Chapter 107 : Sacrifice & Resolution (Part 5)
His body was clad in two colors of aura, golden and red, which was a pretty weird and interesting sight to behold.
'A human, who is capable of creating two colored aura? Is that even possible?' Eindride spoke within his mind after he saw it with his own eyes
A person who capable of creating two auras, which also meant two life forces that were released in one body is something that shouldn't be laughed at as a ridiculous joke.
Because there's no way any being who capable to do that even human. But what Eindride saw, is about to change his mind towards this man.
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[Persona]
Active Skill
Duration : ????
Cooldown : ????
A skill that allows the user to switch their soul with another soul that lives within their body. Increasing +50% overall status for 10 minutes.
Penalty: Decrease -20% overall status for 1 hour
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A skill that manifested during his fight against his first boss monster that was going to attack his village and switching himself with Ray Houston, the soul who resided within him.
The golden aura came from Ray himself and the red aura came from Rei who is now not in the control of his body.
"You make such a mess in this body, Kiritsuka."
Ray spoke, seeing the body he switched with is in such a mess. From the injury on his left shoulder caused by the dragon's horn, and the burnt injuries on his body from that lightning and to top it off, he has no MP left and was clinging on to dear life with what's left of his HP.
'Sorry, I didn't know that monster had that kind of ability.' Rei replied.
'But you managed to injured one of its eyes, even I don't know if I am capable to injured it once.' Ray pointed out.
"But what more amazing is that you were able to handle this kind of pain for so long." Ray spoke as he could feel it throughout the body that he possessed.
'If it was a normal person, he would probably pass out immediately.' Ray thought and moved his gaze towards the enemy in front of him, 'we need to finish this up before it gets worse.'
'Kiritsuka, send me your experience.'
'You sure? It is gonna be hurt.'
'You sure asking me in this kind of situation?'
'Hm, true.' Then Rei immediately touched his back.
*SHUUSTH*
Ray immediately feel the memories of his, rushed into his brain. His fight between Jormungand from the first round until now, implanted into his mind.
'Ugh...damn, is this what you have been experiencing when I send you my memories? Talk about strong mental.' Ray grunted a bit, qhile he faced the Dragon.
[The Sky Dragon, Jormungand], who was proud that he was reborn to become a [Dragon] from the blessing of [The Demon God, Ars].
...is now injured on its left eye.
*You...who are you?*
Jormugand asked the same question, as if he saw something on the person who stood before him.
Ray immediately focusing his gaze towards the Dragon after getting Rei's battle experience.
"My purpose here is the same as he is...to defeat you and end this hopeless fight." Ray spoke while pointing his sword at the Dragon.
*Such arrogant words coming from a mere human after interrupting my sacred fight*
"Like I said, we are just switching side now."
*Is that so? Then do you think you can defeat me after you see what just happened?*
"If this was a moment ago, that would be the case...but now at this time and at this moment you will be facing twice the amount of our strength."
*You think you can fool me! Your body can barely hold out for much longer! Even though your strength has become twice stronger than before, it doesn't matter if one of my attacks hits you!*
Jormugand spoke, to think he managed to deduce all this with just analyzing him with his eyes.
'Crimson...what happened to you?' Eindride wondered while staring at his back.
"Eindride!" Ray spoke with a stern voice.
"Yes!" For some reason, Eindride answered him.
"This time focus on covering me...I will end this quickly." Ray spoke.
"Y-yes sir!" Eindride answered like he was his subordinate, and he realized he was using formalities. '...??? Did I just use formality towards him?'
*I told you...it's USELESS!! GRAAAA!!*
Jormungand roared
*BZZZTT* *BZZZTT*
His horn began to glow and filled with electricity before he shot the lightning towards them.
*BZZZTT* *ZAAPP* *ZAAPP*
Ray and Eindride immediately dodged the lightning attack. It scorched the trees underneath them as they were running around to avoid such an attack.
Jormugand didn't stop and instead, the lightning began to spread more and the attack slowly increased as time passed, Eindride who was told to covering Ray now, incapable to do that because he had to focus on dodging his attack.
But even so, what's confusing is that from the beginning until now...
None of the attacks reached Ray.
*SWOOSH* *ZAAPP*
As the lightning attack approached Ray, he immediately avoided it by moving his body aside with minimal movement.
*SWOOSH* *ZAAPP*
As another one came from behind, he would jump and do a backflip.
*SWOOSH* *ZAAPP*
When he landed, several lightning attacks came towards him in every direction.
As Jormugand thought he finally trapped him, Ray avoided it.
