Chapter 58

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 58

Chapter Title: Frenzy of Derailment - 5

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"Behind...!!"

Shouting that, Leonardo uncorked a potion and clamped it between his teeth.

Then he thrust his sword into the gut of the monster charging at him from the rear.

"Watch your back!! It's crawling with monsters right now!!"

With those words, Leo grabbed Aria and leaped down. Thanks to the potion, his mana had recovered as well, making his movements even sharper and more agile.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?! Where did you even get that potion!?"

"You're the one who's lost your mind!! How could I just stand there when you're insisting on fighting in that state?!"

The spirits, while carrying Aria, woke her from her faint. They explained the situation and asked for her opinion.

Spirits sometimes placed greater importance on the emotions and thoughts of humans with high affinity than their own lives.

"...I'm going to help Leo."

"Leo must be in danger too."

At that, the spirits taught Aria how to help Leo.

She went to a potion shop near the city center, grabbed some high-grade potions, and raced back via the shortest route the spirits showed her. That's how she ended up helping like this.

And now, to the present.

"It's Leo's fault for lying! Got it?!"

"I get it, so shut up!! We need to get out of here first!"

A childish exchange.

Even as blades whistled through the air, the boy and girl were busy bickering like kids. If not for the corpses around them, it might have looked like a fresh, innocent lovers' quarrel.

With his current power, there was no way for him to kill the Clay Master.

Physical attacks were meaningless due to body reshaping, and even if magic or aura damaged it, it would just reshape and recover.

Moreover, the Clay Master's unique magic was restoration, not regeneration, making it mana-efficient. And the surrounding corpses provided plenty of mana to replenish any shortages.

On top of that, it could alter its body composition to counter status effects like burns or poison.

Mind-based attacks were risky against a top-tier black mage who might counter them instead.

And to vaporize that monster in one shot would require at least a 6-star aura user on Gladio's level or a grand archmage equal to the Tower Master.

In that despair, the Sage lectured.

It was a sharp rebuke from the master who had watched the boy's life up close.

The methods by which the boy had grown strong and honed himself.

Words he'd often heard from others too.

But he didn't trust their words. They hadn't seen everything about him; they just assumed.

But he trusted the old man's words.

The Sage, who had taught him and shared every moment of his new life, was believable.

That was how he'd used his strengthened power—how Leonardo fought.

A chuckle escaped at the backhanded praise.

In that instant, inspiration struck.

Those thick cumulonimbus ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clouds were veiling the sun-like light of hope.

"Miss."

By now, Leo's group had taken shelter in a suitable building, but given that superhuman monster, it wouldn't be long before it caught up.

But it didn't matter anymore.

"I've thought of a way to win."

"...Win?"

"Yes, as long as we keep our promise to each other."

The key to this plan was trust.

"I'll go head-on against that black mage. In the meantime, Lady Aria, you must not join the fight no matter what."

Aria's face twisted. Wasn't this the same as before? Anticipating that, Leo added,

"But I promise I won't die either. Like you said earlier, Miss..."

Leonardo smiled as he spoke.

"I've decided to stay by your side forever, so I can't afford to die."

With that, the two made their promise.

The plan was underway.

The Clay Master wore a fairly relaxed expression despite the sudden ambush. From the battle so far, it was convinced.

'Those kids have no means to kill me.'

The only ways to kill it were a natural disaster-scale attack or incineration leaving not a single scrap in under a second.

Even if a grand archmage like the Tower Master came, it was confident it wouldn't die.

"Plus, they're top-grade materials."

Especially that lady with hero's blood—she'd make the finest piece. She could even be traded with House Reinhardt.

"Top-grade? You wanna die?"

The knight from that house blocked the pleasure-killing fiend.

"Ah, don't be so hurt. You're top-grad—"

"Bullshit."

Boom!

A water pressure cannon flew in. Even water, under enough pressure, could hit like a bomb.

The exploding water enveloped the Clay Master's body once more. The massive water orb became a prison trapping it.

"Drown it... Not a bad idea. Jehard probably killed it that way too."

But the Clay Master calmly spoke and breathed underwater.

"But I can make gills too."

Soon, it breathed with fish lungs, swelling its bloated body enormously. The expansion burst the water prison.

"Oh yeah?"

