The Necromance of Love and Death: Defeated Early in the Game, I Reincarnated as a Tragic Villainous Noble and Rebel Against the Scenario with My Beloved Using My Modern and Game Knowledge - Chapter 43

“Need me to step in? ” Carla asked with a cheerful grin.

“Let’s try it ourselves first.”

I smiled back at her and gripped my mithril sword tighter.

I never expected the boss—the Big Rust Slime—to have turned into a Metal Slime. But we’d been fighting Metal Slimes nonstop. Vio and I could handle this one too. I was sure of it.

I reached across my body with my right hand, twisted the dial on my left prosthetic arm, and—clank! —The mithril blade snapped into place.

“Let’s go, Vio. Enchant: Thunder! ”

“Right!”

Lightning crackled around both of my weapons as I charged forward—straight at the Big Metal Slime.

The boss hadn’t noticed us yet. No movement. Perfect. We slipped into the wide chamber unnoticed.

And then—

“…!”

I froze for just a second as the creature came into full view.

The Big Metal Slime was massive—about four meters wide and three meters tall, shaped like a giant, shining silver teardrop. It looked like a huge polished mirror.

But I couldn’t stop now.

“Take this!”

I drove both of my swords into its gleaming surface.

The slime’s body twitched and rippled like bubbling water.

It’s working!

Even as a boss, a Metal Slime was still weak to lightning. That hadn’t changed.

“We can do this!”

“Raaahhhhhh!”

From behind me, I heard Vio’s fierce battle cry—then came a boom like a cannon blast.

Vio had unleashed her full Speed Star power, slicing the monster faster than the eye could follow.

We got it… or so I thought.

“Look out, Clovis! Dodge!”

“Huh—?”

Thinking the fight was over, I didn’t react fast enough.

A massive spear, formed from the slime’s body, shot toward me.

“Gah!?”

I barely blocked it with my prosthetic left arm—but the force sent me flying.

“Urgh—!”

I slammed into the wall with a heavy thud, like I’d turned into a human drum. The impact knocked the air right out of me. The pain in my back was nothing compared to the struggle to breathe. My diaphragm spasmed, and for a few terrifying moments, I couldn’t inhale.

It probably lasted only a second or two, but it felt like forever. Tears blurred my vision.

“Hhkk!”

Finally, I gasped in some air—only for pain to flare up in my back and arm.

But I couldn’t afford to lie there in pain.

The Big Metal Slime was still moving.

“Clovis! Are you okay?!”

“Still alive… somehow.”

My body moved awkwardly, but I forced myself to stand. I checked my left arm—thankfully, the prosthetic wasn’t damaged.

I looked ahead.

Vio was zipping around the boss, drawing its attention away from me.

She must’ve realized I needed time to recover and distracted it on purpose.

I was so grateful.

But her attacks weren’t getting through. The boss’s spear-like tentacles could be sliced off, but she couldn’t land a hit on its main body.

We still needed my lightning magic to deal real damage.

But I had already landed a solid hit earlier. Wasn’t that enough?

Why didn’t it paralyze like normal? That shouldn’t have happened. Metal Slimes always froze when hit with thunder magic.

Was there another enemy we missed?

I looked around—nope. Just the boss.

Something was off.

I thought about calling Carla… just for a moment.

But if I did, I’d get used to relying on her. She wouldn’t always be here. I couldn’t depend on her forever.

This was a fight Vio and I had to win on our own.

“Enchant: Thunder!”

Lightning surged through both blades again.

First, I needed to stop the slime’s movements.

I raised my injured left arm with my right hand, took aim, and fired.

Shunk!

The mithril blade hidden in my prosthetic arm launched forward and stabbed into the Big Metal Slime.

Sparks exploded on impact. The slime’s surface rippled violently.

That was Vio’s signal.

In an instant, she vanished.

Up until now, she had been holding back her speed so the slime would focus on her. But now she was free to go all out.

Another thunderous boom rang out as the Big Metal Slime’s body burst like liquid silver, splashing everywhere.

We did it.

Or so I thought—

“…What!?”

The Big Metal Slime was still alive.

Even after losing a fifth of its body, it writhed and pulsed, refusing to go down.