○Offer Prayers at the End of the Journey
The Third Region Binah, throne room.
──Recalling that moment of being scorched. That was quite the unreasonable, absurd, and irritating incident.
──Recalling the moment of being shot. That was the worst.
No matter how much time passed, that fear and anger cannot be forgotten. ……No, something like time doesn’t even exist in the Neighboring World.
“Quasi-Spirits materializing in the Fifth Region Gevurah, despite the assault there was no change in the total influx. ……If that’s true, then it’s been decided.”
There were no people in the throne room. Usually, with this and that, there were no Empties left to take care of the White Queen. They were attacking the Fifth Region Gevurah with all their effort. ……Already, this castle has become useless. The girl laughed, thinking it would be good to give it back to the former Dominion Carte À Jouer if she wanted it.
The girl’s eyebrows stirred. Contrary to her intentions, the mouth began to freely move.
“The Second Region Chokmah. As expected, it’s in the Second Region Chokmah. The gate to the First Region Keter and the pipeline entrance. But, when asked to be searched, it was reported that there wasn’t a gate.”
As Lady spoke with a soft voice, General responded with a hard voice mixed with a little bit of frustration. These two didn’t get along with each other the most as personalities inside the White Queen.
“……It’s the same as with the Fifth Region Gevurah. The gate may be hidden. Then only the Dominion Yukishiro Maya will know the location.”
“Oh well. Then, shall we relocate our forces from the Fifth Region Gevurah to the Second Region Chokmah?”
“A foolish plan, Lady. We are pushing the Fifth Region Gevurah with quantity. In a two fronts operation, there will be a reversal in the number of soldiers. From the Fifth Region Gevurah to the Second Region Chokmah means going through the Sixth Region Tiphereth. Well that leaves the possibility of a pincer attack.”
“If so, what shall we do? Do we proceed without soldiers? That in of itself, I imagine would be a foolish plan.”
“How about remaking the three Executives? We should arrive there as those girls are rampaging in the Second Region Chokmah.”
General said that not to Lady, but to another personality.
She respects one person in this world──there was only one existence. The true Queen……the main personality of the girl sitting on the throne.
After a moment of silence, a gentle voice echoed in the throne room. It was neither Lady’s soft and sweet method of speaking nor General’s strict tone. If forced to make a comparison, it was a harmless voice as transparent as water.
“It’s okay to remake the Three Executives. But there is one thing missing from your proposal. Who should be stabbed with the scorpion’s tail?”
“……Wouldn’t any Empty do?”
“Just any Empty is no good. According to Politician, each Empty seems to have her own compatibility with the Three Executives. Those who want to die or live, those who hold onto to hopes or despair.”
“……It’s surprising they have their own personality. They all look the same.”
“So what will you do? Wait for someone suitable?”
“No. But Politician has found a child who is suitable. First of all, I need to get that child alone. I also agree. What remains is also suitable.”
After speaking out the name of the girl with aptitude, the two sub-personalities gasped.
“──Hmm. Excuse me, Queen. This isn’t a personal grudge, right?”
As General pointed that out, Queen laughed quite a polished giggle.
“No way.”
The White Queen’s body stood up. When control was transferred over to General, Queen went to sleep.
Good grief, General sighed while mumbling alone.
“……It would be nice if it weren’t really a grudge.”
Anyway, the policy had been decided. Even as a sub-personality, General’s hatred for Tokisaki Kurumi remained the same. And the same went for the existence of this Neighboring World.
After all, they hated just about everything, even the noble Empties yearning for her.
For the White Queen, the Neighboring World wasn’t heaven. It was only a hell that never ends.
◇
It was a hopeless situation. Tsuan and Kagarike Haraka were desperately dealing with the accelerated and erupted attacks from the Spirit.
Hibiki was also desperately dodging the attacks. If a mistake were to be made, she didn’t think that her Unsigned Angel would be able to stop the blow. The huge sword she carried was like a blade with a fictitiously sharp edge.
Likely, she would shatter into pieces from just being struck. So, as Hibiki saw the attacks occur, somehow she dodged with all her might. After that, she had no choice but to cling onto tactics like entrusting it to natural luck.
Ariadne had already withdrawn from the war front. By a single blow, the sword possessed by the Spirit couldn’t be avoided, grazing her abdomen as she was vigorously blown towards the wall.
She was still alive, but returning back to the war front was hopeless. The loss of her support magic made the attacks of the Spirit even more intense.
──Ah, that wasn’t it. That’s right.
