339 - Two Swords
――The Fourth Generation, slashing with such speed that he left afterimages against the golden dragon, was excited.
"This thing even regenerates its scales!"
The reason he continued to carve into it with his silver dagger was that even the scales that had been peeled away were regenerating. His wife watched the Fourth Generation. She clenched her fist.
"Wonderful! Let's keep securing those scales!"
The Fourth Generation's wife pounced on the fallen scales and inspected them. She seemed to be confirming their value by touching them and lightly tapping them with her fist.
"Fredricks! Look, look! These scales must be precious materials!"
Seeing his mother laughing innocently, Fredricks almost dropped his whip-sword.
"...Yeah, I guess so, Mama."
Nearby, his brothers and sisters were launching attacks at the dragon. They fired magic and used skills, leaving the dragon with no room to move.
Zenoa, watching this scene, closed her red folding fan and pointed it toward the Legend Dragon. The dragon had roared and spread its wings, attempting to blow away those who had climbed up or approached it.
That Legend Dragon was suddenly trapped within a translucent octahedron. It was Zenoa's skill.
"You're noisy. Could you be quiet for a bit?"
Then, the Legend Dragon inside the octahedron was suddenly engulfed in flames. Seeing the dragon burning inside the octahedron, the Seventh Head shouted.
"Heyyy!! Weren't you going to turn it into a stuffed specimen?! At least blow the insides out!"
It seemed the Seventh Head could not forgive the surface being charred. However, as for the insides, there was someone who would be troubled if they were blown away.
The First Generation's wife.
"Don't mess around! If the insides get all mangled, it'll be a pain to cook! You!"
Since the First Generation's wife was the one cooking, she looked at her husband, the First Generation. She was telling him to secure it cleanly. The First Generation straightened his back.
"Y-Yes! ...Eh? Wait, you can eat that? That thing clearly looks like it tastes bad. It's all gold. Gold. My gut tells me that thing tastes bad..."
"You won't know until you try it! You should be the one to taste-test it!"
"You're using me for the taste-test?!"
The First Generation shouted while hoisting his greatsword.
A golden dragon. Its horns were huge and bright red. If anything, it didn't look delicious.
The Fourth Generation's wife spoke to the First Generation's wife.
"Of course we're selling the insides too! Dragon meat is definitely expensive! Secure it in a beautiful state! I don't understand the meaning of eating it!"
Released from the octahedron's restraint, the Legend Dragon collapsed onto all fours on the ground, breathing painfully. Its charred surface began to regenerate.
The Second Generation's wife looked at the Legend Dragon while rotating metal rings at high speed.
"If it feels like it, this thing looks like it could regenerate its wings and horns too. And its tail."
Everyone's gaze turned toward the Legend Dragon.
Around them.
"I've got the horns!"
"The tail! It's the tail! I bet it's delicious!"
"Secure the wings!"
The members of the Walt family were obsessed with the Legend Dragon. Leaving Lariel completely ignored, they were entirely focused on the dragon before them. Novem's objective had been achieved, though not in the way intended――.
Damn it! They're so obsessed with the dragon that they're ignoring me!
I was furious at the group making a racket a short distance away, but Novem, who was right in front of me, was my problem.
I have no choice but to handle this myself.
But...
"This is tough without any weapons."
Out of breath, I dodged a slash from Novem's Great Scythe. When it hit a piece of rubble, it was sliced clean through. The cross-section was perfectly smooth.
If I'm cut, it'll certainly be a fatal wound. Armor would be like paper before Novem. No, maybe even less than paper.
As I fled while stripping off my heavy metal armor, I saw Aria and the others fighting a subspecies of Land Dragon nearby. They seemed to be struggling, as it was an opponent they weren't fond of.
I can't expect any rescue from them.
Novem chased after me.
"Your decision to discard your equipment was sound, but you leave too many openings. If you told me to wait, I would."
I almost seriously said, "Then please wait a bit." Would it be okay to say that? Would I get yelled at?
However, I felt some resistance to asking for such a thing.
"You're showing too much composure!"
I threw a suitably sized piece of rubble I'd picked up at Novem, but Novem sliced it down with the Great Scythe without slowing down. I picked up another piece and threw it.
