This chapter is translated by Cobalt and is rehosted with due permission. |
The roars of the five heavenly dragons shook the air.
The heavenly dragons that were turned into a monster while being half magic body left the control of the caster and aimed at the prey independently. The emitted pressure far surpassed the heavenly dragon that Yue often used before. The five elements magic that formed those bodies were also evolved where now they possessed a worthy wickedness that was clear to see.
“My former world was a world where magic was the foundation. I’m not boasting, but I remember that the development there was remarkable. There was abundant variety of artifact, people flew freely in the sky, they could get in touch with a far away place, they moved using teleportation, even their lifespan could be prolonged by a few hundred years more using magical treatment. Magic and technology that were based from that made that world abundant.”
pashii! That light sound resounded and the figure of the lightning dragon vanished. No, that large body changed into a streak of lightning and it moved with lightning speed. At the next moment, it appeared beside Hajime.
(Fast…but, if it’s only as fast as lightning then-)
The dragon raised a roar of thunder while its opened jaw rapidly pulled everything in the surrounding. Even the light stars were swallowed and extinguished inside there, Hajime who was almost got pulled in similarly like the light stars immediately took out several gravity hand grenades to empty air.
The gravity hand grenades that were easily pulled in exploded with a good timing just when they entered inside the mouth of the lightning dragon and generated super gravitational area.
The lightning dragon that swallowed everything while approaching was flattened by the downward pressure that was suddenly generated and passed through below Hajime who was hovering in midair using ‘Air Force’.
“But, what is waiting for the world that is over developed is only their end. Our world too wasn’t an exception to that. Something like a war of the end that happened because of exhausted resources, or sense of values, or possibly because of economical problems or different political idea, those weren’t the cause. The reason was something more, something that couldn’t be helped. Do you know what it was, irregular?”
“ts”
Ehitorujue’s questioned, however Hajime couldn’t answer. He had no composure to answer.
Because after he staved off the lightning dragon, the azure dragon circled right behind him and pressed hard on him along with an immense amount of heat.
In front of him was the meteor shower. Below was a lightning dragon, at left and right were the storm dragon and ice dragon. If he evaded then he would undoubtedly aim from right behind and forced to bear damage that would be hard to disregard.
Therefore, Hajime took out the variable chakram ‘Orestes’ to empty air.
A kashun sound came out immediately and wire that was divided into three part formed a round shaped gate. The azure dragon charged straight into the gate, right after that the azure dragon flew out from above the ice dragon that approached from the right side. Hajime had applied ‘Presence Isolation’ to one more variable chakram and made it flew there.
The suddenly appearing azure dragon collided with its natural enemy the ice dragon which caused the ice dragon to roar in agony. And then, the ice dragon glared at Orestes which teleported the azure dragon and breathed out ice and snow. With that the Orestes froze instantly as though it was bathed with liquid nitrogen, right after that it was impacted by a light star and was easily smashed.
Regardless of the roar of the ice dragon and the sound of Orestes getting pulverized, Ehitorujue’s voice still reached Hajime’s ear smoothly.
“They arrived at the truth. The magic technology was developed thoroughly until they could interfere with the information of the world itself, to the material, to life, to the star, to time, to the environment. And then, no matter the era researcher is always unable to restrain their curiosity. They fumbled with the technology that interferes with the truth spreading in the world like playing with a toy…and that became the cause that destroyed the world. Our world was killed by the curiosity of the people who handled magic.”
Hajime neutralized the light stars using Cross Velt. Furthermore, he commanded the Grim Reapers to aim at Ehitorujue. Eagle type Grim Reaper scattered cluster bombs above Ehitorujue. However, the squall of explosive was easily pulverized by the meteor shower fired from the halos, resulting in only sparkling particles scattering around. Hajime’s attacks didn’t reach Ehitorujue at all.
Ehitorujue’s expression didn’t even show any annoyance.
“The truth crumbled and the world was rapidly crumbling…the situation at that time was exactly like a picture of pandemonium in hell. There was nothing that could be done at all. Mankind had no other path other than destruction along with the planet. With the exception of a part of ‘the arrived’.”
Hajime took out all the Orestes that he could control in his attempt to deal with the five heavenly dragons, but Ehitorujue snapped his fingers while talking.
Right after that, several hundred lightning divine spear rained down from the empty air and fried all the Orestes without leaving even dust behind. Furthermore, the lightning that was thoroughly packed inside the spears was released and attacked Hajime from all direction like a spider web. While reinforcing his body with ‘Vajra’, Hajime evacuated hurriedly but he was unable to leave with no damage. His flesh was roasted which harmed his nerve slightly.
There the earth dragon attacked him.
“‘The arrived’――these were the people who were able to individually operate the essence of what all of you called as the age of god magic. They, only they were able to discover the method to be saved. That method was the teleportation to another world. Fufu-, isn’t that laughable? After all only the ringleaders who destroyed the world were able to escape from ruin.”
Amidst the reverberation of Ehitorujue’s laugh that was filled with irony, a wire with ores attached at both its ends soared through empty air.
The wire entangled around the approaching stone dragon and lightning dragon midair in many layers. Right after that, a fierce ripple spread from the ores. It was the binding artifact ‘Bola’ that had been strengthened by really far.
Operating together with the ores, the wire part that was also a developed model was fixed directly to the space, so the half magic half physical heavenly dragons were also firmly bounded in place.
The two heavenly dragons roared and rampaged violently to escape from the binding.
Hajime took out Schlagen AA once more and fixed his aim using his magic eye stone and pulled the trigger.
Spark traveled the barrel and Schlagen AA roared, the bullet then flew into the mouth of the lightning dragon and advanced forward without paying any heed to the lightning and destroyed the magic stone of the dragon.
At the same time, six bullets that were shot from Donner along the same trajectory gouged further the hole inside the stone dragon’s mouth that was hollowed by the concentrated fire of the Cross Velts. The bullets were instantly petrified and became brittle stone, but even so, the bullets advanced inside the stone dragon and the last bullet shot through the magic stone without getting petrified.
The last bullet was a bullet coated with sealing stone. Hajime only had a bit of it remained because he wasn’t frugal in using them for the weapons of Shia and others or his large shield, this bullet coated with sealing stone was something that he needed to think carefully before using.
Hajime splendidly defeated two heavenly dragons, but because of that his feet stopped moving. The compensation for that was large.
“Like that ‘the arrived’ including me arrived in this world. At that time we were surprised. After all, this world was so primitive that it shouldn’t even be compared with our world. Mighty creatures with special power were running rampant, while mankind was hiding in shadow like cave or hole in the ground while living barely scraping by.”
Ehitorujue had a distant look in reminiscence while waving his hand.
Immediately Hajime’s legs were fixed in a place altogether with the space. Even though he was concentrating on his story but he perfectly grasped the instant Hajime’s feet stopped, a compressed space in block shape that was the same like the fixed space which captured Metsurai Disaster completely seized Hajime.
