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My, Takao Hijiriâs, Inherent Skillââââ- .
This skill can be mixed with other attributes.
It was possible for me to use it as a composite attribute.
But knowing that this skill was as suchââââ A question popped within my mind.
Why is it that the base-element was designated as Wind?
After Iâve finally evolved my Inherent Skill, I could finally understand why.
The names of our skills were mainly based on the games of our former world.
However, the name âGungnirâ is so widely-known that even those who donât play games know about it.
It is the name of the famous spear held by a Supreme Deity of Norse mythology.
Odin, the Supreme Deity of Norse Mythology, is also known as the âGod of Windâ.
From âââ- to .
This was the main reason why the main attribute of the skill was Wind.
It can be said that its evolution explained the acquisition of such an Inherent Skill.
The ability of is quite simple.
Itâs the ability to shoot out a super-powerful energy spear.
Itâs a skill that specializes in attacking with a strike raised to its very limits.
Was it because she had been busy?
Or perhaps, she had been lazy due to arrogance?
Either way, recently, the Goddess had neglected to check the status of the Heroes.
Does she even know about the evolution of Ayakaâs ?
Especially lately, I felt that sheâs fully trusting of me.
Perhaps, thatâs why she was completely indifferent to checking my status these days.
Henceâââ- is an evolved skill that the Goddess knows nothing about.
And thus, the Goddess......
â½
..............ââââ-Shuuuuuuuuuuuu......................
[Why...... are you...... humansââ- just like this......]
Because of my Inherent Skill ......
The right half of her body was blown away.
It penetrated through her body.
The Goddessâ apparently cancels out all abilities within the Abnormal State system.
But just as I had expectedââââ Abilities within the Attack system went through.
However, the Goddess somehow managed to evade it just in time.
She probably exerted all the strength she mustered.
And thusâââ- my skill didnât manage to obliterate her whole body.
On the right half of her body......
Numerous tentacles resembling worms were crawling around.
She was probably trying to heal her body.
However, her healing speed was slow.
This was probably because of the influence of the Tyrantâs Miasma.
The Goddess was sweating all over whatâs left of her body.
Her face was also covered in sweat.
The flesh on the right half of her face was exposed.
Her eyeballs, no longer protected within its lid, were also nearly exposed.
However, the left half of her face and mouthâââ-
It was still smiling.
Whether she had been cornered or not......
I couldnât tell at all.
[Hijiri-san...... Why do this? You do...... want to go back...... to your former worlderâââ-]
[ ]
Swirling with the whirlwind, a great flame rose.
As if to burn her to ashes, flames rushed over towards the Goddess.
Because of the skillâs description, couldnât be released repeatedly.
I need some time before I can use it again.
The right half of the Goddessâ body was bathed in flames.
I could see that she wasnât able to evade it this time.
Because of the influence of the Tyrantâs Miasma, she wasnât able to move much.
Not waiting for a moment, I continued to slash her with a sword.
The Goddess jumped backwards.
Once again, I felt like she had mustered all the strength she had left.
Behind the Goddessââ- are railings......
We are currently in the second floorâs hallway.
On the other side of those railings was a spacious area on the first floor.
To put it simply, the area behind her was an atrium.
From the railing of the second floor hallway, you can look down on the first floor.
The reverse is also true.
If you look up from that area on the first floor, you would normally be able to exchange conversation with someone near the second floor railings.
Leaping away from my strikeâââ
The Goddess fell over the railings.
She leapt towards the first floor.
Sheâs trying to escape huh.
Accelerating with my , I didnât hesitate to pursue her.
Stepping up the railings with one foot, I looked down towards the atrium......
[ââââââââ]
But she isnât there.
Even though she should have jumped over the railings......
Within the atriumâââ- The Goddess isnât there.
From the way she was earlier, it doesnât seem like sheâs able to move much.
No, thatâs not it......
