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Chapter 271 – Aerial Party VS Ex Party 6 / The Strongest (Part 2)

271 – Aerial Party VS Ex Party 6 / The Strongest (Part 2)

My body was dyed in darkness.
It was as if a shadow had taken on a three-dimensional form.
Although I am a person, I am also the shadow that rules over the shadows.

「I think I’ll follow your example and call it『Shadow Extreme』.」

I poured the magical energy that I have been working on since the beginning of the battle and the magical energy of the Spirit.

The shadow armor coiling around my right arm looked similar to Lemegeton’s Horn Armor.
When Aerial saw it, he laughed like a child.

「…Haha, the world’s 1st ranked and 2nd ranked have arrived at the same tactic. Hahaha. ―But maybe that’s what strength is all about. It’s no wonder that the paths of those who aim for the top sometimes overlap.」

「Yeah, that might be true.」

Not to mention that we lost to the same person. It’s not strange that the plan we worked out was the same.

The Shadow Spirit Magic『Giant Armor』that uses Esoteric Spirit Magic『Shadow Soldiers』 was broken before the extreme concentration by Lem’s Horn Armor.

I shouldn’t have spread myself wide open against him.
I shouldn’t have fought against him in the flesh.

I don’t have to change my size. I should reconfigure my existence and make him unable to make the best use of his ability.
Concentrate the attack power to a single point and crush him with maximum firepower.

The answer is simple: freely use the power of the Origin Spirit and implement it through extremely precise magical energy manipulation at the end.
Then launch a strike with all my might.

We are trying to defeat each other with a technique meant to defeat Lem.

「I’ve never slashed a shadow.」

「I’ve also never struck the wind.」

In an instant, we kicked the ground and surged towards each other.
Without any hesitation and without the need for any strategy, we clashed our fists against each other.

The first time, the shock that was unable to be diminished ran through our bodies, went to the field, and split the ground.

The second time, there was a hole in my torso and his head was crushed.
Both of us regenerated instantly.

The third time, that guy thrusted his right fist upwards and my head was blown off by it.

By the time I regenerated my head, all the lights on the ceiling had shattered, and the fist I had fired just before I lost consciousness had driven his body into the wall.

It is possible to maintain the Spirit Magic even after the coming back from the loss of consciousness by constructing the magic formula in advance, including the regeneration, and pouring magical energy into it.

The fourth time, I received the charge of Aerial, who had changed into a gust of wind, head-on and the ground caved in.

The fifth time, we simultaneously headbutted each other and our eyes met.

Both of us are laughing like idiots.

「This is fun! Ex! I’m having so much fun!」

―Ahh, I’ve always envied you for being able to enjoy your adventures like that.

It’s been 10 years since you earned the seat of the strongest. I was frustrated because I felt somewhat bored until the Raid Battle.
Even though my comrades are strong, I can’t threaten the 1st rank seat because of my weak-mindedness.

That one rank difference between the 1st rank and 2nd rank seemed like a world apart.

― I’m weak.
― My mind is weak.

I still think so.
But every time I do, his words echo in my mind.

―『Everyone has a time when they feel weak-hearted…! Sometimes they can’t stand up by themselves! That’s why I’m here to help…! Do you know how many people you’ve cheered up with your strong heart!? How many hearts you have saved!? I’m saying that it’s okay even for you to be saved sometimes…!』

A certain Hero told me that my weakness is not a hopeless flaw.

I was able to resolve myself to decide that I had no choice but to keep running while embracing it.

It’s been a decade of running through hell.
Maybe it will continue to be so.
Ahh, but that’s right.

「Yeah, you’re right, Aerial! This is fun!」

There is no contradiction between pain and fun. It is possible to feel fear and still take the challenge.

I know. I know that. I haven’t forgotten.
At first, everyone works hard to become the best.
I can’t give up so easily.

The sixth time, our right fists collided with each other again and both of us wobbled from the impact.

There was a crack in the venue and the connection between this space and the space with the audience was about to be severed.

We could see each other, but the spaces were not adjoined.
It would be really helpful if I could exert all my energy and not involve the audience.

Ah, but if it breaks any more, we won’t be able to show the battle to everyone else.
Sorry, guys, but just a little bit more.

Let me fight for my own sake!

「Spirit Apollyonnnn!!!」

I drew out the power of the Spirit one more time, this time even deeper.

My Spirit has appeared.
It looks like a black furball, but it has eyes and a mouth.

『I’ve been watching you.
You’ve proved it. No matter how many times you repeat your life, you will make the same choice.
Even if it’s painful enough to make you want to scream, scary enough to make you tremble, or difficult enough to make you want to run away.
You won’t hesitate.
You want to save your friend’s life rather than your own and aim for the seat of 1st rank with your comrades.
Jet-Black Hero. My dear and most precious one.
If there is such a thing as 1st rank, you deserve it.
Today, here, you should be the one to win.』

Something like a black mist clung to my arm.

