Chapter 570 |
Defensive Battle of All Worlds ⑯ That’s the Ultimate Magic that Yandere Arrive At (by Yue)
In a certain day, several months before the world fell into pandemonium.
During a completely ordinary afternoon of a sunny day that had lasted for several days during that rainy season. The consecutive rainy days and humid air were like a lie with how clear and pleasant the day was.
「I want to become one with Yue!!」
Yue was getting pushed down. By Kaori who was in a state that felt like highly humid.
They were in the living room of Nagumo house. Kaori was hanging over and pinning down Yue who was lying face up. While her waist dropped on Yue’s lower body and both her hands locking Yue’s thin waists in tight hold.
From the point of view of onlooker, it was an incident. Yue-san’s mind was in chaos!
「……K-Kaori? Calm down?」
「I’m completely calm.」
Let’s be blunt.
It was super scary.
「I want, to become one, with Yue.」
「……Stop emphasizing every word. I don’t know what’s influencing you to make this kind of joke but it’s too gross――」
Come on, movee~! How long are you going to play around! I’m busy! Yue glared.
For some reason, Kaori put even more strength into her hold on Yue.
……Eeeh~? Feels like the way she is putting in strength is serious thouugh? K-Kaori-saan?
Yue’s face was convulsing!!
「I’m not joking here. I’m serious. If I can become one with Yue, I……feel like I’ll be able to open a new door!!」
「D-don’t open iitt! Close ittt! Lock it tighttt!」
How’s thing become like this? What’s going on? Yue’s thought became even more chaotic.
Today was holiday. The university was on break. Hajime was very busy like usual and he was going to other country again. Shia and others must be doing their own training. They were going to the Miniature Garden, or picking up disciple that they recently got, etc. Myuu and Remia were shopping, while Sumire and Shuu were working.
That was why, Yue was entrusted with house-sitting because her training didn’t need her to let loose with her magic flashily, but more like meditating in which she performed magic formulation and creation but……
There out of nowhere, Kaori teleported in. Just when Yue became aware of that, she uttered that line at the beginning while approaching. Naturally, Yue thought. Her eyes also became extremely scorning.
Is it the usual prank? Even so, what’s with that gross joke? Tasteless-! Or rather now my focus is interrupted because of you Bakaorii! Can’t be helped. Guess I’ll take a break and drink some delicious tea or something.
She said while waving her hand in “shooing off gesture” at Kaori. She stood up from the sofa and headed to the kitchen, but right after that 「I knew it! That Yue will definitely react like that! Then it really can’t be helped! Really! Chargeee!」 Kaori said and jumped――no, tackled her to the floor.
And, it led to this moment……
「……Ka, Kaori. Listen. I think, you’re tired. I’ll make tea for you so, okay?」
「? What’s wrong with you Yue? Suddenly acting concerned like that with me. Your tone and expression are also strangely gentle……it’s a bit disgusting you know?」
「Kill」
It’s still far away from completion but, I’ll test it on youuu! This golden angel stairrr! Yue was about to launch her sure kill magic while veins were convulsing on her forehead.
But however,
「Fua!?」
Something flowed into her from Kaori and she reflexively raised her voice. Her magic also got interrupted.
「……T-this is!? What did you――」
「As I thought it can be taken in if it’s you Yue. Your mouth keep saying no no but your heart isn’t. I want to do it while I haven’t forgotten this sensation so……I’ll do it a bit forcefully okay?」
「!!? Wait wait wait, Bakaori! What’re you saying since some time ago!?」
「It’s fine! I think it won’t hurt! Far from that I think Yue too will be able to climb to even greater height together!」
「Nooo~~~~, Kaori you criminaal! I knew that you would do it one daay! Save me, Hajimeee! Shiaa! Psychopathsaki Bakaori is insanee~~~」
It was then, there was light as though sensing Yue’s predicament. It was the light of teleportation gate.
From there, Hajime-san went home temporarily in a very superb timing. He knew that Yue must be house-sitting, so he thought to take a break while also having tea with her.
Naturally, their eyes met. He froze. He couldn’t understand the situation.
Because it really couldn’t be helped. Kaori who was breathing hard Haa Haa, was pushing down Yue who was looking at him with eyes seeking help.
「O-oi, Kaori? You, what are you do――」
「H-Hajime, save――」
「Sorry-, Hajime-kun. I’m focusing right now so can you ask later?」
「Ah, yes」
「Hajime!? It’s not “yes”!」
Her eyes were just too serious. Kaori-san, she was completely and perfectly serious. That was why, it couldn’t be helped that he got instinctively overwhelmed. Yep.
And so,
「For now, I’ll make some tea. Call me when you’re finished.」
「Yep! Thank you, Hajime-kun!」
「!? Hajime you traitoor~~」
Hajime vanished into the kitchen so he wouldn’t disturb the two while Yue’s resentful cry followed him.
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(As expected I was too abrupt that time)
Kaori smiled wryly inside her heart while floating up and down on the zenith of the Star Tree and hugging her knees.
It was likely to be the greatest magic of Kaori in her whole life, the “complete salvation magic”. She had completed constructing the part of the magic that was the greatest hurdle and had a bit of leeway now. Perhaps that was why.
