Chapter 602 — Arc 9, Chapter 14 – “The Strongest”

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???: [――――]

Red hair blazed as a brilliant flame, blue eyes imprisoned the perfect clarity of the azure skies; from head to toe, this was a being created with heroism untainted, with naught an impurity.

The birth of such a being had been blessed by the world, a chosen one who had perpetually existed as his own antithesis.

Standing imposingly in the center of the sprawling sand sea, under the chill of night, Reinhard cast his gaze, causing all the hairs on Aldebaran’s body to stand on end.

――The Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea.

Needless to say, in the Kingdom of Lugunica―― nay, even if one were to search far and wide across the entire world, he was a being who went without peer, and one of the two greatest obstacles in Aldebaran’s plan.

Still, the other of the two had been none other than Natsuki Subaru, but his entrapment via Ol Shamak alongside Beatrice, who had likewise been a matter of concern, had already been completed successfully.

Hence, among the individuals with whom a clash was certain, this man remained as the greatest barrier.

――Very well, Reinhard van Astrea was the strongest.

The Blue Lightning, Cecilus Segmunt, was faster; the Admirer, Halibel, made greater use of techniques; the Mad Prince, Vague Adgard, was further distanced from death; the Great Spirits enrolled among the Four Greats exceeded him in Mana; the Sin Archbishops of the Witch Cult possessed irrational Authorities; the Witches of Sin had taken far more lives; many virtuous individuals were better at lying; and many scoundrels were more unfalteringly obstinate.

When looking at individual aspects generally, there were plenty of individuals who surpassed Reinhard.

Nevertheless, Reinhard van Astrea’s seat as the strongest would not be shaken. ――Tearing down that definitive strongest bastion, was the absolute victory condition levied upon Aldebaran.

Aldebaran: [If I do say so myself, this is the worst situation to be placed in.]

“Aldebaran”: [It’s too late to be complaining about the lackluster hand you’ve been dealt. Be sure to make good use of me as a joker.]

Aldebaran: […When you look at him, Dragon me, what do you make of the Sword Saint?]

“Aldebaran”: [I’d say the same as you, human me… but I guess not. From what I can sense of his strength with this body, I think it might be even worse than what you’re thinking.]

From behind Aldebaran, that which narrowed its golden eyes as it gazed upon Reinhard was a supreme lifeform that spoke in a manner lacking the dignity of its station, the Divine Dragon Volcanica―― nay, the empty dragonhusk into which the Memories of Aldebaran had been installed, the Divine Dragon “Aldebaran”.

Sharing the same fundamental knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and even objectives in the present situation, “Aldebaran” was a dependable lifeline for the near helpless Aldebaran.

“Aldebaran” had also asserted that it ought to be utilized as a joker effectively. Showing restraint had never been in his intentions, but with that he resolved his heart to squeeze the utmost usage out of it.

And, as Aldebaran finished re-ascertaining the cards in his hand――,

Reinhard: [――From the lineage of Sword Saints, Reinhard van Astrea.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

As his skin tingled with gooseflesh, Aldebaran narrowed his eyes within his helmet.

To announce one’s name and title before an opponent in a standoff was common courtesy amongst fighters in this world. As astonishing as it may seem, it was a courtesy that even the Sin Archbishops abided by; for some it was to uphold their pride, for some it was out of respect to their opponent, for some it served to immerse themselves in a superiority complex, and for some it invigorated their cowardly selves; it was something that people levied upon themselves for a variety of reasons.

And the reason as to why the Sword Saint, Reinhard, was conforming to that courtesy, was plain from the look in his eyes.

In this situation, Reinhard was paying respect to Aldebaran. ――Albeit he would have supposedly learned of what Aldebaran had done in the Tower from Flam, he nonetheless had done so.

Such was Reinhard’s virtue, which simultaneously was the source of the unbridgeable gap between him and others. The way in which Aldebaran interpreted it, was not something he would specifically reveal, but――,

Aldebaran: [Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult, representing Pride, Stride Vollachia.]

Reinhard: [――Hk.]

Aldebaran: [Now wouldn’t it be amusing if I said something like that?]

――He made the decision to merely trample upon his opponent’s respect in insult.

“Aldebaran”: [――BOHRRRGGGHHH!!!]

The response was one akin to sticking out his tongue to an outstretched hand, causing Reinhard’s eyes to widen; then, simultaneously with a clumsy roar, a white light surged towards the Sword Saint as he stood unflinching.

Unaccustomed to piloting the freshly hijacked dragonhusk, it was a terribly misshapen attack―― however, the power of the Dragon’s breath unleashed from that almighty body was very much authentic.

If the breath unleashed upon Garfiel and Ezzo on the highest floor of the Pleiades Watchtower right after overwriting its Memories were a sneeze, then this blast was charged with a definite intent for destruction.

To demonstrate the difference in accumulated destructive force, a surging wave of white energy engulfed Reinhard, one that would alter the form of the deserted Sand Sea for the rest of all eternity.

He did not think it could kill him. But, if done without the intent to kill, there would not even be a fight.

As proof of that――,

“Aldebaran”: [――Hk, fall back, me!!]

Aldebaran: [Uooooaahhhh!?]

After the entirety of its breath was expelled, white smoke drifting out of the enormous crater it had created in the sand sea, “Aldebaran” suddenly reached out its talons and hooked Aldebaran, flinging him to the side without restraint.

Split off from his literal alternate self, Aldebaran’s body was tossed about by the sudden betrayal, and across the mostly flattened sand he tumbled, tumbled, and tumbled until he braked.

