Chapter 148
Chapter 148: The Power of the Holy Sword (1)
「Did… Did he die…? 」
Tears fell from the eyes of the deceased Lagos . Those tears probably came from something else rather than physical pain . Even though Lagos was treated as a traitor, he continued to worry about the future of humanity and the dragon tribe . Somehow, I felt the urge to cry as well . I mourned with a heartbroken look on my face . I noticed that even Rosalie was able to understand Lagos’ sincere feelings .
「I never thought that Geabrande would have such a dragon person . 」
We were both gloomy and depressed . However, Seiya approached Lagos’ corpse as if nothing much had happened .
「I confirmed his death with his status . But, I have to make sure that he is really dead . 」
「No, listen Seiya…Lagos wasn’t our enemy, you know . There’s no need for you to verify if he really died…」
Nevertheless, Seiya crouched down, and began to investigate Lagos’ body .
…Do…Don’t tell me that Seiya was going to burn Lagos’ body with Hell’s Fire…? Just read our moods and be more compassionate, Seiya!
When I felt dejected about Seiya’s actions, he stood up quite suddenly .
「Hey, you guys . We must leave this place now . Hurry . 」
On this very moment, Seiya’s figure disappeared instantly!
「You…You made yourself transparent!? Why!?」
「Be transparent while you run . Meet me at the entrance of the chapel . 」
Seiya’s voice faded away . Apparently, he was running to the entrance of the chapel while giving us instructions… But, why?
Still, I made myself transparent without knowing the reason why . After becoming transparent, I headed towards the entrance of the chapel . However, I didn’t know where everybody was since I couldn’t see any of them after they became transparent . When I tried to go to a shade near the area of the entrance, I hit against a huge obstacle .
「Argh!? 」
「That voice!! It’s you, Lista!! Watch out!! 」
「I can’t help it because I can’t see you!! And why are you standing here in middle of the passageway!? Just go to the side area of the entrance!!」
「…You guys are noisy . Be quiet . Rosalie, are you here as well?」
「Yes! I am by your side! 」
「More importantly, Seiya . Why did you want us to become transparent so suddenly?」
「There is a possibility that another dragons will come to confirm Lagos’ death . 」
「Eh! Are you sure that they would do something like that? But, how do they even know that Lagos died…」
Nonetheless . Rosalie’s voice interrupted my words .
「Please, look! There’s a light source around the body!」
A bright light emitted from the floor near the place where Lagos’ body was lying . It was an unmistakable magical power that emitted a bright light .
「No…No way!! Is that a magic movement circle!? Is someone really coming here…!?」
After the bright light faded away, I saw someone standing next to Lagos’ corpse…I shuddered as I spoke with a trembling voice .
「Ma…Ma…Mash…!! 」
I had a feeling of overpower and intimidation . I remembered vividly Mash’s appearance when I read the thoughts lingering on the bandana . The invasion of Nakashi Village, which I saw with my power, probably took place several years ago . Yet, Mash hardly changed in appearance . It seemed that the dragon tattoo engraved on his arms was wider than during that time .
「Ehh!? Lista!! Is that person really Mash!? His appearance is totally different from the one we know!! He even got a tattoo on his body!!」
「That’s the dragon tribe’s crest . But, it certainly looks like a tattoo . 」
It seemed that Celseus was startled by the abrupt change in Mash’s appearance, but I was worried about something else .
「Hey, Seiya . How did you know that Mash was coming here?」
「Because I discovered this from Lagos’ pocket . 」
Something that resembled a red gem suddenly floated in front of me . Seiya showed me a cracked red brooch with his body transparent .
「Look at this with your Appraisal . 」
「Ye…Yes . 」
I activated my Appraisal skills and read the results to myself .
—
『This is a 【Notification Brooch . 】This brooch comprises of one set, a red gem and a blue gem . Both gems of the brooch have magical powers . If you put the brooch with the blue gem on the map, it will tell you the approximate location of the person holding the brooch with the red gem…』
—
I was still in the process of reading the Appraisal’s results, but I could hear Seiya’s voice in my ears .