This hollow-like Spirit that was supposed to lack a soul was little by little constructing her own soul. She was beginning to sense the desperate resistance of Hibiki and the others growing sparse and the fear growing from her attacks, which is why her attacks grew even more intense.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■”
The Spirit’s mouth opened. Despite there being no words, the roar was still felt. A voiceless sound was done to invigorate herself and cause all her opponents to flinch.
“Ku……!”
Perhaps due to flinching from that vigor, Haraka’s stance faltered for a moment.
“Master!”
“Fool……!”
Tsuan was also distracted by Haraka at that moment. And it wasn’t as if the Spirit would miss this opportunity.
A merciless slash swooped down on both Tsuan and Haraka.
“<Lailaps>……!”
Tsuan prepared to set up her Unsigned Angel to defend, but the hammer which had endured up this point finally exceeds its limits and shattered.
“Ah──”
Haraka this time activated her talisman for protection. Despite the various defensive effects, when faced with the Spirit’s great sword, only ‘barely dying’ were permitted.
Both of them were blown away together and slammed against the wall.
“…………”
Hibiki stood motionless while examining Tsuan and Haraka’s current state. Just barely, both of them were still alive. Tsuan was bleeding from the head while cowering and trembling.
Rather than from fear, it was simply due to the massive damage no longer allowing her to move as she wished.
Haraka looked on Hibiki and the Spirit with an irritated expression. Then, the eyes of the Spirit captured onto Hibiki.
“……!”
One step closer, the Spirit approached. Hibiki took a step back accordingly. Despite not being attacked, the Spirit now had the priority of killing any standing or moving Quasi-Spirit. Hibiki, without a moment’s worth of hesitation, deleted the Future Vision skill used as an avoidance aid and reallocated that to increase the ranking of her evasion skill.
Without a doubt, the Spirit was being reborn into a different entity from a meager machine lacking even instinct.
This may have originally be something blessed, as even mechanical beings possess souls.
However, for Higoromo Hibiki, this situation was among the worst of the worst. The huge sword swung around──until now Hibiki had been avoiding the trajectory of the slashes with Future Vision, but Hibiki realized that this would no longer make it in time.
No longer able to read the slashes with Future Vision, there was nothing to do but to immediately dodge now. Bits and pieces, there was a burnt odor in the surrounding air.
The huge sword began to dimly glow. A sudden chill──the moment the light converged at the tip of the sword; she jumped sideways with all her might.
While until now it had just been shockwaves, this slash was different as it was accompanied with raw energy. Rather than saying just the floors and walls of the dungeon, the destruction scattered everywhere inside.
Hibiki’s breathing turned ragged from the fear. Despite being on the brink of death quite a few times, she thought that this time was the most guaranteed of moments.
……And it became easy to understand why Quasi-Sprits who were once in the Neighboring
World called the Spirits a ‘calamity’. This girl in front of her, even if she could laugh, be angry, and be sad like Kurumi, displaying this level of power would cause everyone to flee.
Her legs were trembling from the fatigue. She couldn’t leap anymore even with all her nerves concentrating. In other words, next time would be exceedingly dangerous in terms of being no longer able to evade.
She couldn’t see Tokisaki Kurumi. She had forgotten to keep track of time for a while now.
……There’s a need to stop thinking about the future. All that matters was overcoming the current crisis in front of her now. This procedure wouldn’t change. For now, she shouldn’t think about even Tokisaki Kurumi.
Her forehead began to sweat.
Hibiki thought that this was bad. The sweat was dripping towards her eyelids. She wanted to wipe the sweat away with her arm, but the fear and tension made even this become an arduous task.
Still, somehow she moved her arm and wiped away her forehead sweat with her fingertips.
But then, just inadvertently, Hibiki had blocked her sight with her fingers. The next moment, the Spirit was standing right in front of her.
“Ah────”
There was the feeling of being careless, but that was all blown away by the beauty and terror of the Spirit seen standing in front of her.
──Ah, so this is death.
I am sure. One second later, I could clearly imagine my head being bisected.
The Spirit raised her sword──the moment it was swung down, all of her thoughts, dreams, and hope will be lost. Ah, but even so.
Ah, the Spirit raising her sword, what a valiant and beautiful sight. At the very end, being beautifully cut down by something so beautiful, it wasn’t such a bad way to go out──
“No, this is bad, after all there’s no difference in me being split into two equal parts!?”
Hibiki reflexively shouted at these excessively good-for-nothing thoughts. Pointing out this natural ridiculousness of this as her last words, it was her innate temperament that made her cry out like this.
