Episode 61: Star Chant and Star Piercing
“Y-Yes! Leader, I actually defeated Onee-sama!”
Seeing Solciera enveloped in the explosion, Eina let out a cry of joy.
The escape drama of Solciera that had continued since the activation of Star Piercing thus came to an abrupt end.
Or so it seemed.
“…No, not yet.”
“Eh?”
In stark contrast to the jubilant Eina, Rokuhara stared intently at the site of the explosion with a grim expression. There was no trace of victory in his eyes.
(My instincts are telling me. All of this was just the prelude.)
“Stay sharp, Eina. The main event is about to begin.”
“Eh? No way… What are you talking about–ah!”
Only someone as perceptive as Eina could have detected what was happening more clearly than Rokuhara’s words or demeanor suggested. The magical presence that should have disappeared had reappeared.
“It’s back… No, that’s not right. Is this power increasing!?”
A sound akin to the air itself groaning could be heard.
The wind blowing between the buildings began to twist unnaturally, forming vortices. It was being drawn toward the dense magical energy. Soon, the wind coiled like a living thing, raising plumes of black smoke as if guarding its master.
As the black smoke cleared, a girl stood revealed at the epicenter.
Or rather, could this entity still be called a girl?
Though her appearance remained unchanged from before, something had definitely shifted—perhaps it was her eyes.
Her gaze, which had retained the barest hint of humanity, had become colder, more mechanical.
“…Haha, what is this feeling?”
An instinctive sense of danger prickled across Rokuhara’s skin, enveloping him suddenly. Even Rokuhara, who had slipped through countless brushes with death, had never experienced anything like this.
(I’m actually feeling fear… Hmph, bring it on!)
Rokuhara drew his bow and fired without hesitation.
His instincts told him this moment offered their only slim chance.
A surprise rapid shot.
The arrow, infused with more than enough magic for such an impromptu attack, hurtled toward Solciera.
But Solciera didn’t even bother to deploy a magic circle this time. She simply raised her hand.
“Cunning.”
The arrow froze in place mid-flight, stopping like a frame in a motion picture. Then it began crumbling into sand-like particles right before Solciera’s hand.
“Onee-sama’s interference ability…”
A voice filled with despair could be heard. It seemed she immediately understood what it was, being familiar with Solciera.
“…”
Solciera exhaled softly. At that instant, a massive magic circle unfolded beneath her feet.
It was different from the usual blue-purple circles. This new one featured deep purple runes that seemed to swallow all light, ticking away like clockwork as it activated.
Eventually, Solciera began chanting the activation language of the magic circle.
“The starlight awakens here.”
As if waiting for those words, the magic circle emitted an intense purple glow. Several smaller circles appeared around it, moving toward Solciera’s limbs.
“Hmm, what is this?”
Right before Rokuhara’s eyes, Solciera’s form began changing. Her previous doll-like black-and-white outfit transformed into something far more menacing.
“This… Phase 2 transition complete.”
It was night incarnate. Her pitch-black attire featured only faint silver embroidery like stars, while the azure pendant at her chest might have been the last vestige of her humanity.
Her otherworldly beauty was both mesmerizing and terrifying. Watching her, Rokuhara couldn’t help but think of a harbinger of death.
(Eina said this thing would destroy me. So its true nature is an executioner…)
If it brings death…
If it governs death…
Then this pitch-black dress is undoubtedly made for her.
Just as the finishing touch, a magic circle formed above her head. Like a crown granting her the title of executioner, it attached a veil along with black hair ornaments.
“…Fufu.”
In the howling wind, Solciera slowly turned her index finger toward Rokuhara with deliberate slowness. Her face contorted into an awkward, twisted smile resembling a puppet’s.
“You’re interesting. I’ll put in a little effort.”
“…Well then, much appreciated. Looks like you’re enjoying yourself.”
“Leader, we need to run! This is impossible. Up until now, there was only a chance because Onee-sama wasn’t fully awakened. No, we were led to believe there was a chance! This is bad, really bad!”
Ignoring Eina’s shouts, Rokuhara kept his bow trained and fired another arrow. However, it crumbled to dust before reaching Solciera.
