The Principle of a Philosopher by Eternal Fool “Asley”

“GARRRRRR!”

Gigantified Pochi sank her fangs into the Hell Emperor’s torso. However, she quickly had to cease the attack and back away from its armored body.

“It’s… so tough…!”

With her jaws open wide, Pochi, panting heavily, faced the Hell Emperor, who grinned smugly.

Pochi paid no attention to its condescending gaze, for the fact remained that Pochi could land attacks on it. Despite its tough outer layer, the Hell Emperor was on guard.

Indeed, despite the chances being stacked against her, Pochi still managed to find some success in her maneuvers against the enemy.

Even though the Hell Emperor was laughing, Pochi’s speed was evidently superior.

[The real question is… how do I kill it?]

Pochi jumped onto the monster’s back, attacking while leaping, but the Hell Emperor’s scales were extremely hard. While it bore scratches and tooth marks, no actual damage was done.

Claws and bites alone could not break through to its flesh. Even the occasional attempts at direct impacts left the Hell Emperor unfazed.

On the other hand, the Hell Emperor’s attacks are powerful and precise, and if Pochi were to slow down even a little, she would be in grave danger.

A stalemate — that was what the situation seemed like to Pochi.

However, the Hell Emperor had a different perspective. It moved in a way different from any previous enemy, aiming to corner Pochi.

“GRRRAAAAAA!!”

The thunderous roar was not directed at Pochi but at all the monsters.

In the next moment, Pochi became the target of those monsters.

“Wha–!?”

Normally, interfering in a battle between powerful beings could lead to one’s own demise.

That was why monsters typically targeted something else. However, the Hell Emperor was a Blazing Dragon King. All dragon species attacked Pochi, leaving her to dodge all their assaults.

With the added attacks from the Hell Emperor, even if Pochi’s superior speed allowed her to evade most of the onslaught, her efficiency sharply decreased.

“Wah–! Ngh…! Whew! Hoh!”

Blazing Dragons, Torrent Dragons, and Boscage Dragons unleashed their breath attacks, all aiming for Pochi’s life.

Them being long-ranged attacks made it particularly difficult for Pochi to strike back.

The Hell Emperor was the only one of them who fought at close quarters, and as such, Pochi did not even have a chance to use breath attacks herself.

All she could do was dodge — and that achieved nothing in her favor, only serving to eat away at her stamina.

“Take this!”

Seizing a momentary opening, Pochi unleashed an Air Claw, but it disappeared, swallowed by numerous breath attacks.

Even with Pochi’s level exceeding three hundred, grouping the breath attacks from the Dragons nullified both her offense and defense — It was truly a numerical advantage. Amidst this, the Hell Emperor’s attacks persisted, finally grazing Pochi’s body.

Although she still managed to take the full brunt of it, her abdomen was slashed.

“Hey! That’s my Master’s pillow! You’ll pay for that!”

This attack sparked Pochi’s anger — and while anger usually led to a loss of composure, that did not apply to Pochi’s case.

Ignoring the damage was part of Pochi’s plan from the start.

After all, Pochi had an absolute advantage over her enemies — the hastily trained Hell Emperor and other monsters. And that advantage was… the eight hundred years she had spent with Asley.

“RAWRRRRRR!!”

Despite being burned by the Breath Attacks, Pochi darted beneath the dragons, swiftly severing their necks.

“Hmph! Middle Cure!”

“”!?””

All the Dragons, even the Hell Emperor, were taken aback by what Pochi had done.

Pochi’s anomalous ability — the ability to use magic — bewildered all the monsters present.

Beasts wielding magic, a domain typically reserved for humans, was an unprecedented occurrence — even for the Hell Emperor.

“You know, I feel a bit… JUST a LITTLE BIT… disappointed in my luck! If only I had encountered a better Master, I wouldn’t have…!”

The bond between Pochi and her Master, Asley — it was what strengthened her. It was this bond that allowed Pochi to face the Hell Emperor in battle.

“Rise, A-rise, A-rise! Hexa Boundary!”

Without Asley, Pochi would never have learned magic or magecraft. It was the friendship with Asley that enabled Pochi to acquire these skills.

In terms of sheer combat prowesses, Goku’ryu, bearing the title of Blazing Dragon King, held the upper hand.

However, Pochi had something more.

As Asley grappled with his challenges and Pochi made decisions, a single title was exchanged between them.

Pochi focused her gaze, looking at the area where the Dragons congregated, and took a quiet, deep breath.

Soon after, countless Dragons fell one after another.

This surprised the Hell Emperor, who displayed anxiety at this inexplicable turn of events.

“YEEEEEEAH! All mine!”

Indeed, Pochi had been transformed into a Heavenly Beast by Asley’s Archetype Changer magecraft.