*...?!?*
*SLASH* *SWOOSH*
By using his sword that was clad in aura, he paved through one of the lightning attacks like he did before and dodged the entrapment.
Eindride could barely dodge the attack and saw him doing so without as much as breaking a sweat
*How are you able to do that?!*
Jormugand shouted in annoyance
But Ray didn't answer.
Even Rei who did the same thing as him was also confused, 'Yeah, how can we be able to do that?'
'Well you have been trying to imitate how I use [Aura] right?'
'Yeah...what about it?'
'Our [Aura] capacity is lower than average since we originally came from a [Production Type] of [Job].'
'My Master revised this technique for myself, a principle that might bend this world's rule.'
'And that is...?' Rei asked.
'[Mana Canceller] although it's not a skill just like [Flowing Strike], it is a technique where I put my will and image within the aura to cut through any attacks that use mana and apply them on my weapon.' Ray answered him.
'Wait–what?! Isn't that quite an overpowered technique?! But I never put my will or anything like what you said.'
'Of course not, but you who trained with me and learned aura through me made you unconsciously use the same principles that I have and apply it to yourself.' Ray explained.
'I mean we did exchange experiences to share our knowledge right.' Ray reminded him about it.
'Ah–I totally forgot.'
'Yes, and that is why you were able to cut through [Miasma] and [Lightning] attacks that came from [Mana]...although [Miasma] came from an [Impure Mana], it's still a form of [Mana].'
'That's also how you were able to cut through the [Magic] from that [Goblin Shaman] you killed long ago.' Ray explained.
'Though you were pretty badass on that part and managed to pave your way through with your bare hand.'
Rei felt embarrassed when he put it like that, but now he got the answer he had been looking for.
'But this technique has few flaws.'
'Flaw?'
'The first flaw is that you need a strong physical body to be able to do it, to add more strength to every swing you make, that is why I forced you to train your body diligently.' Ray explained.
'Since we had no time..the crucial flaw of all is that our aura capacity is still low...which is hard for us to maintain for so long, it's also why I didn't talk to you about it yet.'
'Because you might be too confident in yourself when you cut through everything and forget about your low aura capacity.' Ray explained.
Rei laughed awkwardly about that part, 'Ahaha...'
'Enough with the explanations, now–'
*BZZZTT*
The moment he stopped talking, a lightning attack came from above.
*ZAAPP*
But the attack was dodged by him. He moved his body aside and let the lightning fall and struck the trees underneath him.
*getting distracted on a battlefield is death wish*
Jormugand spoke as if he knew that Ray wasn't focusing on him at all.
"Hmph, I was just talking to myself." Ray replied.
*Heh–still thinking so arrogantly!*
*BZZZTT* *BZZZTT*
Jormungand immediately shot another lighting towards Ray.
And...
*ZAAPP* *BAAM*
He expected that he would cut through his lightning again, but it shocked Jormungand to see Ray deflecting his lightning by swinging his sword.
*?!?!*
A lightning has no weight and if someone was struck by it, it will immediately injure that person.
But Ray simply swept that lighting away with his sword.
"Are you done?" When Ray asked that question, the atmosphere around him changed. He became much more serious."
Jormungand didn't move from his spot, just silently observing him.
After that, Ray decided to put his shield back to his [Inventory], then his bow as well.
Leaving him nothing but his black sword.
*Human, have you forsaken your hope? To think you would put your shield away like that.*
Jormugand commented on his weird behavior.
"No, this is not a desperate action...this is resolution, I shall defeat you only with this sword since the shield getting in my way, I am not familiar with it." Ray spoke while raising his sword at him.
"But a proud Dragon like you should know that...it would be a shameful act for a Dragon to fight a defenseless human who couldn't fight in the sky." Ray spoke in mockery.
Jormugand took that as an offense and at the same time, he laughed.
*GAHAHAHAHA! You certainly have a way with words. As expected...despite being different, you are still the same person from before.*
*I see I see...indeed that would be rude of me to fight against you in this kind of disadvantage, as a Dragon myself that would be a shameful act.* Jormugand agreed.
*Then? If I go down...how are we gonna finish this? I cannot fight against someone who is exhausted like you and covered with injuries...it would insult me more to finish the fight like this.*
Ray nodded, "In that case, I have a proposal...how about we finish this with our strongest attack."
*Strongest attack?*
"Yeah...that is the only way to prove that your action wasn't shameful, because your opponent is doing his best to fight against you."
"This will be your lore, your experience of fighting against a human like myself, and soon people will know that...[The Sky Dragon, Jormungand] fought against a human that he deemed to be the strongest."