While the flames also started consuming the left half of the Goddessâ body......
[.........................]
She quickly took âsomethingâ out of her pocket and swallowed it.
Iâm pretty sure I saw such a thing at that moment.
And then......
[ââââââ-]
As I descended down to the first floor, I noticed it.
Right below the second floor hallway......
Looking at it from the first floor though, it was on the ceiling, directly below the second floor hallway......
Thereupon......
The Goddess is sticking on the ceiling, upside down.
The way she sticks to the wall defies gravity.
Just like a bug sticking to a slippery wall.
Sheâs still sweating profuselyâââ-
ââ-but her body is regenerating.
Her skin has not yet fully formed.
However, the bones in her limbs had already finished regenerating.
Moreover......
Her eyes......
The scleras in her golden eyes had all turned black.
For a moment, something like golden webs seemed to appear in her black scleras.
However, the golden web disappeared immediately.
It was like the slow flicker of a traffic light......
Then once againâââ her eyes turned completely black.
[Itâs utterly...... Utterly stupid. Ahh, however...... For me to have used âthisâ here. Yeah, I really didnât expect this, you know, Hiâ jiâ riâ san? It was quite the unexpectedly unexpected incident, ara ara fufu ⪠Unnn? Ufufu...... Humanâââ-]
Looking at me, the white goddess with black eyes smiled.
[You mere human......]
Not waiting for her to speak anymore, I shot a vortex of flames at the Goddess stuck to the ceiling.
In response though, the Goddess leaped away from the ceiling.
Just like a cockroach flying away from a thrown slipper......
The Goddess landed on the floor in front of the stairs leading from the atrium to the second floor.
There was a crimson carpet in front of the stairs.
The staircase behind the Goddess was also divided into the left and right.
On the wall at the end of the stairs behind herââââ
A huge portrait is hanging on the wall......
It was a portrait of the Goddess Vysis.
The Goddess in the portrait seems to radiate purity.
And now, the Goddess before me who couldnât possibly be the same person as the one in the portraitâââ- turned to face me.
[Now then, I wonder what in the world is happening here? For you to betray me at this moment, I truly wonder what youâre doing here? Ahh~~ ahh~~...... Youâre the only one I really trusted, you know? You see, humans are so quick to betray others...... that it hurts my head, trying to understand them! Ahh, Iâm really pitiful...... Ahhhh! Hijiri-san, you went and did it! Ahhhh, I donât know! I donât know anymore!]
With her voice slurring, she continued.
It seems sheâs finding it difficult to speak just now.
Yes, sheâs finding it difficult in a clearly different way from earlier......
I observed her closer.
Those tentacles healing herâââ- Theyâre still working around on her body.
Itâs not just the speed of her recovery thatâs visibly increased.
She was also now able to move like normal.
The current state of the Goddess......
Iâm pretty sure it was that âblack ballâ she had swallowed at that time.
That Black Ball was completely beyond my calculations.
I didnât think that the Goddess had such an ability-enhancing measure hidden.
Perhaps, seeing her weakened state, I may have been too hasty in judging that âshe didnât have one of such thingsâ.
However......
[..............................]
Is the Goddess actually more cornered than she seems?
I pondered.
Looking at how the Goddess currently is......
And how her sweating still hasnât stopped.
Compared to earlier, the Goddess certainly moves a lot more.
But still, the Tyrantâs Miasma should be greatly influencing her.
Looking at her like now, thatâs the way I see it.
The direction in which the Goddess jumped just a moment ago......
It may have been just be my imaginationââââ
ââbut I think she had jumped in the opposite direction of where the Great Demon Emperor was.
Just before jumping, the Goddess checked it once.
âTo which direction is the Tyrantâs Miasma being released from......â
I didnât overlook the glimpse the Goddess did earlier.
I guess she really would want to get as far away from the Tyrantâs Miasma as possible huh?
