I catch up to Liora, who is racing ahead, and laugh like a madman.
"Hahaha! Hahaha! That's right, Liora! I promised you. You are freer than anyone else in this world! It's unacceptable for you to be unable to defeat an unbeatable enemy. As God—Zephyr, I won't allow it."
"I'll defeat it, God!"
"Let's go all out! Leave all the defense to me."
I'm exhilarated. This excitement is something I could never experience in reality!
The sight of a young girl like Liora charging alone against a massive monster, leaving all other strong warriors behind—it's the stuff of legends! There's no doubt about it. Liora is a hero. You couldn't even see something like this in a movie!
"Liora!"
"Unleash, 'Shadow of Death'!"
A massive shadow overlaps Liora's scythe. The blade extends over ten meters, transforming into a colossal weapon meant to slay monsters. Liora, now wielding the grim reaper's scythe, screams out.
"Darkness Creation!!!"
I support her to lift the scythe with a huge hand made of darkness.
The Emperor Orc notices Liora's power and trembles with delight, letting out a siren-like roar. Its purpose is to buff itself with its roar skill.
'Bwoooooooohhhh!'
"Oooooh," Liora replies in a monotone voice.
The Emperor Orc's fist, as massive as a meteor, comes crashing down, aiming to obliterate everything with a single blow. But—
I murmur.
"Dark Region."
The Emperor Orc's fist passes through Liora, as if it struck an illusion. The sheer wind pressure from its punch uproots the ground, and the air itself seems to explode. Its devastating attack was thwarted by my single action. Now—
"Go, Liora!"
My Level 40 Dark Magic Art, "Dark Region," allows me to shift dimensions and avoid one attack absolutely. This art can only be used once a day, making it a unique ability.
Liora is already running up the Emperor Orc's body. She stands before its thick neck, grinning menacingly.
"Heh."
The audience roars as Liora lets out a shout. The 59 other raid participants are either speechless or cheering. Liora delivers her maximum power strike to the Emperor Orc's neck.
With Liora's "Shadows Of Death," and "Head Hunt," the Emperor Orc's massive body collapses to the ground. The scythe's strike reaches seventy percent through its neck.
A complete decapitation in one strike was not possible. However, Liora immediately switches to her "Life Steal Blade" and delivers four swift slashes.
"Yeah, finish him!!!"
"God says you're destined to be reaped by me!"
With skills "Life Steal Blade," "Head Hunter," "Weakness Exploit," and "Great Sin: Parricide" combined, Liora's fearsome strike severs the remaining thirty percent of the neck. With a thud, the head falls, and Liora collapses on the spot. She raises her fist high while panting.
"I win."
[Team 3 of the Third Server has defeated the raid boss.]
The spectators left behind are left speechless. The first to regain her voice is Archangel Myumyu. She looks pale but manages to look at the comment section and speaks up.
"She won…"
"Yes, angel…"
Myumyu's contracted NPC, the elf Noir, mutters in a high-pitched voice. This triggers the NPCs to start chattering. Other players, who haven't used the "Manifestation" skill, remain quiet.
We return to our camp, and everyone gazes at Liora with a mix of fear and respect. Once derided as a monster child, she's now treated like a demon king. However, she has exhausted all her resources in this battle. They shouldn't expect a repeat performance today.
Now I understand why my "Dark Region" is considered essential yet not the strongest art. Many melee-oriented dark mages seem to learn it. Pure dark mages often prefer "Dark Shield" for its utility. My "Darkness Creation" makes my choice clear, though…
Liora performed splendidly.
By the way, the phrase "Grim Reaper's Scythe" was crafted by me, including the preparatory incantation. It sounds cooler and stronger that way. There's also a slight intention to mislead. If people think it's my unique skill, Liora might be targeted less.
While I was lost in the post-battle analysis, the event seemed to continue.
[The second raid boss will appear.]
An announcement echoed. Everyone tensed up but seemed more relaxed than before. Some NPCs, encouraged by the players, were brimming with determination. It looks like we won't have another disaster where everyone is paralyzed with fear.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake. A massive chasm appeared, and something enormous began to emerge from it. It was so huge it towered above us.