475 470. Start of war.txt (1/2)

A 'meteor' pierced the labyrinth and the earth shook vertically.

I looked off at Snow-sama's back.

I also listened closely to her earnest cry.

Perhaps what she was trying to say was, ”Let's not rely on any one person, but let's all do our best together.

I think it's a strong argument.

Even I, who was born into the Radiant family and is called the most 'beastly' person in the Confederation, would be tempted to say, ”You're the only one who can do this. In the first place, Snow-sama in the past had also refused to give easy encouragement, saying that he couldn't do it like everyone else.

That selfish 'dragon's roar' resounded throughout the Confederation.

Naturally, no one in the Confederation was ever struck by it all together.

However, even so--

That, Mr. Snow Walker, is ......

It's not the people of the guild in the back, but one of the 'Magic Stone Humans' (Jewelculus) who is muttering.

Her flying 'path' seems to have caught their attention and yearned for her flying 'path'.

The faces of the guilds lined up in the distance are also watching that infinitely descending particle of blue and green magic power (Tear Ray).

Seeing the courage and strength that reminds them of her as a child, their faces break out - but it is the old-timers of the guild ”Epic Seeker” who have expressions of determination on their faces.

The faces of the guild 'Supreme', with whom I have a long history of association, also had similar expressions, perhaps caught in the heat of the rival guilds.

Lord Snow's cry might have been the argument of a strong man from far above.

But it was certainly a word (or thing) that was needed in The End of the Season Festival.

'...... style'

I breathe a sigh of relief, ”I'm saved.

Snow-sama's true ability is only a disaster when it's on the ground.

Probably only two things right now: ”I swung my sword a little too seriously” and ”I moved a little too seriously”.

Even though it's still ”a bit”, the scale of power is too different.

That's why I had to stop myself from ”watching”, but when it was over, there were zero casualties in the surrounding area.

Lady Snow-sama had firmly identified me as an ally to protect not only the sisters left behind by Lady Rustyala, but also the knights and priests of the Foozeyers.

Glad for that fact, and in the aftermath of the victory and relief, the tremors of the earthquake finally calmed down.

Then, amidst the falling particles of magic power (Tear-Ray), we saw a shadow slowly rising up.

Unlike us, it's an apostle, trembling with rage and staring at the back of the 'hero'.

'To the Temple of the Lord!　Yes, we're in...　You people!　-- ”Blood!

The remaining Apostle Diprakra is also unharmed.

But it was rough.

The fact that he is unharmed makes it all the more humiliating that he was sent through next to me.

He begins to vegetate his limbs like a 'tree man' (Doriade), as he feels.

With every step he took, he siphoned blood from the shallow waters at his feet, bringing up every blood vessel in his body.

The white hair, a symbol of old age, turns reddish-black.

Furthermore, the plants and trees that were around him began to rapidly wither away, and as if in in inverse proportion, Diprakra gained vitality and gradually - gradually - became younger (・・・・・・).

He began to walk towards the half-destroyed labyrinth alone, filled with not only magic power but also vitality.

--This is where Apostle Di Prakula's real work begins.

He was a figure that made me believe that.

They don't even pay attention to their surroundings, which are in a state of turmoil.

He ruined the 'gentle old sage' that he had built up until today and moved forward.

I had already defeated all of the ”blood knights” around me, and I was about to move in a hurry.

However, Elmirad, who was not blinded by the 'meteor' before me, calls out to me from behind.

''The labyrinth is a temple?　There is no such thing as a shabby, dirty temple. That is the very regret of my best friend. And I'm still confused. --I'm crying. Some of it is weeping and some of it is desperately bothering me. Kanami Aikawa was such a gloomy man.

............!

He really is a man of work.

With his speeches and provocations, he made the 'strained' apostle look back.

He said that he has the power to destroy the End of the Festival, and he will appeal to the dangers that cannot be left unattended.

'Elmillard Siddharqouwu ......!　Get out of my way!　What's more troublesome than a power-only priestess or the 'dragon race', you!　Disrupter of the Festival of the Endangered Species.　Brace yourselves!　Surely, divine punishment will fall on you!

