Chapter 277
Chapter 277
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 277
Chapter Title: The Wrong Path Taken -5
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The senses of a master who has accumulated ample experience extend into realms ordinary people can't perceive. They can even read the ambiguities like win rates in battle or the odds of their fist connecting.
That was why Yuri Lanster and Namgung Cheonghwi, preparing for their final clash, felt it.
"......!!"
"......This is."
A warning from instinct.
It's not the time to play around with that brat in front of me / It's not the time to duel that iron-like strong woman before me.
Like animals fleeing in haste when disaster approaches, evacuation comes before any fight between humans. The two turned their heads toward the source of the crisis.
There stood the doppelganger, wearing a mask over its face.
Zzzt zzzt zzzt.
With noise, the mask shifted to a familiar purple. Then, an eerie light burst from the doppelganger's hands.
A light of incomprehensible hues.
Namgung Cheonghwi only felt the danger without grasping what it was, but Yuri Lanster identified it instantly. It was the precursor to an attack she knew all too well.
The Violet Magic Tower Master's famed ultimate technique.
"That's 『Subtraction』...... How can that fake use Yuna's Parable?"
"So what is this 『Subtraction』?"
"If it hits, you're nine-tenths dead—duck your head now!"
Piiiing──!!
Colors sprayed out. Rays that erased information shot in all directions. The mad wizard could be seen rolling on the ground in horror.
We had to do the same.
Thud.
"......Ugh!"
Yuri Lanster shoved Namgung Cheonghwi down and rolled across the ground herself. Where they had just been, 『Subtraction』 passed by, and the ants crawling on the earth lost all information composing them and died.
Even grazing it would lead to that fate.
"Th-thanks."
"No need to thank me. I just took the mount while I was at it."
"Huh?"
Yuri Lanster grabbed Namgung Cheonghwi by the hair and yanked him up. Foreseeing what came next, Namgung Cheonghwi squeezed his eyes shut.
Bam bam bam──!!
Three times into the pavement. Leaving small craters in the sidewalk blocks, Namgung Cheonghwi passed out from the expert's handiwork.
This wasn't the time to waste here. She didn't know what had happened, but the fake using Yuna's Parable already made it a major emergency.
Yuna, holding back the barrage, seemed to have reached the same conclusion. Dealing with the doppelganger took priority, even if it caused collateral damage.
Over there, a similar yet different hue was shining.
Tat.
Time to join up. Yuri Lanster dashed through the battlefield center, where 『Subtraction』 rays flew from all sides.
Fragments have no souls.
No soul dyed with emotions means no Parable.
Like a car without an engine can't roll physically, logically, it wasn't that it manifested a Parable without a soul......
"......It made its own soul!"
"Either way, it sounds ridiculous?!"
"I hate this reality too! 『Courtship Flame Serpent』, tank it!"
Shh shh shh slash──!
A house-sized flame serpent emerged, blocking the path to the doppelganger. But.
Beep──!
It was erased. The core information forming the magic vanished entirely, and the flames dispersed into mere natural fire. Its majestic form was whittled away in the blink of an eye.
"What kind of bullshit Parable power is that?!"
"What do we do, oppa?!"
"It can't spam forever. I hope. We have no choice but to find an opening somehow and slam Flame Heavenly Serpent Stage 3 into its head......!!"
Think, think.
But whether there'd be leeway was uncertain. What poured down now rivaled a disco ball in 『Subtraction』 spam. Weaker and less precise than the original, sure.
But the original's peak was so high that even nerfed, it was horrific. 9999 damage or 999, a 100 HP unit vanishes either way.
Yuna had sensed this emergency too.
Yuna's Subtraction flew pinpoint from the opposite sky. How's that, you bastard—Yuna's and yours are in total superior-subordinate relation...
Zzt zzzt. The mask's color changed.
And the Parable from the doppelganger's hand was Roderus's 『Mana Hardening』......!
Within a 100-meter radius, Yuna's 『Subtraction』 took physical form. The solidified 『Subtraction』 looked like a white pillar.