Despite the horrifying scene of arrows meant to carry no life dissipating as if struck by death itself, Rokuhara maintained his grin.
“This is what the board wants, isn’t it? With her, we can take a strong stance against calamities.”
“…Leader, do you actually plan to win? E-Eh? You must be joking, right? This is the perfect time to beg for mercy and get away with our lives, right? Right!?”
The great bow trembled violently in his hands. This was Eina’s best attempt at persuasion.
But none other than Solciera herself spoke up.
“Such a wonderful encore? Please give me more.”
“Th-That’s right. Backing down now would make me less of a man! We’re just getting started!”
“Leader!?”
Rokuhara charged forward. Even taking a single step, at S-Rank level, meant instantly reaching top speed.
A movement so fast that normal humans wouldn’t even have time to think about tracking it with their eyes. Rokuhara closed the distance with Solciera and shattered the great bow into two pieces at point-blank range.
“A-Again you’ve broken Star Piercing!”
“This feels better!”
The great bow forcibly transformed into dual blades. The red magic previously used for arrows now empowered the blades, granting them lethal accuracy.
Faster and sharper than arrows, the twin blades approached.
However, Solciera stopped them without even looking, blocking with her great scythe.
The impact of the blow delivered while standing upright sent tremendous shockwaves rippling outward. It destroyed large sections of asphalt, collapsed walls of nearby buildings, and whipped up a storm of debris that flew into the air.
The clash between two S-Ranks alone caused catastrophic damage throughout Central District.
Yet, despite receiving the attack, the figure behind the veil barely moved, offering only a slight smile.
“Nice attack.”
“Well, maybe you could pretend it hit a bit!”
Rokuhara immediately circled around to Solciera’s blind spot. That first strike was merely setting up the next.
(This isn’t her anticipating attacks and defending accordingly. She’s watching with her eyes and selecting the optimal response. Which means she should be weakest against attacks from blind spots.)
The weakness of a combat novice like Solciera.
Because she was too powerful, she had no need to predict her opponent’s actions.
Without survival instincts or predictive behavior, she couldn’t read Rokuhara’s movements. In fact, he’d successfully taken her blind spot with ease.
“Cutting you down.”
He drove his blade into her exposed back. It was a powerful strike infused with potent magic derived from Demon Gear.
But it was blocked by a sturdy barrier that had deployed.
Without hesitation, Rokuhara poured more magic into the attack.
“I’ll blast through you! Eina, give me more power!”
“H-Hai!”
From Rokuhara’s body erupted red magic so powerful that even high-ranking Explorers couldn’t withstand it. Gradually, it began penetrating the barrier.
“Uaaaaaagh!”
Cracks began forming in the barrier. The exchange lasted less than a second.
With a high-pitched sound like shattering glass, the barrier broke. Rokuhara thrust his blade into Solciera with the momentum.
The satisfying sensation of piercing through her body.
“I’ve got you.”
At the long-awaited feeling, his lips involuntarily twisted into a grin. But the next moment, Eina screamed in his ear.
“This, this is a decoy!”
“Huh!?”
With a soft popping sound, Solciera’s body exploded. Purple feathers composed of magic danced around the area.
Annoyed, Rokuhara grabbed one of the feathers fluttering about. It was a meticulously detailed replica of a bird’s feather.
“When did… You’re playing with me, aren’t you!”
“I’ll scan immediately!”
“Not necessary.”
While looking at the feather in his palm, Rokuhara spoke.
“Eh?”
“She’s in the sky.”
From the tip of the feather, indigo-violet particles ascended into the air. No, not just the feather – the scattered asphalt, building debris, and shards of glass all rose, transforming into magic that ascended.
Rokuhara laughed while gazing upward.
“You seem to enjoy looking down on others.”
Before his eyes stretched a magic circle so enormous it covered all of Central District. It was so vast, and inspired such primal dread, that one could readily accept it as the new night sky of this world.
He already knew from prior footage that this was the activation array for concentrated artillery attacks.
“No one can touch the stars. Only reaching out and yearning for them is permitted.”
