The Serpent and the Sun (4)
The Serpent and the Sun (4)
Radatok knew. Knew that Zahard was an Apostle of the Sun God Ra.
Knew that he was on an entirely different level from the other inquisitors.
Anyone who had raised a sword alongside him would have guessed it. In that hellish Snow Demon, he was the one who had carved the path forward. The monster who had swung Sacred Power for days on end without tiring—that was him.
His overall capability might still fall short of Radatok's own. But that, too, would only last so long. Give it a year or two, and Radatok believed without a doubt that he would be overtaken.
Talent on a different plane.
An unrivaled genius.
Radatok had often thought his subordinates were capable. But from the moment he met Zahard, his subordinates no longer measured up.
With talent that could change the very gaze of those watching, how could he possibly lose easily, even fighting Rosemary?
He had expected a stunning contest. Even as he officiated the duel, he had thought a battle would unfold that would benefit him as well.
But...
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
"Why, why?! Why won't you die?!"
"ROOOOSEMARYYYYYYY!!"
"KYAAAAAAAH!! Get away from me! You demon! You monster! Radatok! Something's wrong with him?! Did he dope himself or something?!"
"Here comes another one!"
BOOM!!
"HNGIIIIIIIIIIK?!!"
Radatok frowned.
This was different from the fierce contest he had envisioned.
At this rate... wasn't this just one-sided bullying?
. . .
Power clashed against power. I pushed back against the fierce Sacred Power surging in.
Flames scattered. The roar of explosions pounded my entire body.
[Healing (B) is used.]
[Sacred Wall (B) is destroyed.]
The impact raced through my whole body. The shattered Holy Arts scattered like shards of glass.
I immediately retreated. I wrapped Holy Arts around my body once more. The sword came at me relentlessly, not even allowing a moment's rest.
A shock strong enough to make my head go blank for an instant swept through my body.
BOOM!!!
"Why, why won't you die?!"
Why?!
Because I was born for this kind of slugfest!
I immediately swung my greatsword wide. Immense Sacred Power coiled at my fingertips.
BOOM!!
The ground I struck split apart. The entire training hall shook. Rosemary, who had dodged by a hair's breadth, was gasping.
"You insane—?! If that actually hits, I'm dead!"
"Come at me ready to die!"
I was heating up.
I was gradually heating up.
It felt like I had gone back to when I played the game, back to when I enjoyed fighting NPCs.
Surging power, and a mind that spun faster when pushed into a corner.
Instinct moving just a little faster than reason!
The surging monstrous strength deflected the incoming sword upward. My rotating shoulder slammed into Rosemary's abdomen.
"BWEEEH?!"
The Holy Arts she had wrapped around her body shattered one after another. Her body, unable to absorb the impact, was slammed into the wall.
It wasn't as if I hadn't taken damage either. Against Rosemary's relentless resistance, I spat out the blood pooling in my mouth.
Healing wasn't all-powerful. Even if external wounds healed quickly, internal injuries were another matter. The damage piling up was greater than the damage being recovered.
But I was still growing in the meantime. The weapon techniques that had been slightly off were settling into my body, finally clicking into place.
Going beyond simple skills, fully mastering their application.
I rested my greatsword against my shoulder. Yeah. Since we've come this far, it's about time you showed yourself!
Come on! Shape Transformation! Rosemary's secret Holy Art!
"...You fucking—! You piece of shit! You! You!"
Here it comes!
I stared at Rosemary's sword bursting through the dust. Burning metal, and the scent of iron!
The trump card! The final secret technique she had kept tightly hidden!
Rotating... saw...?
"......?"
Something was off.
Why wasn't the sword transforming into a rotating saw?
Was she saying it was still too early to reveal her hidden card?
I immediately twisted my body. So I have to overwhelm her before she'll bring out her hidden move!
Power filled my swinging greatsword. For the first time, Sacred Power at full strength blazed fiercely.
[He lifted his foot and looked beneath]
[All that remained was ash]
[Using Darkness-Slamming Weight - Stomp (S).]
"...Huh?"
Rosemary stopped in her tracks. From the top of her head to the tip of her tail, everything stood on end without exception.
"Th-th-th-th-th-that's...?"
The flames condensed. Every scattered flame was sucked into the greatsword, changing its form.
A blessing bestowed by a god. The majesty of an S-rank skill available only after transcending the threshold.
Shape Transformation (形相變換).
A weapon forged of Sacred Power descended upon the greatsword. This was no different from temporarily creating a Sacred Relic. A Holy Art manifested purely through Sacred Power.
It was practically a miracle beyond Holy Arts.
The condensed flames settled onto the greatsword. Radatok swallowed hard at the flame that flickered out with a soft whoosh.
I moved my hand. Radatok urgently tried to stop me.
"Y-you mustn't! Inquisitor Zahard!"