Double “Limit Break” that was achieved by artifact and her own soul magic, layered with sublimation magic’s “Ultimate Heaven Release”. There all her parameters were super boosted by the newest version of the energy drink, Cheatmate Dr(Drink) that was evolved by the assistance of Dr. Emily, putting her into a locked-in state.
Her head felt intense pain like it would boil despite she was in her apostle mode. She just noticed that blood was trickling down from her nose and eyes, and yet she could do something like reminiscing the past.
(After that, really that Yue, she just hid behind Hajime-kun and won’t meet my eyes at the slightest……fufu, it was a little adorable)
She entrusted the recovery of her body to artifact while wiping the blood with her fingertip.
She sharpened her nerves in order to complete her magic even while her senses were somewhat drifting away. The memory of that time was naturally flooding out.
Perhaps the source of her ability right now to achieve such impossible challenge of quickly constructing a magic like “complete salvation magic” that was in the realm of god was lying there.
(But you know, I was happy, Yue. As expected, Yue didn’t resist……I too, didn’t remember feeling any resistance toward her……)
There were several big obstacles in constructing the “complete salvation magic”.
One and the biggest obstacle of those was the necessity to use multiple age of god magic in parallel, however, no matter how synchronized they got activated at the same time it was still impossible to do it by all means.
Especially because this magic’s intended effect surpassed the original assumption of “gathering the completely dispersed soul”. The required effect for the peculiar situation right now――”retaking the absorbed soul” had a difficulty that was sharply spiked than that.
To make a concrete example, it was like coffee that had gotten mixed with milk, mutliple types of milk at that. How to differentiate and perceive the coffee in that mix. And then, how to separate them. It was a most difficult feat among most difficult feats that was infinitely close to being impossible to carry out.
It went without saying, soul magic alone was impossible for that. Even if she could see the “milk coffee colored soul”, she couldn’t see it separately as “milk and coffee”. If she couldn’t distinguish them then separating them was also impossible.
But, even if she couldn’t separate them because they had become one soul, a magic that could possibly locate only the parts of the absorbed soul, sort them out individually, gather them, and differentiate them existed.
Yes, it was the essence of regeneration magic――time interference. Using this she could try to rewind time until just after the soul was absorbed and in the verge of getting melted in.
However, the greatest obstacle was standing right exactly there.
Even if regeneration magic was used to dead person, only the flesh body would be restored and the soul wouldn’t return. Similarly regeneration magic generally couldn’t interfere with soul. The cause why the concept of time didn’t work on soul couldn’t be elucidated but, in any case, the two magic were categorized as different principles was because of that.
Then, what to do?
(Just using magic in combination is not enough. ……Endow magic to magic. Use multiple magic as a single magic. What’s more those multiple magic are all age of god magic.)
Which meant, “fusion magic”.
For example, the “resurrection magic”. From a glance it looked like a single magic, but it was actually multiple magic used separately, consisting of regeneration magic to restore the body to normal, and soul magic to solidify and attach back the dispersed soul.
Yue’s favorite “lightning dragon” was also the same. It was composite magic that simply combine gravity magic to a part of lightning element magic.
Of course, composite magic was a super magic skill that needed “using multiple magic simultaneously”. Normally multiple magicians would work together to cast it.
The special move that was further above that was “fusion of magic” which was nothing else than the height of magic.
In short, she was trying to make it possible for time interference to effect soul by fusing the two magic so regeneration magic could have the ability to interfere with soul, remaking them into a single magic.
It went without saying, even after going that far it would only allow her “sort out the souls”.
At that rate, the risk was too high even if by chance she could forcefully separate the souls using soul magic. As example, it was like scooping milk that had just gotten poured into coffee. Some of the coffee might also get scooped up too.
A part of the adjoined souls might stay mixed even after the separation, one soul would have other person’s soul mixed in, while the other soul would return to the body with some parts partially missing……such incident might occur.
Therefore, in order to accurately “separate” the souls, she further needed to fuse the essence of space magic――boundary interference and the essence of sublimation magic――information interference.
It was self-evident but, energy inside each individual (like magic power’s light and so on) all had different color. None was exactly the same. Even if they looked the same color because of the limit of human’s discernment ability, if the color was showed in numerical value there would definitely be different in the decimal point.
The information interference was for perfectly recognizing that. And then, using that information as the base, the boundary interference would be used to clearly put a boundary line between the adjoined souls.
In other words the complete salvation magic was a magic that could only become feasible for the first time when she could fuse four essences of age of god magic and handle them as a single magic.
(I really don’t get it at all.)
The one who thought up the magic skill of fusing magic and made it into reality after training was none other than that person. The world’s strongest magician, Yue.
Originally it was something impossible――she got the idea from seeing Shia (originally it was Director Dime though) learning the incomprehensible special move of obtaining explosive ability sublimation by fusing different energies from different worlds.
If different types of energy could be fused, then perhaps magic governing different principle could also be fused? Was her idea.
Even magician like Yue whose genius was unparalleled even throughout history could only reach that ultimate magic skill after severe difficulties. Without the strong feeling of “for Hajime”, she would normally throw in the towel from how difficult it was.
The same like when Yue saw Shia and thought it was incomprehensible. To a fellow magician, what Yue did was also in the territory of incomprehensible thing.
