I shouted at the same time that Noble Blood, which had transformed, soared high into the sky. The enemy had the ability to fly in addition to powerful magic attacks. We needed to engage it in mid-air so that we wouldn’t be one-sidedly attacked from the sky.
「Flying Dance!」「Sky Walk!」
Kouga and Alma, who were responsible for attacking, took the lead and flew into the sky.
Samurai Skill: Flying Dance
Assassin Skill: Sky Walk
Both are Skills that make moving in mid-air possible. Flying Dance allows the user to create footholds in mid-air using magic power, while Sky Walk allows the user to move freely in mid-air through anti-gravity.
「Summon Pegasus!」「Servant Valkyrie!」
Leon and Hugo weren’t able to fly through the sky by themselves. However, they had Skills that summoned means of transport that had the ability to fly.
Knight Skill: Summon Pegasus
A Skill that summons a winged Pegasus. Equipped with silver body armor, the Pegasus has the ability to fly and strong individual fighting abilities as well.
Puppet Skill: Servant Valkyrie
A Skill that creates a puppet soldier shaped like a marine ray that has the ability to fly. Although it has almost no offensive capabilities, it’s possible for people to ride on its wide, flat back. It’s a puppet soldier that’s mainly used for transportation.
Leon got on the Pegasus, while Hugo rode on the back of the flying soldier. I didn’t have any aerial combat Skills myself, so I jumped onto a flying soldier that Hugo had summoned additionally. Then, as each of us took to the air, Noble Blood raised a fireball so massive that it could be mistaken for the sun high above its head.
「You insects!!! Be turned to dust!!!」
The moment the fireball, which had been released at high speed, hit the ground, a huge explosion occurred. An ultra-high temperature heat wave swept through, not just the square, but the entire abandoned capital, devastating it like a hurricane. And then, the center of the explosion, which had become a vacuum, drew back the blast waves that had expanded outwards, further deepening the scars that the explosion had left on the land.
We had managed to escape to the sky in the nick of time, but spread out before our eyes was the sight of the abandoned capital that had been turned into an expanse of boiling red magma. Even the buildings that were a long way from the center of the explosion had collapsed due to the blast waves, and the one-time metropolis had become nothing more than a vacant lot.
It was plain to see, but a Lord’s strength was tremendous. It didn’t have enough magic power left to use time-stop magic, but its attack power far exceeded ours.
However, that wouldn’t change the fact that we would be victorious.
「Kouga and Alma, press Noble Blood with attacks! Leon, support both of them! Hugo, re-summon the puppet soldiers!」
「Okay!」「Leave it to me!」「Understood!」「I’ll do it immediately!」
Making full use of their mobility, Kouga and Alma closed the distance in one breath and dauntlessly slashed at Noble Blood.
Leon deployed barriers on the two of them while riding the flying Pegasus, and further provided covering fire using spheres of light——Divine Impact.
However, as fast as the wind, Noble Blood avoided all of their attacks. By manipulating gravity, it had the ability to fly in its human form, but now that it had grown wings, its mobility was incomparably better.
「Legion!」
Grandmaster Skill: Legion
A Skill that creates multiple puppet soldiers at once.
As a Puppeteer, Hugo was one of the strong who had reached A Rank. And, controlling an army was undoubtedly the ability of the Grandmaster, the A Rank Job of the Puppeteer series.
60 puppet soldiers were created anew. There were 20 long-distance types, 10 support types and 30 flying types to carry the other puppet soldiers. After creating the puppet soldiers, Hugo immediately went to help the three of them. A salvo of long-distance attacks using bows, guns and magic of various attributes rained down on Noble Blood.
However, even Hugo couldn’t so much as lay a scratch on Noble Blood, who had dodged the entire salvo.
「As I thought, that precognition is troublesome……」
Noble Blood, who had mastered all magic, could even control space and time. I had been able to seal off its ultimate ability, which was time-stop magic, but that wasn’t all there was to Noble Blood. Controlling space and time also meant being able to see the future. In other words, precognition was also one of its abilities.
No matter how many thousand slashes Kouga sent out at once, or how much Alma tried to pounce on it while moving at extremely high speeds that surpassed the speed of sound, the two of them posed no threat to Noble Blood, who had its precognition activated constantly. Noble Blood kept on avoiding the attacks by a hair’s breadth, and even tried to counter-attack using its stout arms that had their power amplified through manipulating gravity.
