The Dungeon Battle Concludes
“Camille-sama!”
Camille, stabbed in the stomach by someone, collapsed while spitting blood, and Izel’s scream echoed through the dungeon. Jesha and Kadri readied their weapons, and Dowhill and the others, who were further away, also braced themselves against the unusual Killing Intent.
“Aisha!!”
My master, who had fallen to her knees after being hit by a poison needle, cried out upon seeing the person behind Camille.
Aisha? I could understand that she too had been called by the spirits due to the strength of her “wish,” but her current state was abnormal. Her eyes were bloodshot red, and she growled as if deranged, her gaze filled with hatred directed at my master and me, who was beside her.
That strange Magical Element enveloping Aisha’s entire body… My master also noticed it and let out a groan-like sound.
“You, don’t tell me…”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
Aisha, who suddenly screamed, raised her broken sword again towards the fallen Camille, as if enduring something.
“!”
Gakiiin!!
I, who had been bracing myself, leaped out, and the blade of my boot, thrust out at full speed, clashed with the broken sword, sending sparks flying.
“You aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
“!?”
Despite me receiving the blow in an awkward stance, mid-swing, Aisha sent me flying with the strength of just one arm.
While being sent flying, I changed my posture by kicking the air and swung down my Rope Weight Type Pendulum, but Aisha caught it with one arm and swung her broken sword again.
Giiin!!
“!”
I also instinctively blocked with my dagger, but I was blown away again by its power, which was different from before.
However, I managed to pull Aisha away from Camille. When I glanced at Kadri, he instantly understood and moved to retrieve Camille.
Aisha’s arm, which had been crushed by the weight, regenerated in an instant. Not only that, but countless poison needles, like the ones I’d received before, were shot from around Aisha’s waist.
“Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
Nero, who jumped between Aisha and me, deflected the needles with his Slashing and Piercing Resistance, and his tentacles, lashing out sharply like a whip, forced Aisha, who blocked with her sword, to retreat.
Why was she using needles? I didn’t recall Aisha ever using needles in a fight; the one who used needles was that old man—Elgrim.
“Human girl!! That one is using Sorcery!”
Charleschan-sorcerer’s voice echoed from behind. So that Color of Magical Element was indeed that. But how did Aisha, who wasn’t a sorcerer, use Sorcery? It looked like the enhancement-type Sorcery the Youma Clan used, but was it prepared in her body from the start?
I wondered if Elgrim had done it, but that guess was denied by Aisha herself.
Behind Aisha’s waist… around the area where the poison needles had just been shot, a familiar “head” was swaying.
“Elgrim…”
The severed head Aisha was holding belonged to Elgrim, who had been out of sight.
Was Elgrim killed by Aisha? But why did she kill Elgrim?
Considering everything up to now, it didn’t seem like Aisha and the Magus Clan were hostile towards each other, even in the killing game called the Ceremony of Selection.
However, with Elgrim’s head, Aisha’s condition, and the involvement of Sorcery, the lessons I received from my master and That Woman’s “knowledge” mixed together, leading me to a single hypothesis.
“…Gu-Doku, huh?”
Not in the literal sense. Gu-Doku is a Sorcery where multiple beasts or insects are confined in one place and forced to cannibalize each other, concentrating their hatred and grudges into the final survivor.
I couldn’t imagine how it came to this, but perhaps something similar was happening because Aisha had absorbed Elgrim, whom she had killed, through Sorcery.
“…Kuh.”
Even without seeing the color, had my master sensed it? She muttered with a groan and tried to stand, but having likely been poisoned by Elgrim, she was in no condition to fight.
Jesha stood in front to protect my master and the retrieved Camille, while Charleschan and Dowhill also readied their weapons, on guard.
I see… Judging from my master’s attitude, Aisha must be the younger sister she said she left behind in the Evil Race Nation. If so, what I have to do is clear.
“Master… please take care of Camille.”
“Aria!”
With my master’s voice at my back, I headed towards Aisha.
“Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
Nero was holding back Aisha, who was trying to come towards us, as if to keep her in check. No, even Nero could only manage to hold her back.
【Aisha】【Race: Dark Elf ♀】【Rank 5】
【MP: –/290】【HP: –/330】
【Total Combat Power: — (Sorcery Enhanced: 3364)】
【Status: Cursed】
“Switch, Nero.”
Gakiiin!
I intervened in their fight, blocking Aisha’s broken sword with my knife.
Nero, though seemingly dissatisfied, yielded his prey to me. And Aisha, upon noticing me, immediately changed her target to me.