"Don't worry about it, Radatok!"
I grinned broadly.
"She can do this much too, so...?"
Rosemary dropped her sword. Her eyes, having lost all will to fight, denied reality.
"Why... why... how... someone like you... how on earth..."
"...No way. You..."
I was dumbfounded. Wait, was it because of the timing? Normally Rosemary was stronger than Radatok, wasn't she?
No way, in this timeline...
"You can't use Shape Transformation?"
She was far weaker than the Rosemary in most scenarios?
"...What exactly were you counting on when you ran your mouth?"
Rosemary couldn't answer. She just stood there trembling, looking dumbstruck.
I tossed my greatsword aside. The cat who had already lost her will to fight was shivering, unable to even meet my gaze properly.
Ah, fuck.
I got worked up for nothing.
So the match was decided, then. That just left a bad taste in my mouth.
...But my anger still hadn't subsided.
"Hey, kitty."
"A-ah?"
"Clench your teeth."
I wrapped Sacred Power around my hand. I grinned broadly.
"Let's start with a beating."
. . .
At Radatok's report, Dimona's brows drooped into a worried frown.
"...Excuse me? He really won?"
"It's true."
"No. Wait a moment."
He really won?
Against Rosemary? That veteran who had been through hell and back?
"You're... not joking, right?"
"I'm not joking."
Radatok let out a sigh.
"Judge. It's impossible to evaluate him by ordinary standards. He has already mastered a 'miracle.'"
"...Inquisitor Radatok. That joke really isn't funny."
Dimona leaned back in her chair. She went limp.
She knew.
She knew Radatok wasn't the type to enjoy lies or jokes.
But this was different. The weight of the words was different. The gap between Holy Arts and miracles was immense.
"You do know what a miracle is, and you're still saying that?"
"I know."
"With Sacred Power alone, it's impossible unless you're at least archbishop-level. I know he's an Apostle, but Sacred Power alone isn't enough."
A flame rose from Dimona's fingertips.
"A miracle means controlling Sacred Power, weaving together countless high-level Holy Arts—reaching the point of transcending human limits. And you're saying someone who isn't even an adult yet pulled that off?"
"I saw it clearly."
"How far did he go? Where does he stand right now?"
"The flames condensed and the weapon's form changed. A red greatsword. It resembled the weapon from the scriptures."
"That weapon..."
"The sword said to have been forged from the flames when Ra trampled the demons."
A cold bead of sweat dripped from Radatok's face.
"...It was Stomp."
Dimona slammed her head onto the desk.
"Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god..."
This was something to welcome with open arms. But Dimona couldn't suppress the chill.
What if that blade of talent were ever turned toward her?
"Wh-where is he right now?! I need to speak with him directly...!"
"He's probably... on his way."
Knock knock.
Dimona had never found the sound of knocking so terrifying. She tried to hide the tremor in her voice as she answered.
"Come in."
The door opened. The one who entered was not alone.
To be precise...
There were 'two' of them.
"Whoa, whoa."
Something crawled in on all fours. Zahard was riding on top of it. Dimona shifted her gaze. In his right hand was a leash.
And what he was riding was not a beast, but a 'human being.'
"...Um, Zahard?"
"Yes?"
"What are you riding?"
"Ah."
He stroked the thing he was riding. Its face was a wreck. It was swollen and puffy, as if it had been punched several times.
"It's my pet. I got myself one. What do you think?"
"What do I think?! That's Rosemary!"
"Huh? No, it's not? It's my dog?"
"How is that a dog?!"
"...A cat?"
"J-just get down first! What if someone sees you! Rosemary?! Are you okay?"
Rosemary raised her head. Her eyes held no focus at all. Her answer was equally concise.
"...Meow."
"That's right. Good girl."
"What on earth did you do to her?!"
"No, nothing. I didn't really do much."
Zahard shrugged.
"So for a while, all her answers are going to be 'meow'?"
"You're treating her like livestock!"
"I told you, she's my pet. Can't you see the leash? Radatok witnessed the agreement in the first place."
"Inquisitor?!"
Radatok averted his gaze.
"...I was going to report it."
"Your face says you wouldn't have if I hadn't asked!"
Dimona moved urgently. She poured healing Holy Arts over Rosemary's swollen face.
"J-just let go of the leash first! Rosemary! Rosemary! Snap out of it!"
"...Meow."
"Haha! Her body and mind are already completely shattered! She's no different from a corpse with its eyes open!"
"Stop spouting lines like some third-rate villain! This is urgent! The Serpent Church's delegation has arrived at the city outskirts!"
Dimona shrieked.
"We have to go receive them right now! What are we supposed to do with Rosemary in this state?!"
"I wonder how Big Sis Isabella is doing."
"Listen to me!"
Dimona realized. This was no time to be afraid of god-given talent.
This bastard is just insane!