Reincarnated as a Dragon's Egg - Chapter 753

『Witness the power that I have obtained!』

Baal is pouncing towards me. I begin casting [Curse Knight] while raising my claws.

But, I have no idea how to respond. Even if I manage to completely win an exchange, he’ll use [Choice of the Quantum Cat] to cancel it out and then hit me with an unavoidable attack again. It’s almost inevitable that I’ll take a massive amount of damage in retaliation. I have no choice but to bear this in mind, but as a result, I’ll inevitably keep second guessing everything I do.

Suddenly, a tremor seems to run through Baal, and he disappears. He’s using [Feline Alibi] again. The MP cost is high, so I had thought he might not use it again, but he seems to be using it like it’s nothing.

The next moment, a blow strikes the back of my head.

“GuuUU!”

My consciousness flickers. Another claw hits my back, and I haphazardly release the [Curse Knights] as I twist around.

The four pale knights charge towards Baal. But, he doesn’t show any sign of avoiding them. At the moment of contact, his outline shakes and he appears to dissolve into the space. The knights pass through where he stood, then he quickly rematerialises.

His control of [Feline Alibi] has improved! He kept the MP cost low by waiting until the last moment.

He’s charging towards me again. What should I do? If I use a lot of MP on my attacks, then even if it hits he’ll just escape by overlaying a different world with [Choice of the Quantum Cat].

A huge number of scenarios play out in my head, but in none of them can I find a way of gaining an advantage. Regardless, I need to do something to keep Baal in check before he reaches me. At this rate my [Autoregeneration] won’t be able to keep up.

I fire a [Dimension Claw]. But, by the time I complete my swing, he has already jumped up above where I targeted. I look up, but he’s not there.

That’s impossible! Panicked, I search for Baal, only for him to suddenly appear right in front of me. He threw me off by disappearing the moment he was out of my sight. Unable to block, I receive his claws with my chest.

“Gooh…!”

I’m thrown into the air as Baal’s tail swings down to hit me with a follow-up attack. A huge shock runs through my body, and I realise I’ve been thrust down onto the ground.

I can’t win. If I keep taking hits like this, my MP will hit zero in no time. This was exactly the kind of scenario I needed to avoid.

Just as Baal declared, I can’t even force him to use [Choice of the Quantum Cat]. Part of it is that I can’t afford to go all out in my attacks, but his physical abilities have also increased in his new body, and his ability to fluidly use [Feline Alibi] is incredibly difficult to deal with.

I was so close. Just one more push would have been enough, so why did he have to get so much stronger at the last moment!

『I thought you would cling on a little longer, but it seems this is all you have.』

Baal looks down at me.

『[Gravity]!』

I stand up, spreading a field of ultra-high gravity around me.

Gravity is my only way of countering [Feline Alibi]. It should make it harder for him to move, but also allow me to sense his location. The MP cost isn’t too severe either.

The cost isn’t zero, but in this situation I’ve no choice but to rely on [Gravity] to even create a situation where I can fight him in hand-to-hand combat.

『Hm, so that’s your answer. You think you can oppose my skill with that?』

Baal speaks, then disappears again. Before I can find him with [Gravity], he reappears behind me and knocks me flying with a claw attack to my back. Immediately, I receive an uppercut to my chin. My fangs break and my mouth fills with blood. Without rest, an attack comes from my left, then from my right.

My healing can’t keep up…! Just barely, I manage to sink my broken fangs into Baal’s foreleg.

“GuuUUUU…!”

He disappears, and my fangs pass through empty space. As my jaw clamps shut, Baal’s tail slams into my side.

I tumble across the ground. My body feels heavy. My mind is foggy.

『What’s wrong? Fight back. Show me your final brilliance.』

Are there no skills I can use…? I can’t resist at all at this rate.

Do I have no choice but to use my one-time-use [Butterfly Dream]? No, it had garbled characters in its description. There’s a good chance it’s a time bomb that God’s Voice set for me.

Besides, even if I revive with HP and MP restored, I’m not confident I can beat Baal as he is now. I can’t let this situation continue. I need a strategy to resist him.

I could use [Roll] to buy time… No, that’s pointless. It would give Baal time to recover his MP, increasing the number of times he can use [Choice of the Quantum Cat].

I could cover a large area with [Hellgate]… But the cost to me would be too high, and with Baal’s speed he could probably escape easily. He could also just negate the damage entirely with [Choice of the Quantum Cat].

I’ll use [Dite] and [Cocytus] as needed, but he can avoid them with [Feline Alibi]. Their MP cost is also significant.

Is there nothing I can do…? No matter how I think of it, all the skills I’ve used before seem completely powerless in the face of Baal’s ability. Then, a skill that I haven’t used before…

【Normal Skill [Doomsday Tone]】

【Breaks down the user’s health and mana to boost attack power and speed.】

【However, the user’s reason is also broken down, causing them to fall into a frenzied state.】

【The frenzy will not abate until everything in sight is reduced to nothing.】

【Even after ending, it is highly likely that some mental changes will persist.】

【When activated, the force of the mana leaving the user’s body causes a strange sound to be heard, appearing to be coming from far away.】

【According to the Holy God religion, when the divine messengers use instruments to signal the end of the world, the sound produced will be the same as this skill.】

There it is… A skill that I’ve never used, that might give me the power to stand up to Baal.

This is the centre of the royal capital. Is it okay for me to use such a dangerous skill here?

Various thoughts pass through my mind.

Do I have any other options?

I’m already on the verge of death, so even after defeating Baal I probably won’t have the energy to go on a rampage.

Can I even win with this skill?

All it does is raise my physical abilities.

I won’t be able to use precise tactics.

No, against the current Baal, tactics won’t make much difference.

What I need is an overwhelming power advantage.

If I lose, this city will be destroyed by Baal.

The Magic Best King is still rampaging in Noah’s Forest.

If I don’t defeat Baal here, will anyone else ever be able to fulfill Miia’s dearest wish and free this world from God’s Voice?

…That’s just an excuse to me, isn’t’ it?

Suddenly, Aro and treant’s faces pass through my mind.

Right now, those two should be buying time against the Magic Beast King, trusting that I’ll come to help. I can’t afford to fall here.

『Time to end this!』

Baal is running towards me.

I activate [Doomsday Tone].

An incredible power surges up from inside me. My mind feels calm. Emptiness fills my mind. My vision is dyed redder and redder as my ability to think fades away.

A dark light starts to leak out from my body. The mana leaving my body shakes the air and the ground, creating a strange sound. The sound is almost like that of a set of discordant trumpets.

I can clearly see Baal’s movements.

『You still had another trick left. A strange skill, but… If it was useful, you would have already used it. This is meaningless struggling! If you think you can oppose me with that skill, then I’d like to see you try!』

Baal leaps off the ground, pouncing towards me. He disappears, then reappears the next moment beside me.

I swing with the back of my claw, knocking him away. His body flies through the air, but he quickly digs his claws into the ground to regain his posture.

『I see, so it raises your physical ability at a cost as a last resort. Seeing your continued struggle is most amusing. I won’t have another real fight for thousands of years, so I am glad for the chance to test my new body a little longer!』