Volume 12 Chapter 17 The Roar Of The Powerless
As we exchange banter, we sharpen our blades.
"You're really good with that sword, Master. Can I borrow it?"
"Ah, go ahead and use it to your heart's content. ――Let's have a fun fight with the same weapon!"
We swing our swords simultaneously, Fenrir and I.
"CLANKKK!" The metallic sound echoes loudly. The Durendal in my hand clashes with the Durendal in Fenrir's mouth, producing a ringing sound.
I love this. If our powers weren't evenly matched, this sound wouldn't be born. The sound of clashing blades. The sound of rivaling strength. This sound tells me that a thrilling battle is about to begin.
"Let's go, Fenrir!"
"I'm ready, Master!"
I use gravity magic to jump high into the air and unleash a powerful flash attack.
Of course, I know that attack alone won't be enough. Fenrir's body is extremely resilient. Sheer power won't be enough to defeat it.
However, it doesn't have conceptual defense. In other words, an attack imbued with conceptual power can be said to be completely defenseless against it.
The rest is simple. If I'm the hero, then it's Muramasa. And for monsters――
"Durandal, Excalibur!"
Durandal absorbs the power of the holy sword. The god-devouring wolf's body is easily slashed open.
"GAaaaah!?"
Fenrir lets out a scream, a more genuine and intense one than before. Blood starts gushing out of his body for the first time. I burst into laughter at the sight.
"Hahaha! Just as I thought! You should work on your conceptual strength, Fenrir!"
"W-what's with conceptual strength?! You're talking nonsense!"
I don't stop my attack. I'll crush it all in one go from here.
But, even if I try to counterattack, Fenrir skillfully uses the stolen Durandal to deflect my attacks.
"Wow, you're pretty good, Fenrir! You've got some sword skills too!"
"This is ridiculous! I'm going to die! Why do I have to be on the defensive all the time! You're absolutely crazy, Master!"
"I've been through a lot of tough battles, so my experience is different!"
Around Fenrir, I freely fly through the air, controlling Durandal's extension and unleashing unpredictable sword attacks.
So, even Fenrir, who's fighting for his life, is being pushed to the limit. It's ridiculous that giants like Surtr can target us, who are as small as beans, with ease.
With just a slight movement, he can easily crush me, who is human-sized. On the other hand, if I can attack him freely while flying around, the tables will turn and he'll be at a huge disadvantage.
That's why I'm focused on not letting my attacks falter.
If I even take a slight break, I'll be easily crushed by their counterattack. Dying and being crushed are different, but the war situation will greatly favor Fenrir.
In other words, if I don't win now, I'm in trouble.
"Bring it on, I'm not done yet!"
I think it's exhilarating. Right now, I'm at an advantage in this intense battle, and it's truly thrilling.
If I create even a small opening, I'll lose. If I give my opponents a chance, I'll lose. That's why I have to win at all costs, without any room for complacency.
"Agh, ugh, damn it, damn it!"
Fenrir growls, covered in blood.
"What the heck is this?! I've become stronger, I've gotten stronger... I won't be trampled, I'll show you my strength...!"
How many times have I clashed with him, yet Fenrir's pure white fur is stained with blood as it continues to resist, brandishing Durandal.
As I think about it, I recall Fenrir's words, the emotions that seep out from them. Regret. Remorse.
Fenrir leaps.
He uses his entire body like a spring to jump high, breaking through the situation. My swift attack misses its mark, while Fenrir, from high above, twists his body to strike me with his sword.
I thought to myself.
I managed to dodge his attack, which was within my expectations, and...
"Object Point Shift!"
Even an airborne enemy, no matter how powerful, will struggle against gravity magic. If he were standing on the ground, I'd have to deal with his footwork, but at this height...
"Whoa!"
My prediction of Fenrir's fall was off, and his attack barely misses me. I grin at Fenrir from the ground and say...
"I'll send you flying!"
I swing my arm downward, and Fenrir crashes to the ground in sync.
