Chapter 94

"Black Lightning"

"Parry"

I watched in amazement as the man standing before me deflected the lightning with his "Black Sword."

Standing at the forefront, protecting those behind me.

That was always my role.

Yet, I am now standing behind this man.

──【Divine Favor】, "Divine Shield."

The abnormal "power" I possessed since childhood.

Because of this, people sometimes called me a "monster."

People don't avoid me out of misunderstanding.

I think it's because of their correct understanding.

The "light membrane" I can produce infinitely can cut through any metal, no matter how hard, and slice through any giant creature with a single swipe.

Moreover, it can be created boundlessly wide and large.

What this means is──

If I so desired, I could destroy an entire country with just one swipe.

The power given to me in my childhood was far too great for a single person to possess.

No, perhaps I was no longer human from the moment I obtained this power.

I was a potential threat to all humans.

My 【Divine Favor】 can bring catastrophic disaster if misused.

That's why my foster parents, the 【Six Saints】, called this versatile power a "shield" and raised me to be one.

I accepted my fate and worked hard to become one.

Still, the more I use my power, the more people fear me.

It's inevitable.

I was surely given this special "power" to protect the weak. I must accept it.

My unreasonable power exists to protect others.

I must protect those who are weaker than me, no matter what others think of me, and no matter the circumstances.

I reconciled myself with this "power" by interpreting it this way.

But, this situation feels like──I am the one being protected.

"Divine Shield"

I swung the "Light Sword" a bit confusedly, slicing off the flesh of the giant monster floating in the sky.

──The "Light Sword" that can cut through everything.

Whenever I wield it, something is always destroyed.

I might unintentionally destroy something else.

That's why I must always handle this power with the utmost care.

I have always disciplined myself to remain calm and not let my emotions get the better of me.

I have avoided using this power destructively as much as possible.

If I use it flamboyantly, it will scare those around me and lead to me being called a "monster," I thought.

I have lived in fear.

...But.

Was my fear really justified?

Looking at the scene before me, I can't help but wonder.

"Black Lightning"

"Parry"

If I use my power properly, will someone shun me?

...Who? Me?

That man over there, wielding the black sword, who doesn't seem to be feared by anyone.

This man, who is far from being as fearsome as him?

...Feared?

By whom, exactly?

More importantly.

What was I so afraid of?

Thinking this far, I felt a strange laugh rising within me.

"...Haha...haha"

At that moment, I was chuckling softly.

It was an impossible situation to laugh in, with everyone fighting for their lives.

I don't usually laugh like this, even in normal times.

Still, I couldn't suppress the strange laughter that welled up as I watched the scene before me.

"Black Lightning"

"Parry"

There's a truly bizarre person right there.

A man who commands a dragon and is an abnormal figure beyond comprehension.

He has already earned the trust of the king and Linneburg.

Though we've only known each other for a short time and I don't know much about him, I instinctively feel that I can trust him with my back.

So, for now, I can step away from my role as a "shield" and forget about protecting others──even about protecting myself.

There's no need to worry about acting human in front of this man.

So, in this moment, I understood that trying to bind myself to anything is meaningless.

──Instantly.

I heard something break inside me.

At the same time, my body and consciousness accelerated uncontrollably.

"Divine Shield"

By the time I realized it, countless streaks of light were floating in the sky, intertwining like a tapestry and slicing through the monster's massive body.

──Did I release that?

It must be me.

No one else is standing here.

My body continued to wield the "sword."

The countless light slashes released from my palm overlapped in the air, swirling like a giant vortex, covering and slicing the monster. At the same time, the entire area was illuminated brightly.

...I've never seen anything like this.

I've never even thought about doing something like this.

But, it's happening.

My body was moving much faster than I knew it could. Yet...I still felt there was room to spare.

For some reason, I had a premonition that my body was not yet at its limit.

I was confident that I could move even faster.

My entire body felt as light as a feather.

I felt no weight at all.

"Black Lightning"

The lightning released by the monster was heading straight for me.

But──

"Divine Shield"

Without thinking, I used the "Light Sword" to split the black lightning and the vast sky in half.

──So.

I can do this too.

Watching that man deflecting lightning, I must have grasped something.