Then, expelling the sand that had intruded the gaps in his helmet, he looked up―― he saw that, in truth, “Aldebaran’s” actions had not been betrayal, but instead had been providing cover.

Reinhard ought to have taken a direct hit from the Dragon’s breath, but unscathed, he had leapt towards “Aldebaran”, thus commencing the grand decisive battle between two monsters of mismatched size.

“Aldebaran”: [You didn’t even get a burn!? I’m not saying that ain’t praiseworthy, but what’s the principle behind that!?]

Reinhard: [I borrowed the power of the Dragon Sword. Even if the day of this world’s ruin were to come, this sword would not be destroyed. That is how it was forged to be. And so, I parried.]

“Aldebaran”: [Though from that answer, ultimately what’s incredible isn’t the sword, but you! That still doesn’t explain how you didn’t get burned!]

Reinhard: [That would be the effect of the Divine Protection of Sunburn.]

Whilst giving an apathetic reply, Reinhard spun around in the air and unleashed a kick. Clashing head on with the dragonclaw tearing through the sky, a sound akin to fireworks or cannonfire going off in close distance boomed in an explosion.

Each and every blow delivered a destructive power that even warriors who had undergone the most assiduous of training would be unable to withstand, but to the horror of many, those were standard attacks for the Sword Saint and the Dragon both.

That was to say, this combat continued without pause or pull.

Aldebaran: [Shit, gahhhhh…!]

Both combatants strung out chains of rapid attacks giving rise to an unbelievable symphony of explosions, and with each strike, the resultant shock waves blew away the sand of the sand sea, and made an attempt to tear Aldebaran away from the ground that he clung to.

The clash between two of the strongest living beings in the realm, for one spectating from several dozen meters away as it unfolded, guaranteed no place was secure. However, Aldebaran could not opt for leaving the battlefield due to his own pathetic self. ――There was a limit to the updates of his matrix.

Currently, if he were to get too far away from the position at which the matrix had been defined, the territory would come crumbling down, and Aldebaran would end up losing the few advantages he possessed against Reinhard.

That must be avoided at all costs.

Reinhard: [――. Powerful. However, it is far too different from before.]

Meanwhile, as Aldebaran clung to the battlefield, Reinhard moved back a great deal to open some distance after having traded a great many blows against the Dragon, and muttered so.

Placing a hand upon the hilt of the Dragon Sword, the Sword Saint was not even a little short on breath, and as he displayed his serious countenance “Aldebaran” groaned an “Ahh?” without a hint of exhaustion.

In response, Reinhard shook his head to the side with a “Nothing”,

Reinhard: [The other day, when I was proceeding towards the Watchtower together with Flam, Ezzo-dono, and the rest, I ended up quarreling with you… with the Divine Dragon Volcanica due to a misunderstanding, but compared to then, your movements and intentions are far too different.]

As Reinhard pointed that out, “Aldebaran” maintained silence. However, his judgment had been accurate. In reality, that which Reinhard had previously fought against was the real Divine Dragon Volcanica―― though, it would have been in a dragonhusk state, bereft of its contents after producing a dragonkin.

When comparing between now and then, it would have undoubtedly seemed that he had undergone a complete change in personality.

And having guessed the correct answer, upon verifying his insight, Reinhard continued.

Reinhard: [The current you is weaker than the last time. Why is that?]

“Aldebaran”: […Argh.]

Reinhard: [――?]

“Aldebaran”: [No, no no, no no no, it’s only natural for you to say that. It’s just as you say, I can’t get full use out of this body. So, I guess I’m kinda weak, eh? Were that the case, there wouldn’t be even a single thing strange about it whatsoever. Only――]

At Reinhard’s unmalicious misgivings, “Aldebaran” broke off his words there. Then, with the profile of a Dragon that differed far too much from that of a human, he gave a sneering grin that could nonetheless be understood as such,

“Aldebaran”: [Now, I’m kinda wanting to show you a thing or two.]

Directly following that declaration, “Aldebaran” spread its wings, giving rise to a gale as it soared.

Closing the distance on Reinhard in an instant, it swung down its arms, each akin to great trees, aiming to crush him flat. Seeing that transparent offensive, Reinhard seemed to disregard his poor footing―― in fact, as the Divine Protection of Sandplay allowed him to disregard it, he leapt between “Aldebaran’s” arms towards its chest, and drove a counterattack into it.

“Aldebaran”: [Gohk――!!]

Spreading his long legs, one to the heavens and the other to earth, Reinhard delivered a kick, landing a direct hit on the Dragon where a human’s solar plexus would have been located, tossing the gargantuan creature straight upwards.

Instead of flying through the air with its wings, “Aldebaran” had been forcibly launched upwards, and chasing it, Reinhard leapt up and caught up to the skybound Dragon―― nay, he pulled ahead. Then, stepping upon the soaring Dragon with the tips of his toes, he forcibly halted the upward momentum.

Reinhard: [Apologies, but this is as far as it goes.]

Reinhard appeared to be standing upon the back of “Aldebaran” midair, and the hand he held aloft, brandishing naught as he readied a karate chop, was sharper and more lethal a blade than any commonplace renowned sword.

That brandish seemed as if it could likely sever even the Divine Dragon’s dragonhusk, but――,

“Aldebaran”: [I said I’d show you a thing or two… play along a lil’ while longer.]

Right before it could bask in the karate chop, “Aldebaran” muttered so after being pushed around at Reinhard’s will. Hearing the Dragon’s voice, with a hint of scheming mixed in amidst the bitterness, Reinhard slightly frowned.

Witnessing that from afar, gazing up at the supreme beings in the aether from down on the surface, Aldebaran spoke.

Aldebaran: [――Plan A.]