And that triggered a miracle.
“……?”
Suddenly, even the mechanically moving Spirit looked confused at the strange sound Hibiki was letting out. These worthless cries earned about five seconds at best.
However, those five seconds were fatal.
Haraka saw. At that moment, the bullets were thoroughly shot from the head to abdomen of the
Spirit.
“Five shots……”
“Wrong.”
Haraka slanted her head at what Tsuan had said.
“It was certainly five shots just now. Did you count wrong?”
“That’s not it. Look.”
She first pointed towards the stunned Hibiki and the back of the Spirit. There was nothing on her back, not even a scratch.
“……A hallucination?”
“Wrong. Perhaps this is──bloodlust.”
Tsuan smiled while saying that. That’s right. That was her. Gently standing behind the scenes, anyone would notice being stared at with murderous intent.
A first class warrior could estimate their opponent’s strength through bloodlust. The bloodlust for instance can then be perceived in the image of a blade or gun.
However, it was extraordinary for someone unrelated on the sidelines to also be able to perceive this.
“You are alive……!”
Trembling with delight, Tsuan stood up and grabbed her broken <Lailaps>.
“Ariadne, master. I have no time to rest.”
“I know, already……”
“Ah, shit. You look fine. Did a bonus grant a full recovery? Can you afford to be a bit too relaxed now?”
Kagarike Haraka struggled with a coughing fit as she sarcastically muttered.
“My sincere apologizes, but I was working a full speed. To one’s regret, it was difficult to replenish enough time so that combat ability can be maintained.”
If things don’t go well, she devoured enough time from no less than 1,000 monsters. Thanks to this blessing, of course the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>, but also the other bullets for instance were now available. The bullets Kurumi kept for herself, and obtained from exchanging the Eleventh Bullet <Yud Aleph> and the Twelfth Bullet <Yud Bet>, certainly had the potential to abolish this place.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■”
The creeping shadow approached the Spirit. The Spirit that would originally attack immediately didn’t move.
“Now, you and I are both half-witted and difficult people that can hardly be called true Spirits. That I confess. But, empathy, collaboration, friendship, and negotiation, all that is unnecessary and unsuitable for us.”
A huge clock behind her, antiquated guns in both hands, and a magnificent and valiant jet-black armor.
Kihihihihi, the girl laughed. The laughter gave a nostalgic feeling. So far only thirty minutes have passed since they were separated.
Aah──Tokisaki Kurumi was there.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■”
“Now, let us begin Spirit-san. Our war (date)!”
The Spirit’s great sword tinged with radiance. Seeing this, Kurumi’s eyes blinked in surprise.
“Ara, ara.”
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!”
At the moment of it being swung down, the destructive light energy gushed out. In front of this, Kurumi silently turned towards her gun. Without any fear of this enormous and raw power, she spoke in a soft voice.
“<Zafkiel>──the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>!”
Halt. Rather than the Spirit, the energy wave generated by the Spirit completely stopped in its tracks.
“No way……”
It was no surprise that Haraka leaked out a stunned mutter. So absurd that it was rubbish. Certainly, her bullets could stop the time of whatever is shot. So in the most extreme case of that application, to imagine it could even do the same to a cluster of Reiryoku fixed in the shape of an energy wave.
But, that was only because Kurumi had recognized. The enormous energy was the equivalent to a nucleus. So under the assumption and recognition of it being only an object, all she needed to do was shoot at it……!
Kurumi employed gentle movements to dodge the slashes. After being released, the energy wave started moving towards an uninhabited space, blowing the walls away.
“……This is dangerous, the dungeon won’t last at this rate.”
Hibiki’s line was mixed with a heartbreaking feeling.
The intense quakes had changed from intermittent to continuous. There was the desire for escape, but the situation was far from ideal for that.
At the very least, it would be impossible to escape from this dungeon until the matter with the Spirit is settled.
“Everyone. Five seconds from now, I will stop the movements of the Spirit. Meanwhile, please keep attacking with all your strength.”
“……So what if she doesn’t die?”
When asked that by Ariadne, Kurumi cheerfully smiled.
“At that moment, it means being annihilated. And subsequently, the entire Neighboring World will be destroyed next.”
That wasn’t a joke. Kurumi kept staring intensely. The Spirit was likely a monster that even the
White Queen couldn’t handle. If she flew out from this dungeon, she would engulf both the White Queen and the Dominion’s camps, bringing everything to a close through destruction.