(No good-)
Unease showed in Hajime’s expression. He immediately converted his magic power into impact to attempt to break the fixed space.
But, the opponent wasn’t that sweet to let such opening escaped.
Storm dragon roared while attacking the unmoving Hajime. Its jaw swallowed Hajime before closing with a snap. The wind blades and pebbles contained inside its body mercilessly assaulted Hajime. The damage went through to Hajime who persisted using ‘Vajra’. Blood sprayed everywhere and graphic unpleasant sound gokibeki- resounded.
Inside the storm of violence that was equivalent to a torture, Hajime fixed the aim of Schlagen AA along with a yell of fighting spirit and tore the storm dragon from inside its body.
Ehitorujue continued his talk without showing any care that the monster he created was killed.
“In that kind of world, we ‘the arrived’ decided to cultivate it. We exterminated the monsters that had lived since the ancient times, and granted wisdom to the native people. The small village turned into town before long and then became a city, and then before we realized it had become a country. At that period we had already been revered as gods. We used the secret technique of the truth and converted the religious faith into power, we attempted to reinforce and sublimate our soul was also around that period.”
Hajime smashed the storm dragon and blasted out from inside it, his body became soaked in blood which made his appearance looked wretched.
But, the ice dragon roared without even any time to breathe.
Hajime threw all the ‘Bola’ that he had toward the azure dragon that was approaching from the opposite direction, he also held the dragon back further using Cross Velts, ordered the Grim Reapers for concentrated fire, then he turned toward the ice dragon’s opened jaw and aimed Schlagen AA. Instantly Schlagen AA was freezing with dreadful momentum from its tip.
“Coordinate attack huh-”
It appeared the ice dragon was able to directly lower the temperature at the coordinate it targeted. It was an ability that the ice dragon Yue handled didn’t have.
Hajime was already unable to pull the trigger, the freezing kept moving with the momentum that almost froze even his artificial arm. Furthermore, with Ehitorujue’s instruction, a meteor shower and light apostles rushed Hajime’s left side with good timing.
Although he was able to somehow repel back only the light apostles using the suicide bombing Grim Reapers and Cross Velts, but he was unable to neutralize the whole meteor shower, Hajime received a direct hit on his left arm.
Although the armor of the artificial arm slightly decreased the damage he received, the Schlagen AA that he unintentionally let go because of the impact was sucked into the jaw of the ice dragon. Like that it was obvious how the artifact would end up. The Schlagen AA turn into little pieces at the same time when the pure white freezing ice dragon closed its jaw.
“A few thousand years later after that, this world became greatly developed. But, as though in inverse proportion, one of ‘the arrived’, and the one more person lost their will to live, regardless of how they had transcended the truth of death they ended their own life. I was unable to understand that but…the last person who stopped prolonging his life said this, ‘It’s already enough’. In the end, the remaining ‘arrived’ became only me.”
Hajime threw countless grenades at the surrounding and immediately shot them.
Right after that, a flame blast was generated in the air which created a crimson flame wall between Hajime and the ice dragon. For an instant, the sight of the ice dragon was obstructed, but something like that was completely swallowed into its jaw instantly like nothing.
But, after that flame blast cleared up, at the other side was a gigantic weapon――a gatling pile bunker held by Hajime was there.
At the next moment, a crimson spark crackled and two-ton giant stakes fired with a rate of twenty shot per second were fired and turned into flashes. The barrage of giant stakes that should be called as a crimson wall rushed the ice dragon from the front, coupled with the gravitational pull by the gravity spot in its mouth, the giant stakes stabbed into the dragon’s large mouth without any deviation.
The freezing ability of the ice dragon was instantly freezing the giant stakes, but because of their force the giant stakes couldn’t be resisted, they advanced unstoppable and gouged in. And then, one of the giant stakes hit the magic stone inside and splendidly succeeding in destroying the dragon. While raising scream of death agony, the ice dragon changed into mere mist and dispersed.
“I became the last one, since then how many months and years had lapsed then…was it a thousand or five thousand years…I don’t remember anymore but, day by day I watched the humans came to me lifting up prayer and offering, and then one day, suddenly I thought. ――Let’s destroy them.”
Hajime directed the cannon turret of the gatling pile bunker toward the azure dragon. The rushing meteor shower and light apostles were all blown away by the Cross Velts and Grim Reapers.
Like that, he turned toward the azure dragon who even now was almost finished burning the many Bolas binding itself and he pulled the trigger――just before he could do that, Hajime suddenly felt a chill and leaped away from that spot.
It appeared that his choice was correct. The place where Hajime was at a moment before was pierced by several dozen lightning divine spears, they spread immense thunders everywhere.
It was just a hair’s breadth. While trickling out cold sweat and blood, Hajime sent a sidelong glance at Ehitorujue. Ehitorujue was still looking at empty space with faraway look while talking about his path in the past. And yet, his attacks were still tormenting Hajime accurately with superb timing so there was nothing more irritating than this.
After being toyed around until this far, Hajime confirmed that Ehitorujue was sensing him accurately and he made a frustrated expression. At the same time, he decided that first, he should slaughter the last remaining azure dragon and so he was moving the gatling pile bunker toward it.
But, as expected it seemed he had let escape the timing for a sure kill.
The azure dragon that was restrained using all of Hajime’s bola roared fiercely. At that moment, the crimson ripple was enveloped by blue flame. The lit blue flame traveled along the bola’s wire before rushing all over everywhere and the blue flame swallowed everything.
Explosive sound resounded and blue beams of light illuminated the space, amidst that Ehitorujue showed an ecstatic expression. With Yue’s beautiful face, that smile emitted an amazing sex appeal,, but for Hajime it only made his blood boiled without end.
“You understand right? Just like how a man wants to defile woman, just like how someone wants to step on fresh snow, beautiful things, those precious things that you desperately piled up, they give off their true beauty when they are broken. The pleasure you obtained from that is something that is really difficult to be substituted by anything. That time when I trampled everything that I had protected the whole time for several thousand years let me tasted unimaginable sweetness. The people screaming, the shriek that asked for help from me…even now, that’s the only thing that I remember clearly.”
All the bolas were burned to nothing. The azure dragon resumed its advance with blazing rage.
Hajime was going to make the dragon into the prey of the gatling pile bunker right from the front, but then the space all around Hajime shook.
“――”
Omni-directional space blasting.
While holding his breath, Hajime leaped out from the encirclement before the space could generate shockwave.
A severe earthquake.
Although Hajime at least avoided a direct hit, he got hit by the after wave and blood sprayed everywhere grandly from Hajime’s wounds.
“Guu”
Hajime unintentionally groaned and his expression warped, there was a flickering azure flame at the corner of his sight. Contrary to the approaching heat, an ice lump was sliding down his spine.
He tried to use ‘Air Force’ to escape while reinforcing his body with ‘Vajra’, but the meteor swarm whirled and danced boisterously in anticipation of that and blocked Hajime’s path of escape.
