Volume 8
Chapter 43
Solminati Academy, located in the center of Arcazam. Within it, the largest facility: the Martial Arts Garden. Dozens of people were gathered in its basement.
"Control Circles
3 and 4, preparations complete! Currently connecting Control Circles 5 and
6!"
"Elemental essence Induction Circle and
all connection formulas check complete! No problems!"
"Hey! There's a
mismatch in the deployment of Conversion Circle 8 and Amplification Circle 15!
Fix it, now!"
Researchers in white
coats moved about, looking pressed. The floor of the basement, dug out like a
mortar bowl, was covered in layer upon layer of magic circles, with giant glass
plates stacked on top like a lid. The glass plates also had circles drawn on
them, and countless researchers worked feverishly on each plate and on the
circles at the bottom. An Ultra-Large-Scale Multi-Layered Ritual Magic Circle.
This magic circle, laid out in the basement, symbolized Arcazam's other face.
Beside it, Tima Lime stood, watching the researchers' desperate efforts. She
was standing on an altar built on the rim of the bowl. The altar, inscribed
with a four-colored magic circle, was connected to the massive ritual circle before
her, and was designed to activate and control this abnormally large-scale
magic. She trembled at the tension filling the room and let out a long breath.
"Phew..."
"Are you
alright?"
Jihad, who had been
watching her, spoke from behind. Beside him was Inda, his usual assistant.
"Yes. I'm
fine."
Tima's reply was
quiet, but her words were clear and crisp. Jihad was a little surprised by her
calm response. He had known Tima for a long time, since she was just a child.
He knew her timid nature. Contrary to her hidden power, the girl's heart was
weak. Like wet paper, so fragile it seemed it would tear with the slightest
pressure. But her short reply just now held a hint of a solid core. Jihad's
intuition, honed through countless battles, assured him. She would be fine.
"I'm asking you
to control this magic circle. We will support you, but a circle of this
scale... it will be an immense burden."
"I'm sorry. We
can't even activate this circle on our own..."
"I understand.
What about the evacuation of the citizens?"
"They have
already been cleared from the effective area. You don't need to hold
back."
"Great. Then... I
can use my full power."
Use her full power.
This was not something the girl had ever said before. She had always been
afraid of her own power, and of others.
"...You've
changed."
"Yes... I think
so. I used to hate this power... But now, I'm glad I have it. Because I can
help... help my friends."
Jihad couldn't help
but smile at the girl, who kept her back to him, staring intently at the
massive magic circle. At that moment, a messenger burst into the basement.
"Ultra-large-scale
elemental essence eruption confirmed!
Location is the Administrative District, at the Francilt mansion!"
It's started. Tension
shot through everyone present.
"Preparations!?"
"Just
completed!"
"Tima-kun, are
you ready?"
"Yes!"
"Alright!
Activate the City Isolation Barrier!
All units, to your positions!"
At Jihad's command,
the researchers sprang into action. They evacuated from their work areas,
moving to the rim of the bowl. Inda, who had been with Jihad, also joined them.
They all spread their hands, facing the magic circle. Looking closely, thick
lines were drawn on the rim, all leading straight to the outer wall of the
basement. The researchers lining the rim all raised their magic power at once,
pouring it into the circle.
"Initiating
activation sequence. Sub-Control Circles 1 through 4, activation confirmed."
"Beginning
activation of Sub-Control Circles 5 through 12."
The researchers who
weren't on the rim reported the progress.
"Conduit to
target sector, open. Connection starting."
"Connection
confirmed. City Isolation Barrier,
ready for deployment."
"Beginning!"
The next moment, an
enormous amount of magic power erupted from Tima. Red, blue, yellow, and green
magic raged through the basement, pouring into the central ritual circle. The
altar Tima stood on began to glow with four colors, and in response, the paint
of the magic circles began to emit light.
"Central Control
Circle, activated! Link with control medium, complete!"
"Control medium
activation confirmed. Connection of Extraction Core to the Dragon Vein,
confirmed!"
