\u201cSo you wanted to settle matters?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, Luminus. You\u2019ve evolved, haven\u2019t you? I hadn\u2019t anticipated that, but it\u2019s a fine thing to see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her blue-and-red heterochromatic eyes blazed as they stared straight at Granville, full of hated. Suddenly, the disappeared girl flashed into her mind\u2014but she banished any sentiment from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis wasn\u2019t what I<\/em> heard would happen\u2026but that no longer matters. Prepare to face the afterlife, Granville!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so open battle began between Luminus and Granville\u2014the culmination of a rivalry that had lasted over a thousand years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n All I could do was watch as Luminus treated Hinata\u2019s mortal wounds. The Resurrection spell was administered perfectly\u2026but had no effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I couldn\u2019t believe it. As long as the soul was intact, Resurrection should also work, restoring the spiritual and\/or astral bodies as needed. So what went wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understood. The soul of the subject Hinata Sakaguchi appears to have vanished. It is impossible to restore lost data particles by any method.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Her soul\u2019s\u2026gone?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n No, I knew it. That was the second time Hinata fell, so I could tell the difference all too well, and I was sure Luminus did, too. But a soul would normally never fade out of existence this quickly. I supposed we were holding out hope that we had just lost sight of her soul by some mistake, but that was a fruitless dream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t think Luminus would be this<\/em> thrown by it, though. She and Hinata must\u2019ve been closer than I knew. And this was my<\/em> business, too. I started to think about why this was happening, which made it hard to collect my thoughts. Now wasn\u2019t the time for regrets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis wasn\u2019t what I<\/em> heard would happen\u2026but that no longer matters. Prepare to face the afterlife, Granville!!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Luminus\u2019s scream, I realized just how out of it I was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Spacing out in battle\u2026 What was wrong with me? That\u2019s just asking to be killed. I had to save my sadness for later and do everything I could here. Luminus\u2019s words seemed odd to me, but I could think about what she meant later. I had calm down. Things hadn\u2019t been settled yet. If I lost my temper and got defeated, then Hinata\u2019s death\u2014and the efforts of everyone else\u2014would have been wasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was a pretty forced effort, but I successfully managed to move on. If Luminus\u2019s scream had come any later, things probably would\u2019ve gotten even worse\u2014because the next instant, the whole cathedral was engulfed in a massive explosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The light and shock wave from the blast burst out from the entrance to the middle of the site. Its speed was intense but still yawn inducing compared with the speed of light. Keeping my mind cool, I stepped up to protect the children and musicians. I turned an eye toward Shion and the others out of concern, but Diablo\u2014who had returned at some point\u2014had put up a protective barrier for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeh-heh-heh-heh\u2026 Sorry I\u2019m late.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I\u2019m just glad you made it!\u201d I said, thanking Diablo. However, the real surprise was Shion. Ranga had noticed both the explosion and Diablo, but Shion still seemed to be entirely focused on the enemy in front of her. Her expression was terrifying, her face flush, as if intoxicated by the blood around her. It was oddly kind of alluring albeit definitely improper for a battlefield\u2026but ah well. Despite being on the defense before, it looked like she was holding her own, which was good. I think I\u2019ll leave Razul to Shion and Ranga for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I examined the cause of the explosion. The first thing that struck me was a gigantic aura\u2014an evil presence, one that felt like your spine was freezing solid. This was more than just a bad feeling. It was an intense pressure, like the sky was falling down on you\u2014although didn\u2019t it feel a bit like the high-level elemental spirit that fused with Chloe? It resembled that but seemed a little different as well. The <\/a>sheer size of this presence reminded me of what I felt with Chloe back then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Report. The object is a material body. Unusual amount of existential energy detected. Its maximum level is equivalent to that of the subject Veldora.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Great. We\u2019ve got a monster here! At least Raphael could measure it this time, although that didn\u2019t calm my nerves much. If this was operating on sheer instinct like the Chaos Dragon, I could deal with that\u2026but if it was sentient, I was screwed. Especially if it actually had battle experience\u2014just imagining that scared me. I\u2019d lose without a fight then. We\u2019re talking energy several times my own\u2026and either way, I had a feeling I\u2019d have to deal with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Would this be enough to be considered dire straits by this point?