……Of course, there was little harm in running away. But that would be a brief respite. Little by little, this soulless Spirit was capturing information about the outside world. …….Perhaps it would develop an entirely different personality from the original Spirit.
And Kurumi didn’t think this growing personality would be virtuous in any sense.
If she wasn’t stopped here, the entire Neighboring World would collapse.
“Let’s go, everyone. Please match my rhythm!”
“Understood!”
Simultaneously, they spoke in unison. As the girls fought as a party, without even realizing it, their breathing had entirely become in sync.
“‘Dark Magic’ ‘Shape Transformation ・Bullet’/ <Zafkiel>──the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>/ Loading/ Dark Magic ‘Black Shell’ Fifty Fold Recitation.”
“Fifty……!?”
Hibiki and the others gazed on in amazement. Kurumi didn’t heed any care to this as she held the long rifle with both hands and aimed it at the Spirit.
“Here we go……!”
Darkness and shadows swirled around the classical long rifle. Kurumi firmly planted her feet and aimed carefully.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■”
The Spirit raised her huge sword. As expected, Kurumi internally clicked her tongue. Then, Hibiki cried out.
“It’s coming! Everyone, dodge! Kurumi-san as well!”
Kurumi leapt. However, the Spirit turned her head around like a doll, keeping focus on Kurumi.
“Kurumi-san is being completely targeted!”
“Seems like it!”
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■”
The Spirit voicelessly opened her mouth. The energy wave of the huge sword was released and aimed at Kurumi.
Kurumi dodged while running against the wall. However, it seemed the Spirit was now treating Kurumi as the highest priority target.
“Persistent……!”
Far from aiming the rifle, she wasn’t even given the chance to shoot. The Spirit’s line of sight continually chased after Kurumi.
“Kurumi-san!”
Hibiki shouted as she stretched out her index finger and thumb. Kurumi nodded as she lowered the rifle and prepared to quickly shoot using the pistol. If her aim wasn’t well defined, this may misfire. But even so, it’s already been established that ordinary bullets wouldn’t amount to much damage against the Spirit.
As the other three looked confused without taking notice, Hibiki attentively observed the Spirit.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!”
The Spirit quickly evaded.
“As I thought……!”
Hibiki was earnestly analyzing. For herself who was overwhelmingly inferior in strength to the other four, she had to make up for it by sharpening her thoughts.
(Conclusion. The Spirit still has no distinction between attacks.)
(……I see, so that’s the theory.)
This was sort of like Pavlov’s dog. Even if she understood that Kurumi’s attacks were effective, there was a lack of comprehension in what sort of attack it was.
……If that was the case.
(How about using Kurumi-san’s attack as a decoy?)
(Rejected. There’s a high possibility that all the bullets will be avoided.)
Kurumi vetoed the proposal via Hibiki’s Telepathy.
(Right. ……What about I use the rifle? Wasn’t that done once?)
It was during the fight against Rook in the Ninth Region Yesod. During that time, Hibiki shot from the rifle when acting as a decoy Kurumi. If they could reproduce that──
(Rejected.)
(H-How come!?)
(Right now my rifle is swirling with Reiryoku and time. If Hibiki-san pulls the trigger now, your body will probably be blown to pieces.)
(Scary! B-But if you can reinforce it with auxiliary magic……)
(I don’t know if even I can shoot the current <Zafkiel> with my own hands. Rather, I was thinking about requesting assistance.)
(Ohh……then, it’s no good……)
(Let me participate. How about Tsuan? With her good body build, could she endure it?)
(Participation. I would argue that my body build is slim rather than good. That being said, I am confident in my physical strength.)
(……Is there any other information excluding the last part? Well, whatever. Anyway, I’m against it. If looks be correct, only Tokisaki Kurumi can pull that trigger.)
(How did you guess?)
(……Mmm……do your best……)
(Master is useless. Any other people with nice ideas?)
(What, don’t ignore me!)
(Hmm……I mean Kurumin, don’t you have any ideas?)
As Ariadne pointed that out, Kurumi affirmed with a bitter look.
(There is. One. Why do you ask?)
(Well, that’s the sort of thing you want to hear, right? What is it?)
(Yes……I suppose there’s no need to say anything else then?)
And then Kurumi presented a single amazing idea. Frankly speaking, Ariadne and Kagarike Haraka were taken aback by this. Tsuan nodded without changing her expression. Only Hibiki was listening on in a solemn manner.
(That means, you can’t do it without me, right?)
(Yes, yes. ……My apologizes, Hibiki-san was the only person that I could think up.)
