kscans

Chapter 236 - The Sword That Wishes, The Sword That Hopes, The One Awaited is Here, Part Seven

"—, —, —"

"—, —"

For some reason, their conversation still wasn't being broadcast.

Even so,

"—, —"

Somehow, she could understand.

"—, —"

From his expression, and from hers,

"—, —"

Her partner, the young man, was, as always—fighting desperately and without hesitation, simply for the sake of having fun from the bottom of his heart.

Poof. The tension and anxiety that had gripped the 'family's' hands loosened.

She realized she didn't need to feel those things.

She realized this was no time to be concerned with such things.

Beyond the screen, the white-gold she had seen once before pulsed with a brilliant light.

As he took a step forward, seeing that figure—she couldn't remain seated.

The surprised words from those on either side of her didn't reach the girl.

Her eyes, her ears, her consciousness were all fixed on the one swinging his sword in that distant world—

"Win—! Haru!"

—focused solely on her partner, who was so dazzlingly bright.

◇◆◇◆◇

"Don't screw with me…!—Go get 'em, Nozomi!"

"You can do it, Kasuga-kun!"

"—…Hh, …!"

"Breathe…! Kaede, breathe…!"

◇◆◇◆◇

"—! —!"

"Whoa, hey, don't thrash around!? I get it! But still!"

◇◆◇◆◇

"…, ……Hh."

"…Yui, maybe it's good to shout out loud once in a while."

"—"

And so, the 'master,' prompted by her grandfather—

"Hh—Win, Haru-kun!"

—shouted at her disciple on the other side of the screen with a passion that felt like a first in her life.

As those who knew 'him' rose to their feet in the real world and raised their voices,

the 'young man' inside the screen simply embodied his own feelings—and let out a roar.

◇◆◇◆◇

"—Oooooooohhhhh!"

"—Hh, hh…!"

White-gold, and silver.

The crossed blades clashed for a moment—then, in accordance with the superiority of 'power,' they began to tilt.

Not gradually, but in jarring lurches—towards me.

"—Guh, ghaa, ggh…!"

I was prepared for this, but…! This is on another level…!

It's too heavy—even though I'm the one pushing down from above.

The silver light, rising from the earth to the heavens, wouldn't budge no matter how much I pushed.

The golden light of my `[Angalta, God-Wedge Spirit Sword]`, which I had tried to crush before it could be fully swung, was being blown away with terrifying force.

It was only natural. No matter how rare a Terror Armament it was, my [An-ri Galta (Prologue: The Wedge-Fragment that Sings of Eternity)] was still in its prologue stage—the vessel of a newborn infant.

Against a weapon that was not just of the same type but a complete superior version… a category error that embodied the strongest and bore the name of the world, there was no way I could overpower it.

Given this weapon's authority, which grows stronger the stronger its opponent, I had thought this one blow might have a chance, but—it seems I was hoping for too much…!

"—…Hah, uhh…!"

"…………, …"

—Well, however.

My original goal has undoubtedly been achieved. Beyond the light, brighter than the dazzling light effects themselves, I can see an even more brilliant expression.

This was a battle I entered having already forsaken victory.

Even if I can't defeat her, I have no regrets, well—

Any guy who could spout that—

—while preaching about 'fun'—that would be a laughingstock!

"—Hh, sorry…! ………Iris…!"

"…, wh-what are you…!?"

Is this getting a bit annoying by now?—But it's the truth, so I'll say it as many times as I want, and I've actually grown quite fond of it now!

So, for one last time—allow me to state my name!

"My title is—the [Acrobat]!"

Now—[Blink Switch].

"—!? Wha-!?"

The disappearance of gold—and a torrent of silver.

Suddenly losing its target, the 'sword' of `[Arcadia, Ideal Land Embracing the Old Moon]`, before Iris could regain control, was unleashed towards the heavens.

The blade of absolute light, which could destroy anything, shot up into the empty, starry sky—

[Floating Leaf]—activated. I used the vector manipulation skill to stop my body from being blown away by the recoil.

Swinging her sword to the heavens and misfiring her unparalleled ultimate technique—she left herself completely defenseless, a wide-open 'gap,' right in front of me.

—I'm not moving.

"—"

In a moment stretched thin, thinner than ever before,

"—"

—on my status bar, right below my health, a flashing stun icon from accumulated shock effects mockingly blinked at me, and,

Hah, haha—ah, seriously.

I love you, my personal artisan.

A high-pitched shattering sound echoed from my chest.

In less than an instant, the 'protection stone' she once gave me shattered.

—[Agaphanthus Protection Stone].

The 'charm,' named after the blue jade that is the trademark of a certain fairy, contained an effect—an 'incantation for emergencies' that provided instant relief from status effects.

My avatar, freed, summoned to its hand the supreme blade bestowed upon me by my 'master.'

And now—Kesshiki, Itto.

"Final Strike—"

"—"

The Kesshiki Ittoryu's final strike. The name of the original sword it was based on is `[Yuikaze]`.

The effect of this Arts of mine, bearing my master's name, is, in terms of power, a direct copy of the original's 'one strike containing the full power of the previous blow'—which means,

What I'm about to unleash is an iai strike that has swallowed the giant flash of `[Angalta, God-Wedge Spirit Sword]`.

This is it, Iris.

Endure it, or perish—it's one or the other!

"Oral Tradition—[Yuikaze]!!"

In the final instant, with time lost and no more leeway,

The body of the girl who, without giving up until the very end, swung her 'sword'—

—was torn through by the flash of my jade blade, carrying with it a will that refused to yield an inch.