8. Overwhelming Power
How long had they been pushing through the abyss?
With no sense of time, Lexia had no choice but to keep going.
The only thing she could rely on was Lochness, but she had her doubts.
“Is this the way up? It feels like we’ve been walking on a flat road for a long time…”
“I’m looking for a way up. Maybe there is one somewhere.”
Apparently, Lochness was also looking for it.
The quickest way would be to climb up the cliff-like towering walls.
Here and there, a thick pillar-like structure of rock extends upwards. It might be possible to get back by following these, but Lexia didn’t have that kind of strength.
“Lexia, this way.”
Trying to keep up with Lochness, she followed suit.
The road was still dark ――but this time they came out to a fairly wide area.
“This is…”
It’s a large cavern. Lexia, from here on, I’ll be a sword again.”
“Uh, why?”
“You’ll find out soon enough—”
With her words, she transformed into her sword form.
Lexia grasped the sword and immediately understood the meaning of her words.
“Ooooooooh…”
“Sharaaaaaaaaah!”
A low growl and an ear-splitting squeal.
In front of Lexia, two large monsters appeared.
“Hi… uh?”
Lexia let out a startled scream at the sudden turn of events.
One of the monsters was a jet-black dragon with a large body and wings. It had sharp claws on its arms and legs. Its mouth also had sharp fangs. Its large eyes looked at the other monster.
It was a four-legged tiger with indigo-colored fur. Its tail was covered in spikes, and you could see them scratching the ground just by stroking it.
Both were monsters that Lexia had never seen before.
However, she could see that both are incomparably stronger than the monsters she had fought earlier ――fortunately the two monsters were not aiming at Lexia.
“…… uh?”
Lexia gasps and tries to go back the way she came.
『Why are you running away?』
Lochness asked Lexia.
The reason she was running away should be obvious.
Even the opponents she had just fought were not ones Lexia would have been able to defeat.
“Th, there’s no way I can beat something like that, they both look strong… I can’t do it…… by myself…”
『Don’t worry, Lexia is stronger than that thing.』
“E, even if you say that…”
『Lexia, you could handle my power well enough to get this far. But it’s still not enough ――you still have to defeat them anyway to get out of here.』
“…… You mean there’s no other way?”
『If there was, would you choose any other path? I want Lexia to believe me.』
“Believe in…”
That’s right ――she understands that the only thing she can rely on is Lochness.
And Lexia had chosen to believe in her.
“If it’s me, can I beat them…?”
『Yes, you can. Lexia is already strong enough.』
“Oh, okay.”
Lexia nods, with a look full of determination.
The battle had already begun before her eyes.
The sharp claws of the dragon monster gouged the body of the tiger monster. The tiger monster’s spiked tail pierced the dragon monster’s wings, and they continued to fight each other without giving an inch.
In the midst of it all, Lexia, a little girl, appeared. From the point of view of the two, she should not have been of much concern.
However, when the two saw Lexia, they understood immediately. This girl is dangerous ―― they acknowledged and attacked her at the same time.
The delicate Lexia is easily blown away and slammed into a large tree growing nearby.
Lexia falls down weakly. The two monsters look at Lexia, not letting up their guard.
Lexia slowly gets to her feet, clutching the hilt of her sword and poised it.
“『Blood Storm』”
The magic power released from the sword swells like a tornado.
It was a vortex of wind mixed with blood ―― the dragon immediately flew into the sky, and the tiger leapt away from the spot.
However, when the blood tornado split into two, it covered the huge body of each monster.
“Gah, Gagagagaguh…!”
“Shuaaaaaaaaaaa!
Cutting. Literally, a tornado of blood began to cut the bodies of the monsters. Then, the spurting blood was caught by the tornado, increasing its size.
At first, the tornado barely covered the monster’s surroundings, but each time it inflicted damage on the monsters, it grew larger and more powerful.
By gaining the blood of a monster, it has become an even more powerful entity.
The tornado, which has gained momentum, can be controlled by Lexia’s will.
She targets the monsters scattered throughout the vast abyss. One after another, the tornado engulfed the monsters, and before she knew it, Lexia had buried more than a dozen monsters with a single blow.
“Hah, ha… this, is amazing…”
As expected, it was such a big move that Lexia was out of breath. Lexia says it like it’s someone else’s business, but Lochness talks to her with a chuckle.
“You did it, Lexia. Now, you’re the strongest here ―― so let’s prove it.”
At those words, Lexia nodded and started walking.
In the abyss stained with fresh blood, her assault began.
Afterword
I posted the story so that it could be separated by roughly 30,000 characters, so I’d like to keep going!
Sads Translates 