Chapter 447

447 – Death Race

“IrujiaAAAAAAh!”

The ruin howls. I check behind me as I fly. The ruin has opened its mouth wide and is closing in on me fast. It swings its arms down through the space where I was a moment ago.

It’s fast. I truly am glad I have the speed-enhancing magic.

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Species: Ruin

Condition: God of Destruction

Lv: 54/150

HP: 1486/2089

MP: 1044/2393

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…Its level is unchanged. It doesn’t seem that anyone it killed in the city was strong enough to give it any experience. Let’s begin, slime. Our life-and-death game of tag.

I fly towards the edge of the city. At the very least, I want to lead it outside of the city.

My partner, who has been checking behind us, moans.

『It’s coming! Its movements just stiffened!』

『Which way is it looking? I need to know where it will shoot!』

『Right in front of us!』

I tilt my neck down to dive at a sharp angle. A burst of iridescent light appears above me. I hold my breath and continue to try to gain as much distance as possible.

I hear the sound of an explosion from behind me, and iridescent light consumes my vision. I was able to avoid a direct hit. I use the force of the [Ruin] to propel myself forwards, flying further on.

I-I was able to endure it… But, I’m already feeling exhausted already just from avoiding a single attack. Thankfully, we’ve learned that my partner can cover for my vision. It’s also good to know that its movements slow when it’s about to fire a [Ruin] as it focuses on the attack.

“OooOoOoOOOOOh!”

『The front again!』

I again lower my altitude and increase my speed to shoot forwards. I should be able to avoid it like last time… Argh, I got careless. Spheres of iridescent light appear on either side of me.

『S-sorry, partner! It tricked me!』

D-did it realise we were dodging based on its line of sight, and so purposefully looked away from where it was aiming!? It’s regaining its intelligence. As soon as it became able to shout my name, I knew I should have been more on guard. But since I had so little leeway, I made the mistake of trying to rely on what worked the first time.

What do I do? Should I stop and fly in the opposite direction? No, if I did that I’d fly straight into it. Forwards is the only option. I need to press on!

I twist my body to the side and stretch out my wings to directly above and below me.

The [Ruins] explode on either side of me, and the shockwaves of iridescent light squeeze me from both sides. I feel a sharp pain as though my body is twisting apart as I shoot forwards, spinning rapidly through the air. I desperately manage to regain my balance and keep flying without slowing down.

『I-I was able to get away!』

『J-just now, what did…』

The two explosions produced powerful air currents in the space between them. I turned my body vertical to catch them with my wings.

Of course, there’s no way that would allow me to get away unscathed. The bones in my arms and back, and and moreso my wings, now have a severe dull pain in them. My wings are most important right now. I repair my wing bones with [Autoregeneration] and continue to fly.

I need to push my body as hard as I can to get away. But we’ve now passed outside the city.

I’ve cleared the most important barrier. The next objective is to keep flying until its maximum HP falls below half…to about 1000. Once it’s fallen that low, then even in the worst case scenario, there’s no possibility of it returning to the city.

『It’s doing something! The build-up time is strangely long!』

I feel a sense of worry from my partner. The ruin’s about to try something new…? But there shouldn’t be anything it can do other than shoot out [Ruins] and chase after me.

『Stop, partner! Something is strange! The front is bad!』

S-stop…? If I did that I’d enter its close quarters range. But, up to now, my partner’s draconic intuition has always worked in our favour.

I’ll believe in that intuition! I dive down at an almost complete vertical. I can’t proceed forwards. But I still want as much distance from the ruin as I can get. By lowering my altitude, I’ll increase that distance.

Far in front of me, six spheres of iridescent light appear. I doubt my eyes for a second. I-it can shoot them out that rapidly? No, even for the ruin, the MP consumption of doing that has to be intense and, there’s no way it can keep doing that freely.

The sparsely spaced spheres explode, the lights connecting to form a huge wall. Had I flown straight ahead, I would have been hit directly for sure. But even from this far away, the shockwave of the magic presses down on me and throws me off balance. My vision is covered by the blinding light.

『I…caught…you…』

A feeling of pressure and intense pain covers my body. Something large is restraining me. Is this the ruin’s front leg…!? It caught me while I was blasted backwards and still unable to react.

The light fades, and I’m able to see my surroundings. The ruin’s enlarged claw is digging into my body.