'God's punishment!　That's it!　Excellent!　Hopefully, I'll be waiting for you!　Haha, I can't wait for you to come and punish me!　Next time I won't let you down, Kanami!　My 'honest' heart would love to confront you directly if possible!　Yes, thanks to you, Nosfi, I'm able to take my 'honest' feelings on board too!　Now I know exactly how you feel, Nosfi!　Canamie!　Oh, Kanami!　You're up against me!　I can't wait to beat you and see your frustrated face!　Haha, I want to see, I want to see, hey!　Hahahahahahaha!

When Diprakra pointed to the heavens, Elmirad held out his hands as if he was waiting for the heavens.

That gesture reminds me of the 'Stealer of the Light's Reason', Nosfi Hoozeyars, who used to brainwash us.

''You, do not speak of it lightly!　In the name of God!

'Oh, yes!　This is what 'Aikawa Kanami' said!　I haven't forgotten the promise I made to you that you could always try it!　So I'm not going to allow you to go on your own when you're not even in the game yet!　Until one day I win you over!　You can be strong, but I won't let you get away with winning!　Oh, Kanami, are you listening to me!　Do you see me not forgiving you, Kanamii!

As soon as his fiancée Snow was gone, Elmirad was in too good of a shape.

He was in a different direction than Diprakra, but he too was in a frenzy to be called a ”Kanami believer”.

And, for some reason, Di Prakra started to compete with Elmirad's enthusiasm.

'Oh, Lord!　Please, please listen to us!　There is absolutely no need to look at these unscrupulous people!　Before you get into the hands of that, your most loyal vassal and ally, Diprakra!　This Diprakra is headed to eliminate Elmirad Siddharq and punish the wolfishers who are ravaging the temple!　May God bless us all!

Oh, it's Kanami!　Not only do you have to give me a blessing, but you have to give me divine punishment, too!　You know what I'm talking about!　Since this is a duel with the legendary Apostle-sama, I want to turn the tables from an overwhelming disadvantage!

Duel?　Haha, you're not stalling me!　I'll deal with you in a minute, you heartless!　--Woodgrowth!

Stalling?　Diprakra, what are you talking about?　You're talking as if we're bound to lose!　Let me tell you, I never fought because I thought I couldn't win!　For today, I have a feeling it's going to be a must-win against Kanami!

God's name again, don't you dare take it lightly!

Even though they were friend and foe, it was a very breathtaking battle.

Therefore, there was no need to swear an oath, and an atmosphere of dueling was naturally created.

It is the unity of interest of both parties to eliminate the enemy in front of them, right here and now.

Diprakra prayed for a desperate victory, sucking up the blood at his feet, taking away the life force around him, and continuing to layer his strengthening magic.

Elmirado foresees a must-win, combing the fur on his own deformed arms and dominating his shimmering hair with white rainbow magic.

Both of them took their time and began to prepare for the duel.

They were a little stunned.

I look at them from a slight distance, unable to mix with their unique air.

At the edge of their vision, for a moment (...)

I felt as if a black shadow had passed through--

Mr. Radiant!　That's good!

I'm stopped from putting my energy into my legs to chase the quick black shadow.

Elmirad turned his gaze away from his dueling partner and shouted a strong denial.

He doesn't have the spare expression he had earlier, and he even shakes his head with a somewhat impatient face.

In other words, does that mean that the one who just went to the labyrinth now is an acquaintance of Lord Siddharq?　No, no. The fact that it followed ”Meteor” earlier means that Snow-sama's--

That's right.

This is a man who shouldn't be there. When Elmiraad showed up, he said, ”I can't miss it,” but the truth is - no. Don't think about it. As the Reaper said, you think badly, so you get read (・・・・).

Immediately I stop calculating and thinking, which I'm not good at, and run up to just behind Elmirad and call out to him.

'...... I'm sorry, Sir Siddharth. It seems that my disappointment has interfered with your wonderful plans.

