Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented-Chapter 189

The Ninth-Tier Angels chased Chris.

The Seventh-Tier Angel squared off against me.

And surrounding us were the floating angelic shields.

The beams reflected by the shields created a chaotic battlefield.

This mid-boss was undeniably challenging. Even with a full 12-player raid, it wouldn’t be an easy fight. The reflected beams would likely cause many players to be incapacitated.

The mechanics resembled those of a high-level named boss. However, since this was only a mid-boss, the gimmicks couldn’t be impossibly difficult to counter.

*Zap! Clang!*

My suspicion proved correct.

As soon as the cooldown for *Starlight Sword Slash* ended, I directed it at the closest floating shield. The radiant slash struck true, shattering one of the shields.

*Clang!*

The Seventh-Tier Angel charged at me immediately, its stone blade crashing against my own. I blocked the strike and quickly surveyed the area.

It wasn’t easy to divide my attention like this while fighting a boss. And there were still too many shields. Breaking just one wasn’t enough—they were durable and required multiple strikes to destroy. Using basic attacks or weaker techniques like *Throwing Blade Arts* wouldn’t even scratch them.

What about Chris? She was struggling even more than I was. Dodging beams while kiting over a dozen Ninth-Tier Angels was already pushing her to the limit. Targeting the shields in her situation was out of the question.

In a 12-player raid, roles could be divided. Melee DPS would handle the Seventh-Tier Angel, ranged DPS would focus on destroying the shields, and tanks or off-DPS would kite the mobs.

But we were only two. Even if I used cooldown resets to launch additional *Starlight Slashes,* we could at best destroy three shields. Chris would likely hit her limit before we finished.

All the shields had to be eliminated immediately.

Fortunately, I had one technique capable of damaging every shield at once.

*Tatatat!*

Decision made, I turned my back on the Seventh-Tier Angel and dashed toward Chris.

"Ahh!"

Chris was so preoccupied that she didn’t notice my approach. She twisted her body to dodge a beam streaking past her waist and ducked under a Ninth-Tier Angel’s sword aimed at her neck.

She was in constant danger.

Lowering my body to accelerate, I rushed toward her.

*Flash! Clang!*

Executing a *Single Slash* mid-sprint, I carved through several angelic statues before reaching Chris’s side.

"Rain!? What are you—!"

Chris’s startled gaze shot down to me as I reached her. Without hesitating, I wrapped my left arm firmly around her waist.

"...Huh?!"

Chris let out a shocked gasp, nearly choking.

Her waist was incredibly slender. Though my arm wasn’t long enough to completely encircle her, it was enough to hold her securely by my side.

"R-Rain! This is too much—hyaaah!"

Chris let out a strange, high-pitched sound. Her body trembled slightly, and her face turned bright red.

What’s with her reaction?

"Unni, stay close to me. Don’t leave my side," I said firmly.

The protective *Sword Barrier* I was about to use functioned like a defensive shield. As long as she stayed close, I could protect both of us.

There was no time to dwell on her odd behavior. I had a job to do.

*Swish.*

With one arm still wrapped around Chris’s waist and the other holding my sword, I began to spin.

It was a sword dance I had learned long ago.

Executing it with one arm was more difficult, but I managed. Spinning gracefully, I left a trail of starlight in my wake.

*Zap! Zap! Crash!*

The beams, the swords of the Ninth-Tier Angels, and even the Seventh-Tier Angel’s powerful charge—all were intercepted by the spinning starlight and scattered.

As the sword dance ended, motes of starlight gathered around us, forming a protective constellation.

This was the moment.

I looked up at Chris, who was still wrapped in my arm and blinking dazedly.

"Unni, buff me."

"...Divine Possession!"

*Fwoosh!*

Even in her bewildered state, Chris responded instinctively. Her power flowed into me, and I activated my next technique.

**[Sword Barrier: Release]**

**[Follow-Up]**

**[Unleashes a powerful slash within a 30-meter radius of the caster.]**

*Zap! Zap! Boom!*

A burst of starlight exploded outward from us, shredding the Ninth-Tier Angels in its path. Stone shards flew everywhere, and the Seventh-Tier Angel was forced to retreat, ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) raising its sword defensively.

But my target wasn’t them.

The starlight continued to spread outward, reaching every corner of the battlefield.

*Zap! Crack! Snap!*

The gray shields placed by the Seventh-Tier Angel all began to crack.