For example “flame lightning magic”, it was comprehensible if someone was told that it was “magic that fired flame and lightning at the same time”, but even if they were told that it was “a lightning magic that had the appearance and effect of flame” then they would only go “???”.
(It didn’t feel like something I could learn. It’s frustrating but, as expected Yue is really a monster(genius)……)
Yes, it was impossible for Kaori. Yue shared her technique with her without holding back, but not only Kaori, everyone was unable to do it.
Perhaps, the day would arrive when they learned it after they continued training for dozens of years.
But, they wanted to reassure Hajime who was being tormented by vague feeling of uneasiness and worry even for just a little. Kaori didn’t want to just tell him 「It’ll absolutely be fine. I won’t let anyone die」 with words, but also with actual capability. And she wanted to do that “now”.
Kaori’s rank in combat strength would be faster to find by tracing the list from above when she used her apostle’s spec and age of god magic together, however, in the end she was a rearguard.
She had completed tracing the apostle’s combat skill. In direct combat, she couldn’t help but feel that her growth had plateaued no matter what. Not to mention right now Shizuku and others had also obtained apostle’s spec, so that gap had only kept getting filled.
That was exactly why, Kaori thought of returning to the starting point and polished her ability to support everyone as rearguard, but she had already reached one of the checkpoints as a healer with her resurrection magic. She could train to improve the magic’s activation speed and effectiveness, but she couldn’t picture any further improvement than that.
It was then. She heard that Yue succeeded in fusion magic.
Naturally, she tried to learn it. If she was able to do that, she would be able to extend the resurrection’s time limit drastically. As long as the soul hadn’t been bleached white by a great tree and still drifting in their respective world, theoretically it should be possible to do even something like calling back a soul even after it dispersed completely.
But, it was impossible.
It wasn’t a technique that could somehow be managed with just theory. Without extremely intuitive something that could only be seen, or perhaps sensed by genius, fusion magic was something that an ordinary person couldn’t train in. They couldn’t even stand at the starting point.
But, this was Kaori.
When she had decided to do something, she was the charging-type maiden from where the concept of “giving up” vanished from inside her head.
It was impossible for her. Then, what should she do? What should she do, so she could produce result even knowing that it was impossible?
She thoroughly wracked her brain and at the end of it, her conclusion was a simple one.
(If I can’t do it, I can just ask someone who can do it to do it……as expected, maybe that idea is too reliant on other person I wonder? Yue was also exasperated by it.)
To sum up, if the formula was too incomprehensible and she couldn’t build it on her own, she would just borrow the formula created by someone who could build it and used it as it is.
It was the same like PC. Most people didn’t know how it worked in detail. They wouldn’t be able to comprehend it even if they saw its basis. They also couldn’t make it from zero. But, the PC itself could be used by anyone.
And even further, anyone could also understand at least something like if somewhere in PC A was connected somehow to their own device, they would be able to use function B through it.
What Kaori tried to do was in short, something like that.
――Alignment magic
The act of teaching also became a learning for themselves. While teaching Claudia as her student, Kaori also deepened her understanding toward “her own special characteristic” and created that magic.
The conventional soul magic could also do something similar if it was just at the level of sharing five senses, thought, or imagination. This went further than that and connected people at the level of soul.
That was an act that was no different than a complete display and complete conveyance of one’s own soul. At the same time, it was also an act that sought the same from the other side.
It relinquished the feeling and memory they kept hidden, their ugly and despicable parts, their negative feeling toward someone, and all other privacies. As well as, depending on the situation, the magic also had to allow the risk of either side taking in the other’s soul, or perhaps possession.
Incidentally, if the connected person got hit with some kind of damage, there was also the risk of both sides getting hit by mutual feedback.
On top of that, the success conditions were harsh in the first place.
Having your soul touched was already the most extreme action that anyone would instinctually avoid it. And yet, if either side had even just the slightest feeling of avoidance or rejection then this magic wouldn’t have any meaning.
Accepting the other completely and entrusting your own self completely. It was an ultimate example of something that was easy to say but difficult to do.
However, if that requirement was cleared and complete alignment was achieved,
(Yosh, there’s no problem with the magic’s fused state. After that I borrow Ai-chan’s “formula to make clone autonomous”, from there I also take advantage of “the authority to perceive their world” of the great tree avatars……)
They could obtain extraordinary effect of being able to borrow even other people’s magic, skill, and even god’s authority, repurpose them for their own magic, and conversely they could also give those things of their own to other people.
The meaning of “wanting to become one with Yue” was something like that.
Every single one of her word invited misunderstanding, and her looking kind of excited, they were because she had tentatively completed the alignment magic and she became able to see the possibility of advancing herself, which excited her. It was also because of the fatigue from all the trainings she had done to reach that point.
And then, after the first alignment magic finished, Yue hid behind Hajime and wouldn’t meet her eyes wasn’t because she was furious at Kaori for assaulting her (it only looked like that).
『……Oi, Bakaori. Even though I allowed you to use your sexual harassment magic on me, how long it’s going to take?』
『! Yue, wait a little bit more. It won’t take any longer……wait, what do you mean sexual harassment magic!?』
『……What else except that shameless magic. It’s like a naked woman wearing only long coat opening the front part to show off her private parts lewd magic. Should we call the magic that?』
『Too long and horrible!』
『……What’s so horrible about it. You developed a magic that’s work like it stripped my clothes to ogle me at every nook and cranny, this damn super pervert-』
『I’m not though!? No, certainly it conveyed a lot of things from both sides but……that time was my first time and I couldn’t control it well, that’s all. Right now I can make it so our information don’t get exchanged to some degree!』
Getting aligned at soul level meant that everything from memory to emotion to everything else got transmitted.
