Volume 9 Chapter 50 Gun Vs. Spear Iii
Tarim has fought Yuusuke in the past, enduring countless attacks. And Tarim's magic, 'Myriad Transformations (Konsēbanka),' is like a versatile mud that adapts to any target.
But even with that power, Tarim couldn't reach Yuusuke's 'My True Name.'
So, Kanami's modern knowledge was needed. This 'Black Knight' was created in a place where mere imagination couldn't reach.
Not just Silver, the big difference is the size. To incorporate various gadgets, one person's capacity isn't enough.
As a result, it grew to nearly five meters in size, looking exactly like a giant robot.
"'Now, let's go!'"
Kanami, surrounded by black light, swung her arm sideways.
With a heavy metallic sound, the sword stored in her arm unfolded.
"This time it's like playing as a giant. The target's just gotten bigger."
"'Okay, let's give it a shot, desu~wa'"
"Of course."
With those words, Luger's spear flew towards Kanami.
As he said, in battles between magicians, just because someone's body gets bigger doesn't mean they have the advantage. If the opponent can be crushed by mass alone, they would have been defeated long ago by a barrage of magic bullets.
So, the essence of this 'Black Knight' isn't its size.
"'Too slow'"
Just as the spear was about to reach Kanami, the Black Knight was no longer there.
Incredibly quietly and smoothly, it disappeared from the spot, leaving its huge body behind.
"Huh!?"
Sideways.
Right beside Luger, who had just thrust his spear, the Black Knight stood.
"'Drive Mode ―― Mikatia (Storm Sword),'"
With a whoosh, the blade sucked in the surrounding air and ignited fiercely inside.
Then it exploded.
Scattering heat and light, the Black Knight slammed countless slashes into Luger. Flashes of heat and light struck him repeatedly.
"It's futile!"
Luger spread his shield, deflecting them all.
"Not even dust remains!"
And he thrust his spear again, this time from a closer range.
But even this counterattack pierced the air in vain.
"What?"
"'Which one are you watching?'"
With a swift motion, the Black Knight swung his sword at Luger's vulnerable back.
Naturally, it was repelled by the shield, but Luger's spear couldn't catch Kanami either.
――Fast.
Luger marvelled as he continuously activated his shield and spear. The larger his body, the more energy it took to move. It would require an incredible amount of magic power to achieve such speed from a standing start.
For Luger, who inherited traditional spells from ancient times and mastered them relentlessly, this was an extraordinary magic.
He didn't know. The advancement of science and technology was the evolution of energy utilization.
Technology that amplified small forces many times over. By repurposing wasted energy and combining it, tools could be used at maximum efficiency.
Therefore, this Black Knight was operated at a much lower cost than Luger imagined.
"'No matter how strong the magic is, it's humans who use it. If you keep switching spells, there will be a lag somewhere.'"
The Black Knight accelerated further, attacking from all sides.
Each strike had the power to pulverize a human body into dust upon impact. Luger had no choice but to defend himself. And unless he counterattacked, he would continue to endure attacks endlessly until the moment he made a mistake.
"Ridiculous."
Luger thrusts his shield into the ground and releases magic power all at once.
If he cannot avoid the attacks, the shield of magic power continues to expand as if to annihilate all directions.
Everything around Luger turns to dust in a circular pattern around him. True slaughter is the annihilation of everything without room for grief or hatred.
But she saw that coming.
Kanami pushed back the Black Knight with all her strength.
And she figured it out.
"'Up to here is the limit'"
The black knight's toes were covered with a shield, and Luger's magic stopped there.
"'If you had the power to erase this space itself, you would have done so from the beginning. Magic must have its limits.'"
"Hmm... you have surprisingly good insight."
"'I don't know how much magic power you have, but shall we keep going until you crumble?'"
The Black Knight raised its left hand, opposite to its sword.
Its palm opened, and light converged. It was even denser light than the 'Light Spear Bullets' it had shot before.
"'Drive Mode ―― Gilv (Thunder Sword),'"
The pillar of light raced through in a blink, clashed with the shield Luger newly deployed, and vanished.
