Celestial Cloak
I stare at Haku and ready Rolgar. Haku slowly readies the knives that she holds in both hands. It’s just that, it’s tricky because Haku’s presence is thinning.
“Shii!”
As I was thinking of that, Haku actually attacks me from the front. She aims at my throat with her knives without any hesitation. But, if I know where she’s aiming at, then it’s easy to deal with it as well.
I repel the approaching knives with Rolgar and thrust consecutively. Haku, as her appearance would have it, unleashes speed-focused attacks at me. Her knives also felt light when I received them. However
“Tsk!”
I suppose the true worth of Haku’s magic is, as I thought, being able to move within shadows. Combining it with the ability that thins her presence, it looks as though she disappeared before my eyes. It’s not that she’s fast or anything; it simply feels as though she disappeared. And then around us is the residential district with lots of buildings and there’s not a single cloud in the sky tonight.
Because the moonlight is shining unobstructedly, there are shadows all over the place. I don’t know where amongst these will Haku come out from. And then this shadow
“As I thought!”
Shadow spikes fly out at me from the ground as they did inside the room. All shadows become Haku’s weapon through Haku’s ability. It’s quite troublesome; since it’s like I’m fighting a large army.
I run and dodge the spikes that fly out at me from the ground, but they project at me again from where I avoided to. Nothing is as troublesome as something that I don’t know will come at me from when and where. The sense-type abilities don’t react until the moment they appear either.
“Yaa!”
Uoo! I didn’t think that Haku would actually appear from the shadow spike. She can move inside of that as well huh. I receive the knives she unleashes at me consecutively with Rolgar.
She swings her knives, trying to slice my throat, and thrusts her knives, trying to stab my heart. If none of them hit, she attacks my limbs so that I can’t dodge. And on the other hand, when I try to attack her, Haku escapes into the shadow and attacks me with the shadows.
“……it really is tricky”
And then, Haku’s speed is gradually increasing; whenever she moves within the shadows. I wonder if this is also some kind of ability.
“”Lei-sama, I got it””
Light’s voice reverberates in my head as I’m waiting for a chance to attack while warding off Haku, who repeatedly comes out from the shadow, attacks me, and enters the shadow again. It seems Light found out the thing I had asked of him before the battle started.
“So how was it?”
“”Both the magic that has been cast on Haku is Dark Magic; they are Phantom Pain and Berserk Rave.
Haku-sama’s traumas are probably called to mind through the Phantom Pain. An ordinary human would’ve gone insane with just that alone.
That magic, it is not one that chooses a single scar to call to mind but makes one remember every single scar that they received in the past. That being the case, there is also the demerit of needing to touch the target for several minutes though……””
……that demerit too, it is probably easily accomplished for those who had raised Haku.
“”And as for Berserk Rave, it is a magic for making the target fight regardless of their will. It has the same demerit as Phantom Pain, but the effect is, as you can see””
Haku, who slashes at me with her knives with vacant eyes. ……she’s made to fight regardless of her will. ……it must be painful huh. ……it must hurt huh.
“Light. Can we go with The One Who Severs?”
“”We can; since I know what kind of magic has been cast. It is just that……””
“Aah, I have to capture Haku”
Capturing Haku, who’s running about freely in the shadows, is quite a tall order. It’ll all work out if I just get rid of the shadows, but that isn’t something that can be done so easily. In that case
“Light, I’m going to do that”
“”Understood. I will be having your Magic Power””
Light then absorbs Magic Power from me. This is the only way to capture Haku, who I don’t know will come out from where and when. I wait for Light’s Magic Power to accumulate while dodging Haku’s attack.
It’s what I feel since I can’t read Haku’s expression because it’s hidden by the mantle when I see her face that appears occasionally, but it seems rather agonising. On top of being forcefully made to fight, her traumas are being called to mind. It’s probably quite painful.
“”It is ready, Lei-sama!””
“I got it, Activate!”
Light’s voice reverberates in my head as I’m thinking of that. I then activate it right away; the magic for stopping Haku.
“Light Magic, Celestial Cloak!”
My back shines the instant I activated my Level 9 Light Magic, Celestial Cloak. And then what appeared was; a shining white mantle of Magic Power that envelops my body. It’s not a mantle that covers everything all the way to the head like Haku, it’s a mantle that drapes from the shoulders like a military uniform.
“uu!”
Perhaps she could tell that I activated a Level 9 Light Magic, Haku comes out from the shadow and takes her distance from me. In contrast to Haku, who’s being cautious of me, I slacken my stance.
