Part 8[แก้ไข]
---[Underwood], Foot of the Great Tree.
The huge dragon opened its wide jaws to the maximum as it rushed down towards the South Eastern Plains. And just before crashing into the ground, it suddenly veered upwards and changed its course to charge towards the Great Tree with a loud roar.
Asuka and Deen had placed themselves at the fore front with Asuka injecting all her Spirit powers into her words to shout a command.
“DEEN! MAXIMIZE YOUR SIZE TO THE LIMITS! QUICKLY!”
“DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!”
The body of over thirty feet continued to expand under Asuka’s command. The hollow in the body continued to be injected with Heat and Soul, causing it to grow to the height that came close to that of the Great Tree.
Asuka knew it in her heart that Deen who had expanded to the size of the huge Dragon’s skull would still be unable to contest it in a battle of strength.
With just my command alone, Deen’s mass wouldn’t be able to increase more than tenfold……
That’s right. This was something that had been tested. In fact, normal Rare Sacred Irons would not increase in mass even if they increased in size but with Asuka’s command, the Rare Sacred Iron could only increase to ten times its actual mass at the very most.
Although the main reason is that the spiritual power that forms the core of the Rare Sacred Iron to increase the weight needed to be proportional to the spiritual shell that it is to be injected into, the compatibility of Asuka’s power in Gifts to manipulate weight was also much lower.
Asuka’s [Authority] is a localized and momentary swelling of the spiritual power.
Just like the Gift of the Water Tree that could control the amount of water to be released or absorbed, or that of the Rare Sacred Iron, the effects were only temporary.
“But……I will just have to fight it head-on!”
“Stop! Asuka! Have you lost your mind?!”
Sala fanned her flaming wings as she came up beside Asuka.
She had pulled Asuka’s hand to turn her around to awaken to reality, but Asuka clearly rejected Sala’s warning with a shake of her head.
“No! [Underwood] is just behind us!”
“I know! Even though I know that, I’ve still come to bring you away!”
“I also know of the results!”
“What results are you referring to?! That sort of action can only be deemed as suicide!”
“I won’t mind even if it’s suicidal! For I know that I will regret for all my life if I run from here!”
Asuka shook off Sala’s hand while meeting her gaze with determination reflected in her eyes.
“If the huge Dragon destroyed [Underwood] now……All my friends will be sad. So I will not retreat!”
Asuka knew that Kuro Usagi, Izayoi, Yō, Sala ……and Leticia who’s also the victimizer, all of them would feel hurt by its destruction.
And that was something that was more important than the responsibility given to her. So she would not stand down and will not bow down to the fear wrought by the arrival of the huge Dragon.
Hearing Asuka’s determined words directly, Sala only widened her eyes and she gave a soft sigh.
“……You will not back down?”
“I will not.”
“……not even if you die?”
“……I would rather die.”
Asuka continued to assert her firm resolution and the Red Metal doll also seemed to have been influenced by its owner’s determination as it took on a stance in preparation for the battle. The message conveyed by the atmosphere around these two was clear---even if it was a battle that they would surely lose, they would not shy away from it.
It would seem that nothing said would ever stop their choice of staying.
They had already set their minds to give their all in a gamble for the sake of defending [Underwood].
With things the way they were now, it would be useless to say anything more.
Finally, Sala also set her resolve---
“---I got it. Then, let me display a similar determination……!”
Drawing her sword, Sala chopped off one of her Dragon Horns that was the symbolic glory of the Dragons.
Her scarlet hair were slick with her blood and was dyed a bright red.
At that moment---Asuka was so shocked that she couldn’t understand what she just witnessed and could only stand at her original spot numbly.
“What……”
‘What are you doing…’ Never made it out of her mouth fully for Asuka having witnessed Sala’s determination, could not bring herself to say such words.
Sala fell forward into Asuka’s arms as she handed her the Dragon Horn while struggling with her words through suppressing her pain:
“……Dragon Horn…is of a high and pure Spirit level…Should be able to integrate with Rare Sacred Iron……!”
“But…But….Even so, it’s not guaranteed that it will be enough to block the huge Dragon……!”
Asuka rocked Sala’s shoulders in grief. But Sala who was already experiencing a clouding of her consciousness managed to give a shake of her head and get her words out:
“If its Asuka……will surely block it……! I’ll be leaving [Underwood] in your hands……”
Having said that, Sala lost her consciousness and slumped against Asuka.
Trembling as she hugged Sala tightly, Asuka passed the Dragon Horn to Deen.
And as the Dragon Horn that emitted pure Spiritual power integrated into Deen’s armor, the empty core started to spew out a hot reddish wind current.
That was the Gift that Sala had developed over the period of two hundred years.
That sort of feelings must not be wasted, no matter what may come.
Continuing to hug the unconscious Sala tightly, Asuka shouted with all her feelings in a turmoil: