As the name implied, Tremor Transmission was probably the ability to convey vibrations. Strong enough vibrations could shake the earth and even collapse mountains. It was as simple as a pile of wooden blocks falling when the table they were on was shaken. Vibrations had the power to disrupt and destroy the connections holding things together, and his ability could probably apply that to other objects. That was how he had reduced my bone sword to dust. At least, that was the hypothesis I was going with for now.
“All right.” I created a dagger with Bone Sword Generation and held it with a backhand grip.
“What are you playing at?”
“You got real talkative all of a sudden.” A weapon’s length and range had a big impact on its effectiveness. When faced head-on, a dagger wielder wouldn’t even be able to get close to a longsword wielder. My actions must have seemed incomprehensible to the grave keeper.
Realizing that my stance was meant to deflect his sword, he unleashed a concise slash that didn’t reveal any openings. I waited until his sword was almost on top of me, then pointed the tip of my dagger at the ground. I deflected his attack not with my dagger but with the back of my hand. The grave keeper immediately pulled back, but he was too slow.
This time, a flash from my dagger lopped off all the fingers on his right hand except for his thumb. If the contact was brief enough, it seemed like Physical Protection could defend against his Tremor Transmission. I thought back to when my sword had crumbled a moment ago. His first contact with my sword had only been for a moment, so I’d just lost part of the blade. The second time around I had tried to thrust it into his abdomen, so it had touched him for a longer period of time and completely crumbled to dust. That was why I thought the length of the contact had to be important.
I had actually wanted to test if the strength of the vibrations needed to destroy skin, flesh, and bone differed, but if it could be blocked by divine protections, then that was fine too. I figured he wasn’t constantly enveloping himself and his sword in the vibrations, so I had deliberately allowed him to read my movements so he would focus his Tremor Transmission in his sword. My prediction turned out to be correct, and I’d been able to sever his fingers with ease.
“You adapt quickly,” the grave keeper said, growing ivy to replace his missing fingers. He was pretty adaptable in his own way.
“I’ve got to if I wanna kill you quickly.”
“Enough nonsense.” Vines emerged from the earth like tree trunks—it was the work of Golden Garden.
“I didn’t wanna talk to you anyway.” Making my dagger disappear, I touched my hand to the back of my neck. The pommel of a sword emerged from my skin, and when I grabbed it, a blade was formed by Bone Sword Generation. In my hands was a greatsword clad in purple fire—a Dragonflame Bone. I’m borrowing your strength, Hector.
I wasn’t sure whether he was trying to open a hole in my stomach or strangle me as a swarm of vines attacked me, but either way, it wasn’t happening. Purple flames roared with a swing of my greatsword, incinerating everything in my vicinity.
“Plants and fire are a bad match. Tough luck.” Plants burned. Even the powers of the Twelve Corpses couldn’t change that.
“I can’t compete in swordplay, my new ability has been seen through, and my original ability is completely ineffective.” The grave keeper gave a self-deprecating chuckle.
Is he...? No, there was no point in thinking about it. I burned away the grave keeper’s plants, then moved to cut off his head. If he had used his abilities on a large scale, the fight probably still would have been going on. However, despite not being in his right mind, he was loyal—he would never put Nemophila in harm’s way, and he wouldn’t even consider taking Nemophila’s fellow noblewoman, the princess, hostage.
It was a clash between two curions who’d had their flesh restored, using only small-scale abilities and sword skills. That meant victory was in sight. The battle would be settled in another second—
That moment, we both fell back, racing to our respective holy women.
“Albert?!”
“What are you—”
The princess and Nemophila were both confused. Had neither of them noticed yet?
Barely making it in time to protect the princess, I swung my Dragonflame Bone. Three of the six orange ribbons had been closing in on her. I managed to deflect them by a hair’s breadth. It was a Heavenly Sword. Even the princess’s divine protection might not have been enough to endure it.
“Wha...? Th-That’s Lady Lycoris’s. Why—” I heard the princess’s wavering voice behind me.
“Guess it was watching us and learned that Heavenly Swords can be used by other people.” Just like Serrulata had used Glenn’s Heavenly Sword, Radiance, the upper half of the One-Armed Giant had found Lycoris’s Vulpine Razor and waited until the grave keeper and I had let our guards down.
It was likely due to Tracking Field that it knew where we were. It didn’t just tell the giant if there were enemies present—it allowed the giant to constantly track their positions and movements. Essentially, it functioned as an extension of its senses, though there were some conditions to it.
“A-Albert.”
“It’s fine. I’ll finish off the giant real quick and—”
“Th-That’s not it.” Gently touching my back, the princess’s hand was shaking. I followed her gaze and saw the other holy woman the giant had targeted.
“What are you doing?” Nemophila mumbled in astonishment. She had fallen onto the ground, and before her was the grave keeper, his body pierced by three blades. Whether due to his injuries or simply the position his holy woman had been in, he hadn’t been able to block the attack in time. Instead, he had shielded her with his own body, pushing her out of the way and taking the attack himself.
Worst of all, his neck was halfway severed. The way things were going, it would be the giant who inherited his two abilities.