༺ Bisection ༻
The situation room was enveloped with silence.
It was so quiet that even a slightly louder breath would be clearly heard.
Eventually, the ongoing silence was broken by a sentence that trickled out from Utad’s hologram.
-…Hatan, tell me.
“What?”
-Am I dreaming?
“Who knows.”
Hatan forced out a chuckle as he responded to Utad’s words.
“I mean, wouldn’t it be disgusting if both of us are dreaming the same dream?”
-…
‘Actually…’
‘That’s more believable than the current situation…’
Utad thought as he glared at the screen in front of him.
Not long ago, they could only hope that Dowd would at least handle one of the Ancient Gods that appeared. However, those creatures had all turned into dead bodies sprawled around the sea.
And this all happened in less than three minutes.
“…”
-…
But, that wasn’t all.
To use the Rulers of Demonic Zones like some kind of grenades to peel off the curses was an unheard method to begin with.
And even considering the curse had been rendered powerless, there was still a woman who could slice through an Ancient God in a single blow.
But the biggest question of all….
-…Was Law Technique originally that easy of a Special Power to handle?
Utad’s words were met with Hatan’s silence.
Using Law Technique was easy in theory. The Special Power’s output was determined by someone’s intense desire for something, and that was all there was to it.
To put it in a little more perspective, it sounded like something that once could activate when they were suffering from hunger for a few days.
However, if that were true, then the power wouldn’t be so limited to the Tribal Alliance only.
Truth of the matter was, simple ‘desire’ wasn’t enough to trigger it. One also needed a ‘mental fortitude’ which reached almost the same level of a venerable monk who had attained Nirvana.
They didn’t know what it was, but there was something that man strongly wished for.
That something was noble and idealistic.
“…Is that evaluation even fitting for him?”
-What?
“I mean, he seems like a playboy who gets swept up in trouble whenever there’s even the slightest possibility of it happening. Am I wrong?”
-…
“I didn’t get to observe him closely, but it feels like he’s exactly that kind of a person.”
-…Let’s at least acknowledge that he has great talent.
Hatan chuckled when he realized that Utad implicitly agreed to his words.
“…Now, I wonder what his demands will be later?”
Hatan let out a sigh.
This matter was briefly mentioned at the War Chief Assembly; The most fundamental value of the Tribal Alliance was never failing to reward merits and never letting faults go unpunished..
So, it was impossible for them not to give anything to someone who had done this much.
-…Let’s think about that later.
Utad continued with a sigh.
-It doesn’t seem like he’s in any state to make such demands to us at the moment anyway..
His words were true.
On the screen, Dowd’s reflected face when staring at the person in front of him, showed more worry and anxiety than when he was dealing with the three Ancient Gods.
[Have you given up now, Mr. Dowd? You’ve only been standing there.]
It seemed like he couldn’t delay facing this ‘white thing’ any longer.
System Message
[ Confirming Special Power ‘Law Power’ is depleted. ]
[ Overloading is causing strain on your body! ]
[ Further output may cause organ rupture leading to death! ]
System Message
[ Successfully continued the battle despite serious injuries! ]
[ Proficiency of ‘Mastery: Iron Man’ increased. ]
[ Proficiency of ‘Mastery: Iron Man’ has advanced to ‘Common’! ]
[ New effects added! ]
Along with such messages, something welled up in my throat.
As I wiped it off my mouth, I noticed that it was blood.
No matter how compatible I was with Law Power, using Breaking the Sky three times in a row was simply too much, who woulda thought.
‘…Fucking hell, I’m never gonna do this shit again.’
Even now, I felt nauseous and my vision was shaky.
I had faced death countless times, but this was the first time I had received a warning about the possibility of my organs getting ruptured.
It seemed like the saying ‘great power comes great responsibility’ was true, after all.
[ Mastery Info ]
Mastery: Iron Man 鐵人
Grade: Common
Proficiency: 0%
Description: Warriors of the Tribal Alliance repeatedly put themselves in extreme situations in order to constantly train their ability to react to such situations. It is very risky, but effective.
[ ■ Endurance to various injuries and pain is increased. Reduces the intensity of pain and allows for easier movement even when severely injured. ]
[ ■ Recovery becomes much better than when in a normal state. ]
[ ■ In cases of fatal injuries, sensation of pain are blocked, increasing survival chances. ]
[ ■ Effects are proportional to the Endurance stat. ]
Of course, I didn’t do that just for no reason.
