Chapter 134
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☆《Trust and Credibility》☆
This is the unique skill of Holy Knight Yamada, a young man from a foreign land.
This skill takes effect on party members or those equivalent who have formed a mutual trust and credibility relationship with the skill owner. Its effects promote their growth and significantly enhance any buffs applied by the skill owner, regardless of whether they are magic or skills.
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☆《Skill Defender》☆
This is the unique skill of Holy Knight Yamada, a young man from a foreign land.
It protects himself and his companions from malicious skills.
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Saint Mika tries to focus her thoughts on the battle, but several irrelevant things keep flashing through her mind.
—The Sealed Dungeon might be reading people’s minds—especially their fears.
She recalls Angelica’s words from earlier.
The more she tries to concentrate on the battle, the more scattered her thoughts become, and she can’t shake them off no matter how hard she tries.
「《Exalt in Agony》」
Next to her, Ashley activates her fourth skill. She has finally reached the 《Quadruple Skill》 state. The deadline. There is no hesitation in her actions. For some reason, Saint Mika feels irritated by Ashley’s demeanor.
Come to think of it, it’s been like this from the beginning.
She hasn’t liked her from the start.
But why is that?
Even though they’re supposed to have just met—
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From the moment I first saw her, I didn’t like her. I don’t know why.
The more I was confronted with her demeanor and aspirations, the more a nagging anxiety crept up, whispering that I might have made a mistake, that I might have done something fatally wrong.
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「Mika!! Focus!! We can’t afford to make a single mistake!!」
「I know!! You’re the one who needs to stay alert, Angelica!!」
In the previous encounter—the 《Blade Dungeon》—their combined barrier was almost completely destroyed. Despite this, the responsibility for creating the barrier this time falls solely on Saint Mika’s shoulders.
There were no resources to spare for Angelica to create a barrier in order to execute this strategy.
「I have a bad feeling about this…」
Ashley mutters as beads of sweat roll down her forehead.
—Bwong bwong bwong
The 《Claidheamh Soluis》, now transformed into six blades, begins to resonate once again.
「Saint Mika, this is… no good. I have no choice but to use it here.」
The timing of Ashley’s overpowered skill activation was one of the branching points in their strategy.
For certain reasons, it would have been better to use it later in the battle, but Ashley’s judgment overrode that consideration. She kneels on the ground and chants:
「Sanctuary Genesis」
Without hesitation, Ashley activates her trump card skill.
At the same moment, one of the six blades finally lights up.
In a flash—before they can react—four of the sixteen multi-layered dome barriers created by Saint Mika disappear with a deafening sound.
「Ashley, your judgment was correct.」
「Then… that’s good.」
「The situation is still not good though.」
Angelica doesn’t interject in Saint Mika and Ashley’s conversation. She’s engrossed in a complex incantation.
Once again, the 《Claidheamh Soluis》 lights up. This time, it’s two blades.
A loud shattering sound echoes as eight of Saint Mika’s barriers, which had just been reconstructed after the previous destruction, are obliterated.
A chill runs down Saint Mika’s spine.
It’s simple math.
One blade’s super-acceleration destroyed four barriers in a single strike. They have sixteen barriers in total.
What would happen if all five blades accelerated simultaneously—
「Ashley!! This is the decisive moment!!」
Responding to Saint Mika’s voice, Holy Knight Ashley’s skill intensifies even further.
「I’ll show you what I can do.」
As if following Ashley’s lead, an even greater holy power emanates from Saint Mika.
The barriers are immediately regenerated to sixteen layers, giving off an impression of strength far beyond what they had before.
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The anxiety she brought about squeezed my chest painfully. Eventually, the pain gnawed at my insides, and by the time I noticed, it was already too late. The pain had grown too large to ignore.
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The six floating blades cease their gentle swaying and come to a stop in mid-air. They seem to be observing our situation. This observation proves correct.
The 《Claidheamh Soluis》 is waiting for the right moment to strike.
In that instant, all six blades—every single one of them—light up at once.