“Even though I have forgotten completely how long I have lived, only the pleasure I felt at that time when everything crumbled is unforgettable. Therefore, I decided. That this world is my toy.”
Ehitorujue’s gaze finally returned back from the past.
He faced Hajime who was trying to break through the dance of the meteor shower using Donner and Cross Velts, and then he snapped his fingers.
That was the signal for the explosion.
All the meteors following Hajime like a whirlwind exploded simultaneously. The generated shockwave was equal with the hand grenade that Hajime used. Hajime immediately used Cross Velts to lay out barrier and furthermore the Grim Reapers used their body as a shield in their master’s danger to soften the impact even if just for a bit.
Hajime who was swallowed by flame blasts and the light was swallowed by the fully opened mouth of the azure dragon. The jaw of azure flame closed with a snap. Everything that was touched would be mercilessly returned to ash by the hell fire of the highest class of magic. Thinking normally, it was impossible to survive after getting eaten by that flame.
However, the torso of the flaming azure dragon――inside the azure flame there was a shining crimson that showed Hajime’s survival. There were four Cross Velts around Hajime. They connected to each other using string of magic power and laid out a barrier of space isolation, ‘Four Point Barrier’.
But, in compensation for that, the surface of the Cross Velts was melting down second by second. The seven Cross Velts that Hajime directly controlled were naturally enchanted with ‘Vajra’ and also coated with sealing stone, yet even so these Cross Velts couldn’t endure. It was something that he understood, but as expected the heat of this dragon far surpassed the dragon that Yue used.
“Guh, don’t, underestimate mee-!!”
Inside the stomach of the blue heavenly dragon, a voice that paused intermittently yet filled with tenacious will resounded. The astonishing thing was that even with the laid out space isolation barrier Hajime was still enveloped in a lot of flame.
It seemed that this azure dragon had penetrating flame the same like the Divine Flame slipped into it. Scorched by that flame, Hajime was stepping forward while trickling greasy sweats, he took out Orestes which made a gate that connected the inside and outside the barrier. Ahead of the gate was the azure dragon’s magic stone.
Donner fired crimson flash along with bursting sound, the bullet passed through the gate and pierced through the sea of azure flame. The magic bullet coated with sealing stone accurately shot the magic stone of the azure dragon. The magic stone became little pieces with an explosive sound, at the same time the blue flame was dispersing.
“Yes, everything is my toy, irregular.”
A sinister sound that he had already heard many times from Ehitorujue echoed. The sound of a finger snap.
As expected, the dispersing azure flame wriggled like living thing, it intruded smoothly into the four Cross Velts surrounding Hajime.
Right after that,
“Gaah”
Hajime’s short scream accompanied a grand flame blast rising up. The four Cross Velts ruptured from their inside. The penetrating Divine Flame caused chain explosions from the bursting bullet loaded inside. Followed by crimson ripples, grand and countless shockwaves and scattering Divine Flame tormented Hajime thoroughly from four directions.
Hajime immediately scattered hand grenades. It was for the sake of drinking god water and forcefully making an opening. As expected, his damage had reached a level that he couldn’t ignore.
But, the wind of death caressed his skin chillingly at that time. Hajime’s instinct was ringing the alarm bell in full.
Right after that, the crimson wall that bloomed fully at the surrounding from Hajime’s hand grenades was pierced by a blowing down wind.
Hajime obeyed his instinct’s command and twisted his body, and right beside him a dislocated space passed through.
At the same time, his left hand that took out god water was fixed in space. It was a perfect timing that took advantage of the opening when Hajime took evasive action. The next move was also the same. The Lightning divine spear flew out from empty air and shot down the god water.
“Damn-――”
Hajime raised his voice unintentionally, but it was already too late. The god water had been lost from Hajime’s hand. On the same occasion, his artificial hand was also pierced and his palm dissolved.
Hajime immediately repaired his artificial hand using transmutation while leaping away in order to avoid the rushing meteor shower.
“****-, even though that’s the last god water-”
A swearing leaked out. Ehitorujue who heard that lifted the corner of his lips.
And then, he lifted his hand before dropping that hand quietly pointing at Hajime. Immediately, light swelled up explosively and light star shot out from the halos like missile moving in an arch with light trailing behind.
Hajime took out his gatling pile bunker, aimed it at Ehitorujue and then he charged forward while firing.
From above, like stars falling from the night sky, radiant stars were raining down, the Grim Reapers whose number had decreased considerably before one knows used their body as a shield, several Cross Velts laid out barrier above Hajime’s route, with those the momentum of Hajime’s charge didn’t stop. Even while that was happening, like a countdown going down, the autonomic weapons of Hajime’s quality products were bursting, their fragments scattered everywhere.
But, as though mocking that determination of Hajime who was forced to make those sacrifices…
“What do you think the devil and demi-human are?”
Such question resounded from right behind Hajime.
Hajime felt a shudder running through his spine. He used the intense recoil of his artificial hand to rotate at high speed and fired Donner behind him without even confirming anything.
But, there was no one there, in exchange a presence appeared at Hajime’s left-hand side where he was holding the gatling pile bunker. Hajime opened his eyes wide while sending his gaze there, at the same time a hand gently caressed the artifact.
And then, just like what happened at the devil king castle, the gatling pile bunker was easily returned to dust.
The one who was there was Ehitorujue. From his three layers of halos, in his back now there was only the first layer of halo, he skipped over even Hajime’s perception and his figure appeared in very close range.
(Teleport without using gate…as expected, he can actually do something like that.)
Hajime’s eyes narrowed from how one of the concerns that he harbored came true. It appeared that the magic which allowed the lightning divine spear to appeared suddenly from the empty air and teleported the artifact he possessed――’Heaven Existence’ could also be used for teleporting the caster themselves. And then, Ehito could also turn artifact into dust just by touching them.
The figure of Ehitorujue vanished quietly once more.
At the same time, a chill ran on his back.
Hajime fired bursting bullet behind from the elbow of his artificial arm, but the light emitted from the halo blocked it. Ehitorujue’s arm was swung down without even paying any attention to Hajime’s counterattack.
Sword of light attacked Hajime following the trajectory of that arm. Hajime rotated using the impact from firing bursting bullet and back-stepped to evade. He took a distance of more than ten meters within an instant using his super speed but…
“–!?”
A diagonal laceration was carved from Hajime’s shoulder until his flank. Even though he should have gotten out already from the range of the sword yet he was still hit. Hajime’s face warped in pain while his severe gaze stabbed Ehitorujue.
“No need to be shocked. This is called as ‘Divine Sword’, a magic sword that can freely contract and expand, it also can jump through space to attack. It can penetrate your defense is because it also has the penetrating ability like ‘Divine Flame’.”
Hajime had been reduced to a tragic appearance that was obvious at a glance. Ehitorujue was explaining to such Hajime who was breathing roughly while his hand was caressing along the divine sword.
That composed expression expressed how Hajime’s fang couldn’t reach him at all.
