C.S.O.

CH 9

Default Dyslexic Roboto Lora

Time: Now

“Stop!!”

A young man suddenly shouted in front of Kuro and Flamia.
The young man looked handsome, but in terms of character appearance, he resembled a samurai from ancient times.

Wearing armor and wielding two swords.

However, Kuro and Flamia passed by the young man as if they didn't see him while discussing their honeymoon.

The young man didn't give up and once again blocked Kuro and Flamia.
This time, he was closer and stopped them with his hand.

Kuro and Flamia finally stopped, realizing the disturbance.

“Finally, you noticed me, fufu…”

The young man laughed and showed a confident smile.

“Sorry, but we don't have time to watch your street performance.”

“Don't be like that, Honey.
We still have time to watch his performance.” Flamia said.
“Besides, I'm a little curious about what he's going to do.”

“………..”

The young man fell silent and let out a bitter laugh.

Suddenly, two people appeared behind the young man.
One was a girl dressed as a Miko, and the other was a young man wearing traditional Japanese clothing.

“Oh…
now your friends are here.
Turns out you're not a solo performer.”

“Enough, Flamia.
You know it's pointless to watch their foolish performance.
Have you forgotten that we need to meet Anna soon?”

“Hmm? Ah, you're right, Honey.
It's not good to keep Anna-chan waiting.”

Flamia glanced at the three people and smiled.

“I'm sorry, but we can't watch your performance,” Flamia and Kuro walked past them and ignored them.

But somehow, the three of them blocked Kuro and Flamia again.
Kuro was starting to get annoyed.

“It's a shame we're not street performers,” said the young man dressed like a samurai, who was most likely their leader.
“My name is Shun.
I'm the leader of the Shinsengumi guild.”

“Shinsengumi? I've never heard of it.”

“I've never heard of it either,” added Flamia.

And somehow, after hearing Flamia say she didn't know, just like Kuro, the three of them seemed to be struck by a heavy blow.

The Shinsengumi is one of the strongest guilds.
Their ranking is even higher than that of the Ouroboros guild.
They don't have too many members, around 5000, but what makes their guild famous is that the majority of their members are enthusiasts of the old Japanese style.

“Ha ha ha…
this is hard to believe.
But Flamia-sama, at least you remember me, right?” Shun said.

Flamia tilted her head and seemed to be trying to remember something.

After a few moments, Flamia smiled faintly.

Shun also smiled upon seeing that as a good sign, but…

“Sorry, have we met before?”

“………..”

Shun immediately paled after hearing that Flamia had completely forgotten about him.

In fact, Shun had proposed to Flamia before, but he was rejected.
It was a bad and embarrassing memory, but to find out that he was completely forgotten was a big surprise for Shun.

“Shun-sama, Flamia-sama doesn't remember you, because you and she have never interacted, so don't be sad,” the girl dressed as a Miko said.

“Hime is right, Shun-sama.
You don't need to be sad.”

The two individuals, who were apparently more like Shun's subordinates, tried to comfort Shun.

“Well, you're both right.
Thank you for cheering me up.
I'm glad to have friends like you.”

Meanwhile, Kuro immediately felt impressed.

“Hmm…
a great performance.
Isn't that right, Flamia?”

“Yes.
I was even moved.”

“WE ARE NOT STREET PERFORMERS!!!”

The three of them shouted in unison.

“Too bad, considering your performance was quite good,” Kuro said, praising them from the depths of his heart.

“I told you we're not street performers!” Shun shouted.

“In other words, you have something to do with us, right?”

Kuro's tone suddenly changed to serious and cold.

I apologize for the confusion.
Here's a translation of the provided text:

This change was enough to surprise the three of them, but they realized that it was a sign of Kuro starting to take them seriously.

“Yes.
But actually, I have business with you, Kuro.”

“Me? Why me? Don't we know each other?”

“Yes, that's true.
But we all know you.
Liber, who seduced Flamia-sama and even married her.
I'm here because I've had enough and represent all Liber who oppose your marriage challenging you to a duel.”

“………”

Kuro only smiled faintly, realizing the purpose of their arrival and who they really were.

(Undoubtedly, Shun is a big fan of Flamia.
From their conversation earlier, it seems like he has met Flamia before, but Flamia is too sadistic to remember him.)

Kuro knows Flamia better than anyone else in CSO or in real life.
He knows Flamia's good and bad habits very well.

(He said he represents everyone who opposes our marriage, but I doubt it.
I think he's just using that as an excuse to duel.)

In a safe area, HP will not decrease even in battles, but this does not apply to duels between Liber.

Dueling between Liber is quite popular for resolving issues among Liber.
Unfortunately, this does not reduce PK in CSO.

(I know many oppose our marriage, but no one has shown it directly like him.
Hmm…
“had enough”? That seems to be the case.
It seems like news of our honeymoon has spread, increasing their hatred towards me.
It looks like I have no other choice-)

After analyzing the situation, Kuro finally responded to Shun.

“You said a duel?”

“Yes.
Are you afraid?”

“Afraid? Certainly not.
But what do you think it means to challenge me to a duel? Challenging a level 70-something Liber like me, while I think you're over level 400.
Aren't you the one who looks like a coward here?”

“…….”

