Once the day's work was over, everyone ate together and then had time to themselves. That was when I went outside and swung my sword. During the fight with that fake Enkidu, mana had suddenly burst out of me, and Chaldea—the place Ritsuka had mentioned—had apparently suffered an overload.
Ritsuka said that the excessive transfer of mana had left her dizzy and even coughing up blood. Even so, she smiled and said she was fine.
I—no, this world is far too weak. They say merely releasing my lightning spear for a moment caused the place supplying mana to malfunction. It is supposedly fine under most ordinary uses of mana. If my true body were to manifest here, space—no, the entire dimension—would likely be torn apart.
Even after spending eternal ages, one thing about me has not changed: I like seeing people smile. That alone is something I do not want.
Acting as though it does not matter simply because one is an 'outsider,' and destroying a world that belongs to others—that is what beasts do. Of course, I have neither the meaning, purpose, nor reason to stop them. Which is why I...
I cannot become as cruel as that beast. Nor can I act as decisively as Mari. I have not changed since the cave where I was first transported. I have not taken even a single step forward.
"Hey, you're overthinking again. That's enough for today. Let's meditate and study instead."
My stray thoughts continued even as I swung my sword, making the tip of my blade waver. It no longer felt as though I was swinging properly. Following Mari's advice, I planted my sword in the ground, sat down, and began to meditate. It was hot here in the morning, but cool after noon. My sorcerer's robe helped keep the temperature comfortable after its cold sorcery activated.
"All right, I'll start with the most basic form of [Glintstone Sorcery]. Glintstone sorcery is magic created by drawing out the power within glintstone. So what is that power?"
That power is amber from the stars.
"Ha. You finally remembered it. Just as golden amber contains the remnants of ancient life—your fate and mine—glintstone contains the remnants of life from the stars. Then what is sorcery?"
Glintstone sorcery is the study of stars and life.
"Now you're finally worth teaching. Wouldn't it have been nice if you'd understood this quickly from the start? Let's make you not merely a sorcery user, but a sorcerer capable of creating new spells. You can use most incantations too, but only on yourself."
As Mari's lecture continued, mixing unexpected praise with insults, morning arrived before I knew it. Ritsuka and Mash woke first and found me.
"Wait, don't tell me you haven't slept at all? Not since you got here?"
When I nodded, Ritsuka and Mash were horrified. They stubbornly insisted that they would make me sleep from now on. Next time, I would have to sneak out and hide.
"Got it? From now on, I'm checking that you're asleep before I go to bed myself. What if your condition gets worse?"
"That's right! You're helping us, and you're my senior's Servant. If you collapse, I won't be able to face you as your junior!"
When did I become her senior?
That thought made a laugh slip out.
Ah. It really does feel good to interact with people again after so long.
"Don't laugh!"
This was nice too, but... yes. I needed to train for a while.
After noisily finishing our morning preparations, we ate breakfast. As we did, Leonidas flexed his muscles and declared, "They remain magnificent muscles," with great satisfaction. Was that normal here?
After the meal, I sparred briefly with Ushiwakamaru as post-meal exercise. I had wondered about this for a while, but were such clothes common in a place once called Japan? Did she wear as little as possible to move faster? She seemed like the type to strike without getting hit, but leaving her stomach exposed like that would make her catch a cold.
But this woman, Ushiwakamaru...
"Kind words."
...Her sword is vicious.
Perhaps because she used a live blade, she kept aiming only for vital points.
Especially my neck.
Did people in old Japan collect heads as a hobby?
Fortunately, Ritsuka was not here.
After our light spar, Gilgamesh summoned us to the Ziggurat. I used my worsening condition as an excuse and sent only Ritsuka's group. After getting angry at me for not sleeping earlier, they left. Once I had taken care of the children, as I usually did, I returned to my room and began meditating.
First, I need to revise my [Golden Lightning Spear] little by little.
Until now, I had simply driven it into my body and overloaded myself, forcing power in regardless of whether my body was damaged.
After all, even if my body was injured or burst apart, the Erdtree's blessing and the Beast's vitality would continually restore me.
But from now on, unless it is an exceptional situation, I will have to limit that style of fighting severely.
Healing consumes mana too.
It would be better not to get hurt and use that mana elsewhere.
I had always needed to fight opponents overwhelmingly stronger than me, somehow pouring my entire being into becoming stronger in order to face them.
Even if I could keep reviving after death, it would be better to use that mana for something else now.
My true body has been sealed away. I need to find a fighting style suited to that—to myself once again.
Weaker. More precise. Rather than impaling myself with lightning spears, I need to let them flow through me one by one.
If I had swung with all my strength until now, then from now on, I would use only exactly the strength I needed...
Several dozen days passed after I entered my room. The instant my consciousness surfaced, a Command Spell order from my Master reached me.
"...This must be quite urgent. Giving an order to what belongs to me. I'll trace the route myself and send you there. Are you ready? Though you look like you're already dying to move."
The Command Spell failed, naturally, but Mari helped teleport me. As all my equipment fitted itself onto me in an instant, a monstrous figure appeared before my eyes: a gigantic creature with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a serpent.
"Why are you so late?! Why didn't the Command Spell work? More importantly, this is bad! Leonidas has... fallen, but we learned that goddess's identity."
In the middle of the city, Merlin and Ritsuka stood behind Mash's shield. They said that thing was Gorgon, a goddess with the Mystic Eyes of Petrification. But she looked more like a monster than a goddess. Had I heard wrong?
