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「What’s the matter?」
「Don’t what me!! I mean, sure, we did agree with half of your strategy but……!」
「You’re right! Our whole forces would’ve been wiped out with another of those attacks! No, worse yet, our own numbers would become our adversary, so it’s not a mistake to evacuate the entire army, but…」
「It’s obviously too dangerous for you to fight Prisma all alone! At least let us go with you!」
Raphael added, coming around in front of Inglis to stop her.
「He’s right! We ended up depending on your strength, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to watch on the sidelines!」
「We’ve summoned you, and we’ll do our part to make it up!」
At that, Inglis only shook her head.
「No, big brother Rafa, Miss Eris, Miss Ripple. The Holy Knight and the Hyrule Menaces are the people’s last hope! There is a risk of losing you, our trump card, before we could even play it, and that is a risk we better avoid, is that not right? That last attack from Prisma, I don’t think even Hyrule Menaces can come out of it unscathed!」
「Th-, that’s…」
「Makes sense, but…」
「That said, I would rather you not use the trump card either. I came here not only to fight the Prisma but also to prevent you from using it. Rani wishes not to see her big brother lose her life! Of course, I wish the same.」
「Glis?! You knew…」
「Forgive me, but I have also informed Rani about it. I want her to make her decisions above the truth!」
「Big brother… I’m sorry, I also knew…」
Rafinha cast her eyes down, her voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
「No, don’t be, Rani. This is what I wanted for myself… okay?」
「But, the king’s order is absolute! So follow what Glis says! I believe in Glis! If Glis says she’ll do something, she’ll do it! Big brother, if you and Lady Eris and Lady Ripple help with the evacuation, our casualties will be greatly reduced! I’m sure that will be for the best!」
「Rani……!」
「I know I’m hardly in a position to say this, but… Big brother Rafa, I know that you’re the type of person who would rush to danger even after my own mother had warned you not to back when Ymir’s castle was under attack, so… I’d be greatly relieved if you would evacuate too.」
「Glis… that was so long ago, I’m surprised you remember that.」
——Come to think of it, Inglis was but a wee baby back when that happened, wasn’t she?
「Y-, yes… Well, I heard it from my mother! Either way, I’d be happy if you would leave this to me and retreat!」
「I got it, Glis… But, if you’re in danger, I’m not confident I can just watch from the sides. I just know that I can’t bear the thought that you’re hurt because of me!」
「Thank you very much, big brother. However, worry not! I don’t intend to get…」
The Prisma that was sent flying reappeared with a thunderous roar that carried a hint of anger.
「Here it comes! Let’s commence the fight, fair and square, one on one!」
Inglis jumped off from the Star Princess unit with a backflip and dashed towards the Prisma.
She was determined to prevent another wide-area transforming attack from being unleashed. If it even hinted at using it again, she would crush it immediately. Ideally, she would like to relocate the battle away from the city to minimize collateral damage. However, if necessary, she would have to launch another attack to send it flying once more.
To achieve both goals, there was only one thing to do: close in on the Prisma once more. Charge forward and strike before it has a chance to attack again!
「W-, wait!」
Eris’ flygear was following her.
「No, I won’t wait! No need to help, Miss Eris!」
「I understand that, that’s not why I’m here! That Prisma is unique even amongst Prismas! It has overwhelmingly high learning ability, and if you keep attacking it with the same attack, not only will that attack quickly become ineffective, it’ll absorb the attack and turn it into its own! Fight with that in mind!」
「—Understood, thank you for the information!」
The Prisma descended with its rainbow-colored claws bared, ready to catch Inglis.
「If that’s the case!」
Inglis’s movements were enhanced by her Ether Armor as she leaped from the Prisma’s legs to its chest, and then to its wings. She moved at her full speed, which appeared to outmatch the enormous beast’s. In no time, Inglis closed in on the Prisma’s face, and then…
She clenched her fist and swung it with all her might.
「I will just… punch!」
Inglis’s powerful punch knocked Prisma’s face back, causing its body to crash to the ground and spin for a short while. Although it didn’t go flying as far as it did from the sword strike before, it was still propelled a considerable distance.
「It won’t be a problem if I punch it, right?! Since it’s not effective in the first place!」
Just before Inglis landed her blow, she released her Ether Armor. The punch was purely physical, as she knew that ordinary physical attacks were typically ineffective against Magic Stone Beasts like the Prisma, despite their exceptional learning abilities. Based on what Eris had told her, Inglis knew that any half-baked attack should not be targeted against the Prisma. However, physical attacks were different since they were already known to be ineffective and would not change the state of Prisma.
「No, that’s not what I meant! What’s the point of punching it?!」
「To keep it from attacking, and to pull it away from the city! Don’t waste attacks on it, and kill it with one blow! That’s what I should do, isn’t it?!」
「…If you know what you’re doing, then fine!」
「Yes, leave the rest of it to me!」
Inglis took another step forward, determined to continue her attack on the Prisma. She kicked the ground, propelling herself forward, and swung her kick at the beast. Her Ether Armor was active up until the moment her kick landed, and then she turned it off. Inglis had accumulated enough training to be able to switch her Ether Armor on and off seamlessly during high-speed movements.
Inglis’s pursuit kick connected with the Prisma, sending its body soaring through the air. However, before it could crash to the ground, the Prisma regained its stance in the air by flapping its wings. The kick’s power was insufficient to keep the Prisma down, as it was just a regular kick and not anything special.
KYUAAAAA!
As the Prisma let out a shriek, a rainbow-colored light filled the area, forming a wall that was both wide and high, effectively creating a cage made of light that isolated Inglis alone with the Prisma.
「You won’t let me escape, huh? This is exactly what I want myself.」
Now that the battle was concentrated between Inglis and the Prisma, she no longer needed to pull the beast any farther away. She no longer had to worry about unwanted aid from her allies nor about a stray attack hitting any of her comrades. With this newfound freedom, Inglis could focus all her attention on the uninterrupted match against the Prisma.
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