I got into school for nothing-372
I got into school for nothing (372)
Lesson 73. The Tower of Babel's True Form - 2
Ban Yuwon was mistaken about one thing.
The Constellations that emerged in their True Forms were not merely those they had encountered so far.
“Wow, is this even real? No matter how irregular this is...”
No sooner had they won and absorbed the first battle, composed of four Constellations, than eight more appeared. After much effort, restraining Aire from transforming into a True Dragon and somehow overcoming those, a full sixteen Constellations now revealed themselves along with their True Forms.
This was truly going too far.
―What a pathetic sight.
―Indeed, to think we could crush that Ban Yuwon like this!
The previous twelve, or thirteen if counting the Ruler of the Forest whom Rucell had first faced, were all Constellations that Rebellion had either encountered as enemies while ascending the Tower or those who had proposed a contract to Ban Yuwon only to have their Authority plundered by him.
Thus, they had fought without much ado, but it seemed the Constellations summoned this time were not all necessarily hostile toward Ban Yuwon.
Hadn't Yumina said it once? That not all Constellations were evil.
Fundamentally, they were merely climbers who had sought to ascend the Tower before Rebellion.
Few willingly obeyed the Observer of All Things' command to fight.
―Hey, all of you. Fall back.
And from among them, one Constellation stepped forward, emitting a faint light.
Among the colossal and grotesque Constellations, he was a rare case, uniquely maintaining a complete human form, and oddly enough, his attire wasn't the uniform of Union Academy.
He wore a loose martial arts uniform, similar to those Ban Yuwon had seen frequently during his time in Murim, and at his waist hung a long, single-edged sword... a samurai?
‘If Yeon had seen him, she would surely have something to say again.’
Even if it was just to revive the severed connection with Dokgo Yeon, now was the time to forsake the easy path and choose the difficult one.
Ban Yuwon exhaled a sigh and faced him.
Seeing the other Constellations hesitate and retreat, he seemed to be one of the stronger ones among them.
―I've been waiting for this moment. I must settle this in a one-on-one duel. I won't tolerate any interference.
“Ah... you.”
Only then did Ban Yuwon realize the samurai's true identity.
“You're He Who Measures the Instant.”
―You got it right. I granted you the Gap.
Unlike the two Constellations from whom he had plundered the Authorities of Soul Flame and Mutation respectively, this was the only Constellation who had willingly gifted him an Authority without demanding anything in return—arguably the only one who had left a favorable impression on him.
The ‘Gap’ he had obtained from him was an Authority that allowed one to discern an opponent's openings and to stretch the gaps in time, enabling the user alone to move freely within them.
It hadn't existed when he first created the Giwon Sword, but he could confidently say that this Authority had played a crucial role in perfecting his martial arts.
What had he said when he granted Ban Yuwon the Authority back then? Hadn't he said he looked forward to the day they would fight?
―One-on-one? By whose will?
―Hmph.
―N-n-no-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o――.
Perhaps unable to tolerate He Who Measures the Instant acting on his own, the Observer of All Things immediately tried to intervene, but surprisingly, her voice distorted and stretched out like a broken cassette tape from the middle, until nothing could be heard at all.
It was the result of He Who Measures the Instant activating his Authority before the Observer of All Things could exert her power, grasping the gaps in time and stretching them out.
Only Ban Yuwon and He Who Measures the Instant remained in the greatly extended temporal gap, unreachable by anyone else.
―This is completely different from wielding power as a Constellation. To move with this immense power in my true body, hah, I can't contain myself.
“Do you really want to fight me one-on-one that badly?”
―Of course. My entire life has been nothing but struggle. I'm sick of this role as an unwanted overseer.
So, I intend to stop now.
Ban Yuwon's expression hardened as he faced the man who spoke so definitively.
“Are you planning to die?”
―Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying I'll let you win. It's just that even if I defeat you, I have no intention of killing you. How could I miss this chance when someone capable of severing the stubborn lifelines of us sinners has appeared?
“You...”
―Therefore, if you win, take my head as the victor's right. If I win―― I command you, by the victor's right, take my head.
Ban Yuwon was about to say something, but before he could, the man drew his sword, pointed it at him, and flashed a wry smile.
―Even so, I hope you won't surrender meekly.
“...That's funny. I have no intention of losing to anyone anymore.”
In the end, Ban Yuwon also said nothing further and drew his own sword.
