Bone Devil Battle Climax!
8/8 I received comments regarding Combat Arts and revised the content related to Combat Keys.
DogoOOOOOOOOOOON!!
The Bone Giant’s descending arm gouges the earth and blows it away. Evading that with 【Real Breaker】, I circled around to its back and slashed with the Pain Blade.
――GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!
The bones forming the giant creak as if screaming. It’s working. But it’s not working at a fundamental level.
The Phantom Blade, which inflicts mental attacks on demons who are spiritual lifeforms, is effective. However, because they are spiritual lifeforms, they know that the act of being “cut by a blade” is not fatal.
The basic understanding that living things die when cut does not exist for them.
GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!
“Tch!”
Even so, did it feel “pain”? The demon swung its arm and attacked, ignoring defense.
“――【Levitate】――!”
I floated my body for a moment, kicking off the Bone Giant’s arm to gain distance. When using Iron Rose, single-shot Magic consumes a lot of Mana, but continuous spells like 【Levitate】 are compatible with 【Real Breaker】.
Even so, I don’t have the余裕 to use other Magic, so I dodged the giant’s arm with an illusion and slashed with the Pain Blade. The Bone Giant is also taking damage, but it doesn’t become fundamental damage, and it retaliates as if turning it into hatred.
It looks like a back-and-forth battle, but I, with a time limit, am at a disadvantage. My attacks are blocked by the bones and don’t reach the demon, and the demon’s attacks don’t hit me either. The battle between me and the demon gradually widened.
This is bad… At this rate, I’ll end up back where the people are.
I avoided the Bone Giant’s attack and kicked off a giant tree that was approaching from behind, jumping over the Bone Giant. At that moment, the demon fired a large number of bone fragments overhead.
I evaded that with 【Real Breaker】, but as I intercepted the barrage of bones fired without gaps with my Knife, the Bone Giant unleashed a fist, aiming for that moment.
Without avoiding it, I put my spirit into it, swung the Black Dagger in my right hand far back, and intercepted with a full-force blow.
“Haaaaaa!”
The light of 【Real Breaker】 that I wear swirls with the concentrated Blade, tearing apart the Bone Giant’s fist as if crushing it.
GIIIIIGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA――!!
“Tch!”
At that moment, all the bones… all the skulls that had been buried screamed as if creaking, and for a moment, a “Shadow” like a “white woman” could be seen.
“――【Darkness】――”
I switched from the “Light” of 【Real Breaker】 to “Darkness” and retreated to the top of the tallest building.
Is that the demon that shows dreams, who hasn’t shown its face until now? Or is it an illusion shown by the demon? But when I jumped back and my vision strayed for a moment, the Shadow was gone, and a white mist-like Mana spread throughout the town.
ZUZUZU――!!
A sound echoes from the town. …No, it’s not “something.” It’s the sound of a “swarm” overflowing from the town and rushing towards me…
Whether their muscles are being strained to their limits, whether their flesh is being crushed or their bones are breaking, the corpses of over hundreds of residents ignore even obstacles and approach me, combining the voices of “grudges” with the sound of flesh and bones breaking, creating a grotesque dissonant sound.
‘Help me’ ‘Why me!’ ‘It hurts! It hurts!’ ‘I hate you!’ ‘Don’t abandon me!’ ‘I hate the living!’ ‘Help me!’ ‘It hurts’ ‘Die!’ ‘No, no, no’ ‘Why!?’ ‘It hurts!’ ‘Don’t go!’ ‘I hate you!’ ‘It hurts’ ‘Help me!’ ‘I don’t want to die!’ ‘I hate you, hate you, hate you!’ ‘I wanted to be happy――――’
――They will not allow the living residents to abandon them and be happy――
“…………”
Is that the end of humans whose jealousy was exploited by demons…?
I’m not saying that all people are like that. That emotion is something that everyone has. But weak humans don’t have the means to suppress it, and in this closed town, they didn’t have the opportunity to realize that that emotion is negative.
GII GII GII GII GII GII――――
The Bone Devil mocks the foolish humans at this sight. Human negative emotions kill humans… that must be the greatest pleasure for you demons…
While raising cries of jealousy and resentment, the corpses of the residents climbed up to the building where I am like a tsunami, overcoming each other.