Also…
System Message
[ Annihilation of three ‘Ancient God’ entities confirmed. ]
They really did die pretty quickly, huh?
Felt kinda bad for them. They were supposed to be a chapter’s final boss, but they were sent off like this without receiving the honorable treatment they deserved.
Like, compared to Purifier or Valkasus, they literally got nothing.
“…”
Of course, considering who they were up against, it wasn’t like I couldn’t understand why they underperformed so badly.
[Why aren’t you running away now, Mr. Dowd?]
When I saw Yuria approached with her head tilted slightly, speaking as she took one step at a time, my mouth completely dried up.
It wasn’t like I had never fantasized a beautiful girl throwing everything aside and chasing after me and only me, but…
I felt like grabbing that past self by the collar and yelling at him right now.
Fuck, try experience it yourself before even imagining about that kind of bullshit.
Did you think it actually felt great to have your life threatened with every breath you take?
[Why aren’t you saying anything?]
“…”
Inwardly, I let out a deep sigh.
In my mind, I was rapidly calculating, flicking my abacus.
Honestly, regardless of everything, it was practically impossible to keep running away from this brat.
Playing hide-and-seek with a Devil as my opponent, especially the White Devil’s Vessel, was an act that drastically lowered my survival chances. If I played my cards wrongly, she’d chase me ‘to the depths of hell’ if she had to.
Which meant, I had to settle this whether I liked it or not.
Sure, this might be painfully tough for me.
But still…
This was nothing for Dowd Campbell.
You’re a specialist in getting hurt, right? You’ve been smashed and fucked up countless times. You’re special. You’re built fucking different.
“…”
I did feel a tiny bit of shame after hyping myself up like this, though.
Anyway, the fact of the matter was that there was only one way out.
I glanced down at my feet.
This was the place where Lucia and Valkasus prepared the ‘Array’ in advance. It was a collaboration between the Saintess and the greatest Forbidden Sorcerer in this world, all served as a countermeasure for Yuria.
Even if it was her, it would surely work.
While I wasn’t sure if I could calm a Devil on the verge of going berserk, but it should be enough to ‘calm’ that Demonic Aura for a while.
[I said it before, didn’t I?]
As I thought that, Yuria’s ‘letters’ came close.
[You’ll die if I catch you, okay?]
“…!”
At the sight of Yuria, who had suddenly approached right in front of me, swinging her sword, my eyes widened.
It was a speed that even I, who was buffed with EX-Grade Desperation, couldn’t react to.
Even if I had employed Swordsman’s Focus, I surely couldn’t have kept up.
“…”
However…
Parts of her movements gave me a lot of hints. A lot of them to the point that they looked so clear and plain in my eyes.
It was evidence that she had been ‘going easy on me’ until now.
Honestly, I could definitely see her doing that.
Even the Blue Devil, who was on the weaker side among the Devils, had been doing insane things on her own. The fact that I had been able to avoid the White Devil, who was obviously stronger than her, spoke volume on how much she held herself back against me.
She wasn’t filled with enough murderous intent to bite the bullet and kill me.
Which meant…
It would be okay for me to tank ‘one hit’ from her.
‘…The plan is!’
While she was still holding onto her sanity, allowing me to have some leniency…
Even if I had to take a harsh beating as a price, I had to ‘drag’ Yuria into Lucia and Valkasus’ Array.
Since it was impossible to parry or block her attack, I might as well create the needed opening by tanking one strike.
You can do it, Dowd Campbell. All you have to do is not die from one blow!
Thinking that, I looked at the tip of Yuria’s sword that was approaching me menacingly.
I took a deep breath.
“…!”
And…
I ‘rushed’ into Yuria’s strike, which was about to pierce my body.
My movement, which she surely didn’t anticipate, caused Yuria’s eyes to widen, and in that moment, I grabbed her and dragged her onto the Array.
Seeing the sword pierce my body, I closed my eyes tightly.
‘…Please, just don’t die in one hit!’
Even if she was currently the strongest in terms of power behind a single attack, I had confidence in my survival ability.
‘This much is worth a try!’
Thinking that, I pushed her body onto the Array, and a bright white flash burst nearby once again. It was bright enough to cover my entire field of vision.
[…!]
The white light emitted from the Array definitely had an effect.