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then the smoke cleared, revealing an incredibly beautiful woman, naked as the day she was born. She stood there, eyes closed, her lustrous dark hair fluttering as she shone in a silvery light. It was like something out of a fantasy, and I was immediately smitten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But now wasn\u2019t the time to stop and stare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you the one who took my ark?! And you\u2019ve even undone my spiritual seal and awoken Chronoa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luminus was now shouting at a much more familiar figure who just entered the scene. It was Yuuki. So he\u2019s in on this, too? Part of me still wanted to believe in him, but I guess Raphael was right after all\u2014and given the choice, I was always going to trust Raphael first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thus felt no surprise at all as I turned my icy gaze to Yuuki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you\u2019re involved in this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOof, guess you know, huh? But that works, too, so\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He spoke entirely off the cuff, not being shy at all. I was dealing with the real<\/em> Yuuki right now, no doubt, but he\u2019s a lot more shameless than I thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Behind him were two unfamiliar people wearing masks\u2014an asymmetrical one leering at me and the other one looking angry. I <\/a>assumed those were Laplace and Footman from the Moderate Jesters, and although I had a hunch about it before, I guess they really were<\/em> linked with Yuuki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you\u2019re Luminus? My name\u2019s Yuuki Kagurazaka. It\u2019s an honor to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSilence! How did you undo the seal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, about that\u2014I\u2019ve got this really unique thing called Anti-Skill that lets me cancel any type of magic or special skill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026I see. Rather daring of you to reveal that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Luminus shot Yuuki a look full of loathing, although her senses were still firmly attuned on Granville. They were in a dead heat, and neither of them could afford any false moves. Granville himself was also eyeing the dark-haired girl, even as he dealt with Luminus\u2019s attacks and fired back with his own. Duels between two experts like this went far beyond the realm of mere \u201cskill.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, well, Rimuru already knows, so there\u2019s no point hiding it. But I want to ask you something, too\u2014well, not you<\/em>, but Granville over there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHeh-heh-heh\u2026 I can guess what it is, but go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuuki sounded casual, but his eyes were surveying the area around him, never resting. As long as Leon and I had freedom of movement, he knew he couldn\u2019t escape too easily\u2026assuming he planned to, that is, but I\u2019m sure he did. I really had no idea why he was even showing up at this point; something told me he didn\u2019t anticipate this turn of events. With as many question marks as there were, moving around would be dangerous. I\u2019d have to figure out from Yuuki and Granville\u2019s conversation just what kind of situation we had fallen into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo about the Hero I heard was sealed inside that ark\u2026 I mean, \u2018controlling\u2019 her turned out to be super-easy. The seal just came right off! What\u2019s the deal with that, Granville?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hero? That girl\u2019s a Hero?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This was making even less sense now. Why would a demon lord keep a Hero sealed away? And given how much Luminus seemed to care for her, this wasn\u2019t any kind of normal sealing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou are right! Because this is both a Hero\u2026and not<\/em> a Hero. <\/a>Right now, that child is a personification of evil, by the name of Chronoa\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was Luminus who answered Yuuki, her voice filled with intense rage and a surprising fretfulness. Calling this girl Chronoa a \u201cpersonification of evil<\/em>\u201d sounded pretty foreboding to me\u2014she must\u2019ve been something really dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHeh-heh-heh\u2026 You did very well, Yuuki. Not even I could dismantle the elemental seal on that ark. That\u2019s why I took advantage of you. Now that she\u2019s released, nobody could ever defeat her. Attention, demon lords! Attention, servants of evil! All of you will die here today!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Granville erupted into laughter as he shouted. Awfully kind of him. Revealing everything without prompting like this sure helps me a lot\u2026not that it makes this situation any better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWow. Guess I lost this game of wits, huh? You sure got me good\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yuuki sounded surly about it. Sooner or later, though, this stalemate had to end. And now, with a relaxed motion, the dark-haired Chronoa started moving. With a light shake of her head, her eyes opened\u2014and that was the signal for the free-for-all to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n I could ask Luminus what she knew later. For now, I had to survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDiablo, handle this area for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026Yes, my lord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It looked like he wanted to say something for a moment, but