Chapter 302: Vs. Houou

Just as I thought, like the Spirit Turtle, Houou also headed for the area with the densest population. It headed straight for our vast army.

The number 『8』 floats in my field of vision.

I assume this is meant to be the 8th wave.

“You guys, don’t make a mistake and land the killing blow too early.” (Noafumi)

“We know!” (Ren)

Ren is near the front. He faces the low altitude Houou, and begins releasing various attacks at it.

“KYUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”

The higher Houou starts flapping its wings at us, raining feathers and fire down at us.

「Meteor Shield」!

I used my chi to raise its defense and scope quite a bit.

With this, I can protect the entire front line, but my powers are insufficient to cover the rest.

This battle is still within expectations.

“You all understand, right?” (Naofumi)

I turn around, and find my slaves, and the army nodding.

I don’t have the confidence to protect this large of a group.

But I need to scheme to protect as many as I can.

With Atlas’s help, I used a technique that wasn’t a skill. I deploy Collect at the raining fire.

As if it were draining down a large funnel, the rain gathers, and heads towards me.

Based on how strong this attack is, I’ll change the battle plans.

In that time, the Heroes began concentrating attacks on the Lower Altitude bird that rushed at us.

The rain of fire comes into contact with my shield, and stops.

It just feels like a normal rain hitting the top of an umbrella.

What I currently have equipped is a reinforced Spirit Turtle Shell.

–

Spirit Turtle Shell (Awakened) +8 70/70 SR

Ability Bonus:

…

Equipment Bonus:

Skill 「S Float Shield」, 「Reflect Shield」

Special Ability:

Gravity Field

C Soul Recovery

C Magic Snatch

C Gravity Shot

Tenacity Enhancement

Magic Defense (Large)

Lightning Resistance

SP Drain Null

Growing Power

Proficiency Level 100

Item Enchant Level 8 Defense 10% Up

Dragon Spirit Defense 50 Fire Resistance Up

Status Enchant Magic 30+

–

Anticipating Houou’s attacks, I enchanted my weapon perfectly.

With this, I can greatly reduce fire-based attacks.

My Barbarian Armor also has Flame Resistance, so normal attacks shouldn’t harm me at all.

At the moment, the attacks coming down on me aren’t doing anything.

However, the scale of the attack is too big, so I can’t guard the entire army for long.

But that was also to be expected.

「All Zveit Resist Fire」！

The rear support forces cast Fire Resistance magic on the army.

With this, we’ll be able to ignore the rain, and concentrate on attacking.

Hmm?

When the feathers Houou spread come into contact with the ground, a monster called Houou Familiar (Vassal Type) comes into being.

Just as the mural said.

The vanguard immediately rushes forward to annihilate the familiars.

Good!

“Rafu~!”

Rat’s monster Mii-kun changes shape so something like a carpet. He catches all the feathers I fail to block.

He’s good at changing shape, so he’s useful in times like this.

“Let’s go!” (Taniko)

“KYUA!” (Gaelion)

Firo, Gaelion and Taniko fly towards the higher level Houou.

“Tei!”

“Kyua!”

“Yesh, let’s go!”

Let me go into an explanation of the weaknesses of Firo’s new-found flight.

By flying, she sacrifices a few of her abilities.

According to the bird herself, I explained it before, but she uses magic to fly. So flying greatly diminishes her magic supply.

What’s more, she can’t put as much power into her feet as when on land, so her kicking power decreases. The power in her beak and claws also decreases.

Also, because she has to concentrate on flight, using magic like Quick and Spiral Strike is difficult.

In that aspect, Gaelion, who could fly from the beginning, doesn’t have too many weaknesses.

Breath is his basic attack, and he can use his claws fine.

Because of his leveling, he even learned how to make and shoot homing arrows of fire.

Houou is more skilled in fire, so so if Gaelion doesn’t change the attributes of his attacks, he won’t do any damage, though.

But I guess a bird of fire has to have good fire resistance.

「Wing Tornado」

Flapping her wings strongly, Firo rotates her body as she rushes at Houou.

It looks like her Spiral Strike, but it isn’t nearly as fast.

“Tei!”

And after she lands on the high Houou, she delivers a strong kick to it.

Ah, I guess like that, her kick power doesn’t drop.

“Gaelion, let’s do this.” (Taniko)

“Kyua!”

『I lead the power of Gaelion, and desire its incarnation. Earth Pulse, grant me power.』

『KYUAKYUAKYUA』!

「High wing Slash」!

Gaelion’s wings begin emitting light, and by flapping them, he creates blades of wind.

Those blades pierce the higher Houou.

“KYUIIIIIIII!?”

They’re fighting well.

I need to concentrate on the enemy before me as well.

“HAAH!”

I grab Houou’s foot, and create an opening for Raphtalia, Atlas and Fohl’s attacks to land.

「Bagua Karma Blade Second Stroke」!

「Tiger Break」!

“Here I come!” (Atlas)

Raphtalia’s blade pierces Houou’s shoulder, and Fohl’s fist hits its abdomen. Upon Atlas’s thrust, part of its body bursts open.

“I can’t be losing to them! 「Gravity Blade」!” (Ren)

“Yeah! I’ll work hard for Niichan! Woof! Woof!”

