kscans

Chapter 551 - A Hero's Tale for You, A Hero's Tale for Another, Part VII

The moment the violet thunder sphere pulsed, the magic spheres being fired from the reactivated wall-mounted magic circles all stopped their movement—no, they changed their destination.

It wasn't the 'chaotic barrage' I hated most from my limited experience, but rather a straight line toward a single point. Namely, toward the new magic Alicia had created.

It was as if they were being drawn in by the immense gravity of a star.

"Tch, what is this—"

"Haru, you don't have to worry about what's up. Just take care of what's below again."

"O-aight… D-don't get it, but got it…!"

Her words were concise and suited to the situation. To be honest, my curiosity was screaming for a detailed explanation, but I could more or less see what was happening.

From the chant I'd just overheard, something along the lines of 'Usurp, for I am the Queen'… it was probably some kind of insane magic with that sort of property.

I see. If I just take care of the magic circles on the lower level that are being absorbed, we can ignore the speed-draining magic spheres for a while—it was a defensive choice, not a finisher.

If that's the case, there's only one thing to do.

"Right, how should we split this?!"

"Play it by ear!"

"Couldn't have said it better—ready, and go!"

Our minds were perfectly in sync. I released Alicia from my arms, and we headed in opposite directions, executing a 180-degree turn and slashing with my jade blade as I spun.

I slammed my blade into [Rep-la Nobody, The Black Stain That Slays All], which had been chasing us with ferocious momentum while we spoke—but…

"Tch… Alicia!"

It whiffed, vanished. The moment the solid black form disappeared from before my eyes, I reflexively shouted a warning, but I had my own problems to deal with. Frantically dodging out of the line of fire of the cannons it had left behind like a parting gift, I glanced over—

—and there she was, running and destroying the magic circles on the floor, a lethal claw already swinging at her back. For a split second, I started to move in for a quick follow-up, but she stopped me, as if to say…

"—"

Turning her back and running her sword along the floor was merely a preparatory motion. She must have predicted she'd be targeted. Just in time, Alicia spun on her heel, her eyes shining as if to declare, 'I am the attacker.'

Spin, then a flash of the sword's tip. What followed was—

"[Tempest]."

A devastatingly violent gale, reminiscent of the [Destruct] I'd unleashed earlier, or perhaps even surpassing it.

The wind, suffused with mana, was a shade of jade green. The explosive gale that erupted at the moment of activation seemed to have enough power to push back [Rep-la Nobody, The Black Stain That Slays All]… but Alicia, now clad in it, had become a queen who commanded not just thunder, but tornadoes as well—

"—Run!"

"Okay, I'm counting on you!"

She shot me a confident look and smiled, as if to say she would hold it off next.

And so, I made my decision instantly. With no room for doubt, a grin spread across my own face as I took off at full speed, my jade blade infused with magic.

In the corner of my vision, I saw her, who had previously been a step behind the enemy's Shukuchi, now predicting its moves and slicing off its shadowy arms, as I ran around, shattering magic circle after magic circle.

It was only one side of a wide, yet narrow, arena. No matter how many there were, running through and kicking up the ground with my blade—took less than ten seconds.

Deciding that the other side had probably been destroyed by the aftershocks of the fierce sword fight I'd been hearing, I avoided the central battle zone. As I turned around, intending to stop for less than a moment to assess the situation, I saw…

"Hey, Princess, what is that…!"

Perhaps due to the wind she wore, Alicia was holding her own in a solid contest against the monster-spec [Rep-la Nobody, The Black Stain That Slays All]. And above her head, the black-hole-like sphere of purple lightning, which continued to absorb magic spheres from the intact magic circles on the walls and ceiling, was growing at an accelerating rate—

"Tch—Haru!"

"Yeah, leave it to me!"

—as if eloquently stating that it was connected to 'what came next'.

If so, then it was decided what I had to do.

I activated [Rocket] at one hundred percent output. With a truly full-speed charge, I forcefully inserted myself into the sword fight between the two monsters, a flash of my jade blade.

I'd guessed as much from its behavior so far, but it seems it doesn't appreciate being targeted in the 'head' or 'torso'. It forwent the option to ignore me and blocked my blade with its 'claws'—

[Exchange Implode] activated—contract set, five seconds!

I sent back [Samidorizuki], then deployed my twin shields with [Shot]. Just before my [Alv Stella, True White Star Sword] could pierce its face in a semi-surprise attack, it dodged. I returned the sword to its ring and equipped the [Twaibolt Mirari] on both arms, striking with both fists like they were knuckles. Blocked by its left and right 'claws'—and at the same time, I sent them back again. I dodged the counter-swinging claws by a hair's breadth, spun, and thrust with a spear—sent back the [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor]—summoned and sent back the [Gravidon Hammer]—summoned and sent back the [Revolving Wheel Shield]—summoned and sent back the [Giant's Hand Axe]—and then, drawing the [Rabbit Dagger, Parabellum]…!

"[Reject Sentence]!"

I activated the overly special special skill at the perfect moment. Using the system-hacked, forcibly-made-usable [Ruby Rabbit Bullet] as a trigger.

Point-blank shot. Without backfiring, a reactive warhead was expelled as the gun barrel shattered, landing on [Rep-la Nobody], who had been calmly handling my rush.

More accurately, it sensed the 'target's' magic at close range and instantly detonated.

And just like before, I ignored the lethal magic wave and used the recoil of the shot to stay in place, and what returned to my hand was—

"Kesshiki Ittoryu, Second Strike—"

A forward grip on the hilt, a reverse grip on the pommel—a strange two-handed grip on a tachi glowing with silver light.

Timed full-equip of all usable weapons & attack judgment trigger, contract fulfillment complete.

"—[Striking Iron]!"

A flash of a single sword, imbued with more than double the power, with the added bonus of a massive forced knockback effect. The shadow, which had received the blade of [Samidorizuki] with its vaunted 'claws' as it had before—

—, ————!

—let out a distorted scream and was sent flying into the distance like a horizontal home run, amidst a dazzling silver vortex effect.

The ridiculously cheat-like sustained effect, which varies depending on the difficulty of the contract, won't last ten seconds—I prayed that she would be ready in that time.

"Time to play catch…!"

Behind me, as I launched into yet another charge, Alicia, who had stepped back to take my place, was chanting for the third time. Her eyes opened—the wind, its protective role fulfilled, dissipated.

And then,

"'Gather, children of light and flash, my name is the Thunder Emperor.'"

Following the final 'song', the laws of magic inscribed a third miracle upon the world.