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I’m not wrong.
I did the right thing.
All I could do was put up a brave front.
No, I was a foolish clown who couldn’t even realize I was putting up a front.
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A deafening crash echoes, threatening to rupture their eardrums.
When they become aware again, only one barrier remains.
Mika struggles with all her might against the combined super-acceleration of the six blades.
However, the price is far too high.
「Saint Mika!!」
Ashley cries out as she notices blood trickling from the corner of Mika’s mouth.
「I’m fine. There’s no need to worry. Just do your absolute best.」
The barrier encompassing the three of them is instantly restored to sixteen layers. Sensing this, the six sacred swords—instead of moving in unison as before—begin to flicker erratically, each at its own frenzied pace.
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The emotions I harbored towards her weren’t just aversion. I felt an oddly nostalgic familiarity with her, even though we were supposed to have just met.
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Saint Mika’s performance is nothing short of miraculous.
Against the relentless attacks of the six blades, flickering and super-accelerating randomly and irregularly, she continuously maintains an incredibly strong barrier. In the blink of an eye during this battle, she even adds a spell to instantly regenerate the barrier the moment it’s destroyed.
The fierce onslaught of the six blades shatters the barrier in an instant, but it’s immediately repaired, then shattered again, and repaired again, in an endless cycle.
The sound of shattering glass echoes intermittently through the space.
This can hardly be called an even match.
The six sacred swords, which will likely continue moving until the end of time without running out of energy, are faced by a human girl, albeit a saint.
While Mika is said to possess bottomless mana, there are, of course, limits to her power.
She creates the most robust barrier she can muster over and over again. She regenerates it almost every second. Mika’s mana depletes at an alarming rate, and her mana consumption is approaching a dangerous level that could affect her life support.
Finally, unable to endure any longer, Mika coughs up blood. A pool of blood forms at her feet.
「Wise Angelica!! How much longer?! Saint Mika is—!!」
「Ashley, don’t panic.」
「But there’s so much blood—」
「I told you I’m fine. Why are you crying…?」
Mika’s voice carries a hint of exasperation at Ashley’s tears of concern.
「Really, you’re overreacting.」
Even as this conversation takes place, Saint Mika’s barrier is destroyed and regenerated countless times.
With each passing moment, the color drains rapidly from Mika’s face.
To Ashley, it feels like an eternity.
Hurry! Save Saint Mika! Hurry!!
And finally, as if answering her plea:
「《Aqua Rain》!!!」
Angelica shouts, finishing her incantation.
An innumerable barrage—so numerous that not even 《Super Acceleration》 could evade them all—of super-heated flame needles shoots out from Angelica. Furthermore, the flame needles transform into brightly burning flames upon impact, completely engulfing the space centered around the 《Claidheamh Soluis》.
Space domination—this was one of the strategies the three had devised.
However, beyond the flames—flicker, flicker, flicker, flicker—that light from the 《Claidheamh Soluis》 blinks repeatedly. It’s the harbinger of 《Super Acceleration》.
In an instant, the flames vanish as if they had never existed.
But Angelica sighs, 「Just as I thought.」
「Everything is going according to plan.」
She declares confidently.
A sound loud enough to drown out the grating resonance of the sacred swords has been echoing in the area since the end of her previous incantation.
Gyurururururu!!!
Seven spiraling water spears rotate at high speed, floating behind her. They await her command, eager to devour their prey.
「《Seven Reverse Aqua Spiraling Seeking Water Spears》」
This is the latest improved version of one of her trump cards, now equipped with a seeking function.
《Super Acceleration》 is meaningless in the face of missiles that pursue their target until destruction.
At her command, the seven missile-like spears launch towards the six sacred swords, now superheated to extreme temperatures.
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Is this some divine prank?
Fate can be so cruel—
At that very moment, obeying the will of the Holy Knight and the sword saint girl, the Holy Sword—《Guardian Sword Refaia》—emits a dazzling light, releasing the sword saint Eris from her curse.
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