Volume 12 Chapter 28 Snake Hunt
To take Jormungand's head.
What's needed is to make Typhon invisible, then enlarge him without Jormungand noticing, followed by another slash with Durandal, a kick to sever the head, and that's the plan.
And the process needed for that invisibility is―――
"Releasing Clay and Typhon... huh."
We quietly moved and observed Typhon, who was being restrained by Jormungand.
Jormungand had skillfully coiled his massive tail around Typhon, who had already shrunk to about a hundred meters.
Honestly, the scale of everything had become so absurd that we had to watch from a considerable distance just to grasp the situation.
"Everything about that thing is just too huge..."
From his perspective, everything about us must seem tiny. That's probably why, even with our slight attempts to hide, there's no sign that he has noticed us.
But that also means our attacks won't have much effect on him.
...I thought about it for a bit after that. If I could thin out Durandal, extend it like a blade, and cut along Jormungand's neck, maybe I could make his head slide off. If that didn't work, I could momentarily sever Jormungand's neck with Durandal, then expand it to blow the head off.
However, no matter how much I considered it, it just wouldn't work.
Even though Durandal is a tranformable weapon, there's a difference between extending a sword straight over a long distance and covering the cross-section of Jormungand's neck. I could feel Durandal's resistance.
It's likely that the gigantic size it reaches in Typhon's hands is the limit. And even that size is about one-fifth of Jormungand's neck in thickness.
In the end, the task of beheading him has to be left to Typhon.
Confirming that, I called out.
"Alright, let's do this, Mudi."
"Yeah, let's do it, Wade."
We lightly warmed up, then looked up at the towering Typhon.
"Time for a snake hunt."
No sooner had I spoken, we both leaped into the air.
Using gravity magic, I swiftly ascended, while Mudi used some method I didn't quite understand to climb the sky.
"First, we'll release Clay! Mudi, I'm counting on you to create a distraction!"
"Annoying, but I'll do it! Leave it to me!"
Mudi distanced himself. I flew towards the tip of Jormungand's tail, where Clay was trapped, trying to stay as inconspicuous as possible by following along Jormungand's body.
Even though Typhon had shrunk considerably, he was still coiled so tightly around the tip of the tail that, aside from his head, the rest of his body was completely hidden.
Still, that head alone was several dozen meters in size.
I checked on Mudi. He was so far away that I could barely spot him using my Ajna chakra.
It seemed Mudi had arrived above Jormungand's head. He was also watching me, glaring intensely as if waiting for a signal. His demeanor was rough as usual.
I called out to Typhon, who was trapped.
"Hey! Clay! Typhon! Are you okay?!"
In response to my shout, Clay's voice came back.
"I'm fine, Wade-kun! It looks like you're fine too!"
"I brought Mudi back to help you! Are you ready?!"
"Of course! Do it!"
Communication complete. It's ridiculous that, due to Jormungand's sheer size, we have to shout even in a situation like this.
I look up at Jormungand. It seems like he doesn't notice us at all and is glaring at the bazaar.
...Once we move away, it might be almost impossible for him to find us, just like how flies or mosquitoes can be hard for humans to spot when they hide a little.
But, just like humans, if he finds us, he can swat us down. The aim is no different. We know this from experience.
"...Once we make our move, that's when the real fight begins."
Compared to Jormungand, we have only one small advantage. At this moment, from here on, Jormungand's advantage will show itself completely.
Fast, heavy, strong. Normally, we would never win against such a size difference. We have to close that gap with our skills alone.
"I'm getting fired up. Alright, let's start."
I take a deep breath. I need to realize this is my last chance.
Jormungand probably kept Clay restrained because he made a mistake in deciding how to crush me. And that mistake happened right before he was about to awaken.
There won't be another chance. He's likely thinking about how to kill me now that I've attacked again.
If I fail this time, it's over. I finish my deep breath and raise my arm.
"Operation start!"
At my signal, Mudi and Clay spring into action.
"Let's go, big snakeee!"
Mudi is the first to move. He jumps out, shouting loudly, and touches Jormungand's face.
