After the battle in Shibuya, Yukariko Shiki had a request.
“I know I’m being selfish, but just this once, let me fight, too. I want to avenge my mom and grandparents with my own hands.”
She had lost three people to Diasnexus, and her only surviving relative, her dad, wouldn’t even get a goodbye as she departed this Earth.
Shiki placed a hand over her heart as she continued, “I’ve been thinking. Should I go back to the other world carrying this hatred? Isn’t there something small I can do toward exterminating the Ghost King? I’m lucky—I have Reconnaissance. I can react to Diasnexus’s surprise attacks faster than anyone. That’s my unique advantage.”
In other words, she wanted to be used as bait… to give her all in the fight.
“Or Kazu-kun, do you think going after revenge is pointless?”
“Are you really saying that to me…? And can you stop trying to one-up me?”
“I’m sorry. But I thought you of all people would understand.”
My quest for revenge was personal. Hers was triggered by the death of her family. If asked what the difference was… I couldn’t deny it now.
“Understood, but…” I glanced at Mr. Wan, who had been listening intently, eyes narrowed. He raised an eyebrow. “Could you protect Shiki?”
“What can an old man without any power possibly do?”
“What if you had power?”
At first, Shiki had been opposed to putting Wan in danger, a sentiment I shared, but ultimately, we both agreed that this was the most effective strategy.
And so, we’d arrived at this moment.
The cunning Ghost King, having his most powerful and formidable magic thrown back in his face by Deflection, was forced to endure the brunt of his own attack.
✦ ✦ ✦
The aftermath of the clash caused buildings to collapse. As the black wave of destruction was absorbed into the blue sky, the Ghost King’s scream echoed far and wide. Dust rose, obscuring our view. Considering that the last hit from that black wave had devastated half the city, we felt sure this would spell defeat for him.
And yet, when Divine Winged Apostle Penusa dove into the dust cloud, the way she stopped short, her body stiffening, could only mean one thing: the Ghost King was still alive.
“Penusa!” I called, activating Familiar Awakening. When it came to destroying the undead, she was the strongest. I poured all my MP into her.
Glancing back, I saw Arisu and Kayla effectively cornering the skeletons. Tamaki, as planned, was flying back to us.
“Tamaki, help Penusa,” I told her. “You know what to do.”
“Leave it to me!” With Arisu’s Holy Weapon-enchanted sword in hand, Tamaki leaped into the dust cloud.
“Oh, this is…” Mr. Wan began, admiration in his voice as he peered into the dust cloud.
Wait, can he actually see the battle unfolding inside there? Impressive, to say the least…
“It seems the angel and Tamaki are focusing on not letting the enemy escape, fighting with emphasis on restraint,” he narrated to us.
“Got it. Rushia? Get ready to unleash your most powerful attack magic.”
“Will do.”
A gust of wind arose, clearing the dust. This must have been the aftermath of Penusa’s magic. Suddenly, the battlefield was visible.
Penusa, glowing red all over thanks to Familiar Awakening, was producing countless chains of white light, attempting to restrain the ghostly limbs of Diasnexus.
The chains writhed like snakes, binding the Ghost King one after another. Despite his desperate attempts to escape through continuous magic casting, the chains proved unbreakable, and Penusa repelled attack after attack with a translucent shield.
“Here I go!”
Tamaki charged in, slicing through the misty body with a glowing sword. Once again, the Ghost King’s screams filled the air.
“Move aside! I am to become the power of the Demon Lord! Not die here!”
As a member of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Ghost King’s frantic struggles were a pitiful sight. His skeletal jaw rattled, and the red light within his skull flickered as if even it was screaming.
Was his immense power waning? And yet, he continued to struggle. Was this a testament to his deep loyalty to the Demon Lord? This was precisely why he needed to be vanquished here…
“Don’t underestimate me!”
The moment Penusa’s restraint loosened, Diasnexus dove into the wall of a nearby building.
“Tamaki!”
“Leave it to me! Maximum Ultra Gorgeous Deluxe!”
Her finishing move sure had a pretty random name, but Tamaki unleashed the Dragon Slayer Slash. Her target: the building into which the Ghost King had melted.
A golden glow accompanied Tamaki’s strike as she literally shattered the building, inflicting massive damage on everything inside.
“Foolish, foolish!”
The misty ghost emerged in agony, spinning in the air as if blown away by the wind, scattering his form. Yet, the Ghost King, driven by sheer obstinacy, was still trying to get away…
“Rushia. Now!”
“Cold Inferno.”
A black flame wrapped in cold air spiraled out from Rushia’s palm.
This was our first use of fire-water synthesis magic in actual combat. Moreover, its power had been amplified tenfold. Black flames collided with Diasnexus, who was already on his last breath. His spectral body stiffened as if frozen, then began to burn, starting with its extremities.
“Foolish… How could I… be destroyed…?”
Diasnexus glared at us, the red light that served as his eyes narrowing sharply.
“So, it is true. You are humans. Beings that experience and grow.”
Yes, that’s right. We don’t just gain experience through battle. We devise countermeasures for tactics we’ve faced before and always strive to outwit our opponents.
King of Ghosts, you might have been a strategist… but surely that was the result of efforts made during your lifetime. After death, you’re like a computer that doesn’t update anymore. Maybe your obsession with the Demon Lord is also due to a spirit that’s become rigid without updates.
“Demon Lord… my lord…”
With a final deathly cry, Diasnexus vanished. A white gemstone rolled onto the ground. This was truly the moment the Ghost King had exhausted his strength. Judging by the sounds of battle behind us, the fight on the other side had ended almost simultaneously.
And then… we found ourselves in the White Room.