kscans

Chapter 174 - A Lone Fight

"■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛───ッ!!"

Eleven roars combined, directed at me and me alone.

That's fine. Just look at me. Don't let a single person behind me enter your sights.

"Kyou-chan, I have to ask, how are you feeling?"

"I can still fight."

My physical and magical energy reserves were restored. All that was left was willpower and…

After a fleeting glance at my left hand, I stepped forward. As if in sync, the stalled Fafnirs began to move as well.

One step, two steps, then on the third I kicked off the ground. On the fourth, I shattered the asphalt and launched myself into the air, charging at top speed.

Facing me were eleven Fafnirs. Given the width of the road, only four could spread out. All of them raised magic swords as tall as they were, preparing to strike a single human.

I barrel-rolled twice to evade the four blades that came with a roar. As I passed through, I slashed the arm of the one in the center-right and the flank of the one on the left.

[Concept Interference].

My blade snared the mana cloaking their metal-silver scales, converting it into fuel for wind and flame. As I dove through the line of death in a red spiral, I felt two of the evil dragons topple over behind me with a scream.

But all four skidded to a halt, digging their swords and tails into the ground to stop, and turned to face me. The second wave, waiting in front, swung their swords in unison.

In response, I straightened up to decelerate and let their attack pass. As their return strokes closed in, I advanced with dance-like steps, weaving through the blades, and slammed my sword into the neck of the nearest one.

Siphoning its mana, my blade bit deep. I sent wind and fire coursing through the wound as I ran up the dragon's long neck. I shot past its steel-colored human face and continued to ascend. Once I was above the buildings, I turned my back to the cloudy sky.

I unleashed my Flügel at maximum output. Pointing the tip of my sword toward the ground, I glared down at my opponents.

The previous evil dragon's neck exploded. Ten remaining. I had to finish this before they turned their attention back to the joint government building…!

"Shhhh…!"

I grit my teeth, letting out a sharp breath. Shifting from a stance with my sword pointed at the enemy to one resembling hassō-no-kamae, I began my rapid descent.

As if to intercept me, the Fafnirs opened their great maws and began to gather mana. With barely any charge time, they fired deep green projectiles.

This wasn't just poison or a curse. It was a mass of mana, possessing physical destructive power.

However.

"I'll break through!"

I didn't slow down. I dodged with weaving, evasive movements and a corkscrew spin, descending in a straight line, aligning my axis.

I backhanded a projectile that came straight at me, my left fist accelerated by wind and fire, sending it flying back. I charged into the evil dragon's wide-open mouth. The tip of my sword shattered its front teeth and I plunged, body and all, deep into its throat.

I burst out from the back of its head. Just before crashing into the ground, I righted myself, pointing both feet toward the road. Before the full impact could register, I forced the Flügel to fire, propelling myself forward.

A searing pain, as if my legs had shattered, brought tears to the corners of my eyes. But the accelerating world wiped them away.

"■゛■゛■゛ッ!"

With a short roar, a slash descended upon me as I flew just above the ground.

I raised my sword to block it. As the blades scraped against each other, sending sparks flying, I slid between its legs.

"Haaaaah!"

Shattering my opponent's guard, I swung my sword in a vertical slash. I tore open its relatively soft belly and poured wind and flame into the wound.

The evil dragon's thrashing tail loomed before me. I rolled forward to evade it, ducking underneath. A moment later, the Fafnir's abdomen exploded and its head slumped.

Coming out of the roll, I dug the toes of my right foot into the ground and launched myself up with just the power of my knee. I landed on its back with my left foot, then immediately leaped again towards the back of its head.

I aimed for the nape of its neck, covered by the helmet, and delivered a mighty iron fist. The blow, augmented with [Concept Interference], shattered the helm and drove my fist into the gap between its vertebrae.

Its human-like face made me suspect as much, but just as I thought, there was no bone here. I forced my way through flesh, opened my hand, and supplied mana at maximum output, firing a heat ray from my palm. For an instant, its oral cavity lit up, and a moment later, the penetrating beam melted the cracked road below.

Before I could even confirm its death, I kicked off its head, pulling my arm free, and shot diagonally upward. A magic sword, swung to crush me along with its fallen comrade, descended on the now-whitening back of its head.

Eight left!

I entered a building on the side of the road from behind. Slipping inside through a window that had long since shattered, I kicked a nearby desk to change direction. In that instant, four swords plunged into the office.

As the building was torn apart around me, I slipped between the blades. Any longer and I'd be mincemeat. I took off my Flügel, imbued it with mana, draped it over a nearby chair, and flung it outside. The fuel would run out soon, but a few seconds would be enough.

In this city, lit only by the fires, the white cloak stood out. Just as the evil dragons' gazes were naturally drawn to the flying chair, I kicked off the ruined floor and launched myself outside.

I swung my sword in a sideways slash at the neck of a nearby evil dragon, following through. Kicking off the wind to accelerate, I leaped, leaving a green projectile that had just passed behind me in the dust.

"Tch…!"

