In the Northern Land -Last Part-
Velzard couldn't hide her surprise and confusion as she saw Velgrind who had grown stronger unexpectedly.
She felt happy for her younger sister's growth and also rage as she was someone who was obstructing her path.
Now Velzard could only acknowledge that Velgrind was an unavoidable hindrance for her to kill Guy.
(Fine, Velgrind, I shall acknowledge you as my enemy.)
Once Velzard acknowledged Velgrind, she decided to activate her hidden Ultimate Skill『Envious Lord Leviathan』.
However, that was an improbable decision for Velzard's normal train of thought..
If she ended up showing her hidden ability as her trump card against Demon Lord Guy Crimson to Velgrind, it would lose its meaning as a trump card.
Velzard who should be calm didn't even realize such a simple thing.
No, she couldn't realize it. The order to kill was the only thing left in her mind because of Ultimate Dominion
For Velzard to still be able to retain her ego was proof that she had a strong spirit.
However, even with such a strong spirit―― Velzard couldn't defy the order of Ultimate Dominion.
After a momentary hesitation, Velzard unleashed blades of envy towards Velgrind.
◆◆◆
Velgrind had realized quickly that she could fight her older sister Velzard on more than equal terms thanks to『Flame God Sovereign Cthugha』's peerless ability which had evolved to overcome the control over herself.
After all, since she lost in terms of energy, if she just had an equal ability like before, it was clear her defeat was a matter of time.
Even now she was still inferior in energy levels, but she could fight her sister equally in terms of energy efficiency. It was a very surprising evolution.
And even about the energy――
(What is this connection―― "Soul Corridor"? As long as I wish for it, an unknown energy will flow into me...)
Yes, through the "Soul Corridor" that had been constructed between her and Rimuru, it was possible for her to replenish her energy.
Actually, Velgrind had lost the majority of her magic essence in "Alteration" into 『Flame God Sovereign Cthugha』and its Ignition[1], but right after that, energy flowed into her from the "Soul Corridor", so her energy was almost completely recovered.
She didn't think that she could lose,
"I feel I won't lose", that was Velgrind's honest thoughts.
However, at that moment, Velgrind noticed that her older sister's expression changed.
(Is it coming!?)
Velgrind put herself on guard.
It seems her intuition was right. Velzard's trump card was activated and sent towards Velgrind.
「Whiteout Absorb[2]!!」
A strike filled with everything Velzard has got.
It was Velzard's strongest attack which combined her own ability『Cessation Lost[3]』and『Patience Lord Gabriel』's ability『Solidification[4]』with also『Envious Lord Leviathan』's ability『Absorb[5]』.
With the attack coming towards her, Velgrind accelerated her own energy to the maximum in order to oppose it.
「Cardinal Acceleration!!」
Two polar lights, white and red collided.
The northern land experienced a severe earthquake, as the falling ice and snow repeatedly sublimated and froze with a death blizzard raging on.
The victor was Velzard.
Due to her new ability『Envious Lord Leviathan』, she had downgraded Velgrind's abilities.
Moreover, Velzard's energy which should have been exhausted had recovered for some reason.
The essence of『Envious Lord Leviathan』 was to degrade her opponent to below her level.
Besides that, it also had the effect of absorbing the opponent's energy...
In addition to her absolute defense power and overwhelming Velgrind in terms of maximum energy, Velzard possessed energy absorption too.
Now that her abilities had been downgraded, it seemed impossible for Velgrind to win.
「It's the end, Velgrind. I shall praise you for growing stronger to be able to oppose me. However, the result won't change. You aren't a threat for me when I got serious. Now, I have downgraded your abilities by one level. It's impossible for you to have an advantage against me anymore.」
That's right. For Velzard, Velgrind wasn't a threat even if she was an obstacle.
Because of the opposition of their abilities, it would be impossible for Velgrind to break through Velzard's defense.
However――
「But, Nee-san. I don't need to defeat you. Besides, even if my abilities are downgraded, the original acceleration ability has not been affected in any way. Since the abilities only support me, it will not affect me even if I lost them!」
Velgrind fearlessly declared.
In fact, Velgrind's abilities were focused on only one thing, that was『Acceleration』.
Now that she had already circulated her energy with full power, it wouldn't affect her even if『Flame God Sovereign Cthugha』was sealed off.
