I braced myself to face the gigantic, intimidating boss.
Even weakened by the artifact's debuff, I could still stall him long enough for Clighton to recover.
And one thing that doesn't care about the stats of the user is… items.
The troll charged at me with a maniacal grin, weapon raised high. I quickly pulled out a bundle of throwing knives.
Despite my speed being halved by the debuff, the feathered crown counterbalanced it. That alone gave me just enough of an edge to barely outspeed Sana'aviro.
Not only that—I still had the spider's support. Even slowed by the debuff, it was agile enough to react faster than most.
"Now!"
I hurled the knives with precision at the troll's legs. They clanged harmlessly off his hide, bouncing away without leaving so much as a scratch. My plan shattered instantly.
Those knives weren't just for damage—I had tied each with iron wire. The plan was to embed them into his flesh, wrap him in wires, and immobilize him. Without anchors, the wires were useless.
Two steps away.
I had no choice but to dodge.
The troll leaned back, winding up a devastating downward smash. The ground shook beneath his feet as he planted himself for the blow.
"[Wind Hammer]!"
Five spells left.
I cast the spell upward, meeting his strike head-on.
The clash lasted a heartbeat before his monstrous strength overwhelmed the spell, the shockwave forcing me back.
But that heartbeat was enough.
I darted between his legs, raising my hand toward his back. The strike had severed the thread linking me to the spider—one of my biggest advantages gone.
"[Wind Scythe]!"
Four spells.
The crescent wind slash tore across his back—not to wound him, but to slice his leather armor apart.
With the armor cleaved, I sprinted away, widening the gap between us.
"Spider! Strip off the armor!" I shouted.
The troll spun, swiping his weapon in a wide arc. The floor shattered under the blow, and I was launched skyward.
Before I could react, his massive hand closed around me. "Ack!" My ribs creaked, pain lancing through my body as his grip crushed me.
Desperate, I stabbed his fingers with my daggers. The cuts barely broke skin. He didn't flinch.
"[Feather Dart]!"
Three spells.
A flurry of shimmering darts erupted from my palm, pelting his face. Weak but relentless, they forced him to cover his eyes with his free hand, annoyed by the stinging barrage.
That was all I needed.
I kept spamming the spell, canceling and recasting to create an endless stream of darts. But the troll wasn't done with me yet.
He lifted me high above his head—then slammed me into the floor.
"Ahhh!" The cry tore from my lungs as my body bounced off the stone.
Before I could even land properly, his boot struck like a battering ram. I was sent flying across the chamber.
A thread shot out just in time. The spider wrapped my waist and yanked me aside, saving me from being pulverized against the wall.
I tumbled twice before instinct forced me upright. My passive skill kicked in, preventing me from collapsing completely.
But as soon as I stood, blood poured from my mouth, and I dropped to my knees.
"So strong…"
Sana'aviro approached, licking his lips. He stepped on a heap of corpses, dragging his weapon across the stone with a screech that rattled the air. Each step made the ground tremble.
The closer he got, the less strength I could muster. My vision blurred, and I was too far from the spider to be pulled away.
The worst possible moment. Clighton was down. I was alone.
"I need to…"
If I cast Sandstorm, I might buy time. Blind him, grab Clighton, escape.
No…
The shadow fell over me, swallowing me whole. Too late. Whatever I was going to do, it had to be now.
Sana'aviro swung his weapon downward with killing intent—the same intent that had butchered the dozens of corpses strewn around the room.
I felt my leg muscles explode in a final, desperate move to surve. I wouldn't fie here. I have so much more to do. So many people I want to see live through to the end.
I froze. A blur leapt in front of me. Steel flashed upward, tearing the front of the troll's armor apart.
"Wha—"
Before I could finish, a body slammed into me, shoving me clear.
"Now, Sheiran!" Tinalara's voice rang out. She snapped her fingers, and the spider yanked her away to safety with a webline.
"[Stone Snare]!"
The ground split. Jagged spikes erupted, skewering the troll's massive feet and locking him in place—if only for a moment.
"Are you okay, mister!?" Gola shouted as she carried me in her arms, running with surprising speed. Not surprising, I reminded myself—she was an orc.
"Y-yeah… thanks." I coughed as she gently set me down. Then my eyes widened. "Wait—why are you three here!?"
"W-we wanted to help!" Gola stammered, stepping back nervously.
"I'm not letting a human be the only one to end our ruler," Tinalara said, landing in the wolf's stance.
"The kids shouldn't be here!" I snapped, panic rising.
"We can't let you and Mister Clighton shoulder this alone!" Sheiran shouted as he staggered up beside us, carrying Clighton across his shoulder.
"We're the last citizens of the western Turan tribe!" Tinalara said, eyes burning. "If we can't fight for our future, then what's left for us?"
Clighton pulled himself free of Sheiran's support, standing tall despite his battered state. He gave a soft sigh and a crooked smile.
