WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Irevi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 47: Doll Dungeon (5)

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Cecilia threw herself into the swirling flashes without hesitation.

- Uooong!

Ignoring the monster’s screams, she swung her sword.

A strike of light bathed the monster.

The instant it retaliated, Halibal stepped in front of her as though he had been waiting for it.

Cecilia flowed backward and prepared her next attack.

Neither of them looked at the other. They were already moving almost as one.

A memory from long ago suddenly crossed her mind.

The ballroom dances she had practiced countless times after first entering the Ren House estate at the age of seven, all to learn noble etiquette.

Yes, her movements with Halibal resembled that.

A dangerous yet dazzling dance, trusting everything to her partner as they moved to the rhythm of the battlefield.

‘Why is that?’

This was clearly a life-or-death situation, yet Cecilia’s lips curved into a smile without her realizing it.

She had always been too busy following behind him, but now she stood at his side, shoulder to shoulder with him.

After blocking the monster’s attack, Halibal turned to look at Cecilia.

“...Ah.”

Red eyes glimmering brilliantly even in the darkness.

The moment his gaze settled fully on her, Cecilia felt her heart skip a beat.

Then she made up her mind.

‘I don’t want it taken from me.’

This man, too...

‘I don’t want to let go.’

All these moments with him, too...

‘Not to anyone.’

Cecilia’s blue eyes burned colder and hotter than before.

⁎⁎⁎

- Uooooooh!!

After several turns, Alain let out a scream as the silver body began to turn red.

Phase two. Alain’s rage phase had begun.

And entering phase two meant Alain’s Health had fallen below half.

What I did in the meantime was simple.

While Cecilia kept Alain’s attention, I continuously carved Carving Sword weak points into the knight’s body.

I had deliberately told Cecilia to avoid attacking the weak points I had carved.

I planned to manage Alain’s Health through her attacks, then finish the knight off the instant phase two began.

I immediately checked how many weak points I had carved.

Six.

‘One more turn.’

Eight, counting Gale’s Path’s Sevenfold strikes and Break.

That meant I needed to use Carving Sword two more times.

My turn.

Slash!

As planned, I carved the seventh weak point into Alain’s shoulder.

Before carving the eighth and final one, though, I hesitated.

The moment I did, Alain’s turn would come around.

If Alain used Titan Fall right away, I’d be helpless against it.

‘Do I have any way to stop that?’

That was when it happened.

“Halibal! This way!”

I turned at Cecilia’s shout. Rubble shattered in the battle and melted wax dolls had tangled together, forming a makeshift barricade.

It hadn’t formed naturally.

Cecilia had made it in that brief instant between turns.

Without me even asking, she had given me the perfect answer to the problem I had been considering.

There was no reason to hesitate anymore.

The moment I drove the final Carving Sword into Alain’s heart, I threw myself toward the barricade Cecilia had made.

Alain’s turn.

Vwoooong!

As though Cecilia didn’t exist, Alain swung the hammer wildly, targeting only me.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

“Urgh...!”

I couldn’t get used to the tremors that erupted every time the hammer struck my sword.

Having entered phase two, Alain charged at me with increased Attack Power and speed.

The vibrations drilled into my bones, making me want to vomit, but it was fine.

‘At least it’s not Titan Fall. I can endure this!’

Craang!!

Alain’s final hammer blow sent me flying helplessly into the barricade she had made.

[Weak!]

‘What the fuck?’

A hollow laugh escaped me.

A weak point here?

What kind of bullshit was that?

Before I could even process what had happened, Alain kicked off the ground and shot into the air like a rocket.

At the same time, a massive shadow filled my vision.

Titan Fall, Alain’s ultimate attack after entering rage.

I prayed desperately.

‘Please, hold!’

I’d rather die than retry this goddamn boss battle after getting it down to half Health.

After steeling myself, I held my sword upright and prepared to receive my death sentence.

Kwoooong!!

At last, the giant’s strike crashed down over my head.

The barricade Cecilia had made tore apart like paper, and every bone in my body screamed.

As my vision began to turn red, a message appeared.

[Just Guard!]

‘Fuck off!’

A curse burst out amid the impact that shook my brain.

I wanted to slash that fucking message floating before me to pieces.

Just Guard? Success?

If this was the pain after Mitigation, what the hell would have happened if I had taken it head-on?

Fuck, how did that make any sense?!

“Halibaaal!!”

Cecilia’s scream faded beneath the roar.

In its place was only ringing in my ears, like thunder.

Soon, all the strength drained from my body, and I went limp.

I couldn’t move even a finger, as though I had become some kind of mollusk.

