Alf's panicked voice reaches Michael and the others from behind even more than the magic beast in front of them.
A gigantic magic beast stared sharply at Michael and the others with its large eyeballs, as if to say, "You guys are the prey."
Both Michael and Collins sensed that the target was themselves, but at the same time, behind them, a red ethereal light entered Michael's field of vision──
Realizing that he was cut off, Alf immediately took a low stance and shot the fire lance.
Alf also thought that his aim was Michael and others when he was standing in the position of the magic beast with his back to him.
It's too late to get between Michael and the magic beasts from this position.
In order to distract the magic beast with his support, he decided to use a fire lance that did not require movement even if it was long.
Just when flames were about to shoot out of Alf's palm──
(────eh──)
Careless? No, it is correct to say that I was fooled.
A feint so precise that no one who was there could think it was a magical beast.
The target was not Michael and the others, but Alf, who was out of sight of the magic beast.
With his back turned, the magic beast's tail swelled quickly and approached Alf as if to mow it down.
"Michael and the others are being targeted."
Alf, who thought so, naturally did not take a posture to avoid or prepare for Killing Edge, and the magic beast's tail hit Alf ──
A dull impact struck Alf as if it resounded in his body.
As if a human had hit a small insect with no air resistance and crashed into the wall of a house, the boy's tail was blown off and hit the outer wall of the building, and a small explosion occurred.
"Mr. Alf!"
The distance is far, and the smoke that occurred when Alf crashed made it impossible to see the safety, and there was no response from Alf.
Collins, who had only seen the fact that Alf was blown away, was so shaken that he opened her eyes and mouth wide and took his eyes off the threat of the magic beast.
(...Isn't that a lie?...Isn't it safe like before? Huh...?)
Her desire to believe she was safe mixed with the reality she had seen with her own eyes. rice field.
"Mr. Collins!"
Collins was yelled at by Michael's voice telling him to calm down.
As she realizes something in Michael's voice, Collins regains her consciousness to the beast in front of her.
"I'm sorry...!"
"yes……!"
Originally, I wanted to run to Alf as soon as possible because I could treat him.
But right now, I have to survive the direct attack by the demonic beast that is about to come in front of me──
While thinking so, Michael slowly let go of the stick weapon he was holding in his hand as if it was floating in front of him.
Extending the index and middle fingers of both hands, he lowered his hips and performed a figure-eight motion.
Then, the enchantment stick that should have been away from Michael's hand floated as if it were being manipulated by a thread from the air.
In addition, Michael posed with his right fingertip pointing to the sky and his left fingertip pointing to the ground, and as if in response, the enchantment rod also floated vertically.
The magic beast bends his left tentacle greatly, and at that moment the attack reaches Michael with his hard toes as though piercing through him──
With the two fingers of his hands, Michael used his whole body to make a quick, wide circle around the tips of his fingers, as if the needles above and below were turned upside down clockwise.
At the same time, the enchantment stick rotated vigorously, blocking his left tentacle claw's attack.
(Next……!)
Next, the magic beast was already making a pre-attack with its right tentacle claw, and Michael jumped up to deal with it.
At the same time, he released only his left finger from the two fingers he had extended. This time, his right finger swirled the small circle three times larger and larger.
Then, the enchantment rod hit the right tentacle with a spinning momentum that drew a large diameter as if it was attached to the right fingertip, and succeeded in repelling the attack again.
(So far as expected...but...!)
Mikhail had calmly watched Alf fighting the demonic beasts until now.
This magic beast's habit of attacking with tentacles──
This magical beast repeatedly attacks with ``left tentacles'', ``right tentacles'' followed by ``hidden tail'' or ``stomping''. The problem is this hidden tail.
Since this hidden tail has little preliminary action, it cannot react after the left and right tentacles unless it is a short reach weapon like Alf and is reflexive.
Now, Michael thought that "Coco", which was incompatible with Michael's fighting style, was the biggest climax.
(Left……Right……)
Even though it was only for a short period of time, Michael intended to parry the ``hidden tail'' attack from either the left or right, using the centrifugal force from the second attack.
However, the strength of Michael's weapon is its long reach, and the lifeline is to flexibly match the timing.
If it's a sudden attack and a misreading that doesn't mesh, it's ────
(front!?)
──A momentary madness slips through the defense and turns into a fatal blow
(kuh...!)
Just as his defenses weren't in time and his hidden tail was about to pierce Michael's forehead, he felt a presence move from his side.
The magic beast's hidden tail wasn't on Michael's forehead, it was poking at his hair just above it.
In front of Michael was Collins, who was slashing from below with his long sword.
As he strains his body into a clenched fist, looking up at the cut he made in his hidden tail with his sword, Collins hears a small, quivering voice, as if talking to himself.
"...hehe...that's right...you can't just leave it to me."
"Mr. Collins..."
Collins' eyes were somewhat distorted and sat down, perhaps because of the mixture of determination and fear in the changing war situation.
Collins pulled out his sword just as the beast tried to pull back its hidden tail.
Standing in front of Michael, holding his sword in one hand, Collins continued to speak without looking at him.
"I'm really sorry for not being reliable! Alf-kun while I'm still alive!"
He must have been caught in the fact that he wasn't used to fighting power during this battle.
Without a doubt, he became more powerful than himself, and seeing Alf and Michael, who came to help him like that, being killed in front of him, Collins may have thought that even if he died, he would not be able to die.
Michael noticed Collins' thoughts and rushed to stop him.
"No! That's too much...!"
Collins rushed towards the magic beast, held up his longsword and made a move to perform a horizontal slash.
At the moment of the attack, the beast flexed its tail and flew high as if mocking Collins' will.
Yes, he's seen it many times.
When this magic beast flies high, should I keep some distance? Or when it's decided to push someone to death.
The magic beast's shadow covered Collins, and the standing Collins changed to a look of despair.
(Ah, after all──Is this what it is──)
It didn't even buy me time.
Collins prepares for his death, momentarily feeling that his own determination is so powerless.
Death is too close to the world, and whether it is a soldier of any country or an adventurer, in the corner of the head of those who fight, they are prepared for the "finishing moment" in their own way.
A boy named Alfred also struggled to become strong because he had seen it in the past.
But it's-
When Collins was about to be crushed, a blackish fireball hit the magic beast and a large explosion occurred.