69novels Page 186
Page 186
Immediately afterward, Asagiri said softly.
"Now it's up to you, Violet, castling."
The instant Asagiri's figure disappeared, Yuuki Asuna appeared, holding a rapier that gleamed in the light, wearing a deep red cloak and shimmering light armor, and murmured to herself with a faint smile.
"Leave it to me, Leader."
Upon seeing this, the priest's expression changed, and even the flames around him began to flicker.
"How could this be... clearly..."
"You just destroyed his summoned creatures, but he used that ability to swap positions, right?"
Asuna Yuuki did not launch an attack directly, after all, her mission was only to buy time, and by this time, Kotoko Iwanaga's earlier conjecture had been confirmed.
What if the fanatic's mind wavered not because he saw his companion killed by Asagiri, but because these people's minds were originally connected?
What was originally just a conjecture has now been confirmed. On the one hand, the priest was deliberately wary of Asagiri's abilities. He only used the large-scale fire wave spread when Asagiri and the human Shura approached him at the same time, precisely to prevent Asagiri from using the King Chariot Swap to exchange positions with Persona and escape the attack range.
The most crucial piece of evidence is that he called out that name.
Lelouch Lamperouge, Commander of Blackwatch.
This is not Asagiri's real name, which rules out the possibility that the other party has some ability to detect players' real names. In addition, the three fanatics did not make any contact with the outside world. The only explanation is that these people's minds are connected.
"you……"
Just as the priest was about to reply, he suddenly realized something extremely terrifying.
The Black Watch Commander's ability wasn't teleportation, but rather a relocation. So, the appearance of this swordsman in the crimson cloak here...
Where did that guy go to die?
The priest had realized that if the three believers encountered the Blackwatch commander, there would be only one outcome.
After all, that guy... is a monster who can escape unscathed even when facing the sea of fire he creates at close range.
Thinking of this, the priest immediately made a decision. He ignored Yuuki Asuna in the distance and turned around to rush towards the fire escape. Yuuki Asuna had already anticipated his reaction, since everything was going according to plan until this point.
"It's now!"
Upon hearing Asuna Yuuki's words, and relying on Megumi Kato's special ability to reduce her presence, the fox-demon masked woman who had been hiding in an inconspicuous corner of the hall immediately raised her right hand, pointing her index and middle fingers, and whispered as if exorcising a demon.
"Boundary, open!"
43
Chapter 43 You should aim for the head.
"Enchantment?"
The priest saw a pale blue light enveloping the entrance to the fire escape and immediately realized it was a barrier-like ability. He used all his strength to slam his flaming greatsword into the pale blue light barrier.
"boom!"
The flaming greatsword struck the protective shield, but the pale blue light forming the barrier only trembled slightly, showing no signs of damage.
"Where is the one who maintains the barrier...?"
The priest immediately realized the crux of the matter, and because he had just sensed the power fluctuations when the fox-masked woman cast her barrier, he immediately began searching. With his mental strength, he could actually detect the two of them by simply scanning the area carefully, even if Kato Megumi used her ability to reduce the fox-masked woman's presence again.
However, Asuna Yuuki will not give him that opportunity.
Sensing the danger emanating from beside him, the priest immediately dodged to the side, the crystal-like blade grazing his cheek.
"you……"
The priest realized that Yuuki Asuna wouldn't let him find the barrier master easily, so he immediately gripped his flaming greatsword and assumed a fighting stance. But to his surprise, after missing his first attack, Yuuki Asuna immediately retreated more than ten meters away, seemingly having no intention of attacking, and simply stood there quietly.
"you……"
Only then did the priest realize his mistake.
The red swordsman doesn't need to fight him at all; he just needs to stall for time while the Black Watch Commander... kills his three followers.
Asuna Yuuki doesn't need to keep attacking all the time; she only needs to launch an attack occasionally to distract the priest from searching for Megumi Kato and the woman in the fox demon mask. That will be enough.
There is only one way to break this deadlock: kill Asuna Yuuki.
But Yuuki Asuna, whose speed and reflexes are even superior to Asagiri's, is not so easy to kill unless it is a fight to the death.
……
Meanwhile, in the hotel's third-floor buffet restaurant.
Asagiri, who had switched places with Yuuki Asuna, glanced around and saw that the restaurant, which should have been filled with nearly a hundred players, was now covered with charred marks, and there were fewer than forty players still standing.
