Chapter 13: I Was Afraid (vs. Sealed Labyrinth Fourth Layer Guardian β)
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☆ Trust and Confidence ☆
A unique skill of Yamada the Holy Knight, a boy from another world.
This skill activates only for party members who share mutual trust and have formed a bond with the skill owner. Its effect significantly accelerates their growth and greatly enhances any buffs applied by the skill owner, regardless of magic or skill.
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☆ Skill Defender ☆
A unique skill of Yamada the Holy Knight, a boy from another world.
It protects himself and his allies from malevolent skills.
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Saintess Mika focused her thoughts on the battle, but for some reason, numerous unnecessary thoughts flickered in her mind.
Perhaps the Sealed Labyrinth can read the hearts of people—especially their fears.
Angelica’s earlier words were one of those thoughts. The more she tried to concentrate on the fight, the more her thoughts scattered, making it impossible to shake off her distractions.
“Over Agony!”
Beside her, Ashley activated her fourth skill. At last, she had reached the state of Quadruple Skill.
—Dead Line
Yet, there was no hesitation in her. Watching Ashley, Saintess Mika felt a strange pain in her chest, a mix of irritation and anguish.
Thinking back, it had been like this from the very beginning. She had never liked Ashley.
But why was that?
They were supposed to be meeting for the first time…
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From the moment I first saw her, I didn’t like her. I couldn’t explain why.
As I witnessed her resolve and determination, an unsettling feeling crept in, making me question if I had done something wrong, something fatal.
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“Mika! Focus! We can’t afford to fail even once!”
“I know! But you should also stay alert, Angel!”
In the previous Blade Labyrinth, their two-layer barrier had been almost completely destroyed. Yet, this time, the responsibility of maintaining the barrier fell solely on Saintess Mika. Angelica had no resources to spare for that task in executing this strategy.
“I have a bad feeling about this…”
Sweat dripped like beads from Ashley’s forehead.
—Boooon, boooon, boooon
The Six Blades, transformed by Claiomh Solais, began to resonate once more.
“Saintess Mika, this is… not good. I can’t use it here.”
The timing for Ashley to unleash her seemingly broken skill was one of the pivotal points of their strategy.
For certain reasons, it was better to use it later in the battle, but that option was discarded by Ashley’s judgment. She knelt on one knee and chanted.
“Sanctuary Genesis!”
Without holding back, she activated her trump card skill. At that very moment, one of the Six Blades finally glimmered.
In the blink of an eye, Saintess Mika’s dome-shaped sixteen-layer barrier—four of its layers shattered with a deafening sound.
“Ashley, your judgment was correct.”
“That’s a relief…”
“Though the situation is still dire.”
Angelica did not interject into the conversation between Saintess Mika and Ashley. She was busy with a complex incantation. Once again, Claiomh Solais shone, this time with two blades.
—Parrrrrrrrriiiiiiiin!!
Despite the immediate re-establishment of Saintess Mika’s barrier after the previous destruction, eight of its layers were obliterated in an instant.
Saintess Mika felt a chill run down her spine. It was a simple matter.
One blade’s single instance of Hyper Acceleration had broken four layers of the barrier. Their barrier had sixteen layers. What would happen if five blades accelerated simultaneously…?
“Ashley! This is the critical moment!”
In response to Saintess Mika’s voice, Holy Knight Ashley’s skill intensified even further.
“I’ll show you what I can do!”
As Ashley’s voice echoed, an even greater surge of Holy Power flowed from Saintess Mika. The barrier quickly regenerated back to sixteen layers, feeling even more robust than before.
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The anxiety she brought forth tightened around my chest like a vice. Gradually, the pain gnawed at my insides, and by the time I realized it, it was already too late. The pain had grown too significant to ignore.
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The six floating blades ceased their gentle hovering and came to a halt, seemingly observing our situation. That was indeed the case. Claiomh Solais was waiting for the right moment to strike. In that instant, all six blades shone simultaneously.
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I am not mistaken.
I have done the right thing.
