Evil Avalon

Chapter 126 The purpose that lies far beyond

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

- Kaworu Hayase's Perspective -

"Kaworu, come with me."

A guy with pierced ears and dyed hair looked straight at me as he said that. He was my classmate, Takuya Tsukishima. For about a month now, he had been constantly saying, "Come with me." At first, I thought he was just inviting me to join a party, but it seemed there was more to it... he wanted to date me.

But I had no intention of getting into a relationship. It wasn't so much that I wasn't interested, but I just didn't have the time.

I challenged dungeons with all my might, coming home exhausted and having to study until late at night. Academic performance was crucial for class advancement, so I couldn't afford to slack off. On top of that, I had been practicing with Yuuma and the others in the morning, both physically and mentally. There was no way I could spare the time for romance.

I was constantly worried and anxious about whether I could truly become stronger and avoid being overshadowed. And it was in the midst of these days of uncertainty that something happened.

As usual, I arrived at school early in the morning and sparred with Yuuma and Sakurako when we were confronted by members of the Second Swordsmanship Club, which escalated into a violent confrontation. What was more surprising, however, was that Takuya, who came to help me later, defeated all the members of the Second Swordsmanship Club singlehandedly, even those beyond level 10.

I had assumed that Takuya's level hadn't increased since he never seemed to take his classes seriously and often wandered around the entertainment district. But his strength surpassed not only Yuuma but also Omiya-san, who was known for being exceptionally strong in our class.

The Vice Captain of the First Swordsmanship Club arrived and, following some exchanges, a duel was arranged. This was likely orchestrated by someone, and Takuya had been the one pulling the strings behind the Second Swordsmanship Club. Despite the situation, I felt conflicted about him having set up the duel by coming to my rescue.

After school, I called Takuya out. Even though he had managed to defeat the Second Swordsmanship Club, he seemed to have underestimated the strength and nature of the First Swordsmanship Club, often referred to as the "Eight Dragons."

"...Ah, the First Swordsmanship Club is not the problem."

It seemed he didn't fully understand how strong the First Swordsmanship Club was. Perhaps he had no information about the Eight Dragons at all.

"The opponent is a member of a well-known faction within the Eight Dragons, and some of their members have levels over 20. So—"

"I didn't agree to the duel to defeat Ashikaga. It's beyond that."

"...What do you mean?"

Takuya's eyes were not the usual lazy ones but rather filled with a burning ambition. Was he considering something dangerous?

"On that day, you should come too, Kaworu. I'll tell you about my true power and my true purpose there. There are people I want you to meet as well."

"True power and... purpose? I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Anyway, I'm not prepared yet. Well, just look forward to it."

He patted my shoulder and left without clarifying anything. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but I did understand one thing—he had no intention of avoiding the duel.

So, on the day of the duel, I needed to accompany him and offer my apologies sincerely. Maybe if the cause of the incident, which was me, apologized genuinely, Takuya might minimize the violence. But our opponents were all nobles, so I had to be prepared for a thorough inquiry.

And so, on the day of the fateful duel, the eagerly awaited day seemed so distant, yet the dreaded day arrived quickly. I walked through the school grounds with a heavy heart, dragging my emotions along.

(But it's awfully quiet. There's no one around.)

The street I was walking on was usually frequented by students at this time, even though it was a relatively less crowded area. Puzzled, I continued to walk down the eerily silent street. After a while, I spotted a familiar boy in my pocket, lazily standing there.

"You're here, Kaworu."

"Good morning, Tsukishima-kun."

Despite it being the day of the duel, none of us were wearing armor, just our school uniforms. However, what caught my attention more than anything was the boy and girl standing next to Tsukishima-kun.

"Is this her? She's a beautiful woman with a lot of class, just as expected from Takuya's choice."

One of them was a boy with long hair, smiling gently. He was Suou Kouki, a top performer in the first year of the Adventurer School and the leader of Class B. His rivalry with the top student in our year had become quite famous. But why were he here?

And then there was another.

"Hello, Hayase-san."

Lisa Nitta greeted me with a smile. She was at the top of Class E, surpassing even Naoto in grades. She was no slouch in strength either, on par with Omiya, and on top of that, she possessed unique swordsmanship skills, making her a highly talented individual.