(I want you to wait, Tokisaki Kurumi. I think I can do that too.)
(Tsuan-san is moving as the attacker, so this role is no good. All the more to think about in the worst-case scenario.)
(It’s impossible for us.)
(That’s right. For us, this will be a huge risk, so I most of all don’t have confidence there for you. No, I think I can trust you, but your proposal has the air of offering up a sacrifice.)
(I’m fine with this……)
(……Hibiki-san, are you really okay with this?)
(Yes. I mean you should know. From the very beginning, I am the only person qualified for this.)
Hibiki wiped away the unpleasant sweat perspiring. Whether or not she could really do this, even with Tokisaki Kurumi’s power, there were real doubts if this was feasible.
Even Higoromo Hibiki, who usually completely trusts Kurumi’s power, had a level of doubt about this tactic weighing on her mind. Because──even Kurumi herself had some suspicions about this ability.
(……If a little more time is spent, perhaps another strategy might come to us?)
Hibiki shook her head as she rejected Kurumi tempting offer.
(No, it’s far scarier for this battle to last longer. It’s absolutely dangerous; my intuition has continued to ring at the highest alert siren. It’s been like that since seeing Kurumi-san falling down from the sky!)
(Fufufu. I imagine you are praising me. You are praising me, correct?)
(Of course. ……By the way, do you think it’ll hurt?)
(Just about everything is unknown. Are you really, really okay with this?)
Hibiki was silent. Even though it only took a few seconds, the silence felt like an eternity for Kurumi who was still desperately dodging the Spirit’s casual energy waves.
(…………I’ll do it!)
That’s why she took courageous step forward.
(We’ll need to adjust the timing. If I resist with the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>, expect her to advance over to the next step.)
(Roger that. I’m acquiring skills that are likely to enhance flight skills. Everyone, please grant me a buff that makes me more agile.)
(Shouldn’t protection support be necessary?)
(It seems like that will be of no use! I just need to match Kurumi-san at the fastest and best timing.)
Still, the tremors couldn’t be suppressed. This fear was there since Hibiki exchanged herself with Kurumi by using <King Killing>.
At that time, it was the fear of losing herself.
And now, it was the fear of losing herself and Kurumi.
(If this doesn’t work, we will all die.)
(Yes, yes. Certainly we will die. In terms of strategy, there are two options: survive together or die together.)
To be honest, both choices look extremely appealing to Hibiki. Either Surviving or dying, for some reason or another Hibiki thought both could be good──but of course she never said that out loud.
(……Okay. My heart has settled down. I can go at any time!)
(First of all…….<Zafkiel>・The Seventh Bullet <Zayin>. Five seconds later!)
Five──the Spirit without changing expression or moving from her spot, released nothing but slash after slash from her huge sword.
Four──Kurumi grinned, launching <Zafkiel> as the huge pocket watch appeared behind her.
Three──Kurumi declared the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>.
Two──a shadow coming from the pocket watch entered into her pistol.
One──she pulled the trigger, aiming the muzzle of the pistol on the energy wave generating the slashes.
Just like before, the slashes had come to a stop. As the Spirit took a step forward, Kurumi made a huge leap.
“I’m going!”
She took sharp and speedy breaths. By kicking off the wall, she reached a bullet-like speed while charging forward at the Spirit.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■”
The Spirit raised her long sword up with one hand, stopping there as if perplexed.
“!?”
Not caring about Kurumi’s shock, the Spirit re-gripped her sword with both hands.
That moment, Kurumi and the others perceived a terrible tempest of Reiryoku (energy).
“This, is……!!”
The Spirit was rapidly sucking up the surrounding Reiryoku. All of that Reiryoku focused onto that huge sword.
“The application of the slashes so far, she’s going to be raising the destructive power and range to the limit……!”
Apparently, the Spirit didn’t seem to like this constant dodging. If Kurumi tried dodging now, all that meant would be receiving a blow that couldn’t be avoided.
This was simply absolute despair.
(You three besides Hibiki-san, evacuate to behind the Spirit. Hibiki-san──I do trust you are ready?)
(Yes. I’m going now!)
Hibiki started to run.
She knew that her legs were about to be tangled from the trembling. The girl beside her was an existence like a living tornado that brought death to all that came into contact.
Right now, Hibiki needed to dive into that……!
Kurumi carefully and level headedly determined the timing. <Zafkiel>──that hidden ability, the Eleventh and Twelfth Bullet, they were sealed off because that unrivaled power had lost its meaning in the Neighboring World.
