211: The Extreme State

In the world of sports, there’s this thing called "the zone."

It’s a state where your concentration heightens to a terrifying degree. The world around you—the scenery, the sounds—just fades away, leaving nothing but your own sharpened senses.

It’s easier to grasp if you just think of it as a state where you can keep churning out your absolute peak performance indefinitely.

Personally, I’d always thought that kind of talk was a load of crap.

And yet, right now... we were likely in the middle of that exact extreme state.

"You filthy humans!"

I used the monsters acting as my footholds to weave through the Fire Dragon’s monstrous hellfire.

All the while, I kept a layer of defensive mana wrapped around my body without a second's rest.

The air was thick with it—a tension where even a scratch meant certain death, a wild surge of exhilaration, and a strange, intoxicating sense of omnipotence.

"Lilith, bank upper right! Tura, dodge left! Olynn, watch the skies—evade!"

I kept my Magic Eye active at all times, relying on Future Prediction while tracking every twitch of my comrades' movements with Time Lapse to issue my commands.

Of course, they’re the ones actually doing the heavy lifting.

There isn’t a spare second to explain the nitty-gritty details to them.

They had to think for themselves, act on instinct, dodge with perfect efficiency, and hurl back counterattacks.

Biado was giving it his all, too, but the sheer volume of attacks and his dwindling Mana were taking a toll. He was starting to show signs of Mana deficiency—a blue, cyanosis-like tint to his skin.

"Why?! Why can I not strike you?!"

"Who knows? Maybe you’re just too slow."

We were definitely chipping away at them. After tricking them into hitting each other a few times, I could tell the Wind Dragon’s Mana had dropped significantly.

Still, I couldn’t afford to get cocky until the very end.

For us, landing a hundred hits was barely enough to make a dent.

For them? They only needed to land one.

The sheer unfairness of it all was laughable, but I guess that’s what Noblesse Oblige looks like in practice.

Suddenly, a massive dragon claw lunged toward Tura’s face.

It was the second dragon—the one my Magic Eye wasn't focused on. She brought the flat of her blade up to block, but there was no way she’d withstand the impact.

"Debibi!"

Out of nowhere, Debi charged right at Tura.

Thanks to him, she dodged by a hair, but Debi took the full force of the blow and shattered into pieces.

"Sir Debi!"

"Don’t sweat it. He’ll be back on his feet soon enough."

There’s no need for apologies. I’d already given Debi his orders: keep us alive at any cost.

His respawn timer had improved significantly compared to before, but it would still take a few minutes.

In the meantime, I had to move like my life depended on it to make sure nobody else died.

The Four Dragons were absolutely livid after taking those hits.

If we weren’t here keeping them occupied, the village would’ve been reduced to ash by now.

――――――――――――――――

Afterword:

I didn't think this battle would take this long, but it’s going to go on for just a bit more, haha!

That said, the ending is already set in stone, so look forward to it! (^^)/

Also, I’ve started a new serialization!

It’s a story about a protagonist who gains a skill called Otherworld Guide Map and travels using Reviews and various other abilities.

I’m hoping to bring out all the fun elements I’ve cultivated so far.

I’d love it if you gave it a look! Or even just a follow! Actually, could I just get a star?! Every little bit helps! (^^)/

I'm participating in Kakuyomu Contest 9.

I lost pretty badly last year, so I really want to win an award this year!

Thank you for your support! m(__)m.

Since I obtained 【Otherworld Guide Map】 5.0 ★★★★★ (57,894 Reviews), I will enjoy a comfortable otherworld trip relying on 【Reviews】

https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330669743197880