Chapter 46: Full Moon Bazaar ⑥

I gripped [Wood Flash] with both hands and surged straight forward.

This was a spear technique called “Blue Sky Breakthrough”—focused entirely on thrusts, designed for rapid strikes.

As Laada swung her sword, countless black spheres appeared.

That’s bad… I don’t think I can reflect these.

I used [Blue Saint] to slow time and dodge.

Megadia-san had wielded a similar relic. I think that was where “Black Swallow” came from.

Dodging in slow-motion, I used [One Step] to close the distance to zero instantly.

Laada appeared right in front of me and smiled seductively.

My thrust with [Wood Flash] was deflected; I stumbled back.

“A barrier?”
“It’s weaker than Vinu’s.”

Then I could destroy it with [Vibration].

As I attempted to break it with vibrations, Laada unleashed a shockwave.

I instinctively reflected it with the [Blue Saint Gauntlets]. Laada was blown back but did not fall, landing gracefully. Her core strength was impressive. She frowned and muttered:

“…one thing after another…”
“That’s my line.”

She was strong—but not at Alweld’s level. I could win if I kept this up. I readied [Wood Flash].

Next, I would use my secret move with [Rêve Move]—that would end it.

“Ha… you’re strong. Seems I can’t win.” 

Laada sighed.

“Giving up? I could let you die without suffering right now.”

“That’s tempting, but I’m not at full power yet.”

Huh. She had a strange sense of calm.

“Think you can win like that?”

“Well… let’s see. I didn’t want to use it since it sacrifices seven days of safety for just five minutes… but I have no choice. I don’t want to die.”

Laada’s sword glowed, forming the naked figure of a woman, and the vessel body she had been using collapsed.

Her silver hair flowed to her feet, her eyes jet-black, staring straight at me.

Her unnaturally perfect white face radiated mystical beauty, reminiscent of a Venus statue from my previous life’s memories. It seemed alive, moving before me.

“Humanized…!”

She was stronger than before.

But even so… could she beat me? I didn’t think so.

“Yes, it’s been a long time since I took this form. But no time to dwell on sentimentality. Now, prepare yourself—True Form Divine Relic [Lilith].”

Instantly, the starry sky vanished. Darkness consumed everything for a moment before returning.

“!?”

In that instant, Laada’s form had transformed.

Half of her silver hair turned jet black, and twisted, sinister long horns sprouted from either side of her forehead.

Through her hair, elf-like long, pointed ears peeked out.

A giant serpent coiled around her upper body, hiding parts of her and intimidating.

Her lower body was covered in beast-like black fur, with a sharp, spear-like black tail moving fluidly.

She looked like…

“A demon…”

Her closed eyes opened, revealing deep black-purple irises that fixed me in place.

“…!?”

A chill ran down my spine. Her presence was overwhelming.

Before I could react, Laada swung her arm lightly.

―――Voooon―――

The shockwave cut everything.

Even my Blue Saint Gauntlets shattered, unable to reflect it.

“That form… hmm. Pseudo-Divine? Generous, perhaps?”

“Hah… hah… hah…”

That was close. If I hadn’t been Generous, I’d be dead.

I shuddered. I’d faced death before, but never instant death from a single casual strike.

This was the first. And it was just a hand chop’s shockwave.

“Yet… Generous… such an odd coincidence.”

―――Voooon―――

She swung again. I barely dodged.

―――Voooon―――

Relentless. Just her hand-chop had me cornered. I scrambled to evade. No opening for counterattack.

Then, the shattered Blue Saint Gauntlets reformed, covering my arms and body.

I remembered that becoming Generous changed the gauntlets before.

A large blue magical gem formed in the center of my chest, creating armor.

―――Voooon―――

I dodged another shockwave with [Knife Magic].

“[Phantasmagoria]”

I unleashed countless [Vanish] attacks at once.

Laada didn’t even dodge—everything hit her, but she remained unharmed.

“This much?”

Laada sighed. The power difference was immense. My only counter… existed, but I couldn’t use it yet.

The time limits were uneven—she had five minutes, I had one.

If the limit expired, I’d die. Well… I might die before that anyway.

“Scurrying like a troublesome mouse… [Shedim]”

Suddenly, black-purple flames arced from behind me, cutting off my retreat.

“Damn…”

Those flames seemed useless, no matter what I tried. [Crisis Detection] went pitch black.

“This time, you won’t escape.”
“…!”

The hand-chop shockwave—my gauntlets would break once but survive.

[Sora of the Universe Arm] might barely work. I could withstand two hits.

Before the third hit… now! Time to use my trump card with [Rêve Form].

Pain shot from my forehead across my face—but it vanished. Suddenly, my vision and thoughts cleared unbelievably.

I felt my existence rise a dimension above.

I could grasp the stars in the night sky if I reached out.

Everything else seemed like child’s play.

But she was different. No, she wasn’t a trivial being. She was True Form—a treasure.

“Impossible! True Form…!?”

Laada groaned.

I drew my Elixir Knife—most effective against a demon.

She laughed at the sight.

“You think that will hurt me?”
“—[Roar of the Universe Arm]—”

My arm became cosmic, channeling energy into the knife.

The Elixir Knife glimmered with stellar light.

“Just a single star system…”

‘Shaaaah!’

A giant serpent leaped at me. I calmly blocked with the knife. Its fangs bit into it.

Small cracks formed, but the serpent was sliced through.

Then I noticed eyes on Laada’s chest.

Her deep white-purple irises stared me down. I intuited—this could be the weak point.

Using [One Step] to close the space, I plunged the Elixir Knife.

“Don’t underestimate me! [Kurifa]—”
“One Slash, Demon Sever!!!”

I slashed at her chest’s iris at light speed. The blade pierced deep, through to her back.

“Gyaaaaaahhh!”

A piercing scream echoed through the night.

The Elixir Knife snapped.

The tentacles vanished; Laada collapsed.

Steam rose from her body, returning from demon form to silver-haired beauty. She coughed up blood.

“It’s over.”

I threatened her with the broken knife. Laada smiled cruelly despite her injuries.

“…Very well. One last thing… may I?”
“What is it?”
“Haiyaan… the guild… I was curious… who was that…?”
“That rabbit.”
“…Rabbit… hahaha. I never meant to kill her… just as an assistant, she was decent for a human… but her mind… always in heat… so… so I put Haiyaan inside her…”

She smiled mischievously, collapsing. Only the ruined sword remained, dispersing into mist.

“…”

In the quiet night meadow lay Haiyaan’s body.

I returned to my senses, exhausted. That had been a death-defying fight. All-out, just barely won.

A single mistake would have erased me from existence.

“…Haaah… exhausted…”

Looking at the night sky, it was impossibly beautiful, shimmering with blues and purples—perhaps galaxies or nebulae.

I sipped the three-month-old tea from my thermos—faintly sweet and sour. My homemade brew. I praised myself for improving.

“Well… let’s carry this.”

Regaining strength, I stood. I couldn’t leave this be.

“But first… just a little check.”

I searched Haiyaan’s robe.

The Talisman’s Eternal Egg… not there. Not that I was collecting them—far from it.

Still… Haiyaan’s original body… impressive in various ways as a woman.

Focus. Focus. That’s Haiyaan.

I hoisted the body onto my back like a bale. Soft, warm, faintly sweet—but I ignored all that.

Now… where exactly are we?

Is Heizen nearby?

There’s a light over there. Time to investigate.