‘You die too――’
Slash!!
I cut off the head of the young woman who approached first with the Black Knife.
“Laugh all you want, demons.”
I narrowed my eyes and pointed the Black Dagger at the laughing demon, and the Undead who were approaching stopped moving at the Intimidation I emitted.
When I crushed the second pill I took out of my pocket in my mouth, Dark Mana oozed out due to my emotions.
This Mana recovery medicine, which Serejula-sama created on the journey using Dragon blood and had Nero bring to me, can extend the effect time of 【Real Breaker】 a little, but potent drugs like Dragon blood can become poison if taken too much.
But, if it’s to kill you guys, I don’t care about what happens later.
I was mistaken. I thought that by having the Miasma with negative emotions become black and stagnant, the way to counter it was with Light Mana.
But it’s different… “Darkness” governs not only “emotions” but also “peace.”
People loving people is also a strong emotion. It’s not evil or justice, it’s a pure feeling.
My parents said that “there are no bad people” because people have their own justice based on their thoughts, and they become hostile because of that.
That’s why I’ve never fought with hatred. But… only you guys are different. Demons take pleasure in using, deceiving, and tormenting people’s thoughts just to satisfy their own pleasure.
My anger becomes “Darkness,” merges with Light, becomes “Gray,” and turns into “Silver.”
It’s not the power of Light that defeats spiritual lifeforms.
What defeats you demons is the pure “wish” to “kill” you.
This hatred is not a negative emotion.
It’s a pure “anger” to defeat you!
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
Along with my spirit, Silver light bursts out like wings, and the Undead who were approaching crumble away.
I jumped out as if crushing the roof as it was. I turned all the corpses in that straight line into dust, and slashed at the Bone Giant with the Black Knife, which had transformed into a Greatsword wrapped in Silver light.
【Aria (Alicia)】【Race: Human♀】【Rank 5】
【Mana Capacity: 75/400】20 Up【HP: 118/290】
【Strength: 11 (24)】【Endurance: 10 (22)】【Agility: 18 (38)】【Dexterity: 9 (10)】
【Overall Combat Strength: 2448 (During Special Body Enhancement: 5020)】123 Up
【Combat Art: Iron Rose /Limit 75 Second】
【Illusion Magic: Real Breaker――《Silver》】
GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!
The Bone Giant’s arm is crushed, and the Bone Devil, which is collapsing from the cut, takes a slight step back.
It’s scared… of “me.”
GIIKIIIIIIIIIIIIII!
The Bone Giant regenerates the arm that was destroyed by the Combat Art at first, and fires countless bone fragments. I slipped through that with 【Real Breaker】 and speed, blowing away the giant’s face.
My body creaks from the excessive speed. Light and Dark Mana are about to go out of control, and blood spills from my mouth.
So, I don’t care. I’ll definitely kill you here…!
GIIIIIGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!
The Bone Devil discarded the collapsing giant’s body and gathered only the remaining skulls to create a sphere about two meters in size.
【Skull Devil】【Race: Greater Demon】【Difficulty Rank――】
【Mana Capacity: 3080/4715】
【Overall Combat Strength: 5051/5186】
All the skulls open their jaws and generate a mass of Darkness. If it fires that much Mana, the demon’s power will also be drastically reduced. But the Bone Devil tried to do that without regard for appearances.
But your actions are not resolve. I have no intention of losing to a demon who takes pleasure over its own existence.
I gathered the remaining Mana into the two weapons, and jumped straight in while wearing Silver light.
“――【Dancing Ripper】――!!”
The continuous strikes from both sides intercepted the dark bullets. My arms creaked from layering Combat Arts onto the Iron Rose. But—
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
I advanced further, unleashing eight consecutive blades that sliced through all the skulls, along with the Bone Devil within.
Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!
“—っ!”
The Bone Devil screamed, and blood spurted from my arms, forcibly dispelling the [Iron Rose]. However, the tattered and collapsing Bone Devil wore a twisted grin, gathering all the Miasma in its body and accumulating it in its open mouth.
I couldn’t evade at this timing. But then, I heard the sound of wind being cut through.
“Your loss, Devil.”
Thwack!!
