69 68.I give up my eyes to fly….Alty…..txt (2/2)

-- how to kill the guardians (guardians) without fighting.

The guardians lose their power and eventually disappear as soon as their ”regrets” are gone.

Arti is on the verge of losing his ”unfinished business”.

That was the only way I could think of it.

Is it because he felt close to achieving Maria's goal in his parasitic state?

Did you feel part of ”Tragic Love Fulfilled”?

No, no.

I'm sure that's a factor, but ...... my gut tells me that's not the case.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of your time with us.

I'm sure that this is something that only Arti can understand, and it's something that he is most reluctant to admit.

Hence, Arti shouts out, ”Still--!

''Still--!　I'm still 'unfinished'!　I can still do it!

I guess he could tell from my expression that I was thinking, and Arti desperately insisted that he still had an 'unfinished business' to attend to.

He shouted, spewing out flames and swinging his sword.

The figure could only be seen as an attempt to burn off the last of the power left in its body.

Gradually I am unable to prevent that decisive flaming sword from being defeated.

I'm not going to be able to get a good look at it.

--I'm not going to be able to get the best out of it.

Still, Arti doesn't stop.

Arti's flaming sword nearly catches me in the neck, and I slash her arm away as quickly as possible.

Arti's thin arm flies through the air and red blood colors the ground.

The flying arm disappeared as flames, and the red blood bloomed into a flower of flame on the ground.

It was excruciatingly beautiful and excruciatingly uncomfortable.

The fact that he had slashed Arti's arm. The feel of it. Everything was uncomfortable.

In contrast, Arti laughed.

While muttering with a look of contentment, he constructs the flaming sword in his remaining hand.

''Ah, 'Blood, flesh burns' ....... ''Add blood oil, flesh burns'' ....... But it doesn't matter. ”Man does not live in the body, but in the flame that is lit in his heart,” so ....... As long as 'purgatory burning in the soul' is not extinguished, I will not stop. ......

Arti is 'chanting' while spitting blood and slashing at me.

No, it's not blood that he's spitting out. The flame - Arti is fighting while cutting himself, cutting himself.

The spirit of this is slightly overwhelming.

My sword is dulled by my determination to die.

But still Arti's sword doesn't reach.

Arti's final flash is blocked by Maria's flaming sword, which is in between.

The flaming sword and the flaming sword intertwine, melt together, and disappear.

''I'm sorry, Alti-san--''

”Ma, Maria--

Alty calls back his name sadly - and then changes his expression in a dizzying way.

He weaves together a range of emotions - sad, happy, frustrated, satisfied - and finally steps back.

He keeps his distance, looks down, and mutters.

'You're losing. ......'

Alty mutters.

'I'm losing, ....... 'Congratulations, Christ. No, Aikawa Kanami. That's the end of the tenth layer of the 'ordeal' .......

The end was in sight.

Arti's torso was nearly torn to shreds, he had lost an arm, and there was only a small amount of fire and magic left. By all accounts, the victory was clear. Arti himself admitted it.

However, his acceptance of defeat was short-lived, and he immediately smiled a thin smile and stared at me forcefully.

'But it wasn't you I lost to. It was to Maria. Don't get me wrong there.

As he says this, Arti looks at Maria and smiles.

Then, as me and Maria look on, Arti puts his fingers in both of his eyes.

'Oi, Arti!　What are you--

The winner will receive a magical stone, but not this time. But not this time. I'm sorry, Kanami. I'm sorry, Kanami, but this is one thing I can't give up.

Arti laughed and hollowed out both eyes, lashing out with a response that missed the mark.

Both hollowed out eyes disappeared as flames, just like Maria's. Arti became 'the same' as Maria.

When Maria saw this, she sensed something and stepped forward with a serious look on her face.

I tried to stop her, sensing the danger, but on the contrary, she put a stop to it.

Maria approaches Arti with a solemn expression on her face.

Arti also approaches Maria with a similar expression.

They put their hands together, their foreheads together, and say their final goodbyes to each other.

'Now it's the same (...) --take me away, Maria.

'Of course. Mr. Arti is my 'best friend'--

I don't know what kind of time existed between the two of them.

To me, Arti was just a monster that drove Maria crazy.

But Maria called her 'best friend'.

That, for some reason, made some part of my heart - tingle.

If it's true, I'm sure that role is--.

Arti couldn't even keep his head solid anymore.

Then he tells me the last word, too.

'Kanami. Don't let Maria bully me. I'll be watching you.

I can't say anything back.

I didn't know Artie well enough to talk back.

I didn't want to know him. That's all.

Seeing me in silence, Arti sighs.