Lightning magic circle already complete in Leo's hand.

"Then try tanking this."

Leonardo hurled a lightning bolt at the dripping Clay Master. Nearby monsters got caught in the conductive splash too.

"Looks like an electric eel gut, but takes lightning well, huh?"

"Does it really?"

The surrounding monsters were down, but the Clay Master restored the scorched lightning-hit spot.

"Where'd that fancy lady go? Didn't you come to rescue her?"

"Who knows. Once my mana's full, even I could kill a pervert like you."

Saying that, Leo pulled out an empty potion bottle.

"You? No way. You know that best."

"Gotta try to find out."

Leonardo chucked the potion bottle and drew his sword in a combo. The blade thrust toward its chest.

"No twists? Predictable."

A hand sprouted from its chest, grabbing Leo's blade. Its other arms tried reshaping Leo's body.

"Urk..."

But a twist reverses the predictable.

"Why? You tried something similar."

The black stone sword extended blade-first, shredding the Clay Master's chest. Leo's other hand, wielding a rock magic sword, sliced its arms.

"Figures it'd be tacky with your sense."

The taunt as he pulled back distance twisted the Clay Master's face.

"...Weird. No one's ever called me tacky..."

"Of course. You killed everyone who did."

Stung by the truth, the Clay Master charged with an unprecedented furious expression.

"I'll leave just your head and turn the rest to mush...!"

In that moment, the Clay Master's body was sliced apart. No magic or sword strike had hit—yet it was butchered like sloppy meat at a slaughterhouse.

"...H-How..."

The answer lay in the taut, sharp wires connected to nearby walls. Thin and fine, they were invisible until blood seeped and dripped, revealing them now.

"You said it. Twists are key."

During the prior attack, Leo had strung thin, tough black stone wires across the walls. Infused with vibrating aura, they sliced approaching objects easily.

"You bastard...! How dare you!!"

The Clay Master bellowed a bizarre screech from its severed neck. Distant monsters responded, charging in.

Recoiling the wires, Leo swung the black stone. Sword-shaped, but its motion evoked a whip.

The fluid black blade sharply diced the monsters simultaneously. Hastily made, they lacked Jehard-level regeneration.

"Like this...!"

Leonardo fired a flame spell straight at the Clay Master. His maximum-output magic.

A fiery whirlwind engulfed the Clay Master and monsters, shooting flames skyward.

"...Yeah. Still have mana left for what matters..."

Clang!!

A tentacle whipped through the smoke and steam. Leo barely severed it with his sword.

"Unbelievable. What do you take me for?"

As the mist cleared, the fully restored Clay Master appeared.

"Even a proper flame spell can't kill me... But you use water magic first then that? Don't you know basic common sense?"

Endless tentacles flew. Sliced ones split and kept attacking, even absorbing nearby corpse chunks to aid regeneration.

"Nah, I know. That's why."

"Still bluffing? There's no way for you to—"

Rumble... Patter...

A sound echoed from the sky. Soon, the clouds brought rain to the ground.

"Signal's here at last."

The Clay Master looked up in confusion. Clouds over the area, including near the Magic Tower, merged into a massive thunderhead.

"Thought the miss was just sitting around?"

That sound, this rain—it all came from those thunderclouds.

Spirits were intelligent beings born from nature's mana, excelling at weather manipulation beyond generic spells.

Aria was now on the tallest nearby building, performing a rain ritual with the spirits. All during the time Leo bought with taunts and combat.

"Of course, no thunderclouds means no plan. Gotta thank the heavens for this."

Leonardo unfurled a lightning magic circle in one hand as he spoke.

"Let's think about it. Those clouds are full of bursting droplets mixing positive and negative charges constantly."

Crackle...

"What happens if I link this lightning to that charged cloud mass?"

Cold sweat beaded on the Clay Master's face.

"D-Do that and you won't walk away unscathed either...!"

"I know. But..."

Leonardo fired lightning at the clouds.

"I've taken electricity every time I've been pushed."

From basic Lightning to Lightning Excel for body enhancement.

Not perfect, but he had the tolerance to endure this thunder's shock.

"You don't."

The bolt struck.

Rios Reinhardt was there.

That day, cold killing intent settled in Rios Reinhardt's eyes.