Debuffs enter even if you resist the demonic energy explosions. You can't attack in the reverse world. Because damage time is extremely limited, the conquest time is tight even using the hero's power. You die instantly if you get far from Crow. Thanks to that, you can't even move around to perform gimmicks in the isolated state.
Berserk mode if chimera handling is delayed, berserk mode if gimmicks aren't performed in the reverse world, berserk mode if conquest time passes.
Not having companions was this inconvenient, huh.
But you know.
Flash!
Boom boom boom boom!
I dealt with the last chimera with Flash Strike accompanied by a storm.
[3rd Named Boss]
[Level 53]
[Army Commander Crow]
[HP 98,174,985 / 300,000,000 (30%)]
Caw-!
Thud.
Crow's giant body landed in the center of the combat area.
His last flight ended.
Crow's gaze turned towards me. My vision distorted.
I boldly met his eyes.
This place reached after overcoming countless pains.
The final special phase.
An all blue space. A world isolated from the outside.
The final battle in the reverse world begins.
As my body fully entered the reverse world, Crow's both hands pointed towards the air and.
Creak-
Ripping through space, his body also stepped into the reverse world.
"This time you've come up to the ring."
I smiled brightly.
The crow's beak also distorted as if smiling.
Clang clang clang! Flash!
Crow's claws clashed with my sword, and the flash gushing from his mouth crossed the space. While calmly facing his attacks, I glanced behind.
At the outskirts of the combat area, that thing is there.
[Crow's Illusion]
[HP 10,000,000 / 10,000,000 (100%)]
It's Crow's appearance when he had human form before becoming this hideous form.
I confirmed its appearance when I distanced myself from Crow, enduring the instant death pattern that comes out when distance becomes far. It's not visible unless you get close.
Crow's illusion can only be seen in the reverse world. And it transfers power to Crow in the outside world. When the power continuously injected into Crow reaches a critical point, Crow goes berserk.
In the 90% and 60% special phases, one illusion each appeared in the places where chimeras fell, for a total of three.
It's rather easy if three of Crow's illusions appear at once. There's no need to approach and attack. You just need to maintain close distance with Crow and shoot sword energy to cut them all down. After that, you can return to the outside world and continue the battle with Crow. This is one set of special phases.
But now that we've entered the final special phase, I only sense the presence of one illusion at 12 o'clock.
The meaning of this was clear.
In the final special phase.
Illusions appear sequentially.
This time I also need to pay attention to the attacks of Crow who entered the reverse world. The difficulty is on a different dimension from the 90% and 60% special phases where he just watched me from the outside world.
To cut off the power being injected into Crow, I need to deal with the illusions.
But the cooldown of sword energy is 1 minute.
Swish!
Ignoring Crow's claws that barely brushed past my face, I twisted my body and sprayed sword energy towards where the illusion was.
Boom!
The illusion's presence disappeared. At the same time, I could feel the power being injected into Crow was cut off.
Whoosh!
I immediately turned my body once, using that momentum to spray the remaining sword energy at Crow's waist, digging into his flesh, and was splashed by the dark blood gushing out.
If the second illusion appears 1 minute later, the sword energy cooldown will return. If only it would be like that, it would be easy but.
Woong.
About 30 seconds after I started feeding sword to Crow's body again, the illusion's presence appeared again.
This time at 7 o'clock direction.
As expected, it won't be easy.
The sword energy cooldown hasn't returned.
What should I do?
The answer is in the gap between patterns.
Crow's 4-hit claw uppercut pattern. This is one set. The after-delay is long. It means I can distance myself until Crow's 4-hit claw uppercut ends.
I just need to return after all 4 hits end and before the next pattern comes out.
The uptime of that pattern is 1.5 seconds total.
The time given to me is also about 1.5 seconds.
In 1.5 seconds, I can deal with the illusion and return to Crow's side with enhanced physical abilities. If I'm late even by 0.1 seconds, Crow will cast the instant death pattern that destroys the inside of distant targets.
Scrape scrape scrape!
Along with the sound of scratching the floor, Crow's claws came up towards me. The start of the 4-hit pattern.
Tap tap! I immediately flew my body backwards.
Whoosh!
Acceleration. Faster. Time is tight.
Distance to the illusion, 14 meters, 13 meters, 12 meters.
The illusion's form started to be visible, and it entered Flash Strike range.
The illusion was extending both hands forward, injecting demonic energy into Crow.
Lowering my body in running posture, positioning my sword at my waist and.
Boom boom boom boom!
The mana storm accompanying Flash Strike tore apart the illusion's form. I immediately turned my body and approached Crow. Up to here 0.5 seconds. I succeeded in instantly reducing 20 meters of distance with backward evasion and Flash Strike.
