Oooooooooooooooooooh!!
The howl of the magical beast resounded. It felt like I was hearing the echo of a vicious monster akin to Raspun from far away.
Realizing a moment later that the roar was being emitted from my own throat.
Even though I was in a fierce battle with full boosters and ultra-high-speed maneuvers, my sense of time felt strangely relaxed. Like right before waking up early in the morning, or like sinking my frozen body into a hot bath, or perhaps like a baby cradled in its mother’s arms. Warm, soft, and it felt like I could sink endlessly into a pleasant drowsiness.
Ah, I’m melting. Both my heart and body are melting away.
“Chrono.”
At the sound of my name being called, my nearly flying consciousness is barely held together.
“Come on, get a grip.”
“Ah… Miria.”
In front of me stands a lovely girl with black hair and crimson eyes, bearing a resemblance to Mia.
The close position, as if snuggling naked, surprised me a bit. It felt as if I was also naked… Why is it that in a spiritual world, one immediately becomes unclothed?
Though it was on my mind, it wasn’t a time to panic about such things. The last time I saw Miria in her original form was when I first suppressed the Tyrant’s Armor with blackening.
You usually only reveal your voice like a system voice, never showing your appearance or voice out loud like Hitsugi.
“Hmph, a retired king shouldn’t recklessly show his form. But as long as you wear this armor, I will always watch over you.”
“I’m sorry, I showed you a somewhat pathetic sight. I was about to be consumed by the armor.”
“You immature brat, strive harder.”
“I understand.”
It seems I still need practice to truly master the Tyrant’s Armor.
However, for now, I must finish the battle in front of me.
“Do not become like me.”
“I’d rather not dissolve and disappear within the armor either.”
“Then, go finish this quickly—poor old man, he too seems trapped by this cursed armor.”
Leaving behind words that evoked a sense of pity, my consciousness finally returned to reality.
Seriously, this armor is truly a fearsome cursed piece. If Miria hadn’t called me, it might have been too late.
Having passed more than 2 minutes since the activation of ‘Combat Mode,’ my body and armor had begun to integrate, finally exhibiting enough power and speed to push back Zoa. And with each passing second, the armor devoured my black magic, further increasing its output.
Even with my instinctive, monster-like maneuvers, I overwhelmed Zoa.
When I clearly looked ahead with my vision returned, Zoa was already battered and bruised. His entire body was drenched in blood, his breathing was ragged, and even the aura surrounding him showed signs of wavering.
I was indeed cornering him. If I continued to push with just strength, it seemed I could win; the flow appeared overwhelmingly one-sided, but—an unexpected counterattack was right about to be unleashed.
Alongside my raging instincts, my past experiences and reason were urgently signaling danger.
“Goohhhh… Throw!!”
Along with a sharp exhale, a miraculous throw reminiscent of the Seventh Apostle Sariel was executed.
I threw my main weapon, the ‘Heavenly Prison Fang Spear,’ which had until now played a central role in both offense and defense.
If it had been me just a moment ago, I would have charged in without hesitation. However, with my consciousness returned, I could calmly judge and select a course of action.
I would receive this throw with the armor. It wouldn’t be a lethal blow. There was no mistake there since my instincts wouldn’t dodge it. It wouldn’t be unharmed, but I could rush in and aim for the finishing blow at an opponent who had just relinquished their weapon… given the current disparity in strength, it seemed like a simple way to win; however, if there was an opportunity for Zoa to turn the tables, it would play right into his hands. It wouldn’t be surprising if, by the time I realized it, my head and body were already separated. I felt a sense of crisis that allowed me to consider that possibility.
Then I should evade. That would have been the best option, but despite having pushed Zoa to this point, his throwing attack came with a sharpness and timing that wouldn’t allow for it.
Evading was not impossible, but it would definitely break my stance. An attack would surely come when I did.
Just a moment ago, fighting on pure instinct had now become a liability. If I had been able to keep my consciousness, I could have maintained a better position, but that was water under the bridge.
What I needed to choose was defense.
In my hand, I held what my body naturally chose: the two swords I was most familiar with. In my right hand, ‘Decapitation,’ and in my left, the great sword ‘Devourer.’
If I were to block the strike with the ‘Heavenly Prison Fang Spear’ that possessed devouring capabilities, it would be more stable to do so with a weapon of equal power. If I received it with ‘Decapitation,’ I would likely be pushed back significantly. And it could easily transition into an opening for a counterattack.
Thus, if I stabilized my guard, it would be with ‘Devourer’—just as I was about to make that decision, I reversed it and swung ‘Decapitation’ instead. My instinct seemed to urge me to act that way.
“Guuhh!”
Receiving it with just my right hand’s ‘Decapitation’ was far too heavy of a blow. The dense cursed aura swirling around the blade was gnawed away by the fangs of the devourer. With a feeling of an unpleasant sensation of devouring the curse itself, a shock left my right arm feeling as if it were being pulled away.
Here it comes, the main attack!!
“My style of drawing—’Heaven and Earth.'”
