<904 – Dark Shadow vs Dark Shadow (13)>
The afterimage of the Sadi Chocolate, which remained at one side of the Vision of Oknodie, diligently wrote down the information to send back to its main body with sparkling eyes.
Flipping through the pages in its mind without ever getting tired of the writing sensation!
Oknodie’s dark shadow actions were exemplary this month, setting a standard for the psychological master, Sadi Chocolate.
“Hmmm. Persuasion isn’t working, and I’m this angry, what should I do? I’ve finally gotten closer to Ishtar and wanted to stay friends, but then again, friends sometimes fight too, so just once should be fine, right?”
Dodging lethal strikes with [Acceleration Afterimage Slash], Oknodie smoothly moved forward, activating [Doppelganger Technique] in sequence.
As it parried the leading strike, the next doppelganger slashed, followed by another, constantly forcing a counterattack, while a bright white light cluster gathered in the main body’s hand.
“Ta-da!”
[Mana Control Technique Mastery – Perfect Reproduction]
[Imitation Target – Titosso’s [Shining]]
[You can perfectly reproduce a mana control technique you have experienced once.]
[The duration of reproduction varies based on your mana amount and relevant functions as well as surrounding environmental factors.]
Titosso was purely able to consciously replicate something it did unconsciously.
Oknodie’s interpreted light simultaneously paralyzed Ishtar’s vision and mana detection in an instant.
“Eh?!”
“Gotcha…”
“Don’t let my death be known to the enemy…”
Surprisingly, even while blinded and having its mana detection blocked, Ishtar managed to slay all three of Oknodie’s doppelgangers.
Even in blindness and with blocked mana detection, the peak of anger awakened the Warrior’s capabilities.
Some emotions spread through the surrounding space, imposing a feeling from one person onto another.
Joy.
Sadness.
And anger.
Ishtar was furious right now.
And she sensed the moment when that anger reached others, transformed, and then returned back to her as an electric signal.
[Berserker’s Instinct]
The phenomenon typically only happens when the Chapter Boss Hestia loses her sanity and becomes a Berserker.
“How unfair! Stealing a Berserker’s finishing move when you aren’t even one!”
Oknodie’s complaint, who frequently and easily stole other’s finishing moves, was merely seen as teasing by Ishtar.
“I won’t forgive you for betraying my trust! I will subjugate you by force if I have to!!”
“Hmph. If you can, then try it!”
With a haughty retort, Oknodie pulled out a paper airplane aircraft carrier from their backpack.
[Tabletop-Class Aircraft Carrier]
[The aircraft carrier rapidly launches paper airplanes.]
[Launch: Paper Airplane Fighter Squadron]
[Launch: Paper Airplane Kamikaze Squadron]
[Launch: Paper Airplane Stealth Squadron]
[Launch: Paper Airplane EMP]
[Launch: Paper Airplane Support]
The paper airplanes soared into the sky, chaotically firing magic missiles or bursting with explosive spells, launching an all-out assault on Ishtar from every direction.
Ishtar, shocked by the overwhelming power coming from mere paper, swung her sword to deflect the magic missiles and caught the kamikaze airplanes with Holy Mirror.
[Trap Spell Activation]
[Condition: If space coordinates are disconnected, it will explode immediately.]
Unable to withstand the explosion originating from within the mirror, the Holy Mirror shattered.
The shock transmitted partially to the caster, Ishtar, causing a trickle of blood to run down her lips from the backflowing mana’s burden on her mind and body.
[Reverse Barrier]
Attempting to respond with a shield magic’s long-range partial creation to counter the remaining kamikaze, Ishtar was startled to see her deployed barrier vanish entirely as a kamikaze swooped in.
The second thing that played her again was the EMP paper airplane that evaporated her mana.
[Launcher: Flying Sword]
Like anti-air artillery shooting up shells alongside the flying fighter jets, shapes of mana morphed into swords shot out one after another from Ishtar’s holy sword.
Some airplanes lost their wings and crashed or exploded due to broken spells, but the remaining planes, engulfed by the defenses, were held back.
The support paper airplanes cast aerial support magic.
“It was no joke!”
Every night, crafting spells into paper like illustrations on a canvas, folding them into airplanes, and putting them into the aircraft carrier like a piggy bank, Oknodie wasn’t simply a child anymore.
