Chapter 52 ― Together ―

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I do have my doubts about being able to control my trump card.

However, my opponent is immune to ordinary attacks and magic—essentially, someone against whom no conventional countermeasure works.

Which is precisely why I have no choice but to use it.

But if I use it again, what will Harold think?

That does worry me, but I can’t afford not to use it.

Although it puts a strain on my body, if I can keep it under control, the aftereffects shouldn’t be too severe.

I discreetly pulled out the clutched silver clay, and Misha sprang into action. She snapped her fingers in a nonchalant manner.

“Harold-sama! Watch your step!”

Reacting to Ati’s voice, I leaped instinctively.

Then, at the spot where I’d been standing, I saw briar thorns—hardened like steel—jut out in an instant.

Ah, dangerous.

It was a hair’s breadth away.

――Hmph.

――I thought something odd was flying by—could it be a detection of hostility or malice? You’re pretty versatile.

――Well, fine. I’ll make sure my next attack lands.

With that, Misha clutched at the air with a resounding gushari. It felt as though some unseen force burst outward in all directions.

No, it probably wasn’t just my imagination.

Since my ground attack hit its mark, Ati must have been fluttering like a butterfly before I knew it.

Misha then obliterated them all in one go.

That’s utter nonsense…

――…I mean, I was planning on just crippling your legs, but you didn’t even try to dodge.

――I really dislike people like that.

Her utterly unhinged behavior continued as always.

I want to fire the silver clay as soon as possible.

But since I must hit my target for sure, I have to figure out how to hold her off…

“…Ati, don’t you have any way to hold her off?”

“Hold her off, huh…? I was thinking of landing a single blow.”

“A single blow…? Could it be your trump card?”

“I can’t not use it. I—I’m fine. This time I’ll use it skillfully so that it won’t turn out too badly—”

“――Understood.”

“Eh…?”

“Since you said you’d make sure it wouldn’t turn out too badly, I’ll trust your word. …It seems magic might not work, but that largely depends on the type—so there is a way to hold her off. However, even if it succeeds, it will only last a moment, and once she catches on, a second attempt won’t work.”

I was a bit surprised by that response.

As I blinked repeatedly , Ati narrowed her eyes slightly, looking a bit sad, and continued:

“And please remember this: if things turn out terribly, I’ll be very saddened. I think I’ll cry a lot. …Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

“…I understand.”

When you put it that way, how could I refuse?

At this point, I have no choice but to ensure it succeeds at all costs.

I really don’t want to see anything other than a happy, tearful smile.

――What? A secret conversation? Let me in on it too.

Misha chuckled kerakera. It looked like the arrogance of someone strong—as if to say that when facing us, they could let their guard down as much as they wanted.

However, that was the opening I needed, and Ati did not miss her chance.

――Dopan.

In the brief moment when only one gunshot could be heard, several bullets flew. They didn’t merely pass through Misha’s body but missed by a wide margin and came to a halt right beside her…

――Eh?

Misha let out a bewildered cry, as if she couldn’t fathom what had just happened.

In the meantime, the bullets became connected by a single streak of light and started moving again. They whirled in arcs, binding her body, and then pierced out in all directions like anchors.

“…Earlier, I observed your trajectory, and it appears that for someone not quite human, you’re still rather young. In that case, I assumed you might not know that such magic—and its application—exists, but it seems I was right.”

――Repelling everything but magic…?

――Hmph.

“…So you noticed right away?”

What exactly had Ati done? From their conversation, it all became clear to me. It was simple. She had employed a binding spell that repels everything except magic.

Against Misha, conventional magic had never worked. But that, when reversed, meant that her very existence fell outside of magic—and that’s why it worked. However, as Ati had mentioned, it would likely be broken very soon.

――Heh, so you think this seals it?

――I think it’s a bit shabby.

――If you use something similar, you could simply separate them.

The magic that had been constricting Misha gradually began to loosen. As expected, countermeasures were immediately taken. However, that was enough time for me; I was just a hair’s breadth away from Misha.

From the eye that couldn’t perceive color, a small stream of blood tears flowed. Due to the tiny fragments of silver clay, the overflow of jiryoku burned my palm, and my skin began to blister.

Of course, I still couldn’t control it properly. But I managed to keep it contained to a small degree.

――Wha— that.

Misha noticed me and that abnormality as I approached, but it was already too late.

I had already condensed the minimal amount of jiryoku, reduced as much as possible, into the silver clay. The area was narrower than when I used the spear, but I was convinced it was still sufficient.

Pin, I flicked the silver clay with my thumb.

The once brilliant silver color vanished, and as it began liquefying, it spectacularly shaved and gouged away half of Misha’s face.

I felt relieved that it had taken effect.

――Ah, aaaaah!?

dorori.

Misha’s remaining face melted under the aftershock of my trump card.

――Aniyo! Aniyo, what is this!?

――Th-th, th-th… the demonic god’s…

――Agagagagaga!

――Gagu-gu, gup…

――Gopupu…

The dissolution spread as if it were devouring her. It didn’t stop at merely gouging; perhaps that was because Misha was a being without a true physical form. I don’t know the details, but anyway, the scenery around us began to change.

Just like when you set fire to paper—gradually, little by little—before I knew it, we were in a corridor aboard the Baresty. This meant that my trump card had inflicted a fatal blow. In other words, it was over.

“Is it over…?”

“I think so. And, um… how are you holding up?”

“I’m fine. It only hurts a little, and I didn’t lose consciousness or anything.”

“But… your eyes…”

Ati, noticing my blood tears, wiped my eyes with a worried expression.

“I’m really fine. It’s because Ati believed in me. I can’t betray that trust.”

“Harold-sama…”

And then, at that moment, a young man—rob—appeared at the end of the corridor. He sprinted toward us without hesitation. For a moment I thought to brace myself, but since I sensed no hostile intent from Ati, I realized there was no enmity or malice. So, I simply watched him.

rob passed by us and moved toward Misha, who was already losing half of her body.

“Ah, aaaaah! Why… Why…?”

――gopopep.

――roropepe.

――rororogu.

――O, ooo, so-so, ino.

――iiiii, tsutsumo.

――ananatatte.

――osososo… no.

“I’m just, I’m just…”

――De, de de!

――Yo, yo, that’s good, huh.

――Ore–tata–shi, mo–mo, I’m disappearing.

――De, de de–mo, mo–mo, now, I’m disappearing.

――Ore–tata–shi, I’m disappearing.

――Alone, it’s frightening.

“I understand. Let’s go together. Together…”

rob said this and then bit off his own tongue. A large burst of blood spurted from his mouth, and as he slowly collapsed onto the floor, he reached out his hand toward Misha. But a living human cannot touch a being without a physical form—his hand sliced through empty air.

――T-together…

“T-together.”

――Hehe, even if we can’t touch.

――Ah, so warm…

“Y-yeah… that’s it…”

There were no words left to be spoken. We simply watched. And then, after a while, only the completely vanished Misha and rob—dead with a happy smile—remained.

Suddenly, I felt a dazzling brightness. Light was streaming in through the corridor’s window. It was as if the mist had completely cleared, and the morning sun shone in, now visible thanks to that. Gazing out at the city, I could see that the thorns that had lulled the people to sleep were gradually disappearing.

……The curse has been lifted.