"What do you say?~" Ray smiled, giving the dragon a tempting offer that could conclude this fight and also a means to determine who's the strongest between them.
*Kukuku...KUHAHAHAHA!!!*
And that pleased Jormungand.
*I was wondering why you stopped the fight and talked this much, but to think you would propose such an extravagant plan.*
*But I love it, that is true...a story of us, a fight between a Dragon and a Human...it sounds like the book I read.*
*Then I shall accept the challenge.*
*BZZZTTT* *BZZZTTT*
As he spoke, his horn started to glow and was surrounded with electricity that spread around him.
And Ray could see what was in front of him.
*This will be your last stand, human–no, tell me...what's your name.*
Ray immediately gripped his sword and raised his sword.
*CLINK*
"Our name is...Crimson."
"But that is only our alias...our real name are...
"Ray Houston."
"and Kiritsuka Rei....that's our name!"
Right after they introduced themselves, their different colored eyes began to glowed brightly along with their mixed aura spiked up.
"We are going to defeat you once and for all."
Jormungand was happy to hear his name as the lightning around him slowly getting stronger and violently.
*Very well!*
Then they began...
"[Hell Flame]." Ray and Rei spoke the name of the skill at the same time, and his body began to be surrounded with a black flame which enveloped him.
Afterwards…
*SWOOSH*
This black flame was sucked into the sword he was holding, swirling around on his sword and finally...
'Condensed it, concentrated it.' The two of them controlled the flame on the sword they were holding.
The black flame would begin to heat up even more, causing the skin of his right hand that was holding the sword began to get burned from inside his glove.
He steady his breathing, enduring the pain caused by this black flame as it slowly grew even stronger.
And for holding this flame, his HP began to reduce bit by bit, not only that the flame spread out through his right arm and completely burned it.
Eindride was there, silently watched Ray successfully negotiate with the Dragon to fight with their best attack.
He didn't understand what happened but he heard the name of the human he was watching now.
"This is..."
A Human and Dragon facing each other face to face, preparing to use their strongest attack. What a sight to behold.
Ray and Rei were clad in their black flame that completely covered his right arm with it.
Jormungand on the other hand, surrounded himself with his own lightning as he opened his mouth widely, sucking in the air and the lightning through his mouth.
However, something occurred
[Notice!]
[Skill "Imitation Fire Sword" has begun to change.]
Ray and Rei widened their eyes at the sudden appearance of the hologram board in front of their face.
[You have acquired a new skill, proceed to name the skill now.]
[ |____ ]
But the timing was off, Jormungand already prepared his attack soon.
And the pain on his right arm still went on.
'Ughh...it hurts...' Ray winced as his face began to sweat, but his skill [Pain Resistance] managed to hold on to the pain for a bit longer.
'Kiritsuka, name it.' Ray suggested.
'Me?? Wait–this is just so sudden!–'
'We don't have much time...that monster will finish his attack first! and if you named the skill, it will respond to our current situation now!' Ray spoke as Jormugand was still absorbing the air and the lightning into his mouth.
Rei hesitated of course, since he couldn't come up with a good name.
'Black flame...Hell flame...a flame that can burn everything...ashes....??!!' until he was reminded of something from his homeland.
'[Kagutsuchi].' A name from a certain God from his homeland, Japan.
'Skill name...[Magic Sword: Kagutsuchi no Ken]!'
And right at that moment, the name was added into his skill list.
[Notice!]
[You acquired skill "Magic Sword: Kagutsuchi no Ken"]
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[Magic Sword : Kagutsuchi no Ken]
Active Skill
MP Cost: 200
Cooldown: 60 sec.
Maintain the skill: -20 MP/1 sec.
A fire magic sword whose name is based on the lore of a certain God from the east. The user can use any kind of fire to create this magic sword that can cut through anything and burn anything into nothing but ashes, as long as the user stays focused.
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When the name of the skill was enlisted, the skill responded to him.
*SWOOSH*
As the black flame began to enveloped his sword, slowly molded into something, something sharper, more solid like a proper sword–no, a magic sword made out of this black flame.
Eindride saw that and widened his eyes in awe, "Woah...now that I think of it, is he...a [Magic Swordsman]." He was reminded of what he did before, when he killed Jormungand with his sword enveloped in fire.
For Eindride that skill wasn't a proper magic sword because the real magic took the shape of a sword made out of the element they are affiliated with.
Now seeing this, Eindride concluded that this person who he saw now is about to make a new history within this Elf kingdom.
