Wataru, however, was not going to go down without a fight! He crouched low to the ground, watched his approaching enemy closely, and prepared himself to launch a counterattack!
If I can hit her with my counterattack, the best place to land it would be on her neck, where the spinal cord is... If I can knock her out with one hit, Résistance might just get her body back!!
“Haaaaaaa!!” Roaring at Phantasm as the blade stabbed through the air, straight for his neck, Wataru took a small step left, dodging her thrust with millimeters to spare! Then, without missing a beat, he swiped his flattened hand through, aiming right at her neck!
“You’re goin’ down!!!”
BOOOOM!!!
Wataru’s hand-chop was a direct hit to her neck! —Or so he thought!!
“!?”
An instant before his hand touched her, she had begun to spin herself clockwise! With that momentum, she was able to avoid his attack and managed to deliver a shallow cut to Wataru’s chest!
“Whaaaaaaaaat!!”
Wataru’s pecs were stronger and harder than steel, so of course the slash resulted in a mere flesh wound! It was just a little scratch! What was more shocking to him was the force of the cut! Although it barely broke his skin, our two-meter-tall Wataru was instantly sent flying backwards by sheer power of Phantasm’s slash!
I might be in deep trouble right now...!
His school uniform was sliced and stained with the blood now dripping from his chest! But even so, Wataru was calm and focused as he nailed the landing!
“You’re a hard one to kill, Human...” Phantasm said, and raised her sword once more!
What... What do I do!?!?
Out of the frying pan and into the fire! Wataru was cornered!!
It was then, at that very moment when Phantasm was about to launch her attack—that it happened!!
“—!?”
Suddenly, her eyes widened, and for some reason she dropped the sword! The weapon fell to the ground with a muted ting-tang-clang, a most lifeless sound for such a fierce blade!
“Wha-What’s going on? In the name of...”
Aria furrowed her brow in suspicion at this unexpected turn of events!
Phantasm clapped her hands against the sides of her head, crying out in pain! “Ow... My head... feels like it’s about to burst...!”
“—!?”
Wataru was dumbfounded! Overwhelmingly dumbfounded! The enemy, right before his eyes, had begun crying out in pain!! “Wh-What the hell is going on!!”
Then, from Phantasm’s own mouth, came the most shocking words: “W-Wataru......! Save... me......!”
“Huh!? I-Is that you, Résistance!?”
What an unbelievable thing to occur! Résistance, whose body had been possessed by the orb, was fighting back, rebelling against Phantasm’s control!
“Don’t get in my way...!”
“No...! I don’t want... to fight Wataru anymore......!”
“Mortal soul, begone! This body is no longer yours...!”
“No! I won’t go!”
“My duty is to protect the orb! This man must die!”
“Then, my duty is... to stop you!”
Résistance and Phantasm were desperately dueling for control, the two souls warring with one another in a single body!
Wataru stood there, dumbstruck! “Just what am I supposed to do in a situation like this...!” he said to himself as he watched Résistance cradling her head in her hands! This would be the perfect moment to attack... but instead, Wataru dropped his fighting stance, took a deep breath, and bellowed!!
“You can do it, Résistance! I know you’re stronger than some orb’s ghost!!!”
“!!”
Wataru’s powerful voice rang out in every corner of the forest! The sincerity of his passionate encouragement, of course, also reverberated within her heart!
“You’re right...! My name is Résistance...! My name means......‘to resist’...! I’m not going to give in to the likes of you!”
“Wha-What are you doing!? Foolish Human, you attempt to take back this body!? Wait—from where does this power—ngh!”
Phantasm...... or rather, Résistance’s body began to shudder all over! It was Résistance “resisting” Phantasm’s control of her body, trying to take it back!
As they watched this inner struggle, both Wataru and Aria cheered her on as best they could!!
“Push through it, Résistance! I know you can do it!”
“He’s right, Résistance! You’re our friend! Please, come back to us!!”
“Wataru...... Aria......!”
A thin line of tears quietly slid down Résistance’s cheek!
“You can trust me......! You two......! I’m—I’m not going to lose a fight like this...!!”
A human that had been possessed by an otherworldly spirit was reminded of just how strong the bonds of friendship were, and fought back against the being that sought to control her! How convenient that such an utterly clichéd plot device should appear at a time like this!
And so it was...... With the power of friendship...!!!
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
Résistance roared! Forcing all her strength into her voice, she lifted her head and raged against her captor! As she did, her entire body was bathed in pale blue lightning! The bolts flashed out to knock down the surrounding trees, and all the nearby birds flew up into the sky in a great crying cloud at the sudden thunder! Her eyes, which had been dark as night, were, slowly but surely, regaining their original blue hue!
Yes, this is the awesome power every human has within them! Wataru and Aria both watched her struggle with bated breath!
“I’m not going to lose...... Not here, not nowwwwwwwwwwwww!!”
Résistance yelled for a good, long minute! The instant she stopped—the lightning bolts crackled and disappeared! Her pupils were entirely blue again!
“Haa...... Haa......” Out of breath, she collapsed to her knees!
Wataru and Aria panicked and ran over to her! “Hey, Résistance, are you okay!?”
“Y-Yeah... I’m fine. Thanks, you two...!!” Résistance beamed at both of them, happy as can be! There was no doubt, this smile was definitely Résistance’s!!
“Résistance, that was amazing! You beat Phantasm, all by yourself!”
“Well... I did hear you and Aria cheering me on, so...”
Yes, Dear Reader! The passionate, sincere voices of her two friends had encouraged Résistance enough that she was able to shake off the cursed power of Phantasm!
It was then that the black orb, still buried in the pile of glass shards, began to glow once more!
A man’s low, deep voice resounded through the clearing: “You have passed the test...” —and then the eerie light of the orb disappeared!
This meant... the three adventurers had finally overcome every obstacle and obtained the final orb!!
“It’s done...! We did it!!” Wataru pumped both of his fists into the sky and shouted with joy!
“Yeah!” Résistance nodded, looking as happy as he did!
Aria opened up her rucksack and put the five orbs she was still holding inside, then grabbed the final one from the pile of rubble left from the shrine and put that one inside as well! “Nice! We’ve got them all!” She clapped her hands together excitedly, looking down at her bag, bulging with balls!
Then, that very next instant! As if her battery had suddenly run out of energy, Résistance closed her eyes and fell forward onto the ground!
“A-A-A-Are you okay!? Résistance!” Panicking, Aria laid one hand on her neck to check her pulse!
“...Well?”
“It’s all right—she only fainted.”
“Really? Whew, I’m glad to hear that...!!” Wataru patted his chest as he let out a big sigh!
With this, they had finally collected all six orbs! But things weren’t going to be “happily ever after” just quite yet! After all, the real fight is just about to begin!!
To be continued in the next chapter: “The Rampage of the Dragon! Fear His Terrible Power!”
*Sources:
[6] The True Story of the Legendary Doutarou — Isekai Tensei Publishing
[7] Secrets of Kyushu: A History of Saga Karate — Isekai Tensei Publishing