NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 160
First move, “Chaos Blast.”
But it vanished before it could even reach Pandora.
Probably Pandora’s unique defensive magic using “Curse: Space” and “Calamity: Severance.”
Unlike last time, a serious defensive magic… Even though I’ve grown this much, it’s hard to gauge just how strong it is to block me.
Is there still something I’m lacking?
“Hmm… If it’s enough to make an impact, you’ve grown quite a bit, huh?”
“Who are you mocking?”
“No~. Well, it might seem like I’m mocking you.”
Next is Pandora’s attack.
Suddenly, my vision is filled with dark, dull, massive spheres densely packed together, and they pour down towards me.
Each one is an overwhelming mass that I immediately understand would be fatal upon impact.
I deflect them with my fully ramped-up light sword while closely observing Pandora’s movements.
If I can grasp the speed of her power, I can somewhat change the direction.
“…!”
Then comes an attack that severs space.
To launch such a bombardment while mixing in such a vicious technique is beyond ridiculous.
“Tch…”
I slightly move to the left to dodge the sphere coming straight at me and deflect it to the right.
While doing so, I check the empty spaces and move accordingly, deflecting the surrounding spheres as I go.
Then, I feel something being guided, so I hit a nearby sphere with a piercing “Chaos Blast” to make it explode and evade into the resulting space.
Simultaneously, the space where I originally was distorts in a strange manner.
I’m not sure exactly what kind of attack it is, but if I had been hit, I probably wouldn’t have been able to stand properly.
“Are you distorting space itself…?”
Looking closely at the composition of that attack, I can feel the particles physically distorting.
How strong do you have to be to create a technique of that level…? Wait, I’ve also broken dimensions, albeit partially, haven’t I?
Then, is it just a different method?
No, if I reverse the way I use my power, it should be possible.
Should I give it a try…?
First, set the spatial coordinates… and reverse the way I use my power… inward…
…Oh, it worked.
I successfully wrapped the sphere, distorted it, and destroyed it.
But… it doesn’t suit me well.
Rather, trying to use it might create an opening and get me hit.
Besides, forcing myself to use something I’m not familiar with is just foolish.
“……”
…By the way, there’s no sign of those spheres’ bombardment ending.
Probably, Pandora’s basic strategy is to keep them deployed while mixing in other techniques.
In that case, I’ll keep deflecting the spheres while evading the vicious techniques that occasionally fly in pinpoint accuracy to get closer to Pandora.
If I don’t take even one step forward like this, the fight won’t even be possible.
Just looking at her sitting there so calmly and watching… I can roughly tell.
Even though I’ve grown this much… still, ‘the gap is too wide.’
“Tch…”
Damn, now she’s even destroying space itself…
Just grazing it would tear my body apart.
On top of that, she layers curses on the space itself and moves coordinates to follow me like a ghost.
Having to deal with dozens of those moving irregularly is annoying.
Usually, such things have some unconscious regularity for efficient attacks, but this is completely pure randomness.
I’m really curious what kind of brain structure she has…
“Hmm… Still in the process of blooming…”
“What is?”
“If you don’t know, just die.”
Tch, suddenly she increased the density of her magic bombardment…
And she’s also cursing time to mess with my perception of speed.
Still, at this level, I can handle it with ease.
Keep focusing…
I’ll use [State of Extreme Focus] right away.
If I don’t, it’s obvious I won’t stand a chance.
“Phew…”
I keep deflecting the pouring spheres, and as soon as I notice the distortion in space from her space-destroying technique, I evade.
While dodging the space-severing technique, I use “Chaos Blast.”
…It seems possible to counter if I fire it properly.
In that case, I’ll handle the space-severing technique with “Chaos Blast.”
Even though it’s called severance, since it’s based on the image of cutting, there’s a distance and time difference from Pandora to me, so it’s not a problem.
If there were no time difference due to that distance, I would have had no choice but to evade.
Even so, if I weren’t at this level, I probably wouldn’t even recognize this difference.
At least I can handle it, I guess…
No matter how much I trained there, if this is all I can do, it’s a pathetic sight…
By the way, no matter how much I ramp up, I can’t steal anything.
As expected, Pandora is on a different level.
Still, I’m making progress bit by bit.
But even if I get close to Pandora, that’s not the end.
She clearly has plenty of leeway, and this might just be a preliminary skirmish.
If I get right in front of her, there’s a high probability she’ll show something else.
It wouldn’t make sense if she didn’t.
After making such a grand deal about trials and whatnot, it can’t just end like this.
“……”
Step by step… I approach while barely deflecting countless attacks.
While questioning Pandora’s words about still being in the process of blooming, I have to handle what needs to be done now.
I know this power is “Chaos,” but what exactly is still not blooming?
Honestly, I have no idea.
