Chapter 96

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Clan (96)

The Mind Kraken's reaction was immediate.

A total of 117 magic circles formed around its massive body. While the quality was not outstanding, the durability of the [Floating Board] was not enough to withstand even one hit.

Its intention to eliminate the means of flight was quite cunning.

The bombardment of interdimensional magic began from several kilometers away, creating an illusion that the sky was turning pitch black in an instant.

"[Force Field]."

In response, Jack Russell deployed a defensive barrier centered around the flying disc. A 6th-tier non-elemental defensive magic. Since it had no elemental weaknesses, its defensive capability was purely high.

The deep red color indicated that it was far from the natural lightning.

Zzzz!

The lightning that failed to penetrate the defensive barrier scattered.

However, that lightning was only the beginning.

Hundreds of magical attacks were launched in precise intervals. Blocking or dodging one only led to the next attack. Even with over 200 knots of maneuverability, it was impossible to completely break through the overwhelming assault.

Perhaps because it possessed a medium within its body, the scale of power it mobilized was absurd.

'Forcing me into an unfavorable choice. Neither defense nor evasion is a viable option. If so, the only way is to break through the shortest distance.'

Russell, who had seen through the Mind Kraken's intentions, opened his eyes wide.

Crack! Crack!

More than half the distance to the Mind Kraken still remained.

Moreover, the closer he got to the Mind Kraken, the faster and stronger its attacks became.

"Leonard."

"Yes."

Inside the cracked defensive barrier, the two calmly discussed their roles.

"I'm going to unleash a powerful attack, so you'll need to buy me some time. Two minutes should be enough."

"Understood."

One of the two had to be sacrificed.

Given the remaining distance of several kilometers, giving up maneuverability was not an option, leaving only one choice.

Boom!

The blue-white defensive barrier of the [Force Field] shattered like breaking glass.

At the same time, Leonard drew two swords.

Five Phenomena Style (五象流)

The black sword beam of the Black Tortoise Technique enveloped the two swords, emitting a cold aura. It was not just cold but also a force that halted all movement, a manifestation of stillness (靜).

The ice and freezing phenomena were merely byproducts of this aura.

Seven Techniques of the Black Tortoise (玄武七式)

Tortoise Shell Ice Sky Wall (龜甲氷天壁)

A black sphere formed by the circular movements of the two swords, creating a sword barrier that enveloped the flying disc like a turtle's shell.

This defensive technique, which had previously withstood the magical bombardment of the berserk Conrad, was even more robust than the [Force Field], repelling the countless interdimensional magic attacks.

While the consumption of energy was high, once created, it was easy to maintain until damaged.

However.

■■■■■■■■■——!!

As soon as the Mind Kraken gauged the strength of the defensive barrier, it reversed its strategy of overwhelming with numbers.

Four massive magic circles rose, covering the flight path of the flying disc as if to crush it. From within the magic circles, massive tentacles, each as large and heavy as small mountains, poured out.

A tentacle, long and flexible like an octopus arm, lashed out at the defensive barrier like a whip.

'This is beyond what the <Tortoise Shell Ice Sky Wall> can withstand.'

Not only did it have a physical form, but it also combined the immense mass of a siege weapon with centrifugal force.

One of the tentacles that struck the <Tortoise Shell Ice Sky Wall> was deflected, and the black sphere shattered like an egg, revealing the two figures.

Aiming at them, the remaining three tentacles fell.

Five Phenomena Style (五象流)

Nine Techniques of the Black Tortoise (玄武九式)

By increasing the supply of energy momentarily, two sword beams, each several meters long, met the tentacles coming from both sides.

Moon Mirror Reverse Yin (太月反陰鏡)

Despite the enormous mass difference, the two tentacles that came into contact with the black sword beams were bent. The two tentacles entangled each other, blocking the path of the tentacle that was plunging vertically.

The technique, which utilized the principle of grafting, was so effective that even those who saw it with their own eyes found it hard to believe.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The three tentacles collided, creating a shockwave.