Reinhard: [――Hk.]

Given the distance, it was unthinkable that Reinhard could have heard Aldebaran’s voice. On the other hand, one might think that it would not be out of the ordinary for him to have heard it, but there would be no point in asking.

――After all, the light of a star twinkling in the night sky was plummeting down, aiming directly for the Sword Saint.

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――Al Shario.

This spell, regarded as a specialty of a Witch of yore, was one accepted to be a forbidden technique.

Shining down from beyond the sky, stars were perpetually burning masses of Mana, and by utilizing the property of attraction between Mana of the same type, the unbelievable marvel of casting one to the earth could be realised.

But naturally, to bring a star down upon a precise location required both delicate control over magic and an unfathomable quantity of Mana. In exchange for the difficulty of realizing such a technique, the Mana contained in the star’s light could rival that held by a Great Spirit, and was even extolled to have once felled a weyr of Dragons.

In terms of destructive power, it easily surpassed even the ruinous breath of Dragons, beings bestowed with the right to tear the world asunder with just their roar, and so it could therefore be proclaimed to be the pinnacle of destructive acts.

???: [Magic, it is a miraculous discipline with the hidden potential to make anything one imagines into reality, were you unaware? The creation of a spell so powerful that it would cause one to scoff at something like a Dragon’s breath was inevitable once you consider the existence of those who wished to surpass it… Eventually, a spell even more powerful than the magic capable of plunging a star will be born. Is it not wonderful, that humans truly possess such Greed?]

Such had once been stated to Aldebaran by a Witch with beautiful white hair, a smug expression drawn upon her face.

It was still irritating to remember her smug face from back then, but he did believe that it was no lie or bluff. After all, that smug-faced Witch had personally shown him the real thing.

In other words, this what surpassed even the breath of a Dragon, stood as the zenith―― or rather, stood as the zenith of destruction at this point in history.

Aldebaran: [Piece of shit.]

For any given pinnacle, there remained the possibility to surpass it by means of new ideas and the magic to bring them to life.

Al Shario was no exception. Gritting his teeth as he made the correction in his head in accordance with the Witch’s teachings, Aldebaran wished for the fruit borne of that starlight.

――He would rather not admit it, but by studying under the Witch, Aldebaran had been bequeathed all sorts of knowledge.

Amidst the wisdom bestowed unto him, knowledge about magic was present in no small amount. However, even if he were able to learn the theories and methodologies behind implementing magic, Aldebaran lacked the essential talent required.

Even supposing a person knew how to heat water, a bathtub could not be filled with a single cup’s worth of water.

In that case, why had the Witch imparted knowledge of magic unto Aldebaran if he would be unable to utilize it?

Did she merely wish to show off her knowledge, to don that smug expression? Was it because even if he was unable to use it, there would be some obstacles possible to overcome with a knowledge of magic, and so she had wished to make her pupil’s path a little smoother?

Either one of those would be nothing more than by-products of the Witch’s main objective in doing so.

The real reason for which the Witch had crammed Aldebaran full of magical knowledge, that would be――,

“Aldebaran”: [――Al Shario.]

Launched up into the midst of the sky, the Dragon voiced the incantation to cast a star down towards the nighttime sand sea.

Whilst holding immense power, the Divine Dragon, Volcanica, was left vacant after its soul had been excised―― “Aldebaran” now housed its Memories within that dragonhusk, finally completed as an existence capable of fulfilling the requirements to make shine the long-unused treasures the Witch had granted him.

To rephrase, it was with precisely this motive that the Witch had filled Aldebaran with knowledge.

The specific combination of Aldebaran’s knowledge and the acquisition of the Dragon’s dragonhusk by “Aldebaran”, these were the means by which he would surmount the greatest wall at the extremity of the bricks laid to an extent that one might take as the realm of a billion.

Reinhard: [――――]

Looking up at the sky from atop the Dragon’s back, even Reinhard’s eyes went wide.

The starlight cascading down from the heavens was as mighty as that unleashed by Sphinx in the midst of the final battle in the Vollachian Empire, a battle which had shown premonitions of the world’s end.

After fetterlessly employing all sorts of dirty moves, Sphinx had finally been able to perform this forbidden technique. Though Aldebaran now trembled at seeing this extraordinary Dragon perform it without any external support, he kept a watchful eye on Reinhard’s movements in the sky.

That Al Shario could not be defended against, he would not take such an optimistic viewpoint.

In fact, the Blue Lightning, who was considered to be on par with the Sword Saint, had achieved a feat of supremacy unbounded by slaying a falling star with a single slice of his katana during the decisive battle for the Imperial Capital.

That star had been cut down through the combined effect of Cecilus’s swordsmanship and the Dream Sword’s power; he did not think that Reinhard, unable to draw the Dragon Sword as he was, could replicate such a feat.

But, even if it was grounds for being careless, that was no reason to underestimate him.

Therefore――,

“Aldebaran”: [OH, OHHHHH――!!!]

Before Reinhard could do anything in response to the starlight, “Aldebaran” roared and made a half-turn midair, rotating to face Reinhard who had his back to it, and struck him with its wing.

Reinhard promptly received this blow with his elbow and knee, but the Dragon’s aim was not to cut him with its wing, but rather to blow Reinhard away with the impact―― towards the star.

“Aldebaran”: [――HAAHRAAN!!]

As had been the case at first contact, Reinhard possessed the means by which to dash through the sky―― no, to use the clouds as footholds, by means of the Divine Protection of Clouds he possessed. Before he could regain his balance, “Aldebaran’s” roar mowed down the clouds in the vicinity and launched Reinhard further into the sky.