The sword Zoa drew was the one he’d been wearing since the beginning, hanging at his waist.
A god-speed drawing technique. The moment the blade was unsheathed, I thought I was dead.
Such pressure. Just how much magical power had he accumulated in that blade? I could tell that without a doubt, it had the highest density of magical power I had ever witnessed.
And then, an ultra-dense slash was released from it.
If it hit me directly, I would die. Even in this combat form, I was certain the armor would be severed alongside me.
Additionally, I also knew ‘Decapitation’ wouldn’t be enough to fully withstand it. Even if the cursed blade did not break, it would surely overwhelm me.
That was why I needed ‘Devourer.’ No matter how much density the magical slash had, the mass of magical energy would be devoured by the fangs of the devourer. The only possibility to block this ultimate draw was with ‘Heavenly Prison Devourer.’
The incoming slash aimed diagonally from my right lower side to the left upper side, slashing upwards. In my already crumbling stance, I was not in a position to evade.
I was going to take it head-on.
“Eat it—Devourer!!”
Inserting the blade of ‘Heavenly Prison Devourer’ right into the very center of the slash. If I couldn’t stop this, my body would be cut in half.
Oooooooooooooooooooh!!
Whether it was me, the armor, or the devourer howling.
The moment they made contact, I felt an incredible, hard sensation and the strong thought imbued with the curse’s malevolence. It was a strike from the legendary master who lived for 500 years, pouring everything into that one blow.
I was being pushed. Impossible, I couldn’t absorb this.
An ultra-density far beyond the devourer’s absorption capability. This was what was meant by having no chance against it.
No, I can’t escape this slash, nor can I fully defend against it. Then—
“Rip through it!!”
I would cut it. I would slice through that one point where the ‘Heavenly Prison Devourer’ and the slash connected.
As if answering my mind, the devourer’s blade cut into the slash. Just here, just where the blade touched, if the fangs could be thrust in there, that would be enough.
In a fleeting moment of crossing—was it really happening? Would ‘Heaven and Earth’ be severed?
“Aaaggggghhhhhhhh!!”
And after the ultimate slash passed, I lost my limbs.
Of course, even if I cut the slash right in the center, it wouldn’t mean that everything would miss my body.
What I managed to avoid was merely the line that would have split my torso in half. It was nothing more than a guard to avoid instant death.
The price I paid to avoid death was my right leg and left arm. The slash, lightly disturbed in its trajectory as it was sheared, deeply severed my right leg and left arm from their bases.
In the midst of a battle, it was practically a fatal wound.
However, as long as I wasn’t dead, that was fine—after all, I’d experienced having limbs blown off before.
Still clutching onto ‘Heavenly Prison Devourer,’ I left behind my left arm that spun through the air with blood spraying, revving up my boosters and kicking off the ground with my remaining left leg.
Of course, my destination was to Zoa, who stared in shock with wide-open eyes.
“—’Dark Calm.'”
A pitch-black slash.
As if to avenge the loss of my limbs, the cursed blade decapitated Zoa.
“…there.”
Zoa’s head, which had already flown off, contorted its expression at that moment.
Pain, fear, humiliation—none of those. It was a defiance that still did not give up on victory. With a fierce face resembling an enraged demon god, he was still resisting, pushing to the limit of his life force, which would be lost in the next moment.
“Not yet!!!”
It moved. The headless giant moved.
As long as I grasped my sword, the battle would not end. I wouldn’t let it end.
As if to assert that, Zoa unleashed a masterful second strike—
“‘Pile Bunker.'”
It smashed down, the fastest black magic spell I knew.
I knew, of course, that there were beings that could move without their heads. I had experienced it too much.
Everyone is just too stubborn in their dying breaths.
I felt a distinct sensation as I unleashed the ‘Pile Bunker’ toward Zoa’s heart, and while my body, having lost one leg, was unable to hold its stance, I collapsed backward.
With a loud thud, my back struck the ground at the same time as Zoa did.
“The duel after 500 years is mine… no, it’s our victory.”
I, who had merely lost my limbs, against Zoa, who had lost his head and life. The living versus the dead. It was a clear resolution.
“Noooohhh!! Chrono-san!!”
“Nooooooo!!!”
Before I could bask in the afterglow of victory, a scream like tearing silk pierced my ears.
What the heck, I thought, as Reki and Ursula rushed towards me, each cradling my severed limbs, looking like they were about to faint.
“Ah, you brought them, thank you.”
“How can this be? Chrono-san, are you okay… ah, there’s no way you’re okay…”
“Waaahhhh! Aaaahhhhhhhh!?”
“I’m fine, so calm down, both of you.”
Seeing people more panicked than myself strangely helped me regain my composure.
I propped myself up from my fallen state and thought to reassure the two who were sobbing and clinging to me by patting their heads, but I reached out and realized I only had one right hand, so I couldn’t pat them both at the same time. Yeah, having one arm is definitely inconvenient.
“I was cleanly severed, so I can heal this soon enough. Now, hand my arms and legs back.”
“Uuuuuugh!”
