“GuuOOOOOh!”

I use [High Rest] to heal Volk. The bruises and cuts over his body visibly recede.

This can work… Volk can do this. Howgrey’s fighting style lets him fight heedless of difference in stats, but that also means that even a single good hit from Volk will take him out.

Lilixira, who had been glaring at Volk from afar, suddenly turns her dragon around… Is she planning on fleeing? Although, for her, the worst case scenario should be each of them being eliminated separately.

For now, I need to focus on supporting Volk and fighting Beelzebub, and then I'll hurry to pick up and heal the fallen black lizard and magiatite-jii. It seems they’ve hidden themselves to stay our of sight of Lilixira and Beelzebub, but their wounds were quite deep. In that state, even just being attacked by a native monster would be tough.

“Leave this place to me. Don’t let her get away, Irushia.”

Volk says, readying his greatsword.

“We should end it here. Neither lecherta nor magiatite heart are as weak as you think. Don’t think of them as burdens so much.”

His words ring painfully true. I have a bad habit of trying too hard to cover everyone, and as a result end up falling behind my opponent. It's that sort of tendency that causes me stay in palm of Lilixira’s hand.

…This is my best chance to defeat Lilixira. Right now, she’s moving further away from Howgrey, who should have been her strongest piece. Aruane’s also on the verge of death and should be heading to pick up the atlach-nacha, so it’s hard to imagine she’d come back to protect her… And, one of her two [Spirit Servants], the Dragon King Eldia, has already died. If I act now, I can catch up and kill her.

I don’t know how long it’d take me to find the black lizard’s hiding spot. I don’t know whether it’s worth it to give Lilixira that much time.

I turn my head in the direction of the black lizard and magiatite-jii, and give a slight bow. Sorry. I’ll take down Lilixira real quick then come back.

I kick off the ground and spread my wings to fly towards Lilixira.

“Like I’ll let you go! We're settling this here, Irushiaaa!”

Beelzebub blocks my path.

『…I thought for sure you’d try and stick with Lilixira. Won’t fighting me away from her just worsen your chances of winning?』

“Hehe… Do you really think she’d create a disadvantageous situation on purpose like that? I’ll give you a word of warning, in terms of ruthlessness and stinginess, that gloomy woman is unmistakably the best in the world. Even without a divine skill, she’d have ended up leaving her name in history in some form or other.”

Beelzebub laughs lightly, then glares at me with his compound eyes.

“Now then, it’s our final battle. Let’s enjoy it as best we can, okay?”

『…Sorry, but I haven’t got time to play with you. I’ll end it right away.』

“Tough talk!”

Beelzebub flies up away from me as a magic circle unfolds behind him.

“[Darkness Rain]!”

Purple sheets of light lash down towards me. But… Now it's one-on-one. As long as I respond calmly, and I'm not getting pressured in close combat, his long-range magic attack is nothing painful.

I use the [Mirror Counter] skill, creating a barrier of light above me. The barrier absorbs many of the purple lights and sends them flying back up.

As though having predicted the return fire, Beelzebub flies to the side to dodge… But, I knew how he was going to move. I release a [Dimension Claw] in his path.

Due to the distance and the small target, it’s a little hard to aim, but I still succeed in cutting deep into his shoulder. His insectile wings scatter through the air. Bleeding green blood, he falls down towards me.

“Woah. You’ve suddenly gotten way too strong. Aah, I wish I could have done this in my true form.”

I ready my claws, intent on tearing him apart the moment it falls in range.

The reason I haven’t been able to take him down until now is because he’s always had Lilixira’s directions, and my focus has been taken up by Aruane and Howgrey. In a one-on-one fight and without Lilixira’s wisdom, he isn’t a tough opponent.

I swing my claws towards beelzebub. As I do, he laughs as though bored.

“…There is one thing that bitch has told me to do though. She's gotten me to kill all my flies with [Kin Proliferation]. Normally that would be pointless, but…”

As I hear his words, I think ‘so what’? But, I soon realise the significance.

My claw passes through Beelzebub. While falling, his body has become a mass of light and is breaking apart.

“See you, Irushia… This fight is my loss, but the bigger battle is my…no, that bitch’s victory. Of course, I’m probably never going to see you again. I’ll be watching from hell to see which of you survives.”

Beelzebub says through his warped mouth, and then disappears into motes of light.

…He got me. Probably, the execution of his kin though [Kin Proliferation] was a signal they decided beforehand for Lilixira to cancel her [Spirit Servant]. Beelzebub’s taken a heavy wound and so shouldn’t be able to fight, but there’s a chance he’ll recover and fight again properly later.

So… I’ll end it before that can happen. I’ll keep chasing Lilixira, blow through Beelzebub one more time, then settle things with her. That’s all I have to do.