Dragged Into Another World Because of My Otaku Friend-Chapter 44: Judgement

[Elite Goblin (Hero Grace Form) has joined the party!]

[Received bonus when Elite Goblin (Hero Grace Form) in party]

[Increased Atk by 200%]

---

The system notification flashed across our vision. Bob and I froze for a split second, blinking. Then, a grin stretched across both our faces.

Bob charged at the Bull monster without hesitation, his blade cleaving down with tremendous force. The Bull raised its trident just in time to block the strike, but the impact sent a tremor through its arms. Each clash rang out like thunder, and the Bull’s footing began to falter under the weight of Bob’s relentless assault.

It started to back away, trying to recover its balance. But before it fully recovered its balance, I struck from behind, as I leaving the Elite Goblin to handle the gorilla.

My blade swept toward its back, forcing the Bull to twist around and counter with its trident. Sparks flew as our weapons clashed, a brief exchange of blows that pushed both of us apart. The Bull was on the defensive now, struggling to keep up.

Bob didn’t let up. He darted in from the side and drove his sword toward the creature’s ribs. The Bull roared, caught between both of us, trying desperately to fend off our coordinated strikes. We kept the pressure up , slashes and shots from every angle, never giving it a moment to breathe. When the Bull tried to hit me, Bob used Taunt to pull it attention back to Bob. With this, i could maintain my damage per second.

I raised my hand and cast Aqua Bullet, a high-speed blast of water magic that slammed into its chest. It tried to deflect it with the trident, barely holding on.

And that’s when Bob came in from behind.

His blade carved deep into its side. The Bull howled in pain, but before it could react, I struck once more, my slash hitting its back with enough force to launch it forward. It crashed through the wall of a nearby abandoned house, the wooden frame collapsing under its weight.

Breathing heavily, I turned to Bob.

We clapped hands.

On the other side of field, the Elite Goblin locked hands with the gorilla, the two titans pushing against each other in a brutal contest of strength. Roars erupted from both of them, echoing through the battlefield. For a moment, their power seemed equal, until the goblin surged forward, forcing the gorilla’s feet to grind back through the dirt.

The gorilla tried to recover its stance, but before it could, the Elite Goblin slammed its left fist into the gorilla’s chest, then immediately followed with a crushing right hook to its face.

With a thunderous crash, the gorilla collapsed.

"Looks like we win, Bob," I said confidently, brushing off my shoulder.

"Don’t say that, dude! That’s a red flag!" Bob snapped.

What’s wrong with this guy? It’s clear we’ve got the upper hand!

But then, from the rubble behind us, the bull-headed monster rose. Dust fell from its golden horned helmet as it shook its head, trying to clear the dizziness. A dark snort blew from its nostrils.

Without warning, it launched forward, sprinting at us with raw fury in its eyes.

"I told you," Bob muttered, exasperated. "Next time, I’m giving you a full lecture on red flags. It’s literally survival training."

Whatever.

We both turned and charged at the bull monster, ready to finish the fight.

The Elite Goblin raised both of its hands,clasped together, ready to bring them down in a crushing blow to the gorilla’s head. With a roar, it swung downward.

But just before impact, shimmering blue particles erupted from its body.

Its form began to shrink.

In an instant, it reverted to its original size, just five meters tall. The powerful smash it had prepared landed weakly on the gorilla’s cheek, barely more than a tap.

The gorilla’s eyes snapped open.

It turned to look at the now-small goblin and let out a deep, rumbling growl. Slowly, it planted its hands into the dirt and pushed itself upright, anger burning in its eyes.

Meanwhile, as Bob and I closed in, just ten meters from the bull-headed boss, a system notification blinked into view.

---

[Elite Goblin (Hero Grace Form) reverted to normal form]

[ATK boost reduced from 200% to 10%]

---

At the same time, the glowing aura that surrounded us began to dim... then vanished completely.

Uh oh... this is bad.

"The Hero Grace wore off, Bob!" I shouted, my heart skipping.

But we were already mid-sprint, and the momentum made it hard to stop.

"Damn it!" Bob cursed.

At the last possible moment, we managed to dodge to the sides as the bull monster thundered past us, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.

It skidded to a halt, jamming its right foot into the ground to brake. Slowly, it turned, golden eyes narrowing. It could sense it, the overwhelming pressure we once had was gone.