But it only gained physical force; its erasing property didn't vanish. It was just the difference between getting hit by a ray or a stone. This Parable use meant nothing...
Drrrk, boom-!
A massive blade erupted slantwise from the ground. Bennett's 『Guardian Oath』!
Kagagagak──!!
Yuna's 『Subtraction』 trajectory bent off the Guardian Oath's sloped armor, flying skyward. She'd seen dodging and rolling counters plenty, but blocking 『Subtraction』 head-on? First time.
I got it.
This was an extension of the 『Parable Block』 it used.
By deeply understanding the target's personality, values, past. It simulated that emotional torrent in its own soul and copied the Parable.
That's why it could take Parables from precious people we knew—our session players—and use them directly.
I know it's not the time, but.
"......I'm so damn jealous!"
"......Not the time for that?!"
Truth be told, I tossed out a joke out of desperation.
Reproducing players' emotions to copy Parables means no need for current ones. Regrettably, my memories hold two brutally powerful physical Parables.
I hurriedly hugged Selbia, planted my feet in the ground, and shouted to those around.
"First off, brace yourselves—ground, pillar, whatever to hold your body!"
Sure enough, here it came.
Krrk, krrrrrk──!!
As the doppelganger arced through the air, space tore along the path, generating suction across the area. Sesshy's old gravity manipulator, 『Duty Seizure Lift』.
And simultaneously, fierce winds tore the doppelganger's skin, blood spraying. Elaine's Parable 『Blood Wind』.
Kuwoooo──!!
Sucked in by gravity, then shredded in a blender combo.
"B-bro, my body's starting to float a bit?!"
"Feet planted isn't enough after all......?"
Then use the pull speed to interrupt the cast before shredding? As I racked my brain in this dizzying crisis, someone grabbed our floating bodies and set us down.
"Yuri!"
It was Yuri Lanster, finished with her fight and joining up. A masterful Thousand Jin Weight technique.
"This is troublesome. Isn't it?"
"Troublesome? Incredibly so!"
"It's fine, Selbia. Mima'll handle it somehow."
Yuri flashed a refreshing smile and tossed it to me. Isn't that faith a bit heavy......?
No, fine. Whatever. I'll save everyone, then collect the debt with interest. No ability is flawless. There must be an opening somewhere.
The inverted gravity dragged all projectiles toward the doppelganger's head. Probably still under Roderus's 『Mana Hardening』, so even 『Subtraction』 would get sucked in.
I needed one arrow to pierce it all.
I pondered. Deeply. And at the end of that pondering──.
Cackle cackle cackle.
I felt like I heard crow laughter.
Bathed in blood from wounds in the storm it created, the doppelganger bellowed.
"Look! I'm this powerful! I can beat everyone, and I've even gained Parables!"
"........."
"I'm harsher, more tenacious, no holds barred—unlike the frivolous original who cracks jokes even in a pinch! So I'm more likely to take down 'that thing' too!"
And I'm prepared for it.
I can stake my life. Grind people, burn the world—to stop 'that thing'. Then, the one who can bring happiness to those around is me!
The doppelganger rasped metallically.
"Shouldn't I be the real one......?"
To that, Yuri Lanster replied.
"Why do you want to become a mad wizard?"
"Because I wanted to be an independent person, not some mere clone......!"
"Do you know? That consultation module or whatever. 'Heart' decided to exist independently as 'Heart'. Hmm, you look like you never imagined it."
"........."
Right. Heart was set independent.
If the doppelganger had talked instead of causing this mess, things might've been different. Yuri nailed that point.
"If you just wanted to exist as 'you', our Mima would've accepted it. Why take this annoying detour?"
"But what I want to become is──that. I wanted to be there!"
In the place of the 'real Mima' with Yuna and Yuri, his beloved.
Yuri Lanster adjusted her leather gloves coldly and said.
"Then get absorbed by him quick. Then you're always with us, right?"
"......That's."
"The flaw is thinking you must become someone. Once split off, just exist purely and live your own life. I can't understand this obsession. Was the unknown scary?"
"........."