With naught a foothold, with naught an escape route, Reinhard would defenselessly collide with the airborne starlight.

With conditions substantially worse than what they had been for the starslayer during the decisive battle for the Imperial Capital, even Reinhard would have no means of dealing with the incoming blow of this star――,

Reinhard: [――I have received it.]

At that moment, Reinhard stretched out his leg as a last resort, his toe making contact with the star, and the consequent explosive energy swallowed the Sword Saint, setting off a star-rending explosion―― was what should have happened.

However, the explosion that was supposed to occur never came about, and instead, Reinhard walked along the side of the star.

Aldebaran: [What…]

“Aldebaran”: [The hell!?]

When the collapse of the heavens that ought to have forced him to choose between the twin options of oblivion or evasion came, both were sidestepped, thus the astonished voices of Aldebaran and “Aldebaran” echoed across the sand sea.

To the bewilderment of both, Reinhard walked up the side of the star, and after arriving at the top,

Reinhard: [Divine Protection of Ball Balancing.]

“Aldebaran”: [Ball… Balancing…]

Aldebaran: [You’re treating it as a fireball, eh?]

Upon receiving his answer, he became speechless at the beam of destruction being treated as a fireball. However, that speechlessness was soon painted over by a rising sense of dread.

If one believed that the Divine Protection of Ball Balancing was what it sounded like, then a ball balancer at a circus did not merely stand atop a ball, but controlled it at will――,

“Aldebaran”: [Shit.]

Reinhard’s feet appeared to lightly tap the star’s surface.

In the next moment, the trajectory of the star dropped by Al Shario changed, and veered towards the caster, “Aldebaran”, causing the fierce starlight to rapidly approach it.

Witnessing it the Dragon spat a curse, meeting the attack with its almighty breath.

Aldebaran: [――――]

A moment later, dazzling crimson and white light consumed the sky, creating the illusion that the night had come to an end.

Originally, the scene was supposed to be that of Reinhard being struck by a star, but with this event’s occurrence being actively perverted, the night sky being set ablaze was the conclusion, simple as. ――False, as the story was not drawing to a close yet.

The shattered star burst into innumerable glittering fragments, carpet bombing the sand sea.

Aldebaran: [Guh, ugh…]

Naturally, Aldebaran, who was on the ground, had also been blown away, his entire body accumulating several burns as he collapsed onto the sand.

Soon, he heard a rumbling that did not resemble that of a falling star from not too far away, and with difficulty he turned his neck to look towards the place it came from, where he saw “Aldebaran”, with a broken wing and another that had been severed, having powerlessly fallen to the ground.

And then――,

Reinhard: [It is regrettable that it had to come to this.]

Towards the collapsed Aldebaran’s side, Reinhard walked.

Leaving aside the half-dead Dragon and Aldebaran, he had been swallowed by the cataclysmic light of a star, yet did not seem to bear any signs of such.

He had heard that the Sin Archbishop of Greed had killed Reinhard once, but how had that been done?

Alas, Reinhard, bearing a look of shame, believed that the fight had already come to an end, and perhaps sadly, Aldebaran had no method with which to overturn this.

Indeed, Reinhard had judged correctly. ――For the eight-thousand-four-hundred and sixty-sixth time, it was his victory.

But――,

Aldebaran: [――Next.]

At that moment, behind Reinhard, “Aldebaran” raised its head from where it had unceremoniously fallen to the ground, and unleashed a fearsome Dragon’s breath towards them.

The Dragon’s breath had been shot in an imperfect state, a mere shadow of its perfected form, but Reinhard could not possibly ignore it. ――That was because Aldebaran was also in its line of fire, and would have been unable to escape the fate of being turned into charcoal if Reinhard were to dodge.

Reinhard: [I cannot approve of this way of doing things…!]

Turning around as drew his yet-sheathed Dragon Sword, Reinhard slashed the breath away head-on.

Reinhard’s voice overflowed with righteous indignation, his heart filled with anger at this murder-suicide attempt, due to the fact that “Aldebaran” had unleashed an attack that would swallow up its ally Aldebaran.

How so truly kind of him. Next time, he would incorporate that into his strategy.

With this decision, Aldebaran unwrapped the drug package in his mouth, and gulped down the poison contained within.

Reinhard: [Wha…!]

Having noticed that something was wrong, Reinhard turned around, his face stiffening. Within his vision, Aldebaran was twitching and convulsing on the ground, drowning in bloody froth as his consciousness went to the beyond――,

×  ×  ×

???: [――That will be as far as you go.]

A dignified voice cut through the cold, frozen sky, and a beam of light pierced the airborne Dragon obliquely.

While the impact rattled through his entire body, Aldebaran, with a reflex that he had finally conditioned after falling to his death hundreds of times, clung onto a protrusion on the Dragon’s back, avoiding the opportunity to go skydiving without a parachute, and together with his literal alternate self, plummeted towards the ground.

And then――,

???: [I advise you surrender. If possible, I would prefer to not cut you down.]

Aldebaran: [Quit putting on airs, hero. I’ll win regardless. ――Your stars were bad.]

――For the eight-thousand four-hundred and sixty-seventh time, Aldebaran’s battle commenced.

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――His encounter with the Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea, had begun in night skies over the Augria Sand Dunes after having fled Pleiades Watchtower.

The battle had begun when they had been pierced by light, and came crashing down, but Aldebaran saw that as something that was bound to happen sooner or later, and was not surprised by his arrival.

Although it was a confrontation he had understood would happen at some point, he felt like it had come upon him a little too soon.