Shun fell silent, realizing the truth in Kuro's words.

Shun could only grind his teeth.

“Besides, even if you win, I don't think you'll get any praise or a real victory.
But more importantly, I don't think I have a reason to accept this duel.”

Shun was cornered by the truth in Kuro's words.

Kuro also had the right to refuse to fight in a duel.
This situation made Shun look foolish and like a villain, but Shun knew who Kuro really was.

“So that's how it is.
You just don't have a strong reason to accept my challenge.
But I know you're not a weak Liber despite being at level 70, Kuro the Necromancer.”

After the battle against the Demon King, Kuro became famous as a unique Liber with his Necromancer ability.
Kuro also gained more popularity because of his marriage to Flamia.

“……..”

“You participated in the battle against the Demon King, and I heard that you lasted until the end before Flamia-sama finally defeated the Demon King.
So I think if your reason is your level in the 70s, everyone must know that you're not actually weak.”

“So what? Unfortunately, that's not enough for me to accept the duel.”

Shun chuckled.
He had a trump card to make Kuro accept his challenge, and he would use it.

“Didn't I say that I represent the people who oppose your marriage? Do you think I'm just joking?”

“……..”

“You surely know that many people oppose your relationship, but we haven't shown it directly because we respect Flamia-sama.
After all, we are Flam

ia-sama's fans and we would never do anything to disappoint her.
But our patience has its limits.
We think you've crossed the line, so we decided to see if you're truly worthy of marrying Flamia-sama.
Yes.
If you refuse my challenge here, it's the same as proving that you're unworthy.
Now, what's your decision? Accept or not?”

Now Kuro was cornered.

For some reason, more people had gathered around them, and they all had the same look in their eyes as Shun.
It seemed as if they were also saying that Kuro couldn't escape.

“Kuro?”

Flamia looked worried.

“You said it's to prove if I'm worthy or not, in other words, if I lose, I can also be considered unworthy.”

Shun smiled cunningly.
He got what he wanted.

“Fortunately, you understand.
If you lose, it means you're also unworthy.
And I think you know what that means, right?”

If he refused, it would be the same as proving he's unworthy, but if he lost, it wouldn't be any different.
Unfortunately, it would also mean Kuro would have to part ways with Flamia.

Although they didn't have the right to obstruct or separate them, they were currently inside the world's most famous game.

That meant negative opinions could spread within seconds and destroy their social lives in an instant.

Kuro could survive, but what about his family or Ruko?

Kuro realized that this problem had to be resolved sooner or later.
And this was the right moment.

“All right, I accept your challenge,” Kuro said.

Flamia was shocked.
She also knew what it meant if Kuro lost.

“Kuro, are you serious? If you lose, our honeymoon could be ruined.
I don't want that.”

“Why are you worried about that?” Kuro felt a little tired.

Meanwhile, Shun and everyone else present showed looks of hatred towards Kuro.

“We'll duel right now.
The place is the Colosseum in this city.
Do you have any problem with that? Besides, I'm sure you believe that the faster, the better.”

The Colosseum in CSO was no different from the real world.
Its function was the same, a place for dueling and fighting.

“Fufu…
I'm glad you know what's on my mind.”

Kuro showed an evil smile, while Flamia couldn't stop worrying.

“Kuro, are you sure about this? Do you know the difference between a level 70 and a level 400 Liber?”

Kuro knew it well because he had comrades at level 400.
No, he even had a wife at level 450 or higher.

Kuro's chances of winning in this duel could be considered small.

“Don't worry! I can definitely do something.
Besides, who do you think I am?”

Flamia smiled slightly, remembering who her husband was.
As his wife, Flamia was one of the people who knew Kuro the best, including his true strength.

Flamia never forgot the power that Kuro had shown when he fought against the Demon King.
It was that battle that made Flamia choose Kuro as her husband.

Time: Dungeon Demon King, Alfheim.
About two months ago.

The battle between the Ouroboros guild and the Demon King had begun.

Liber ranged fighters began chanting incantations and preparing to use their strongest magic skills.
The support group did the same, providing support by enhancing their status, whether it was speed, attack power, or defense.

Meanwhile, Liber's close-range fighters ran toward the Demon King, preparing to use their main sword skills.

The attack started with the ranged fighters.

“[Ice Spear]” “[Fire Works]” “[Wind Blaster]” “[Holy Light]” “[Earth Spear]” “[Water Cannon]”

Various high-level magic skills were simultaneously unleashed by the 13 ranged Liber fighters.
Different lights and elemental forms attacked the Demon King, resulting in a tremendous explosion.

What surprised Kuro was that none of the attacks had the element of darkness like his own.

Although the explosion hadn't completely disappeared, the close-range Liber fighters attacked the Demon King from various directions to surround and confuse him.

“Everyone, attack!! [Blade Storm]”

Leading the charge, Tera attacked using her reliable Sword Skill.
Tera wielded a spear with a blade at the tip, resembling a large cleaver.

Blade Storm was a high-speed slashing skill that delivered 15 strikes at once.

Not to be outdone, Flamia and Anna used their sword skills.

“[Fire Blast]” “[Ice Blade]”

Both of them refused to back down and showed strong competitive auras.

