Evil Avalon

Chapter 128 That's expected

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

Certainly, let's adjust the passage accordingly:

"Is it punishment time? Cook, that's interesting... show me what you've got."

Spreading a provocative "aura" without reservation, "Tsukishi Tsukishima" showers red-black light from above, causing abnormal status effects.

Behind me, my childhood friend Kaworu is crumpled, tears streaming down her face. Despite mustering the courage to persuade, her efforts fail. She laments being unable to deny the ideal image of an adventurer she should aspire to and facing her own perceived weakness. However, that's not the case.

Plunging into this arena where various monsters gather and confronting the situation with a resolve bordering on desperation is a surprisingly strong mentality. Her noble spirit deserves admiration. Even compared to the robust Kaworu when she was a heroine in Dungeon Explorer, there is no inferiority whatsoever.

Therefore, the sight of my childhood friend Kaworu breaking down and blaming herself squeezes my heart. It becomes painful, making me want to scream. My inner piggy mind also roars, urging me to defeat the "culprit" in front of me, and the combined anger threatens to taint my thoughts and vision red.

(Calm down... cool your head.)

In battles, even if the surface appears heated, the core must remain cold, calculating, and clever. That is the best way to improve my track record in combat. To more effectively defeat the man in front of me, I need to analyze my principles of action and understand the current situation.

The reason Kaworu came to this arena in the first place was not to become a companion but to stop Tsukishima's rampage. She probably learned about the plan just before the duel.

Kaworu, straightforward and stoic, would never agree to a plan dominating the school through violence. If Tsukishima likes Kaworu, why doesn't he understand something as simple as that? Did he think Kaworu would yield if he showed his strength? If he thought he could resolve the invitation to the plan by using that unpleasant light even if Kaworu rejected it... then, yes, a severe punishment seems necessary.

Apart from that, there are many questions about Tsukishima's actions. The game story is an absolute strong point where players can anticipate future events. So why would he destroy it willingly?

Setting up this duel is also questionable. Why forcefully lure players out to fight? Players who can come to our world are not the typical players from Dungeon Explorer. They are players who once dominated the pinnacle of Dungeon Explorer. If he intended to fight seriously, there would undoubtedly be risks, even if he thoroughly researched me and thought he could win.

Moreover, I don't think Tsukishima has detailed information about me, and even before that, he might not even know that I am Butao. Underestimating the battles between players might be a mistake, but there might be a reason to take such risks. Then what is that reason?

Before the fight, I want to clarify all these questions...

(Now, it's time to make an appearance.)

The sky is shrouded in a white mist like clouds, and something descends with a dazzling light leaking from it. Since there is no magic circle, it's not "summoning" but rather "space teleportation." He probably already summoned and had it waiting somewhere.

What comes into view is a woman with glowing wings on her back and sturdy silver armor, a golden-haired Valkyrie. She looks like an angel at first glance, but there is no halo floating above her head.

(That's a Valkyrie... Skuld, huh?)

I had assumed that Tsukishima was a summoner from before, expecting him to send humanoid summon beasts into dungeons alone to level up. So, it's not surprising that the one who descended is one of the highest-ranking summoning magics, the Battle Goddess Valkyrie.

The Valkyrie series has different types such as "attack specialization," "support specialization," and "defense specialization." The one in robust white-silver armor is the defense-specialized "Valkyrie Skuld."

Her extra skill is "Defense Barrier," a skill that nullifies attacks below a certain threshold indefinitely. It's a cheat-like skill, but it's powerless against ultra-high firepower attacks like floor bosses. In Dungeon Explorer, this type of individual was often used as a shield tank for mages rather than for their extra skill.

However, judging by the confident expression she's directing towards us, she probably considers "Defense Barrier" as her trump card. She likely thinks she can nullify all of my attacks. Well then.

Currently, I am riding on the shoulders of a "Golem" about 5 meters tall. It's made from Mithril alloy armor that I collected in abundance during the Undead Banquet, so it could be called a Mithril Golem.

On its back, the core of the Golem made by processing the magic stone of the 20th-floor boss is shining brightly. I've instructed to cover it properly with a metal cover as it could be a weakness.

"I see, the 'Mech Armor' 'Handmade Golem,' huh. But seriously, do you think you can restrain me and Skuld with such a low-level Golem?"

"...Do you think I can't?"

Seeing my Golem, Tsukishima looks exasperated, whereas Skuld, drawn into it, gives a wry smile, laughing through her nose. Skuld seems to have a condescending expression and It seems that summoned beasts, like Arthur's carefree spider Arachne,  Skuld also resemble her summoner in personality.

"In that case, Skuld, let's crush that confidence of yours in a flashy way."

"Yes... Master."

When Skuld draws a circle with her hand, a bluish-white magic power is released, and it activates, overlapping with Tsukishima. It's a buff skill that greatly increases defense and magical resistance. Unlike summoned beasts in Dungeon Explorer, it's a significant difference that she moves to act without waiting for orders from the summoner.