After all, the white aura surrounding Yuria’s body visibly weakened upon contact.
It was evidence that the Demonic Aura was temporarily weakened by the Saintess’s Divine Power.
Which meant…
“…Uh.”
I could hear Yuria’s dazed voice.
Her hair, which was chillingly white, had turned black at some point. Light returned to her pupils.
She had regained her sanity, if only for a moment.
‘…Nice.’
As expected of the Saintess. It was a truly fitting result of the person who had been grappling with Yuria’s body every day, suppressing the curse.
“Have you regained your senses?”
I spoke while sighing towards her.
“What a relief.”
Hearing my voice, she slowly turned to me…
Then, she examined me with a sluggish gaze.
Her eyes slowly moved down below my face.
Perhaps…
She was looking at the part where her sword hit me.
“…”
And then, her eyes widened greatly.
“…Ah.”
Immediately after…
A moan akin to death throes trickled out of her mouth.
“…Ah, Ah, Ah Ah, Ah Ah, Ah—”
She covered her face with both hands, as if tearing at it.
Tears streamed down from her eyes.
Almost as if…
She had seen a ‘horrific’ scene she couldn’t bear to look at.
“…”
‘Hey. Why are you acting like this?’
‘Your reaction is a little scary…’
At that moment…
I realized something strange.
‘Why…’
‘Doesn’t it hurt at all?’
‘Surely, after tanking that hit, part of my body should feel pain at least.’
System Message
[ Fatal injury detected. ]
[ ‘Mastery: Iron Man’ blocks the sensation of pain. ]
“…”
As I looked at such a message with cold sweat breaking out…
I looked down.
Due to Yuria’s attack…
My entire body was almost ‘split in half’.
“…”
Ah, right.
Even monkeys fell from trees sometimes.
Sure, I had always been good at surviving things, but I wouldn’t always succeed in surviving.
“W-Wait a minute. M-Mr. D-D-Dowd…? Why, uh, why…? Is, is this, what I, what I did…?”
Along with Yuria’s voice, who sounded like she had completely lost her mind…
System Message
[ HP Below 1%! ]
[ You are on the verge of death! ]
Blood poured out from my mouth with terrifying force.
༺ Bisection ༻
The situation room was enveloped with silence.
It was so quiet that even a slightly louder breath would be clearly heard.
Eventually, the ongoing silence was broken by a sentence that trickled out from Utad’s hologram.
-…Hatan, tell me.
“What?”
-Am I dreaming?
“Who knows.”
Hatan forced out a chuckle as he responded to Utad’s words.
“I mean, wouldn’t it be disgusting if both of us are dreaming the same dream?”
-…
‘Actually…’
‘That’s more believable than the current situation…’
Utad thought as he glared at the screen in front of him.
Not long ago, they could only hope that Dowd would at least handle one of the Ancient Gods that appeared. However, those creatures had all turned into dead bodies sprawled around the sea.
And this all happened in less than three minutes.
“…”
-…
But, that wasn’t all.
To use the Rulers of Demonic Zones like some kind of grenades to peel off the curses was an unheard method to begin with.
And even considering the curse had been rendered powerless, there was still a woman who could slice through an Ancient God in a single blow.
But the biggest question of all….
-…Was Law Technique originally that easy of a Special Power to handle?
Utad’s words were met with Hatan’s silence.
Using Law Technique was easy in theory. The Special Power’s output was determined by someone’s intense desire for something, and that was all there was to it.
To put it in a little more perspective, it sounded like something that once could activate when they were suffering from hunger for a few days.
However, if that were true, then the power wouldn’t be so limited to the Tribal Alliance only.
Truth of the matter was, simple ‘desire’ wasn’t enough to trigger it. One also needed a ‘mental fortitude’ which reached almost the same level of a venerable monk who had attained Nirvana.
They didn’t know what it was, but there was something that man strongly wished for.
That something was noble and idealistic.
“…Is that evaluation even fitting for him?”
-What?
“I mean, he seems like a playboy who gets swept up in trouble whenever there’s even the slightest possibility of it happening. Am I wrong?”
-…
“I didn’t get to observe him closely, but it feels like he’s exactly that kind of a person.”
-…Let’s at least acknowledge that he has great talent.
Hatan chuckled when he realized that Utad implicitly agreed to his words.
“…Now, I wonder what his demands will be later?”