Methods to isolate Constellations from the Tower and return them to their original forms, or that the Tower would no longer be a space maintained by the sacrifice of other dimensions...
He was too exhausted to be persuaded by such words.
Perhaps, from the very beginning.
From the moment he generously bestowed his Authority upon Ban Yuwon, he might have been waiting for this very moment to arrive.
―Here I come!
The final showdown.
Ban Yuwon wielded his Giwon Sword, reading every movement of his opponent.
The Constellation, to his surprise, exhibited an ultimate technique: at the moment Ban Yuwon's sword flew towards him, he split time, altered his own movements, and then precisely aimed for Ban Yuwon's exposed opening, striking with deadly accuracy――.
[Gap]
Ironically, his Authority, combined with Ban Yuwon's Giwon Sword, only further amplified its power.
Witnessing the Authority being demonstrated before him as a living textbook, Ban Yuwon gained a deeper understanding of the Gap Authority, and then, through the Giwon Sword, he unleashed that newfound comprehension――.
―*Clang, clang-clang-clang!*
In an extremely brief moment, their movements intertwined, changing dozens of times.
The flashes of light reflected as sword and blade parried each other, dazzling the eyes.
Moving in circles within the confined space, the two, each wielding their respective blades, seemed to be dancing in perfect sync.
“Hah.”
――And in that process, Ban Yuwon's sword strikes, scattered through the air, absorbed mana and clung to the man's body, slowing his movements.
―This――!
“Something I learned recently. Not bad, right?”
To read the Gap and alter one's movements, faster judgment and motion than the opponent were ultimately essential.
The trap Ban Yuwon had set held the man's sword in the air for a brief moment, and at that instant, there was no way to evade the sword that precisely aimed for his chest.
―*Cough.*
―――You won't have your way!
The moment He Who Measures the Instant spat blood, the temporal gap that had been stretched to its limit rapidly narrowed, and the Observer of All Things' voice was heard once more.
Come to think of it, he had already been employing his Authority and was now stacking its effects; indeed, if he had combined forces with the other Constellations, Ban Yuwon would not have been able to win without revealing his full power.
Assuming there weren't just one or two such Constellations―― then the Observer of All Things' confidence was understandable.
―Is it already over!
―That's practically suicide!
―That fool...!
The Constellations who had escaped his Authority clicked their tongues or lamented as they saw the man, now impaled by Ban Yuwon's sword.
However, the man impaled by Ban Yuwon's sword actually seemed joyful.
―Good, that was thoroughly enjoyable. It's been so long since I've had such a refreshing sword dance, moving my body directly like this.
“Now that I see it, you had more than one penalty. Still, I won.”
―Indeed. Now, by the victor's right, take everything of mine.
―A Constellation, meant to protect the Tower, arbitrarily giving power to a usurper!
Though he was someone Ban Yuwon would have liked to converse with for a little longer, if possible.
Ban Yuwon was no fool to hesitate when faced with an enemy glaring with furious eyes and shouting loudly.
His sword, which had pierced the man's heart, coldly drew a single stroke and shot upwards into the air; at its tip, the man's head, still smiling, flew off along with a spray of blood.
―I beg of you.
He must have used his Authority in the moment just before death.
The man's final will, having broadened the Gap between life and death, seeped into Ban Yuwon's ears.
―Free everyone. If my Authority can be of any help with that―― use it however you wish.
The Gap, a concept so rare that even after wielding it for over two years, its depth had only reached 100.
As that Authority absorbed all of its owner's concepts, it instantly soared to a depth of 1,000, and thanks to understanding its origin, it finally merged with Ban Yuwon's martial arts.
―If you endlessly split a flow, all the concepts composing that flow will reveal themselves individually. The Gap, with a depth of 1,000, has been absorbed into the Giwon Sword, increasing the Giwon Sword's depth to 4,000. The Yugi's depth has become 2,500.
―You have gained a deep enlightenment in martial arts, and your existence's grade has risen. The depth of Life has become 5,000, the depth of Won-gi has become 4,500, and the depth of Soul has become 6,500.
It was a brief moment, yet the change was as dramatic as when he had gained his ancestor's memories.
A few seconds after He Who Measures the Instant's corpse completely vanished, a massive, bloodshot eye glared at Ban Yuwon, who had finished his deep breath and opened his eyes.
―Kill him right now!