The beast began to advance, spinning its massive trident in wide, slow arcs as it circled us.

We moved in a circle, keeping our eyes locked on the bull-headed boss. Our steps mirrored each other in a clockwise rotation. Sweat rolled down my forehead. My hands clenched tightly around my weapon.

Then, suddenly a loud crash split the air.

Something massive slammed into the ground between us and the bull monster.

My Elite Goblin.

It lay there motionless in its base form. Within seconds, its body dissolved into glowing blue particles and vanished.

From behind the bull, the gorilla lumbered forward. It turned its head with a sharp crack, probably still dizzy from the last blow. But it stood tall and ready.

Now it was a clean standoff.

Two versus two.

No ultimates. No buffs. Just raw skill and what little strength we had left.

"This tower better activate soon. I’m getting exhausted," Bob muttered beside me, panting.

We quickly stole a glance toward the tower where Liam and Kiwi were . We could only hope they were nearly done. Bob and I were already pushing our limits.

I opened my status window and checked my MP, about 40% remaining.

Thanks to the reduced MP drain during [Hero Grace], I still had enough left to cast.

I raised my hand and focused.

"Stoneguard Ward!"

A warm yellow light descended over me and Bob, flowing upward from our feet to our heads. A hardened shimmer layered over our bodies as our defense bolstered.

We turned back to our enemies.

Four eyes met four.

---

At the top of the tower, Kiwi fought fiercely against a swarm of flying humanoid monsters, some with bat-like faces, others with avian features. Wings flapped through the air as screeches echoed in the sky.

"How much longer, Liam?" Kiwi shouted as he smashed the skull of a bat-faced monster with a brutal swing.

"Just a little more!" Liam replied, eyes glued to the old screen in front of him. A loading bar inched slowly forward, glowing faintly.

Suddenly, a loud pop cracked through the air.

Both of them turned toward the sound. In the far distance, a red smoke trail shot upward, soaring straight into the sky from the edge of town. At its base, a small flame flickered.

"The signal..." Kiwi murmured.

It was Ted’s mark. The townspeople had been evacuated.

Liam looked back at the screen, hoping the bar to fill faster.

Seconds passed like hours. Then, at last...

The loading bar reached 100%.

The screen pulsed with bright light, and a large circular button emerged on the left side.

Liam’s eyes widened. "Mr. Kiwi! It’s fully charged!"

Kiwi struck down the final monster before slinging his staff behind him and hurrying to Liam’s side. On the screen beside the button, bold ancient letters glowed in the language of Izareth:

"The Judgement."

Kiwi stared at the words, unsure of the true magnitude of the weapon they had just armed.

Then, the tower rumbled,its second quake today. Then, platforms above them unfolded, creating a canopy overhead. From it, a transparent dome shimmered to life, expanding downward as it trying to encapsulated the entire tower.

It glowed with red energy, crackling with sparks of magic and power.

A protective shield.

He understood immediately, this was to protect them from whatever came next.

Kiwi ran to the edge of the platform and gripped a steel railing. Leaning out, he shouted at the top of his lungs:

"Alan! Bob! The machine is ready! Get back here, now! The protective dome is about to seal the tower!"

---

We heard a voice from behind.

Looking back, we saw Kiwi and Liam standing on the upper platform of the tower, staring down at us. The tower’s barrel spun rapidly, glowing with intense energy. The whirring sound grew louder, a mechanical scream, like a jet engine about to launch.

"We need to take cover, dude!" Bob yelled over the noise.

"I know!" I shouted back. "But I don’t think they’ll let us!" I pointed to the two monsters in front of us. They had noticed the tower sudden change too.

Our bodies were still wrapped in the yellow glow of Stoneguard Ward.

"We just run for it!" Bob barked. He turned to me, eyes locked with determination.

If we were still in Hero Grace form, I wouldn’t hesitate. But now? The transformation had ended, and the rebound left us drained. That was the price of using Grace Hero, a short burst of power followed by a crash of exhaustion.

I glanced at the monsters, then the tower, calculating the distance. We were caught in the middle. But...

"I think we can make it," I said.

I nodded to Bob. He nodded back. And without waiting the monsters to attack us first...

We ran.

"Kiwi! Activate the tower!" I shouted, voice cracking.

