Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 204

“Kiieeeeee!”

As Garalgon recovered from the damage caused by the sound and light ball’s flash and roar, it let out an exceptionally loud cry and violently twisted its body.

Probably, the magical attack from the sound and light ball had angered Garalgon.

Calmly observing, I saw Garalgon hovering and starting to flap its wings vigorously.

I thought it might shoot out its feathers, but it showed no such sign.

… What is it planning to do?

“Shuu-san, be careful! Wind magic is gathering in Garalgon’s wings!”

Franryule shouted as she calmly observed.

Indeed, wind magic was rapidly converging in Garalgon’s wings.

A fierce airflow developed, and we could only brace ourselves to avoid being blown away.

Eventually, the converging airflow became a massive tornado, and Garalgon flapped its wings hard, sending it our way.

“This is bad!”

“That’s really dangerous!”

Although the top of the giant tree was relatively open, it wasn’t wide enough for the tornado to pass through easily. Running to avoid it like a feather was impossible.

The tornado approached with a ground-shaking roar.

The wind was so strong that we could hear a whistling, screeching sound coming from the tornado.

Surely, wind blades must be swirling inside it.

If we got caught, our bodies would turn to dust, and it would be game over.

If we got blown away, we’d fall a thousand meters straight to the ground. Even if we managed to land safely, we’d be vulnerable during the fall and would have to fight in an even worse footing than here.

We absolutely cannot afford to get hit by it.

“Blizzard Wall!”

I activated my ice magic and created a massive wall in the path of the tornado.

When the tornado struck the ice wall, a continuous sound of sharp blades scraping against the giant ice could be heard.

“Will this stop it?”

The force of the tornado was clearly diminishing, and its movement was slowing down.

It’s working. We can somehow stop the tornado.

“Shuu-san!”

The moment I thought that, a sharp warning came from Franryule.

In the next instant, the ice wall was cut through, and Garalgon came straight at us.

Riding the tornado’s current, it had gained considerable speed and destructive power.

I couldn’t escape as I was bracing myself against the wind and using magic.

Judging it impossible to evade, I took out an extremely hard magic stone shield from my magic bag.

When Garalgon’s sharp wings struck the shield, a barrier with a faint glow appeared, repelling Garalgon.

“Kyukeekee!?”

It probably hadn’t expected to be repelled by such a small human.

Garalgon let out a confused cry, leaving itself vulnerable.

“Lightning Arrow!”

Franryule’s lightning arrow pierced it at that moment.

The magic’s power was low, but she aimed at its abdomen and beak, which weren’t covered by its shell, dealing significant damage.

Now was the time to press the attack.

Repositioning myself after being pushed back by the impact, I fired a barrage of icicles.

Aiming at its wings to hinder its mobility, Garalgon quickly regained its posture in the air and ascended to evade.

“Kieeeeee!”

Garalgon raised an angry cry and flapped its wings again.

I thought it was going to create another tornado, but this time there was no sign of wind magic gathering.

Probably, that move was a big technique for Garalgon, and it couldn’t be used repeatedly in quick succession.

That means it plans to shower us with feathers from a distance.

Seeing the extremely hard magic stone shield, it might have judged that approaching carelessly would lead to a counterattack.

From our perspective, unable to ascend into the sky, that would be troublesome.

“Shuu-san, leave dealing with the feathers to me!”

As I prepared to intercept the impending attack, Franryule called out.

Would she deflect them with wind like before? Garalgon likely knew that and would counteract it somehow. Would it be okay?

It’s more reliable for me to use my magic power to block such wide-range attacks, but Franryule’s face was full of confidence.

“Understood. Then, please.”

When I nodded, Franryule smiled happily.

I wouldn’t worry about dealing with the feathers. My task was solely to deliver a fatal blow to Garalgon.

Regardless of me, Franryule had a limit to her magic power. It was best to finish this quickly.

Garalgon flapped its wings, showering us with a large number of feathers.

Given the amount of buildup, the number of feathers being shot was significantly greater than before.

“Elwind!”

The intermediate level wind magic was quickly activated.

“Right back at you!”

The sharp feathers that were shot at us were deflected back, tearing into Garalgon’s tough body.

Despite its strong body, Garalgon couldn’t withstand the power of its own wings’ formidable weapons.

As expected of Franryule. Her use of magic and calm situational judgment were outstanding. But this was no time to be impressed.

I moved directly under Garalgon and activated Blizzard at my feet.

A massive ice block formed, and standing on top of it, I used the momentum to rapidly ascend.

I jumped before Garalgon could regain its posture.