In contrast Hajime was all tattered. His black coat that was weaved with metal fiber which was stronger than even armor had become just like scrapped rag, the clothes under it was heavily soaked from absorbing blood. His skin that was visible from the gaps of the torn clothes was dyed bright red, his white hair was especially soaked with blood color from the fresh blood pouring out from his head, just looking at Hajime right now felt painful. The blood trickling down his head was like tears of blood.
Even the equal fight when the two fought a battle of resource was easily tilted completely into Ehito’s favor when he used age of god magic consecutively. The many artifacts that were the greatest trait of Hajime’s specialty were also being mostly destroyed.
What were left with Hajime was Donner & Schlag, Cross Velts, and then Grim Reapers…
“Hmm, it has become a little bit bothersome now.”
Ehito swung his divine sword. Not even afterimage could be seen from his hand motion. It wasn’t even clear whether he had swung the magic sword or not. But, the result was obvious. The Cross Velts and Grim Reapers that had been decreased until nearly fifty machines were cruelly turned into small pieces before they exploded everywhere they were.
“…”
What remained was only three Cross Velts that Hajime directly controlled. The army of demon king had been completely annihilated, even the crosses that symbolized death fell on the ground. Now Hajime only possessed mainly grenades of various kinds. Most likely Ehitorujue was intentionally aiming to destroy the artifacts in order to grant Hajime despair.
“Well, such thing doesn’t matter. Rather than that, I talked about devil and demi-human. What do you think they are?”
Without even showing particular care about the several hundred artifacts that he had cut apart instantly, Ehitorujue repeated his previous question. It appeared the talk of Ehitorujue still wasn’t over. He toyed around with his divine sword while staring at Hajime who looked like he could fall anytime with a wide repulsive grin.
“…Aren’t they…haa haa…the native here.”
Hajime answered the question in order to recover even for a little in this second opening he was given.
“No, you are wrong. The native people of this world are only the ‘human’. Whether the devil or the demi-human, they are the illegitimate children created by my magic technology.”
“…So you even, guh, synthesizing?”
“Fufu-, you have fast understanding. The devil and demi-human are synthetic organisms created by the combination of my monster and human. They are my genuine creation.”
‘Why did you do such thing?’ Perhaps Ehitorujue surmised that unasked question of Hajime, his tongue was moving smoothly to answer.
“No matter how much I was trying to sublimate my soul using faith and secret technique, no matter how much restoration and improvement I attempted on the body, the long several millenniums brought my body to its limit. Naturally, I searched for new body but…there was no flesh that could accept the soul of god.”
“If there is none, then just make one…huh?”
“It really helps that you have a quick understanding. Devil has high aptitude with magic factor, and the demi-human has powerful physic, they each came from me combining human with primitive organisms that possessed those essential aspects. I also tried creating the likes of dragon people by combining those two aspects but….they were a failure. They could only be used for side entertainment, like how the strongest race became persecuted.”
Just how many sacrifices came out along the course of those experiments? Even Hajime couldn’t help but sympathize with the people in the past. To say nothing of the fact that the reason of the persecution toward Tio and others was merely this guy venting his anger, knowing that caused Hajime’s killing intent to intensify further.
“In that process, I also created the currently existing monsters and apostles, but because of some unknown factor, in the end I was unable to obtain a body that could possibly become my vessel. Although some could endure to a certain degree, they would soon self-destruct.”
“…So the Holy Precincts…was because you had no vessel”
“Fufu. Correct. This place is so I can continue to exist only as soul and also a place where I can use my strength. Here I was enjoying the game while waiting. Extremely rarely there would be people with aptitude like Aruvheit or the ‘liberators’ that were born.”
Based on the truth that Hajime was told, it seemed that the people who were called as ‘true ancestor’ like Yue or Shia were more accurately people with aptitude. Although even the people with aptitude in the past like the liberators were insufficient as Ehitorujue’s vessel.
Hajime’s eyes narrowed quietly.
“Like, that…haa haa, three hundred years ago…you finally, discovered it, huh”
“Yes. At that time my heart danced for the first time after a few hundred years. Although, my vessel was immediately hidden after that…even though at that time I had even personally granted her the title as ‘miko’ specially. You know, at that time I was driven by fury that I even destroyed several countries unintentionally while destroying the vampire country. After that I thought of the possibility of another miko being born once more before I was able to finally calm down.”
Ehitorujue swept his divine sword. The halo on his back and the halos at the distance visible above the throne began to shine brilliantly.
“Let me say my thanks once more, irregular. You discovered my vessel and made me enjoyed myself until this much, you have truly done a great service. As the prize, I’ll consign you to oblivion personally by my hand.”
Platinum magic power painted over everything.
Hajime too also emitted his crimson magic power, he readied Donner-Schlag and lined up the three Cross Velts behind him.
A beat passed.
The figure of Ehitorujue disappeared.
Hajime fired the readied Donner & Schlag as they were. The launched flashes passed through the last Orestes that was placed in front of the gun muzzles and reappeared behind him.
Sure enough, there was Ehitorujue there.
However, without any hurry Ehitorujue surprisingly cut apart the bullets that came flying from Orestes with his divine sword.
Although Yue was a prodigy in magic but her close quarter combat ability was lower than average. Based on Ehitorujue’s feat just now, it seemed that because of the possession the body’s physical ability and battle skill were increased up like a joke.
The penetrating divine sword stretched toward the frowning Hajime. The sword flash that was impossible to defend against was somehow evaded by Hajime bending backward. At the same time the Cross Velts fired burst bullets wildly.
Those bullets were shot down by the light stars fired from the halo. The spreading ripples of impact bloomed everywhere between Hajime and Ehitorujue.
“There is nothing to feel surprised about. This is my original sword art that I learned for killing time. The twin large swords art of the apostle is also based on my swordsmanship. I can do not only magic you know?”
“Chih, so what.”
“Fufu-. At first, I put distance and stole the artifacts of you who were desperately struggling like plucking off your arms and legs. Next is close quarter combat, that’s how it is. There is no hope for you no matter what you try, I’ll teach that to you personally. How are you feeling getting overwhelmed with one hand by someone who was talking leisurely about the past? Hmm?”
Saying that Ehitorujue cut apart the shockwaves themselves and charged forward.
Hajime rapid fired Donner & Schlag. The bullets that he used were Living Bullet. Furthermore they were coated with sealing stone.
But, at the next moment Ehitorujue’s figure vanished as expected. And then, he appeared instantly at Hajime’s side.
Hajime who foreseen that used the recoil of his artificial arm to throw away his body. Immediately following that, the bullets that Hajime fired before this flew out from the space around Ehitorujue. Hajime understood that Ehitorujue would teleport using Heaven Existence so he made use of Orestes to teleport the bullets.
A storm of flashes that aimed at the moment Ehitorujue teleported. No matter even if it was Ehitorujue, it seemed that he would get drilled through by the bullets before he could teleport once more.
