16 VS Yeti [2]

"N-no way!? This is like a 1% scale of real Gundam size!"

Wide-eyed, I picked up the shield with my fingers and couldn't help but comment on this. 

'Well, it looks like the 'Shield of Midnight Aegis,' but it's obvious that it would be impossible to block Yeti's attacks with this.'

Then...

"Well, it can't be helped!"

"It spoke!? ...Wait, is that your voice, Midnight Aegis!?" Perplexed, I posed a question to the shield or more like a toy I had in my hand.

"T-that's right! Is that a problem?"

"Well... no, but...But, this size is really..."

The Midnight Aegis, in the form of a miniature shield, seemed to struggle with embarrassment. It made me feel awkward, too.

"I'm different from mother. Still a child with little 'Mana.' This is the best I can do for now."

I see... So that's why it hesitated to produce the 'Shield of Midnight Aegis' when I asked for it earlier.

'So, he was trying to fool us originally before, I should just abandon him.'

But...

"By the way... What's 'Mana' exactly?"

"Huh...?"

I posed a simple question, and the Midnight Aegis let out a dumbfounded sound.

In 'Engage Hundred times,' the only attributes are level, HP, SP, physical and magical attack and defence. 

There's no parameter called 'Mana.'

"D-don't you know!? Humans use it regularly, don't they!?"

"Anyway, I don't know about 'Mana.'"

"Prince Elysion! 'Mana' is the source of power that resides in all living beings in this world! It's an absolute necessity to wield the power unique to each individual!"

Swish---

"Like, magician uses it to cast spells or knight uses it to produce sword aura."

I understood, thanks to Serena, who was attacking Yeti while listening to our conversation.

'So, 'Mana' in their talk is equivalent to SP.'

In that case...

"Midnight Aegis, can you take 'Mana' from humans?"

"Well, I can technically take 'Mana' from humans, but... if I try to become as powerful as Mother, I'll need an incredible amount of 'Mana'!"

"If I take 'Mana' from you, you will run out in no time and collapse!"

"I see."

That's pretty convenient.

"I get it, you worry about me?"

"N-no! Why would I...?"

I teased the Midnight Aegis with a smirk, and even though it immediately denied it, its words trailed off.

"Alright, take as much 'Mana' as you want from me."

"Were you listening to me!? If I do that, you will run out of 'Mana'..."

"Is it really like that? Here, take this…"

I shouted, and then...poured out all of my SP or rather mana from my body.

As I did so, Mir's enraged resounded from across, "Wha-!? A pig like you...!"

"Mir!?" Serena reacted in an panicked voice.

"kiiiiaaaaah!"

Mir, who had been holding back and buying us time, was finally cornered by Yeti. She lost her escape route and, with determination, raised her weapon, a dagger knife, ready to counter.

Serena attacked repeatedly, but despite being inflicted with wounds, the gigantic Yeti remained unfazed.

Not yet... not yet...

"buuu-heheeeee!" I could hear the ugly snickers, 'Now's not the time..'

"Die—you pig!" Mir raised her dagger as the last resistance, 'Now!'

"I won't allow you to touch what's important to me!"

I shouted and raced towards Yeti, who was grinning in triumph, with all my speed.

And then...

—Clang!

"keuk?"

"Prince Elysion!?"

I barely managed to arrive in time, intercepting Yeti's descending foreleg.

With this dull yet radiant, heavy, black-iron, "Wow, can't believe I am so big now~" with drawback of gibberish talk.

"Mir! Are you okay?"

"Y-yes! But, that shield..."

I turned around, checking if Mir was unharmed, and felt relieved to see her safe. However, it was no wonder she was surprised; that miniature-sized shield had transformed into such a splendid one.

However, I understood a few things now.

The backstory of the limited-time event in "Engage Hundered times" involved the protagonist defeating and subduing Midnight Aegis, causing the actual Midnight Aegis to transform into a weapon.

Yeti being the raid boss was part of the territorial dispute between the two magical beasts on Wort Island.

But hey, maybe they should have prepared some follow-up events or explanations.

It might have attracted more players and prevented the unfortunate fate of shutting down the service in half a year. Their business strategy was just too clumsy.

Oh well.

For now, my task is to defeat the Yeti in front of me, allowing Midnight Aegis to avenge its mother.

"Lady Serena! Mir! I'll take all of Yeti's attacks! While I do that, finish it off!"

"Yes!"

"Leave it to me"

"kiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaah!"

The enraged sow swung its foreleg, putting its entire weight into an attempt to crush me.

But...

BOOM!!

"Hahaha! Amazing! Truly amazing!"

Despite being Elysion with the weakest physical defense, I stood unfazed against Yeti's attacks.

In "Engage," all weapon cards, except shields, had their physical or magical attack values, or both, added to the character's stats. However, shield weapon cards only added physical defense values to the character's stats.

Moreover, if the character and the shield shared the same attribute, the effect was doubled. The physical defense of "Midnight Aegis" was equal to that of an SSR heroine at max level. With my current state, I could easily withstand Yeti's attacks.

"Haah!"

"Shh!"

Swish—slash--

"!? Pu-giiiiiaah!"

Serena and Mir attacked in rapid succession, causing Yeti's massive body to be covered in red blood.

Even with high endurance, continuous attacks like this would eventually wear it down. There was no way it could endure much longer.

"Bbuuuuooooooo!"

"Not on my watch!"

Yeti, trying to turn its attention toward Serena, was intercepted by me before it could do so.

'I absolutely wouldn't let them get hurt.'

"bu...beuk...!"

Approximately twenty minutes into the battle, Yeti's movements became noticeably sluggish, and its ear-piercing squeals grew weaker.

And then...

"Ah!"

Flipping its massive body, Yeti turned and bolted.

Given its slow movements and the deep wounds it had sustained, catching up was easy.

"Midnight Aegis... now is the time to avenge your mother."

"Yeah... but how?"

"You know, right? The power... your own unique...the power... within you."

"My own... power..."

Midnight Aegis murmured and fell silent.

"Byuuu!"

Even now, desperately trying to escape us, Yeti swayed its body in an attempt to move forward.

And then...

"...Annex!"

Midnight Aegis and I chanted the name of its unique skill, at the same instance.

From the black-iron shield, a giant jet-black claw, symbolizing Midnight Aegis, lunged towards Yeti, tearing through its flabby body.

"P...Geuh..."

Yeti, gazing at the sky for a moment, stiffened, and then convulsed, collapsing to the ground with a rumble.

The unique skill of "Midnight Aegis," Annex, took everything from the target.

Including its life…then slowly its flesh.