Chapter: 6
I jumped to dodge the horde of dolls rushing towards me, running toward the outside of the encirclement while stepping on their heads and backs.
I was worried about destroying all the dolls. When it comes to fighting wizards, especially those who employ summoned creatures, targeting the main body is the fundamental rule.
It would be ideal to incapacitate them quickly, maybe by tickling them mercilessly.
Woof woof—!!
And how could Maria not know about this?
The dolls stacked up against each other, pouring down like waves.
‘What is this, some kind of zombie army…!’
It feels like their unwillingness to let me go has transformed into an unyielding wall.
As I hesitated and tried to retreat, the latecomers who had passed me earlier were already closing in from behind.
‘Guess I have no choice.’
I threw myself into the waves of dolls.
Ppaang—! Kwaqwakwakwa—!!
The dolls that had been blocking the sky tumbled down simultaneously, like a torrent of water. That process was truly deserving of the term “wave.”
The fallen dolls, attempting to regain their shape, had limbs that broke in the process, and those left behind weren’t exactly unscathed either.
“Whew, how about it? If you surrender and act all cute right now, I won’t tickle your armpits or the soles of your feet.”
My view was clear again.
The girl I faced, perhaps for the first time since we met, looked surprised. But soon she smiled.
‘This means…’
Chuk—
Four special entities joined us. Everyone except the White Hammer Girl was now in the fray.
“It’s not over yet.”
For a moment, I thought it was impossible, but Maria issued a threat. She said she was determined to see this fight through to the end.
‘So this is how far she’s willing to go…?’
I guess it’s fortunate she hasn’t called on the hammer girl.
It seemed she intentionally left her out; unlike the other dolls, merely brushing against her would likely be fatal. How considerate.
“Maria, I will definitely make sure you won’t get hurt…”
“Yeah. I’ll be as careful as I can. Don’t worry.”
Excuse me, Miss Maria, but the ground is literally melting from the acid dripping from that hunchback’s mouth.
“Here, take this and this. Poison and fire immunity.”
“…Thanks.”
I awkwardly accepted the immunity potions. Was Maria able to read my expression, or is she just exceedingly thorough?
It’s certainly a unique experience having someone so close to defeat with an elemental attack throw the appropriate antidote my way.
This was essentially a declaration: ‘I will spare no effort to strip that robe off you.’ I couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed by that fierce determination.
‘…I appreciate it, but.’
I can’t drink this.
There’s no mouth; the inventory option only allows for storage, and hitting double-click doesn’t bring up a prompt asking if I want to use it.
‘…?
Feeling helpless and flabbergasted, Maria frustratedly cast a buff spell on me.
“That kind of obvious trick won’t work.”
It seemed like she believed I wouldn’t get to drink the immunity potions and was banking on the notion that Maria wouldn’t be able to attack.
The girl was a little pouty, but at least I managed to avoid the unfortunate scenario of accidentally dousing myself with the potions.
Even for an A-class adventurer, having immunity along with resistance is a rare combination.
Hwaaaa—
Now having immunity, I was no longer hesitant; the flames belched from the old man’s hands charged toward me with ferocity.
They twisted freely, complementing each other’s gaps. It felt as if I were battling two dragons, and dragons at that, which I couldn’t even face head-on.
Just a tiny spark could set my robe ablaze, so my movement and paths were restricted. Being cornered in this way led to a natural formation of a definite encirclement.
“I thought it would be a disaster if my opponent was stuck to the ground, but I never imagined that’d be me…”
Above the encirclement, acid rain fell, while armored behemoths and samurai stole the paths of escape.
I had to do something. Hesitating any longer would lead to certain defeat.
My instincts pointed me toward the tank route. That guy was a typical defensive all-in character who was ready to sacrifice everything else. The only way to proceed would be through assaulting the enemy.
Kkii—…
Actually, he was slow. He looked just like that kid who was always the goalkeeper back in school.
But from my positioning, that wasn’t a consideration I could entertain.
Overcoming the flames and the caustic liquid, I leapt onto the tank’s back and jammed my glove through the gap in his armor.
Pang— Paba-ba-bang—
Just like the sparrows, the seeds that infiltrated the doll’s insides began methodically dismantling its weak core.
The tank, still struggling with its armor on, eventually lost balance and toppled over. One down, if we exclude the hammer girl, that leaves three left.
‘Can’t use the same tactics again with this.’
I expanded my field of vision to survey the overall situation.
