Chapter 19 – [side Hero Party, Oliver] Hero Party vs.
Black Dragon

　Down to the 90th floor, there’s a Floor Boss every 10 floors, but in the deep layers, there starts to be a Floor Boss on every floor.

　This is the big difference between the lower layers and the deep layers.

　A Floor Boss is a demonic beast that has great power in exchange for being restricted to moving within a certain range. 

　It’s unclear whether Floor Bosses can go beyond that range, but until now, there hasn’t been reports about a single time where that has happened. 

　Therefore, ‘Floor Bosses are demonic beasts that don’t move’ is common sense for explorers. 

　Even though that was what people said, despite this being a place far away from the Boss Area, where it should never be, the Black Dragon is here as if it’s natural.

　Why!?

　The Black Dragon releases a loud roar as it plunges towards us, who are still confused.

“Tch!”

　Derrick promptly goes forward, raising his shield. 

“–su.
Philly! Prioritise Derrick, buff everyone with everything you have!”

“…………Ah,…………”

　Philly, like in trance, didn’t show a single reaction to my words. 

“–su! No buffs! Everyone, evade on your own!”

　While carrying Philly, I call out to everyone, and we start to leave.

　If it were Orn, even before I shouted, he would have already activated magic to support Derrick. 

　An Enchanter better than Orn, but why can’t you do the things Orn can do!?

　The Black Dragon, carrying its momentum, lands on the ground on all fours.

　When it lands, Philly and I receive the impact from behind and are blown away. 

　As I try to somehow break my fall and land upright, a lump of flame approaches me. 

　The Black Dragon’s pursuit. 

　Even if I manage to somehow dodge, the high temperature of the radiating heat will leave me with light burns. 

　Quickly look around my surroundings.
Aneri, safe.

　Hm? Luna has rushed to Derrick and is using recovery magic. 

　I can’t tell the state of his injuries from here, but he looks conscious. 

“Oliver! Please buy us time to retreat! In our current state, we have no prospects of winning!” 

　Luna, in a loud voice, requests for us to withdraw. 

　Now that the Defender can’t function, it’s not a situation where we can directly fight the Black Dragon.

“Ku, can’t be helped huh.
–Philly can you already move!?”

“Y, yes.
I’m sorry.”

　The impact that sent us flying earlier appears to have helped her slightly regain her calm.

“Apologise later.
First, buff everyone! Then join Luna!”

“Yes!”

　Philly immediately buffs me.

　I collect the mana that exists in the air onto my blade.

　By nature, mana is invisible to the eye, but due to the mana gathering in one place, something like pale golden flames wrap around my blade.

　Among humans, there are sometimes a rare few who possess special abilities known as Talents.

　–Talents, different from magic used by humans, different from magic used by demonic beasts, a general term for an entirely different type of power.

　The Talent I hold is [Magic Convergence].

　[Magic Convergence] is a straightfoward ability that allows me to collect the mana in the surroundings into one place. 

　However, the destructive power of the shock wave generated from instantly releasing the converged mana can exceed even special-grade magic which requires a long time for activation.

“Heavenly Flash!!”

　Swing my sword clad in golden flames.

　Sending out in a flying slash the mana collected on my blade, my strongest technique. 

　To weaken the flying abilities of the Black Dragon, blast away the wings!

　Our previous subjugation was enough proof that without its wings, its flight would be severely handicapped.

　A golden slash hits the Black Dragon’s wings, and the slash bursts into a gigantic shockwave. 

　Like this, even if we retreat, it won’t be able to chase after us.

“–What!?”

　The last time we had defeated the Black Dragon, I was able to rupture its wings with “Heavenly Flash”.

　But this time, not only are the wings still left, it doesn’t even look like it has suffered any major injuries.

“w, why……”

“Oliver, danger!”

　I feel like I heard Aneri’s voice.

“Gahaaa…!”

　The fact that Heavenly Flash was unable to inflict a single wound made my head blank.

　When I realize, the Black Dragon’s tail is already approaching me at a speed that I can’t track with my eyes, launching me spinning into the air.

“…koho, koho.”

　I can’t perform the necessary breakfall and hit the ground, but thanks to Philly’s buff, the damage isn’t enough to be fatal.

　Aneri attacks in place of me, but like before, her power isn’t enough, and the Black Dragon doesn’t even look like it cares. 

　Fortunately, I was blown away to a place near Derrick and Luna, and I receive Luna’s recovery magic.

“…Oliver, let’s use the ‘Capricious Door’.
Even though we’ll end up fighting another Floor Boss, it’ll be many times better than facing the Black Dragon!”

　Luna suggests while treating me.

　”Capricious Door” is a magic tool that can only be used in the Great Labyrinth.

　With this tool, you can forcibly connect the space where you use it with the space of some other place, and you can move there.

　However, the destination is random, except that it will definitely connect to… a Boss Area other than one in the deep layer. 

　Normally, there would be no way you would use a magic tool like this that makes you fight a Floor Boss immediately after moving. 

　However, the demonic beast at the destination will be definitely weaker than the Black Dragon.

　Even though we might have fallen into a slump, with these members, any Floor Boss other than deep layer Floor Bosses can be defeated. 

“Got it.”

　After recovering, I take out a glass flask containing white smoke from my storage magic tool.

“Using ‘Capricious Door’! Everyone, jump in!”

　After informing the other members, I strike the retrieved flask against the ground.

　White smoke rises from the broken flask, distorting the space.

　As everyone is trying to get into that distorted space, the Black Dragon slams both its forelegs on the ground. 

　That impact causes the ground to shake and split in many places.

　Our balance breaks, our hands touch the ground. 

　Staying in that position, the Black Dragon flies while hugging close to the surface and charges towards us. 

　From our habits as veteran explorers, everyone instantly moves away to dodge the Black Dragon’s charge. 

　And like that, the Black Dragon touches the distorted space. 

　Swallowed by the distortion, the Black Dragon disappears before our eyes. 

　As though the previous battle had been an illusion, silence dominates the space.