When the chains of discipline broke, a colossal wave of magical power surged around Sirin.
The force that had been suppressed to its limits burst forth, accompanied by a fierce whirlwind that began to distort the landscape all around.
Feeling Sirin’s presence growing larger, I grasped Frey tightly.
At the same time.
―Kwarung!
Ancient magics, unleashed without warning, poured forth with a terrifying roar. A breath shot up towards the sky. Eventually, the breath reached its peak and exploded, creating a meteor shower that filled the heavens.
At first glance, it appeared to be a haphazard assault, but every attack was aimed solely at me. Not only that, but with such an assault, Sirin seemed to have enough energy left to erect a massive barrier around us.
As I could hardly believe the divine sight before me, I let out a hollow laugh and expanded my senses. I pinpointed the falling meteor shower’s landing spots. I identified the gaps in the raining spells and sketched out the center of a magic circle to prepare an even greater spell.
Finally, having gauged the strength of the barrier Sirin erected, I calmed my mind and released my power.
―――!
In an instant, the interior of the barrier filled with intensity. I condensed it and layered it over my great sword. Feeling the sharpened sword qi, honed even more than what Frey had used, I kicked off the ground. Kwang-! The earth beneath my feet erupted. Petals scattered. In the midst of that, I precisely outlined what I had to cut.
Recalling the memory of cutting Sirin’s collar, I swung the great sword.
―Sok!
Without cutting any petals, I drew a line through the air.
That line sliced through the thousands of spells that were descending towards me. I cut through the entire meteor shower that filled the sky.
Boom!
A massive wound opened on Sirin’s body.
[KKKKRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA―!!]
Sirin’s roar, infused with ecstasy, reverberated. Gigantic wings spread out. Following the droplets of blood that scattered, Sirin’s magic charged forward.
In response, I pushed my body even further and deflected all the spells. I slashed, deflected, and allowed them to pass as I approached Sirin.
All that remained was to swing.
With a firm grip on the great sword, I swung it powerfully. Chwak-! Sirin’s colossal form couldn’t evade my strike. However, it didn’t suffer a fatal injury either.
Even so, it seemed unfazed by the pain; rather, it began to unleash an even more intense assault.
Kwang-! The tail swung down like a mace, slamming my body to the ground. I held back a scream as I sprang up. At the same time, I deflected the falling claws like a guillotine and released my sword qi.
Kwa-zak-! The sword qi buried in thick leather cut through Sirin’s skin. But that was all. It dispersed into the air without inflicting any fatal wounds, just like before.
It didn’t matter.
I hadn’t expected to win easily.
Catching my rough breath, I scattered my sword qi once again.
With one slice, I could cut through mountains and split oceans; a dance of swordplay unfolded. My estranged prowess, having long surpassed human limits, emitted a deep blue light and pierced into Sirin’s flesh.
Sirin’s tightly shut mouth opened. What escaped wasn’t a scream, but an incantation that couldn’t be understood by an earthly being. An intangible force unleashed pervaded my entire body.
A searing breath shot towards my body, making my fingers immobile. Great magics emerged that could rival Ser’s grand spell. Claws wrapped in a storm swung forward.
“Huh, ugggh-!”
Drawing all the calamities pouring towards me, I infused strength into my hand gripping the great sword.
Crack- Crack-!
A force that defied the world’s will tore the incantation apart. With my freed arms, I swung the great sword with all my might.
Sok-!
Just like when I slashed through Sirin’s body, the ‘result’ left only remnants of the incantation scattered away and carved a deep scar into Sirin’s left arm.
Simultaneously, Sirin’s pupils widened.
Within them resided a multitude of magic circles.
Ancient magic circles filled the air. A torrent of magical power, nearly impossible to perceive, tangled around the claws.
The attack that had torn Carpen’s half-body apart was upon me. I charged towards those claws, raising the great sword as the distance quickly shrank.
Kaang-! The claw swung a bit faster than I had anticipated, and the shadow of a dragon made contact with the great sword. A power beyond comprehension gnawed at the sword qi surrounding the great sword, pushing my body back.
I resisted that force. In fact, I embraced the fierce power with my entire body and pivoted. My waist and front feet quickly redirected the great sword, which had been aimed at Sirin’s claws.
―Cak! As the great sword lay sideways, Sirin’s claws quickly slid down its surface. Just before the sharp force that trailed down could collapse the ground, my instincts alarmed me.
I clenched my teeth and twisted my waist. Simultaneously, a bolt of lightning that grazed my neck created a giant crater on the earth. But that wasn’t the end. Just like before, with no forewarning, falling spells chased after my every movement.
Lightning coiled around the ground. Flames that seemed alive danced fiercely, creating a ceiling beneath the sky. Flames that devoured every ounce of oxygen nearby flared up, eventually bending into a circular cage.
Within it, a bolt of lightning that had been crawling on the ground rose up. A massive dragon. The bolt, resembling Sirin but distinct, unleashed its coils to bite my neck.
