Chapter 67: Unmatched Brilliance

In the eighth iteration, there wasn't anything like this. Not once did I encounter cursed energy from the Demi-spirit.

Needless to say, the Gugalanna we faced is different from the Gugalanna of the future.

But how..!

"Anti-curse…"

From my storage, I brought out a kusarigama. It is a knife tied to the end of a chain. The inspiration came from the [Thousand Mile Chain] and [Inverse Spear of Heaven]—Zen'in Toji's main weapon.

I created it for fun two weeks ago. Unexpectedly, it would be used now.

Briefly, I checked my status.

[Exorcist: H]

The [Ubiquitous] skill detected the nature of this weapon. My body ushered in a slight improvement.

Swoosh.

Swoosh.

Swoosh.

The chain started to gather momentum.

"Step back, Aiz-san. It couldn't be dealt with normal means!"

"..?"

Aiz-san followed my words despite her confused look.

"What was that, Sirius?" She asked as she went to my side. "It's not a monster…"

I turned to Lady Riveria who had also detected this anomaly. She ran to our position in less than ten seconds.

"Lady Riveria."

"What is this?"

"An evil spirit. I encountered them in the past."

This time, both Aiz-san and Lady Riveria looked at me.

"It is similar to spirits who utilizes dark magic. Normal attacks and weak magic wouldn't work against them."

Bam-!

The kusarigama flickered in the air before descending to the black puddle. It cut off the emerging cursed spirit's arm. I pulled it back and wrapped it in my right arm.

"IT hURtSssss!"

An indistinguishable voice resounded.

"I WiLl KiLl yOuuuu!"

Suddenly, darkness creeped out of the puddle. It crawled to half of the room in one go.

Another wave of chills were sent to my spine—my eyes widening to this sight.

"Shit..!" I cursed before urging, "Run!"

I didn't have any reservations. I held their arms before pulling them away.

"Sirius?!"

"We don't have time, Lady Riveria! We need to get out of here!"

Drop.

I 'heard' a droplet of water falling to the ground. My intuition flared up. My entire body recognized what was about to come—a time when I am helpless.

"Quaero foras. Reditus Tenebrae!" (Seek it out. Return to Darkness!)

A portion of darkness split up. A white path presented to ourselves. Consequently, it caused the darkness to 'collapse'.

'It's really a domain! How in the world is this here?!'

Domain Expansion is the sorcerers' ultimate card. Cursed spirits could also use this. The only way to counter them lies in Simple Domain, and I don't have cursed energy.

That pushed me to create an imitation which is run through anti-curse magic.

In the corner of my eyes, I saw the darkness spreading once more. I have a feeling it is more 'complete' this time—unlike the 'Incomplete Domain' it was about to exhibit earlier.

(A/N: Incomplete Domains either lack the 'sure-hit' effect or the enclosure itself; sometimes both.)

"Damn it..!"

Aiz-san managed to react and started to run faster. The same went for Lady Riveria.

"We need to avoid it, right? That darkness?" She asked.

"Yes. We're doomed if it caught us. It has a limit, however."

It stopped halfway through the room. Its range should be limited to that.

The darkness caught up. The white light held it off for a few seconds, but I saw it was about to break.

At this time, I made a decision.

"Ah?"

"..?"

My feet took off from the ground. The gathered momentum is enough to thrust myself several meters away. Naturally, both Aiz-sana and Lady Riveria experienced it as well.

Tap.

Tap.

I had done this a few more times. We are about to leave its range when the darkness caught up. The imitation of a 'Simple Domain' already broke down.

"Abrad ad habra!" (I will create as I speak!)

For the third time, the archangel's phantom was summoned forth. I felt my reserves starting to bottom out. The half-open [Mana Furnace] increases the mana and mind recovery, however it is not as potent as the fully activated one.

Nevertheless, it cut down a portion of the darkness and made a path for us.

I was about to pull out a high potion when Aiz-san swung her sword swiftly. Her sword strikes cut off the emerging arms from the darkness.

No..!

To her surprise, more arms came forth. Her magic was rendered ineffective. It didn't halt the cursed spirit.

Her hand slipped from my grasp.

"Aiz!"

"Aiz-san!"

The arms began pulling her down. I am certain it is related to the cursed spirit's cursed technique.

Once more, I am facing a crossroad.

The image of a golden-haired girl flashed in my mind.

'Shiina.'

I had lost her in the fourth iteration. It is the main reason why I had interacted with Aiz-san. As time went by, I discovered their similarities and differences.

In my heart, I knew I wouldn't allow for such a thing to happen again.

I gritted my teeth and decisively made my choice.

My hand went to the back of my waist and unsheathed [Kukyo]. I threw it at her direction. While I did so, I kept holding Lady Riveria's hand as I ran.

"Catch it!"

Hearing my words, Aiz-san caught the incoming dagger. Her magic shredded some of the arms, but more gathered to her feet. Her strength is vastly different from her level six counterpart.

Activating [Kukyo]'s magic, I found myself right by her side. I twisted the kusarigama and launched it to the arms on her feet.