Hatan let out a sigh.
This matter was briefly mentioned at the War Chief Assembly; The most fundamental value of the Tribal Alliance was never failing to reward merits and never letting faults go unpunished..
So, it was impossible for them not to give anything to someone who had done this much.
-…Let’s think about that later.
Utad continued with a sigh.
-It doesn’t seem like he’s in any state to make such demands to us at the moment anyway..
His words were true.
On the screen, Dowd’s reflected face when staring at the person in front of him, showed more worry and anxiety than when he was dealing with the three Ancient Gods.
[Have you given up now, Mr. Dowd? You’ve only been standing there.]
It seemed like he couldn’t delay facing this ‘white thing’ any longer.
System Message
[ Confirming Special Power ‘Law Power’ is depleted. ]
[ Overloading is causing strain on your body! ]
[ Further output may cause organ rupture leading to death! ]
System Message
[ Successfully continued the battle despite serious injuries! ]
[ Proficiency of ‘Mastery: Iron Man’ increased. ]
[ Proficiency of ‘Mastery: Iron Man’ has advanced to ‘Common’! ]
[ New effects added! ]
Along with such messages, something welled up in my throat.
As I wiped it off my mouth, I noticed that it was blood.
No matter how compatible I was with Law Power, using Breaking the Sky three times in a row was simply too much, who woulda thought.
‘…Fucking hell, I’m never gonna do this shit again.’
Even now, I felt nauseous and my vision was shaky.
I had faced death countless times, but this was the first time I had received a warning about the possibility of my organs getting ruptured.
It seemed like the saying ‘great power comes great responsibility’ was true, after all.
[ Mastery Info ]
Mastery: Iron Man 鐵人
Grade: Common
Proficiency: 0%
Description: Warriors of the Tribal Alliance repeatedly put themselves in extreme situations in order to constantly train their ability to react to such situations. It is very risky, but effective.
[ ■ Endurance to various injuries and pain is increased. Reduces the intensity of pain and allows for easier movement even when severely injured. ]
[ ■ Recovery becomes much better than when in a normal state. ]
[ ■ In cases of fatal injuries, sensation of pain are blocked, increasing survival chances. ]
[ ■ Effects are proportional to the Endurance stat. ]
Of course, I didn’t do that just for no reason.
Also…
System Message
[ Annihilation of three ‘Ancient God’ entities confirmed. ]
They really did die pretty quickly, huh?
Felt kinda bad for them. They were supposed to be a chapter’s final boss, but they were sent off like this without receiving the honorable treatment they deserved.
Like, compared to Purifier or Valkasus, they literally got nothing.
“…”
Of course, considering who they were up against, it wasn’t like I couldn’t understand why they underperformed so badly.
[Why aren’t you running away now, Mr. Dowd?]
When I saw Yuria approached with her head tilted slightly, speaking as she took one step at a time, my mouth completely dried up.
It wasn’t like I had never fantasized a beautiful girl throwing everything aside and chasing after me and only me, but…
I felt like grabbing that past self by the collar and yelling at him right now.
Fuck, try experience it yourself before even imagining about that kind of bullshit.
Did you think it actually felt great to have your life threatened with every breath you take?
[Why aren’t you saying anything?]
“…”
Inwardly, I let out a deep sigh.
In my mind, I was rapidly calculating, flicking my abacus.
Honestly, regardless of everything, it was practically impossible to keep running away from this brat.
Playing hide-and-seek with a Devil as my opponent, especially the White Devil’s Vessel, was an act that drastically lowered my survival chances. If I played my cards wrongly, she’d chase me ‘to the depths of hell’ if she had to.
Which meant, I had to settle this whether I liked it or not.
Sure, this might be painfully tough for me.
But still…
This was nothing for Dowd Campbell.
You’re a specialist in getting hurt, right? You’ve been smashed and fucked up countless times. You’re special. You’re built fucking different.
“…”
I did feel a tiny bit of shame after hyping myself up like this, though.
Anyway, the fact of the matter was that there was only one way out.
I glanced down at my feet.
This was the place where Lucia and Valkasus prepared the ‘Array’ in advance. It was a collaboration between the Saintess and the greatest Forbidden Sorcerer in this world, all served as a countermeasure for Yuria.
Even if it was her, it would surely work.
While I wasn’t sure if I could calm a Devil on the verge of going berserk, but it should be enough to ‘calm’ that Demonic Aura for a while.
