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Chapter 276 – Wraith Party VS Jack Party 4 / Cradle of the Depths

276 – Wraith Party VS Jack Party 4 / Cradle of the Depths

Immediately after I was thrown, lightning continuously rained from the sky, and Magical Energy particles scattered through the air soon after.

Josh’s Avatar had crumbled.

I rolled as I landed to immediately break into a sprint.

I somehow dodged the Wind Blades aimed at my landing point and rolled under Water Blades.

My foot got trapped by the frozen ground.

I unsheathed the training staff and cut off my ankle without hesitation.

I shamelessly hopped on one leg, narrowly escaping the Explosion Magic.

An arrow pierces my body.

It’s a fatal wound, but it missed my Magical Energy Organ, and fortunately, my head is intact.

It’s fine as long as I have a brain to think, and an organ to supply me with Magical Energy.

「…Was I too slow?」

Those were Leslie’s final words.

In the end, I cast Black Magic that overcomes his Full Resist and shove a Blank Space in the minds of all three Adventurers.

Even if this effect will only last in the short time until I am defeated, it doesn’t matter.

My Destroyer ally will figure something out later.

Also, there’s no need to worry about the battle between the two remaining Heroes.

Our battle might look like a clumsy mess to people, but every single member who believed in their allies, bided for time, and fought hard for the sake of their teammates despite being heavily wounded is a hero in my eyes.

This is a result that could only have been achieved through the tenacity of a newcomer party that has not yet established what it should act like.

I don’t want to be defeated.

But if it’s Wraith, I can leave it to him.

He is no longer that boy trapped by a false image of a hero.

Moreover, I know all too well that…

…the one who always wins in the end is…

◇

Fran took out the remaining three members of the Jack party quickly.

At the same time, Lem’s Avatar reached its limit and crumbled.

Fran tried to join up with me, but her body turned into a sprinkling of Magical Energy particles.

After her tussle with Goliath, Shio’s arrows, and her back and forth with Mildred, her accumulated damage must’ve gone past her limits.

All that’s left is me and Jack.

None of my Water Blades, freezing, or any Water Elemental spells can reach Jack.

The only moves I have left are the big ones like large-scale magic that I was too cautious of my allies to use.

Said allies are no longer here.

「……You have found wonderful allies.」

「I know.」

Jack doesn’t look surprised. You never know what will happen in a competitive world.

But I can sense admiration seeping through.

The allies he’s been to hell and back with were completely destroyed by a party of newbies, even if one of them is a former 4th ranked Black Sorcerer.

Accepting that outcome, he praises my allies.

「However, only one of us can fulfill the desires entrusted to us by our fallen comrades.」

「I know that, too.」

Each and every one of them believe that their Hero will win.

But the reality is that only one side can win.

For a moment, Jack cast his eyes downward.

「You were so close. You had the talent to be just like him, and yet…」

In the Raid Battle, I got to the end using mostly Wind Magic.

Just like dad.

I couldn’t stand the people who made a fool of my dad, his decision to retire just as I was born and how that happened the same time as him falling into 2nd Rank. It was all so frustrating.

If it weren’t for me, he would’ve climbed back up to 1st rank in one year, but I also know that the world would not let such a possibility happen.

That’s why I tried to prove it.

Prove that there’s nothing wrong with a Hero with no Spirit. Prove that a Spirit has nothing to do with it.

I wanted to prove to those who made a fool of my father, who reached the pinnacle with his unyielding efforts, that it was they who were the fools.

But in trying to follow in my father’s footsteps, I had forgotten.

That man and Fen…no, the Immortal Demon Bennu made me remember.

「You still don’t know the difference between you, me, and my dad, huh?」

「Difference, you say?」

「Undine.」

I call out.

「…?!」

In an instant, the Field was filled with water.

The audience gasped and screamed, but this water won’t reach them.

「…This is…」

Jack is talking and his Avatar is still replicating his breathing.

That’s right. This is water, yet not water.

『Are you sure, boy? This Spirit Magic is…』

Zip it! Lend me your strength, right now.

『Hnn…!! Yes. Yes, of course!』

Undine almost sounded like she was in pain, but it soon became quiet.

It’s true that I can’t say I’ve completely mastered this. Also, I wanted to save this trump card till the very end.

But to defeat this person, this will be fine.

This isn’t about logic, it’s about feeling.

「This is apparently called the Cradle of the Depths.」

「An Esoteric, huh?」

In the end, the Four Great Elements is just our perception of it all.

For example, among the powers of the Spirit that governs space, ordinary people can only reproduce the Wind Element.

Flames of the Gods, the fire Esoteric, is the power to『Destroy』taking the shape of flames.

Sky Garden, the wind Esoteric, is the power to『Edit』, tampering with the laws of nature.

Cradle of the Depths, the water Esoteric, is the power to『Create』that simulates the birth of life.

I’m sure that the earth Esoteric is also a special power that can ignore the very rules of this world.

Dragons reside in these waters.

So I desired, so they is there.

A serpent’s body with a dragon’s head. A creature of fantasy said to swim in the sky.

I create countless numbers of them in the Esoteric, and they assault Jack.

Each of them are loaded with more or less the same amount of Magical Energy that hit Bennu in the final Raid Battle fight.

「My father wasn’t chosen by the Spirits. And yet, he worked hard and became the best Hero.」

「Yes, that’s right! Just how difficult that was! Just how wonderful he was! In order to let the world know that, he-」

「But we were chosen, right?」

「…!」

「I won’t deny all you’ve accomplished. In fact, you made it to the world’s 8th rank. But y’know, I realized something…」

「Realized…what?」

「That the Spirit…is the sixth member of the party.」

「Sixth…member…」

One of the dragons was blown away by his Storm Crash.

I rode on the back of a dragon I just created.

「I think it’s fine to look up to him. So do I. But we can’t be the Unyielding Hero, and we shouldn’t try to be. If you wanted the same thing, you can just watch old Clear videos of him.」

「Then who are you trying to be?!」

Jack moves at a high speed using Water Magic.

He escaped the encircling dragons and approached me.

But he’s already lost one arm.

It was eaten when escaped the dragons. it’s already begun leaking Magical Energy.

I also rush towards him atop a dragon, holy sword in hand.

「That’s easy. If I look up to the greatest hero, there’s only one thing I’m aiming to be!」

We head towards each other, splitting the water, and exert all our remaining strength for this one moment’s clash of blades.

His sword closes in.

My sword speeds in his direction.

And then, I shout.

「And thats to become a greater hero than him!」

The water-made dragon’s head falls off, and it’s body turns to dust.

My slash carves into Jack’s chest.

There’s no need to look back. His body is already crumbling.

「…I see. You’re right. 1st rank is the pinnacle of the world. If you’re only aiming to be like him, then the end goal is the same as being 1st ranked.」

「I’m not saying that that’s wrong but, to me, standing with my allies is true pinnacle.」

「A hero even more amazing than the strongest hero.」

Jack seemed like he laughed. And then, he continued.

「…I’d certainly like to see that too.」

I cancel the Esoteric.

The manifested fantasy creatures along with the oceanic depths that birthed them disappeared.

And then, the Hero of the Ten Bows scattered into particles of light as well.

「In that case, just keep watching me.」

Nevertheless, he is what he is, and he will hone his skills more than ever to become that himself.

That’s fine. That’s just fine.

Being the best is worth it because we truly strive for it.

With our victory here today, we are one step closer to the stage where we can prove we’re the best.

Adventurers led by the Unyielding Hero.

Monsters led by the strongest Demon King.

We will fight them.