“Pink Hair womanaaah!!”
She swung a slash that whistled through the air, and as I narrowly dodged it while scattering several Shadow Snatches, Aisha, seeing an opening, lunged at me.
There was nearly a twofold difference in combat power between Aisha and me. Her power, fueled by sacrificing her life force, wouldn’t be matched even if I used Iron Rose.
But—
Gan!!
“Ugha!?”
I immediately released a Rope Weight Type Pendulum from a Shadow Snatch, kicked out as if to entangle the thread with my foot, and slammed the weight into the side of Aisha’s head.
If I can’t match her in strength, there’s no point in fighting strength with strength. That’s why I’ll fight back with skill and spirit, putting everything I have into it.
We created distance as if repelling each other and readied our weapons again. Even though she had lost her sanity, Aisha seemed to sense something from me; she let out a beast-like growl, wary, and glared at me with bloodshot eyes.
I have no intention of backing down. Even if my master and Aisha are sisters, precisely because of that, I couldn’t let my master fight anymore.
“Let’s settle this… Aisha.”
Dan!!
Simultaneously, we kicked off the stone floor like arrows, passed each other, and our blades crossed, shallowly slashing each other’s shoulders.
Aisha’s sword is broken, so I can barely fight. Still, being inferior in all stats, a momentary lapse would be fatal for me.
Before the fresh blood splattering from my shoulder hit the ground, I spun around and attacked again. I dodged Aisha’s claw attack, now that she had no shield, by leaning back, and my Slashing Type Pendulum, its trajectory changed by kicking the thread, slashed Aisha’s side.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Still, Aisha paid no mind and swung her broken sword. The tip of her swinging sword, her swinging claws, cut my cheek, tore my shoulder, and carved a deep gash into my gauntlet.
At this rate, I’ll be overwhelmed. I suppressed my wavering spirit deep within my heart, removed unnecessary elemental Magical Element from my entire body, and increased the purity of my magical power.
“—Shadow—”
I created a Phantom Image as if expelling the saved Magical Element. However, I didn’t have the leeway to project a proper image, and a mere black shadow wouldn’t even serve as a distraction, but I deliberately made the Shadow follow only my movements without manipulating it.
“Nuuuaaah!!”
The Phantom Image following me blurred my figure, causing the broken sword to miss its mark and cut through the air.
My master has an original magic where she cloaks herself in existing magic. Normally, it’s a magic that boosts close-quarters defense and attack power by cloaking oneself in offensive magic, but since I don’t have offensive magic, I couldn’t use it.
The tactic I just used was something I devised to use that magic in my own way, and its advantage is that it’s more effective against experts who rely on sensing presence.
The purified Magical Element enhances my physical abilities. Using not only my arms but also my legs, I manipulate four Pendulums, dodging attacks while counterattacking.
With such a difference in combat power, if Aisha were sane, I wouldn’t have been able to handle her attacks. Finally, the whirling Slashing Type and Rope Weight Type Pendulums grazed Aisha, and as she was momentarily distracted by them, a whirling Scythe Blade Type Pendulum swung at her from behind.
Gakiiin!!
“!?”
The swung-down blade was stopped by Elgrim’s head, floating in mid-air.
Why is it moving? As I jumped back warily, Elgrim’s severed head, floating in the air, made a sound as if chattering its teeth.
—Kill—Kill—
Using that voice as an activation word, a Fireball was launched from Elgrim’s severed head.
“—Magic Shield (Shield)—!”
It can use magic on its own!? I leaped sideways, deploying a [Magic Shield (Shield)] to block its power.
“Aria!”
Master Serejyura’s and Jesha’s voices echoed. I rolled to extinguish the lingering flames, then distanced myself and took a stance. But the follow-up attack I expected never came. When I focused my eyes, Elgrim’s head was still muttering something.
–Kill–kill–for the sake of the Evil Race–Aisha–Serejyura–forgive me–…
“…”
“Elgrim…”
Master Serejyura’s hoarse voice reached me. I had thought Aisha killed Elgrim out of resentment towards me. But… that’s probably not it.
Most likely, Elgrim, on the verge of death, used his own life to place a curse on Aisha. It was a terrifying obsession, but his voice carried more sorrow than hatred.
The “master of her own” that Master Serejyura spoke of must have been Elgrim.
Elgrim, in his own way, prioritized the Evil Race. Even if it meant being resented by Master Serejyura, whom he had raised, and Aisha…
“Stay back.”
