Archduke Paimon (3)

[What do you think you're doing, rookie! You're following me!]

Came Luna's panicked telepathic voice.

A voice that was clearly in shock.

She was obviously worried about my safety.

This is weird, I thought. This person is the head of a criminal organization.

She must have a story.

Not every villain has a backstory, but I'm pretty sure Luna does, at least, because I've already filled in some blanks.

For example, the murder of the Empress.

Even though Luna is the head of a criminal organization, it still felt like an abrupt development.

Also, with the Inner Lunatic becoming a reality, these flashbacks are very important.

It's entirely possible to come to certain conclusions based on information that I didn't discover while playing the game.

But in the meantime, I'm constantly looking for opportunities.

Even at this very moment, several simulations are playing in my head, interrupted and repeated.

What would be ideal?

How should I fight to defeat the enemy, what are the weaknesses of Paimon?

Am I really missing something?

I looked at Paimon, trying to stall for time.

"I heard you were one of the weaker demons sealed by your father, and from what I've heard, you're not even worthy of the title of Grand Duke."

[…That's a funny thing to say, on a childish topic...!]

Pajik-!

Immediately, a tendril sprouted on Paimon's forehead, revealing his emotional agitation. As expected, he's overly emotional, just as he was described in the game.

I need to take advantage of this.

But first, and most importantly, I need to learn my enemy's stats and counter them. I quickly use Insight.

__________________

[Basic Info]

Name: Paimon

Gender: Male

Age: ???

Race: Demon

Primary Element: Fire

Achievements: [72 Demons]

[Traits]

Positives: [Mana-sensitive genius] / [Speculative] / [Robust]{1}

Neutral: [Pure Evil]

Negative: [Cruelty] / [Madness] / [Murderous] / [Supremacism]

[Stats]

Physique: 23

MP: 29

Luck: 6

Willpower: 27

Charm: 16

[Skills].

Passive Skills: [Pyrotechnics].

Active Skills: [Karmic Flame] / [Catastrophic Flame] / [Condemnation]

__________________

As expected, his stats and skills surpass every other villain I've encountered so far. No wonder. I've only encountered demons so far.

Aside from low-level demon imps, I had never encountered a 'real' demon.

Calmly, but quickly, I analyzed the creature.

Basically, its stats are quite a bit higher than Noah and Luna's, and its skills and talents are not negligible.

His Ability [Karmic Flame] is the same one I blocked earlier, a straight line of life-draining fire.

[Catastrophic Flame] is a dot-damage skill that explodes on the target directly hit by the attack. It's random, but dangerous.

In the case of [Condemnation], you attack your foe with a sword made of flames.

A bunch of monsters, all of them. In Inner Lunatic, we call such monsters Archdukes.

The problem is, I'm fighting one right now.

Shit.

(jegilal)

'Besides, Professor Lars' thesis hasn't been published yet. I can't risk my life fighting him without the proper equipment.'

Actually, Luna and Noah should have no trouble taking down a single Paimon.

Based on the source material, this makes sense.

The difference in stats isn't that extreme, and it's all about numbers.

Plus, Paimon was always weakened.

This means that he should be reduced to ash without being able to fully utilize his power.

...The only flaw with this is that it only makes sense after a useful crafted item is activated.

Crafted items. The power of armor, especially from gems, beasts, and demonic byproducts, is unrivaled in the game.

Why Paimon is so hard to kill at this point.

It stems from the lack of items.

'Right now, that Paimon alone is enough to make a late-game Noah, once he's fully set up, a breeze.'

However, that is not now.

Time is passing, but not enough.

I thought, keeping my thoughts taut.

'Regardless, for now, I must defeat the enemy with what I have.'

Having made up my mind, I turned back to Luna.

[I have a plan to defeat the Paimon, and I need your cooperation].

[It's a monster, and you can't do anything about it, you're just a rookie. It's Theo's son, and even if you're talented, that doesn't change that].

[That's why I need your help, and I don't have time for a long explanation].

Luna's brow furrowed at my stern tone.

It must be troubling for her as well. Is it really necessary to send me, a boy barely out of adulthood, to the farthest reaches of the battlefield?

Wasn't the front line of the battlefield reserved for the grizzled, the seasoned, the ones who could generate momentum, the ones who could open the way.

It is a feat bestowed upon very few soldiers in war.

It would be a burden to entrust such a task to the likes of Nox.

I understand that. But....

Luna can't deny it's for the best.

[Just one question.]

[Of course].

[Marin… is she alive now?]

[Of course. Didn't I promise you that I wouldn't kill her? Besides, I need Marin for my plan. I'm confident that she'll be able to overcome her trauma and control that power on her own].

If you don't believe me, all is lost.

Even if we run, Paimon's fierce flames will crush, burn, and destroy everything.

The best I can do is, sadly, rely on others and their skills.

The only reassurance I have is that this other person has immense potential, is a great shot, and is my shooter.

'Never leave anyone behind. Put your units in the right place at the right time. Bring back the feeling of the game. But don't forget that you can't retry.'

This is my plan. It involves Noah, Luna, myself, and Marin, and no one else. To do that, we had to wait for Marin to wake up first.

Then, before that, we must analyze the current situation.

