kscans

Chapter 296 - The Battle for the Fortress and Mizuki's Resolve

The earth trembled, and a cloud of dust billowed up, obscuring our vision. The trees shuddered, and countless birds took flight at once, peppering the brown-tinged sky with innumerable dark spots. We got to our feet and ran back to the spot where we’d observed the fortress moments before. Peeking through a gap in the trees, we took in the scene.

First, a giant covered in black soot dominated our view. Each particle of soot seemed to be alive, constantly writhing and crawling over the giant's body, resembling a malevolent aura. Its form towered over the mountain, but I couldn't even begin to guess its actual size. Compared to this thing, we were nothing more than ants. It slowly raised the arm it had just slammed down.

The trees near the summit had been flattened, revealing the fortress built upon the exposed, bare earth. It seemed to have been protected by a magical barrier; that section alone looked shielded. Even so, the outer walls encircling the citadel had crumbled, exposing the buildings within. The details were hazy, obscured by the dust cloud the giant had kicked up.

"Master, I think I see people..." Famu murmured.

"You can see them?"

She nodded, though she didn't sound confident.

"I might be mistaking them for the dust. Or they could be monsters."

She sounded calm, but it also felt like she was suppressing her emotions.

"That's fine, but..." I muttered indecisively. Hearing me, Famu turned her gaze my way.

"That's a piece of grilled corn you're clutching, you know?"

Famu gasped, stared at the grilled corn, and then her eyes shifted to my own hands.

"You are too, Master!"

"Well, this is... I'm not finished eating it yet."

We both took a bite of our grilled corn. Mizuki, who had been watching us, let out a sigh.

"How can you be so carefree..."

As she spoke, the giant's arm was raised high into the sky, blotting out the sun and casting a shadow over us. Then, it swung down. A blow like a meteor strike slammed into the fortress again. The violent shockwave reached all the way to our mountain, and the ground bucked violently.

The giant was raising its fist to deliver a third strike. The only way to stop it was to summon Laciel. But that would only be a temporary fix. We might be able to repel it for a moment, but after some time, the giant would likely reappear. We might be able to break the fortress's seal in the interim, but it would also reveal our presence and location to the Crimson Brigade. If we had to fight them, we wouldn't be able to use the trump card of Goddess Summon, and there was a chance I couldn't protect Levante. On top of that, there could be unknown monsters waiting in the fortress.

It seemed best to stay hidden and see how things played out. But at the same time, a sense of impatience welled up inside me. I couldn't accept the scene unfolding before my eyes.

"Mash, let's use Goddess Summon and take it down," Mizuki said, glaring at the giant.

"What's the point of helping the Crimson Brigade? Besides, Laciel's power isn't enough to finish that giant off, and we won't be able to use Goddess Summon for two days after this."

Just as she was about to turn towards me, the giant swung its fist down. A deafening roar accompanied the violent tremor that shook us. She lost her footing, and I caught her. In my arms, Mizuki looked up at me.

"There might be people in there asking for help. Are you just going to leave them to die?"

"But even if we save them... they're the ones who attacked Famu's village." They were a bunch who deserved to be punished. Why should I be the one to save them?

Once the tremor subsided, she placed her hand over mine. I thought she wanted to stand and tried to help her, but she just squeezed my hand tightly.

"Mash, I'm not you or Famu. Leaving people to die would leave a terrible taste in my mouth. You feel the same way, don't you? Besides... I have a way to defeat the giant."

Mizuki stared at me, her gaze unwavering.

"Are you serious?"

"If I have Laciel's power and my own... yes."

Though she sounded uncertain, Mizuki let go of my hand and retrieved the sword Laciel had given her from her storage. She gripped the hilt, staring at the dimly gleaming blade.

"I want you to leave this to me."

At Mizuki's words, I glanced at Myra, Marmi, and Nephi. They looked like they wanted to say something but seemed content to watch how my conversation with Mizuki played out. I shifted my gaze to Famu.

"Master..."

She trailed off. She was also unsure what to do. But while we hesitated, the giant would reduce the fortress to rubble. The giant's fist slowly rose. Below it was the sight of the fortress being pulverized. At this rate, it might already be too late. Famu watched the scene, swallowing hard.

"Mash."

Mizuki let go of her sword and gripped my hand and Famu's.

"You and Famu are both being swayed by the word 'justice.' It's something that exists in everyone's hearts, sure. But I don't think it's universal; I think everyone's is different. There are countless versions of it, and everyone is fighting for their own slightly skewed justice. You and Famu might think you're wielding the same justice, but even between you two, it's misaligned. Justice raised to solve something often ends up distorting and breaking the situation instead."

Stared at by Mizuki, I couldn't help but look away.

"I find that hard to believe, coming from the girl who tried to hand me over to a station attendant, claiming I was a pervert."

"Hmph. You're right, Mash. I used to think my justice was everyone's justice. But after that, I went through a terrible ordeal, and no one helped me."

"Hey, what do you mean, 'terrible ordeal'? Are you talking about me attacking you?"