However, the moment the bullets impacted, the arm of Ehitorujue that was holding the divine sword vanished. No, that arm was moving so fast that it looked like it vanished. The sword moved flexibly like a whip, and sword lines rushed around Ehitorujue as though a barrier was layered surrounding him.
As the result, the bullets were wrecked into pieces. The sword was swung with a speed that even the Living Bullets’ trajectory correction couldn’t follow. Even the perception skill that Hajime had could only perceive the sword slightly as a streak of light. It was a terrifying speed.
“To be able to read my movement in this short time…that prediction came from experience rather than sense I guess. That’s really something. But, in front of my ‘God Speed’ that is still too slow.”
God Speed――it was the magic that Kaori used limitedly. But Ehitorujue used it with more refinement. It was beyond the pale that he was able to cut apart twenty shots of electromagnetically accelerated bullets that approached from a meter. Before this when he instantly cut apart several hundred Cross Velts and Grim Reapers was surely also because his sword attacks that were done within shortened time.
“Now then, how many artifacts you have left? Or else have you used up all of your plans? If not then you can use them all. I’ll crush everything you have and dye your brave face with despair!”
Ehitorujue used Heaven Existence.
Instantly, he appeared right in front of Hajime’s face.
“Kuh”
The sword flashes that were swung while Hajime groaned were ten times. All of those were evaded by Hajime who mostly relied only on his instinct. But, his dodging couldn’t be called as perfect with how he was unable to defend, he was grazed, or even thinly sliced all over his body.
The recoil of Hajime’s artificial hand forcefully threw away his body to an angle that was normally impossible. Hajime rotated like spinning wheel while desperately taking distance, during that time he randomly scattered a lot of grenades from inside ‘Treasure Warehouse II’.
Many of the grenades were cut apart by the lengthening divine sword, and destroyed by the meteors from the halo. The grenades that weren’t even allowed to explode were scattered as sparkling particles and fell on the ground.
Ehitorujue laughed disgustingly to that useless effort of Hajime who couldn’t even buy time while teleporting consecutively. He appeared and then vanished, appeared and then vanished. Just like an illusion. It was like he was being omnipresence around Hajime.
And then the divine sword that reached regardless of distance carved multiple layers in the air. Although Hajime avoided lethal wound each time that happened, wounds were mass produced with certainty on his body. He also counterattacked with the combination of Donner & Schlag, Orestes, and Cross Velts, but in front of the elusive Heaven Existence and God Speed, Hajime was unable to inflict even one telling blow.
The second and third layer of the halos and the halo behind Ehitorujue were dyeing the white space with platinum light by endlessly firing meteor shower. However naturally those meteors were automatically avoiding Ehitorujue himself and rushed only Hajime.
Hajime was clenching his teeth while shooting back, he was staving off the storm of death sometimes with grenade, sometimes with Cross Velt, and sometimes with Orestes. Amidst that he was trying to somehow arrest Ehitorujue’s movement but…
He couldn’t reach.
Hajime was being overwhelmed even in close quarter combat just like Ehitorujue planned. Each time he was attacked, blood splashed while he was being rapidly cornered, just like a chess match.
“What’s wrong? Won’t you use your trump card(godslaying)? If you use it while praying, perhaps you will be lucky and reach this body you know?”
“Shu, shut uup-!”
Hajime was already holding out only by his guts. Even the vocabulary of the words that he returned to Ehitorujue’s provocation was poor. Perhaps because Hajime was bleeding out too much, or perhaps because of the limit break that he continued to use, Hajime’s eyes were beginning to strangely get out of focus and looked blank.
“Hmm. You don’t look like you will take out a new artifact, your body is also on the verge of breaking apart…are you waiting for a favorable opportunity?”
Ehitorujue snapped his fingers. Lightning divine spear was flying out from empty air.
Its target was naturally the heavily wounded Hajime. Even now it felt like his consciousness would fly away, his body felt like it would crumble down anytime. Even so, he still somehow avoided a direct hit, really what an astonishing survival instinct.
But, even his resistance only went that far.
The lightning divine spears that fired rapidly destroyed the last Cross Velts and Orestes altogether, on the same occasion the lightning the spears contained were also liberated nearby Hajime.
“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-”
Terrific impact and thunderous sound, and then lightning hit Hajime. Hajime screamed and then fell on the ground with a smoking body.
Hajime bounced several times on the chalk white ground before collapsing face down. Then blood dripped out. Hajime’s tragic appearance that had been chopped up, beaten many times, and also grilled thoroughly, just from a glance he already looked like a corpse. It was hard to judge him as alive.
Ehitorujue descended soundlessly in front of Hajime. Looking at Hajime who was licking the ground in an unsightly state, while wondering if it was the end with this, Ehitorujue lifted up his divine sword in order to deal the finishing blow with an expression like a child whose toy was taken away.
But, ahead of his gaze Hajime’s finger twitched.
“Hou”
Ehitorujue reflexively leaked out an admiring voice. Even during that time Hajime’s body was moving and his body was rising up while dripping blood was dirtying the chalk white ground.
“Even with the majesty of god engraved to your flesh and bones, you are still going to stand up?”
Ehitorujue’s words were replied by Hajime with intermittent words that sounded like they were going to die out anytime along with his heartbeat.
“I’ll, keep…saying it. You are…not a, god. Rather, even, compared…to the ‘human’ fighting on the surface right now…you’re weak.”
“What are you basing on saying that? And with that heavily wounded appearance at that. Even though not even a single one of your power reach me.”
Ehitorujue made an exasperated expression, wondering if Hajime would still bluffing even after reaching this point of time.
“…Indeed, your strength, is astonishing. …Since I, got out, of the abyss, I have…never, felt death…this close”
“Hmph, if you understand――”
“But, that’s all.”
Hajime cut off Ehitorujue’s words. The focus of his eyes was disappearing. However, anyone would understand if they looked from close by. Far inside the wavering eyes, a flame that would never be snuffed out was residing there. As though to display that, strength was filling Hajime’s words little by little.
“Inside you, there is no…will to overwhelm others. That’s why, no matter how much…strength, that you show me, my heart…won’t waver. ――It’s like you are not scary.”
“…Are you making excuse?”
Ehitorujue talked provocatively, however, this times it was Hajime who was talking with a distant look. About the strong people that he met, or he knew in this world.
“I, know. …even though she is the weakest race, yet with a single feeling…that fellow stepped into a deadly no man’s land.”
Her face looked like she was going to cry, even so ‘to be together’, just for that little wish that rabbit ear girl kept running desperately
“Even though…despair, was thrust before her eyes…she just wouldn’t break, a fellow that continued to believe in hope.”
With a single feeling, even when no one believed other than her, she didn’t abandon hope. An earnest girl who in the end even chose to change her body to get close to him.
“For the sake of her comrade…in order to protect…a fellow that can use her body as a shield.”
Just how many times had he been protected by her? Even though usually she would screw around, but when push came to shove she would risk her life more than anyone, a wise woman with deep emotion.