The one I had to keep an eye on was the hunchback. He had bent low, pouring acid onto the ground like it was the last drop of a honey jar as he rotated around the area.
‘No way.’
Kang—!
As I desperately tried to vacate the premises due to a sense of impending doom, the samurai intervened to stop me.
If I didn’t engage and tried to circumvent him, I’d be met with the old man’s raging flames. Just as I thought a path had opened up, I recognized it was laid out with acid.
“So you spread the acid rain intending for this far ahead, huh?”
No answer came back, just the flames blazing in the center of the swamped ground, the place I had to step to avoid its wrath.
With the samurai fulfilling his role by holding me captive, I casually turned him into kindling.
Across the swamp, I spotted Maria, her smile radiant. It was as if she were daring me to escape if I could manage it.
“V.”
I nodded subconsciously. I was indeed cornered.
Behind me, the flames were growing rapidly, and the swamp barely wide enough to leap across.
‘This must be an intricate design leading to an unavoidable challenge, where every step just pushes me deeper into despair…’
Had she not given me the immunity potion first, I would’ve thought she was hell-bent on sending me to my doom.
Right, if she hadn’t given it to me.
Plop—!
“…huh?”
I surrendered myself to the poisonous swamp without a fight.
Amid the bubbling of the acid, I heard Maria’s breathless voice.
At first glance, it may seem that the outcome of this battle hinges on the ‘robe,’ but strictly speaking, that’s not quite accurate.
The real factor is whether Maria discovers my identity. In other words, as long as she doesn’t find out, it doesn’t matter whether I remove my robe or not.
“Oh, brother…! The immunity time is nearly up. Hurry up and come out…!!”
This time, I grinned at Maria, who had completely flipped her posture around. How remarkable that her tone was desperately urgent despite its listlessness.
She likely assumed I jumped in with a mindset of giving up.
Phew—!
Emerging from the swamp, I quickly donned my robe again.
I initially considered waiting to see how events unfolded, but since she seemed poised to cry, I figured I couldn’t afford to dawdle.
“Uh, um?”
As I laughed and then cried, the sight of me, coming up from the swamp with my robe intact, caused Maria to suffer a cognitive dissonance.
When you’re immune and are then exposed to that same attribute, it transforms into something like regular water or air. Though it wouldn’t involve purification or anything of that sort.
In any case, if you can manage quick donning and doffing, such a scenario could hardly be considered impossible. It’s a fair conclusion to draw.
“How about that?”
Even allowing for her evident flustered state, if an A-class adventurer reacted this way, something must be clear.
People here lack user-friendly options, like inventories.
Crunch—
This crucial detail provided enough leeway for me to handle one more doll. A distinctly delightful privilege for me alone.
With only the fire-breathing elder left, Maria finally seemed to collect herself.
“…Ugh.”
A blaze of flames shot out, nearly tantrum-like in its manifestation.
This was really the precondition planned from the very onset of this battle. I faced it head-on without flinching.
Hwaruk— Paaaa—!!
The flames merged with the sickle and hammer. No matter how much further he intensified the flames, the outcome was the same.
It wasn’t hot at all. This was my flame, my own skill.
Boom Boom Boom— I adeptly spun my weapon in both hands, tracing a red circle reminiscent of winter days. I too had stood, almost entranced, just like the girl before me.
Kwaaaaang—!!!
The final blow struck the old man, who had ceased breathing fire.
The tank managed First Blood, the samurai took a Team Kill, the hunchback earned Ambush, and the elder got himself scorched by his own flames.
Everything could only be considered humiliations of some sort. Despite that, Maria’s expression was brighter than ever.
‘What’s this? Is she really going to resort to the hammer girl?’
Maria approached me, step by step.
The White Hammer Girl, who had been on high alert, seemed to have lost her connection entirely and stood limp. Moreover, her demeanor was so amiable that the distance she retreated grew ever shorter.
“Just as I thought. Maria’s instincts are spot-on.”
Finally reaching within arm’s length, Maria reached out, gently caressing my cheek.
Her touch felt so soft, as if she understood everything about me and accepted it wholeheartedly.
‘Wait, did she just touch my cheek?’
I raised my hand instinctively to check my attire. No, before I could even do that, my gaze landed on a set of dusty work gloves.
“Maria, I’ve decided what to ask you.”
In the distance, a robe dangled from an invisible thread of mana, fluttering in the air.
I may have won the battle, but it seems I lost the war.
The girl’s kindness, which swept away all my previous worries, was the only small source of comfort. It felt surprisingly pleasant.
“Become Maria’s doll.”
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