Kouga and Alma were indeed avoiding direct hits, but just the shockwaves from Noble Blood's attacks alone were capable of causing fatal wounds. Each time they avoided an attack, the barriers that Leon and Hugo were continuously deploying shattered in their place.
The battle situation was overwhelmingly in Noble Blood’s favor. Moreover, although Noble Blood was enraged, it stayed very calm. Noble Blood would have been easier to fight if it had lost itself to anger and did something like firing off powerful magic consecutively, but since that attack with the fireball after its transformation, it had limited its magic consumption by focusing on fighting hand-to-hand. I tried to disturb its thoughts by provoking it, but that didn’t seem to have the desired effect. If the battle continued without change, we would probably lose as we were inferior in terms of stamina.
Having said that, I had no intention of being defeated like this.
Just like how Noble Blood had precognition, I was also able to predict the future by increasing my thinking speed. Ever since the battle started, I had been going up against Noble Blood by constantly predicting the battle situation.
Of course, my ability to predict the future was severely outclassed in terms of performance. My ability didn’t show me the future itself, but merely allowed me to predict what would happen one instant into the future by analyzing the information that I had sensed. Furthermore, there would be a time lag when conveying the results of my predictions to my allies even if they were communicated directly via Link, so the accuracy of my predictions would drop.
However, even if my ability to predict the future was inferior, I had something that Noble Blood didn’t. That was my vast library of battle knowledge. My predictions were reinforced by the countless tactics for the weak to vanquish the strong that Noble Blood, who held overwhelming power, would never have thought of.
『Kouga, dodge an attack coming from your left front two seconds later. At the same time, activate Rain of Cherry Petals. In addition, use Swallow Reversal to create a continuous barrage of slashes. Alma, launch a surprise attack three seconds later using Kouga’s barrage as cover. Appear diagonally to the right and 50 meters above the enemy. Leon, stop deploying barriers for just five seconds. Continuously fire Divine Impact towards the front. Lead the enemy into the path of Alma’s attack. Hugo, concentrate your barriers on Kouga for 3 seconds. After that, immediately provide covering fire for Alma. Secure the path of her retreat after her surprise attack. Kouga, immediately leap backwards 30 meters. Alma――』
All of the instructions to my allies were issued simultaneously using parallel thinking and Link. 30 minutes had passed since the battle started. My allies were avoiding as well as countering Noble Blood's attacks using the most efficient movements, all the while receiving instructions based on the results of my predictions. If I made even a split second mistake in my predictions, someone would die, which would then lead to our annihilation.
The load from continuously making predictions had already pushed my brain near its operating limits. Not only was I experiencing a splitting headache, I had severe nausea, and blood was coming out of every orifice on my face. Even my heart felt like it would stop at any moment.
But, what is something of this degree?
「Oh, destiny――」
No matter the pain, no, even if I die, it’s not a reason for me to stop moving forward. Don’t flinch. Keep on thinking. Beat the Lord at reading a perfect prediction of the future. Cling on to victory. If you shrink back, your allies will die. You’ll lose everything. Remember the words you swore to your grandfather.*
『I promise, Grandpa. I’ll become the strongest Seeker』
「Kneel before me」
And then, beyond the prediction that surpassed all predictions, a ray of light broke through.
「I saw it!!!」
It was a ray of light as narrow as the eye of a needle. But it was a sure chance of victory.
『Hugo, concentrate your barriers on Leon! Leon, Nightmare Charge!』
『Okay!』『Understood!』
『Kouga, from that position, target the enemy below you with Sword of Ice! Alma, maximum deployment of Shadow Arm up towards the sky!』
『Alright!』『Got it!』
Following my instructions, Leon turned the Pegasus towards Noble Blood and charged.
Knight Skill: Nightmare Charge
A Skill that is used when the user is mounted on the summoned Pegasus and charges the enemy while deploying barriers. The charge’s destructive power will be multiplied by the speed of the Pegasus and the toughness of the barriers.
While being protected by multiple layers of barriers that Hugo and Leon himself had deployed, Leon charged at Noble Blood with the speed of a meteor. Even Noble Blood would take a great deal of damage if it suffered a direct hit from the charge.
「Tch!」
Noble Blood, who could see the future, dodged Leon’s deadly charge even as it clicked its tongue. However, immediately after that, a huge iceberg fell from the sky, and shadow hands attacked it from below. Noble Blood had clicked its tongue because it had seen this coordinated attack.
And, our onslaught wasn’t over yet.