If Yue really felt a sense of danger or that she simply felt reluctant, she should be able to deflect the magic or escape with leisure with her capability.
And yet, despite saying stop from her mouth, she didn’t genuinely resist Kaori.
『Fuhn, really you, even though you really love me, you speak nastily like that right away at me. You’re just like a kid who want to bully the girl they like, yaa~ii, elementary school kid Yue~』
『! I-it’s not I like you or anything though!? Bakaori yourself, what’s with your awfully gigantic feeling. You like me too much it’s just gross though? Yaa~ii, you yandere woman from birthh~』
『! I-I don’t like you or anything!』
Well, in other words, it was something like that.
Also, this interaction that should perhaps be described like married couple quarrel was the second time. The first was carried out after the alignment experiment with Hajime in between. It was obvious that no matter what kind of circumstance there was at the end these two would become like this, so Hajime too commented 「I don’t wanna get kicked by horse」 but the two ignored him. (TN: A saying in Japan of busybody who won’t stop watching other people’s quarrel even when kicked by a horse)
『Although it can’t be helped situation-wise, I have nothing but respect and sympathy for the goddesses and Aiko who were forced to get connected with yandere Bakaori. When this matter is over, I’m thinking to form a victim association with them.』
『Don’t create something like that! Stupid Yue! Or rather why are you here! You’re in the way!』
Like before her appearance and atmosphere were flat like a doll, but Kaori was angry inside.
Yue hummed 『Fumu』 in understanding.
『……Doesn’t look like there’s any problem if you can reply like this. Putting aside Aiko and me, aligning yourself with goddess’s authority is extremely dangerous. God’s senses are no different than deadly poison for human.』
『! ……You can just say it honestly if you’re worried.』
It was a telepathic communication that was done directly between souls without any mediation of communication device. Just as Kaori said, she had become able to control the magic so that something like everything flowing in and getting shared wouldn’t happen unless one side intentionally wanted to know.
Although everything flowed in right after the alignment started, in that state the senses of other people would get shared too much which would be a hindrance in battle. That was why.
But, naturally there would be no point in aligning if the connection was controlled too much, and as long as the aligned state was maintained then sometimes emotion would leak out to the other side. The control couldn’t prevent until that much. That was especially even more so the greater the emotion was.
Genuine worry and relieve, and above all unmatched trust that if it was Kaori then there was absolutely no chance of failure. Those emotion were conveyed, making her heart felt somewhat itchy.
『……Kaori, Emily need your magic.』
『!!』
Her breath got caught from those words.
『……Can you do it?』
『Do you think I stopped working while talking? I’ve just finished!!』
Everything was conveyed. Both understood each other. There wasn’t any anxiety or anything in the question.
Light returned to Kaori’s blank eyes.
Her pure white wings flapped energetically and the legs she were hugging quietly straightened.
She straightened her back, spread out her arms, and radiated light like a sun.
「The magic that won’t let anyone die, co~~ompletee!! Yue, take care of the rest please!!」
『……Nn, leave it』
As the one connecting the worlds, it was Yue’s role to spread the complete salvation magic that was shared through the alignment magic to all the other worlds.
And then, it was the role of the avatars in each world so that the complete salvation magic covered their respective world in total, as well as teaching the soul trying to return to their flesh body after getting separated the location of the body they ought to return to using “Aiko’s magic that granted autonomy to soul”.
Laila and Meeres weren’t in this place because of that. The two headed to their divided souls that had become avatar and temporarily fused with them so they could demonstrate their ability sufficiently as avatar.
By doing that, it reduced Kaori’s burden as much as possible.
To add to that, once the magic was completed, regeneration magic “Time Break”――”magic to restore something to the state one second ago each second” was also applied to many of its parts, making it easy for the magic to stay constantly active.
The result of that was obvious.
「Yoooosh, I can also act with this!!」
Even while the complete salvation magic, a magic that was in the realm of god was constantly working in all the worlds at the same time, Kaori herself also became able to join the fight.
『Yue! How’s Emily-chan?』
『……Be more diligent Bakaori. As expected that was a bit chilling.』
『Uguh, sorry okay! For not being as talented as the strongest vampire princess-sama! I’ve been limit breaking doing my best even like this! Stupid Yueee~~』
Even while feeling relieved from Yue’s words that implied there was no problem, Kaori flapped her wings in a huff thinking It should be fine even if you praise me with words!!
She flew away in order to back up Lutria and others who were having a hard time fighting the “giant monster” that had closed the distance by a lot.
Yue could see such sight like the back of her own hand while staying at Tortus. She saw off Kaori’s back that surfaced in her mind while thinking at the back of her mind.
(……Really, a scary woman)
Not only scary, but tough. Kaori’s feeling was too strong that she even thought it was terrifying. She even wondered whether she was monster(cheat)-class in strength of feeling.
Kaori’s everything had been conveyed to her through the alignment.
