*

We've come to the right place.

　With that, Makoto looked up at the temple.
　I had the same impression when I looked at it from a distance, but it looked exactly like the Parthenon.
　However, while the real Parthenon was in a state that could be called half destroyed, this one was not broken at all.

'We've finally arrived,'

　As he said the same words, he turned around and saw countless pieces of bone and red spheres scattered on the ground.
　All of them were the bones of the Skeleton General.
　Just looking at them reminded me of the time I was fighting, and I was sick of it.
　Nevertheless, it was worth fighting on and on.
　This is because Makoto has reached level 75 and Yuka has reached level 72.
　How kind this world is compared to the original world, where efforts aren't always rewarded.
　If there wasn't a boss in the temple, I'd be out, and I put my backpack on the ground.
　The food Tom had shared with me was already gone.
　He had spent too much time taking down the Skeleton General.
　But Mako believed she had made the right choice.
　Of course, there was some hesitation.
　If they ran out of food, they would starve to death.
　Shouldn't he fight more than one of them, instead of one at a time?
　I almost succumbed to that temptation many times, but I barely stopped.
　In that sense, the slowly dwindling food supply was our biggest enemy.

'It's been a long time,'

　Yuka said as he let out a sigh.
　It seems like he's not engaging in a subtle conversation, but he's not a man who can't read the air well enough to get into it.
　He's probably thinking back to the events that happened after he got separated from his classmates.
　Mako is more anxious, but I guess this is youthfulness.
　It's okay to let him get a little emotional.
　There's nothing in particular to do, so I look up at the temple.
　There was a sculpture carved into the top of the temple.
　Apparently, it seems to be based on a war motif.
　The story is - one day, a cross surrounded by a circle falls from the sky.
　Many people revered it, but not a few did not.
　The people were divided into two camps with weapons in their hands and fought it out.
　And after a long battle, those who worshipped the cross were victorious.
　But they could not bask in the good wine of victory.
　Because the defeated camp - or more precisely, its corpse - had risen and challenged them to fight again.
　Hmmm, Mako groaned quietly.
　Apparently, the origin of the undead is those who did not follow the Cross.
　If the cross is a god, then the undead are evil, and if they are invaders, then they are the brave ones who resisted the invasion.
　Nevertheless, the fire that falls on them must be paid off.
　We can only assume that the undead have their own circumstances.

''Alright, let's go.
Yeah.

　As Makoto starts to walk away, Yuka follows somewhat later.
　She opened the door and went inside.
　She had wondered what she would do if it was dark, but her fears were unfounded.
　The interior of the temple was bright.
　When I looked up, I saw that something like a light had been set up at the top of the pillars that were evenly spaced.
　In addition, the inside of the pillars were lined with sculptures.
　Although they seemed to represent humans, the distorted formations stirred up a sense of physiological disgust.
　Behind it was a single undead person.
　It is a skeleton wearing a golden armor.
　The way it sits on its throne gives it a touch of class.
　I'm not going to be able to get it right," said Makoto.
　Just by looking at it, my skin is frosty.
　If it was the Skeleton General that was outside the temple, this is the Skeleton Lord.
　As the Skeleton Lord stood up, a vision of a sword and shield emerged.
　They materialized with increased presence.
　Both are exquisitely carved, but the size of the shield is what should be noted.
　Is it called a tower shield?
　The shield is huge enough to hide the Skeleton Lord's body.

''It's a fantasy.''
B-Ba, don't be ridiculous!

　When Makoto spoke lightly, Yuka said in a trembling voice, as if she was afraid.
　He was aware that he was saying something stupid, but if he didn't, he was going to lose his temper.

'Yuka, back up, please. Make as many gaps as you can.''
Yeah, I get it.
"....ignition, fire-bullet.

　The Skeleton Lord readied his shield as Makoto threw a flaming bullet as he moved away from Yuka.
　Fool, he shouts out a plea in his mind.
　The flame bullets - the jet black flames inflict sustained damage.
　I don't know how durable the shield is, but it should break at some point if it continues to take damage.
　However--.

''----!

　I gasped.
　The Skeleton Lord had blown out the flames.
　Judging from the fact that the shield was emitting a faint light, it was probably due to magic or skill.
　The plan to destroy the shield with sustained damage was fragile.

''Yuka!
Checking.

　It's too late to regret that I should have checked the status first.
　How could I make such a stupid mistake when my life was at stake?
　I suddenly remembered my father.
　If you have inherited that man's genes, it's not surprising that you failed at the critical moment.
　Don't think nonsense, Makoto told himself, and he readied his fist.
　Now is the time to focus on the enemy in front of you.

''Flaming bullets!''

　Mako threw the flaming bullets at the Skeleton Lord again, but it was blown away just like before.

''Flaming bullets!''

