Chapter 34: Holy Knight vs. Hero ⑥
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☆Skills Granted to the Summoner☆
Those summoned to this world acquire numerous skills.
In particular, the skills granted to the Hero are unparalleled in both power and quantity, far exceeding those given to other professions.
Moreover, every skill bestowed upon the Hero is potent, capable of turning the tide of battle single-handedly, becoming a true joker in the fray.
This is precisely why Earthlings are summoned.
Additionally, the skills granted to the summoner reflect various aspects of their personality, such as character traits, specialties, interests, and thought processes.
For a summoner who loved the stage, skills related to combat as a Hero were accompanied by skills concerning the 《Stage》.
For a summoner fond of singing, skills related to 《Singing》 were granted.
For a summoner interested in swords and blacksmithing, skills related to 《Blacksmithing》 were bestowed.
Ichiro Yamada, a summoner who valued trust in others, cherished family and friends above all, and could not overlook those in need—an exceptionally kind-hearted fool—was granted skills such as 《Guardian Deity》, 《Trust and Confidence》, and 《Skill Defender》 to protect those dear to him.
So, what skills were granted to Prince Ryuguin, summoned as the Hero?
Prince Ryuguin had always believed that it was only natural for others to work for his benefit. He thought that if someone achieved something without his intervention, the credit belonged to him. Others should willingly offer everything they had. And he cared not for the consequences, regardless of who might perish or how many corpses might pile up; he was utterly indifferent.
With such intense desires hidden deep within, Ryuguin continued his daily life without revealing a hint of them. What kind of skills were bestowed upon him?
The aura manifesting Ryuguin’s skills was a blackness that devoured all colors, akin to tar—an overwhelmingly powerful skill without equal. However, it was suppressed to the brink of annihilation by Yamada’s 《Skill Defender》, which had been maximally enhanced by numerous buffs, the amplification effect of 《Guardian Sword Rifire》, and the 《Amplifier》 inherited from Pulmy.
“Help me! Anyone! I don’t care who! Just make it stop!”
With a pale face, Ryuguin whimpered, yet he was not one to easily give up. He possessed a serpentine tenacity that refused to relent until a bright future was realized. Within him, there was not a shred of thought acknowledging or atoning for his sins. Instead, he harbored a magnificent vision for the future—one where he would marry the princess, usurp the king, take the Saintess as a concubine, eliminate all obstacles, and seize control of both politics and religion.
However, to turn that glory, which was so close at hand, into reality, he needed to survive this dire situation.
Thus, without hesitation, Ryuguin bet on the slim chance of his skills.
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From Ryuguin, a black aura erupted once more.
“I did it! I did it, I did it, I did it! Justice always prevails!”
The power surged stronger than before, and the black aura that I and Rifire had been suppressing began to assert its presence within the space. The rapid increase in Ryuguin’s skill power exponentially raised our burden. Crack! I felt a sharp pain as I bit down hard, my mouth filling with the taste of blood.
“Yamada! God has chosen me after all! Hmm? You look puzzled! That’s fine, I’ll tell you what I did!”
Crack! The 《Amplifier》 on my finger reached its limit and crumbled.
“Skills, you see, are generally bound by cooldowns after being used! But I shattered that common sense!!”
I had no breath to respond.
“I’m so kind to share this with you, so listen closely! My skill is—”
“Shut up.”
Ryuguin sneered at the sweat pouring down my face.
“It seems my cooldown is extremely short! I can use my skills in rapid succession without pause! You should always give things a try!”
The black aura of Ryuguin surged even more, pushing back my light aura.
“I’ve stacked my strongest skills! Is this where you finally meet your end? Well, I can do this because I’m the chosen Hero!!”
It was no longer a situation that could be called a stalemate. I felt a warm trickle beneath my nose.
“Rifire! Just a little more! Hang in there with me!!”
In response to my call, more light emanated from Rifire. It was the combined light of our desperate struggle.
“Uoooooohhhhhh!!”
I had poured my heart and soul into this effort! I had gathered this many allies! I had prepared so much! Yet! Yet! Why—why couldn’t I reach it—
“Are you going to cry, Yamada? Stop it! It makes it seem like I’m bullying the weak!”
Ryuguin mocked me with a laugh.
“But, well, this is just a precaution.”
The moment he said that—three times over—his black aura, further amplified, spread its influence to engulf our light—and then,
Crack! I heard the sound of collapse from my hands.
It was a sound I didn’t want to believe.
☆Holy Sword☆
Its name is 《Guardian Sword Rifire》.
Forged by a young Hero with blacksmithing skills, it was named for its meaning as a sword that protects someone and the term “amplifier.”
Initially granted to the Hero upon summoning, it later came into Yamada’s possession during the boss battle in the 《Mirror Labyrinth》.
For a long time, until it was passed on to his disciple Eris, it continued to lend its power to Yamada as he tackled the challenges of the Newly Constructed Ultimate Labyrinth.
However, until its 《True Name》 was revealed, it could not fully unleash its power and was treated as an incredibly hard blunt weapon that could not be harmed even when struck against materials like orichalcum or adamantite, known as 《Divine Stones》.
Even after leaving Yamada’s hands, it continued to issue warnings to Eris, one of its wielders.
To begin with, it was absurd to think that an inanimate object like a holy sword could possess emotions.
The young Hero who created the sword with his blacksmithing skills had not imbued it with such things.
Yet, within the 《Sealed Labyrinth》, after regaining its 《True Name》, it continued to work to save Eris from peril and restore Mika and Angelica to their senses.
And once again, in accordance with the wishes of its creator, to protect the many people, and above all, for its master, the Holy Knight Yamada, 《Guardian Sword Rifire》 poured forth all its power, risking its very existence.
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I didn’t want to believe it.
But I could not afford to disbelieve.
Before the overwhelming power of Ryuguin’s skills—
Me and Rifire.
Somehow, with all our might, we squeezed out every ounce of strength, without thinking of the past or future, we unleashed all the power we had—and barely managed to endure.
However—
“Here! Come! To! This point!! Damn it!!”
Before I could reach my limit, Rifire reached hers first.
Crack!
It was the sound of collapse.
My partner, Rifire, shattered completely, scattering into countless fragments that danced through the air.