Chapter 8
Part 1
The sound of a large gong reverberated throughout the the entire cave. The large gong that signaled the start of the Game, resounded through every part of the cave and continued to spread beyond it. The wild animals and birds weren't aware of what will happen afterwards. Even so, they would still probably be regretting with their lives regardless even if they were.
Kudō Asuka displayed a bitter smile after Kasukabe Yō's speech and plunged forward into the cave with a renewed determination.
(Izayoi-kun and Kasukabe-san will start immediately. I also shouldn't fall behind.)
Faceless —The girl who calls herself Kudō Ayato. There was a need to settle things with her.
Thinking back, Asuka was probably always aware of her.
Ever since she was rescued from the Titans at the waterfall of the giant tree, there had been many opportunities to exchange words with her. Her serpent sword, that easily dashed in the air, had saved Kudō Asuka many times, but at the same time, drew her at a corner with dilemma. Her eyes got attracted to those special moves for over countless times.
She expected that under her mask, there was a face full of purity.
......Despite that, fighting in that form was full of irony.
Advancing in the cave dyed with various colors, someone who looked like her split image stood in her way.
"..............."
A clink of preparing a linked sword was heard.
Faceless already prepared to fight. Asuka was already inside her attack range. The attack of the serpent sword was about to chop off Asuka's head.
Aware of that, Kudō Asuka asked her… whose face was like a split image of her's, the final question.
"Can I ask one thing?"
"——Go ahead."
"You said.......... You wanted to leave Little Garden. What does that mean? Aren't you planning on receiving Queen’s next order and accomplish it?"
Asuka asked while guessing her reply. As always, Faceless' reply was quick.
"No. That was a lie. If I don't clear the game with Queen before the time limit, I would be sent to the outside world as the Queen's vanguard. They would take away my personality and reincarnate me. And that time limit is not that far."
"Then, why do you need all this?"
"There were others aside from you at that place. ...Isn't this reason enough?”
Asuka silently accepted the ambiguous answer she received. As a fellow comrade in arms, Asuka quickly realized that she was worrying about 「No Name」.
In that case, words were now deemed unnecessary. She already clearly understood with what reasons did this masked knight faced this battle.
.........In a way, the situation was inevitable for her as well.
Would she kill Asuka and begin a new life?
Or would she go to the outside world as the Queen's vanguard?
She only had these two choices. To save the personality that is ‘Faceless’, she has no choice but to kill Asuka.
"I understood it well. You are truly dead, resent the living person that is me, and want to snatch away my spirit level. Yes, what a shameless usurper. The title of Queen's knight is wasted on you as well. Certainly, there are many painful things in the outside world, but not to the point that I would hand over my life for someone else. ...Today is not Halloween, but.... I pray for your happiness in your next life, Ayato-san."
Even if it crushes all the affection and emotions she accumulated in this Little Garden, she still had to face this battle head on. If Kudō Asuka can… She will just take all those things back by force.
To that indomitable spirit, Faceless merely answered with an angry look in her eyes.
"Those are supposed to be my words. To be honest, I can't endure looking at your shameful sight knowing that you have almost the same face as me. The moment I saw your miserable ability at the time during the waterfall hunting game, I kept feeling guilty that I always resented that mere level of bitter enemy."
"Y-You asked for it.............!!!"
Her cheeks were dyed red with shame. Indeed, was her sigh from back then due to disappointment?
If so, then it was necessary to make her reconsider her opinion right now.
——On the day when the boundary of life and death breaks,
The living welcome the dead, and the dead drag the living with them.
This is a banquet truly fitting for the entertainment of Gods and Demons. Asuka, who saw a scene appropriate for the banquet of Gods and Buddhas, took out her gift card.
But at the moment she did that, the serpent sword came at her at terrifying speeds.
"——!!?"
In Asuka's eyes, that attack was truly like a flash of death. She wasn't even able to see hand’s afterimages, so there's no way she would be able to avoid this linked sword moving at divine speeds.
