Chapter 8.44
Is there another besides us?
When confronted with such a question, she would say, "They are either my subjects or my challengers."
According to Rugato, other people are different and more diverse. Parents, siblings, relatives, friends, associates, lovers, enemies .......
She doesn't really understand it. Because neither does she have parents, nor does she have a blood relative. Neither does she have friends, nor does she have anyone whom she could call an enemy.
However, there was someone who gave birth to her. But as to whether or not she could call that person her parent, she does not know.
The person who was in front of her when she first woke up. The one who wished for her to be "that way".
But they will never meet again. Because she killed that person with her own hands.
"You are the masterpiece and the final goal of our clan. Reign over this land and fight for the sake of your kin."
That person said so on the first day they met after she woke up, and challenged her to a fight.
And she easily killed that person. Without even giving her time to develop emotions.
All that remained was the castle frozen by her magic and the blizzard that was raging. And only one of her subjects, who had served her as a retainer, remained.
What was left was her sitting on the throne, licking the blood of her former parent from her hands.
And that was the beginning of her long and tedious days.
In a castle closed off by a blizzard, she drank the blood her subjects brought to her, and occasionally faced down the challengers who appeared. Only that was repeated.
As to why she repeated such things, there was no meaning to it. She just didn't have anything else to do, nor any desire to do anything else.
Just days passed by with everything stagnant.
The only thing that she looked forward to in such a situation was the visits of challengers.
The visitors were always different, but each time they came, she felt indescribably elated.
Rugato said that it was a feeling of interest ...
It was a feeling that arose in her whenever a challenger appeared. Even though it would soon fade away, she would somehow come to look forward to the visit of the strangers.
So when she heard that Rugato had failed his task, she felt the same "interest" in that person.
Nozomu Bountis. The one who had defeated her only subject.
At the time, she had only the same interest she had in the other challengers, but the story brought to her by a raven who had come to her castle had aroused her interest.
"Dragon Slayer"
Hearing this name, how could one not be elated?
The only person who has ever hurt her 150 years ago.
At this moment, her "interest" in him grew into "curiosity".
And when she came to the city and actually met him, her interest was further intensified. Moreover, in addition to Nozomu Bountis, she saw many other people who piqued her "interest".
Is this a human being, or is this someone who truly defies the odds?
Many others (challengers), accelerated and amplified emotions.
Combined with the fact that she drank his blood, her greed, which she thought she did not have, was aroused, and her heart, which had been frozen and rotten, was reborn anew.
But it was not enough, it was still not enough.
She wanted to see more, to feel more, to want more.
(Let more passion, more seething heat, more feelings, be poured into me)
===================================
The encroaching battle column. A swarm of thin curtains covering the entire field of vision approached Nozomu, shattering the rubble of the shattered Francilt mansion.
A magic that was barely able to compete with his greatest annihilation technique, the [Light of Extinction]. Multiple of them were attacking in a row.
" ~..."
Faced with these huge, thin walls that were gradually closing in on him, Nozomu calmly exhaled and held his katana at the ready.
There was no impatience in his expression. His pupils narrowed, and he simply looked at the approaching [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon]s.
(In terms of output, my opponent has the upper hand. The magic deployment speed is also off the charts. But...)
The [Soul-Sealing Chains] that were wrapped around [Mumei] were released, and the five-colored elements erupted from the blade.
Like a geyser, the elements overflowed from the blade and raged wildly, but the ring of chains hovering in the air with them immediately pulled the gushed elements back into the blade.
[Mumei] blade, which was covered by the chain, was imbued with the power of destruction and glowed with five-colored light just like glittering scales.
Then, the Dragon Sword, which could eradicate all beings, was unleashed.
[One Billionth Severance]
The extremely thin blade, flying along the slash line, slashed and burst through Vitora's [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon].
The elements that turned into countless blades gouged the thin curtain woven with super-dense magic power.
The power of Dragon Slayer unilaterally annihilated even Vitora's magic power, which could be said to be out of the norm.