"Gah! This is...!"
The shockwave from his massive body destroys the buildings in Bazaar. However, Fenrir is a mythical beast, and ordinary attacks won't have much effect.
So, I take advantage of the opening created by Fenrir's fall and strike with my sword.
"Excalibur!"
"GAAAHHHH!"
The holy sword infused with monster-slaying power effortlessly slices through Fenrir's body. Fenrir can't respond, his stance forcibly disrupted.
"Ugh, if that's the case..."
"Not yet!"
As Fenrir tries to get back up and regain his composure, I lift him up and toss him around in mid-air.
"Ee, what, ah..."
"There it is!"
I slammed my sword onto the ground, striking with the might of Durandal. Fenrir's body took a direct hit, and I could see the damage piling up.
If I keep pushing, I'll win for sure. Just a little more, and it'll be my victory.
As I alternated between sword and magic attacks, I asked Fenrir:
"Hey, Fenrir! What did you mean by what you said earlier?"
"Gaah, gihi, what do you mean, what's that supposed to mean?!"
"I'm talking about the strength that doesn't get trampled, the strength that can defend itself! You know, that kind of talk!"
I swung my sword while saying that. Fenrir, even after taking a direct hit, still showed no signs of backing down.
"What's the point of being strong, huh? Being strong just means you can't do anything about it! Why do you guys always idolize strength so much?!"
I was driven by an indescribable urge, questioning Fenrir.
Strong. Weak. Lately, I've been having trouble understanding what those words even mean.
When I face a strong enemy, I can grow by overcoming them. But if I do, my opponents who used to be on the same level as me start to fall behind.
That's when they stop being enemies, and we're no longer equals. Fighting them becomes pointless.
So, I've been subconsciously trying to avoid that. That's why I've been able to enjoy battles at my own pace, but...
―――The truth is, the really enjoyable battles are the ones where I need to grow.
I thought that especially during my fight with Surtr.
If I keep going like this, I'll lose. But if I grow stronger, I can win. The moment I realized that, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy, like my abilities were surging upward right then and there.
But, that means that the person I've been equal with until now will no longer be equal.
I...
"Fenrir! What is it that you want to protect?! Is it dignity?! Demons are all crazy, so is that really important?!"
I swing my sword, asking.
"Or is it Rollo?! That guy, even when she was treated like a sl*ve and sold, didn't seem to care at all! Do you want to protect something that pathetic?!"
I swing my sword, using gravity magic to toss Fenrir around, and shout while cornering him.
Fenrir answers, flying around, dodging, growling, and barking like a beast.
"―――Rollo herself said she's fine, so what's the big deal?! If she's okay with it, then even if her family gets trampled, she can just laugh it off, right?!"
Fenrir's words make me feel like I've been punched in the chest.
"Rollo is strong, but weak, and even when she's had her limbs cut off and left n*ked in the cold, she can still laugh!"
But Fenrir gets up, despite his wounded body. I'm shocked by his words and can't use magic to toss him around anymore.
"But, that's ridiculous! I won't forgive that! Even if Rollo forgives, I won't forgive!"
I hold my head in my hands. Memories of when I couldn't protect my friends come flooding back. The Karditsa Great Dungeon, 100th floor underground. The first time I encountered a demon, Eiosnight.
We were done for, at the mercy of that guy. We were on the brink of being killed. We were just one step away from total annihilation. The reason we're still alive now is because we were lucky.
And the reason we were cornered by that guy to that extent was because we were weak back then.
"So, we have no choice but to get stronger."
Fenrir stood up.
"I'm the one who got used to Rollo being kidnapped, and I must atone for that sin. I'll get stronger, win, and give Rollo what she wants."
With big strides, Fenrir took 2 steps forward, and before I knew it, I was within his attack range.
"Domain Control, Fang of Fenrir."
It wasn't until then that I finally came back to my senses.
Domain Control. But I didn't feel like I was being consumed. What's going on? I wondered, and then I understood using my Ajna Chakra.
