Chapter 215: Victory Against Three Alone
Cold Steel Queen, Demon King Killing Sacred Sword—
"—Manifest now as a blade of steel, and help me slay all enemies!"
Mahiro raised his hand high toward the sky, and the mark on his backhand immediately bloomed with a dazzling radiance.
[As you wish.]
With Est's soft response, the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword manifested!
"An ancient relic?"
Nelson watched Mahiro's actions below, summoning a silver-white Holy Sword, and couldn't help but murmur.
If that were the case, everything would make sense.
With an ancient relic, summoning Aurora, Olivier, and Lily was no surprise.
He even inwardly cursed them as fools.
However, the moment the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword appeared, it also became the signal for battle.
The suffocating silence and intense stares were broken at this moment.
Whoosh, whoosh—
Olivier and Lily suddenly vanished from their spots.
When they reappeared, they were already launching a coordinated assault from both sides.
Meanwhile, the violet-haired girl in the center, the legendary calamity witch Aurora, did not charge forward with them.
But she began to move with elegant steps, as if performing a graceful waltz, spinning in place.
Her dark purple skirt fluttered like a dancing butterfly, revealing her fair, slender calves in high heels.
Elegant and beautiful, yet equally deadly.
The ambient mana began to boil around her.
Mana cannot maintain form after leaving the body.
This was common knowledge in this world, but only for ordinary people—for beings with extraordinary mana reserves and control, it was not absolute.
For instance, with a single light step from the violet lady, thousands of crimson tentacles surged from the shadows, attacking him.
This move was practically an upgraded version of the Blood Queen!
Of course, since this technique was originally created by her, even Elisabeth was merely an inheritor.
"He's done for."
The moment the three ancient warriors made their move, everyone in the audience couldn't help but think this.
Though as magic swordsmen, most of them weren't particularly strong, and many weren't even magic swordsmen.
But even a fool could tell that these three ancient warriors were on a completely different level from before.
The speed of the first two attackers was already impossible to track with the naked eye, making it impossible to evade their coordinated assault, let alone with the thousands of tentacles forming a cage around him.
"You really think highly of me, even using tactics."
Clang!
Mahiro let out a cold laugh, twirling the Demon-Slaying Holy Sword in his right hand before reversing his grip and blocking Olivier's strike from the left.
The two pure steel Holy Swords collided, and the scattered sword energy instantly tore the ground apart.
Impressive!
Honestly, such a heavy, powerful slash didn't seem like something that delicate appearance could deliver.
As expected of the three heroes from ancient times—they still had some substance.
But immediately after, the fist wind from the right had already arrived!
Thump!
Mahiro caught the golden beastman's claw with one hand, but the sharp claw tips pierced through his palm.
The penetrating force even scattered the dust around them!
Fresh crimson dripped slowly.
Yet the muscles in his palm and clenched fingertips firmly held the beastman's claw in place, squeezing so hard it emitted creaking sounds.
"Heh heh heh, this is truly exhilarating."
The stinging pain from his palm teased his nerves, making him unable to suppress a laugh.
How long had it been?
It had been ages since he encountered an opponent who could excite him like this.
Mahiro's eyes suddenly glowed red, followed by the emergence of an azure magic circle.
Copy Eyes!
The moment the mystic eyes activated, something bizarre occurred.
"It... stopped?!"
Not only had he blocked the attacks of two warriors with both hands, but he'd also halted the witch's tentacles through some unknown means?!
Indeed.
Though they were mere centimeters from piercing through him, the spear-like crimson tentacles hung suspended in midair.
"Enough! This ends now!"
With a low growl, Mahiro first deflected Olivier's attack with the Holy Sword of Demon Destruction.
Then he swung toward Lily's chest.
Swish—
This strike far exceeded speeds attainable by ordinary humans, leaving only a white streak flashing through the air.
Then, blood sprayed.
The beastman hero Lily was sent flying backward.
But immediately after, a blood-stained palm suddenly filled her vision!
Moving with lightning speed, it clamped onto her face and slammed her downward.
"Stay down!!!"
Boom!!!
Lily's entire head and body were brutally smashed into the shattered ground.
In that instant.
The earth trembled, the ground overturned.
The intense tremors emanating from the arena's center shocked everyone in the spectator stands.
Was this power something a human could wield?
But what astonished them more was how this young man showed no mercy against such a beautiful maiden!
Lying in the spiderweb-cracked crater, Lily was clearly severely injured and wouldn't be rising anytime soon.
Naturally, Mahiro wouldn't let such an opportunity slip.
"Strike while the iron is hot!"
The Holy Sword of Demon Destruction in his hand plunged into Lily's chest, twisting to completely shred her insides.
Clean and decisive.
With a single thrust that pierced Lily's heart, her body instantly crumbled, dissolving into countless fragments that vanished into the world.
Tap.
Just then, a faint footstep sounded behind him.