Rather, it would have been more desirable to be able to fight at a time when he was at a minimal level of exhaustion. ――And even that optimistic tough act was only possible before he had heard “――That will be as far as you go” a hundred times, as when hearing “――That will be as far as you go” for the next eight-thousand odd times, his bravado would completely fall apart.

In reality, after the first “――That will be as far as you go”, he would go on to hear it more than a hundred times before he was gently caught by the Dragon’s wings and land safely upon the Sand Sea.

Until then, he had met fates such as breaking his neck or spine in a crash landing, forcing him back to the “――That will be as far as you go”, giving him no choice but to try over and over again for reasons unbeknownst to him.

Aldebaran: [So the one who’s been saying “――That will be as far as you go” was Reinhard this whole time! I was so moved when I realized that…]

It was not really good for one’s psyche, being in a situation of being unaware as to what could have possibly been attacking them.

For Aldebaran, receiving physical damage was unpleasant, but it was not the worst possible thing. What he feared was not so much physical injury, but mental injury.

In that respect, upon finally uncovering the true identity of the one repeating “――That will be as far as you go”, he felt as if he had finally escaped from a labyrinth. But then again, that cheerful mood vanished right away.

Aldebaran: [I guess I should count myself lucky that I didn’t get softlocked…]

Depending on the situation, it being possible to establish the matrix just before a dead end was the only real thing that could be considered a weakness of Aldebaran’s Authority. Miraculously, it was a mistake he had never made up to this point, but there was no guarantee that it would remain that way in the future.

Moreover, at that moment, he had been defining and redefining the matrix every fifteen seconds in preparation for any unforeseen circumstances. Thanks to that, he had been able to return to the point just before Reinhard had said “――That will be as far as you go,” but if he had established the starting point of the matrix to be just after the “――That will be as far”, he would have been starting from the “…as you go”, chipping away at his heart without him being able to do anything about it.

Once the matrix was updated, it was impossible to go back to previous tasks.

That was to say, Aldebaran had no choice but to conquer the Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea, using the matrix that began with the declaration of “――That will be as far as you go”.

For that reason, he had already gone through over eight-thousand repetitions of “――That will be as far as you go”.

It was a daunting battle, comparable to scaling a hopelessly high mountain at the pace of a tortoise, but “Aldebaran” was there with him, so it was not as if they would be completely incapable of contesting against Reinhard.

Thanks to this, preparations to conquer Reinhard were steadily underway.

To conquer any enemy, not limited to just Reinhard, what was required was a breakdown of elements.

By deconstructing the elements that made something what it was, one could naturally expose the core of their opponent. Reinhard, too, was not simply the strongest. ――There were reasons that made him the strongest.

Aldebaran would break him down into the individual elements of Heart, Technique, and Body, and would unravel him.

Body. ――Reinhard harbored ridiculous physical abilities not brought about by his Divine Protections, but by Reinhard’s own extraordinary Od, which produced an efficient and explosive synergy of the Mana inside and outside his body without any loss in the slightest, allowing him to utilize it naturally.

There was a technique known as the Flow Method that could be acquired through outstanding talent and years of training, which allowed the body to be strengthened by circulating Mana throughout it. Reinhard had been born with congenital Excess Mana Circulation Constitution, so he was able to naturally manipulate this technique from birth, and it was normal for him to remain in an constantly enhanced state.

That was roughly equivalent to saying that the simple act of Reinhard breathing normally had hundreds of times the effect of an ordinary person taking a deep breath, all the while still leaving room for Reinhard himself to take a deep breath.

Technique. ――Based on Aldebaran’s prior knowledge and what he had identified after eight-thousand clashes, Reinhard possessed at least two-hundred-and-fifty-one Divine Protections. His Divine Protections ranged from his signature Divine Protection of the Sword Saint, to ones useful in combat such as the Divine Protection of Initiative and the Divine Protection of Projectile Evasion, to environmental ones like the Divine Protection of Fog and the Divine Protection of Sandplay, to poor jokes such as the Divine Protection of Shoelaces and the Divine Protection of Wearing Layers.

Reinhard possessed so many rare and powerful Divine Protections that each one could be a unique representative for every country, numbering significantly more than the fingers on both hands, and his ability to adapt was so outstanding that even if a trap were to be prepared to ensnare and kill the world’s cleverest Witch, he would easily break through.

Heart. ――Finally, the ethos of Reinhard, bearing the duty of the Sword Saint.

Reinhard’s declaration of merely being from the lineage of Sword Saints could perhaps serve as proof that he believed he did not meet the ideal standards of how a Sword Saint ought to be, but to those who bore objectives that differed to his, and stood in opposition to him, that self-consciousness of Reinhard’s was irrelevant.

Regardless of how Reinhard himself might have felt, his feats and devotion to his duty made him worthy of being called the Sword Saint, and to the enemies of the Kingdom―― nay, to the enemies of the world, he would turn no blind eye.

The Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea, was a cog in the machine for the express purpose of destroying the world’s enemies.

This was the result of Aldebaran’s analysis of Reinhard’s Heart, Technique, and Body.

To rephrase, in order to conquer Reinhard, it would be essential to crush these elements that had been revealed through his breakdown, one-by-one.

Ergo――,

Reinhard: [――That will be as far as you go.]

With that, as the Dragon was pierced by light, Aldebaran’s next battle commenced.

△▼△▼△▼△

――Eight-thousand eight-hundred and eighty-eight.

???: [――That will be as far as you go.]

Amidst the successive battles, he became convinced that for Reinhard, who possessed the Excess Mana Circulation Constitution that inordinately absorbed ambient Mana and circulated it throughout his body, the Augria Sand Dunes, which were infested with Miasma, a tainted form of Mana, was the worst possible location imaginable.