he meekly agreed, perhaps sensing the atmosphere. He probably wanted to fight, I think, but now wasn\u2019t the time for a back-and-forth conversation. I wasn\u2019t going to change my mind, and I\u2019m sure he knew that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that just left one question: What would I do now? Luminus and Granville were at a stalemate. Shion and Ranga were fighting hard against Razul. Yuuki\u2019s group was trying to escape, and while I didn\u2019t plan to let them, they were much less dangerous than Chronoa. I couldn\u2019t just leave them be, though, which posed a difficult <\/a>issue. They might stab me in the back\u2014and forget<\/em> about us fighting together here. Leon, meanwhile, had been acting like he was in his own little world for the past while\u2014I honestly couldn\u2019t put much trust in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thus, I had few allies and lots of enemies. It was a disastrous situation, way too difficult to handle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chronoa\u2019s eyes were open. She looked naked to me before, but now I realized she had a single bracelet around one wrist. It was glowing, emitting black particles that wrapped around her body\u2014a system something like Hinata\u2019s Holy Spirit Armor. Her<\/em> armor, however, was pure black and much sturdier than what Hinata wore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, Chronoa summoned a single sword, a beautiful rapier not unlike Hinata\u2019s Moonlight, albeit with a jet-black blade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Report. Although its shape is identical, its latent statistics are incomparably higher.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That sword and armor were both apparently way better than Legend class. Her sword was as strong as mine, or maybe stronger, which meant it was God class. I guess I could no longer be optimistic. It\u2019s wasn\u2019t just a matter of knowledge\u2014she may have even had me beaten in skill, and I had a feeling her weapon could penetrate all my defenses. This was seriously becoming a do-or-die situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Report. The hostile subject Chronoa is\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I<\/em> know, okay?!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t need Raphael\u2019s analysis to understand how scary this girl was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Following my instincts, I deployed Absolute Defense and commenced evasive maneuvers. Immediately after I began, a dark beam of light smashed through where I was just standing. It continued in a straight line, demolishing all obstacles it hit along the way. It was only stopped after breaking through a cathedral wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was beyond crazy. If I was one step slower, I would\u2019ve taken <\/a>that head-on. Would I have withstood it? It all would\u2019ve come down to luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Negative. Even with Absolute Defense from the ultimate skill Uriel, spiritual particles can still make their way through. It is only through predicting their movements and making the particles interfere with one another that they can be canceled out. The hostile enemy\u2019s attack variation is greater than originally pictured, and prediction is therefore difficult. To sum up\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026You can\u2019t defend it, right?<\/em> Okay, then. \u201cAbsolute\u201d Defense, my ass. But now was no time for whining. I\u2019d have to thank my own quick-wittedness for dodging that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And Chronoa was aiming her attacks at more than just me. Her next strike headed straight for Yuuki. He couldn\u2019t quite dodge it, suffering a slight cut on his cheek. It wouldn\u2019t be nice to cheer for that, but hopefully nobody minded if I let out a bemused giggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, Chronoa\u2019s attacks were astounding. Even Yuuki\u2019s Anti-Skill was helpless against attacks purely physical in nature. I suppose I had Cancel Melee Attack, but Yuuki enjoyed nothing that convenient. He had powered up his whole body, but he was still merely human. I had thought of Anti-Skill as a major threat, but maybe there were a lot of holes to it after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had the time to ponder this while other people were fighting. Better come up with some kind of strategy before I\u2019m aimed at again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Suggestion. Deploy Summon Storm Dragon, part of the ultimate skill Veldora, Lord of the Storm?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n No<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hey, that<\/em> sounds nice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hated to use one of my most secret moves in front of such a big crowd, but it\u2019d be even worse if I kept it hidden and fell into a hole I couldn\u2019t get out of. If I lost someone like Hinata, it\u2019d be too late <\/a>after that. Luminus\u2019s relationship with Veldora gave me some concern, but now was no time to hesitate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I leaped at Raphael\u2019s suggestion. I had been practicing in secret, so it felt natural now. Opening a soul corridor to Veldora, I called for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Mm? Rimuru? Well! I hope you are happy with yourself, going on a nice field trip without me.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great. He was dolefully pouting at me. And this wasn\u2019t<\/em> a field trip. I wish he wouldn\u2019t lodge these accusations at me, but I didn\u2019t have the time to argue. At times like these, you had to speak your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Veldora, please<\/em>, I need your help. Lend me your powers!