Fire Blast was a sword skill that caused an explosion upon striking.

Meanwhile, Ice Blade coated the sword with ice, freezing the target upon impact.

It wasn't just Tera, Anna, and Flamia who managed to land their attacks, but all the close-range fighters successfully executed their strikes.

Unfortunately, the Demon King's first HP bar didn't decrease significantly.
Even with all those attacks, the first HP bar only decreased by 13%.

This was a bit surprising because the Demon King's level was only 380, while the Liber members in the Ouroboros guild were above level 400.

“I didn't expect the Demon King to be this strong.”

Kuro still hadn't taken any action.
He continued to analyze and search for a weakness to exploit.

“Yes.
Besides having strong defense stats, the Demon King wields a God Slayer-type weapon.
This makes the Demon King's attacks very dangerous despite its lower level.
As for you, Kuro-chan, I think you would die instantly even from a minor attack.
Oh…
[Area Heal].”

While chatting, Chika used healing magic to restore the HP and MP of three Liber members simultaneously.

The battle continued.
Everyone fought in their previous formations, while the Demon King's attacks consisted of simple sword slashes and defensive maneuvers with its shield.

Now, the Demon King's first HP bar was reduced by 50%.

“Instant death, huh? Isn't that bad news? But a God Slayer-type weapon? It's the first time I've heard of it.”

“Ahaha…
God Slayer-type weapons are some of the rarest weapons in CSO.
Kuro-chan, you know that to complete CSO, we have to defeat the Demon God, right? That's where God Slayer-type weapons play an important role because, without them, we wouldn't get powerful attack effects.”

“Oh…
I see.
And God Slayer can only be obtained after defeating the Demon King.
No wonder everyone is so excited, but…”

“Well, defeating the Demon King isn't easy.
Besides, the Demon King's attack pattern will change after its HP reaches a certain point.”

“And is that going to happen soon?”

Chika nodded.

The first HP bar of the Demon King was almost depleted after being attacked by 23 Liber members in succession.
So far, no Liber member had suffered a significant impact, but everything would change once the Demon King altered its attack pattern.

All members of the Ouroboros guild were aware of this, which was why they became more vigilant as the HP bar neared depletion.

“Kuro-chan, the real battle is just beginning.
I think it's time for you to fight.”

“Yeah, I think it's time to be useful in this battle.
Summon [Skeleton Dragon].”

Kuro summoned his beloved skeletal dragon and leaped onto its back.
After that, Kuro flew up to an altitude of about 15 meters, nearly reaching the Dungeon's ceiling.

Though he couldn't use Fairy Wing, it didn't apply to creatures capable of flight like the Skeleton Dragon.

Kuro flew and observed

the battle happening below him.

Everyone was still fighting, utilizing their strongest skills, and working together quite well and efficiently.

Even Anna, who claimed to dislike Flamia, was able to cooperate effectively.
They moved in formations as if they had fought together before.

It impressed Kuro.

“I think it's time.”

The Demon King's first HP bar was depleted, signaling a change in the Demon King's attacks.

“Everyone, get ready!”

Tera warned everyone.

They all nodded in understanding and prepared themselves for the Demon King's attack.

Roooaarrr…

The Demon King roared loudly, at the same time spewing hundreds of fireballs from his mouth and attacking everyone.

“Scatter!”

Everyone scattered and avoided the larger fireballs.
But not everyone dodged them, some relied on their defensive skills.

The mid-range fighters who couldn't dodge could only rely on Liber, which protected them with a shield that expanded its range with a shining light.

(Liber specializing in defensive skills is truly remarkable, none of them suffered the impact of the attack, but…)

The Liber who defended using their defensive skills remained unharmed even though some were directly hit by the fireballs.

(But the situation is still not too bad.)

The healers immediately used healing skills to restore the reduced HP and MP, so there was no need to worry.

The healers were a bit lucky because they were out of range of the attack and didn't need to use protection.

The same luck happened to Kuro, as the Demon King's attack only targeted the Liber on the ground.

(Hm…)

Kuro continued to analyze the Demon King's attack.

After unleashing hundreds of fireballs, a change occurred in the Demon King's sword.
The sword was enveloped in raging flames.
The Demon King then attempted to swing the sword downwards vertically.

(That attack…)

Kuro could anticipate the type of attack the Demon King would unleash.

“Everyone, get ready to jump.”

Not only Kuro, but Tera also realized what the Demon King was about to do.

The Demon King swung his sword toward the ground.
At that moment, the fire spread in all directions, burning everything.
Most of the Liber leaped into the air, but many chose to hold their ground.

However, because this attack was stronger, defensive magic was not as effective and had a fairly fatal impact.

The range of the attack also expanded, reaching Chika and the other healers.
But they used protective magic to defend themselves.

After the flames disappeared, they all landed on the ground, but the Demon King once again unleashed hundreds of fireballs.

Reluctantly, they dodged and defended once more.
The opportunity to attack became small.

But there was one Liber unaffected by this.
That Liber was Flamia.

“HYAAAAAA!!”

Swinging her sword, Flamia advanced using a sword skill.
She leaped right in front of the Demon King and spun around.

“[Twister]”

Flamia spun rapidly, landing more than ten strikes.
The Demon King roared in pain, but the significant impact he received was proof that Flamia was the strongest.