Can I return within 1 second? It's tight even with enhanced physical abilities. I turn my body and approach Crow at maximum speed.
Whoosh!
Even when Crow's claw uppercut pattern cutting through the air, the last 4th hit ends, I'm still running.
8 meters. 7 meters.
I could see his eyeballs turning. Cold sweat flowed. I placed my hand on the 'Bracelet of Hammer and Anvil', the last remaining cooldown reset function. This needs to be saved until the very end. If I use it here, there's a high chance I won't be able to conquer this time.
6 meters, 5 meters.
Tap.
Just before Crow's eyes caught me again, I set foot right next to him.
Whoosh! Clang!
I felt a chilling sensation as I barely raised my sword to block the horizontally swinging claws. If the timing was off even a little, Just Guard failure. I wouldn't have escaped death from damage penetrating the block. I'm a sunfish now. The HP fixed at 1% after dying and reviving with the belt's power doesn't allow even slight mistakes.
Still, I smiled.
It's a close-range pattern. Not the internal destruction pattern that can't escape instant death.
It was close, but I was able to deal with the illusion and return sufficiently.
I overcame the last hurdle too.
Now, I just need to repeat the action of dealing with illusions while alternately using sword energy and Flash Strike until Crow's HP is all depleted.
Boom!
A mighty demonic energy explosion covered the entire combat area. It's enough to make my ears ring.
What burst in the outside world started bursting in the reverse world too.
Crow's last struggle was terrifying.
But I maintained my offense while lightly dodging by slightly moving my body. The 1 slice part of a large pizza cut into 8 slices is a safe zone. The position of this safe zone keeps changing, but there's no way my current eyes can't grasp it. Who ate one slice of the pizza?
Crow's remaining HP 5%.
I tried talking to him.
"How is it? The system, it's inconvenient, right?"
If the current Astria continent was a proper world, Crow might have been a trickier army commander. He might have blown away the surroundings with magic that has no safe zones.
But the current Crow is a chess piece.
The black knight on the chessboard.
The knight, which can make attacks crossing chess pieces, is a piece with the ability to dominate the chessboard.
But even knights have weaknesses.
They can't attack the enemy directly one square in front.
Just because a white pawn is being cheeky in front, you can't ignore the rules and gobble it up.
Boom!
Even now, demonic energy explosions that kindly create safe zones occur.
Even for me who only had meager power, the path of conquest was open.
"If there are game rules, you have to follow them."
Swish.
I lowered my posture and used Flash Strike.
Boom boom boom boom!
The powerful storm accompanying Flash Strike tore Crow's body apart.
Caw-!
Crow let out a scream.
His body was already covered in wounds everywhere.
"Of course, I have no intention of following the rules though?"
A pawn flying around recklessly like a queen. It's unpleasant, right? Even though I'm not properly promoted. But you also ignored things a bit with Severe Punishment and such. Let's call it even.
Flash, flash!
Sword energy flashed. The crescent-shaped golden sword energy cut through Crow's weakened wings and passed.
Ca-, caw!
Crow's legs that seemed firmly rooted started stepping back.
Now there's no need to deal with illusions.
Mobilizing all the skills I have.
Here, I end the game.
Whoosh!
The bracelet emitted light.
At the same time, a streak of light rose and split the air.
What was positioned in that flash's trajectory was.
Crow's neck.
Flash!
* * *
The Tree of the Abyss completely stopped its activity.
It was a tree that seemed dead from the start, but now it's just a shell.
I walked along the forest path where the fog lifted. I can feel the energy of life.
It hurts. I'm tired. It's hard.
But I can endure it.
The World Tree was scattering green leaves.
The path towards the World Tree.
The elves' faces were bright.
In front of the World Tree.
The white-haired male elf shed tears.
He firmly grasped my hand and flowed in the power of spirits.
Into the World Tree.
The stems made way as if welcoming me.
The deepest part of the World Tree.
The spirits are still emitting light.
But now it's not a pitiful light, but a warm light full of life.
I heard their voices.
-Thank you.
-You saved the World Tree, the elves.
And, I stood before her.
The green sphere emitting the brightest light.
That sphere slowly took on the form of an elf.
White hair. Long ears. Beautiful face. Benevolent smile.
The hero's companion, Elaine.
An old friend.
Elaine greeted me with a radiant smile.
"Welcome, Rain."
"I'm back, Elaine."
I collapsed in front of her.
And buried my face in her green embrace.
It's a little different from when she was alive.
But still a warm energy.
Swish.
Slender fingers brushed through my hair.
Just a little.
Let's stay like this just a little longer.