“Even at the verge of death…a fellow that can think of her best friend, as the most.”
Surely, she was the most ‘girlish’ among his comrades. Despite so, she would take up weapon for the sake of someone, even many times at the verge of death, the one who she would think at the end would always be her best friend, it would always be somebody else. A kind girl who was too kind.
“Even when, the world changed…even when her own naivety was thrust before her, that fellow didn’t cast away her own dignity.”
Hesitating, scared, distressed, hurt, even so she didn’t stop being what she determined as herself. The teacher who admonished Hajime who only kept pushing on so he would stop and looked back.
“Even though she is just a little girl without any strength, that girl can risk her life in order to stop her idiot father.”
The time they spent together didn’t even reach a month. She was also just a four-year-old little girl. Despite so, she worried for her injured mother, she personally went to meet the father who informed her of their parting and spoke out, and in the end, that child could convey her feeling without taking even a step back against her rampaging father.
And then,
“…And then, even with her body taken, still, that fellow is continuing to fight.”
He believed. Yes, he believed. At her strength.
Hajime’s gaze, the gaze of someone who had been overwhelmed until he couldn’t move even a single finger and was almost died, pierced Ehitorujue.
The person whom that gaze was directed at didn’t notice himself. Of how the shining flame deep inside those eyes that were peaceful like a calm water surface yet dark like the abyss, was overpowering himself to shrink away with a step back.
“Even the monsters in the abyss emitted overwhelming killing intent and survival instinct. But, there is nothing in you. You are empty. Surely, since the time the things you have piled up together with your comrades were destroyed, you have been empty.”
Hajime stood up completely. In his hands, Donner & Schlag were clutched tightly.
“Your words were loud and clear. In short, you don’t learn anything since the past, you cannot even endure loneliness, however you are scared to even die…the point is that you are just a spoiled brat right?”
The meaning of “enough already” that Ehitorujue’s last comrade spoke was surely, because he believed that even if they let go of the hand of the people they guided in this world, it was enough, they would still be able to live prosperously.
That person was surely thinking of their destroyed home world, that existences like them who had touched the truth weren’t needed anymore, and then, seeing the activity of this world, surely that person thought that there was nothing left that he needed to teach to the people of this world.
Not noticing that feeling, unable to even sympathize, not learning anything from the past, scared of the fear of death despite being able to interfere with truth, and then unable to endure the loneliness, he went into a rampage. In the end, the existence named Ehitorujue was still ‘childish’ no matter how long he had been alive.
“…Fuh, is this a scheme to make my mind waver with that kind of provocation? After all it will be the end if your trump card fails to reach me. What a moving endeavor. But, at this rate your ‘godslaying’ cannot possibly work.”
That was why, he didn’t understand the meaning of what Hajime was talking about. Exactly the same like how he didn’t understand the meaning of the words of his comrade in the far past.
Hajime slowly drew back one of his feet and took his stance. Even though he was already at the death’s door, a supreme will was overflowing from that body.
“Perhaps.”
A calm word of affirmation.
But, right after that…
“That’s only if I am still like before yeah-!”
Immense power burst out from Hajime. It was incomparable with his ‘Supreme Break’ until now. A torrent of power that was equal with several times his former power whirled with Hajime at the center. It was just like a tornado of level F5. The crimson color got deeper into a deep crimson, the space was rumbling as though it was screaming.
“What the-”
Hajime who he thought to be almost died just now suddenly exploded out with power so great at this point of time, for the first time Ehitorujue’s calm expression crumbled. That was undoubtedly an expression of shock.
Giving that expression a glance, Hajime stepped forward. No, his figure was erased.
Where he appeared was right in front of Ehitorujue’s face. Ehitorujue gazed in astonishment.
Just by being fast wouldn’t be able to surpass Ehitorujue’s perception. No matter how much Hajime was strengthened, it would still be impossible by nature. But, even so there were many ways to fight. Just who decided that an instant space teleportation was the technique exclusive for god?
“Haah!!”
“Nuu!?”
The hand of Hajime that was holding Donner softly shifted the hand of Ehitorujue that was stabbing toward Hajime. At the same time, the bullet that flew out from Schlag ricocheted on the ground and aimed at Ehitorujue’s heart.
Naturally, Ehitorujue escaped with Heaven Existence. Instantly, a raging killing intent blew from behind him.
“-!? You *******, as expected, you use Heaven Existence!?”
“Who knows, I wonder about that?”
Two gunshots resounded. However, there were twenty streaks of flashes that attacked Ehito violently. Half of them were slashed by the divine sword, but he then judged that he wouldn’t be able to deal with the rest of Hajime’s acrobatics rapid shooting that Ehitorujue escaped using further space teleportation.
But, at his next teleportation Ehitorujue saw it. Before his eyes one floating bullet vanished quietly, at the next instant, Hajime appeared at that bullet’s former spot. Yes, it was as though the position of Hajime and the bullet was exchanged.
――Special bullet Exise Bullet
This special bullet that was transmuted from combined space-sublimation magic had the ability to exchange the coordinate position of the starting point and each bullet. Bullets so many like the number of stars in the sky had been scattered in this battlefield since the start of the battle until this moment. But, not all the bullets were attacking the enemy. Several bullets among them were scattering to the whole area and floated midair to become Hajime’s teleporting coordinate.
Ehitorujue used his divine sword to intercept Hajime who appeared in front of him.
However,
“Mu-”
He struck empty air. The blade passed through a bit in front of Hajime. With a returning strike Ehito attempted to shower Hajime with slashes――but when he noticed, Hajime had already slipped right in front of his face once more.
Hajime rushed at the opening of Ehito’s mind. He read Ehito’s breathing and made his timing and distance to miss. Hajime also intentionally disturbed his presence to make it difficult for Ehito to perceive his state. He used taijutsu to give an illusion to Ehito’s sense of distance. The more sensitive the senses of the opponent, the more these techniques could be used to throw the opponent’s perception out of whack. Furthermore,
――Illusion projection artifact ‘Novum Idola’
This artifact layered shadow on the user, it strangely shifted the user’s position and enveloped the image-presence-magic power-etc of the user, at the same time it interfered with the opponent’s perception and made them misrecognized the camouflage and the truth. Hajime’s figure and presence that blurred in two or three layers, combined with Hajime’s own taijutsu realized a close quarter combat that was like an illusion.
“You *******-, after this far, you still show new cards――”
Ehitorujue’s discarded voice was cut off. Seeing this person who had become that ragged, showered in words of humiliation, and made to snuggle really close to death, yet he was still preserving his cards until this time, as expected it was beyond the imagination of even god. For example even if someone actually was still hiding some plan inside their heart, but in a situation where it wasn’t strange that they could die anytime, the courage needed not to expose their hidden hand was already something that surpassed the realm of human.
Ehitorujue who felt a slight shudder going through his back unleashed attacks that were like surging wave.
“OOOOOOOOOOO-!!”