A summoner with an openly aggressive smile and a summon beast with a composed and cool smile. The oppressive atmosphere is building up, and it seems like the battle is about to begin, but before that, I'll try asking.

"By the way, why do you want to destroy the game story?"

"Huh? I lured you out, didn't I? That's enough."

If the Eight Dragons' governing system collapses, most of the in-school game events will go awry. If that happens, the "hero" won't be able to follow the growth route, making it difficult to deal with the imminent disaster. In other words, there's a possibility that many people will die.

Preventing that is the player's duty, I thought...

"Then next question. Why go so far as to invite players out to fight? What's your aim?"

"Don't bother me with your nonsense! I'll tell you if you beat me. Well, that future probably won't come――ugh!"

Firing magic bullets at me, he targets my eyes, but I don't move at all. The Golem at my feet extends its arm to guard, and a sound mix of metal and explosions reverberates.

"How strong do you think I am? I'll give you a little taste. Let's go, Skuld."

"Yes.....Master"

Tsukishima, emitting a blue fighting spirit, began to walk slowly, and right behind him, Skuld floated with a faintly glowing one-handed sword. Although I wanted to gauge how much to hold back before the fight, I'm also in a state of anger, so I have no hesitation in confronting them. It seems that Kaworu and the president behind me have also evacuated, so I'll proceed without reservation.

While drawing the magic circle for "Shadow Step" with my left hand, I pull out the sword from the magic bag in my pocket with my right hand. It's a curved sword falchion called [Sword of Volgemuth], obtained when I defeated Volgemuth some time ago. I like it because, in terms of sturdiness, it easily surpasses even pure mithril and doesn't get a scratch even if handled roughly.

Since the main confrontation is likely to be in mid-air this time, I'll keep my left hand free for shooting magic bullets. In three-dimensional combat, having projectiles makes it easier to maneuver as the distance can easily open up.

I tightly grip the sword once, give it a swing to check its condition, then kick up from the Golem's shoulder to jump in alone. Skuld immediately responded, taking a defensive stance with the sword held horizontally, but I continued my powerful swings without caring.

As the high-pitched metallic sound rang out, we exchanged multiple strikes per second. Just as Tsukishima, who had moved behind me, was about to throw a punch charged with magical power...

"Ha, there's an opening behind—what?"

The Golem, which had been jumping in a parabolic trajectory, swung its massive arm down. Floor tiles and their fragments from where Tsukishima had stood flew around dramatically. Tsukishima, who dodged just in time by crossing his arms, floated up with "Fly," brushing off the debris, and glared at me with an expression of anger, hands glowing with magical power.

"A lower-tier Golem... I'll turn it into scrap right away!"

"Roaaar!"

The Golem emitted a groaning roar and towards it, a large number of magical bullets were shot like shooting stars. The other Golem, despite being hit all over its body, bent deeply and jumped again while the airborne Tsukishima was forcibly trying to grab it—but failed. Mithril alloy is fragile when exposed to a large number of magical bullets, so I instructed to cover the Golem's weak points with a metal cover.

In front of me, a Valkyrie with shining golden hair and clad in sturdy silver armor, Valkyrie Skuld, evaluated us as she looked at us. Although I want to take a stance and assess the situation, the extremely heavy Golem, which is jumping and causing explosions of magical bullets nearby, makes it very uncomfortable on the ground. The once-sturdy Arena 1 is also swaying significantly, and cracks have appeared, but should it be okay?

"Now, it's inconvenient to drag this out. I'll settle this early."

"Don't babble, human... Master's power is not needed to slaughter the likes of you."

Presumably, they thought I was beneath them due to my magical power level, and Skuld twisted her face in anger at being provoked. Increasing the two glowing wings by two more, Skuld floated up, and just when I thought she was floating lightly, she shot up vertically, inviting an aerial battle.

Calmly tracking her movements with my eyes, I quickly draw additional magic circles. I'll show her that even if she increases her wings, I'm much faster within this limited space.

"Well then, let's go up! Become a raging storm, "Aerial"!"

Attempting to sprint up on the scaffolding created by the skill, Skuld, who had reached the ceiling, rotated, and with a posture as if thrusting forward with her shining sword, descended rapidly. She aimed at me, and her body lit up with electricity as she rapidly approached, converting magical power and positional energy into speed. It seems she wants to settle it in one go.

If we were to collide like this, being below in the upward motion would put me at a significant disadvantage. Furthermore, in the difficult-to-move aerial battle, countering at such a speed is not possible, let alone dodging— but if there are platforms available, it's a different story.

Utilizing "Shadow Step," I accelerate at full throttle, leaping up while jumping around the aerial platforms in an irregular and zigzag manner at tremendous speed.

Switching the left and right of my field of vision and rapidly alternating between up and down, the load on my legs is intense, but it's only for a moment. Closing the distance at a tremendous speed with Skuld, who is coming at me with high-speed magical bullets, we both explode our magical power and transition to the motion of the skills.

