Vol 2 Chapter 23 (2/2)

「You inflicted extreme violence on Lim. This is for that…!」

I would not forget how this guy smashed his fist into Lim when she was collapsed onto the ground.

I struck my firmly clenched fist into Serdio’s abdomen with no mercy.

Piercing through the tempered abs, the impact reached the organs… a fast, powerful and precise fist sunk into the innermost of the inside.

「Ge… waa」

「Next… is for Logins-san」

「Gu… you… seem to care about that guy a lot. But there is not much difference between me… and what he was in the past.」

Sitting on his knees, as if squatting, Serdio stood up swaying.

「I’m not talking about what happened ten years ago. Well before that, he――…」

I cut the opponent’s words short.

「I was quite surprised at that story. Honestly, I was shocked. But――does that have any relation to how I can’t tolerate the you now?」

「Like I said… I’m doing it because I want to do it. I won’t do such a pretentiously grand thing as judging someone’s past.」

It was the end of the conversation.

With the sword in one hand, I took a step forth toward the opponent.

Has the opponent not lost their fighting spirit yet? Protecting his fractured arm, he starting running.

I thought he would pick the dropped sword up with the other arm than the dominant one that had been broken. However, I was wrong.

「Kuku… waahahaha!! …never did I imagine I would be using it against such a brat.」

Laughing maniacally, Serdio took something out of his bosom――a jewel I was familiar with.

A white magic crystal――and an extra large one at that.

It was larger than the one treated into Marita’s pendant.

「You can’t tolerate me? In that case, the dialogue hereby breaks down. I had already considered the possibility… of my fighting someone who could use Light Magic that would counter my Dark Magic.」

The White Magic Crystal, which Serdio was clutching tightly in his fist, was clad in a light same as the white inside.

To the best of my conjecture, it must be Light Magic. From the size of the jewel, the strength of the magic seemed to be Lv3… actually Lv4.

Was overwhelming a potentially formidable Light Magic user with an even more formidable firepower his trump card?

I would be hard pressed to counter it with the current Lv of my Light Magic… then counter it with the strongest attack I was capable of? ――dodging it was an option, too.

Although the power of the surefire technique in question was immense, it would take time to prepare.

Fortunately, while the opponent was babbling like a fool, I could proceed quietly with the preparation. Even if it were executed, however, whether it would be able to counter it or not was a concern.

If I rather dodged than forcibly countering it――――

Scared? You can run away. If you did, though… that guy lying behind you would exist no more.

…I see. Behind me was Logins-san collapsed.

What would happen if I dodged? The answer was clear.

「…u… ku, I’m fine. Don’t mind me… dodge it…」

When I momentarily turned to the hoa.r.s.e voice, I found a not so fine Logins-san behind me struggling to lift his body.

…why am I fated to find myself in such situations?

「You seem to understand. If so, drop your weapon and have the griffon come down. Then――――」

「――Shoot.」

「What… did you say?」

「I said go ahead… release the magic loaded in that White Magic Crystal. What’s the matter? Is the high powered magic too important to be used against a brat?」

「You… piece of s.h.i.+t.」

「Oh G.o.d 『Captain』don’t make me laugh――In the end, you had to rely on such a thing…」

「Shut uppppp!! You son of a b.i.t.c.h!!」

As he screamed in indignation, the White Magic Crystal he was holding flashed.

What emerged out of the jewel was a glittering, gigantic spear of light.

As for it’s size, it was fitting for a giant over ten meters tall to wield.

However, I had already completed my preparation.

The Spectral Magic, that manifested through refining an image of synchronous phenomena sublimation, was clad onto the sword.

Holding the sword aloft, I pushed my consciousness to the limit to embody the polished Sword Arts Skill.

「Ooooooooooooooo!!」

―― I brought the sword down with ardour. the spectral sword clashed with the spear of light.

As the white light of the spear sc.r.a.ped the spectral light off, sparks scattered in the air like magic dust.

Although it looked magical, I was being outdone.

As the air trembling vibration was being transmitted to my body, the sword flash was being pushed.

‘s.h.i.+t’――Even before I thought that, I had concentrated my consciousness to execute the next strike. However, six elements would not be able to be synthesized in time.

Then, should I augment it with light magic? ――Right at that moment, the spectacle of the spectral light having been infringed with a ‘gigigi’ screech reflected on my eyes.

Just before it dispersed.

A――this――――… s.h.i.+t.

An alarm bell rang inside my head.

Miraculously, however, a strange voice calling me from the sky penetrated my ears.

With no time to reply, I looked up to find a pendant treated with a jewel s.h.i.+ning like a rainbow falling down.

As for the magic it contained, it need not be mentioned.

With no time to say ‘thank you’… I thanked in my heart.

Keyword—《Composite Element》

No sooner than I chanted so, it released a sphere of warm light.

Rea.s.suring… indeed.

Although I had heard from Sheena-san it was a custom to gift it to the one you loved, I just nodded.

…Conjugated with such a silly thought, I prepared my body to execute the next strike.

Once again, I set my sword up――and exhaled.

「――――comboooooooooooooooooo!!」

Before the first attack could disperse, I augmented it with the next one and turned the tables.

As the gigantic spear of light was pushed back, an intense flicker ruled the darkness.

――Right then, a blinding flash spanned and an ear piercing sound of shock reverberated.

「――A… a… h-how did your magic… counter it…?」

Under the twilight that had regained the calm, Serdio said with his head drooped having evidently lost the will to fight.

Y-you… who are you…?」

Even if I answered, I would be troubled to.

Even though I was an adventurer, answering so would be weird in this situation.

An ally of justice? I denied that without any hesitation just moments ago.

…This guy was the one who had abducted Marita. A robber who threatened the kingdom.

Confronting him, I was an individual who came here, driven by my values to take what had been taken from me, back.

I, who had stolen skills, who had stolen a monster from a screaming and shrieking man, who had solicited help from a demon, was now inflicting violence on a powerless man who had lost his skills.

If you looked at just that, this guy would appear innocent.

After immersing in reverie, I came up with an amusing answer.

I was… precisely what my skill suggested I was.

「――――A thief」

Serdio looked up with a doubtful face. A justified reaction.

「In this world――I steal. What I steal is anything but ordinary.」

「I don’t… get it…」

「You don’t have to get it. Because you――are going to die.」

With a proud feeling, I raise the sword. Without a shred of hesitation.

Regret… not at all…

I myself was calmed down by a wave of a mysterious feeling.

Before I could lop the opponent’s head off――my arm was grabbed by someone.

When I turned around… I found Logins-san clutching his chest.

Although he seemed to barely be able to stand, he pleaded for the sword to be pa.s.sed.

――After a while of pondering over it, I pa.s.sed the sword to Logins-san.

「Seiji-san… thank you.」

Saying so, Logins-san called Serdio’s name once and――

――unwaveringly beheaded him.

Although the sword I received was drenched in blood, it regained it’s s.h.i.+ne with a swish.

Through the hilt of the sword, a mysterious pulse albeit only for a moment pa.s.sed on.

Was it because I who had been tensed all this time had relaxed? …With that, a feeling of everything being finally over swept my body.

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