Hajime’s war cry reverberated, at the same time a crimson flash exploded like a solar flare.
Even when Ehitorujue swung his divine sword and fired meteor shower from his halos, his disarrayed perception couldn’t capture Hajime. Hajime’s attack was also becoming closer and closer to hitting before he noticed, that fact was already a godly feat that surpassed superhuman feat――no, perhaps it was more fitting for Hajime for this to be called as a demonic feat.
Hajime bared his fang using everything that he had analyzed and pounded into his body from the battle until now!
Ehitorujue teleported consecutively once more. However, Hajime who was starting to grasp his teleporting habit rapidly approached within zero comma several seconds. Hajime wasn’t using only the speed of the coordinate exchange and his discernment. His raw speed that was continuing to increase second by second was also progressively entering the realm of god speed.
Even so, the sword flashes of Ehitorujue was impossible to defend against, therefore he possessed overwhelming advantage against Hajime in close quarter combat, was how it was supposed to be.
GAKIN-
“Wha-!?”
This time it was Ehitorujue who leaked out a shocked voice along with the resounding hard sound.
That was only natural. The divine sword that should pass through everything except Hajime was blocked by Schlag after all.
With no delay the right Donner aimed at Ehitorujue. The fired crimson flash was evaded by Ehitorujue using teleportation by a hairbreadth with shocked expression pasted still on his face.
“Just, what in the world――”
“It’s only transmutation.”
Hajime answered concisely without telling everything.
The cause that blocked the penetrating ability of the divine sword came from the transmutation that was done on Schlag.
――Soul magic neutralization artifact ‘Delischanors’
If the attack could pass through everything except the target using soul magic, then he only needed to enchant Schlag using ‘Soul Reproduction’ to create a pseudo soul in it. Originally this was a ‘decoy’ artifact that was produced from the assumption that the ‘Divine Statement’ which forced a command on the selected soul in subconscious level couldn’t be defended using Miledy’s artifact, but it was also sufficient to misalign the target of the divine sword.
And then, the decoys that were applied with Delischanors weren’t just Donner & Schlag.
Ehitorujue swung the divine sword at the stepping forward Hajime, which was blocked by the muzzle of Schlag. At the same time,
DOPAN-!!
A single gunshot. The flying bullet knocked back the divine sword that should be in a state where its penetrating ability was activated. Yes, what was enchanted with Delischanors wasn’t just Schlag. The bullets were also rejecting the penetration ability!
“Irregular-”
“You talk too much, small fry.”
The impact from the divine sword getting knocked back forcefully made Ehito’s posture to form a one-handed banzai, Ehitorujue who was making a humiliated expression fired meteors from his halo.
But, as though knowing that move ahead, Cross Velts and Donner’s bullet barrage repelled them. Hajime smoothly closed the distance and launched a fierce round kick. That attack, finally, run into the solar plexus of the god that Hajime had no hope to touch before! The kick that had ‘Strong Leg’ and ‘Impact Conversion’ applied to it was extremely intense. Ehitorujue’s body bent forward into ‘>’ shape and he was blown away.
“Kuh”
Hajime pursued, but as expected Ehitorujue didn’t intend to allow him going that far and used Heaven Existence to make his escape.
Yes, he escaped. Different from all his evasion until now from the thinking that it was inexcusable for god’s body to be touched, now he was purely escaping. Of course, Ehitorujue had automatic regeneration. Even so, that he escaped was because his heart was shaken. It was an instinctual action.
Because of that, the humiliation that was welling up in his chest was great. As though to display that, the expression of Ehitorujue distorted grandly.
“You-, your new artifact, that power-. You *******, you didn’t fight me at full strength!”
“Oi oi, what kind of gullible fellow would believe his enemy’s words. Of course, that was obviously a lie.”
While unfolding an offense and defense against Hajime who was saying such thing boldly, Ehitorujue suddenly noticed. That Hajime’s tone didn’t even sound pained at all and flowed smoothly. That his wounds from being tormented thoroughly had been mostly healed.
What was the reason that Hajime was healed? The reason was the same with how his strength was increased even after activating ‘Supreme Break’ already.
It finally melted, the capsule inside his stomach. The capsule filled with god water and cheatmate that Hajime had drunk beforehand.
Ehitorujue didn’t know about that, but he conjectured that it was impossible for such rapid healing to happen except by god water and he raised an angry voice.
“What you said about the god water being the last was also a lie-”
“It was a really delicious water that is worthy to be called god water you know?”
Hajime spoke indifferently. Toward such Hajime, Ehitorujue took distance without fussing over close quarter combat where he was about to launch space blasting and lightning divine spear. The humiliation of being fooled was oozing out from that expression.
As though to promote that displeasure further, Hajime constantly closed the distance smoothly not letting Ehito got away.
While the divine sword and Schlag were locked with each other, Ehitorujue asked from very close range.
“Why, only now.”
“Naturally, in order to obtain certainty. I’m not underestimating your strength.”
There was only one chance for the ‘godslaying’. Hajime didn’t understand what kind of strength Ehitorujue who had perfectly seized Yue’s body possessed, because of that it was necessary to make Ehito showed out his hands that Hajime hadn’t seen before in order to use that one chance with certainty. Ehitorujue intended to play around with Hajime, but Hajime was also doing the same thing albeit for a different reason.
The strength of Ehitorujue that surpassed the imagination was to the degree that made Hajime felt the scythe of the death god, but by paying compensation of pain and many of his artifacts, somehow Hajime was able to confirm the battle strength and hands that Ehitorujue possessed to a certain degree, also, he became able to grasp the ‘habit’ of Ehitorujue.
Ehitorujue regained his footing from the shock and his expression suddenly changed into looking amused. And then, he instantly invoked a large scale space blasting that didn’t even spare himself from being dragged into it.
The space creaked and the meteor shower that was sweeping over all around was popping off. Among them, Hajime whose expression distorted was also included inside. It seemed that he endured using ‘Vajra’ that had its output increased, but he bore a damage that didn’t look light. Hajime vomited out blood while coughing.
But, Hajime immediately rallied himself and detected Ehitorujue. Ehitorujue had returned once more to his throne where three layers of halos were behind his back. It seemed that he was injured by his own damage but he immediately recovered using ‘Automatic Regeneration’.
“Then, whether you are really not misunderstanding me or not, the might of this true god will ascertain that!”
Right after that, light exploded. The halos were releasing light so intense to the degree that would make anyone hallucinated that. And then, Each halo were beginning to rotate while shining brilliantly.
Even during that time, Hajime was approaching while slipping through the meteor shower that had been doubled in intensity, right after that, a very thick beam of light was fired from the halos. If anyone saw it, then they would think that it was just like the ‘Heaven Might’ that Kouki unleashed. Although, the power and scale of this one from Ehito were in a different league.
“This cannot be avoided you know, irregular! This light of ruin will continue to chase after you forever until you die!”
In contrast with Ehitorujue who was raising a loud voice, Hajime fiercely bared his fang and answered.