She couldn’t be said as absolutely spotless even as flattery. Rather, it was the complete opposite.
There was jealousy toward Yue. A jealousy so severe if chilled her back to the bone. Envious feeling that hadn’t changed at all ever since they met, no, rather it might have gotten stronger.
Talent as magician, being Hajime’s number one woman, as a woman, as a human. Kaori was envying Yue in every aspect.
She also harbored respect, affection, and what surprised Yue the most, attachment to Yue that were just as strong.
Look at me. Because I’m always looking at you.
Don’t look away from me. Because I can’t avert my eyes from you.
Slam your emotion seriously at me. Because I’m always serious.
Recognize me, Hajime-kun’s number one who I can’t help but recognize.
You are kind, with heart so wide like the sea that you even accepted me. A person so amazing I’m jealous.
I know. I understand. It’s conveyed. That you treasure your time with me. That you love even me as family.
Thank you. I’m so happy it’s frustrating. I also love the time I spend with Yue. I love it just as much as I really hate it. You are dear to me. So dear to a hateful degree.
That’s why, don’t run away okay?
I won’t let you get away you know?
Let’s be together forever and ever, okay?
『……Fueeee』
Yue unconsciously let a strange trembling voice when she recalled the first time they aligned together. There was no doubt that neither before or after, there wouldn’t be anybody else who could scare Yue so much to cause her to make such sound.
『……I can’t stop wondering, why isn’t she falling to the dark side when she’s like that』
If this was a story, she was completely a character who fell to the dark side. And yet, Kaori didn’t end up like that because her essence, her true character was just hopelessly kind. Because even the source of her ugly feeling, it was wholly caused by her overly strong feeling that thought of others.
While aware of her own ugliness and that she was harboring contradictory feeling, she still continued to overcome herself. That was Shirasaki Kaori.
『……There’s nothing more terrifying then exposing one’s own ugliness. It’s even more so when the one you’re showing it is someone close to you.』
She wondered just how much courage was needed for that. Just how strong of reasoning one had to be able to accept a feeling so strong like that and also walking the right path on top of that.
Someone who could offer everything they had if it was for the person they loved.
But, it was falsely similar to Claudia’s natures of “sharing” and “accepting” that were befitting a saintess. Kaori’s natures “making other accept” and “making other share” were based on desire that also filled with forcefulness.
She thought that it was truly, human-like. That way of living, it was like to keep advancing forward even if she was covered and crawling in the mud.
『A mud covered saintess……well, that side of her is something that I li, cough-. Something that I don’t hate though.』
『I know! Thanks!』
『!?』
Yue returned to her senses with a gasp. Damn it, we’re aligned right now, she thought with twitching cheeks. Apparently the guard of her heart loosened when she recalled Kaori’s extremely layered emotions. It seemed her emotion leaked out to the other side.
『But, I want to focus on battle right now so stop it okay? It’s awkward, and it’s completely transmitted to everyone currently aligned so it’s just embarrassing you know』
『!!?』
The feeling of wry smile was transmitted to her. Not only her affection got transmitted, she also got handled. By the like of Kaori! By the like of Kaoriii!!
The cheeks of Yue at Tortus burned red. Her lips that were pressed tightly into a straight line were also trembling from shame and humiliation.
Of course, that emotion and embarrassment also got transmitted so,
『……This damn Yanderesaki Stalkaori-. I really hate someone like you!!』
『I know that too! I also really hate you! Eheheh』
『……Tsu, don’t feel happy stupid!!』
It seemed that it was Kaori’s win this time. Yue’s face was becoming increasingly redder from losing ground……
『Umm……can you two keep the flirting for later? I can’t concentrate over here.』
『!?』
A candid advice came from Aiko who was also in alignment.
Her extremely awkward tone spurred Yue’s embarrassment excessively. It felt like feeling of exasperation was also conveyed from the avatars with Lutria at the forefront.
She was deep in the awful state of emotional transmission. There was already no chance of victory. Yue who realized that,
『……Kaori, you better remember. After everything is over――I’ll kill you-』
『Horrible anger venting!?』
Completely blocked her emotion and thought and attempted to flee. It was a terribly rare development of Kaori-san’s great victoryy~~.
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「Geez, really that Yue. She’s casually showing off an astonishing trick.」
She completely blocked only her emotion and thought even while maintaining the aligned state. A refusal even though she wasn’t refusing, what a skillful escape that she performed.
She was exasperated by that and, She’s using the magic better than me even though it’s my magic……just a little bit feeling of jealousy was bubbling inside. At the same time, 「As expected Yue is amazing」 such feeling of affectionate respect was also steaming inside.
Yue has to always be the strongest and the greatest. After all she’s the one I recognize as number one. Such desire sounded warped from the outside. She was aware of that, however, she even felt exaltation from Yue who continued to easily rise to her expectation. She couldn’t stop that feeling.
(Really, it’s warped even if I say so myself. So ugly.)
A bitter smile formed from that emotion in her own heart that could even be called perverse.
(But, this is me. I’m hopelessly twisted, ugly, and filled with contradiction.)
She didn’t feel hurt or anything about that. There was also no feeling of wanting to avert her eyes or rejecting such self.
Kaori had never forgotten even for a moment, of the reality and truth that were thrust in front of her by her other self inside that freezing cave. Rather, she embraced them with even more care.