Furthermore, Nozomu turned the blade back and once again performed a [One Billionth Severance] on the next thin curtain.
"Phew!"
As he continuously launched [One Billionth Severance], he sliced through the [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon] one after another.
If the first piece was slashed down, the second one would be next, and if the second one was destroyed, the third one would be next.
Despite the fact that he continuously produced blades that could cut through Vitora's magic, there was no sign of exhaustion on Nozomu's part.
He is now in a state of complete control of the seemingly infinite Tiamat's elements. As long as his concentration persists, he is able to unleash his unceasingly superb techniques.
"Tch, I guess I can't slash them all down after all!"
However, despite being unharmed, his mouth was distorted as if he was enduring frustration.
At the edge of his field of vision, Nozomu could see the [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon], which he could not completely cut, crashing into the [City Isolation Barrier] surrounding the Francilt mansion.
The [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon] and the [City Isolation Barrier] that collided with each other dissipated and fizzled apart.
And each time one or two of the [City Isolation Barrier] shattered, the area within the range was reduced to ashes.
"Kuh~!"
[Thin Garment of the Ice Demon] is so powerful magic that it can only be completely canceled out by Nozomu's greatest annihilation technique, [One Billionth Severance].
However, Nozomu did not have enough time to do so.
"Come on, come on, if you don't hurry up, this city will be completely destroyed before you can defeat me ... Oya?"
Vitora's mouth contorted into a smile, but the sight that immediately caught her eye caused her to let out a stupefied cry.
As soon as the third [City Isolation Barrier] was shattered, the first one, which should have already been shattered, reappeared.
Vitora tilted her head with a dubious look on her face, but she looked at her feet and immediately nodded her head with a satisfied expression.
"I see, so the elements are drawn directly from the dragon's veins. If that is the case, it can be reconstructed again and again as long as the function to deploy the barrier is not destroyed. So it is assumed that it can be destroyed..."
More than its strength, the [City Isolation Barrier] constructed in Arcazam is characterized by its superior ability to be reconstructed.
With the physical walls used in conventional cities, once breached or destroyed, it is hopeless to restore them.
On the other hand, the [City Isolation Barrier] can be used to create a wall as many times as necessary, as long as the barrier's deployment function is not destroyed.
In addition, if the barrier can be used to break up the invading herd of demonic beasts, it is possible to eliminate the herd with certainty. It can be used in an extremely wide range of tactical and strategic applications.
"Then I won't hold back! I'll give you an extra serving!"
More magic power was drawn out. The amount of magic power, which can no longer be expressed in such simple terms as a turbulent stream, was raging within the [City Isolation Barrier].
The snow that froze and precipitated from the water created a localized blizzard along with the raging storm.
"Ha, ha ha... Oi, you're joking, right?"
"Just how much magic power does she have?..."
Mars, who was slashing the waves of the aftermath that were breaking through the barrier, twitched his cheeks. The same goes for Irisdina.
Even through [City Isolation Barrier], they could feel the intimidation. Not only Irisdina, but even Mars, who had become one step stronger, let out a choked cry as he felt as if he had been pushed into the deep sea.
The battle formations of the [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon] were produced once again.
Perhaps because Vitora's magic power had increased even more, the number of newly created [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon] was greater than before.
"This is my current full power. What would you do about this- ... Ugh~!"
But before Vitora could give her command to the [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon]s she had prepared, something pierced her gut.
It was a thrust by a thin, sharply sharpened five-colored blade.
The next moment, the elemental blade that had pierced Vitora's stomach exploded.
[Core Piercing]
The bursting blade of elements pierced more than ten [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon] and at the same time made a large hole in Vitora's abdomen. Along with the magic power that was gushing out, the deployed [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon] dissipated in all directions.
"I won't let you get carried away with this forever!..."
Nozomu, who had unleashed [Core Piercing]. kicked the ground and closed the distance at once through the hole of the [Thin Garment of the Ice Demon]s.