"Ignoring orders. Endangering children. Only rookies would dare this." His words were sharp, but his grin betrayed pride.
"Mister Clighton! We want to help too!" Gola pleaded, trembling, yet refusing to back down.
"If I get expelled from the Eleventh Songbird Squad for this, so be it," Tinalara growled, her hands tight on her weapon despite their shaking.
"…Stay back as far as you can," I ordered Sheiran and Gola, my voice tired but firm.
"W-we'll be careful!" Gola promised, standing straighter.
"What are you acting like the leader for?" Clighton chuckled, wiping blood from his mouth.
"Sorry, I ju—"
"I wasn't complaining. If not you, then me."
I gave him a quick nod.
"Don't get cocky just because we saved you," Tinalara snapped. "I still don't trust you!"
I smirked. I didn't mind her attitude.
"Haha… thanks for saving me, though."
"Focus on Sana'aviro," Sheiran said, pointing at the troll.
"What a reliable spider!" Gola giggled as the spider darted around, its threads tearing off the last of the troll's leather armor.
The boss, feral with rage, swung wildly—crushing one of his own bone artifacts in the frenzy.
That leaves only his ring artifacts as the only advantage he has.
"Why wasn't the spider attacking before?" Clighton asked with a hearty laugh.
Agile and precise, the spider weaved in and out, forcing the troll into mistakes with flawless timing.
"Spider monsters aren't exactly what I think of when it comes to power… or fighting against a troll."
A tired and awkward sigh escaped my lips as I admitted, even though I was too ashamed to say that I didn't want the spider to die.
"They're not known for that," Sheiran agreed, supporting my view.
"Stop wasting time, let's go fight!" Tinalara yelled—though she was still frozen in place, clearly waiting for someone to order her forward.
"She's right…" Clighton muttered, probably realizing that the rookie goblin would only move if given a direct command.
Just like Tinalara, Clighton slipped into the wolf's stance and activated Elemental Defense, beginning Krath's Glide.
I really need to learn that…
"Let's fight. And remember this—every single one of you better be alive by the end of this battle!" Clighton shouted in a commanding yet proud tone as he slid forward with surprising speed despite the injuries and debuffs weighing him down.
"Yes, sir!" Tinalara followed, slower than her commander but just as dangerous once her glide built up momentum.
With the spider wrapping the troll's hand in webbing, the two goblins struck wherever they could.
Exactly what you'd expect from soldiers with proper training—their attacks were perfectly synchronized. Clighton led the charge with his speed and agility, combining it with the raw destructive power of his greatsword, while Tinalara followed up by striking the wounds he created, forcing Sana'aviro to split his attention.
The spider wasn't left behind either. It leapt away while still pulling on the thread around the troll's hand, throwing off his balance and breaking the rhythm of his swings.
Meanwhile, I… was left behind with the kids.
As expected of the weakest unit in the game, I had the least to contribute in this fight.
I didn't have the mobility to make up for my bad durability. I didn't have the raw power to deal meaningful damage. And unlike Clighton, I couldn't just power through the debuffs with sheer grit.
"Haa… I'm truly the worst…" I muttered as I dropped to my knees, catching my breath now that I had a brief moment to rest.
I have all these injuries, and a date with Fran tomorrow? She's definitely going to scold me the moment she sees me…
…That doesn't sound so bad, actually. I really missed her today.
"Y-you're not the worst, mister," Sheiran called out, looking at me with a determined expression.
"Huh?"
"Sheiran's right! You're awesome for still being able to walk after everything you went through!" Gola added quickly.
I looked at the two kids' expressions. Despite the situation we were in, they still carried a kind of hope only children their age could have.
"Thanks to you two, I feel even better." I stood up, trying to look as recovered as possible—though I stumbled a little. "I can't disappoint anyone right now…"
Not Clighton, who entrusted me to help him kill Sana'aviro.
Not Sheiran and Gola, who are just kids.
Not Tinalara, who's fighting despite her fear and belief that there's a way to make all the corrupted ones turn back to who they once were.
Not the second-year party, who're probably still worried about me since we got separated.
I can't fail them.
"Sheiran. Can you cast Wind Infusion on my daggers?" I asked, holding them out.
"Huh? S-sure!" He quickly began chanting the spell.
If my daggers alone couldn't pierce the troll's skin, then I'd need his spell to give me the edge.
"You don't know that spell, mister?" Gola tilted her head, watching.
"I do. I just have almost no mana reserves," I admitted, a little embarrassed.
"[Wind Infusion]!"
The spell completed, and my daggers were now coated in razor-sharp winds that amplified my attack power.
"You did struggle with Elemental Defense earlier," Sheiran noted as he backed away.
"Is that a sign of low mana reserves?" Gola asked innocently.
"Yes."
"You don't have to be so direct, Master!" I snapped back jokingly, earning a laugh from both kids.