“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
At that moment, Nero’s leaping [Claw Strike] blew away the Devil’s jaw.
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!”
My Mana nearly depleted, I brandished my Dagger with arms from which blood was spurting from the capillaries, and as I stumbled to the ground, I thrust the blade into the Devil’s face.
“Perish—!”
Gish—!
Cracks ran through the Bone Devil, which had received my “Spirit,” and it crumbled like burnt bone, disappearing.
At the same time, the writhing corpses of the townspeople withered and collapsed, and as if to signal the end, the dark clouds cleared, and the gentle moonlight illuminated us.
The Bone Devil was destroyed. I entrusted the vigilance to Nero and took a nap, which allowed me to recover to some extent, though I couldn’t fight at full strength.
The faces of the townspeople were grim. It was only natural, given the situation. With no one alive in the lord’s mansion, this isolated town would now be filled with “outsiders.” Whether this would lead to the rebirth of “jealousy” among the townspeople was beyond my knowledge.
“…………”
I spotted the girl who had glared at me back then. Even if I had “killed” the Undead that attacked them, there must be people who resented me.
Even so, the girl glanced at me, averted her gaze slightly, bowed her head a little, and ran to a man who seemed to be her father.
“…Humans aren’t that weak, huh?”
Nero, who had been outside, walked alongside me as I left the town.
“Thank you. I would have lost without you.”
I lightly embraced Nero’s neck with my still-unwieldy arms, and Nero’s antennae gently stroked my cheek.
“…Any signs of ‘Devil’?”
—None—
As far as Nero could see, there were no more signs of Devils in the vicinity. I had considered that the entity that showed the Dream was separate from the Bone Devil, but was that also one of the Bone Devil’s abilities? Or did it cut its losses and run…?
First, I need to return to Elena’s place to report, for the sake of the town’s reconstruction. I jumped onto Nero’s back, and as I turned my eyes to the town one last time, I remembered something I had forgotten.
“…Where’s Colette?”
The Chapel of the Holy Church in the Royal Capital. Last year, a certain incident caused the Temple to burn down, and currently, a new Temple is being built with donations from devout believers and the Royal Family.
However, in order to fill the void left by the lost Temple and personnel, the administrators, including the Temple Head, were often staying overnight, despite having residences in the Royal Capital.
“…I…”
In his room in the residential area behind the Chapel, Nasanitaru, who had awakened in the middle of the night, couldn’t understand his situation for a moment, and languidly entrusted himself to the soft warmth.
Nasanitaru, the grandson of the Temple Head, had also been granted the position of priest, but because he was a noble, he had been given a large room in a separate building, unlike the other priests. Naturally, the interior was of higher quality than the other rooms, but he opened his eyes again to the unusual “warmth” on which his head rested.
“…………Licia?”
“Did you wake up? Nasanitaru.”
Nasanitaru was being lap-pillowed on the bed by a girl he called Licia.
He remembered that she had visited him last night, accompanied by a maid. However, Nasanitaru had been feeling listless and fatigued on a daily basis recently, and his current appearance was as if his “life force had been drained.”
“…I had a scary Dream. That Pink Hair girl… thrust a Blade into my face…”
Perhaps recalling the contents of that “Dream,” the girl gently stroked the cheek of Nasanitaru, who showed a frightened expression.
“It’s okay… there are no scary people here. Sleep a little more… you have an important ‘role’ to play, after all.”
“Yes… Licia.”
Nasanitaru, reassured by the girl’s smile, fell asleep again, seeming to weaken each time he slept. The girl stroked his cheek, but the expression on her face was not one of concern, but a joyful smile.
“…Do your best for me until the very end.”
Behind the girl who whispered that in Nasanitaru’s ear, Colette, dressed in a maid’s uniform with pure white hair, wore a Devil’s smile that seemed to split her mouth to her ears.
(Finally) The battle with the Bone Devil is settled.
The Nightmare was subtly trying to break or guide Aria’s heart, but the expression might have been a bit subtle.
The silver power that Aria used, although the form is quite different, is a special technique that Alicia, who was the Heroine in the original work, also used. Otherwise, the original Heroine wouldn’t be able to fight Carla (lol
Next time, the threat of the Doppelganger attacks Carla.
The Royal Capital is uneasy.