230. VS Arrogance (Part 1)

Sorry for the delay.

Previous Synopsis:

Katsuragi was brainwashed!

Katsuragi became an ally!

Touka: “All according to plan…”

Inside a space stained in black and red, Arrogance and I continued our battle.

“Sunset Territory” is a skill that forcibly changes a ten-kilometer radius to night and significantly strengthens skills of the “Shadow” and “Darkness” types.

However, since there were signs of other monsters around, I had suppressed the effective range to about fifty meters to avoid affecting the surroundings too much.

For focusing on the fight with Arrogance, this range was no problem.

By the way, the skill activates even if it is already night.

Apparently, the “night” generated by “Sunset Territory” is a different entity from a normal night.

“Uoooohhhhhhh!”

Strengthened by “Sunset Territory,” I armed myself with a ninja blade created via “Super Ninja Arts” and “Super Ninja Tool Creation.” I used “Gale Breakthrough” to maintain my speed regardless of terrain or environment, and further enhanced all these professional skills with “Diligence.”

Then, I simultaneously activated Item Box, Concentration, Prediction, Rage, Calculation Acceleration, Swordsmanship, Physical Ability Improvement, Full Power, and Danger Avoidance.

This was the maximum combat power currently possible for me as an individual.

“Ha! This is amazing! If I let my guard down, I feel like I’d be killed instantly!”

Despite this, Arrogance did not fall.

Rather, he calmly exceeded my movements and added counterattacks.

“Shi!”

“Gu…!”

When my “Shadow” or “Item Box” tried to obstruct his movements, the “Blood” floating around him or objects stained with blood would conversely obstruct me.

(I’ve mostly come to understand it—the effect of “Fresh Blood Territory.”)

Likely, “Fresh Blood Territory” allows him to freely manipulate his own blood and any objects stained with that blood.

Its effective range is almost equal to my “Sunset Territory” and is adjustable.

It’s strange for a bloodless zombie to produce blood, but with a skill, anything can be explained.

In the first place, throughout the offense and defense so far, he has been making massive amounts of blood fall like rain.

(Waiting for him to run out of blood is probably impossible…)

If it were a monster that had lost its reason like Peony, a war of attrition aiming for him to run out of gas would be possible, but unfortunately, this guy has reason.

He thinks and observes just like I do, always trying to outwit his opponent.

(…He’s difficult to deal with!)

He’s different from a battle maniac like a High Orc.

He doesn’t brandish overwhelming power like Schwarz.

He simply persists in taking the tactics his opponent hates most.

“I told you, you and I are of the same kind.”

“Ts…!”

Arrogance’s magic sword and my ninja blade clad in Lightning Style clashed, sending sparks flying.

“We choose any means to win!”

In an instant, red slashes diffused from the magic sword Arrogance held into the surroundings.

Are you kidding? He can use this at zero distance?

“Dammit!”

Almost simultaneously with the diffusion of the slashes, I leapt backward.

If Aka and Kiki were here, they could have defended, but unfortunately, they are currently in the shadows.

Unable to dodge completely, I took the hit.

“—’Vanishing Shadow’!”

Immediately, I wrapped shadows around the struck area to stop the bleeding and spat out his blood.

If his blood can also manipulate living creatures, it’s over the moment it enters my body.

However, manipulation via blood has a slight time lag.

Even if I take a slash, as long as I immediately discharge the blood, I won’t be affected.

Well, it hurts like crazy, though.

“Correct. If my blood had invaded your body, it would have been my victory at that point.”

“You’re quite chatty and composed.”

“That is exactly why I am ‘Arrogance.’ Pride and conceit are also factors that heighten my power.”

Arrogance held his hand up toward the sky.

A massive amount of blood discharged from his palm, raining down on the surroundings.

(This is the third time…!)

I can guard with “Shadow,” but by now, there is likely nothing in this vicinity that isn’t stained with his blood.

Then, rubble stained with blood gathered and transformed into countless golems.

“Next is numbers.”

“Don’t underestimate me!”

No matter how much they take the shape of golems, they are completely different from the real thing like Titan.