Inside Fenrir's mouth.
There, a ridiculously small Domain Control was unfolding.
"This is bad."
I knew the nature of Domain Control. While it depends on the individual's strength, the effect's strength and the Domain Control's range tend to be inversely proportional.
Like Chiero, the leader, if it's extremely wide, the effect becomes weak and remains as a faint illusion. On the other hand, like Don Fen, if it's narrow, the precise and unbreakable Gleipnir runs wild.
So, Fenrir's Domain Control, which is even narrower than that, means――――
I'm not in a situation where I can be crushed, and I move to dodge.
Fenrir was building his Domain Control in my mouth, his massive jaws wide open, ready to devour me. I tried to use magic, channeling it through my Anahata Chakra, to escape from that spot.
But in that instant, something grabbed my hand.
I turned around. It was the cord. Gleipnir.
My evasion was too slow.
"I win, Master."
Fenrir's gigantic jaws were right in front of me, easily capable of swallowing me whole.
I struggled with all my might against it.
Gleipnir wouldn't break. So I'd just have to move in the direction it was pulling me. I changed direction and sprinted towards the source of the cord.
It was a close call. I barely managed to escape Fenrir's jaws and then――
My arm was bitten off.
"Kuh..."
I didn't scream. I just thought I was done for.
Blood spurted out of my arm. Normally, I'd activate my Anahata Chakra to fix it.
But my Anahata Chakra wouldn't activate. It wasn't working. None of my other abilities were working either.
It reminds me of that of Muramasa.
"So, that's... Fenrir's Domain Control negates the fate of those it bites, doesn't it?"
"Yes, Master. Truly strong people are carrying incredible destinies on their backs. So if that fate is nullified, they're just ordinary strong people."
"Haha... I see..."
I nodded in understanding, leaning against the nearby wall.
This time, I was done in by the god-slaying fangs, not the hero-slaying sword. "What an honor, or something..." I muttered to myself, glaring at Fenrir.
Blood was gushing out of my arm, showing no signs of stopping. It dripped down to the ground, forming a puddle of blood, and I felt myself getting lightheaded.
Fate. It was different from what I felt with Muramasa before. Back then, I had a feeling that something was being taken away from me. Now, I just felt... empty. I had something, but it was lost.
Fenrir was staring down at me, then said in a flat tone:
"Rollo told me something. If I'm going to kill someone, it should be my master. If I'm going to kill someone in front of my master, I should just defeat them, not kill them."
"Huh?"
"That's why I can use this to kill my master and then kill everyone else. Once you become a demon, there will be no hard feelings. Well, see you later then."
Fenrir opened his massive jaws, ready to kill me. I felt my strength drain away, and I couldn't resist anymore.
It's over, I thought.
But just as I thought it was over, something unexpected happened. I, who had been trying to surpass Fenrir's strength, was about to lose to it. It was a simple story to understand.
So...
When I heard a voice behind me, I was shocked.
"No way, Renril-kun. Ah, no... it's better to call you Fenrir-kun now, right?"
"...Who are you?"
Fenrir looked up, gazing at someone behind me. I was still on the verge of death, leaning against the wall, when I saw the person.
It was Ice. Ice was staring at Fenrir with an expression colder than anything I'd ever seen.
"Ice-sama? Are you here to save master? But there's no way you can defeat me here, right?"
"...I don't plan on talking for long, okay. First, I need to help Wade-kun, so..."
"So, to help the master, you need to defeat me, right? What are you saying?"
"No, it's not necessary, okay. Because――"
In Ice's hand, something made of ice took shape. I fixed my gaze on it.
It looked like an hourglass. An hourglass made of ice. No, it was more like an hourglass with ice inside, a frozen hourglass.
"What? Are you kidding me? Ice-sama, you..."
Fenrir's eyes widened in shock.
Ice didn't hesitate. Clutching the hourglass with a firm grip, cracks appeared, and then...
"Domain Control 'Helheim'."
The hourglass shattered into pieces.
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