Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 203

Chapter 203: The Decisive Battle in the Sea Kingdom (1)

 

Upon returning to the ?Sealed Chamber?, Queen Sara, King Tobia, and their daughter, Laura, were already in position, prepared to begin the ritual at any moment.

 

The eighteen elite members of the Sea Nation’s knightly order, led by Commander Theseus, stood ready, their tense air palpable even from where we stood.

 

When our group, taking up the rear, entered the chamber, the path to the surface closed behind us, cutting off all retreat.

 

(This really feels like the setup for a boss battle in an RPG.)

 

No one here was unprepared to face Asmodeus. Everyone had resolved themselves for this moment, so the lack of an escape route didn’t cause the slightest ripple of hesitation.

 

With unwavering determination, we all focused forward, never glancing back.

 

I stopped in front of Tobia, who stood holding his sword. The king, his gaze fierce like a warrior’s, commanded everyone’s attention as he spoke:

 

“I sincerely thank you all for gathering here to vanquish the Calamity of Envy. If we succeed in defeating this disaster, I promise you fitting rewards under my royal authority.”

 

“Now, with Princess Laura’s song, we shall release the monster dwelling within Queen Sara! Everyone, prepare for battle!”

 

At Theseus’s command, every member of the Enoshigaios Knights promptly moved to their positions and drew their weapons.

 

Following the pre-arranged strategy, Shino’s team split into assault, defense, and support squads, ready to handle whatever emerged.

 

Our party, meanwhile, remained by Laura’s side, standing ready.

 

By Queen Sara’s side was Arisa, an unusual player who couldn’t engage in direct combat. Her role was to be ready to evacuate Sara the moment the boss appeared.

 

(Arisa seemed to have been talking with Master on the way here. They both looked unusually energized.)

 

I knew from previous conversations with them that they were old acquaintances. It must have been a happy reunion after so long apart.

 

Like Arisa, Shino stood at a slight distance, gripping her A-rank katana ?Tengen?. She was radiating an enthusiasm unlike anything I’d seen before.

 

Her fighting spirit burned so intensely it was almost tangible, enough to make my skin tingle just watching her.

 

(So this is the reward for defeating the High Priest who worshipped Asmodeus and sought the queen’s life.)

 

While not as powerful as Kuro’s weapon, Shino’s katana was still a top-tier item superior to most adventurers’ equipment. A truly formidable tool in her hands.

 

(A demon armed with an iron club.)

 

I smiled at the thought, then shifted my attention to the princess in front of me.

 

Clad in a newly crafted blue armored dress, Laura resembled an idol more than anything. Despite her outfit exposing more skin, its rank was S, boasting higher overall defense than most fully armored knights.

 

She held her companion, a slime named Sue-chan, close to her chest. Clearly nervous, a thin sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead.

 

She took deep breaths repeatedly, trying to calm herself, though her nervousness rendered the effort ineffective.

 

To encourage her, I prayed:

 

???O angel, grant me strength.?

 

I activated a power I usually refrained from using, fully turning the switch on by my own will.

 

My avatar’s life points drained, and my body was enveloped in a white glow.

 

When the light subsided, my appearance had shifted: from a silver-haired, blue-eyed girl to a silver-haired, blue-eyed boy.

 

“So… this is your true form, Sora-sama…”

 

“Yeah. The hair color’s different, but this is the real me. I probably fall short of the prince charming you’d expect from a fairy tale, though. Did I disappoint the princess?”

 

“No, not at all! I think you’re wonderful, more than anyone else in the entire world!”

 

“T-thank you. That’s… probably overestimating me, but I appreciate it…”

 

The words, which could easily be taken as a confession of love, pierced me like sharp stares from all around.

 

Even with the decisive battle about to begin, here we were indulging in flirtatious antics, playing out a romantic comedy.

 

Feeling the exasperated gazes on my back, I cleared my throat and abruptly stopped the conversation with Laura. Instead, I shifted to making the final preparations before the fight began.

 

(…Activating enchantment skills.)

 

Using the infinite MP available in my angel state, I cast buffs to raise everyone’s attack power, defense, and agility simultaneously.