Then, he thrust his [Mumei] again into Vitora's belly, which was in the process of regenerating.
"Guh!?"
"Indeed, your magic is astounding. The power, the effective range, the speed of deployment. The word "out of the ordinary" doesn't even come close to describing it."
Vitora's magic is extraordinary in every aspect.
With a speed on par with Irisdina's instantaneous deployment, she continuously casts magic that is more powerful than Tima's.
"What the ...!"
The pain that ran through her body made her reflexively try to use magic, but the next moment, Nozomu's fist slammed into her side of her head.
"Gah!?"
The shock to the brain shook Vitora's consciousness, and the magic she was about to invoke dissipated.
"But even so, this is 'magic' we're talking about. There is no way to exempt it from its constituent elements."
There are several things needed to deploy and maintain magic.
First, there is magic power. Without it, magic cannot be activated in the first place. And there is one more thing that is absolutely essential. It is...
"A clear image and the intention of the caster are essential to the sustenance of magic. Especially for those origin magics that you use..."
"Ah!"
Nozomu stomped down on Vitora's foot as she tried to step backward, dazed.
"Guh!?"
"Hmph!"
An elbow strike slammed into Vitora's stomach, as she stood frozen and stiff due to the pain. The elbow strike, fired with the right arm that had let go of [Mumei], ruptured her liver. The body was bent over, and fresh blood leaked from her mouth.
"Gmph~..."
Magic is a practice that uses the power of the mind. Therefore, the image and intention of the caster are absolutely necessary components.
And that was the drawback of Vitora's magic.
Since there is no "formula" to maintain the magic, it is instantly canceled if her consciousness, the caster, is disturbed even a little.
"That's why, just by shaking your consciousness for a moment, your magic will be rendered powerless."
Vitora's emotions heighten due to the pain, and before her magic could react, Nozomu's fist hit Vitora on the jaw, sending her consciousness flying once again.
Concussion. A disturbance of consciousness caused by a shaking of the brain.
An ordinary blow would not be able to shake Vitora's head, which was always clad in a high density of magic power.
However, with the current Nozomu, who possessed the power of the Dragon of Destruction, it was possible.
"It seems to be more effective than slashing or obliterating them."
"Gu, aaah!"
Nozomu uses his superior physical techniques to keep Vitola's consciousness from functioning properly, and continued to strike her with one-sided blows.
She is so strong that she has no equal in the Empire. To begin with, it has been 150 years since she even felt pain in battle. For that long, no one has been able to inflict even a single wound on her.
In terms of military strength alone, she is an extremely rare case in the Empire.
Conversely, she had no experience in engaging in battle with an equal.
On the other hand, Nozomu had always been gaining experience in combat with higher-ranked opponents since the time when his ability was [Ability Suppression].
The difference in experience was clearly evident in the speed of their actions.
"I won't let you cast your magic. I won't even let your consciousness come back. I'm going to block all of your limbs, and I'm going to beat you unilaterally."
Nozomu used every means at his disposal to mess with Vitora's consciousness.
He smashed her eyes with his hand to deprive her of vision and induce her to become agitated. He dislocated her joints to restrict her movements. He crushed her lungs with blows to slow down her body's reaction time.
Of course, Vitora heals these injuries immediately with her own magic power and regenerative abilities. However, pain, loss of sensation, and clouding of consciousness were inevitable when injured.
Although being regenerated, Nozomu's physical techniques gradually overwhelm and destroy Vitora's body. Like poison, slowly, slowly.
She seemed to be swallowed up by the storm that was unleashed on her, and she seemed to be swallowed up helplessly.
But ...
"Just like this ... -wha!?"
A chill ran down his spine and he pulled back his fist, which was about to strike Vitora in the stomach, as if by reflex.
The next moment, multiple sharp feathers sprouted from Vitora's belly.
Slashing through the flesh and creaking the bones, the sharp wings appeared and ripped Nozomu's fist shallowly.
"These are bat wings!? Tch, a vampire's mutation!"
