Manowa 367

 Chapter 367 - Let's Counterattack


A single sword stood pierced into the ground.


Just a moment ago, that white sword passed through the jet black barrier and stuck into this place.

Some kind of design was drawn on the surface of the sword, and an object that looked like a crystal ball was hanging by a chain from the end of the hilt.

The Seven Deadly Sins members Gilbert of Wrath and Age of Greed looked at that sword.


『It crossed my barrier!?』


Gilbert was surprised, but Age remembered that sword. It was the special sword that Yuuko-nee, who was currently in the cocoon in front of him, held in her mouth and slashed Age with when they attacked the Great Dragon Palace.

It was the『Magic Killing Sword』. That had suddenly barged in before them through the barrier. However, it didn't seem like anything more was going to happen.


「It looks like Kazane's companions are outside.」

Age thought. Perhaps Kazane's companions stabbed the barrier with the sword to try and break it like they did at the Great Dragon Palace, and only this Magic Killing Sword entered?... he guessed.


『Magic Killing Sword…… I remember. If I'm not mistaken, didn't that girl use it to enter the Great Dragon Palace?』


While looking at the collapsed Kazane, Gilbert remembered the sword.

The『Magic Killing Sword』that forcibly nullified magic was originally not from this continent, but was made from the bones of a giant beast that lived on another continent. Although it wasn't technically classified as a magic sword, it actually was a special magic sword that produced a『magical vibration wave』that decomposed structures made of magical power.


That sword was currently before their eyes. Unlike Gilbert, who had resistance, Age had a bare Astral Body, so he felt an unpleasant tingling sensation on his skin. In the first place, he had been cut by it once before, so he had nothing but bad memories of it.


「What in the world? Good grief.」


That thing's sudden appearance in a situation where everything had been going smoothly made Age frown. But suddenly, the sword began to shine.


『What!?』

「This is?」


While Age and Gilbert readed themselves, countless shadows appeared from inside that light.

Naoki, then Lyle, Emily, and the crystal horses Crys and Clear appeared.


「…….Heh.」


Seeing them, the corners of Age's mouth twitched upward into a smile.



＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊



Time goes back slightly.


After Naoki's group parted with Kazane and the others, they safely reached Coral Temple at the summit, and immediately after accomplishing their objective, they descended the mountain.

They stayed overnight when they reached Kazane Magic Hot Spring Town (provisional), then left the town the next morning and headed straight for Trade City Uumin.

By all rights, it would have been fine for them to wait at the hot spring town, but Naoki firmly insisted on joining their companions. That was because Naoki's mind was in the critical danger zone due to depletion of Anekinium energy



◎ Lindo Kingdom, Uumin Highway


「A-ne-kiーA-ne-kiー」


Naoki was riding alone on the crystal horse Crys. Since morning, they had been continuously traveling, and they had already passed the checking station and entered Lindo Kingdom's territory.


「Wait for us, Naokiー」


Behind, Emily and Lyle were chasing after him on crystal horse Clear.


「Jeez, he's in such high spirits.」

「Well, for him, I suppose it's something to impatiently wait for.」


After Emily spoke with an angry expression, Lyle replied with a dumbfounded tone.


「Is he really so happy to see Yumika? Truly...」


Emily leaked awfully inconsequential words, but Lyle ignored her. Until now, he had never thought his younger sister was this dumb, and Lyle was a little worried that she might have some kind of illness. The name of that illness was Romantic Comedy Disease.


Romantic Comedy Disease was a mental disorder that made one maximally insensitive to affection turned toward oneself, extremely prone to strange misunderstandings, act violently to hide embarrassment, and overlook any actions done to oneself short of intercourse; it also strictly prohibited confessing until near the final episode and made childhood friend loss flags easy to set.

The winning percentages of the main heroine's younger sister and boyish girls were also low, and at the end of the story, they would be left with the specious consolation「Isn't it nice that the girls were able to grow through love?」It's a terrifying story.


Although Lyle didn't know that his sister was suffering from such a serious illness, he accurately perceived that his sister was going to act rashly when it came to Naoki again. Though, their situation of continuously running from the morning was almost over, as according to the map, Uumin was just a hop, skip, and a jump away.


「Well, we'll arrive any time now, so he'll calm down then, won't he?」

「That's true... huh? Naoki?」


When the Barnes siblings were talking about that, Naoki's horse in front of them stopped walking. His gaze was turned toward a place separated from the road to Uumin.


「Hey, what's wrong?」

「Please wait a bit.」


After Lyle and Emily rushed over and said that, Naoki waved them off with his hand, dismounted, and concentrated. Then he activated the Remote Viewing of his Distant View Earrings.


(My『Sense』Skill caught something. Is there anything?)


Through his Distant View Earrings, Naoki's field of view flew far away, and he saw them: a swarm of Odo Eater Leeches running through the grassland.


「What the hell is this!?」


Lyle and Emily started and looked at Naoki after he made that sudden exclamation, but Naoki didn't have the leeway to pay attention to them, as he knew that Trade City Uumin was in the direction the monsters were heading. And within the Odo Eater Leech swarm, Naoki noticed there was a conspicuously large and『black』leech monster.


「This is the same as that time with the Dragon Bears… Is it the devils' deed?」

「What did you say?」

Lyle's gaze sharpened at those words.

