Chapter 83 Don'T You Dare...!!
Revision: I have changed the "Sword God Skill" to "Sword God Technique", and so on.
A question from Fiona.
I thought about it for a while, then opened my mouth.
"Before I answer your question, Fiona, can you tell me what you did in the labyrinth?"
"What do you mean... don't you know?"
I shook my head quietly at Fiona, who looked puzzled.
Fiona mentioned a skill called [God's Body] or something like that.
Of course, it's natural to think that the name I came up with in my head would be different from the actual name.
But it's scary that the names match.
Fiona looked unconvinced, but she began to tell me what happened to her body when she faced the false angel in the labyrinth.
"Well... at that time, a 'Limit Mark' suddenly appeared on my left hand, and I acquired a skill."
She said, showing me her left palm.
There was a pattern on it that was completely different from my 'Basic Limit Mark'.
"The skill I acquired is called [God's Descent], and it's the final skill I can get with the 'Sword Dance Maiden' job."
"Wow, Fiona, that's amazing!!"
Lady Eva, who was listening to our conversation, covered her mouth in surprise.
Even though I had expected it, I couldn't help but hold my breath.
There are many people who reach their growth limit in the middle of a Unique Job, but those who can acquire skills all the way to the end are extremely rare. I'm not talking about the current situation, but even in recorded history, it's a very rare example.
Since I had taught Fiona how to fight, I had researched the 'Sword Dance Maiden' job thoroughly.
It's pointless to teach someone a fighting style that doesn't match their job aptitude.
So, I had researched it pretty thoroughly, but according to the records, there was no one who had fully grown the 'Sword Dance Maiden' job. Therefore, the final skill of 'Sword Dance Maiden' was also unknown.
Fiona continued.
"If I used [God's Descent] suddenly, the name of the God that I can bring down on myself floated in my head... and when I thought I wanted to defeat that parasite, the Sword God was selected... probably."
"What do you mean by 'probably'?"
I asked with a hint of skepticism.
"At that time, my consciousness was already unclear. So, it felt like I was dreaming, and there are many things I don't remember doing."
"...So, the skill name [God's Descent] means that a real God actually descended and controlled your body, right?"
"......Probably."
Gods exist.
There are few who doubt that.
However, those who have actually seen a God or met one are almost nonexistent. Even if they did, they're probably just swindlers or hallucinating.
But Fiona's case is different. After all, it's a phenomenon caused by a skill.
Jobs and skills are said to be created by Gods for humans, and in reality, no one can accurately explain how these systems were created or how they give people Jobs and skills.
It's truly a miracle of the Gods.
And with that miracle, a God descended――it's impossible for anyone to deny it. There's no basis to deny it.
"So, what happened? How much do you remember?"
Let's move the story forward.
What happened to Fiona's body after she activated [God's Descent]? What happened when the "Sword God" descended upon Fiona?
Fiona began to answer slowly, as if organizing her thoughts.
"Well... my memories of the battle with that thing are all fuzzy, like a dream, but I somehow remember the techniques I used. You know, when you learn a skill, the skill's name and how to use it suddenly appear in your head, and once you learn it, you don't forget, right? It's like that."
"...Hmm."
It's like that, she said.
I've only experienced acquiring a skill once, and even that memory is already hazy. It's been a long time, after all.
But anyway, I'll just nod along as if I understand.
What really caught my attention, though, was that Fiona didn't call the technique she used a "skill," but rather a "technique."
"[God's Descent] didn't let you learn a new skill, did it?"
"It's not a skill... I remember the name of the technique, but I don't feel like I can use it, and I barely remember how to use it. I vaguely remember what kind of technique it is, though."
"So, you just temporarily became able to use it... is that it?"
"Probably, yeah."
[God's Descent] is quite a special skill, though.
Well, if we're talking about special skills, all of the unique skills of the 'Sword Dance Maiden' are special, too. Even the [Sword Dance] itself is a pretty special skill, and I can't imitate even one of the 'Sword Dance Maiden's' unique skills.
Those skills aren't just about operating auras, after all.
"So, what kind of techniques did you use during the battle? You mentioned [God's Body] earlier, right?"
"Yeah. Um, the techniques I used were..."
And so, Fiona started recalling and listing the names of the techniques she used during the battle.
Listening to those, I was shocked. It was a huge impact, almost to the point of being stunned.
Fiona's techniques fell into 3 categories.
One was "God Technique――[God's Body]".
Another was various types of "Hero Battle Technique" and sword techniques.
And the third was the "Sword God Technique――[Absolute Death Prison]" I imitated it when defeating the false angel.
Among these, it seemed that [God's Body] was the first technique Fiona used. She didn't remember the details of its effects, but it was definitely the [God's Body] that made her whole body glow in a mysterious way.
But what really shocked me was when Fiona mentioned "Hero Battle Technique" and "Hero Sword Technique"――those technique names.
[Blast Bullet] and [Heavy Blast Blade: Shockwave] and [Flash Strike]... I had techniques I didn't know about, but all the ones she listed are sword techniques I developed myself.
Fiona knowing the names [Blast Bullet] and [Heavy Blast Blade] is fine, since I've explained them to her before. But I've never used [Flash Strike] in front of her, nor have I ever mentioned its name.
[Flash Strike] is a special technique. It's too fast to activate in a normal state, and even if I do manage to activate it, my body can't handle it. That's why I usually don't use [Flash Strike], and the last time I did was during the Stampede.
What's with this weird coincidence... Fiona using [Flash Strike] means that the [God's Body] technique she used during the battle against the False Angel is probably not much different from the technique I used during the Stampede.