And the most important thing was――
(Hurry up, Guy. Be quick and release Nee-san from their control!)
Velgrind didn't have to defeat Velzard at all.
Velgrind's victory condition was to earn time until Guy releases Velzard from Ultimate Dominion.
At that time, in Velzard's inner world[6], Guy was about to finish the final touches
◆◆◆
Passing through multiple mental walls, Guy dove into the abyss of the heart.
If he lost his focus, his ego would be swallowed up by Velzard's soul and the Spiritual Dive would be broken.
Then, Guy's consciousness would disappear.
On the other hand, if he pushed forward forcibly with all of his strength, he would destroy Velzard's heart. If that happened, the result would be Velzard releasing all her energy after a rampage and a new "True Dragon" would be born somewhere in this world.
Guy had to avoid that from happening.
Despite being under pressure, Guy passed through the walls without being impatient.
Finally, he found it.
It was a young spirit of Velzard sitting hugging her knees.
「Yo, I've been looking for you, you know?」
Guy talked naturally and calmly.
This was a critical moment. A single mistake would change Velzard's action for the worse.
「What is it? What did you come here for? Are you here to laugh at me?」
Velzard asked while acting the way she appeared..
「No, I came to pick you up. Let's go back quickly, Velzard.」
Guy shrugged his shoulders and answered.
His reply irritated Velzard.
It was always the same.
Guy always spoke one-sidedly and arrogantly only to Velzard.
He didn't even care about Velzard and said things bluntly as if it was natural for him to do so.
「What is with you! Guy, you never listen to my opinion. It's always, always me who had to be patient! As the Tuner, I had the role to guide this world that my older brother left behind. That's why I always observed you so that you wouldn't go on a rampage. Even though I really hated it... Even Velgrind went freely to the place of the man she loved and Veldora was so carefree and rampaged as he pleased. As for me, I endured it all the time, you know!? Everything was because you were acknowledged by my older brother! It was because you were the only being except for my older brother who could destroy this world. I couldn't afford to leave your side, you know... I'm the only one who needed to have patience... And yet, you're going to leave me behind. I will never forgive you for that. Why do you have to support that suspicious slime now!? It would have been fine if you lived quietly in this northern land! You oppose my older brother even though there's no way for you to win. Rather than letting you be killed by my older brother, I would rather be the one who will kill you with my own hands!」
Guy's words sparked a fire inside Velzard's frozen heart.
As she raged, Velzard threw out all of her displeasure she felt until now.
With all of her feelings, she lashed out at Guy with her fierce will.
They became imaginary blades which cut at Guy's body, but Guy didn't try to avoid the attack.
He just stood there being exposed to the attacks without resistance as if he tried to accept all of Velzard's anger and complaints.
「Besides…... You even acknowledged a human but you never acknowledged me... What am I to you!? Even though I always tried my best, because I wanted to be acknowledged by you... There's no place for me at all!」
Her attacks gradually became weak, and eventually, Velzard started to hit Guy's chest feebly.
「Are you an idiot? I acknowledged you, you know? My partner is only you alone.」
「I'm an idiot, you said!? I don't want to be called that by you who will always do whatever as you please!」
「I guess nothing can be done about it. If you don't like it, can't you just say it? You are too concerned about boring things, you know. Also, I lost to Veldanava a long time ago, okay? I'll win next time!」
Before she realized it, Velzard had stopped hitting Guy.
Then, she buried her face in Guy's chest.
「...You are the idiotic one. There's no way you can win――」
「It might be impossible for me alone. So please cooperate with me. You will fight together with me, right? Right, Velzard?」
Velzard was speechless.
Guy's arrogance was too much.
――And, towards that very Guy-like words,
「I hate you. I really, really, really, really, really hate you. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you―― I hate you so much that I love you.」
Velzard confessed with her whole heart.
Guy's response to that was very simple――
「Yeah, I knew.」
So, a simple word as if he said something unimportant.
「So arrogant, you are really an unpleasant――」
「Right? That is proof that I'm me after all.」
「Then, this makes me looks like an idiot for worrying all by myself...」
「That's right. I also think so, you know?」
「...Shouldn't this be the part where you deny it and console me?」
「Why? That's bothersome. Never mind that, quickly cut off the control. If you don't hurry up, I don't think even Velgrind will last long.」
In fact, if the fight was prolonged, Velgrind would have been at a disadvantage.
