393. Country of Sakura, Cherin and the Seven Holy Swords [164]

The inside of the whale was dark, narrow and hard. It was the absolute worst.

(Anyway, it’s gonna get dangerous if I don’t get out of here soon…)

I put my strength into the Black Sword and shoot a slash that cuts the world asunder.

「Fifth Sword–」

「Final song – Whale Dance.」

「!?」

Just before I could launch World Judgement, thousands of sand swords pierced through the whale’s belly.

「Ka, ha…」

Sand swords with a wide variety of attributes violated my body further.

I was slashed, stabbed, gouged, burned, melted, frozen, suffering all sorts of tortures… I trembled in excitement.

(This is a Seven Holy Sword. This is one of the strongest swordsmen of humanity…)

A calculated combination of techniques. Precise swordsmanship with excellent physical strength. An insatiable ambition to reach the true soul dress.

A power that exceeds the limits of human, reached at the end of a long path of devotion to swordsmanship.

(Haha, this is amazing…)

After being stabbed numerous times, I slowly slid out from the inside of the whale.

A number of my vital organs were damaged. I could no longer feel any of my limbs.

However, the darkness that sprang out from the depths of my body did not allow me to break.

「Hahahaha… Gyahahahaha! That was an amazing technique, Von Mustang! I thought I was about to die!」

My tattered body recovered completely in an instant. Inexhaustible amount of spiritual power coursed through my whole body.

The more I was completely absorbed into the battle, the more I sought power, and the more the seemingly infinite darkness overflowed.

「If you are a human being, just die already (this recovery speed has exceeded Hydra’s by bounds. No, it’s much more than that. It is almost rivalling a phantom beast’s “regeneration”.)

The sludge-like darkness that constantly oozed out of my body transformed into “armour” which protected my body, and a second Black Sword took form in my left hand.

「Now, then. Let’s continue! Let’s cut each other more, and more, and more!」

「You are a human-shaped “phantom beast” itself.」

As soon as our line of sight intersected, I gripped the two black swords and rushed to close the distance with Von.

「Whale Mochi, Whale Shield, Whale Swamp, Whale Thorn, Whale Bubble!」

Von released a flock of sand whales of various attributes.

「Oi, Oi, what’s wrong? Are you out of spiritual power already!? Your attacks’ momentum is slower than before!」

I slashed his attacks apart like tofu with my two Black Swords.

「Ku, ridiculous! (Bastard, I didn’t get slower, you got faster!)」

With a sour expression, Von slashed his left hand with the short sword in his right hand.

「Secret song – Blood Sand Dance!」

The sand whales that were bathed in Von’s blood had a crimson pattern emerge on them, and were shot with tremendous force.

However, I understood something instinctively.

This was no longer an attack I had to defend against.

「These attacks aren’t even worth my time!」

With a swing of the Black Sword in my left hand, the blood-soaked sand whales instantly turned into quicksand.

「N-Not yet! Hellfire Sand, Lightning Sand, Ice Crystal Sand!」

「It ain’t gonna work on me!」

I didn’t feel any heat, shock, ice, or pain now.

「Is this…”acquisition of resistance”!? I understand now! Your true identity is–」

「The heck are you babbling on about?!」

I unleashed a diagonal slash from the bottom left and deflected his sand shield up.

「Crap!!!」

Von, whose posture was broken, immediately tried to dodge away, but… it was too late now.

「I’ll have one of your arms.」

A black slash drew an arc toward Von… His severed left arm danced in the air while spurting blood.

Von managed to jump back, his face distorted in pain.

(Sand Whale of Purification has no recovery ability.)

This is the best moment to settle this fight.

「Fourth Sword – Black Spear!」

I took a big step forward and released a dark thrust that concentrated all its destructive power into a single point.

「Don’t underestimate the power of sand. Ultimate Absolute Defence – Belly of Moby Dick!」

As Von stretched out his right arm, a giant shield engraved with a pure white whale appeared.

The strongest spear versus the hardest shield.

The clash between the two shook the atmosphere and caused a thunderous roar.

「HAAAAAAAA”A”A”A!」

「UOOOOOO”O”O”O!」

As a result, my black sword shattered.

「That shield is quite hard…」

The whale shield boasted otherworldly hardness that even my black spear couldn’t pierce it.

「Haa…haa … obviously. Because I stand at the top of the Seven Holy Swords in terms of “defence”.」

「Hee, is that right? Then let me increase the output!」

「What!?」

As I desired more power,

「Kukukukukukukuku! Here it comes!」

Muddy, murky, sludgy, black power seethed up from the depths of my body.

「This is just… (This output has already exceeded a phantom beast…. Did Barrel know about this? No, that doesn’t matter. “The true identity of Allen Rodore”, I have to bring back this information no matter what…).」

I extended out the second Black Sword left in my left hand to the front, and unleashed a wide area annihilation slash.

「Tenth Sword – Dark Heaven Slash!」