What did I miss? What did I forget?
Why did she say that?
…I can’t keep holding onto what I don’t know.
For now, I’ll continue the attack.
“Yawn~. This is meaningless, isn’t it?”
“Shut up.”
“I’ve been watching all along, and it’s always like this~. So, haven’t you heard a lot that it’s boring?”
“Whether you do or not, I don’t care.”
“Certainly… you’re the type not to care about such things~. But, boring is boring, right?”
While continuing this absurd bombardment, Pandora casually strikes up a conversation.
She seems to be trying to get on my nerves, annoyingly talking.
Since the gap is already this wide, it doesn’t seem like she’s trying to hinder me.
Then, is her goal purely to irritate me…?
What a nasty personality.
“By the way~… What is ‘Pandora’?”
“…What’s that?”
She keeps bothering me with talk, that one.
It’s terrifying how she can talk like that without any disruption in her assault.
…Well, that doesn’t mean I can afford to be distracted.
She can afford to be relaxed, but if I make a mistake, it’s a big deal.
I give minimal responses and allocate most of my thoughts to this side.
I’ve divided my thoughts like eating rice, so I can’t make a mistake with something like this.
“‘Curse,’ ‘Calamity’… You’ve probably heard of these, right?”
“Sure.”
“And this… there’s something else on the opposite side.”
Pandora… Honestly, I don’t know much about that side, so I have no idea what you’re talking about.
I know you’re currently bombarding me with absurd techniques mixing ‘Curse’ and ‘Calamity.’
But, there’s more?
Well, if you’re going to tell me more directly, I’m all for it.
“That is… ‘Curiosity,’ and ‘Hope.'”
“…What?”
“‘Curiosity’ is essentially ‘Curse,’ and ‘Curse’ brings ‘Calamity.’ And within that ‘Calamity’… ‘Hope’ never disappears, right?”
“So, what are you trying to say?”
“That is… you’ll find out soon♪”
Really, she’s being so annoying.
It seems like wordplay, but considering her personality, it’s probably not just a joke…
I have no idea what she’s trying to say, but don’t explain like that while so calmly continuing your attacks.
Well, so… does that mean ‘Calamity’ is you, and ‘Hope’ is me, or what?
…More importantly, is it about time?
Alright, I’ve successfully separated my emotions independently, and I’m fully ramping up my emotions…!
This should make fighting a bit easier.
My power has increased, and my movements and thought speed have quickened.
Emotions have no limit, and the more you burn them, the stronger you can become infinitely… but that’s just in theory.
It’s sad that as a living being, there’s a limit to how much emotion you can burn.
If that were truly possible… I would have already dealt with Pandora and more.
“……”
“…Oh? Hmm… That external technique alone deserves the highest praise? Amazing, amazing~.”
“Shut up and take this. ‘Chaos Blast’…!!”
“Too bad♪”
…This feeling, it feels good for some reason.
The fact that Pandora defended herself means… it was probably an effective attack.
Then I must create an opening… and use “Divine Demon Slash.”
If I do that, I can win, but the problem is how to create that opening… Honestly, I have no idea.
Hmm… Should I get closer and think about it?
But what if she suddenly hits me with a new technique there?
She looks so relaxed, is there any benefit to getting closer?
But if I don’t get closer, do I have any means to attack?
Still, if I have “Divine Demon Slash”… maybe the attack itself will work?
But that’s still an incomplete technique, and if I mess up, it’s a self-destructing technique…
Really, what should I do…!
“…If this is the case, I won’t be able to properly confirm, will I?”
“What is?”
She’s talking again, Pandora.
I have no idea why she’s so bored, I can’t stand her.
From start to finish, I don’t like her.
What is she trying to say this time?
“Alright, I’ll personally… give you a chance. From now on, I’ll go into close combat? Try pouring it all out.”
“…Don’t regret those words.”
“As you wish?”
…I never thought Pandora would offer close combat herself, offering her neck like that.
But… she must be confident to offer close combat.
I must not let my guard down.
“Hmm~… It’s better to use a sword, right? Same weapon would be~ boring♪”
“……”
“Usually, everyone gets really careless when it’s like this, but you’re not?”
“Of course, since my opponent is you. If you’re confident enough to take my attacks, only a fool would let their guard down.”
“Your mindset is excellent~.”
That aside, I need to check how skilled she is with a weapon.
For now, with the mindset of not getting hit, I’ll definitely evade her attacks…
“By the way, if you get hit… you’ll die?”
“……”
“Yah.”
“…!!”
Tch, the way she holds her weapon, the way she swings it, it’s all so clean.
Even though it’s a different type of weapon, it’s almost on par with me.
And that dark, unstable slash from her blade… what is that?
Just swinging it like that distorts space… what kind of monster is she, really…
“……”
This is going to be really tough…