Chapter 13 - <<Excalibur>>'s True Power

The <> appears on Ryuji's left hand. It is not the original appearance, greatsword. Instead, it is a long one-handed sword. As the <> appeared on his left hand, his eye color was changed.

The audience was shocked to see what happened. They must be thinking that why was the girl turned into a sword.

"She turned into a sword, what in this world is happening? Your eyes, what happened to your eyes Ryuji? " Luna stunned.

Ryuji was stunned.

(— My eyes? What's wrong with it?)

Every time he used the <>, his eyes would change color without even realizing it.

(Don't you realize it until now? Every time you use the <>, your eyes will turn purple, and that is because I marked you when we made the contract.)

"Nothing. It is just proof of the similarity between me and Riss, " he answered.

Ryuji right. Both of Rissa and his eyes were purple.

"Who are you, Ryuji? "

A serious face was shown by Luna.

"Allow me to introduce myself again. I am Akihiko Ryuji, an Elementalist, and the one who contracted with the Demon King contracted spirit, " said him.

At the audience, the atmosphere becomes noisy when they hear the word 'Demon King'. Maybe they were thinking that Ryuji was the reincarnation of the 'Demon King', who died 1,000 years ago although reincarnation was a myth.

"Demon King? Elementalist? I didn't understand what you were trying to say, " ask her.

He smiled.

"It doesn't matter, as long as it's a sword, it doesn't go against the rule right? " said him.

Luna bites her lips.

"Then, how about you lose by your own power? " Luna asked.

"Don't you mean…" he muttered.

— Manifest,

— Ancient Dragon Within This Holy Sword,

— I Commend Thou to Serves Me,

— <>!

Luna manifests and the <> release the <. It is a huge dragon with a long tail and light blue crystals covering its entire body. Its eyes were dark blue and had a sharp tooth. Unlike Ryuji, he only releases half of the dragon's power. But, Luna releases all of its power.

(— This is the first time I see it in the dragon form. I've only released half of its power. But, the question is, can I defeat it? )

Ryuji wondered in his mind.

The <> is different from the other dragon. It is the strongest and undefeated dragon who has been guarding the gate between the Astral Realm and the Human Realm.

During Ryuji's grandfather's time, it has been controlled by the Demon King, Melaina Krulcifer, to attack the Human Realm. That's why Ryuji's grandfather decided to kill it before many suffer.

But, the death of the dragon was a mistake. The Demon King took the opportunity to invade the Human Realm. The Demon King only managed to attack a few places before being killed by an Elementalist, who wielded the Sacred Demon King Slaying Sword, or the Demon Slayer, and who also died during the battle.

Due to the Demon King only managing to attack a few places, the existence of the Astral Realm is still a secret.

(— You can do it, Ryuji, Together!)

Rissa talks to him in his mind.

"— Now, <>! " Luna shouted.

The dragon releases the Divine Blue Flame <> to Ryuji. With <> in his hand, he planned to absorb the attacks and release them again.

"— Absolute Armament, Eighth Skill, Spinning Shadow "

Absolute Armament, Eight Skill, Spinning Shadow, used to cut through and nullify, then releases the absorbed powers. But, the Divine Blue Flame was too strong to absorb it.

"How long will you stand there just to absorb its attack? " Luna asked.

"Then, you left me no choice, " he answered.

Ryuji changed his plan, to attack it in close-range. He kicked the ground and jumped high, landing on the dragon's body. The dragon uses its long tail filled with sharp crystals to attack the Ryuji. He cut its tail and kept moving forward.

"You're on my way! " he shouted while cutting its tail.

"What with that sword? He cut its tail with a single slash? " Luna stunned.

He keeps running to the center of its body and pokes the <> on its body.

"— It ends here, Absolute Armament, Fifth Skill, Darkness Strike! "

The fifth skill of the Absolute Armament, Darkness Strike. It is high-level darkness magic, used to make beam lasers to attack targets.

The <> roared as loud as it could because of the pain from Ryuji's attack. Ryuji suddenly felt pain in his legs. Apparently, his leg was pierced by the increasingly elongated crystal on the dragon's body.

Ryuji quickly jumped from its body and landed on the ground. He doesn't have time to heal his legs, he needs to think of other strategies to defeat the <>.

"— Again, <>! " she shouted.

Ryuji grasps the <> tightly.

(— Believe in me, together we defeat that dragon, Ryuji.)

Ryuji closes her eyes. When the dragon's attack was about to hit Ryuji, he quickly opened his eyes and simply slash the attack, cutting it into two. The attack that Ryuji cut into two hit the ground and it exploded.

"— He simply cut its attack into two!? There is something odd with that sword, " Luna was stunned.

With pain in his legs, he kept running towards the dragon with immense speed.

"Absolute Armament, Fourth Skill, Shining Destructive! " said him.

The whole arena was filled with dazzling light. Ryuji takes the chance to detonate the dragon. But it doesn't go as he planned.

Luna deployed a barrier, protecting the <> from Ryuji's explosion. Again, Ryuji ran towards the dragon and began to thrust his sword toward the barrier.

"Striking at the barrier, I won't let you! "

Luna poured more magic power at the barrier to increase its strength.

"— Now Riss! "

(— Alright!)

Ryuji increases her strength in order to break the barrier.

"— <>! "

<>, <> Divine Skill. It unleashed the Divine black—purple Darkness that can destroy almost everything. That's why the Demon King is the strongest and most powerful person, having the most powerful sword beside her.

The barrier deployed by Luna slowly cracks due to the <>. A few moments later, the barrier cracked and shattered to pieces. He uses the chance to eliminate the <> by stabbing his sword at its body. The dragon slowly disappeared as he poured the Divine Power in it.