But he's somewhat satisfied. He doesn't say anything more.

Arti looks up at the sky with satisfaction.

A large amount of flames and smoke had turned the sky into a cloudy sky.

However, Arti looks up at that gray sky with a dazzling look.

The flames are being converted into light, bit by bit.

'Oh, it sucks ....... But this time (...), I guess I got my point across. That's it, keh, that's it, or .......

Without telling anyone, Arti mutters to the sky.

Everything about Arti becomes light and his words are snatched away.

''Wow, I'm ......, good luck, good luck, ......--''

With the last of those interrupted words, Arti disappeared.

It disappeared, and one magic stone fell into Maria's hands. However, it immediately lost its shape and became a small flame, which was absorbed by Maria's body.

[The title 'Ash Covering of Fire' was acquired.

Fire magic has a +0.50 correction to fire magic

The 'display' appears on the retina, telling us that the monster named Arti is indeed dead.

The Lord named Arti is lost, and the flames that surrounded him are weakening.

At the same time, it rains.

In an attempt to pretend that this space of flames didn't exist, rain falls from the cloudy sky.

''Ah, rain ......''

It's convenient for me because the flames on the house are extinguished and the temperature drops.

However, when the flames are extinguished all at once, the Valt guards and others who were probably unable to approach because of the flames will be able to get closer.

I hurriedly approached Maria and spoke to her.

'Are you okay, Maria ....... Your eyes are ......'

'No, if there's a fire, I can see it. For that matter, Kanami, you are the one who needs to go to .......

Maria created a space with both palms of her hands, creating flames within them.

I don't know when she mastered it, but it's probably the same ability as Arti's. It seems to be able to pick up information about the surroundings with it.

”I'm fine. ”I'll be fine, but we need to get out of here. Once the flames go out, people are going to be coming here.

To be honest, if I'm not careful, I'm on the verge of losing consciousness at any moment.

But we can't allow that to happen here.

We can't faint until we leave the Vault and secure our safety. If possible, I would like to meet up with Rustyala and the others today.

Once we are together, we have nothing to fear.

Then we will all be back to normal.

A lot has happened, but Maria has made up for it.

We're back--

Me and Maria whipped my body into a state of collapse and tried to walk away--

-- I could hear (・・・・・) the sound of applause (・・・・・・).

I felt a chill, as if a cold hand had traced my back.

I've experienced this development, this applause, many times. I'm caught off guard when I finish a paragraph and before I know it, I'm allowing it to get closer. The usual development--.

Applause could be heard from one of the dwindling flames.

From the other side of the flames, a man walks towards us.

'Congratulations, brother Christ. No, it's already Aikawa Kanami.

Palinclone was the one who had appeared, clapping happily.

It was Palinclone Legacy.

''-- Palinclone!　Why are you here!

I'm surprised.

I thought they were after Rastiara and the others.

But Palinclone appeared as if he had timed it right.

'It didn't take long for this one. I've had a lot on my mind and I've cooled down. And now you've come to us.

The end ......?

Does that mean that Rastiala's group lost to Palinkron?

It's not possible in terms of strength.

Injuries notwithstanding, all of them are higher than Palinclone.

Most importantly, Palinclone looks unhappy.

It looks like something unplanned and didn't work out the way he wanted it to, so he was able to get back here early.

Palinclone looks at the bloodstained sword and remembers something.

He looks uncomfortable .......

I instantly picture an escape route in my mind.

Honestly, if it's a one-on-one battle, I don't feel like I'm going to lose.

If I can cut down my maximum HP a bit more, I should be able to win unscathed just like the other ”Seven Celestial Knights”.

--But I don't want to fight.

Don't fight this man.

That's what my instincts tell me.

You've got to run in the opposite direction of the Palinkulon.

But that's the direction of the Foosiers. And since Maria is less than the Palinkron's speed, it would be easy for them to catch up with me if I just ran away.

I desperately turn my head and 'watch' Palinclone's every move.

In response, Palinclone declares with a relaxed expression on his face, ”Congratulations, Kanami.

'Congratulations, Kanami. But not yet. The ordeal is not over yet. You're right, let me imitate your front speech.

The trials never end?

The front door?

A shiver runs down my back.

At the same time, the illusion that the rain falling from the sky looks black

'From now on (・・・・・). From now on (...), this confederacy is (・・・・・・) 20 layers (...). It is the hierarchy of Tida, the one who steals the Dark Reason. Sorry to be so hasty on a business trip, but consider these countries to be the 20th layer of the labyrinth. Now, let's begin The Twentieth Test.

Palinclone held his bloodstained sword at the ready, showing his willingness to fight.