NOVEL NEXT Chapter 53 - Fake Knowledge, Fake Sage☆ (3)
The sound of cannon fire and explosions shaking the ground. Incessant warning broadcasts and the sound of automatic armor moving.
The battle began suddenly with numerous noises.
[Enemy raid! Enemy raid! Enemy raid!]
[The right wing is under attack from an enemy presumed to be [Purple Spinning Wheel]―!]
[All artillery units to position! To position!]
[Open fire on the infiltrating enemies!!]
Whirrr―!
Screech―!
Boom― Clang, clang!
Weapons firing towards where the enemy was hiding as triggers were pulled and drive systems activated. Red ether projectiles illuminated the air, firing frantically into the darkness of the wilderness.
Kwaaang―!
Ratatatatatat!!
It looked like a red downpour falling from the dark sky.
Under the sky raining red ether, dark elf girls fire magic weapons as much as they can.
Dark elves deployed wearing magic armor according to Student Council President Andrea’s orders. They knew something had started now, but ironically few knew the exact situation.
They just felt an unconscious sense of crisis and pulled the triggers of heavy mounted ether machine guns. Confused
“What’s going on?! Are we attacking now?! Didn’t President Andrea say we’d just hold out?!”
“I don’t know, why are you asking me?!”
“They said enemy raid!! [Purple Spinning Wheel] is attacking!!”
“Enemy raid?! Why is [Purple Spinning Wheel] attacking here?!”
“I don’t know!! I don’t know―!!”
The excitement of the suddenly started battle.
The whole body trembles, the heart pounds.
The gasping breaths of dark elf students panting with delicate breaths.
Girls whose voices grew louder due to insufficient breathing.
“Aaaah!! I didn’t think we’d really be firing this!!”
“Hurry!! Please!! Start up the ‘cool armor’!! What if they come here!!”
“I’m doing my damn best too―!!”
“Daaaamn!!!”
A dark elf girl with shining eyes shouted while gripping the machine gun handle. She kept looking around trying to find traces of purple ether.
“Where is it?! Where are they!! Has anyone seen purple?!”
“I don’t know!! Just spray everything you’ve got in front!!”
Baaang―!
Ratatatatatat!!
“Girls!! I got orders!!”
Orders came down from the beastkin noble field commander. And an armored girl who heard precise attack orders from the communications officer said:
“Right ridge!! Aim fire at the right ridge!!”
“Where are we aiming?! I can’t see!!”
“Just turn the barrel roughly and fire, fire, fire!!”
“Aaaaaaah―!!”
Magic weapons firing without even receiving orders and just shooting forward, or firing according to the constantly changing commander’s instructions. They split the empty air, becoming stars of a red Milky Way rising up.
‘I wonder if Rota is hiding well…’
Under that red Milky Way, I was running at full speed with Freya on my back.
With each step, ether lights splitting the air pass by.
Tap tap tap tap―!
Dodging through numerous fire networks and weapons aiming at our heads. Running through a world moving slowly as if on a stroll.
Tap tap tap tap―!
I passed leisurely through the battlefield that seemed to be in slow motion like that. And I lightly stepped on the shoulders of dark elf students occasionally charging at us as we passed by.
Tok―!
Groups passing under my feet like stepping stones.
-Wh-What was that just now?!
-What’s that pink thing?! Why is it so fast?!
-That thing on its back!! It’s [Purple Spinning Wheel]―!!
Leaving behind dozens of dark elf girls shouting in shock, I advance towards the next attack target.
“Oop―☆”
I slightly twisted my body while holding Freya who was busy chanting spells.
Whoosh―!
Baaang―!
Then I heard the sound of a machine gun that had been aiming at us from far away missing. The presence had been leaking steadily since earlier, so it wasn’t very difficult to dodge.
-Damn…!! Insane!! They dodged that―?!
-What the hell is that thing?!
I chuckled hearing those flustered words from the
‘I just need to look, run, and dodge…’
Since I usually rack my brains like Zhuge Liang, when the time comes to just move my body according to someone else’s judgment. I realized anew how relaxed and at ease my mind felt.
‘Haah… if only the world was peaceful…’
Using one’s head is no easy task.
Though I became a soldier because the chaotic times called me.
I actually wanted to live comfortably following someone’s orders like this.
‘Freya seems to trust me regarding physical tasks too…’
Perhaps fully trusting my presence detection ability, Freya paid no attention to this side, mechanically muttering skill activation preparations behind me.
“[Eternal Spinning Wheel], activate, maximum range, precision strike.”