Now that those innocent, heartwarming times stood in her way, Ishtar felt tears welling up.
Oknodie didn’t do meaningless things.
Not even the paper airplanes.
What was the bond she shared with herself?
Surely it had its meaning.
Perhaps it was to prevent the Warrior from targeting the enemy, as it seemed she was hesitating now.
“It’s all a misunderstanding! It has to be like that!”
With gleaming light radiating from her sword, Ishtar sliced through and tore the path, her blade severing the paper airplanes as they vanished.
Although Ishtar reached a higher level of strength, the more powerful she became, the more miserable she felt.
She didn’t want this.
She didn’t want Oknodie to become the enemy.
Becoming stronger only meant she could keep feeding the one and only god, the Sofemia of the Sun.
– Oknodie possesses Dark Mana. There’s always a risk of being dominated by the Demon King who possesses the most Dark Mana on the ground. If the Demon King invades the Academy or meets Oknodie after graduating, things won’t go well.
The words Yufi once said came to mind.
– As long as I, Ishtar, am alive, Oknodie will not die. If such a thing happens, I will take the death damage for Oknodie instead.
– The price of a vow is the strength to bear responsibility. Until the day Oknodie fulfills her mission, my will won’t break, and every moment, I will grow stronger.
Recalling that miserable fate with sympathy, she remembered the unfulfilled soul vow she had made.
– Ishtar. I wanted to make a soul vow!
– Huh?
– Don’t do it!
Oknodie worried for herself.
She didn’t want to think of that moment as just an act.
– How many people have died after making a wrong soul vow? It’s easy to mess up a round with such reckless signings! There are cases where it’s commonplace to undermine one’s own vows!
– W-What did you say? You’ve made one? A soul vow?
– Ah…
– Who? Which god did you contract with? What pact did you bear?
– No, it’s okay now…
– Speak, quickly!
– Just something simple… a contract to exhibit a never-faltering heart by putting feelings in a box and bringing them out…?
– !!!
– And then…
– And then what else is there…?
– It’s not a big deal… but every night, as many contracts as friends and comrades I want to protect, I bleed in the divine realm, postponing regional annihilation events in exchange for the blood shed…?
There were once some vows that endlessly continued alongside Ishtar as she stumbled beside her.
A curse-like contract that embedded the illusion of betraying those around her, drawing her mentally far away in exchange for mastery over illusion magic.
In exchange for foresight into the future, she gradually lost her eyesight and completely lost it the moment she realized the foreseen future.
Far riskier than a soul vow that penalizes the failure to fulfill it, the forbidden vows that took penalties just by maintaining them.
Ishtar knew Oknodie was that kind of child.
A kid struggling not to be abandoned by the Foundation while carrying a heavy soul vow that made her miserable.
A kid who wanted to help her friends.
‘It’s impossible. Even if I’m a doppelganger, knowing this is the main body makes it impossible to slash.’
If this fight has meaning, then it’s not for the Sofemia of the Sun.
It’s a fight against the anxiety and restlessness of the fact that that poor child has used herself.
‘So show me. Quickly. Tell me that it was just a little too much of a prank, that you wanted Ishtar to get stronger, and that now that the purpose has been achieved, you’ll stop this bad behavior!’
Despite Ishtar’s sincere wish, Oknodie did not stop.
Beyond the countless downed airplanes, Ishtar’s slash grazed Oknodie’s cheek.
Ultimately, it was Ishtar’s will that halted first.
[Space Freeze]
Just as she was about to despair and put down her sword, the paper airplanes targeting her froze in mid-air.
[This opportunity you created is not just yours. Don’t carelessly throw it away.]
Guided by Forever More’s warning, Ishtar forced a melancholic smile.
Now, she could not even stop and go down from this fight.
‘Should I retire after this fight…?’
It was a burden too heavy for her.
Bearing such heaviness in this fight felt overwhelming even once.
Missing the gap in Ishtar’s heart, a god placed a hand on her cheek.
[Some god realizes that the darkness within Ishtar’s heart traps even the brilliant light of the sun and approaches.]
[Some god, chuckling that this is a chance to remove the thorn in her eye, pushes their hand into Ishtar’s heart.]
[Something in Ishtar’s heart temporarily freezes.]
Yet this one time, she could not afford to step back.
For all those who opened the path for her.
If she pulled back now, it would be all over.
