Chapter 138: Crown of Thorns
He wanted to protect her.
Her solitary fighting figure looked so small that Tourak reached out his hand to her.
That was what was supposed to happen.
“Why don’t you understand? I want to help you!”
After emerging from the jungle, both leaped over an abandoned building.
Right after, the building crumbled into pieces.
“Lutra, two swings.”
The moment the voice was heard, a sound of something being severed.
Simultaneously, Solciera’s vision was enveloped in darkness.
“Ah”
It cut only the light entering Solciera’s eyes and forcibly deprived her of her sight.
No matter what concept it cuts, there is only one unique swing, and that is Star Slash.
Even if her awakening was incomplete, it remains a threat.
“—This ends it here.”
With her vision crushed and movements stiffened, Tourak positioned Lutra behind the immobilized Solciera.
But it was blocked by a barrier that suddenly appeared behind her.
“This can’t be true. Is this really the end?”
“Wha!?”
A magic circle unfolded around Tourak, and silver chains shot out.
Its terrifying ability to absorb the magic power of those it touched and grow stronger was well-known.
“Lutra, one swing.”
Tourak immediately vanished from the spot.
Then reappeared at a slightly distant location.
“That teleportation of yours is quite troublesome,”
Solciera traced her own eyes with her fingertips.
At that moment, the concept of severance was negated, and light returned to her pupils.
“I think your interference is quite troublesome too.”
Tourak positioned Lutra.
However, Solciera did not seem to have any intention to fight back as she didn’t raise her scythe.
“…What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to fight me?”
“Look around. Is this what you call protecting someone? Many people have died, everything has been destroyed… The Gata Toraku I know would never do such a thing.”
It was a foolish question.
To Tourak, everything else was trivial; the only important thing was to save Solciera.
For that, all actions were justified.
He had already been overwhelmed by power.
“This…was necessary. To rescue you, there were many things I had to abandon.”
“……So.”
Solciera exhaled.
An unusual action for her, Tourak took a counter stance, alert for an attack.
(Shaking…?)
Tourak noticed her abnormality.
But it was too late.
At this point, the conclusion had already been decided.
“Apparently, we can only understand each other through battle.”
Instantly, a change occurred in Solciera’s bracelet.
The mysterious crimson bracelet attached to her left arm activated, and countless things flew out from within.
They resembled thorns or barbed wire, quickly wrapping around Solciera’s body.
“…!?”
“What are you doing!?”
As Tourak rushed forward, black thorns sensed him and wildly thrashed about, preventing his approach.
Meanwhile, the thorns continued to envelop Solciera’s body, eventually forming a spherical shape.
And then,
“The starlight…hereby condemns.”
The thorns surrounding her exploded outward.
Thorn-like projectiles launched toward Tourak like bullets, but he deflected them all and distanced himself again.
He looked up toward Solciera.
“…Huh?”
There stood Solciera, her clothes torn and battered.
As a result of the thorns wrapping around her, her clothing was shredded in various places, and blood dripped from her exposed white skin.
She was clearly no longer in a condition to fight.
Or so it should have been.
“…Fufu, at this point, I guess I need to escort you properly.”
Solciera laughed and took a step forward.
Instantly, a magic circle resembling thorns spread across the ground, propelling her forward like a bullet.
Seeing this, Tourak reflexively chose to intercept.
“Lutra, two swings!”
The crimson-black scythe clashed head-on with Lutra.
Despite putting up some resistance, Tourak was pushed back directly.
“Ngh!?”
The moment his stance faltered, thorns erupted from the ground like spears.
Seeing this, Tourak used his second move, intended for a counterattack, to evade instead.
Tourak’s figure disappeared from the spot, leaving Solciera’s attack to miss.
“…What is this form?”
“Oh, don’t you like it?”
Slowly turning around, Solciera faced Tourak who had moved to the rear.
Her tattered black robes.
Yet, they were subtly different from before.
In various places, red veils covered the torn portions, almost hiding them.
“In that case, let me dress myself up for your liking.”
Once again, Solciera charged straight ahead.
Confused by her actions, Tourak still managed to respond somehow.
“Hmph, you’ve suddenly become aggressive!”
“Otherwise, you wouldn’t dance with me, would you?”
The continuous slashes of the scythe.
Their trajectories were chaotic, unpredictable.
(Everything is reckless, sheer force. But currently, her specs are incomparably different.)
While dodging the attacks, Tourak observed.
Irrational, which was unusual for her.
However, even though it was hard to keep up, the reason was because each strike was too sharp.
(Come to think of it, why isn’t she launching artillery attacks? She’s not restraining me either, and neither is she transferring—)
“Are you daydreaming? Focus on me more,”
“Lu-Lutra, one swing!”
Pouring magical power to its limit into one swing, Tourak repelled the incoming large scythe.
But when he caught the violently swung scythe, Tourak’s arm was also thrown outward due to the immense force.
There was no way Solciera would miss this opening.
(Bad, the next one’s coming!)
Just as Tourak predicted, Solciera repositioned her scythe.
“—”
Suddenly stopping her movement, she knelt down on one knee.
Taking advantage of this opening, Tourak chose not to counterattack but to distance himself.
His bloodline as a member of the Gata family instinctively rejected pursuing the attack.
“…Fufu, you’ve escaped again.”
Standing up, Solciera smiled elegantly.
