ch61-ch80 · 064-ch63
Chapter 63 Fear
BOOOOOOOOOM!!
A second intense impact sound, followed by a blast wave and a cloud of sand.
But the person who caused it wore a bitter expression.
『Damn, he dodged again!』
Berdigri's diving attack came down with movements so erratic and unpredictable that you couldn't tell how it would strike until the moment of impact.
Yet Rokuro had spotted it in that final instant and dodged. Twice, even.
For Berdigri, who had overwhelming confidence in his flight speed, this was an unforgivable reality.
SWISH!!
"!"
A shadow approached from within the sand cloud, and Berdigri leaped to avoid it.
Shadows are merely reflections on the ground or objects. Once you fly into the sky, they won't reach you that far.
He flew past a twenty-story building, even higher, then kicked the wind midair to ascend further.
"...This time for sure, I'll finish you! Charge up to maximum power!"
Even for Berdigri, repeatedly attacking drained his power.
Especially the technique of continuously using wind to accelerate—couldn't be used many times.
He intended to settle it with the next strike.
― ◆ ―
Rokuro, having let the enemy escape into the sky, bit his lower lip inside his helmet.
'...Making a mess of a public park!'
A crater about 2 meters in diameter gouged into the lawn, and a crater over 3 meters wide destroying the paved asphalt path in the park. Holes created by Berdigri's falls.
Even as he fought, Rokuro sensed people gathering around the park. Perhaps they thought it was an explosion—they hadn't entered the park itself, but before long, police and firefighters would arrive.
If the battle of these knights from another world—beyond human comprehension—were witnessed, it would cause an uproar. He had to settle it before that happened.
Looking up, the blue-green knight was flying even higher than before. Apparently he had increased his altitude to generate even more destructive power and speed.
"You're going for a decisive match... Very well."
As Rokuro focused his spirit, a black heat shimmer appeared on the right arm of the Black Knight's armor.
"I won't allow any further destruction! Come at me!"
― ◆ ―
"U, ugh..." "Sir Lime, you're awake!"
Chartreuse opened her eyes in Fuchsia's arms.
The Unison had already been released. Thanks to the Green Knight armor's extremely high defensive power, there was no bleeding or fractures, but a numbing damage remained throughout her body, making it difficult to move properly.
"...The situation?" "Yes. Berdigri from Underz has appeared and is engaging the Black Knight." "Huh? Why Berdigri..."
Chartreuse, of course, knew Berdigri, who was a senior in the Emerald Green Knight Order as well.
"Only we two were supposed to have passed through the mirror, right?" "Yes. I don't know how, but he came here and had been waiting for an opportunity. It seems he was waiting for the Black Knight to be exhausted from the battle with Sir Lime."
The gouged ground around them and the still-settling sand cloud showed the intensity of the battle.
"Can you move? Let's get a bit away, this is dangerous." "You're right. Berdigri's specialty techniques drag his surroundings into it..."
Leaning on Fuchsia's shoulder, Chartreuse somehow managed to stand.
Even so, her forcing herself to move was to avoid the aftereffects of the attacks, but Fuchsia had another concern.
It was that Berdigri might target Chartreuse in the middle of the battle. But seeing Chartreuse's face twisted in pain, she hesitated to say something that would only add insult to injury.
'That an ally would come after my life... I can't say that right now. For now, I need to get away even a little...')
― ◆ ―
While circling in the air to accumulate power, Berdigri was also observing the situation on the ground.
"Hmph, even if the sand cloud makes visibility poor, I can tell where you are by that strong eiyōso! ...?"
A question mark floated over his own words as they left his mouth.
'Strong eiyōso, you say? Even though 696 seconds have long since passed, why can you still Unison?'
In addition to that time limit, he should have expended a great deal of power in his battle with Chartreuse.
Yet, despite having decreased from the beginning, the fact that Berdigri could still feel strong eiyōso from the Black Knight filled him with indescribable fear.
"...No, even if there's some discrepancy, it's definitely time's up by now! I'll finish you off with this!!"
As if to cover up the moment he had flinched, he roared.
The eiyōso he had accumulated was already at critical. Converting it to wind and releasing it to obtain maximum acceleration.
"Die, Black Knight!――'Equisetum Funeral Lance'!!"
The lance held by the rapidly diving Berdigri approached Rokuro as a wedge calling forth death.