「Actually, Mash viewed Lagos as a traitor . So, even if he was banished from Bahamtross, Lagos would have been under surveillance in case he did something suspicious . 」
「It’s like a GPS…! 」
「It’s more than that . This brooch has a special feature . A way to report death . Summing up, if the owner of the red gem dies, the blue gem will crack at the same time . 」
「Does that mean that this brooch warned Mash of Lagos’ death?」
「Yeah . I didn’t know who was coming…Still, Mash’s appearance here was rather predictable . In earthly worlds with difficulty level S or higher, there have been times when enemies from the executive and boss class appear quite suddenly . 」
Hmm . Then, after all, Seiya carefully checked Lagos’ body so that he could find something about Mash . After realizing the meaning of the brooch, Seiya became transparent immediately and told us to evacuate to a safe place…Certainly, as Rosalie said, Seiya’s actions were too great and well prepared in advance .
While I was amazed by Seiya’s cautiousness once again, suddenly, a cold voice echoed from afar . I moved my face toward that voice’s direction and…I turned my eyes to Mash .
「Hey, Lagos . What a joke . Did you really die?」
Mash bowed his head in front of Lagos’ corpse . He seemed to be mourning Lagos’ death .
「What the hell . I thought that this Mash was a horrible person, but it looks like he has a lot of goodwill left . 」
Celseus murmured with relief . In…Indeed! He had an obvious fierce hatred against humans and demons! But, he felt companionship towards his kin! If that was really true, maybe we could talk about this with him somehow!
However, at that moment, Mash swung his right leg wide and slammed it down against the head of the fallen Lagos! I heard a roaring sound throughout the whole chapel! The floor shattered along with Lagos’ head!
「Hyahahah! This is what a traitor should look like! You should have died sooner!」
「Heyyy, Lista!! Did he just crush the head of his fallen comrade!?」
「Ye…Yes!! And he even laughed “hyahahah” afterwards!!」
「…Hey, Lista, Celseus . Don’t disturb your feelings . You will lose your transparency . 」
「WHAT!? 」
We were shocked when we saw each other’s bodies . We could see a faint outline of our transparent bodies!
…Da…Dangerous!! Focus, just focus!!
I took a deep breath along with Celseus . Somehow, I managed to calm my mind and make myself transparent again . Seiya scolded us .
「You mustn’t sway . You have to control your weak hearts . 」
「Se…Seiya, didn’t you feel anything upon seeing “that”!?」
「I thought that he “stepped on a head” . Well, just that . 」
「Is that so…! 」
Many things didn’t change about Seiya’s personality! In fact, the one thing I was clearly jealous of was his character!
「…A cruel tyrant… That’s the God Dragon King Mash Dragonite . 」
I could hear Rosalie’s somber voice right next to me . I gazed at Mash while swallowing my raw saliva . I saw that Mash laughed wickedly and kept kicking Lagos’ body . Every time Mash kicked Lagos’ body with his tremendous force, the remaining corpse transformed into several horrid pieces of meat . It looked like Mash crushed the corpse and turned it into a mincemeat .
Oh goshhhhh!! He kept laughing maniacally while kicking the corpse!!
「Tha…That’s too abnormal!!」
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「Yeah… 」
It seemed that Celseus was frightened by the brutal spectacle . On the other hand, Seiya was worried about something else .
「I cannot see Mash’s status . I wonder if it is protected by some skill . 」
I thought differently! Seiya was trying to see Mash status calmly and quietly! This hero was not normal as well!
「This time, my purpose was to obtain information about Mash from the lingering thoughts remained on objects . But now, Mash is right in front of us and he is obsessed with kicking a useless corpse . Therefore…」
After a little silence, Seiya declared the following words .
「Rosalie . Go and get Mash’s head . 」
…Ehhhhhh!?
However, Rosalie proudly answered .
「I am not sure if I can defeat my father’s enemy with my own hands! But, I will do my very best! Hero! I will show you my gratitude more deeply than the sea!」
「Yeah . Go . 」
「Thank you for letting me play an important role!」
And then…Silence dominated the area . I couldn’t see the transparent Rosalie, but she was probably going sneaky towards Mash now . I asked Seiya in a whispering voice .
「Sorry . But, aren’t you going as well, Seiya?」
「It will be dangerous if Mash finds me . 」
「Bu…But, your transparency level is excellent!」
「He could find me through faint footsteps, vibrations in the air, or through eyes that cannot be seen with the naked eye, or even through magic or tools that may be used to detect hidden figures . That erotic old geezer taught me his skill . But, I can’t trust him completely, nor even the success rate of the transparency skill . 」
Slauri…How could Seiya say that when he gave him his important aura!