『Hugo, activate Union Burst, then fire a salvo of sweeping attacks! Leon, Seraphim Blade! We’ll decide the battle here!』
「Union Burst!!!」「Seraphim Blade!!!」
Hugo activated Union Burst on all of the long-distance type puppet soldiers. In exchange for the puppet soldiers falling apart, they attacked with their maximum power. Leon brought the Pegasus to a sudden stop and turned it around. Then he raised his sword high in the sky and concentrated all of his magic power into it.
No matter how far into the future Noble Blood could see, it wouldn’t be able to escape if it was surrounded by attacks launched at the same time. Between Noble Blood’s precognition and my limited prediction ability brought about by high-speed thinking, I was the one who had won at predicting the future.
「Don't look down on me, you shitty insectssssss!!!」
Noble Blood shouted in rage and fired a terrifying lightning strike at Leon. It couldn’t avoid all of our attacks. For that reason, its aim was to prevent the activation of Seraphim Blade, which had the most destructive power, along with killing Leon. Resigned to the fact that it would get hit, its plan was to inflict even greater damage in exchange for taking damage. But I had predicted something like that.
「Leon, Conversion! Invincible, activate!」
Tactical Skills: Conversion
A Skill that targets allies that are activating a Skill, it has the effect of allowing the user to forcibly activate another Skill.
Due to the effect of Conversion, the magic power that had been poured into Seraphim Blade, which was on the verge of being fired, was converted into the activation of Invincible. A Knight's absolute barrier, which could be used only once a day, that reflected all types of attacks just one time.
「Impossible!?」
The lightning strike that had been reflected by Leon's Invincible lashed out at Noble Blood. This outcome was something that Noble Blood had not been able to predict. The reason for that was because it had inadvertently stopped its precognition due to the agitation and frustration that it had felt from being cornered by attacks that couldn’t be avoided even by relying on its precognition.
「In the palm of my hand, dance, go mad, and then die!!!」
All attacks, impact.
In addition to our attacks, Noble Blood was also hit by its own lightning strike and was engulfed in a huge explosion of energy.
「You insectssSSss!!!」
Noble Blood had deployed a barrier. It was able to survive the rampaging energy, but it had lost its right arm.
「It's over!!! Kouga, Alma, finish it off!!!」
I wasn’t going to miss this chance. I ordered the two people with the highest mobility to pursue.
Tactical Skill: Assault Command
I activated the trump card that increased the power of all attack Skills by a factor of 15.
「Iai Slash!!!」「Quick Attack!!!」
Kouga, from above, and Alma, from below, tried to land a killing blow on Noble Blood. Noble Blood defended against their attacks by deploying yet another barrier.
「GUOOOOOOO!!!」
Drops of blood sprayed out as Noble Blood howled. The last of its magic power was already about to run out. As the final move, I closed my right thumb, ring and little finger and stuck out the remaining index and middle finger. It was a hand gesture called『sword seal』in the Orient.
「All creation, fall prostrate before my dreadful damnation! Curse!!!」
I shouted as I swung the sword seal down toward Noble Blood.
Tactical Skill: Curse
A debuff Skill, which cannot be resisted, that weakened the overall abilities of the target in the path of the sword seal for 25 seconds.
That Skill, which was my final trump card, became a black mist that enveloped Noble Blood and lowered its strength. Cracks instantly appeared in Noble Blood's barrier. Kouga’s blade cut the now-fragile barrier in two.
「It ends here!!!」
「You insectsssss!!!」
Like a flash of lightning, Kouga decapitated Noble Blood with the return stroke of his blade. Its death-cry fell towards the bottom of the somber darkness.
Before long, the red fog covering the abandoned capital started to clear. It was proof that the Abyss had been cleansed. In other words, it was also proof that the subjugation of Noble Blood had been completed.
「Haa, haa…… Battle, end. ……We’ve won」
When I announced that while breathing feebly, Kouga and Leon filled the air with their roars.
「YESSSSS!!!」「UUUOOOOO!!!」
The two of them yelled with the exhilaration of victory. In contrast, Alma ruminated silently while Hugo had a smile on his face. Each of them showed it in a different way, but I could see that all of them were happy about our victory.
I breathed a sigh of relief, and then wiped the blood on my face as I lay down on top of the flying soldier. I couldn’t stay upright any longer. Because I had worked my brain too hard, my vital functions themselves had been greatly weakened.