In other words, even if her power is increased, she still feels adverse to the Tyrantâs Miasma?
The Goddess still had that smile on her face.
She seemed relaxed, acting all calm and composed.
However, Iâm starting to think that that was just a bluff.
Itâs possible that she is waiting for her body to completely recover.
Seeing this situation, I ponderedâââ-
Should I continue my pursuit or not?
At that moment, I asked one question.
[Right now...... I wonder if you were driven to the corner?]
[Ara? Oya oya? Youâve been quiet for so long, and now youâre suddenly talking to me!? I wonder what wind brought this on? Y- You sure like looking only at your own circumstances, eh!?]
[..........................]
[Iâll ask you this again! Why did you do something this foolish!? Thatâs cruel! Extremely cruel!]
[That Black Ball you swallowed just after you escaped from my skill...... I wonder how many of those you still have?]
Snap!
The Goddess blinked once.
Thereupon, her black eyes returned to how it used to be.
Howeverââââ The intimidation she released around her body remained the same.
[Ah. ...... Ahhh! I see now......]
Her eyes focused on me, the Goddess slightly tilted her head.
[ââââââââ-You saw through the lie huh?]
She saw through it huh.
Well, I might have been a bit too obvious.
Thereupon, the Goddess clasped her hands togetherâââ one arm only made of bone, not fully regenerated yet.
[I thought it was strange...... You had been trying to silently kill me earlier, but then, youâre suddenly talking to me. I thought that was quite creepy of you...... but then, I understood! It was at that time huh! You know, when you came to my room quite a while ago...... Merrily asking whether you could really go back to your former world or not...... You must have made some sort of âmisunderstandingâ at that time, right? How cruel...... Thinking you understood the truth at the moment, not even discussing it with me, one-sidedly calling me a liarââââ And now, trying to kill me! Uuuuu...... Egghh, this is just too cruel.]
The Goddessâ eyes became arcs.
[Errrââââ Do you not want to go home?]
[From what Iâve read, youâre not the only deity existing in the world.]
[Ahhâ- I see, I see! You thought that if you killed me, they would just send a replacement deity in my place!? Ahh, I see! I see now, so thatâs how it is! Youâre hoping for the existence of a deity that you could easily talk to, eh!? Even though you donât know if it exists!?]
[................................]
Iâve successfully deceived.
A way back other than relying on the Goddess.
I wasnât thinking of relying on some other Gods just like what the Goddess was thinking right now.
I found a more reliable method than relying on beings like the Goddess.
As I had expected, she misunderstood.
[Ahh, buuuuuut...... How unfortunate⪠You failed to kill meâª]
Even with her taunts, I continued to observe.
[......Now then. Why was it that I was able to avoid it just in time? When you were lending me your shoulder, for a brief moment...... Ufufu...... You were tempted to go in the opposite direction of where I was pointing, werenât you? This is what you thought, isnât it? That perhaps......
âWouldnât it be better to take the one step closer to the Tyrantâs Miasma and weaken me even a little bit, so that you can have a better chance of killing me?â
ââor something like that?]
It was indeed as she said.
[However, it was only a slight hesitation that you bore within your mind....... For if you had tried to approach the Tyrantâs Miasma, you were afraid that youâd be unable to catch me off guard. However...... What a shame⪠When such a flicker of indecision flashed in your mind, I was already suspicious of you...... so you were only able to âblow awayâ half of my body! Donât underestimate a God.]
[.................................]
[Ufufu. That skill of yours...... You canât just shoot it again, right? You would need to give it at least some time before you can fight againââââ After all, you arenât using it in a situation like this âwhere you would normally have used it alreadyâ⪠Ufufufu, whatâs with that wind and fire skills you used after that ? Are you really trying to kill me? Ummm...... A- Are you alright? Are you still sane?]
At this time, I had reached a hypothesis.
However, itâs only a mere hypothesis.