In other words, across the entirety of the world, there was no other field where Reinhard would be so weakened, save for the Augria Sand Dunes.

Even when exposed to the supergravity-generating Al Karum [1], a gravitational field so intense that even “Aldebaran” had been crushed under its own weight, Reinhard had overcome being engulfed by it through sheer strength; and in the Augria Sand Dunes, Reinhard’s physical abilities were at their weakest state still.

Aldebaran: [――Next.]

×  ×  ×

――Ten-thousand two-hundred and twelve.

???: [――That will be as far as you go.]

Utilizing the refraction of light, the fact that the surrounding area had been veiled in a wall of ice was concealed. That airtight space, sealed with ice, was then filled with mist, and the water within was made to vaporize all at once, causing it to explode.

The explosive decompression of a sealed space caused by a steam explosion was an outcome that could not have been anticipated, since the cause of which was a phenomenon that had yet to be fully elucidated given this world’s level of civilization. An attack borne from a synthesis of magic with science.

The plan had been to simultaneously trick both the Divine Protection of Fire Avoidance and the Divine Protection of Water Avoidance not by using simple fire or water, but rather a steam explosion; but, by him receiving the Divine Protection of Fireplay that rendered explosions harmless and the Divine Protection of Waterplay that neutralized water damage, this attempt too had been overcome.

Aldebaran: [――Next.]

×  ×  ×

――Sixteen-thousand and eight.

???: [――That will be as far as you go.]

The temperature gradient between Fire and Water Magic was used to create thunderclouds, and by applying Wind and Earth Magic, he caused the Dragon Sword to be imbued with an electric charge. Following the principle that formed the basis for lightning rods, inescapable bolts of lightning struck Reinhard.

To escape the sheer speed of lightning, not even Reinhard was capable of such. The bolts of lightning, reminiscent of the speed of Cecilus’s swordsmanship that transcended human limits, a sight that had become all too familiar to him in the Empire, struck Reinhard chaotically.

Reinhard completely neutralized this with his Divine Protection of the Lightning Cloud, and although the lightning could not seize Reinhard, it did take hold of the Dragon Sword, causing the sword to become highly magnetized.

Taking advantage of it, he moved on to the next plan, which had been prepared in advance. ――Using this magnetic force, he immobilized his opponent with the abundant magnetite-rich sand that lay in the sand sea, and drove an attack into the lethal gap he had opened.

However, this too was circumvented by the Divine Protection of Sandplay and the Divine Protection of Mud Slippage, ending in failure.

Aldebaran: [――Next.]

×  ×  ×

――Sixty-four thousand seven-hundred and ninety-nine.

???: [――That will be as far as you go.]

Responding to the previous failure had caused him to momentarily forget the conditioning that should have been ingrained in his soul.

In that instant, he had forgotten the routine of clinging onto the protrusion that adorned the back of the Dragon; his whole body was enveloped by a floating sensation, and he was swept up by the wind, losing sense of up and down, left and right, as he was tossed about.

In the distance, unable to pick up the falling Aldebaran, all that could be heard was the crying roar of the Dragon.

His tongue probed the insides of his mouth, and for what felt like the umpteenth time, the deadly poison he carried was unleashed once again.

A fall from that height would have undoubtedly killed him upon impact. However, a one-in-a-million oddity occurring this time would be problematic. So, just to be safe, Aldebaran gulped down the poison.

Before hitting the ground, struck by an intense pain akin to all of his blood boiling, his mind was blotted white――,

Aldebaran: [――Next.]

△▼△▼△▼△

――One-hundred thirty-two-thousand and fourteen.

???: [――That will be as far as you go.]

Alas, over the course of the battle he had repeated over, and over, and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, a battle that nonetheless did not last longer than two minutes on average, Aldebaran had become more proficient.

Aldebaran: [Quit putting on airs, hero. I’ll win regardless. ――Your stars were bad.]

Standing off against Reinhard to the fore, gaze trained upon him, Aldebaran reached into his pocket, pulled out a singular book, and raised it aloft over his head with its pages open.

That was a Book of the Dead he had taken out of Pleiades Watchtower―― Aldebaran’s own Book.

By showing its contents to Reinhard, he would perturb his mental state―― such a strategy had already ended in failure as a plan quite some time ago.

Reinhard possessed the Divine Protection of Nightmares, which combated pollutants to the mind, so he was extremely resistant to brainwashing attacks that would directly disturb one’s mental state. Still, it likely could not completely nullify the effects of an Authority, but just by making it possible to disregard the majority of the influences, it was sufficiently effective.

To put it briefly, Reinhard was not the person to whom Aldebaran was showing the Book of the Dead.

It was the other “Aldebaran”, on standby behind him.

“Aldebaran”: [――Synchronization, complete.]

Guessing his intent, “Aldebaran” had lowered its eyes down to look upon the pages of the yet-soaked Book of the Dead; the contents of the Book were drilled directly into its brain, and its Memories were updated.

The Book of the Dead he had brought with him had recorded all of the one-sided fierce battles against Reinhard that Aldebaran had experienced. ――By showing that to “Aldebaran”, Aldebaran could allow the partner who was left behind by the territory to draw level with him at any time.

Both failure and success―― at present, there had yet to be a successful plan, but of the plans that had ended in failure, just by knowing how they had been thwarted and what actions “Aldebaran” had taken in them, “Aldebaran’s” own proficiency would increase remarkably.

For that purpose, Aldebaran had made sure to watch over every battle with his own eyes.

Aldebaran: [――So long as I don’t give up, there’s nobody who can beat me.]

