kscans

Chapter 220 - The Power of the Brahmi Script

I drew my trump card, the katana inscribed with Brahmi script.

Seeing it, the General was taken aback.

"What is that? It's like nothing of this world."

He was momentarily stunned.

But the sound of attacking beast claws quickly brought him back to his senses, and he resumed his counterattack.

Unaware of this, I shouted, "I've used `Turmoil`. There's no time to fight leisurely. I'm ending this in one go!"

I charged forward.

The Chimera's attacks grew fiercer, as if it were afraid of something. I pushed forward, parrying and deflecting the onslaught of its sword. With my enhanced physical abilities, my vision was clearer than before, and I had the upper hand in terms of strength.

The Chimera's fear turned to panic. Countless claws and snakes erupted from its upper body. The sheer number forced me to stop and engage them. If I got pinned down like this, my magic would run out.

As I searched for a breakthrough, the Chimera's movements became sluggish.

Behind it, Tina had finished dealing with the wolves when she heard my shout from the front.

"It seems Shinsuke is trying to end it," she mused. "In that case, I will too..."

She poured magic into her sword.

The sword began to radiate a brilliant white light, enveloped in its glow. This was the effect of the Light Stone embedded in her Orichalcum sword. While she couldn't make the blade larger, it had become a sword that could cut through anything.

Tina swung horizontally at the Chimera's undefended left hind leg. The tough, uncuttable leg was sliced as if it were made of butter.

"To think it was this powerful," Tina said, staring at her sword in amazement. "Now I truly understand why they say Light Magic is dangerous."

While her ice and wind swords could cut, they usually required a great deal of force. But the sword of light had cut through with no effort at all. It was a feeling she could only understand after experiencing it firsthand. She thought the Chimera's posture would collapse without its hind leg, but a black, bone-like structure immediately emerged from the severed limb.

It acted as a support, preventing it from falling.

"This is no longer just an Undead, it's a monster," Tina declared. "In that case, my next move... `Ice Wind Freezing Array (Diamond Dust)`!"

Icy particles began to dance around Tina.

Previously, she could only deploy it in her immediate vicinity. But after much training, she could now freely control it within a ten-meter radius. Tina unleashed the particles toward the Chimera.

The effect wasn't immediate, but with time... As she thought this, five snakes emerged from its back and attacked.

Tina intercepted the snakes' attacks with her sword of light, slicing through them with ease. More snakes appeared and attacked again. She prepared to counter them in the same way, but... their movements were slower than before, as if they were shivering from the cold.

"Since it has no body heat, the effect took hold faster, I see," Tina noted with admiration.

The effect of the Ice Wind Freezing Array was causing the Chimera's back to freeze over. Naturally, the snakes emerging from its back froze as well. And the Chimera's fierce assault that had been pinning Shinsuke down began to slow.

The Chimera's movements grew sluggish.

Not just the Chimera, but the claws and snakes emerging from its body also slowed to a halt.

"I don't know what's happening, but... this is my chance!" I yelled.

I swung my katana in a single flash. The snakes and claws that had been obstructing me were cut down in one fell swoop. As I closed in, the Chimera raised its sword. A blackish-red magic emanated from the blade, radiating a sinister aura. Was it planning to use a special technique? But I had no intention of waiting around. I would just cut it all down together.

I held my katana horizontally. As I landed on the Chimera's lower body, it swung its sword down, unleashing a slash of blood.

"Evil-Cleaving Flash!" I shouted, unleashing a horizontal slash from my left.

The approaching blood slash collided with my purple flame. The katana and the sword were locked in a stalemate.

But the moment they touched, the outcome was decided.

The blood slash weakened and vanished. My purple flame, however, remained, undiminished.

This was the power of the Brahmi script.

The chief priest had called it a ward against evil, but in reality, it was a power that neutralized magic. In other words, it nullified it. One might wonder if it would nullify one's own magic, but the moment magic is poured into it, the wielder's magic is made an exception by the effect of the Brahmi script and is not extinguished. Well, without that, I wouldn't be able to use its power in the first place.

The Chimera was stunned, its power inexplicably nullified. Even for an Undead, emotions could stir, a testament to the strength of its lingering resentment. In a fit of panic and rage, the Chimera threw its left fist.

I met the incoming attack by slicing it with my katana. The left arm was split in two. The Chimera's face twisted further in rage, and it lunged at me, its mouth wide open, revealing sharp fangs. The saliva clinging to its fangs was green. It was clearly some kind of poison. I considered retreating, but my magic was already below half. I had to end this now.