Just before I crashed into the building on the opposite side, I grabbed the Flügel, ripping it from the chair. I ran along the wall and quickly draped the cloak over my shoulders.

As the pursuing magic swords tore the building apart, another evil dragon was waiting for me in front.

Seven left…!

"■゛■゛■゛───ッ!!"

I dodged a diagonal downward slash with a horizontal spin. I then slashed its right eye, followed by another full rotation to deliver an iron fist to the ruptured eyeball with my left hand, frying its brain with a heat ray.

Six left!

All the Fafnirs were positioned to sandwich me between them and the government building. Still, twelve steel-colored eyes were fixated on me.

If they had shown me their backs, I would have aimed there, but it seemed they knew that.

Releasing wind from the Flügel, I used the wind I had wrapped around my feet with [Concept Interference] as a base to come to a sudden stop. From the side, it looked as if I had slammed into an invisible wall with the soles of my feet.

Space itself seemed to creak.

"Oooohhhhhh!!"

I charged head-on into the horde of evil dragons, their swords at the ready. I dodged the giant blades coming from four directions, slipping through the gaps to reach the back row.

Two blades approached, one from the upper right, the other from my left. I tilted my body to pass through the gap between them and drove a thrust into the neck of the Fafnir on my right.

From that position, I spun my whole body, gouging flesh and tearing sinew.

The wind and fire I left behind exploded, propelling me sideways. I leaped at a nearby Fafnir.

"■゛■゛……!"

A metal-silver left arm was raised like a shield. Just before impact, I barrel-rolled to avoid it, only to see its great maw already open, aimed at me.

There was no time to dodge. I caught the approaching light projectile at an angle with my gauntlet, deflecting it.

"Ngh…!"

As the gauntlet shattered and metal fragments flew, I plunged my sword into its eyeball and poured in fire and wind. Amidst the shrieks, I placed my left palm on the sword's guard and swung it sideways.

That one also collapsed, an explosion erupting from its wound, which I confirmed as I circled around.

Four left…!

"Hah, hah…!"

I was out of breath. Not from fatigue. I wasn't getting enough oxygen. My body couldn't keep up with the sudden stops using the Flügel.

This Flügel really is a wild mare! But that's exactly why!

"■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛───ッ!!"

The remaining evil dragons began to fire light projectiles haphazardly. The shelter was right behind me. Even if I dodged, people would die if I let them pass.

Then my only choice was to strike them down.

"Burn to ashes!"

Flames swelled into a sphere, swallowing my blade. From an overhead stance, I swung down, unleashing a crimson slash.

The inferno, wide enough to fill the road, collided with the magical projectiles. They clashed for only a moment. I forced my way through, extinguishing them all, and the flames, still raging, incinerated the two Fafnirs in the center.

The blast lasted only a few seconds. I charged through the lingering embers in the air, rushing the one on the far left.

It tried to raise its magic sword to intercept, but it was too slow. I plunged my one-and-a-half-handed sword into its neck and twisted with all my might.

───CRACK.

"Tch!"

With that simple sound, the blade snapped at its base. At almost the same instant, the two in the center, charred from the previous exchange, collapsed.

Through the newly opened view, my eyes met with the last remaining one. For half a second, I thought I saw its pupil-less eyes glance at my hand.

"■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛■゛───ッ!"

It roared and charged. Before I could react, my [Spirit Eye] showed me a premonition.

But it was too late. The one whose neck I had just gouged had abandoned its sword and grabbed me with its right hand.

"■゛, ■゛■゛……!"

"You bastard!"

I couldn't see its face from this position. But I was sure it was smiling. At the thought of taking me with it.

As if to cut down its dying comrade along with me, the last one swung its magic sword in a diagonal slash.

"Don't you dare mock me!"

I used the Flügel to unleash a gale, breaking free of the grip, and instantly raised my broken sword. The giant blade, over ten meters long, collided with my cracked sword guard.

I can't block it…!

The guard and hilt shattered, and the slightly weakened slash struck my right shoulder. The blade bit into my Flügel and breastplate, sending a tremendous shock through my entire body.

I was sent flying past the now-dissolving creature, slammed into the ground like a fly.

"Agh, ugh…!"

The impact was so strong my consciousness flickered. My vision spun. On the third bounce, I did a backflip, landing with the soles of my feet on the ground.

Reconstruct the sword—no, no time!

A follow-up thrust came at me. I drew a knife and leaped toward the tip of the extended blade.

I ran along the flat of the sword, using the Flügel's acceleration, and thrust the knife at its leather-armored solar plexus.

The armor was pierced, but the blade wasn't long enough. It broke through the scales, but only barely grazed the flesh.

I placed my left hand on the pommel just as the Fafnir flipped its blade, aiming the back of the sword at me.

It was an application of a 'wrapshot,' using the back of the blade to strike an opponent's back or thighs. Before the suicidal blow could land, I channeled all the fire and wind I had from my left hand into the knife.

The Fafnir's body began to burn from the inside out.

"■゛■゛■゛───ッ!?"

