“An enemy? I was a little surprised you brought out Ridwan, but why would you say that? How can Ridwan, who is overwhelmingly lower in rank than me and only has the strength to lose to you, be my enemy?”
Keruvim’s expression had completely changed from before, becoming utterly displeased. Well, knowing how much he cared for his allies, it seemed more likely that he was angry about Ridwan, who had become my subordinate, being brought before him, rather than being pointed out as an enemy.
“Don’t get so worked up. It’s like I hit a nerve, Keruvim?”
“Nonsense…!”
Well, either way was fine with me. I was just subtly guiding the battle to make it more intense.
“Judging from our conversation so far, it seems you already know that the former Ridwan became my subordinate. This isn’t just a parting shot, but when you fight against your former comrade—”
“—Is it a pointless question of whether I can use my Authority? A foolish question, insignificant, a meaningless query. Kelvin, it seems I overestimated you. …Very well, if you wish to see it that much, I shall show you. The true power of my Authority.”
“Finally willing to play along? Then, with that so-called true power, crush me. With your boasted ‘Lethal,’ no less.”
“No need to say more. —Authority, manifest.”
“Hard, Wisdom Form.”
***
From both Kelvin and Keruvim, a black radiance was released. The light that illuminated the unobstructed sea was an alien phenomenon that could be described as both uncanny and fantastical. Normally, such a strange phenomenon would never appear, but on this sea, on this day, two such bizarre occurrences manifested. Due to the previous battle, marine life and migratory birds had already evacuated, and the only ones watching this spectacle were Rukil on the Holy Stake—and yet, many on the distant continental coast also witnessed this black light. Those individuals, seeing a sight so far removed from reality coming from across the sea, felt a strong premonition of the end of the world. From then on, whenever they spoke of it, they would be ridiculed by those around them, who claimed they must have been dreaming. However, the individuals themselves, no matter what others said, stubbornly insisted it was not a dream, stating that if it were a dream, they would have easily forgotten such a confounding experience.
…Let’s return to the battlefield now. The first to emerge from the light was Keruvim, who had finished manifesting his Authority. Shedding his black robe, he appeared bare-chested, his body now etched with intricate, pitch-black emblems. Majestic horns, reminiscent of a ram’s curled horns, adorned his head, and behind him spread bone wings, as black as if carbonized. Rather than a fallen angel, his appearance was closer to a demon. No, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was a demon himself. Only the pitch-black halo above his head asserted his fallen angel status, further accentuating the strangeness of his form.
Kelvin, facing this hybrid of a fallen angel and a demon, also emerged from the black radiance. In contrast to Keruvim, who had shed his robe, Kelvin donned another cloak over his robe—the Embrace of Wisdom—and pulled up his hood. His attire was also unified in black, and while solemn, it was also quite torn and tattered in places. If it were a masterpiece crafted by Efil, it would certainly not be in such a state. However, this ruinous finish seemed to enhance the “Grim Reaper” aura, exuding an unfathomable eeriness.
“…Did you, by any chance, embody Ridwan?”
“Impressive, you could tell at a single glance. This thing can transform into anything, and the more specific the instructions I give it, the closer the transformed form becomes to those instructions. And this is not limited to just precious metals. The former Ridwan seemed to have properties closer to a fluid than metal. It can even transform into fabric like this robe-mantle. My sister often says she’s one with her werewolf form, but this is also a kind of unity, isn’t it? How do I look? This is a demonic design conceived by Sera. You, who have taken on a demonic appearance, might empathize with it, don’t you think?”
“Indeed, your taste commands admiration… But isn’t it just adorning yourself with Ridwan? Do you really think that will allow you to stand against me who has manifested my Authority?”
“If I didn’t intend to, I wouldn’t have stood here from the beginning. More importantly, time is precious. Let me savor that power for just one more second—!”
“—!”Liam!
Kelvin, wielding his Great Scythe, rushed straight at Keruvim. This impulsive action, knowing the terror of ‘Lethal,’ was reckless in the extreme. However, precisely because of this, Keruvim could not help but be greatly surprised by his actions.
“Have you lost your mind?! Black Bone Wings!”
Keruvim aimed the sharp tips of his great bone wings at his target and unleashed them with great force. As the massive wings approached, they branched out, as if multiplying and increasing their numbers.
“Great Wind Demon God Scythe – III!”
Perhaps in response, Kelvin further enlarged his Great Scythe and swung it without hesitation. The powerful slash clashed, engulfing many bone wings. The bone wings were cleaved in two, and the Great Scythe vanished—Following the previous pattern, those would have been the results of this exchange. …But this time, it was different.
“Black Bone Tree!”
Immediately after Keruvim’s bone wings were severed, new bones sprouted from the断面, growing at an eye-blinding pace. The greatly enlarged and strengthened wings became an even more vicious entity than before. Their overwhelming number and attack speed left Kelvin no opening to create another Great Scythe. So, had Keruvim won this battle? If you ask that, it wasn’t that simple at all.
“Hah, it’s worth cutting!”
“—!?”
Kelvin’s Great Scythe also did not disappear; he unleashed another attack in quick succession. No matter how many wings he struck with ‘Lethal,’ the Great Scythe showed no sign of disappearing.
(What, why?! No, this complex flow of magic power… Is he surrounding it with multiple S-Rank magic spells and pulling out the next spell from within as it disappears?! This isn’t just about having enormous magic power or being skilled with his hands. How much of his life has this guy dedicated to battle, and how much has he thought only of fighting…!?)
Yes, Kelvin was using his Unique Skill, ‘Mana Overload,’ not for enhancement, but to encompass multiple spells within a single spell. The Great Scythes, which would reappear one after another from within like Matryoshka dolls, meant he could attack for at least that many minutes. Keruvim’s insight, which reached this conclusion in an instant, was tremendous, but of course, that alone couldn’t tell him the number of remaining scythes. All he could do was attack as much as possible and somehow wear them down by brute force.
However, even that sole method was not easy. At this moment, Kelvin had cast Wind God’s Foot, all ranks II, III, and IV, on himself, and was rushing in while alternating speeds at key moments. In other words, his speed had astonishing fluctuations, making his true form difficult to pinpoint. In fact, his speed was more troublesome than Sera’s use of ‘Living in a Hurry.’ Since Kelvin was overwhelmingly faster, Keruvim had no choice but to intercept him on the spot—
“Yo, we’re both within an unavoidable range.”
—No, it seemed Keruvim didn’t even have that much time left.