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a soul corridor, you could communicate your emotions more directly than with Thought Communication. Normally, you wouldn\u2019t use a corridor for conversation, since any lies could immediately be spotted out, but if you really<\/em> wanted to bare your soul, this was the best way. Thanks to that, I could tell Veldora seemed surprised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Oh-ho? You need my power? Well then, you will find few companions as trustworthy as I. I can certainly understand why you rely on me so!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Crap, did I egg him on too much? No, I\u2019d be okay. Veldora was bound to step up for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (I\u2019m short on time. Can I call for you?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Pfft.<\/em> A silly question. If you ask me so nicely, I could only respond in kind! Please go ahead. I will exercise the full extent of my force!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Veldora turned out to be just as trustworthy as I hoped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Consent acquired. Launching Summon Storm Dragon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And in just a scant few moments, a gale-force wind blew over the cathedral\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Leon was struck dumb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Was I too late\u2026?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>The girl called Chloe was without a doubt the childhood friend he had been searching for, an effort he spent hundreds of years on. He had even dirtied his hands with certain forbidden methods in the attempt\u2026and now she was here. She was here\u2026but that little girl was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, Leon thought that Rimuru had done something\u2014but he quickly dispelled the thought. As he saw it, the only conclusion to make was that something truly unexpected and mysterious had happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No\u2026 I can\u2019t give up on this yet. Just now, I met her. There\u2019s going to be another chance, I\u2019m sure of it!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n He decided to cling to that thought, persuading himself it was so. It helped him regain control, but by that time, things had suddenly begun to unfold quickly. A new enemy appeared, demonstrating unstoppable force. Her identity was unknown, but he could tell she had Rimuru playing defense. And Leon was no impartial observer; there was no guarantee he wouldn\u2019t be targeted next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next Yuuki was attacked, dodging the strike with everything he had. Seeing that promptly made Leon realize that he was standing in a battlefield\u2014but that realization came a little too late.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People knocked out of battle were already strewn near the cathedral wall. Leon had no way of knowing, but Rimuru had deposited them there so they wouldn\u2019t get caught in combat. They were still alive but completely unconscious, so Leon wasn\u2019t particularly wary of them. In normal times, he\u2019d never make an error like that, but the shock of seeing this girl he pursued for so long suddenly disappear had made him lose his composure. Put it all together, and he had let his guard down\u2014and that\u2019s why, for that one moment, he reacted too slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A small blast of magic shot out from near the cathedral wall. It didn\u2019t look very lethal as it made its way toward Chronoa, who was currently preparing another attack on Yuuki. It certainly wouldn\u2019t damage her, but the blast did exactly what its creator intended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chronoa turned around, her eyes settling on Leon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTch\u2026<\/em> Trying to push her on me?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Despite his reluctance, Leon had to cast off all the niggling concerns in his mind. If he took his eyes off Chronoa, he\u2019d be dead the next instant. Unless he seriously fought this out, even a demon lord like him would have a disadvantage\u2014and even with a full effort, there may be no way for him to win this. That was how strong a threat Chronoa had become\u2014and with the way things were, Leon could no longer distract himself with other issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One side of the battle was cheering at this. It was Yuuki\u2019s group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNice job, Teare!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat a great idea. I didn\u2019t think she\u2019d help out like that, but now I\u2019m glad I took out that insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This move on Teare\u2019s part was originally meant to antagonize Rimuru against Leon, but the opportunity never arose, so Teare kept playing possum. Her perseverance was rewarded at the perfect time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHoh-hoh-hoh! Now we can get out of here once Teare makes it back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being targeted by Chronoa made Yuuki sweat bullets, but now he was his usual composed self, kicking back as he observed the fight between her and Leon. Thus, he could easily see Teare clambering her way from the cathedral wall. He headed off to rescue her before Laplace finished up their preparations to retreat\u2014and by the time he was back with her, Laplace\u2019s spell was complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll set, Boss. Let\u2019s blow this joint.