Yuri affirmed its existence but firmly denied its life approach.
The doppelganger gasped like its heart was pierced.
Beside it, Evil God-chan stood loosely too.
The absolute being toying with the world, the evil dragon shaking fates for fun in this playground. And itself, a fragment split from that—Evil God-chan.
Behind her stretched millennia of evil deeds pushing her back. Life's inertia. Having walked that long path, she couldn't easily stop or turn.
Evil God-chan naturally thought she had to be the 'evil dragon'.
She had to return to 'evil dragon' someday. Living leashed now was humiliation; she had to bite the mad wizard's throat for freedom.
Even now, knowing the path of good deeds.
Hadn't she crossed an irreversible river? Turning now meaningless. She hesitated, repeating that.
And now, she got to witness her own likeness.
The doppelganger stemmed from the mad wizard but differed. Vague on what, but Yuri Lanster's words made it clear.
The doppelganger.
At some point split off, fearing love rivalry with Mima's original and Yuna-Yuri.
Fearing to forge its own path.
So it chose the easy way: steal others'.
Pathetic like a mirror. Evil God-chan bit her lip against self-loathing filling her chest. Still, other paths than 'evil dragon' confused and terrified. No knowing what to become.
Still.
Stepping forward would be cooler.
Long anguish. A very circuitous road.
Evil God-chan murmured to the doppelganger.
"......Hey, fake Mima."
"Don't call me fake!"
"How about giving up now. Mima might forgive. Worst case, TS you or something. No casualties. So, come with me......"
There's still a way back now.
The doppelganger looked at her in dismay. Come this far, and now abandon me?
The doppelganger pleaded with earnest eyes for her to stay. But she just gazed back sunken-eyed.
Evil God-chan's 'together' and the doppelganger's 'together' diverged now.
Krrrk. He ground his teeth, spewing rage.
"You too? Betraying me too! Fine, I don't need anyone! If you're shoving me to an empty wasteland, I'll turn it all to ashes and claim the rubble──!!"
You're going that way?
Evil God-chan frowned at the reactivating 『Gingoa』 glow. Agonizing pain raced her spine, gnawing her mind. Cold sweat flowed, hands trembling.
Under the tightening leash, Evil God-chan rasped.
"『Parable Block』, right? Usable when you deeply understand the target......"
"You......"
"I know you well. We're one step apart lookalikes."
"Stop, stop──!!"
Kiiik.
Before 『Gingoa』 fully choked her, Evil God-chan lightly moved her hand. Misaligning emotions to disrupt the doppelganger's Parable.
Not a skill copyable at a glance. Imperfect. But enough for 『Interference』.
Kiiik kiiik──!
Plus.
Even copying Parables triggers via one's emotions. The fake Mima, recognizing full severance from Evil God-chan, filled with void and exhaustion.
Thus the gap.
Dissonance rang from the newborn soul. The fake mad wizard retched blood, staggering. 『Mana Hardening』, 『Blood Wind』, 『Duty Seizure Lift』 all wavered.
Then.
The mad wizard began chanting.
"──Ha, haha! Can't even remember? 『Heartbreak Phantom Arrow』 doesn't work on me! I can endure it plenty!"
A pitch-black arrow floated above Mima's hand. He grinned, then turned it...... toward his own head.
"First shot's not for you, bastard. 『Heartbreak Phantom Arrow』."
".........?!"
Pfiu.
『Heartbreak Phantom Arrow』 struck Mima's head dead-on; he staggered like hammered. Then chanted again.
"......!!"
Only then did fake Mima grasp his intent.
『Heartbreak Phantom Arrow』 gathers participants' negative emotions, pains into an arrow.
Shoot your head, reload pain into arrow. Each cycle doubles malicious info in the arrow.
A way to amp on-site without collecting malice.
......If you can endure the pain!
Paat-!
Second shot to his head too. Now quadruple.
"......Impossible. Last time, one of my 『Heartbreak Phantom Arrow』 dropped you. Bluff. You reduced malice in it. No way you endure that much!"
