Volume 7 Chapter 16 Right Arm
With the sudden appearance of 'Oath', I shout, "Brahma = Atman!" and instantly prepare for battle.
At the same time, 'Oath' readies his sword. This is going to be a long fight. Thinking that, I put on my gauntlets, "Durandal", on both arms and use gravity magic to float my greatsword in the air.
―――If I can take him down, the rest will be a piece of cake. Too bad, but I'll go all out from the start.
But that determination ends up being a futile effort.
"This is... You're so impatient, 'Slow'. First, let's pay your respects."
With those words, my body stops listening to me.
"――――!? ."
It's as if my entire body is bound by chains, and I can't move. Why? I think. 'Oath' has already explained it to me. And those words... Then―――
"Indeed, I should pay my respects. I'm Wade, Wade the 'Slow'."
My body starts listening to me again.
Right after, I strongly deflect 'Oath's incoming sword with my greatsword, Durandal. 'Oath' leaps back and readies their stance.
"...Surprising. You broke my first attack. I heard you were a transformation magician, but..."
"You're the kind who would kill on the first encounter, so I've been training every day."
"I see. You're more terrifying than I thought."
―――What 'Oath' did just now was a 'Geas divine punishment' that binds the enemy. He created a rule that says "you must pay respects in this battle" and forced it on me.
So I broke that rule and returned the respect. That's why I can move now. In other words, if I hadn't returned the respect, I would have taken a hit by now.
...Indeed, this is a Rule Maker. A master of Geas. A controller of buffs and debuffs.
'Oath' swings his sword wildly, smiling with a bandaged face.
"This war is going to be fun, isn't it?"
"Haha, you're telling me."
A natural smile spreads across my face. I've figured it out in an instant. 'Oath' is strong. This first exchange is like a small test.
My opponent is quick to react, using light jabs to keep me on my toes. He's skilled.
I'm the one who's been searching for thim.
"Don't interfere, Roman."
I said to Roman, who was about to open his mouth behind my back.
"Just let me handle this on my own for now. If things get dangerous, you can scold me then."
"...You're really like the Commander-in-chief, aren't you? You're always charging in alone, especially... Alright, just be careful not to get hurt."
"I can't promise that."
"Wade-kun, at least..."
I ignore Roman's warnings and tell 'Oath',
"This time, I'll take the initiative."
[Weight Increase][Weight Reduce][Repulsion]. These 3 magic spells are already under my control, amplified by the compressed power of the gods.
I unleash them all at once, closing in on 'Oath'.
My jab is swift, with a small opening, but it packs enough power to be deadly to most enemies. I'm wearing the gauntlet-like Durandal, which enhances my speed.
Few people can keep up with my speed. I quickly close in on 'Oath' and throw a punch.
'Oath' blocks it with his sword.
"Haa!"
"With this speed and power, the rumors about fistfight 'Fist of the Dragon' are true, aren't they?"
The returning blade comes at me, and I quickly pull back my fist, dodging the sword. It looks like a sloppy, wild swing, but it's not just for show.
―――Be cautious. There could be a deadly immortal killer lurking anywhere.
We finish our brief exchange and create some distance between us. It's like we're exchanging light greetings, but we can't see each other's true intentions.
"You're scary, you know, 'Slow'."
'Oath' says.
"You're simply too strong, and it feels like you're hiding something. I've come up with a strategy, but I don't know how much of it is necessary, what's a bluff, or what's your real plan."
"I don't want to hear that from you, 'Oath'. You seem to have a lot more secrets than I do. If your sword is as wild and sloppy as it looks, there's no way you could block my punch."
It's all over. I said, and 'Oath' laughed with a 'phew' sound.
"That's right. You're different from 'Fist of the Dragon' and hard to understand. I had the confidence to kill him, but you're unpredictable. So..."
'Oath' said.
"'I declare. From now on, I'll challenge you to a fight with my bare hands and make it clear that I'll be at a disadvantage. And with that, I'll receive divine assistance as an Oath.'"
―――Geas.
I sensed that 'Oath's' presence had clearly increased. Bare hands. What's he planning to do, and I'm on guard.
"Then, let's go!"
Right after, 'Oath' disappeared. From behind, I heard Ridge's voice saying "Hih!"
"What?! 'Oath'?! Impossible!"
I turned around. There, my friends were standing.
Ridge was standing with her back straight, Windy was desperately trying to pull her hand, and Roman was standing in a defensive position, watching over us.
But 'Oath' was nowhere to be found.
Roman shouted.
"Wade-kun! It's a bluff! 'Oath' is―――!"
I was taken aback and turned around again. By that time, 'Oath' had already closed in.
"If you break the Geas, you'll be punished by God. I don't lie."
I understood. The current Geas itself was the 'bare hands' oath to God.
'Oath's' sudden attack. I considered using my enlarged Durandal to cut down the entire area and start over―――but I rejected that plan due to the potential damage to the city.
Instead, I used gravity magic to grab the nearby luggage and threw it at 'Oath'.