(What’s important, is to not lose against myself that’s like that. To keep winning against myself without turning my back on it.)
That was exactly the source of Shirasaki Kaori’s strength.
She loved and accepted even the unpleasant part of herself that was difficult to accept, and became stronger by overcoming it.
「It’s amazing that it can endure even disintegration bombardment. But……」
She had already tested firing an ultra large disintegration beam at the enemy. However, the “giant monster” before her showed that it could endure even such atrocious magic easily.
There wasn’t even 500 meters before it reached the Star Tree. That distance was really just a stone’s throw away seen from the huge size of both.
The “knight-things” and the spirit beasts that were in fierce battle on the ground were leaving heaps of corpses all around. However, as expected it seemed the number of the “knight-things” that were produced endlessly was a threat. The situation was already tilting to their side.
Also, there was still no sign of exhaustion visible from the giant. From the start the amount of energy in its possession must be tremendous. There was also how it was stealing the souls of the spirit beasts through the “knight-things” to recover its energy.
The giant monster was slowly sidling near like the symbol of destruction……
But, its step was completely stopped right now. The reason was,
「Looks like it can’t escape that easily if with this isn’t it?」
Because it was getting bound hand and foot by shining white gigantic chain.
The chain used had the size like the gigantic anchor used for a tanker ship. Dozens of such chain extended from the ground and wrapped around the giant’s whole body.
Just as could be seen from how space magic was used in the complete salvation magic, Kaori had finished obtaining the space magic. She did it through Hajime’s obtaining method that didn’t need to go through a great dungeon.
Kaori had become able to use the magic in general after training, but there was just one strange aspect to it.
The magic bound the opponent by spatially fixing them in place. Originally the opponent’s body was restrained by cube shaped blocks permeating their body but, for some reason……the magic only activated in the shape of chain. Even though Kaori wasn’t constructing the formula to do that.
What’s more, even though her aptitude in space magic wasn’t particularly noteworthy, for some reason, she was stronger than even Yue only in this spatial binding magic……
According to Yue, 「……Isn’t it the user’s true nature coming out?」.
In other words. Perhaps this magic was the manifestation of Kaori’s shackling desire.
――you won’t get away you know?
It felt like such chilling voice could be heard.
「Hie!?」
「Lutria-san!? What’s wrong!?」
Lutria-san who entrusted stopping the giant to Kaori and focused in the work of expanding the effect of the complete salvation magic to reach everywhere in the star spirit world screamed from slightly behind Kaori.
「I-it’s nothing! Yes, it’s nothing at all! There was just a bit of chill running through me.」
「A goddess getting chill? Don’t tell me, more enemy-!?」
「That’s not it.」
It seemed that wasn’t it. Lutria sounded sure, so Kaori focused back at restraining the giant.
By the way, Yue told the person in question the reason why the spatial binding magic was chain shaped simply because she unconsciously overlapped the image of “Radiant Binding Chain” into it because that was a magic that she was good with. She explained that to Kaori while her eyes swam around and wouldn’t meet her eyes no matter what.
In any case, the spatial binding magic “Ultimate Radiant Binding Chain” (Yue’s name for it was “Yandere ‘s Shackling Magic”. Everyone agreed with it) surpassed Yue if it was just in restraining strength. Its binding power combined with regeneration magic that restored it every time it looked like it would snap was powerful in the extreme.
And on top of that. Naturally, Claudia’s teacher Kaori couldn’t possibly be unable to cause disturbance inside someone’s internal magic power through forced magic power transfer.
This too was also discovery from often increasing the effect of perception disturbance and consciousness guidance through soul magic.
――oOOOOOOOOOO!!
It was clear that it was mustering all its strength. It was clear that it was attempting every method in its possession.
But, the binding didn’t let go even then. It absolutely couldn’t get away from Kaori-san’s binding!!
「The flaw is the slight time lag until it activate, huh……it can’t be used against speedy opponent. Hajime-kun easily got away when I tried using it on him after all. It still needs more improvement.」
「……」
Well of course he ran away. Lutria-san thought.
It surfaced in her imagination. The figure of Kaori smiling really nicely, with countless wriggling chains growing out around her like tentacles.
And then, the scene of that demon god instinctively dodging like crazy the chains that rushed at him like snakes, and the figure of Kaori muttering something like 「……why, are yourunning away?」 and tilting her head *flop*!
Aah, inside her mind! Inside her mind! The picture formed!!
「Lutria-san?」
She returned to her senses with a gasp. Kaori was looking at her with a dubious look. Kaori’s eyes looked like they lacked any light for an instant but surely it was just her imagination. This and that too were definitely because they were currently in alignment.
In any case.
「Cough. Shirasaki Kaori, I thank you from my heart. With this, the children of my world can be saved.」
The Star Tree shined brilliantly further behind Lutria. Even though it was already shining in respond to Lutria’s battle, it was now shining even brighter than that.
Right after that, the light extended in a straight line toward the sky. The pillar of pure white light extended to the far away height, until the boundary of the sky with the space. It then scattered like it hit something. Like an umbrella opening wide.
Beautiful aurora was forming at the sky of the solitary island, no, at the entire sky of this planet.