That was the absolute conviction with which Aldebaran had continued to struggle against defeats that reached beyond a count of one-hundred-thousand.

I won’t waver, no matter what. ――It’s with that resolve, that I started this.

Reinhard: [――From the lineage of Sword Saints, Reinhard van Astrea.]

Alongside “――That will be as far as you go”, this was an introduction he had heard over one-hundred-thousand times.

Taking it in, Aldebaran inhaled, paused, and continued.

Aldebaran: [I’m… a following star.]

A declaration that seemed to be spoken on a whim, Reinhard accepted it, and advanced.

The distance between the two vanished in an instant, and despite him being in his worst condition due to the Miasma filling the sand sea, the Divine Protection of Sandplay allowed him to disregard his poor footing, and the Divine Protection of Night Skies granted him strength in the midst of night; bearing the sheathed Dragon Sword on his waist, the Sword Saint closed in.

“Aldebaran”: [――Haahraan!!]

Having installed the Memories of over one-hundred-thousand battles, a roar that was no longer unshapely morphed into a white light of destruction, intercepting the incoming Reinhard head-on.

A Dragon’s breath was not magic nor anything of the sort; it was simply an exceedingly powerful torrent of Mana, pure, primitive to its objective, destroying anything that dared to make contact.

A blast that seemed it would decimate the vast sand sea for the rest of eternity, its radial expansion left no escape, and not even Reinhard possessed the means to evade it. ――Hence, he did not evade.

Reinhard: [Shh――]

That instant, a flash that rivaled the Dragon’s breath cleaved the white light directly in twain.

That which had done so, swinging up from down below, was the Dragon Sword Reid, still in its scabbard. The legendary blade had yet to make contact with the air, but by combining the strength of the sheath, which nobody was capable of destroying, and his own sword power, Reinhard had severed the Dragon’s breath.

But, thereupon――,

Aldebaran: [Plan D23!!]

“Aldebaran”: [――Al Goa.]

Aldebaran yelled, and without any words of confirmation, the Dragon scorched the world in an explosive inferno.

He had long predicted that he would undoubtedly end up fighting against Reinhard. ――Hence, Aldebaran had prepared a plethora of plans for when the time came for him to battle the Sword Saint, and those had been shared with “Aldebaran” alongside his Memories.

Between Aldebaran and “Aldebaran”, no strategy meetings were necessary.

Aldebaran: [――――]

Without letting the swell of the inferno become a fireball, a stretch of the sand sea was engulfed by flames right away.

The midnight sand sea was illuminated by a bright-red radiance, instantaneously transforming the chilly atmosphere into a burnt hellscape.

The might of the flames kneaded out of the extraordinary Mana of the Dragon was so absurd that as the blaze engulfed the sand sea, the grains of sand all melted in unison, morphing them into glass.

The scene that resulted was reminiscent of the scene of Al Shario’s starlight destroying the sand sea. Were there to be any differences, it would be that, this time, the way the sand sea had been destroyed was more atmospheric; were there to be any similarities, it would be the emergence of the Sword Saint from its epicenter――.

Aldebaran: [Divine Protection of Fire Avoidance.]

A man with blazing red hair boldly stepped forward into the fiery, red world that would have turned any normal living being to ash, or at the very least, to charcoal.

Clearing the flames away with a swing of his arm as he emerged, Reinhard had avoided the majority of the damage with his Divine Protection of Fire Avoidance, and if he were exposed to more intense flames, he would receive the Divine Protection of Fireplay, allowing him to fully demonstrate his enhanced abilities within the inferno.

That being the case, neither fire attacks, nullified by the Divine Protection of Fire Avoidance, nor terrain changes, nullified by the Divine Protection of Sandplay, were Aldebaran’s true aim.

His real intentions were――,

Reinhard: [――Hk.]

At that moment, Reinhard, standing amidst the blazing flames, furrowed his brow, and put his hand to his throat.

He ought to have realized. ――He was in a critical situation in which he was unable to breathe.

“Aldebaran”: [――Haahraan!!]

Upon seeing Reinhard’s reaction, “Aldebaran” decided it was time to attack and unleashed its breath. The power and explosive force of the white light left Reinhard unable to move, and a look of determination came over his face.

It was not a look of remorse or pain, but one of facing hardship during battle.

Aldebaran: [Finally…]

Seeing that face, Aldebaran clenched his fist at achieving a result after tens of thousands of tries.

The phenomenon that afflicted Reinhard had been caused by the flames consuming all the oxygen around him, creating an area devoid of oxygen.

Due to his Divine Protections, the effects of earth, water, fire, and wind were all ineffective against Reinhard, but he should not be able to survive in an oxygen-free environment, as that would be against the laws of nature.

With that aim in mind, he had created an oxygen-free environment. ――And there, he pinned the Sword Saint in place.

Aldebaran: [Have a go at trying to figure out what’s going on there without any science lessons!]

With just magic, or science at a theoretical level, Reinhard could not be defeated.

Even Reinhard, the Sword Saint, who forced magic and science to bend to his will, was finally driven into a corner by a phenomenon that even Od Lagna, who favored him, was unaware of.

By killing his Technique with a phenomenon that a Divine Protection could not protect him from, as well as killing his Body with a Miasma-filled battlefield, he managed to seal away two of the elements necessary for conquering Reinhard.

And then――,

Aldebaran: [Plan L29――!!]

“Aldebaran”: [Plan L29――!!]

The opportunity to press forward came, and Aldebaran and “Aldebaran” were in agreement.

While “Aldebaran” used its breath to hold Reinhard in place, Aldebaran carried out the necessary procedures, and thereupon poured in the vast Mana of the Dragon.