 

My companions followed suit. Kuro wielded the power of the jade angel ?Raphael?, and Shin became the crimson angel ?Michael?.

 

New to the team, Inori, who had recently acquired the ?Sapphire Ring?, transformed into the blue-haired, golden-eyed angel ?Gabriel?.

 

With the three of them in angelic form, everyone present received an unremovable ?Angel Buff?.

 

The surge of strength coursing through their bodies elevated the morale of the adventurers and the Enoshigaios knights to its peak.

 

Laura, too, seemed to have shaken off her earlier anxiety. Beaming brightly, she declared:

 

“Sora-sama, everyone, thank you. Now then, let us begin!”

 

Her clear, crystalline voice echoed through the vast chamber, resonating far and wide.

 

As if in response, a melody akin to a piano began to play from somewhere. No matter how hard I looked around, there was no sign of any large instrument producing the sound.

 

The source of the music was the magical circle on the ground.

 

The circle emitted a slow, serene melody, which blended harmoniously with Laura’s song, amplifying its effect. The surroundings glowed with a silvery-white light.

 

The silver light carried the spell for unsealing.

 

The spell, floating like musical notes from the ground, converged at the center of the magic circle and was absorbed into Queen Sara. Gradually, something black and ominous began to seep from her body.

 

The strain was evident. Sara knelt as if in prayer, her brow furrowed, sweat pouring from her forehead.

 

All I could do was grip my cursed blade and watch anxiously as the scene unfolded.

 

Laura’s quiet song built toward a dramatic crescendo as it reached the final chorus.

 

(Finally, we’ve made it this far.)

 

Her voice stirred memories of our journey in my mind, vividly replaying every step we’d taken to reach this moment.

 

It had all started with a quest to save her mother.

 

At the end of this long journey, Laura had gained something irreplaceable: her companions and a budding love.

 

As our eyes met at the song’s conclusion, her lips moved ever so slightly.

 

??*I love you.*

 

For a moment, it seemed like that’s what she said to me.

 

But I couldn’t confirm it. She averted her gaze and silently watched the spell’s light continue to pour into Sara.

 

Once the entirety of the spell had merged into the queen, the ?Unsealing Ritual? was finally complete.

 

The silvery light, responding to the singer’s emotions, protected the praying queen while unleashing the calamity sealed within her.

 

The atmosphere changed dramatically.

 

From where I stood, I could see a black, shapeless entity slowly taking form, separating itself from Sara.

 

Its malice was palpable, an overwhelming killing intent directed toward the two singers.

 

Before I could think, I activated my speed-enhancing skill, ?Accelerator?.

 

I grabbed Laura while Arisa carried Sara, and we retreated from the area immediately.

 

“Asmodeus is manifesting!”

 

Shino summed up the situation for our allies, prompting the prepared troops to raise their weapons in unison.

 

The enormous black figure, at least ten meters tall, took on a grotesque form: a lower half resembling a fish and an upper half combining the features of a reptile and a human woman.

 

As its golden eyes opened, six bat-like wings unfurled from its back.

 

The Calamity of Lust, *the Last Queen Asmodeus*, had been fully resurrected.

 

Its level was too high for even my insight skills to gauge.

 

Its attribute was water, with earth as its weakness.

 

One of the seven monstrous entities born of the Demon Lord to bring ruin to the world.

 

Like the two we had already defeated, its presence exuded a crushing pressure that made sweat pour from my body.

 

Immediately upon reviving, it fixed its sharp gaze on Laura.

 

From the empty air, it conjured a massive trident and hurled a fierce thrust at her, intending to skewer her on the spot.

 

Faced with the enemy’s deadly intent, I ignited my fighting spirit, glaring back with fiery resolve.

 

“I won’t let you!”

 

I instinctively activated the piercing skill ?Strike Sword?, timing it perfectly to intercept the massive attack from below and send it skyward.

 

Though I took minor damage, I used the brief delay that followed to retreat, switching places with Hellhev’s A-Team as they moved forward to hold the line.

