Chapter 14: You (vs. Sealed Labyrinth Fourth Layer Guardian β)
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☆Holy Sword☆
A sword created by a boy who was summoned from the past, specifically a craftsman (or rather, a creator). This sacred sword only demonstrates its true power in the hands of a suitable wielder. In the past, during the boss battle in the Mirror Labyrinth, it was treated as a blunt weapon, primarily due to the lack of skill of Yamada the Holy Knight at that time and the excessively hard body of the Crystal Humanoid. However, had Yamada been the same as he was when he later cleaved the Crystal Humanoid in the Sealed Labyrinth, it is believed he could have achieved the same feat with the Holy Sword.
Furthermore, knowing the True Name is a key to unlocking the sword’s abilities and greatly enhancing its power.
The True Name, given by the creator craftsman boy, is Guardian Sword Rifire, derived from “a sword that protects a loved one” and “amplifier.”
Many aspects remain unclear.
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Is this a dream or reality?
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In that moment, along with a warm sensation enveloping me, Saintess Mika’s thoughts became clearer. Something was amiss. Ever since arriving in this remote area, I had begun to reflect on things I had previously never considered.
This feeling intensified after reuniting with him in the Sealed Labyrinth.
Eris had repeatedly claimed that the Holy Sword had shone brightly. Mika and Angelica could not perceive the brilliance of the Holy Sword as she described. I understood that Eris, troubled by the mistakes she had made and the apologies she had to give in front of many, was seeing something that should not have been visible to her. As a member of the Hero Party, I had comforted her.
But now, I understand. Eris’s assertions were indeed correct.
Living a life where I simply followed the words of a trustworthy Hero without a care, smiling all the while, was blissful. The Hero’s words dulled my thoughts and melted my heart with their sweetness. Being by his side, receiving his smiles, and listening to his words was the ultimate happiness.
Yet, that was───
In truth───
Since I began exploring the Sealed Labyrinth, I had felt that warm sensation from the Holy Sword multiple times, reminiscent of something I had felt before. Even during my brief nap earlier, I sensed it again. Each time, though I couldn’t see the light, I felt something trying to pull me back, and with each encounter, my thoughts became clearer. It was only after Yamada the Holy Knight───
“Annihilate them!!”
Angelica’s powerful voice echoed, pulling Mika’s consciousness back.
Seven water spears───not just any water spears, but ones tightly compressed, with their tips spiraled like drills───obeyed Angelica’s command, rapidly rotating towards the six blades.
Even if the Treasure Sword accelerated, it wouldn’t maintain that state indefinitely. One second? Two seconds? It wouldn’t exceed three seconds at best. There must also be a recast time before the next acceleration.
“Just accelerate and escape! If you can!!”
Following Reflector and Fire Rain, Angelica unleashed the ultimate technique, Five S, in rapid succession without letting up, continuing her incantation.
The blades darted around, flashing once more. In an instant, the distance to the water spears widened, but───that didn’t matter.
───Drrrrrrrrrrrr!!
One of the water spears, making a sound akin to a rock drill, continued its relentless pursuit and finally made contact with one of the six blades───completely piercing through it.
“I did it!!”
Ashley raised his hands high at the sight before him. The momentum did not wane, and another water spear collided with a different blade, shattering it to pieces. Just as Ashley and Mika let out a sigh of relief, thinking things were going well—
However, the remaining four blades of the Treasure Sword went on a rampage. Three of the four tore apart one of their own.
“Something’s wrong───”
Before Angelica could finish her sentence, the Treasure Sword completed its task faster. The Claiomh Solais had gone berserk───that couldn’t be right.
“This is bad!! Mika!! Ashley!! Prepare for the next move!!”
The fragments of the blade, now torn apart, flew with a will of their own, aiming to collide with the water spears. Whether by design or coincidence, they all made contact with the water spears almost simultaneously───in that instant, numerous small explosions erupted.
The Claiomh Solais split one of its constituent blades and self-destructed, aiming to annihilate the water spears.
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“Mika!! This is the moment to hold firm!! Ashley!! Get ready for the next move!!”
“Angelica, this is your critical moment too!!”
“I pray my turn doesn’t come───Fools Don’t Watch the Clock!”
The three of them called out to each other, facing their respective roles. The skill Ashley used was the highest-level buff skill existing in this world, Fools Don’t Watch the Clock.
“Ugh… Ashley!!”
For twelve minutes after activation, she would become humanity’s strongest combat force. Her power was immense, capable of facing the Hero Party alone. However, the backlash was tremendous. In this instance, she was also using Quintuple Skill along with Sanctuary Genesis.
She had completely disregarded her own life. Seeing her risk herself to protect others reminded Mika of someone. Who could that be?───There was no time to ponder that question. Following Ashley, Angelica immediately—
“Mille-Feuille!”
While pursuing the water spears, she activated a barrier large enough to split the wasteland in two.
“Fuuuuuuuu───!!!”
Mika, overlapping her own sixteen barriers over Angelica’s, prepared for the next move.
Mika swallowed the blood that had risen to her throat, not wanting the tearful Holy Knight to notice. This was also a matter of pride for Mika. Angelica was unleashing powerful techniques in parallel, and above all, Ashley had reached the life-threatening Quintuple Skill.
She could not afford to fall here and let everything return to nothing.
“Aaaaaaaaaah───!!”
Mika and Angelica, as if in sync, raised their battle cries. The two overlapping barriers formed a massive sphere that enveloped the remaining three blades. As they continued to focus on the barrier, the sphere grew thicker and more robust, rapidly shrinking in size. The three blades, attempting to escape from within, attacked the barrier frantically, but───
“Angelica!!”
Before the resolve of Saintess Mika, their efforts were in vain,
“Ex-Implosion!!”
With Angelica’s final parallel activation, a massive explosion erupted within the barrier.
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“Perhaps the Sealed Labyrinth reads the human heart───especially the fear within it.”
Perhaps due to my moment of relaxation, I suddenly recalled Angelica’s words. If her prediction was accurate… then what was I afraid of?
It was a casual question. The answer seemed simple. Was I afraid of dying?
Yet, it didn’t sit right with me. Because during the exploration of the Labyrinth of Time, death had felt much closer.
So, what was I truly afraid of───
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It was indeed a decisive blow. Perhaps due to the relief that came with it, Angelica dropped to her knees from exhaustion, but she soon gasped in shock.
As the smoke from Ex-Implosion cleared, the three battered blades revealed themselves, still alive.
The monster Claiomh Solais floated helplessly in the air, but eventually, one of its blades fell to the ground and crumbled with a squelch.
Ashley acted swiftly. There was no time to hold back. They could not afford to miss this moment.
“Ashes to Ashes!!”
Ashley swung the Sword of Banishment, unleashing a blinding light. The radiance, with overwhelming power, engulfed the remaining two blades of the Treasure Sword.
However—within that light—
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Saintess Mika found it strange. For some reason, her body moved on its own. She sensed something and, without hesitation, pushed Ashley, who stood at the forefront among the three.
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Why—
Why had she forgotten?
She was terrified—of him getting hurt.
She was afraid—of him dying.
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In the brilliance of “Ashes to Ashes,” a flickering glimmer appeared, and in that instant—Ashley, who had been pushed away, was struck by the accelerated blade that tore through the space he once occupied.
The deadly blade cut through Saintess Mika.
Her life’s flame was on the verge of extinguishing.
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I will promote this for a few days. Please forgive me!
On July 16th, the first volume of the comic adaptation was released.
The manga version includes a color chapter 0 that does not exist in the novel.
Thank you all for your support!