Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as the weakest Sword God

The area we entered was huge, looking like a palace reception hall, modeled in an oblong shape the size of a baseball field, there were thick pillars in the corners of the room, and the ceiling was so high you had to crane your neck back to see it.

The floor beneath our feet was covered in tiles, each of which was etched with its own intricate pattern, forming a relief.

If I had to choose one word to describe the place it would be "majestic."

"Whoa!..." Gesse gasped.

There was a monster located deep within this palace-like structure.

The Manatite Hydra...

Roughly twice the size of a Red Wrym, even from a distance, I could make out the gleam of its emerald green scales, as well as its short, sturdy body, and the numerous heads sticking out of it.

"That thing is a Hydra!" I shouted dramatically

"There it is!!" Paul screamed, his eyes not focused on the monster.

There, just past the Hydra, inside the room it protected, was a single magically imbued crystal, one of magnificent size, he had never seen anything so large.

There, inside the crystal, Zenith was imprisoned...

"Zenith!!!" Paul screamed at the top of his lungs.

Not even a second passed and Paul was already charging toward the Hydra

"Fucking asshole!! Don't rush!!" Gesse screamed

"tch!..." Elinalise clicked her tongue and ran after him as did Talhand but neither could catch up

I took a deep breath, with my swords in each hand, it's time to test the result of more than a decade of training...

"Roxy, that's a Hydra Manati, your magic attacks won't work!" I said in a harsh voice.

Roxy put on a tense expression and pressed her staff to her chest

"So...what are we going to do?" she asked in desperation.

"First we have to make Paul see reason, stay here," I said.

I crouched slightly and shot forward leaving a shock wave.

I passed in front of Talhand, Elinalise, and finally, Paul until I reached the Hydra, all this in less than a second.

The Hydra didn't even have time to react and I cut off two of its heads, if I can do it fast maybe I'll have a chance!

"Guuuuooaaaaah!!!!" Paul's deafening scream was so fierce that it reached my ears.

This time the Hydra had time to react and moved its head like a snake, attacking Paul when he approached.

He was sharp and precise in dodging, moving only as much as necessary but...

When he attacked his sword only bounced off the Hydra's scales with a dull sound.

"What the fuck?!" he screamed momentarily losing concentration

I clicked my tongue in frustration and lunged at him to get him out of the Hydra's way and in the process cut off two more heads, the Hydra had nine heads and I had already cut off four.

"Tch! Get out of my way!!" Paul screamed as he ran back towards the Hydra, I did the same attacking the sixth and seventh heads...

"Yaaaaa!!" Paul screamed again and again, his sword bounced off the Hydra's scales.

"Damn, asshole! Get out!" I screamed as I headed toward the eighth head.

But it veered at the last moment towards Paul.

"Paul!" Elinalise finally caught up with him, armed herself with a shield, and threw her weapon forward intercepting the Hydra head.

(pling!) Elinalise's weapon bounced off the scales as well and an invisible sound sling traveled through the air.

I changed trajectory in the air and threw a long sword of light at Elinalise's attacking head, cutting it off with one slash.

Just one!!

I fell into a dive and the last head tried to intercept me in the air but with a precise movement I sliced ​​it and it fell to the ground but...

The first heads I cut had regenerated, shit!!

Out of nowhere a pillar of earth appeared above us falling straight to the hydra.

(paaaang!!)

Talhand's magic was destroyed in an instant

"Does magic not work against that thing?!" Talhand howled.

"Retreat!!!" I screamed as I fell to the ground cutting off a head, by this point the other heads had already regenerated.

I could fight this monster alone but I can't protect Paul and the others at the same time.

However my voice didn't reach Paul, he was shouting fierce battle cries while hitting the Hydra with his sword without managing to do any damage to it, this was endangering both him and Elinalise who was supporting him.

"Gesse!" Talhand screamed

Gesse ran out, passing Talhand and running behind Paul, he grabbed something in his hand and threw it at the Hydra.

(!pa-pang!!)

an explosion occurred, and a thick cloud of smoke spread, with the Hydra in the center, it was a smoke bomb

Gesse screamed something as he put his arms under Paul's, immobilizing him from behind, however, Gesse was not enough to hold Paul, and in seconds, he was about to shake him off until Elinalise hit Paul in the head with her shield.

"ah!..." Paul let out a cry of pain but nothing more.

Elinalise broke away from his grip, uttered some words that I could not catch and Paul began to run towards us.

"Gino!!" Elinalise called me and with resignation, I returned to them.

Roxy cast a spell and caused a thick fog, a smoke screen.

Through this, I could hear the rumblings of the creature approaching, but fortunately, it wasn't that fast so Paul and the others were able to get back to where we were.

"Gino, let's go back! Let's go back to the magic circle!" Roxy said.

She led the way and we jumped into the teleportation circle.

...

Everyone arrived safely on the other side.

Roxy Talhand and Gesse, as well as Paul who moved like a caged tiger.

Then, finally, Elinalise appeared wounded from behind him, blood dripping from a wound she had made on her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Just a scratch" she murmured with a smile.

She had a considerable part of her shoulder torn off.

"Her scale cut me" she murmured.

Roxy's basic level healing magic was enough to close the wound, in my previous world, the same wound would have required dozens of stitches, but magic was still convenient.

