I hate being in pain, so I think I'll make a full defense build

Itai no wa Iya nanode Bōgyo-Ryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu Chapter 29

Defense Specialization and the Ending

After a few seconds, the silvery white light faded and disappeared.

The ground had been razed by the laser, showing how powerful that laser was just now.

Kaede was standing on the razed ground with her great shield held up.

Thanks to her adamant protection, Risa was also able to survive the deadly laser.

Risa restored Kaede’s HP with 【Heal】.

While hiding behind Kaede, she drank an MP potion to recover her MP.

「Only one more use of 【Eating Inedibles】 left.」

「Yeah, I understand.」

If she wanted to stop that laser, she had no choice other than to use up her 【Eating Inedibles】 skill.

Even though they were able to survive, it was in exchange for a valuable damage source.

The battle situation was getting worse.

「If it looks like the laser is going to come again, 【Cover Move】 with all your might. Don’t get too far away.」

Risa said quickly and ran off towards the monster bird.

Kaede followed Risa and approached the monster bird as well.

She was planning to hit it with 【Hydra】 when the monster bird would be distracted by Risa.

The monster bird pulled out its claws violently from the ground and then lightly flew up and shot out ice shards.

Its target was Risa.

Risa knew it.

If the ice shards Kaede easily stopped were to so much as lightly touch her body, it would be the end for her.

Just like when she fought the giant fish, she heightened her concentration to the extreme.

The feeling of the shards gradually slowing down, the slightest gap becoming visible.

Risa twisted her body and dodged.

Sometimes she bent, sometimes she leapt, sometimes she struck down the shards with her weapon, getting closer to the breast of the monster bird.

「【Double Slash】!」

Avoiding the shards and claws, Risa chopped it up, interweaving her skills and not letting up.

The claws of the monster bird closed in on Risa to take her life, but she dodged everything by a hair’s breadth.

The more the monster bird attacked, the more its legs were slashed at.

「【Slash】!」

The small wounds that she continuously inflicted.

The paralysis poison that she continuously injected piled up and finally bound the body of the monster bird.

「【Hydra】!」

There was no way Kaede could miss the opening that Risa had created risking her life.

The slow-moving paralyzed monster bird could not dodge the poison dragon.

In order to make sure that Kaede’s big move hit the target, Risa did her best to support her.

And Kaede responded appropriately.

The monster bird’s HP bar had a little over 40% left.

「【Venom Cutter】!」

Kaede continued to attack. This one was launched from the magic circle at the tip of the sword, and although it was no match for 【Hydra】, it did deal solid damage.

Risa also continued to hit repeatedly with her magic to get as much damage in as possible.

When the monster bird’s HP fell below 40%, the paralysis was cleared and the monster bird regained its freedom.

It targeted Kaede and unleashed a storm and a barrage of shards.

Since this attack wouldn’t get through Kaede’s defense, she lowered her great shield in order to preserve her all-important 【Eating Inedibles】 uses.

This was a chance for Risa to attack safely as long as the shard attack was coming at Kaede.

With Risa’s rush, its HP was reduced to 35%.

However, dishing out firepower consumed a lot of Risa’s MP.

If she failed to manage it well, she would not be able to attack with full force at a critical moment.

The moment its HP dropped to 35%.

The monster bird stopped its storm attack and flew into the sky.

Kaede and Risa simultaneously had a bad feeling and grouped up in the center.

The monster bird soared into the snowy sky, and its glistening white wings turned into a jet black color that seemed to absorb even the darkness.

At the same time, the monster bird’s HP gauge was gradually shrinking, and when there was only 10% left, it stopped.

The monster bird let out a cry that made the air tremble.

「It’s coming!」

「Got it!」

In order to be ready for whatever would come, Kaede held up her great shield, ready to throw away even the last 【Eating Inedibles】 use.

The jet-black monster bird folded its wings and charged forward.

It collided with Kaede’s great shield, outrunning even the sound.

The last 【Eating Inedibles】 use took half of its HP bar with it, but that was where the strongest great shield protecting Kaede lost its power.

The claws of the monster bird attacked Kaede at high speed.

The great shield she held up was shattered.

Her armor was torn to pieces.

And her HP bar was cut down to less than 10%.

「U-ah…」

Kaede groaned at the excessive damage. Black light flooded from the monster bird’s mouth.

「Maple!」

Risa jumped.

The biggest saving grace for Kaede was that Risa didn’t stop thinking.

「【Cover Move】!」

Kaede’s body moved towards Risa at high speed as she screamed with all her energy, dodging the laser that followed in the nick of time.

The monster bird charged in for the chase.

Violently and at an unreasonable speed even Risa’s prediction skills couldn’t keep up with.

The instant before that attack pierced through Risa.

「【Cover】!」

Kaede stood between the monster bird and Risa.