Ignoring the complex
reports, Tima just focused her consciousness. The magic circle before her was
the culmination of all of Arcazam's technology. And this circle was one of the
very reasons for Arcazam's existence. It was known as an academy city, but it
had another name: 『Experimental Ritual
Magic City, Arcazam』. It was a preparation
for a potential second Great Invasion. A city plan, designed to exhibit
astonishing defensive capabilities by turning the entire city structure into a
magic circle. This was the pioneer of that plan. A city built to establish the
technology to utilize the Dragon Veins,
the currents of elemental essence
flowing through the continent. The very reason it was built in a forest teeming
with magic beasts was part of this plan. But, its function as a ritual magic
city had never been fully utilized. Because they had been unable to activate
its heart. More accurately, there was someone with the aptitude. Tima Lime. A
wielder of rare aptitude and immense magic power, even in a long history. A
one-of-a-kind existence, the "kindling"
needed to draw the elemental essence
from the Dragon Vein to activate the super-massive ritual magic. But until now,
her control had been poor compared to her sheer power. Thus, the circle's
activation had been postponed.
"Elemental essence Induction Circle,
response initiated. Control and Amplification Circles, stable. Output... reaching
rated value."
But now, she was in
full control of her power. Magic power is the materialization of the spirit.
And so, the four-colored magic, as if in response to her growth, swirled
beautifully, flowing into the central circle, drawing out a massive amount of
colorless elemental essence.
"Activating City Isolation Barrier!"
The magic circle,
which had been pulsing, began to shine brightly. The activation of a ritual
magic on an unprecedented scale. As everyone held their breath, only the girl
on the altar stared straight ahead.
***
Two shadows, having
shattered the wall of the luxurious Francilt mansion, burst into the garden and
clashed. The ground exploded with a roar, and a blizzard tore apart the marble
pillars and white, beautiful outer walls. The pulverized earth was blasted by
the shockwave, turning into a storm of killing intent, and a glittering silver
flash severed that storm, space and all. A shadow slipped into the gap. At the
sight of Nozomu, closing in with a lethal blade, Vitora smiled in ecstasy.
"Ha, haha,
hahahahaha!"
With a savage laugh,
Vitora instantly regenerated her severed right arm and lunged at Nozomu with
the speed of lightning.
"Good! Excellent!
It's been 150 years since I last felt pain!"
Her brilliant crimson
dress fluttered as she unleashed a mighty blow. It was a simple strike, filled
with magic, but the power within it easily surpassed that of a hundred
first-rate mages. A blow whose aftershock alone could pulverize scattering
stones into sand. A storm that could easily mince any living creature, and it
was assaulting a single human.
"Sh-..."
That storm was easily
cut apart by the iridescent katana. A single, tranquil slash, the very opposite
of the roaring storm. The blade, imbued with the Dragon King of Destruction's power, cut down the natural disaster
that no human could resist. Into that gap, Nozomu slipped, soundlessly. A speed
that Vitora's eyes could barely follow. An acceleration that left even sound
behind, as his counter-attack swung up.
"Fuhah!"
At the upward slash
aiming for her side, Vitora let out a strained cry, striking down with her fist
to intercept. The upward slash and the downward strike clashed. The Vampire
Princess's fist caved in the ground with its aftershock alone. Nozomu's blade
cut the point-blank explosion apart and vertically split Vitora's white left
fist.
"Haha, that
hurts!"
Despite her hand being
split in two, bone and all, Vitora showed no sign of faltering. Instead, her
grim smile widened with even more delight, and her magic raged.
"Hah-haaaaaaah!"
She continued her
assault, scattering her own blood, regenerating her arm and swinging it like a
whip.
"!"
A counter-attack that
completely ignored her own wounds. A blow from her left arm so powerful it
seemed it would tear not just the air, but space itself. Nozomu reflexively
blocked it. The next moment, an intense pressure assaulted his entire body. A
physical strength far beyond any he had ever faced. He reflexively twisted,
leaping backward, using his whole body to kill the blow's momentum.
(Her regeneration
speed is abnormal... but more than that, her mind is twisted. The pain isn't
slowing her down at all...)
Drenched in her own
blood, Vitora's mad laughter didn't stop. She was drunk on the smell of it, her
expression growing even more ecstatic.