Cutting or deflecting lightning.

It seemed absurd, but it wasn't impossible.

"Divine Shield"

Thus, I continued to relentlessly slice the floating monster's flesh, not giving it a chance to regenerate.

At the same time, the dragon incinerated the flying flesh, and the monster's body rapidly shrank.

My body was moving so fast──I couldn't keep up.

...But, it's not over yet.

My body is still accelerating.

"Black Lightning"

"Parry"

"Divine Shield"

I was gradually catching up to the man's almost invisible movements.

...What has happened to my body?

If this continues, I'll surely be called a monster, I thought.

More than that, I feel like I'm stepping beyond the realm of humanity.

But, strangely, I didn't feel bad about it.

I started to think that it might be okay to be called a monster by someone.

...Why?

While I was thinking this, the monster changed its tactics.

"Black Lightning"

The monster extended countless eerie, thick arms and tried to fire black lightning at us from all directions simultaneously.

But──

"Parry"

The man deflected all the lightning with a single swipe, protecting me and the dragon.

I watched his movements out of the corner of my eye and cut off all the monster's extended arms.

"Divine Shield"

Now, I realized something.

I was probably not afraid of being called a monster.

I was probably just afraid of being alone...of being "alone," I thought.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with this clearly monstrous man, I felt no discomfort at all.

...It's a ridiculous thought.

If that's the case, I must have been holding back my power all this time for such a reason?

──What a "strongest shield of the kingdom."

I must look like just a little girl.

...No, in fact, that's what I am.

I was always just that kind of existence.

A little girl suddenly given great power...and always being tossed around by that power.

Being praised for the power given to me unexpectedly.

And being feared at the same time.

...Was I mistaken?

Thinking that I had "power" and that it made me special.

More than that──

So, I must have been trying to convince myself that it was okay to be alone.

...I'm disgusted by my own weakness.

But, a man like this, who exists in this absurd world, probably wouldn't be tossed around by such things.

If he cared about what someone somewhere thought, he wouldn't be standing in this realm.

"Parry"

"Divine Shield"

With my body accelerating uncontrollably, I cut the monster's flesh as the man deflected the lightning and the dragon subdued the flames.

My body moved before I could think.

There was no time to think.

I just kept moving, letting my body take over.

It was a strange sensation.

This is not my usual way of fighting.

At least, not the way I know.

But, if I think too much, if I get caught up in something, it won't work.

So, I let go of the doubts that had been weighing on my mind and, without thinking, took a step and swung my arm.

"Divine Shield"

With each swing, I felt something within me breaking, and it felt strangely comforting.

The more I moved, the lighter my body became, and I accelerated even more.

It's a cliché, but──it felt like I was dancing.

I had no connection to the arts.

I had never danced.

But, if I could dance, it might feel like this, I thought, stepping and dodging attacks on the stage of light I created, releasing countless slashes──and feeling amused, I laughed.

"──Me, dancing. It doesn't suit me."

The thought of this analogy was so absurd that I couldn't help but smile, even in this critical situation.

Then, my body became even lighter──

"Divine Shield"

I laughed as I shredded the flesh of the giant monster floating in the sky.

To be continued.

(I plan to post again tomorrow)

If you scroll down, you'll see a rating button 【★★★★★】 below the ads.

If you found this story interesting or are curious about what happens next, please consider supporting it.

Your support will help motivate me to continue writing.

///

【Manga Adaptation】

The manga is currently serialized on Comic Earth Star.

https://www.comic-earthstar.jp/detail/parry/

It's also available on NicoNico Manga! (and Pixiv)

https://sp.seiga.nicovideo.jp/comic/50389

///

【Announcement】 (I'll keep this standard text for a while. Please bear with me.)

The book version of "I'll Parry Everything ~The World's Strongest Reverse Misunderstood Wants to Be an Adventurer~ (1)" is now available!

The book version is an upgraded version of the web version, making it much easier to read. I highly recommend you consider purchasing it m(._.)m (It also includes over 20,000 words of new content.)

You can access the official special page from the image below the ads. Please check it out if you're interested.

Also, I post various updates on my Twitter account (occasionally).

https://twitter.com/nabe4k