"Annihilate the divine enemy! Know the wrath of the gods! "Rising Assault"!"

What she shoots is a thunder attribute sword skill, "Rising Assault." Since the attack judgment extends not only to the sword but also to the abundant electricity enveloping her body, the attack range is quite wide, even more so than it appears, and it has high firepower. There's no reason to engage in a direct shootout with something like that.

While weaving together the skill motion, I turn my body around the edge of Skuld's attack range, and at the same time she passes by, I activate.

"Naa—"

"Die! "Agares Blade"!"

I thought Skuld, who was aiming to shoot skills directly in front of her, looked surprised with wide eyes, but mercilessly struck her with all my might from the side.

In addition to my kinetic energy, I hit her with the explosively high-powered sword skill from an unexpected direction, causing her to lose control and crash into the side wall of the arena. Along with the explosion, a crack of several meters appeared. I predicted that point and moved, preparing to initiate another skill, but—

"Do you think I'll let you!"

Sensing rapidly approaching magical power from behind, I twist my upper body and dodge the magic bullets. Looking down, the Golem I summoned is half-destroyed and collapsing towards the ground. To end up in that state in such a short time, it must have been hit by a large number of magical bullets.

"Ugh... I've dealt with that scrap metal... But still as Lisa said, you are strong. However, it's within expectations. It's enough, Skuld, let's use that."

"Yes, Master."

The armor of Skuld was deeply dented, blood flowing from her arms and forehead, showing signs of injury. However, standing behind Tsukishima, she bathed in a golden light, and her armor swiftly recovered. Could that metallic-like armor also be a part of Valkyrie? After confirming her healing by moving her arms, Skuld's eyes held a strong mix of anger and murderous intent towards me.

I intended to finish her with a single blow using a skill, but as expected of the defense-specialized Valkyrie, she was tougher and more troublesome than anticipated.

Meanwhile, Tsukishima brought out a crystal-like object with sharp edges. Ah, that's... [Skill Rise Upper], right? It seems like a strategy to enhance the effect of the "Defense Barrier" and make my neutralization more certain. Obtaining this item in this level range should be quite challenging, but there's no reason to hold back from using it in a player-versus-player battle.

With a smirk, Tsukishima extended the arm holding the crystal, infusing it with magical power. Taking it as a signal, Skuld also gathered an overwhelming amount of magic, spreading her arms wide and looking up at the sky. The time had finally come.

"Let us demonstrate the power of unwavering justice, the merciless void to those wicked—《Ruthless Defense: Defense Barrier》!!"

The ceiling emitted a golden light, and countless fluttering things resembling angelic wings filled the arena. Valkyrie Skuld's extra skill had been activated. Simultaneously, the magical power that permeated the entire arena deemed me as hostile, severely disturbing my magical circulation and movements. It was indeed a powerful inhibition skill as expected.

"Considering your movements earlier, your level is estimated to be around 25. At this point, this should be the upper limit for players. But to penetrate Skuld's 《Defense Barrier》 at this level is far from enough. So, what will you do?"

In this entire space, all hostile attacks against Tsukishima were nullified. Not only skills but also slashes, martial arts, attacks using golems, and any other form of assault became meaningless. With a level 25, I was powerless against such a formidable hindrance. 

"So, from here on, it's purge time. I will thoroughly make you surrender and dominate, but... are you prepared?"

"After doubling what you've done, human. I will inflict considerable suffering and then grant you the mercy of begging for death."

Both master and servant stared at me with glittering sadistic eyes, but they misunderstood a lot of things. This battle is not about making one submit to establish a hierarchy; it's a fight of kill or be killed. At least, I've been standing here from the beginning with that resolution. Therefore, threats of pain and domination won't work.

Moreover, I had anticipated that Valkyrie would summon Skuld, use 《Defense Barrier》, and strengthen it with [Skill Rise Upper]. Of course, in my calculations, they fell into the troublesome category, but because of that, I had prepared countermeasures.

In other words, everything they had shown so far was within my expectations, and not a single thing had exceeded my predictions. What needs to be considered now is not how to deal with Tsukishima but how to handle the situation...

Thinking about Tsukishima's fate, I couldn't help but feel a chilling coldness, and the dark magic that had been suppressed from within started overflowing.

"Huh? You still have the energy to resist? Or perhaps you just don't understand the effectiveness of this skill?"

"Master, I advise once again not to dominate only this one but to kill promptly—"

Seeing me unaffected even after revealing his trump card, Tsukishima, puzzled, raised his vigilance, while Skuld, who rapidly increased her wariness, pointed her radiant sword toward me once again.

Before considering Tsukishima's treatment, I should first find a way to deal with this troublesome barrier. This power is what led him to disregard the game story, plot destructive acts like attempting to dominate the school, and try to achieve his ambitions recklessly. Let's shatter his confidence and ambitions with overwhelming power and make him pay for underestimating players.

I'll show them the "strongest card" I currently possess.

TL Note- Souta's trump card......

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