Chapter 173: The "King"'s Tactic

"W-what...!?"

Staring blankly at my arms, which had suddenly lost all strength, my mind went utterly blank for a moment.

"What... is this...?"

"What's wrong?"

Ena looked at me, puzzled.

I didn't have time to respond.

The "King" was already launching another attack against me.

I raised my sword, which felt impossibly heavy, and blocked the assault.

"——...gghh!"

...I couldn't withstand it.

The old man's slender arm plunged deep into my abdomen, and I rolled across the floor, groaning.

"Y-you, warrior!"

Bloodstains splattered across the floor.

"What did you do!?"

"——'Obeying the Law'..."

"Huh?"

"Have you heard that before?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He seemed completely unfamiliar with it.

I don't fully understand, but...

To cut straight to the conclusion.

My powers seemed to have regressed back to those of an ordinary high school girl who had spent all her time playing games.

"……Control your magic!"

——The player "Ending" performs magic control.

——When applying settings, there's a slight delay...

Before the voice in my head could finish speaking,

"《Sword Skill》 and 《Skin Reinforcement》 and 《Bone,...!》"

"You think you can get away with this, brat?"

The "King's" knee strike slammed directly into my face.

Kicking a girl's face? That's seriously evil-looking—just don't do it.

Once again, sky and ground spun around me, and I collapsed onto the floor.

"Something... something happened, I swear!"

Enji shouted with a grim expression.

At that moment, my mind registered—

—You can't activate more than one skill at a time.

—Each skill requires about a hundred seconds of cooldown after activation.

A crushing, hopeless realization.

With a hundred seconds of opening, I'd be killed a hundred times over.

My choices were limited.

Instinctively, I chose:

"《Skin Reinforcement》...!"

I had to strengthen my defense, or I'd be finished by the next blow.

That's what I thought.

But that was a mistake.

In my desire to protect my own life, I wasted precious time.

If I truly want to settle things with the "King"… I should have activated a more aggressive skill earlier.

"What? Can't handle something this minor? Seems like you're not as impressive as I thought?"

The old man taunts.

Stay calm. Stay focused.

Just endure for another hundred seconds.

That's when the real battle begins—when I activate my skill.

This time, I mustn't make a wrong choice.

But...

Before that, I need to think about the mysterious ability called "Law Enforcement" that the "King" used.

If my skills are shut down completely once again, this time it'll truly be over.

Perhaps because my life is in danger? My mind was spinning at several times its usual speed.

And then it hit me— the word "Law Enforcement."

I'm certain I've heard that term only once before.

――"Compliance" has been activated.

――Due to specific conditions being met, you are being transferred.

That's right.

I'm sure I heard words like that before… when I was forcibly moved to the "Master Dungeon."

But the "King" doesn't let me think things through properly.

For a moment, I thought the "King" had vanished...

Then—clang!

Out of nowhere, a steel pipe swings down and strikes my head.

"…Gh!"

It hurts.

Ouch!

There is no skin damage, but the skull may have a fracture.

In "Skin Reinforcement," bones aren't protected, you know.

I am choking, helpless.

I won't kill you easily. I'll bring you down to the lowest point, then take my time to kill you.

The king grinned with sadistic pleasure, cracking his fingers one by one.

I slowly crawled away from him.

"Hey, En. You get it now? ……You'd be better off doing exactly as I said."

"……!?"

"What's the problem? I gave you a woman, didn't I? I'll keep giving you women. Soon, I'd like to see my grandson's face."

"O-… Father…!"

For some reason, the "King" didn't seem intent on killing En.

En, too, seemed surprised by this unexpected turn.

"What are you even saying now! You hurt my heart, yet you—"

"If that's the case, then I'll apologize....I'm sorry."

I heard this story later, but it was said to be the first time Yui saw her real father bow his head in apology.

"...No matter what you say, it's too late now!"

Even as the two exchanged words, I was frantically trying to think through my options.

The outcome would likely be decided by my choice in just a few seconds from now.

But...

If I lose my skill again at this moment, there won't be a next time.

I must avoid that at all costs.

"Sir Warrior, get down!"

In an instant, a gelatinous substance oozes out from under En's feet.

"...Huh....En, you...!"

"I'm turning the entire floor into a 'Slime'!"

Then, the stout man awkwardly lifts me up.

"Alright, buying time!"

Unable to speak properly with my mouth cut, I clenched my thumb and gave a thumbs-up, signaling "good idea."

Passing through the king's chamber, now twisted like an abstract painting, En quickly leapt out the nearest window and soared beyond the building.

The fear of falling was eased as a massive, jelly-like hand, swollen with energy, caught me mid-air.

"Let's head up to the rooftop for now and regroup."

Being lifted by the squishy hand, climbing up the side of the building, I wiped the blood from my mouth.

"Let me ask you once more. 'Compliance.' Do you recognize that term?"

"We haven't talked about things like 'black companies' being bad, have we?"

"Of course not."

"Then I wouldn't know it. Is it related to the 'King' skill?"

"Looks like it. …Thanks to that, all my skills have been disabled."

"What kind of thing is this!...That didn't feel like I changed 'law' at all!"

En's face briefly darkened with despair.

Still, he immediately furrowed his brow as if saying there was no time to waste.

"No, but if the 'King' skill activates through 'Domestic Mode' for everyone... that means... there's an unbreakable 'law' that applies only to me...?"

For a moment, En muttered to himself, lost in thought.

Soon enough, we arrived at the rooftop.

Though not particularly tall among the buildings of Akihabara, the rooftop offered no clear view and had a somewhat cramped atmosphere.

"Please listen. It seems even royal family members can't control him... something about an absolute 'law' seems to be restraining the 'warrior' with overwhelming force."

"Is that so."

"Still, the basic conditions shouldn't have changed."

"Basic conditions?"

It's the law of reward and command.

That... might be true. There was an announcement saying something like "once specific conditions are met."

I don't understand exactly what power this so-called 'Legal Compliance' possesses, but... it could simply be seen as an enhanced or improved version of 'Absolute Monarchy.'

...I see.

"In other words, the fundamental idea should be the same. — Warrior-san, just now, you did receive some 'reward' from your father, didn't you?"

...A reward, huh.

I pressed my fingers to my temples, deep in thought.

Upon calming down and reflecting, a familiar memory surfaced.

"...I gained a level when I killed the 'Chimera' created by the 'King'."

Enji made a grimace.

Then, as if struck by lightning, he suddenly snapped his fingers.

"So that's how it is! The 'King' has tactics like this too?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Your father will probably send a large number of 'Chimera' with maximum experience efficiency at this point."

"Hmm."

"Mr. Warrior, you'll have to eliminate the 'King' without killing a single one of those 'Chimera.' From now on, every time you kill a 'Chimera' to gain experience, your skills will be completely disabled."

"...Does that mean we can't fight back against the 'Chimera'?"

"That's correct."

………….

……………What kind of joke is that?

Could it be that we can't actually win?

As I sink into despair... a rumbling sound, as if the 'King' were raging beneath my feet, grows louder and louder.

"But we have no choice but to keep going."

Yeah, I know that... but still...

This is painful.

To be honest, I thought I'd find an easier way to win.