Chapter: 97. The Answer Found
As the realm of authority unfolded, the rules within this space were altered.
Kanon’s vision subtly changed—
Above Tsubasa’s head, a faint green HP bar emerged.
That was one of the characteristics brought by the “Game” authority.
—It endowed the concept of a “health bar” to all existences.
Regardless of humans or fantastical magical creatures, all would be regarded as “defeatable objects” within this realm, and the “Game” authority allowed attacks to bypass physical laws and transcendent logic, directly affecting the values of the “health bar.”
Like in a “fighting game,” all attacks were effective and could deal substantial damage to the opponent.
In other words, this was an interference of rules that “gamified reality.”
Kanon had previously engaged in an intense battle with Tsubasa; his attacks had clearly landed several times, yet the opponent’s health bar still stood intact at 100%.
This was the second characteristic of the “Game” authority.
—The calculation of the health bar only began the instant the realm unfolded.
Regardless of whether a person was previously battered or on the brink of death, the moment they were influenced by the realm, their health bar would display 100%.
This did not mean that physical stamina, magical power, or injuries would recover.
Fatigue remained, wounds wouldn’t heal, and empty magical reserves stayed empty.
But at least one thing was certain—
In this battlefield ruled by the “Game” authority’s rules, as long as the health bar did not drop to zero, one would not die.
There was no need to worry about collapsing from excessive blood loss, nor would one be suppressed into inaction due to a near-death state.
As long as the health bar was still there, there was still a qualification to fight.
In this sense, Kanon unexpectedly gained an advantage.
Even if he had been at a disadvantage in the previous confrontation, entering this realm meant rewriting the rules; the battle would commence from “now.”
At least on a regulatory level, both sides had returned to the same starting line.
However—
Kanon did not let his guard down.
He keenly sensed that at the same time his “Game” authority unfolded, Tsubasa had also activated her own authority.
Authority was a very special power.
The vast majority of “authorities” possessed conceptual abilities that influenced the “rules” level.
Currently, the only thing known about such conceptual abilities was that “rank” could affect them; even if the power gap between both sides was vast, the might of an authority could still influence the opponent.
Moreover, some authorities could reverse the tide of battle in just a moment; such occurrences were common.
Therefore, every qualified esper would be particularly cautious when facing an opponent with authority.
This is the principle of esper—
“Facing authority, any underestimation is fatal.”
Kanon’s heartbeat quickened slightly; he held his breath, tensing every nerve in his body, his golden-eyed gaze vigilantly surveying his surroundings.
He also expanded his perception to the maximum in order to catch any possible changes happening around him.
Even the slightest detail might hide the critical mechanism of the opponent’s authority.
Kanon had received related training at Tsuki Academy, learning how to discern the nature and scope of extraordinary powers through phenomena.
However—
Kanon’s thoughts were soon interrupted by the girl in front of him.
“It seems that Senpai Tsuki is quite concerned about my authority—”
Tsubasa’s voice was cool, as if she had anticipated Kanon’s reactions and could see through his current thoughts.
Her tone lacked any provocation, yet it carried an undeniable sense of strong pressure that could not be ignored.
“Since for us this is a game…”
Tsubasa spoke up:
“Having only me understand Senpai Tsuki’s authority certainly doesn’t make for a fair match… So, let me explain it proactively.”
The moment her words fell,
Kanon’s vision changed once more.
Another green health bar appeared.
No, not just one.
In the next second, more health bars successively emerged in his field of vision.
One, two, three… the numbers climbed rapidly, as if some kind of “monster generation” mechanism had suddenly been triggered, covering the entire battlefield he could see.
And the source—was right beneath Tsubasa’s feet.
The shadow where she stood suddenly writhed, like ink droplets spreading across the ground, flowing in all directions and forming a dark “swamp” on the surface.
That was not ordinary black.
It was pure black that devoured light, a shade so deep that even raindrops falling into it would be silently consumed.
Then—
They appeared.
Pitch-black figures, one after the other, surged forth from the shadowy swamp like a tide.
Their bodies seemed to be composed of the night, their outlines blurred yet solid, each movement as precise as that of meticulously arranged soldiers.
In just a few seconds, Tsubasa was completely surrounded.
They were not “duplicates,” nor were they “puppets.”
Although made of shadows, each figure had a different form; there were tall, mighty giants and agile, short figures; some donned heavy armor bearing massive blades; others wore robes, wielding staffs, and some even bore the outlines of sniper rifles or alien weaponry.
If there was one commonality, it was the flash of—
Purple-red starlight in their eyes.
Moreover… above their heads, green health bars appeared quietly.
What Kanon was most concerned about was the “aura” emitted by those shadows.
Despite the magical reactions being consistent with Tsubasa, his beast-like intuition told him that these beings were not mere summons—each shadow represented a person, each shadow-formed body housed a different “soul.”
“Since it’s a chessboard, there should be pieces.”
Tsubasa’s voice rang out, breaking the stiff air.
She stood at the center of that shadowy swamp, slowly stretching her arms, as if drawing back the curtain for the impending performance.
“These shadows—”
“Are the hunters from the Celestial Pavilion.”
“They are also an army that will never stop.”
“By combining the ‘Chessboard’ authority with my abilities, I can make them remote-controlled via soul resonance, manipulating the containers I summon—I call them ‘Shadow Servants.'”
“These Shadow Servants not only possess the ‘End of Shadows’ trait, allowing them to ignore all physical attacks, but they can also rapidly return to life even after being defeated.”
“More importantly, each one can utilize its own abilities and magical power.”
“This is all.”
After Tsubasa finished explaining, she slightly lowered her head and performed a simple yet polite bow.
Kanon gazed at her.
From her tone, her eyes, and the unreserved honesty, he sensed not a shred of falsehood.
This was not a tactical “information deception,” but Tsubasa honestly informing him about the powers she controlled.
—If everything she said was true.
Then what Kanon faced at this moment was not just Tsubasa from the Celestial Pavilion alone.
But rather, the entire “Celestial Pavilion Guild” and “Celestial Pavilion Family,” including her.
Among these Shadow Servants, many individuals emitted magical fluctuations that were remarkably close to those of ace-level espers.
Clearly, those were the “Mithril-level Hunters” from the guild—strong individuals personally recruited by Tsubasa from all over the world.
Furthermore, with their individual abilities…
This lineup posed an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation for Kanon, regardless of how powerful he was as a solo fighter.
“Tsubasa…”
Kanon took a gentle breath, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, as if he had come to an understanding.
“Is this… the way you choose to fight?”
His voice held no sarcasm, nor reproach, only a light understanding and a hint of resignation.
“If it’s with these ‘Shadow Servants’… even in the heat of battle, not a single one will truly die.”
“That’s correct.”
Tsubasa nodded, unhesitatingly acknowledging it.
This method of combat was indeed Tsubasa’s own “solution” that she had found.
This was her answer.
The battle method she had chosen—”to no longer lose anyone.”
She no longer wanted anyone to die, but if they did not fight, there would be no way to protect what they cherished. However, if everyone could fight through the means of “Shadow Servants,” then they could minimize casualties.
“Senpai Tsuki.”
Tsubasa’s expression darkened slightly; her right hand lifted slightly, causing the Shadow Servants to take a step forward, as if a chess piece was about to be placed down.
“I’ve heard that you are not good at dealing with ‘one against many’ battles—”
“Then it’s checkmate.”