"The strongest and the most powerful dragon have been defeated by you? I can't believe it! " she was shocked.

Luna looked down. She doesn't know what to say anymore.

Ryuji slowly walked towards her.

"You should give up Luna, it's useless. This is my sword, <>. It can annihilate almost everything, " said her.

Up until now, there is nothing that the <> can't destroy or annihilates.

Luna holds his hand tightly.

"Give up you say? If I give up now, how can I save her! " she shouted.

<> started to shine. Ryuji jumped backward a few steps as a sign of caution. Luna stands up and she shows a serious face. His eyes were fixed on Ryuji.

"I'll show you who was the one suppose to give up, " said her with a low tone.

"— I Command Thou, The Ancient Holy <>, Entrust Me with All The Dragons, <>! " she shouted.

<>, ability to use all the dragon's power sealed within the <>. But, she can only use 4 dragons at the same time.

The <> changes its color from gold to half light blue and dark red. Its blade was filled with a blue flame.

She kicked the ground and charged towards Ryuji. Her speed was faster than usual and she aimed at Ryuji. Ryuji dodges her attack by thrusting his sword at her and it doesn't work. Both of their swords keep clashing.

"Luna, I know that you are bearing your burden alone. It keeps hurting you and I know you suffer much. "

Luna swings her sword towards Ryuji but he dodges and causes Luna's swing to hit the ground. The ground shattered into small rocks.

"— Shut up, you didn't know anything! " she shouted.

"I know, King Aershield has told me everything about what has happened to you and your family, " he answered.

Luna stopped her attack. She points the <> up to the sky.

"— Come, <>, <>, <>, <>, burn him to the ashes, <>! "

<>, a combination of the 4 dragons.

All four dragons appear above Luna. They begin to shoot Ryuji with their abilities, <>, <>, <>, and <> at the same time.

Ryuji runs towards the dragon's attack. As soon as the dragon's attacks are about to hit Ryuji, in a blink of an eye, Ryuji disappears from Luna's view. The <> hit the ground and it explodes. It caused a huge hole in the ground.

"The attack was dangerous, " Hotaru stunned.

"Where did he go? " Luna muttered.

She suddenly heard a voice.

"I'm up here! "

By using flight, Ryuji already flies up to where the dragons were flying.

"<>! " he shouted.

Same as before, but he attacks the dragons at once with a consecutive attack.

"Absolute Armament, Floral Form, Twelve Consecutive Attacks. "

Increasing his speed, he managed to eliminate all of the dragons in a short time.

"He managed to eliminate four of them? No way… "

Even Luna didn't believe how strong his childhood friend is. After he finished eliminating them, he flew towards Luna with immense speed.

"Absolute Armament, Seventh Skill, Blazing Steel! " said her.

The seventh skill of Absolute Armament, Blazing Steel, used to attack an opponent with a high-level blue flame on the blade.

Luna grasps his sword tightly.

"<>! " said her.

<>, one of <>'s ability.

Luna increases gravity around Ryuji. He could no longer move. Luna quickly attacks Ryuji from below.

"<>! "

<>, one of <>'s ability.

Due to her attack, Ryuji was thrown backward and hit the arena's wall. <> detached from his hands and fell to the ground.

"Do you realize who the one suppose to give up now? " said her.

Ryuji tried to stand but failed. Her legs become weak due to Luna's attack.

"Yeah, I won't hold back now, " said him.

Ryuji tried to stand up again. With blood and scratch all over his body, he calls the <> that was lying on the ground. It flies to his hand. <> begin to give off dazzling brilliant.

(— We can do it, Riss.)

"— Here and Now, the Power within Me Shall Defeat You! " said him.

His purple eyes begin to shine more brightly and his body begins to give off dazzling purple darkness.

"What are you saying— "

Luna doesn't finish her words. She felt a pain in his waist and blood came out from her mouth.

"— When did you!? "

Luna couldn't hold back her pain and fell to the ground. The whole audience was shocked to see what happened. Ryuji moved with a speed that even anyone couldn't see, his speed was faster than the lightning.

"— How did you? " Luna spoke.

His body should be protected by <>'s flame and any weapon or magic power can't leave a scratch on her body.

"I've told you, < could annihilate almost everything, and that includes the <>'s flame, " said him.

"Luna Astertina von Crissfade is unable to fight, the victory goes to...Akihiko Ryuji from the Akane Kingdom! " said the referee.

All the audience gave him great applause.

"You made it Ryuji! " said Hotaru.

Both his father and Hotaru were proud of him.

"I am proud of you, " said Ryuji's father.

Ryuji slowly walked to Luna who was lying down.

"I've...lost. "

Tears come out from Luna's eyes. She can't hold it anymore, she was defeated. She didn't know what to do anymore and doesn't want to lose her little sister.

Ryuji put down the <> on the ground and it turned back to human form, Rissa. He uses healing magic to heal Luna's wound and hold Luna's hand.

"Don't cry, " persuade him.

"I..don't want to...lose her, " she mutters.

"Yeah, I know. She is precious to you, right? Don't you worry, I would help you even though it put my life at risk. "

"I see, thank you, Ryuji. "

Ryuji's words have left her in tears. She can't hold it back anymore, she needs to say it.

"Ryuji, I actually— "

Ryuji put his index finger on Luna's lips.

"You don't have to say anything, you should focus on your rest, " said him.

Luna doesn't know what to say anymore, slowly closing her eyes.

"Jeez, Ryuji! "

Rissa suddenly knocked Ryuji's head.

Due to Rissa's knock, Ryuji fainted. Maybe because he had used a lot of energy.

"H-H-Hey, Ryuji, are you okay? " Rissa was stunned.