But it didn't stop there.
After the attack, Flamia used the next skill, but it wasn't a sword skill.
It was a magic skill.

“[Blade Shadow]”

Flame-shaped swords appeared around Flamia.
As Flamia moved her sword, the flame swords followed her movements like shadows.

Flamia then moved at high speed and slashed the Demon King's leg.
Thanks to the flame sword, the impact of Flamia's attack doubled.

“Now I understand the power of the Valkryie Maiden, and that means-“

(I seem to really be unable to escape from her.)

Kuro could only sigh.

The pattern of the Demon King's attacks remained unchanged.
But because the attacks were not too complicated, they all managed to evade and defend with minimal impact.
They were also able to slowly but steadily inflict damage.

Eventually, the second HP bar of the Demon King was depleted.
That meant they had to be prepared for the Demon King's new attack pattern.

So far, Kuro hadn't done anything and was just a spectator.

This time, the Demon King created a fireball.
The fireball slowly grew larger, reaching a diameter of three meters.
And it wasn't just one; the Demon King created three fireballs simultaneously.

“That seems quite dangerous.”

Kuro had a bad feeling.
All the Liber also had the same intuition and prepared themselves to defend or dodge.

But considering the scale of the attack, choosing to defend was not the best option.

“I guess I have no other choice.
I will use them, Summon-“

The Demon King then fired three giant fireballs in three directions.
Everyone ran to dodge, but some chose to hold their ground.

The medium-range Liber this time helped the defense-specialized Liber, doubling their defensive power.

But they were too naive.

The Demon King not only shot fireballs but also a flaming sword right behind the giant fireballs.

Realizing they were in trouble and unable to dodge, they could only hope that their defensive magic would hold up.

But before the fireballs could hit them, a large black magic circle appeared in front of the fireballs.
Then, from the magic circle, a giant turtle-shaped monster emerged.

The fireballs struck the giant turtle, but they stopped and grew even larger before being flung back toward the Demon King.

The power of the fireballs was greater than that of the flaming sword, causing the flaming sword to disappear, and ultimately, the fireballs struck the Demon King.

Boom!

A massive explosion occurred, echoing throughout the entire cave.
All the Ouroboros guild Liber widened their eyes in disbelief at the surprising turn of events.

But two people knew exactly what had happened.

“Kuro-chan, as always, you always manage to surprise us.”

“Nice job, Onii-chan.”

Most of the Ouroboros guild members were still shocked by what had happened, but upon seeing the three turtle-shaped monsters, they knew.

Ice Mirror Turtles.

Level 265.

One of the monsters in Nilfheim.
In addition to their strong defense, these monsters had a special skill that could reflect magical attacks and double the power of the attack before reflecting it.
Their weakness was physical attacks, such as sword skills.

“Sorry, I just joined the fight.”

“Kuro-san?”

Through telepathy, Tera expressed her surprise.

The previous attack not only shocked them but also had a direct impact on the Demon King, depleting half of its third HP bar.
It could be said that it was the biggest impact they had ever inflicted on the Demon King.

“Leave the defense to the Ice Mirror Turtles.
Now, seize this opportunity to attack.”

“We understand, Onii-chan.”

No longer worried about the defense, they resumed their full-force attack on the Demon King.

The Ice Mirror Turtles now stood in formation, protecting the long-range fighters and healers among the Liber.

Kuro observed as various lights resembling fireworks were shot toward the Demon King.
Although the Demon King managed to hold its ground, the relentless and continuous attacks slowly depleted its HP.

The Demon King's HP was now down to 4, and they prepared for the Demon King's new attack pattern.
Through telepathy, Kuro asked Chika, who was calmly flying above like she was watching a show, about something regarding the conquest of the Demon King.

“What do you want to ask?” Chika responded while using recovery magic.

Kuro continued, “What was the guild like that fought the Demon King before you guys?”

Understanding Kuro's intentions, Chika smiled before answering his question.
Suddenly, a loud boom shook the area near Chika as a fire sword from the Demon King exploded.
The Demon King's attacks had now shifted dominantly to fire sword strikes and fireballs.

However, as long as they were not physical attacks, the Ice Mirror Turtle would reflect them.
And even though the Ice Mirror Turtle was affected by the attacks, Liber took the initiative to use healing magic on it due to their understanding of its usefulness.

“That guild was called Silver Meteor.
They specialized in offense and could be considered one of the strongest guilds, even stronger than us, ranking in the top 20.”

After hearing Chika's response, Kuro had a bad feeling about it.

“Haha, but don't worry.
Unlike Silver Meteor, our guild maintains a balance between defense and offense.
We carefully selected Liber based on their expertise, so we won't be easily defeated.”

Kuro remained silent, contemplating the situation.

“It's nothing short of a miracle that we haven't lost any members so far.
And that's all thanks to you, Kuro-chan.”

Kuro's uneasiness persisted, as he sensed that the worst was yet to come.

“Chika, you must have investigated the Demon King we're facing this time.
Do you know about its special skills?”

If they knew the Demon King's special skills, it would mean they had devised strategies to evade or at least defend against them.
This knowledge would significantly increase their chances of victory.

