Chapter 18: Battle with the Demon Ogre Boss – Part 01

The ogre drew a massive war hammer and charged straight at me with terrifying speed. I dodged as fast as I could, teleporting away at the very last moment before being crushed. Ever since the day the girls came to my house to train me, I had been preparing for situations like this.

Each time the ogre missed, his rage grew stronger. He cursed and shouted, furious that he couldn’t land a single blow. But even though I was avoiding his attacks, my mana was quickly running out, and my body was reaching its limit.

At that moment, Kori and Mizuki unleashed their elemental magic. Mizuki summoned massive boulders of earth that rained down on the ogre, while Kori froze the ground beneath him, making him stumble and crash against the walls with her water and ice spells.
Even so, I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold out. My life force and mana were draining fast. I turned to Akane and shouted:

“Akane! How much longer until your special attack is ready?!”
“Just give me one more minute, and I’ll finish it!” she answered.

Akane’s body was engulfed in a blazing crimson aura, like a ruby burning under the sun. The heat radiating from her was so intense that even the air around her seemed to shimmer.
Meanwhile, Mizu ran to my side.

“What are you doing, Mizu? Go protect Akane, I’ll be fine!” I told her.
“You’re kidding, right? You’re exhausted! Let me restore your energy!” she said nervously.

“But Aka—” I tried to reply, but she covered my mouth.

She cast a healing spell on me, draining nearly half of her remaining energy.
“That’s all I can do… Let’s trust Akane to finish this fight,” she whispered.

I worried for Mizu, but I had to think of a backup plan in case Akane’s attack failed. Glancing around, I noticed the cracked ground, fragments of metal scattered here and there. Could I…?

Miku’s voice echoed in my head:
“Of course you can. But you’ll only get one shot. Don’t waste it.”
“Got it. Thanks, Miku,” I replied mentally.

The ogre glared at me, more furious than ever.
“Damn brat! I’ll kill you, I swear on my mother’s name! HERE I COME!” he roared.

He rushed at me with overwhelming speed. I quickly moved my hands into position, and just before his hammer could smash me, I shouted:

“Chains of Death!”

The ogre froze mid-step, eyes wide.
“What… what did you just say?!”

From the walls, pitch-black chains shot out faster than anyone could see. In the blink of an eye, the ogre was bound. But I knew they wouldn’t hold for long. Each time he struggled, pain surged through my body, sharp and merciless—like being stabbed by needles and beaten with iron bats. It wouldn’t kill me, but it was torture all the same. Still, I endured it. I had to hold him long enough for Akane.

Then… a memory from my past life resurfaced.

(Here comes the flashback with Cleer at the summer fair, already corrected like your text.)

When I snapped back, the Demon Ogre Boss had broken free.
“Now you die, filthy brat!” he roared.

Hearing those words, I felt my two lives flash before my eyes in mere seconds. This is it… I failed. Goddess, forgive me…

But just as despair swallowed me, a thunderous roar pierced the battlefield.

“Take this, you bastard! Get away from my friend!” Akane screamed.

From her weapon—now transformed into a massive minigun—a blazing beam of fire shot out. The burning ray struck the ogre, engulfing him in flames so fierce they clung to him no matter how he thrashed against the walls. His screams echoed in agony.

Still, even burning alive, the ogre growled:
“If you truly want me dead… then I’ll kill you first! I’ll use my ultimate technique!”

“Now! Attack while he’s weakened!” Mizuki shouted.

We all unleashed our strongest spells. The ogre bled heavily with each hit, but he refused to fall. One by one, my allies collapsed from exhaustion until I was the only one left standing.

The ogre, his body broken yet grinning, staggered toward me.
“I admit it… I’m on the brink of death. But don’t think you’ll win. I still have this… and with it, your end has come.”