So she is a goddess who uses petrification and possesses an enormous mass?
She is smaller than the White Titan.
I am weaker than I was then, but... this is still the perfect opportunity.
"If I get hit by those Mystic Eyes of Petrification, the worst could happen! I'll support you from the rear!"
"Yes! Then I'll go with my senior as well!"
I stopped Mash from coming with me, pointed at Ritsuka, then tapped her shield in a gesture asking her to protect Ritsuka. Drawing my Bastard Sword, I stepped forward one pace at a time. My entire body had been prickling for a while now, and the pressure was immense. Was this the Mystic Eye of Petrification?
"It's an annoying ability, but it does not matter. I have already placed a promise upon you. Still, do not get hit by that laser. You will not be petrified, but it is pure mana itself."
Then I should evade most attacks and deliver a crippling blow to drive the enemy back... the same thing I always do.
Except without killing her.
I briefly cast [Golden Vow] and [War Cry], gathered strength in my feet, and invoked [Hoarah Loux's Earthshaker]—Hoarah Loux himself named it that, not me—along with [Storm Stomp] and [Stormcaller].
The ground before Gorgon split open. Buildings crumbled, their fragments whirling through the air, while the things that had been hair—or were they snakes?—lunging at me were all struck by the storm and sent flying. I had expected some to break through, but Merlin's support was quite useful.
With this, I can do more.
Next, instead of forming a lightning spear, I wrapped the lingering lightning spear power flowing through my body around my legs. This much was enough. Until now, I had been using far too much.
In the battles of my previous world, there had been no need to conserve it.
My mental strength had overflowed, so I used it without limits. I could not even use every lightning spear before they scattered away.
How inefficiently had I been fighting all this time?
After briefly reflecting on my former self, I leaped onto a building fragment suspended in the air. I focused lightning spear power into my arms only when striking, then repeatedly slashed at Gorgon. But I could not inflict a critical wound. Angered, the goddess spun her enormous body and sprayed the Mystic Eyes of Petrification everywhere.
Mash's group... is fine.
I can trust them with defense from now on.
In that case, defend with lightning spears... no. I swept up a wall of storm as easily as brushing something away with my hand, then, just before being hit, cast [Golden Lightning Fortification], [Sanctuary], and [Endure] upon myself. I took the remaining Mystic Eye attacks that had not been deflected, reducing the damage as much as possible. She was scattering them wildly, after all. They would not inflict a fatal wound.
But after using such a large attack, you... are full of openings, are you not?
I have already analyzed and adapted to every one of her attacks.
The Mystic Eyes of Petrification, attacks with her massive body, and transforming her weaker hair to attack... truly predictable.
She had never faced an enemy stronger than herself. Until now, she must have simply overwhelmed everything with raw power and no technique.
That is a shame.
There are considerable advantages to fighting with transformed hair.
This reminds me of when I taught Morgott.
Having completed my analysis, I fired several [Vacuum Slice] attacks, slaughtering the snakes in my path. Then I gathered lightning spear power in my legs, cast [Royal Knight's Resolve] on my sword, pulled it as close to my body as possible, and slashed diagonally upward at Gorgon's neck. I could not sever it, but I deeply cut her right eye and landed behind her.
Just like with the giant.
Against something with such enormous mass, it is difficult to cut it in one stroke. Even the slightest movement makes it hard to keep the aim true.
"Aaaaagh! A mere human dares?!"
"As expected of Sir Saber. Even if I offered my life, I could not accomplish that. I must train even harder. So let us spar once more next time!"
At some point Ushiwakamaru had arrived. She made no effort to conceal the killing intent shining in her eyes, and cold sweat ran down my back.
No.
You use a live blade as a matter of course. Every time we spar, it is not my back but my neck that grows cold.
"Why? Is this not a wonderful opportunity to keep your body tense and maintain the mindset of the battlefield?"
...Let's rest when it is time to rest.
Does she think I am a battle maniac?
Despite my vehement shaking of my head, she clung to me stubbornly as we returned to where Ritsuka was.
"Saber is always soaked in blood after a battle."
"Blood soaked from one's enemies is proof of how many enemies one has slain. Hold your head high without shrinking back!"
"No! You're going to give your junior strange habits!"
Next time, I should let the lightning spear power flow through my body and burn the blood away before returning.
At this rate, I really will become a junior.
I was probably older than Mash, at least.
Would the goddess leave now? I am tired.
Just then, I felt another watching gaze. I cast [Determination] on my hand axe and threw it. There, beside Gorgon, stood the fake Enkidu, Kingu, defending himself with chains.
"...What is this? You are not as overwhelming as before, yet you employ various techniques. Are you holding back? But we are not at full strength either, and this is not yet the time. You are fortunate."
It is that bastard from before.
The wound I gave him last time has not healed yet.
Was it because I had swung with all my strength then?
"But you did not kill that human! Kingu!"
"He will die soon enough. When the time comes, we can capture him and play with him, or kill him."
"...Fine. Look forward to that day. I will not let you die peacefully. No, I will not let you die at all. In ten days, I will return and crush Uruk."
Why me?
No, just kill me.
Then I can pretend to die and secretly run away.
"You have a constitution that makes not only children, but goddesses adore you. Hmm. Is it because the two are alike?"
Shut...
Up.
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