Until now, he should have either countered with a spear or expanded his shield in all directions. Instead, he switched to a localized shield and adapted.
No matter how outstanding his lineage or how talented a mage he was, there were still limits as an individual.
"'Is it just me, or do you look a bit pale?'"
"Spit it out, invader."
In reality, they couldn't see Luger's complexion under his helmet.
But his voice showed definite exhaustion.
Anyway, she need to push through.
Making that decision, Kanami tried to step forward, but an eerie chill stopped her in her tracks.
'Shayka Eyes' didn't catch anything.
The sense of danger honed over the past year turned into intuition and burned through her mind.
And that judgment was correct.
Luger bent his knee, his head hanging low.
"This disgrace, this disgracefulness. What is a 'Guide' supposed to be? Pathetic. Embrace this shame, yet still stand tall. The vow is eternal. The vow is unchanging. With my name and spear, I will annihilate all enemies of my lord."
An unprecedented surge of magic power emanated from Luger.
Like a tower.
Before the eyes of those who saw it, a pillar of magic power that asserted it would never yield stood tall.
Understanding instantly what was about to happen, Kanami shouted,
"'Tarim! Get ready!'"
'What is this––!?'
Slowly, Luger stood up.
The atmosphere distorted, and the outline of the world twisted.
It was a sign to the manifestation of the soul's essence into the world.
"Spiritual Penetration Art (Shinrei)──Release"
Words and spear poised.
Hundreds of transparent spears appeared around Luger at the same time. Even though they couldn't be seen, the intense magic power conveyed information directly to the brain beyond sight.
They have to escape.
Even though they know that, they can't move.
──After all, where can they escape to?
"'The Indispensable Spear of Justice.'"
The merciless spear of destruction filled Kanami's field of vision.
The earth was manipulated as easily as a child drawing lines in a sandbox.
Valleys were formed, holes were opened, and the distorted ground tilted. The trees that grew there either turned to dust, flowed with the soil, or collapsed like dominoes, easily changing the terrain.
Already seeing it as a kind of completed magic, 'Justice Lance (The Spear of Justice)'. Therefore, the effect of 'Shinrei' is a simple and vicious thing if used to release it recklessly.
While looking at the scene that no longer seemed to be a forest, Luger said.
"To still be alive, I cannot help but marvel at your tenacity."
"...Your aim, is too poor..."
Upon the crumbling earth, the Black Knight still stood.
Much of its armor had been stripped away, exposing its inner structure. Its left arm was halfway gone, and black mud, unable to maintain its solidification, flowed like blood from the wound.
It was because of the Black Knight's mobility that she was able to avoid the 'Indispensable Spear of Justice'.
Yet it was still on the brink of death.
At least, launching another offensive like before seemed impossible.
"You must have exhausted your options by now. Take pride in enduring my spear for even a few seconds, for it shall be your demise."
The spear was poised again. There was no time to rebuild the Black Knight.
"'Keep calm, look carefully and guess.'"
"Being strong is now pathetic."
"'A lady's pride cannot be shattered by a mere spear.'"
The Black Knight, making an unusual sound, opened the leg armor and then used the jet function to fly quickly into the sky.
"If I'm in the air, I can avoid it!"
The Black Knight jumped and Luger unleashed 'Shinrei' aiming at it.
There were even more swarms of spears than in the previous attack.
Facing a wall that wouldn't let even a single insect escape, Kanami created a shield from the Black Knight's armor and prepared herself.
The shield, thick and layered, tried to protect Kanami, but it doesn't matter as the spears swallowed everything.
When they approached, Kanami smiled faintly.
"Well done."
Far below her eyes, a single arrow stood at Luger's feet.
It pierced the perfect spot with perfect timing, threading through his consciousness.
Luger only noticed its existence when the arrow fulfilled its purpose.
"'Shinrei'――release."
He muttered to himself in a place unknown to anyone.
From the beginning of the battle with Luger until this moment, he had not just been sitting.
In this moment of aiming at the prey, he concentrated single-mindedly and waited.
"'Hunter's Canopy'"
Like opening a zipper from the arrow's starting point, shadows spread out at Luger's feet.
