Chapter 118. Senior Holy Knight and Sunny Land [9]

When I turned around, the soul dress – Fafnir – was flying across the air.

「N-No…」

Rain’s clone then turned towards Ria, and brought down its long sword on her, who was now unarmed.

「RIA!!」

Rose rushed to cover Ria, but there was no way she could make it in time.

(Shit…!)

I poured in my diminishing spiritual power, and stretched the dense darkness.

Darkness crawled the ground at a tremendous speed, and blocked Rain’s downward slash by a hair’s breadth.

(…Thank goodness.)

The moment when I felt relief,

「Can you really afford to look away in the middle of a battle…?」

The cold voice made the hairs on my body stand on end.

「……!?」

Looking back reflexively, Rain had already raised his sword high.

「―Nun!」

I reflexively held my sword in a defensive position against the diagonal slash which was approaching at a frightening speed.

(…Shit!)

A defense technique that I had repeated for over a billion years.

The movement which was ingrained into my body, came out on reflex.

「-『Don’t take it head on』. That’s what I advised you.」

The moment Rain said so,

「Ga, ha…」

The pseudo-black sword snapped, and a powerful slash tore into my chest.

「「Allen!!」」

I heard the cries of Ria and Rose from far away.

(Shit… I have to… heal…!)

I can’t continue the battle with such a deep wound.

I concentrated darkness to my chest and immediately started the healing.

(…Shit, the wound is healing too slowly.)

The wound in my chest was not closing up. Perhaps due to my spiritual power running out.

I guess this isn’t strange. Or rather, it was only natural.

In Lao village, I used darkness to fight over fifty members of the Black Organization.

After that, I treated all the villagers using darkness.

And earlier on in this battle, I clad a hundred people in clothes of darkness to protect everyone from Rain’s attack.

…Rather, it is more surprising that it held out this long.

(However, I can’t afford to fall here…)

I whipped my trembling feet and stood up.

While gasping for breath, I grasped my sword firmly with both hands and focused straight at Rain.

And then,

「According to the report… If you’re injured to the verge of death, your spirit core will start to run wild…」

He whispered to himself, with his hand on his chin.

「It’s been about two months since the failure of Fu Rudras’ mission, huh… If it’s only two months, then, even if it’s a phantom-class spirit core, no, especially because it is a phantom-class spirit core, it should not be able to『surface』yet. There was not enough time to recover, but… let’s just be doubly careful.」

Then he stopped talking, held up the sword high, and thrust it to the floor with force.

At the same time, a huge door appeared behind me.

(…What is this?)

About five meters tall.

Black double door with eerie patterns etched on its surface.

Suspended in mid-air, it emitted an indescribable wicked presence.

The mysterious door and Rain’s main body – I maintained Seigan no Kamae while paying attention to both.

「Door of Yaata.」 1

As he whispered so, the door slowly opened – from which, transparent water in the shape of『hands』came through.

The number was slightly over a hundred, filling the whole area.

(Another sinister technique…)

I swung my sword at the approaching hands.

「Eighth Sword – Yatagarasu!」

Eight slashes branched out and lopped off the hands of water very easily.

(…It’s surprisingly weak.)

Just when I formed that impression, the scattered water gathered together and took the form of『hands』again.

「Wha!?」

More than a hundred hands clung to my body and tried to drag me into the door.

「Damn…! What is this technique…?」

As I swung my sword quickly to shake off the hands of water, Rain spoke.

「…Well, it looks like it’s over.」

At the end of his gaze, there was the figure of Ria and Rose carried under the clone’s arm.

「Ria, Rose?!」

「Alle, n… sorry…」

「…sorry」

They were both in a battered state. Hands and legs bound by something that looked like mercury.

「Rain!」

「Huh, rest assured. I won’t kill them… for now.」

『For now』- that is to say, he’ll kill them sooner or later.

(Don’t screw around…!)

Blood rushed to my head, and I poured every ounce of my spiritual power into it.

「UOOOOOOOOH, Dark Shadow!」

Blade-like darkness that boasted terrific sharpness, tore up the hands of water into pieces.

However, it was completely meaningless.

Whether it was cut, sliced, or lopped, the transparent water quickly returned to the form of 『hands』.

「…Give up, Allen. No one has ever broken through this sealing technique. It seals the target’s consciousness. Without pain or suffering. You would already be in the other world before you realize it.」

「Like hell I’m gonna give up…!」

After that, I continued to resist desperately, but…

Slowly but surely, I was dragged into the door.

