The Rise of the Puppet Master: Ascending to the Strongest at the Fastest Speed with Beautiful Girl Puppets-Chapter 34

VS Hydra

Eastern Word Smith/The Rise of the Puppet Master: Ascending to the Strongest at the Fastest Speed with Beautiful Girl Puppets/Chapter 34
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Author's Note:

This chapter is nearly three times the usual length.

It's a confrontation episode. Enjoy!


Standing before us is a formidable foe radiating an overwhelming aura we've never encountered before—Hydra.

Even as my knees threaten to buckle under the sheer terror, I muster the strength to shout:

"Everyone, to your positions!"

With that, Flare and the others take their predetermined roles according to the strategy we devised. No matter how strong the Hydra may be, retreat isn’t an option for us.

"Lycia, maintain the purification spell!"
"Understood!"

Lycia remains at the rear, fully focused on purifying the Hydra's toxic magic.
The pure white light she emits spreads across the battlefield, neutralizing the purple miasma that had filled the air.
Only after this can we fight at full strength.

The front line consists of Flare and Tetra.
The two of them rush toward the Hydra at high speed.

The first clash is imminent.
If Flare and Tetra fail to hold their ground here, victory will slip further away.

"I’m counting on you…!"

As I watch their backs with bated breath, the moment finally arrives.

"GRUAAAAAHHHHH!"

The Hydra doesn’t merely stand idle, waiting for an attack.
Its six heads lunge at Flare and Tetra, each head opening its massive jaws.

An attack from three directions simultaneously—nearly impossible to dodge.
Flare and Tetra each opt for different approaches.

"Too slow!"
"GRRR!?"

Flare, nimble and precise, weaves through the heads’ gaps and surges forward.
In a fluid motion, she twists her body and delivers a slashing strike to one of the necks.
Dark, malevolent blood gushes out.

Only someone with Flare’s skill and expertise could manage this feat.

"Such attacks are useless."

Tetra, on the other hand, takes a more straightforward approach.
Despite facing three massive jaws large enough to swallow her whole, she remains unflinching.

With a high jump at the last second, she evades the attacks by a hair’s breadth. Then—

"Take this!"
"GYUGHHH!?"

Her descending fists pound each of the Hydra’s heads one by one, slamming them into the ground.
It’s a simple yet effective method, showcasing Tetra’s raw strength.

"Yes!"

Seeing the two overpower the Hydra, I couldn’t help but cheer.
The sheer size and might of the Hydra are terrifying, but for the first time, I feel we might actually stand a chance.

Through battles against the Minotaur, Cyclops, and Lesser Demon, we’ve gained the strength to face such a formidable foe.

However, dealing damage alone won’t suffice against the Hydra.
We must sever its heads and burn the stumps to nullify its regeneration.

For every head we take down, its strength diminishes, tipping the scales in our favor.
The battle is just beginning, but there’s no room for hesitation. We must give it our all!

"Tetra! Grab one of the severed heads and throw it at the Hydra chasing Flare!"
"Got it."

As Tetra lands, she forcefully lifts a massive head, too large for even her arms to fully wrap around.
With a loud stomp, she hurls it with all her might.

"Hup!"
"Flare, fall back!"
"Understood!"

Flare swiftly retreats from among the three snapping heads and distances herself. The heads attempt to pursue her, but it’s too late.

The severed head Tetra threw crashes down from above, pinning the three heads to the ground.

"Now!"
"GRYYAAAAHHH!?"

Flare seizes the opportunity, unleashing a series of precise slashes at the immobilized necks. Her strikes pierce the Hydra’s tough scales, severing four heads in total.

"Lycia!"
"On it! — Flame of Envy!"

Black flames erupt from Lycia’s magic, engulfing the stumps and rendering them incapable of regenerating.

"Four down!"

Taking down four heads so early is an incredible start. Victory is within reach—or so I thought.

"…"

Among the five remaining heads, one stands out—a colossal head nearly fifty meters long, with golden eyes gleaming as it observes us.
Two other heads flank it, spewing toxic mist.

"Tch."

We’re undoubtedly in the lead, yet the sight of those eyes extinguishes my confidence in an instant.

No—don’t be afraid.
We still hold the advantage.

The colossal head lets out a deafening roar, freezing us in place.

The remaining four heads resume their assault, faster and sharper than before. Flare and Tetra find themselves overwhelmed, barely dodging attacks, let alone countering.

To make matters worse, one of the heads begins charging purple energy.

"Dodge, Flare!"

Flare leaps away just as a Poison Shot obliterates her previous position, leaving the ground melted and steaming.

We’ve only just begun, and the Hydra has already turned up the intensity.

"We can still win," I tell myself.

"Flare, Tetra, Lycia—no holding back! Let’s finish this!"

"Okay!"
"Understood."
"Yes, my lord!"

"Let's go!"

"Doll Decoy!"

As Flare and Tetra are attacked, one of the heads lured by the decoy turns its aggression toward me.
The oppressive presence of just one head rivals that of a Minotaur.

Even so, I should be able to hold my ground for a few dozen seconds.

I deepen my state of concentration by another level.
—And evade.
The charges, fangs, coils, and poison blasts.
I dodge every single one by a hair's breadth.