The size of the Gate and the shape of the Od were night and day.

Even so, it was a secret move that could only be used by Aldebaran and “Aldebaran”, who shared the same magic signature that was unique like a fingerprint―― two long, cylindrical vertical formations were laid out in the air, and they, clad in purple lightning, crackled and emitted a pale-blue light and the sound of radiating heat, turning its barrel towards Reinhard.

Two magical rails stretched across the sky.

In other words, that was――,

Aldebaran: [――Magia Railgun.]

A magically-powered railgun, loaded with bullets that were neither fire, ice, nor lead.

With the dao Aldebaran had created using Earth Magic, he had scraped off the scales of the Dragon―― these became bullets that were fired at lightning speed and struck the oxygen-deprived Reinhard.

No matter how fast Reinhard was, he could not outrun lightning.

That was a fact that Aldebaran had already learned from his previous battles.

Reinhard: [――Hk!]

The Divine Protection of First Sight and the Divine Protection of Projectile Evasion were activated simultaneously. Reinhard’s instinctive reaction to the attack he was seeing for the first time was to notice that the railgun’s firing line wavered slightly.

Because of that, Reinhard leaned forward slightly, and the railgun, which had only just missed its target, narrowly passed him and gouged out a semicircle in the Sand Sea.

However――,

Reinhard: [――Guh.]

There was a burst of blood that sprayed out over the Sand Sea, and a cry of pain escaped Reinhard’s throat.

The railgun had not been a direct hit. It had only grazed him. But as long as the attack was deadly, even Reinhard would not come out unscathed from only a glancing blow.

Bleeding profusely from his right shoulder, Reinhard, for the first time in over one-hundred and thirty-thousand battles, showed definite damage, and thereupon――,

“Aldebaran”: [Fire!!]

The second Magia Railgun fired, and the scale pierced the dead center of Reinhard.

An inescapable blast wave wreaked havoc on the Sand Sea, and Reinhard disappeared. ――No, he did not disappear. He was swept away with the scale, right in the line of fire of the railgun.

Even Reinhard could not withstand the power and speed of a direct hit.

Provided he did take the blow directly, that was.

Aldebaran: [――The Divine Protection of Second Coming.]

With his blood-spurting right arm limp at his side, Reinhard gripped the Dragon Sword with his left hand, and he had once again blocked the railgun blast that had threatened to pierce the center of his body with the sheath.

Unable to withstand the impact, he had been knocked off his feet, but he had avoided fatal injury―― no, rather, he had not been knocked off his feet, but he had flown backward to match the railgun and disperse the deadly blow.

“Aldebaran”: [――Al Karum!]

The moment “Aldebaran” saw the same thing as Aldebaran, it performed the incantation, and a magical black sphere that generated extreme gravity was born behind Reinhard.

It was a rehash of a spell that had not worked some eight-thousand loops prior or thereabouts―― no, in this extreme situation, “Aldebaran” had also broken past its limits and evolved the spell to the next level.

What came to emerge there was not merely a powerful force field that exerted an extremely heavy gravitational force.

What did appear was a destructive singularity of mass, similar to a black hole, which warped space by concentrating an amount of Mana large enough to bring down a star into a single point.

Upon making contact with Reinhard as he was being blown away, the life of the Sword Saint was pulverized――,

Aldebaran: [――The Divine Protection of Shedding Blood.]

In the next instant, the tip of the Dragon Sword thrust into the singularity, and the black sphere was forcibly destroyed.

The Dragon Sword was said to be indestructible. Its strength had been proven beyond doubt, but Reinhard’s left arm, which had held the Dragon Sword as it disturbed the singularity, was destroyed.

The railgun had damaged Reinhard’s right arm, and the singularity had damaged his left arm.

It was the combination of two of his most powerful plans, and however horrifying it was to think that even all this had still failed to defeat him, this was the greatest damage Reinhard had ever suffered.

As it was――,

Aldebaran: [――The Divine Protection of Projectile Striking.]

The next moment, Reinhard, his toes planted on the sandy soil that had been razed by the railgun and the singularity, with his bloodied arms still hanging limp, kicked up the fallen Dragon Sword with his foot―― and sent it flying.

“Aldebaran”: [――Gohk.]

Light pierced the center of “Aldebaran’s” throat, and the Dragon fell violently.

The dust and turbulence resulting from the fall of the Dragon caused Aldebaran to topple over helplessly. He inhaled the rising cloud of dust and choked. He coughed.

And then――,

Reinhard: [――That will be as far as you go.]

Looking down at the collapsed Aldebaran on the ground, the bloodied Reinhard so announced.

The Sword Saint, with his arms hanging limply at his side, stood by the Dragon Sword sticking out from the ground, and after ascertaining that “Aldebaran” was unconscious with its eyes rolled back, he looked at Aldebaran.

After forcing him into such a corner, having done so much, it was a loss nonetheless.

He aimed beyond the realm of a billion, and failing to reach it, he had betrayed the expectations of many, just like back then.

Robbing him of both arms, and conquering his Body, had not been enough.

Launching an attack that his Divine Protections could not defend against, and conquering his Technique, had not been enough.

The Sword Saint, Reinhard van Astrea, was far too strong.

And so, Aldebaran took a long, deep breath, and――,

Aldebaran: [――Your old man’s been captured by an accomplice of mine.]

In order to conquer the Heart of Reinhard van Astrea, a trump card was played.

Translation Notes:

[1] “クラム” was translated as “Karum” instead of “Kuram” following its phonetic pronounciation because in Japanese the word is actually “Murak” (ムラク) backwards, following the author’s intent.