There was a reason for Elmirad's eloquence so far.

I went to the trouble of following with my eyes what he wanted to hide with such a large number of people in tow, and the exaggerated stunts he wanted to make.

'No, Mr. Radiant: ....... It's fine. I didn't indicate it beforehand, so I don't blame you. The fact that the art of countering Kanami's 'future vision' is to make a situation that no one can anticipate ...... basically assumes that everyone here and over there will be in a huge mess.

She laughs and tells me not to worry about it and follows me around in a positive way.

She reminds me of a young lady somehow, partly because of her long, shining hair and the magic of the white rainbow.

I bite my lip for a variety of reasons.

''We both have a lot to regret, don't we? But for now, let's look ahead. There are many opportunities left in this 'End of the Tale Festival' to redeem your name. In particular, the great task of capturing Princess Kounell will be something only we can do.

'Princess Kounell?　By the time I defeated all the 'blood knights', they were already gone, but ....... Easily abandoning Master Di Prakra.

'That's what makes it so troublesome. If we fail to capture Quager-kun with Princess Kounel on board today, it will be very troublesome. Even if someone is able to defeat Serdra and Kanami, as long as she's on earth, the End of the Festival will be repeated as often as possible.

While the information is being exchanged, the Apostle Diprakra continues to mutate further in front of me.

Out of the first age, through the strange man, and even younger.

I'm trying to reach the best individual I can think of by layering magic onto the special body I was born with - but no such thing is in my eyes, Elmirad blurts out in a voice that only I can hear.

'That 'bloodsucking' princess is Kanami's last insurance policy. After all, she was chosen by 'future vision' to be worthy of delegating everything on earth. The one who truly holds the threat of a thousand years is not the legendary apostle, but her. After all, like that tiara, she has the patience to wait until anyone who gets in the way dies in her lifetime.

A reputation that surpasses even the mainstays of the other side, Kanami and Serdra, and is close to Kanami's sister and Saint Tiara as an example.

I know what you mean.

She's the only one competing on a different playing field, not in battle.

She will use her 1,000 years of connections and financial power and use overwhelming publicity (propaganda) to make the ”End of Tan Festival” a success regardless of whether she wins or loses.

The reality that the current heroism of Lord Snow and the discrimination between 'strong' and 'weak' are just one of countless measures - the Quornell Chronicle, Shulus, Legia and Ingrid will show you the reality.

'The battle is far from over, I suppose.

'Yeah, not yet. Because things are going so well so far, we're still not over Kanami's 'plan' at all. Everything so far, including me, has been too decent (・・・・・・).

'I agree with you. It would take a much bigger accident to shake off the 'magic of attracting a convenient future' that Master Nosfi said: ......

'I have an inkling of that. But we'll have to deal with the problem at hand first.

Out of the corner of his eye, Diprakra, who had finished his enhanced magic, was standing leisurely, as if imitating the Elmirado from earlier.

He shook his shoulders and laughed, ”Hahaha,” and there was no longer a trace of the old man he had been when he was an old man.

He was about two meters tall, and his face was a neutral, beautiful young man with long reddish-black hair hanging down, which was very eye-catching.

However, the rest of him was so oddly shaped that being a beautiful young man was counterintuitive.

Compared to his torso, his limbs were unusually long. There were three joints in his arms and legs, making him appear three times longer than an ordinary person. Its size ratio to its torso reminded me of an insect, and its balance was extremely poor. Blood-soaked branches and leaves grew on its shoulders, and a huge halo on its head. If I only looked at it from a distance, it might be mistaken for a tall, masculine angel, but to me it felt like a distorted monster.

And looking at his wandering twin eyes in search of God, I doubt he even remembers his original purpose anymore.

This is the man called Diprakra, the apostle of knowledge and moderation - what's inside (...).

That friendly good-natured figure was probably just the 'surface skin' and role he was given at birth.

We've heard a little bit about the apostle's history (how it happened).

We can also guess his actual age and spiritual age.

I feel a bit of pity for the contents that have been abandoned by their birth parents and neglected for so long that they have been distorted to this point.