“No, we don't know,” Kuro was taken aback by the unexpected answer.

“Every guild that has fought the Demon King refuses to disclose any information they've obtained.
They won't spread the attack patterns, skills, defenses, or weapons used.
Even the most skilled informants can't get hold of this information.
…And I think you already know the reason, right?”

“10 million yen and the God Slayer,” Kuro replied.

“That's right.
The 10 million yen prize is awarded to individuals who survive the raid, not the guild.
This leads to internal competition.
Although we appear to work together well, as long as there are selfish individuals, our chances of winning are slim.
And this applies to other guilds as well.”

Kuro fell silent, realizing the implications of Chika's words.

“Kuro-chan, I'll be honest with you.
In reality, we have no hope of winning this battle.”

This revelation shocked Kuro.
They appeared so enthusiastic and worked together seamlessly.
It was something Kuro couldn't accept.

But now he understood why Tera had included someone like him in the Raid.

“Kuh…” Kuro gritted his teeth in anger.

“I'm sorry, Kuro-chan.
But that's the reality.
We've actually faced the Demon King in Nilfheim before, and we lost.
So we all know the terror of the Demon King.
Right now, the Demon King is merely toying with us.”

“…..W-what do you mean?” Kuro asked, his voice trembling.

“You'll see it soon.
When the Demon King's HP bar reaches two, the attack pattern will completely change.
And that's when we'll face what is known as the Demon King.
Although we have the Valkyrie Maiden, I don't think that will be enough…”

Kuro fell into a contemplative silence.
The news was worse than facing a berserk monster.
But there was one thing Kuro couldn't accept.

– If they had given up from the start, why did they still fight?

– Was it because this was just a game?

– Was it because it was their turn to face the Demon King?

– Was it because it was fun?

– Or was it simply because…
of money?

“…”

For some reason, an unpleasant feeling washed over Kuro.
Anger? Sadness? Happiness? Regret? He wasn't pleased.
He was truly unhappy.

At the same time, the Demon King's HP was now down to 3, and its attack pattern once again changed.
This time, the Demon King wielded its large sword and launched blind attacks.

As a result, all formations were thrown into disarray.
The Ice Mirror Turtle was slashed and eventually shattered into particles.
One of the Liber members also fell.

“Everyone, attack!!” Tera shouted, still spirited despite the chaos.
The Demon King's swift movements made it difficult to land a hit.

But one Liber member managed to launch an attack.
It was Flamia.

First, Flamia used a binding-type skill to immobilize the Demon King.

“[Fire Chain]”

Around twenty chains of fire bound the Demon King, locking its movements and making it vulnerable to attacks.

“Everyone, use your binding skills and attack with full force!!” Flamia suggested, and most of the Ouroboros guild members followed suit.

“Hooo…
[Earth Jail]”

A young man drove his axe into the ground.
The earth writhed like a serpent and six spears pierced the Demon King's body.

“I won't lose either.
[Flame Bind]”

A circle of fire bound several parts of the Demon King's body—its arms, ankles, neck, and even its abdomen.

Now the Demon King was completely immobilized.

“This is it, ATTACK WITHOUT MERCY!!” Tera exclaimed.

Everyone smiled.
The Liber members using shields switched their weapons to swords and spears.

With smiles resembling those of villains, they used their skills.

“[Slayer]”

The young man leaped and somersaulted before delivering a slashing attack.

Five sword lights slashed through the Demon King's body, reducing its HP.

“[Holy Bullet]”

Seven white light spheres flew toward the Demon King, causing an explosion.
Once again, the Demon King's HP bar decreased.

“One more,” Tera shouted as she prepared to throw her spear.
“[Meteor Spear].”

And she threw it.
The blue fiery light enveloped the tip of Tera's spear.
With great speed, the spear resembled a meteor heading straight for the Demon King's chest, piercing through its body.

The Demon King's HP bar immediately dropped to two.

Meteor Spear was one of Tera's strongest skills.
However, the risk of using this skill was that she had to throw her spear and be left weaponless.
That's why Tera swiftly moved to retrieve her spear.

“Don

't stand idle, attack quickly.
You know what will happen if the Demon King reaches this stage, right?”

“”””””Ooohhh!!”””””

It seemed that the previous attacks had rekindled the spirits of the Ouroboros guild members, or perhaps created a new determination to win.

Everyone now attacked the Demon King simultaneously.
There was no holding back.
They all used their strongest skills.

Meanwhile, the healers continued to heal the guild members who had lost more HP and MP than others.

As Kuro watched the enthusiastic members of the Ouroboros guild, he smiled.
But when he saw that the binding skills restraining the Demon King wouldn't last long, Kuro knew that the nightmare would soon begin.

“Chika, Anna.
It's time for us to get serious.”

“Eh?” “Uh?”

A faint smile and a sharp gaze appeared on Kuro's face.

“We're going to use 'that,' understand?”

“Do you mean the way 'that' works, Onii-chan?”

“Yes.
Chika mentioned that you both didn't have hope of winning because of the previous experience.”

“………”

Anna fell silent, but she understood that Kuro already knew the truth behind the current Demon King conquest from Chika.

“Chika said that the Demon King completely changes its attack pattern when the HP bar reaches two, which means we'll now face the real monster.”