Olivier, who had been flung away earlier, now raised her Holy Sword with an expressionless face, bringing it down toward his back.
Swish-swish-swish—
These weren't the sounds of a descending blade, but the piercing whistle of countless crimson spears!
With merely a wave of his arm, Mahiro redirected the suspended spears mid-air, instantly impaling Olivier's body.
Instant kill.
Everything happened between lightning and flash, seamless and continuous.
The reversal between beginning and end occurred almost simultaneously!
As effortless as a lion snapping a lamb's neck.
The audience couldn't even comprehend how Mahiro had accomplished it, only recognizing that the demeanor he displayed bore no resemblance to a Magic Swordsman's elegance.
Like a frenzied beast, a bloodthirsty killer.
Utterly merciless in his methods.
Every action seemed solely aimed at strangling the opponent, tearing the enemy apart.
Just that simple.
Even Nelson was dumbfounded.
Were Olivier and Lily just eliminated like that?
But it didn't matter—there was still Aurora. That woman wouldn't be so easy to deal with.
Nelson comforted himself with this thought.
At this moment, blood-red tentacle spears had nearly filled the entire dueling arena. Almost every visible space was occupied by those crimson lances.
They stood dense as a forest of spears!
The spears ground against and shattered one another, with new lances emerging from the wreckage to vie for control.
This cycle repeated endlessly.
Mahiro strolled leisurely through this dense spear forest.
Meanwhile, Aurora continued her bloody dance, twirling gracefully as countless red threads moved at astonishing speeds, freely manipulating the shape-shifting spears.
At times they transformed into thick, winding branches; at others, they split into gaping, bloodthirsty maws.
As if they were extensions of her own flesh.
The airtight attacks wove a spider's web, sealing all exits and every possible hiding place.
Yet, Mahiro always pinpointed the exact evasion points with precision.
When evasion became truly impossible, he'd swing his sword once, sweeping away thousands of needle-fine spears.
Carving out his own sky with a single strike!
"Lovely lady, your two companions have already left the stage. You're next."
Mahiro murmured as if speaking to himself.
Yet it was clearly noticeable—when he said "lovely lady," a flicker of delight seemed to cross Aurora's face.
Though they couldn't communicate verbally, this slight emotional fluctuation was proof enough.
She was fundamentally different from the previous Olivier and Lily—a living, breathing existence.
"..."
"Truly remarkable..."
"Mr. Yotsuba..."
Yarekyasia and Rose's whispers overlapped with Natsume's murmurs.
His sword techniques flowed with perfect control—sometimes displaying beastly ferocity, other times exhibiting meticulous evasion.
Mortal swordsmanship?
Using such terms to describe such extraordinary skill was nothing short of insulting.
Even without employing any Magical Power, even if the moves didn't appear particularly flashy, this was undoubtedly sword technique that transcended mortal limits.
"What is that witch doing? Hurry up and finish him off!"
Nelson's tone began to betray anxiety, beads of sweat forming on his smooth scalp.
Just who the hell is this guy?!
The power he's demonstrating now is completely on par with the Knights of Rounds!!!
However—
Aurora had exhausted her options, no longer able to withstand Mahiro.
"Let's bring this to a close, lovely lady."
Mahiro murmured again, abandoning all defense as he positioned the Demon-slaying Holy Sword at his waist, slowly crouching into a stance.
The moment the spear attacks arrived, his figure vanished from sight, thousands of crimson spears stabbing into empty ground.
In the blink of an eye, Mahiro had already appeared before Aurora.
The latter raised her hand, blood rapidly coalescing into a giant scythe in her grasp—but it was already too late.
Mahiro's form cast the shadow of Tendo Kisara as he unleashed a sword strike condensed with immense magical power.
"Tendo-Ryū Battōjutsu Third Form, Eighth Stance—"
A flash of white light instantly crossed the space.
"'Cloud Peak Repelling the Malevolent Star'—Speed forth, Demon King Killing Sacred Sword!"
A strike identical to Kisara's, possessing the same mastery that had reached the level of full transmission, yet carrying even greater destructive force.
With that single stroke, all movement ceased.
As if space itself had been cleaved apart, the field of vision distorted with the illusion of being sliced into multiple segments. Accompanied by a crisp, shattering sound like breaking glass, countless intersecting cutting lines were branded upon the battlefield.
Then, the world tilted.
More precisely, the world as Aurora perceived it tilted.
Innumerable crimson lines spread across her body, and the blood scythe in her hand instantly disintegrated.
Her form dissolved into scattered starlight—she was disappearing.
Yet a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
"Are you content with this outcome?" Mahiro asked.
Aurora responded with a nod, her violet eyes appearing exceptionally beautiful and vivid.
So much so that he experienced a sense of déjà vu.
In Aurora, he glimpsed the shadow of a certain departed acquaintance.
