Hellmode ~A Hardcore Gamer Becomes Peerless in Another World with Retro Game Settings~

Treading on their plan, Allen's strategy steadily made it to the combo count of 50.

«Allen Party’s Combo Count has reached 68.»

In their next onslaught, the team managed to make 17 out of 23 hits count.

Taking advantage of the skill refresh when re-equipping equipment, Merle removed Angel B's «Twin Claw of Heavenly Beast» promptly after using the awakened skill «Liger Claw» and re-equipped it.

*Poof*

Dogora stepped on one of the blooming flowers on the ground, laid out by Keel's divine technique «Elixir Garden», and instantly recovered the stamina and spiritual aura of the team members.

He must have noticed the golden flower blooming just behind him when he made an earlier strike, and took the opportunity to make use of it, promptly recovering everyone;s spiritual power.

Well, though not everyone was running out of gas, but in the ever-changing situation, this was overall better.

«Nice one, Dogora!»

"My Acid Vortex has hit it square!"

«So does mine divine technique.»

(Great, it already appears that our attacks are doing more hits than misses too. I guess that's the debuff's effect, huh?)

Allen replied joyfully as Luck and Shea announced they'd managed to get debuff on Nestirad.

Buff, debuff, attack interruptions, recovery and the continuation of combo was the whole cycle pivotal to their current battle. The despair from their last battle had gradually begun to be replaced by the beaming hope as the members saw the effectiveness of their plan.

But never to lose in the moment until the goal had met its end, Allen kept his vigilance at the highest alert, and amidst the situation, he noticed Nestirad was kept gazing at one location despite the numbers of attack hailing at him.

«So it's you! You're the one enabling this battle!!»

Nestirad grunted in a loud voice, almost akin to a roar, and brute forced his way through the defense lines of Allen and his team and advanced forward.

«Watch out! He's targeting Peromas!!»

With the Bird E capturing the whole battlefield, it didn't take much for Allen and he immediately deduced whom Nestirad was targeting from his gaze and the direction of step. Immediately, he warned the team with the transmission ability of Bird F.

"Rgh!!"

Dogora groaned as he received the tackle of Nestirad, causing him to lose his combo.

He had wanted to dodge, but as everything had transpired in a mere moment, his movement had frozen in confusion, which unfortunately turned against his favour.

«Meruru!!»

It was all so sudden that it even had other members turned petrified on their spot, so Allen hurriedly turned to the only person who could stop the situation from worsening.

"I know. Knockback Bullet!!"

Meruru replied, who was already on the track to make his move, and released an artillery shot from the shoulder cannon on Tamtam.

«Hmph. You think the same attack would work twice!!»

"Ahh! It dodged it?!"

However, given tens of meters of distance, and that he was expecting Meruru to interfere, Nestirad twisted his body and easily dodged the «Retreating Bullet».

«Formal! We failed in stopping him!! Need your assistant ASAP!!»

"I saw it. Target is its leg, eh? Lightning Cap!"

«Gaargh!?»

«Allen Party’s Combo Count has reached 69.»

Formar had also seen the situation, and was already awaiting the timing, so when Nestirad paused to dodge Meruru's attack, he followed with his divine technique.

The attack pierced through the right leg of Nestirad. Nestirad grimaced in pain, but he still gritted on his teeth, kicked the ground and marched forward. A copious amount of blood was continuously flowing out from the gaping wound, but Nestirad paid it no heed.

"Wha—nooo! Don't come here!"

On the other hand, Peromas, who had been sneakily taking a view of the battlefield from the shade of a giant tree, finally realised that Nestirad's target was none other than him.

«Peronas, use the Coin Pitcher! There's no way he can dodge with the given distance!! Kabayaki, use Marsh! Dogou, use psychokinesis power!!»

Allen urged Peromas to take his shot at the approaching disaster, while he himself pulled the formation and instructed summoned beast Fish F and summoned beast Earth E to use their technique.

Immediately, Fish F—it appeared like a 30cm long catfish—used its skill «Marsh» and instantly turned the area into Nestirad's path swamp. Similarly acting in order, Earth E responds as its eyes glow in red, and sound waves blasted toward Nestirad in ripple shape.

(Alright, this should've considerably reduced Nestirad's speed. C'mon Peromas, you know there's no reason to miss here.)

The combo count hadn't increased, neither Nestirad stopped in its tracks, however a combination of Formar, Fish F, and Earth F had at least managed to slow it down.

"C'mon Peromas! Remember the first shot you made, and blow away the bastard!!"

Formar increased the morale of Peromas next to him, while he himself enchanted another arrow with divine technique.

Amidst all this, Nestirad had reached close enough to glare at Peromas hidden in the shade of a giant tree from his vintage point of view while trudging along the march, causing ripple to spread out. He pulled his 10 meter long right hand and took a stance to attack Peromas.

The team members could be seen chasing after Nestirad from behind, however his initial sprint had already brought him into 5 meter range, and in this range, that distance was nothing even with the reduced agility.

"Doooo it!!"

Even Dogora, while failing in stopping Nestirad, shouted in support of Peromas.

But it was in this singular point the difference between battle hardened veterans like Allen or his team, who had conquered dungeons and waged war against Demon King, and Peromas showed up.

"I-I'm sorry for throwing all the gold coins!!"

