Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Become a Legend
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Become a legend.
I ascend against the black storm.
My enemy awaited me in the eye of that storm.
It swung the green blades of a giant mantis, unleashing the wind.
"Wind of [Conflict]—!!"
*Swoooosh—!!*
Beneath the ashen sky, a fiercely raging, turbulent sea.
A wave made of countless blades was crashing down.
That green dragon had become a squall, attacking me.
'The waves are fierce, so I must become a rock.'
I gripped the golden spear tightly and planted my feet firmly on the ground. The aura of golden ether protected me like armor, leaving nothing to fear.
A deafening noise.
A black wind that seemed to cut with the slightest touch.
But I raised the golden spear high, simply enduring and thrusting.
*Thrust.*
A spear exists to thrust.
A rock defying the crashing waves.
The lingering scent of black killing intent spreading out.
Becoming a steadfast rock, I part the waves.
The gleaming golden spearhead parts the rushing wind.
I became a boulder, cutting through the black wind. The black current splits as it brushes past the rock.
The sound of tearing air rushed past my ears.
An impact that beat against my eardrums like a drum.
*Shwaaaaa—!!*
Winds tens of meters in size split apart, spewing the aftereffects of destruction. The clouds, struck by the terrifying impact, scattered.
Sunlight faintly shone through the scattered clouds.
The light cut a path between the golden cats and the giant serpent.
A golden light was guiding our way.
The faint afterimage of a sunset glow.
That light eventually illuminated Hilde and Freyja, who were fending off attacks behind me. With a great spear, they cleared away the clones and intercepted the black armaments shot from the sky.
"Haaaah—!!"
Wielding golden weapons, I forged a path for everyone to advance. Mastering countless techniques, I pressed forward, frantically switching weapons.
Forward.
Just keep moving forward.
The trajectory of a dagger's thrust explodes and trembles.
Where the longsword swings, golden ether shines.
Where the greatsword strikes down, enemies shatter and disperse.
"Kuaaaargh!!"
"Not yet, not yet...!!"
*Kwaaang—!!*
I lifted the greatsword I'd slammed into the ground and spun widely.
A curve as fluid yet fierce as the movements of a ballerina in mid-air.
"[Blue Sweet Macaron]—!!"
A [Wave] of golden ether embroidered the air.
Contained within that sword path was the principle of rotation, practiced countless times.
The rotation of the [Spiral].
Change the world.
And crush the enemies.
A white flash.
A golden wave.
Countless lights annihilate the foes.
*Kwaaaaang—!!*
And we advance toward the light.
A place where countless colors tangle and explode.
There, a single, faint light of hope was shining.
The light of tomorrow, desired by the girls in my memories, was shining.
But Ófnir unleashed ether like a black barrier, once again summoning a wall of wind. It once again scattered the clouds that had just begun to glow.
"O, wind—!!"
"Unleash everything!!"
"Crush them—!!"
[The fate of this conflict will be decided here—!!]
A desperate resolve.
Ófnir's main body frantically waved its hands, while its numerous giant clones erupted with black ether, summoning the wind.
Countless armaments were pouring down from the sky. They rained down through the densely packed black winds.
Clones, each possessing combat power rivaling an Apostle.
Black armaments, as if fired by hundreds of mages.
They gathered as one, creating a great calamity.
*Kwaaaaaaa—!!!*
A tidal wave of black ether crashed down.
We could do nothing but endure within that massive wave.
A sea shaken by a storm. A force that seemed ready to capsize a small boat navigating by the light of a single candle. It all felt as if it were coming to erase us from this world.
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
*Clang!*
The metallic sounds that had been deafening my ears.
The purple armaments endlessly unleashed by Freyja, who followed at the very back, were gradually weakening amidst the downpour of black ether.
Even when bathed in the golden light,
the wave of purple armaments began to falter.
The boundary protected by the purple armaments was being pushed back.
"Kgh...! Th-this damn...! There's so, so many of them...!"
Freyja staggered, unable to keep pace with our advance toward Ófnir. Her face had turned completely pale, and she followed along through sheer grit, her teeth clenched.
But...
*Ruuuuuumble—!!!*
The ground we stood and fought on... the head of [The Serpent of Wisdom and Cycle] began to shake. Soon, it was moving as violently as an earthquake, making it difficult to even maintain balance.
The 'Serpent' was gradually regaining control, even amidst the golden bombardment.
'We're almost there...!'
We swayed precariously on the shaking ground. It was difficult to even hold our ground amidst the relentless assault.
"...?!"
"...This can't be?!"
"Kgh?!"
A sudden sound from beside me.
The golden cats that had become my weapons were crying out incessantly. Their golden ears drooped pitifully as they sent an urgent signal.
*-Meeeoow...!*
*-Meeeow...*
"...Lotha?"