Ren jumps at the lower Houou’s head, and stabs it multiple times, while releasing a skill.

Kiel also turns into Kielberus, and sinks her teeth into the bird.

Oh… like a knife through butter, Ren’s blade goes through Houou.

Kiel’s attacks aren’t to be messed with either.

However…

Houou was a being like the Spirit Turtle. A being similar to a spirit or ghost. Whenever it got injured, flames gushed out of the wounds, and the injuries healed themselves.

“Ku… what vitality!”

Even if you cut it, you can’t inflict any deep wounds.

How troublesome…

But by what I’ve seen, it’s not like it isn’t taking any damage.

Just like in our simulations, even if it blows itself up, it will be able to revive as if nothing happened. We can’t frivolously kill it. We’ll have to use tactics here.

But we prepared for these attacks. We don’t get any damage from its wings or its breath.

There’s no sign that the lower one will perform any SP draining attacks like the Spirit Turtle.

But just in case, I have re-strengthened the Wrath Shield that dropped due to Gaelion’s meddling. It doesn’t look like I’ll have to use it, though/

The Spirit Turtle’s Shell has high stats, but Wrath is also catching up.

The Shell doesn’t seem to be evolving soon.

But it’s impossible to predict everything.

Perhaps an attack like that is coming soon…

As I grasped the lower Houou to prevent it from escaping, I turned my eyes to the higher one.

I see Motoyasu, Itsuki and Rishia, Sadina, and the Queen releasing various long range attacks at the Higher Houou.

“Firo-tan, be careful! 「Brionac」!” (Motoyasu)

「Bird Hunting」! (Itsuki)

「Tornado Throw」! (Rishia)

“Choral Magic!「Water and Lightning Fusion」!” (Sadina)

“High Class Covenant Magic!「Rain Storm」!” (Queen)

Motoyasu throws a spear of light at the beast.

And wait, where are his three followers?

There, I remembered. They’re cooperating with the Filo Rial squad, and fighting on this front.

Itsuki’s arrow divides, and rains down on Houou. Rishia’s tornado of thrown goods spin around it. Finally, Sadina’s pre-prepared Choral Magic lands.

By the look of it, though, it’s not taking as much damage as the lower one.

Firo, Gaelion, the Dragoons, and the other flying monsters… are those Gryphons? Anyways, the soldiers riding them are dealing good damage, but still, we’re dealing too much to the lower Houou.

At this rate, taking them out together will be difficult.

“Hold back a bit more. Or else, we’ll kill it first! We need to match our timings as best as possible!” (Naofumi)

“Got it!” (Ren)

“Yes!” (Raphtalia)

I caution the people on the front line, as I deploy my First and Second Float Shields to block its attacks, as I continue pinning it down.

We just have to contain our DPS, and accumulate damage on the High Altitude one.

“!? Naofumi-sama, Houou’s Stamina is recovering.” (Atlas)

“Ku… how troublesome.” (Naofumi)

If it’s Atlas’s perception, then she’s definitely right.

if we hold back, it just recovers.

Even so, we can’t go at it seriously.

Management is difficult.

But this isn’t an enemy we can’t beat.

At that moment, I felt a great heat.

The leg I had grabbed slipped through my arms.

Houou converted its whole body into fire.

“Everyone get behind me! 「First Shield」! 「Second Shield」!” (NAofumi)

IS this an attack that was too faded on the mural to read?

I hold my Shield out front, and prepare myself.

“KYUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”

Surrounded by a whirlwind of fire, Houou rushes at us.

It’s a rush attack like Firo’s Spiral Break.

Though this bird is clad in fire.

“Ku…”

It looks like I can’t get out of this one unharmed.

I feel the skin on my body being grilled.

“Are you alright!?”

Because I took Houou’s rush head-on, the people behind me are unharmed.

But because of the familiars and raining attacks, it’s not like the front line troops aren’t damaged at all. We’ve avoided anything fatal, though.

I felt an abnormality in my own Status.

My magic is being sucked out.

… I have a bad feeling about this,

“KYUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!”

「Meteor Shield」!

The Higher Altitude Houou takes in a deep breath of air, and lets out a breath like a red laser.

Just before it hits, I deploy my Meteor Shield barrier with me at the center.

“Wah!” (Firo)

“Kyua!” (Gaelion)

The people fighting it up close barely manage to avoid it. The breath was directed at us below.

“UWAAAAAAAAH!”

A whole unit is blown away as if they were merely toys.

Damn… it was hiding an attack like that.

“It sucked my magic! The attack the lower one just used sucked the magic of the ground squadron, and the higher one used it to power its attack!”

But he made a grave mistake.

My Spirit Turtle Shell has C Magic Snatch.

After withstanding the blast, a bullet of magic flies out of my Shield towards the lower Houou.

But… before coming into contact, the bullet vanishes.

Getting back magic from it is impossible?

And I was able to tell when I was holding it, but Gravity Field doesn’t work either.

How much will you trouble me?

“Uu…”

“To those who took damage, get treated immediately! 「All Zveit Heal」! If you die, you’ll get controlled by the enemy! Rear Supports, we need assistance.” (NAofumi)

On my order, the support squad runs forward, and provides relief to those that survived the impact.