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Chapter 16: Divide and Conquer
“Do you think we can still run away now?”
“Probably not. Doesn’t look like we can run away even if the boar was still there.”
“Yeah…”
Seeing the situation they were in, Tatsurou tried to activate [Level Eater] quicker, prioritizing the skill levels. Even if he could only take away the boss’ skills, the tide of the battle will change greatly in their favor.
He also recalled what happened when he took away the wolf leader’s [Leadership] skill. The other wolf underlings attacked it as if they were strangers. If he was able to replicate that here too, then he would be the one who would reap the most benefits.
Watching the humans dodge the flying claw made the bears vigilant. They proceeded to surround them while having a face full of displeasure. Tatsurou, seeing how the situation is becoming far too dangerous, quickly harvested the black sphere which contained the most-dangerous looking skills of the golden bear, and devoured it.
ミミミミミ
Level: 51
Skill(s): [Leadership Lv 0], [Bite Lv 5], [Scratch Lv 5], [Enhanced Olfactory Perception Lv 2],
[Claw Attack Lv 0], [Boulder Blast Lv 0], [Charge Lv 5], [Golden Crystal Armor Lv 0]
ミミミミミ
(The shiny Goldie lost its [Leadership] skill. Now what are you gonna do?)
In contrast to his expectations, the blue bears continued to take orders from the gold one. Tatsurou could only grind his teeth in frustration as he explained their current situation to Ai.
“Ai, that Goldie lost most of its attack skills. It only has Bite, Scratch, and Charge left. I should have disabled all of its ranged attacks.”
“Does that mean I only have to worry about the blue ones if I don’t get close?”
“Yeah.”
“Then, that can probably…”
Ai fell into contemplation. Then, with a confident voice, she sounded like she found a solution.
“…work?”
“Did something happen?”
“Tatsurou.”
“What?”
“Can you take care of one of the blues?”
That sudden question made Tatsurou pause for a moment.[1]
“…If it’s just one, then I think I can, but… Don’t tell me…”
“Yeah. I’ll hold down the two of them, so I want you to take the other one out while I’m at it.”
“That’s too dangerous! If that’s what we’re doing then…”
“If it’s you, then you’re gonna die for sure. But if it’s me just buying time, then I have my ways. Trust me, I’m the better choice for this job.”[2]
Hearing her line of reasoning, Tatsurou was not able to find anything wrong. However, intentionally sending Ai into a dangerous situation was something that he just couldn’t accept.
With all that said, this was no time for his emotions. The three bears had already closed in on them to a point where it wouldn’t be strange if they pounced on them now.
“Commence operation!”
“Shit!”
With a shout to signal the start of the plan, Ai headed towards the bear on the rightmost side of the formation – the gold one.
Once the clock starts ticking, every second counts.
Tatsurou promptly made his decision. As Ai charged towards the golden bear, one of the blue bears, the one on the leftmost side, rushed towards her to protect its leader. Tatsurou quickly gathered his mana in his hand to let it have a taste of hell.
“Your opponent is me, you bastard of a bear!”
To minimize Ai’s chances of getting injured, he wanted to end the fight as soon as he could, even if it’s just one second faster. Shooting a fireball at it, he moved towards the opposite of Ai.
GROOOOWL!
As he intended, the bear that got showered by his flames turned its attention and moved towards him. Taking a look at it, it could not be any worse – it lost all its fur and its skin had enormous burn spots everywhere.
However, none of it looked like a fatal wound. It was not something that would die with such meager firepower. Predicting this, Tatsurou had already gathered his mana, spreading them onto the ground around him with Earth Magic.
In the eyes of the bear, Tatsurou looked like a sitting duck and it once again scratched the empty air in his direction.
“Like I’ll let you have your way!”
Right when it was about to swipe its claw down, right when it was about to release its [Claw Attack] skill, a pillar of fire… no, a laser beam shot out of Tatsurou’s palm. It pierced through the bear’s bare skin that had its fur burnt away by the earlier attack.
GRAAAAAA
Releasing a shriek upon being hit, the bear retracted its arm back to protect itself. By compounding the light and fire attribute, Tatsurou was able to make a laser beam which practically travelled at lightspeed. That small movement of the bear raising its arm was enough for the laser beam to hit its target. Furthermore, the bear was courteous enough to raise its arm and expose its already vulnerable chest area which Tatsurou would gladly take advantage of.
