LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 100: Climactic
“...” <Munzumira>
“...” <Vibrant>
“...” <Munzumira>
“...” <Vibrant>
This silence was different from the one between the two angelic figures; the prior was akin to two proud masters of the sword attempting to sound eachother out. That was not the case here. Now it was more akin to the oni staying cautious as well as trying to gain as much time as possible while the other girl simply did not care about the actions of the latter.
Munzumira silently inspected her metallic black nails, grinding the thumbs nail against her fingernails, as the sword saint just silently watched her. The former not paying any attention to the latter. Unfortunately the standstill didn’t last long as Munzumira abruptly reached her left hand out.
Her little hand coiled around the sheathed sword of one of the various humans - an action that was completely outside of their rational. It wasn’t as if her arm stretched or opened some portal which she reached through in order to grab the sword from him. She was still standing in the exact same place (in front of Vibrant)) yet was also somehow close enough to just grab the sword from his waist. Drawing the sword from his waist before quickly slashing it towards Vibrant in an indolent way to cut her down.
Vibrant wasn’t intimidated though. Simply standing there as the sword defied reality in the same fashion as the doll-like girl; blade coming down across the oni’s stomach as if to disembowel her. Even then the sword saint didn’t move as the attempt evidently proved to be a pointless endeavour as the blade simply found itself unable to slice through.
“As to be unexpected from the mighty Shuten Kensei; it is amusingly pointless to try and use a sword against you. But…” <Munzumira>
Lifting the sword up to her starry eyes to see that reflected the slight crimson flame that flickered off edge that was coated in her abyssal black.
“It would appear the angel is correct.” <Munzumira>
“With my body facing such an imbalance, it is not surprising that my power would suffer, the tallest tree cannot survive on an unstable cliff.” <Vibrant>
“I wonder why that would be…” <Munzumira>
The two just peacefully exchanged words as if friends who had meeted again after a long time of absence from each other's lives. Each spoke in a fashion without any tension even if Vibrant was clearly unwilling to turn away from Munzumira for even a second. Hardly surprising as she had already displayed abilities that those watching couldn’t even begin to comprehend.
Seeing the sword was pointless, the spirit god empress threw the sword over her shoulder, a shadowy tendril exploded from the river below. A horrifying circular-maw opened up (having more teeth circling inside then there were buildings in the city) to swallow the sword. That limb sinking back once more to the point where one couldn’t help questioning if the tendril even existed in the first place.
One of the few remaining humans unconsciously had their eyes drift towards the unblinking monarch’s.
What he saw was untold but something that had an obvious effect on him.
Falling to the ground as a whimpering mess moments before clawing at his face and throwing himself from the building top. That sight caused a moment of distraction in the defenders ranks that the doll did not let go unpunished. Raising her palm up to create a shadowy ball that she launched towards the “unsuspecting” sword saint.
She wasn’t so innocent to be distracted by that, though, as she quickly stepped around the ball that hit another wolf-kin in the head. The wolf-kin having ink pour from his orifices moments before slamming his own head into the ground to kill himself. Vibrant just charged toward Munzumira while raising her foot to slam into the chest of the girl.
Unfortunately her foot never reached the girl - likely through the same methods she had previously used to reach out to grab the sword then use it. Using her immunity to throw out some crimson threads from her fingertips for unknown reasons. At least for most. Upon seeing the threads, her opponent couldn’t help but raise her brows, expertly weaving her way through them
Munzumira herself seemed to not be having a modicum of fun as her frown increased a little as she began to use her other hand as well. Sending those threads to weave around any escape she had. Still the sword saint showed graceful movements & flexibility as she in turn weaved herself around the trap.
Moments later Vibrant tried to open her eyes once again yet quickly stopped as Munzumira clearly tried to meet eye to eye despite the last time they opened ending in a devastating wave of sword energy. The gap caused due to the oni’s hesitation was promptly used by the spirit. Taking a single step backwards which resulted in her appearing on one of the branches of the massive silver tree in the distance.
Vibrant clicked her tongue moments before she began attempting to close the distance with her movement art yet Munzumira didn’t intend to let things be easy. Spreading her arms out resulted in a wave of black tendrils flying out of the shadows that hid between the golden foliage. She also replied in kind by having those golden leaves fall from the branches to form a hurricane that sliced through the tendrils.
The cover allowed for Munzumira to vanish from Vibrants divine sense; by the time their attacks ended their clash she was gone. Causing the oni to spread her sense out in an attempt to find her while biting her lip due to the tension she felt. She didn’t need to wait for long as… She soon found Munzumira.
A rift opened up right behind the sword saint with the first thing flying out of it being an explosion similar to the one that troubled the archangel.