“That's true, but what does it have to do with the way 'that' works?”

Anna continued to attack the Demon King using the skill [Ice Sword], which created ice swords and shot them like bullets.

“Ah…
don't tell me….”

“Your guess is correct, Anna.
With 'that' way, by using Vital Curse, we can kill the Demon King in an instant.”

“….technically, it can be done, but…”

“We have to combine all the strongest skills of the Ouroboros guild members,” Chika answered.

“Thankfully, you understood quickly.”

Kuro smiled faintly.

Although it sounded unreasonable, Kuro's idea was not impossible and might be the only way to kill the Demon King before it could unleash its full power.

“Alright, let's do it.”

“It seems like there's no other choice.” Anna sighed before continuing, “Chika-chan, you contact some guild members, and I'll do the rest.”

Both of them smiled with joy.

They remembered the battles they had fought alongside Kuro, and they finally knew the best and fastest way to defeat the monster.

They immediately began contacting guild members, and while everyone seemed confused, they didn't seem to object to Chika and Anna's plan.

“But if we want to execute that plan, we have to immobilize the Demon King for at least 40 seconds.
Can we do it?” Tera asked with a hint of doubt.

40 seconds was the time needed to chant a high-level skill.
They chose high-level skills to ensure the success of their plan.

Meanwhile, although various binding-type skills were now being used to restrain the Demon King's movements, they couldn't hold it for much longer.

“Fufu…
have you forgotten who Onii-chan is?”

Kuro was a summoner, or rather, a necromancer.
Although the way they summoned monsters was the same, there was a significant difference between the two.

Summoners subdue and tame monsters, then use a kind of catalyst to summon them.
Summoners also have to provide rewards to the monsters they summon.

On the other hand, necromancers resurrect dead monsters.
Unfortunately, in CSO, necromancers could only resurrect undead-type monsters.

In other words, Kuro was a bit abnormal because he could resurrect monsters that were not of the undead type.

For Tera, this explained why the level 67 Liber could reach Alfheim.

“Summon [Forezd]!”

Kuro shouted.

Once again, black magic circles appeared.
This time there were two of them.
From the magic circles emerged two green dragons resembling the Dragon of the Four Seas in Chinese legends.

Everyone was surprised because Forezd was one of the rare monsters in Alfheim, but Kuro succeeded in summoning, no, resurrecting two of those monsters.

“Forezd [Life of Root].”

Life of Root.
Forezd's special skill.
It was a skill to control nature.

After roaring, Forezd exhaled green breath around the Demon King.
Within seconds, roots and trees rapidly grew and bound the Demon King's entire

body like tentacles.

“Now!”

Everyone immediately executed their final tactics.
If they succeeded, they would win.
If they failed, it would be game over.

All members of the Ouroboros guild began chanting magic incantations.
Some struck strange poses as if preparing for a thrust, while others sat down and plunged their swords into the ground.
And many more.
The only similarity was that they all emitted a glow and were surrounded by Rune letters.

20 seconds passed, and the Demon King started to struggle.
Most of the roots began to burn and disappear, but once again, Forezd exhaled green breath and grew roots to halt the Demon King's movements.

40 seconds elapsed.
Everyone had finished chanting the incantations and prepared to use their strongest skills simultaneously.

At that moment, suddenly all the roots burned and turned to dust within seconds.
The Demon King prepared to attack, but Ouroboros was faster.

The first to strike was Tera.

“Feel this, [Asteroid Storm]!”

Once again, Tera threw her spear, but this time, a light formed a drill-like tip on the spear.

Next was Flamia, followed by Anna and all the members of the Ouroboros guild.

“[Supernova]” “[Frozen]” “[Rock Jumper]” “[Divine Punishment]” “[Cannon Blade]” “[Rain of Spears]” “[God Bless]” “[Ice of Despair]” “[Dragon Breath]” “[Torrent of Fire]” “[Hammer of Justice]”

…and many more.

Everyone unleashed their strongest skills.
Lights resembling lasers and composed of various elements converged at a precise point on the Demon King's chest.

The Demon King realized the combined attack and prepared to defend using its shield.

“Uh-oh, if it uses that-“

There was a significant chance the Demon King would survive.
And then…

“Byakko [Thunder Chain]!”

Blue lightning locked the Demon King's movements, preventing it from using its shield.

One of Byakko's special abilities was being an electric-elemental monster, an element that shouldn't exist in CSO.

Without its shield, the attacks aimed at the Demon King's chest without any hindrance.

(Now or never.)

A shadow moved towards the Demon King in the air.
The black shadow didn't fly but leaped in a zigzag pattern like a bouncing ball.

The identity of the shadow was Kuro, using Dark Bind as a foothold.

“Onii-chaan, attack!!”

“Crush him, Kuro-chan!”

Kuro was now within a 5-meter distance from the Demon King, and at the same time, all the attacks nearly hit the Demon King.

Kuro pointed his hand toward the Demon King's chest, and a magic circle appeared in his hand.

Kuro was about to use the skill Vital Curse.
Its biggest weakness was its limited range and inability to be used twice in a battle.

“Die, you damn Demon King, [Vital Curse].”