It no longer mattered whether the Constellations wanted to confront Ban Yuwon of their own volition or not.
The Observer of All Things cast aside her pretense of being merely another Constellation and, as the Tower's internal administrator, issued commands to the Constellations.
They gnashed their teeth, remembering the time they had been targeted by the Observer of All Things and ultimately forced to become Constellations, yet―― they all unleashed their Authorities, targeting Ban Yuwon and his party.
―I'm sorry, but there's no other way.
―This work can be quite fun, in its own way. We might be sinners in here, but outside, we are rulers.
―Yes, so just die quickly. Because you released the Starlight Player, we've had to――.
―Starlight?
―Where did she go?
―That old hag must have stopped her, she's a Constellation too, after all.
“Ahhh...”
Wielding the Giwon Sword, now merged with the Gap, and having gained an incomparable amount of information.
Ban Yuwon let out a low exclamation of awe.
Right now, at the very moment the Observer of All Things revealed her true body, connected to the Tower, and issued commands to the Constellations.
At last, Ban Yuwon gained an understanding of how the Tower restrained Constellations.
It was an enlightenment he wouldn't have achieved had the Observer of All Things not summoned and controlled such a large number of Constellations.
It was also an enlightenment that would have taken him considerable time to acquire had He Who Measures the Instant not willingly bestowed his Authority upon him.
“This is enough.”
“Should I transform into a True Dragon?”
“I can summon mine anytime too!”
“No, save your strength for now.”
He restrained Aire and Asha, who were baring their teeth and preparing to unleash the power of the True Dragon against the Constellations surrounding them from all sides, manifesting various Authorities and pressing down.
Instead, he stretched out a hand before him and ‘fully’ summoned the Constellation who had become his subordinate.
“Stella.”
―*Whoooosh――*.
The Constellation Starlight Player had been operating as a clone containing half of her original power, and even with that, she possessed the 'Starlight' power capable of confronting the Constellations' True Forms.
Now, she had reclaimed the remaining half of her power, previously trapped within the Tower and unable to emerge, and was transforming into her complete form.
Independent of the Tower's will that had bound her for ages, she had shed those heavy shackles.
“Wow, this feels great.”
Though outwardly she didn't look much different from before, Stella seemed to feel distinct, touching her hands with a curious expression before turning to Ban Yuwon and speaking.
“You didn't actually reconstruct my body, did you?”
“Of course. The concepts comprising you have doubled. How is it? Your training wasn't in vain, was it?”
“Of course. It's perfect, I love it. ...Though I can't shake the feeling I was used as an experiment before the real thing?”
Ban Yuwon flinched at Stella's excessively keen remark, but she quickly relaxed her expression and burst into laughter.
“Well, it's fine since you completed me so beautifully. Besides―― perhaps because the tiresome restraints have been broken, I feel absolutely wonderful right now.”
―H-h-how...
The Observer of All Things' voice trembled.
If she had previously oscillated between anger and confusion while dealing with Ban Yuwon's party, now it felt like she had transcended those, reaching utter shock.
And rightly so.
The moment Stella descended, all kinds of Authorities that had been acting upon Team Rebellion from all directions ceased their movements and slowly melted away.
―It's over now.
―She threatened us even when she was just an ordinary climber.
―Let alone now, as a transcendent, having even broken the Tower's restraints?
―Granny, let us go while you still can. We don't want to die so vainly.
―Observer of All Things! You've used us enough, now hide us!
The Constellations were simultaneously spewing out frantic words, but ultimately, all of it stemmed from fear.
As if representing them all, the Observer of All Things shrieked.
―This cannot be! A Constellation freed from the Tower while retaining her ego!
“Given your track record, why the surprise?”
―That was merely a temporary――!
“I am the Starlight Player.”
Stella opened her mouth and spoke in a whisper, spreading her arms wide.
From all directions, sparkling particles of mana, like starlight, appeared and filled the dark space.
Conversely, the presence of the Constellations that had filled the space until now diminished.
“I declare to all of you who buried and sealed me.”
Dazzling starlight expanded, filling the entire space.
The power Stella's true body possessed was absurdly mighty, making even Ban Yuwon tremble.
To the extent that it made one wonder if the Tower's restraints weren't actually a means to weaken her.
“Now, it's my turn.”
Light exploded.
Excluding the Observer of All Things, all Constellations who couldn't retreat vanished without a trace.
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