Episode 162: A Singular Lightning Strike
Lightning crackled and sparked around Akito. The golden light gradually became dyed black.
It was an eerie sight unlike anything he had ever seen.
“Black… lightning?”
“Hah hah hah! Looks like I’ve surprised ya! This is the Second Stratum Lightning Magic, [Black Lightning]!”
Akito dashed forward, unleashing a spear attack with an unhesitating lunge.
Yuma flinched for a moment.
“Tch!”
He guarded against the thrusting spearhead with both arms. The instant the black lightning touched his arms, a crackling sound echoed, and his body was repelled.
The impact was so strong that he almost lost consciousness.
His body was sent flying, crashing through the glass doors of a restaurant across the street and tumbling inside.
“Ah… ugh.”
It was the most pain he had ever felt. He somehow managed to get up, but when he looked at his right hand, it was trembling and convulsing.
–This is Lightning Magic!? Can it really be this powerful? If so, Water Magic won’t be able to defend against it…
Yuma gritted his teeth and stood up, heading outside.
“Seriously!? He took that hit and didn’t die… how tough is he!?”
Akito immediately readjusted his spear and entered a combat stance. Other Seekers were also running towards him. Fighting like this would be bad.
Yuma activated “Bloody Oar,” focusing his strength into his non-convulsing left hand.
“This will be the end of you!!”
The spear, now clad in even more intense lightning, approached him. At that instant–
Yuma slammed his fist into the ground at his feet with all his might. The concrete shattered from the impact, and fragments and smoke billowed up.
“Whoa!?”
Akito was blown backward by the blast, but somehow managed to stop himself, staggering.
When he looked up, smoke enveloped the area, and the Black Armor was nowhere to be seen.
“Tennoji! What happened!?”
Fameel’s Seekers rushed over, gathering around Akito.
“Ah, sorry ’bout that. Looks like I let him get away.”
The leader of the Seeker Clan clicked his tongue at Akito’s nonchalant words, ordering his subordinates to “Chase after him!” and running off.
Akito was about to follow, but then he noticed the ground where the smoke had cleared.
There was a surprisingly large and deep hole.
“No way, seriously?”
If he had taken something like that… Akito shuddered and cowered.
◇◇◇
“This is bad, this is bad! There are even more of them. No matter where I go, it’s full of Seekers!”
Yuma hid in the narrow gap between buildings, but was immediately found and forced to run. Even when he tried to hide inside a building, it was destroyed, and he was knocked out.
“I think there are Seekers who can sense Mana…”
Yuma felt annoyed. If that was the case, he would be chased forever unless he deactivated Metallization.
He could deactivate Metallization in five minutes, but he might die if he did so while being attacked.
As he was wondering what to do, his eyes stopped on a manhole cover on the road.
“I hate it because it looks dirty… but I have no choice!”
Yuma melted his body into a slimy form, pushed up the manhole cover, and slipped into the gap.
He slithered down the vertical ladder and reached the sewer passage, reverting to his human form and looking around.
“It’s dark… I need to proceed with caution.”
Water flowed through the center of the sewer pipe, but there was less than he expected. Yuma jogged along the edge of the passage.
◇◇◇
“It seems he’s gone underground.”
Albert stood on the roof of the commercial building, a small smile on his face as he gazed into the distance.
“As expected. We have countermeasures in place, so he will be back up soon.”
Mia, who was standing beside him, declared confidently.
“Well, I’m not worried about that. By the way, how long will the preparations take?”
Albert stood at the edge of the roof, looking down at the ground. There, members of Prometheus were doing some kind of work.
“It will be finished soon. The problem is whether we can lure the Black Armor here.”
Mia said with a stern expression, but Albert answered calmly.
“In that regard, we have no choice but to trust the other Seeker Clans and the Japanese government. We will just do what we can.”
Albert chuckled and glanced in the direction where he felt an immense Mana.
◇◇◇
“There he is! It’s the Black Armor!!”
“Don’t let him get away!”
Seekers attacked in groups.
“Eeeeeek! Are they even in the sewers!? This is too much!”
Flames, wind, and lightning flew wildly. Seekers who used Water Magic utilized the sewer water to attack.
“Ew! This is the worst, stop it!!”
Yuma panicked and searched for the manhole cover. When he found it, he climbed up the vertical ladder and emerged onto the ground.
“He’s over here!”
“Attack all at once!!”
There were also a large number of Seekers here. Several spells hit him, but they didn’t hurt much.
–But, I don’t know when an attack that breaks through my resistance will come.
Dozens of Seekers blocked his path and attacked. Several people jumped down from the buildings as well.
–I’m surrounded, huh? I have no choice!
The back of Yuma’s left hand began to glow. The next moment, the Seekers’ faces turned pale. The Black Monster lost its form and transformed into a red dog.
The dog forcibly broke through the encirclement.
“Uwaaaaaa! It’s a Hell Garm!!”
“The Black Armor transformed!!”
Leaving the Seekers behind, the Hell Garm jumped out onto the public road.
“Oh! As expected, it’s fast. At this rate, I might make it!”
There were Seekers ahead, but Yuma focused his mind and activated “Bloody Oar.”
The dog’s legs spun even faster, and it passed by the Seekers at terrifying speed.
“What!? A Hell Garm?”
“It’s much faster than usual!!”
Everyone seemed confused. Yuma chuckled as he ran through the city. With the Hell Garm’s running ability and “Bloody Oar’s” strength enhancement, he should be able to escape.
After running for a while, Seekers were blocking the road.
Yuma thought that he would injure someone if he forcibly broke through, so he made a large detour to the right. As he continued to run, there was another group blocking the road.
They seemed to have personnel stationed on the buildings as well, and there were many Seekers behind the barricades.
It seemed they were determined not to let him pass no matter what.
Yuma thought he had no choice and turned left this time, speeding up. As he continued straight down the main street, he saw several Seekers.
However, they were not completely blocking the road, but only a few people were on the side of the road.
–What’s this? Did the barricade not make it in time?
If that was the case, it was convenient, so Yuma tried to break through at full speed. The Seekers didn’t seem to be trying to interfere.
Alright! Just when he thought he had escaped.
“Whoa!?”
A wall of flames rose before his eyes. It was no ordinary flame. It was a wild and intense blaze.
–Could it be… Albert’s Fire Magic!?
Yuma slammed on the brakes and stopped. He tried to go in a different direction immediately, but pillars of fire rose from behind and the sides as well.