Volume 6 Chapter 43 Side Wolf II
──Rouza, who was supposed to be better at long-range attacks, was now deliberately staying within Yukina's reach for a clear reason.
To put it simply, it was a lack of power.
In front of Yukina's brute strength, the ice he created easily shattered, and it could even block his own view. To be effective, he needed to charge up his attacks, but Yukina wouldn't just sit back and wait for him to do that.
That's why Rouza was battling in a tight battle, avoiding unnecessary 'Enchant: Freeze' and continuing to charge up to take Yukina down.
"Phew... that was literally nerve-wracking."
He stood up, supported by his azure monk staff, and let out a big breath.
In front of him was a massive sea of ice that nearly filled half the plaza. It was so big that it was almost reaching the audience. Yukina was trapped inside, completely unable to move. The air temperature dropped sharply, causing several spectators to sneeze loudly. Other than that, the noise and excitement were at their peak.
"Anyway, I guess the bet is my win."
Even though he had a chance of winning, this strategy was a gamble for Rouza.
He believed that with his 'reading' and skills, he could dodge Yukina's spear attacks. While that was true, facing him in reality was much harder than he thought.
If he made even one mistake, he would be crushed along with his flesh. The biggest challenge was whether he could keep his usual calm in front of that fear.
Even for Rouza, who had gone through many tense battles, controlling this fear was not easy at all.
However, the one who won the bet was Rouza, and the result was Yukina trapped in ice.
'There should have been other ways to trap him. Was it really necessary to go through all this trouble?'
What was needed was the maximum hardness of the ice. They required the strongest level of hardness that Touga's ability could manifest. To achieve that, Rouza had to put himself in danger.
"I understand what you're saying, but in my opinion, 'this' is the best option."
He gently rejected Touga's advice. Indeed, if it was just about restraining him, there was no need to take such a toll on his body and mind.
Rouza was watching the flow of the battle, turning his eyes toward Yukina's friends.
Even though everyone could see the clear outcome of the fight, not a single one of them showed a pained expression. What they had was unwavering trust.
──Crack...
A dry sound like breaking glass echoed.
Looking closely, a crack appeared in the massive ice sea that was freezing Yukina. Starting from the first crack, it quickly spread.
'──No way, this ice barrier has the strength to seal even a 'Evil Dragon'!?!'
Touga gasped in disbelief at the reality before him.
In contrast, Rouza, the one using the power, didn't show any sign of surprise.
"──As expected of the man who has slain dragons."
"────GAAAHHH!!"
The wielder of the black spear roared fiercely and shattered the ice that had trapped him. The broken ice shards reflected the sunlight as they rained down to the ground.
It was nothing special.
He had forcefully shattered the ice strong enough to seal an Evil Dragon from the inside.
"Ugh! So cold! It's freezing!"
"Besides the hardness, this cold should easily take away the consciousness of a normal person."
Yukina, shivering and sneezing loudly, was met with Rouza's calm demeanor.
And this was all part of Rouza's plan.
"How could you do this to me──achoo! Sniff, sniff..."
Despite sniffling, Yukina raised his spirits and stepped forward with his black spear.
"With the maximum hardness that Touga and I can squeeze out, and being hit by this extreme cold, your movements will slow down. If we had combined our efforts from the start, we could have saved time on the cards."
'Your keen insight, worthy of inheriting Egawa, impresses me. It's foolish of me to even speak up.'
Rouza thought that if he could make Yukina unable to fight in the Great Ice Sea, it would be a good outcome. His true aim was to definitely stop Yukina's movements and buy time to use his real trump card.
Rouza stood quietly, holding the azure monk staff with both hands.
"Now──I'm going to draw it out..."
'Understood.'
Light burst from the 'Stigma' engraved on Rouza's left chest, inside his clothing. Along with that, the 'azure monk staff' also began to shine. In response, the Stigma on Yukina's hand reacted, and he finally understood Rouza's intention. He started to run, but it was already too late.
'You are the king permitted to be idle. Dwell in sloth as you wish, and indulge in laziness as you seek.'
Slowly, Touga began to chant a prayer, and the azure monk staff started to split in the middle.
'O bearer of my will, punish the arrogance that violates the king's idleness. Lead the transgressor who bears enmity into an endless prison.'
From inside the monk's staff, a single-edged sword appeared.
"Freeze──the Ice Prison of Annihilation (Niflheim)."
The moment the clear blue blade was fully drawn, everything around lost its color──and stopped.
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