"It's not fair if
I'm the only one receiving. Let me give you something, too!"
With a sultry sigh,
Vitora erupted with magic from her entire body. And, with her overflowing
power, magic spells activated, one after another. Body enhancement, magical
propulsion, barrier construction. All completed in a single breath. Vitora used
no magic circles, no incantations. It was magic in its most primitive form: her
absurdly dense magic, her spiritual energy, simply reacting to her thoughts and
activating. Vitora, having deployed multiple spells, dashed at Nozomu, timing
his landing. BOOM! The ground
exploded as she lunged at him with the speed of a flash.
"Hah!"
His landing perfectly
predicted, Nozomu was nonetheless calm. He landed, half-turning. As Vitora
spread her arms to crush him, he slid 『Mumei』 between them,
dropping his body. His blade cleaved the rushing wall of magic power, and his
body slipped into the gap. He then set his blade against her right shoulder and
used her own intense momentum to sever it. And they crossed. As they turned,
having swapped places, the plop of Vitora's severed right arm hitting the
ground echoed in the silence.
"What, you won't
accept me? To refuse a lady's modest embrace... how cruel."
Vitora pouted,
regenerating her arm. But contrary to her words, her face was flush with
unconcealable pleasure. Her inhuman vampiric beauty, her dense magic that
activated at a thought... her smile, drenched in her own blood, was chillingly
terrifying, and yet filled with a perverse beauty.
"You call an
embrace that could snap a spine, let alone tear a body apart, 'modest'? What is
wrong with your vampire sensibilities...?"
But even faced with
this, Nozomu just looked exasperated, his expression flat. Until now, he had
only been able to release his chains. But now, with his Ability under his
complete control, the precision and density of his techniques were on another
level. Past, present, and future. He had found his answer for all of them.
Truly awakened as a Dragonslayer, his
mind, technique, and body were in perfect sync. This was the form his master,
Shino Mikagura, had foreseen. An existence embodying the potential to defeat
even those with disaster-class power. Staring at him, Vitora let out a colored
sigh.
(Wonderful. It's
like... gazing into the abyss under a moonlit night...)
His eyes were clear,
yet held a coldness that saw all, and a heat like magma. His stance was
natural, like pampas grass in the wind, yet firm, like a great tree rooted in
the earth. This fusion of contradictions sent a shiver down her spine, exciting
her beyond all reason. She raised her newly regenerated right arm. A faint
residue of Nozomu's power clung to it.
"Nom, suckle..."
She brought her
fingers to her mouth. The tiny remnant of Tiamat's elemental essence burned her tongue. Even as it seared her flesh,
the taste was the sweetest nectar. She wet her slender, white fingers, savoring
every last drop of the residue, and swallowed.
"Haah... The
remnant of your power. The Dragon King of
Destruction's power, that burns my tongue with just its lingering scent...
How stimulating. How... sweet... Hah!"
Vitora's ecstatic eyes
took on an even more dangerous glint. The next moment, she had closed the
distance in a single bound. The sound of air cracking. A blow faster than wind,
a thunderclap of a strike.
"Fuh..."
But even that
sound-defying blow was cut apart. "Mumei,"
wreathed in five-colored elemental
essence and white chains, blurred, intercepting the storm. Her two fists,
which could pulverize the ground with their aftershock, were minced in less
than a second. And with the return stroke, he lopped off her right leg.
"Guh!"
Losing her leg, Vitora
lost her balance. Nozomu grabbed her right arm—the one he'd shattered—and spun.
He used her own momentum to lift her into the air and, adding his own force,
slammed her into the ground.
"Gah!"
THUD! A heavy sound, as if
a great boulder had fallen. Vitora, hitting the ground head-first, caved in the
earth and bounced. And, as she was reeling, Nozomu's left fist smashed into her
side. Foot, waist, shoulder, arm—a perfect, linked strike. It pierced her
superhuman vampiric body, ruptured her organs, shattered her spine, and sent
her flying. A symphony of roars. Vitora's body bounced several times before
slamming into the mansion wall, disappearing in a cloud of shattered marble and
smoke. Silence fell for several seconds.
"Amazing..."
