Translator: MadHatter Editor: MadHatter

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(Ichiko POV)

“Ah… ugh…”

The first experience I encountered after recovering from the impact of the explosion was having my entire body ache and feeling disoriented due to a lack of oxygen. Even so, what I suffered as a result of the explosion was probably better than what others were going through. When I cast a look at the surroundings, all the humans were either wounded or had collapsed, and some of them were undoubtedly dead, their corpses scorched black.

“…Hah…!”

Using my sword as a support, I slowly rose to my feet. I can see the Spice King with the corners of his mouth curled up in the distance. Apparently, I had been flung away by the impact of the explosion.

However, there was no other living creature standing aside from me, except for the Spice King. The scale of the explosion seemed to have been overly broad, leading the enemies to become entangled in it as well.

“Heh. Who would have expected you would be able to be up on your feet even after being subjected to a combo that leveraged my skills. I hope my servants can learn from your guts. Or is it thanks to the mist you’re clad in? What a cheat.”

The Spice King was addressing me in a language I didn’t grasp. Yet, that expression of his was distinctly one of disdain.

Whatever the case may be, thanks to the enhanced fire resistance of ≪Mist Cloak≫, it seemed that I had somehow been spared. Furthermore, I was the only one who can confront the Spice King here and now. 

If so, what I must do now is…

“I am the Kirijin, Hisano Ichiko. For the sake of protecting my allies, I will challenge you.”

…to buy Izumi and the others some time to escape.

“Hah! I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but try coming here! You will be killed in an attempt to protect your friends!”

“Here I go!”

While holding the sword in my right hand, I vigorously started rushing towards the Spice King.

The Spice King responded by swinging his right hand widely, a flame sparked in it.

“Let’s get started! ≪Scythe of Spicy Flame≫!”

With immense force, a crescent-shaped flame bursts forth. Moreover, by the time he had finished unleashing the flame from his right hand, it can be observed that his left hand had already been lit by the flame as well.

“!”

At first, I evaded the first shot that blasted straight at me by leaping to the left, followed by jumping forward while keeping my stance low upon landing to avoid the second shot of flame emitted from his left hand.

“It’s just going to get worse!”

The Spice King continuously delivered the same skill shot after shot. By leaping to the right, left, forward, and up, I dodged his assaults and advanced closer to him.

And when the distance between me and the Spice King reached about 3 meters…

“≪Short-range Teleportation≫, ≪Decapitation≫.”

I moved to the rear of the Spice King and swung my dagger with all my strength against his neck.

But…

“Too naive! ≪Manipulator of the Crimson Dust≫!”

“What!”

With the sudden appearance of gigantic red thorns protruding from the Spice King’s neck, I twisted my body in mid-air and managed to elude the thorn, despite it grazing my abdomen. After reaching the ground, I utilized ≪Short-range Teleportation≫ to distance myself from the Spice King.

“Tsk, I guess I missed it.”

“Haa… haa… suu…”

Although I was trying to regulate my breathing, I was still mulling over the Spice King’s skills.

At present, I can say with certainty that the Spice King owned both the lightning skill he employed in initiating the dust explosion and the flame skill he just discharged at me. These two skills were evidently different.

The red powder that was drifting around the Spice King as well as the red thorns that unexpectedly sprouted from his body; these two things were most likely relevant to the Spice King’s unique skills. After all, the proper nouns that he uttered before dispersing the red powder and the proper nouns that he mentioned before the red thorns popped out seemed to be the same. It was inconceivable that skills with such a diverse range of effects could be memorized so promptly after leveling up.

Now then, that left me with only one move left to execute. It was a gamble, but I had to do it.

“Here I go. ’I am the one who leaps through the void, a kin of the Mist King. I seek the head of my adversary, the flower of life, the fountain of blood’.”

While chanting, I drew nearer to the Spice King. Needless to say, the Spice King was also releasing fire and lightning skills. And then he assailed with red thorns that thrust dynamically out from the ground.

“‘Leap, O blade. Until I reach what I seek, cast this blade down upon my foe’.”

Nevertheless, I steered clear of his assaults with quick steps and approached him inch by inch.

And when I made it to the spot right in front of Spice King…

“‘Cut! Slice! Sever! Outer Skill・Senkiri-kaishaku’!”

“!”

With the sword sweeping towards the Spice King’s neck, his eyes were wide open in amazement.

It was at that point that I heard a cracking sound emanating from around his neck.

I strained my eyes to scrutinize the Spice King’s neck.

There it lay, my fractured dagger and the neck of the Spice King, with a hue that mirrored the thorns in its surroundings.

“!”

“Hah! I was right to guard my neck! Feast on this! ≪Strength Enhancement≫, ≪Manipulator of the Crimson Dust≫!”

As I froze in the unforeseen predicament, the Spice King, who was clutching a massive red stake in his right hand, lunged towards my stomach.

Although I hastily defended myself against the stake, my sword, which had been reduced to a mere hilt, provided virtually no defensive capability, resulting in me being hurled away with a horrendous sound of my bones rupturing and breath being sucked out of my lungs.

“Gu… ga…”

Perhaps to stop me from getting blown away, the Spice King’s skill stirred up a mass of red dust around me. It was likely that he was planning to trigger the same dust explosion as before.

I no longer had any prospect of prevailing. My sword had been shattered, and the Outer Skill I relied on can no longer be employed. On top of that, I still could not establish contact with Kurokiri.

I could spot the Spice King poised with his left hand.

When I sighted this, I involuntarily shut my eyes, and then…

A profusion of flashes and explosions erupted.