Paul stood in front of the magic circle, staring at it, killing intent oozing from his body like a snowy mist.

"Paul?" I called out to him.

"That was Zenith, I'm sure..." he murmured, his eyes not even registering Elinalise's injury.

"Please calm down a bit" I urged.

"Yes, it was my fault, I'm fine now" Paul's voice was low, he was still but his head wasn't cold, and the words "the calm before the storm" came to mind.

I couldn't do much about it, it would be weird if he had reacted differently but we have to make him calm down, it's time to tell my plan...

"For now, let's put ourselves in our current situation," I said looking at the group.

"Huh?!"

I ignored Paul's bravado and spoke to the group.

"Magic didn't work on that guardian, he has an incredible regenerative capacity and his offensive force is so overwhelming that he overcame Miss Elinalise's defenses just by touching her," I said.

Everyone listened in silence including Paul who looked at me with a frown...I'll let that go for the moment.

"Ahem...um, as for Zenith being crystallized, I think there's something we can do about it," she said sounding as cheerful as usual.

"Really?!" Paul said looking more relieved.

"Yes, I've heard occasional stories of powerful magic items encased in magic crystals, once we defeat the guardian, the crystal will dissolve and we can get it out, or at least, that's what the stories say," she said.

"Yes, I know what you're talking about, I know of another person who was once like Zenith is now and they're still alive," Elinalise said suddenly.

Everyone looked at her with skepticism except me, obviously, I already knew about Elinalise aka Rostelina's past.

"Our problem is that guardian, honestly, I've never seen a monster of that variety" she continued.

"I'm not joking, I can tell by looking at it that it's a Hydra, but I've never heard of one with green scales" Gesse continued.

"Not only that, the thing can also regenerate," Talhand said with a worried look and with his hands crossed in front of him.

A Hydra was a type of dragon, a lone wolf with multiple heads, with unmatched strength, from what she knew, they were supposed to inhabit some parts of the Demon Continent, there were three varieties currently confirmed.

"Gino mentioned that it was a Mana Hydra, I've read about it in a book, it's an infernal dragon whose entire body was covered in magical stone scales that absorb mana, it was seen during the second great Human-Demon War, and according to the book they were wiped out when the continent split, I was sure it was nothing more than a fairy tale, but... it seems it exists" she muttered.

"If what I've read is true, we should be able to hit it with my spells as long as I cast them at point-blank range" Roxy continued.

"It will still revive even if you damage it, what are we supposed to do about that?" Talhand grumbled.

It was time to tell my plan...

"I have an idea," I said raising my hand.

Everyone present turned to look at me expectantly.

"As everyone has noticed, I was the only one who could hurt that monster, but no matter what I do it always regenerates, but luckily I think I have an idea that can work, I once read a story about a hero called Hercules who fought against a Hydra, he cut off its heads and with a torch he burned the stumps preventing it from regenerating, I can't guarantee the veracity of this story but we don't lose anything by trying" I said.

"We can't fight carrying the torches, but it won't be able to reflect magic if we hit it where it's hurt" Elinalise murmured.

"Well, then let's try it" Gesse agreed.

"..."

"Hey Paul, are you okay with this?" Gesse muttered

"...yes" he replied

"That's not much of an answer, are you listening? Gino is the only one who can cut that thing's head off!" Gesse said in exasperation

It was possible that he along with Elinalise and Talhand could damage the creature's scales, but they couldn't cut them off, only I could do the cutting and Roxy would cauterize the open wound, the division of roles was necessary here, even if it meant Paul not participating in the fight.

The three of them could act together to protect Roxy and she would heal them if they took any damage.

That was how we divided up the roles, that was how it had to be.

"Ugh...Elinalise, Talhand, Gesse, Roxy and Gino..." Paul let out a sigh and looked at all of us.

"You've all helped me so far, it's been years since the mana disaster, you crossed the demon continent for me, you searched for Rudy in the northern territories for me, you went to lengths I couldn't even dream of" he muttered.

The four of them watched him in silence, in a way that seemed to say "hurry up and spit it out already"

"But now that's over, either we save her...or, assuming she's not alive, at least my entire family will be accounted for, this is the end, please lend me your strength this last time," he said.

The four of them laughed and nodded.

"It's not your style to act so humble, but I understand, I'll give it my all," Elinalise said

"Hmmm! There's no idiot who would say no after coming this far" Talhand said.

"I'm sure you've calmed down over the years, well, it's not like I'll be much help, but I'll still do what I can" the macaque joined in.

"We're going to win this, we'll be rewarded for our efforts once we claim victory!" she said in an eloquent tone.

I guess it's my turn now...

"I've only been with your group for a couple of days, but I've already grown fond of you, and I'm only in it for the money," I said with a mocking smile.

This was effective as there was laughter and Paul looked down with a small smile.

Touched by our words, Paul seemed to choke back his runny tears, but he didn't let us see him cry.

In the end, Paul fixed his gaze on me, his eyes were watery and his lips were trembling.

"Gino... please save my wife," he said.

I smiled at him and nodded.

"Consider it done Paul!" I said.

"Well, let's get going!" he said and we all stood up, our rematch with the Hydra is about to begin.

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