"Again—"
Slicing it down again. However, among those was a tool I had been carrying, and when the tool in its tube was sliced, smoke erupted from it.
It was a tool for blinding the enemy.
"See, you fell for—"
Novem immediately escaped the smoke and swung the Great Scythe down toward me. It missed my vitals by a narrow margin. However, the Great Scythe pierced deeply. Seeing this, Novem smiled.
"...Wonderful, Lariel-sama."
As my illusion vanished, Novem turned toward where I was hiding. I had used the Third Head's skill to show an illusion, but it didn't even serve as a way to buy time.
I wanted to pick up a weapon somewhere, but there was nothing around that looked like it could be used as one. Even if I clumsily picked up a sword, it would easily be sliced away before Novem's Great Scythe.
Should I avoid clashing and instead dodge and land one hit? However, I felt that an ordinary weapon wouldn't be able to leave a single scratch on Novem.
My breathing became severely ragged. Seeing my condition, Novem waited, floating slightly above the ground covered in rubble.
"What's the meaning of this?"
"Hehehe, I'm tired too, so it's a break."
Looking at the smiling Novem, I muttered "Liar" in my heart. Novem, whose breath and pulse weren't disturbed in the slightest, was waiting for me to get ready. Smiling. Why could they be smiling while I was waiting to be killed?
I gripped the Orb.
Since when――did this action become a habit? Since when did I start thinking that if I gripped it, I would surely receive advice?
Right now, the previous heads and their merry companions were swarming the dragon nearby, not even glancing this way――I wanted to tell them to be a bit more useful.
Novem looked at me.
"It seems no help is coming. Everyone――looks quite happy."
There was a slight pause in the words, but it was likely according to Novem's plan. A situation where there are no interruptions, and while testing my strength, I am killed by them.
It was frustrating, but no solution came to mind. Would the high-tension version of me after growing up have been better? Am I not enough?
I gripped the Orb tightly. The silver ornate parts had decreased significantly. As my breathing began to stabilize, I tried to steel my resolve.
Then.
"You're completely hopeless. Sigh, why do you have to be so negative? Try believing in yourself more strongly."
I heard a voice. It was a young voice――the voice of Raiel, who had disappeared.
"No way."
Novem's eyes narrowed. They were irritated.
"――Are they still coming out? Even so, to think the opponent would be you."
A blue light appeared before my eyes, and "Raiel," who looked like me around ten years old, emerged. In his hand, he gripped the treasured saber he had received for his birthday.
With that in hand, Raiel stood before Novem. Then, smiling, he spoke to Novem.
"I think this is a bit much, Novem. Even I'm slightly put off. Declaring yourself everyone's mother, saying Lariel will be completed once killed... you're crazy."
Facing the smiling Raiel, Novem swung the Great Scythe.
"I'll have to ask you not to interfere. For me, the priority is not you, but the real Lariel behind you――!"
Raiel parried the Great Scythe with the saber and kicked Novem away. Seeing this scene, I couldn't hide my surprise.
"You, can you win!"
At my words, Raiel looked back while dodging Novem's slash.
"Huh? Could you stop talking nonsense? It's absolutely impossible. My specs stopped at ten years old, after all. Well, I can buy some time. Besides, that was my intention from the start."
Raiel had come out to buy time. What on earth did he intend to do? Then, while dealing with Novem, Raiel spoke.
"...What is that thing you're gripping? Also, let's broaden your field of vision. And you have to believe in yourself. The reason Lariel exerts power after growing up is that he believes in himself absolutely. The current Lariel has given up somewhere in his heart."
At Raiel's words, Celes's face came to mind. Thinking I could never win, and then by gaining comrades, I won against Celes. That was because I admitted that I myself could not win――.
Novem slashed at Raiel.
"――Stop interfering!"
Sacrificing his left arm, Raiel hit Novem with magic. No blood flowed, but the left arm burst into blue particles of light and vanished.
Using the blast from the magic explosion to be blown back, Raiel stood before me. He turned toward me.
"Lariel has potential. And that is in your hand. Try to remember――the weapons of the previous heads were all characteristic, weren't they? The weapons they favored each had their own traits. That means――"
Then, a flash across Raiel's body. A slash from Novem's Great Scythe created a line across Raiel's body.