But I quickly changed my mind and shook my head.

This content is his precious life, his pride - and it's important to us, too.

'That Lord Diprakra was trying to persuade that Lord Snow to join us, but ....... 'What are the odds against you, Sir?'

Honestly, this figure of Lady Diprakra will be more necessary for the Kanami attack than Snow-sama's strongman argument. So, remembering that Lady Rastiara-sama left a bequest, ”Not one of any one person, not one of our enemies, but 'all together',” I regain my composure.

'Now, I will pretend to start exploring the labyrinth. But hopefully, the Apostle will never be defeated, and we will continue to provoke him and successfully meet up with the Cathedral's separate squadron.

'The Cathedral's Separate Motion Unit: ....... Roger that. I just had to run some errands there.

I sympathized with Elmirad, who implicitly confessed that he couldn't do it by himself, and decided to cooperate with him.

I also faced the mutated Apostle Diprakra alongside Elmirad in front of the members of the guild 'Supreme' and 'Epic Seeker'.

Around them, the 'Demon Stone Man (Jewelculus)' and the knights continue to buzz around in confusion.

There's nothing more I can say, as Snow-sama has already exhausted his words.

--The only thing left to do is for all of us to walk through this ”End of Tale Festival” with all of our might.

With that reaffirmation, more blood flows out of the rift in the labyrinth beyond my gaze.

Furthermore, an even louder 'dragon's roar' can be heard.

Apparently, it looks like it's about to begin over there as well.

The battle between ”Dragon Man (Dragon Newt)” and ”Dragon Man (Dragon Newt)” is about to begin--

◆◆◆◆◆

I will continue to fly.

Across the blue sky.

Beyond the entrance to the labyrinth.

Free to go as far as I can, as high as I can.

Freed from gravity and inertia, I no longer had a concept of up and down.

I went straight through the labyrinth and continued to fly towards the 'deepest part'.

As expected, the labyrinth was filled with plenty of blood.

At first, it looked like the cave style labyrinth I knew was still there. However, I didn't see any monsters that I recognized, and they were all like the failed incarnations of the 'blood puppets'. Furthermore, the floor separating the layers was extremely fragile and easy to break through. So, without mercy, I broke through about 30 layers - from then on, it was a complete bloodbath.

There wasn't even a layer of papier-mâché papier-mâché, but a huge hole filled with blood.

I continued to fly through that hole, scraping through the blood.

From my point of view, it felt like I was flying through an endless red sky.

The 'Blood Land' that I heard about must have been assimilated with the labyrinth.

I kept flapping my wings even more, thinking that I should break through it quickly.

Ever since the activation of the ”Wish on a Shooting Star (Brave Florite)”, I have been accelerating. My body felt that I was breaking through the wall of the limit of 'speed' many times. If this is continental travel, then we have already flown the distance that we have reached from the Allied Nations to the 'mainland'.

--But the red sky will not end.

While protecting its head with both arms, it also continues to wag its tail as if it were swimming.

Flap, flap, flap, flap--

Dad, mom, dad, listen--

I heard voices.

Even at this high speed of travel, I was surprised to hear a voice that was clearly audible.

'Huh?'

Why was I born? Why was I born?

The voice asks me - no, there is a melody.

This is a song.

Suddenly, in a sea of blood, I began to hear a song.

A strange song.

It's so lilting, so cheerful, so dark and horrible, so cruel.

Â- Mother killed me. My father ate me--

I knew it was a magical vibration (song), because I am skilled in non-attribution.

And I also have a hunch that it's not just a magical vibration.

This is like singing and chanting a magic name, and at the same time, it is also 'chanting'.

Furthermore, it feels like a 'curse' that not only pays the 'price' but also takes something away.

Without a doubt, this was the first time I was experiencing magic.

Not only in the academy, but also in the wisdom of the 'Dragon Man (Dragon Newt)' and the experience of the explorers, there is nothing that falls under 'singing magic'.

Perhaps it's the latest or oldest - or a magic that fulfills both.