Chapter 414 – Nihilism

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As Galatea regains her consciousness, Cleon, like Amelia, has gained the sense that blindness does not exist.

The magic sword’s senses are superior to that of humans, and although there is no such thing as sight, it can look around with spiritual eyes.

It is possible that Cleon is densely surrounded by very thin threads of magical power, and it is possible to grasp the identity of the object touched by the thread and immediately pass it on to Cleon.

In other words, it is a radar system exclusively for Cleon.

Amelia may have realized from the previous engagement that fighting Cleon in close combat is too disadvantageous, so she uses her own mobility to widen her distance.

And, whenever the flower of the black crystal sparkles, the slashes mixed with the magical power of the wind and the black crystal take shape and fly towards Cleon.

Cleon repeatedly knocks it off with the help of Galatea, and he peeks at her timing to close the distance her with her bit by bit.

[He spends a lot of mana to the point of being annoying. …That crystal flower doesn’t look like it has that much power… Is it drawing magic from somewhere?]

After such meaningless battles of nerves were repeated over and over again, Galatea seemed fed up and said so.

The lines of invisible magic that she could see clearly confirmed Amelia’s body her connected to the Black Crystal.

At the same time, she didn’t even have time to focus her mind to figure out where her magic passage her that extended to the ground was headed.

Thud! As the dust rises once again, Cleon’s body leans back and gazes at the black crystal guillotine that has fallen from above his head.

The shape of the magic armor that covered his body almost collapsed at the moment.

The reason was that the supply of magic power was momentarily short.

As expected, if you tried to match the output of an opponent with near-infinite magical power, it was only natural that the relatively ordinary Cleon’s magical power would run out first.

Cleon, who naturally clicks his tongue, and Galatea, who changes his mind while looking at it.

[What do you want to do? Even if time drags on like this, nothing will change. Here, using a means to secure Amelia is…]

[…Is there? That way.]

At Cleon’s question, Galatea shuts her mouth for a moment before speaking.

[What. I knew it, but she thought Amelia wasn’t using her because she didn’t want to get hurt. Was she not noticing?]

At Galatea’s disbelief voice, Cleon looks down at Galatea and cannot answer for a moment.

[Cleon! Front!]

In the next moment, huge black crystal spears flying in from the front rained down like Layla’s magic.

[Don’t take it with the magic barrier! If you block all of that sheep with magic, you won’t have the magic to fight after that!]

“Kuh, I can’t help it…!”

At Galatea’s words, Cleon quickly creates a sword made of black magic with Galatea and the other hand.

Holding a sword in each of his hands, he swiftly swung his arms away from the spears on the trajectory that were about to hit him.

Cleon’s weapons and spears clash, bang! Every time an explosion sounds, fragments fly in all directions.

The speed at which the sword was swung was so fast that the afterimage of the sword seemed to create a barrier.

However, even so, a person can’t pour all the rainwater that pours on himself with his hands and arms.

As if his shoulders were getting wet, the spears of the black crystal passed by Cleon’s shoulders or ankles.

Those spears gnaw through the armor made of Cleon’s magical power, and pierce through the skin at the same time.

Kwajik! When I heard the sound, I could tell that blood was seeping into the ground.

However, Amelia, who was producing this amount, also seemed to have no choice but to stand still and concentrate on controlling her magic power her, so she did not run straight to Cleon.

Like that, as if the concentrated fire of one archer corps was slowly ending, Cleon could barely defend himself in the rising dust.

“Kuh, ha ha…”

Cleon let out a sigh, destroyed the weapon he had made in his hand his, and looked at Amelia while holding Galatea.

As for Amelia, her attack her just before her had been quite exhausting, so she supported herself with her scythe, breathed heavily, lowered her head, and looked down at her land her.

It would have been a way to think that now was an opportunity and jump in, but both sides were extremely drained, so it was the same that they could not move hastily.

In particular, it was unilaterally Cleon’s side of her that suffered her injuries.

Galatea, who was observing the situation, cautiously raised her voice once again.

[As expected… That child, the magic power produced by the black crystal itself is not that great. Of course, it’s much higher than the normal human’s magic recovery, but… It’s raising magic from the ground.]

[Could it be that you are using the power of the spirit vein flowing in this capital?]

The point where the spirit veins of the four attributes flowing through the royal capital intersect.

Of course, if you can freely raise and use the magic power of the spirit vein, it means that even by human standards, you have a magical amount that is close to that of a god.

That much power in that black crystal?

But, if that’s really the case, Amelia’s body her is-

“Ugh…!?”

The next moment, when Amelia’s body suddenly shakes her violently, she covers her mouth with one of her hands.

At the same time as she heard the sound of a cough, something thick and black protruded from between her fingers her.

“Amelia!?”

Cleon screams her name without realizing it.

‘Damn it, is it as expected by Galatea…!’