'Paimon is a monster. Physically, magically, but the most shocking thing is on the other side. If we can't break through that, we have no chance at all.'

As I ran and watched Noah and Luna battle their enemies, I realized that there was one fundamental, terrible problem: Paimon's regeneration and defense.

Paimon's regeneration and defense.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that Paimon's offense is strong.

But his defense is a different story. Layers upon layers of magic make it impenetrable.

It takes a focused attack, honed to the extreme, to break through it.

It must be struck again and again, like an awl, to pierce the enemy's weak points.

And so it is,

in order for my sword to pierce his heart, I need Marin's arrow.

In other words, I need the [Watershot] that almost killed me.

...To do this, I must first stall for time until she wakes up.

[....]

I don't think about it long.

It was too urgent. Luna finally nodded.

[I'll leave it to you, it's better than all of us dying here].

With that cool answer, I gave her the plan.

First up.

"Dean, do you still have two more large-scale spells available?"

"Yes. That's the limit, of course."

"Then, please cast a large-scale sealing magic that encompasses this entire area, that is, Zone 1. So that no one else can get inside."

Noah nodded obediently at my words.

Such a role was as important as ever in a defensive fight.

"Hmm… okay. You want me to protect the students?"

"...think what you will."

"Disingenuous. Hoo hoo… That's what makes you so cute."

[How dare…. take a glance in front of me?]

At that moment, Paimon, who had suddenly intervened, crossed swords with me.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

(Chae-ae-ang!)

Sparks fly from my sword.

No, it was a flame-encrusted sword aimed at my shoulder blade.

It was one of his skills, [Condemnation].

[A large impact shakes the attribute 'Master of Acting'].

Even the [Master of Acting] is shaken.

I focused my mind to the limit and parried his attack with my sword.

His sword, which had already reached the ground, sent me stumbling back a couple of steps.

But he doesn't panic, just smiles.

'I'm not at full strength yet, and he doesn't know the full extent of my skill. His greatest talent is magic.'

Even if I use a sword, it's made of magic.

So he has no idea how far I've come in swordsmanship. Nor does he.

Theo von Reinhafer.

Paimon who has seen with his own eyes the power of the sword that once sealed him. That's why he's keeping me in check.

'I can do it.'

Even if it's a crapshoot, even if the odds are close to zero, I repeat to myself.

'I can do it.'

I may be a cub, but I'm a tiger cub.

My damn father is a villain, but that's reason enough for him to fear me.

'I can do it.'

I smirked, tensing my sword, and looked him in the eye.

"So that's all the power you have. What difference does it make?"

I taunted, pulling back as hard as I could. Watching his sinewy expression, I lighten the load of my power.

I can change the trajectory of the attack at any moment.

For now, this is the best way to stall.

Paimon bursts into laughter.

[You… you're such a trickster. Did you think you could bide your time against me…? Did you think you were your own father…?!]

-Your opponent grants you the negative trait [Fear].

[You're welcome, your father was many times stronger than this…! Even he couldn't kill me, only seal me… you will be crushed in an instant!]

I gripped my sword tightly.

"That's something you won't know unless you try."

-Positive trait [Steel Mentality] negates negative trait [Fear].

"I don't want you to forget that I'm here, Paimon."

With Luna joining in, the battle began.

After about five minutes of hand-to-hand combat, Noah pulled out his freezing magic. With a crackle, the area around us froze completely.

Luna and I bided our time, deflecting and parrying Paimon's swords again and again.

'Curses….'

('Cheuk…')

Of course, my body can't be normal. I'm already reduced to rags, and I'm coughing up a steady stream of blood.

My blue school uniform, which symbolizes the old-fashioned aristocracy, is stained with blood.

My wounded left arm is tied up with my already torn shirt to stop any more blood from escaping the wound. Expensive uniform, but what the hell. Shit.

My vision is blurry like a firefly.

Despite my vision being as blurry as a broken streetlight, I keep swinging my sword, thinking about my only chance of defeating Paimon.

The one person who hasn't woken up yet, and I'm calling out to her desperately over and over again.

'Damn it… it's time to wake up. I have my limits....'

You can sleep later, but please wake up soon.

I'm at the end of my rope.

'Marin.'

I stared at the demon with venom in my eyes as he grinned and swung his sword at me.

'Whether you are an Extra or not, prove it here.'

Even if she was an Extra, even if she was dead and gone from the game. I hope she's not dead.

'No, it's ridiculous to hope.'

This isn't about personal feelings.

She deserves to live.

She deserves to have a life of her own.

[The artifact 'Stormbringer' has drained your magic to the limit!]

[You have no mana left in your body].

[Caution! Replacing your energy, your life will begin to rapidly decrease!]

I ignored all the messages I heard.

At that moment, I remembered the detailed backstory of Marin that I had heard from Luna not long ago. Perhaps a single trauma that caused her to mishandle her powers as a Mermaid.

Perhaps she would have to overcome it before she could awaken.

But depending on when that happens, everyone here could die.

With that thought in mind, I stared at the filthy boss mob with three shields in front of me.

Why the hell am I holding on to this bullshit?

I cleared my throat with a harsh breath as I slashed at the creature with another swipe. Because it's the only option I have right now.