Kiwi heard me. He turned to Liam, who was already poised in front of the screen. Without hesitation, Kiwi flipped open the lid covering the button, and slammed his fist down onto it.

The tower halted its spin with a metallic screech.

BOOM.

A crimson ray burst upward, piercing the clouds like a divine spear. The sky opened in a flash of red light, a glowing tunnel through the heavens.

We ran like our lives depended on it. It felt like we were matadors chased by an enraged bull. And I meant it, literally.

Monsters surged between us and the tower.

We slashed, fired and cast spells.

Claws and fangs cutting us, but thanks to the [Gel Body] passive and the still-active Stoneguard Ward, it felt more like scratches than wounds. We pressed forward.

Then, out of nowhere, a soft green glow washed over us. A warmth spread through our muscles, dulling the pain and lifting our fatigue.

"What the—?" I glanced up.

And there she was.

Mina.

The tiny fairy hovered above us, her wings shimmering like leaves in spring sunlight. She danced in the air as she cast Soothing Pollen, her signature healing spell.

My eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. "Why is she here?!"

I dodged a claw swipe, slashed a monster, and shouted at Bob, "Did you summon her?!"

Bob immediately caught Mina with his left hand and pressed her to his chest.

"Mina-chan, it’s dangerous here! If I need your help, I’ll call you," he said, his tone somewhere between worry and scolding.

The transparent dome was nearly touching the ground now. Above us, where the tower had projected its beam, the clouds began to glow red, like something massive and fiery loomed just behind them. A low, thunderous rumble rolled through the air.

We pushed everything we had into our legs. Every leap felt heavier than the last.

Thirty meters... twenty... ten...

We were getting close.

Then...

WHOOSH!

A deafening jet-like sound tore through the air behind us. I glanced back, and a trident shot toward my face, point-blank.

This is it, I thought. I’m going to lose my head.

But before that happened..

PANG!

The trident froze mid-air, caught in the gap by a long staff that slammed into it from the side.

I recognized that staff instantly.

Kiwi.

He stood behind the dome with Liam,Their faces were in tension, hands clenched.

I gave a small nod.

I owe you one, Kiwi.

The bull monster roared in fury, enraged that its kill was denied. Its voice ripped through the battlefield like a war drum, commanding all monsters and beasts. From the sound of it, I could guess what it means...

’Kill them before they reach safety.’

Above us, the clouds swirled violently. Lightning sparked across their surface. The glow intensified, it was ready to release whatever was hiding behind it.

Only ten meters left.

I looked at the sky, the protective shield nearly encapsulating the tower, the swarm of monsters, and then... I looked at Bob.

He was panting hard, running while clutching Mina to his chest like a precious gem. His eyes burned with fatigue, his body trembling.

The protective dome was almost sealed.

Monsters closed in. Everything seem slowed.

At that moment, my mind filled with flashes, our first days in this world, the laughter, the bonds we formed, the thrill of pulling super rare cards, the taste of real friendship. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

This was real. This mattered. And if we died here...

Where would we ever feel this again?

NO!

We had to make it.

I clenched Indra.

I stopped running.

"Wha—?!" Bob looked back, confused. "What are you doing?!"

I didn’t answer.

I turned to face the oncoming horde. The bull monster sneered, thinking I had surrendered. But never in my mind I thought of that.

I pointed my gunblade forward. It began to hum with energy. A swirling purple array formed at the barrel, glowing brighter with each breath.

I shouted the spell as loud as I can.

"WIND BLAST!"

A compressed torpedo of wind exploded from Indra. The recoil slammed into me, launching me backward like a rocket. I collided with Bob, and we were both sent flying toward the dome.

The monsters behind us were caught in the vortex, swept off their feet and flung away.

We just barely crossed the threshold as the dome sealed shut behind us.

I crashed into Bob, who hit the wall of the tower first, face-first.

"Ughh!" he groaned, his nose flattening against the steel.

I landed on top of him, cushioned by his fat.

And then...

The sky split open.

A blinding red light descended upon the town, so bright it was like a flashbang going off. I instinctively closed my eyes. Followed by...

BOOM!

The loudest sound I’d ever heard in my life. A thunderclap of destruction. The ground shook violently. The monsters outside vanished in the blinding light. The world burned red.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