Chapter 550 - A Hero's Tale for You, A Hero's Tale for Another, Part VI
There was no room for thought, not even an instant to cry out—in the split second before a black cannon flash dyed the world, my mind and body moved almost automatically.
Activating was the fully automatic emergency evasion of [Breath Moment]. But as I dodged the cannon's muzzle aimed at me, I ended up right in front of another one targeting someone else.
It was, of course, no accident.
"Tch—"
A reflexive decision made in less than a tenth of a second imbued the [Parabellum Bullet, Rabbit Short Sword], now drawn from its sheath, with the glow of [Water Enchant].
I thrust the crimson blade into the magic circle before me. A distorted shattering sound echoed—
"[Perfect Espada]."
Amidst the scattering light of the broken spell formula, the [Sword Queen], who still hadn't let go of the 'sword' she had caught, unleashed a second strike without even swinging, empowered by her skill… and that was the signal.
In the next moment, at the center of the black flash that filled the world—in the very eye of the storm—a hellish close-quarters combat, an infight, had begun.
Perhaps there was some trick to her previous perfect guard, because this time, one of Ashe’s strikes sent an arm flying from Rep-ra Nobody, the Black Stain That Slays All. But it didn't stop moving for an instant.
The moment its remaining right arm, still holding the [Alv Stella] captive, swung down, I swapped out my dagger for the [Samidorizuki] and, with a drawing slash, severed the arm from the elbow down.
And yet, the shadow's twin arms swung forth.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, as if nothing had happened, they regenerated in an instant that defied the eye. One set of five claws, ten sharp talons in total, headed for—
The Princess, who had just finished swinging her 'sword'.
Its movement speed is now completely on par with 'my current self'. That means it's in a domain where she, whose speed once matched mine when I was still growing during the 'Four Pillar War,' will be too slow to react.
But if she's just a little short, all I have to do is make up for it.
"[An=Ru Galta (Hypothesis: The Wedge-Armor that Sings of the King's Path)]."
With my gauntleted left arm, I forcefully deflected the shadow's right claws, which were a fraction of a second ahead. At the same time, the instant I swung, I dismissed the [Samidorizuki], and with my now-free right hand, I flicked Ashe’s shoulder sideways.
Struck by a sudden burst of initial velocity she lacked, she masterfully rode the force—her clothes shifting. The Sword Princess, now clad in the 'blue' of speed, didn't flinch in the slightest at the pressure of the left claws grazing her cheek.
"—!"
With footwork that seemed to carve into the floor, she spun, the arc of her blade tracing an upward scooping trajectory to strike the 'chin' of Rep-ra Nobody.
"—Manifestation Release…"
A clean hit, no doubt about it. The moment its body was clearly launched into the air, however slightly, I had no hesitation in playing my hand.
I stepped in, and the moment my left fist made contact, I activated [Rocket]. A variant of my `Shinden` technique—not with the palm, but with the fist—connected perfectly. An impact that could shatter a boulder to dust pierced through the shadowy form of Rep-ra Nobody, and at the same time—the small crimson blade in my left hand shattered.
[An=Ru Galta (Hypothesis: The Wedge-Armor that Sings of the King's Path)], Manifestation Release Ver. [Parabellum Bullet].
"[Angalta (Soul-Stealing Sword)]—!!"
A roar like a cannon, and the power took form.
My full-force punch slammed into its abdomen, sending the shadow monster flying as a radiant spiritual sword manifested behind me. Forming a ring like my partner's 'demon sword,' the [Angalta (Soul-Stealing Sword)] unleashed a fatal follow-up, firing a continuous barrage of oversized sword-bullets modeled after the swarming crimson blades.
And just like with Ashe before, the barrage of shining swords chased down Rep-ra Nobody as it was slammed against the arena wall, each one finding its mark—and then, a shattering sound reached my ears.
That makes three.
In a clash that lasted only a few seconds, we had battered the caster, and perhaps because of that, the phosphorescent light of the shattered magic circles danced in the air. We exhaled the breaths we'd been holding at the same time.
"—I need time."
"—Consider it done."
We both kicked away the option of stopping, exchanged just a single phrase each, and pushed forward.
That's right, stopping was unthinkable.
That high-speed movement it used to catch me completely off guard was unmistakably the [Sword Saint]'s [Shukuchi]. On top of that, its claws possessed an unnatural hardness and strength, capable of stopping the blade of the virtual world's strongest Extra (God-Given Vessel)—which means it's finally in serious mode, right?