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hear you,\u201d Yuuki replied with a nod. \u201cI think Rimuru\u2019s up to something, so it\u2019ll be dangerous to stay put. We better get out of here fast.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He raised his hand up high, knocking out the magical barrier that covered the whole of Lubelius.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHoh-hoh-hoh! Nice one, Boss.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhenever I see it in action, your skill seems like such a cheat\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHey, if it lets us scram in a hurry, I\u2019m all for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Laplace implied, escaping the center of this city with magical means would normally be impossible. Thanks to Yuuki\u2019s power, though, they could modify anything and everything to their liking. <\/a>It was<\/em> a cheat, as Teare put it, but if it got them out of here alive, nobody was going to complain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI dunno who\u2019s going to survive this, but whoever it is, I\u2019m sure we\u2019re gonna be enemies next time we meet. Anyway\u2014good luck, guys!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With those final words, Yuuki and his team left the battlefield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n I could see Yuuki and his cohorts escape. I resented that. Making good on their retreat, with all these threats left for me to deal with\u2014but when I thought about it, this actually worked well. Someone like them, who could be either friend or foe\u2014well, definitely foe right now\u2014but teaming up with someone like that, I had no idea when they\u2019d decide to betray me. It might\u2019ve even become two on one against me, so having just one enemy to deal with now definitely boosted my chances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Western Holy Church held a great deal of influence among the Western Nations. If I made a public statement, and it received Luminus\u2019s agreement, Yuuki would pretty much lose all standing in the West. Besides, the Free Guild was backed by the Council, and the boss of the Council was currently in active warfare against Luminus. If we won today, Yuuki was no longer a threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Convincing myself that his escape wasn\u2019t worth feeling down about, I sized up the enemy in front of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRimuru, is that not\u2026the Hero who sealed me away?\u201d Veldora asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSeems to be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAh, I see. She is not masked, but the area around her lips is identical. I see my eyes do not deceive me. Beautiful, is she not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Veldora\u2019s speech accelerated as he bragged about her. Now really wasn\u2019t the time for this. I wondered if a True Dragon even knew how to assess human beauty. It certainly lent more credence to the theory that Veldora lost after falling for her good looks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI agree with you, but right now she\u2019s our enemy. Luminus sealed her away, I guess, but she\u2019s out of anyone\u2019s control right now. I think <\/a>she was meant to be insurance against you, so do something about this!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow rude of you. Why are you ordering someone as irreproachable as me to \u2018do something<\/em>?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who do you think you\u2019re talking about here, man\u2026? I almost had to applaud his audacity. But I didn\u2019t have the time to put up with his nonsense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnough jokes. Just take her on and buy me some time!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKwaaaah-ha-ha-ha! Absolutely! We have a score to settle, besides. I was just thinking about how I wanted a rematch. It is all right if I defeat her, I assume?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wow! My hero!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although, whenever anyone says that in a show or video game, they\u2019re basically doomed to lose afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, of course! Have at it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLeave it all to me. I was defeated last time because I was in my dragon form. Now is a good chance to show you how I\u2019ve grown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m glad he\u2019s so confident, but hasn\u2019t he actually gotten weaker<\/em> since then? I don\u2019t really see the logic behind being stronger as a human instead of a dragon\u2026but I didn\u2019t want to rain on his parade when he was so enthusiastic, so I sent him off with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not like losing would kill him\u2014that much I could be assured of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you all right, Leon?\u201d I asked, turning toward him. Chronoa was still looking right at us, so I kept an eye on her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, somehow. Don\u2019t leave yourself open. She\u2019s stronger than you can imagine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I decided to heal Leon a little. His sword was already cut in half, and he was thoroughly battered and bruised. I was impressed he held out this long. Thanks to his efforts, I had enough time to successfully summon Veldora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI realized that the moment I saw her. You saw how wary Luminus was. I\u2019m not expecting this to be an easy win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was why I broke out Veldora, one of my last resorts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n