The metaphor "Storm and Stress" perfectly fitted that attack. No mercy shown to the opponent.
If it was Asuka from several months ago, she would have already lost her head from this attack.
If not for this fortress — This impenetrable fortress of Goddess 「Almathea」 that boasted its high defensive ability.
"——Let us begin. Master, give me your orders!"
The divine mountain goat appeared with lighting in tow. She also finished her preparations for the fight.
Asuka gripped her reins and jumped on her back. Although she was at an overwhelming disadvantage in terms of physical abilities, she could fight well enough thanks to the Gift of the impenetrable fortress and speed.
Taking out the 「Flute of Hamelin」, Asuka gave out the commands for the three Melun sisters.
"Let's go, Merun! Merul, Meril!"
Roger! – vigorous replies came from the Mel sisters that hid in the cave.
At that moment, Faceless’ foothold became muddy.
"Foothold..."
"Flyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy——!!!"
The flute’s sound reverberated, resulting to a dramatic effect..
The magic orbs that Asuka threw, turned into sharp blades of air and attacked Faceless from every direction. They turned to a hundred, or even a thousand super-thin, barely visible attacks and assaulted her.
A dance of a thousand blades, of which even one of them could kill a Titan.
Faceless switched her serpent sword to twin-spears and faced the attacks.
"Fuu—!"
She fixed her breathing. She united her blood circulation and physical strength in order to accelerate her heartbeat. And with the softness that was at the pinnacle of practice and training, she fended off the first attack with the twin-spears she took out.
2, 4, 8, 16 and then 360 attacks rushed at her at the same time. This was the divine tempest that produces the “storm and stress” from vengeance.
However, Asuka believed that she would be able to handle this.
Since she even fended off the wicked claws of the Three Headed Dragon with her divine techniques that even surprised the Great Sage Who Devastates the Seas, this level of tempest was but a breeze to her. It won't be good unless she exceeds that.
Asuka quickly prepared for the second attack.
But Faceless didn't allow that.
While it's true that this tempest was like a divine wind, it wasn't like it didn't have gaps that no needle could pass. What's more, she fortunately had two spears. In other words, even if she loses one, the second will definitely defend her.
Faceless did not let slip the opportunity that appear just for an instant.
Reverse-gripping the spear, she faced towards Asuka and threw her spear overhead.
『The ceiling is collapsing! Master, please hold on!』
"I-I got it!"
Alma informed Asuka with a flustered voice. Asuka, in response, grasped the reins tightly.While evading the collapsing ceiling and falling stalactites, she grew distant from Faceless.
Asuka and Faceless lost sight of each other thanks to the collapsed ceiling.
"I lost her......! Let's chase after her, quickly!"
『Please wait. The Pseudo-Divinity is about to wear off. Let's take distance and prepare for now.』
Almathea informed her with a calm voice. Asuka turned around, smacking her tongue that was unusual to her.
The Pseudo-Divinity given by nature, would reach the time limit soon. Faceless tried to gauge that time limit and destroyed the cave. She expected that if there was no time limit, Asuka then would immediately chase after her.
『She's not just skillful, she also managed to find our weakness in just little time… her Game managing abilities are also high. Master's sister received wonderful training.』
"Kuh......... I know that!"
Faceless' abilities were of divine levels, Asuka already knew about this. Once before, she already understood the gap in their abilities. You could even say that she was envious of her.
But, in this battle, Asuka already understood. The one who needs to get stronger in order to overcome the fierce battle was not just Yō. She herself also needs to get stronger to overcome this death struggle.
"That said...... If we discover her first, we will get an overwhelming advantage. Lets search for a detour."
She recovered the Melun sisters and collected 「Adamantine」 from the collapsed cave as well. The fight has only just begun. Let's move without negligence – saying it to herself Asuka walked away.
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