They are just lumps of rubble with no stats or skills.

The fact that he’s bothering to throw them at me means they are a decoy or a way to buy time.

Until Schwarz, whom Libera-san has trapped in “Holy Territory,” is released—

(I won’t let you!)

Libera-san said the time she could buy was fifteen minutes at most.

There are about three minutes left.

I’ll finish this with a blitz.

“Water Style Jutsu.”

I immediately activated “Super Ninja Arts.”

Water Style is literally a ninja art that generates water.

A massive amount of generated water rippled out into the surroundings.

In a city area like this, it’s a ninja art with low killing power, but the aim is different.

The golem-mimics drenched in my water lost their shapes one after another, returning to original rubble.

“…I see, you washed away the attached blood with water.”

Yes, I gambled that if it was blood created by a skill, it could be washed away by water created by a skill.

I’m glad the prediction was right.

“You were prideful, Arrogance…”

“What…?”

No matter how much it was to maintain your “Superiority,” you were too careless.

Did you not expect this ninja art to become even more powerful in a battlefield saturated with moisture?

“—Lightning Style Jutsu.”

In an instant, a pale light covered the entire battlefield.

“Gu…!”

I didn’t think I could finish him off, but Arrogance’s movements stiffened for a moment regardless.

But that moment was enough!

“—Gale Breakthrough.”

Immediately, I closed in on him and swung my ninja blade.

This time, I’ll end it with this!

“Naive!”

However, Arrogance, who had recovered from the stiffness, tried to land a counter with his magic sword immediately.

That reaction speed and movement toward a counterattack were worthy of marvel.

(Are you kidding? Even so, is Arrogance still faster—)

I know; I can understand it.

Before I can pierce his vitals, Arrogance’s magic sword will tear me apart.

“It’s the end! Owner of Early Maturity!”

Ah, dammit…

His smirk is loathsome.

…Am I going to lose?

Even after giving my all, can I not win against this guy—?

The moment I thought that, a voice echoed in my head.

≪—You have received an email.≫

“…Huh?”

“Eh…?”

In that instant, “something” changed.

The “something” that had dominated the place until now vanished.

“Gaha…!”

Before I knew it, my ninja blade had pierced Arrogance’s chest.

The one who landed the attack first was me.

Arrogance wore an expression that said he couldn’t understand it.

“Gu… aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!”

“Ts—!”

I immediately let go of the ninja blade and dodged the counter.

Taking distance and looking at Arrogance, the composure from before had vanished from his face.

“This is…?”

He clenched his fist as if checking the condition of his own body.

As if it were far more important than the ninja blade stuck in his chest.

“No way… such a thing, stupid… i-it’s impossible…!”

Meanwhile, without taking my eyes off Arrogance, I operated only my fingertips to check the email.

The sender was Ichinose-san.

Looking at the written contents, I understood the change that had occurred to him.

(I see… Ichinose-san and the others won…)

I was surprised that the monster tamer girl had come back to life, but more than that, I was surprised that Igarashi-san had evolved.

(To have declared her level falsely is just like her…)

But at the same time, a question arose.

How was she able to deceive Arrogance’s “Appraisal”?

Unlike me, Igarashi-san does not have “Appraisal Obstruction.”

No matter how much she gave a false report, the stats themselves cannot lie.

Yet, how was she able to deceive Arrogance’s “Appraisal”?

Thinking for a bit, it hit me.

(I see, Ohno-kun’s “Envy”…!)

Ohno-kun’s Envy can lower the target’s level, stats, and skill effects.

Using that, she had intentionally lowered her own level.

(To think of such a completely outrageous thing… To actually take the enemy’s “Appraisal” and use it against them.)

And Arrogance, who believed the information from “Appraisal,” was completely taken in.

Most likely, this guy thought that no one other than me, Ichinose-san, and Rikka-chan—who had evolved—was a noteworthy combatant.

That’s exactly why he got tripped up.

Nishino-kun and Igarashi-san.

Because the two he thought were mere humans “evolved” at the last moment, his plan fell apart.

Because he was obsessed only with me, he probably never thought someone “other” than me would be the key to reversing the tide of battle.

