Arianne rushed in once more, shield up and sword at the ready.

However, this time, she wasn't in a hurry. Her sharp brown eyes glared at the Devil, keeping tabs on its every action, every movement. And after seeing that it was distracted by the long-range attacks, she decided to launch a strike of her own.

"Take this!!!"

Her sword lunged forward, hitting the space between the monster's legs, striking the pair of dangling family jewels above. A sight that made Axel press his thighs together by reflex, followed by cold sweat and phantom pain.

"RAAAAGH!"

The devil felt anguish beyond reason, crying out loud.

And even though the injury was healed shortly after, the pain lingered.

This single hit caused the monster's aggro to focus on the one who hit its sensitive spot—Arianne!

Its red eyes, seemingly bloodshot even further, locked onto her figure with deep grudge and killing intent.

"What are you looking at?!" Arianne grinned fearlessly. "Angry that I hit you in the balls?!"

The devil was pissed!

It swung its claw toward Arianne, looking like a giant tree rushing toward her like a speeding car.

"Hup!"

But with skillful use of her shield, Arianne parried the strike above her, letting it hit nothing but air.

This infuriated the monster even more, launching a few more swipes, a few stomps, and even trying to bite her in the end. Still, Arianne skillfully weaved around each attack, ensuring her safety without receiving any injuries.

Instead of aggressively attacking, she was skillfully attracting its attention, waiting for the perfect moment to counter!

"Oh no...!"

But suddenly, the devil changed its approach.

Instead of physical attacks, it gathered a dozen fireballs, forming an arch on top of its head. It was a measure to ensure she couldn't dodge all of the attacks!

The fireballs flew down at her, searing the air and chasing away the darkness.

Arianne raised her shield, stomping her feet hard on the ground, and revved her body to the limit, strengthening her muscles with mana. Since she couldn't dodge, it shall be a battle of endurance!

The rain of fireballs showered the space around her, with a couple landing right on her shield.

The power, enough to almost topple a wall section, pushed her back greatly, leaving a long trace of her anchor leg on the ground. Flames and smoke covered the vicinity, hiding Arianne's figure. Her state after that attack was a mystery to everyone—including the devil itself.

But then, a shadow rushed out of the cloud of smoke.

It sped through the darkness, jumping from the devil's knees to reach even higher, even further, until it reached the monster's face.

"TOO WEAK!"

And with a bloodcurdling shout, although having visible, intense burn injuries, she swung her sword down in a great slash. The tip embedded itself from the devil's eye down to its chin, creating a straight line that almost cut through its face.

"RAAAAGH!"

It roared in pain once more, clutching its face, falling back two steps before falling to its knees.

Although it could recover this much injury in a flash, the pain from having its eye cut was no joke, rendering it immobile for a brief moment.

And then, just as Arianne's body began to fall due to gravity—out of mana and stamina—she roared with her last bit of energy.

"PRINCESS, NOW...!!!"

And a millisecond later, a bright spear of light cut through the darkness.

...

Turning back time, some hours before the battle began.

"So, you mean the devil will have high vitality and regeneration ability?" Teruria asked curiously.

"Yes," Axel nodded, continuing what he was saying.

"After all, it's no doubt a boss monster. That much should be a default property. And knowing that our weapons could deal little damage to it, based on Arianne's experience against it, we need to use a trump card to ensure victory."

He quickly moved his gaze toward a certain girl, sitting quietly while listening to the briefing.

"Eve, it can only be you. You will be our trump card."

"M-me...?"

"Yes, you."

Axel walked over, knelt on one knee, and patted her shoulder. "You are the best marksman there is among us right now. This is something that only you can do. Are you willing?"

Eve's eyes flickered with unease for a moment.

Her gaze swept through Arianne, Maria, Cherry, and Beatrix in order. But seeing their smiles and approving looks, her hesitation disappeared. She took a deep breath, calming her nerves, and asked,

"What do I need to do?"

Axel, seeing her resolve, smiled sweetly.

Then, he took a certain item from his inventory and let Eve hold it.

"All you need to do is use this weapon," he said. "And once the enemy is immobile, and you see a chance—no matter how brief... pull the trigger and end it all."

...

"Phew..."

Back to the present.

Eve, who was lying prone on standby on top of the two-story tenement housing, let out the breath she had held for a while now.

Of course, she didn't lower her guard just yet.

Although she fired one shot, she still pulled the cocking lever, throwing a four-inch empty shell down beside her. She loaded the next round and stared ahead, waiting for another signal.

Peeking through the scope, she watched as the light faded.

The light from the special holy bullet clip she used—one that costs roughly 500 million per shot.

The light soon faded, revealing the devil's body... missing its head and a large chunk of the part above its shoulders. The injury was releasing black particles to the air, almost as if blood if it was a human.

Seeing this, Eve's lips stiffened, preventing a creeping smile.

"Confirmed hit. Waiting for further commands."

She whispered to herself, following the "protocols" that Axel taught her in the short time they had.

Although she was still ready for another shot, the devil's body rapidly disappeared, turning into a black mist that dissipated in the air.

A brief moment of silence spread among them all.

"...All members, move on to cleanup."

Axel, seeing this, raised his voice to the limit.

"This fight... we have won!"

"OOOH!"

A wild cheer exploded once again—one that almost shook the walls and buildings for its intensity.

But their excitement was understandable. After all, they just defeated a monster that, by common sense, was unbeatable.

"..."

Eve moved her eyes away from the scope and took a deep breath.

"Hoooo..."

She let out all the tension in her body—tension that kept her body stiff for the entire duration of the battle—as her lips finally curled up.

"We won... We did it!"

She cheered as she slowly stood up.

She folded the stand before slinging her weapon to her back. Something that couldn't compare to a crossbow or a ballista...

The [PGM Hecate II 0.5 Caliber AMR]!

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