Chapter 106 : Like a Shining Meteor

[Announcement from Elysion Observatory!! Guardian Achilles has been defeated!!]

“Hana-chan…!”

Even in the midst of struggle, I was able to regain strength as the face of the girl imbued with yellow starlight came to mind.

“Whew…!”

“…”

Animus facing me again as I readied my stance, and the god of war gripping a 10-meter spear as tall as herself.

The spear containing the divinity of Ares, the idol summoned by Animus, was terribly threatening.

The infinite starlight that I could uniquely wield now.

The balance of the battle I was barely maintaining with it shook every time Ares’ spear moved.

The battle temporarily subsided due to Achilles’ defeat.

“One guardian has fallen.”

“Hehe, how about that? You can’t underestimate us now, can you?”

“I’ve never underestimated humanity’s power. I’m just doing my best in chaos.”

“…”

Great sword and long spear

Even a moment’s respite was a great help in the storm-like barrage of attacks from these beings wielding two huge weapons.

If the conversation had continued a bit longer, I could have fully recovered my starlight, but unfortunately, Animus charged at me again with her reddish-brown great sword.

Flash!

Clang!

The inevitable impact when clashing with my silver sword, and once again my unique weapon completely chipped.

I discarded the broken silver sword and drew out a new silver sword from the starlight.

What could be the power contained in her fourth star?

That power allowing a human body to touch divinity seemed to have been forcibly opened by the will of the stars.

“Kugh?!”

“You’re still full of distractions.”

With a threatening wind that seemed like it would cut off my hair, the huge great sword approached leaving afterimages like flames.

Swoosh―

The reddish-brown wave tens of meters long that inevitably followed the sword strike pushed me back with a heavy impact like hundreds of soldiers thrusting spears.

Kagagagak!!

Creeeeak―

Sparks flew where I blocked with the silver sword and illusion curtain, offsetting the impact, but it was still gradually scraped away by the remaining force.

Creeeeak

‘She’s deliberately scraping away bit by bit!’

After such checks coming between Animus’s bold attacks, Ares would always strike.

Turning my head slightly, sure enough, Ares was charging from far away like a knight in a jousting tournament.

“Now!!”

“■■!”

Swish!!

I dodge the threateningly brushing attack and discard the silver sword.

I swing the silver scythe with cause and effect reversal to unleash a certain hit attack.

Swoosh!

The huge blade of the swinging silver scythe left a translucent silver afterimage as it drew a circle.

“…A weapon of [Death].”

Even Animus couldn’t defend against all the combo attacks unleashed with the silver scythe containing infinite starlight that cuts through everything.

When Animus retreats far away, I shoot thousands of arrows with a silver bow to keep her in check.

Papapapat!!

Whoooosh!!

The great sword spinning like a windmill leaving reddish-brown afterimages deflects all the arrows.

Bang!

Boom!

Rumble―

While hearing the sounds of surrounding buildings collapsing again from the deflected arrows, I predict the next pattern.

Having seen Animus’s attacks over a thousand times with transcendent vision, similar movements are starting to become familiar.

Though she had become overall stronger due to the fourth star, the starlight she could pour into her attacks was no different from other apostles.

There may be overwhelming output, but there is no overwhelming infinite starlight.

She’s just able to use ‘some power’ more due to external factors.

And that ‘some power’ is something I’ve seen a lot somewhere.

Thousands of nuclear missiles.

The goddess of [Beginning].

White arrows.

–Please think about the true meaning of [Deception].

“The true meaning of [Deception].”

Yuki from 2-star to 3-star

Animus from 3-star to 4-star

The second alias that came with one starlight is not completely unrelated to the first alias.

Yuki’s [Flame] was connected to [Resurrection].

Animus’s [War] was connected to [Conquest].

My first aliases are [Beginning] and [Deception].

“…”

The image of resurrection burning again like a phoenix.

The image of a monarch rushing to conquer the opponent on the battlefield.

Unlike their aliases directly related to their second alias, my alias is too abstract.

The reason I was able to easily realize [Deception] in the first place was due to the power the goddess of [Beginning] had imbued.

‘The second fate… that I must fulfill.’

What could that be?

“You’re still full of distractions.”

“Ugh?!”

As Animus said, I could die if I get lost in thoughts here.

I quickly came to my senses and drew out the silver sword again. But Animus didn’t react to that attack and raised one hand up.

“Are you going to repeat this again? The tug of war ends here.”

“What?”

“Come forth. Athena.”

