Part 3
— [Kouen, City of Brilliant Flames], [Tablet of the Sea of Stars], Corridor of Displays.
Having ripped off his Pumpkin mask, he who transformed into [Jack the Ripper] had deeply plunged the dagger into the chest of the Demon Lord of Confusion. Sandra’s body was then stained by her blood as a result. Currently, he is no longer Jack the clown but a cold-blooded murderer. Since there isn’t any way to rescue her, he would not show any mercy even if his opponent were to be using Sandra’s body.
Jack’s dagger pierced into the chest of Sandra—
“—Don’t underestimate others, you newbie!!”
Suddenly feeling something amiss, Jack quickly retreated back to his previous spot.
Although it was still unconfirmed about what had just happened, the Demon Lord of Confusion must have used a certain spell. And the evidence was evident when the reeled scroll of “一事无成”[47]was unfurled in the hands of the Demon Lord of Confusion.
Not doubting his proficiency in sensing a killer’s strike, Jack was confident that he had dodged the enemy’s technique.
(But, that’s not a Gift for attacking!)
Confirming that his body is fine, Jack launched into his second strike without a shred of hesitation. The Demon Lord of Confusion had to lean his upper torso backwards to dodge Jack’s dagger.
(Damn it! This guy’s fast!)
That speed had far exceeded the standards of normal. The dexterity of Jack’s Hissatsu waza was even able to surprise the Demon Lord of Confusion who had been able to make Izayoi have a run for his money.
Faced with such a strong foe that was out of his calculations, the Demon Lord of Confusion twitched the corners of his cute lips into a smile:
“You’re quite good yourself! To actually obtain an [Authority of Host Master] that have been signed by a Great Saint?! My, I really didn’t expect the real identity behind [Jack the Ripper] to be that of an executioner!”
“Yes. That’s right. And you, the criminal who snookered and devoured the young, shall meet your end! Right here, right now!”
The blood-stained dagger was engulfed in flames as it made a slashing movement to make a sweeping slice along an elongated vertical plane to cut the peak of the tower that the Demon Lord of Confusion had stood upon in an extended line. If that strike had landed, it would no doubt cause a fatal wound.
(Tch! …..Reinforcing one’s own [Authority of Host Master] through revelations of the spiritual source?!)
A Gift Game held in a duel format that metes out punishment to a particular sinner——Demon Lord of Confusion had deduced that to be the case.
—Although the [Authority of Host Master] is well known for its association with the Demon Lords, only some would know that the basis of its existence is actually the opposite.
A Trial for meting out justice to Criminals;
A Trial for proving one’s Devotion to a belief;
A Trial for welcoming new evolutionary Changes.
The forceful authorities that are made to bestow these Well-intentioned Trials—saying that is the real nature of the [Authority of Host Master] would not be a far cry at all.
Due to the guarantee of the Gods and or Religion that the Game abides by the rules and is of a well-intentioned purpose, Jack is able to be spared from the branding as a Demon Lord.
However, in the case that Jack hosts the Game out of his own selfish desires and not for the purpose of meeting out judgement to the sinner, he would immediately be branded with the mark of a Demon Lord and hunted down by the religion that assured his good behavior.
(But, that’s not all! That guy’s actually able to induce a small scale [Paradigm Shift], which shows that his spiritual source is definitely not a weak or normal one!)
The mystery surrounding the identity of the Game Leader had been used as the core of the Game and it simultaneously possessed rules to reinforce Jack’s power.
The coupling of the high dexterity from those flame springs and the dagger made a dangerous pair as it enabled Jack to instantaneously travel up to twice the speed of that capable by the Demon Lord of Confusion.
Even so, the Demon Lord of Confusion gave a relaxed laugh.
“This is interesting……!! It’s been a few hundred years since I’ve been warmly received by a Human’s Game! Ah,aah, let’s dance! Let’s dance together! But when the curtains fall, it will be sufficient to have only the ‘Great Me’ standing upon the stage!”
Responding to Sandra, the Dragon Horn emitted a glow. Raising his right hand above his head, the Demon Lord of Confusion created many a hundred large fireballs in the sky.
Although Sandra is young, she was definitely not a push-over. Her body had inherited the purest blood from the bloodlines of the Strongest Class. Just purely on firepower, her strength was one of the top few in the Five Digit Regions and it was now possessed by the old and experienced Demon Lord.
Bringing to bear many hundred fireballs that hung and almost covered the gloomy skies, the Demon Lord of Confusion roared:
“It’s now! Graiya! Take them!”
