Chapter 401: The Battle to Repel 5

Arte’s puppet improvement plan was a huge success. Well, this modification was specifically for anti-Hydra combat, but I still think it fit the situation perfectly.

“Make sure it doesn’t jump too high into the air!”

“Y-Yes!”

As Arte replied, the puppet’s movements immediately changed. The puppet, which had been hopping around, began to run as if crawling on the ground, focusing on evasion. If it flew, the five heads would attack it, so it would inevitably take a hit eventually.

Even a puppet made of Wood Blocks had a high probability of being destroyed in a single blow against a large magic beast. Whether it was a claw, fang, or a strike from the tail, it would take half-destruction or more in damage. Therefore, my judgment was that a puppet with extreme specs entirely focused on evasion would be the best.

As a result, Arte’s puppet dodged the Hydra’s attacks over and over, landing its swords two or three times. The opponent was too large to deal a decisive blow, but it was still performing more than adequately.

Furthermore, the mermaids wielding crossbows began their covering fire. Currently, there were twenty crossbows, and they started attacking with two bolts per person. Even if it was an attack with small bolts, it was enough if they could inflict even a little pain on the eyes or inside the mouth. The important thing was to prevent the Hydra from fixing its aim.

“It seems to be effective!”

“Amazing!”

A rain of bolts poured down, and the Hydra turned around while swinging its tail as if annoyed. That being said, one of its heads was still facing Arte’s puppet.

“N-Now is the chance……!”

Thinking an opening had been created, she grew impatient. Arte muttered a single word, sent the puppet running in a straight line, and headed towards the remaining Hydra head. However, the Hydra, which had been glaring at Arte’s puppet, immediately brought back another neck and came to bite the puppet from the side.

Noticing this, the puppet kicked off the ground and flew, but the Hydra’s movements were extraordinary. The head that charged in from the side changed its trajectory, catching Arte’s puppet, and its fangs pierced through the torso. It was a strike faster than the blink of an eye.

“……!”

I heard Arte gasp. She might have received a huge shock. However, we had no leeway to console her.

“Nn!”

Amidst the dancing fragments of Arte’s puppet, Dee raised his greatsword and dove in. Was it his instinct cultivated on the battlefield? Or perhaps a wild intuition? Dee did not miss the perfect opportunity that presented itself in that brief moment and launched an attack.

To destroy Arte’s puppet, one of the Hydra’s necks was stretched straight from right to left. Dee’s greatsword slashed down on that neck from above.

A large amount of fresh blood scattered, and the Hydra’s five heads screamed simultaneously. Also thanks to Dee’s physical strength, the nearly two-meter blade succeeded in inflicting a deep wound on one of the Hydra’s necks. The Hydra’s thick neck was severed halfway through. It was likely a blow that reached the bone.

This single strike was enough to shake the Hydra. As a result, the Hydra stopped its torso’s movement, moved its tail and necks, and launched an all-out attack against Dee, whom it recognized as its strongest enemy.

A strike from its tail running across the ground as it turned around. Even from afar, it was a terrifying attack with a massive tail moving at high speed, but from Dee’s perspective, it must have been like a wall closing in. Dee danced through the air while parrying that tail attack with his greatsword. There, four necks rushed in.

“Fire the ballistae!”

“All-out attack!”

I had told them to attack once the Hydra stopped moving. Even so, this was perfect timing. From the top of the fort, Arb and Law took command, and the ballistae fired their bolts simultaneously. Two consecutive shots each. A total of four bolts flew towards the Hydra’s body one after another.

I was terrified they might hit Dee, but three of the ballista bolts hit its body, and the remaining one coincidentally hit a violently moving neck. Its power and impact shook even the body of that giant Hydra.

“Nuo!?”

Most of the fangs aiming for Dee missed, but one still caught him. He avoided a direct hit with his greatsword, but he still couldn’t disperse the impact in mid-air. Dee was forcefully blown away towards the fort.

At that moment, Panamera and the mages finished their chants and activated their magic.

“Fire Javelin!”

Panamera’s magic acted as a signal, and spells continuously closed in on the Hydra’s body. Surely even the Hydra would retreat after this. It was a fierce attack that made me confident of that.

However, an unexpected situation occurred. Despite taking the attacks, the Hydra was closing in on us. No, to be precise, I think it was aiming for the fort, but we were also standing in that direction.

Something massive was coming down upon the coast. It was so large I couldn’t even recognize it as a foot. It was a front leg larger than the fort I had built. Well, it’s hard to judge whether to call it a hand or a front leg, but anyway, it was massive enough to support the Hydra’s giant body. At a glance, I saw two or three claws, but just taking a hit from those thick, extended claws looked like it would destroy the fort.

“Evacuate! Absolutely evacuate! Everyone in the fort, evacuate too!!”

Shouting, I started to run. Everyone hurriedly broke into a run as well, but Arte was slow.

“Arte!”

“Lady Arte!”

Till and I called her name and ran while pulling her hand. Arte was also desperately trying to run, but it didn’t look like we’d make it in time.

“Khamsin……!”

At that moment, Dee’s shout could be heard from the direction of the fort. It was a loud voice that resonated in my stomach.

“Protect them!”

When I raised my face at that single word, the sky turned dark. I didn’t know what had happened. However, I could understand that Khamsin had dove in from the side.

It was probably similar to a rugby tackle. By the force of Khamsin, who flew in like a rocket, unbelievably, all of us—including Till and Arte—were blown away together. And the next moment, a black wall appeared right in front of my eyes.

It was the Hydra’s other foot.

When I recognized that, we all tumbled off the coast together and fell into the sea.