He swung his fist at Vitora's side of the head, trying to make her consciousness fly away.
However, the wing membrane growing from her shoulder caught Nozomu's blow.
She transforms her own body into that of a bat. This in itself is a very common ability among vampires. In fact, her subordinate Rugato also uses the same ability.
However, her transformation is different. She transforms only a part of her own body.
"Ku, ha~aaaa... That was painful, you know..."
Nozomu's onslaught came to a halt, and in a blink of an eye, Vitora's consciousness was restored.
Then, having recovered, she raised her right hand and enlarged it. She transformed it into a huge arm with multiple bat wings, and then she came charging at him with a cleave.
"Kuh!?"
Reflexively, he bent down to avoid Vitora's cleave, but the wings that sprouted from Vitora's body attacked him from above in an autonomous movement.
Their wing surfaces were sharp like steel swords and held a dull shine.
Sliding his body down to the very edge of the ground, he avoided the approaching group of wings and grabbed the [Mumei] that was still thrust into Vitora's chest.
"Phew!"
*Slash!* and from her stomach to her flanks, it was slashed at once.
"Goho~h! Haaa!"
Even as her internal organs spill from her ripped belly, Vitora transformed herself even further, with a look of excitement in her eyes that she could not hide.
Her left arm was also transformed into a huge arm with multiple bat wings, and from her back she sprouted two pairs of wings that were particularly large.
Then, countless wings attacked Nozomu from all directions at once.
"Tch~!"
In the face of countless wings that turned into blades and approached him, Nozomu reflexively retreated.
At this rate, the balance would tilt in favor toward the Vampire Princess in one fell swoop.
Not to let that happen, Nozomu unleashed his all-out [One Billionth Severance], slashing Vitola's wings into a thousand pieces and stepping in to close the distance again.
"Haaa!"
Although he slipped into the gap created by [One Billionth Severance], the swarm of wings he sliced apart quickly regenerated and again filled Nozomu's field of vision.
Faced with a swarm of wings like a mountain of swords, Nozomu drew out the power of Tiamat with all his might and poured it into the blade.
The five-colored blade shone brightly as it swept through the swarm of wings, but the pressure of the swarm of winged blades gradually increased.
Vitora's magic power has already affected the outside world, and now it freezes the air just by being released, even with physical pressure.
"Ugh!?"
"Good, still not enough, still not enough!"
It was truly limitless.
As such a feeling returned through [Mumei], it became stronger and stronger.
The blade, which was imbued with the power of the dragon, slashed through Vitora's super-dense magic as well as her deformed body, but Nozomu clenched his teeth at the resistance that was gradually increasing.
Even now, he slashed away Vitora's bloated right arm. However, the blood and magic power that gushed from the wound immediately connected the right arm that should have been cut off.
"The hell, how much magic power do you have!"
"Haha, I don't know! I've never drawn out my own magic power to this extent before. Not even a physical transformation! I never thought that trembling with all my might could be so exciting!"
Vitora swung her right arm down once more in a large swing.
"Until now, no one has ever made me serious, rarely even wounded me, everyone immediately kneels before me, and never appears again!"
The magic power that was launched along with the transformed gigantic arm blew up the ground and caused the ground to cave in significantly. The shockwave opened a gap between the two of them.
"How far can you go? How far will you go to arouse me? Come on, show me everything you've got!"
The left arm, transformed by the enormous amount of magic power poured into it, was thrust out toward the retreating Nozomu.
"You're in my way!"
Nozomu closed the gap again while smashing the huge arm that was thrust out into tiny pieces with [Core Piercing].
“Shi~i!”
"Haaaaa!"
A blade and winged arm were swung immediately.
The [One Billionth Severance] and arm blows collided, and the shockwave blasted away the crushed pieces of flesh and the surrounding debris.
The battle between the two, perfectly balanced, became more and more intense, scattering destruction all around.
Just like a rock rolling down a steep slope toward catastrophic acceleration.
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