CH 97

“Mh…”

It was by chance that Creasyl noticed that something had happened.

A tiny silhouette appeared on the plaza below the temple she herself was sitting in, where the sacred swords were running rampant.

“You all, prepare for impact”

Being given their instructions like that, the seven sacred swords bent over on the spot.

Immediately following, the ground shook several times in a row.

“What is happening!?”

One of the seven sacred swords, the Lustful Sword Asmodeus shouted.

Looking outside, there were countless gigantic smoking rocks.

The wreckages of the sacred swords scattered around displayed the size of the damage.

“The likes of rats are…”

Creasyl expressionlessly looked down on the human beings standing on the rock.

◆◆◆

“Clear the way!”

The center of the solitary island. Together with Roa’s war cry, the sacred swords were all blown away at once.

“Out of the way desu”

With one swing of her arm, Shironeko finished off the blown away sacred swords.

“Big sis! Please make sure not to get separated from us so much!”

Mineko kicked open the head of the sacred sword who was creeping up behind Shironeko.

“Step aside”

Yuuhi’s black flames destroyed all of the sacred swords.

“Elka! Are you good to go!?”

Glain said while strangling a sacred sword.

“I, I’m good!”

Elka’s magic put the surrounding sacred swords in ice.

However, she left one behind and exposed her back.

“Elka!”

“――That was dangerous you know, 

The sacred sword of Touma, who was further in the back, saved Elka from her crisis.

Touma caaught the head of the sacred sword which revolved in the air.

“Why, why are you all…”

“Leave the trivial talk for later! Right now we’re annihilating them aren’t we!?”

Having dealt with Glain’s question, Touma had his sacred sword transform and take the shape of a cannon.

When he fired with it, it blew away all the sacred swords who were there in a straight line.

“I am his chaperone though…”

“You too…”

Kouma, who was hiding behind the gigantic meteorite, made his appearance and cut down the sacred swords around him.

“ … Sorry, I can’t move”

“Ugh! Tia!”

The sacred swords tried to swarm Tia who was concealing herself under the meteorite.

Glain blew those away with all his strength and quickly rushed over to her.

“I used up nearly all of my magic power just by dropping the meteorite with everyone on it… I won’t be of much use in fighting like this”

“No, this is more than enough. You’ve done so much work for us after all”

The action they performed this time was, in one phrase, a surprise attack from the skies.

They descended on the solitary island by riding on Tia’s <Limit Break> star magic, <Shooting Star>.

This enabled them to stand on the solitary island relatively safely without being targeted during their landing.

Surprising the surrounding sacred swords and successfully removing the vanguards was great.

“I will guard Tia right now. Everyone! How about we somehow clear a path to Creasyl!?”

“Who do you think you’re asking!”

Roa reliably shouted, linking up midway and participating on the operation.

Everyone had strong will shown on their faces, it will honestly be alright if I leave it to them, Glain believed.

Except only Elka would be――――

“Elka!”

“Ye- yes!”

“ … Don’t overdo it”

Elka quivered in surprise once towards Glain’s voice.

It worked out now, but he would not know if they will eventually be attacked by even stronger sacred swords.

Glain wanted to give support, but he was putting his all as Tia’s guard now.

“We just have to lighten Elka’s burden then, right!? In that case, leave it to me!”

The one who shouted at such time was Roa.

She crawled on all fours, and kicked away the sacred swords surrounding Elka in an instant.

Even Glain and the others was unable to catch that speed of hers.

“We also kept up with training you know. Got enough room to support at least one person alone!”

“ …How reliable. Alright! Attack!”

On Glain’s command.

All ran off at once towards the temple in the center.

On the way, Elka apologetically called out to Roa.

“I’m sorry… for holding you back”

“No, even your strength can be turned into fighting power you know, It’s just, please put in some more effort in it okay?”

“ …”

“Switch it up, because this is a war for revenge”

Roa’s fist filled with hatred broke the sacred sword in front of her.

Elka too learned from that and turned the surrounding sacred swords into ice, having her facial expression returned somewhat.

◆◆◆

“ … This is not good. All of you, we’re protecting Creasyl”

“Lustful Sword Asmodeus”, who observed the group of people heading this way in full force, called out to the seven sacred swords waiting behind her.