Yet he could clearly perceive the layers of chains binding Aurora, gradually pulling her back to the Sanctuary.
These were trans-spatial chains—ones he currently couldn't directly reach.
"It seems time is up..."
Aurora maintained her smile, an expression of serene ease.
However, just as she was about to completely vanish, Mahiro spoke again:
"But it's alright. We'll meet again soon."
The nearly dissipated Aurora seemed to clearly hear his words, her slightly parted cherry lips showing surprise, yet also carrying a meaningful depth.
She finally disappeared from the dueling arena.
Meaning, this trial of one against three ended in victory for Mahiro.
The entire venue fell into complete silence.
That final sword strike had completely transcended their understanding, seeming almost dreamlike. Yet the sword scars remaining on the ground—abyssal fissures still radiating terrifying magical power, tearing through the earth—along with the hemispherical barrier that had been similarly destroyed by that single strike, testified to them:
Everything that had just occurred was real.
"Aurora... lost? And Olivier... Lily... They all actually lost? How is this possible!" Nelson shouted.
Throughout the match, he had remained convinced of Aurora's victory—until that single strike reversed everything.
A strike that seemed to shatter the world.
He wasn't alone.
Virtually every spectator in the venue doubted whether they had correctly identified the victor and the defeated.
Meanwhile, Beta sat in the VIP seats, pulling out her notebook from her chest and writing frantically.
"As expected, he truly is..."
Rose spoke with admiration in her voice.
Who would have thought that even the legendary witch would be no match for him.
For some reason, her heart held both joy and a tinge of melancholy.
After witnessing such extraordinary swordsmanship, she felt Mahiro's figure growing increasingly distant from her. How could she ever hope to catch up to his footsteps?
Yet at that very moment.
An anomaly abruptly occurred.
After Aurora dissipated, that ominous crimson magical energy unexpectedly manifested again, forming a magic circle.
Everyone thought the Goddess was about to deliver another trial.
But only Nelson understood what it truly was.
Despite never having activated it himself, the gate from the Sanctuary had naturally opened at this moment!
It seemed some force beyond Nelson's control was forcibly breaking through these shackles that sealed everything away.
A black-red halo surrounded by countless runes continuously expanded outward, ultimately forming a gate.
This was the Sanctuary's response.
It was also the manifested will of that calamitous witch Aurora, forcefully answering his call.
"I originally thought it would happen later. Did my attack shattering the barrier weaken the seal on Aurora?"
Mahiro wore a contemplative expression as he carefully considered this, but his hand had already touched the magic circle.
In the blink of an eye, his entire being transformed into a beam of white light and vanished into the black-red gate.
"How could this be..."
Nelson murmured blankly, collapsing into his chair.
Everything today had exceeded his expectations.
First an unknown powerful figure suddenly appeared during the trial to screen potential candidates, and now even the Sanctuary's gate had gone out of control!
No, this couldn't continue any further!
"Now that the Sanctuary has responded, let's end the 'Goddess's Trial' here! For the safety of the audience, evacuate them in an orderly manner immediately. Don't let anyone approach that gate!"
Nelson quickly issued commands.
The crowd had already begun to be evacuated, but Rose and Alexia looked at the acting archbishop with incomprehension.
"Is this gate dangerous?"
"Yes, exactly. The Sanctuary changes the welcoming gate depending on who knocks. There are gates that don't welcome guests, gates that summon, gates that welcome... You only know what kind of gate it is after stepping inside."
Nelson gave an explanation that wasn't really an explanation.
So much so that Alexia still didn't understand what it meant.
"In that case, please everyone remain where you are and don't make any rash moves."
Just then, a voice as pleasant as silver bells came through.
Turning to look, they discovered a row of black-clad figures had appeared behind them at some point.
"You... could it be...?"
Rose slightly widened her eyes, pointing at the person at the front.
Because she recognized that person.
Among the members wearing black combat attire, only this woman wore what appeared to be a formal gown-like robe. Her golden long hair swayed gently, and she wore a mask over her face.
She elegantly walked toward the railing's edge.
However, when passing by Rose, she raised a finger to her lips, signaling her to remain quiet.
The oppressive aura she emitted made Alexia unconsciously feel fearful, her body trembling slightly.
Just like that time not long ago, when I was kidnapped and Yotsuba-sensei came to rescue me, battling that black-clad figure.
Though not as terrifying as that moment, this woman had clearly reached the level of those two!
Who exactly is she?
The successive emergence of powerful individuals had already made Alexia sense the abnormalities in this world.
"Epsilon, I'll leave the rest to you. Young ladies, be good now."
"Understood, Lady Alpha."
"Wait, don't enter the Sanctuary!"
The girl called Alpha ignored Nelson's shout, leaped over the railing, and disappeared beyond the glowing gate.
"So it really is you, Alpha... So that's how it is... So that's it..."
Rose murmured to herself, her eyes flickering slightly as if she had finally understood something.