Chapter 19
I called BlackRose to the Highland City Dun Loireag and told her what was going on.
I told her what I heard from Linda, the information dealer, and I told her about the emails from Aurlike senders and emails from Helba.
And I mentioned how in the area mentioned in the latter e-mail, Aura and that “Grim Reaper” may be found.
“That’s why I’ve come with you. I understand,” said BlackRose who puffed up with pride. “Leave it to me!”
“Thank you,” I said.
To be honest, I don’t know what kind of thoughts she had associated with my adventure. Rather, she accepted it so easily, one might think that she wasn’t thinking at all.
But anyway, I was thankful for her help. It is encouraging to have people who know the situation nearby.
“…But you and I aren’t you going to go alone, right? What will we do about a third party member?”
During my adventures in “The World”, I was a shy and timid person, and I was able to make friends other than BlackRose.
Heavy Axeman Piros. Wavemaster Mistral. Twin Blade Natsume. Heavy Blade Sanjuro. Long Arm Gardenia.
All of them are PCs who became reliable allies.
But at that time, I didn’t know their names.
“That’s it,” I said.
“I think I’ll ask Balmung.”
“Huh? The guy with the wings?”
BlackRose looked down.
“Are you serious? He said terrible things at the cathedral. Asking that guy for help. Firstly, he won’t help us. He’ll find fault with us and refuse.”
“No, I think if you ask, he will help us.”
Because he is Orca’s partner.
“But there are other people who are reliable. Mistral, Natsume, Piros, or Sanjuro,” BlackRose argued. Apparently she didn’t have a good impression of Balmung.
“But he is the strongest from among my acquaintances.”
“I don’t like him. You’re just getting swept up in the moment because his PC is cool.”
Just then, someone spoke.
“Hmph, what a silly thing to say.”
I saw the silver-winged swordsman, Balmung, standing next to us.
I didn’t realize he was approaching because of the high mountain winds blowing through Dun Loireag.
“Is what you said true? What you said…” Balmung said as he looked at me.
“I called you. I was contacted by someone named Linda,” I explained to BlackRose in a loud voice.
Then I turned to Balmung.
“That’s right… If you were listening, the story was quick. We’re going to find the culprit that put Orca in a coma. This will be a fight.”
“Do you really think I’ll partner with a hacker?”
“Hold on a second. Kite is not a hacker,” BlackRose said.
“It’s for Yasuhiko… for Orca.” I said.
“I want to help Yasuhiko. You want to help your partner Orca, Balmung. Our goal is the same. Shouldn’t we fight together?”
Balmung glared at me with narrowed eyes. It seemed like he was thinking about something for a while.
“Hmm.”
Eventually, he let out a laugh.
“I see, I read your thoughts. It’s like a turf fight between hackers.”
“What was that?” BlackRose said.
“Are you going to use me to defeat a rival hacker? Even if I became comatose, it’d kill two birds with one stone for you.”
“What foolish thing are you saying?” BlackRose snarled and turned to me.
“Hey, kite. Talking to him just makes me feel bad. It’s a waste of time.”
“Fine, I’ll cooperate,” Balmung said.
“Huh…”
“But don’t think I’ll go according to the plans you drew up. Your proposal is just a chance for me to beat a hacker. Don’t turn your back on me during the battle.”
He passed in front of us and walked towards Chaos Gate.
“Now, guide me quickly to the area where this supposed ringleader is.”
Sponsored Content
When we arrived at the area that Helba told me about, it was empty.
There was an ear-splitting sound of blowing wind. A dim twilit sky was above us, like in the cathedral area.
I remembered the atmosphere in this area. I comprehended it in an instant. This is the same kind of place as where Orca was made comatose.
BlackRose was speechless.
Balmung looked around and groaned.
“I figured such an area would exist in The World…”
I looked in his direction and was surprised.
There was a girl dressed in white. Her face was pale, her eyes were tightly closed, and she didn’t seem to notice us.
It was her. The girl who handed the book to Orca and was named as Aura in Helba’s mail.
“You’re… Aura?!” I exclaimed.
The girl opened her eyes slightly and smiled faintly when she recognized us.
“You received it… my email, but…”
It was a small voice that sounded as though it was losing vitality rapidly.
“You’re too late…”
Suddenly a cross appeared behind Aura.
And behind that, the “Grim Reaper” appeared.
The girl soared into the sky with the cross attached to her and the “Grim Reaper” floated in the air as he lifted her up.
His left hand was already being filled with sinister energy. I knew what was going to happen and I was trembling with fear.