I struggle, but it’s no use. I can’t escape. The difference in stats is too much for me to even make it budge.

I-is it over so easily…? Upon receiving just one of its attacks, I’m going to die? Now that it has closed the distance this much, I don’t have any way of escaping.

My body is raised high, then violently swung down.

『[High Rest]!』

My partner casts healing magic. Soft light covers my body, and my wounds close.

But it’s pointless now… No, even if so, I should continue to struggle.

There might still be something I can do. If I gave up now, it would truly be the end. If the ruin returns to the capital, countless people will die. Aro, Miria, Volk, nightmare, magiatite – they would all fall prey to [Ruin].

Is it already too late? No, my partner used [High Rest], so she doesn’t think so at least. I know it probably won’t be any more than vain struggling. But what’s wrong with that? My life and the lives of my friends and countless people depend on me, so giving up so easily would be uncool!

I can’t give up before my partner. Not at least until I’ve used my brain on full power and still come up empty!

I activate [Humanisation Technique]. I don’t use it all the way, but only enough to compress my body down slightly. By shrinking, I’m able to create a opening as the ruin’s grip weakens. I slip out of its hand and into the open air.

I-I did it! I stretch out my tattered wings and try to fly. But quickly, the ruin’s arm stretches towards me. I fold my wings and bend my body back to try and escape from its reach.

I should have managed to get beyond its reach. But, the ruin’s arm continues to stretch.

Its body is a mass of magic power. Small changes to its body are probably easy for it. In fact, it grew in size before chasing me, and just a moment ago it enlarged its arm in order to restrain me.

I stretch out my tail to change my centre of gravity and twist my body to the side. The ruin’s arm grazes past me. I-I dodged it!

『I won’t let you get away!』

Its arm shines brighter. Is it going to explode its own arm with [Ruin]!? I read it wrong. From the start, its objective was to get its arm to explode as close to me as possible.

Its entire arm shines with radiant light and my vision is covered in iridescence. The scale of the explosion is larger than any before. It plans to hit me from point blank and kill me for certain.

“Die… Irushia…”

Feeling the murderous intent, I hold out my left foreleg to protect my body. The next instant, a huge shockwave impacts me. An intense heat washes over my body. My left foreleg blackens from the joint down and falls away.

Is it over? For a second, I think that I’m dead. But then, I feel the faint sensation of my tail touching the ground.

I-I’m still alive…? I’m certain I was been hit by the [Ruin] from almost dead-centre.

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[Irushia]

Species: Ouroboros

Condition: Quick (minor), Mana Barrer (minor)

Lv: 109/125

HP: 281/2816

MP: 284/2718

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I-I have a surprising amount left…? Could this be… No way!?

【Characteristic skill [Perseverance of a Champion]】

【If lethal damage is taken while above half of the maximum HP, it will always be endured with ten percent of HP remaining.】

I-I was saved. If I didn’t have this skill, I would be dead for sure.

Either way, it’s impossible for me to create distance from the ruin through normal means. I’ll use anything I can! I need something to distract it!

『Partner, use [Fake Life]! I can’t be picky now!』

『H-haa!? What…』

『My foreleg! There’s no time to think, do it!』

As I speak, I curl up my body and begin to [Roll].

『[Fake Life]!』

Black light shoots from her and flies into my burned foreleg. The foreleg squirms and transforms into a scorched-black eyeless dragon.

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Species: Ouroboros Piece

Condition: Cursed, Burnt

Lv: 1/65

HP: 25/155

MP: 28/144

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It worked. On top of being surprised by my survival, the ruin appears to be unable to comprehend the sudden appearance of another monster and, for a moment, stops moving.

“Giiiii!”

The ouroboros piece spreads its crooked wings and flies around the ruin. Although delayed in its reaction, the ruin opens its mouth wide and bites the ouroboros piece apart. Black scales and blue blood scatter.

Sorry for using you like that. But thanks to your sacrifice, the ruin was distracted for a moment. If I don’t use everything I can, there’s no way I can beat it.

“OOO, OooOOOOOh!”

The ruin groans. Its exploded grows back rapidly. It’s able to restore its body parts so easily. I guess having a body of magic power must make regeneration easier.

Then, it turns its hateful eyes towards me as I roll into the distance. I restore my missing foreleg with [Autoregeneration].

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