Right after that, a shockwave hits. Jormungand's face shakes violently as if he was hit by an object of the same size, and he falls over.
"Ow! W-What the heck!?"
At the same time as Jormungand's scream, Clay moves precisely.
"Typhon, release!"
"Okay! Call me again soon!"
Typhon's body crumbles away. Clay naturally begins to fall freely through the large gap in his tail.
That's when I spring into action. Jormungand is distracted, having just been hit in the head. In that moment, I cast gravity magic on Clay.
"Object Point Shift!"
I grab Clay's body with gravity magic and pull him down quickly. Then I change the gravity point to myself, and I land among the ruins.
Clay flies in a moment later. I greet him with a high 5.
Clay lands with rocks wrapped around his body. After rolling a bit, the rocks crumble off him.
"Rescue mission a big success, huh, princess?"
"Hahaha! You're really teasing me, Wade-kun. If I had known this would happen, I should have provoked Master Sieg more when we rescued you from the Karditsa campaign."
"Haha! Guess it's mutual then."
We laugh and bump fists. At that moment, Mudi also lands from the sky and joins us.
"Hey, you kids. Looks like you managed to recover safely."
"Glad to see you weren't beaten up either, Mudi."
"Don't underestimate me. Landing a hit and escaping is a piece of cake. So? Wade. Does this mean we've cleared the first stage of the plan?"
"Yeah. Clay, I'm going to talk about the second stage, so listen up."
"Okay, I'm ready."
After confirming that Clay is nodding, I start to explain.
"The basic plan is the same as before. I'll make the enlarged Typhon jump up, and then with Durandal and a kick, I'll take off Jormungand's head. Mudi will be used as a shield."
"Hey, stupid disciple. There are better ways to say that!"
"But will that work on the current Jormungand? I mean, Jormungand that has regained Mung-san's ego."
"It won't. That guy won't miss the chance to crush a Typhon that big. So, Mudi will have to step up even more. I'll need a detailed explanation."
When I tossed the question to Mudi, he made a face that said it was a hassle before he started talking.
"Well, it's an application of the Siddhi from yoga. Clay, there's a way to make you invisible to Jormungand. Typhon is pretty big, but this method uses little magic power."
"What do you mean?"
"In yoga, seeing and being seen are mutual actions. The one who sees needs to have the ability to see, and at the same time, the one who is seen needs to have the ability to be seen. For example, air has no ability to be seen."
So, Mudi continued.
"That's why I will kill Typhon's ability to be seen. Then, Typhon's body will become invisible. That's the logic. Got it?"
"Wow...! I see, I understand."
"Good."
Clay seemed convinced by Mudi's explanation. I spoke to both of them.
"So, you two prepare to become invisible from a distance. And, Mudi, I heard from you beforehand that this invisibility takes time, right?"
"Yeah. It takes about a minute."
"So, I'll buy that time. I might not be able to defeat him, but I should be able to buy some time against Jormungand."
For some reason, Clay started laughing at my explanation.
"Haha! Wade-kun, you're amazing. You don't seem scared at all."
"My foolish disciple has lost his sense of fear."
"Hey, you guys, don't you have a word of encouragement for me, the one who's going to work hard for you?"
When I said this with a sulky face, Clay and Mudi started arguing.
"No way, I just thought Wade-kun is always Wade-kun. I'm counting on you, leader."
"Well, I get that you're ridiculously stupid. But I believe you can really pull this off; with your level of stupidity, you can definitely do it."
"Mudi, I'm going to kill you."
As Mudi and I were about to start a scuffle, Clay hurriedly stopped us.
"Alright, I'll leave that to you."
"Yeah. Just buy me some time."
"See ya, stupid disciple. Don't go too wild."
"I can't promise that, you damn master."
And so, the two of us parted ways. We would probably prepare in separate places.
Now, it's my turn to work.
I focus my mind on Jormungand. Jormungand speaks from far above, with a voice so loud it makes my ears buzz.
"Damn...! Stop moving around so much... Once you hide, it's almost impossible to find you."
As expected, because of the size difference, it seems nearly impossible for Jormungand to find us hiding. I smirk and use gravity magic to jump up.