A 3-meter black magic circle appeared directly on the Demon King's chest as a sign of the Vital Curse curse.
At the same time, dozens of lights hit the magic circle, resulting in a tremendous explosion.

KABOOMMMMM!!

Light scattered.
Dust and smoke filled the air.
All the members of the Ouroboros guild could feel the power of the explosion, and some were even thrown back.

As for Kuro, who was close to the Demon King, his fate was unknown.

After a while, the explosion subsided, and the smoke began to fade.
A 40-meter-wide crater could be seen.

In the center of the explosion, the figure of the Demon King was nowhere to be seen and had vanished.
But 7 HP bars were still visible, all showing empty.

“This can't be true, right? An attack that depleted two HP bars of the Demon King.
I've never seen anything like it.”

era felt amazed and couldn't believe what had just happened, but she also realized that the 34 strongest skills were still not enough to deplete two HP bars of a Demon King-level monster.

(In other words…)

“Yes.” Anna approached Tera, followed by Chika.
“All of this is thanks to Onii-chan's skill, [Vital Curse].”

“Vital Curse? Isn't that one of the Divine Skills? Why does Kuro-san have a skill like that?”

Divine Skills were categorized as rare skills and were capable of disrupting the game's balance.
Moreover, these skills were not possessed by many players in Liber, even though they were top players.

“We don't know.
But the only explanation is that the skill seems to have deliberately chosen Kuro-chan.”

“………..”

Divine Skills cannot be obtained through ordinary means.
Even having a large number of Soul Points does not guarantee you obtain it.

That's why there is a rumor that Divine Skills choose the Liber who wields them.

“Everyone, this is not over yet.
The Demon King is still alive.”

Suddenly, Flamia warns everyone.
And it makes everyone shocked and hard to believe.

But Byakko and the two Forezds are still on guard and even appear prepared to fight.

“But didn't we just…!?”

When looking back at the 7 empty HP bars, Tera sees something hard to believe.

There is still one HP bar remaining.
Although it can be said to be less than 1 percent.
But it proves that the Demon King is still alive.

“Everyone, the Demon King is still alive.”

Everyone immediately becomes alert and looks in all directions, but they can't find the presence of the Demon King anywhere.

“Quickly, everyone, find and locate the Demon King! With the remaining HP bar, we can defeat it even with regular skills.”

Due to using high-level skills, their MP is almost depleted.
Potions and MP potions are also almost gone because they have been used too much.

Everyone searches in all directions.
Finding a 7-meter-sized monster should not be difficult, but they haven't found anything yet.

And that's not their only problem.
The last HP bar of the Demon King suddenly starts to increase.

“?! Oh no, everyone, quickly find the Demon King!!”

Cold sweat drips from Tera's temples.
Although she uses detection skills, she can't find anything.

But when she sees Flamia staring at a certain point, specifically at the center of the crater, Tera gets a hunch.

This is because the Valkyrie Maiden is different from ordinary Liber.

…and she's right.

Tera glances in the same direction as Flamia.
At that moment, she sees something in the center of the crater.

That something is red dew.

“?!”

The same dew that appeared before the Demon King appeared is now visible again.
The dew is also slowly increasing along with the increasing HP bar.

Having a bad feeling, Tera immediately warns everyone.

“The center of the crater.
Everyone, look at the center of the crater!”

All guild members look toward the center of the crater and find the same thing.

“Everyone, attack quickly!!”

In a panic, Tera orders them to attack.

Everyone then attacks by slashing in turn, but none of them hit or penetrate the dew.

“No effect?”

“Seriously?!”

“Hey, look, the HP is increasing!”

Everyone looks panicked.

The only one who appears calm and doesn't attack is Flamia.
She seems to already know about this.

“Mist of Fire.
One of the Demon King's special skills.
While in that form, the Demon King cannot be attacked or attacked.”

“What?”

Someone heard Flamia's words.
And it surprises everyone.

“Then what should we do?” one of the Liber asks.

“Prepare.
That's all we can do.
Use the little time we have to recover ourselves.”

Realizing Flamia's words, everyone starts to recover by drinking potions and MP potions, but it's not enough.
Most of the Liber can only partially recover their HP and MP.

(This is bad.)

Tera realizes that their situation is far from favorable.

(The only one who has fully recovered is him.
The Valkyrie Maiden is truly a monster.)

At the same time, the last HP bar of the Demon King has stopped increasing after reaching 13 percent.
That's a bad sign.
And that bad sign becomes a reality when the red dew transforms back into a 7-meter-sized monster.

But there is a

the difference with this Demon King.

Akaku

Level 399.

There is only one explanation for the sudden increase in the monster's level, and that is…

“Berserk?” Tera says in disbelief.

“I knew it would turn out like this.”

“Yeah.
Onii-chan is good at causing trouble.”

Chika and Anna sigh in unison.
But that's evidence that they already knew it would turn out like this.

“…don't tell me…”

“We don't know for sure, but I think Onii-chan's Vital Curse skill causes the monsters he fights to always go Berserk.”

“But isn't the Demon King a bit cheating? He should have died from our combined attacks.
Ah…
so that's how it is.”

“Chika-chan, do you know why the Demon King is still alive?”

“As Flamia said, it seems the Demon King used [Mist of Fire] before his HP ran out, but I don't understand how the Demon King could recover.”

