Book 6: Chapter 6: Part 2

Sponsored chapter by Patreon, enjoy~

Part 2

The moment my [Absolute Spear] and Ronus’ spear collided… Ronus’ spear shattered.

“Gah───.”

Perhaps Ronus had put all of his energy into this last attack, but after his spear shattered, he fainted and quietly fell to the ground. While looking at this somewhat unrealistic scene, the sounds and sights of my surroundings gradually returned.

“…H-huh? Ro-Ronus?”

“What are you dumbfounded about? You beat him, didn’t you?”

Stunned by Kuro’s words, I turned my attention to Ronus, who had fallen to the ground.

I… defeated him? When did that happen?

“Could it be that the Evil power has gone out of control again?”

“It’s not that. Well, it’s not entirely unrelated… but you definitely defeated the Spear Saint lying there with your own hands.”

“What do you mean?”

“You may not remember, but your body remembers the feeling of the Evil when you defeated the Fist Saint. The only difference now is that you pulled the trigger for that power and defeated him.”

“Trigger…”

“That’s right. The power of Evil is a power that embraces everything. And maybe because you’ve activated it once, you’ve been able to control it subconsciously, albeit only partially. Well, even if you try to control it, you can only do so to the extent that it doesn’t go out of control.”

“Huh…?”

I’m not sure, but it seems that the reason I’ve been able to keep my Evil power from going out of control is not only because of Kuro’s power but also because of my subconscious.

“Thanks to your subconscious control of the power of Evil, you have been able to utilize it on a limited basis. That’s what’s happening with your eyes.”

“My eyes?”

I touched my eyes without thinking, and Kuro continued.

“Yeah. As I mentioned many times, the power of Evil is a power that embraces everything. It does not matter if it is tangible or intangible. It can even be used to strengthen and absorb techniques and movements…”

“That’s…”

I somehow understood what Kuro was trying to say and was astonished as I felt him smiling at me.

“[Evil Den’s Eye]… now you can absorb any movement with it.”

I was just dumbfounded by Kuro’s words. T-that kind of power…

However, the reason why this power was able to manifest itself was because I followed Kuro’s advice and watched Ronus’ movements. I stared at my hands without thinking, but then I remembered that I was still in combat.

“T-that’s right! Master Usagi is───.”

“It looks like he’s almost done there too, huh?”

“Eh?”

When I turned my attention to the battle between Master Usagi and the Scythe Saint Jin, I saw Jin bleeding.

“N-no way… We already have the power of Evil, and we’re still losing…!”

(Hmph. I was indeed defeated by the Fist Saint, who had the power of Evil. However, I polished my own power after that, without the power of Evil, and ended up defeating you like this. That’s all there is to it.)

“I-I won’t admit to it… I won’t admit that we who have acquired the power of Evil are losing!”

Jin shouted as he crossed the scythes in front of his face, and swung them out. Master Usagi took a leisurely stance against the cross-shaped slash that was unleashed from there.

([The Three Divine Steps])

And as he muttered this, Master Usagi disappeared from the spot.

“What?

(──The first step.)

It might seem as if Master Usagi had disappeared, but he just leaned forward and plunged into Jin when he took his first step. But that’s only because I was watching this from a distance. For Jin, who was actually receiving the technique, it would still look like he’d disappeared.

(Second step.)

Master Usagi then took advantage of his large first step and leaned forward some more. He rolled his body into a small ball from that position, and with a minimal rotation, dropped his second step over Jin’s head in a forward somersault.

“Gah───.”

The second step, delivered with tremendous force, was an extremely powerful heel drop that knocked Jin unconscious. Then, with a momentum from stomping on Jin, he spun in the air and landed. Master Usagi snickered.

(Hmph. I didn’t need to take the third step, after all, did I?)

Master, how much stronger can you get? I don’t think I can win against you…

I couldn’t help but feel that way about Master Usagi, who had defeated Jin. As I look at Master Usagi with my cheeks twitching, he turns to look at me.

(What are you dumbfounded about? The next one is the Evil.)