Irisdina and the
others, who had come out into the garden, breathed.
"...As I thought.
Still kicking."
As if to affirm his
words, Vitora emerged from the smoke, completely unharmed. Her severed arm, her
mangled organs, her broken spine—all had already finished regenerating.
"Nozomu Bountis.
As a gentleman, isn't that a bit cruel to a lady?"
And, despite having
been torn apart, she flirtatiously showed off her right leg, already covered in
smooth, white skin.
"If you don't
like it, then leave. I'm not having any fun fighting you."
"Fufu. Your cold
attitude is also nice. I've never been treated this way in my life. It's truly
refreshing."
"Sorry, you're
not my type. Try someone else."
"Ah, no, I can't
stand it. I simply must take you back with me now!"
Wearing an arrogant
attitude, the vampire princess continued to draw out even more magic power. Her
amount of magic power was so immense that the expression "bottomless" felt trite. Just as the
swirling dust was turning into snow crystals, the ground beneath her feet began
to instantly freeze over. Radiating an aura that surpassed even Azel, the white
dragon who had tried to seal him, Vitora raised her right hand high. In an
instant, a giant, white pillar shot to the heavens, enveloping her. A thin
wall, rippling like silk. But the magic within it was enough to blast the Francilt
mansion from its very foundations. An intense chill ran down Nozomu's spine.
Vitora swung her arm, as if brushing away dust, and the giant pillar,
shattering the frozen ground, began to expand.
『Thin Robe of the Absolute Ice Demon』
A magic that deploys a
hyper-dense wall of ice and slams it into the enemy, freezing and grinding them
to dust. The expanding wall of ice advanced on Nozomu, pulverizing the Francilt
mansion as if it were being sanded down.
"With your
current power, you could easily cut this storm and escape. But the ones behind
you won't be so lucky. For a mere human, even the aftershock is fatal. They
will be annihilated... Oh?"
Before Vitora could
finish, Nozomu had moved to intercept. He raised his left arm, wrapped in white
chains. The moment he clenched his fist, the chains unraveled, and five-colored
elemental essence gushed out. The
massive eruption of elemental essence
was guided by the surrounding chains, converging on his left arm. The instant
it gathered, Nozomu slammed his fist into the ground.
『Annihilation Light Impact』
Five-colored elemental essence erupted from beneath
Vitora's feet, swallowing and suppressing her 『Thin Robe of the Absolute Ice
Demon』.
"Hahaha! A
contest of strength? Very well!"
Even as she was
swallowed by the Dragon King of
Destruction's elemental essence,
Vitora continued to draw out her magic, resisting his 『Annihilation Light Impact』.
"Oooooooooooh!"
"Ha, hahaha,
HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Nozomu's roar and
Vitora's mad laughter echoed. The 'Annihilation
Light Impact,' trying to suppress, and the 'Thin Robe,' trying to grind all to dust. The clash of power was so
immense that even sound was trapped between them, and only a dazzling light
flashed. And then, the clash reached its critical point. The 'Annihilation Light Impact' and the 'Thin Robe' collapsed at the same time.
The remaining, enormous power was unleashed as a shockwave, both inward and
outward. The outward shockwave completely destroyed the half-ruined mansion,
sending rubble flying. The inward force slammed into Vitora, crushing her body.
"Kyaa!"
Irisdina and the
others screamed at the shock. When Nozomu looked up, the flying debris of the
Francilt mansion was raining down on them.
"Hah!"
Nozomu swung his
katana at the falling rubble. A swarm of slashes, more than ten per second. A
storm of countless 『Dust Severance』 shredded the debris.
"Nozomu, above
you!"
"Tch!"
But, as his attention
was diverted, the rain of rubble fell on him. Hearing Irisdina's voice, Nozomu
tried to slash back—
"Oraaaaaaah!"
But before he could, a
spiral vortex leaped in from the side, mowing down the falling debris. The
storm, a fusion of magic and ki, turned every last rock fragment to dust. Then,
a large shadow landed in the garden. It was Mars, his greatsword on his back.
The tattoo on his right arm glowing, wreathed in magic-ki, he stood next to
Nozomu and let out a heavy sigh.