So in order to defeat this Spirit, Kurumi herself had rewritten that ability.
……Originally, <Zafkiel> itself is an ability that one cannot handle.
There was no hesitation in throwing it away. If that were the case──there was a slight suspicion it being an existence different from Tokisaki Kurumi.
So what about that, Kurumi gritted her teeth.
“<Zafkiel>!”
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■?”
“Kurumi-san!”
Hibiki stood in front of Kurumi, in order to serve as a shield to protect her.
The Spirit looked confused at this behavior for the first time in her life. However, the Spirit wasn’t so mature that this confusion turned into cowardice, suspicion, and consideration.
──This was the turning point of this battle.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■!”
The Spirit’s huge sword had accumulated towards the sky, swinging down to take down Kurumi and Hibiki in a single gulp.
A golden slash which erased all that came in contact with it. Even Tsuan and the others who had escaped to behind the Spirit had their eyes disoriented by the flood of light.
“──Bullet!”
The flood of light swallowed them.
“Tokisaki Kurumi……!!”
Tsuan let out a scream. The Spirit ignored them──merely just looking on at the aftermath.
The ground tremors were growing louder and the dungeon will collapse shortly afterwards.
The previous attack had been the finishing blow. Not far in the future, the Fifth Dungeon will disappear without a trace.
However, it should have been such an attack.
“………….Fuha!”
The girl standing in front of Kurumi took a deep breath and screamed. Until now, they must have been so absorbed in; even their breathing had come to a stop.
Higoromo Hibiki──hadn’t disappeared, wasn’t injured, there wasn’t even a single scratch on her Astral Dress.
“■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■”
It was an unlikely sight. Higoromo Hibiki was alive and breathing.
And behind her was a girl pointing the muzzle of the long gun at the Spirit.
The Spirit couldn’t move. Although she wasn’t aware of it herself, the one-hit blow combined with all of that Reiryoku earlier had placed a tremendous burden on her body.
No longer able to jump, dodge, defend, or anything else──merely just the tiniest moment for an opening.
‘Dark Magic’ ‘Shape Transformation ・Bullet’/ <Zafkiel>──the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>/ Loading/ Dark Magic ‘Black Shell’ Fifty Fold Recitation.
The excessively released bullet pierced through the chest of the Spirit.
……Kurumi’s plan was ridiculous, no aiming for restricting the slash but rather aiming for a moment of rigidity to defend against the blow. It was a successful, but absurd idea.
If Kurumi’s bullets hadn’t altered its performance……this would have been completely foolhardy.
Incidentally, among <Zafkiel>, the First Bullet <Aleph> and the Seventh Bullet <Zayin> were key components of offense and defense.
The effect of the Seventh Bullet <Zayin> was especially strong. As long as it landed, be it Spirit or Quasi-Spirit, the target would become completely defenseless for as long as time was stopped.
The important thing here is that time is only stopped for the target. If the target was struck, the damage of the blow would permeate the same moment time started flowing again.
Therefore, the Seventh Bullet <Zayin> could only be used for offense rather than defense.
“It really worked out well……”
The replaced bullet was essentially the same as the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>. It froze the time of the target.
However, it stops not the targets’ internal time, but rather the external time. For a comparison, it was as if a thin layer of film was wrapped around the target. (Actually there is no film, but for the sake of convenience it’ll be called ‘film’.)
This film had the effect of stopping the time of whatever it touched. Stopping time meant stopping even the vector direction of instantaneous energy.
If a bullet is fired, the motion of the bullet would stop and fall at the moment of contact. Even if the enemy tried to stab with a sword, it would be nullified as long as time was stopped.
The Eleventh Bullet <Yud Aleph>──that is to say, a bullet of unparalleled absolute defense.
“Everyone, proceed now!”
Even with the Seventh Bullet <Zayin> piled up over 50 times, likely she would only stop for ten seconds. But that just means──!
“<Lailaps>──be minced no questions needed!”
“<Taiintaiyounijuyonsetsuki>…….!”
“<Ghostlight Betelgeuse>!”
Each and every one of them threw their attacks. Kurumi also fired from both her antique guns with all her strength.
Four seconds have passed. Kurumi’s intuition had picked up that the time stop had reached the halfway mark. Despite this, the Spirit still didn’t seem injured.
It wasn’t as if the attacks weren’t going through.
However, it seemed like her endurance was incomparable even if time was stopped. “■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■”
The chains of time binding the Spirit gave an impression of creaking.
