Time flows back a bit, to just after Kaine entrusted the battle to Erna.
“Oh my, you can’t win this fight with just the techniques I taught you, Gomeodeipto!”
As expected, she’s strong. The Flame Emperor Elfatokles, Hero Erna’s mentor, and said to be on par with the Four Heavenly Kings.
Moreover, the Flame Emperor’s Skill is said to be as excellent as those of the Sage, Sword Saint, and Thunder Emperor.
A Hero still in the midst of growth has no chance of winning…
Or so it should have been.
“What!? You endured my Gomeodeipto!? I didn’t think you were capable of that yet.”
Gomeodeipto is Elfatokles’ Trump Card, unleashing flames without offensive power around the opponent, inducing hallucinations to drastically reduce combat ability.
The only time this technique had been broken in the past was during a battle with the Thunder Emperor Ort Mekina…
That’s why she had absolute confidence in this technique.
Even Tect would have been unable to move if it had been activated.
However, the horror of this technique lies not in the hallucinations, but in the aftereffects.
Those who directly receive the technique have their senses numbed and lose their sanity.
Originally, it was only used against monsters, but even if Erna’s mind were to break, Tect could just manipulate her, so she used such a dangerous technique.
Despite that, she couldn’t even stop Erna’s movements, let alone defeat her.
“I learned. Under Kaine-san… how to use Skills, how to apply them.”
The Skill Erna used was “Relax.”
This Skill is classified as F-Rank.
Originally, it’s just a Skill that stabilizes the mind for a moment.
This Skill can fix the mind to its normal state for just 0.1 seconds.
Normally, that alone would be enough to Relax, but Tect’s mind control and Elfatokles’ Gomeodeipto constantly put a strain on the mind.
Stabilizing it for a moment is completely meaningless.
That’s why, until now, the only way to counter it was with Skills that directly opposed the burden on her mind itself.
In mind control and hallucinations, there are no Skills that nullify the Skills themselves; one had to acquire strong Skills that could offset them. But this time, Erna cast “Relax” multiple times.
By continuously casting “Relax” every 0.1 seconds, she forcibly returned her disrupted nerves and mind to their original state.
She continued to cast it until the Skill’s effect ended.
It sounds simple, but of course, it’s not easy.
Using Skills in rapid succession consumes that much mental power.
Furthermore, this method is meaningless if “Relax” fails even once.
Erna overcame this with her astonishing Skill control and mental strength.
“Now it’s your turn!”
Saying that, Erna approached using the prepared Shukuchi and unleashed her technique.
“Crimson!”
The sword technique she unleashed was as beautiful as autumn leaves, so much so that even the recipient would be captivated.
Elfatokles, who received it, took a direct hit and suffered considerable damage.
“………!? Why can you use Skills simultaneously?”
That’s right, normally, Skills cannot be used simultaneously unless they are special.
That’s because using one Skill requires operating the Skill with one consciousness.
“If you split your consciousness in two… don’t you think you can use two Skills?”
“Haa haa… even if that’s theoretically possible…”
“If it’s theoretically possible, I’ll keep pursuing it. Mentor? Didn’t you also have something you wanted to protect!”
“U, urusai… I will live with Tect-sama.”
She rejected Erna. However, Erna didn’t give up…
“I won’t give up, I’ll call out to you as many times as it takes!”
Erna and Elfatokles clash swords…
One to kill…
One to save…
………………………………
………………
……
I can hear my disciple, Erna’s voice in the distance…
Squinting my eyes, I see myself crossing swords with my beloved disciple.
However, it’s not the kind of swordplay we’ve had in practice, but a sword to kill her.
Even if I want to stop, my body won’t listen.
I have to somehow regain control of my body…
Then Erna used two Skills simultaneously.
It seems she used Skills simultaneously by splitting her consciousness into two.
Then maybe…
I leave my fading consciousness there and awaken as a new consciousness.
I can’t let my body be taken away by someone forever.
To wake up from a long dream, I deliberately took a sword and erased the consciousness I had now…
“Erna… well done. I… I might die, but I’m happy to have talked to you at the end.”
“Mentor! Has the brainwashing been undone!?”
“Temporarily… I separated my consciousness from the main body and regained control of the body. So I only have a few seconds left… quickly kill me…”
“Mentor… you can definitely come back on your own. Mercy-san too… she’ll feel responsible if you die, you know?”
“Haa… honestly, I wish you wouldn’t give me strange expectations. But for Mercy’s sake… I can’t die easily.”
She awakens her consciousness.
To regain her body…