“Okay♪ Tea time under a purple rain shower―☆”
[Eternal Spinning Wheel] activation completed again.
‘Now where should I pour this out to be most effective?’
Gauging the movement route with surprisingly calm mind, I just roamed around the battlefield, wandering about.
Then Freya automatically unleashed attacks and smashed things.
This division of labor was really amazingly comfortable.
‘With the two of us splitting attack and movement, my head is free. And unlike Alvit’s group who have to think about movement routes to the point of headaches, we just need to charge while drawing attention.’
I confirmed Freya’s preparations were complete and got ready to leap off the ground. Now I just need to charge towards where Freya points.
“Heup―♪”
My loyal legs that still retained that swift movement ability.
They easily bore the weight of two girls, jumping high into the sky.
“Yap☆”
Whoooooosh―!
Wind felt in the air we soared into.
The sound of wind passing our ears.
A moment of hang time.
In that, Freya timidly spoke with a jerk of her chin:
“G-Go to that… po-position visible on the left, ruffian…!”
“Which one do you mean―☆ There are quite a few positions♪”
“It’s obvious… Th-There’s a lot of weapons over there…! I-Idiot…!”
“Okaaay―☆”
Ah, now I understood.
Where Freya was pointing with her wand overflowing with purple ether. There were alliance students adjusting the direction of numerous magic weapons’ barrels.
‘Okay. Adjust trajectory towards there. We need to flashily disarm them so Alvit’s group can break through the encirclement more easily.’
Isn’t that why we decided to run wild?
‘Now that ether has recovered enough to move my body…!’
I extended my legs towards the magic weapons gradually getting closer. And along with the sensation of my lower abdomen being pressed, ether activated throughout my body and we slowly began to fall.
The form of a flying kick as we descended.
Feeling the acceleration of the fall gradually increasing, I said:
“My kick knows no mercy―☆”
Hearing those words, Freya was startled. And she spoke in a shrill voice as if spilling out:
“A-Again with that?! C-Can’t you stop that crap…?! Wh-What kind of uncivilized thing are you doing…?!”
“My, this level is like a proper lady compared to my first year―♪ Huhuhu―☆”
“You cr-crazy…! Pale pink wild horse…! I-If you keep doing that you’ll…?!”
“It’s fine as long as there’s no wind blade, it’s fine―☆ Let’s hurry and finish this and return to where Rota is hiding―☆”
I ignored Freya’s words. And I kicked off footholds made of tiny amounts of ether in the air as I fell.
Tat―☆
As faint ether activated.
Hot energy rushes to my toes.
A pink meteor falls from the sky.
Whoosh―!
We traced a large arc, falling in a straight line from the air.
And I shouted as I put strength into my outstretched leg:
“Pink☆Love☆Kick―!!”
“Uwaaaaaaaah!!”
Freya screamed. And protected herself with purple ether.
“Hyaaah―☆”
With faint red ether activated in my leg. Trusting the durability of my body that had reached the realm of wuji, the character growth limit, I unleashed a flying kick towards the position where dark elves were gathered.
‘Weaker than an ultimate technique but… this is the best I can do now.’
Take this, you elves.
This is this master’s raw spec flying kick.
Boooom―!
A heavy impact rang out with a thunderous sound.
Along with the collision, an invisible shockwave occurred, knocking over the girls continuing bombardment. They scattered everywhere like people blown away by a typhoon.
“Uwaaaaack?!”
“Kyaah?!”
“Huaaah!!”
In the intense shockwave.
Wind gusts, the ground shakes.
Numerous elves and occasionally mixed in beastkin nobles fly away in shock.
“Kugh!”
In the aftermath of that impact, Freya swung her wand towards the dozens of remaining magic weapons.
“…Fire!”
Purple afterimages scatter from the wand tip as a giant purple wheel appears. And as the giant wheel slowly turns, it pours out spells according to activation phrases Freya had intermittently stored.
Whirrr―!
[Eternal Spinning Wheel]
Ether calculation and emission.
The two most basic specs for mages in this world.
A calculation device that helps maximize those.
Purple weapons pour out from within Freya’s ether skill.
Like a purple meteor shower illuminating the dark sky, as if heavy purple raindrops were striking down – thousands of purple armaments made of merciless destructive light shine.
Boooom―!
A thunderous sound like thousands of soldiers simultaneously dropping their weapons.
Thousands of weapons falling with an enormous sound shaking the sky. Leaving trails of purple light, they scorched an area of several hundred meters radius like guided missiles.