For the Mind Kraken, the previous attack had required considerable effort, so there was a necessary gap before the next attack. Just as they advanced over a kilometer in a few seconds, the magical bombardment was about to rain down again.

"Now it's my turn."

Russell, with his palms extended forward, deployed a magic circle.

Whirr! Whirr! Whirr! Whirr!

The magical formula, already calculated in his mind, rose, greedily absorbing the mana in the area.

Even before it was fully materialized, the magic was exerting physical pressure.

A vortex formed in the sky above the deep-sea city, where not even a breeze had been blowing. The heat and light emitted from [Helios], far away, were drawn into the magical convection, forming a thermal wind that swirled in front of Jack Russell.

As the temperature within a several-kilometer radius rose sharply, most of the buildings, made of a gel-like substance, began to dry out, crack, and collapse.

Finally, Jack Russell's mouth began to chant the incantation.

"[Megadrought]."

A spell that could turn an area into a wasteland for decades with a single use. It was also a spell forbidden to be used on farmlands and pastures, regardless of whether it was cast by a magic tower or a mystic association.

But in this deep-sea city, such restrictions were irrelevant.

The light and wind of the megamagic, [Megadrought], unleashed by the archmage, poured towards the Mind Kraken.

■■■■■■■——!?!

Even a body hundreds or thousands of times larger than a giant squid could not withstand such an attack without sustaining fatal damage.

The tentacles rooted throughout the deep-sea city rose urgently, forming a wall of flesh to block the golden vortex. Some areas of the city, having lost their foundation, collapsed, but the damage had to be accepted to block the attack.

The Mind Kraken's judgment was accurate.

Finally, the golden vortex struck the massive dark squid.

"Wow!"

Russell marveled at the Mind Kraken's response.

"Using telekinesis to refract the atmosphere and disperse the light, and sacrificing part of its body to dissipate the heat? If it had used water ineffectively, I could have taken advantage of the flow to burn it to death."

The 7th-tier fire magic, [Megadrought], was not simply a compression or release of light and heat.

It was a combination of combustion, evaporation, and conduction. To withstand it head-on, one would need to interfere with space-time or use ice magic approaching absolute zero.

However, the Mind Kraken used its overwhelming output and the characteristics of its interdimensional body to withstand the [Megadrought].

■■■■■■……!

Of course, the damage was considerable.

The body, which had been over 500 meters, had shrunk to about 400 meters, and the reduction in presence and pressure was evident.

Even so, the power it exuded was still more than ten times that of Russell and Leonard combined. It seemed impossible to defeat it with a single megamagic.

Leonard, observing the Mind Kraken's state, spoke.

"Russell, how many times can you use the same magic as before?"

The distance was now less than a kilometer.

They exchanged a few words for their final strategy.

"If given enough time, I could use it five or six times. But I doubt it will wait for me."

However, Russell added.

"There are few magics as effective against it as [Megadrought]. It won't fall for the same trick again. My destructive power is not enough to completely defeat it."

"The techniques I have learned are not of the scale that can match it... Ultimately, we need to find its weak point."

"Hmm! Or we could destroy the medium embedded somewhere in its body to collapse the <Rift>. Both are extremely difficult paths, but that's the conclusion."

They both fell silent almost simultaneously, watching as dozens of tentacles rose like dark pillars before them.

Five Phenomena Style (五象流) Two Swords (二劍)

The sword beams, forming an X, tore through the tentacles.

First Technique of the Azure Dragon (靑龍一式)

Twin Walls of Thunder (雙璧震雷)

Two beams of lightning created large holes, allowing the [Floating Board] to slip through and reach the front of the Mind Kraken.

Now they were within effective range.

Leonard's sword and Russell's magic were difficult to dodge or block, but the same applied to the Mind Kraken's attacks. Except for the telekinetic waves that hit upon manifestation, the attack methods were not well-suited for small, agile humans.

However, at this distance, there was almost no time to dodge or block.

■■■■—! ■■■■■——!

The Mind Kraken, as if mocking the two tiny creatures, unleashed a loud telekinetic wave. Leonard, with a cold smile, threw one of his swords into the air.

