this was the battle tactic I had employed earlier.
It may sound impressive to label it as a special move that exacts a tremendous amount of spiritual power as its price for a potent ability, as often seen in supernatural battle stories. However, this adversary’s greed and malevolence exceeded those conventions.
First, let’s address the cost. It was unbelievably steep.
To give you an idea of its magnitude, it consumed all of my spiritual power in one fell swoop, akin to a greeting, and then siphoned off Al’s supply until the technique reached completion.
And the associated risks were even more severe.
Consider this: What happens to a Spirit User who depletes all their spiritual power and has their supply cut off?
That’s right. They become completely incapable of using any skills.
In fiction, there are scenes where the hero, after employing their full-powered finishing move, is left utterly exhausted, as if they have burned out. They deplete all their MP or magical power and then stand alone, physically and spiritually drained—exactly how I am feeling right now.
…However, in my case, I ran out of fuel before executing the technique.
Who would have thought that employing a finishing move would put me in such a predicament? That Shimizu Kyoiichiro guy…
“I can’t do anything about it!”
With a shout emanating from the depths of my soul, I swing the supplied greatsword.
A reckless sweeping attack like this would normally be easily evaded.
Yet, my slash lands a clean hit on the Reaper’s left arm, resounding like a thunderclap.
Continuing to slash around its sternum area while circling to its rear, I raise the greatsword once again and strike with force.
“A battle of endurance without spiritual power is an impossible game, you damn bastard!”
Shouting from the depths of my soul, I unleash a flurry of strikes—one after another after another after another.
My consecutive attacks, filled with anger and resentment, deal fatal damage to its spine.
I could say that it’s a perfect start to my winning streak.
Of course, there’s a catch to this rapid progress.
One aspect is the nature of my special move.
As I have lamented all along, my special move is a cannon that only reveals its true effect after going through the stages of activation, becoming a dud, enduring, and reaching completion.
During this process, all skills become unusable, which exacts an excessively heavy toll, and the resulting decrease in combat power poses a grave risk.
At first glance, it may appear to be an irredeemable design flaw, and indeed, it is. However, there is a loophole in this dud mode.
“Raaa!”
I deliver another powerful strike, lifting my spirits.
Thanks to the “Strength Enhancement” effect, I possess superhuman strength, and my blow finally causes the Reaper to stumble.
That’s right. This is the true nature of the loophole.
Due to the depletion of spiritual power, skills become unusable. With unusable skills, combat abilities diminish. Both are true and undeniable realities.
However, if we consider whether the effects of previously activated skills also expire, the answer is no.
Enhancement and spiritual power are not synonymous.
Spiritual power is energy, while enhancement is the outcome.
And unless time is reversed, the results persist.
Even if resources are exhausted, the buff effects remain—a highly realistic design. So, if body enhancement-type skills like “Strength Enhancement,” “Leg Enhancement,” and “Armor Enhancement” are applied to the body in advance, their effects remain valid even after spiritual power is depleted.
It’s a straightforward and logical reasoning.
Thanks to this, the triple buff (as well as communication with Al and sync mode) that I applied to my body just before entering this battle—”Strength Enhancement,” “Leg Enhancement,” and “Armor Enhancement”—is still in effect. I want to express a little gratitude to the designer of this system.
Is it a blessing in disguise? A stroke of luck amidst misfortune? Well, regardless, thank you, system designer.
By the way, it’s unlikely that the effects of this triple enhancement will expire. I focused on sustainability rather than instant power. With approximately thirty minutes of battle remaining, I should be able to fight without any problems.
That’s my rationale.
And another reason lies with the damn Grim Reaper… and her.
“Atatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatatata!”
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While emitting a peculiar battle cry, Aono Haruka engages in a fierce duel with the towering Grim Reaper, who stands nearly three meters tall.
Frankly, the situation is dire.
What makes it dire is the absurdity of the scene—where a monster of nearly three meters in height is being overwhelmed by a middle school girl.
Both in terms of weapon specifications and natural strength, the Grim Reaper probably holds the advantage.
Yet, victory seems to be leaning towards Aono Haruka.
Why, you ask?
[Master, I am currently in awe. Has humanity reached such a level of skill?]
Everything can be summed up in Al’s recent murmuring.
Using the term “skill” feels outdated, but fundamentally, he is expressing admiration for her incredible abilities.
[I couldn’t agree more. It’s mind-boggling even to an amateur like me. By the way, did her sword just split?]
[Those were afterimages.]
[Huh?]
