Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented-Chapter 188

Angels fighting on the side of demons—an ironic sight, even if they were mere statues.

Angels were said to serve the goddess. Yet now, as they displayed hostility toward us, there was only one course of action: destruction.

*Clang!*

My sword clashed against the Seventh-Tier Angel’s shield, sparks flying from the impact. Pushing forward with force, I swung my blade with all my strength. The angel staggered back a step before raising its stone sword and charging again, its swing aimed directly at me.

*Clang!*

This time, our swords collided.

In *Astria Online*, the swordsman class generally didn’t use shields. Even demon swordsmen like Death Knights fought without them. Once someone reached the level of mastering mana, their sword could serve both offensive and defensive purposes. The only warriors I’d encountered using shields were knights or heavily armored infantry who lacked mana capabilities and relied solely on physical strength.

But this Seventh-Tier Angel wielded its shield expertly. Even after spending more than a decade in this world, I’d never faced an opponent with such a distinct fighting style.

Sure, I’d fought named bosses like golem warriors who used shields as weapons, but this angel’s technique was more refined. It strategically raised its shield to block my attacks and immediately counterattacked with precise strikes from its sword.

A sword-and-shield combat style—it was foreign to me.

The angel’s buckler-like shield, held in its left hand, was larger than I’d expected. When in a defensive stance, the shield completely covered its body, rendering most frontal attacks useless.

If frontal strikes were ineffective, I’d have to target its rear.

*Swish.*

Taking advantage of an opening, I maneuvered behind the angel and struck its stone back with my blade.

*Crack!*

Sparks flew. This thing wasn’t made of ordinary material, but I could see the damage registering.

*Roar!*

The angel let out a deep, resonant sound, its stone body reverberating as it spun its sword around to attack me. *Clang!* The heavy strike couldn’t penetrate the perfect timing of my "Just Guard."

This was a mid-boss-tier enemy, comparable to named bosses in elite dungeons. While its movements were slower than mine, its sheer durability and high HP suited a raid environment. It wasn’t a difficult enemy, but it required patience.

Taking a brief moment, I glanced toward Chris.

*Swish! Boom! Crash!*

Chris’s figure blurred as she dashed across the battlefield, leaving fiery afterimages in her wake. Buffed by her personal enhancements, she weaved expertly through the ranks of the Ninth-Tier Angels, attacking and dodging with precision.

Some people had once given me the embarrassing nickname "Silver Flash." Probably those GG guild members from my earlier days. But now, Chris deserved a similar moniker—"Red Flash"—as she left glowing trails of light behind her graceful movements.

Satisfied that Chris was holding her own, I turned my focus back to the Seventh-Tier Angel in front of me.

[Level 58]

[Seventh-Tier Angel]

[HP: 184,005,090 / 200,000,000 (92%)]

Just as in the *Scarlet Grove* raid, mid-bosses in raid dungeons often had special mechanics. If this angel followed the same pattern, it would likely ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) have a special phase triggered at specific HP thresholds.

I needed to deplete its HP quickly to see what it would do.

*Whoosh!*

I ducked under the angel’s sweeping blade and closed the distance to its flank. It was slower than me; even without using skills, I could easily outmaneuver it. I slashed between its wing joint and waist.

*Crack!*

The angel retaliated with the pommel of its sword, aiming for my head. Sliding my blade along its stony surface, I carved deeply into its body and executed a swift escape.

*Sparks!*

The angel staggered as my follow-up attack landed. I used the opening to unleash a barrage of starlight slashes.

*Bang! Bang! Boom!*

The strikes forced the angel to take two steps back, its HP dropping rapidly to 90%.

I steadied my stance, watching the angel intently. It now had two possible options: charge forward with its sword in a standard attack pattern, or—

*Thunk!*

The angel drove its sword into the ground.

This was no standard attack. It was entering a special phase.

Without turning, I called out to Chris.

"Unni! The Seventh-Tier Angel is entering a special phase!"

"Already? Got it!"

Even while skillfully kiting the Ninth-Tier Angels, Chris immediately shifted some of her focus to the Seventh-Tier Angel.

*Swish.*

The angel released its sword and raised an empty hand toward me.

*Buzz.*

Golden energy began to gather in its palm.

*Flash!*

The golden energy shot toward me in a straight line. I sidestepped just in time, the beam grazing past my chest.

"Whew."

I exhaled, steadying my nerves. The energy projectile was fast and dangerous, but it had been manageable.

"That can’t be all," I muttered.

*Buzz!*

The angel’s shield floated into the air, emitting a brilliant glow before breaking apart into several smaller pieces. These fragments dispersed throughout the battlefield.

"What the—what is this!?"

Even Chris, still busy with the Ninth-Tier Angels, had a shield fragment floating in front of her.

I quickly surveyed the area.

The shields had formed a perimeter around the expansive combat zone, numbering twelve in total.

The angel’s hands were now empty, but they both pointed toward me.

*Buzz.*

Golden energy began to gather once more, this time in both hands.

*Flash!*

Two beams of light shot out. I dodged one, but the other wasn’t aimed at me—it struck one of the shield fragments instead.

"Unni, get away from the shields!"

*Flash!*

Chris barely reacted in time, her defensive talismans shattering as the beam passed through her position and hit another shield fragment.

The shield absorbed the beam and emitted a glow before reflecting it toward another fragment. The process repeated, with the beams bouncing unpredictably across the battlefield.

"These beams... they’re ricocheting!?"

*Zap!*

A beam narrowly missed Chris, forcing her to duck as she sent me a confident smile.

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"I can handle two beams!"

*Zap!*

I tilted my head just enough to avoid another beam. The shields absorbed the light and reflected it in a chaotic, ever-changing pattern.

This phase required us to fight while dodging projectiles that ricocheted unpredictably. While fast and dangerous, the shields emitted a faint glow before releasing a beam, giving us just enough warning.

"So far, so good," I muttered.

*Tack!*

I rushed toward the unarmed Seventh-Tier Angel.

*Clang!*

It retrieved its sword and met me head-on. Sparks flew as our blades clashed.

[Level 58]

[Seventh-Tier Angel]

[HP: 119,179,511 / 200,000,000 (60%)]

We were making progress, but I had a feeling the second special phase would demand even more.

*Thunk!*

The angel drove its sword into the ground once more.

*Buzz! Flash!*

Now there were four beams bouncing around the battlefield.

"Unni, how are the mobs coming along!?"

"They’re... slowing down! How do they expect me to kite and dodge these beams while dealing damage!?"

Chris was clearly struggling. The Ninth-Tier Angels’ HP was decreasing at a much slower rate. The strain of kiting over ten mobs, dodging beams, and chipping away at their health was immense—this was a task designed for multiple ranged DPS players, not a solo effort.

At this rate, the final phase could unleash six beams. That would be impossible.

I felt an instinctual urge to act.

Looking at one of the floating shields, I made a decision.

Those shields were the source of the problem. Without them, the beams couldn’t bounce around.

Maybe... I could destroy them.

All at once.