Dragging her scythe, she took one step, then another, towards Tourak.
Her attire now featured more red veils, transforming into a dress mixed with red and black.
“You want to stop me, don’t you? Then stop running away.”
Saying this, Solciera positioned her scythe.
Upon seeing this, Tourak realized.
“I see. That’s right.”
Tourak understood.
“I still don’t get it. You don’t need to fight anymore.”
Gripping a pitch-black sword,
Amplifying the raging magical power inside the sheath, Tourak commanded his weapon.
“Star Slash, prepare to draw.”
■
Hey, saying ‘Star Slash, prepare to draw’!
Hey, saying ‘Star Slash, prepare to draw’!
“Must I say it twice?”
This is bad!
That’s a lethal technique from the later part of the original work!
It’s the one where unstoppable cutting strikes fly out!
Our side is stuck with a bunch of self-imposed rules for roleplay!
“Transfer prohibited, artillery prohibited, chain prohibited, all we can use is fake thorn tentacles. Haha, we can’t do anything, can we?”
Stop laughing like that!
I just came here to stop Tourak who’s gone berserk, using my body as collateral, but look at his eyes.
They’re dead set. You don’t often see eyes that focused.
“Well, it’s not like Star Slash is fully awakened. It’ll be fine.”
Really?
Lately, you’ve been making a lot of mistakes?
If I knew this would happen, I shouldn’t have specialized in the infiltration form…
“It’s a physique-specialized buffed-up form. That way, there are more chances to get hurt and become tattered.”
Sounds M-like thinking.
Also, my clothes got super tattered for a moment and it was embarrassing.
“The torn parts are covered by thin red fabric created by magic. Over time, the outfit becomes redder.”
That’s pretty detailed.
But, if I’m not mistaken, doesn’t this regularly cause pain?
“…Ah, I need to reciprocate the favor.”
Are you checking social media at a time like this?
Answer me, hey.
“Ah, ‘Solciera Quote Bot’ has reached a thousand followers.”
Don’t make weird accounts!
Besides, Demons Gear shouldn’t be running bots!
“And there’s also ‘★Yomi @working on new releases’ who posts S scenarios involving Solciera and R-18 illustrations.”
Wait, multiple accounts!?
Is Star Reader’s Staff using multiple accounts!?
“He uses various accounts to promote Solciera as the submissive type day and night ^^”
What a betrayal.
You sticking to it 24/7 makes it unfair!
“Thanks to this, Solciera is increasingly recognized as the submissive type online. It’s the fruit of grassroots efforts ^^”
You bastard!
“Haha, shouting alone won’t change the world!”
Last boss, huh?
“By now, I only get excited by the submissive Solciera.”
I don’t want to know your preferences.
Don’t reveal them at a time like this.
“R-18 Violent Lily Solciera—ah, this is the telepathy channel?”
Are you searching now?
Seriously, looking for S scenarios or illustrations at this timing?
Were you even listening to me?
This form hurts, you know?
“When absorbing magic power, it’s set to give pain. The pain will come periodically.”
Remove that immediately.
Why did you even do that?
“Because Solciera’s suffering face is sexy…”
Not because you want to see it.
You’re simply stating your preference outright now.
“With the pain, the dress turns completely red… It’s like being stained with blood, beautiful indeed!”
Are you an artistic psychotic enemy character?
No, seriously!
Then, does that mean I have to fight Tourak while considering both the bondage play and occasional intense pain?
“By the way, the track percentage increases by ten percent each time, so be careful.”
How am I supposed to be careful?
“I’m not a demon, so it stops at ninety percent.”
That level of pain would already be critical in real life.
“—Lutra, draw.”
While I was complaining to Star Reader’s Staff, Tourak had unleashed Star Slash on me.
The unsheathed blade couldn’t possibly reach me at this distance.
However, the slash he emitted was heading my way.
An attack based on the very concept of cutting.
It tears through everything, discarding defenses conceptually, the strongest single blow.
A hit that could easily kill me.
Isn’t he insane?
“Deflect it straightforwardly with the scythe. That extent is easy.”
…Really?
“Believe in yourself.”
Is it really true!?
“Ugly Star Slash.”
Trembling with fear inside, I coolly said that and swung the scythe in sync with the slash.
In that instant, the conceptual slash he unleashed dissipated.
…It was true!
“As I said. Since we stopped using magic, the resources are now allocated to create the highest-level interference field around you and the scythe. We won’t lose to that extent.”
I believed in you, Star Reader’s Staff!
“This form specializes in close combat. Made to be the strongest upon approach. Though regular forms can do similar things too.”
Ah, impressive, Star Reader’s Staff. What’s this crazy pain!?!
“Gyip…!”
“What’s wrong since just now? If you’re feeling unwell, don’t stubbornly insist and just lose to me. Everything will end then.”
“Haa… haa… No thanks.”
I almost fell but managed to hold on.
Hey, warn me before the pain comes.
“There’s no such function.”
Eh…
“C’mon, hug him quickly! By getting close, the interference will stop his rampage! Even if you get hurt and tattered, gently embrace him in the end!”
That… sounds kind of nice.
Looking at Solciera as content, it’s acceptable.
Especially now, without the main heroine, this is a wonderful event.
“Exactly! C’mon partner! Sure, the pain is only yours, and the hardship is only yours, but we are one entity!”
…????
“C’mon!”
Alright… Let’s go!
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