“Hmph, don’t order me around”

Said “Prideful Sword Lucifer.”

“Shut up. We know even if you don’t tell us in detail”

Said “Wrathful Sword Satan”.

“What are you behaving as our leader for? Even I want to take control you know”

Said “Envious Sword Leviathan”.

“ …How troublesome”

Said “Slothful Sword Belphegor”.

“I’m hungry”

Said “Gluttonous Sword Beelzebub”.

Asmodeus was irritated by her Seven Sacred Swords allies who each showed their responses.

“All of you!”

“I am in charge of anger remember? Stop taking that position, I’ll kill you you know?”

“ …Then work properly! Disperse!”

“Tch…”

Those of the seven sacred swords abided to Asmodeus forcibly taking control, while looking reluctant.

They were Creasyl’s swords.

They could not get caught in to some trivial position

“You’re all in position then!”

The seven sacred swords moved in order to stand at the vertices of a perfect hexagon around the temple.

Within the forest or rocky area, the sacred swords put their hands on the ground.

“It’s incomplete because Mammon isn’t here, but let’s do it!”

““““““Six Awn Barrier!”””””” (六芒結界)

The sacred swords’ voices were uniform.

When each position appeared to shine, those light traveled the ground and reached the center that was the temple.

As soon as it painted a hexagon around the temple, a wall of light erected from there and enclosed the temple in the blink of an eye.

It appeared to be completely covering above it and it did not seem possible to invade from the sky.

If one wished to undo this barrier, there would be no other way but to defeat the seven sacred swords――――

◆◆◆

“What is this, this wall!”

Roa struck the barrier.

However, it was unyielding.

“Step back”

Yuuhi hurled black flames to strike the barrier.

Still, the barrier did not sway.

“Breaking through it is impossible?”

“We may be able to destroy it if we put in all our strength, but I don’t know what will happen afterwards if we use up our strength here you know?”

Everyone sunk into silence to Touma’s words.

At this rate, they will be unable to reach Creasyl.

“But this is quite straightforward isn’t it?”

Touma said, and pointed at the line of light connecting the vertices of the hexagon barrier and the outside. 

“I see, so you say the one who spread the barrier would at the end of that line?”

“I have no proof of this, but that’s probably it isn’t it?”

Touma affirmed the opinion of Kouma.

At this point, everyone’s new objective was decided.

“If we divide ourselves as is, then we would be exactly six groups then”

Roa, Shironeko and Mineko, Kouma, Touma, Elka and Yuuhi.

They were certainly six groups.

“How about we try crushing every one of them?”

“ … I don’t want to agree with your opinion desu”

“Sis, this isn’t the time to be saying ――――”

“But… I think that is fine too, so I will join”

“――――Clever little kitten aren’t you”

Most of the people there held ill feelings towards Touma.

Except, currently they were obstructive feelings.

This was a battle to avenge Setsu, the loved one of everyone.

“Then, let’s split up!”

By Touma’s instructions, everyone separated from that place.

Touma, who was running towards one of the lines, calmly began to analyse the current situation.

“Hmm…  I would’ve wanted Glain to come  in this situation, instead of Elka though…”

Protecting Tia who could not move should be a heavy responsibility for Elka.

For that reason, Glain stayed behind, but Touma could not consider that as anything but naive.

They ought to win this war, even if they were to cast away everything.

Tia was the sacrifice for that sake.

The winning chances should be higher if he left her behind in that place and let her persevere by herself.

But Glain did not do so.

“Naive… Both Setsu and his comrades”

As a result of suddenly recalling Setsu, Touma cheeks loosened.

However, he immediately refocused his mind.

Before him stood a woman with a clearly different atmosphere surrounding her.

“Ooh lala, an adorable boy has come”

“It looks like you’re part of the barrier then”

The long haired woman wearing a pink dress bowed with elegance. 

“I am the sword of the Almighty Creasyl, Lustful sword Asmodeus. I will take captive all of you who are trying to approach her”

“Thanks for the introduction. I’m Kamishiro Touma and for the sake of he who I love, I’m here to kill all of you”

Asmodeus took out a distorted one handed sword and Touma readied his black Excalibur.

The start of the battle between mankind and the Seven Sacred Swords has just begun.