Raiel, who was vanishing, looked at me.
"The third skill has activated. Lariel, you have the qualification for it too. Now, wish. If you do, the Orb will answer――"
Raiel vanished into particles of light. He had gone through the trouble of appearing before me just to say that.
"Why are you so meddlesome?"
When I gripped the Orb, Novem seemed slightly flustered. No, perhaps they just hated any more irregularities.
"Lariel, let's settle—"
Then, three more blue lights. Jumping out from them were the trio of Rondo, Rachel, and Larf, whom I had become friends with back when I was still with Darion. The three who had been killed by Celes.
"We won't let you!"
"Novem, that's enough already!"
"Alright, here I come!"
The three launched attacks at Novem. However, to Novem, the strength of the three was no different from small fry. They were three who were about to become strong. Before they could, they lost their lives.
"Why are you three here!"
Larf-san was smiling even as he was slashed by Novem.
"...Idiot, I wanted to stand out. We also, this kind of adventure――"
Rachel-san was also slashed by a returning blade.
"Lariel, our dreams weren't fulfilled halfway. So, if you're alive――"
Rachel-san vanished. Then, Rondo-san was cleaved in two by Novem, along with his sword.
"――If you're alive, please don't give up. That's what I wanted to say."
They were acquaintances. No, they were friends. The friends I made after going outside, Novem sliced them down with such ease.
I gripped the Orb tightly.
"Nothing but interference. But now."
Novem looked at me. The Orb's blue light intensified, and the silver ornate parts changed shape in response to my wish. The silver curved blade had ripples. The beautiful blade was like a mirror. The Orb was embedded in the hilt, and my silver weapon, a katana, revealed itself.
And a second one, about half the length of the katana in my right hand, also appeared.
"I understand. What kind of weapon this is."
When Novem slashed at me, the silver weapons clashed.
"――It seems you've obtained a good weapon. I am happy as well. Slash me with that blade, Lariel!"
I grinned.
"Then, I'll slash you without hesitation."
I swung the katanas held in both hands. The weight, the feel when gripping them. Everything was tailored to me and easy to swing. As I launched consecutive slashes at Novem with the two katanas, Novem was forced onto the defensive.
Faster!
"Kuh!"
Novem could no longer parry everything with the Great Scythe. I leaped up. Moving directly above Novem, I used a rotation to gain momentum. Seeing Novem try to evade, I threw the "wakizashi" held in my left hand.
The wakizashi was deflected. But in the next instant, I was gripping the wakizashi that Novem had deflected.
Right next to Novem.
"Even if the noise is severe, I can use skills to some extent."
With the katana, I slashed Novem's back――diagonally from the nape of the neck. I felt the blade pass deeply through Novem's body.
Novem was smiling.
"Splendid. Is the skill assistance the characteristic of that weapon? It's a good weapon, fitting for Lariel-sama."
Novem was smiling, but I smiled too. A weapon for mastering skills――indeed, it was fitting for me, who had relied on the skills of the previous heads.
However, no one said that was all.
"Too bad, Novem... what I slashed was"
Novem's eyes widened, and they put distance between us. Moving in an instant, they touched their own body to confirm.
Despite having been slashed, there was no mark of a cut.
"How. I made sure not to regenerate the body... and, I certainly was"
"Yeah, I slashed you."
I swung the two katanas horizontally and then took a stance.
"The one who is the Goddess, and the Evil God, Novem."
When I pointed the katana at Novem, Novem had a face that said they couldn't believe it. My silver weapon――the two katanas were katanas that cut only what they wanted to cut. The skill assistance was nothing more than a bonus.
"I'll slice everything down, strip everything away... Novem, I'm going to strip you bare."
Novem glared at me and slashed. It seemed they were trying to destroy my weapon.
However, once I understood Novem's aim, the rest was easy. Predicting the slash, I slashed Novem again.
In my heart, I chanted. I can do it――I can do it. I can save Novem. Because it's me――I can do it because it's me.
I believe in myself, just like when my tension is high. To exert my power to the maximum. For that, first――.
"What's wrong? That's the second hit. If you keep getting slashed like this, you'll be stripped bare in no time."
――I tried taunting them.