GRRRRRR
The bear, however, could not understand its own mistakes. Without pause, it prepared the same attack again, only to receive another laser beam in reply. Writhing in pain, it released a loud shriek again.
“You’re an idiot, but I don’t have much time. Come!”
Tatsurou tried taunting the bear to come closer but it never did. It maintained its distance from Tatsurou and attacked from there. Preparing boulders in its mouth, it opened its jaw and was about to use its skill [Boulder Blast] when it was interrupted by yet another laser beam.
Tatsurou, targeting the same spot 6 times in a row with his laser beam, finally managed to make the bear bleed. Feeling the pressure and that things couldn’t stay the same way, the bear dropped on all fours and kicked off the ground, charging straight at the human in front of it.
“Here it comes!”
Tatsurou stood still unflinching, waiting for the right timing and…
“NOW!”
When the bear entered the range of his trap, Tatsurou activated the mana which he spread throughout the ground a few moments ago.
The bear was caught by surprise.
The ground lost its shape and devoured the lower half of it before solidifying again.
“[Level Eater]!”[3]
Clueless to the sequence of events, the bear could only watch on as Tatsurou fired the black sphere at it point-blank.
ミミミミミ
Level: 32
Skill(s): [Leadership Lv 2], [Bite Lv 6], [Scratch Lv 7], [Enhanced Olfactory Perception Lv 1],
[Claw Attack Lv 6], [Boulder Blast Lv 4], [Charge Lv 5], [Blue Crystal Armor Lv 6]
ミミミミミ
“I accept your sacrifice!”
ミミミミミ
Level: 32
Skill(s): [Leadership Lv 2], [Bite Lv 0], [Scratch Lv 0], [Enhanced Olfactory Perception Lv 1],
[Claw Attack Lv 6], [Boulder Blast Lv 0], [Charge Lv 0], [Blue Crystal Armor Lv 6]
ミミミミミ
To minimize the time needed, Tatsurou only took the skills which he deemed would be a hindrance before devouring the black sphere. In the meantime, the bear tried to dig itself out of the ground but Tatsurou interfered by shooting another laser again.
“Next is…”
Tatsurou had been gathering his mana up till now. Compounding fire and light magic again, he compressed it till its volume was reduced to that of a golf ball’s. With this, he was one step closer to his goal.
Meanwhile, the bear grew more vigilant of Tatsurou’s actions. Releasing a low growl, it raised its paw in the air, attempting to release another flying claw attack. As its paw reached the apex,  it stopped. It could no longer gather any Ki onto his paw.
Tatsurou was not one who would let such an opening go unpunished. Kicking the ground with all his might, he closed the distance between them with one step and released the fireball into the bear’s mouth.  Attaching a thread of mana onto the fireball, he used it to control the fireball’s trajectory.
First, he burned the bear’s throat and then headed for its esophagus. After that, he directed the fireball deep into its abdominal area.
Amidst the process, the bear started foaming at its mouth[4] but the nightmare did not end.
“HAAAAAA!”
With a shout, Tatsurou made the fireball explode. The same fireball which was compressed to its limit by Tatsurou.
Though the bear’s exterior was sturdy, the same could not be said for its insides. The explosion took the bear’s internal organs with it, but it was not powerful enough to make its body explode outwards. It was, however, enough to make the bear suffer severe wounds and lacerations all around its body.
“… … …”
[You have levelled up to Lv 21.]
Enough, to reap the life of the bear-like monster.
“Now…”
Tatsurou rushed over towards the other battlefield where Ai was located. Setting his eye on the place, a gruesome scene awaited him.
One which made Tatsurou stop in his tracks.
“No… way…”
TL Notes:
[1] With how long they’ve been thinking, it’s a surprise the bears haven’t rushed them yet.
[2] She said something similar to “someone at the right place, at the right time,” but that doesn’t sound too good …
[3] He really shouted this one. GO TATSU!
[4] No idea how the fire didn’t go out in a place without free oxygen (inside the body), but hey, it’s magic! For real, though: can fire really spread inside the body without a person actively inhaling it? For the record, fire can burn your lungs when inhaled. I learned this the hard way…