Crackle-!

The chained dagger circled around her. It briefly set Aiz-san free, enabling her to launch a counter-offensive. Her swift attacks became even faster. I couldn't match her with sheer power.

I landed in front of her.

Under Aiz's puzzled eyes, I passed another dagger to her hand.

"Take Lady Riveria out of here. Attack the black shell fiercely." I said. "[Recall]."

A dazzling white surrounded us. I saw its success when Aiz-san reappeared beside Lady Riveria. They managed to get away far from its range—it far surpassed my previous expectations but they still managed to do so.

At this moment, dozens of arms appeared beneath me. The domain neared its completion. It is different this time. It would be a complete one. I knew it and concluded that Aiz-san wouldn't be able to close the gap beyond its range.

"Domain Expansion." A wretched voice recited these two words in Japanese.

Before the domain was completed—

"Archiatius Overload." (Maximum Load, Release.)

—a magic circle with rainbow brilliance lit up amongst the darkness.

*****

"Sirius!"

Bam-!

Aiz's fist only met the solid dark wall.

Riviera kept her calm and observed it. She also had the time to think over the events in the last fifteen seconds.

"Sirius knows about this…"

"That's right!"

Aiz recalled Nobu's parting words.

"He said to attack it..!" She mumbled. "Awaken, Tempest..!"

Swoosh-!

Viridescent winds gathered around her. It enhanced the power her [Desperate] could release.

Bam-!

Crack-!

The full-powered attack merely left a crack in the domain.

"Sirius..!"

Fear gripped her chest. She considers Nobu as her friend. The feeling of losing someone reawakened her sorrowful memories.

As she continuously attacked, Riviera instructed the confused elves.

"Ready your strongest magic. We will attack this wall!"

For them, that was enough. They might have been confused by the sudden events but Riveria's existence was all they need.

While casting [Rea Laevateinn], Riviera informed Finn of the events that transpired.

"An evil spirit..? That's what it was?" He remarked.

"That's right. You must have felt it too."

"I'm afraid everyone inside Knossos must've sensed it."

*****

The aggregate of dark emotions given form. Its aura spread throughout Knossos as well as outside. Orario had felt its maliciousness—and that included several significant entities.

…

A rare frown was drawn to Orario's sole level seven. His sharp senses caught the appearance of a malicious entity. That peculiar existence isn't as strong as a legitimate level seven yet its danger posed the same as it.

Freya's eyes didn't fail to catch it either.

"...Hm."

She possessed an air of sharpness unlike her leisurely self. She saw something that warranted her seriousness.

"How dirty."

…

The dungeon was shaking.

Ouranos perceived the dungeon's reaction as dissatisfaction. It was as if something beyond its tolerance had appeared.

He quelled it with his 'prayers' (Arcanum).

"The dungeon..?"

His confidant, Fels, also felt the tremors of the ground.

"The dungeon does not want it." Ouranos declared. "It is the same as the Black Dragon."

Twelve years ago, an anomaly swept Gekai. It garnered the dungeon's dissatisfaction twice. Once, it appeared on the site of that battle—Zeus and Hera Familia's final mission, the One-eyed Black Dragon.

The already overwhelming dragon gained something, and as a result, warranted the dungeon's hatred to its former 'child'.

Its second appearance occurred at the same time as the battle but in another location. It has a weaker presence than the first one. Still, it is strong.

Ouranos concluded it has something to do with the 'cracks'. Their appearance coincided.

"That boy could be the key."

Nobu's appearance is 'coincidental' to the appearance of the second crack. It remains unknown whether he is connected to it.

"These changes…"

…

"What the heck is that?!"

Tiona let out a shout upon sensing the dangerous aura. For her intuition to work, it is something that could threaten her life.

"Danger…"

Her sister, Tione, also felt that tide. Their 'intuition' honed on their death battles went off at this moment.

"It's in Riveria's direction. Let's speed up." Gareth spoke.

Just as they hurried, the three heard Riveria's voice and learned of the danger's origin.

"A spirit? Are they this dangerous?!" Tiona commented. "Aren't they supposed to be gentle like Riveria?"

"Not all of them are like that. You must be too influenced by heroic tales." Her sister replied.

"I mean, Mercenary King's companion is a great spirit!"

Their banter helped ease the tension.

Gareth smiled at them. Though inwardly, he mulled over the enemy's strength.

'Just like that time.'

The Great Feud was caused by Erebus' attacks. Finn, Gareth, and Riveria were only level five. One of the enemies they faced was a Delphyne. It is a monster with the status of a level seven.

It took Riveria's [Vas Windheim] to pierce its tough body and expose its magic stone.

Soon, the three arrived inside the control room. They found a huge black wall blocking the other side.

Gareth spoke to the communication orb.

"We arrived."

"Attack it with your full strength. Sirius is trapped inside."

"Sirius?"

Tiona fell silent upon hearing his name.

"We need to get him out. The spirit is too strong for him to handle."