If this had been a direct attack with arrows, Luger would have reacted immediately, deflecting the arrows.
But the arrows didn't affect Luger; they targeted the ground beneath him.
As Luger unleashed 'Shinrei' towards the sky, he hesitated whether to attack the shadows at his feet or the arrows.
And that moment of hesitation could mean life or death.
"Take this––‼"
Just in time, he aimed 'The Spear of Justice' at the ground, but it failed to hit.
Of course, it would fail. What was there was just a shadow, not something tangible.
The magic of Nest Anguise is the 'Faceless Hunter', a technique of a hunter who can freely move through the shadows.
And that 'Shinrei' sends the target into the world of shadows.
The technique of forever losing sight of the prey is not something a normal hunter would use.
Normally, to reach this level, Nest would have needed years of training and combat experience.
The only reason he could unleash 'Shinrei' was because the 'Tenken (Heaven's Sword)' stabbed by Saint had unlocked his talent.
Nest desired the power to defeat enemies more than his pride as a hunter.
"Sink into eternity."
Just before hitting Kanami, the spear disappeared, and Luger sank into the shadows.
Then the dark mouth completely turned back into an arrow, leaving behind a clean ground as if Luger had been standing there.
* * *
"It's over, isn't it?"
Kanami, landing on the ground, slowly exhaled within the Black Knight.
In fact, one of the options when facing Luger was to use Nest's 'Shinrei' from the beginning.
Luger unquestionably rejected anything he perceived as an attack.
In other words, it's best if the attack is not recognized.
Yes, for example, in this case, when you trap someone in another space, magic does not affect the Luger itself.
Kanami stepped forward to fight before in order to not have her consciousness distracted by the Nest.
"...Nest-sama, that was a splendid performance."
'Please, stop. Without your help, it would have been impossible.'
Through the communication device, the Nest's response was heard.
"It is not humility. Among the great heroes, there are very few magicians who can reach 'Shinrei'. You are now reaching for the 'seat'."
'I was able to use this technique thanks to Mevia-sama and Bertina. The name is too heavy for just a hunter.'
"I don't deny a way of life that doesn't cling to status, but that shot was undoubtedly the result of your own power."
He prepared and executed 'Shinrei' for the first time in combat without the enemy realizing, striking at the perfect moment.
Luger was not careless in his vigilance. In fact, his response to the attack was tremendous.
Because of that lapse in his awareness, Nest's skill is first-rate.
Phew, Kanami exhaled once more and looked into the depths of the forest.
"Nest-sama, there is a door further in. Shall we proceed?"
'Honestly, it's tough to stand, but I'll be able to move in a little while.'
"I see. Then I will go ahead and secure the path."
While Nest think it's unnecessary to use honorific language, considering Kanami's position as a member of the royal family, it's difficult to say such things.
Although she didn't reveal her status, even a naive person like Nest could tell that Kanami was not a commoner at first glance.
She has never felt resentful about being of royal status.
But because of that position, it's lonely to feel that there is a certain distance drawn.
Come to think of it, she hardly felt that way in the past six months.
(If I go back, it won't be the same, will it?)
Moving forward through the door meant the end of the battle, the end of this life, and parting with Yuusuke.
Even so, she thought it was okay.
If she could be useful to him as a warrior, that was her wish.
'I wonder if I could've stayed by Yuusuke-san's side...'
Until she saw Lisha's tears on that rainy Christmas.
That was the past her.
Or maybe the her who stopped facing things directly now.
"I'm being sentimental, huh?"
Muttering so, the Black Knight began to walk slowly.
Even if what lies ahead is parting with important people, she will move forward by her own will.
That was the pride of the girl named Kanami Ländtor Sith Fador.
"Lisha, Yuusuke-sama, I'm going now――"
The door is captured by 'Shayka Eyes'. There are no enemy shadows on the way there.
All that's left is to walk and open the door.
(Open, just open)
Her thoughts got interrupted by noise.
What did Luger say? She remember now.
'That door plays the role of a lock for us. If you can defeat me, the door will open. But that's impossible.'
"That's just... ridiculous."
The door is still closed.
That basically means...
Boom! Something soared up into the sky in front of Kanami.
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