[Ufufu...... You sure are unlikable, arenât youâª? Not only did you fail to kill me, Iâm even quickly regaining my power...... but I donât like the fact that your expression isnât changing at all! Hijiri-san, why canât you be more like Sogou-san!? Be more surprised, be more desperate, otherwise, this would feel really disappointing!]
Not minding her wordsââââ- I leapt forward, trying to gain the initiative.
Using the power of on my feet, I draw near the Goddess.
Even though she seemed to be relaxed, the Goddess still took her stance.
Flooosh
Black veins appeared and started coiling around the Goddessâ unharmed left arm.
Her left arm transformed.
It looked just like those tentacle scythes of the Great Demon Emperor.
But not minding it, I didnât stop my steps.
The Goddessâââ- completely readies her stance.
[âââââââââYouâre coming huh, Hijiri Takao?]
I approached the bosom of the Goddess.
Thereupon, I brandished my sword towards her.
Klaaang!
The tentacle scythe that was attacking me was knocked away.
[Ara!? You deflected the superb power of my strike huh!? Ara ara! Youâre quite good, Hijiri-san! Howeverâââ-]
Just like a blooming flower, the Goddessâs arm cracked open.
It seems like her left arm is undergoing another transformation.
On her left arm, two more tentacle sickles appeared.
Snap!
The Goddess blinked.
Her eyes turned completely black again.
Thereupon, with another blinkâââ- her eyes returned to normal.
[This ends it.]
Wind pressure suddenly surged.
A tropical storm occurred.
The sudden outbreak of a storm wouldnât have been something she had ever expected.
Dohyuuu!
With the surge of the wind pressureâââ
The two new tentacles scythes the Goddess generated were blown behind her.
[ ! ]
Shwiiiing!
The blade of my long sword cut through the flesh of the right half of the Goddessâ body.
As if Iâm wielding the storm, my sword became clad in turbulent winds.
Thus, my attack range is also rather wide.
In some cases, intentionally aiming for a spot that would usually just scrape off the enemy could lead you to dealing the winning strike.
And thereâââ-
The area near the Goddessâ head, which was about to regenerate, was taken away.
[.................âââ-Youâve done it, Hijiri-san.]
Without a momentâs hesitation, I continued to strike her with my sword.
However, two tentacle scythes received my strike and intercepted it.
Taking advantage of our clash, the Goddess jumps back and takes distance.
Seeing through her actionâââ-
[ââââ ââââ]
I chose to pursue with my attacks.
Crack! Crackâââ Crack crack!
Lumps of ice successively exploded.
[This is...... my visibility huh......?]
The ice that my skill created.
The force of my wind crushed them into small pieces and âdispersedââthem into the surrounding area.
Forming what seemed to be a cloud of ice around usââââ It concealed our field of vision.
The clear sound of slashing wind resounded.
Zasshhuu!
This time, the Goddessâ left arm that had generated the tentacle scythesââââ
It has been severed off her torso by my blade.
As I smoothly moved for my next attack......
[Meanwhile, you sure like talking too much.]
From the state the Goddess has been in before......
I think the long-winded chatter sheâs making today was probably to stall for time.
If thatâs the case though, why was she stalling for time?
From what I surmised though......
Itâs because if she doesnât regenerate more, she wonât be able to properly exhibit her power.
In other words, in her current stateââââ I still had a chance to win.
This decision was close to a gamble, but it was one I chose to take.
There was one more fortunate thing I had discovered......
Normal sword strikes work against her.
The Goddess after swallowing that Black Ball......
In normal circumstances, she probably would have had power beyond my reach.
However, while sheâs âunder the influence of the Tyrantâs Miasmaâââââ
If sheâs in a weakened state, where her actions were limited, perhaps......
The severed left arm of the Goddess......
Thud!
It fell to the ground.
[Iâll make sure to get rid of you here.]
[You f*cking brat.]
Time Limitââââââ 1 hour.