Chapter 1072 - Green Vow: Part One
Even if my understanding and thoughts hadn't caught up, there were at least things I could believe and guess.
From the way Nia was stepping into 'battle' in a way I'd never seen before, I guessed that some kind of 'Information' had been pounded into her virtual brain by the 'Green Connect.'
And even though I didn't know what she meant by it, the fact that Nia was claiming she could be a God without any hesitation meant there had to be some 'Reason' for it.
Well, in the end... even if I couldn't accurately measure what Tora-kichi or Kendy-dono were thinking. At least for us...
Through the trust we'd built over time, we had a connection. But even more than that.
"...Alright, then let's do this!"
"Yes!"
"Mm...!"
Nia-chan was actually serious about being angry. We all knew just how rare and dangerous that expression was, so the rule 'Follow the angry eldest when she's like this' was already etched into our hearts.
In times like this, the one who takes the first step toward the optimal solution is...
"God... take the extra!"
Ashe. Her rapid-fire decision-making was often so fast that it left others behind, which was why her short, pointed remarks were often confusing. But those few words were packed with a massive amount of meaning.
She'd made a hypothesis based on Nia's words, behavior, and the sudden confidence she'd shown. She'd then refined that hypothesis into a conclusion. On top of her own confidence in her mind, she had a belief in her friend who always pulled through when it mattered. Combined with her instincts as a hardcore gamer...
"Roger that!"
Nia, who had lived under the same roof for over six months, answered her friend's request instantly, despite how brief it had been. Ashe gave her a certain smile and then, without hesitation...
She left behind the four-colored light of 'White,' 'Green,' 'Blue,' and 'Red' that had suddenly erupted from her avatar and... charged forward.
Right toward the twisted 'Dragon' of black sludge that had raised its head and was about to strike.
...
"[Little Braver]."
The moment she stepped forward, she was already at top speed. She had shed her 'Extra' status... the excess points given to her by the Primeval Four Towers. That had apparently allowed her to regain her true, perfect form.
In a flash, her combat attire shifted its colors, and the path she drew in the air was a straight line of blue. She reached her destination and stamped her foot on the air as the Sword Queen with a crown.
From blue to red.
"Hraah!"
She swung her blade, putting all the frustration she'd built up from the forced restrictions into that single strike.
A roar and shockwave erupted, as if it would grind the shattered space even further. The twisted 'Dragon' that had its head struck by the full power of the King and her divine sword...
...
It let out an indescribable cry and was slammed backward through the path it had come, plummeting at high speed.
And then...
"Iris-san!"
"Mm."
Action and reaction. Sora sent a sand blade through the air to catch Ashe's body. Instead of the usual straight sword size, she'd made it a greatsword size for the purpose.
Ashe used the magic sword, which Sora had only maintained for a split second, as a foothold. She gave her partner a determined look from her garnet eyes and then kicked off, lunging after the 'Dragon' she'd just slammed into the depths of the space.
"I'll take him for a while. Use that time for the explanation."
She spoke with the bare minimum of words, leaving behind only the most essential information. Seeing such a scene...
"Wow, isn't she just too cool?"
"I knew it. She's the real protagonist of this era."
The two men who had lost the 'coolness' competition couldn't help but make out-of-place remarks, given the absolute trust they had in her. As Sora-san gave her usual laugh, it was clear that the Sword Queen was guilty of being far too impressive.
Well, but... I don't want to let the Princess steal the protagonist spot forever.
I need to hurry up and stand by her side... and that means...
"Alright... Nia! You can shift our stats around, right?!"
"I can! I can freely handle anything the Braver and the others gave us!"
I needed to get the explanation quickly so I could get ready to tear that thing to pieces at full strength.
"What else can you do? Just give me a quick rundown of everything..."
"I'll show you rather than tell you!"
Nia seemed just as eager to hurry. She moved her hands along with her words and...
"Here's a little something special!"
She deployed her Magic Craft. Blue light drew lines and points, and then... a stage for battle appeared.
"Whoa..."
It was a space so vast it was hard to describe, and it was filled to the brim with countless footholds as far as the eye could see. It was so impressive that Sora, who had been managing Ashe's footholds, accidentally stopped her mental control for a moment. It was a masterpiece of consideration.
From far below came the 'Dragon's' roar, a hollow yet massive cry of anger. The stage Nia had drawn was helping her friend while hindering the beast's movements.
"I can make anything, not just footholds! But I think only footholds will be useful! Weapons and things like that will probably be weaker than what you guys already have anyway!"
And then, an addition.
Far below us, the tiny and the massive clashed. A faint flash of a 'blade' occurred, and for a split second, there was a gap between the 'Dragon' and Ashe. As if it were one of Sora's magic swords...
A massive spear-tower suddenly appeared from the void and was launched, striking the dragon right in the middle of its back. Or rather, that was what should have happened...
The moment the massive weapon touched the twisted, thorny back, it shattered like fragile glass and vanished into light.
I see.
"See?! A 'God' isn't allowed to handle things directly! Those are the rules! I can only provide support! So..."
"Okay, that's more than enough."
I basically got it. I've seen this before.
It's a staple of games with high-intensity combat. Unless you're a contrarian, most people love this kind of thing.
"Man, I'm starting to have a blast now!"
No rules, anything goes. We were going into a broken, festival-like battle with a mountain of support buffs.