One attack wasn’t enough to destroy them entirely, though.

I pulled Chris closer again, causing her to yelp.

"Unni, one more spin."

"Y-Yes!"

Why was she suddenly using honorifics?

Even in the heat of battle, I couldn’t help but tilt my head in confusion.

Still, I focused on the task at hand.

Using both *Astaroth* and my bracelet’s cooldown reset abilities, I executed a second sword dance. With Chris still in my grasp, I spun again, releasing another wave of starlight.

*Zap! Crack! Boom!*

The battlefield was filled with radiant light. The shields were now on the verge of shattering.

Time for the final blow.

*Zap! Boom!*

As the third wave of starlight tore through the battlefield, three of the Ninth-Tier Angels disintegrated into rubble. The remaining ones were so damaged that Chris could easily finish them off.

*Crack! Smash!*

All the shields shattered simultaneously.

*Zap!*

Without the shields to reflect its beams, the Seventh-Tier Angel’s energy was now useless. The last beam dissipated harmlessly into the far end of the corridor.

*Whoosh!*

I released Chris and pushed her away, sending her sliding across the floor.

"Raaain~!"

Her voice trailed off like a Doppler effect as she skidded to a halt.

I turned to face the Seventh-Tier Angel, whose expressionless stone face seemed even stonier than before.

Grinning, I taunted it.

"Your shields are gone. What now?"

With its reflection gimmick nullified, the Seventh-Tier Angel was now just a simple statue. It was only a matter of time before it crumbled under our attacks.

---

*Rumble.*

The shattered remains of the statue scattered across the floor, reduced to a pile of rubble. Sheathing my sword, I exhaled in relief.

For a mid-boss, it had been quite the challenge. With just the two of us, it had been tough. But with a 12-player raid and the discovery that the shields could be destroyed, the fight would’ve been manageable.

Still, something felt off.

"...Unni?"

"Y-Yes!"

Why was she still using honorifics?

Chris sat on the ground, hugging her shoulders and trembling. When she turned to face me, her eyes held a mix of emotions she couldn’t hide.

I frowned.

"What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting so strange all of a sudden?"

"...I didn’t expect you to be so strong..."

Blushing furiously, Chris covered her cheeks with her hands, her gaze flickering nervously.

What is with this woman?

"Um... I may be agile due to my smaller frame, but my gear gives me plenty of strength, too."

Was she shaken because I had grabbed her and spun her around like that?

"R-Right! That’s true! Outside the game, I wouldn’t be thrown around like this, right?"

"In real life, I’m not very strong," I admitted.

Though I’d regained most of my physical capabilities apart from my legs, my body had weakened significantly during my time on Earth.

Chris seemed to regain her confidence, her expression brightening as she stood up suddenly.

"Y-Yeah! A strong unni has to take the lead!"

"...?"

Today, Chris was on a roll with her antics.

Well, it wasn’t unusual for me to struggle to keep up with her thought process.

More importantly—

*Rumble.*

"The wall ahead is opening."

The wall at the end of the corridor where Bade had disappeared slowly parted, revealing a dark interior.

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Chris snapped out of her reverie, her gaze turning serious as she stared at the opening.

This must be the chamber of the second boss.

Something about it felt ominous.

A strange demon interfering in player instances.

Statues resembling angels.

It felt like this boss would be tied not just to the raid but to the deeper truths of this world.

---

The vast circular chamber resembled a temple with a dome-shaped ceiling.

The opening in the wall led to a point about ten meters above the floor, which sloped downward.

*Tap.*

Chris and I landed lightly on the ground and surveyed the area.

It was a standard arena for a boss fight. Yet, the

walls were adorned with peculiar patterns that incorporated elements of dwarven craftsmanship.

"Rain, look at that."

Chris pointed upward.

On the dome ceiling, spaced evenly around its circumference, were carved faces—or were they masks?

The stone masks had a haunting familiarity.

They were androgynous, beautiful yet emotionless. Despite their stillness, they left a powerful impression.

Searching my memory, I recalled where I’d seen such faces before.

"...!"

It was impossible to forget.

They belonged to the final enemy the hero’s party had faced.

The owner of the blackened wings.

The angel who had fallen long ago.

In a quiet, heavy voice, I whispered the name.

"Lucifer, the Demon King."

Why were stone masks resembling the Demon King adorning this temple?