Episode 137: Magic Gem [Release]
The Red Oni standing before Yuma staggered, but still charged forward, its anger plain.
No matter how many times he beat it down, it would rise again and regenerate. Yuma was getting fed up.
–Just how tough is this guy!? I still have time left on Metallization and Bloodstained Ore, but they’ll run out eventually. I can’t keep dealing with him forever!
Yuma spread his feet shoulder-width apart, dropping both fists to his waist in a stance.
–No choice. I’ll crush him with everything I’ve got!
He consciously removed the limiter on his muscles, pushing Bloodstained Ore to MAX. Crimson blood vessels flowed across his entire body in multiple layers, and steam poured from his skin.
He opened his mouth and roared.
He rushed forward in an instant, grabbing the Oni’s head and slamming it into the building behind it. The outer wall cracked, large fissures spreading.
He smashed through the wall as it was, plunging inside and continuing to slam the Oni’s head against the walls.
After destroying several walls and exiting the building on the opposite side, he slammed its head into the road. Blood splattered, and the concrete shattered.
He put strength into his hand, crushing the Oni’s head with his grip.
He tossed the twitching, convulsing body of the Oni into the air. As it fell powerlessly, Yuma took a stance.
“UOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
A storm of punches from both fists. A left hook shattered ribs, and a right Seiken Zuki pierced the opponent’s abdomen. Dozens of blows assaulted the Oni’s body.
He had heard from Kanzaki that even with [Regeneration], you could defeat a monster if you inflicted damage exceeding its capacity.
Then he would repeat the destruction beyond the limit.
Yuma’s roundhouse kick exploded, sending the Oni flying to the outer wall of the lodging facility. The impacted wall crumbled into pieces.
The monster had suffered injuries that should have rendered it incapable of fighting, but as intense flames erupted, it healed its wounds in an instant and stood up.
“………Bring it on!”
Yuma took a fighting pose again, glaring at the Oni before him.
◇◇◇
Tennoji and the others cautiously circled around the building.
The Black Monster was rampaging wildly, engaged in a fierce battle with the Red Ogre, so they approached while maintaining a certain distance to avoid getting caught up in it.
The Black Lord seemed to be pushing the Red Duke back, but after regenerating, the Red Duke launched a counterattack.
He punched the Lord away with a flame-covered right backhand. The flames exploded with terrifying force, and the Black Monster was sent flying to the building diagonally opposite.
When it collided with the outer wall of the building, the wall crumbled into ruins.
As the Black Monster tried to stand up, the Duke of Red, who had rushed forward in an instant, spewed scorching hellfire from his mouth.
The flames spread wide enough to engulf the first floor of the building, and the Black Monster disappeared from sight.
The swirling flames entered the interior of the building through the collapsed walls and windows, burning the room to ashes. The blazing flames flickered eerily.
The next moment, a black arm thrust out from the hellfire.
It struck the face of the Duke of Red, sending him flying far back.
“Gu… Gya…”
The Duke let out a pained voice, but raised his face even as he fell.
The Black Monster emerged from the flames. It didn’t seem to be injured.
Seeing that, Tennoji checked the expressions of Ishikawa and the others behind him. Everyone had a stiff expression, but they didn’t seem to be trembling with fear.
“He’s distracted by the Duke, now’s our chance! Let’s go!”
“Ooh!”
Ishikawa and Taizen answered in unison, and Rui also replied, “Yes!”
The four of them jumped out from the shadow of the building all at once, surrounding the Black Monster. The monster didn’t seem to move in particular.
They would defeat it with a blitz attack, without giving the opponent a chance to counterattack.
Tennoji sent a signal to Ishikawa with his eyes. Ishikawa immediately understood and moved to attack.
He rushed towards the monster, raising the Water Vein Battle Axe high.
“NUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”
The shape of the raised axe changed. Each part steamed and opened, and the Magic Gem in the center of the axe began to shine intensely. “Water Magical Power” converged on the axe, which had grown larger.
“Magic Gem [Release]! Eat this!”
The “Water Magic Gem” used in the Water Vein Battle Axe shattered.
