Chapter 117 (Patreon)

Boom!

A cloud of dust erupted across the Eighty-Eight Bridge, and the Cursed Spirit in the red kimono reappeared before them without a single wound on her body.

“She doesn’t have a physical form…”

Ragnar Kagenou saw through it the instant she emerged from the dust.

Drip.

The faint sound of falling water broke the silence, and the scenery surrounding them began to distort.

“Oh? An illusion?”

With a deafening splash, the pitch-black river beneath the Eighty-Eight Bridge surged upward like a colossal dragon rising from the depths.

Airi Suzuki had never witnessed anything like it. Her face drained of color as she stared at the woman in the red kimono.

“Th-That couldn’t be… Hashihime…”

“Hashihime?” Tsumiki Fushiguro asked. “Isn’t she a yokai from an old legend?”

“Y-Yes. That’s why I can’t be completely certain, but she looks exactly like the Hashihime described in those stories.”

“Hashihime…”

Golden ripples gradually spread through the air behind Ragnar.

“If she was born from a legend shared by countless people, then she must be an Imaginary Vengeful Cursed Spirit.”

The corners of his lips rose slightly.

“In that case, I suppose I’ll entertain her.”

Hashihime answered by raising the black water behind her. It roared across the bridge like a massive tidal wave, threatening to swallow all three of them at once.

Whoosh!

A golden Noble Phantasm shot from the Gate of Babylon and pierced directly through the wave. Countless others followed in rapid succession, streaking across the darkness like golden meteors.

The wall of black water was torn apart in midair, and several weapons drove through Hashihime’s body. Deep holes appeared across her torso, but the wounds closed almost immediately.

“If I destroy this bridge, will your true form finally reveal itself?”

Ragnar calmly studied the expressionless Cursed Spirit.

“Sha Naqba Imuru.”

Through the Omniscient Omnipotent Star, the nature of the curse was laid bare before his eyes. Its connection to the Eighty-Eight Bridge, the black river flowing beneath it, and the illusion covering its true form could no longer be concealed.

A golden ripple nearly a hundred meters wide spread across the sky.

From within it descended a colossal sword adorned with wing-like projections, its enormous blade radiating enough heat to distort the surrounding air.

Ig-Alima—the gigantic Divine Construct known as the Green Field Cutting Through the Thousand Mountains.

“What an enormous sword…” Tsumiki murmured.

She could only watch as the weapon tore through the sky and descended toward Hashihime. Even from a great distance, Ig-Alima appeared taller than a mountain.

The once-calm black water began gathering overhead, layer after layer rising into the air as Hashihime attempted to intercept the descending Divine Construct.

“So you are capable of feeling fear, Cursed Spirit.”

Hashihime’s expression remained unchanged, making it impossible to tell what thoughts were hidden behind her empty gaze.

The towering mass of black water collided with Ig-Alima, sending waves spraying in every direction. Even so, it could not halt the sword’s descent.

The moment the water touched the burning blade, clouds of white steam exploded into the air. Ig-Alima’s surface carried an immense heat, causing the black river water to evaporate on contact.

Against the colossal sword falling from the sky, Hashihime’s petite figure appeared almost insignificant. No matter how one looked at it, there was nowhere left for her to escape.

“So, what will you do now?”

Ragnar closed the smaller gates surrounding him and watched Hashihime’s struggle with unconcealed amusement.

Crack!

Unable to endure the combined pressure of the black water and Ig-Alima, the surface of the Eighty-Eight Bridge began to split apart.

Then the black water finally gave way.

Ig-Alima crashed down with an earth-shaking roar, causing the towering pillars of water to burst apart. Half of the Eighty-Eight Bridge was destroyed beneath the impact, and a tremendous amount of blood erupted from Hashihime’s body.

Dust and water filled the air. Once its task was complete, the colossal sword dissolved into countless particles of golden light.

“So the bridge itself was your true form.”

Ragnar looked down at the wounded Cursed Spirit.

“Have you decided how you wish to die, curse?”

Hashihime abruptly slammed both hands against the ground. The black water behind her rose into the shape of a towering waterfall before surging toward them with overwhelming force.

“Ah! Wh-What are we supposed to do?!”

Airi grabbed Tsumiki tightly as she stared at the wave, which had already risen several dozen meters above the bridge.

“Should we run?”

Tsumiki looked toward Ragnar, who remained completely calm, but every instinct in her body screamed that they would die if the wave reached them.