Beyond the 'Fairy Tale Magic' resonating from the 'Sage's Room', I could feel Lotha's restless emotions.
Then came the voice of [The Golden Witch].
Her tone was as calm as ever, but the content was shocking.
『I think I'm about to disappear... so I'm preparing one big shot... could you buy me some time? At this rate, my ether will vanish completely, and I won't be able to provide any more support.』
"...?!"
『If we don't stop one of them... either the 'Serpent' or the [Priest of Conflict]... it's going to charge straight for the World Tree.』
"Already...?!"
『The moment the abyssal power they possess makes contact with the World Tree... the seal on the strongest beast god... the 'Dragon'... will begin to loosen.』
"...!"
We hurriedly looked back.
There, we saw the World Tree, which had drawn incredibly close. Its branches and trunk had once stretched majestically below the horizon. Now, they spread out behind us like a white wall.
『Now, we're really out of time.』
"..."
Finally, the bombardment from the golden cats ceased.
*Ruuuuuumble—!!!*
The 'Serpent's' head trembled violently once more.
We held on, enduring the ground that pitched up and down.
"Kyaaa?!"
"Hngh...!"
"No...!"
Amidst all the frantic movement.
Ófnir desperately reached its blade-like hands toward the World Tree. The green dragon spoke in a voice like a roar.
"Finally...! Finally, finally!! Finally—!! It's right there!! It's right there!! Move, remains of the beast god!! To rescue my god, sealed beneath the World Tree!! Squeeze out every last bit of your strength—!!!"
*Gwoooooooh—!!*
The 'Serpent' raised its head and began to charge toward the World Tree. It rose to such a height that it seemed it would pierce the heavens, and the World Tree's shining branches could be seen far below.
High in the sky, where even the clouds drifted beneath our feet.
We were barely holding on by planting our weapons into the ground.
"..."
Suddenly.
Freyja awkwardly rose from the ground.
She was looking down below with a resolute expression.
"..."
Hilde and I stared at her with surprised eyes.
"[Spindle]...?"
"Stray cat...?"
Freyja looked at us with a slight smirk. For some reason, her smile held an emotion beyond mere relief.
"Hey, really... how long are you going to keep calling me that? My name isn't The Violet Spindle, the Sage of Ignorance, or the Head of the Seekers... it's just Freyja."
Freyja said once more.
"I am... Freyja. Not someone swayed by [Fate]... just... Freyja, who loves magic."
Why was it?
The moment I heard that declaration.
I felt as if Freyja had taken a great stride toward 'this side'.
Crossing the boundary of the world.
Beyond the form of [Fate].
Reaching the state of white.
The end of the [Unique Ether] that defines oneself.
An extreme growth of letting oneself go again.
A state that only Hilde and I had reached.
I felt as if she had approached that place.
'Could it be...!'
With that intuition, I called out to Freyja. Hilde also seemed to have sensed Freyja's unusual aura.
"F-Freyja...!"
"Freyja, don't tell me...!"
"...Th-this is preparation to move on to the next step."
"...What?"
"I'm going to try and find something more important than [Fate]. So watch carefully and follow me... you-you crazy yuri bitches...!"
After spitting out those words.
She dropped down below without hesitation.
*-Meeeoow—!!*
In response to the purple ether flowing from her, the golden cat chariot approached. And she boarded it naturally, as if she had been the chariot's owner all along.
*Thump—!*
Freyja, aboard the golden chariot, flying through the sky.
The sage, mounted on the chariot, finally moved beyond [Fate],
and embarked on a journey to forge a new path.
She flew around the black serpent, beginning to gather the gold.
*Wooooong—!!*
The [Eternal Spindle] shone more brilliantly than ever before. It slowly turned, absorbing the golden ether scattered throughout the city streets.
Golden threads intertwine.
Lotha's dreams intertwine.
Weaving together purple armaments.
The endless weapons woven from golden threads formed a massive stake, like a giant cat's paw.
Freyja raised her wand. She wore an incredibly refreshing smile.
"This is a farewell to old worries...!!"
*Guuuuuung—!!*
Tens of thousands of daggers.
Thousands of longswords.
Hundreds of greatswords.
Purple spears and bows.
"This is a farewell to old fears...!!"
*Gwoooooooh—!!*
The countless spells Freyja had gathered every day since awakening her [Unique Ether]. As they clumped together, they soon took the form of a cat's paw larger than a building.
And toward the 'Serpent' with its head raised,
she aimed the giant purple cat paw.
*Rurururumble...!!*
The cat's paw, made of countless purple weapons, was aimed sharply at the nape of the serpent's neck.
"This is my resolve for tomorrow—!!"
Freyja embroidered the air with purple ether and shouted with all her might.
"[Eternal Spindle]!! Fire all ammunition—!!!"
*Thwoooooom—!!!*
With an impact that shook the very axis of the earth.
With a sound that split the wind.
