Chapter 59: Late Night Festival ③ – Final Battle

Alweld’s golden hair lengthened, darkening as if painted black, while his eyes took on a golden glow.

His lustrous black hair shimmered like a pattern of the cosmos.

From the centers of his golden eyes, black lines extended, running down his cheeks and along his neck.

Did those black tear-like streaks reach all the way to his torso?

Just his presence alone was on a different dimensional level.

The overwhelming weight of his existence pressed on my skin, palpable and undeniable.

He dominated all around him simply by being there.

If this were my normal self, I would have already fainted.

When a pseudo-divine transformation occurs, Divine Aura manifests.

But the difference between him and me is staggering.

So this is Alweld’s pseudo-divine relic, [Thousand Kill Arcos].

I only learned that Alweld von Rutvelt possessed a pseudo-divine relic yesterday.

Narcissus happened to tell me.

Still, I had already assumed he had one.

It would be strange for Alweld von Rutvelt not to have it.

With a strength like that—there’s no way he wouldn’t possess it.

A ridiculously illogical argument, but somehow convincing when it came to him.

“—Pseudo-Divine Relic [Generous].”

I chanted as well. My hair and eyes shimmered into a deep, pale purple.

Equipping the Gloves of Serenity would cover both my arms completely.

Alweld raised his hand, streaked with black.

“Then, let’s go. [Thousand Crash].”

What was that—a translucent black sphere surrounded him.

Thousand… could there really be a thousand?

“!? [Phantasmagoria]!”

[Phantasmagoria] collided with [Thousand Crash].

But I didn’t have a thousand. The remaining [Thousand Crash] surged toward me.

I activated [Sky Arm].

My dominant arm became like the universe. With this and “Agaro’s Modified Knife”, I somehow endured.

Becoming [Generous] reset my relics.

[Knife Magic], [Rave Form]… Rave… Form?

[Reve Form: Become the true form seen in dreams. Action limit: 1 min. Cooldown: 7 days]

True form…? What? One minute, cooldown one week?!

This is beyond fuel-inefficient. I can’t use this recklessly.

“[Thousand Impact]!”

The arena shook violently. Shockwaves surged like massive waves.

“[Phantasmagoria]!”

I countered with this and launched a retaliation.

Struggling to overcome the waves of impact, I threw a Magic Knife at Alweld.

After seeing him catch it effortlessly with two fingers, my form vanished and reappeared before him.

Changing. I swapped places with the Magic Knife.

“Uooooooohhh!!!”

I struck with [Sky Arm], but Alweld’s sword streaked forward.

His slash passed through [Sky Arm]. Damn it—the second strike was coming.

“[Vanish]!”

Almost by chance, Alweld’s sword collided with my [Vanish], disappearing.

I felt a brief sense of relief.

“[Blechen]!”

The arena’s battlefield was destroyed. I used Changing to evade.

Good thing I had placed the Magic Knife on the ground beforehand.

Still, this is unfair. Cheating. There’s no way I can win… no, I will win.

This is selfishness, pure ego. Many are stronger than me.

And that’s fine. That’s perfectly fine.

But I wouldn’t be fighting if I thought it was fine.

How arrogant of me.

Yet there are people lending me their strength.

People who believe I can defeat him.

“[Somber Gladius]”

A sword appeared in Alweld’s hand.

The pommel was round, the tsuba short and square—practically rustic.

The blade was pitch-black, thick and wide, its tip sharply angled.

Instead of four engraved spirals, four actual spirals twisted along the blade.

What an eerie sword.

Feeling its power, Alweld surged forward—so fast.

One step at that speed constantly is absurd.

Within striking distance, he swung [Somber Gladius] carelessly, uncharacteristically.

The slash twisted in black spirals.

I blocked with Agaro’s Modified Knife, and the blade vanished cleanly.

“—Eh?”

The tip had disappeared along a curved trajectory.

The second spiral strike sacrificed a newly bought knife.

The third swirling slash erased the silver cross-shaped knife.

The fourth—Changing with [Knife Magic]—all my knives were gone.

All of them.

Well, maybe there was one more, but I had no way to know.

I had no hand left, and my active time was cruelly dwindling.

Only [Rave Form] remained. That was it.

I took distance, inhaled deeply, and exhaled.

Alright.

“—[Rave Form]—”

I muttered it self-deprecatingly. Saying it had almost become a habit.

Now, the true form… this was genuinely the final move.

A strange pain shot from my forehead across my entire face.

“Ghhhhh—!”

But it lasted only a moment.

Alweld struck with [Somber Gladius], and I slowly lifted my face, pinching the black blade with my fingers to stop it.

“Mu…!?”

“Huh. I could pinch it.”

“That expression… your forehead—”

“Expression?”

What’s happening?

Something… feels strange.

How to describe it? Well… it’s that. That.

“Ah… I won’t lose this time.”

With force, a crack appeared in the blade of [Somber Gladius].

Careful… a bit more and it might break.

Alweld asked with mild surprise:

“Who… are you?”

“Breaking it would be wasteful, after all.”

Such a beautiful sword.

It could fetch a high price.

Arena – VIP Area

At that moment, Narcissus suddenly stood.

“God King Seal!? No way… Could it really be… the king of Generous…?”

The VIP area erupted in commotion.