'[Magic Sword: Kagutsuchi no Ken]...what a great name.' Ray mumbled with a smile, as he ignored the pain he received through the black flame enveloping his whole arm.
He raised his sword.
Jormungand saw that black flame, and immediately knew the danger he was about to face.
*That flame...*
Jormugand knew it was dangerous, ever since Rei was about to use that skill he immediately got interrupted by his quick reaction.
But now, that black flame felt ominous and could be considered as something that shouldn't exist in this world.
But the dragon couldn't go back, he must face this human who responded to Ray's strong feelings to defeat the Dragon.
*I, The Sky Dragon, Jormungand! Thank you for being my first opponent!*
Jormugand rejoiced, instead of hatred after being killed by this human, he was happy to become a Dragon he had admired for a very long time.
*Strike me with all you got! Unknown Knight!!*
Jormugand called him [Knight], to which he responded with a smile.
"Heh." Ray held his sword with two hands and lifted the sword up.
"Then...bring it on, Sky Dragon! Shoot me with all you got!"
As they spoke, the force between the two of them slowly grew even stronger and more violent.
Jormungand, who kept on absorbing the air and lightning, also blew away some of the trees around him.
Meanwhile, Ray, who's still holding the black flame sword, burned everything that it touched.
Afterwards...
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*ZWONGGG*
Jormungand released his attack first, shooting out his breath which is a condensed air filled with violent lightning within it.
*SWOOSH*
And it slowly approached Ray.
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.
Ray took a deep breath, and slowly released it while he closed his eyes while Rei helped him to control and maintain the magic sword.
Ray recalled his experience that he always did, the rigorous training where he swung his sword non-stop every day, hoping his sword could protect someone in need.
Along with the guidance of his Master, the memories of his past life as a [Blacksmith], as a [Wanderer] who traveled without aim.
He held his sword as he faced the mighty breath of the Dragon in front of him.
When he opened his eyes, he found the answer.
At that moment...
[Notice!]
A new skill shows up...
[You acquired a new skill!].
And that name was...
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"[Sword Art: Sky Decapitation]."
The first original skill that he ever created...
*SHINGGGG*
At high speed, Ray swung his sword vertically down in a straight line.
After that, silence came over like a wave.
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*SLASH*
When he performed that swing, a large shockwave was formed from his sword.
It immediately cut the breath in half, paved away a path and moved towards Jormungand's direction.
*SHINGGGGGG*
The black flame soared into the sky...
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.
Then...
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It cut down the mighty Sky Dragon.
His large body that's covered with a strong indestructible scale…
Was cut through.
Jormungand couldn't even respond to it that his body got cut right on the middle part and the only thing that he noticed was...
That his body started to fall down from the sky.
Not only that, the trees that surrounded behind him were destroyed from the shockwave, as the black flame continued to fly towards the sky.
Until it met with the cloud above them and then…
*SWOOSH*
It rend the sky in half
And that fits his skill name,
[Sword Art : Sky Decapitation].
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[Sword Arts: Sky Decapitation]
Active Skill
MP Cost: 300
Cooldown: 180 sec.
The peak and original skill of sword arts, created by none other than Ray Houston who passed his limits and it's the fruits of his hard work from the past years up until now. The user swings his sword, and is capable of cutting through the sky itself.
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The skill that Ray Houston created on his own by passing his own limit.
[The Sky Dragon, Jormungand] finally had fallen down by this human, the Dragon couldn't even respond to his final attack.
But only Eindride who saw it all, as he was the only spectators there.
The light that will protect this world, who wasn't even a Hero or anything like that.
He's just a [Knight] who vowed to protect his loved one.
His name was Crimson.
a.k.a Ray Houston and Kiritsuka Rei.
"Crimson...you did it." Eindride mumbled as he went to approach him.
*SWOOSH*
The black flame dissipated, and it revealed a scorched black skin underneath as his body fell to the trees with his face looking up at the sky that was cut in half by his sword along with multiple [Notice] that showed up.
[Notice!]
[You leveled up!]
[You leveled up!]
[You leveled up!]
[You leveled up!]
[You leveled up!]
[You leveled up!]
[You leveled up!]
[You leveled up!]
[You leveled up!]....
Ray smiled upon seeing it, satisfied with the result.
'So...this is how you felt when you saw this huh Kiritsuka.' Ray spoke.
'Yeah...' Rei replied.
"Heh, it is pretty annoying." Ray spoke as the notice continued to spam him right in front of his face.
Finally, the Quest is over.
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*RING* *RING*
"It's an emergency! The Elf Kingdom, Viorgrand!"
"Have been attacked by some unknown enemy!"
To be continue…