Immediately the spirit beasts who fell in the deathly battle against the “knight golems” were all enveloped in light and got up.
「How is Dahlia-san and others?」
「There’s no problem.」
Lutria lightly waved her hand. Light particles converged there and projected the scene of faraway land.
At the outskirt of Balted Kingdom’s capital, there was a maid riding a ferocious beast while running freely through the battlefield.
It went without saying that it was Dahlia. She rapid fired special exploding arrows from a quiver that wouldn’t run out in a fierce battle against the swarm of undead spirit beasts.
The beast she was riding was huge and possessed scales and horns, looking like a combination of wolf and dragon. Furthermore it was firing lightning.
It looked familiar. It was a beast in the process of evolution that was a step short from a spirit beast. It was an “evolved beast” that was called as the “lord of the west” at the “confinement land”.
She could also see a lot of the confinement land’s warriors that she became acquainted with when visiting during the trip. On top of that there were also people riding on flying dragon subspecies called “flame poison dragon”, or specimen with silver scales, or beautiful specimen with golden scales. There were also several others evolved beasts from confinement land seen fighting together with them even if they didn’t have human rider on their back.
Lutria had commanded Dahlia who became her priestess.
Take the people and evolved beasts of confinement land and fight.
For that she promoted the “lords of east and west and south and north” along with the named class “evolved beasts” into spirit beasts, and commanded them to cooperate with Dahlia and others.
It was a command given from the god who was the mother of all. There was no way the “evolved beasts” would refuse or anything, rather, they considered it the greatest honor and accepted obeying human.
Although, the lord of the west, the lightning horned beast was the only one that went to Dahlia by its own initiative before Lutria gave the order. It knew that the she would head to the battlefield to save people.
「As expected, it looks like the stolen souls can’t be reclaimed as long as the “cloud void god” and the “teleportation void god” are not defeated……」
The battlefields were projected one after another. In Tinted Beast Kingdom, Gruelle and his men were also fighting to the death together with the spirit beasts that she dispatched to there. The celestial army of Honted Celestial Kingdom was fighting together with Rated Democratic State led by Arogan.
There were people getting resurrected in every battlefield, but there were also a lot of people who stayed died even with the complete salvation magic working. They must be people whose souls were stolen.
Enti was spreading her arms at the center of the continent with an expression of anguish as though she was desperately keeping back walls that were pressing from both sides.
She was pushing back the influence of the “cloud monster” to outside the mankind sphere so she had her hands full. She was desperately resisting the pressure trying to break through her wind barrier that was whirling like typhoon.
Meanwhile, Soare, Udar, and also Barahu were also in a hard fight.
Their opponent was a humanoid void god. They had long arms that almost reached its ankle and claws, pure white hairless head with vertical pitch black eyes, then skin with shape and texture like a coat or perhaps armor with high collar.
They were on par or even superior against three divine spirits, thanks to them being a “void god” that specialized in space magic where they kept teleporting in short range without any pause and count limit, combined with them firing spatial destruction, spatial severing, or spatial gouging to all directions.
Even taking into consideration that their ability had weakened because they split their souls, the monsters they were facing were still astounding.
「As expected they’re resisting the magic……then my next aim is to be able to take back the souls even while the opponent is in full strength I wonder? I’ll work hard!!」
There would be no hope in retaking and resurrecting the souls without defeating the two “void gods”. Although, if she really became able to take back souls even without defeating the opponent, no, even as she was right now was already making any god lost face compared to her.
Lutria unconsciously smiled wryly when she thought that.
「Either way, first is this one.」
It looked like the giant was adapting to Kaori’s forced magic power transfer. Rather it used the increased energy inside its body that the binding finally started tearing. Lutria turned her eyes toward the giant.
「Oros, hold it down.」
――OoOOOOOOO!!
Oros who turned into slime from exhaustion was restored. He roared and put the giant into full nelson from behind, then buried his feet into great mass of rock to lock himself in place.
「My preparation here is also all ready. Here I go, Lutria-san! Full power full throttlee~~――”Ultimate Heaven Release”!!」
「!!? T-this is……」
Kaori said that she would support her. And also made her win.
However, Lutria was a god. Even though she had experience in supporting, giving, and bestowing, she had no experience in being the receiving side. Therefore, it hadn’t really clicked inside her mind until now.
For the first time since the world creation, since she was born, Lutria tasted the sensation of having all her abilities sublimated.
That shocking sensation caused,
「I, I, I’m – so – pum – ped UPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!」
「Lutria-san!?」
The goddess was acting strange……it caused her to be thought like that. Of course, those who thought that was Kaori, Oros, and all the spirit beasts. They were startled.
For some reason she was now standing imposingly in the air, both her fists were clenched, and the radiance that was usually only enveloping her was now changing effect like it was bursting up from under her feet. It was like, a Super Sa*yan. Maybe it was just their imagination but even her eyes looked crisply sharp now.
「I can do it with this……even I can do it-. HAAAAAAAAAAA-」
「Lutria-saaaaannn!?」
Lutria-san flew away as though she didn’t hear Kaori’s voice at all.
Kaori too was surprised because she imagined that in Lutria’s sublimated state she would just fire an extra strong magic. Or rather, even Oros-san was shaken. 「Eh, mother!? Why’re you coming here!?」 His look seemed to say that.
