260: You know, if you’ve got comrades, you can pull through anything, right?

I pull out every single massive barrel from the storage pit right there.

Looks like about a hundred horse-drawn carts’ worth.

“Leifan! Calculate the cube that’ll fit all these barrels, and draw a square on the ground to match it!”

“Got it!”

Only Leifan can eyeball something like that. She glances at the mountain of barrels, and already starts sketching a square on the ground.

Huge! Looks like the size of Kyle’s manor.

“Eva! Shape the ‘earth wall’ into a cube, aligned with that square!”

So, a giant dice-shaped mound of earth, sized exactly to Leifan’s square.

“‘Earth wall’? Not ‘earth shield’ or ‘ten-thousand-mile earth wall’?”

“Nah, defense isn’t needed.”

Both of Eva’s spells were defensive magic. But the earth wall she summoned was just a spell to shape dirt into any form you wanted. Naturally, it had almost no strength.

While she was putting up the earth wall, I pulled out another barrel.

“Leifan, Chiyome—keep the lid on this side open!”

“Yeah!”

“Got it!”

A giant earth wall… no, more like a massive earth block. Pretty impressive, I’ll admit.

Wait—now wasn’t the time to be impressed.

I carved a gap the width of a fist from the earth block, then formed four earth walls around its four sides.

Leifan caught on right away.

“If I pour this through the gap, it’ll work, right?”

“Yeah! Everyone, pour it in!”

What I pulled out was alchemical hardened rock and a special drying agent.

Chiyome lifted the lid. Eva and I poured in the hardened rock with magic, and Leifan added just the right amount of drying agent—before you could blink, the gap was filled solid.

Damn, Leifan. Even by eye, perfect ratio.

I pressed the final touch, forcing the still-soft alchemical rock to dry and harden with alchemy magic.

"Alright! Erase the earthen wall!"

"Yes!"

Eva and I erased the wall at the same time. Where it had been stood a massive box made of thin hardened rock—open on top.

"Put the trinket inside! Don’t drop it!"

Leifan and Chiyome moved fast. But Eva narrowed her eyes at me.

"Uh… the floor’s gone now that the wall’s gone."

"Ah."

"Seriously… I’ll do it."

Eva conjured a thick earthen wall along the hardened rock box, just enough to stand on, and even added a staircase.

"Saved me."

"Next, hand out the Trimochi Elixir to everyone. If you fall, we’re all dead."

"Y-yes."

"Ugh. Can I count on you or not…"

"Uuu… I’m such a mess."

"You were totally cool a second ago."

"Eh?"

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all!"

Eva waved it off. But… did she just call me cool?

Holy crap, I’m so happy!

"Alright! Let’s push forward with some real spirit!"

"Why’re you suddenly so energetic?!"

Could it be… maybe there’s a tiny chance?

No, wait. Eva’s head over heels for Raidock. Just now she was going, "Raidock, you’re the best!"...

Wait.

Did she really say that?

"Craft! Stop spacing out and move it!"

"Y-yeah!"

Seemed to have been stunned for a moment.

I slap my own cheek to snap back to focus.

"Anyway, fill the box with trimoche!"

"Everyone’s already doing it!"

"O-oh, me too!"

Why the hell am I such a dummy at the crucial moment, huh?!

Determined to wipe the dirt off my name, I throw trimoche with everything I’ve got.

◆

Using magic too, I manage to fill the giant box with trimoche and signal the others.

Raidock, Solal, Persia, Jitarou, Camille, and Marilyn show up right away.

All six of them are already ragged. Good job holding on.

"Status!?"

"We filled the giant box with trimoche. Want to shove Niedhegg inside."

"Ah, makes sense. If it moves slow, it’s just a big snake lizard."

"Problem is, how the hell do we get Niedhegg inside this thing?"

"Guess that worry’s gone!"

"Eh?"

Maybe it was because everyone had piled into the hardened rock box, but Niedhegg charged straight at us without a word.

"Quick, quick! No time for plans!"

"Stay back till the last second! You gotta dodge!"

"You're kidding me!?"

That means we're supposed to stay right in front of the box, all of us together, right?

We were covering each other, barely dodging. Can't avoid it when frozen solid… no, don’t whine. Think!

"Marilyn and Leifan, split off! Probably not targeted!"

"Y-yeah. But…"

"No time!"

"Got it."

"Jitarou and Solal, go with them!"

"Understood!"

"Got it."

Likely to be targeted—me or Eva. If we stick together, it'll come for us.

Problem is, how the hell do we dodge that charge?

"Camille, can you lure it to the last second and still get Eva out of the way?"

…Something’ll have to be done.

Leave it to me!

The problem’s on me. Raidock glances over.

I’ll carry you and fly—something’ll work.

No. Raidock, Persia, Nobuna, Chiyome—use attacks or smoke screens to make sure the Nizhegg charges straight into the trap.

The worst-case scenario is the Nizhegg barely shifts angle and scrapes the hardened rock box. Then only part of it cracks open, and the Trimoji spills out.

We need all this firepower just to force a straight-on charge.

Plus, I’ve been dodging every time thanks to Persia and Tebasaki. If Persia joins the attack, the Nizhegg’ll target me more likely.

So I gotta wait right in the center of the box.

Same reason, just taking Tebasaki and riding him? Nope. Not happening.

"Yeah, Nobuna. Can’t you summon something good at tossing stuff around or blowing things away?"

"There’s a yōkai who can summon strong gusts."

"Great! Summon it on my back—anything to keep it from noticing me, even a little!"

"Got it!"

The plan’s set! The worst kind of plan—just throwing everything to chance and trusting each person’s ability!

"I call upon you. Come forth from the underworld! Tengu Child!"

Nobuna summoned a humanoid figure—red face, long nose. One hand held a long pole, the other a large leaf like a fan.

"Tengu winds are offensive. Be careful when landing."

"As long as I don’t die."

"Craft has the soul of a samurai."

"Ah, well then."

The Niedhagg charging at us with terrifying force—it’s like a mountain is hurtling through the air at breakneck speed.

Focus every nerve. Then, from Marilyn, a boost—”Thought Acceleration”—flies in.

It’s a clumsy spell, duration only a few seconds, but I’ve dodged Niedhagg’s charge so many times because of it.

Even that moment I thought I was dead—slowed down like time itself froze—that was thanks to this spell. …Though I’ll admit, a few images flashed by too, like a runaway reel.

Niedhagg’s coming straight at us, but it can’t miss the massive square rock rising behind us.

Surely Nez Heg had thought, a mere boulder isn’t threatening. But a boulder appearing out of nowhere? That’s suspicious as hell. And now two troublesome mages stand side by side in front of it. Perfect chance to take them both down at once…

If Nizhegg keeps charging straight like this, Persia and Tebasaki will grab me like they always have and get me out.

Straight ahead! You snake-lizard bastard!

But my heart’s cry was pointless. Nezhegg barely held, shifting just slightly.

Worst possible angle—just grazing the block!

Raidock reacted instantly.

Coming through!

Raidock, Persia, Nobuna, and Chiyome burst in like fireworks.

It all came down to these four people.

Comic adaptation

Copper Alchemy: Final Volume Released!