CH 224

“Man…the Trial of Gods was one hard enemy! …Hm?” (Souma)

Having obtained the Absolute Divine Sword, Ultihate, I made a triumphal return with a chuckle, but I noticed that the gazes of my comrades were cold for some reason.

How to say it… I feel pressure in their gazes as if saying ‘this guy, again…’.

“Uuh, why is everyone making such grim faces? 

I-I worked really hard this time around, right?” (Souma)

I achieved the hard endeavor of walking 32 meters with my sense of sight and hearing overwritten. 

I think it would be nice to congratulate me a bit more here. 

Or more like, even though they were that worried about me, why is it that they are looking at me as if they don’t know what to do? 

I was uhm…expecting them to come hugging me, overcome with emotion. This is a bit unexpected.

“Worked hard? If my eyes don’t deceive me, it looked like you moved to the sword in an instant though. 

Can you explain?” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki asked me this with a cold tone despite such a nice parting we had. 

I did just as I practiced. I don’t think I did anything that weird, but oh well.

“Uuh, I think you know the effect of this stone slate…” (Souma)

I began talking about it even while still not knowing how to explain it. 

While you are using this Evil God Great War Recording, you will feel as if you have jumped to a different world and are watching the video there, but in system terms, this video is only utilizing vision and hearing. The location you are in the game world and your state are still maintained.

Putting it in fantasy terms, it would be like your body has been left in reality and only your eyes and ears have flown to the past.

Basically, if you ignore what’s coming into your eyes and ears, you can move even while watching the video.

And then, there’s also one more special trait of this recording. 

If you remember the time when Maki ‘instantly’ curled up when she used the stone slate at the library, you will be able to get the answer.

Because time doesn’t advance while you are watching the recording, you can basically get the effect of time stopping. 

And so, this bug exploit that utilizes this time stop while you are watching the video is called Shoplifting Dash.

If you bring the books outside of the library, it will be treated as theft, but because it is not judged as theft while you are watching the video, you can steal books without risks. 

And well, this is the way of using it. 

When I heard magic and skills don’t work in this trial, I immediately thought of the Shoplifting Dash that originated from stealing books from the library where you can’t use skills and magic.

If I used the stone slate to stop time in this trial, I thought I would be able to clear this trial comparatively easily.

This thought changing into certainty was when I did a ‘rehearsal’ the first time we came to the Trial of Gods.

According to the information I heard beforehand, there’s no real risk in redoing the trial in the middle of it, so I thought of trying out a variety of things.

And then, I learned in that rehearsal that I could walk on the light path without issues even when time is stopped, and that traps don’t activate when time is stopped.

In that case, the issue would be whether I can move in those 32 meters on the light path without falling. 

“…That’s why I worked hard until today by using the training facility Mitsuki recreated, you know.” (Souma)

“T-Then, what you were training for from the very beginning was…” (Mitsuki)

I answered honestly to that pointless question. 

“Eh? Yeah, it was obviously training to walk straight in the light path. 

Cause you know, it is pretty hard to move 32 meters in what’s basically a blindfolded state.” (Souma)

You would die if you were to misstep, so I was seriously nervous. It was really rough. 

I said this with those emotions in me, but Mitsuki…

“Aaaaaaahh…” (Mitsuki)

She sighed in a hard to describe way. Her cat ears laid flat as if saying ‘I don’t want to hear anything more’.

…Hmm?

I thought I told them I would be using the stone slate from the very beginning though. What part was surprising about this? 

I tilted my head and Sazan, who had the same tired face, looked at me as if looking at a weird creature. 

“It is beyond proven at this point with Souma, but…that stone slate is outrageous too. 

It can stop time…” (Sazan)

“No, I wonder about that. It is indeed handy though.” (Souma)

It is not like it is useful in any situation. The ways of using it are pretty limited. 

In the first place, rather than calling it time stop when watching the video, it is more like it is a state where a lot of things can’t be accessed in system terms, so there isn’t actually much you can do when in that state. 

For example; you can approach the enemy with this, but can’t use skills. 

It is not like it isn’t impossible to swing your sword to attack, but even if it did hit, it wouldn’t be ruled as hitting, and it obviously won’t deal damage. 

It is basically just something you use to move yourself or something.

You won’t be able to see in front the whole time, so you won’t be able to do anything if you lose your position, and the other limitation is that you can only use it once a day. Moreover, you will have to watch a depressing video for around 1 hour each time. I wouldn’t really like to use it too proactively.

Even so, it might have been of use when the Evil God Fragment reincarnated and we were aiming for the top floor of the tower, but because Maki had already used it at that time, it wasn’t possible. 

I was confused by the weird atmosphere despite having finished explaining it. 

“A-Anyways! We have obtained what we came for! Congratulations!” (Ina)

Ina congratulated me with a specially bright tone to blow away that atmosphere. 