Boooom―!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Endless thunderous sounds that seemed like they would continue forever.
“…”
“…”
But silence returned before long.
Whoosh…
And the surroundings became ruins with only the breathing sounds of unconscious students and debris from the devastated positions scattered about.
I grumbled secretly to myself seeing that.
Though I’ve repeated this many times, Freya was no less brutal.
‘…She also wields power so crudely.’
The violence of mass… just overwhelming firepower. Destruction that sent chills just looking at it.
This was truly the ideal ability activation for mage-type ether ability users.
‘But with physical ability correction at a level of none, and becoming a pathetic alley cat weaker than ordinary ether ability users if unable to spend skill preparation time… that’s a fatal weakness.’
Along with such thoughts, smelling the burning scent of debris rising from below, I asked Freya. It seemed we needed to move busily to disrupt the encirclement spread over several kilometers.
“Which area should we go to next…”
At that moment.
A thunderous sound came from the ruins.
What rose with the thunderous sound was an armor puppet.
It stood up shining golden patterns between its black massive body.
Whirrr―
The automatic armor puppet taking a stance, miraculously surviving among dozens that had been destroyed.
Even in this brutal bombardment, the cable connecting the armor puppet’s back to the dungeon gate and blessings remained. Thanks to that, it was able to operate like a wired charging phone even in a not fully charged state.
‘We went around quickly devastating here and there to prevent this…’
The armor puppet glared at us mechanically, shining its threatening 3m tall body.
“…”
“…”
Freya tapped my shoulder from behind and said:
“L-Let’s just dodge. It takes some time to activate [Fate’s Spinning Wheel] too… A-Anyway it’s in wired charging state, so it probably can’t chase us closely…”
“…”
“H-Hurry and move ruffian.”
“…”
Um.
That’s a bit…
It seems like one hit would do it.
But running away… somehow… it hurt my pride a bit.
Moreover, if this thing goes on a rampage and joins up with where Alvit is…
“…”
Glance…
I glanced at where the armor puppet’s core was attached. That part was cracked all over, precariously leaking ether recovery blessings.
‘If I could just… land one hit…’
I gently set Freya down on the ground.
Freya was startled again and shouted:
“Y-You crazy pale pink wild horse…?!”
“Huhuhu―☆ Even if I can’t use ether skills freely, there are moments when a girl shouldn’t back down―♪”
“Hey you crazy…!”
Leaving behind those rude words, I picked up a black helmet lying on the ground and put it on.
And lowering the face cover, I slowly moved forward.
‘Go wild once more! Ultimate raw specs! A body that has reached the experience growth limit cannot be broken!’
Resolving myself like that, I took a preparatory stance reminiscent of a track athlete. And I got ready to spring forth, wrapping faint ether around the helmet.
Boom―!
The giant armor moved first.
Like a moving castle wall, it menacingly bore down on me.
“…!”
I rolled my foot greatly while concentrating to the tips of my hair.
Tat!
A shockwave emanates from my foot striking the ground, shaking the air. Air resistance suddenly pouring in becomes wind approaching.
I charged like a human missile towards the armor coming this way.
A pretty☆missile being fired.
Whooosh―!
The wind entering through gaps in the face cover made a threatening sound… and impact approached. I clenched my teeth in that.
Approaching impact.
I tore through it like a bullet.
Crack!
Crack!
Baaang―!
Darkness blinding my eyes for a moment.
And the air visible again.
The sound of armor collapsing behind me…
‘Huhu, I took care of it.’
I ultimately destroyed the armor through ether gathered in the helmet.
I wanted to pass down this legendary tale to someone for generations.
Tap!
I lightly landed in a gymnast pose in midair. And I was about to boast to Freya while taking off and throwing away the dented helmet.
But then… I suddenly felt something strange in my body.
‘Ether depletion? No…’
Warm and… familiar.
Faint golden energy leaking from the core of the collapsed armor.
Energy with a faint light like dandelion seeds approached me.
“…!”
The moment they touched my body, what came to mind was Clara from the original work.
The girl who accepted the name Urd for my sake.
The face of Urd smiling brightly among the stars flashed by.
-Hang in there―☆
‘I’m… recovering.’
The familiar blessing of ether recovery.
Not as much as in the old days… but enough to fight to some extent.
Enough to comfortably use stage 2 ether if I wielded a weapon.
“Cr-Crazy… from injury to recovery… H-How much more brutal do you need to be to be satisfied…”
Freya said with dumbfounded eyes watching that sight.