I readied my katana.

"Evil-Cleaving Violent Flash!"

I unleashed a series of slashes so fast they were invisible to the naked eye.

The approaching Chimera's face was diced into ten pieces, and the momentum carried through, shredding its upper body as well. Even with only its lower half remaining, I couldn't rest my hands. After all, there was no telling what would come out of the Chimera's body.

I couldn't feel safe until it was completely obliterated. My attacks did not cease.

The General and Tina stared in a daze.

That katana, of course, but also the way the Chimera's face had suddenly been torn to pieces, its body following suit. Had he done that? There was no other explanation, but it was so overwhelming that their thoughts couldn't keep up. But when they sensed him turn his attention to the lower half, they immediately retreated.

They would only be in the way. They decided to just watch.

I continued to slash at the lower body without missing a single part. After dicing the final piece, I watched it turn to dust before stopping my movements.

I was breathing heavily, sweat pouring down my face. It was only natural to be tired after attacking nonstop. I collapsed onto the ground.

Just then, Tina approached.

"Are you alright?! Are you injured?!"

She frantically touched my body all over, as if searching for an invisible wound.

"I'm fine," I said, laughing with my eyes still red. "That thing tried a poison fang attack at the end, so I decided to finish it in one go."

Tina looked even more worried. "Those eyes... You used that skill, didn't you? But that's..."

Tina knew the effects of this skill.

"Well, it'll probably be fine," I replied, taking a deep breath. "I don't sense any stronger enemies coming. A night's sleep should restore me to some extent."

Tina seemed to relax.

Just then, the General, who had appeared nearby at some point, spoke.

"I don't know what you're talking about, and I won't pry. You did well."

He praised me with a relieved smile.

"It was nothing," I said. "Oh, how's the battle over there?"

I had just remembered the fight between the humans and the monsters.

"Ah, it's still ongoing, but it's only a matter of time," the General said, looking toward the battlefield. "We've defeated the root cause, after all."

Now that our fight was over, the sounds of the other battle echoed loudly.

"I will now rejoin the main force and take command," the General announced. "You two rest here. Especially you, Shinsuke-kun, don't move recklessly."

He was emphasizing the point.

It seemed the General now considered me a problem child.

"Understood," I said, giving a salute.

Tina did the same. The General nodded in satisfaction and headed toward the battlefield.

Now that it was just the two of us, Tina began to relax, as if the battle was truly over.

I was relaxing too. There were no approaching presences at all. I could finally rest. Just as I thought that, I felt a strange sense of dread. I snapped back to attention with a jolt.

Was I mistaken? I wondered.

"Hey, do you think this is really over?" I asked.

Tina looked puzzled. "What? I've never seen an Undead like that before, and it matches the description of the unknown entity that goblin mentioned. If there were any more, it would truly be the end of humanity."

She was smiling.

Perhaps Tina was too exhausted to think deeply. Or maybe I was overthinking it. But what was that sense of unease from before? As I pondered this, the sky suddenly grew ominous.

When the General appeared on the battlefield, he roared, "Listen, everyone! We have just struck down the root cause! The rest are nothing but a defeated remnant of monsters! There is nothing to fear!"

At this loud cry, a knight shouted, "Ooh! It's finally... it's finally over! If that's the case, this is our battle! Isn't that right, everyone?!"

Not only the knights, but the adventurers too responded with a war cry, their momentum surging.

The monsters were attacking as if they were afraid of something.

An adventurer laughed. "Look at 'em! They're swinging their weapons while shaking in their boots! This is a piece of cake now! Hahaha!"

He attacked with a smile on his face.

The others were similarly laughing as they attacked.

At that moment, they were all mistaken. The monsters were not attacking out of fear of the humans. They were afraid of another being, one that was forcing them to fight.

A loud clap of thunder echoed. Looked like a storm was coming. Or so I thought.

Zuuuun. A sound like something massive falling.

"Did you just hear something?" I asked.

Tina, beside me, replied, "What? I didn't hear anything. Was it just the thunder?"

She hadn't noticed anything.

Really? I wondered.

ZUUUUUN. This time, the sound was much louder.

"I heard a sound just now," Tina said, her face filled with anxiety. "Could it be what you were talking about..."

Normally, she would have been on alert, but she was dominated by fatigue and had let her guard down.

And then, it appeared, destroying the rock wall behind us.