No ordinary human body could withstand water of that density and pressure. The moment it struck, they would be crushed beyond recognition.

“Be quiet.”

Ragnar raised one hand as golden light gathered in front of them.

“Remain behind me, and neither of you will die.”

Seven enormous petals of pink light unfolded around the three of them, forming layer after layer of protection.

“Rho Aias.”

The Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens enclosed them just as the black water came crashing down.

Upon seeing the shield, Hashihime’s lips twisted into an unsettling smile. She brought her hands together and formed a sequence of hand signs.

For the first time, the Cursed Spirit spoke.

“Domain Expansion: Dim and Lonely Sea.”

The black water completely enveloped Rho Aias before dragging the shield and everyone within it beneath the surface.

A pitch-black shell instantly spread over the surrounding area. Within moments, an enormous black sphere had appeared over the remains of the Eighty-Eight Bridge.

“A Domain Expansion?” Ragnar remarked. “I didn’t expect the Cursed Spirit haunting this place to have reached that level.”

A wet thud sounded against the outside of the barrier.

“Ugh… A c-corpse…”

Airi recoiled as a pale body crawled across the surface of Rho Aias.

It was not the first dead body she had ever seen, but the sight of a bloated corpse that had spent countless days submerged beneath the water was enough to turn her stomach.

More waterlogged corpses soon emerged from the darkness. They crowded around the shield and hurled themselves against its surface like sardines packed tightly inside a net.

Under the repeated impacts, the outermost petal of Rho Aias began to crack. It was only the weakest of the seven layers, but the sight caused both girls to tense.

Black hair appeared from somewhere within the depths. It moved through the water like a living creature before winding around Rho Aias, wrapping itself around the petals again and again.

Crack!

Another layer shattered.

Then another.

Each time one of the petals broke apart, Airi and Tsumiki flinched.

“What are we supposed to do now?” Tsumiki asked, unable to keep the unease from her voice. “If all the petals break, won’t we drown—or be crushed by the water pressure?”

Even Tsumiki was beginning to lose her composure. Their lives felt like a tiny boat caught in the middle of a violent storm, liable to be overturned at any moment.

Ragnar paid no attention to their fear. Being trapped within a Domain was hardly a serious problem, and this was far from the first time he had experienced it.

“This feels strangely familiar…”

A faint smile appeared on his face as he reached into the Gate of Babylon and drew out a blue-and-white holy sword.

“You don’t truly believe that dragging me into your Domain means you’ve won, do you?”

Scorching flames erupted from the blade.

The oppressive cold surrounding them vanished as warmth flooded the interior of Rho Aias, carrying the comforting radiance of sunlight.

“It’s so warm…” Tsumiki whispered.

“It feels just like the sun,” Airi added.

Holding the burning holy sword, Ragnar stepped beyond the protection of Rho Aias.

The instant the black water surged toward him, he tossed the sword high into the air.

“Burn everything upon the earth to ash.”

Blazing solar flames burst outward, holding back the surrounding black water. No matter how violently the Domain tried to extinguish them, the flames of the sun continued to burn.

The holy sword rose above Ragnar and transformed into a miniature sun, bathing the darkness in brilliant golden radiance.

Ragnar reached toward that light.

“This blade is the embodiment of the sun—the other holy sword of the stars.”

His fingers closed around the stream of golden light, and he swung it down toward Hashihime.

“Excalibur Galatine.”

A vast torrent of golden radiance tore through the Domain.

The black water evaporated wherever the light passed, and an immense beam of scorching energy followed in its wake.

With a single golden flash, Hashihime’s spherical Domain was cleaved open from within.

The Cursed Spirit froze when she saw the descending radiance. For the first time, her expression changed, and she desperately scrambled away from the attack.

Bang!

The Domain collapsed.

An enormous volume of black water exploded across the shattered Eighty-Eight Bridge as the barrier disintegrated.

“We’re out…” Tsumiki breathed in relief.

Supporting Airi, she leaped from the remains of the collapsing Domain and landed on what remained of the bridge.

Ragnar showed no urgency to follow them. Whether he stood inside a Domain or beneath the open sky made no difference to him.

His victory had been inevitable from the beginning.

Hashihime clutched her shoulder, where the flesh had been badly scorched by Galatine’s flames. She had not escaped her Domain willingly; Ragnar’s attack had torn it apart and forced her back into the outside world.

“Your struggle is meaningless.”

Ragnar raised his gaze toward the golden radiance still shining overhead.

“Before you die, lift your head and behold the light of the sun.”