Kouki was. Desperately trying to break out of the restraints even as his body creaked as his anger was at his boiling point. He had thought that Kaori had been killed and seems to have lost himself. The cracks on the 5 magic sealing shackles began to gradually grow larger. It was extraordinary strength. However, it was still not enough to be released from the knight’s restraints.
Then, as Hiyama relaxed as he saw that, a low muttered voice could be heard in his ear. If you looked, it was Kaori who was muttering even after receiving a fatal wound. Hiyama became anxious and brought his ear closer to her mouth. And what he heard was……
[-----------at...the...end of….the...year, I...smile…”Sacred...Text”]
Even with a mortal wound, she completed the first-class magic. Kaori’s magic was casted through will power. Hiyama’s eyes were opened wide in astonishment.
Kaori herself should have realized that a fatal wound was inflicted onto her. Despite it all, till the last breath what she muttered were not cries of lament, nor calling out the name of a precious person…..she decided to fight.
Kaori had thought about it. He, the person who she fell for, no matter the situation and no matter the opponent, he fought without giving up. If so then, she who wished to stand next to him could not expose such ungracefulness. And with barely any consciousness left, with just her strong desires to finish chanting the magic, it has definitely been completed in exchange for her life.
Ripples of light began to spread out from Kaori. In the blink of an eye it ran throughout the plaza and resulted as a powerful heal for those that were injured. The swords were being pushed out by the healing light. For some reason the puppet’s movements also became more dull.
Naturally, the light of healing also affected Kaori, though the wound was being healed, the injury that Kaori received was through a vital place unlike the others. Moreover, as the wound was closing up Hiyama frantically gouged into her wound and she wasn’t healed at all. With that, Kaori was certain to die.
[Ahhhhhhh!!]
Kouki’s scream gushed out.
With his body healed he could perform at his best, with that the shackles that were already cracked were all destroyed as if they were fragile things. At the same time, pure-white light radiated intensely from his body, expressing his anger. With the intense torrent of light, Kouki had raised his stats by a magnitude of 5. It was the final derivation of “Limit Breakthrough”, “Supremacy Dispersal”.
[I’ll never…..forgive you guys!]
Although the knights were trying to restrain Kouki, Kouki easily snatches the sword of the knight which stabbed him and easily cut the puppet into two. Then, held out his hand to retrieve his sacred sword which was taken from him, the sacred sword rotated throughout the air and flew into Kouki’s hand.
Eri was expressionless, puppet soldiers were rushing at him but Kouki easily cut them into two. He shouldn’t be able to overcome the feelings of murder. However, right now with the intense fury of losing a comrade, he recognized that his opponents were already dead so there was no hesitation in his sword.
On the other hand, the front-lines group gathered around the other classmates and the fight to protect the stay-behind group began. No matter how many they took down they were still surrounded once again by puppet soldiers, there was also no time to remove the magic sealing shackles so their fight was based purely on physical strength. Ryutaro and Nagayama literally became a meat wall, they desperately tried to protect the stay-behind group which were trembling.
Shizuku desperately attempted to get to Kaori’s place with a tearful expression. However, just like Ryutaro and them she was still in shackles, waves of puppet soldiers attacked and she wasn’t able to easily advance ahead.
At that time, Kouki had finally beaten the puppet soldiers which surrounded him. With an angered look, Kouki glared angrily at Hiyama and Eri and quickly advanced.
But, there, Eri’s trump card which took advantage of Kouki’s weak point appeared. As a result, just as Eri predicted, Kouki’s sword stopped.
Kouki called out towards that trump card in a shaking voice.
[It, it can’t be…..even...Meld-san…..]
Right, the reason why Kouki’s sword stopped in its place was because it was Meld Roginsu, leader of the knights.
[......Kouki...why, are you pointing your sword at me...I didn’t teach you such things...]
[Na~...Meld-san…..I]
[Kouki! Don’t listen! Meld-san has already-!]
Shizuku’s voice scolded at Kouki who was shaken. When he regained his senses, Meld’s sword was already approaching. Immediately he used his sacred sword to receive the blow. Along with the terrific shockwave, Kouki legs shook*probably wrong but I think it’s somewhat close? 光輝の足元に亀裂が走った*. It appears that the kingdom’s strongest knight has had his limiter removed.
[......Meld-san…...I’m sorry!]
Although Kouki’s expression twisted in sorrow, he swung his sacred sword in intense waves towards Meld. Even while dead, Meld’s swordsmanship was still great, he barely managed to get by Kouki’s attacks while he used “Supremacy Dispersal”. Because of Meld’s appearance, Kouki’s boiling head had cooled down a little, his sword attacks which ignored feelings of murder began to dull. However, even still Meld shouldn’t be able to beat the current Kouki, finally Meld’s sword was flung away.
Kouki instantly closed in and side swept at Meld’s neck with his sacred sword.
But, before the sacred sword dug into Meld’s neck,
[........Help me…..Kouki]
[~!?]
Kouki’s sword stopped unintentionally after hearing Meld’s words. Even though it might be impossible, maybe, Meld might not have actually been killed and is only being manipulated? Isn’t it still possible to help him? He was unable to throw away such thoughts.
This was Kouki’s weak point. In short, it was half-heartedness. If you’re going to help, then help. If you’re going to kill, then kill. You can choose either one but resolution and determination are needed. Kouki had none of that. Based on the information presented to him, a convenient interpretation of the situation occured. That’s why, though he usually doesn’t doubt his righteousness, he loses himself at the most crucial times.
Meld used his foot to bounce up the knights sword which was on the ground. In an instant with the hand which gripped the sword, he once again crossed swords with Kouki. However, Kouki didn’t have the overwhelming drive from awhile ago, rather Meld was the one who was pushing.
[~!? Gaha~!]
After somehow managing through Meld’s attacks, Kouki’s body lost its strength and his knees gave out. It was not due to the time limit of “Supremacy Dispersal”. That much time hasn’t passed by yet. The incident didn’t stop with just that, finally he even began to vomit out loads of blood. The blood soaked into the ground and Kouki’s confusion increased greatly.
[Fuu~, it’s finally kicking in. It was quite the strong poison….as expected of Kouki-san. If I didn’t prepare Meld-san I would have lost]