After a long fall of several seconds, I land. I touch down right above Jormungand. Then I observe for a moment and spot something.
In the distance, at the edge of the slums, Typhon appears. He quickly starts to grow huge.
"I found you, take thisss!"
Jormungand roars. His massive body springs into action, moving at an incredible speed.
I murmured.
"Alright, it's showtime."
I burst out. In front of Jormungand. There, I turned my body, wrapped myself in gravity magic, stretched my sword as far as I could, and swung it down.
"Holy Sword, Excalibur!"
The holy sword smashed into Jormungand's face, the face of the legendary giant snake.
"Ouchhhhhhhhhh!"
Jormungand's face was split open, and he recoiled in pain. I checked the damage, but there was only a little blood. Plus, it healed instantly.
I forced a smile.
"Looks like even the holy sword isn't enough. I guess I should stop thinking I can win all by myself."
I should stick to my role. No problem. That will definitely be fun enough.
After all, my opponent is the World Serpent. A giant monster that destroys the world. I'm fighting against his true power.
"You're no match for me! I'm your opponent, Jormungand!"
"Wade-san! I'm going to crush you and kill everyone, so get ready!"
Jormungand's massive tail came swinging at me. I dodged it with gravity magic while slashing with Durandal.
A flash. Blood sprayed out. I spun in the air. My movements were all under the control of gravity magic.
"Hey! You think you can win with just that kind of attack, you idiot!"
Jormungand remained unhurt. Even with blood, his wounds closed up instantly.
He's an opponent I can never defeat. I have no way to beat him.
Thinking that made me shiver with excitement.
"...That's right. If it's an opponent I can never win against, I can do anything, right?"
I tremble with a rising desire. An opponent I can't defeat. No matter how hard I try, I can't handle this opponent alone.
Then, of course, I have to give it my all. What if I push beyond my limits and still have fun without any problems?
Jormungand's tail comes at me with incredible force. I dodge it while shouting, "Hyahha!" and then I dive back into Jormungand's face.
"You're too soft!"
In response, Jormungand actually lunges at me. If we face off directly, I'll lose because of the difference in power. No matter how much I cut in, it won't matter, and Jormungand's strike knocks me down.
The impact hits me hard.
"Here it is! I won't let you escape from here!"
At that moment, Jormungand comes at me again. The tail moves sharply, preventing me from flying far away with the force.
"Wade-san! It seems that humans like you who come back to life have a limit on how much you can revive, unlike demons! I can't do anything complicated, but I can definitely wipe out pests like you!"
My small body is launched high into the air by the tail that struck from below. Another intense impact. I scatter into the sky as if I were smashed into a building.
"I don't know how many times I have to kill you, but I'll keep going until it's done! Here comes another one!"
"Haha!"
I――
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"
It becomes the most fun I've ever had.
"Alright!"
Right after I revive, I cut into the tail that comes at me again, using that momentum to dive into Jormungand's body. Covered in blood, I slice my way through inside Jormungand.
"Wh-what...!?"
"This is so much fun! Jormungand! You are the best enemy! That's why it's a shame! It's really a shame that I can't defeat you with my own hands!"
So, I strongly grab my right chest.
"At least! At least, please take on my true power, even more than my true power!"
Below that is my grown magic seal. It embraces something that seeps into my skin, responding to my will.
To him, I whisper.
"――So, Newton. The growth of the magic seal that you stopped, I'll allow just one to extend."
Following my words, my magic seal grows. The second to last one, and for me, the first special one resides there.
I point high into the sky and say.
"Great magic."
In the sky.
Just below the huge ceiling that separates the ground from hell.
A powerful presence emerges.
It is a summoning circle. A gigantic, 3-dimensional magic circle that seems to be several hundred meters in diameter.
While chanting the curse, I swing my finger down.
"Summon Meteor."
A massive meteor is unleashed at the center of that magic circle. It falls with tremendous force toward Jormungand's head.
"Wh-what!? W-wait, Wade-san, you..."
"This is a thank-you shot. It's pretty fast, right? There's no way to dodge it, so just take it quietly."
Right after my words, the meteor strikes Jormungand's skull.
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