Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented-Chapter 206

Whenever I used the Hero's power, my HP was locked at 1%.

I gained tremendous strength but entered a state where even the smallest error could cost everything.

This wasn’t any different.

Even though death here wasn’t final, I fought as if my life depended on it.

Boom! Boom! BOOM!

Leaving the exploding blue orbs behind, I surged toward the Azure Death King.

Thanks to the special phase mechanics we just executed, the boss's HP had already dropped to 65%.

If we repeated this process two more times—

Managing the sword barrier to cut damage, removing orb shields immediately upon their appearance, and driving the orbs to connect the blue threads to the boss—it all went smoothly.

The special phase that began at 60% HP was handled without a hitch.

Despite the Azure Death King's colossal 2 billion HP, the effective HP we actually needed to reduce was only around 15%. A staggering 1.7 billion HP could be shaved off using mechanic damage.

Certainly, the boss had overwhelming patterns, and finding opportunities to attack was a challenge.

FWOOOSH!

"Almost at 30%...!"

"This time too!"

I felt the surge of blue light surrounding me—Chris’s Divine Descent. I locked eyes with her from across the battlefield.

Even in this tense moment, I sent her a smile. Chris, ever confident, smiled back.

If I’d come here alone, it would’ve been impossible.

The sacrificial mechanics, the orb-driving gimmicks—it was too much for one Hero to handle alone.

In the past, too, a Hero never fought alone.

And now, with Chris by my side—

We could overcome anything.

RUMBLE!

At last, the final special phase began.

If we executed this gimmick properly and reduced the Azure Death King's remaining HP—

WOOOOM!

Chris and I froze at the sight of the battlefield’s edge as six orbs appeared.

"Six...!?"

Six orbs.

If paired correctly, three threads would form, drastically accelerating the boss's HP reduction.

But could the two of us manage all these orbs? Could we strip their shields and activate them all in time?

Chris shouted to me.

"Rain, do that thing!"

"That thing...?"

"The spinning thing where you grab me by the waist!"

"Ohhh."

There was indeed one method I could use to strip all the orb shields and activate them simultaneously.

The technique I had used against the Seven Celestial Angels’ reflective shield. That must be what she meant. And back then, I had grabbed Chris by the waist, hadn’t I?

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Chuckling, I rushed toward Chris.

Grab!

Roughly pulling her into an embrace, ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ I said, "Heh."

Chris gave me a silly smile as I started spinning her around like we were at a ballroom dance.

Sword dance.

Sword barrier.

And then—

[Sword Barrier. Release]

[Sword Barrier Combo: Unleashes a devastating slash within a 30-meter radius centered on the caster.]

BOOM!

The barrier slash swept across the battlefield. The orbs flickered—still not enough.

FWOOSH!

Cooldown reset: Astaroth’s Slash.

Another round.

FWOOSH!

Cooldown reset: Hammer and Anvil Bracelet.

One more round.

Three rounds of spinning, three slashes of the sword barrier.

At last, all the orbs began glowing with a bright blue light.

"Ugh, I’m dizzy..."

"You told me to do it! Now deal with it. Also, the Azure Death King’s about to release its own barrier attack, so handle it. I’m out of cooldown resets."

"Yeah, yeah!"

Thud.

I collapsed into Chris’s arms, dizzy beyond belief. She smiled warmly, placing talismans around us for protection.

The Azure Death King's barrier release, devastating as it was, affected the entire battlefield. Naturally, the boss itself was within range.

The storm of sword energy raged, but we were safe inside Chris’s protective wards. I observed the glowing orbs carefully. Thankfully, none of them targeted me this time.

Instead—

WOOOOM!

Three glowing threads began crisscrossing the battlefield, spinning slowly.

And at their intersection—the Azure Death King’s HP plummeted rapidly.

"This is a battlefield-restriction pattern. Don’t touch the lines," Chris warned.

"Got it. We’ll have to keep moving."

"From here, you’re on your own. Good luck!"

"Don’t worry!"

Leaving Chris’s encouraging smile behind, I charged toward the Azure Death King.

To bring this battle to an end.

The cracks on the Azure Death King’s once-impenetrable armor widened. The starlight surrounding my blade tore it apart bit by bit.

"Grrrrr!"

Chris, now in her monstrous muscle form, hammered the boss’s armor relentlessly with her massive fists.

Show me your true self.

Return Melissa to me.

And then—

CRACK!

The armor shattered.

Shoulder guards fell off, greaves clattered to the ground.

SMASH!

The massive black greatsword in the boss’s hand crumbled to dust.

From within the broken shell, a figure emerged.

WOOOOM!

A silhouette wrapped in dark blue energy.

Clearly human.

My heart raced.

Though shrouded in malevolent energy, the figure was undeniably familiar.

When a Death Knight dies, its soul usually dissolves into energy.

But this figure—Melissa, in her living form—remained intact.

Would she recognize me?

What would she say?

As I inched closer, trembling, the figure erupted with dark blue energy.

"Krrrk!?"

BOOM!

The blast sent Chris flying, her massive body slamming into the tower wall. The dark energy pinned her there.

"Chris! Are you okay!?" I called out urgently.

Raising a massive hand, Chris gave me a thumbs-up, her twisted grin unsettling but reassuring.

But what now?

Wasn’t it over?

Turning my gaze back to the figure emerging from the Azure Death King’s shattered armor, I saw the notification.

[Third Named Boss]

[Level 58 Legion Commander Azure Death King]

[HP: 1/2,000,000,000 (0%)]

The figure brandished a newly formed blue blade, pointing it directly at me.

[The Azure Death King has designated its challenger.]

[Challenger: Drizzle Rain]

A one-on-one duel pattern.

The Death Knight’s final stand, challenging a single opponent before its soul faded away.

The target—me, the tank maintaining aggro and standing closest.

This was the final trial of the Legion Commander Azure Death King.

Clang.

Raising my sword, I faced the challenge head-on.

From here on out, it was my fight alone. Chris couldn’t help.

Alright then.

Shall we dance one last time?

The flurry of slashes rained down faster than the greatsword ever could.

It felt familiar.

As if I’d crossed blades like this once before.

Underneath two moons.

Like the dance I once shared with her.

"Rain, you can’t rely too much on protection barriers. No matter how strong they are, a greater force will always break them. You have to evade attacks with your own movements whenever possible."

I watched the blade aiming for my throat until the very last moment, pulling my head back just in time. A chilling sensation brushed past my neck.

How’s this? It’s different from before, right?

"Strike more decisively. If the enemy blocks, are you just going to let your sword stay blocked?"

Clang!

Her blue blade collided with mine, sparks flying as my weapon faltered and dropped downward. Letting my body go limp, I rotated with the momentum, aiming a slash at the spirit’s waist.

"Focus and look carefully! What’s the first rule of swordsmanship?"

"Block, thrust."

Ssshhk!

Clang!

The spirit of Melissa reacted swiftly, meeting my lightning-fast thrust with the flat of her blade. Her reaction speed was impressive, but the maneuver created an opening.

If she blocked, I would move faster.

A flash.

Accompanied by a brilliant gleam, I drove my sword toward the spirit’s waist.

Unfamiliar droplets scattered along the blade’s arc.

A voice, trembling with emotion, broke through.

"Slash."

The dance we finally shared again after a thousand years...

Ended just like that.

Ding.

[Raid Dungeon 'Azure Death King's Sanctuary' Progress: 3/3]