Aura closed her eyes as though ready for it.
“Stop!” I cried out, but it had no effect. The Data Drain released by the Grim Reaper penetrated Aura.
After a moment, Aura’s body dissolved and disappeared. She made no sound. Then a crimson sphere floated down softly as though it was confused and lost. The next moment, the sphere was broken into three – I’m pretty sure it was three – pieces, flew into the sky and disappeared.
I scowled at the Grim Reaper. Aura had been killed before I was able to get information on how to save Orca.
No, I was still in time. This Grim Reaper was the root cause. If I kill this guy, Orca will surely come back.
The “Reaper” picked up the cross-shaped staff and thrust it at us in a threatening manner.
Sponsored Content
I was momentarily placed upside down.
There was an anger that ruined the clues I had realized a moment before.
But most of all, I felt anger over the Reaper’s Data Drain which made Orca comatose, a power my right arm was holding.
You were only good at swinging a hammer at a defenceless opponent, I thought. Even though you just acquired your skills and there are lingering bugs between programs, what are you good for?
Driven by violent anger, I was ready to rush.
But before I did, Balmung shouted.
“Bug Revolver!”
His gunfire skill hit the “Reaper” and caused the opponent to stagger backwards.
“Idiot! A Twin Blade doesn’t rush in! Commit to a support role!” he shouted without turning around.
“We’ll do the vanguard! Let’s go, BlackRose!”
“A please would be nice.”
Then an endless struggle to the death, as though crawling through the mud, began.
Balmung’s rebuke returned me to my senses and I took on a recovery role for the two of them.
Soon it turned out that it was a strategically good decision.
The Reaper’s attack was extremely intense.
If I had been in front with Balmung and BlackRose, all three of us would have suffered irreparable damage.
I swung my dual blades to match the opponent’s movement, used an attack spell, and then used a recovery item.
After what seemed like an eternity, an effect was displayed, indicating that the physical strength of the “Reaper” had weakened. Now was my chance to release the Data Drain. I had practised timing it many times.
When I opened my right-hand palm and stuck my arm out, a geometric pattern of a data sequence began to emerge.
This will end it all, I thought while the flash of the bracelet embraced me. With this blow, I will defeat the Reaper and save Yasuhiko.
The next moment, a bunch of data sequences emerged and pierced the enemy’s dark body. Just as the Reaper itself did to Yasuhiko and Aura.
A torrent of data began to emanate from the body of the Reaper.
Sponsored Content
With the power of a brand-new pump, my bracelet sucks in countless strings of data.
At that moment, I realized something strange. The strings had been a pattern that didn’t make sense to me, but suddenly I was able to decipher them at a tremendous speed. My brain suddenly understood and recognized how to read the strings correctly. It was describing a single name is written under a certain rule. I was able to read it; Skeith.
Skeith? What is that?
Eventually, when my bracelet sucked in all the strings of data, the Reaper became like a stone statue.
After that, the Reaper raised a painful cry. Still, he was still trying to attack us, but Balmung’s unrelenting blow finished off the Reaper.
A normal monster falls on the spot when its HP reaches zero and it disappears as it dies, but the Reaper did not.
It melted into a liquid and created a small pool of water.
The Reaper’s puddle soaked into the ground and became a black shadow that spread across the ground. A rumbling began, and a huge, thick tree pierced the ground as if it had responded to the puddle which had begun to bubble. From one to the next, countless trees appeared, and we were surrounded before we could react.
Unexpectedly, everything in the world that was visible was color-reversed, creating a double copy and static noise.
As soon as that happened, all sounds suddenly stopped.
The black shadow that had been bubbling, and the huge tree that had emerged from the ground both disappeared.
Everything went back where it came from.
However, the girl was not with the Reaper.
But, of course she wasn’t.
I felt something and looked up at the sky.
It was far above our heads. A pale monster that looked like twisted trees. It’s size not only rivaled that of the Reaper, in fact, the monster that floated in the sky was much larger than the Reaper.
A heart-like core pulsated within its complicated form. The monster was so big that I couldn’t see it all in my view.
The monster seemed to slowly twist.
Suddenly, the air in the game became electric.
The ground shook, split apart, and a terrible gust of wind attacked us.
Neither I nor BlackRose, and not even Balmung, could react.
The monster roared.
That alone blew us away like dust. The overwhelming power made the battle with the Reaper seem like a joke.
I lost consciousness when I hit my whole body against a rock.
Please download our sponsor's game to support us!