I stopped Jesha, Dowhill, and the others who were trying to approach and assist.
“I’ll stop her.”
As I leaped forward, Aisha, who had stopped moving, started again.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
Aisha and Elgrim’s head screamed simultaneously, and Elgrim shot poison needles from his mouth. I spread the shawl Master Serejyura had knitted for me to catch the needles, while my Rope Weight Type Pendulum ensnared the Black Dagger I had tossed into the air. I then slammed both weights into Aisha.
Bakiin!!
With that one blow, Aisha’s sword, pushed to its limit, snapped at the hilt. Elgrim’s head intercepted the General-Purpose Type Pendulum I immediately launched, and Aisha, having lost her sword, leaped back and picked up something that had fallen.
“–[Release]–!”
What Aisha grabbed was Camille’s Demon Sword that he had dropped.
I didn’t know if Aisha had enough of a [Dagger Technique] Skill to handle the two Demon Swords, which were daggers. But those Demon Swords had an ability that could compensate for that.
Even if she had lost her sanity, her warrior instincts made Aisha use them.
“–[Dancing Reaper]–!”
Aisha and Elgrim raised their voices, and the Dagger Technique Level 5 Battle Art, [Dancing Reaper], activated.
A furious eight-hit combo unleashed from left and right. Aisha, in her current state, should have enough power to pulverize me in an instant.
I pulled back my Black Dagger and readied it in both hands along with my Black Knife.
I’ve seen it many times. I’ve even taken it head-on. Remember those movements. The trajectory of the blade. Focus your eyes, I know this technique!
Remember. The fight with Camille. The fight with Karla.
I will ascend to greater heights here. If I can’t, I’ll just die. But I–
“Will live!!”
“–[Dancing Reaper]–!!”
The mana surging from both my arms flowed into the two sister weapons, and I unleashed an eight-hit slash as if they were one from the very beginning.
Kin! Giin!
Blade met blade. I parried slashes more powerful than my own, deflected multiple slashes with a single swing, and the sound of my accelerated slashes merged into one–
Kiiiiin!!
A single strike from my Black Knife vertically bisected Elgrim’s head, along with his lingering resentment.
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”
The overlapping death cries of two beings echoed as Elgrim’s head vanished, and Aisha’s body collapsed as if blown away. But–
“…Guh…”
Aisha was still alive. More than the damage from [Dancing Reaper], her body was likely in tatters from the Sorcery she had been subjected to.
The Magical Element of the Sorcery had already vanished from Aisha’s body. As the light of reason gradually returned to her groaning eyes, she looked at me as if seeing something unbelievable.
“…You… intend to show me… mercy…?”
As if remembering everything she had done, Aisha’s eyes, like someone from whom a possessing spirit had fallen, wavered as if enduring something.
“Don’t misunderstand.”
While exuding Killing Intent and Intimidation, I sheathed my dagger and knife, wrapped the fallen shawl around myself, and turned my back to her.
“If you die, Master Serejyura will be sad. …That’s all.”
[Aria (Alicia)] [Race: Human ♀] [Rank 5] 1Up
[Mana Value: 69/350] 10Up [Stamina Value: 97/280] 10Up
[Strength: 11 (16)] 1Up [Durability: 10 (15)] [Agility: 18 (27)] 1Up [Dexterity: 9]
[Dagger Technique Lv.5] 1Up [Martial Arts Lv.5] [Throwing Lv.4]
[Archery Lv.2] [Defense Lv.4] [Thread Manipulation Lv.5] 1Up
[Light Magic Lv.4] [Dark Magic Lv.4] [Non-Attribute Magic Lv.5]
[Utility Magic x6] [Mana Control Lv.5] [Intimidation Lv.5]
[Stealth Lv.4] [Night Vision Lv.2] [Detection Lv.5] 1Up
[Poison Resistance Lv.3] [Abnormal Status Resistance Lv.4] 1Up
[Simple Appraisal]
[Total Combat Power: 2110 (During Physical Enhancement: 2709)] 544Up
The Ceremony of Selection is over, and Aria has finally reached Rank 5.
…It took a long time. I had Camille hold the Demon Sword for this, but I didn’t expect it to take this long.
But this doesn’t mean the Evil Race arc is over.
The final enemy awaits before they can return.
What will happen to Serejyura and Aisha? The continuation next week!
P.S. Actually, due to work on the book publication, I switched to weekly updates last year, but with work on the second volume and the comic adaptation, weekly updates will continue for a while longer. Please understand.