"What else could it be! You didn't have to go that far."

"If Laciel hadn't teleported us away, my life would have been over!"

"You're trying to say that was your justice, aren't you? If you had just told me you liked me normally, I would have..." Mizuki stammered. At the time, I had just assumed the magical brat Laciel handed me was meant for that and attacked her. It wasn't like I was punishing her out of a sense of justice, but things were getting complicated, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

That's when I noticed Famu staring intently at me. It looked like she was about to explain my side of things to clear up Mizuki's misunderstanding. I held my breath, praying she would stay quiet. I don't know if my prayers were answered, but she remained silent. As I breathed a sigh of relief, my hand was squeezed forcefully.

"We're getting sidetracked! The point is, we have to save the people in the fortress right now!"

Feeling Mizuki's intense gaze, I looked at Famu. She gave a quiet nod. Myra, Marmi, and Nephi nodded as well.

"Alright. We don't know the situation in the fortress, but we won't let the giant destroy it any further. Mizuki..."

"It's okay. Leave it to me."

As I heard her reply, I raised my hand.

"Goddess Summon!"

A distortion appeared in the space where my hand was pointing, and a torrent of rainbow light flooded out. The light spread as if to envelop the world, and from within it, the tip of a spear emerged. Then, the goddess herself appeared, sitting upon the spear's shaft. She was clad in a rainbow-colored garment, her golden hair fluttering.

She raised her long eyelashes and looked up at the giant. Her lips were pressed into a firm line. Her gaze slowly lowered and fell upon me.

"Mash..." her cherry-pink lips parted.

"What?"

"Didn't I tell you I cannot defeat that thing?"

"I can't either. I'll just keep summoning you until we beat it."

"Hmph, I'm not exactly free, you know. It's such a waste of time!"

"Don't lie. All you do is watch me and Mizuki all day!" I glared at the pouting Laciel. But she just turned her face away with a huff.

"That's not true. I'm busy right now compiling a highlight reel of your lives."

"What? Like that video from when I cleared my name from the pervert accusation?"

"Exactly! That's why it's so much work!"

"Can I see that footage too?"

"Eh? Ah, yes, if you wish. I'll send it to your smartphone, Mash."

"Really?! In that case, you don't need to do a review of my life. There's nothing in it. Just make a collection of all of Mizuki's masturbation sessions from birth until now and send it to me!"

As I shouted, I felt a blow to the back of my head. I turned to see it was Mizuki.

"Are you an idiot!"

Laciel nodded vigorously at her words.

"He is. If I made something like that, it would exceed the storage capacity and wouldn't fit."

"You're an idiot too!" Mizuki, bright red, glared at Laciel.

"Mash, the time we can keep Laciel here is limited, so let's get on with it!" She gripped her sword.

"Alright. But what's the plan?" Since I'd decided to go along with Mizuki's strategy, I'd leave the execution to her as well.

I looked up at the giant. It still stood before the fortress. It had no face. I couldn't tell if it was even aware of us.

"Answer me, Laciel. Is that giant a god of the apocalypse?"

The moment Laciel's lips began to part, the scenery before me warped violently. A massive amount of my mana was drained. Mizuki had asked a question Laciel couldn't answer.

Mizuki kept her eyes on Laciel, and as if she'd grasped something, she gave a small nod.

"You said you couldn't defeat it. But you were able to damage it with the sword of Akitsuki Uta, which is the same as this one. This sword you gave me—you didn't create it. It's a sword created by a transmigrator you summoned in the past, just like Uta or Okita Soji, isn't it?"

Laciel didn't answer Mizuki's question. The sword Mizuki held was born from the special skills of the three sacred treasures created by a past transmigrator. Her words made sense.

Mizuki pointed the tip of her sword at the giant. It was a black shadow, its true form empty. The inscription on the blade, 'Our Lord God is the One and Only, Without Form, Void Yet Spirit-Filled,' seemed to perfectly describe the giant's nature.

"That thing is like foam. It possesses numerous real forms. Even if you destroy one core, it will simply create a new bubble."

At Laciel's words, Mizuki nodded as if her conviction had been confirmed.

"In other words, we just have to destroy all of its cores."

My eyes widened at her words.

"Wait, Mizuki. Are you saying you're going to destroy all of those black particles?"

She shook her head at my words.

"During the last battle, Laciel pierced the giant's core with her sword. That was one of the bubbles. And with that, the giant disappeared. The giant has many of those cores, like foam, and when it loses them, it vanishes, only to regenerate and reappear. So, now, while it's here, we'll destroy all of the giant's cores."

She looked up at the floating Laciel. Laciel said nothing, merely looking down at us. I finally realized it too. By not answering, she was affirming Mizuki's words.

"The enemy is that massive thing. How do you plan to destroy its cores?"

"That's why I need Laciel. I'll ride her spear and fight the giant. And I will destroy all of its cores."

"What?! If that's the plan, I'll do it!"

Mizuki shook her head at my response.

"As a swordswoman, I'm better than you. So I'll do it." Her resolve was strong.