「In addition, it would be impossible for me to regenerate if I were to be cut down by Egzation . Moreover, I don’t know what will happen to you and Celseus if you are both fatally injured even if you are not wounded by the Chain Destruction . It’s only natural for me to choose Rosalie even if only death awaits her . 」
I see . Seiya did care about me and Celseus . But, that meant that Rosalie was about to…
I was worried about Rosalie, but Mash was still obsessed with kicking the corpse of the deceased Lagos . Perhaps, Rosalie was pulling out her sword in order to slash Mash from behind .
…Tha…That’s right! It didn’t matter if we tried to do things in the cowardly way! All we had to do was destroy the twist that distorted the real Geabrande!
I waited for Mash to be assassinated while he focused on the beating action . However, when I focused my attention to Mash, I noticed that something unrealistic got reflected in my view .
…Wha…What is “that”!?
Before I knew it, a redheaded woman in a crimson dress stood behind Mash .
『Mash . The enemy . 』
The woman’s voice whispered at Mash’s ear . Somehow, her voice reached my ears even though I was far away . Immediately, Mash stopped kicking the corpse and pulled out the sword from his waist . He then thrusted the dazzling seven-colored blade into the ground .
「Egzation! Unseal the enemy’s technique!」
The seven colors of light derived from the sword and spread around as if it were ripples on the surface of the water! On this very second, Rosalie’s appearance just before Mash was revealed!
「You Bastard…You are Rosalie Rosgard! 」
Mash was staring at Rosalie in the form of an angry demon while holding Egzation with his hand . Rosalie took a step back when she realized that her transparency had been released before the right time came . She immediately took some distance from Mash .
Seiya got frustrated . Yes, the strategy failed . And we were in a very difficult situation right now . With Mash’s terrifying technique, Rosalie and myself, as well as Celseus, and even Seiya were all exposed and defenseless now!
Chapter 148: The Power of the Holy Sword (2)
After our transparency failed . Rosalie turned to Seiya in hopes of getting his next instructions . She really didn’t know what to do on this perilous situation . Mash looked at us standing near the entrance of the chapel .
「So, there’s more of you, huh . You are using a very strange technique . But it’s useless against Egzation . 」
We were, except Rosalie, very far away from him . Still, Celseus moved back immediately like a frog cornered by a snake .
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「Ugh…Seriously!? Egzation really has such a power!?」
「Hmm . I was a little surprised . But, I wasn’t surprised by the fact that our transparency was removed, but by the fact that he triggered the power of that sword at this exact timing . 」
「Tha…That’s certainly true! How did he realize that Rosalie was approaching him from behind his back?」
「I’m sure that Rosalie was very careful with her approach . However, he may have felt Rosalie’s presence with his sixth sense . 」
「…Eh? 」
I felt uncomfortable . Neither Celseus nor Seiya cared about the woman standing right next to Mash .
「He…Hey, can’t you guys see…Eh, what!?」
I noticed that Mash was the only one standing when I pointed on his direction . She…She disappeared!? No way!!
「Hmm . I can’t make myself transparent again . It seems that the effect of Egzation is still persisting . 」
Seiya pretended not to care about that woman . Actually, I didn’t feel like Seiya was joking . In other words, that woman was only visible to me . Then…Then, what the hell was that about!? An hallucination!?
But now, it wasn’t the time to think about a ghost woman . Mash was staring fixedly at Rosalie . I felt such a terrible feeling from his gaze .
「It’s been a while, Rosalie Rosgard . Was our last encounter during “that” time, huh?」
「God Dragon King…Mash Dragonite…!」
Rosalie glared back at him with one eye full of hatred .
「You look angry . Well, as expected, I guess . I killed your father right in front of you . But, I am angry as well, you know? I didn’t expect that humanity and the demons would survive so long after you escaped from here . 」
Mash continued to speak while trampling on a piece of Lagos’s body under his feet .
「It’s my bad habit . This wouldn’t have been a hassle if I hadn’t played with you . I should’ve got rid of you when I had the chance . You and the demons began to coexist together in that town with a barrier . Really, what a trouble . 」
Then, Mash tried to approach Rosalie by holding Egzation on his shoulder . Rosalie, on the other hand, also moved her sword into an offensive stance…
「Rosalie, dismiss . Retreat for now . 」
「Ye…Yes!」
Seiya finally gave some instructions . I was so glad! Because, I wondered if Seiya was going to let Rosalie fight against a terrifying enemy just like that!