That attack caused her to flip through the air before regaining her balance; however space itself began to shift as if something had cut through it. Fortunately her sharp instincts helped her step aside but her tree in the distance was not as lucky as she was. Somehow it managed to still stand yet it was impossible to ignore the massive gash upon its trunk.
Milliseconds later she was made to dance around the countless inky chimic limbs that dove out the abyssal black. All attempting to use their own various methods to end her. From shooting venomous stingers out of proboscis to snapping at her with massive claws.
There were some forms of attack that even Vibrant could not find the words to explain, nevertheless, she managed to nimbly get past most. Those that she was unable to avoid she parried with the swords that formed a pair of floating wings - not that she got through it completely untouched. It wasn’t a lot but it was clear that she was on the backfoot since her clothes were nowhere near as flawless as when she first came down to the {Mortal Realm}.
Thankfully she wasn’t alone.
A ball of holy light landed atop the oni - moments later it exploded into a wave that caused those abyssal limbs to treat back into whatever corner of the spirit world they came from. Floating down, with their back turned to the blonde sword saint, was an individual that was seemingly human if not for the all too familiar set of shattered-glass wings on their back. Their hair being in a black bob while their surprisingly gentle iridescent magenta eyes carefully previewed the scene in front of them.
They were wearing what could only be called a japanese shrine maiden outfit that somehow worked well with the sharp-like blades they carried in their hands.
Even if they were enemies mere minutes ago… Vibrant couldn’t help but let out a sigh in relief.
“Did you need to drop your attack, quite literally, on my head?” <Vibrant>
“While it pains me that I needed to force a hermit like yourself to finally see some light; there was no choice but to save your miserable existence I’m afraid.” <Archangel of Life?>
Their voice, first and foremost, was far more eloquent than previously. Not to mention that they sounded truly angelic compared to when they sounded more akin to scratching glass with a nail. The two having this conversation as a mixture of abyss & space magics attacked from all around them (along with the occasionally crimson string trying to attach itself to one of them). Both showing their talent as they used their weapons to rebut any attack Munzumira made; the girl herself sitting on the side of a building with her legs crossed and hand supporting her chin.
“I believe the turn of phrase I will select for this would be ‘kettle calling the pot black’ when you are the one who says something like that.” <Vibrant>
“I’ll have you find that I was left in that graveyard in order to complete a very important task that I was left by {The Infinite Mother} whi-” <Archangel of Life>
“Which you must have failed; the fruit does not fall from the tree unless it has finished its growth or has been handed by incompetent hands.” <Vibrant>
With both of them fighting back to back - they were finally finding themselves able to not be pushed back any longer. They weren’t foolish enough to stay in one place. Slowly the two made their way through the city while dropping down from the sky to instead transverse over the rooftops.
“Only one who envies another would target their weakness.” <Archangel of Life>
“Who would envy a shattered chicken.” <Vibrant>
“Who would steal a set of corpses from the {Great Wars}.” <Archangel of Life>
“... Could this be some sort of idiom I am unaware of?” <Vibrant>
Flying through the sky would just lead to them becoming easier targets of the endless barrage of spells that rained down on them. Leaping from building to building thus proved to be the far more effective strategy to make it past the omnipotent opponent. A task made far simpler now that Vibrant no longer needed to worry as much about stamina due to having one of the best healers supporting her.
“Wait… You didn’t steal my body?” <Archangel of Life>
“Why would I steal some bodies? I don’t think even Vivi would care about those stinky things.” <Vibrant>
“Then who would have?!” <Archangel of Life>
“Well you should think about who… Would have… A purpose…” <Vibrant>
Both finding themselves cautiously turning towards the doll-like figure who was just watching them struggle against the barrage. Like watching a bunch of ants struggling under the light of a magnifying glass if the ants had the ability to fire out sword beams. Noticing their sight she actually shrugged her shoulders without any motivation.
“I had nothing to do with your dead bodies, even if I did want to let you out your cage, but I did notice that a strange im-” <Munzumira>
“GRRRRAAAAAH~!” <Vivi>
The space above Munzimira burst into little pieces as a wrathful little demoness came down with a familiar kanabo held between both her hands. Slamming the weapon down and causing the unsuspected eldritch goddess to explode into ink. That particular weapon evidently being the perfect weapon to use when fighting against spiritual/energy based lifeforms; that black gunk trembled for a bit until what once existed of Munzumira gave up and dissipated.
Vibrant & the Archangel could only watch the barbarian like Vivi in shock as she rested the club on her shoulder while braying her chest with the other.
“WAAAAAH~!” <Vivi>