The three believers, their bodies wreathed in flames, were still attacking. Each burst of flames from their bodies claimed the life of at least one player.
In ancient times, those who did not collapse even after suffering more than one-tenth casualties were considered the elite of the elite. However, the players' casualties had already exceeded half. Although those who died were players who played the role of "cannon fodder," if it weren't for the white-suited man and his two teammates, the players would probably have collapsed and fled long ago in the face of such heavy casualties.
"Is it finally here..."
Upon seeing the appearance of the morning mist, the players, who had been in despair, and the white-suited man who was leading them in their efforts to resist, all had a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
Faced with everyone's expectations, Asagiri did not hesitate at all. Looking at the mess in front of her, she directly activated her skill "Blood Burst".
“Boom…boom…boom…boom…”
The roar, like an engine, seemed to announce the arrival of the morning mist.
Asagiri uses "Blood Burst" to enhance her physical abilities because, at this moment, summoning another persona mask is more effective than summoning a human Shura.
“Persona…”
As Asagiri read this, the three fanatics simultaneously turned around and launched a reckless attack on his location.
Clearly, due to their shared consciousness and the memories of the previous fanatics, they all knew that the Black Watch Commander in the long black trench coat was the one they needed to focus on dealing with.
Asagiri's spellcasting animation was interrupted, and she quickly retreated a distance. The three fanatics thought that their attack had worked, and Jing did not give Asagiri any chance to catch her breath, immediately chasing after her.
However, when they retreated to the entrance of the self-service restaurant and were dozens of meters away from the other players, Asagiri suddenly stopped, and the real-life Mita appeared beside him instantly.
"What!?"
The three fanatics who had thought that Asagiri would be unable to summon without reciting the summoning incantation were all taken aback when they saw this. They had no idea that Asagiri could complete an instant summoning without reciting the Persona's name, by consuming an additional portion of mental energy.
The moment the original Mita appeared, the puppet's eerie face opened its mouth and emitted a noisy sound like electrical noise.
"Ah... what is this...?"
Faced with the mental attack that depleted Mita's sanity, the three fanatics, who already needed to expend some of their mental energy to consciously control their power, immediately fell into a state of mental turmoil. Although they didn't lose control of their power, however...
"First."
When Asagiri uttered those words, the fanatic who had been approached by him had no time to react. In a split second, he made a decision, his face filled with fervor, and he immediately released the restrictions on his own power.
As the rope dart pierced his neck, his body transformed into a fireball and exploded violently.
"boom!!"
The scorching heat caused even players dozens of meters away to feel a burning pain on their faces, including the man in the white suit. However, his gaze remained fixed on the scene, filled with disbelief as he murmured to himself.
"No way... Could it be..."
Two figures slowly emerged from the firelight. Since the two fanatics were able to manipulate flames, although it was not their own power, they were clearly highly resistant to fire.
The two glanced at the players standing there and spoke in a calm tone.
"Well, go on..."
"Where are you going?"
Upon hearing the voice behind them, the two fanatics' expressions changed, and they immediately turned around. They saw a figure standing amidst the sea of fire.
Asagiri's hunter trench coat was badly damaged, and burn marks from the high temperature were visible on his body. But even with such injuries, his eyes remained unchanged, and his tone was as calm as ever.
"You will die here, by my hand."
Upon seeing this, the man in the white suit and his fellow fighter exchanged a glance, and then both made up their minds.
"Advance!"
The player specializing in combat once again activated Pre-Borrow, an exclusive talent he obtained after clearing the newbie dungeon. Pre-Borrow greatly enhances various physical attributes, but its drawback is that it causes irreversible lifespan loss. This is a negative consequence of using an exclusive talent, and it will not be restored even after clearing the dungeon, just like how Asagiri's cooldown time will not be restored even after clearing the dungeon if she uses "Reverse" or "Sacrifice".
But we can't worry about that now.
You must cooperate with Asagiri to kill those two enemies, otherwise there is no possibility of clearing the game.
The other players present did not make any move. On the one hand, they had already done their best to resist the attacks of the three fanatics and barely survived. On the other hand, they could not see the movements of Asagiri, the man in the white suit, and the fighter, and had no way to predict the development of the battle. Even if they used ranged attacks to help, it would only be disruptive.
"Touch of the Dead..."