The fake screamed, but real Mima's veined neck, bloodshot eyes, trembling muscles, flowing blood—signs of excruciating pain, no acting.
Mima drooled, cackling.
"Curious how I'm enduring? 『Heartbreak Phantom Arrow』."
Thud──!
"........."
"Ahh, ah...... Head, head's splitting. Not doing this twice."
Octuple.
Zzt. Zzzt zzzt.
The pitch-black arrow in Mima's grip amplified in size and menace, stake-like. The doppelganger gauged its malice and trembled in fear.
The mad wizard slurred with lolling tongue.
"Hey, my jokes? Trying to enjoy even dirty, sad shit. Life brings hardships. Fun life's worth living—if you can laugh then, better, right......?"
"You......"
"I'm not you, can't empathize your pain. But wrong path, I know. You tried killing my friends, stealing my life. So I prepared."
Aimed.
Before the rippling black-flame arrow, the doppelganger felt clear death.
"Neatly endure this, get leniency. You fucking bastard. Shadows at your feet, darkness peeking through the closet door, solitude of the pitch-black night......!"
"Stop, stop......!!"
8x multiplier.
"『Heartbreak Phantom Arrow』──!!"
⟨ Heartbreak Phantom Arrow ⟩
────!!
The arrow launched soundlessly. Writhing black devouring space advanced. The fake mad wizard used every means to block.
But mental barriers crumbled to dust; even reviving Parables post-Evil God-chan's interference couldn't stop it.
Blood wind subsided, gravity defied. No solidifying or scattering.
Just before impact, the final moment. Fake Mima instinctively turned to Evil God-chan.
Eyes met.
"I......"
Curse of betrayal? Resentment for not choosing me? Evil God-chan slightly averted, fearing surging emotions.
But sensing something last.
Instead of venom, a hint of softness, faint smile. Evil God-chan read much in that gaze.
With silent last words, the black arrow shattered the soul.
Mist dispersed, chaos settled.
The fake mad wizard's uproar ended thus.
What a mess.
The fake's final Parable was huge. Several buildings gone, today's pavement blocks needing full replacement.
The fragment...... absorbed. More precisely, reabsorbed. My info circling air naturally returned home.
It vanished cleanly.
Probably...... the soul. Self-made soul backfired, leading to erasure not grogginess.
Dunno his final thoughts. But some black mage info I didn't know sorted in a corner. I called it conversion of heart.
Should've done that sooner, fucker. I lightly bowed, wishing rest.
Now I'm 100% intact. Heart's independent, so exclude from percent calc.
Dunno internals, but soul birth clear. Research this trace...... might reach soul creation.
Approached Evil God-chan squatting by shattered debris. Her expression pensive, so patted her head.
"......What."
"Soul tomorrow, brace yourself."
Meant relax, skip today.
Sat squat beside Evil God-chan. She flinched uncomfortably, then relaxed.
Then casually, awkwardly:
"......How'd you do it?"
"Do what, man."
"Endure Heartbreak Phantom Arrow. Power to vaporize fake's mind, yet three headshots amplifying and fine...... weird."
"Oh that...... trick. Made clone in my head."
Thanks to crow Mima insight.
Split mind into temporary independents. Like separated Mima bits—resources fixed, but split minds newly bloomed.
So teamed with head modules to endure. 100 hits? One each, survivable.
-Stop amplifying! Enough, mad original!
Crow's shriek echoed.
Also delegated feedback amplification. I thumped chest, summarizing briskly.
"Bonds and friendship!"
"........."
Long silence. Then Evil God-chan abruptly:
"Naming myself. My name."
"......Your name? To what?"
"Aisha."
"Ask meaning, you answer?"
Evil God-chan...... no, Aisha stuck out tongue. Textbook raspberry.
"Gonna give? You'll tease."
"Tell, lighten tomorrow's punishment."
"Kill me instead."
How embarrassing the meaning......?
Rustling, the silent city awakening. Fixing this mess, getting chewed by Irid darkens vision, but......
Fix all, return. Then revel muddily. In my warm safe nest, the Academy.
The long journey ended.