「GEYAAAAAaaa！！！」
Jack who had been chasing the Demon Lord of Confusion hurriedly turned to look behind him as Graiya glided in the air to come up from behind.
Graiya, with his abdomen lit with a glow of stored flames, and the Demon Lord of Confusion launched a pincer attack on Jack as one.
Seeing this, Asuka griped the reins as she shouted her command.
“Alma, protect Jack!”
Alma, who changed into a bolt of lightning, arrived under Jack before transforming once more into an Iron-clad fortress, and although the hot ray of Graiya and the many hundreds of large fireballs rained down upon it, the sturdy fortress constructed by Almathea continued to shield Asuka and Jack without being bulged.
Protected within the Adamantium fortress, Asuka gazed at the humanoid Jack while muttering in a doubtful and bewildered tone.
“Is this Jack’s…… true form?”
“……That’s right. Asuka-san, this form that is drenched in blood is my true form.”
The dagger soaked in fresh blood.
The bright red leather jacket that is used to hide the traces of blood.
A messy head of hair and the gaze that seemed to ooze with the murderous intent of a Shinigami.
All those characteristics effectively created the atmosphere unique to a serial killer.
“There’s a continuation to the legends of Jack the Pumpkin. The blood-stained criminal who had been granted a second life and the young demon who saved him—the fates of these two were supposed to be eliminated and erased……but a kind and generous Saint had given me a second chance to change my ways.”
Jack’s task is to protect the young and to search for and rescue souls that have been born from unnatural deaths. Having set his heart to turn over a new leaf, Jack had played the role of the Pumpkin clown and became the main character for Halloween.
And that’s how Jack, whose name had been synonymous to terror and monsters, had taken on the association to a clown to live on.
“…… But you know… The one we want to make an alliance with is Jack the Gentleman and definitely not a murderer. Am I right, Jack?”
“Yes. I know that. To have concealed my identity up till now, I offer my deepest apologies.”
“That’s right. Then after this, you’d better make sure to change back into that Pumpkin head. Otherwise, Lily and the others from the senior children group will be afraid of you.”
Giving a smile that seemed to blossom across her face like any normal day, Asuka raised her Gift Card.
Jack was stumped and was unable to say anything to that.
Even after knowing the past of the other, it would not change the fact that they were fighting as comrades in arms. And those were the words said by the honest gaze from Asuka.
“……Yahoho. Mhm. Of course. If I use this look to say ‘Trick or Treat’, children would surely be scared to the verge of tears. I guess I should just spare myself from those situations.”
“That’s right. The pumpkin head really looks many times better than the current you.”
Yahoho, Jack gave a laugh that was a much deeper tone than the usual.
He also seemed to be a little shy and it is definitely not an illusion.
“Okay……It’s our turn to do this, Alma! Let’s go beat those rude little baddies!”
{“Understood. My master.”}
Almathea reverted from her fortress form to her mountain goat form while Asuka retrieved four Gemstone orbs from her Gift Card which she then proceeded to inject with her Speech.
“ ‘Float like the Clouds, Shower like a hailstorm, and Rampage wildly like a bolt of thunder—
O’Mountain Goat who runs in the skies, I beseech thee to transform into a formless fortress to mete justice upon thy enemies.’
"—Go, Almathea!”[48]
The words of Asuka had caused the gemstone orbs to have mock Divinities residing within them.
Her God’s bestowment (Speech) is a reinforcing Gift but if it were to be used in its current form, they would shatter instantly; hence, these four gemstone orbs were given to Almathea to crush between her teeth, where they would be absorbed as Gifts.
In an instant, the spiritual status of Almathea started to bloat enormously.
(Asuka-san…… Finally she’s going to use that.)
Almathea, who had just ingested the four Mock Divinities, started to release fierce sparks of electricity that ran along her woolly body and she gave a loud bellow. The Iron body had also started to melt from the heat and gradually turned into a fluid that seemed like Mercury.
Almathea—Her real identity is the Goddess of Harvest who nurtured the main God of the Greek mythologies. Her horn is able to bless fertile soils and bring forth much fruit for harvest, and her woolen hide is covered by a layer of Adamantium; hence, she is able to become the Strongest Shield of the Greek Gods that can defend from any attacks—[Shield of Aegis][49].
Jack had used the combination of Adamantium on Almathea to create a mock [Aegis Shield]. But the method to activate this Shield would require an indispensable Gift. And that would be the Divinity from the Heavens.
Like the clouds, hail and thunder that protects her master to mete justice upon the enemies.
[Shield of Aegis] is still a symbol of power for Zeus, God of the skies.