In a way, it’s very “Arrogance-like.”

“Stupid… if she died, the skill should have been transferred to me… Was she seduced? Then why didn’t the remote-controlled suicide activate…! Impossible! Something like this is impossible!”

Arrogance scratched his head violently.

It seems he had set something up even for after the monster tamer girl died.

But that was also neutralized by her being charmed by Igarashi-san.

And since the monster tamer was neutralized, Schwarz and Momo should also have been released.

In other words, all his pawns are gone, and Arrogance is stripped bare.

“—It means the situation has been overturned.”

“~~~~~~~~~~~Ts!”

At my words, Arrogance wore a bitter expression.

The sound of him grinding his teeth so hard they might shatter could be heard.

“Why!? Why is the situation reversing! It should have been a disadvantageous situation! It should have been desperate! So why is my superiority wavering!?”

“Ha…”

It’s just like a child’s tantrum.

When things don’t go his way, he shouts and rants.

How did someone like that survive this long—no, that’s not it.

It’s precisely because of that, precisely because he believed himself to be absolutely right, precisely because he lived more honestly to his own desires than anyone else, that this guy was able to survive this far.

—However, one cannot move forward from there alone.

What one can do alone is limited.

That’s why you make allies to compensate for that.

Each small gear turns a larger gear, producing a grand result that cannot be achieved alone.

You, who think of your allies as mere pawns, probably wouldn’t understand.

“Wan!”

“Momo!”

Momo appeared from the shadows.

Momo gazed intently at me.

≪Momo is looking at you as if she wants to become an ally. Will you let her join?≫

Ah, that’s right.

She had been forcibly removed from the party members.

Naturally, I select Yes.

≪Application accepted. Momo has joined your party.≫

“Kyuun…”

Momo rubbed her body against me.

She seemed to be saying, “It’s okay now.”

“…! (Nod nod)”

“Kyuu!”

Next, Aka and Kiki appeared.

Now that the monster tamer girl is neutralized, there is no reason for Aka and the others to hide.

『—In that case, there is no longer any need for us to wait and see, is there?』

『Kazuto! Shiro will fight together too!』

Sora and Shiro, who were on standby in the air, also joined the fray.

≪You have received an email.≫

It was from Ichinose-san.

『—I’m here too!』

She must already be in a sniping position.

Of course, I’m counting on you.

Ah, I’m relieved.

Ichinose-san, Momo, Aka, Kiki, Sora, Shiro.

Just having my allies here makes such power well up.

“This is as far as you go, Arrogance…”

“What…?”

I put strength into my body.

Now that the situation has been overturned, there is no longer a need to save this skill.

Now, at this very moment, I should definitely be able to use this skill at maximum firepower.

“—’Heroic Hymn’ activate!”

A dazzling light enveloped the surroundings.

≪Application accepted from Chaos Frontier System Server.≫

≪Activation of Kudo Kazuto’s unique skill ‘Heroic Hymn’ confirmed.≫

≪All stats will significantly increase.≫

≪The power of all skills will significantly increase.≫

≪Party member Momo has acquired the unique skill ‘Jet Black Breakthrough.’≫

≪All stats will increase.≫

≪Party member Ichinose Natsu has acquired the unique skill ‘Meteor Direct Hit.’≫

≪All stats will increase.≫

≪Party member Aka has acquired the unique skill ‘Perfect Mimicry.’≫

≪All stats will increase.≫

≪Party member Kiki has acquired the unique skill ‘Reflective Armor.’≫

≪All stats will increase.≫

≪Party member Sora has acquired the unique skill ‘Blue-Scaled Dragon King.’≫

≪All stats will increase.≫

≪Party member Shiro has acquired the unique skill ‘White Dragon Empress.’≫

≪All stats will increase.≫

Unique skill “Heroic Hymn.”

Its effects are the increase of all stats and the granting of unique skills to party members.

My trump card with rule-breaking effects.

“Let’s end this, Arrogance. By defeating you, I—we will move forward.”

Thank you for reading.

The conclusion is in the next chapter.

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Please check them out as well.

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