Riveria remained calm despite Aiz's panicked blows. She could estimate Nobu's strength with his knowledge… or rather, she is rationalizing it.

She knew that losing her calm wouldn't help in this situation. She is Loki Familia's second-in-command. Her composure is what holds everyone during desperate times.

Crack-!

Crack-!

Their attacks wore down the domain from the outside. Heeding Nobu's words is a correct decision. The domain's exterior is far weaker than its interior.

A minute later, it finally broke down.

Crack-!

Shatter-!

The broken black curtain revealed a shocking scene.

Flop.

The fluffy white tail behind the boy swayed. His golden pupils showed a different constellation every fleeting second. An extremely strong pressure emanated from his body.

Everyone became silent at this sight.

*****

A minute ago.

Darkness.

It is one of humanity's primal fears. The darkness could represent the 'unknown' in their lives. In an unfamiliar dark room, you wouldn't know what could be inside.

Overlaying the said fear repeatedly is Gugalanna's cursed technique. It traps the target in 'darkness' and overwhelms them with extreme fear. It is akin to Unlimited Void's amplification of senses but much worse. It only focused on one aspect while the latter did so in all aspects.

The demi-spirit turned cursed spirit reached the threshold of Special Grade. It was due to Nobu's swift decision which slowed its formation—hence giving Aiz and Riveria the time to escape.

In the midst of this darkness, Nobu blankly looked somewhere. The constellations in his pupils shifted and looked mysterious. His tail stood up straight.

Some time had passed when he acted.

"Samadhi Kalpa Devanagarai. Samadhi Kalpa Nada—" (Thou shalt listen, to the voice which will not end for a whole season. Thou shalt listen, to the echo which will not exhaust itself for a whole season.)

His aura grew increasingly perplexing regardless of the surrounding darkness. As if feeling it, the darkness became more intense in transmitting fear.

Unfortunately, he knew no fear in this state.

"―Vahana Amanasa Samsakara Buddhi Karanada Thrishna." (Thou shalt entrust your body to the sublimation of the laws passed down by the three realms, surrender yourself to the sweet voice of thirst.)

The sweet voice of a Kalavinka. The disruption over the two worlds' differences didn't affect its true nature.

The scarlet-red magic circle unleashed its power upon the chant's completion. A brilliant light flooded the darkness. Those who heard the spell had their perception robbed. The single target—Gugalanna—could no longer differentiate between heaven or earth; top or bottom.

A splitting headache threatened to explode her head. The voice of a high-order being stirred up her very soul. Briefly, the phantom of a bird with human head flashed. It preached the truth, the Dharma.

For the fools and the impure, it is nothing but poison. The mythical bird who carried Buddha's voice visited this world.

"ARGH!!!"

Her wretched screams came from all directions. Nobu reached his objective.

He began chanting another grand-scale spell. The fully-activated dream organs compensated for the mind and mana he consumed. He is truly inhumane at this moment.

"Stella Nox Caelum." (The stars under the night sky.)

A blue magic circle emerged. It shone with a starry glow. Power is continuously poured into it.

Once he held the bow made of stars, he let go of the string as he muttered:

"Dea Obsigno Fatum." (O' Goddess, Seal my Fate.)

Dozens of stars streaked past the dark landscape. It illuminated the dark land under its dazzling light.

BOOM-!

The grand-scale magicka unveiled its power.

*****

'Level seven…'

Gareth remembered the pressure of Delphyne. Nobu's current state far exceeded it. He showed a tendency to overpower the cursed spirit's aura.

A black blur went straight to the cursed spirit. With a closer look, starlight glittered around it. The grand-scale magicka caused it to be badly injured.

Wearing the magician's outfit, Nobu clenched his fist before punching the dark entity's face.

Bam-!

The figure flew straight to the adamantine walls.

"Maximum output." He blankly muttered. "Seiden." (Sacred Lightning.)

A golden magic circle emerged from the tip of his finger. He aimed it at the cursed spirit before a swathe of golden lightning came out of it.

Bzzt-!

Bam-!

Gugalanna was drowned by the sacred lightning. Her human stature never stood a chance against the inhumane Nobu.

From the start, she lost when she allowed Nobu to unleash his full strength.

"DiE!!!!"

She surprisingly lived through the barrage of lightning. She leaped from the small mound on the wall in an attempt to grasp his head and crush it.

It was unknown as to when Nobu had [Sora] in his grasp.

"...Raiju."

Shiing-!

Bzzt-!

The magic circle beneath his feet let out arcs of lightning. A strong attraction appeared between him and Gugalanna. His blade reaped her neck in a swift manner.

Tap.

Shiing.

The moment he sheathed his blade, a bolt of lightning struck the headless Gugalanna. The remnant electrostatic force descended onto it.

"Abraq ad habra." (I will create as I speak.)

It was followed by a realistic phantom of an archangel. Her image is far different from the previous ones. It contained a trace of 'rationality'. With her scream, the cursed spirit was utterly obliterated.

The Special Grade cursed spirit was dealt in under two minutes.

At this moment, the boy's brilliance reached an unprecedented height.