“Are you really okay…?”
“I’m fine. More importantly, stay a bit back. It’s dangerous.”
Receiving my limbs back, I temporarily separated the two who seemed as if they would stick to me forever.
“Emergency withdrawal.”
With a whoosh… hot steam poured out, and the armor’s various parts released.
I had already deactivated ‘Combat Mode.’ I canceled it immediately after unleashing the ‘Pile Bunker,’ and the operating time was 3 minutes and 2 seconds. I may have gone a bit over, but it couldn’t be helped. It was just barely within the acceptable range.
After deactivating ‘Combat Mode,’ the armor itself would cease functioning. After all, it was a suicide weapon. The end of ‘Combat Mode’ was always determined to be a grand self-destruction to take the dragon down with it. That’s where the fight ended, so there was no thought of maintaining the armor’s functionality.
Thus, stopping ‘Combat Mode’ midway was an irregularity that was not the original intended use. The result of forcing that was a temporary cessation of functionality. Until self-recovery was completed, this ‘Tyrant’s Armor’ would merely be reduced to a lump of metal.
Even so, it had done its job splendidly. I had successfully defeated Zoa, who possessed a power comparable to an Apostle.
“Thank you, Miria. Just rest comfortably now.”
As I sank the released ‘Tyrant’s Armor’ into Shadow Space, in its place stood a small maid with a composed expression.
“Thank you for your hard work, Master. That was a splendid victory.”
“He was a foe stronger than I had imagined. Thanks to that, I lost an arm and a leg… please take care of the first aid.”
“Yes, leave it to Hitsugi.”
“And, let’s make sure to cover my eyes a bit more.”
“I’ve already put up the barriers.”
In place of the hot steam venting from the armor, now a thick smoke screen was being created. It was rare for her to be so perceptive.
Since Reki and Ursula were panicking just from my limbs being severed, I couldn’t afford to show them any worse injuries.
Yes, the wounds I suffered were not limited to my severed limbs.
“Ugh, I don’t want to see my current self…”
Just seeing it made me feel dreadful. My remaining right hand and left foot were melting.
The fingertips were exposed to bone, and the nails had completely melted off. From there, the skin had disappeared, and the raw muscle fibers were exposed all the way to my elbows and knees, while the decaying and melting skin continued to the base. Visually, it looked more painful than just being severed.
It felt as though I had been submerged in concentrated sulfuric acid—of course, this was because my body was in the process of being absorbed by the armor. If I had continued in ‘Combat Mode’ for another 30 seconds, I would have lost my arms below the elbows as well.
Even with my modified human body, using it for more than three minutes would cause my flesh to melt from the extremities and get absorbed by the armor. Truly, it was a terrifying ancient weapon.
“Master, I’ve completed stabilizing your limbs, good!”
“Stop using that anxiety-inducing tone.”
However, I was well aware of this outcome. And knowing that my body melts means that after using this, I won’t be able to fight again; I had no intention of bowing out. The battle continues. At least, I cannot rest until I defeat the real threat, Nero.
Therefore, I had prepared healing methods so that I could continue fighting even after using ‘Combat Mode.’
After confirming once more that my severed right leg and left arm were properly secured at their cut ends,
“‘Sea’s Demon King.'”
The fifth blessing activated.
This blessing, which has a high self-regenerative ability, truly shines in times like this. Even with a slight loss of limbs, I could quickly return to the fray. It was the best first aid.
If I could use this healing ability on others, like Nel saving many people, that would be wondrous, but it is nothing more than black magic specified solely for my own recovery.
“Now, I will wrap your bandages, Ghoul Ghoul!”
“That sounds fun.”
“It’s nice, isn’t it? Wrapping bandages gives me the feeling of taking care of you!”
Hitsugi, in good spirits after the nursing since the Chaosgrim Battle, indeed gave off a sense of being cared for.
After sprinkling Ex Potion as a cleaning and disinfectant substitute, Hitsugi proceeded to wrap bandages around my entire body.
To promote the regeneration of my melted body, I had prepared a special black bandage that had undergone blackening. If I wrap myself tightly with these, I should be safe for the time being.
I would also use materialized magical power to at least replace the melted fingertips, using the same process I used for physical compensation.
Once everything was covered properly with bandages, treatment was complete.
“How’s my face? Is it okay?”
“Your face remains beautiful.”
As expected, the areas filled with magical power, like my head and torso, seemed to melt last. From here on, I wouldn’t be able to use the ‘Tyrant’s Armor,’ and my face would be exposed as a result. However, in a critical situation, I typically fight with my true face exposed anyway, so I wouldn’t be troubled by not having a helmet.
“In the end, this appearance is the most comforting.”
“You look wonderful as always, my Master!”
After wrapping the bandages, I finished changing, and the final piece I put on was the ‘Devil’s Embrace.’ Of course, this was the second generation, but the devil’s leather feels just right on my body.
“Then, please take care, my Master.”
As I was seen off by Hitsugi, who sank back into the shadows, I broke through the smoke screen and returned to the battlefield once more.