[Lifespan Remaining: 5 days, 22 hours, 36 minutes.]
’Gladiator, Bladedancer, Enchanter, and Elemental Ranger...’
By all accounts, that actually created a very balanced and well-made party, the model example of any role-playing game, usually referred to as "knights and magic". However, what made the Bone Hound difficult to face...was the fact that it could tear down that advantage in a matter of seconds.
Why? Because the monster was intelligent. And it also possesses a skill that made most "knights and magic" compositions absolutely useless.
As Gareth approached, he failed to notice one thing. The Bone Hound’s eyes suddenly started glowing a dark purple color, like a darkness that was mimicking a burning flame.
[Bone Hound has activated Exhausting Curse.]
As soon as both Gareth and Lucy were caught in its vision, their bodies suddenly became sluggish, so exhausted that they barely managed to stand straight. Even from all the way at the back, Noct could tell his own party members were affected by it.
Well, Noct himself was way too used to the sensation of exhaustion that the effect barely did anything to him, but as for the others? They were not looking too hot.
Instead of attacking the exhausted frontliners, the Bone Hound leaped over their head and toward the only person that was able hold their party together—Airy the Enchanter.
"Airy—! Dodge it!"
Even with Gareth’s warning, her body completely froze. Not necesarily because of the curse, but it was simply her inexperience of fighting monsters. But just as the creature was about to close its jaws around her...
?Ars Aegis?
A colorless barrier suddenly wrapped around her, causing the Hound to slam headfirst into it. She yelled loudly and fell onto her back. Yet the Hound continued relentlessly, managing to even get a fang through Finn’s barrier.
By this time, Gareth and Lucy had managed to recover, but with Airy not being able to concentrate on the enchantments on their weapons, all they could do was simply scratch it. Alex tried firing a few arrows into the monster to varying levels of success, but the Hound simply wouldn’t let go.
"N—Noct..! I don’t think...I can...hold it!"
Finn struggled to maintain the barrier on Airy. Noct hadn’t told him to help, but it seemed like the young prince had quite the moral compass as well.
’Is everyone in my party a goody two-shoes...?’
Noct wanted to observe Group Eleven for a little bit longer, but he could tell that it was getting quite dangerous. "Alright. We’re stepping in. Alice, get ready."
"Group Eleven, pull back!"
Gareth heard the command, hesitated for a second, but eventually managed to retreat with both Lucy and Alex.
Noct raised his hand, knowing that a Light element spell would be best for the situation. Though using the normal two-star version of [Light’s Mercy] inside this crumbling chapel would be excessive and too costly, so he decided to downcast it.
"O light of the heavens, descend and carry out judgement in my stead!"
?Ars Lux — Loi Miserere?
BOOM—! BOOM—! BOOM—!
Unlike the barrage of light that completely filled the room like it did back in the Altaire Crystal Mines, this version was more restrained, but it still got the job done.
The first volley struck the Hound’s jaw, wrenching its fang free of Finn’s barrier. The second then hammered its flank before it could notice Alice, who had already climbed onto its back.
It tried to turn toward her, but the final burst drove it straight back down.
’You’re staying right there.’
Alice slipped past its tail swipe as she planted one foot on its back and jumped, following the convenient gap that Noct had left in his barrage to close in. And with just a single strike, her sword plunged through the burning purple light in its eye socket.
CRACK—!
The light vanished, and its enormous body collapsed into a heap of clattering bones. Alice landed beside it and pulled her sword free as Noct lowered his hand. They technically used the same basic formation, knights and magic, but it was simply a firepower and coordination difference.
"You can use Light Magic, too?" Finn asked. "Isn’t that way too overpowered?"
Noct pretended not to hear him and moved forward to snatch the Bone Hound’s core from its head before turning around with it in his hands. "As promised, this is ours. No complaints?"
Gareth stared at the core in his hand, but otherwise said nothing. Taking that as agreement, Noct closed his fingers around it.
’Might as well.’
〔Mana-Lifeforce Synthesis [★★★★★★★] — Activated.〕
[Lifespan Remaining: 8 days, 22 hours, 27 minutes.]
’...What? Was there something special about this one?’
A 2-Star core had given him an hour or so. Even accounting for the difference in rank, three whole day from a single core was ridiculous.
"Come on. We’re leaving."
Gareth’s voice interrupted his thoughts. The boy had already turned toward the entrance. Lucy helped Airy to her feet while Alex quietly gathered his remaining arrows.
"Wait," Alice called. "Where are you going?"
"Somewhere else."
"You’re still injured—"
"We can walk."
Alice frowned before hurrying after them. Annie hesitated, glanced at Noct, then followed her. Finn stood between Noct and the departing groups.
"I should probably..."
"Go ahead."
The prince gave an awkward nod and hurried toward the doors, and within moments, he was the only one inside the chapel. Noct looked down at the dust remaining in his palms.
’Whatever, maybe this was just a fluke.’
He stepped over the Bone Hound’s scattered remains and approached the podium. With nobody watching, he could finally examine the shallow recess carved into its surface.
But as soon as he reached a hand inside and felt nothing, Noct’s expression went grim. He brushed away the dust, trying to reach for it one more time, but still finding nothing.
’Damn it...’
He had a hunch it was something like this, but now that Noct had confirmed it himself, the situation was even worse than he thought.
The betrayal and subsequent event in this arc hadn’t been a spur-of-the-moment decision or accident. That much he was sure of now. It had been orchestrated from the start by a malicious, yet thorough, scheme.
’Why are things never easy for me...?’