　This time he didn't throw it at it, but stayed in the palm of his hand.
　Then the Skeleton Lord stopped moving, as if it were on alert.
　Apparently, his head works better than Skeleton General.
　It's a troublesome opponent.
　However, the enemy's vigilance is not necessarily detrimental.
　If they are vigilant, a bargain is established.
　It is also possible for them to keep each other in check.
　We should keep our distance, Makoto said, looking at the Skeleton Lord.
　It's not a good idea to go into a close quarters battle when you don't have any information about the enemy.
　At that moment, the Skeleton Lord opened his mouth.
　The next moment when a light lit up in his mouth.

Huh?

　A shock went through Mako. The flames in his right arm were extinguished in an instant, and fatigue lingered heavily on his body.
　A shockwave, or something similar to it.
　At least it's not a mere physical attack.

''A ... mental attack?''

　Of course, Mako had never been attacked by a mental attack before, but still, she knew what kind of attack she had been subjected to.

''........Ignition!''

　Flames erupted from his right arm as Mako shouted loudly.
　The sound of the explosion roared and the figure of the Skeleton Lord was scraped away.
　And in the next moment, the cutting edge was right in front of him.
　A shattered floor could be seen over the Skeleton Lord's shoulder.
　He didn't know if it was a skill or magic, but he kicked the floor with enough strength to crush it, gaining an explosive acceleration.

''d*mn!''

　Mako twisted his body and ducked the cutting edge in time.
　The Skeleton Lord exposes his unprotected side.
　Impossible, no, he can aim!　and fists.
　There was no time to converge, but if he could get a blow in, he would have that much of an advantage.
　However, the Skeleton Lord responded instantly.
　When he turned to face Makoto, he flicked his fist outward with his shield.
　The cutting edge of the blade was closing in again.

''d*mn it!

　The flames gained momentum in response to Mako's cry, and the Skeleton Lord held his shield up as if he was frightened.
　The explosion roared at close range and Mako was blown away.
　The Skeleton Lord hit him with his shield at the ready.
　He was slammed into a pillar and bent to his knees.
　Perhaps to make a token move, the Skeleton Lord immediately closed the distance between them.

''Flaming bullets!''

　Makoto threw a flaming bullet at him. He figured that he would use his shield to block it this time as well.
　If he protected it with his shield, he could keep his distance.
　But Makoto's plan was off.
　The Skeleton Lord ducked the flaming bullets.

''Capture Formation (Bind)!''

　Yuka's voice rang out, and a band of light tangled around the arm that supported the sword.
　A level 72 magic should be able to stall it.
　As expected, the band of light doesn't shred easily.
　This will allow me to get some distance.
　Just when I was inwardly patting my chest, the Skeleton Lord flashed his shield.
　Mako rolled on the ground and avoided the shield.
　After a slight pause, there was the sound of something shattering.
　Perhaps the shield had shattered a pillar.

''What's your status?''

　He stands to protect Yuka and asks her a question.
　If you know what the enemy is capable of, there is a way to deal with it.
　I tell myself that this should be the case.
　But--

I don't know.
What?
That's why I don't know!　I can't see my status!

　When Makoto asked back, Yuka let out a scream.
　I can't see the status.
　I felt as if my eyes darkened in front of me at that one word.
　Maybe this is the kind of moment when hope is crushed.

'How could I not understand!
'I don't know!　I thought you had skills like cloaking, or blocking signs, or whatever!
''You're that strong and you even have those skills!
I don't know what I'm talking about!

　As Makoto and the others were arguing, the Skeleton Lord opened his mouth.
　A faint light is lit behind it.
　He's going to launch a mental attack.

''-----!
"Convergence, cut through it!

　Mako swung her arms down just as the Skeleton Lord released a shockwave.
　A kink resounded and the wind rushed in.

''What the hell!''
You cut through the mental attack!

　Maybe I should say that they offset each other.
　Instead of cutting through the mental attack, the flames that had been converging in his right fist were gone.
　When I was first hit by the mental attack, the flames disappeared.
　That made me wonder if the flames might have a spiritual aspect to them as well.
　There was no denying the gambling factor, but Mako had won the bet.

'What are we going to do?!'
We're going to have to fight this thing while we gather information!　Cover me!
'All right!　Luno Cuesta Agata!　Like a cone through and through, O Periolis, you shall be a cone through my enemies!　Reveal the magic bullet (Brit)!

　Yuka unleashed her magic and the Skeleton Lord held up his shield.
　A faint light enveloped the shield and the magic bullets bounced backwards.

''Ignition, convergence!

　In the meantime, he closes the distance and goes around to the right of the Skeleton Lord - the one holding the shield - and unleashes a fist.
　The fist and shield collide, and a kerning sound echoes.
　It sounds as if metal has collided with each other, but there is no pain in the fist.
　Apparently, the pale light has the power to play the attack.
　The fact that it didn't make a sound when it played Yuka's magic is worrisome, but I don't have time to think about it.
　The Skeleton Lord swings his sword down.
　Mako ducks the attack with a brilliant step, moves behind the shield, and unleashes his fist again.
　There is another high-pitched sound.
　It would have been nice if the light had weakened, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to have weakened.
　But let's think about things.
　The attack didn't get through, but I found that the tower shield made it impossible to get around in small circles.
　Suddenly, Yuka shouted loudly.