King? The king? What king? The first-class explorers murmured anxiously.

The arena had already been shaken by the revelation of Alweld’s pseudo-divine relic.

Now Wof’s [Generous] added to the shock—the uninitiated were stunned.

Especially Megadia, who pressed Narcissus and Munieka, neither of whom seemed surprised.

Kaede Akima of “One Slash Decimation” crossed her legs, enjoying the scene.

Beside her, “Sword of Swords” sat quietly, watching.

Late Night Festival – Final Battle Continued

Tuh-ha. Saaao-in. Gymnema Sylvester. John. Kessai.

Around here, everyone was lively, but Saaao-in looked disappointed.

The match was under a non-disclosure agreement. As a bard, it was incredibly frustrating.

A purple mark floated on Wof’s forehead.

It was shaped like an almond-shaped eye.

Furthermore, Wof’s purple hair and eyes shimmered with a brilliance like a sea of stars.

It really looked as if the universe existed within his hair and eyes.

“—A battle between pseudo-divine relics. What did they call it again?”

Alhazard Abramelin stroked his beard and spoke.

“Fake God Myth Battle,” 

Narcissus answered, then continued.

“But a king has never participated before. Even a pseudo-divine relic, a king is impossible. So that must be some kind of mistake. Absolutely!”

Narcissus was flustered and frightened.

“It’s over now, but unprecedented events keep happening this time, huh.”

No one laughed at Alhazard Abramelin’s joke-laden comment.

[Somber Gladius] had broken.

But Alweld seemed unconcerned. When he abandoned it and stepped back, it vanished.

A relic just like the Magic Knife, perhaps.

“[Thousand Crash Impact].”

A combination. He had been hiding a card like this?

[Crash] and [Impact] surged at me, enough to destroy the arena.

Yet I remained calm.

Even under the effects of [Deep Silence], I was unusually composed.

That’s right. After all, this was nothing more than child’s play.

“[Vanish Roar].”

Everything disappeared.

“[Thousand Blechen].”
“[Phantasmagoria Roar].”

They canceled each other out. No—Alweld still suffered injuries across his body.

“…We were overpowered…?”

Ah, Dagaa is here. I can feel him—in the VIP area of the arena, among the spectators.

Sitting on Pakira’s lap, I see. Nice.

Suddenly, my vision and thoughts expanded immensely.

It felt as if the level of my existence had shifted across dimensions.

If I reached out, I felt like I could grab the stars in the night sky.

Thirty seconds remaining.

Time to finish this.

“Dagaa!”

Calling him, the Dagaa in the VIP area leapt straight toward me.

Sorry for the surprise, Pakira.

“Na!”

He jumped high, spun around, and transformed into a knife. I caught it, gripping it as it shifted.

A strange triangular knife with a hollow center.

Slightly pointed like an arrowhead, the center split like a fork.

At the center of that fork glowed a large teardrop-shaped jewel—the True Eye.

Ah, this is from the Minos Unit—I see now. I’ll enchant it.

“[Vanish Roar].”

Once enchanted, a white blade of disappearance extended from the triangle’s center.

“…[Thousand Somber Gladius].”

A massive black spiral sword appeared in Alweld’s hand.

Even larger spirals than before, the sword was black and imposing.

Ten seconds remaining—I gripped the Dagaa knife with both hands and raised it.

Almost simultaneously, I ran. Nearly the same speed as him.

Normally, I’d be a step or two behind.

Almost the same here… I swung down, white and black blades clashing.

Twice, three times, four, five, six—the white and black blades struck, blocked, and collided repeatedly.

White versus black. Me versus Alweld.

But the surrounding space cracked in various places—was this even safe?

Five seconds remaining.

I had to finish seriously now. The pseudo-divine relics were nearing their limits.

Limits… returning to normal… three seconds remaining.

I took distance and swung in one decisive strike. The white and black flashes formed pillars, piercing through the arena.

“Wonderful. Truly wonderful, witch’s apprentice.”
“I’m Wof. I’m Wof, Alweld-san.”
“Wof, don’t you feel sad that this marvelous, meaningful time is ending?”
“Yes. I’ve enjoyed it as well.”

The arena seemed distorted. Even the space itself felt unstable.

Two seconds remaining. White and black hilts pressed together—equal. At this rate, I couldn’t win.

What now? There’s no time left. What do I do in this situation…?

Wait. This state—yes. I leap away.

With a single step, I closed in on Alweld and brought the white blade down.

Of course, he blocked with his black sword.

One second remaining.

At that moment, I faked the downward strike and dropped the Daga knife.

“?”

“Take this!!!”

For just a fleeting instant, about a second, Alweld left an opening.

I didn’t miss it. With [Roar Sky Arm], I struck him forcefully, sending him flying.

An exhibition match technique—like when Axe struck Ens.

“Guhhh… Gahhh!”

Alweld groaned in agony but did not fall.

As expected.

As expected of a First-Class Explorer, Alweld von Rutvelt.

So I pressed the attack. I never expected him to fall in one hit.

I struck his chest to the ground with [Vanish] wrapped around my fist.

“[Vanish Knuckle]!!!”
“Gahhhh…!!”

Alweld sank into the arena floor, losing consciousness.

The arena warped and cracked around him.

Immediately afterward—the entire arena collapsed.