Rumble!!

In the flashing reddish-brown lightning, another crack hundreds of meters wide occurred.

From the crack writhing with chaos and darkness, the second idol slowly walked out with tremendous pressure.

A goddess with impressively tall helmet plumes and a fluttering navy blue cape.

Athena appeared holding a shield that could cover her entire body and a gleaming sword, and took her place to Animus’s left.

To Animus’s right, Ares took his place, fully prepared to charge with his huge spear.

Two idols, Ares and Athena.

The balance I was barely maintaining by reading patterns and pressing down with infinite starlight seemed like it would completely crumble.

“Damn it, keep calling gods!”

“Realize.”

“What?”

“…”

Animus pulled the reddish-brown great sword to her chest and gripped it with both hands.

The slowly rising reddish-brown great sword was enveloped in huge flames starting from the hilt, and those flames grew endlessly, rising tens of meters into the sky.

The war lord’s flames shining brilliantly, piercing even the dark energy heavily hanging over the red sky.

“Defeat me.”

Whoosh!!

Reddish-brown flames splitting the red sky.

Clang!

Athena covering herself with a shining shield and extending her sword.

Swoosh!

Ares thrusting his huge spear forward and preparing for a second charge.

“Defeat me by any means necessary.”

Animus, with a more solemn expression than ever, unleashed a massive strike.

Kwaaaaaaaa!!!

The huge flames tens of meters long extending from the reddish-brown great sword slowly descended carrying a heavy energy like hundreds of soldiers, Athena approached swirling storm-like energy while holding a huge shield, and Ares charged making a thunder-like sound while gripping a huge spear.

It was impossible to block everything.

‘Then I’ll take a few hits and endure with healing while preparing for the next attack…!’

I was thinking that while holding the silver scythe and preparing for the massive strike.

That’s when it happened.

A faint voice in my ear.

“Hikari-chan!!”

“Hana-chan?!”

Yellow star

Yellow meteor

Yellow Milky Way

Thousands of dazzling meteors fell across the red sky and approached with a blinding light.

Among countless stars, Hana in a yellow dress stretched out both hands and pointed at Animus, and thousands of meteors fell, enveloping and neutralizing the huge flames she was unleashing.

Papapapat!!

Yellow starlight gradually invading the enormous pillar of flames.

Rumble!!

Flash!!

The reddish-brown flames, now imbued with the yellow Milky Way, stagnated in midair, no longer able to descend.

Woong―

A chilling friction sound was coming from between the reddish-brown flames trying to descend and the yellow Milky Way trying to block them.

Crack―

But when force was added as the reddish-brown flames blazed fiercely from Animus’s gripping arm, the yellow starlight could no longer endure and gradually disappeared.

The momentary gap Hana created.

“Ugh!! I, I can’t block any more!!”

“Thank you Hana-chan!!”

I deployed the Dream World towards Ares and Athena charging through that gap.

“■■■■!”

“■■…!!”

They charged while shouting in the language of idols, but passed by me in confusion at the sudden illusion.

Flash!

Swoosh!

While avoiding as much as possible the energy gushing out from the two idols that passed by with the sound of air being split, I scattered in all directions while deploying clones.

Clones I couldn’t deploy when facing them alone as there was no way to create an opening.

While Hana’s dazzling yellow star cluster confused Animus and made her falter little by little, the clones each drew their silver bows and rained down arrows.

“Hah!”

Swooosh―

Thousands of arrows coming from one silver bow multiplied by seven clones, shooting towards Animus drawing not lines but planes.

Tens of thousands of arrows descending upon Animus who was advancing while gradually breaking through the yellow star cluster.

The colorful arrows exploded.

Boooooom!!

As the flash cleared, Animus appeared unscathed, covered in a reddish-brown curtain.

No

Her breath that had consistently dominated the battlefield until now was slightly disturbed.

Infinite starlight and yellow star cluster.

Two idols and reddish-brown flames.

This place where everything was chaotically entangled in battle was again being pulled taut with tension.

“Whew! She’s really strong!”

“Yeah, Hana-chan’s help was a big boost. How are the others?”

“Hehe! Everyone’s safe!”

Flash!

Ares and Athena, who had returned at some point, were standing beside Animus preparing for the next attack.

I drew out the silver sword and bestowed the blessing of cause and effect reversal on Hana.

Hana, who received the colorful light, confidently shouted.

“Let’s win spectacularly like shining meteors!”

“Yes! Hana-chan!”