The way [God's Body] uses aura, the aftereffects of magical energy depletion, and the release-type magic――it's almost the same as when I fought the False Angel and got hit by its lightning. The only difference is that Fiona can activate [God's Body] in an instant. It takes me a little time to activate it. I might be able to do it faster now than I did during the Stampede, but it's still not as fast as Fiona.
Still, the precautions are probably almost the same.
I looked Fiona straight in the eye and said,
"Fiona, about that [God's Descent] skill... if it requires [God's Body] as a prerequisite, then please don't use it if you can help it."
It doesn't seem like [God's Descent] is equal to [God's Body], but if she activates [God's Descent] in battle, [God's Body] will probably activate too.
"......I don't plan on using it either, if I can help it."
Fiona's expression was hesitant, but she said it firmly. She didn't say she wouldn't use it, but rather that she wouldn't use it if she didn't have to, implying that she would use it if necessary.
"...Well, if you're in danger and there's no other way to get out of it, I won't oppose it."
"......"
Fiona let out a sigh of relief, knowing that she wasn't being flat-out opposed.
But does she really understand? I've been saying that using [God's Descent] when others are in danger is a no-go, including myself.
"......"
I opened my mouth to say something, but then closed it again.
I meant to say that it's only okay to use it when you're in danger yourself, not to help others. But considering Fiona's personality, she'd never agree to that.
It's better to focus on coming up with a plan instead of wasting time arguing about it.
"...Even if you really need to use [God's Descent], try to avoid it when you're alone. If you have to use it when you're alone, make sure to drink a potion before your magical energy runs out and [God's Body] dissipates. Always keep an Expert-level healing potion stocked."
"...Got it."
Fiona probably understands what [God's Body] is capable of. She nodded seriously.
Then, she asked to confirm something.
"Hey, Aaron. When you said to drink a potion before [God's Body] dissipates, you mean like if I get my arm or leg cut off, it'll reattach before [God's Body] dissipates, right?"
"Huh?...Yeah, that's right. If the cut is clean enough, it should reattach. Bone fractures, tendon damage, muscle tears... those can be relatively easily healed before the technique wears off."
"Even if I get cut during [God's Body], my arm won't get cut off, right? I'll be fine...?"
"Don't be ridiculous. It's not like you'll be fine. During [God's Body], even if you get cut, the aura just holds the cut together. If the damage isn't too severe, the function can be maintained, but it's not like the cut didn't happen. If the technique wears off, your arm will fall off. So it's better to avoid attacks as much as possible."
It's a technique that uses aura to forcibly maintain the structure of the human body, even if it's damaged by cuts or other means. At least, that's how I developed the technique I use.
This technique allows you to maintain your human form and functions even when you're using an attack that could destroy your body or when you're taking a hit that could destroy your body. It keeps your ability to fight without faltering until your magical energy runs out.
It also has the added benefits of increasing your resistance to magic attacks and making it easier to heal while it's active. These effects were unexpected, to be honest.
"Hmm... I have another question, though. [God's Body] is a technique that lets you ignore damage and keep fighting, right?"
"Well, it's not just that. It fills your entire body with a high-density aura, so you can deflect weak magic attacks like fire, wind, or lightning. It also increases your physical endurance. So, you can use techniques that you normally can't use... but that's about it."
It does increase your physical endurance, but it doesn't directly increase your physical abilities.
You can use other techniques to temporarily boost your strength and stuff, but that's not the same thing. The damage will just accumulate faster.
――And.
"Huuuuuuuuuu... So?"
Fiona let out a deep, deep sigh and glared at me with an intense stare.
It was like she was on the verge of a major tantrum.
What's going on? Why is she suddenly acting like this?
Fiona's sharp voice cut through the air, making my eyes widen in surprise.
"How do you know all this? You haven't told me the reason yet!"
"......"
It's because I can use a similar technique myself.
I thought about answering normally, but I knew I'd get yelled at. Honestly, would anyone answer truthfully in this situation? No way.
I mean, it's clear that she's going to get angry, but I have no idea why. What's she angry about?
"......I'm exercising my right to remain silent."
"――You can use a similar technique yourself, can't you!!"
"......Yeah, that's right."
I decided to answer honestly since I'd already been found out.
Fiona glared at me even more intensely.
"When did you use it?"
"......During the Stampede."
"SO...THAT'S WHY YOU WERE HURT!!"
"......"
Fiona let out a scream-like cry.
My body has a lot of scars.
If I use potions or healing magic to close my wounds, most of them won't leave any scars. However, some wounds will still leave scars if, for example, I've suffered a huge injury that can't be fully healed with potions, and I've stopped the bleeding but didn't receive further treatment. Or, like Lion's missing eye, the damaged area might be missing a part that can't be healed.
This kind of damage doesn't just mean losing an eye or a limb.
If I've lost a significant amount of flesh or bone in the injured area, even healing magic can't fully restore it, and scars will remain. For instance, regrowing a large chunk of missing flesh without a scar is difficult, even with healing magic.
And more than half of the scars on my body are from the injuries I got during the Stampede.
"Scars on your left arm and right leg..."
"Yeah... that's right..."
I nod in agreement to her murmured words.
Fiona has seen me naked many times, after all.
So, it seems like she was confirming something when she asked, "If I get my arm or leg cut off, it'll reattach before [God's Body] dissipates, right?" a while ago.
The scars are hard to notice at first glance, but if you look closely, you can see that they form a circle around my arm and leg...
Fiona said.
"Don't do something so reckless... ever again!!"
She's crying, tears streaming down her face.
"Yeah... I understand."
"Fiona..."
Lady Eva is gently patting Fiona's back, looking worried.
I don't know what to do, so I just nod.
Fiona is crying, so I couldn't say anything. The truth is, during the Stampede, I didn't drink any potions or anything before my magical energy ran out, before my skills were released.
I was ready to die back then, and in reality, I wasn't in a state to be saved.
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