“Y-Yeah, thanks! We have taken a step forward to defeating the Evil God.” (Souma)

Saying this, I bring out Soul Eater and Ultihate. I hold them in both hands and try waving them around.

Holding the two top weapons in Nekomimi Neko is pretty impressive. 

If possible, I would have wanted to achieve that when it was a game, but that’s aiming a bit too high. 

“Ah, that’s the Soul Eater, right?! This is my first time seeing a scythe! 

How to say it, it looks fiendish, or like, super strong. 

We should be able to defeat the Evil God easily with this!” (Ina)

Ina was raising praises with a more natural attitude than before, most likely because she is an adventurer talking about weapons.

But that’s a bit of a misunderstanding.

“Y-Yeah… However, this may be obvious, but I am not going to be using it just like that, you know?” (Souma)

When I responded like that in surprise, even Ina looked at me with wide eyes in surprise. 

She asked me in a flustered state. 

“B-But didn’t you come here to get the 2 strongest weapons…?” (Ina)

I chuckled at the out of mark words of Ina.

“No no. Soul Eater and Ultihate are necessary to obtain the strongest spear and shield. 

I didn’t say getting them equaled the strongest weapons.” (Souma)

“T-Then, that Soul Eater…” (Ina)

I answered Ina who seemed to be hesitant here.

“—Of course, I am making them materials to create a weapon!” (Souma)

Strong weapons are of course strong as they are, but they become even stronger weapons after placing them in the synthesizer and merging them with other weapons.

The 3 factors of making a weapon: Shape, Performance, and Special. By taking out whichever you please and merging it with another, you can create an even stronger and ideal weapon.

It doesn’t matter in this world, but there were a lot of unique weapons and exclusive weapons that couldn’t be synthesized, but even when only one existed Soul Eater, it didn’t have an impossible to synthesize tag to it. 

It is already asking to be synthesized. 

I threw the Soul Eater with its giant blade into the synthesizer. 

I am already used to synthesizing. 

I finished the process with a hum and returned at once, and everyone was still there waiting for me. 

“To think you would melt the strongest weapons you went through such trouble to obtain. 

You really are as always.” (Mitsuki)

Mitsuki, who had finally recovered, spoke to me with words that I couldn’t tell if they were a complaint or compliment. 

Those words stabbed a bit at my heart, but the happiness of obtaining a new weapon won.

“Now, don’t say that. More importantly, check this out. 

This is my new weapon!” (Souma)

I unsheathe the newly synthesized weapon and swing it around.

An impressive sound of cutting wind was made and it made me feel good.

…By the way, the weapon still looks like Shiranui, so it looks completely the same in appearance, but it does feel stronger. 

“Alright. I will call this the True Shiranui!” (Souma)

I proclaimed this with high spirits and took out Mast—no, the torch, threw it, and sliced it. 

“Oooh!”

True Shiranui sliced the torch like tofu and cheers were raised from my comrades.

…Yeah, well, it is natural to be able to slice down a normal torch though.

“Alright, next is…!” (Souma)

Saying this, I unsheathe the Wakizashi with my left hand and tried out dual sword style, and then, Ina asked me in wonder. 

“Uhm…are you not going to test out Ultihate?” (Ina)

That weird question that suddenly flew at me made me fall silent for a while. 

Could it be that Ina is tired? 

I answered her with a wry smile while thinking this.

“Didn’t I tell you? Ultihate is here…right in front of you, right?” (Souma)

Even though I simply answered with the obvious…

“Eh?” 

“Hm?

It seems like our conversations were not aligning at all, and Ina and I tilted our heads.

But eventually…

“C-Could it be…could it be that…” (Ina)

“Hm?” (Souma)

Ina must have thought of something, her face suddenly grew pale and spoke with trembling lips.

“Could it be…that you even synthesized Ultihate…?” (Ina)

Ina asked with a scared voice, and I finally understand what they are worried about. 

But that’s an unbelievably needless worry. 

“Aah, it is that, huh. It is okay, it is okay. Don’t worry.” (Souma)

“R-Right? There would be no way…” (Ina)

I make a gentle smile and undo the misunderstanding of Ina to relieve her. 

“I have properly left the Performance after all!” (Souma)

“……Eh?” (Ina)

After that…

“Aah, sorry, sorry! Please forgive us, God!

Souma-san had no bad intentions! He is simply a bit touched in the head! 

We are sorry! We are truly sorry!!!” (Ina)

“To think you would melt the gift from God no questions asked. As expected of Souma!” (Leila)

“Heirloom…weapon synthesizer…Gouging Vajra… Uh, my head…!” (Mitsuki)

“Mitsuki! Get a hold of yourself! Mitsukiiiiii!!!” (Sazan)

The panicked shouts of my comrades suddenly bursted in the entrance, and there was now no choice but to postpone the unveiling of the newly created weapons.