Chapter 172
Seeing Erna sent flying, my mind went blank for an instant.
I turned my gaze toward the Spirit Turtle.
"What have you done to my childhood friend...!!"
I muttered under my breath, storing magical power in both hands as I began preparing a great spell.
But Orihime stopped me.
"What are you doing!? Teleport them out of here, quickly!!"
Hearing Orihime's voice, I turned toward the place where the children had been.
There, the children were crying inside a barrier Orihime had probably thrown up instinctively.
Seeing them brought some of my composure back at last.
They were the children Erna had protected at the risk of her life. Since Erna had shielded them, Orihime's barrier must have gone up in time.
I couldn't let that effort go to waste.
"Tch!"
I teleported to the children's side and saw that they were a boy and a girl.
The strong-willed-looking girl was sobbing at the sight of the carnage, while the boy was doing his best to comfort her.
"The soldier-san... said we'd be safe if we went this way...!!"
"D-don't cry... It's all right..."
For some reason, the scene overlapped with memories of Erna and me long ago.
I was usually the one who ended up in tears, but whenever Erna cried, I tried my best not to.
I felt I had to do something to help.
"It's all right now."
I gently placed a hand on each of their heads and opened a teleportation gate—the gate to the city where I had sent Leonart and the others.
"Once you get through here, keep shouting 'Prince Leonart.' He'll definitely come help you."
The girl just kept crying, unable to answer.
So I looked at the boy.
"You can do it, can't you? You're the one who has to protect her."
"...Yeah!"
With that, the boy took the girl's hand and entered the teleportation gate.
That was one less thing to worry about.
After watching them go, I teleported to Erna's side again.
"Erna...!"
I called her name and ran over.
Erna lay there limp and unconscious.
The fact that she still hadn't let go of the Holy Sword was impressive. She didn't seem to have any major injuries, but as long as she was unconscious, she could no longer fight.
I tried to get her to safety somehow, but at that moment, gravity crushed me.
"Tch!"
Clicking my tongue, I erected a barrier around Erna.
Had it recognized Erna's fall as an opening? Of course it had.
It would never get another opportunity like this.
I erected a barrier around myself as well, easing gravity's effects, and turned toward the Spirit Turtle.
The Spirit Turtle had turned toward us and opened its mouth.
"Is it planning to finish us off with a full-power breath...?"
As expected of a monster on the level of SS rank.
It seemed to know exactly when to attack.
But there were things it didn't understand precisely because it was a monster.
"Fine... I'll take you on...!!"
Humans sometimes act irrationally.
A head-on exchange here would put me at a disadvantage.
Running away was the smart choice. I knew that.
But.
"You'll pay for this in full, Spirit Turtle! I always pay back twice what I get!!"
Erna was my precious childhood friend.
When we were children.
She had always protected me when I couldn't use ancient magic. I had been saved by Erna countless times.
I wouldn't be who I am today without Erna.
Erna was special to me.
It had hurt her—while she was protecting children, no less.
It may be strange to call a monster's actions underhanded. But it attacked and wounded Erna when she wasn't at full strength. I would never forgive it.
She hadn't been in perfect condition. Even so, her pride must have been deeply wounded.
Erna was always strong and full of confidence.
I would never forgive anyone who marred that.
≪I am one who knows the laws of silver; I am the one chosen by true silver≫
Murmuring the incantation shared by Silver Annihilation Magic, I spread my hands and released my magical power.
I would annihilate it along with its breath.
≪Silver Lightning appears from the heavens, races across the earth, and burns all to ash≫
Realizing that I intended to meet its attack head-on, the Spirit Turtle began charging its breath as well.
Its eyes seemed to say that a mere human shouldn't get carried away, but I wanted to tell it that a mere turtle shouldn't get carried away either.
≪The heat of that Silver Lightning is a symbol of divine power; the sound of that Silver Lightning is the resonance of divine words≫
Huge magic circles appeared over my hands, and silver lightning began crackling.
Meanwhile, the Spirit Turtle's breath began emitting blacker, more powerful waves than ever before.
It was about to unleash a breath unlike any it had used before.
It must have judged Erna and me to be that dangerous.
Fine.
≪Destructive Lightning of the Light Heavens, Blade Lightning of the Dark Heavens, Silver Lightning, thunder and roar through my hands, to reveal the will of the Silver Heavens—≫
The magic circles grew even larger, and the silver lightning fully revealed itself.
I brought the lightning in both hands together and shouted the final name of the spell.
≪Silvery Lightning≫
A massive bolt of silver lightning shot toward the Spirit Turtle. At the same time, a breath in the form of a black sphere was released from the Spirit Turtle's mouth.
The two attacks collided halfway between me and the Spirit Turtle, emitting black and silver light as they clashed with enough energy to deform the surrounding terrain.
"Guh...!!"
But I had a slight disadvantage.
Silver Annihilation Magic couldn't reach its full power unless I spent enough time storing magical energy.
This Silvery Lightning was only about eighty percent charged. Its lack of power was undeniable.
Even so, I poured every bit of magical power I had into holding back the Spirit Turtle's breath.
Perhaps it found that troublesome, the Spirit Turtle intensified the gravity weighing on Erna and me.
As the gravity grew stronger, I dispelled the barrier around myself and concentrated on strengthening Erna's.
My entire body suddenly grew heavy, and I dropped to one knee despite myself.
Even so, I made sure not to lose consciousness. If I lost consciousness here, Erna would be swallowed by the breath.
Besides, Silver's undefeated legend would come to an end.
If the Empire's two greatest military forces disappeared at once, hell would await us.
The Empire's future rested on my shoulders.
I thought about that for an instant, then let out a quiet laugh.
"How ridiculous... Who cares about the Empire's future..."
It wasn't my style to begin with.
That's why I became a free adventurer.
I only ever put my life on the line for what mattered to me.
The Empire mattered to me. But it wasn't my top priority.
I pushed myself back up from one knee.
Remembering my true nature, I regained my resolve.
"Come at me as many times as you want... I've decided I won't let anyone lay a hand on those around me!"
The Silver Lightning, which had been forced back, suddenly began pushing the black breath away.
Then it pierced the black breath and reached the Spirit Turtle.
But the Silver Lightning had been weakened by the black breath, so it couldn't possibly damage the Spirit Turtle.
The Spirit Turtle looked at us as though nothing had happened.
But that was its mistake.
It had focused too much on us.
"You failed to notice me even after I got this close. Silver must have seemed like quite a threat, eh?"
On the Spirit Turtle's shell, Egor stood with his weapon at the ready.
He sheathed it and took an iaijutsu stance.
And then.
"Why do you think I have continued to be called the Sword Saint?"
After asking that, Egor drew his sword with blinding speed and slashed once across the shell.
"Because there is nothing I cannot cut."
"Gyaaaaaaah!!!!"
A sharp, massive wound tore across the Spirit Turtle's shell, and blood spurted from it.
Egor withdrew from the thrashing Spirit Turtle, but a crack had finally appeared in its impregnable defense.
Just one more push.
Amid all this, I heard a voice from behind me.
"...Al...?"