"Mars..."
"Idiot. What're
you doing, forgetting to defend yourself?"
"Sorry. You saved
me."
"Yeah,
well..."
Mars res-shouldered
his greatsword, a grin on his face, and turned his gaze to the vampire. There
stood Vitora, her wounds already regenerated. At the sight of her, drenched
head-to-toe in her own blood, Mars frowned.
"Hey, Nozomu.
That vampire... she's covered in blood."
"Yeah. Cut her,
punch her, crush her... she regenerates instantly. Cockroaches are cuter."
Mars's face twitched
at Nozomu's utterly disgusted tone. Even Rugato had needed a decent amount of
time to regenerate when Nozomu cut him in half. This vampire's regeneration was
truly abnormal. She regenerated from fatal wounds almost instantly. Her gushing
magic power knew no bounds. He couldn't even guess how much she had. Meanwhile,
Vitora glanced at Mars with mild interest.
"Hmm. So there
was another in this city who could fight Rugato. Humans... are a more
formidable race than I thought."
"Thanks for the
compliment."
Mars shrugged, but a
cold sweat had broken out on his brow. Even he, who had grown enough to fight
Rugato, was stunned by the sheer power Vitora was emitting.
"Mars, sorry,
but..."
"Yeah, I know.
Leave Irisdina and the others to me."
"Thanks. All
that's left is to see how long I can hold back this crazy vampire..."
As Nozomu and Mars
spoke, ice crystals began to dance around Vitora, who was drawing out even more
magic.
"She's still
getting stronger...? This is bad. If she unleashes any more power, the damage
to the city..."
"Don't worry
about that. It's about time..."
Mars looked around at
the city streets surrounding the mansion. At that moment, a massive, dazzling
wall of light deployed, enclosing the Francilt mansion. Layer after layer, the
barriers deployed, sealing off the entire district. It was the barrier deployed
by those at Solminati Academy. Constructed not of magic but of elemental essence, it was on a scale to
cover a third of the administrative district, and each layer boasted a size and
toughness he had never seen before.
"This is..."
"The isolation barrier from this city's
ultra-large-scale ritual magic. Looks like Tima made it in time."
Mars smiled, looking
toward the academy.
"But, with this,
you won't be able to get out..."
"Yeah, don't
worry. Just watch."
With that, Mars ran to
Irisdina and the others, raised his greatsword, and unleashed his "Explosive Storm Vortex" into the
sky. The next moment, a barrier, identical to the ones surrounding the mansion,
deployed around Irisdina's group.
"Just as I
thought. This barrier's pretty responsive."
It seemed the
deployment location of the barrier could be changed at will. It was, after all,
a spell designed to be used if a powerful magic beast ever invaded the city.
Being able to deploy it freely was essential.
"Still, looks
like only one layer can be deployed instantly. I'll handle any aftershocks that
get through."
But it wasn't perfect.
It was a simple truth that if you increase responsiveness, you sacrifice other
performance. The barrier protecting them now was fainter, and looked much less
sturdy, than the ones surrounding the mansion.
"...I'm counting
on you."
Still, the current
Mars could handle it. Trusting his friend, Nozomu left Irisdina and the others
to him and turned back to Vitora.
"I see. A good
move. This is a dance for two. It would be a shame to have my partner
distracted by outsiders. Now then, Nozomu Bountis, shall we continue? This
time, let's pick up the tempo. Sharp, and bold."
The next moment, a
blast of magic power raged, and Nozomu instinctively raised his left arm. When
the storm subsided, he looked up, and was struck dumb.
"...You've got to
be kidding me."
What stood there was
the vampire princess, who was emitting such a vast amount of magic power that
it left even the feeling of shock behind. It was so dense it had practically
materialized, wrapping around her body like an aura. Her silver hair, rippling
like an aurora, she raised her hand to the sky. The white "Thin Robe" was created again. But
this time, it was not just one. Two, three, more curtains, each boasting power
equal to his "Annihilation Light
Impact," were created and layered. And, as Vitora swung her arm, the
"Thin Robes," lined up like
a cavalry charge, surged toward Nozomu all at once.
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