I gazed blankly at the pale pink sky as its edges were gradually dyed navy blue. In the clear evening sky, the first star to appear twinkled brightly. When I casually reached out and closed my hand around it, the star was hidden in my fist.
「Soon. Just a little longer, and it’ll all be mine……」
†
†
「Are you serious……. They really won……」
As Marion and the Seeker Guild staff watched, the Abyss was cleansed and disappeared. In other words, that was proof that Noble Blood had been subjugated.
「Even though it should have been impossible for them to win with their level of strength……」
It wasn’t something at the level of an upset victory. This result was truly a miracle. Despite the hopeless difference in fighting strength, Noel and the rest had subjugated Noble Blood. It was impossible to not be surprised.
「So this is Snake, no, Noel Stollen……」
What had brought about this miracle was undoubtedly Noel's abilities. Wild Tempest had outstanding Seekers, first among them the Puppeteer Hugo, but for all that, Noble Blood was beyond them. If they were able to win, then it would have been entirely due to how Noel, their command tower, had directed them.
「I see, that’s why Grandpa is so excited……」
She felt like she was starting to understand the reason why her grandfather, who was an excellent inspector despite being semi-retired, had decided to resume his duties. That was because Noel Stollen was a more special Seeker than anyone else.
At present, there were three Seekers in the imperial capital that had reached Ex Rank.
Clan master of Hundred Demon Parade, King Slayer(King-Eater Golden Lion), Lioud Edin.
Clan master of Supreme Dragon Squad, Beginning One(The Founding Brave Warrior), Victor Klauser.
Sub-master of the same clan, Innocent Blade(Resplendent Divine Sword), Sieg Feinstein.
All three of them were strong people who were born geniuses. Overflowing with talent as Seekers, they had continued to walk the path to hegemony without suffering even a single setback.
But Noel was different. Born as a Buffer, which was said to be the weakest, he had succeeded in working his way up from the bottom through hard work, an indomitable will and his brains. That path must have been filled with challenges. Nevertheless, he had continued to push forward without giving up, and now, he had even pulled off the subjugation of a Lord.
Looking through history, more than a few Seekers had subjugated Lords. However, there had never been one of Noel’s kind until now. That was because it was natural for the strong, who were born with extraordinary talent, to pull off a subjugation of a Lord in due course.
This was the third year since Marion had become an inspector. Having assumed her duties at the age of fifteen, she had seen many Seekers to this day. There were many excellent Seekers among them, but not a single one of them had moved her heart. That was because they were all professionals before they were Seekers. They, who only took on battles that befit their stature, were professionals, but not heroes.
The heroes that Marion envisioned were those who would definitely win while never flinching no matter what kind of difficult trial they faced. Only Lioud had let her dream, but he had no desire――no passion to accomplish anything as a Seeker. Those who had no passion didn't have the qualifications to be heroes.
That was probably why. Right now, Marion's heart was pounding intensely.
「Noel Stollen, you’re unmistakably a real hero」
*That thought sequence where Noel is pumping himself up, he switches from “I/me(俺)” to “you(おまえ)” midway through, so it’s not a translation error lol. He is basically talking to himself in the second half in an attempt to push himself. Plus his brain is at the limit and he’s running parallel thinking as well. Still, what do you mean dying is not a reason to stop moving forward? How on earth are you going move if you’re dead? Hyperbolic much? XD
Valkyrie! ٩(^‿^)۶ Marine ray…… ＿|￣|○ Also, Kouga’s Skill “Flying Dance” is actually “Flying Circle Dance”…… You know, circle dance, that dance where people dance in a circle while holding hands……I couldn’t stand how lame that sounded so I tweaked it a little. Also, even though it’s a Pegasus, what’s more, the kanji is actually “Pegasus Charge”, why is it read as “Nightmare Charge”…… though I suppose it could be Knightmare Charge…… So much for me to tsukkomi this chapter smh. And do you know which one is the winner? I almost fell off my chair when I read that Sieg’s nickname is “Innocent Blade”. Were they being sarcastic when they named him lol? That’s why I put the translation for the kanji beside the nicknames, or everyone will be falling off their chairs too.(update: it was reverse inserted back into part 2, so well, this joke isn't as funny anymore.)
Okay, all joking aside, Noel and gang have finally defeated a Lord, but at what price? What will happen now that Wild Tempest is finally one step from becoming one of the Regalia? You got that imagery of the first star, I bet. What of the King of Flies? Will Marion become the one to tear down Noel’s defenses? Stay tuned!
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