'Why are you running to the side with the shield!
Of course I was scared!
"You a**h*le!
Cover me!

　When Makoto yelled at her, Yuka readied her wand.
　I can't suddenly do a risky imitation when I have to gather information.
　Or rather, I don't want to.
　If you want to call me a badass, you can call me a badass.
　If it's a safe measure and it works, it's better.
　Makoto repeated his attacks while hiding behind his shield, but still, I should say, he couldn't do any damage.
　It's the same for the opponent, but what about the stamina aspect?
　The setting that the undead don't get tired is often used in the rano novels.
　It would be a good idea to rely on the knowledge of the novels in this situation, but it would be better to consider that the undead in this world are also tireless.
　The Skeleton Lord sinks his body in gingerly.
　He's going to set up his shield and try to hit the body.
　I wish I could get a counter, but I'm not sure.

''Magic Bullet!''

　Yuka's voice rang out, and the Skeleton Lord moved.
　He suddenly turned around and blocked the magic with his shield.

'Now!'
I know!

　He hit him from behind.
　However, the Skeleton Lord ducked the attack as if he had eyes on his back.

''Deliver it!''

　Mako didn't care if he lost his stance, he hit the Skeleton Lord's arm - the right arm that supports the sword - without regard to his stance.
　As it was, he rolled on the ground, took up the distance and immediately stood up.

''........No?''

　The next moment he muttered, Skeleton Lord's right arm fell off.
　OK!　He made a small gut pose and struck out.
　Deciding that it was not a good idea, the Skeleton Lord hid himself behind a shield.
　He struck at the moment, but was blocked by the shield.

'Go around the side!
I'd do it if I could!

　Makoto shouted as he punched his shield.
　As he tried to turn around, the Skeleton Lord subtly turned his body around.
　'If you have time to complain, I want you to take cover.

''Luno Kesta Agata!　Like a cone through and through, O Periolis, you shall be a cone through my enemies!　Reveal, magic bullet!

　Yuka fires a magic bullet, but the Skeleton Lord blocks it with his shield.
　Perhaps the main body's magic resistance is low.
　Having reached the same conclusion, Yuka starts chanting.

''Luno Kesta Agata!　Like a cone through and through, O Periolis, you shall be a cone through my enemies!　Reveal, magic bullet!

　The magic bullet pierces the skeleton lord.
　The body leans with a wobble.
　I just leaned. I open my mouth with my body in the same position.

''Oh, shit!''
Huh?

　When Makoto jumped diagonally in a forward-facing passive manner, a shock wave was released.
　I escaped a direct hit, but the core of my body went numb.
　There--.

“--!

　The Skeleton Lord hit the body.
　Mako was blown away and rolled on the ground twice, three times.
　There was no chase.
　He has lost one arm.
　The only way to attack that guy now is to hit him bodily.
　Just as I was thinking that, I heard a snapping sound.

''.......Really?''

　He muttered to himself.
　The source of the sound was the Skeleton Lord's right arm.
　The arm slowly but surely regenerated.
　In its place, the pale light that had enveloped the shield had disappeared.

''........Can you make it?''

　Mako shook her head and stood up, moving her right hand.
　I feel like my core is still numb, but I can't worry about that.
　If I don't do something reckless here, I'll miss the opportunity to attack.

''Yuka!''
"Luno Cuesta Agata!　O Periolis, who is not infinite, like a noose to be bound--

　Yuka started chanting and Makoto ran out.
　The Skeleton Lord readied his shield, perhaps intending to buy himself time to regenerate.
　As he tried to move aside, he pointed his shield at us.
　He seems to be wary of Makoto and doesn't even look at Yuka.

'Be the rope that binds my enemy!　Reveal, captive formation!

　The chanting was complete and the band of light extended.
　The Skeleton Lord didn't move and held his shield up so that it was close to his body.
　Even if he was bound by the captive formation, he must have decided that he would be safe as long as he held his shield.
　However, Yuka's aim was on the shield itself.
　A band of light intertwined with the shield, blocking its movement. He turns aside with his fist raised.
　As it is, it pierces the armor and destroys the red sphere, which is its weak point.
　The Skeleton Lord turns only his face towards me, creaking his neck bones with a creak, and opens his mouth.
　He intends to launch a mental attack.
　Offsetting the mental attack with converging flames, he would pierce the armor and destroy the weak points.
　I quickly come to the conclusion that it's impossible.
　If they phase off, they'll need time to prepare for the attack.
　With that much time, it should be easy to get out of the captive camp.
　What should we do?　I ask myself, but I don't have an answer.
　No, there is an answer.
　It just takes courage to do it.
　A light is lit in my mouth.