#353
Embarrassment is a Moment
“W-who the hell calls you my sister?!”
Seira clenched her fists upon hearing the ‘sister’ remark.
Her cheeks trembled with rage.
Like a typical light novel character, Seira is sensitive about her age.
Of course, she couldn’t accept being called ‘sister’ by a grandpa sporting a white beard like a fresh vegetable.
In volume 17 of the original work, Seira didn’t join the protagonist when he stormed the Cult, so naturally, there was no chance for her to meet Diego.
Thus, moments like this were nonexistent, and their previous acquaintance was just a background detail revealed in the setting bible.
According to the lore, Grand Elder Diego Morales was a notorious EX-rank villain who had been causing trouble for a decade before the establishment of the Cult, back when Five Crowns were still around.
His true goal was to acquire the ultimate power, the Source of the Meridian, that lay dormant in the Broken World and use it to dominate the world.
Collecting relics and lost technology was merely a means for him to control the powerful Source of the Meridian.
In stark contrast to Messiah, who plans to use the immense power to destroy this world and create a new one.
So, in the original work, it was noted that Messiah planned to use Diego only for his academy demolition strategy, then strike back in the Broken World to eliminate him.
[Hoo. Partner. I feel like I can finally breathe.]
The Black Prince murmurs in Seira’s mind.
Crack, crack, crack!
White and gray sparks erupted as the space quivered.
The realms of Diego Morales and Yoshizaki Seira collided with a forceful rebuff.
“If you’re not my sister, should I call you grandma instead? Anyway, long time no see. Brings back old memories.”
Diego Morales laughed heartily.
The ominous weapon in his hand, the Death Side, let out a dreadful wail.
“Shut up! Ugh… I always suspected a villain would be meddling with our kid once the world glass barrier unfolded in these mountains. The moment the barrier lifted, I flew here with the help of agent Han Seo-Jin to sense the kid’s magic, only to find out that it was you, Diego, messing with him…”
Seira’s fists shook with rage, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
The mere act of the world glass barrier unfolding could certainly be sensed by the heroes present at the scene.
If they were there, they would surely sense it.
Especially someone like Seira, even if only half an EX rank, would instantly recognize my position and move accordingly.
That’s what I thought, but I had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.
So I had previously informed Han Seo-Jin to let Seira know about the barrier’s movements and give her the heads-up to come this way the moment it’s dispelled.
‘Just as planned.’
Everything is going smoothly.
Of course, Seira, being only half an EX rank, can’t face Diego alone.
But if Seira can return to her prime state with the power of my full EX rank mental expansion…
Then it would be possible not just to fight Diego, but to win.
And if I also consider Undertaker, who would join right after we take down Dokta Shinahel, I can’t possibly lose.
“Hey, kid. Are you hurt anywhere?”
I hear Seira’s voice in my ear.
She’s looking at me with a worried expression.
“I’m fine.”
Upon hearing my answer, Seira begins poking my arms and shoulders to check for injuries.
Her touch makes me flinch without meaning to.
[Noona…!]
The Black Prince sighs in my head.
“Thank goodness. Hoo. How about the others? A-chan, Miss Stewart, Miss Smith. Are you guys okay?”
After checking my injuries, Seira looks at the other heroines and asks.
“We’re fine, Director.”
“Girl, you’re looking fine!”
“I-I’m fine.”
Aris, Evangelin, and Beatrice respond in unison.
Seira, who had been only inspecting with her eyes instead of touching, nods.
“Alright then. From now on, we must make that arrogant old man pay for daring to lay a hand on my lovely kid and my disciples.”
“Old man? What are you talking about when you’re older than me…”
The moment Diego’s words hit the air.
Creeeak.
Seira grits her teeth.
With a flushed face, she yells.
“Shut up! You vile villain! Who are you calling old? I’m still a fresh young beautiful girl! Die! Celestial Flash!!”
As Seira calls out the skill name, a translucent feminine figure appears behind her.
The transcendent weapon, the spirit Amaterasu Oomikami.
As the spirit Amaterasu raises her hand, a white beam descends from the bright sky, piercing Diego like countless spearheads.
Kwah-kwah-kwah!
As white sparks fly, the space tears apart and the sky shakes.
“Still sensitive about age, I see.”
With a sinister voice, Diego tears through the rising smoke with a gray scythe.
[Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu]
Alongside an eerie wail, black specters rise endlessly from behind him.
“Seira, noona. It doesn’t really matter. You may have been a match for me in your prime, but you can’t possibly win against me in your current state. I imagine with the rain your knees are aching these days, so don’t strain yourself and rest properly. Noona! Race!! Tornado!!”
Diego bellows out the skill name with vigor.
Pshhhhhhhh!
Alongside him, the black specters enveloped in his gray magic begin to take on the form of a swirling vortex, just as he named.
[Woooooo!]
Splash! Splash!
With the eerie echoes of a cursed domain, phantoms surged up from the surface, gathering around the skyward blade of the Death Scythe like a flock of crows.
Goooooo!
An ominous shockwave of magical energy radiated from the Death Scythe.
Race Tornado.
This ridiculously named skill translates to “Phantom Whirlwind” and is Diego’s trademark move.
It was an area attack that launched the collected phantoms, infused with the powers of the underworld, at the enemy.
