Chapter 560 - 550 Riser launched back into the attack

Chapter 560: Chapter 550 Riser launched back into the attack

Yubelluna-san, who was guarding me on Riser’s orders, let out a near-screaming cry.

"Lord Riser!"

However—

"Do not falter!"

Riser barked back, his body already regenerating through the immortal power unique to the Phenex.

His shoulders heaving, Riser muttered, "You’re strong... I thought I had gained power through grueling training... but it seems I still have a long way to go. Tch, it’s frustrating. But that’s precisely why you’re worth fighting! Come on! Riser Phenex is still standing! If you want Hyoudou Issei’s head, you’ll have to go through me first!"

Riser launched back into the attack, hammering punches into the massive beast and burning it with hyper-focused heat. Yet, as if mocking his efforts, the familiar’s flesh regenerated continuously, instantly restoring itself. It retaliated with attacks even more ferocious than before. A heavy, devastating blow struck Riser, accompanied by the sickening crunch of breaking bones.

"Ghhh!"

Riser was blown back.

He was in an agonizingly battered state. His arm hung limp and broken, and his face was stained red with blood. While those injuries were gradually mended by his immortality, his regeneration speed had visibly slowed compared to earlier. The output of his flames was noticeably weakening as well...

"Lord Riser! Tch!"

Riser’s peerage wanted to rush to their master’s side, but they couldn’t leave their posts because they were protecting me while I was immobile.

Damn it...! At this rate, Riser’s going to get killed! Move, body, move! If I can just stand up, they can go help their master!

『It’s reckless, partner! With those injuries...!』 Ddraig warned.

But I...!

"Riser...!"

I forced my numb body to push upward, but a surge of blood welled up in my throat, spilling from my mouth as I collapsed right back down. Mira—the club-wielding ’Pawn’ from Riser’s peerage—supported me, but...

The dragon-type familiar loomed over Riser. Raising its massive claw, it aimed directly for him—

"Like hell I’ll let you!"

A third party’s voice shouted out!

Multiple tendrils suddenly lashed out, wrapping around the familiar’s raised arm and completely pinning it in place. Black flames erupted from all sides, enveloping the creature in a dark inferno.

This was—

『Came to lend a hand, Hyoudou!』

Clad in pitch-black armor, Saji made his grand entrance, incinerating surrounding familiars with black flames as he arrived! Talk about perfect timing!

Shadowy tendrils extended from his pitch-black armor, and cursed seals floating around them ensnared nearby familiars, killing them one by one. No matter how many times I saw it, that power was terrifying...

Riser spoke up as Saji landed nearby. "Sona Sitri’s ’Pawn’, Shirou Saji."

『Yeah. My president sensed the crisis over here and dispatched me. I happened to be fairly close, so I’m just glad I made it in time.』

"I see... You have my thanks. It would have been bad if you hadn’t arrived."

Expressing his gratitude, Riser shifted his gaze alongside Saji back toward the familiar engulfed in black flames. Saji’s flames—the black flames of the Dragon King Vritra—were not something easily shaken off, even for a God. Even with strength rivaling a Dragon King, breaking free shouldn’t have been easy... though given Asem’s involvement, there was likely some catch.

Riser and Saji watched cautiously.

Suddenly—

『GROOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRR!』

The familiar roared, completely dispersing the black flames!

Saji gasped in shock. 『Woah, are you kidding me...?!』

『Dispelling my flames? My host, that creature is on a completely different level than the ones we were fighting earlier. Proceed with extreme caution,』 Vritra’s voice echoed from the gem embedded in the pitch-black armor. Vritra had realized it too—among these familiars, there were monsters that stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Riser exhaled deeply. "Its attack power, defense, and speed are all top-tier... but the most troublesome part is that regeneration. If it keeps regenerating no matter how much we burn it, we’ll wear ourselves out first."

『Which means we need to burn it away with power that exceeds its regeneration speed, right?』

"Simply put, yes. But I can’t do it alone with my current state... Tsk, that God from another world who created these things is a genuine monster."

『Well, Hyoudou’s pretty much in the same category for going toe-to-toe with him, isn’t he?』

What’s with that look?! Are you lumping me in with Asem now?!

Riser asked, "Shirou Saji. Will you lend me a hand?"

『Yeah, that’s what I came here for.』

Riser gave a confident smirk at the unwavering response.

"Then let’s go, Shirou Saji!"

『You got it!』

Unleashing crimson and black flames respectively, Riser and Saji charged forward! Riser closed in from the right while Saji flanked from the left, each delivering a devastating strike! Crimson flames and dark fire scorched the familiar simultaneously!

Shaking violently, the familiar repelled both of them before unleashing a massive torrent of fire from its jaws. The impact zone melted instantly, turning into a pool of bubbling magma!

『If we take a hit from that, we’re done for! How about this then!』

Saji leaped into the air, extending the tendrils from his armor. The tendrils wrapped tightly around the familiar’s arms, legs, and neck, sprouting black flames across its body.

Furthermore—

『I’ll be borrowing your energy!』

As Saji shouted, the tendrils pulsed heavily. In the next instant, the aura surrounding Saji swelled, and the intensity of the black flames engulfing the familiar surged to a whole new level. He was absorbing energy from the familiar and converting it into his own!

Riser dove in. One of Saji’s tendrils connected directly to Riser’s arm, channeling the stolen energy straight into him as well!

Riser brought his hands together at chest height, generating a flame between his palms. The flame didn’t expand; instead, it compressed, shrinking down until it was the size of a small marble. However, the heat contained within that tiny sphere was astronomical. Compressed over and over, that tiny flame was like a miniature sun.

"Go to hell!"

Riser swung his arm back and threw the tiny sphere of fire. The moment it made contact with the familiar’s snout—it expanded exponentially! The gigantic, scorching sphere completely swallowed the creature whole!

Saji asked, 『Did we get it?』

"I don’t know. Don’t drop your guard."

"Understood."

Neither relaxed their stance, keeping their eyes glued to the center of the blast.

After an attack like that, even a Dragon King-class entity wouldn’t walk away unscathed after having its power drained.

Ddraig agreed. 『Indeed. I may have mentioned this before, but the fire of the Phenex can injure even a dragon’s hide. That flame was truly capable of felling a dragon. Still, how intriguing. To think that timid man has grown this much... And the boy hosting Vritra has shown remarkable growth as well.』

A Dragon King and a Phenex. With a joint attack from these two, even that familiar should—

However—

『Gah...?!』

Saji suddenly groaned in agony. Looking closely, something had impaled him through the flank.

Riser shouted, "It transformed at a time like this?!"

Standing before Riser was a dragon sprouting countless tendrils. Its wings were forged of fire, taking on a form that looked like a hybrid between Vritra and a Phenex. The spike impaling Saji was one of those many tendrils!

More tendrils whipped out, piercing Saji’s limbs. Pierced through his abdomen and limbs, Saji collapsed to the ground.

Don’t tell me...!

"Did it adapt and evolve after acquiring information on Riser and Saji?! No, wait... look around...!"

Looking at the surrounding battlefield, the other familiars near the dragon-type monster were beginning to manifest traits of Saji and Riser as well. Using tendrils to drain power, manipulating black flames and Phenex hellfire to slaughter their enemies...!

Similar anomalies were occurring across other sections of the battlefield—some familiars had acquired the power of Halving, while others were beginning to manipulate demonic energy of Destruction.

Overlooking the battlefield, Asem spoke:

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