Enhanced by magic and the strength gained from eating Byron’s meat, my leap reached a height unimaginable for a human. I soared higher than the airborne Garalgon.

Garalgon, looking up at me, appeared very surprised.

“Finally, we meet up close, but goodbye. Blizzard.”

Landing on Garalgon’s unprotected back, I activated my ice magic at maximum power at point-blank range.

♦  ♦  ♦

“That’s amazing, Shuu-san! To think you defeated an A ranked Garalgon!”

As I stored the ice statue of Galarugon in my magic bag in midair and landed using wind magic, Franryure approached me.

She seemed quite excited, likely happy about our victory over such a formidable foe.

It was a charming contrast to her usual calm demeanor.

“It’s thanks to you that we managed to defeat it safely, Franryule.”

It wasn’t flattery at all. Franryule’s presence had been a great help.

It would have been difficult to fend off that barrage and go on the offensive alone.

The reason I was able to deliver the final blow like that was because Franryule blocked the attack and created a big opening.

“Do you really think so? If I had more magical skills and power, I could have utilized the opening you created and fought more efficiently.”

Franryule lowered her head.

Was she talking about the time I deflected the attack with the extremely hard magic stone shield? Indeed, if Franryule’s magic had the same power as mine, we might have been able to deal a fatal blow at that point, making things easier by splitting Garalgon’s attention.

“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that you played a significant role, Franryule. Your magic saved me multiple times. You should take pride in that.”

“R-Really? If I could be of help to you, Shuu-san, then I’m happy.”

When I praised her, Franryule blushed and started twirling her bangs with her fingers.

Understanding that this was a sign of her feeling shy or happy, I felt relieved seeing her like that.

Watching Franryule’s use of magic, it was clear she chose and used the appropriate spells for each situation. She’s truly skilled with magic. I need to learn from her.

No matter how much magical power or how strong the spells are, they’re useless if they don’t hit.

Using this battle as a lesson, I’ll think more about how to use magic effectively.

“Now that we’ve secured the area, shall we harvest the giant tree’s fruit?”

“Yes, let’s!”

I used my detect skill not only on the ground but also in the air, confirming that there were no monsters around. Now we can safely harvest the giant tree’s fruit.

The giant tree’s fruit was still in the same place as before.

“How should we harvest it?”

“If you lift it from below with both hands, it should come off cleanly. Go ahead.”

“Okay.”

She accompanied me on this request to learn about the sanctuary and ingredients, so it was right to let her harvest the fruit. That’s the proper behavior of an adult and a responsible adventurer who took on this request.

Ah, but the giant tree’s fruit only ripens once every ten years. If possible, I wanted to harvest it myself. Some materials change in texture before and after being harvested. If I could, I wanted to touch the fruit as it was.

“Um, would you like to harvest it, Shuu-san?”

As I pondered, Franryule turned back and hesitantly asked.

“No, no, don’t worry about me.”

I shouldn’t be spoiled by a younger girl. As someone older, I should let her do it.

“But your thoughts were leaking out loud.”

“Huh, did I say that out loud? Sorry, really, don’t worry about it!”

Apparently, my previously restless thoughts had slipped out.

I messed up. No wonder Franryule was being so considerate.

“In that case, how about I let you harvest the giant tree’s fruit as a thank-you gift, Shuu-san?”

As I was trying to think of a way to cover it up, Franryule smiled and made this suggestion.

For someone like me who loves gathering materials, it was a very tempting reward.

“Are you sure? If you say that, I’ll harvest it without hesitation.”

“I don’t mind. I can harvest it again in ten years.”

“Thank you so much!”

I thanked her and switched places with Franryule.

Then, I touched the round fruit that glowed a pale yellow.

The giant tree’s fruit was covered in a thin, transparent membrane.

It felt very smooth to the touch.

“Wow, it’s really soft! Franryule-san, you should feel this too!”

“Oh, it’s surprisingly elastic.”

It looked like it might tear if you applied force, but it felt quite sturdy when touched. It felt as if I was touching a water balloon, and it was quite pleasant.

“Alright, I’m going to harvest it.”

“Yes, please do.”

After enjoying the texture, I slowly lifted the giant tree’s fruit with both hands.

There was strong resistance.

The fruit had been absorbing nutrients from the giant tree for many years.

It’s only natural that it would resist being taken.

However, I didn’t loosen my grip and lifted it firmly.

Then, with a tearing sound, the giant tree’s fruit separated from the stem.

In my hands was a large, pale yellow, glowing fruit.

“Harvesting of the giant tree’s fruit complete!”

“Yes! Now we’ve gathered all the ingredients my father requested!”

A thousand meters above ground, our satisfied voices echoed at the top of the giant tree.