"Nini, come over here." Theus glanced at the Banshees in the distance. He had now formed a Symbiotic Pact with all of them, and suddenly realized he could communicate with every Banshee through Mind Link.
Perhaps because he had formed so many pacts, the strength of the Mind Link had increased dramatically. Its range hadn't expanded much, but they could now communicate even when something stood between them.
Of course, they couldn't be too far apart, but the range was enough to cover the battlefield before them.
Watching the Banshees surround the monster, coordinating and covering for one another, he suddenly had a bold idea.
The Banshees were now highly loyal to him and would carry out his orders without question. His commands could reach every Banshee. Did that mean...
He could micromanage them?
Suppressing the urge to put his idea into action, Theus asked Nini, "Can your Flesh Magic withstand being surrounded by Pollution? How much does it take out of you?"
"It takes a lot. With our abilities, we can only keep it up for a short time." She pointed toward the Banshees taking turns charging the monster. "But as long as we coordinate well, we can maintain it for a little while."
"Good. I'll follow you. Let's get a little closer and see."
"Huh?" Nini stared at him in disbelief. "Wouldn't that be too dangerous?"
"If we run into trouble, just get me out of there. You're much more agile than it is, and my plan won't work unless I get close."
"What plan? Wait, I mean, no matter what the plan is, you can't put yourself in danger again. We don't need your plan to win."
Nini raised her eyebrows and folded her arms across her chest. She was determined not to let Theus risk himself again, no matter what.
"What if my plan could save Monica?"
The expression on Nini's face froze.
"Ash, we've got a problem! She's getting stronger too fast!"
One of the clan members shouted to Ash.
Ash frowned. The monster Monica had become was even more troublesome than she'd expected. The clan members kept taking turns going in to wear it down, but the more they did, the stronger it became.
The Banshees had limited stamina. They were still in good shape for now, but this couldn't go on, not with the situation growing worse by the minute.
Looks like she'd have to take a risk.
Just as Ash made up her mind, she caught sight of Nini's golden hair out of the corner of her eye... and Theus slung over her shoulders.
Banshees were much taller than humans. Nini carried Theus over her shoulders with two hands, leaving her other four free to move. His weight barely affected her mobility.
Nini's expression was just a little strange, though.
"...What are you doing?"
"Ash, I'll be giving the orders from here!"
Ash nodded without a moment's hesitation. "All right."
"Back off a little. Then work with me when the time comes!"
"And catch this!"
Nini tossed something over. Ash reached out and caught it. Looking down, she saw that it was a shield.
It was the Tower Shield Nora had been carrying. Theus had called Nini over just now to pick it up. The Tower Shield, which had been huge for Nora, fit Ash just right.
"I'll tell you what to do in a little while!"
Theus fell silent after that. He had to communicate through Mind Link with nearly every Banshee at once, and didn't have the focus to speak aloud.
Theus's voice suddenly rang out in the Banshees' minds. He began telling each of them what to do.
The Banshees' loose formation abruptly tightened. The monster, which had been under constant attack, suddenly realized that no one was coming at it anymore.
It immediately charged the nearest Banshee. She turned and ran.
The monster chased her for a few steps, then suddenly found itself unable to move forward.
Several Banshees rushed in from either side, activating Flesh Magic to hold it back.
When it turned to look at them, the Banshees behind it charged in as well.
The Banshees surrounded it in a complete ring, pinning it in the center so that it couldn't move an inch.
Black Pollution roared as it sprayed in every direction, only to slide off the Banshees. They all activated Flesh Magic at once. The monster couldn't hurt them—not for the moment.
The mountain-sized monster attacked the Banshees around it with its twisted limbs, but Flesh Magic could block most of the damage. The Banshees who were hit turned pale, then quickly recovered.
The Symbiotic Pact let them channel their vitality through Theus. Any injured Banshee was healed in an instant.
The monster, as massive as a mountain, had actually been trapped for a little while!
Nini didn't join the attack. Carrying Theus, she quickly circled the monster until she finally found a blind spot.
"Now!" Theus shouted.
Nini stopped, then turned slightly to one side. The three arms on her left held Theus tightly as she swung him back.
The next moment, the strength in her muscles erupted. Like a bowstring snapping loose, she spun around and hurled Theus forward!
Theus flew toward the monster like a cannonball!
Time seemed to slow. The monster noticed the movement behind it and turned around slowly. Catching sight of Theus out of the corner of its eye, it roared and swung its twisted limbs at him.
A tall figure appeared beside Theus. Ash raised the Tower Shield and took the monster's attack head-on!
The mountain-sized monster's limbs possessed unimaginable strength. Ash braced all six of her hands against the shield, but she was still forced backward, step by step.
She let out a low growl. Her muscles bulged as she crouched like a leopard, holding the shield firm and leaving a gap for Theus to pass through.
Pollution fell on either side of the shield like a storm crashing against a tiny umbrella, splashing all over her. Ash had exhausted her magic and could no longer cast Flesh Magic.
But the Pollution simply slid off her body. It was Flesh Magic!
She glanced at her snake tail. A hand was gripping its tip.
It was Nini!
After Nini threw Theus, Ash had immediately raised the shield and charged forward.
As she passed Nini, Nini reached out with her other three hands and grabbed for the tip of Ash's tail.
Ash was moving too fast. Nini missed with both hands, but—
That was enough!
As long as they were in physical contact, Nini could cast Flesh Magic on Ash!
If they also had to maintain Flesh Magic on themselves, the Banshees could hardly spare the strength to cast it on anyone else. They had to gather in a group just to barely cast the spell on one of their clan members.
But the Pollution couldn't reach Nini where she was. She only needed to cast Flesh Magic on Ash!
The Banshee's long, slender tail had made all the difference. Ash was covered in Pollution, but Nini, holding the tip of her tail from a distance, hadn't been touched at all.
"Everything's going smoothly. Now it's up to the lord."
Nini and Ash exchanged a glance. They looked toward Theus, their faces full of worry.
Nini had indeed cast Flesh Magic on Ash, but Theus didn't have any!
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