Lutria who had closed the distant in an instant stomped her foot *DOOONN* with earthquaking strength.
Fierce shockwave and ripples of light spread through the sky. Her position was around the giant’s――solar plexus!!
「SHAORAAH!!!」
「Lutria-san-」
The emotion inside the first call was “shock”, the second call was “worry” like 「What’s going on!?」, and then for the third call, was it a “call to stop” like 「You mustn’t go over to that side toooo!」?
Such three-stage reaction against Lutria was something that couldn’t be helped. Because, the goddess, was fully twisting her waist to hammer a body blow into the giant’s solar plexus. While still wearing her beautiful outfit of a celestial maiden.
Her godly legs peeked out from her dress’s lifted up bottom. When describing the way strength filled the bare legs stepping firmly on the air……
Her shining right fist, was surely containing various authorities of a goddess. It was truly a blow that exerted all her energies.
The stomach that was like armor of the giant who boasted that much toughness was pulverized in one blow. Not only that, even though the giant was sewed in place by Oros’s rock and Kaori’s chains (they were cracking though), the blow’s might made the giant body floated in the air ignoring those restraints like they weren’t there.
「Strike as though to gouge in!!」
She must have gotten punched that felt like it gouged her stomach. By Shia in the past. In order to conquer that body blow trauma, perhaps this goddess-sama had been secretly practicing.
Because, it was a truly masterful body blow. Her movement mirrored Shia exactly it felt like she could see Shia’s figure overlapping Lutria.
Well, a beautiful goddess-sama wearing a beautiful garment doing body blow attack like that, anyone would surely go 「This is sooo wrong!」 seeing that.
There was also how Oros putting the giant in full nelson from behind. Depending on how one looked at it the sight could be seen like a thug giving body blow to an opponent that was held from behind by the thug’s comrade.
「Wait this isn’t the time to just watch――”Innate Talent Sealing”!!」
It was a high grade technique that applied the essence of sublimation magic “information interference”. The highest level of debuff magic enveloped the giant. All of its specs were decreased.
Decreasing enemy’s ability and explosively increasing ally’s ability. It was truly the ideal form of combat support.
Then, before Lutria who concentrated all her goddess power into a single point in her fist, it was self-evident that no matter what kind of toughness wouldn’t get out of it unscathed.
「As I thought it’s fist! Fist will solve everything isn’t it!!」
「Lutria-san-……」
『Oh mother……』
The feeling put inside the fourth call, was surely “grief” without any doubt.
Because, goddess-sama, she landed on top of the collapsed giant whose regeneration finally couldn’t keep up like she was mounting it. She roared 「SEAAAAAAAAAAAH!!」 while raining down her fists without end. No mysticism or divine majesty could be felt from it……
Of course it would make the two to cover their eyes with their hands.
It didn’t take that much time until the giant was pulverized and obliterated until not even a fragment of it remained.
「……I see. Swinging your fist……make you feel like this isn’t it.」
They didn’t want to know. What she was feeling right now. They also didn’t see her strangely flushed cheeks. If they said that they didn’t see it then they didn’t see.
The “knight-things” at the surrounding were disintegrating together with the main body’s destruction. The stolen souls were returning back to the spirit beasts.
Pure white pillar of light shot up to the sky from the Star Tree. Aurora fluttered above. Particles of light flew about. It was a magical sight of the Star Tree’s island.
Lutria who turned around amidst that was truly like the very picture of mysticism.
As long as one disregarded the “nice smile” that looked somewhat warlike on her face, and the fists she was cracking as though to feel some kind of feedback.
「Oros, I’ll entrust our home’s safety to you. Shirasaki Kaori, that was a magnificent support. I shall continue to count on you.」
「『Ah, yes』」
「I shall depart to save the children of man――with this fist!!」
「『Yes……』」
Kaori and Oros looked at each other. They nodded to each other with conflicted atmosphere without knowing what to say at all.
AN: Thank you very much for reading this every time.
Thank you very much too for the thoughts, opinions, and reports about misspelling and omitted words.
Lutria-san who received Kaori’s support will clean up mostly everything with her fist after this so next chapter I plan to write the next world.
What happen in star spirit world is DSS――Daitai Shia no sei(It’s generally Shia’s fault).
※Meme introduction
– She has eyes looking for help
From [Boku no Hero Academia]. Also the night of that day, Hajime got pushed down by Yue as payback for ignoring her.
– Aah, inside my mind! Inside my mind!
From [Cthulhu Mythos]. Aah, at the window! The window! The night of that day, the pushed down Hajime saw Kaori’s figure.
– I’m pumped up!
It’s apparently a line of a knight who appeared in [Final Fantasy XI].
– (You should) Punch like gouging in!
From the manual of Tange Danpei from [Ashita no Joe].
– As I thought it’s fist. Fist will solve everything
From Kirie Souko of [The Young Kindaichi Case Files Side Story: The Case Files of the Culprits]. As expected it’s violence.
– The flying dragons with silver gold scales.
From Silver Rathalos and Gold Rathian of [Monster Hunter].
– Image models of void gods
Cloud void god: Cloud-Beast, teleport void god: Dimensional Shambler. In the end it’s only for the appearance while their abilities are fictional addition. The model for giant and knight-things aren’t from Cthulhu Mythos.
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