“She’ll be released soon, somehow before then……!”
“You say somehow, but I reckon that even this much attacking her is having no effect…….!”
Even the normally expressionless Tsuan was growing unusually inpatient.
“If it was an ordinary Quasi-Spirit, these attacks have already reached the level of dying over 100 times over.”
“This high defense is simply too troublesome……”
“Hibiki-san!”
“Y-Yes! What is it Kurumi-san!?”
“Don’t do nothing. What about any ideas!?”
“There is one!”
“Then, carry out that which is necessary!”
“……Power, please lend that to me, everyone!”
Three seconds were remaining. There was no other choice.
“<King Killing>──‘Unsigned Angel Performance・ Evolution’ ・ ‘Recoil Control Invalidation’.”
“…….Ha?”
As Tsuan and the others were left confused, Kurumi quickly picked up on Hibiki’s intentions.
“Hibiki-san!”
“Kurumi-san, please give me the Fourth Bullet <Dalet>. If I do this, my body may explode after all──!”
“My preparations are complete!”
<Zafkiel>──The Fourth Bullet <Dalet>/ Dark Magic ‘Black Shell’ 20 Fold Recitation.
Kurumi had already arranged her preparations.
If Hibiki was attempting anything that could lead to death, this would pull her back from the brink anytime.
“Let’s go. <King Killing> ・Armament Imitation!”
Two seconds were left.
As the same moment Hibiki chanted that out, her Unsigned Angel changed its appearance.
“Huh!? You can imitate that!?”
Haraka let out a stunned cry.
“Well, doing this probably means my Unsigned Angel will die! But I have no choice but to do this now!”
There was one second left.
The weapon mimicked by Hibiki was the same large sword held by the Spirit in front of her. This nameless──no, she understood the name just like with Tokisaki Kurumi’s Angel.
“Gu, this, is…………!”
As Hibiki lifted up that huge sword, Tsuan retreated backwards. Ariadne and Haraka also did the same. And finally, Kurumi, with the pistol in one hand, snuggled up close to Hibiki to squeeze the handle of the huge sword with her other hand.
Zero.
The Spirit began to move. Without being surprised by the girls in front of her, she raised her huge sword just like before──staring.
The girl in front of her was holding onto a sword no different from her own.
“<Nahemah>──<Paverschlev>!”
Understanding just that one meaning, Hibiki called out the name of the huge sword.
Those words completed the imitation. Once, it had even imitated a portion of Tokisaki Kurumi, this was Hibiki’s Unsigned Angel <King Killing>.
The dark light gathered.
This was the great sword held by the Spirit in front──it’s true value. The Spirit also understood.
This was how this great sword was originally used.
But at that moment, the girls had brought down their huge sword a few seconds earlier than the huge sword raised by the Spirit. Even she, who was created without a soul and imprisoned in a mold, had some regrets of not making it in time.
…….From the very beginning, this wasn’t a blessed life.
…….From the very beginning, this wasn’t a life to be loved.
My life was worthless, my death has value. Death was regretful when thinking like an individual. However, as a whole──ah, I see.
“Good. This troublesome role has come to an end.”
Finally, such a feeling of relief arrived for the Spirit. This meant the defeat of the Summoner who had chosen her as the template.
At the same time the Spirit disappeared from that dark trajectory slash, the huge sword in Hibiki’s hands shattered──at the same time, an unpleasant grating noise was heard coming from her arms.
“The Fourth Bullet <Dalet>.”
However, Kurumi prevented it with high-speed rewinding to restore those arms from crumbling into pieces.
“Aaaaaaaah! My arms are going to disappear……!”
Hibiki panicked and started touching her arms to confirm they were safe. Then, she tumbled down at a loss of strength.
“……Hibiki-san, are you going to be okay?”
“If that’s what Kurumi-san is saying, is it even okay to be safe?”
As Hibiki grinned, Kurumi also joyfully laughed. The injury wasn’t a profound wound. But if forcibly said, <King Killing> had shattered into pieces.
“Aah. That was my secret weapon.”
“Can you repair it?”
“If asking a Quasi-Spirit with proper blacksmithing skills, maybe……”
Tsuan picked up the shattered pieces and shook her head.
“Higoromo Hibiki. This is……no good. No matter how good the blacksmith is this won’t heal.”
“Drats, so it’s impossible after all.”
“Unsigned Angels for Quasi-Spirits are weapons and at the same time a technique for survival. Even if you take away an Unsigned Angel from another person, you won’t be able to use it.”