My vision gradually narrowed, and it felt as though the world was sinking into darkness.

‘Ah, this again.’

A familiar sensation I had experienced countless times.

The feeling of death arriving right at my doorstep.

Then I felt a small hand clasp mine.

A swordswoman’s hand, not soft in the slightest, with calluses I could clearly feel.

At the edge of my narrowing vision, I saw a silver-haired, blue-eyed woman shedding tears.

Right. Come to think of it, she had never witnessed my death firsthand.

Warm particles of light flowed from her hand and into my body.

At last, the feeling of death retreated, and faint strength began to return to my limbs.

Lumen.

But Lumen wasn’t some invincible cure-all potion.

It healed wounds, but it didn’t restore someone to perfect condition.

This was nowhere near enough for me to move.

Then a bitter liquid flowed down my throat.

When I opened my eyes, Cecilia’s worried face came into view. She was carefully pouring the potion she had into my mouth.

The gem above her head that announced her turn shone the same color as her eyes.

As though it had confirmed that I had regained consciousness, the gem slowly vanished.

Then a blue gem appeared above my head.

Seeing that meant I was alive.

It meant I could still take my turn.

Right. I had survived.

By some incredible stroke of luck, I had survived as though by a miracle.

‘A luck totem... is that it?’

I snickered and glanced at Cecilia, who was holding my hand.

Once I felt vitality returning to my body, I desperately forced myself up.

Alain stared at me in apparent confusion, as though the knight couldn’t believe a body that had been dying moments ago could move like this.

I didn’t avoid Alain’s gaze either.

The eight weak points I had carved into Alain’s body still shone clearly.

Along with the defense reduction icon helpfully floating above the knight’s head.

‘Yeah, fuck. How could I retry this fight?’

I was alive, the weak points remained, and the defense reduction debuff was still active.

My turn had come back, and my whole body hurt like hell.

Yeah. It was shitty, but this was the best possible timeline I could face right now.

I raised Clown’s Sword and pointed it at Alain.

My legs still trembled from the aftereffects, but Cecilia didn’t stop me.

She only nodded with a firm expression.

That was enough.

I lowered my sword toward the ground and gathered every ounce of strength in my calves.

My muscles pulled taut, tension running through them like a bowstring with an arrow nocked.

“Chrono Dive.”

Time’s blessing seeped into my body, and the blade took on an ashen gleam.

At the same time, I rushed at Alain at full speed.

Gale’s Path.

Seven ashen flashes connected into a single trajectory, cutting through Alain’s body in an instant.

[Weak!]

[Weak!]

[Weak!]

[Weak!]

[Weak!]

[Weak!]

[Weak!]

Kwagagagagaga!

- Uooong...!!

The seven weak points I had carved exploded at once, and for the first time since the battle began, Alain’s massive body staggered with a pained cry.

Bang!

With a dull thud, the enormous hammer in Alain’s hand fell to the ground.

But Alain soon regained awareness. Instinctively, the knight curled up and drew both arms toward the chest.

The final weak point.

To protect Alain’s heart.

“Sorry, but that doesn’t count.”

My turn wasn’t over yet.

Additional turn.

I gathered every bit of my remaining strength and raised my sword over my head.

Ashen light coiled around the blade, giving off one final flash.

Then I brought it down.

“Halibal Break.”

Craaaack!!

[Weak!]

Break left a diagonal sword wound running from Alain’s shoulder to the knight’s side, precisely through the heart.

Wax melted by the heat of the slash, like molten metal, dripped from the wound.

The last blood Alain shed.

Clank. Clank.

- U... uoo...!!

Thud!

The silver knight, who had seemed impossible to bring down, finally dropped to his knees.

The knight wasn’t gasping for breath, but if Alain had possessed a mouth, the knight surely would have been coughing up blood and breathing raggedly.

Blink. Blink.

The gem above my head flickered precariously, as though it might go out at any moment, while Alain’s gem shimmered as though it might appear.

But I had no intention of giving Alain any room here.

“Cecilia. Please.”

Slash!

Before my voice had even faded, Cecilia, who had already approached my side, cut Alain down once more.

The wound left by her sword strangely overlapped with the sword mark from my Break.

As though unable to believe this defeat, Alain looked around with creaking movements.

Then Alain looked up at the empty sky.

- Uoooooooh...!!

Alain let out a roar like a scream.

Hot wax flowed from the eyeholes of Alain’s helmet like tears.

‘...That wasn’t in the original.’

From where Alain’s heart had been, a dazzling gem emerged through the knight’s broken body.

[Biye]

At the same time, the firmly sealed dungeon exit opened with a click.

Footnotes:

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