“Leader, we need to retreat! Getting hit by that would be fatal!”
“Shut up.”
Ignoring Eina’s warning, Rokuhara transformed his dual blades back into a great bow and grinned ferally at the sky.
“In that case, I’ll knock you down! Eina, prepare to fire that thing!”
“E-Eh!? Really?”
“If I win this, I’ll allow you any ramen toppings you want for a week!”
“Really!? You promise?”
A red magic circle spread from under Rokuhara’s feet, spreading further across the autonomous zone like molten lava.
Just then, a communication came through to Rokuhara’s Dive Gear – an emergency confidential line prepared for S-Rank members.
“What? What is it at a time like this… Connect it.”
Soon, a window expanded beside Rokuhara’s face. It displayed an unremarkable-looking girl.
Glancing at it briefly while keeping his great bow ready, Rokuhara spoke.
“What do you want? Ah… What was your name again?”
“It’s Ryuko! Watatori Ryuko! E-Eh? You really forgot my face!? Anyway, I just received word from the board and I’m heading your way. Oh, and we found Kirika-chan, so we’re rushing over full speed!”
“Huh? You’re coming here?”
“To the rescue! With three S-Ranks, we might stand a chance, right!? Yeah, egg, menma, char siu!”
“Eina… Shut up and keep calculating!”
Quietly dismissing Eina, Rokuhara glanced at Ryuko in the window. From behind her, one could see clouds parting, indicating she was traveling at incredible speed.
“How long until you arrive?”
“Three minutes for sure.”
“Got it.”
Nodding once, Rokuhara spoke.
“Don’t come, idiot.”
“Wha-?”
Both the window and the great bow gave off surprised voices. While continuing to expand the magic circle, Rokuhara said “Didn’t hear that?” and continued.
“I said don’t come. This is my prey. I won’t let it be stolen.”
“N-No way! Is this the time to be saying that!? Kisou Academy’s Central District is being annihilated, right!? Let’s cooperate at least, I don’t care about Starwood or anything!”
“Refused. Besides, I’ve already activated Star Piercing’s magic formula. If you’re S-Rank, you know what that means.”
Upon hearing Rokuhara’s words, Ryuko’s face paled instantly.
“Eh!? Wait, stop Baltius, stop! Stoooop!”
From outside the window’s range, a tremendous roar could be heard. Rokuhara frowned irritably.
“Your lizard’s annoying, cutting the connection.”
“After apologizing for making you wait?”
“It’s fine. I wasn’t going to attack during your conversation anyway.”
“Yeah, well… Not that we’re exactly friends or anything… Could you wait a bit longer while you’re at it?”
Both sets of magic circles grew brighter. The ground was covered by a massive red circle while the sky was dominated by a purple one, creating a scene reminiscent of the world’s end.
“Calculations finished…” Eina said in a deflated tone after having her rescue request rejected.
“How many?”
“All 160,349 people in Central District…”
“Alright, proceed.”
“Yes…”
The red magic circle grew even brighter. Gradually, the surrounding area became increasingly chaotic.
Students observing the battle between Solciera and Rokuhra, as well as those evacuating, began screaming as if possessed by madness. Black smoke rose everywhere, accompanied by shrill sirens.
All of this was brought about by a single girl named Eina.
“You know, right? Eina’s true abilities.”
“…The special ability to absorb human emotions within a designated range and convert them into magic. Right?”
“As expected from someone in the same line of work. To add, humans whose emotions are drained temporarily go insane. We’re sacrificing people. And I’m about to direct all that top-tier energy solely at you.”
“Beginning emotion conversion… Convergence.”
Multiple red magic circles appeared before Rokuhara’s poised great bow, aimed at Solciera. The circles began rotating gently.
Solciera smiled faintly upon seeing this. Extending a semi-transparent tube from the floating magic circle in the sky, she connected it to her great scythe and pointed the muzzle at Rokuhara.
“Let me teach you the light of the stars.”
“Hah, don’t need it.”
The magic circles before each of them began spinning faster.
Due to the two intense forces, the area had already become uninhabitable. Within this high-density magic space where no one could enter, both unleashed their attacks simultaneously.
