Chapter 96

“Multi…what now?” Nick asked. “Fifs is similar to White Mask’s sword in that we can only see part of him from this dimension. He exists in multiple dimensions at once. That giant arm is from the original Fifs. The form that manifests in this dimension is nothing more than a reflection, like the moon on a lake’s surface,” the Sword of Bonds explained. “That’s his real body…? What are you on about? I thought he was just some normal old dude who’s obsessed with eating out!” Nick said. “I cannot speak for his hobbies, but judging by the incantation he just performed, the soul and consciousness of his main body must be asleep most of the time. The Fifs in this world does not have much idea of what his true form thinks and feels… At least, that is my guess. It might be more accurate to call him an underling that can act separately. The ‘old dude who’s obsessed with eating out,’ as you put it, is also Fifs.” As he listened, Nick couldn’t pull his eyes away from the giant arm above Fifs’s head. The overwhelming sense of power it conveyed didn’t just come from its size. The mana it projected didn’t surpass that of the Sword of Tasuki, but there was a certain grace to it. It carried the sword with such ease that the blade might as well have been an extension of its arm. The creature the hand belonged to had clearly trained tirelessly with the sword, which was proof it was no monster that relied on brute strength alone. It was clearly a human. “Secret Technique: Meteor Shower,” Fifs said. The giant arm moved with an agility that belied to its size. Nick felt like a fly observing a true master of combat; that was how quick, calm, and natural its swordplay was. The arm swung its sword violently, erasing the mana the burning knights had been gathering. “Whoa…!” Nick gasped. He had dreamed of S-rank adventurers ever since he was a kid. They were heroes who protected Labyrinth City in times of need. He admired them and had committed to the life of an adventurer out of the desire to help Argus reach that status. This man was everything he envisioned S-rank adventurers to be. “…Huh. You’re not bad for a fool like Argus who failed to Awaken. But you’re hardly strong enough to stop me,” the burning knight said, not seeming to care that Fifs had interrupted its attack. It even sounded amused. “Shut your mouth!” Fifs shouted. The giant arm nimbly slashed at the burning knight, but Fifs, who was controlling it, was sweating profusely, his face pale. He was losing mana fast, and he was clearly growing exhausted. “Ha-ha-ha! Is that all you’ve got? I expected more from an S-rank adventurer! You’re not even as strong as Argus!” The arm’s swordsmanship was the picture of grace as it relentlessly slashed at the supremely skilled burning knight. Yet even that wasn’t enough to turn the tide of the battle. The burning knight countered with magic spells as well as sword and bow, inflicting wound after wound to the arm. “Karan…you lack the strength to oppose me yourself. All you can do is rely on others. You haven’t grown at all,” the burning knight said, ignoring Fifs. Karan, however, looked unbothered by its taunting. She responded by silently pointing at the ceiling. There was nothing there. However, for some reason, Nick’s eyes were drawn in that direction. He was filled with an indescribable feeling—something close to a premonition, or just a sense of unease—which eventually began to take on physical form and power. “One of the essences of magic is communication. I’m surprised to hear a rational person like you deny that, Sword of Tasuki,” said a cool voice. The burning knight and its clones looked toward the speaker, almost as if they were being pulled in that direction like magnets. “Is that…Tiana…?” Nick asked. “Wait, no…” The voice came from a mage with flowing blond hair. Their short height made them look like a young noble making their debut in high society, and although their face resembled Tiana’s, it was more masculine. What stood out most was their inhuman blue-tinged dark skin and their fearsome presence. They were just standing there calmly, but everyone could tell they were stronger than the burning knight. “That body’s soul is apparently so powerful that it forcibly draws the attention of all around it,” Karan said. “Okay, but who is it? It’s not Tiana, right?” Nick’s question was soon answered by the burning knight, who faced the mysterious mage. “Is that you, Bellocchio? Why are you here? And what is that body?” Nick had heard that name before. “That’s my instructor… I’m impressed you two are still alive, Nick and Zem. You have no idea how worried I was…” Tiana walked up behind Nick. He and Zem stared at her with surprise. “…Tiana, did you cut your hair?” Zem asked. Tiana’s beloved blond hair was significantly shorter than the last time they’d seen her. It had been cut to her shoulders. “That’s a long story! I went through a lot after you abandoned me to fight in this labyrinth!” Tiana snapped. “…S-sorry about that,” Nick responded. “My apologies,” echoed Zem. “You two are hopeless… But the lecture will have to wait,” Tiana said, looking toward Bellocchio. She looked determined not to miss what was coming next. Bellocchio spoke to the Sword of Tasuki as his pupil watched from behind. “Do you really need an explanation? I have brought the thing you have been searching for so desperately… A soul bursting with potential. There is only one thing for you to do. Make me your official wielder.” “Don’t lie to me… There’s no way that cobbled-together body is stable!” the burning knight protested. Nick thought that was a good way to describe the body. It resembled the Survivors in their Union state; however it wasn’t just two or three, but over ten souls that had been packed inside it. The combination differed from the Sword of Tasuki, who subjected souls to his control, or the Sword of Bonds, who combined them equally; Bellocchio had control over the souls to an extent, but he didn’t seem to dominate them. “‘Cobbled-together’… I see. This Union did not combine souls and their bodies simultaneously. A vessel was prepared beforehand to bypass the need for a ritual tool like me that aligns their minds in perfect harmony… However, the body won’t last a day before it collapses,” explained Bond. The Sword of Tasuki saw the same thing and looked at Bellocchio with hostility. “It appears you realize this is a trap,” said Bellocchio. “I can see that you are trying to resist, but that resistance directly opposes your mission to collect people with superior souls. That is why you can’t take your eyes off me. You desire this radiant soul more than anything. Am I right, Sword of Tasuki?” “Grk… You bastard!” the burning knight cursed, flustered. Bellocchio must have been right on the mark. The burning knight’s flame-like mana faded to nothing, and its holy armor began to fall apart, revealing Callios’s face. “This body is a hastily constructed doll that uses corpses with strong vestiges of souls to mimic a godlike body and soul. However, it is, unfortunately, useless. Its vast number of skill slots and lack of a level cap give it endless possibilities, yet it only has about…seven hours left to live.” Bellocchio smiled alluringly and hugged Callios like a lover. “What are you…? Stop accessing me…!” Callios shouted. “Transfer your ownership. Release the shackles on all of the souls,” Bellocchio commanded, and the burning knight clones stopped moving. Karan once again held up the Sword of Resonance, and Diamond’s image began to sing a solemn tune. In stark contrast to her usual bright pop songs, this one was quiet and heartrending. Anyone who heard it thought it sounded like a requiem. Diamond and Karan were sending their hearts out to the dying souls and guiding them upward so they wouldn’t be trapped by the Sword of Tasuki’s spell again. The beautiful sight resembled fireworks, yet it was also terribly sad. “No! Stop! Don’t run away from me! What about our contracts?!” Callios yelled. “Those have been voided. We only gave them the right of refusal and showed them the way in case they chose to run. We didn’t forbid any of them from remaining with you if they wanted to, nor could we have,” Karan declared matter-of-factly. Callios glared at her with tremendous hatred, but Bellocchio spoke before he could do anything. “Dead Man’s Balloon.” As the souls rose toward the sky, Bellocchio pulled Callios tight and exploded.