However, Naoki witnessed still more with Remote Viewing. He saw black smoke from Uumin's direction.

That was obviously unusual; that black smoke was the color of a burning city.


「The city is being attacked…?」


After Naoki said those words, Lyle and Emily's eyes opened wide as they looked at Naoki.


「Hey, what are you saying, Naoki?」

「That's right. I know the White Party is loved by trouble, but it surely can't happen THIS often.」


Their voices were almost pleading, but the siblings were making their appeal to reality. They couldn't fight against reality. Naoki explained the scene he saw with Remote Viewing to the Barnes siblings, then continued checking.


「For now, let's investigate a little more. Even at this distance, I can probably do it.」


So saying, Naoki took out Operator Magic Sword『EX』and the『Magic Killing Sword』he borrowed from his older sister.

The effect of this『Magic Killing Sword』was as its name suggested, and although it wasn't classified as a magic sword in the common classification, it actually was a magic sword made of natural material that possessed a magic destruction effect, and Naoki could control it.

Rather, due to its nature of opening the seams of magical structures and destroying them, it seemed it made the effect even stronger because it erased the noise from everything but the player's Skills and Spells, which were seamless due to the Window's functions.

Since it could also be used as a relay, Naoki fastened a Distant View Earring to the『Magic Killing Sword』and sent it flying toward the city.


Then, Naoki witnessed it.


Naoki witnessed the city's disastrous scene as well as Yumika and the others fighting a dragon. Furthermore, through exchanging emails with Yumika, he learned that they couldn't make contact with Kazane but that they knew her whereabouts. Naoki replied that their group would head there.


Then, while making a new record for the longest distance he had made a magic sword fly with Operator Magic Sword『EX』, Naoki arrived at the place where his older sister should be.

A huge black sphere was there, and perceiving that it was a magical barrier, Naoki immediately made the『Magic Killing Sword』charge towards it. As soon as it barged in, he could no longer operate the sword or use Remote Viewing, but that was something he had assumed from the beginning. That was no problem in itself.


Naoki already possessed the Artifact『Return Stake』from the Coral Temple. Since that was the case, Naoki simply had to『fly』to the designation point carved on the Magic Killing Sword.



＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊



And time returns to the present.


Naoki was in the Summoning Institute's backyard.

It seemed Naoki had successfully used the long-distance transfer, which could only be used once a day, as they had all safely reached their destination. And Naoki witnessed it. Inside Gilbert of Wrath's jet black barrier, he witnessed Gilbert and Age, a huge cocoon dyed black, and Kazane collapsed in front of it.


Yes, the person Naoki loved most in the world, his older sister, had collapsed there.

She had lost consciousness and been thrown down before the devils. Naoki witnessed it.


When he saw that, Naoki's vision started turning pitch black.

Anger started dyeing Naoki's heart black. Something started changing inside Naoki.


Then Age came before him and muttered something. He was speaking ill of his older sister.

Prattling an unthinkably idiotic thing like that she was weak. Laughing while saying something like「This all your older sister amounted to.」


Naoki was simply silent… due to his anger, he couldn't even make a voice….


Skill『Magic Sword Operator』has evolved into『Magic Sword Ruler』.

Skill『Limit Break: Magic Sword』has been released.

Skill『Berserker』……



Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Summoning Fighter

Title: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner, Rea King, Liberator

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Draghorn Tonfa x2, Dragon Eating Ogre Army Armor (True), Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, White Magic Accumulator (Revised) ×2, Rainbow Necklace, Rainbow Dragon Ring, Angel Bracelet

Level : 38

Health: 152+20

Magic Power: 340+520

Strength: 72+45

Agility: 78+39

Endurance: 43+20

Wisdom : 75

Dexterity : 51

Spell : 『Fly』『Torch』『Fire』『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』『Golden Dusk「Dragon Exclusive」』『Mirror Shield』『Rabbit Speed』『Flare Mirage』

Skill : 『Kick Devil』『Warrior's Memory: Lv2』『Night Vision』『Crushing Blow』『Dog's Sense of Smell: Lv2』『Golem Maker: Lv4』『Aegis Shield』『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』『Air Jump: Lv2』『Killing Leg: Lv3』『Fear Voice』『Invisible』『Tiger Eye』『Wall Walking』『Intuition: Lv2』『Cheat Death』『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield: Lv2』『Information Link: Lv2』『Optical Camouflage』『High Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Hand Placement』『Thunder Chariot: Lv2』『Sturdier Teeth: Lv2「Dragon」』『Crystallization: Lv2「Dragon」』『Devil King's Intimidation』『Stone Minotaur: Lv2』『Mega Beam: Lv2』『Space Expansion』『Pseudo-Silver Creation』『Poison Claw』『Fireball「Dragon」』『Cuticle「Dragon」』『Arms Creation: Black Flame』『Ingredient Connoisseur: Lv2』『Dragon Pheromone「Dragon」』『Boost』『Monkey's Strong Arm』『Two-sword Style』『Boobies Plus』『Living Armor』『Alarm』『Six-sword Style』『Mental Attack Complete Protection』『Spider Web』『Wire Cutter』『Flexible』



Kazane:「(... Ah, the timing to get up...)」

Yumika:「...........」

Kazane:「ShibiShibi...」

Yumika:「... No, it's about time to quit that.」