“–”
Red and silver lights collided. Accompanied by a tremendous sound, the ground shook.
“Eina, hold on!”
“Hai!”
The red light grew even brighter. It was the ultimate strike, converting the emotions of everyone in Central District who had witnessed the battle between Solciera and Rokuhara and felt excitement or fear.
The heightened emotions of the crowd further empowered Rokuhra.
“Great, let’s finish this off!”
Gradually, the red light began overpowering the silver. Like devouring everything, the spreading red resembled a countdown until the fall of the stars.
But here, Rokuhara played his final card.
“Eina, you still have reserves, right? Give it everything – fifty percent efficiency. The board will take responsibility.”
“Understood! Since we might defeat Onee-sama, I’ll do my best!”
Additional magic formulas were inscribed on the magic circle, enhancing the absorption and conversion of emotions. Accordingly, the red light began overwhelming Solciera’s converging artillery.
It was as if swallowing the stars whole, surpassing the silver light until eventually —
“Haha, I win.”
He completely pierced through where Solciera had been standing. The red light then destroyed the purple magic circle and dispersed all the clouds in the night sky.
A strike launched from the ground had truly pierced through the stars.
Not long after, Rokuhara’s artillery also concluded. Gradually thinning, it faded into the night sky, leaving its afterglow.
“Did… Did we win?! Did we really win?!”
“Yeah. Who do you think I am — huh?”
A soft thud on his back. Simultaneously, a warm sensation spread.
“What the…”
Rokuhara turned around. There stood none other than Solciera.
(Transfer magic? Even so, Eina should have noticed… No, she concealed it with that artillery attack!)
Solciera’s converging artillery had more than enough effect to mask the slight magical fluctuation from transfer magic.
The reason Rokuhara’s artillery began overwhelming Solciera midway wasn’t because he was winning.
(Solciera didn’t even exist from halfway through.)
Tracing his gaze upward, there was a fading indigo-violet artillery magic circle, enhanced with additional modifications.
(…Why did she come this close in the first place? What was her objective?)
Several times, Solciera had shown signs of approaching Rokuhara. He had just realized that if she were serious, she could have easily finished him off with converging artillery.
So why did Solciera use her signature converging artillery as a bluff to approach him again?
The answer lay in the dagger she held.
“…You… You poisoned me, didn’t you?”
Upon turning around, Rokuhara involuntarily fell backward.
Looking down at him, Solciera dispelled her dagger.
(It’s not ordinary poison. Likely some special magic-based…)
Gradually, numbness spread from his extremities. He could hear Eina shouting, but didn’t have the leisure to respond.
“You won’t die. Rest assured.”
With her cold voice, Solciera informed him. At the same time, he understood this wasn’t a battle to the death for her.
From the start, she had fought on the premise of incapacitating Rokuhara.
(You’ve toyed with me thoroughly…!)
This wasn’t a decisive battle.
They had merely followed the scenario she had crafted.
“Damn…”
“Leader! Leader!”
Transforming back to human form, Eina clung to Rokuhara. Shaking him several times, she glared at Solciera.
“What do you intend to do with us…!”
“I have no intention of doing anything.”
Turning on her heel, Solciera said,
“Get stronger by the day of the final battle. Your potential shouldn’t be limited to this extent.”
Leaving those words, Solciera disappeared into an indigo-violet transfer magic circle.
Silence reigned supreme.
“…Leader”
Calling out with nowhere for her feelings to go, Eina noticed.
“Hahaha… hahahahahahahaha!”
Rokuhara was laughing. Ferociously, innocently, from the bottom of his heart.
“Eina, I’ve decided.”
“Eh?”
Forcing his supposedly paralyzed right arm to move through sheer willpower, Rokuhara reached toward the brightest star in the night sky and declared,
“That star… I’ll be the one to bring it down.”
Surprised, Eina said,
“Are you really going to continue?”
“Of course. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this miserable. Wow, she really is fascinating, isn’t she!”
Rokuhara laughed again, delighted. In the heart of the devastated world, his laughter echoed endlessly.
ni hyōi tensei shita ore wa TS o akiramenai, かませ役