The three of them gaze at Flamia simultaneously.

They realize that if Flamia knows about the Mist of Fire skill, it means she also knows about the Demon King's other special skills.

“I want to answer your questions, but I don't think it's the time for chatting.
We have an angry Demon King here.”

Flamia is right.
There's no point in talking.
What they need to focus on right now is how to defeat the Demon King.

“Why bother thinking? We just need to attack until he dies once again!”

Without orders, all guild members start attacking from all directions.

Smiles appear on their faces.
They have never come this far in fighting the Demon King, and it becomes their own motivation.

“I think the three of us should join them.”

“Well…”

“I agree.”

With smiles on their faces, they prepare for the final battle.

They run towards the Demon King together and prepare to use their skills.
They no longer care about running out of MP.
The most important thing is to destroy the Demon King.

HP is at 13 percent, while the Liber members fighting the Demon King amount to 34.
There is still hope for victory.

But once again, it's just a naive thought.

The Demon King's sword is engulfed in flames.
But it's a terrifying black flame.
Not only his sword but the Demon King's shield is also covered in black flames.

The Demon King then throws his shield like a discus.
The shield spins at high speed, and thanks to the black flames, it becomes a fiery saw.

One, two, and three Liber members die after being hit by the Demon King's shield.
Although they try to defend, the Demon King's shield is too strong.
The number of Liber members killed by the shield exceeds seven.

After killing the Liber members, the shield returns to the Demon King's hand.

Taking advantage of that, everyone attacks from all directions simultaneously, but a fire tornado blocks them and kills the Liber members who have little HP left.

After the tornado disappears, the true nightmare unfolds.

The Demon King's sword is surrounded by Rune letters and several blazing red magic circles.
Then, without a word, the Demon King swings it down and slashes the ground.

Blacklight, along with blazing black flames, burns the entire contents of the cave.
The attack is the Demon King's strongest attack called [Magmanova].

An attack that annihilates all enemies in an instant.
And it's also an attack that wipes out all remaining members of the Ouroboros guild.

Aders City.
Resurrection Altar.

One by one, Ouroboros guild members begin to appear.
They are resurrected after being killed by the Demon King.

Although they failed, they all look happy and have no regrets on their faces.

“The Demon King is indeed an annoying monster.
I didn't know the Demon King had such a powerful skill,” Anna complains.

Despite appearing frustrated, Anna still looks cheerful.

“But I'm sure no one has fought the Demon King as far as we have.
Besides, I don't think anyone has fought the Demon King during the Berserk state.
It's all thanks to Kuro-chan.”

Besides her, Chika also understands Anna's point.

Tera is also near them.
They sit on the floor near the resurrection site due to exhaustion.

Not only them, but all members of the Ouroboros guild are doing the same.
Chatting and discussing the battle they just had.

“It was a valuable experience,” Tera says.
“With this experience, I think we can conquer the Demon King in the fourth world.”

They didn't expect to get a chance to fight the Demon King in Alfheim, which is why they will fight in the fourth world.

“But I don't think we can use crazy methods like before.
Although it was extraordinary, that method can only be done if Kuro-chan is with us.
And we can't rely on Kuro-chan all the time.”

“Besides, he's a solo player.
I think it's impossible to invite him to join Ouroboros.”

“Yeah.
Onii-chan isn't easy to socialize with.
I think he'll flat-out refuse.
Ha…”

Anna sighed inwardly.
But at that moment, she realized that the person they were talking about wasn't nearby.

“Hm…
speaking of which, where's Onii-chan?”

“I just realized it too.
Kuro-chan isn't here.”

They looked around.
If Kuro died, he would be resurrected like them.
There was no other resurrection point in Aders City, so Kuro must be there.

“Did you see him?”

Chika shook her head.

“I didn't see him.
But if he's here, I think he'll come to us.”

“But you know, I also didn't see Flamia here.”

“………………”

“……………..”

“………………”

Silence fell.
They knew there was only one possibility why those two weren't with them.

And their suspicion was correct.

In the Demon King's dungeon, Kuro and Flamia stood side by side, unsheathing their swords.

“Hey Kuro, can I ask for something?”

“What? We don't have much time, you know that, right?”

“Aha ha…”

The Demon King also unsheathed his sword toward them.
It seems the Demon King was also prepared to face Kuro and Flamia.

“I just want a kiss from you.
Are you rea–?!”

Before she could finish, Kuro passionately and aggressively kissed Flamia.

“Mmm…
mm…”

The sensation of his soft lips made Flamia start to crave more.
No, she was already addicted.
Especially with Kuro's improved kissing technique, it trapped Flamia in ecstasy.

After a few moments, Kuro released his lips from Flamia's.

“You know, you're a girl who doesn't know when and where the right time is to do this, but…”

“……”

“Now is the right time to do it.”

Kuro smiled, while Flamia blushed from embarrassment.

Kuro then looked at the Demon King, who was now level 405.

“Ah…
I guess I'm having a bad day today, but-“

Flamia prepared herself in a fighting stance.

“I don't feel too unlucky because I can fight alongside you.”

“I feel the same way.”

“Well then, let's get started.”

Kuro kicked the ground and advanced first.