A flock of black dragons hovered in the madder-red sky.
The setting sun dyed the stratocumulus clouds in vivid hues.
Bright orange light seeped even into the depths of the forest.
Gleaming amber rays pierced through the gaps between the trees.
The dragon knights in the air had shifted into full combat readiness.
Some leveled their spears.
Others drew their greatbows taut.
A few raised their staves high.
Yet no attack came.
Were they treating the fallen Five Dragon Warriors on the ground as hostages?
Or did they sense the odds were too poor against the one who had defeated the so-called "strongest human"?
The weakness of any group built around an absolute leader is clear.
Once the boss falls, their movements grow sluggish.
Such organizations are often vulnerable the moment their general's head is taken.
I first learned that lesson from a delinquent manga, I think.
"Status, open."
I summoned my MP status.
A quick glance confirmed it.
The number was plummeting at a terrifying speed—every single second.
A prolonged battle in this state was out of the question.
"Let's end this quickly, Pigi-maru."
"Pigi!"
The protrusions, now infused with mana, emitted a phosphorescent glow.
"Pi, giiiiiiiiiiii—!!"
*Bashuu!*
All the protrusions shot upward at once toward the sunset sky.
They ascended with explosive speed.
"Wh-What the hell is that…!?"
It looked like countless needles extending and then being unleashed into the heavens.
The protrusions hurtled toward the flock of dragon knights at the velocity of flying arrows.
"Kuh!? Don't panic! Cut them downnnn!!"
*Whoosh!*
A dragon knight's sword sliced through the air.
"Wha!? They… stopped…!?"
The protrusions halted just short of reaching the dragon knights.
Right before the flock.
The riders looked bewildered.
They must have expected the protrusions to keep charging in with full momentum.
The key issue was exactly where they had stopped.
Roughly ten or so meters ahead of the airborne dragon knights.
In other words—
They were within two-point-zero meters range.
I reached a hand toward the sky.
Yes—from here—
"[Paralyze]."
They were in reach.
"Wha!?"
"The dragons' movements…!?"
"N-No… our movements too…!?"
The Pigi-maru currently fused with me was half "myself."
Therefore, in this connected state—
The tips of the protrusions had become my effective range.
"Kuh! That bizarre tentacle ability!?"
*Whoosh!*
"Monster!!"
A dragon knight just barely outside range hurled his sword.
*Spang!*
One protrusion was sliced clean in two.
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue.
This was the first real combat use, and I still wasn't fully accustomed to controlling them.
A few had slipped through.
My sense of distance wasn't perfect yet.
"Pigi-maru, you okay…!?"
"Pi♪"
"Hm?"
A green affirmation.
From what I could see, he looked perfectly fine.
There was no sign he was enduring pain.
The Wise Sage's notes hadn't mentioned this detail.
I thought quickly.
In this state, Pigi-maru…
Damage only registers if it hits something close to the core?
The protrusions farther from the main body take no damage—or only minimal damage.
Moreover.
Since they were fused with me, if one was cut, I should feel damage too.
But I didn't.
"In that case… maybe I can push a little harder."
"Pi!"
"But still—if it hurts, tell me, okay?"
"Pigiii!"
*Bash!*
Ignoring the paralyzed black dragons plummeting to the ground, I extended more protrusions toward the still-active ones.
"D-Don't come any closer—!!"
Ah, right.
At this distance—
"[Sleep]."
The remaining black dragons froze.
Sleep was successfully applied.
The last black dragons fell, riders and all.
They dropped like black rain.
One after another, they slammed into the ground.
*Gusha!*
"Gueee!?"
*Dosha!*
"Goh!? Gyaaah!?"
The sky was a gradient of blue and orange at sunset.
The Black Dragon Knights plunged into the dark forest.
It looked as though they were being swallowed from the world of light into the world of darkness.
"Now then…"
Some dragons had died from broken necks on impact alone—no poison needed.
The fall itself dealt massive damage.
But I would finish them.
Thoroughly.
"[Poison]."
I applied poison to the black dragons still clinging to life after crashing.
Then I extended protrusions in another direction.
"Gu, a, ah…!"
Oban.
"Im… possible…!"
Schweitz.
"T-Tou… kaaa—!!"
Shibito.
Toward the remaining Five Dragon Warriors.
Before the paralysis gauge ran out,
I added the next gauge.
"[Sleep]."
From here on, I just had to alternate paralysis and sleep until their lives expired.
Most opponents could be handled with this near-infinite combo.
As long as status abnormalities worked.
[Skill level has increased.]
[LV2 → LV3]
"…"
[SLEEP] had finally caught up to level 3 as well.
"Hm?"
[A new skill has been unlocked.]
[Freeze – Freezing Attribute Grant]
[Dark – Darkness Attribute Grant]
[Berserk – Frenzy Attribute Grant]