Chapter 1754 – 1754. Savior Of The Academy
I used my Spirit Eyes as I headed towards the headmaster’s office.
It connected to Makina’s vision. Makina was still restrained by Laplace in the place where the Tera AI core was. Laplace wasn’t doing anything to Makina. He was just standing still next to the AI core.
‘He’s waiting for me to come.’
Laplace showed no signs of running away. That was why I didn’t go to Laplace first and headed to the headmaster’s office.
The headmaster’s office came into view.
A wooden door more luxurious than any other room. He pretended to be a gentleman, but he took care of his own authority better than anyone else.
As I had done before, I kicked the door open.
*Kwaang!*
The door opened as if it would break. Immediately after, an invisible force pulled my body. It happened so quickly that I couldn’t resist using the wind. I was dragged into the headmaster’s office and thrown to the floor. I managed to stop myself from falling completely by putting strength in my legs, but my left knee hit the floor.
It felt unpleasant. Especially since Hasegawa Isshin was standing in front of the desk.
I got up and brushed the dirt off my left knee.
“You were awake.”
“Unlike you, I haven’t been inside the Tera simulator for a long time.”
“So you woke up when I woke up. Why didn’t you stop me?”
“I couldn’t help it. I feel sorry for those who died because of you, but I didn’t have the power to stop you. How could this old man stop someone chosen by Susanoo, wielding the power of the storm?”
“Can you stop me now?”
“Stopping you isn’t enough. I’m going to kill you. I’ve made all the preparations I can.”
I could see it because I was using my Spirit Eyes.
The headmaster’s office where I was now was no different from another space due to Hasegawa Isshin’s barrier.
“Thirty-two forms of the Eight Trigrams. A total of 32 barriers. And three barriers prepared in advance in this headmaster’s office. A total of 35 barriers. Isn’t it beautiful?”
The barrier activated.
Space stretched, shrunk, and distorted, eventually becoming a universe. Countless stars twinkled, and countless lines wrapped around the stars. It was certainly pretty to look at.
‘…The pressure has increased. It’s hard to breathe. The flow of mana has slowed. The Spirit Eyes are still working. Susanoo’s power hasn’t weakened. But it’s a bit frustrating to use.’
I drew the Kusanagi Sword.
“Within this barrier, I am a god. You could say I’m invincible.”
“Invincible my ass.”
Thunder Heaven Style (雷天流) – Cold Thunder (寒雷).
Lightning and sword energy erupted from the sword’s center, spreading in all directions. The space shook. The lightning and sword energy weakened under the pressure of the barrier. The weakened power couldn’t damage the barrier.
Hasegawa Isshin stroked his beard leisurely.
“You needed to be more careful. You shouldn’t have entered the headmaster’s office so rashly.”
“You’re getting cocky just because you blocked one attack.”
“Do you think it was a coincidence? That one block was just the beginning. As long as you’re in this barrier, your attacks won’t work on me at all. And your life will slowly disappear over time.”
As Hasegawa Isshin said, my life force was slowly draining. It was the power of the barrier. Just resisting was exhausting. It felt like being trapped in a swamp. If I stayed still, I would slowly sink, and if I resisted, I would be sucked in faster.
“You’re not using Susanoo’s power properly. It’s like giving gold coins to a cat. Hand over Susanoo’s Magatama. Then I’ll spare your life.”
“Do you think I’d give it to you?”
“Oh dear. You’re throwing away your last chance. I’ll retrieve Susanoo’s Magatama myself.”
The power of the barrier intensified. I gripped the Kusanagi Sword tightly.
“I didn’t not use Susanoo’s power because I couldn’t. I’ll show you the real power of Susanoo.”
Blue currents sparked at my feet, and wind swirled from my chest.
The lightning and wind gathered around the Kusanagi Sword, swirling. I pointed the Kusanagi Sword at Hasegawa Isshin. He was still relaxed.
“Lightning and storm, huh? Famous for Susanoo’s power. Go ahead and try.”
I swung the sword at Hasegawa Isshin. The power of lightning and wind shot out in a straight line.
It was blocked.
A barrier containing starlight protected Hasegawa Isshin.
The single power split back into two. The wind swirled around me, and the lightning gathered on the Kusanagi Sword. The power was blocked by the barrier and couldn’t escape.
“Hahahaha! Is that the power of a god?! It seems I overestimated you too much.”
He laughed heartily at me, but soon his face hardened.
“I don’t like your eyes. Your carefully prepared attack failed. It didn’t leave even a small scratch on my body. But what’s with that look? …Are you even looking at me?”
Being able to see mana meant being able to see through the barrier, and being able to see through the barrier meant being able to see outside the barrier.
‘With 35 barriers, it’s hard to see outside with the Spirit Eyes.’
It’s okay. I have two eyes. If the Spirit Eyes don’t work, I can use the other eye.
‘Heavenly Eye.’
[The Heavenly Eye (天眼) is opened.]
The Heavenly Eye easily saw through the barrier. No, it completely changed the viewpoint itself. Now, I could see the storm outside the barrier.
And seeing it meant being connected to it.
Even if it was blocked by 35 layers of barriers, I could control it as long as I could see it.
‘Storm, heed my call.’
The storm responded.