“T- that’s right! Iris-san is───.”

Just as I was about to say that much, I heard the tense voice of Quarro from above.

“Arere? The two of them have already been defeated? They are so useless.”

“Wha-?”

When I turned my gaze to the sky above, I saw the figure of Quarro, who had black mist spewing from his body and was freely moving it to attack Iris-san.

“Kuh…!”

(…This is not good.)

The black mist spewing from Quarro’s body became countless sharp blades and poured down on Iris-san. Iris-san was desperately trying to deal with it with her sword. However, it seemed that she couldn’t handle all of them and was in a difficult position as it appears.

“Iris-san! M-master!”

(Yeah. We’re coming too…!)

While Master Usagi charged straight at Quarro, I took out my [Formless Bow] and fired a large number of arrows.

But…

“Too bad. That won’t reach me.”

Before the arrows could reach Quarro, they were all blocked by the black mist overflowing from Quarro’s body.

“I’m not sure why, but you have a piece of us in you. Did one of us give you that power? If so, I should have at least heard about it, and more importantly, it’s weird that you’re fighting against me! What’s going on?”

I’m not going to say anything, but instead I’m going to keep shooting arrows at him. They were also easily blocked by Quarro’s black mist, but Master Usagi took advantage of the gap to close in on Quarro.

(How about this…!)

Master Usagi closed in on Quarro with speed I’ve never seen before and unleashed a kick at Quarro that makes the space roar.

I see! Because Quarro was a pure Evil, Master Usagi’s stats had been released and doubled, so he’s even more powerful than usual. As I was thinking this, Kuro inside me answered in a stern voice.

“…No good.”

“Eh?”

“You don’t even realize it, do you? If the Kicking Saint’s stats can be released, then, of course, the Sword Saint stats should be released as well. That’s what it is all…”

I heard Quarro’s amused voice interrupting Kuro’s words.

“As I said… you won’t reach me.”

(Wha… agaaahh!)

The black mist easily caught Master Usagi’s kick, and as the black mist drifting around approached Master Usagi, it transformed into a sharp blade that went straight through him.

“M-Master Usagi!”

(I-I’m fine! Just stay away from me!)

“Eh?”

Master Usagi said to me as he stepped away from me, holding his slashed stomach.

(…If you get too close to me, you will fall prey to the power of that Evil. It’s a surprise attack from one side, but if you came closer, you would have been surrounded and killed.)

“N-no way…”

(You should continue to attack from a distance with your magic or bow from there. Iris and I will somehow take advantage of the gap and launch a counterattack…!)

“Wait… Master!”

Master Usagi said only that and then went back to fighting with Quarro again. As for me, as Master Usagi directed, I fired arrows and magic from a long distance, but all of them were blocked by Quarro’s black mist.

Isn’t that black mist too versatile? How are we supposed to attack him…!

As I grew increasingly impatient, both Master Usagi and Iris-san received more and more attacks, and they were gradually pushed back.

Then, Quarro stretched out his hand and sighed boringly.

“Fuwahh… what a letdown. I’ve been told that Sword Saint is the strongest of the Holy, and I’ve also been told that Kicking Saint is also one of the strongest, and yet you’re not strong at all. The two people I brought with me were also defeated. It would have been better if I had come alone.”

Quarro then stretched out and gave the two of them a cold stare.

“I’m bored, so let’s end this ── now.”

“Usagiii!”

(I know…!)

As the black mist overflowing from Quarro’s body suddenly thickened and increased in volume, the mist gradually gathered above Quarro’s head to form a sphere. It gradually grew larger and larger, giving the impression that it would destroy everything… which was terrifying.

Even though I wasn’t looking at it up close, my instincts were screaming facing the sphere.

That thing is… dangerous…!

Then Kuro, who was also inside me, said in a cold voice.

“…He’s really going to finish them off. If that thing goes off as is… this city will be wiped out.”

“No way!”

Anyway, I shot arrows, threw the [Absolute Spear], and attacked as much as I could, but all of them were completely blocked.

And…

“See you later.”

At last, the black sphere was released at us.