“Keuk… Keuk…”

Enduring the nauseating, nightmare-like pain, Amelia felt the liquid—

She vomits blood that seems to have been made from the crushing of her own intestines.

Cleon recalls the previous explanation about the spirit vein from Lyla.

‘If humans were able to use the magic flowing in the spirit vein as it is, everyone would have done so… There is a reason for not doing so.’

Layla, as always, wearing her glasses and writing in chalk on her blackboard.

‘The magic of the spirit vein is too pure magic for humans to use. The souls of dead creatures dwelling in the energies, or parasites of unknown magical power… Truly, the closest magical power to nature itself. Ironically, it contains too many impurities for human use. That’s why in order to draw magic from the spirit vein, you have to go through some kind of medium. It acts as a kind of filter.’

The one she cited as an example while saying that was Beatrix’s Ariadne.

‘Although Ariadne is a slightly special magic sword. From the original design, it was possible to create a structure by synchronizing with the magic of the spirit vein. Unlike Cleon’s Galatea or Rubera’s Barisada. Perhaps, it would be quicker to say that such a role has been granted…’

To Lyla who was saying that, Cleon asked a question.

‘What? What would happen if I directly drew and used the magic of the spirit vein… Hmmm… That’s right. Cleon, do you know what happens when you drink seawater directly? …Unlike water that humans can drink, seawater is full of impurities, isn’t it? It’s the same. Human magic organs cannot accept the pure spirit vein magic. …If you did that with a normal body-‘

“Amelia’s magic organs… Will all be torn to shreds.”

When Cleon muttered that, ending her flashback, Galatea shut her mouth for a moment.

[Then we should hurry up and stop him.]

And, in response to her voice opening her mouth as if it could n’t be helped, Cleon nodded her head.

[There was an interruption, but it’s a continuation of the story.]

[Is this a way to capture Amelia?]

She said she obviously thought she would know.

[Okay. The period of fighting without me must have been too long. This will require a special strengthening period. Cleon and I, just the two of us, going to some remote island to train-]

[Galatea. Conclusion only.]

When Cleon urged her to do so, Galatea fell silent once more.

For some reason, the image of her puffing cheeks comes to mind in Cleon’s mind her.

[Sorry.]

At Cleon’s honest apology, Galatea is angry! And she radiated her magical energy to her, changing the shape of her sword armor that was wrapped around Cleon’s body.

It changed from the shape covering her entire body, from her elbows to her palms. It is a form that extends from the knee to the sole of the foot of her.

[It’s a form of giving up defense and focusing everything on momentum and speed. Armor doesn’t have to be a whole thing.]

[Yeah, but… I’ve never fought in this form before.]

While Cleon affirmed Galatea’s words, he could not help but be taken aback by her sudden shape change of her.

[If you reduce the weight and turn all the remaining mana into injection, you can catch up with that child’s movement. Of course, Cleon’s body will be hurt by the murderous acceleration… And at the moment of collision, that child will be greatly shocked.]

“…A victory without wounds cannot exist.”

[Okay. That child and you too.]

Cleon nods her head knowingly.

In his gauntlets and boots that Galatea had newly made for her, there were magical outlets made for her, as if she had originally planned to fly by spraying her magical energy to her.

It can only be said that it is Galatea’s ability to her to be able to comb such an elaborate shape with pure magical power.

With Cleon alone, it is clearly an impossible level of magic control ability.

After wiping away the blood and the cold sweat that flowed from her forehead, Amelia felt her mana her return once again and looked at Cleon.

When the magical armor covering his face disappears, he realizes once again that it is Cleon he has been fighting so far, and he can’t help but put on a sad face.

Cleon, I want to have Cleon.

But why? Cleon is a valuable colleague. Even if it’s like his family, it’s strange to feel possessive.

Amelia herself, she must not have noticed, but her desire her was not Amelia’s own her.

A Black Lotus Crystal parasitized on her.

It amplifies and distorts the host’s emotions, leading the host to develop a higher aptitude for dark magic.

My vision has been shaking ever since I spit out blood earlier.

It seems that the body is out of balance. The black color didn’t seem to come off properly from the blackened hands.

My head is pounding, and the sound from inside is getting louder and louder.

It seemed to be his own voice, but somehow it seemed not to be his own.

The voice whispers

[Poor Cleon… Clearly, Cleon wants to be with me… The bugs around him are preventing him from escaping…]

‘Ah, is it like that, after all… It was like that.’

[Especially, that sword… Annoying. The one who should be with Cleon forever is me… I claim to be a soul mate… But in the end, the sword. You’re not even a person…?]

‘Then, if I don’t keep it. If I don’t save Cleon from that demonic sword.’

[Okay. Amelia Chaldearis only has value in existence when she is protecting someone.]

‘That’s why, this urge is never wrong.’