All I could do was put on a brave face. No, I was a foolish jester who couldn’t even realize I was merely pretending.
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—Paaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiin!!!
A sound echoed that threatened to rupture my eardrums. In an instant, only one layer of the barrier remained. However, the barrier enveloping the three of them immediately restored itself to sixteen layers. Mika fought with all her might against the overwhelming acceleration of the six blades.
Sensing this, the Six Blades of the Treasure Sword—no longer synchronized—began to flicker erratically.
The cost was far too great.
“Saintess Mika!”
Ashley shouted as she saw blood trickling from the corner of Mika’s mouth.
“I’m fine. There’s no need to worry. Just give it your all.”
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The feelings I held toward her were not solely of disdain. For some reason, I felt an inexplicable nostalgia for her, despite it being our first meeting.
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Saintess Mika’s efforts were nothing short of miraculous. The six blades flickered randomly, accelerating in an erratic manner, yet she maintained an unyielding barrier. In the blink of an eye, she added a spell to regenerate the barrier the moment it was destroyed.
Though the barrier was quickly breached by the relentless assault of the six blades, it was immediately repaired, and this cycle continued endlessly. The sound of shattering glass echoed throughout the space.
It was no longer a state that could be called a stalemate. Against the seemingly inexhaustible energy of the Six Blades, which would continue moving until their destruction, stood a human girl, even if she was a saint.
Though Mika was said to possess boundless mana, there were, of course, limits. She repeatedly cast her most robust barriers, regenerating them multiple times per second. Mika’s mana was depleting at an alarming rate, reaching a dangerous threshold that could affect her very life.
Finally, Mika could no longer hold back and spat out a mouthful of blood. A pool of crimson formed at her feet.
“Sage Angelica! Is it ready yet? Saintess Mika is—!”
“Ashley, don’t panic.”
“But there’s so much blood—!”
“I told you I’m fine. Why are you crying…?”
Saintess Mika sighed at Ashley, who was shedding tears out of concern for her.
“Honestly, you’re being so dramatic.”
Even as this conversation unfolded, Saintess Mika’s barrier was repeatedly destroyed and regenerated. With time, the color rapidly drained from Mika’s face.
To Ashley, it felt like an eternity.
Hurry! Saintess Mika! Hurry!
And finally, as if her wish had been granted,
“Fire Rain!!!”
Angelica, having completed her incantation, unleashed it. Countless—so many that not even the fastest acceleration could evade them—superheated flames shot forth from Angelica. The fiery needles ignited upon impact, completely engulfing the area surrounding Claiomh Solais.
The suppression of space—this was one of the strategies the three of them had devised.
However, beyond the flames—flicker, flicker, flicker—light continued to emanate from Claiomh Solais. It was a sign of Hyper Acceleration. In an instant—the flames vanished as if they had never existed.
“I thought so.”
Angelica let out a sigh.
“It’s all just as I predicted.”
She declared with a fearless tone. The jarring resonance of the Treasure Sword had been echoing around us since the earlier incantation, a sound powerful enough to drown out everything else.
───Drrrrrrrrrrr!!
Seven twisted water spears spun rapidly, hovering behind her. They awaited her command, poised to devour their prey at any moment.
“Five S!”
This was one of her trump cards, a powerful technique known as Aqua SSSS, now upgraded to the latest model, Aqua SSSSS, equipped with a tracking function. A mere few seconds of Hyper Acceleration meant nothing before missiles that would pursue their target until annihilation. Obeying her command, the seven missiles shot forth at high speed towards the six-bladed Treasure Sword, heated to an extreme temperature.
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One might call it a cruel twist of fate.
At that very moment, in accordance with the will of the Holy Knight and the Sword Saint girl, the Holy Sword—Guardian Sword Rifire—radiated a dazzling light, breaking the curse that bound Sword Saint Eris.
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I will be promoting for a few days. Please forgive me!
The first volume of the comic adaptation was released on July 16.
The manga version includes a color version of Episode 0, which does not exist in the novel.
Thank you all for your support!