(To make up for that shortcoming, Asuka-san had used the method of injecting Mock Divinity into those four orbs to be given to Almathea. And if this works……)
Having her former Divinity returned to her, Almathea gave a loud bellow.
Stomping her hooves that ran with rivulets of energy that coursed throughout her body, she waited for the orders from her master.
{“Please give the next order, my master.”}
“The order’s been given already. Just like the clouds that float in the skies, the hail that rains down upon the lands and the thunder that strikes in a pronged fork—Almathea!”
The sound of an explosion came shortly as the air around her underwent a rapid thermal expansion.
Following the explosion, fresh blood had also spurted out from the chest of Graiya.
Almathea who had moved with a sonic boom had pierced Graiya’s chest like an arrow. The speed was completely incomparable to that of before and it could be said to be the epitome of a lightning fast strike that sparked as it struck its target.
“Gu, uh—!!”
As Graiya toppled backwards from the momentum of the horn that pierced his right chest, the two beasts fell in a straight line to crash through the structures within the Corridor of Displays and all the way into the Commercial Districts, causing them to collapse along the way.
However, this opportunity was not let up by the Demon Lord of Confusion as he immediately launched a fireball towards Asuka who stood without her usual protectors.
“You’re full of loopholes, ojou-chan!”
“Ara, A lady’s defense is really sturdy you know?”[50]
— *Hing Ling* The sound of the flute that had suddenly appeared in Asuka’s hands from nowhere resonated in the air. Perhaps it was a customized version of a flute for a simple movement of the wrist had already been able to generate the sound from the flute.
But the problem was not with that movement.
Seeming to have heard this sound, Almathea had traveled at light speed to protect Asuka.
(Guh, that’s fast!)
Coming down like a torrential rain of scatter shots, she had transformed into an Iron Wall of defense. As for Graiya, who had been knocked away with her just a little while earlier, he was still kneeling over the rubble as he gripped the right of his chest to staunch the flow of blood. It really is an incredible speed.
(Tch! This girl also possess some problematic tricks as well huh……?)
The Demon Lord of Confusion had a cunning glint in his eyes, which was really unimaginable to have come from a young girl, as he assessed the situation.
Although Jack was said to be a Sixth Digit person, he was in the possession of an [Authority of Host Master] and in addition to that was Asuka who controlled The Fortress—Almathea. Graiya had also been severely injured and the enemies were still holding back on their hidden moves.
The situation sure is bleak.
He gave a shrug. “Although it is a pity, but I guess it’s about time. FuFu, it’s time for us to take our leaves.”
“…… Are you trying to run? As long as my [Authority of Host Master] is still activated, you will never be able to escape out of [Kouen City].”
Jack raised his dagger while lowering his hips into a crouch.
But the Demon Lord of Confusion only gave a leisurely smile as he retrieved another reel of scroll[51].
“What~’s the matter?! It’s just for us to regroup a little. Well, during that time, you will just have to make do with playing with the Titans!”
He unreeled the scroll and some Chinese characters floated from the surface.
虚度光阴—The curse that stops the sense of time within the radius of the caster.
Up to the point where their vision started to become a monochrome, Asuka and Jack were able to grasp the situation but it was only up to that point for the figure of the Demon Lord of Confusion had suddenly disappeared before their eyes.
“You must be joking? He really disappeared!”
{“Although it’s just for a moment, I’m sure that the characters of 虚度光阴 had appeared. I speculate that this must be the curse that controls the sense of time. And as long he has that card in his hand, we won’t be able to catch him”}
“But I’ve already activated the [Authority of Host Master] on him. If he attempts to flee the city—“
Just then, the sound of something collapsing from the outer wall section of the city echoed loudly.
The stationed troops along the City walls must have been breached.
Asuka and Jack gritted their teeth in frustration as they assessed the next step they should take.
“Let’s go. If the Demonified Titans were to swamp in the City would be wasted even if we were to win the Game.”
{“That’s right. But what makes me worried is Smith Jack. If he continues to battle, he would also fall prey to the curse of fatigue and lose his strength right?”}
“Oh, Oh this…… It’s nothing, don’t worry! Due to a lot of reasons, this curse will not have any effect on me!”
{“Hm? Oh is that so? Then let’s take action before it’s too late.”}
Asuka rode upon Almathea, who had changed back to her mountain goat form, as they hurried over to the breached Outer Walls.
But at this time, they should have noticed.
The Dragon Horn of the Dragon of the Sea of Stars that Sandra carries around had not once, been used by the Demon Lord of Confusion.
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