[Even if I regain everything I’ve lost so far, with my own power]

‘The fairness is in me…’

That emotion brings about a truly ugly and sticky desire for monopoly and self-justification all at once.

It was that dark, black feeling that further strengthened the affinity between Amelia and dark magic.

“Aaaaa!!”

As the waves of her corruption her consumed her body her, Amelia let out a scream of pain and let her magic explode.

The next moment, a huge wave of black crystals flew towards Cleon.

No, if you look closely, it was made to sweep all directions by combining numerous black crystal stems.

[Hee!]

Galatea involuntarily screams at the presence of the stalks rushing towards her as she wriggles.

Cleon quickly soars into the sky by dispensing his mana along with his flight magic his.

However, to avoid the stalks rising with her as if they were following her, she accelerates in the air and uses her arms and legs to control her posture.

“Kuh…!”

As Galatea had said, the wind pressure from the murderous force of acceleration oppresses his body her.

If you look around, you can see that the stems have come together to form a sphere, as if wrapping around her body her.

[Are you trying to defend yourself with that…! It would be annoying if it was closed…!]

[Before that, the body!]

At Galatea’s cry, Cleon runs through the small area.

Just like birds of prey circling the sky for their prey.

With her eyes sparkling, they find a gap between the stalks of the black crystal rushing after them.

Bang! And whenever the stems hit the wall of the small area, a loud sound shakes the body and head of her.

Each time, he sees the sharply pierced ones filling up the area like a pillar growing inside the area, unable to get out of the wall of the small area and being fixed.

Thanks to that, when I fly between the stems that no longer move, I finally see it.

Cleon’s eyes move rapidly from wall to wall and stem to stem.

It was to find a route that gave the illusion of glittering.

“I saw…!”

Hwareuk! When magic sparks jump out with a sound, Cleon’s body stops advancing in the direction it was moving, turns sharply, and descends toward Amelia.

Every time she moves forward by 1m, black crystals rain down from all sides her to protect her her, but Cleon accelerates even more to avoid being caught by them.

As a result, the mana nozzles that were created on both arms and legs disappear due to the exhaustion of mana, making it difficult to maintain posture.

At the same time, obstacles gather to block the descending part of Cleon.

—But.

“Amelia!!”

The moment Cleon shouted that, Amelia’s body her flinched and trembled, and the stems heading for Cleon momentarily stopped.

And through the gap created between them, Cleon’s body passed her by-

His sword his finally touched Amelia.

“Galatea!”

[I know!]

Cleon’s blade gathers all remaining magic power.

It was intended to strengthen Galatea and at the same time lower its cutting power her, turning it into a blunt weapon.

Dismissed! The moment when the spirits of Galatea and Cleon became one.

Amelia is the only empty part of the black crystal cocoon that was created to protect her body.

Watch Cleon fall over your head.

And, as his body her spins and turns in the air.

A black crescent moon was drawn, leaving a black afterimage.

“Heavenly pillars!”

Rubera’s sword and Cleon’s sword follow and slash towards Amelia’s neck her.

Quaang! Hearing the sound, Amelia’s body she received a great shock.

“Close, Leon…”

Calling his name her, he fell forward.

At the same time, her orb her that was trying to wrap her around her and the pillars of black crystal that filled her small area disappeared.

“Kuh, ha ha…!”

When Cleon fell to the ground, he was so exhausted that he couldn’t land properly, and he staggered and collapsed on the spot.

Galatea’s magical powers were exhausted as well, and she didn’t even have the strength to transform into a human.

“… Amelia’s imprint…!”

Instead of using his immovable legs his, Cleon twisted his body to crawl to Amelia’s side hers.

And then, turning her her body her over her from her back to the front her, she stretched out her hand toward her chest her.

‘…The imprint is still alive. … With this, if I can separate her body and this crystal flower …!

Cleon thinks so and tries to control Amelia’s imprint.

Until the next moment.

[Close, Leon!]

Galatea’s call rang out, so Cleon quickly rolled over her body.

It was because something, something ghastly, was flying at his throat.

It was the ‘crystal scythe’ that Amelia had been holding in her hand until earlier.

“Kuh…!”

Could it be that the crystal power still remained?

Even if the host passes out?

The moment he looked up at the thought clouded by his lack of magical power his, Cleon’s eyes were stained with astonishment.

“Amel, Lia…!?”

When Cleon fell, Amelia’s body her was vividly red.

The reason was clear.

In front of her Cleon’s eyes her, Amelia with her own scythe-

Because the heart of her was pierced.

“Amelia!!!”

Cleon’s voice echoed within the small area.

However, Amelia’s body her, which is natural to die, and natural to stop, moves with a click.

The ‘black halo’ that floated above her head was still spinning.

And as if it were mocking Cleon’s efforts so far.

Borrowing Amelia’s body, he was smiling.