Kotoko Iwanaga, leading the support combat team, tried to use her skills, but because the ground was covered in flames, her pale arm was turned to ashes before it could even fully emerge, let alone restrain the two believers. Without hesitation, she immediately switched to another skill.
"IBM".
Meanwhile, the support team, composed of priest and buff-type players, also unanimously cast buff spells on Asagiri.
Healing magic!
"Healing!"
"Light Enhancement!"
"Swift Protection!"
With the skill effects these players possessed, it was only a drop in the ocean for Asagiri, who had already used Blood Burst. Moreover, the healing skills cast from a distance were not very effective. Although they healed Asagiri's injuries to some extent, his condition was still not very good.
"enough."
Although the extent of his injury recovery was not obvious, Asagiri spoke in a reassuring tone that made people want to believe him.
"Battle begins."
Asagiri chose a fanatic, while the man who had transformed his white suit into bone armor and his fighter teammates charged at another fanatic, using the same tactic of fighting separately.
Facing the fanatic's fire serpents, Asagiri neither dodged nor evaded, but instead summoned the original Mita, which had just been destroyed in the flames, to continue emitting mind-disrupting howls from a distance.
The prototype Mita's ability is indiscriminate, affecting both friend and foe. Apart from Asagiri, who is immune to negative mental influences, the white-suited man and the fighter will also be affected. However, it is certain that the two believers who need to deliberately suppress their power will be more affected, so it is necessary to use it.
Seeing Asagiri charging towards him despite his fiery attack, the fanatic hesitated for a moment. Then, he immediately raised his left arm, condensed a ball of intense heat, and used it as a gauntlet to swing it toward Asagiri's abdomen.
"boom."
As the fireball struck Asagiri's abdomen, Asagiri's cursed rope dart pierced the opponent's brow, and her left hand pierced the opponent's chest, squeezing the fanatic's still-beating heart.
Seeing the other person's incredulous expression, Asagiri crushed the other person's heart and slowly spoke as the other person fell down.
"You should aim for the head."
44
Chapter 44: Battle, awesome!
Until the moment of his death, the fanatic's face was filled with disbelief. He never expected that Asagiri would take his life so decisively by sacrificing himself for his life.
Perhaps it's just as the other party said...
Instead of aiming for the abdomen, which is more likely to be hit, you should aim for the more vital head.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the man in the white suit and the fighter were also doing their best to delay the fanatic's movements, but it was clear that they were at a disadvantage.
After using "Pre-borrowing," the fighter's physical attributes did indeed improve to a level close to that of Asagiri under the blessing of a human Shura, reaching a terrifying level comparable to a humanoid monster. However, he was not Asagiri; he had no resistance to fire.
The blue weapon armor he wore on his right arm had developed fine cracks due to the intense heat of the flames, and his body was also covered in burns. He had to endure excruciating pain with each attack, but even though he managed to penetrate the surface of the flames with all his might, he still couldn't inflict a fatal wound on the fanatic.
When the man in the white suit realized that he and his fighter teammates could not quickly kill the fanatic, he changed his fighting strategy. Instead of rushing to kill the fanatic, he tried to restrict the opponent's movements and give Asagiri enough time.
Now, the opportunity has come.
Seeing the fanatic sway slightly and a look of confusion and pain appear on his face, the man in the white suit and the fighter, though not observing the situation on Asagiri's side, already knew that Asagiri had killed another fanatic. Under the pain of death, the enemy they faced had wavered in his spirit.
"Willow Dance!"
More than a dozen white bone spurs pierced through the man's body, making him look like a sharp hedgehog. The intense pain from the bone spurs piercing his skin caused his face to become somewhat distorted, but his eyes remained unusually firm.
His fighter teammate understood his meaning, gritted his teeth, and, seeing the fire snake shooting out of the fanatic's hand, directly used his body to block it.
"Hmph, you're asking for death..."
Just as the fanatic was showing contempt, thinking that the fighter was courting death by daring to withstand his flames, he saw a white bone spike suddenly pierce through his body at a speed that was impossible for him to react to.
After the bone spurs pierced through the flames and tore through his flesh, fine barbs immediately grew on their surface, hooking the fanatic's body from the inside and making it impossible for him to break free. Kotoko Iwanaga, who was far away, also realized that this was a perfect opportunity and immediately had her two IBMs hold the fanatic's body tightly.