The creature likely never expected a seemingly weak opponent like me to evade its attacks continuously.
Its frustration grows, causing its attacks to lose precision.
That only makes it easier for me to handle.

"I got it!"
"It's blown away!"
"Flame of Envy!"

Meanwhile, Flare severs one head, and Tetra knocks another away with repeated impacts in the same spot.
Without waiting to see Lycia burn the severed area, the two rush to assist me.

"Hah!"
"This ends here!"

A sword and fist strike with overwhelming force right before my eyes.
With those devastating attacks, we successfully vanquish the remaining two heads.

Now, all that remains is the giant head.

If we can take it down, victory is ours!

—When we unite our strength, we can defeat even the strongest enemies.

However, the giant head still stands motionless, even now that it's the last one left.
Its neck is perched high above us.

If it thinks our attacks can't reach it, it's underestimating us.
We'll use that arrogance to our advantage.

"Flare, Tetra, listen to me."

I quickly convey my plan to the two.
They both nod firmly.

"Yes, I'll do it."
"Leave it to me."
"Counting on you—Mana Supply!"

This is the final stage.

I pour a massive amount of mana into the two.
Satisfied with their newfound strength, they nod in approval.

"Then, let's do it."

"Go ahead, Tetra."

Tetra crouches low, lowering her fist.
And on that fist, Flare perches.

Without any sign of strain from Flare's weight, Tetra powers through with a mighty leap, extending her arm fully.

"Here I go!"

With a sharp whooshing sound, Flare launches into the air.
Using Tetra's immense strength, Flare rapidly closes the distance to the giant head.

Caught off guard, the giant head remains unresponsive.

This is our chance!

"Go, Flare!"
"I'm going all out!"

Flare raises her sword high and swings it down at the giant head.
A combined attack, fueled by everyone's strength, severs the head—

—Or so we thought.

"...Huh?"

Flare's startled, bewildered voice echoes through the silent space.
I, too, fail to comprehend what just happened.

The sword Flare swung was the fastest and most powerful strike ever delivered.
The supersonic blade should have sliced through the giant head's scales and severed it completely.

Yet—
Despite everything, it barely managed to cut a few millimeters into the scales before stopping.

And then—

"!!"

The giant head merely tilts slightly.
That alone dislodges the sword, sending Flare's body flying.

With a heavy thud, she crashes into the amethyst wall, leaving a trail of blood as she slides to the ground.

The shattered wall collapses, sending massive fragments falling toward the injured Flare.

"Flare!"

I shout and rush toward her, but it's too late.
The debris rains down, burying Flare beneath a mountain of rubble.

"A...ah..."

Unbidden, my knees give out beneath me.

I try to scream something.
But no words come.
An indescribable surge of emotions overwhelms me.

The day I became a Puppeteer, I swore an oath.
To never let harm come to the puppets I control.
That vow had been my guiding principle.

But now, in this moment, that principle lay shattered.
Flare, the one most dear to me, was buried under the rubble.

"This... can't be happening..."

Where did I go wrong?
What did I do?

The newfound independence and abilities that Flare and the others had gained—
Had I grown arrogant, believing I was something special because of it?

That arrogance... cost me Flare.

"Pull yourself together, Master!"

As I sink into despair, Lycia forcibly lifts me back to my feet.

"Lycia...?"

"I know your principles, Master, but listen to me!
We don't die from something like this!
Flare is still alive! To save her, we must defeat the Hydra first!"

"—!"

She's right. Lycia is right.
Regret, despair, and reflection can all come later.
For now, defeating the Hydra takes priority above all else.

We've lost Flare's strength.
The giant head is far more formidable than we imagined.
But giving up is not an option. No matter what!

I force my mind back into the battle and give orders to Lycia and Tetra.

"Lycia, continue using purification magic.
I'll act as a decoy.
Tetra, without Flare, you're our sole attacker now."

"Understood."
"...Got it. I'll do it!"

We must resist.

No matter how hopeless the situation.
Because it's the only thing we can do right now.

So—

—We would come to understand it.

"GRUUUUUAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

The giant head roars, shaking the battlefield.
As we brace for its attack, the unthinkable happens.

The severed necks from Flare and Tetra's earlier attacks begin writhing.

"No way..."

I want to believe it's a joke.

But the reality before my eyes declares otherwise.

I recall—this Hydra is a unique variant.
If that's true, then the impossible becomes possible.

Burning the severed ends wasn't enough.
This Hydra's regenerative abilities are far beyond normal.

Even with only the giant head, victory seemed improbable.
Now it regenerates completely.

Despair threatens to overwhelm me, but the urgency to save Flare keeps me grounded.

And yet—

We learn what true despair is.

The severed necks sprout anew.
But it's not just the regeneration.

Each severed stump produces two twenty-meter-long heads.(TL/N: Cut off one head and two will take their place. Hail Hydra)
A total of sixteen heads regenerate.

Including the giant head, that makes seventeen.
Each one radiates a presence rivaling an A-rank monster.

"You've got to be kidding..."

Even as I mutter those words, the grim reality doesn't change.

Thus, the battle with the strongest foe begins.
It also marks the start of a fight with no chance of victory.