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103. Cock-a-doodle

「That’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong, Angelina.」

「But Geli—」

「It’s all right. Leave the rest to me. I’ve heard Lord doesn’t have much time left anyway.」

I understood the situation.

This was the result of my own impatience to rescue Azula. The least I could do for Angelina was to ensure no one disrupted the reunion she’d waited so long for.

「Sorry to keep you waiting, Kirmiji. I don’t know what standards you lot go by, but as far as heads go, wouldn’t mine fetch a higher price than Angelina’s?」

There was no way the enemy would just stand around while we chatted. The knights were occupied fighting the walls of the tunnel, but the man leading them stood with a swirling force coiling in his hands.

I couldn’t let this man interfere with Angelina.

「Quite the long chat, Marge Siu! While you were spouting nonsense, I finished my preparations to bury all of you together! Behold! Twelve layers of Age of the gods’ magic—apart from Cocytus and the other spells you already knew, I have added another five newly acquired spells—and those are now trained on you!」

「…I don’t plan to claim to know you well. But Kirmiji, commander of the Red Dragon Knight Order, was the kind of man who struck from the shadows—carefully, boldly, expanding his control in secret. You’ve developed a taste for theatrics, haven’t you?」

「Hah! Is that all you’ve got to say?」

Kirmiji had always been a cunning man, and it showed in how he treated the dwarves.

He’d cast subtle suggestions on them to forbid rebellion. Some he controlled outright. Others he let live like humans, integrating them into his society. It was a slow, insidious method—stripping away their freedom and dignity, until they belonged to him. The next generation would learn to follow humans and no longer resist living like them.

It took time, but it was far more effective than subjugating twenty thousand dwarves by force. I had to admit Kirmiji’s methods were shrewd and effective.

「And now here you are, flinging flashy spells around. Quite the change of heart.」

「Just doing what needs to be done! Now this skill grants me overwhelming knowledge, overwhelming intellect, overwhelming power! And all of it is mine—mine alone! Skulking around in the shadows is your job now!」

Kirmiji’s spell formation glowed. If I moved now, I might still be able to interrupt it. But interjecting with powerful spells from the age of the gods could send its force careening anywhere.

Dispelling it completely would be ideal, but…

「Koe-san.」

「I’m sorry. I still can’t detect any skill lent to him.」

「So you can’t process a retrieval.」

「Correct, Master.」

Koe-san’s frustrated reply confirmed it. Since Kirmiji’s skill had affected [Skill Lender], even she wasn’t immune to its influence.

「It’s not your fault. He probably knew we couldn’t collect it—that’s why he spilled the beans.」

If I could just retrieve the skill, that would be the end of it. But this was like lending money without a written contract—and with no deadline.

Just like with the skills I once loaned to Altora and the rest of Divine Silver Sword.

For a skill lent with no expiring term, it couldn’t be retrieved unless the borrower chose to return it. If Kirmiji had no intent to return it, then only one path remained.

「I just have to keep going until he wants to give it back. Simple enough. [Scout’s Intuition」. [God’s Eye Drive]. Activate. I’ll track every detail of that formation.」

I precisely locked onto the flow of mana. It seemed the enemy formation was ready, too.

「Let it weave and bear fruit! Stack it, stack it, stack it, stack it! Activate—[Twelvefold Divine Arts—Dodecateus]! Come now, let’s see you survive it! Let’s see you escape! You think you’ll still be in one piece once it hits!?」

「In one piece?」

I gave up on that from the start. As the spell surged forth, I raised my right hand.

「[Vajra Barrier]. [Seraph’s Grace]. Activate.」

「…What?」

Not even the defensive skill [Vajra Barrier] could fully block something of this magnitude. If I deflected it poorly, the entire tunnel might collapse. There was only one option.

「Let it use all its power—to destroy my body.」

My shielded arm was stripped away layer by layer, and regenerated just as quickly. The force pressed forward, but not quickly. Through the wall of light, I caught a glimpse of Kirmiji biting his lip in bitter frustration—half fear.

「Marge Siu… Are you insane!? That spell should be unable to suppress the pain!」

「It hurts. Of course it hurts. But this is my responsibility.」

I was keeping myself conscious using Stun Resistance skills, which meant feeling every bit of the pain. But that was fine.

If I hadn’t let my skill be stolen, Angelina, Azula, and the dwarves wouldn’t have been hurt like this. If that was the case, then enduring the pain was the least I could do.

The eighth wave. Ninth. Tenth. Eleventh.

「…Twelfth. Is that the end?」

「Guh!」

The spell combined twelve powerful arts into one massive blast, then broke it into twelve waves. Likely, that was the upper limit of what Kirmiji could unleash at once. Having endured it all, I leveled my now half-destroyed arm forward.

「[Asura’s Six Arms」. Activate.」

「Block and repel! [Hekatoncheir]!」

A hideous giant-shaped barrier caught all six divine arms. It was hard. But that was all.

I didn’t stop hitting it. Blow after blow, Kirmiji was slowly pushed back.

「You—you’ve already lost! Why won’t you yield!?」

「You think I’ve lost? On what grounds?」

At my question, Kirmiji grinned.

「Because the skill I stole from you was your strongest. You said so yourself! As long as it’s in my hands, my victory is assured!」

「Then what’ll you do now?」

「Simple! [Song of the Age of Gods]! Activate! Newly acquired: [Piercing Shot Atalante], [Stonebirth Rare], [Radiance Voypei]… yes, and to deepen your agony, [Agonizing Venom Hydra]… and this—ah, this! [True Tidal Surge Poseidon]!」

[Song of the Age of Gods] was a skill that let its user tap into the arcane knowledge of the gods. The number of spells it accessed was beyond anything the human mind could quantify.

While maintaining his defense, Kirmiji began absorbing one spell after another, layering them into his arsenal.

「Twenty-fourfold… forty-eightfold…!」

「Twelve layers couldn’t even finish off my right arm. You think this’ll be enough?」

「Bluster all you want, it only makes your defeat more pitiful! I’m not done—not even close…!」

Still battering the barrier with invisible arms, I kept my eyes on the flow of mana swirling around Kirmiji. Behind the semi-transparent shield, Kirmiji rambled on to no one in particular.

It was almost time.

「Not yet! Not enough! The strength that rightfully belongs to me, who’s worked harder than anyone—more, more…! I must be pure, noble, immaculate, gentlemanly—and above all, rational! Any fool who dares block my path must be vanquished, every last one of them, every single one, must be—must—be—c—c—」

「Kirmiji?」

「Cock-a-doodle.」

The sound that spilled from Kirmiji’s lips was… suspiciously chicken-like.