“Then, I’ll breakthrough frontally.”
A crimson flash with honed killing intent surged straight ahead.
At the same time, Hajime scattered all the grenades that he had, furthermore a huge assault lance coated with sealing stone was deployed in the front. A mechanical sound was reverberating from that assault lance, the lance was spreading like an umbrella while it was elongating by three stages and it began to rotate at high speed.
――Target dispersal assault lance ‘Lob Regenschirm’
A three-stage assault lance that rotated at high speed with its surface engraved by sealing stone and particular unevenness, that was to say it was a drill.
The target that was touched would be pulverized and dispersed as though being dug out. Hajime floated it in front of him, he used it as a shield while spreading intense ripples in midair, immediately after that, he charged toward the bombardment of ‘True Heaven Might’ along with a fierce impact.
While the coated sealing stone was being broken in the blink of eye, Lob Regenschirm was forcefully scattering the god’s might while leading its master Hajime toward the target’s position. Hajime also used ‘Vajra’, ‘Magic Power Emission’, and ‘Impact Conversion’ as explosive reactive armor and charged through the light of destruction!
“-uaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!!”
Blood spurted out from the wounds that just got healed due to the after-effect that couldn’t be dispersed, his internal organs, his flesh, his bones were screaming. The crimson aura he was clad with and another red were scattered around him, even so Hajime screamed without stopping his advance. He wouldn’t stand still even for an instant! Overwhelm back the overwhelming torrent! Crush the absurdity with even more absurdity! Just like how he came this far until now, tear apart all the obstacles-!
“You are breaking through even this-”
Ehitorujue saw Hajime who was advancing inside the Heaven Might he unleashed and got stabbed with that eye glint that was filled to the brim with tenacious determination and tremendous killing intent――and he prepared to run away once more.
He was going to withdraw from that spot using Heaven Existence. He was taking that action mostly subconsciously.
But, Hajime didn’t allow him to do such thing.
The whole area at the surrounding was enveloped by explosive sound. It was the grenades that Hajime scattered. The spaces at the center where the explosions happened were distorting like jelly, shockwaves were blowing violently due to the side effect of the spaces trying to return to normal.
The cause of this was the space explosion grenade that distorted the space and generated shockwave. Originally it was something that made use of space to attack the enemy using shockwave, but right now it was displaying a different effect.
That was the destabilization of space.
Whether the direct teleportation magic ‘Heaven Existence’ that didn’t use exact and delicate gate could be used in this place or not…
“――tsk. Another artifact again-”
It seemed Ehitorujue himself understood well the answer. At the very least it was something dangerous to the degree that made him spontaneously hesitating to activate the magic. And then, he was also unintentionally swearing from witnessing new artifacts appearing one after another.
Using that opportunity, Hajime finally broke through the True Heaven Might. The Lob Regenschirm was smashed up, Hajime himself was also worn out, but that terrifyingly sharply gleaming eyes pierced Ehitorujue that was right nearby.
Ehitorujue immediately changed plan from escaping to intercepting. He was already materializing divine sword in one hand and swung it with God Speed. The sword lines that were drawn within an instant easily surpassed a hundred. He was seriously serious. This was the full strength sword play of Ehitorujue.
It didn’t matter that his perception was shifted or whatever, that was irrelevant if he was just filling the space to the brim with sword slashes. Therefore, even Hajime appeared unable to react against that, without even any time to put a defense all the sword flashes passed through that body. There wasn’t even any resistance that could be felt from the sword cutting through flesh.
At the same time, the Hajime that should be cut dispersed lightly, from its shadow Hajime leaped out.
“Impossible-. Something that only has small effect of shifting perception is――”
“Just who said that such thing is the effect huh?”
Ehitorujue’s surprised voice was easily responded by Hajime. Illusion projection artifact ‘Novum Idola’ fundamentally only had the effect of derailing the perception. But, nobody was saying that was its whole ability or anything. Even if, that was the only ability it showed even when in a critical time.
The corner of Ehitorujue’s sight caught a bullet that was transparent like a crystal floating there.
――Illusion projection assistance artifact ‘Vision Bullet’
Combined with ‘Novum Idola’, an artifact that completely projected Hajime’s illusion was put in the core of this bullet. The moment Hajime broke through the True Heaven Might, he predicted that a severe interception attack would be waiting for him, so Hajime fired the Vision Bullet to the front while he himself drew back from Ehito’s sword range.
Ehitorujue who had just finished swinging his god sword, in addition to the shock, became slow in reacting, with an intense step Hajime threw away Schlag and he turned his artificial palm toward Ehito. Right after that, the gimmick in the palm worked and the five fingers there greatly elongated. Now it looked just like a skeleton hand of a giant.
Hajime struck with that expanding mechanical palm toward Ehitorujue. And then, in a flash the five fingers curled and restrained Ehitorujue’s body, then Hajime hurled himself forward which carried them through the halos immediately.
“aAAAAAAAAAAAAA-!!”
Hajime roared and then the gimmick of the artificial hand activated which let out many spikes that pierced Ehitorujue’s body like iron maiden, furthermore Hajime activated a space fixation that was limited to inside his palm and completely restrained Ehito.
Ehitorujue immediately attempted to use magic, but tremendous magic power radiation came out from the artificial hand that was glued close to his body――the magic power cannon ‘Glanzen’ loaded inside the artificial arm performed bombardment of pure magic power that stirred up the magic power inside Ehito’s body, due to that Ehito was unable to invoke magic instantly. Furthermore, Ehitorujue was able to swing his divine sword just by reversing his wrist, but that too was beyond his power due to the anchor and steel thread flying out from the artificial arm which bound his body and operated vibration pulverization.
“Raah!!”
“-!?”
Like that, at the end of dense offense and defense that happened for less than a second, Hajime succeeded in throwing down Ehitorujue on the ground.
The gazes of Ehitorujue who was held down on the ground and Hajime who was straddling him crossed each other. At the same time, along with a kacha sound, something hard was pushed on Ehitorujue’s heart from the opening of the five fingers.
It was the gun muzzle of Donner.
“This is check. The ‘godslaying’ that was born at the end of drowning in alcohol, taste it to your heart’s content.”
“Wa-――”
Instantly,
DOPAN-
A single gunshot.
Ehitorujue’s body twitched up.
What was fired was naturally the godlsaying bullet that picked only the god to destroy. The ‘Short Sword of Divine Crossing’ where the liberators’ tenacity resided was condensed, processed, and then remanufactured into a bullet.
Finally the trump card pierced through Ehitorujue.
Behind the halos were crumbling down as though they were weathering down into dust.
Silence filled the white space.
The closed eyelids of Yue quivered along with her long eyelashes. And then, on the eyes that slowly opened, the worn-out figure of Hajime was reflected…
“How unfortunate, irregular.”
“――”
Right after that, Hajime’s left arm was pulverized into very small pieces, and his body was spraying blood while getting blown away.