This is where the real brawl begins… which means no more troublesome things like holding back or testing the waters. There's no way I'm stopping now.
This is without a doubt the climax—all that's left is to go full throttle!
Ignoring the 'song' that began to echo behind me, I kicked off and activated [Lumina Raygust]. As I charged the wall where I'd slammed Rep-ra Nobody, the raging winds I'd gathered blew away the thick, swirling dust.
In that instant, a black blade appeared before me.
"Tch—"
It had only lost a third of its lives; it was painfully obvious the creature wouldn't just be lying there quietly, still full of fight. That's why I anticipated its welcoming strike, dodging it with a forward lean that scraped the floor, and then—Kesshiki Itto, Seventh Strike.
"[Seven Stars]."
I constructed the pre-motion, then used a brute-force technique, compensating for my lack of skill with an over-the-top output from seven consecutive [Rocket] activations, bringing the [Sword Saint]'s divine skill down to my own body.
My HP vanished in a flash, and a cracked crown appeared above my head. It's not like it would send an attack I could survive with a graze anyway, so activating [Crown Crown] was a worthwhile trade.
Seven simultaneous, multi-angle slashes in a single instant. The reason I chose [Seven Stars] instead of my derivative original, [Kiraboshi], was because I sought precision, not just random slashing—as a result, the single blade I swung while weaving through its counterattack severed both of the shadow's arms once again, just as I'd planned.
"—[Flying Water]!"
My second strike, aimed at the open neck from deep within its guard—was blocked by its arms, which had once again regenerated instantly.
I see, I see.
It might be possible with two of us, but it looks like it'll be tough for me to break through its defense on my own.
Making a snap judgment on the blade that was so easily stopped by its 'claws,' just like before, I dismissed the [Samidorizuki] and, seeing the prison of multiple magic circles deployed once again, decided against staying put.
The demonic muzzles aimed solely at me numbered over ten, over twenty, over thirty. There was no way I could hope to pull off the superhuman feat of dealing with all of them in an instant, so—
"—Whoa, that was close…!?"
Just as I leaped straight up with a full-power [Rocket], the overlapping magic cannons exploded with an indescribable roar. It was the very embodiment of violence, making one think nothing exposed to it could avoid vaporization. Even for me, who had put significant distance between us and landed on the ceiling, the absolute pressure of destruction was so intense it felt as if my eyes and ears had been seared.
That fox-lady sure has turned into a monster—and I couldn't be happier. This is more than a worthy opponent; I could fight it ten times and still have change left over!
This is getting fun now, and I'm not just saying that out of desperation!!!!!
"Here… I come, you bastard!!"
I kicked away my fear along with my foothold. All I had to do was charge forward to fulfill my 'role'. With my brakes thrown to the wind, I spammed [Rocket] with abandon, repeatedly challenging the monster that, alone, I could do little more than harass—
—Twenty seconds flat of continuous attacks. That should be enough time, right, Princess…!
I dodged the 'claws' I couldn't match, landed a blow to take off its arm yet again, then disengaged for another hit-and-run and a brief break time. Hiding my now ragged breath, I sent my gaze to two places.
One was the magic circles, which had been silent until now.
It was only a moment ago that they were smoking, scorched by Ashe's grand magic. Their repairs must be nearing completion, as they began to emit a dark glow, looking ready to fire their magic orbs again at any moment.
The other was my partner, the Princess, who continued to hum her 'song'.
It was a long incantation, likely on par with her previous 'Myriad Thunders'. The fact that she chose to use it at this juncture meant I could trust it was a finishing move worthy of this monster—but would it be enough?
Everything came together at once.
The reactivated magic circles covering the walls began to ooze out magic orbs; Ashe was about to conclude her long, drawn-out chant; Rep-ra Nobody, unable to ignore the surging torrent of magic power, lunged toward her with [Shukuchi].
And I, unleashing the wind I'd gathered, shot forward at full speed and snatched Ashe's body out of the way. All of it happened in an instant. And then, in my arms—
"'Usurp, for I am the Queen.'"
The [Sword Queen], who had woven magic with her words, declared a new law upon the world.
"[Disastor]."
In the center of the arena, in a three-dimensional sense, a small sphere of lightning appeared, hanging alone in the air.
Expecting a second 'grand magic' due to the length of the chant, I was caught off guard by the unexpectedly small spell that appeared without a sound and, for a moment, I could only think, Huh? Then, the next instant.
"—Wha?"
There was no one who could defy it.
The Queen's 'lawlessness' was about to begin.