[I said it before, didn’t I?]
As I thought that, Yuria’s ‘letters’ came close.
[You’ll die if I catch you, okay?]
“…!”
At the sight of Yuria, who had suddenly approached right in front of me, swinging her sword, my eyes widened.
It was a speed that even I, who was buffed with EX-Grade Desperation, couldn’t react to.
Even if I had employed Swordsman’s Focus, I surely couldn’t have kept up.
“…”
However…
Parts of her movements gave me a lot of hints. A lot of them to the point that they looked so clear and plain in my eyes.
It was evidence that she had been ‘going easy on me’ until now.
Honestly, I could definitely see her doing that.
Even the Blue Devil, who was on the weaker side among the Devils, had been doing insane things on her own. The fact that I had been able to avoid the White Devil, who was obviously stronger than her, spoke volume on how much she held herself back against me.
She wasn’t filled with enough murderous intent to bite the bullet and kill me.
Which meant…
It would be okay for me to tank ‘one hit’ from her.
‘…The plan is!’
While she was still holding onto her sanity, allowing me to have some leniency…
Even if I had to take a harsh beating as a price, I had to ‘drag’ Yuria into Lucia and Valkasus’ Array.
Since it was impossible to parry or block her attack, I might as well create the needed opening by tanking one strike.
You can do it, Dowd Campbell. All you have to do is not die from one blow!
Thinking that, I looked at the tip of Yuria’s sword that was approaching me menacingly.
I took a deep breath.
“…!”
And…
I ‘rushed’ into Yuria’s strike, which was about to pierce my body.
My movement, which she surely didn’t anticipate, caused Yuria’s eyes to widen, and in that moment, I grabbed her and dragged her onto the Array.
Seeing the sword pierce my body, I closed my eyes tightly.
‘…Please, just don’t die in one hit!’
Even if she was currently the strongest in terms of power behind a single attack, I had confidence in my survival ability.
‘This much is worth a try!’
Thinking that, I pushed her body onto the Array, and a bright white flash burst nearby once again. It was bright enough to cover my entire field of vision.
[…!]
The white light emitted from the Array definitely had an effect.
After all, the white aura surrounding Yuria’s body visibly weakened upon contact.
It was evidence that the Demonic Aura was temporarily weakened by the Saintess’s Divine Power.
Which meant…
“…Uh.”
I could hear Yuria’s dazed voice.
Her hair, which was chillingly white, had turned black at some point. Light returned to her pupils.
She had regained her sanity, if only for a moment.
‘…Nice.’
As expected of the Saintess. It was a truly fitting result of the person who had been grappling with Yuria’s body every day, suppressing the curse.
“Have you regained your senses?”
I spoke while sighing towards her.
“What a relief.”
Hearing my voice, she slowly turned to me…
Then, she examined me with a sluggish gaze.
Her eyes slowly moved down below my face.
Perhaps…
She was looking at the part where her sword hit me.
“…”
And then, her eyes widened greatly.
“…Ah.”
Immediately after…
A moan akin to death throes trickled out of her mouth.
“…Ah, Ah, Ah Ah, Ah Ah, Ah—”
She covered her face with both hands, as if tearing at it.
Tears streamed down from her eyes.
Almost as if…
She had seen a ‘horrific’ scene she couldn’t bear to look at.
“…”
‘Hey. Why are you acting like this?’
‘Your reaction is a little scary…’
At that moment…
I realized something strange.
‘Why…’
‘Doesn’t it hurt at all?’
‘Surely, after tanking that hit, part of my body should feel pain at least.’
System Message
[ Fatal injury detected. ]
[ ‘Mastery: Iron Man’ blocks the sensation of pain. ]
“…”
As I looked at such a message with cold sweat breaking out…
I looked down.
Due to Yuria’s attack…
My entire body was almost ‘split in half’.
“…”
Ah, right.
Even monkeys fell from trees sometimes.
Sure, I had always been good at surviving things, but I wouldn’t always succeed in surviving.
“W-Wait a minute. M-Mr. D-D-Dowd…? Why, uh, why…? Is, is this, what I, what I did…?”
Along with Yuria’s voice, who sounded like she had completely lost her mind…
System Message
[ HP Below 1%! ]
[ You are on the verge of death! ]
Blood poured out from my mouth with terrifying force.
