I Became a Raid Boss-Chapter 127: Preparing for Subjugation (1)

A lifetime condensed into a single strike.

Eric's attack pierced the thick miasma surrounding Kana and finally reached her.

‘...Could I do it again?’

No, it was impossible.

Eric shook his head.

He had charged forward, driven by sheer determination to land a blow, and when he came to his senses, the strike had already connected.

How he managed the technique or how it breached Kana’s defenses—

Even Eric himself didn’t know.

“Hah... haha!”

Still, one thing was clear.

Even if it was a miracle, even if it was pure luck layered upon luck, he had hit her once.

And if he could hit her once, he could hit her again.

Realizing that his limits didn’t end here was his greatest takeaway.

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Of course, the cost of that realization wasn’t light.

“Huff... Huff... If you’ve got the energy to laugh, can’t you get down and run yourself? Huff... Isn’t that possible?”

“Sorry, I’m out of strength.”

“Argh...!”

The first cost was that he had poured all his energy into that one strike, leaving him utterly drained, unable to even lift a finger.

Eric hadn’t foreseen this and had resigned himself to the thought that it was over.

Fortunately, one of his subordinates had noticed his condition, carried him, and fled in time to save his life.

Whoosh!

“Ahhh! The captain’s gone mad!”

“Hey! Don’t scream in my ear! Huff... And you said you couldn’t even lift a finger—looks like you’ve got plenty of energy to spare!”

“What? Do I look like I have strength to spare? Look at this arm and tell me again.”

“Ugh, put that orc leg away! I can’t see ahead!”

“What?! Orc leg?!”

“Is that important right now? Do something about this!”

The subordinate, sensing danger, instinctively threw himself to the side.

He nearly fell from the sudden change in direction, but he managed to regain his balance.

It turned out to be the right choice.

Krrrk!

The black miasma swept over the spot where he had just been standing.

Jagged black scars were left in the earth, with traces of miasma still writhing ominously.

Even before he had time to catch his breath, more attacks forced him to dodge frantically.

Kana’s behavior had shifted drastically the moment Eric’s blade had drawn blood.

The once-passive Kana now unleashed torrents of miasma, her dead eyes fixed on them.

Running from her relentless pursuit had become Eric’s second cost.

Of course, it wasn’t merely a cost—it was part of his plan to lure her elsewhere.

But seeing the miasma tear through dozens of trees without losing any momentum, he felt no sense of accomplishment.

“Tch.”

Carried on his subordinate’s back, Eric glanced behind them.

Thankfully, Kana’s pace remained steady, no faster than before.

Their desperate sprint was just enough to keep ahead of her.

“If the captain were in her right mind, this distance would mean nothing. Lucky for us, huh?”

“If she were in her right mind, we wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with!”

“...Oh. Smart one, aren’t you?”

If Kana had heard, she would’ve clapped, joking about how she’d picked such a clever subordinate.

“Turn right.”

Without hesitation, the subordinate followed Eric’s direction, weaving through the forest.

Guided by a mix of instincts and Eric’s commands, he successfully led them out of the woods.

Reaching an open clearing wide enough for the horizon to stretch endlessly, he set Eric down and caught his breath.

“Do you really think this will work?”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t it?”

“Ah, as expected, you always have a plan.”

“Well, if it doesn’t, we’re all dead. No big deal, right?”

The subordinate’s expression went cold in an instant.

Of course.

How foolish he was to have trusted this man, even for a moment.

‘Maybe I should just toss him and run.’

While he seriously contemplated the idea, Eric spoke again.

“Just kidding. It’ll work, trust me.”

“Yeah, sure. Of course it will.”

“...You little—!”

Eric glared at the subordinate with bulging eyes.

How dare he show such disrespect to a superior?

‘In my day, we wouldn’t have dreamed of behaving like this toward our superiors. Is this what the world’s come to?’

Eric clicked his tongue, looking down at the man carrying him.

He wanted nothing more than to stand up and scold him properly, but sadly, Eric was in no condition to move without help.

‘...If only I were in better shape.’

Swallowing his frustration, Eric spoke in a trembling voice.

“Ahem. If I’ve ever treated you unfairly, I apologize.”

“...What’s this all of a sudden?”

“No reason. I just think it’s times like these that we should stick together.”

“If you’ve got the strength to talk nonsense, get off my back already. It doesn’t feel great carrying a grown man, you know.”

“...Hey! You think I enjoy this?!”

“Then get down already!”

“I told you—I don’t have the strength to!”

Eric sighed, feeling a shred of reassurance that his subordinate wasn’t planning to abandon him.

Still, the fact that the man seemed so disgusted made him feel just a tiny bit bitter.

“I still can’t believe this will work.”

“What?”

“That mage. If it was possible to trap her here, why didn’t they stop her earlier? Why drag her all the way out here?”

“When have mages ever done anything that made sense? Why start questioning it now?”

“...Fair enough.”

Eric’s subordinate was easily persuaded.

Eric’s disdain for mages had spread to him like an infectious disease.

“Still, that mage’s skill is undeniable.”

“...Are you sure you haven’t been hit by the miasma? Or eaten something strange? I failed to protect you, and now—”

“Stop being dramatic.”

Eric nudged him lightly with a leg that had regained some strength.

“He’s the most capable mage I’ve ever met.”

“...Weren’t you part of the Crimson Flame Knights?”

“I was. Why?”

“Then... was he one of the royal court mages?”

“No. He’s far above that.”

The mage in question wasn’t just skilled. His status far exceeded even the court mages of Grasis.

He was one of the sages of the mighty Arkha Empire, a figure who commanded awe on the battlefields of the Ardina continent.

‘Still... what’s his angle?’

It was suspicious, to say the least.

Why would someone with such status and power show up suddenly to offer their help?

Crack!

Eric’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a tree splitting apart at the forest’s edge.

As the dust settled, Kana emerged, her pink eyes locking onto Eric despite the distance.

“I’m not into clingy women.”

“Which means you’d be into her if she weren’t clingy, right?”

“...You little—!”

Eric glanced around, relieved to see no one else had overheard their banter.

“Listen. My type is a woman with a perfectly balanced, stunning figure, not some flat little kid.”

At that exact moment, Kana’s gaze grew sharper, though Eric told himself it must’ve been his imagination.

“Will this really be okay?” the subordinate asked, concern returning to his voice.

“...It has to be.”

As Kana drew closer to the center of the clearing, the moment they had been waiting for arrived.

Flash!

A hidden magic circle beneath the ground erupted in brilliant light.

Kana’s gaze darkened as she felt the ominous mana radiating from it. The miasma around her surged in response, growing even more menacing.

But the circle completed its activation faster than Kana could react.

A massive silver barrier sprang up around the clearing, intricate geometric patterns shimmering across its surface.

“...Did we—”

Boom!

“Gah?!”

“Ahhh!”

Before the words could finish, the barrier trembled violently, emitting a deafening noise.

The ground shook, sending the subordinate stumbling and Eric tumbling from his back.

“Ah, my back...”

While Eric groaned on the ground, his subordinate watched the barrier intently, tension etched on his face.

“Is it over?”

“Probably.”

Though the barrier shuddered several more times, emitting sounds of intense impact, it held firm.

Only when the tremors ceased did the subordinate finally collapse onto the ground, exhausted.