I sprung into action at that moment. The flames, wrapping around like vines, roared out as I swung the great sword.
Kwa-jak-!
The path of the great sword twisted reality. Following that distortion, the fiery vines curved. However, that moment was brief; the vine altered its course and ensnared my arm. Tch-! Flames, hot enough to rival Brunhilde’s lesser flames, burned my flesh.
Enduring the agonizing pain, I raised my left arm. Wood-! The fiery vine wrapped around my arm tore apart, sending embers scattering like petals. Seemingly inconsequential, each one contained the power to inflict fatal wounds on me.
Simultaneously, from beyond the fiery barrier, Sirin gathered the light of annihilation, the very force that had led worlds to ruin countless times in the past.
There was no way I could withstand that light.
Couldn’t deflect it. Couldn’t cut it down.
Couldn’t even evade it.
Then, what could I do right now?
In the stretching time, all the memories of battles I’d experienced quickly arranged themselves.
And then, I found it.
That strike I learned from Cartia.
Could I do it? If I failed, I might die.
I dismissed such trivial doubts.
Right now, I had to do it. By any means.
Throwing away all the warnings Cartia had told me, I exhaled with measured breath. Suppressing the throbbing pain, I gripped the great sword tighter. The energy responded, gathering in the great sword and beginning to emit a menacing red light.
The energy condensed to its limits became the sword thread and layered over the great sword.
With the completed sword qi, once more.
Again.
Again.
Wooh-!
The great sword began to howl as if it had reached its limits. Its sound pierced the heavens.
Feeling the wave of magical power that shook the earth, I focused my mind. I reached out towards ‘that’ which was linked to my soul.
In an instant, the notion of being able to achieve anything if I grasped it sent tremors through my entire being.
Then came a voice that stimulated my primal desires.
[Do you desire power? It is within here.]
[Do you desire wisdom? It is within here.]
[Do you desire answers? It is within here.]
[Do you desire victory? It is within here.]
[Do you desire the Shaman’s salvation-]
“Shut up.”
Rubia will, I will save her with my own hands.
I brushed off the voice that filled my mind and gripped my neck.
And then,
I began to pull forth as much power as I could bear—
No, all of that power.
At the same time.
A giant pillar of light erupted.
A light imbued with the strength of the Open Heaven, surpassing the Reverse Heaven.
The fighting spirit erupting from that place caused the very fabric of space to tremble.
Even time bowed to the overwhelming force.
Finally, the light of discipline that had shattered worlds opened its eyes, revealing enough annihilative power to bring this world to ruin.
Simultaneously, Crack-! I swung the great sword with a roar.
The light of the Open Heaven, poised to overturn the very foundations of the world, sliced through the air.
Along with it, the sword qi that had cloaked the great sword.
A fatal strike that risked my life.
Everything of mine.
Reached the heavens.
*
Tiddik- Tidididik-
The distorted landscape slowly began to restore itself.
Yet, the scenery that brushed past with the power of the Open Heaven remained hollow, as if swallowed by the end.
Within it.
[…Hahaha, Ahahahaha!]
Sirin’s laughter echoed. Each time she laughed, blood erupted from her body, pouring down like a waterfall.
But Sirin paid it no mind, continuing to laugh.
[The light of the Open Heaven? It doesn’t quite match Cartia’s light… but… it was good enough. Noah.]
“Cough… Ugh… Hah…”
I spat out the gushing blood from within and plunged the great sword into the ground. I leaned against it, gasping for breath as if I might collapse at any moment.
[Yes. The pupil surpassing the teacher… There won’t be anything more intense than this. Haha… Now I even think that if I keep holding back, I might really die.]
Yet.
[Not enough.]
Ku-gung—
A massive pulse resonated from within Sirin’s body.
[You’re still bound by stats. You haven’t transcended your limits.]
Ku-gung—
Following that pulse, a golden orb rose above Sirin’s palm.
The orb contained all the causality of discipline.
And then Sirin, Kwak! clenched her fist and shattered the orb.
From the shattered orb, a brilliant light burst forth.
That light transformed Sirin’s dragon-like form into a human body.
[So, transcend your limits. Break free from discipline.]
But it wasn’t the complete form of a human.
She still had the horns, wings, and tail of a dragon.
She had adopted such a form before, when she had blocked Ser’s grand spell, but this felt entirely different.
The terrifying presence that had once loomed was now gone.
The intense power that had been there was no more.
She just felt like an ordinary girl.
Yet my instincts remained on high alert, constantly ringing in my ears.
Because of this, I steadied my staggering body and drew the great sword.
[If you can’t break free…]
But Sirin was already standing before me.
I couldn’t fathom how she had moved.
I couldn’t feel it.
It was as if she had always been in this place.
Sirin’s form stood directly in front of me.
Instincts blared, screaming to danger. A horrid chill crawled up my spine.
Death.
The moment I sensed it, I reflexively swung my great sword.
“I will kill you.”
Crack—
Already, my body was rolling on the ground.