Until the interclass competition, she had kept a low profile, hiding her true abilities. But now, she stood out so much in Class E that it was almost unnatural.

"So, are the four of us going to dive together from now on? It's going to be exciting."

"Not yet, right? We should talk to Hayase-san first to confirm."

"Oh, right, that's true. Sorry about that."

I couldn't make heads or tails of their conversation. What I did understand was that all three of them were no ordinary individuals. I turned my gaze to Tsukishima-kun, as if asking for an explanation.

"These are the members of the party I've been planning. Of course, that includes you, Kaworu."

"I... don't think I'll be of any use."

"That's why I told you to follow me and I'd give you 'strength.' But I understand if you find it hard to believe. That's why I intend to show you."

"Give me strength." He had said the same thing when we had a dispute with the Second Swordsmanship Club. I couldn't help but feel more wary than curious about what he meant.

"Suou Kouki, are you ready?"

"I've already activated the 'avoidance of people,' Takuya-san. You can manifest it"

"Wow, as expected of you, a rich kid."

Since a while ago, no one had passed by, which was due to the magical device that repelled people. It was a useful magical tool when you didn't want your secret meetings to be seen by others, but it cost several million yen each time it was activated, so it was beyond the reach of ordinary people. Nitta-san was teasing him, saying that he used such a tool without hesitation.

Taking it as a compliment, Kouki-kun winked and said, "Please be careful, it's really amazing," as he advised me. Apparently, only Kouki-kun had seen Tsukishima-kun's power.

I was on high alert, wondering what kind of magic item he was going to use. Tsukishima-kun raised his right arm and began to mutter something, even though we were outside the magic field where skills couldn't be used.

"Watch closely, Kaworu. This is... the power of a god."

Suddenly, it became dark—or rather, bright. The clear sky had somehow been covered with thick clouds, making it dim. A massive golden-edged magic circle appeared about ten meters above us, emitting intense light. Complex patterns were densely drawn and moving rapidly. The overwhelming magic power left us all speechless.

"My power that rules the world! Descend, Valkyria Skuld!"

With a surge of immense magical energy, golden light poured down, revealing first the armored toes, then both feet, and eventually the entire figure. It was an extraordinarily beautiful woman with otherworldly beauty.

(...An angel, perhaps?)

She had long, shining golden hair, intricate details on her heavily armored attire, and two streaks of light that resembled wings swayed behind her back. Her captivating blue eyes gave off an almost divine aura. If there were such things as angels, this was what they might look like.

Slowly descending to the ground, the streaks of light on her back converged, and she knelt before Tsukishima-kun, bowing her head. She was still bathed in a radiant halo, and being in that light gave me a sensation of surging energy.

"It seems this skill enhances the abilities of those who support the summoner. Isn't it fantastic? I feel so invigorated."

"In the Valkyria series of war maidens, this 'Skuld' summon is one of the highest-tier ones. Takuya, you've brought something incredible."

While Kouki-kun was gleaming with excitement as he looked at his palm, which was emanating power, in reality, he mentioned that it greatly increased hunting efficiency and delivered a blow that was unbelievably powerful. On the contrary, when hostile individuals were exposed to this light, they were enveloped in "fear" and "awe," causing their minds to weaken, which was a terrifying explanation.

On the other hand, Nitta-san was amazed and delighted, saying it was "the highest-level summoning magic," but... did this mean that Tsukishima-kun had called her using a skill?

(Such magic exists? But... the tremendous magical power...)

Visually, she appeared human, but there was something clearly non-human about her. I wasn't particularly sensitive to detecting magical power, but even I could sense an incredibly dense magical power swirling within her. While the three of them were conversing calmly in the presence of this transcendent being, I couldn't help but feel my knees trembling, on the verge of collapsing.

The use of magic power outside the magic field, summoning magic of this kind—these deviated significantly from my knowledge of dungeons and common sense, but I had other questions I wanted to ask at this moment. Gathering strength in my legs to hold myself up and ensuring my voice didn't waver, I asked Tsukishima-kun.

"...Why did you choose to show this power now, of all times?"