“Come at me from anywhere”
Haku, who witnessed that sight, raises an angry-sounding voice, but she doesn’t try anything like charging at me. Maybe she’s instinctively sensing that it’s dangerous. In that case
“If you won’t come, then I’ll go over!”
“uu!”
I take aim at Haku and start running. Haku, who’s surprised by that, projects a massive amount of shadow spikes from the ground. Just the ones that my eyes can see, there’s probably no less than a few hundred. It’s to the extent that it’s a pain to even count if I include those that are coming at me from behind and from the buildings. However, it doesn’t matter to me. I plunge forward as it is without readying Rolgar.
And then, a few hundred shadow spikes pierce me……is probably how it looks in Haku’s eyes. But
“Scatter”
The Celestial Cloak on my back blocks all of the shadow spikes. The spikes that collided with the Celestial Cloak snap and vanish, failing to penetrate. Starting from the closer ones, the Celestial Cloak blocks the shadow spikes that approach one after another. I just plunge forward and it does what it does automatically.
This is the Light Magic that I newly came up with, 『Celestial Cloak』.
I referenced the magic of the Seven Demon Generals, Gilgas, for this magic. Gilgas’ magic,『Hecatoncheir』, produced tens of arms that home in automatically on enemies that enters his Magic Power Detection’s range. I thought about whether I can create a new Magic with reference to that.
And then the goblin subjugation 2 months ago. At that time, I probably could’ve defeated them if I used Lightning Heavenly Garment, but there’s also the possibility that I drag everybody else in. Still, even if I charged in by myself, my stamina would probably run out halfway through.
What came up to mind over there was Caro’s barrier. I can endure attacking into a large army if I activate something similar to that passively. And then the magic I made through the trial and error with Light was,『Celestial Cloak』.
Its ability is that it automatically defends against and automatically intercepts attacks and enemies that my Magic Power Detection and Presence Sense reacted to. Of course, I’m also able to move it according to my will, and it’s also possible to attack with this magic.
I use this magic when I secretly sneaked away on the night of the goblin subjugation and, I was able to annihilate them by just standing. The goblins attack me on their own after all, and even if they stop attacking, if they enter the range of my senses, it’ll attack for me automatically. Well, the further it is, the more Magic Power it expends though.
But, the downside of this magic is, that when I set it to automatic mode, it reacts to everything that comes into range. So if an ally is nearby, it’ll end up intercepting them automatically. I’m suppressing the range of my senses to a roughly 5 metres radius and activating it, so there are no issues, but I won’t be able to use it if she’s far away. This is also something to work on from now on.
On top of that, it doesn’t provide absolute defence; it’ll probably be broken through by attacks that are above my Magic Power. ……alright. The next spike is the last. I charge in as it is.
“!!!”
The opponent, whom she thought the shadow spikes had probably stabbed and died, broke through the shadow spikes and appeared, so Haku made a surprised expression. She gets surprised even in that state huh.
Without overlooking that opening, I aim at Haku and extend Celestial Cloak. Haku tries to escape into the shadow, but
“Like I’ll let you escape! Light!”
I activate Light1, that I put a considerable amount of Magic Power into. I give out a light that’s so bright that the entire vicinity as far as the eyes can see turns pure white, so bright that it’s painful to keep my eyes open. All the black shadow also dyes white.
I can’t see with my eyes, but I search for Haku’s location with Presence Sense and Magic Power Detection. Haku is holding her eyes and not moving from that position. And then
“……I caught you, Haku! Light, activate 『The One Who Severs』!”
“”Roger!””
I pull Haku, whom I wrapped up in Celestial Cloak, to my side and hug her tightly. Light then carries on to activate The One Who Severs. Guu! Maybe the magic this time around is quite deeply ingrained, the amount of Magic Power that Light is taking away is a lot. And then perhaps Haku is also in agony, she bellows.
“AAH, AAaaaAAH!”
“Guu!”
Haku also struggles at the overwhelming pain. Her knife stabs into my flank at that time, but I don’t have the leisure to be bothered with something like that now. And then
Parin!
Haku’s strength leaves her body simultaneously with the sound of something cracking. ……she’s gone quite limp, I wonder if she’s alright? My eyes were also gradually getting used and when I opened my eyes, over there
“O, nii……?”
Haku, who’s looking at me firmly despite being limp, was inside my arms.
“How are you feeling?”
“My, hea, d, hurts”
“Is that so. I’ll take care of you, so rest easy for today”
When I say that and pat Haku’s head, Haku nods happily and falls asleep as it is.
Perhaps it’s because the sounds of fighting stopped, Aerith and the others came over from the house, and soldiers are running over from the Royal Palace. I have to talk to everybody about various things, but for now, rather than such things, I have to look after Haku.