The dark clouds filling the sky began to swirl in the wind. Lightning gathered at the center. I resonated with the lightning. I controlled everything.
Originally, it was impossible. All I could do was resonate with the lightning in the dark clouds. But now that I could use the power of the Storm God, I was different.
“What are you doing?!”
Hasegawa Isshin’s composure disappeared. Even without knowing what was happening outside, he instinctively knew that something was going on. The old man was quick to notice. Or maybe he sensed it because he was old.
“The power of Susanoo. I’ll show it to you properly.”
“…Do you think I’ll just stand by and watch?!”
Hasegawa Isshin stretched his hand to the side. He bent his fingers as if grasping something. What he grabbed was the barrier. He changed the shape of the barrier into a sword. The space around the sword was slightly distorted. It was a barrier with the power to distort space. Although the range of distortion was small, it seemed the most dangerous of the 35 barriers in terms of destructive power alone.
Hasegawa Isshin ran towards me. Stepping on the stars, he pointed a sword that seemed to be made of starlight at me.
I raised the Kusanagi Sword. Hasegawa Isshin’s movement stopped abruptly.
I twisted the corner of my mouth. Hasegawa Isshin wasn’t confident in a sword fight with me.
‘He’s an old man who only used barriers. Of course, he wouldn’t be confident in close combat. Especially since he’s old.’
He took a stance to throw the sword.
Too late.
The storm had already arrived.
*Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik!*
The barrier was torn apart. The wind was raging from the outside, not the inside.
“The outside? Are you attacking from the outside?! That’s impossible!”
He threw away the sword and moved both hands. He was adjusting the barrier. The intricate gears of the barrier, which had been focused only on the inside, began to move. I didn’t miss the gap. I threw the Kusanagi Sword upwards. The Kusanagi Sword seemed to be stuck in an invisible ceiling and didn’t fall down.
“Three barriers, huh? The results are not as good as I thought.”
“You bastard…!”
“You don’t have time to growl at me, do you?”
Even at this moment, the external attacks continued. And just now, two of the external barriers were shattered. There were a total of 30 barriers left. One of them was in the form of a sword, so there were actually 29 barriers surrounding me.
“Kuh!”
Hasegawa Isshin gritted his teeth and adjusted the barrier. I moved the wind and lightning to attack him. This time, a barrier protected him.
The barrier protecting him was stronger than any other barrier.
“Wait! After reinforcing the barrier, I’ll make sure to kill you!”
“Keep making them. I’ll keep destroying them.”
The wind and lightning inside seeped into the Kusanagi Sword stuck in the ceiling. The Kusanagi Sword penetrated the inner barrier.
“To stick the sword right at the center of the barrier…!”
“There’s no reason not to aim for the place where the barriers gather and connect, when it’s so obvious.”
28.
27.
26.
The internal and external barriers were destroyed one by one. Finally, 22 barriers remained. It was difficult to break any more than that with just the wind and the Kusanagi Sword. Hasegawa Isshin also regained his composure.
“…The adjustment of the barrier is complete. Now, the barrier won’t be broken. Your power has also weakened.”
“Me weakened? No. My attack hasn’t even started yet.”
I looked up at the ceiling. Or rather, at the sky beyond the barrier, beyond the building.
The dark clouds were swirling in the shape of a ring, and at the center, lightning was gathered to its limit. I couldn’t tell how many bolts of lightning there were. Millions, maybe tens of millions. Maybe even hundreds of millions. How could I know each one?
I reached out my hand towards it. The lightning mass stretched out like a long spear, as if answering my call.
Thunder Heaven Style (雷天流) – Ultimate Technique (極技) – Thunder God’s Decree (雷神命).
The lightning spear forged by the storm fell to the ground.
The world flashed. The giant lightning spear, which fell to the ground faster than sound, tore through the 22 layers of barriers in an instant and seeped into the Kusanagi Sword, turning it into a blue blade.
“……!”
Hasegawa Isshin was silently horrified. Instead of accepting defeat and death, he struggled until the very end. He grabbed the last barrier sword that had fallen to the floor.
“Do you think it’ll end like this!!!”
Hasegawa Isshin charged. I swung the Kusanagi Sword. His barrier sword broke helplessly. A sword that distorts space? It was indeed a barrier with a great concept in itself. But the fundamental difference in power overwhelmed the difference in concept.
“Kuh!”
The force of the impact sent Hasegawa Isshin flying backward like a piece of paper. I reached out my left hand and grabbed his head. And I thrust the sword below his neck.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
A scream that sounded like gurgling phlegm echoed. I slowly lowered the sword. It was quite a sight to see his face contorted in pain.
“Originally, I was going to keep you alive and show you what hell on earth is like… but consider yourself lucky that I’m busy. There’s one more bastard I need to kill after you.”
“Guhhhhhhhhhh!”
Hasegawa Isshin’s eyes spun. He seemed to have wet himself, but the blood pouring from above covered the urine. Now, it was hard to tell if it was urine or blood.
The sword that pierced his heart continued to descend, tearing through his intestines. His breath was cut off before the sword reached his navel. I carelessly threw the corpse aside and looked at the ground.
I could see it.
The bastard I needed to kill was underground.
“Fall.”
*Kwakwakwang!*
The lightning that fell from the sky pierced the ground, creating a hole. I lightly jumped into the hole.