Despite her HP bar being at a mere 10%, Kaede made a choice to protect Risa with what would be her last action of this fight.

Just because she wanted to do so.

The monster bird’s claws shattered the great shield and armor that had become stronger due to 【Destruction Growth】 and tore through Kaede’s body.

A tremendous amount of damage effects flew out.

Even so, Kaede did not fall.

Only one millimeter of her HP bar remained, and she stood with a white effect covering her body.

「【Leap】!」

Realizing that this moment when the monster bird swung its claws out was the last chance, Risa stopped all thoughts about Kaede, like how she was able to withstand this, and jumped towards the monster bird.

Kaede followed at high speed to catch up with her.

A purple magic circle flashed on the dagger she held up.

The monster bird lost its stance as soon as it swung its claws out. Now it wouldn’t be able to dodge.

Risa became sure of victory.

However, the moment the monster bird’s eyes glowed suspiciously and a jet black magic circle unfolded between the two, she realized that it was a ruse.

An expression that could be taken as both impatience and astonishment appeared on the faces of the two, but they were unable to move in the air.

Jet black magic bullets shot out before the poison dragon could be.

The last trump card of the monster bird flew by, swallowing the two.

The figures of the two who were swallowed up disappeared momentarily.

That’s right, exactly like that.

Like a dream or an illusion.

「How was the ace up my sleeve?」

A moment after the magic bullets passed by, an empty space was blurred and Risa appeared afterwards.

The last thing.

The 【Mirage】 she kept undisplayed for this one moment.

Seeing it for the first time, the monster bird was unable to see through the illusion.

「【Cover Move】!」

The real Kaede approached Risa.

A zero-range attack where there was no time for the monster bird to dodge.

「【Hydra】!」

Devoured by the poison dragon.

It let out a long-lasting cry.

The monster bird finally plunged its body into the ground.

The white light that flooded out of the monster bird shone as if to bless them.

「We did it… we won…」

「I’m spent… I need to sleep.」

The two of them muttered as they collapsed onto the battered hall’s floor.

「Oh yeah. Maple, what was that skill of yours? The one that let you survive the last attack.」

「Wait just a moment… it’s a skill called 【Indomitable Guardian】, “a great shield exclusive skill that can be acquired by defending an ally when your HP is below 10%. Lets you survive any attack at 1 HP once a day,” it says.」

「Ahh, I see. So that’s what the skill was… I only leveled up, I guess… and more importantly, your HP is 1 right now, Maple!? 【Heal】!」

A warm light enveloped Kaede and restored her HP.

With this, she wouldn’t die by some chance.

The two stood up and started to explore.

「The monster bird is in the middle of a sea of poison, so you’ll have to search around there, please.」

「Sally, what about you?」

「I’m going to check the bird’s nest.」

The two split up and began their own explorations.

Since no treasure chest appeared, there must have been an appropriate reward somewhere else.

Kaede splashed through the sea of poison to the place where the monster bird was.

「Ah! It left some materials!」

What had dropped were four large black claws that had pierced Kaede, of all people, and three pure white wings.

Naturally, all of them were top-grade materials.

「Maple! Come here for a bit!」

Risa shouted from inside the huge bird’s nest.

Kaede asked Risa from below as she trotted around.

「Should I go up?」

「Yes! Come here with 【Cover Move】.」

「O-okay! 【Cover Move】!」

Kaede kicked the wall, jumped, and reached Risa, and what she saw were two eggs and five medals.

「Are these… from the monster bird?」

「No, they are different sizes and colors… maybe it picked them up from somewhere… I don’t even know what kind of eggs they are.」

「Can we take these with us?」

「Looks like it. I got the message asking if I want to put it away in my inventory and… which one do you want?」

「Is it okay for me to choose first?」

「All good! Take your pick.」

One was an egg with a deep green shell. The other was a light purple egg.

「Well… I like green, so this one!」

「Then, I guess I’ll take this one.」

The two checked the information about the eggs.

【Monster Egg】

Will hatch when warmed up.

「Not much information.」

「I think so too. I’d hate it if a monster just hatched… but maybe we can tame it…」

It was unlikely since there were no summoners or tamers in this game, but considering the difficulty of defeating the monster bird, it could be a special reward.

For now, the two decided to take the eggs with them.

The materials were two claws for both of them, and Risa got two feathers in return for letting Kaede choose the egg first.

The two got out of the nest and walked to the magic circle.

「There are three magic circles, huh?」

As Kaede said, there were three magic circles that appeared.

It was reasonable to assume that they were all connected to different places.

「Sally, which one is best?」

「With no 【Eating Inedibles】 uses left, it’d be nice to go somewhere where there’s less fighting…」

Risa walked around for a while, troubled, and stopped in front of one of the magic circles.

「This one!」

「O-okay! Then let’s go!」

The two entered the magic circle and disappeared into light.

All that remained was a battered space, a testament to the fierce battle here.