While watching the fierce battle between the instructor and Aiwa, and waiting for the two approaching individuals, I focused on what I needed to do.
“Oh, hey! What’s wrong!!”
That was my intention, but seeing the scene unfold in my future sight, I leaped up and started running. Brushing aside Susanoo-god’s flustered voice, I reached into the otherworld.
The things I throw into the otherworld are generally items prepared for fighting gods. While some are not, the majority are indeed for combat.
“I hope I make it!!”
Among them, I took out an item suitable for throwing and poured all my effort into throwing it into the space between the instructor and Aiwa’s battle. My gaze fell upon Aiwa, who, upon noticing my surprise attack just before beheading the instructor, prioritized evasion and began to move.
“Instructor, fall back!!”
What I threw was a Japanese sword. It was a famous sword I had made with Hands’ help. Activating the trigger imbued with my magic power, a magical explosion erupted between Aiwa and the instructor. The flash from the magical explosion momentarily blinded my vision, but my future sight showed Aiwa cutting through the blast. I then took out three more Japanese swords from the otherworld and, as if leaving a parting gift, threw them, causing them to explode additionally as Aiwa emerged from the initial blast.
“Thanks for the save.”
“It seems more dangerous than I thought.”
“Yeah, it’s fun but really dangerous.”
“It’s amazing that you can say it’s fun. I’ll go next. Please eat this to replenish your calories.”
I took out non-combat beverages and portable rations from the otherworld, tossed them to the instructor, and then leaped before her, unharmed by the explosion.
“It’s your turn now!!”
“Let’s fight!!”
Last time, I challenged her with a one-sword style and was quickly analyzed, nearly losing my life. Therefore, from here on, I must use every trick I have.
“You can do two-sword style too!”
“It’s just brute force though!!”
“Hearing that from someone who wields it so naturally makes me feel your innate talent!!”
“That’s a welcome compliment from an ordinary person!!”
Taking out Shiko and quickly forming a two-sword style. As a disciple of Jigen-ryu, I have no prior experience with two-sword style. However, I am well-versed in how to wield a sword. By utilizing my body’s movements and weight transfer, I can simultaneously attack and defend.
“Ahahahahaha! You’re blocking my slashes with one hand!!”
“I haven’t trained half-heartedly, you know!!”
If I’m inferior in speed, I’ll compensate with sheer numbers, but even that isn’t enough? Even the two-sword style’s characteristic attack of receiving with one hand and counter-attacking with the other was handled by Aiwa with effortless precision, making me think she might be unrivaled in combat. She happily receives the doubled barrage of slashes and then relentlessly attacks to take my life without hesitation. The opponent’s strength is so overwhelming that the thought of wielding a sword in my mouth, making it a three-sword style, crossed my mind.
Scratches appeared on my cheeks and forehead, and I searched for anything else I could do. Even after shedding my armor for increased speed, it was still not fast enough. With every flash of Aiwa’s divine sword, my body would spurt blood. My instincts warned me to think more about my body’s movements, and the wounds carved into me by the second were draining my life. My body cried out that I couldn’t fight for much longer. Lunaria occasionally sent healing magic, but Aiwa cleaved through even that. That’s why our recovery couldn’t keep up. My life was continuously being chipped away.
“Jiro-san!”
“Jiro-kun, we’re here!”
If this continued, being cut to pieces was only a matter of time. Just as I was considering switching with the instructor, the two of them arrived.
“You’re here! Quickly, I need you to summon Suella!”
“Whom do you mean!?”
This was what I had been waiting for. While fighting, I shouted, without averting my gaze, dividing some of my thoughts to the plan ahead. And then, before me, Aiwa smiled.
“It seems you have something planned! To defeat me! What will you show me next!!”
“That’s for you to see!!”
If that’s the case, I have no choice but to press forward, even at some risk. Exploiting the infinitesimal opening Aiwa presented while momentarily distracted by Suella and the others, I unleashed a flurry of blows, causing her to falter slightly. I managed three attacks.
“Need, Waishu, and Ai!”
Only a few seconds passed. Merely calling out the names of the three spirits consumed that time.
“Understood, but without Tofam, my magic power won’t allow for a prolonged summoning!”
“No problem! Just a few seconds is enough! Come with everything you’ve got!!”
From then on, I shifted to attacking to buy time for Suella to summon the spirits she had contracted with.
“Suella! Use my magic power too!”
Keiri immediately understood what I was trying to do. Behind me, the two concentrated their magic power, performing a high-speed spirit summoning, but even that wouldn’t be enough within only three exchanges of blows.
“Tch.”
“It’s quite a famous sword, but it’s insufficient to clash with this divine sword!!”
Realizing time was running out, I failed to receive her attack properly. The blade of Shiko cracked. I wouldn’t be able to properly slash with it now.
“Don’t underestimate me!!”
However, even a weapon on the verge of breaking has its uses. When we clashed again, Shiko reached its limit and snapped in half. *Sorry.* After intentionally breaking it, I shifted the trajectory of the now shortened Shiko from a slash to a thrust.
“I am not underestimating you!!”
Aiwa’s reaction speed, which only managed to slash my cheek with that, was something I countered with future sight.
“Shine!!”
Gathering the magic power remaining in the broken tip of Shiko, I activated a basic magic spell, Flash. Then, using the remaining half of Shiko in my hand, I forcefully changed its trajectory from a thrust to a slash with the strength of my wrist. Changing its trajectory like a swallow, I slashed towards Aiwa’s eyes.