Peromas's expression scrunched in a cry as he sharply pulled a 'dogeza' regardless of the fact that area around feet had long turned into swamp.

Peromas was so terrified of Nestirad's expression dyed in extreme fury, and his raised right fist, that his mental spirit crumbled away and took a move that surprised even his team members.

In fact, even Nestirad, who had been improving himself from the battles, found himself completely taken aback by the sudden groveling.

On the other hand, Peromas was already trying to stay low in the shade of a giant tree, and when he knelt, he completely vanished from sight.

Nestirad had already moved to make his attack and his hard straight approaching Peromas, so when Peromas suddenly changed his position, the attack obviously cut through the empty air and pushed through the mud behind him.

"The heck you're doing, Peromas!? This is the moment to fight!! Arrow Barrage!!"

Astounded, Formar rebuked Peromas for his action while launching skill «Arrow Barrage». The skill was at the level 8, so 32 arrows bombarded at Nestirad.

«Allen Party’s Combo Count has reached 88.»

The attack directly struck Nestirad, nevertheless the resentment to uproot Peromas hadn't vanished from his eyes/

«Where are you hiding, you rotten being?! Come and reveal yourself!!»

Formar continued to launch his attack from long-distance, however Nestirad paid it no heed and raised his leg to step on the giant tree on which shade Peromas was hiding himself.

*Thwack*

"Huh?"

Suddenly hearing a strange noise, Peromas looked up and saw Nestirad's legs raised in a strange position in the air.

Peromas couldn't comprehend what in the world had happened, and raised his face and only then the situation dawned on him. It appeared the giant tree, which was basically a log now, was wet and slippery from the Fish F's «Swamp» skill. And when Nestirad tried to crush it beneath his feet, it instead rotated and slipped—perhaps because his right hand had a gaping hole, he couldn't exert strength sufficiently—from beneath his feet, causing him to topple down backward, and that's how his legs were now in the air.

On the other hand, the log remained intact.

(Wait, is it because of Peromas's max luck?! The reality is bending itself to make way for Peromas because of his over 1,00,000 luck status?)

«Gehh!?»

The impact was so strong that Nestirad's eyes had nearly popped out from his eye socket as a sloppy cry slipped out of his mouth.

Allen should have simulated myriads of situations in his mind, and had thought of countless countermeasures against it, but nevertheless, the random happening was such a comical sight for the almost battle for saving world that even he was staring in disbelief.

The difference between both luck stats—Nestirad's luck was now sitting at 0—was such an abysmal gap that neither side grasped even an atom of its concept. It was a supernatural phenomenon that superseded everything that was out there, and any and all situation was now turning in favour for Peromas.

"It's fallen!! Everyone, continue with your combo quickly. It's our chance! Divine Demon Destruction!!" ※1-hit attack

«Allen Party’s Combo Count has reached 89.»

Amidst all the situation, the rest of team members finally caught up to Nestirad who had just managed to raise his body after the fall, though his both hands were still stuck on the mud to support his body.

The five-second window to keep the combo was still on-going, credited to Formar's earlier attack, and Kurena swiftly made her keep it going.

"I can see that! True Flame Burst Destruction!!" ※1-hit attack

"Monarch Decapitation!!" ※1-hit attack

"Soul Saber!!" ※1-hit attack

«Liger Claw!!» ※10-hit attack

«Asura's Strike!!» ※1-hit attack

«Allen Party’s Combo Count has reached 100. Shea's Divine Skill [Limitless Fury God - Burst Punch] is now available.»

At the end of everyone's attack, the announcement of 100 combo conditions appeared in the log of Grimoire.

Backtracking on the number of attacks, Allen believed the attacks had hit more times than just enough to fill the quota. Perhaps continuing above 100 hits was of no use, or maybe that was just the maximum digit it could record, but either way, combo count had reached the limit.

Akin to a brewing storm, spiritual aura converged into the right hand of Shea, shining in a radiating aura.

The long, long battle, with a gulf of ravine of status between two sides, was finally about to be concluded.

And the receptionist of the attack, Nestirad was still on his four in the mud, almost in a crawling position.

"The end is nigh, and I shall decide it with this blow!! —Hmm? What's that way of fighting...?"

With the unfavourable stance of Nestirad, there was no doubt Shea could connect her attack before the other party did.

But, Shea noticed something strange about Nestirad's way of trying to fight. He had yet to stand or free his hand, but something about him was giving a deja-vu.

(What's—aaahh!! The sacrificing technique!!)

Allen and Shea both noticed a sense of ease lurking on Nestirad's face despite the looming danger on him.

It appeared that it was just enduring everyone's barrage of attack, while awaiting the opportunity to make his own strike.

«Fools! You shouldn't have thought anyone except you also have the coordination attack, right!!?»

With a grin sticking to his lips, Nestirad hoisted his left hand, stacked with the spiritual aura, up toward heaven.

It appeared the conclusion of their battle against Nestirad was so close, yet so far.

T/N: *The last two chapters were meant to be count in last week's update. This one's Tuesday update.

Also, will be adjusting the details in all the chapters soon. I didn't notice, but it appear this series has seen multiple translators, so the glossary and updated chapters didn't exactly match, and that's why some discrepancy arises (like spirit paradise vs spirit garden). I will replace with whatever is the latest.