The seventh time, only Aerial’s fist was blocked and so there was a hole in his torso.

I slammed my fist into him.
Mist spread from the fist that pierced through that guy’s body and it tried to coil around his body.

「…! I see, you can interfere with the target that the shadow touches. I’m currently both wind and human! Even if I became like this, I can still become the target of your Spirit Magic.」

I couldn’t do this with the power I had just before.

At this moment, my authority has been raised to almost the same level as Apollyon.

The source of all shadows in this world.

A counterpart that everything that has shape can never escape from forever.
Normally, the shadow mimics the object’s shape.

But Apollyon made the opposite possible.
When the shadow changes its shape, it distorts the shape of the object’s body in the same way, enabling the reversal of the relationship.

「Spirit Sylpheeddd!!!」

Aerial was also trying to escape the bonds of humanity by bringing his own existence as close to the wind as possible.

「We’ll be the ones to win…! Today, here, I’m going to prove it! We’ll definitely prove it! That everything that we’ve done is not useless! Today, right here!」

「That is true for all lifeforms, Ex! They’re not useless! But still, there are winners and losers in every battle!」

「Then I want to be the winner! Because I want it for myself, not for anyone else’s sake!」

「I feel the same way! That’s exactly why there is value in getting the victory!」

「Just hand over the 1st rank to me already!」

「Try to snatch it if you can, Ex! Try to defeat me!」

After the eighth, ninth, and tenth times, our bodies began to crumble.
With each blow, the vast amount of magical energy that our Avatars are composed of was scattered away. It dissipated at such a speed that we are no longer able to interfere with it.

「I won’t let my comrades stay in 2nd rank forever! Every one of them is amazing! They’re not inferior to your comrades! They didn’t lose!」

「If that’s the case, then you should try to win, Ex! There’s only the two of us left! So I’m going to do everything in my power to stop you, because I’m the ―」

「I want to be 1st rank! That’s right! I’ll do it! Aerial! I’ll defeat you and become the ―」

And our cries overlapped.

「Strongest Hero!!!!」

The eleventh time.

Our fists collided, and then ― only my body crumbled.

「Not yet―!」

I took one more step.
Then my legs disappeared.

But I’ve already made the jump.
There’s not much left of my body. Only the right arm, torso, and head.

My last blow was aimed at the body of that guy who had used up all his strength.

◇

The next thing I know, the cocoon was open.

The familiar mechanical sound indicated to me that my spirit had returned from the Avatar to my real body.

― I see, I was sent off the field.

I quickly stepped out of the cocoon.
Then I saw my comrades.

「What happened!」

Did my final blow reach him?
In the Link Room, there is a monitor that shows the state of the field.

Aerial was there standing alone in the destroyed field.

「…I see, it didn’t make it in time.」

「Idiot, look closely.」

Merlin hit my back with her wand.
I was about to look downwards, but then I looked at the monitor once again and I ended up gazing at it in fascination

Aerial’s feet had disappeared, then ― his whole body dissipated.

『T-this is… ……U-um, w-without even realizing it, this fierce battle left me speechless…. According to the rules, the victory goes to the Aerial Party!』

『Just a few seconds… It was a difference of only a few seconds. It all depended on whether their Avatars could endure it or not! That small difference decided the outcome! The Aerial Party won, but it will be very difficult to determine which Party is above and which Party is below!』

『Many fans think that a Hero Party that could surpass the world’s strongest and most unshakable 1st ranked Aerial Party will never appear. But today! The Ex Party has proven it! That their strength is comparable to that of the 1st ranked Party!』

「Hmm. So, to put it nicely, we had a draw… I guess it’s a little bit better than being the 2nd rank forever.」

Merlin hit me again with her wand.
The pain was slightly milder than before.

「Shit! I don’t feel good about this! Next time, it’ll be our complete victory!」

Mordred was boisterously screaming while scratching his head

「…Then you have to become strong enough to protect your comrades until the end.」

Galahad is quietly burning with the will to fight.

Arthur is standing next to him.

「Aerial was right. I was in a hurry to settle the battle.」

「It’s all right. You did that for the sake of winning, didn’t you?」

「It doesn’t matter how old I get, I am ashamed of my own immaturity.」

「If you think so, you can become stronger.」

「Is it truly so?」

「I wonder.」

「…Hey.」

We laughed at each other.

「I’m just joking. I don’t know how far we can go, but we know where we want to go. So we just have to continue doing our best.」

「Hmm, you’re right. Yeah, let’s do our best.」

Arthur held up his arm.
I also held up my arm and bumped it against the back of his hand.

「We’ll win next time.」