This Heavenly Beast was none other than the Violet Phoenix, the unique trait of which was the ability to drain arcane energy from its opponents — the ability known as the Arcane Drain.

Billy’s creation, Alpha, also possessed this ability, but when used by Pochi, with a level exceeding three hundred, it became even more powerful.

Monsters whose arcane energy was rapidly drained lost consciousness, forcing them out of commission in the middle of the battlefield.

The Hell Emperor, aware of Arcane Drain from its bouts with the Alphas, had no choice but to change its strategy. The arcane energy consumed by Pochi in using magic, magecraft, breath attacks, and physical enhancements could now be replenished by draining it from her enemies.

“GRRRAAAAAA!!”

The movements of the Dragons came to an abrupt halt.

It could mean only one thing: they had ceased their attacks on Pochi.

Pochi, as if she had been waiting for this, closed the distance with the Hell Emperor.

However, the Hell Emperor’s scales were formidable, impervious to damage from Pochi’s attacks.

It was a return to the starting point for the Hell Emperor — or so it thought.

Pochi had a different perspective. Seeing this as an opportunity, Pochi headed straight for the Hell Emperor.

Tail strikes and breath attacks grazed her body, but even as her own blood darkened her body, Pochi stubbornly ran straight at the Hell Emperor, much like her master and friend, Asley, would.

“Rise! Speed Up!”

…Pochi accelerated,

“Rise! Speed Down!”

…The Hell Emperor decelerated,

“Rise! Magic Shield! Rise! Shield!”

…And she forged on.

The Hell Emperor’s mouth widened significantly, a sign that it intended to bite down on Pochi, matching her speed.

Pochi, not one to overlook such telegraphs, saved her top speed for this moment, unleashing it right before the Hell Emperor’s eyes.

The Hell Emperor, misjudging the distance, widened its eyes.

Pochi then initiated her final action — this, precisely, was her ultimate aim.

Embodying a determination akin to plunging into the depths of Hell, Pochi suddenly shrank in size.

“I’ll say it again!! I don’t plan on losing today’s battle!!!!”

What Pochi dove into was the gaping maw of the Hell Emperor.

Maintaining her boosted top speed, Pochi slipped through the slowed awareness of the now decelerated Hell Emperor, descending into the depths of Hell.

Pochi had chosen to use biting attacks against the Hell Emperor only because the enemies’ breath attacks had been getting in her way. And until this moment, she had approached it without choosing any form of attack.

But on this day, at this very moment, in this very place, Pochi was the only one who had the option of attacking.

“Say goodbye!”

Inhaling deeply, Pochi selected the ultimate move, a strike that had even vanquished the previous Devil King Lucifer.

The Zenith Breath, the strongest in Pochi’s history, was unleashed at the Hell Emperor.

“KAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

The Hell Emperor’s body expanded rapidly.

Pochi’s Zenith Breath Attack pierced through the Hell Emperor, triggering a thunderous explosion that sent scorching magma flying from its body, causing havoc among the monsters and painting the battlefield in hues of red. 

The duel between the strongest Familiars of humanity mightiest and the Devilkin’s mightiest was decided the moment Pochi set foot on the ground.

Despite sustaining severe burns and swaying unsteadily, Pochi shook her head and maintained her composure.

“Hahaha… R-rise… Recover…”

Healing her burns…

“Rise, A-rise… High Cure…!”

…And then mending her wounds, Pochi lashed herself to stay upright on her four legs.

–Pochi… Goku’ryu is the one thing you must win against.

Echoes of the words of a dear friend passed through her mind.

–Run away as far as you can.

Words born out of concern for Pochi.

–This is my first and last command… as your Master.

Pochi naturally understood this.

–If the command is not abided by, the Master, Asley, shall lose his life.

Now that the Goku’ryu Hell Emperor had been defeated, there was one action Pochi had to take.

Leave the battlefield.

However, Pochi was not content with that. Se wanted to save Asley, even if it meant losing her own life.

The thought that trying to save Asley would result in his death was clear to Pochi.

That was why, at that time, Pochi had visited Tūs.

–I guess there IS a way for it… But you gotta do it yourself, Pochi… Can you?

Bull raised an eyebrow, Tarawo looked astonished, and Lina, Fuyu, Tifa, and Haruhana were shocked to the point of tears.

But Pochi, with a fleeting and happy smile, replied,

–Well, well, that doesn’t sound hard at all!

Recalling that moment, Pochi murmured quietly,

“It’s all right. I can do it. I’ve always been able to do it!”

Her whole body trembled.

“Yes… Yes, I can! I can do it!”

As if casting away the shaking, Pochi began to run toward the crumbling Regalia Castle.

For the sake of her Master and dear friend, Asley.

“I’ll be right there…! Master!”

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