77: Pinning the weak point is strategy, right?

"Doesn't work!?!"

Evie shouts in shock, having just unleashed a high-powered attack spell.

"Whoa! Retreat! Temporary retreat!!"

Raidock yelps, panicking.

We scramble, shouting "Waaahhh!" as we turn to retreat—only to find the path of corpses now blocked by a massive new frog, BaronFrog, appearing out of nowhere.

"What the hell!?"

"Are you kidding!? It wasn’t this quick to follow up just a second ago!?"

"We got played! This frog bastard’s smarter than he looks!?"

"Better than Jitarou!"

"What the hell is going on!?"

I almost crack a joke it’s so serious and dangerous.

What now!?

"...Craft! One attack spell—just one! Save some power!"

"Got it!"

Raidock’s restriction lifted, magic options flicker through my mind.

Ice—no. With half my body submerged in water, that’d be the worst choice.

Thunder’s just as bad. Everyone’d get zapped.

Light and shadow won’t help much either.

So it comes down to wind or fire. But the spell that combines both—“Scorching Eightfold Hellfire Gale”—is a wide-area attack. Not suited for being surrounded like this.

Besides, the Titan Duke Frog’s mostly sunk in the swamp. How effective would a fire spell even be?

Seeing my hesitation, Eva—the talented mage from the three Cassper sisters—shouts.

“Craft! Can’t you use ‘Water Blade Wave Break’!?”

The voice snapped me upright. "Water Blade Wave Break" was a powerful spell that generated compressed water blades to slice through enemies. With water all around us, its power would only increase.

But there was a better spell!

"Die, you frog bastard! 'White Frost Blade Shattering Slash'!!"

I unleashed a spell even stronger than Water Blade Wave Break.

A colossal ice blade, twice my height, arced through the air like a crescent moon—hurtling straight at the giant boss frog, cleaving it clean in two.

"GekooooooOOOOOooooo!!"

A sickly-colored fluid sprayed into the air.

But... that didn't seem to hurt it much at all!?

"Craft! Did you see that!?!"

Eva shouts.

"See what?"

"Yes! The ice blade must've shattered against the frog's surface—dispersed by its magic!"

"What?!"

One of the many defensive spells—turns physical attacks back into magic, lessens their power. That’s it!?

"Raidock! Any attack spell you got!?"

"Got it! 'Ice Spear'!"

Bardack understood my intent fast. He conjured and fired an ice spear.

I focused, feeling the flow of magic.

Right as Bardack’s ice spear pierced the Titan Duke Frog’s body, magic exploded outward from the impact point, spreading across its surface in an instant.

"What the hell is that reaction!?"

"What? What was that!?"

Closer look—just a tiny scratch at the impact site.

Still, the way the magic dispersed was off.

Normally, when you deflect an attack by converting it to magic, it’s like water spilling from above—magic bursts outward from the point of impact, spraying up in waves.

And the attack that couldn’t be fully converted? It just passes through.

But the way the magic was spreading now—it was like water spilled from high up, spreading out in one instant without so much as a single splash.

The reason my "White Frost Blade Flash Slash" couldn’t be fully converted was probably because the original power was too strong, and the amount of magic was just too much.

"Damn it! Craft! Don’t you have any way to deal with this!?"

Raidock shouted, dodging the whip-like tongue attacks coming from all around.

As expected, the tongues of the Titan Duke Frog regenerated the moment they were cut. A common ability for soft-bodied monsters.

Leifan and Moda were doing their best, shielding us with their shields.

But staying like this was the worst possible choice. We needed a quick solution.

What kind of solution do you expect me to have?!

The original plan was to cut through Baron Frog with swords and bows, then beat the boss frog Titan Duke Frog to a pulp with magic.

Once we realized the magic barely worked, retreat was our only option.

No—wait.

"Raidock! Switch to physical and magic attacks!"

"What!? No, I guess it's worth a try... Right! Me and Camille will hit the boss! In the meantime, Eva and Bardak, harass the surrounding frogs with magic! Bows too! Leifan and Morda, protect the mage with sheer will! Craft, figure it out yourself!"

"““Understood!!””"

Raidock immediately grasped the plan and gave the order to shift formations.

Raidock and Camille had been thinning the swarm of Baron Frogs around them when Evah and Bardak unleashed magic to keep the Baron Potato from getting near the Titan Duke Frog boss.

Solar and Jitarou fell in behind.

“Raidock! Dodge the flurry attacks—hit hard with one that packs a punch!”

“Got it!”

I locked onto Raidock, an idea forming.

“Camille—sync up! ‘Fist of Might, Strike of Power!’”

“…‘Dance of Darkness, Funeral Twin’”

They struck in crossing paths, piling powerful physical blows onto the same spot.

The impact blasted the slick mucus from the frog’s hide, the blade sank into its soft body, the technique activated—bloody mist erupted. Clearly more effective than my earlier White Frost Blade Flash Cut.

I didn’t miss that slim chance—I unleashed the magic I’d prepared.

“Water Blade Wave Break!!”

The ice blade slipped between Raidock and Camille, then slammed down right over the wounds they’d already inflicted.

Weaker than my earlier attack. Should’ve done no real damage. But my magic still managed to carve a wound on the boss frog just as deep as Camille’s sword technique.

“What!?”

It was Raidock shouting.

“Craft!”

“Probably the mucus on the frog’s skin is nullifying the magic!”

“Then physical attacks should work!?”

“Likely! ……But can we keep it up!?”

“Tough… This frog bastard regenerates fast!”

“Trouble…”

I’d asked Raidock for a single powerful hit—just to blow off its bodily fluids.

Not confirmed yet, but if magic worked while it was in that state, the bodily fluids are almost certainly scattering mana.

So, to take down this boss frog, first remove the fluids, then hit it with an attack spell.

"Craft! Can't you use a wind spell to blow those fluids away!?"

"Idiot! That magic would just get nullified!"

I called him an idiot without thinking, but Jitarou wasn’t wrong in principle. Whether it’s wind or fire, just scatter the fluids.

"Then why not just gather some firewood and burn this frog bastard to ashes!?"

"Idiot! In the middle of this swamp, you think we can afford to be so casual...!"

I really meant it this time—called Jitarou an idiot—and at that exact moment, a scene flashed through my mind.

The scene after we’d repelled the cockatrices that had attacked Goldendown with a stampede.

Each day, we’d pile the corpses—only the magic stones removed—into a great pit and burn them.

Not that it was easy. Burning down a whole swarm of cockatrices? Wood alone wouldn’t cut it. That’s why I’d alchemized that stuff.

“Right! Combustion powder!”

I’d been asked through the guild to make a large batch. It burned far more efficiently than oil. And since it was powder, it was perfect for frogs too!

“Raidock! Got an idea! Can you scatter this powder as evenly as possible on the enemy, right now!?”

I pulled a barrel from my spatial storage and lifted it.

I’d kept a whole barrel of the leftover combustion powder as part of my reward.

“On that massive frame!?”

Titan Duke Frog was even larger than Baron Frog. About half its body rose above the water’s surface, but even so, it was massive.

It’s fine if it stays still. But it’s a monster.

It moves. It attacks.

"...What now?"

Raidock gritted his teeth, slashing through the dozens of writhing tongues approaching him. His mind was racing—clear as day.

Then, Camille glided across the water like a shadow, retreating toward me, twin swords in hand.

In this cramped space, Camille’s movements were the smoothest.

"I’ll handle it."

Camille, usually silent, muttered under her breath.