In its place, a huge amount of Water Magical Power was deployed around the axe, and water gushed out like a geyser from the swung slash, hitting the Black Monster directly.
The monster was surprised and took a few steps back, pushed by the force.
It should have been powerful enough to tear the enemy’s body apart. But Ishikawa bit his lip, realizing it wasn’t effective against the Lord.
Still, this wasn’t the end. Ishikawa jumped back to the side, securing a line of fire.
“I’m counting on you, Taizen!”
“You got it!”
Taizen, who had been standing behind Ishikawa, pointed the Electromagnetic Throw Gauntlet equipped on his right arm at the Black Monster. The movable parts of the equipment also opened with a mechanical sound.
The “Magic Gem” exposed from the cannon glowed intensely.
“Magic Gem [Release]! This is my full power!”
Plasma burst from Taizen’s entire body, and “Lightning Magical Power” converged on the Throw Gauntlet.
“—— Exceed Railgun ——!!”
The fired silver bullet was accompanied by a tremendous Lightning, hitting the monster directly. A huge explosion erupted, and the Black Monster was blown away, crashing into a building.
Seeing the monster trying to stand up while staggering, Taizen shouted.
“The rest is up to you! Tennoji!”
The Throw Gauntlet on his right arm was smoking, and the Magic Gem had shattered into pieces. Taizen had also used up all his power and knelt on the spot.
Seeing Taizen like that, Tennoji answered, “Yeah!” and ran out.
The preparations were already complete. While running, Tennoji placed both fists on his waist and circulated Lightning Magical Power throughout his body.
His hair turned golden and stood on end.
Because he was clad in Lightning, his body seemed to glow. Tennoji stepped in a zigzag pattern at high speed, approaching the Black Lord.
–This will be the last attack!
“Magic Gem [Release]! Take my barrage!”
The gauntlets equipped on Tennoji’s hands glowed brightly.
When the left Seiken Zuki slammed into the Black Monster’s abdomen, the monster bent its body into a “く” shape. Tennoji didn’t miss that opening and relentlessly followed up.
Face, neck, arm, chest, shoulder, abdomen, Tennoji’s blows landed one after another. The speed of the barrage, too fast to see, seemed to be beyond even the Lord’s ability to respond.
Each time a blow landed, intense Lightning burst and scattered. Magic Gem [Release] was a trump card that only some of the higher-ranking Seekers could use.
It was a double-edged attack method that destroyed the Magic Gem itself in exchange for maximizing the Magic Power of the Magic Gem. But its power was tremendous.
It could generate several times the normal destructive force.
Tennoji stared at the enemy in front of him. It was enduring while guarding with both arms, but he didn’t know how much damage it was taking.
A terribly hard body, and resistance to magic.
–Surely, it couldn’t have taken this many attacks without being affected…
While thinking that, he noticed that the “Magic Gem” embedded in his gauntlets was nearing its limit.
“This is the end!”
He took a stance with both roaring fists. Lightning crackled, and the Magic Power charged in his feet burst out all at once.
The Black Monster couldn’t keep up with the accelerated movement.
–I can do it!
Tennoji’s attack deflected the monster’s arm, forcing open its guard. A full-force uppercut exploded into the wide-open jaw.
The impact was like a Lightning strike, and the monster’s jaw snapped up.
Tennoji added further attacks to the Black Monster, which was trying to endure by staggering. If he slammed several consecutive blows into its abdomen, the monster would inevitably bend over.
The “Magic Gems” in both hands shattered into pieces. There was no longer any means of attack. But–
“Now’s the time! Rui!”
Tennoji crouched on the spot. Then a figure jumped out from behind him.
It was Rui, holding his Katana in an overhead stance. Flames dwelled in the Katana, and as the “Magic Gem” attached to the hilt shone, it burned even more fiercely.
The timing was perfect. The Black Monster’s guard was up, and its posture was broken, leaving it unable to react immediately.
—I can’t let this chance that everyone created for me go to waste!
Rui put all his strength into it and swung down the Flame Heat Katana.