"From now on, I'll move on my own. I'll share information as soon as I find the weak point or the medium."

"What? Do you have a flying artifact?"

"It's not an artifact."

Without waiting to explain to Russell, whose eyes were wide with surprise, Leonard leaped off the [Floating Board] and landed lightly on the sword he had thrown.

Surprisingly, the sword, supporting Leonard's weight, remained floating without sinking or wobbling. It was a technique derived from sword control, known as sword flight (御劍飛行).

"...A flying sword? And it's not even a magical sword?"

There was no time to explain to Russell, whose eyes were wide with surprise.

"I'll go first. Just give me a heads-up when you use a wide-area magic."

Leonard quickly left a message and shot off with his sword.

Swoosh——!

Reaching supersonic speed in an instant, Leonard quickly caught up to the Mind Kraken's rear. By splitting the attack target and direction, he aimed to reduce the density of the Mind Kraken's barrage.

The Mind Kraken had to respond, knowing this.

■■■■■■■——!

The 400-meter-long, amorphous body, resembling dark magma, began to boil.

There was no heat.

Only cold, damp malice and hatred shaped its form.

The shape of a giant squid was merely a mimicry of the extraterrestrial deity it served. Essentially, it was a mass of darkness and nothingness, and deforming its body was as easy as turning a palm.

Thousands, tens of thousands of dark tentacles rose, aiming to skewer and kill Leonard and Russell.

Five Phenomena Style (五象流) Three Swords (三劍)

A prolonged battle would not yield results.

Leonard, sensing this, immediately drew the Three Swords of Intent.

Special Technique of the Vermilion Bird (朱雀番外式)

Three-legged Crow (三足烏) Flight (飛)

This was different from the time in the Galápagos Islands.

Leonard, now approaching the Transcendent Realm, and the enhanced <Five-colored Sword Beams> temporarily.

The output was incomparable to when he faced the fifth shadow. The three swords, glowing white-hot, flew from his grasp.

First Sword.

The compressed energy, like a sphere, covered the entire sword, emitting brilliant light and heat.

Second Sword.

As the second sword joined, it surpassed the scale of the miniature sun he used before.

Third Sword.

When the third sword joined, a miniature sun, so hot that it burned the tips of the dark tentacles before even touching them, targeted the enemy.

With [Helios] floating several kilometers away, it was as if two suns had risen over the deep-sea city.

The wails of the dark squids, heard from various parts of the city, seemed even more desperate.

Sizzle...!

Quantity and quality.

The tens of thousands of dark tentacles the Mind Kraken shot out were mere kindling to the miniature sun. Without the need for a laser cannon or explosion, the density of power was so different that contact was not even allowed.

Leonard, with the miniature sun positioned behind him, looked down at the grotesquely writhing Mind Kraken.

However.

'...I can't see it no matter how hard I look.'

Neither the weak point nor the location of the medium could be discerned.

He thought the head might be the weak point, like a giant squid, but after the Mind Kraken began to deform, he realized it had no fixed shape.

The existence of the weak point itself was unclear.

Trying to evaporate the massive body was beyond his capabilities, and there was no method to find the medium.

'Even with my control, I can't pinpoint the exact location of the medium. I can't disassemble the entire body, either.'

The archmage Russell, who had received the tentacle attacks in a different manner from Leonard, was also deeply pondering.

Maintaining the current lull could be disadvantageous.

"Well, there's no choice but to clash."

The only fortunate thing was that the Mind Kraken's attacks were not threatening.

While the destructive power was terrifying, it lacked the ability to deliver a decisive blow.

This was why they dared to approach and attack.

One hit and they would die, but if they could avoid being hit and land their own attacks, they could win. If there were attacks they couldn't avoid or if the opponent was at a level where they couldn't win no matter how many hits they landed, they would have to retreat.

Squeal.

Leonard, aiming a sword he had drawn from his subspace pocket, moved the miniature sun connected to his mind.

The massive sphere, where immense power circulated, opened a tiny exit.

Miniature Sun Light (極小太陽光)

Firing (發砲)

He fired a laser cannon capable of melting the gates of a major city.