 

As ?Asmodeus?’s gaze shifted toward Arisa and Sara, who had evacuated in another direction, Hellhev’s A-Team raised their shields and stepped in to protect them.

 

“Team A, ?Provoke?!”

 

At their leader’s command, the team members activated ?Provoke? in sequence.

 

By the third attempt, they successfully diverted Asmodeus’ attention away from Sara. The monster then unleashed a flurry of ?Aqua Edge?, razor-sharp water blades conjured with a slashing motion.

 

The A-Team braced themselves, combining the damage-reducing skill ?Phalanx? with other defensive techniques, and withstood the barrage with their shields.

 

The slight stiffness in Asmodeus’ movements during the skill’s cooldown provided an opportunity. Shino led the assault team forward.

 

“Focus on hit-and-run tactics! Same as always!”

 

“Got it!”

 

Using momentum from their charge skills, they closed the distance. A well-timed slash, ?Instant Sever?, carved a vivid red line across the monster’s lower body.

 

The ?Valkyrie? members followed Shino’s lead, each delivering a powerful blow with their respective weapons before retreating to the safety of Enoshigaios’ knights in the rear.

 

A thunderous roar of frustration echoed, accompanied by the brilliant skill effect emanating from Asmodeus’ massive spear.

 

Its next target was clear: Shino and the others who had injured it.

 

The knights of Enoshigaios had anticipated this. With shields raised, they blocked the monster’s path.

 

The move was a double-thrust spear skill, ?Dual Spear?.

 

Asmodeus executed the sharp strikes, and the knights braced themselves, holding firm against the overwhelming weight behind each blow.

 

Rather than meeting it head-on, they utilized a technique taught by pro gamers: a synchronized group deflection. Though they took some damage, they managed to divert the attack cleanly.

 

“Great defense!”

 

With the enemy momentarily stalled by the delay, Shio’s team charged in for a counterattack.

 

After they retreated, shields were raised again to absorb the incoming blow, and then it was our turn to advance.

 

I chained a rapid horizontal dual strike, ?Dual Nail?, into my dash, inflicting significant damage to the enemy’s HP.

 

Kuro followed up with ?Instant Sever?, delivering a devastating blow that reduced the first of Asmodeus’ three health bars to less than half.

 

(One more rotation should finish off the first bar.)

 

The shield units absorbed another round of attacks, allowing us to retreat fully from Asmodeus’ range. In the meantime, those who had taken damage used the potions Inori had distributed earlier to restore their HP completely.

 

At this rate, we wouldn’t lose our tanks to attrition.

 

Thanks to the adventurers’ growth from previous raid battles and our well-practiced tactics against large monsters, we maintained solid defense and relentless offense.

 

Without any member dropping into the danger zone, we swiftly erased the first of Asmodeus’ three health bars.

 

?RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA????

 

Frustration mounted in the enemy, and it let out an enraged roar.

 

A faint skill effect began forming in its mouth.

 

That’s ?Fascinate Song?.

 

My insight skill instantly identified the incoming mass-charm ability.

 

“Charm attack incoming, Laura!”

 

“Leave it to me!”

 

From its gaping mouth came a grating sound imbued with overwhelming charm magic.

 

The melody was irresistible to anyone but me, with my high status-resistance, and Laura, a songstress who was Asmodeus’ natural enemy.

 

She stepped forward to shield us all, invoking her songstress skill:

 

?Diva Song?.

 

Taking a deep breath, she released a beautiful melody that spread over us like a protective veil.

 

The clashing forces of light and dark created a fierce struggle, but her voice utterly overpowered and nullified the malevolent tune.

 

Laura shook her head resolutely as she confronted the sound of the disaster’s song.

 

“A song meant only to enslave others is a sorrowful thing. I will never lose to it!”

 

Standing boldly at the frontlines, Laura declared her defiance against the wicked melody.

 

“Leave the foul song to me! Everyone, focus on the fight!”

 

Her inspiring figure raised the morale of the raid party to its peak.

 

With renewed determination, we gripped our weapons and launched an all-out offensive to take down the second of Asmodeus’ three health bars.