[I mean, they were afterimages. By rapidly alternating the speed of her inhumanly fast sword strikes, she creates an illusion.]
[Wow…]
[Instead of fixating on the speed of her sword strikes, we should pay attention to the sword itself. Please observe, Master. Despite extensive usage, not a single chip on the blade.]
[…Wait. Isn’t that the standard-issue equipment?]
[Yes.]
[And she’s creating afterimages.]
[Indeed.]
[Then why doesn’t it break?]
[I believe it possesses some durability enhanced by spiritual power, but above all, her skill is exceptional.]
[…Wow]
I pull back slightly and strike the Grim Reaper’s spine with my large sword.
Although the lolicon skeleton contorts his entire body, he doesn’t turn towards me.
Naturally, he is a repulsive garbage Reaper who persistently pursues Aono Haruka’s soul. But more than that, he perceives the middle school girl in front of him as dangerous.
He judged that reacting to me would create a slight opening, which is more fatal than the damage he would sustain from my attacks.
That judgment is generally correct.
I am presently a man devoid of spiritual power, unable to utilize any skills.
Thanks to the lingering buffs, I can keep up with the battle, but I cannot employ any skills that would effectively hit him.
Furthermore, his mutant characteristics complicate matters further.
Blue flames surge forth from the wound on his back.
They are not generated for the purpose of attacking but rather to repair the damage inflicted upon the Grim Reaper.
In the game, it was depicted as a constant skill called “At the end of each turn, recover half of the damage taken at that time.” A lousy ability.
Even in the game, it was annoying to the point where you wanted to curse the developer, but facing it in reality is beyond cheating.
“Frustating, huh?”
Aono Haruka wears a troubled smile as she effortlessly converses while bombarding her opponent with rapid sword strikes, akin to a machine gun’s barrage.
“No matter how much I attack, he just keeps regenerating, you know? It’s like, how much calcium does he have?” she remarks.
“Probably not related to calcium, but I agree that his regenerative ability is troublesome,” I reply.
Upon hearing my response, Aono Haruka’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Wow, Shimizu-kun, you’re amazing! You have a plan to overcome this situation!” she exclaims.
“…Huh? How do you know?” I ask, feeling a bit unnerved.
Honestly, it’s a little scary.
“No, no, it’s not that big of a deal,” she says, blushing and smiling, while relentlessly attacking the Grim Reaper with her sword. The chaos of the battle is already evident, but it would be impolite to point it out at this point.
“I was just wondering why you can maintain a consistent rhythm despite being aware of his regenerative ability. I’ve been measuring your breathing and attack intervals, you know? Isn’t that strange? Normally, if you know your attacks won’t work, you would adjust the power or speed. But Shimizu-kun, you keep repeating similar attacks with similar force. And the attack points are scattered. Although there are many near the back, it’s not concentrated in one spot. And above all, your spiritual power is visibly decreasing. You’re consuming a large amount of spiritual power against an opponent with regenerative abilities, persistently attacking even though you know it’s futile. In short—”
“You are incredibly amazing, it’s almost scary!”
“I couldn’t resist getting involved.”
“With your master-level swordsmanship and detective-like observation skills, you can practically read my mind. You’re exceeding the level of quick understanding, aren’t you!?”
“Oh, Aono Haruka, your combat talent is truly out of this world.”
” UuUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURYUUUUAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAaaaaaa!! “
While I was taken aback by Aono Haruka’s unexpected side, the defeated death god suddenly shouted.
A deranged perverted skeleton, emanating a pale flame from its entire body.
Its appearance is quite impressive, but it chose to attack while Aono Haruka and I were conversing, as if a frustrated virgin who discovered that the person of interest is talking to another man.
Poor guy. I have no sympathy or mercy for him.
“Shimizu, let’s step back for now.”
“A chain is coming towards you. Don’t get caught.”
“I know!”
Aono Haruka ambushed from behind, easily evading the chains and deflecting them with her sword.
“She’s truly exceptional. She has completely overcome her own cause of death.”
Getting caught would be troublesome, but as long as we understand the situation, it won’t be a big deal.
It’s a shame that we can’t combine regular attacks with it. The controls seem automatic, but she takes an extra step to summon, creating distance with a preparatory movement each time.
During the time of Sword Prison Rakshasa, I used it multiple times in a single turn, but it seems that the pre-evolution form can only perform one action per turn.
Lucky for us, the slower the opponent, the better it is.
“So, Shimizu-kun, how are we going to defeat that guy?”
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