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 207

Chapter 207: The Decisive Battle in the Sea Kingdom (5)

Sara unlocked the door sealed by Asmodeus’ power, and we all hurried toward the surface.

Driven by urgency, I repeatedly leapt with all my strength, ascending the long staircase until I emerged on the first floor of the castle.

I, Kuro, raced ahead of everyone, sprinting across the floor and bursting straight into the castle’s garden.

“Sora…!”

The name of the one I longed for, who had flown ahead alone, escaped my lips.

The castle garden stretched out before me, but at its center was a massive crater, spanning dozens of meters in diameter.

Neither the calamity ?Asmodeus? nor Sora was anywhere in sight. All I could see were the castle’s soldiers, gazing upward.

Following their gaze, I looked to the sky and there they were.

The now even more menacing form of ?Asmodeus?, and the lone angel facing it down.

A breathtaking battle unfolded as streams of light from skill effects painted vivid arcs in the air. The angel wielding a radiant silver magic sword clashed fiercely with the monster, their attacks and defenses colliding repeatedly.

The angel danced through the air with astonishing speed, overwhelming the enemy.

Watching the unreachable battle, I clenched my fists tightly in frustration.

I had gained new strength and finally felt I could truly stand beside him. Yet, my partner—the boy I admired—had moved even farther ahead, widening the gap between us once more.

Who could have predicted he would acquire Astral Online’s first-ever flight skill?

“Damn it. I want to support him, but with that distance—and how much they’re moving—it’d be nearly impossible to land my most powerful spells…”

“Since they’re flying, there’s nothing we can do…”

Sora’s best friends, Shin and Rou, heaved deep sighs of resignation, their helplessness apparent.

Shino and Shio, too, could do little but instruct the entire team to remain on standby as they watched the battle unfold from below.

If this power is from a unique skill, then I find myself wishing desperately for wings of my own.

But no matter how much I pleaded internally, ?Raphael?, seemingly residing in the jade ring, didn’t respond.

Next to me, Inori looked equally pained. She must have felt the same frustration at being unable to help.

Was watching all we could do?

As I pondered this, someone stepped forward in front of the adventurers and stopped.

When I turned to see who it was, I found Laura standing there. She was clad in a blue armored dress, holding the little slime, Sue-chan, against her chest.

What was she planning to do?

Curious, I remained silent and observed her. She fixed her eyes on us with a determined expression and spoke.

“U-um! If it’s just two of you, I can take you with me to assist Sora-sama in his battle in the sky!”

“Huh…!?”

“Is that true!?”

Inori stepped forward and confronted Laura, who remained calm and gave a small nod.

It was hard to imagine her lying in a situation like this. If she claimed it was true, it probably was. But how exactly did she plan to accomplish such a feat?

I, too, stepped forward, fixing my gaze on Laura, and directly asked:

“How do you intend to get us up there?”

“This little one will take us.”

“lurr~!”

Laura placed her round, orb-like slime companion, Sue-chan, on the ground. Sue-chan enthusiastically raised its… right hand? Then it began hopping energetically in place as if to say, *Leave it to me!*

The display was undeniably adorable, but the adventurers behind us couldn’t hide their confusion and skepticism.

“A slime… can fly?”

“Even if it can fly, how could something that size carry three people?”

Their doubts were understandable. After all, in the world of ?Astral Online?, there had never been a single instance of a slime being capable of flight.

Moreover, Sue-chan had been traveling with us for over a week now and hadn’t shown any particularly unique traits.

Even I found it hard to believe this little slime could carry three humans to the battlefield high above where Sora and ?Asmodeus? were fighting.

Even Shino, who was usually composed and unshakable, wore a perplexed expression.

But amidst the skepticism, Laura stood confidently. Taking a deep breath, she suddenly began to sing in a beautiful voice.

At first, nothing happened.

But as she transitioned from the verse into the chorus, Sue-chan began to emit a soft glow. The water in the garden gathered around it, forming a magical circle that expanded rapidly.

At this point, Sue-chan was no longer just a large sphere. The transformation didn’t stop at its increased size. Its body began to shift, taking on the shape of a certain monster.

“Could this be…?”

As I silently watched, I recalled a monster I had seen in the Land of Dragons.

Sue-chan’s transformation took the shape of a large lizard. On its back, two enormous bat-like wings sprouted, and the only remnant of its slime form were its eyes, marked by two vertical lines.

Yes, no matter how you looked at it, this was unmistakably a magnificent “dragon”.

“SURADRA~!”

“This is Sue-chan’s true form. Thanks to the power of the Songstress, it can temporarily transform into an ancient dragon species: the ?Slime Mature Dragon?!”

The newly dubbed Slime Dragon let out a thunderous roar, then flapped its wings lightly in a demonstration, hovering effortlessly in midair.

This sight left every single adventurer standing there with their mouths agape, stunned.

After all, what had just been an ordinary-looking slime had suddenly turned into a colossal dragon.

Even I couldn’t suppress my own astonishment at this surreal transformation.

“…I see. While completing that special quest, I did hear rumors that the royal family had a dragon. But to think it was a slime…”

Shino stepped forward, murmuring thoughtfully as she glanced at Inori and me.

Turning back to face the group, she scanned everyone’s expressions before looking at us again.

“Normally, it would make sense to send Shin, who can execute long-range attacks enhanced by angelic power, and Inori, who is an archer. However, this battle began the moment you two left the capital with the princess. That’s why I believe it’s only fitting for Kuro and Inori, who have journeyed together, to bring it to its conclusion.”

“Shino… big sister…”

“Besides, Kuro, you’re Sora’s partner. Stay by his side and support that reckless guy for us.”

Looking around, I saw the other adventurers nodding in agreement with Shino’s words.

“Well, if anyone’s going to look after Sora, it’s got to be you.”

“I can’t think of a better choice.”

“Take care of my big brother, okay, Kuro-chan?”

As Shin, Rou, and Shio voiced their support, the Slime Dragon lowered its body, signaling for us to climb aboard.

Laura went first, stepping onto its soft body and leaping gracefully onto its back.

Inori and I followed right after her. The Slime Dragon adjusted its back to create handle-like grips for us, ensuring we wouldn’t fall off.

Laura firmly grabbed hold of one with one hand and steadied herself with her feet.

Inori and I did the same, lining up behind her.

The Slime Dragon then spread its massive wings wide and, with a powerful flap, soared straight into the sky.

*We’re coming, Sora.*

As cheers and shouts of encouragement rang out from the adventurers on the ground, we raced toward the battlefield without hesitation.