“A feint with words, followed by a pursuit! Well done!! It must be a wonderful world if people like you exist!!”
“Don’t equate my world with some apocalyptic one!!”
However, that also missed. My next attack, a slash of Ore Tree, was also parried by the divine sword, leading to an accidental clang of the blades, creating a moment of eye contact.
“No! Surely, even in the future, there will be seeds of conflict! I can sense it! Your world must have enjoyable battles too!!”
“Unfortunately, that’s a dream that will never come true!!”
At that moment, I saw her eyes, stained with madness. Beneath her cool appearance, those turbid, stagnant eyes flared with a strange light. Is this the fate of a battle-obsessed evil god, consumed only by fighting!?
“No, it will come true! There are gods in your world too. Where there are gods, conflict arises! That is the law of the world! Therefore, I must go! I must go! I must go and end it! I must end it!!”
“Hey!! I don’t know what you’re planning, but if you’re going to do it, do it quickly!! Her previous life’s evil god power is starting to return, and she’s reverting to her original nature!”
Aiwa, who had been calm initially, was acting strangely. Was this her true nature? Coupled with Susanoo-god’s warning, the danger level had skyrocketed. There must be a way to suppress this…
“Manifest! Need, Waishu, and Ai!”
There is! “Dungeon Master Code, activate!”
Here it is. As Suella summoned the spirits, I activated it simultaneously. An authority granted only to the Dungeon Master. Dungeon Master Authority. “Materialize! Divine Beast, come forth! Feri!!” The strongest force in my dungeon and a messenger of the gods. And the dungeon’s ultimate defense system. According to the puny temple deities who sent it, it’s a genius divine beast.
A summoning circle appeared right beside Aiwa. Distracted by Suella’s summoning, Aiwa’s reaction was delayed for a split second. A massive jaw bit down on her left hand, which was not holding the divine sword. A giant poodle with silver fur emerged from the summoning circle. Sensing Aiwa, who emitted the scent of the enemy Sun God, it bit down without hesitation, intent on tearing her body apart.
“Ahahahahaha! Pain! I feel pain!! But it’s not enough!! It’s not enough!!”
However, even Feri’s power couldn’t tear her body apart. It only stopped her movement for a moment, and then she attempted to thrust her divine sword at Feri’s head with her right hand.
“I won’t let you!!”
I deflected it, succeeding in leaving her exposed.
“Straight ahead! Can you do it, Need!?”
“Don’t give me orders. It’ll only last a few seconds, don’t be careless, Waishu.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll wash it all away.”
Two spirits, oddly dressed, passed through the space between me, who had cut through, and Feri, who continued to bite. The spirit, with a medieval appearance and a measuring tape draped around its neck like a seamstress, wielded its giant needle with blinding speed, sewing Aiwa into that very space. To that timing, Feri and I created distance.
“I’ll wash away that murky power.”
The sight of a maid charging with a mop momentarily crossed my mind as recklessness, but knowing her skill in dispelling my buffs, I wanted to believe in her power.
“Be clean!”
With a single sweep of her mop, imbued with bubbles.
“Ngh, stubborn.”
It seemed it wasn’t enough to cleanse completely, so she unleashed a barrage of mop attacks. The golden radiance was being scrubbed away by the mop. The divine power of Isaliza, absorbed by Aiwa, was being stripped away from her. But.
“Fall back! Waishu!”
Ai, the great spirit of admiration, had tracked Aiwa’s movements. Hence the warning.
“!? Waishu!”
But the warning came a moment too late. As a great spirit adept at cleaning, she was less experienced with the flow of battle than combat-focused spirits. Therefore, the plan was for Ai to track the timing of the charge and retreat, Need to fix her in place, and within those few seconds, Waishu would wash away the divine power of Isaliza that hadn’t yet fully fused with Aiwa. However, the divine power was far greater than anticipated.
“What a nuisance!!”
“Need!”
She had managed to chip away some of it, but the price was that Waishu was slashed. She was cut diagonally across her body. Though her life was barely spared as a spirit, it wouldn’t be in time for Suella’s summoning! Waishu vanished with a counter-slash. What stopped that future was.
“This is the worst job I’ve ever had!!”
The high-ranking spirit of sewing.
“Even those who don’t fight have something that connects to battle!”
Need’s needle momentarily sewed the divine sword’s blade, slowing its slash. With that momentum, she grabbed Waishu and desperately tried to escape, but a sped-up slash from behind cut her back again.
“Damn it, I should have demanded more payment.”
But, as expected of a high-ranking spirit, she had some confidence in her toughness. Suella’s summoning was just in time.
“Varus!”
“Yeah!”
This is it, there’s no other chance!! Watching the two spirits return to the Spirit World as light, Feri and I charged forward together. It wasn’t an absolute opening. But it was a potential one. Aiwa grinned as I charged at her again. As she turned to meet me, I was pulled by something.
“Consider it a parting gift, idiot.”
Just before returning to the Spirit World, Need had stealthily sewn a single thread as her final parting gift. The pride of a high-ranking spirit. To not waste the time she bought, there was no time to breathe, but I gripped the hilt of Ore Tree, doing everything I could to deliver a full-powered attack.
Today’s word: There’s no time to be concerned with appearances.
Thank you for your continued feedback and error reports. If you find this interesting, please leave a review, rating, or bookmark. I am also currently serializing another work, “Pandora Pandemic Panic.” Please check that out as well!