「Lista . Open the portal to Igle . You must do it now . Do it behind the rubble so that Mash can’t see it . 」
「Okay! 」
There was enough distance between Rosalie and Mash . Moreover, Rosalie was not an ordinary person . If she focused on all her nerves on running away, then she would be able to come back to where we were . Mash probably knew that too . Rosalie made a slight movement then, and turned her back to run away from him .
However, Mash suddenly disappeared from my view! When I finally saw his silhouette, I realized that Mash was swinging his sword just behind Rosalie’s back while she escaped!
「Rosalie!! Watch out!! 」
When I shouted aloud, Rosalie snatched back her sword . On this precise moment, the sound of ripping flesh echoed high and Rosalie’s arm with the sword was blown away! 「Whoa!? 」, Celseus screamed with a stunned look on his face .
「Ah, ah . Too bad . I aimed at your neck, but it was your arm that flew away…No, wait, wait . I see . That’s right . At that time, I wanted to cut off both of your hands and feet, but ended up just cutting your eye . Alright, I shall do it this time . 」
「Ugh… 」
Rosalie frowned while there was a lot of blood spilling from her arm . I shook Seiya’s shoulder .
「Seiya! This is bad! 」
「Yeah . He got close to Rosalie in an instant . I was barely able to see it . In addition to the power that managed to cancel our transparency, he also has a mysterious ultrfast speed movement . That’s troublesome . 」
「That’s not it! I was talking about Rosalie! She is in grave danger now!」
「Lista . Let’s go back . 」
「Ah!? 」
「Mash’s abilities are unknown . It’s dangerous for us to get near him . 」
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Then, Seiya walked up to the portal, which I invoked behind the rubble, as if nothing had happened . He touched the door and tried to open it .
「Do…Don’t tell me that you intend to abandon Rosalie!?」
「That’s right . 」
「You shouldn’t be saying “that’s right”!! There’s no way that I’m leaving her behind!!」
「Hey, wait . Lista . Where are you going?」
I lost completely my reasoning when I saw Rosalie in a predicament after losing her arm . Without even listening to Seiya’s words, I desperately ran to Rosalie .
「Are you okay, Rosalie!?」
「Goddess…! You…mustn’t come here…!」
However, Mash seemed to be wary of me for suddenly appearing and he didn’t come near us . Meanwhile, I put my hand on Rosalie’s arm and tried to give her first aid with my healing magic .
…I managed to stop her bleeding! But, the cells didn’t seem to regenerate!
「…Are you a healer? It’s useless . No wounds can be regenerated if Egzation cut them . This skill is named “Crushing Wound”, and this Egzation skill was the one that annihilated the god of death Tanathus . 」
A blood-eyed Mash approached Rosalie and me . I got insanely frightened, but on this instant, a red orbit crossed right in front of my eyes . Seiya, who turned into a Berserker, appeared between Mash and me .
「Seiya!! 」
「I can’t really understand what you have in your mind . Why do you endanger yourself because of an illusion?」
Seiya spoke back while holding his sword to protect Rosalie and me .
「Another useless little one came out, huh . 」
Seiya and Mash confronted each other . I tried to talk with Mash while hiding behind Seiya’s back .
「He…Hey . You…Are you really Mash?」
「Ah? What’s with that familiar tone? I don’t know you . 」
「I am Goddess Listarte! I know you very well! That’s correct…You had an adventure with me and this hero when you were younger! We were comrades back then!」
「Hero…you say . 」
Mash stared at Seiya with sharp eyes . Then, he immediately distorted his mouth .
「Don’t say crap . You stupid woman . 」
「Who…Who’s the stupid woman!!」
「You, of course . There’s no way that we are comrades . Whether he’s a hero or not, I think I met you two for the very first time today . 」
「You’re wrong! We were certainly comrades in a different world from here!」
Seiya told Mash the following words .
「Technically, you carried my luggage . 」
「I was certainly not your comrade if I carried your luggage!!」
Mash raised his voice and struck the Egzation on the ground . Wha…What? This action right now, somehow, he seemed a little bit like the Mash we knew…
I thought so for a moment . However, Mash’s eyes were already hollow .
「What the hell is wrong with you people . You only spill useless stuff from your mouths . I will kill you right now . 」
「…Lista . Stay back . 」
When Seiya and Mash tried to get into a battle with each other .
「Wait…Wait a secondddddddddd!! 」
A very high voice echoed throughout the ruins of the old chapel . I was surprised when I saw the one who spoke aloud .
It was Celseus, who was wearing an apron before I even realized it . He had his arms folded in front of a table covered with white cloth .