Chapter 98

"Hmm..."

It was by chance that Clareasil noticed the anomaly. The small shadow she saw beneath the temple where she was sitting, in the square where the holy swords spread, was the trigger.

"Be prepared for the shock!"

Following the order, the seven holy swords crouched on the spot. Immediately after, the ground shook several times with a loud roar.

"What's happening!?"

One of the seven holy swords, the sword of lust, Asmodeus, shouted. Looking outside, there were countless giant rocks emitting smoke. The remnants of the holy swords scattered around them told the story of the extensive damage.

"Those rats..."

Clareasil, with a blank expression, looked down at the humans standing on the rocks.

◆◆◆

"Clear the way!"

At the center of the isolated island, Roa's roar echoed, and the holy swords were blown away all at once.

"They're in the way."

Shironeko's single slash finished off the holy swords that were blown away.

"Sis! Don't get too far away!"

Mineko kicked the head of a holy sword that was sneaking up behind Shironeko.

"Stand back."

The black flames of the sunset destroyed the holy swords completely.

"Elka! Can you do it!?"

Guren said, decapitating a holy sword.

"I, I can do it!"

Elka's magic froze the surrounding holy swords. However, one was left behind, exposing her back.

"Elka!"

"—Be careful, you need to be more careful."

The holy sword of Fuyuma, who was behind her, saved Elka from danger. Fuyuma caught the head of the enemy holy sword that was flying in the air.

"Why are you guys here..."

"Details later! Right now, we need to wipe them all out!"

Fuyuma's holy sword, which had brushed off Guren's question, transformed into a cannon. Firing it, it eliminated the holy swords in a straight line.

"I'm here to accompany him..."

"Even you..."

Kouma, who had been hiding behind the giant meteorite, also appeared, cutting down the surrounding holy swords.

"...Sorry, I can't move."

"! Tia!"

The holy swords were about to swarm Tia, who was hiding behind the meteorite. Guren blew them away with a powerful strike and quickly rushed over.

"By dropping the meteorite with everyone on it, I used up almost all of my magic... I can't be of much help in battle."

"No, it's enough. You've done a great job."

This time, their action was, in a nutshell, a surprise attack from the sky. They landed on the isolated island on Tia's <Limit Break> star magic, <Shooting Star>. This allowed them to land safely without being targeted upon arrival. The surrounding holy swords were also taken by surprise, and the fact that they took the initiative was a significant advantage.

"I'll guard Tia now. Everyone! Can you clear the way to Clareasil!"

"Who are you asking!?"

Roa, who had joined the operation mid-way, shouted with determination. Everyone's faces showed strong resolve, and Guren was confident that he could entrust the task to them. However, only Elka...

"Elka!"

"Y-Yes!"

"...Don't overdo it."

At Guren's voice, Elka's body trembled once. For now, things were manageable, but if a stronger holy sword attacked, it was uncertain. Guren wanted to support her, but he was already busy guarding Tia.

"We need to lighten Elka's burden! Then leave it to me!"

At that moment, Roa raised her voice. She got down on all fours and, in an instant, kicked away the holy swords around Elka. The speed was so fast that even Guren and the others couldn't keep up.

"We've trained a lot too. Supporting one person is no problem!"

"...You're reliable. Alright! Let's attack!"

Guren's command. Everyone rushed towards the central temple. Amidst this, Elka called out to Roa, looking apologetic.

"Sorry... I'm holding you back."

"No, your power is also a part of our strength. Just try to do a bit more."

"..."

"Switch your mindset, this is a war of revenge."

Roa's fist, filled with hatred, shattered the holy sword in front of her. Elka, whose expression had slightly returned, followed suit, freezing the surrounding holy swords.

◆◆◆

"...This is bad. We need to protect Clareasil."

Asmodeus, the sword of lust, who was observing the group of humans approaching at full speed, called out to the seven holy swords standing behind her.

"Hmph, don't give me orders."

Said Lucifer, the sword of pride.

"Shut up, I know that without being told."

Said Satan, the sword of wrath.

"What are you acting like a leader for? I want to take charge too."

Said Leviathan, the sword of envy.

"...This is troublesome."

Said Belphegor, the sword of sloth.

"I'm hungry."

Said Beelzebub, the sword of gluttony.

Each of the seven holy swords showed their reactions, and Asmodeus was irritated.

"You guys!"

"Wrath is my job. Stop trying to take positions, or I'll kill you."

"Then do your job properly! Scatter!"

"Tch..."

Reluctantly, the seven holy swords followed Asmodeus's forced leadership. They were Clareasil's swords and couldn't afford to be caught up in trivial positions.

"Take your positions!"

The seven holy swords moved to the vertices of a hexagon around the temple, placing their hands on the ground in the forest and rocky areas.

"Even without Mammon, we'll do it!"

"Hexagram Barrier!"

The holy swords' voices were in unison. The positions they occupied glowed, and the light ran across the ground, reaching the central temple. The light formed a hexagon around the temple, and a wall of light rose, quickly surrounding the temple. It seemed to cover the top as well, making it impossible to enter from above.

To break this barrier, one would have to defeat the seven holy swords—no other way.

◆◆◆

"What's this wall!"

Roa punched the barrier, but it didn't budge.

"Stand back."

The sunset sent black flames towards the barrier, but it didn't even waver.

"Can't break through?"

"We might be able to break it with full power, but if we use up our strength here, what happens next is obvious, right?"

At Fuyuma's words, everyone fell silent. If they continued like this, they wouldn't be able to reach Clareasil.

"But this is quite obvious, isn't it?"

Fuyuma pointed to the hexagon's vertices and the light lines extending from them.

"I see, the one who cast the barrier is at the end of those lines."

"There's no certainty, but I think that's probably it."

Kouma's opinion was affirmed by Fuyuma. At this point, everyone's new target was decided.

"If we split up, it's exactly six groups."

Roa, Shironeko and Mineko, Kouma, Fuyuma, Elka, and the sunset. Indeed, six groups.

"Let's take them down one by one. What do you think?"

"...I don't want to agree with your idea."

"Sis, this isn't the time to say that—"

"But... I think it's a good idea, so I'll go along with it."

"—You're a good little kitten."

Most of the people here harbored resentment towards Fuyuma. However, now, that was the most obstructive emotion. This was a battle to avenge Setsu, their common love. The goal was the same for everyone.

"Alright, let's split up!"

Following Fuyuma's instructions, everyone parted ways. Fuyuma, running towards one of the lines, began to calmly analyze the situation.

(Hmm... In this situation, I would have preferred Guren to be with Elka...)

Elka was not the best choice to guard the immobile Tia. That's why Guren was left behind, but Fuyuma thought it was too lenient. They should abandon everything to win this war. Tia was a sacrifice for that. Leaving her there to hold out alone would have increased their chances of winning. However, Guren didn't do that.

"Too lenient... Just like Setsu and his friends."

Thinking of Setsu, Fuyuma's cheeks relaxed. However, he quickly regained his composure. In front of him stood a woman with a distinctly different aura.

"Oh, what a cute child."

"Seems like you're part of the barrier."

The woman, dressed in a long pink dress, bowed gracefully.

"I am Asmodeus, the sword of lust of Lady Clareasil. I will make all who try to approach her my captives."

"Thanks for the introduction. I'm Kamishiro Fuyuma. For the sake of the one I love, I'm here to kill you."

Asmodeus summoned a distorted one-handed sword in her hand, and Fuyuma readied his black Excalibur. The battle between humans and the seven holy swords had begun.