(Damn… Is there no other way!?)

Ria and Rose were exhausted. Ben-san and others could no longer fight.

Leia-sensei is not here.

And above all, that guy said for the time being that he couldn’t appear to the『surface』.

In other words, I have no choice but to overcome this difficult situation on my own.

And as a result of racking my head more than ever before, I arrived at a single, small, faint 『possibility』.

(But this is an all or nothing gamble…)

If I fail, everything will end at that moment.

(But to get through this hopeless situation… I have no other choice but to do it…!)

I resolved myself and slowly shut my eyes.

I sink my consciousness deep into my soul.

And as I stepped into the world of the soul,

「Y”o, I thought it was about time you came.」

That guy stood before me, with a ferocious smile on his face, and the『True Black Sword』in his hand.

He seems to have understood my situation to some extent.

That should make this easier.

「You came with your『resolve』prepared, right… E”e?」

「Yeah, in my own way.」

I nodded and unsheathed my sword.

「…Heh, that’s fine then. In order to not leave behind any regrets, die gracefully.」he said, emitting intense bloodlust.

「……」

Suffocatingly thick bloodlust which makes me want to tuck tail and run away.

I withstood it, and quietly assumed Seigan no Kamae.

(…I’ve been swinging the sword for myself until now.)

To improve my swordsmanship, to become stronger, to become a senior Holy Knight.

But that’s no good.

That alone is not enough resolve.

That level of spirit will not reach him.

(Ria, Rose, Millie – to protect everyone in this country…!)

To create a world where everyone can live happily – I will cut him down!

I etched that resolve into my heart and composed my breathing.

「Ha, I guess you’ve got a good look now…」

「I don’t have much time… Here I come.」

「A”a, I’m going to kill you so beautifully…!」

I, the『pseudo-black sword』.

He, the『True Black Sword』.

We held our special weapons and started sprinting at the same time.

「―HAAAAAAA”A”A”A”A!」

「–O”RAAAAAAA”A”A”A”!」

Distance, Pace, Feint – Such tricks are not necessary in a match against this guy.

A simple clash of pure power.

(I will…Cut… this guy!)

For myself, and above all – For everyone!

「–HA!」

「–RA”!」

We crossed each other with our slashes. For a moment, there was silence.

And then,

「Ka, ha…」

There was a deep, long, sword wound in my chest.

(Not… yet… Don’t fall yet…!)

I swallowed the blood rising from the bottom of my stomach. As I looked back slowly,

「Well, it went about as I expected.」

That guy was standing unscathed, with a smug smile on his face.

「Sh… it…」

Apparently, the slash which carried every ounce of my being did not reach him.

I struggled desperately.

I struggled disgracefully.

I pushed myself to the limit as I could.

And yet I couldn’t reach him.

It was impossible for me, the『Dropout Swordsman』, to save everyone after all.

(Damn… it…)

My vision wavered greatly and strength slipped out of my body.

(Ria, Rose… sorry… I guess this is the end for me…)

And right when I was about to fall unconscious,

「Shitty brat… I guess you’ve grown up a bit…」

The『True Black Sword』in his hand – snapped right in half.

At that moment,

(T-This is…)

An immense torrent of power swallowed my body.

(Amazing… What power…!)

The wound in my chest was plugged in an instant. And an unbelievable amount of darkness swept forth from my entire body.

「…Is this okay?」

I haven’t knocked him down.

And yet… Is it okay to borrow his power?

「What the hell are you babbling about? A weakling like you, snapped My『Black Sword』. Why don’t you be a little happier… E”e?」

「No, but I couldn’t cut you…」

「Bastard… Did you seriously think you were going to beat ME?」

「O-Of course!」

No one would challenge a match with the intention of losing.

Even now, I really tried to cut down this guy.

「Ku, Kuku… Gyahahahahahahaha!」

After bursting into laughter for a while,

「Don’t get conceited, shitty brat! You can prattle that after training for another several hundred million years!」he shouted, angrily.

It seems that those words just now got on his nerves.

「Well, at any rate… Thank you.」

With this power I can fight.

I can protect everyone.

「…Well, do your best to struggle.」he said, turning his back to me. And he went back to his usual spot – on the rock with a crack running on its surface.

「Aa, see you later.」

Thus, gaining a『tremendous power』, I gently closed my eyes and returned to the real world, back to the battle with the Thirteen Knights of the Oracle, Rain Glad.

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