In an instant, 'Oath' dodged my attack and kept coming at me with unchanging speed. At close range. I steeled myself and threw a punch.
But 'Oath' suddenly lowered his stance and dodged my punch. Not with a sword, but with his body.
―――He's going to keep pushing forward no matter what!
I was knocked back and rolled on the ground. I quickly got up, but 'Oath's' momentum didn't stop.
Right next to me, Roman started chanting "Oh God!" But in the midst of this fierce battle, it's likely that the outcome will be decided between me and 'Oath' sooner rather than later.
I thought I'd try to dodge and counterattack, but I felt a sense of discomfort when I realized "Roman is right next to me."
Right behind me. There, Ridge was frozen in fear, unable to move.
Windy shouted "Following Wind!" and threw a knife at Oath while pulling Ridge back, trying to restrain Oath. It was the best solution Windy could come up with to protect Ridge.
But 'Oath' easily countered the knief, and Windy was knocked down. Ridge, who was supposed to be saved by Windy, was left standing there, and 'Oath' closed in on me.
The sword was about to strike. I could dodge it, but if I did, it would hit Ridge.
I made a quick judgment and protected Ridge, taking 'Oath's' counterattack with my right arm.
"'Slow', you're a strong one."
"Yeah, I got beat by strong 'Oath'."
My right arm was sliced off at the root by the slashing blade.
Blood danced in the air, tracing a trajectory. But I had already activated my Anahata Chakra. This level of injury wasn't a big deal.
I was feeling optimistic, but...
"Durandal! Pierce through!"
I had been holding back my greatsword Durandal in mid-air during the battle, and now I used gravity magic to thrust it into the ground where 'Oath' was standing, with tremendous force.
"Whoa."
The moment 'Oath' dodged, the greatsword deeply pierced the ground. The stone pavement cracked, and the surrounding area was enveloped in smoke.
That was my last gravity magic.
I lost my right arm, which had the magic seal engraved on it, and I knew I would lose my magic. Even though my Anahata Chakra was active, it couldn't heal the loss of my right arm.
If I lost the magic seal, I would lose my magic. And if I lost my right arm, which had the magic seal, it would be natural to assume I lost the seal as well.
It was an unpleasant feeling, just like when I first fought Eiosnight and lost my gravity magic.
"'Slow'. I heard you can recover from any serious injury. So, I'll take your hand."
In the smoke, 'Oath's' shadow was fading away.
"I'm rejecting the idea that I can heal from the injuries I got from myself. That's because I had already made a promise to myself, a kind of curse. My body can't heal itself, and neither can yours, even though you were hurt by me. I don't think you'll die from bleeding out like this, but for now, let me at least apologize."
'Oath' let out a gentle laugh.
"Let's have a fun war, 'Slow'. Well, I'll take my leave for today."
The smoke cleared, and 'Oath' was already gone.
"...I got done in. Seriously, he's quite the formidable opponent. He got me all worked up."
I was frustrated that my friends were targeted, but it was an effective hit. I'll get him back for this.
Thinking that, I turned around.
Ridge had turned pale, tracing the outline of my missing arm with both hands. Roman had a somber expression, gazing at me with a mix of sadness and regret. Windy looked utterly hopeless.
"Wade-kun, I'm sorry. The situation got complicated, and I couldn't help you when I should have..."
"Wade-sama, ah, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry... It's all because of me...!"
"I apologize, Wade-sama. If only I had protected the lady, this wouldn't have happened..."
"Uh, what's with the atmosphere?"
I was the only one who didn't fit in. I mean, Ridge was freaking out because of the blood pouring out of my arm. Windy had my internal organs pierced by her knife, but it's okay since it's just a silver stealth weapon.
"Hmm, if I stay like this, I'll bleed out and die. Roman, can you make a fire? That guy's a real pain."
"Yes, I can. But what's...?"
"Just burn the Durandal."
"...Fire."
With just that one word, Roman started a fire, and I pulled out the greatsword, Durandal, from the ground. The Durandal began to glow red-hot.
"Next, Windy. Cover Ridge's eyes."
"Yes..."
"What, what's going on? What's Wade-sama doing?"
"It's a bit too gory, so I don't want to show it to the kids, you know?"
I confirmed that Ridge's eyes were covered by Roman's hand, and I pressed the severed right arm against Durandal.
There was a "sizzle" sound. The wound on the severed arm started to burn. The pain from the burn spread. However, the wound was cauterized, and the bleeding stopped.
Still, this level of pain was something I was used to. I thought while burning my wound.
Gravity magic was gone for now. My right arm was also in a state of loss. Healing with Anahata Chakra was difficult in this situation. But I had Durandal, and my left hand's crystal eye was still intact. The Chakra itself was unharmed.
I nodded and said,
"It's better than when Swallow was sucking my fate away."
Rather, having some limitations made it more enjoyable. It's fine, 'Oath'. Let's enjoy this war, shall we?
I removed the wound from Durandal. The blood no longer flowed from the cauterized severed arm.
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