With the refreshing cry of a girl.
The giant purple cat paw was shot toward the 'Serpent's' head.
*Kwaaaaaaaaang—!!!*
The purple cat's punch dug into its flesh.
The head of [The Serpent of Wisdom and Cycle], which had been fighting the golden cats floating in the sky, was knocked aside. Its mouth, which had seemed ready to swallow the World Tree at any moment, was forced open.
"———!!"
Impact.
The serpent looked to the sky and screamed.
The afterimage of the past, now only a corpse, writhed.
"———!!"
"Kuaargh...?!"
Even Ófnir staggered and lost its balance.
"———!!"
The serpent was writhing, its mouth wide open, screaming.
A faint pulse could be felt beyond it.
*Thump—!!*
Inside the serpent's head.
The last remnant left in the beast god's remains.
I instinctively realized we had to attack that spot.
"...!"
"...!"
Freyja shouted to us from afar.
"Gooooooo—!!!"
Hilde and I met each other's eyes.
And at the same time, we broke into wide smiles.
We simultaneously rushed toward the serpent's open mouth.
*Whoosh!*
I felt the chilling resistance of the wind and a sense of floating from the tips of my toes.
An endless darkness.
A descending tunnel.
The feeling of abyssal power.
We plummeted toward the serpent's mouth.
*Swoooosh—!!*
But from within that darkness, Ófnir's furious voice could be heard. It hastily beat its wings from afar, chasing after us.
Its many clones exchanged shouts of rage.
[No—!!!]
[The conflict cannot end here—!!!]
[O, wind!! Wind of conflict!! Shatter everything to pieces!!]
[Shatter them!!]
[Everything shall vanish in [Conflict]!!]
[Vanish—!!!]
A colossal body charging into the darkness.
Countless clones forming in the dark.
A great black wind threatening us.
Everything was buried in pitch blackness, impossible to distinguish.
*Ruuuumble—!!*
"[Grimnir]—!!"
No matter how Hilde made thunder roar,
and released dozens of forks of lightning.
"[Blue Sweet Macaron]—!!"
No matter how I spread the [Wave],
and unleashed countless secret arts with my weapons.
The turbulent waves blowing from the endless darkness swallowed everything.
The despair that we might not be able to protect it.
The anxiety that everything might end in failure.
The black wave carried such emotions, slowly swallowing us.
"Hilde...!"
"Lara...!"
『You held on well. Now... let's end this.』
*Paaaaat—!!*
In that moment.
The golden flowers etched on my neck began to glow.
Inside the dark serpent's mouth, countless figures and images were carved.
Murals from the dark caves where the beastkin once lived were carved.
Those murals were golden, containing the dreams and memories of countless students.
From the golden ether, countless 'dreams' and 'fairy tales' could be heard.
Stories from the cave.
Stories of the outside world.
Stories of fights and wars.
Stories of finally overcoming fear.
Stories of being lost, bewitched by gold.
And the story of Freyja, who despaired in [Fate].
The story of Lotha, who set off to find her path with her sister's encouragement.
The stories of love and dreams that [The Golden Witch] wanted to convey.
Finally... all the memories gathered here and became a golden mural.
Mountains, fields, skies, birds, animals, and flowers were shining.
Countless shining golden stories connected. They went beyond magic that exists merely as form, and began to shine as a new law.
The many stories, separated by a grand expanse of time, shone. Accepting the memories of one girl, they finally became a fairy tale that connects people's hearts.
"———!!"
"Uwaaaaaaaargh!!"
The power of darkness... the 'Serpent' and Ófnir, who belonged to the 'Abyss', writhed in agony from the light. But for us, the hearts contained in the many fairy tales and the golden ether became a chance to connect our own hearts.
All these stories were connected as one, passed down to our turn.
*Thump—!*
My heart and Hilde's connect.
Your heart and my vision connect, becoming a clue to the next stage.
Heart connected to heart, drawing a trajectory beyond [Fate].
"...!"
"...!"
We clasped hands.
Held in our clasped hands was Hilde's lance.
We aimed the giant lance, which emanated azure-white ether, forward.
Even with so much help layered together.
The only thing we could reach in this moment was [The Azure-White Lightning Spear].
We have run all this way to become the heroes of this story.
The story of the ancient beast god who broke through the long darkness.
Its end will be a shining fairy tale of lightning.
A fairy tale that drives out the dark serpent.
A story of standing at the center of [Fate].
The legend of the golden mural and the two girls.
In this moment, the center of this universe rested at our fingertips.
With thunder ringing in our ears,
gold and azure-white danced and blazed.
We unleashed the name of the weapon that held such a [Fate].
"Pierce through, [Gungnir]—!!"
Endless lightning.
A blinding flash.
The thunder that echoed through the skies of the Academy City extinguished the darkness that sought to swallow the World Tree.
And so...
We became a legend.