“The Emptying process may accelerate, are you going to be okay Hibikin?”
As Tsuan and Ariadne voiced those lines, Hibiki shrugged her shoulders.
“Hmm……well, I’ll manage somehow. Unlike other people, my reason for existing is quite strong.”
──Although she doesn’t know what would happen after separating with Tokisaki Kurumi
Hibiki, without saying that, kept that close to her chest.
“Anyway, this is our victory. After that, we just need to use the Nitro Dress in this dungeon to seal the gate to the Third Region Binah──”
“……I don’t think that is necessary.”
“Huh?”
Not being aware from the excitement in defeating the Spirit, the dungeon had already begun to fall.
The quakes didn’t know where to stop as huge stones began falling above everyone’s heads.
“Well I’ll be darned……is that right? With the Spirit’s fondness for rampaging, it would end up like this.”
Collapsing, it was going to collapse.
Their original quest, a blockade for the gate to the Third Region Binah would eventually be accomplished. After all, the dungeon itself was going to collapse.
“The transfer team will collapse and disappear. This will at least prevent an invasion from the Third Region Binah.”
Without the transfer team near the gate to the Third Region Binah, the Empties could no longer appear spontaneously everywhere in the Fifth Region Gevurah. With this, peace would return to this region and the fears of the expanding warfront being broken through would be settled.
Haraka’s words gave the group a collective feeling of relief──but they immediately reconsidered that not being the case. After all, the Fifth Dungeon was still in the middle of collapsing.
Kurumi shouted.
“Up!”
With those words, Hibiki, Tsuan, Ariadne, and Haraka all jumped up at once.
The Fifth Dungeon Elohim Gibor came crumbling down.
Seeing the huge blocks of stone falling towards them, Kurumi pulled out her rifle.
“<Zafkiel>──the Seventh Bullet <Zayin>!”
Kurumi and the others either bypassed the falling stones whose time had been stopped, or Tsuan swung around <Lailaps> to smash apart any obstacles.
Floating up, floating up, floating up.
The monsters didn’t particularly do anything special as they were just absentmindedly crushed. Hibiki tried to not become a little sentimental, the first place they (?) lacked any soul and any emotions. She regrouped her thoughts and recalled that there should still be other dungeons full of activity.
……It was safe to assume that everything needed to be done in the Fifth Region Gevurah has been accomplished. In that case, the only thing left to do is defeat the White Queen.
The moment of parting was already close at hand──
“Hibiki-san!”
“Eh? Ouch!?”
Perhaps because she was absentmindedly thinking, a falling stone had struck her head. Kurumi pulled along Hibiki’s hand as if a little angry.
“We haven’t escaped yet. ……Your hard work has come to fruition, so don’t mess up here.”
“I-I know.”
“Well, if you are tried, it can’t be helped. I’ll help you for the time being.”
“……Hie, thank you very much?”
“What is hie supposed to mean?”
“The usual cold-blooded Kurumi-san has shown me such kindliness…….ouuuuuch!”
Actually, the current ‘hie’ was from a mixture of surprise and yearning for holding onto Kurumi’s hand. But rather than confessing that, Hibiki chose that it would better to give a dumb reply like usual.
“How noble.”
Then, Ariadne whispered that to Hibiki. Hibiki’s face turned gloomy as she turned to Ariadne flying next to her.
“Did you say something?”
“Nu, nothing in particular. But let me give you some advice. Isn’t this just going to explode someday?”
She understood what Ariadne meant. Hibiki’s expression remained sullen as she coldly replied.
“I won’t. Absolutely.”
“Are you intending to bring this till the grave?”
“That’s──”
It was a hesitant question to answer immediately. But the answer had been fixed since the very beginning.
“Of course I’ll bring it, isn’t that natural?”
“…….Fuaa……fuaaaaaaa……”
Ariadne rubbed her eyes with a sleepy look.
“Don’t fall asleep when someone is giving you a serious answer! And also while you are flying!”
“After completing that fierce battle, for some reason or another all I want to do is sleep. Well, it should be fine then. …….No, I wonder if this isn’t good somehow……”
“It’s my selfishness.”
Becoming sulky, Hibiki turned to face the other way. Ariadne gave a sidelong glance as she quietly left her.
“What were you talking about?”
“It’s no big deal. It’s just Ariadne-san establishing her inner disposition to be a bit nasty.”
With the feeling of Hibiki’s roughening her voice, Kurumi widened her eyes at the unusual sight.
And so, the party flew up from the Tenth Floor to ground zero.
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