After the wind pressure dispersed, the clash between Elico and Shirona remained evenly matched for a moment.
"Magic: Windstorm."
Elico chanted the incantation, and dense wind energy enveloped her katana.
"Windstorm: Dance of the Slash!"
Moving faster than the eye could follow, Elico swung her blade once—this slash was entirely different from before.
Even with her tentacle defenses, Shirona still suffered a shallow cut from the razor-sharp wind blades across her cheek.
This was the first time Shirona had bled in this battle.
"Strange magic… It feels more like something the Sakura Congress would use,"
Shirona murmured, wiping the blood from her cheek and lightly licking it.
"But now that you've shown your full strength, I'm actually a little interested." Shirona smirked faintly.
"I have five dances. Don't assume you've seen my full power just yet," Elico retorted bluntly.
"Oh? But didn't you just tell me yourself?" Shirona tilted her head innocently.
Watching this mature woman feign innocence made a vein visibly throb on Elico's forehead.
"Windstorm: Dance of the Thrust!"
Elico pointed her blade directly at Shirona. Even from this distance, Shirona could feel the sheer power radiating from the thrust—ten times stronger than the combined efforts of Furo and Nicolime earlier.
It wasn't just raw power—Elico's speed after activating [Windstorm] far surpassed anything Furo or Nicolime could achieve.
Unlike her previous wide slash, this second technique was a focused thrust, concentrating all her destructive force into a single point.
Shirona braced herself, crossing her tentacles in front of her body for defense.
But before the strike landed, Elico's figure blurred.
In an instant, she appeared behind Shirona.
Shirona: So fast?!
What followed was an onslaught—countless wind-infused thrusts rained down upon Shirona.
Each strike from Elico carried lethal intent, and the gale raged around Shirona like a demon unleashed.
...
When the storm finally subsided...
"So you have five sword techniques, huh? That's genuinely exciting. What's the third one?"
Shirona locked eyes with Elico.
Elico's attack had indeed targeted a spot Shirona hadn't defended.
But at the last moment, Shirona had conjured a fire-elemental armor on her back.
All of Elico's strikes were neutralized by the flames.
Seizing the opportunity, Shirona ensnared Elico with her tentacles.
Elico: Damn it… She's soaked in water, yet she's using fire magic so effortlessly?!
Despite being thoroughly drenched, Shirona manipulated fire magic with absolute mastery.
Now completely restrained, Elico struggled to unleash any of her remaining three techniques.
"Go on then—show me what else you've got~"
Shirona tightened her grip, binding Elico even more firmly.
"Ugh—"
Elico gasped for air, finding it hard to breathe.
Unlike her fight with Furo, Shirona showed no mercy here—both combatants were dead set on hospitalizing the other.
But Elico refused to yield. Even immobilized, she could still cast basic spells.
A violent gust of wind surged outward once more.
Yet Shirona didn't budge an inch.
"I'll admit it—your wind magic is the strongest I've ever seen among tentacle girls, in both power and speed. But unfortunately… it's still not enough to beat me."
Shirona shook her head, preparing to deliver the finishing blow.
"Is that so…?"
Elico abruptly ceased the wind pressure.
Shirona blinked in surprise—was she giving up already?
But the next second, Shirona realized her body had gone completely numb, unable to move.
"What… is this?!"
Her eyes darted to Elico's blade—and spotted the anomaly.
The original emerald-green wind enchantment had transformed into a vivid violet—lightning!
The electricity traveled from Elico's blade through her own body, conducted along Shirona's wet tentacles, and surged into Shirona's entire form.
Thanks to her slime-based physiology, the current spread instantly across her whole body.
Now utterly paralyzed, Shirona couldn't move a muscle.
"You're dual-elemental?!"
Shirona was genuinely caught off guard. Getting close to a lightning mage in melee combat was always a terrible idea.
"I never said I only used wind," Elico said coldly.
She intensified the electric current.
Though bound and unable to perform sword techniques, the lightning itself posed little direct threat to Shirona.
However, paralysis brought a far worse consequence:
Shirona's grip on the Golden Tentacle—now completely unguarded.
"Got it!"
The white-haired, heterochromatic tentacle girl had been waiting for this moment. She lunged forward to snatch the Golden Tentacle.
But…
"You're still not clever enough, little Furo."
Though paralyzed, Shirona's tentacles weren't entirely immobile.
The instant Furo drew near, Shirona seized her too.
"Wahhh! I'm done for!" Furo cried out—then immediately burst into laughter.
"Just kidding! Big sis~"
Furo's body melted into slime, then reformed.
A pink-haired loli stuck out her tongue at Shirona.
Shirona: …?!
Wait—this "Furo" was actually Nicolime in disguise!
Then where was the real Furo…?
"Not good!"
Shirona tried to pull her arm back, but it was too late—Furo had already seized the Golden Tentacle.
"Sorry, sis… I win!"
Golden light enveloped Furo's body.
She lashed out with a tentacle whip, striking Shirona with unimaginable force.
The blow sent Shirona flying.
At the same moment, the bindings on Elico and Nicolime vanished.
With that strike, Furo had claimed victory in this boss battle.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations on your victory!]
[Reward: 300 points]
[Current balance: 1,330 points]
[Loot obtained: Golden Tentacle (Legendary)]
Furo: "Whoa… I feel so powerful—especially my tentacles!"
Though the Golden Tentacle felt no different from ordinary golden jewelry to the touch, Furo could sense it constantly channeling energy into her.
That single strike had sent her sister flying—proof of just how potent this artifact was.
Now she understood why Sui Sui said that with this, Furo could finally stand toe-to-toe with Elico.
"Yay, master! Plan B worked! It worked! ≧▽≦"
Nicolime leapt forward and hugged Furo tightly.
But Furo had already started shedding tears.
"Uh… Master, you don't have to cry from happiness, do you?"
Nicolime tilted her head, puzzled. Was defeating her sister really that moving?
Of course, that wasn't why Furo was crying.
"It's just… I'm finally not a useless weakling anymore QAQ"
She could finally turn things around! From now on, she'd be a monster girl whose combat power far surpassed her peers!
Thinking back on her days as a literal "battle level 5"—no, even weaker than that—she couldn't help but weep.
"Um… Master, shouldn't we go check on your sister?" Nicolime suggested.
"Oh, right… I think I might've hit her a bit too hard."
They walked over to Shirona, planning to return upstairs together and celebrate Furo's victory with dinner—
—but halfway there…
"Ugh…!"
Furo suddenly tripped flat on her face.
"Master!"
"What's wrong…? Ugh…" Furo tried to stand, but her limbs felt utterly drained.
Why did she suddenly feel so empty? X﹏X
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in her mind.
[Silly Furo! It's because you've been 'rewarding' yourself with your tentacles too much! (˃ ⌑ ˂ഃ )]
Furo: …Huh?