kscans

Chapter 391 - Dawn Breaks White, a Funeral Song for a New Beginning, Part Five

There was no long, drawn-out fall into a bottomless pit, no darkness that seemed ready to swallow us whole.

We were enveloped by the sensation of falling for only a few seconds after we leaped. The telltale signs of a forced teleportation—something I had experienced countless times—assaulted my unhesitating avatar.

"""—"""

Our eyes shot open, and in the next moment, we were thrown out into a clear, cloudless blue sky.

"Hey… what about the people who can't fly!? Me included!"

"—Haru, get Iris-san!"

"I know!"

Sora, at least, was fine.

My partner was the master of a magic sword that danced freely through the air; she could manage. But this game was fundamentally designed so that players couldn't just soar through the skies.

"…!"

"Hold on tight! And don't bite your tongue!"

Even the great Sword Queen couldn't fly. I snatched her body as she was in freefall, her eyes wide with surprise, and prepared to activate [Rocket].

Output at ten percent. It would still be fast… but my evolved transport skill, [Luna Nobody], should offset the G-forces with its defensive capabilities, twice that of its predecessor, [Guardian's Cradle].

That being the case, there was only one place to go.

"This has gotta be it, right!? I'm thinking we go all out from the start! Any objections!?"

"None!"

"None at all!"

As we fell from the sky, the gazes of all three of us converged on a single point below.

A great basin, identical to the battlefield we had just been on. And in its center—a familiar 'white' taking on an unfamiliar 'form.'

That form was, in the truest sense of the word, a 'dragon'… A long neck, a long tail. Standing firm on four powerful legs, a creature of fantasy equipped with massive wings.

A manifestation of beauty, terror, and awe. A colossal 'white dragon' with golden eyes that felt sacred, and a halo-like ring of light above its head.

I had no way of knowing which was its true form, but,

"Came back for a rematch—Tsarkalv!"

『—!!!』

A tiny shout and a tremendous roar crossed between us from above and below—and unable to suppress the grin spreading across my face, I soared through the sky just as I had once before.

It wouldn't even take an instant to close the distance.

"[Forte Rouge]—!"

I delivered the 'strongest and most invincible' right to the 'white' one's face. Responding to the explosive acceleration of [Rocket] as if it were nothing, Iris dyed her dress crimson and swung her 'sword.'

It was a full-power strike, no doubt about it—but,

"…!"

It didn't reach.

The blade, likely aimed at the roaring dragon's snout, was stopped by a barrier formed from countless tendrils—no, bands of light—emitted from the halo floating above its head.

『—』

Its golden eyes narrowed, and its great wings spread. A pre-motion that strongly suggested some kind of 'counterattack' began.

"[Schwert Kreis]."

A second golden flash descended a moment later, and with a single sword in hand, she intoned the key words.

"—[Nel Wiedersch]!"

The scales tipped, and the one magic sword woven from a thousand was brought down. With the activation of [Scareless] and the status sharing of [Twaibolt Mirari], the sword of sand, which had defied all common sense, shattered the barrier that had once stopped 'the strongest' with an even greater 'abnormality.'

The colossal body wavered—and the third arrow, having finished its escort duty, was already loaded.

"[An-ru Galta (Hypothesis: The Wedge-Armor that Sings of the King's Road)]."

I released Iris, landed on the ground—and reversed my momentum. My left hand, now deploying the light armor that was finally available again, reached for the hilt of the stubborn brat still holed up in its sheath.

"This time… I'm not backing down without dealing some damage!"

With a loud ring, the drawn [Evaquartz]'s blade blazed with a brilliant, pure white radiance—soaring through the air, it sank its fangs into the 'white' being that was its origin.

It was shallow. But the crimson effect etched into its neck was proof that I had reached it.

I passed by it, moving from below to above. When I turned back, my gaze met its golden eyes, which were aimed straight at me… Hey. I'm going into this believing it's the final battle, so let's have some fun.

From that day when all I could do was look up, shout empty boasts, and land one tiny, spiteful bite—

Both I and this thing have been honed into 'swords,' and we've made it this far.

"I'm not gonna lose—get ready for me."

A beat of silence, and then.

The blue-silver, the gold, and the pure white all took a single step forward at the same time.