Seira bit her lip as she watched the spectacle.
“I will absolutely protect the child and my little ones…”
“Chairman.”
I placed my hand on Seira’s shoulder.
“Ch-child?!”
She gasped, her face turning beet red.
Her body flinched.
“Now is the time to stop the mental projection.”
Patsch! Patsch! Patsch!
While Seira’s mental projection had somewhat eroded Diego’s, it hadn’t pushed him away.
As Diego pointed out, Seira couldn’t defeat him unless she was in her prime.
So, it was time for me to step up.
“But the child has just awakened to their mental projection and is still inexperienced! As an adult, I must protect you. If you’re worried about me, it’s okay. If I use Prime Mode…”
Seira spoke seriously, her face still flushed, biting her lip.
In other words, she was saying she’d purposely tank the enemy’s attacks, fearing I might falter because I just hit EX rank and my mental projection is still immature.
What a naivete.
Well, I guess that’s how it goes in a light novel world.
“No need for that.”
There’s no need to use Prime Mode.
I can’t witness that regression again with my own eyes.
Of course, Seira’s point isn’t wrong.
From her perspective, I’m just a rookie who just hit EX rank.
Considering the distinctions in self-assurance and mastery associated with mental projections even within EX rank, it’s impossible for me, a newbie, to defeat someone considered top-tier within that rank.
Sure, that’s how it should be.
[Partner! From now on, it’s our time, right?]
With a cheerful voice, a spirit clad in black full-body armor appeared behind me.
The Black Prince.
If he, who had once claimed the top spot in Five Crowns, is with me, then mastery issues wouldn’t matter.
“Trust me, Chairman. This time, I’ll…”
I felt my face heat up a bit.
Even if the line is a little embarrassing, it can’t be helped.
It’s better to say a slightly cringe-worthy line than to watch Seira revert to childhood due to Prime Mode’s side effects.
“I will protect you, Chairman, and seniors Aris, Stuart, and Smith.”
At my words, Seira’s eyes trembled.
Her face turned bright red.
“Y-you’re so cool…”
She whispered softly.
Cool? This?
I’m mortified.
“……”
I was left speechless, unsure how to respond to her words.
Now I understand why light novel protagonists seem to have great hearing but choose to pretend they didn’t hear the heroines’ praises.
It’s just too embarrassing.
Finally, I get the feelings of light novel protagonists who pretend not to hear the heroines saying they’re great, albeit in a small voice.
I can somewhat understand their feelings.
“Ah, I see…”
One step.
Seira takes a step back.
Sparks fly!
In an instant, Seira’s visualization is dismissed.
“Oh? Sister. Are you saying you would entrust fate to that punk named Kim Deok-Sung? I can’t comprehend that…”
Diego, gathering his specters, speaks in a villainous rant, typical of a light novel antagonist.
Ignoring his words, I close my eyes.
Thump.
My heart races.
The Magic Core and Black Stone resonate, explosively unleashing magical energy.
Visualization is the manifestation of a hero’s personal beliefs.
It’s the act of engraving one’s belief into the world.
Thus, a battle of visualization is a battle of beliefs.
Generally, in a confrontation with an EX-rank hero, the hero with the stronger belief wins.
That’s how it was supposed to be.
A battle of beliefs? What a middle school delusion-style light novel setting.
If Diego’s ambition for world domination is written in the setting books, then I…
[Partner. Let’s go.]
I open my eyes at the Black Prince’s words.
Whoooooooosh!
Durandal trembles in response, as if resonating with me.
With my eyes opened, I engraved the mantra symbolizing my belief into the world.
[Saving everyone in reality]
【Break the Fourth Wall】
The moment the mantra was engraved into the world.
Flash!
With a black flash, the world flips.
Through the cracks of the broken sky, an infinite number of stars, nebulae, and galaxies twinkle in the universe’s view.
Sparks fly!!
With a spark, the image of my blue home planet, Earth, appears in the sky.
Whoooooooosh!
The universe that appeared in the sky gradually expands into space.
Diego twitches his eyebrows at the sight.
“…Is this a final desperate struggle? To bet everything on such a childish visualization. I can’t understand it. But it won’t matter. My secret technique, Race Tornado, is already complete! Die!!”
With urgency in his voice, Diego unleashes the Race Tornado.
The gray tornado, endlessly reinforced by the power of the specters gathered over time, tears through space and heads towards me.
I waved my hand.
Flash!
The stars, nebulae, galaxies, and the Earth hovering above my head respond to my gesture through the broken sky.
[Partner! Now the skill name!]
The Black Prince shouts in my mind.
A skill name, huh?
Do I really have to shout it? But this is the visualization.
A space where my belief and visualization manifest into reality.
Within this visualization, shouting the skill name functions as a kind of incantation, making the skill even stronger, or so the damn setting goes.
I hadn’t needed to until now, but my opponent is Diego Morales, who ranks among the top even in EX-rank strength.
To increase my odds, I need to shout that damned skill name.
It’s childish and embarrassing.
What a ridiculous light novel world, why does it have to have such a setting?
But I must do it.
Even to handle him.
The embarrassment is only for a moment.
I think that way and, with trembling lips, I shouted the skill name.
“Ultimate Starfall!!”
Damn it.
I’m dying of embarrassment.
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