With a final scream, the massive blade passed over my head. Whether from pain or the impact, the monster's aim went awry, and its final blow only managed to crack its own steel-colored scales.

I released the melting knife and ascended, gaining altitude to survey the ground.

The wide road and sidewalks were covered in white crystals. Confirming the annihilation of all the Fafnirs, I slowly steadied my ragged breathing.

"Are you alright, Kyou-chan?!"

"Somehow…!"

I replied to Aira-san as I reconstructed my armor and weapon. Finally, I let out a long breath, returning to a state of readiness.

My [Arcane Gear] was fine now. But my other 'equipment' had been pushed too hard. It was near its limit.

───Especially the Ring of the Flame Horse.

It had performed well above its rank, but I had been channeling an amount of mana that far exceeded its capacity. It could fail at any moment.

Even so, just hold on a little longer…!

"No problems here. How are Erina-san and the others?"

"It's tough, but we're okay!"

"We should be able to manage!"

"I'm heading for support."

"Wait! There's still sound heading your way! Deal with it!"

"Tch, roger…!"

As Erina-san spoke, I spun around and drew my brand-new sword.

With the joint government building at my back, I took a stance and, sure enough, spotted an approaching enemy group.

Four Yotuns. Behind them, ten Fafnirs. I hadn't expected there to be so many left.

But judging by their mana signatures, this had to be the last of the boss monsters. This number alone could still inflict devastating damage on Tokyo, but the end was in sight… or so I hoped.

Just one more push, I told myself, steeling my resolve, and then I noticed.

The ten evil dragons had stopped moving and were entwining their massive bodies together.

"Tch…!?"

A chill ran down my spine.

That's bad. I can't let that happen.

My instincts, my [Spirit Eye], were screaming at me. I had to risk everything to stop them now.

Otherwise, I would die.

"Ooooooooooh!"

I let out a roar as if expelling all the air from my lungs and charged. I hoisted my sword onto my shoulder and flew at maximum output.

"■■■■■■───!"

The Yotuns stood in my way. They formed a spear wall, pointing their tips at me and thrusting in unison.

I swatted them aside with wind and fire as if they were a nuisance, and smashed my left fist into the face of the one in my path.

My uppercut-like punch caved in the space below its nose, and I fired a heat ray through my ring underneath. I left the giant falling backward and ignored the remaining three, pressing onward.

Make it! Make it! Ma—

I'm not going to make it…!?

"■゛■゛■゛, ■゛■゛■゛■゛……"

I thought I heard the Fafnirs say something.

In that instant, a green tornado erupted from the center of the ten entwined bodies. Thrown off balance by the gust, I saw it.

The moment the mighty evil dragons melted their bodies, mixing together to become a single life form.

Three giants roared and swung their ice-clad fists at my back. I shot upward to evade their attacks.

Twisting on a vertical axis, I kept my eyes fixed on the green tornado.

In that moment, the bodies of the blue giants who had been standing like a wall were bisected horizontally.

I reflexively raised my sword like a shield and was struck by an unbelievable impact. My arms screamed in protest, and though I was thrown off balance, I managed to deflect the blow upward.

"Th-This…!"

On the verge of falling, I fired the Flügel to regain control. I pulled up just above the ground and landed with the tip of my sword and the soles of my feet on the asphalt road.

I slid backward for several meters, gouging the surface of the road, before coming to a stop. As I immediately raised my one-and-a-half-handed sword again, the tornado finally dissipated and vanished before my eyes.

The grotesque 'egg' formed by the entwined steel-colored bodies was gone.

In its place, a being smaller than the evil dragons, but with a physique that was clearly not human, had appeared.

It was not scales, but steel-colored skin and rippling muscles. Its body, devoid of any reproductive organs, had the beautiful balance of a Greek sculpture, marred by the giant demonic wings sprouting from its back.

In its right hand, it held a two-handed sword. Its hilt and guard were crafted from gold, and a blue gem embedded in the hilt shone brightly. In contrast to its splendor, the blade was as black as molten night. Characters carved into the flat of the blade danced ominously.

But what drew the most attention was its head.

"Gi, gagaga…!"

"Gegegegegeh!"

Two heads sprouted from its body, which stood at a height of two and a half meters.

Of the twin heads, one wore a golden helmet, just like the Fafnirs. However, the head on the right-arm side, though its features were the same, wore no helmet.

───Bigger is stronger.

Unless a being completely defies the laws of physics, this is an absolute truth. While it's possible to overcome with superior quality, when on equal footing, the larger one has the advantage.

By that logic, this monster seems to have been significantly weakened.

But what is this?

Its steel-colored eyes gazed somewhere into the distance. Just like the evil dragons, its eyeballs were a solid steel color, with no whites or pupils. Just looking at them sent a chill down my spine, as if my heart had been seized.

Its density was on another level.

When ten beings of that size gathered and became one, how much power was packed into that body?

Tokyo, a city ablaze, transformed into a capital of monsters.

The 'demon' floating in the cloudy sky slowly, but surely…

Turned its eyes toward me.