[Holy Sword Awakening]
[Divine Guardian of Radiance]
With the spell and engravings stored in the aircraft carrier, automatically printing each paper with inscriptions, folding them into airplanes, and launching them in real-time production of flying machines.
The automated production of aircraft carrier-class paper airplanes was troublesome, but Ishtar’s slash unfolded faster than the production speed, taking down every single airplane.
The slash even inflicted damage on the carrier.
[Holy Mirror]
“It’s useless.”
Oknodie’s petty tricks no longer worked.
[Some god, furious at the impurities felt from their apostle, bestows great power.]
[Stage 4 Zone – Sun Zone]
[Effect: Where the sunlight shines, the owner of that space becomes you.]
Oknodie’s Holy Mirror, intended to obstruct Ishtar’s slash midway, could not unfold within Ishtar’s domain.
The sun itself was Ishtar’s strength, and the god of the sun always watch over her.
Boom!
“My aircraft carrier!”
As the expensive spells, magical stones, and the finest paper were all packed into the aircraft carrier and it exploded, the dust from magical stones sparkled like glass shards scattered around.
“Get out of the way. I won’t dodge anymore; I’ll stab you!”
“Hmph! I’m getting angry. Ishtar will not spare you anymore.”
Even if it was Oknodie, blocking the way meant an impending cut.
Determined not to stop, Ishtar unleashed her sword strike.
At the end of that blade awaited the Disaster Bug.
The owner of a realm endowed with the extremes of [Push] and [Pull], and the final boss guarding the ultimate Death Zone.
That final boss suddenly got enveloped by smoke and was drawn somewhere.
“?!”
Following the smoke, she reached a white arm.
Exposed beneath a casually rolled-up sleeve was pure, shining skin.
A tattoo resembling the Disaster Bug was inscribed on that arm.
“Since Ishtar broke my thing first, I’ll engrave it with tattoo art to make sure I don’t lose it going forward!”
A self-destructive act of tattooing that sullies her body, imbued with the significance of anger towards someone!
So shocking was this act, that a certain god hidden in Ishtar’s heart screamed and retreated.
At the same time, Ishtar gripped tightly again to the reins of her mental state.
With her senses returning, Ishtar trembled.
“Are you… tattooing your arm to rebel against me…?”
Hmph!
“Erase it now! Why in the world would you tattoo such a grotesque creature on your body?!”
“You made me mad first!”
“My words don’t matter even a little, right? That’s why you didn’t listen to me and blocked my way. You’re angry at me for that, huh? What exactly do you want me to do?!”
While expressing anger, Ishtar realized something.
No matter how much she hated Oknodie and tried to give up, the very moment she worried for her, it was impossible to become strangers or enemies.
Wasn’t it the same for Oknodie?
Even amidst her betrayal to the world, she was desperately trying to persuade Ishtar.
[I can no longer trust you. Get out of the way.]
Ishtar realized the terrifying speed at which her sensory abilities were vanishing even when borrowing the power of the Sun God to unfold her domain.
By the time she attempted to respond, she already noticed her extensive expanse of control was cut through and [Frozen].
An imminent domain triggered by Forever More expanded.
[Stopping Zone]
Forever More reached a point where it could freeze everything – lungs, heart, brain, blood, and more – upon contact with the opponent’s body.
Body-protecting life mana would not allow any invasion, and a person trained in mana would surround their skin with their body mana to defend themselves at a distance.
Forever More’s energy made all such attempts meaningless.
By freezing the time surrounding Ishtar, if she couldn’t break through the ‘freeze’ of the prison-like area, she would lose her domain.
Ishtar’s time would then remain frozen in a state besieged by Forever More.
That terrifying zone pressured her now.
[Don’t interfere. Otherwise, it would be the end of your life.]
Ishtar’s hand rested on her sword sheath, frozen in place.
The heavy presence approached in her stead.
Forever More stood before Oknodie.
“Junior. I am different from Ishtar. I hold no personal feelings towards you. So if you interfere, I will kill you. Remove the tattoo and hand over the Disaster Bug, or I will sever your arm to retrieve it.”
“I don’t want to! We’re all just trying to get along! Why is it always me being blamed? If this continues, I might just go completely rogue!”
The clash began between Oknodie, who regained the title of Top Student after becoming a Third Year, and Forever More, the reigning Top Student of Fourth Year.