"Ah, until now, there were skill restrictions due to weakening. It was only a few days ago that I finally managed to lift them. The Skuld of now is an invincible being that even all the people in this world couldn't beat."

"The 'Absolute Defense Skill,' right?"

An invincible being that no one in the world could defeat... the 'Absolute Defense Skill.' What exactly was that? Skuld stood up gracefully but didn't say a word, avoiding eye contact.

"I once tried firing a skill at Skuld-san, but... not only did my attacks not cause any damage, I couldn't even leave a scratch. Even the great magic of the 'Mad King Lich,' who is known as the strongest floor boss, would be unable to penetrate that defense."

"Skuld's defense is top-tier among summoning magic... It negates most attacks."

Just a while ago, I was filled with anxiety about how to persuade Tsukishima-kun to get forgiveness from the First Swordsmanship Club, but with the knowledge of being able to use such an extraordinary power, the situation had changed drastically.

A heavily armored figure infused with an incredible amount of magical power, the enhancement of abilities, and curses, as well as the Absolute Defense Skill. Their power likely didn't stop there. With this being before us, it was easy to imagine that we could defeat the First Swordsmanship Club without breaking a sweat. However, it was akin to bringing a gun to a child's brawl. I needed to understand what purpose this immense power was intended for.

"What do you plan on doing, Tsukishima-kun, using such powerful summoning magic? I think it's clearly too powerful for a duel with the First Swordsmanship Club."

　In response to my question, Tsukishima-kun tightens his magically charged fist and prepares to shoot. What came out of his mouth was an unexpected answer.

"If i just want to defeat the First Swordsmanship Club, there's no need to wait for Skuld to grow. This fist is enough. My target is someone else."

"...Someone else?"

"Like Takuya-san and Lisa-san, that person also possesses the power of a god, Kaworu-san."

Extraordinary abilities like Skuld summoning—the power of a god. It was unbelievable that Nitta-san also harbored this power. I had thought that there were only two people in the school who possessed such abilities, but it seemed that there were several others, judging by the various unexplainable events that had occurred.

"Lisa has been asked... and as expected, she was partnered with that person. They've been 'contracted' not to reveal information. Today's duel is bait to lure that person out and thoroughly beat them."

"They're definitely going to come out. It seems they can't stand the thought of the Adventurer School's order being disrupted. Not that I blame them~."

"Kuku... I suppose so. I think they'll have some countermeasures against mental attacks, but I've taken that into account. After Skuld and I thrash them, we'll strip them of their countermeasure items and forcefully take control of their minds. That's the end."

Defeating the First Swordsmanship Club, and then moving on to defeat the Eight Dragons was certain to bring forth this enigmatic figure. If the concerned person wanted to protect the order established by the Eight Dragons, were they nobility?

I had wanted to confront this person sooner, but I couldn't identify them, and they were too powerful for me to take action lightly. However, with our preparations now complete and our strength greatly increased, there was zero chance of defeat. We would crush them completely and bring them under our control.

"Once that person is dealt with... Lisa, do you understand?"

"Yes, at that time, let's engrave a contract into each other so we don't betray. That person is indeed powerful, but even if we work together, that person is too docile to be interesting. If I am going to do it, I want a partner who can make things more exciting."

While Tsukishima-kun revealed his burning ambition, Nitta-san, in stark contrast, had a cold, icy gaze. The idea of engraving a contract magic was also... 

"So, Kaworu, that's the situation. Watch today's battle and decide whether you want to join us. After this, Lisa, Kouki, and I will take control of the Adventurer School. We'll gradually bring the Eight Dragons under our control."

"What kind of foolishness are they thinking of, to challenge Takuya's strength without understanding it first? If we catch them, we should expose them and hang them."

"Hehe, I'm looking forward to it~."

The start time of the duel was imminent. By now, various individuals with different motives would have gathered at the arena.

(What should I do... I need to organize the situation and think...)

Unimaginable, overwhelming power. An unexpected reason for accepting the duel. Trying to make sense of it all was overwhelming, Experiencing so much in such short time , I could only stand there, unable to move.

TL Note- Souta's all caution and evasion makes sense now, My new hated heroine is Lisa.

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