ALL NOVEL Distance
I noticed a little late that Subtle had cast buff spells on us, with a special addition for Ritta and Nomad. Both were now running in a zigzag pattern, seemingly trying to deceive The Angler's sight. Spurred on by their spirits, we tailed not long after.
Subtle cast debuff spells on the Angler right after our pair entered its range.
"[Internal Elixir]," said Ritta, placing both fists on her chest. Though they were still far away, Ritta gestured as if she were throwing something from her hand. "[Shield Bash]," she continued. A blue energy shot like a plate, but unfortunately, even though it hit the Angler directly, it had no effect. However, it successfully awakened the final boss and our battle officially began.
"[Shield Cannon]." She used a similar gesture, this time the brown energy plate shot managed to push the boss a few inches.
Then it was Nomad's turn, using [Assault Attack], attacking with his sword and shield alternately. To our surprise, most of his moves were read by the Angler, who then found an opportunity to strike back.
"[Guard Strike]." As if appearing out of nowhere, Ritta blocked Angler's attack and counterattacked immediately. "[Shield Uppercut]," she continued. The Angler's chin was hit hard, almost sending it flying into the air, but it managed to land a strong punch on Ritta's shield, causing both her legs to tremble from the force.
Their movements were so fluid that I couldn't keep up, a close-range battle which I was incapable of performing.
In a split second, Appa joined the fight. His leaps were not only fast and high, but also precise. The tip of his halberd was just inches away from The Angler's face and successfully slamming it far away.
Ritta wasted no time to immediately chase after The Angler, challenging it to a bare-handed duel. The two of them engaged in a flurry of attacks and dodges, reminiscent of a fight between a skilled boxer and a street brawler.
Emerging from the enemy's blind spot was Nomad, his crimson slashes tearing through The Angler's back. Without missing a beat, the push from his shield brought The Angler crashing to the ground.
Then there was Appa, suspended in the air right above the lying Angler. As soon as I saw him, in an instant, he disappeared from my sight and reappeared with an energy blast as his halberd pierced The Angler to the ground.
"Damn," I muttered to myself. They were truly incredible to the point I could hardly keep up. I couldn't even find an opening to join in and follow their rhythm.
I found myself unable to move much, my muscles seemingly stuck in place. Part of it was due to my awe at their flawless teamwork, but mostly it was frustration at my inability to contribute in the fight. After all, I was supposed to be the magic DPS! Damn it, damn it, damn it!
Until I realized that the boss's HP had dropped by about a third, I don't know since when. The pattern of their battle clearly shifted into a more intense one. My comrades who were initially above the sky were forced to come down to the same, even lower ground.
It was precisely because of the human-size that made The Angler's fighting style so frightening. No matter that this was a five-on-one fight, this boss could easily embarrass our party's excellent cooperation.
"It's entering phase two," Appa shouted.
"Lead, it's your turn now."
"After receiving a large amount of physical damage, The Angler will increase its resistance to a high level. On the other hand, its resistance to magic becomes weaker."
We didn't have time to discuss this beforehand, or maybe I just completely forgot about it? Whatever it was, their explanation stimulated my muscles to action.
Without delay, I called upon Versatile, and magical energy enveloped me like a gentle breeze.
Unlike usual, I felt hesitant about how to start my attack. While this was somewhat of my stage, my teammates couldn't just retreat from The Angler. If they did, aggro would be ruined, and our formation would be shattered right then and there.
My comrades flawlessly took turns to guard the aggro while delivering counterattacks. Each of them had adequate HP and resistance, but what about me? Honestly speaking, just one or two hits from the boss in this phase could send me straight to critical injury.
Without realizing it, I had already drawn my bowstring, as if driven by habit and necessity. The skill that briefly crossed my mind had moved into the casting time. As I began to feel the temperature rise, suddenly, The Angler's gaze locked onto me. No, it was more accurate to say it was targeting me.
"Ah sh*t."
Appa, who was engaged in combat, noticed the sudden change. Before he could do anything, The Angler completely ignored him and redirected his gaze towards me.
"We forgot to mention that in this phase, it's extremely sensitive to magic," Appa said.
The Angler, which had entered its second phase, used a weapon in the form of a long staff, more like a specially shaped branch. It ignored all my comrades' attacks and ran towards me. My feet spontaneously stepped back and ran in circles while keeping my distance.
Ritta threw [Shield Bash] and [Shield Cannon], but they had no effect.
Then, valiantly, Nomad appeared before The Angler. His shield firmly withstood the wooden staff's powerful impact. I thought it would be over, but The Angler continued to perform the same move until Nomad's shield was pushed back, exposing his front unprotected.
At that moment, an arrow carrying flame exploded right in The Angler's chest. With no time to react, Nomad tried to protect himself with his shield. And my second shot successfully made The Angler take a step back. My third shot was dodged, and my fourth shot was dodged as well. My fifth and final shot was parried with the wooden staff.
“The duck with this guy?” I was more than shocked.
"We need to immobilize him so he can't evade," Appa shouted from a distance. "Someone also needs to be skilled in directing magic without hitting our friends."