If the energy supply from the "Soul Corridor" between her and Rimuru ceased, Velgrind's defeat would become a certainty.
「You're unkind as usual towards me――」
「Oh, really? You're my partner after all. I don't have to be considerate with you cause we're like a family, right?」
「Partner... Family... Family!?」
Velzard's face, which was buried in Guy's chest, turned red instantly.
In panic, Velzard jumped away from Guy.
Guy remained calm and didn't notice Velzard's unrest.
「Let's get the hell out of here.」
He said so without minding Velzard's feelings.
Although Velzard thought that Guy's attitude was a bit disappointing, she was relieved that Guy responded to her as usual.
There was already no hesitation in her heart and light of a strong will returned to her eyes.
She then focused her mind in order to resist Ultimate Dominion that had been cast on her.
「Understood, I've also steeled myself. But, it won't be easy to cut off my brother's control...」
「There's a way. It seems that the『Control』had been established using angel series' skill as the key and lock[7]. Then, if you neutralize it with a demon series' skill, you can erase that lock. If you do so, no matter how powerful his control is, you can resist it.」
Guy answered without hesitation.
In his words, there was a powerful confidence that Velzard could do it.
「You make it sound so easy. Fine, I shall meet your expectations.」
And so, Velzard overcame her own hesitation and confronted her brother's curse deep inside her consciousness.
In response to the change of Velzard's mind, the Ultimate Skills etched in her soul began to fight each other for domination of her soul.
As Velzard's will dictated,『Envious Lord Leviathan』bit off『Patience Lord Gabriel』. However『Patience Lord Gabriel』stubbornly resisted and tried to protect the lock of the control with its strong defensive power.
The fight in Velzard's inner world seemed to fall into a stalemate, but Guy wouldn't allow that.
「Velzard, I'll help you just a bit.」
Guy said so and activated his imitation of the unbelievable ability he saw just a while ago.
It was "Alteration", which helped Velgrind overcome the control and evolve her skill.
"Question. Will you synthesize Ultimate Skill『Patience Lord Gabriel』with『Envious Lord Leviathan』and activate "Alteration"? YES/NO"
The "Voice of the World" echoed inside Velzard's mind.
(Is this what Guy means as help!? But, let's believe in him for this.)
Velzard answered YES without hesitation.
"Confirmed. Individual: "Ice Dragon Velzard's Ultimate Skill『Patience Lord Gabriel』and『Envious Lord Leviathan』are synthesized and evolved into Ultimate Skill『Ice God Sovereign Cthulhu[8]』."
At the same moment that the voice echoed inside her inner world, the lock binding Velzard's heart crumbled and disappeared.
The lock of the heart that she could never break no matter how desperate she tried to resist it until now had been smashed to pieces easily as if it was glass.
Velzard and her skills had united splendidly and beautifully.
(This is the mental state that Velgrind reached!? And――the strength Guy had given to me. If I have this ability, there will be no one who could bind me down.)
And so, Velzard received it as a matter of course.
If she and Guy banded together, they would have no opponents in this world.
「See, it was simple, right?」
Guy's voice, that was so arrogant to the extent of loathsome, echoed in her mind.
「Yeah, it was... I really look like an idiot...」
「You think so? But I don't hate it, you know? It's a part of you too.」
Velzard laughed a bit due to Guy's words.
The young Velzard was nowhere to be seen now.
She returned to her original ladylike appearance, beautiful and graceful.
With a bashful smile that could charmed everyone, she quietly muttered「I'm home.[9]」to Guy.
◇◇◇
Guy's consciousness instantly returned to his body.
A bit of impatience could be seen in his expression.
He was the one who did it, but he was astonished by Velzard's rapid changes due to "Alteration".
(Rather, what exactly is that? That wasn't on the level of ability modification. Moreover, the only thing I did was activate it, I actually got the impression that something else had done it as a proxy... As if it had anticipated that I would do so...)
To Guy who seemed that he was about to drift into his sea of deep thoughts,
「You're back? What happened to my older sister?」
He heard Velgrind's voice asking him.
「Ahh, the control was released safely. She will wake up soon.」
At the same time, Guy answered, Velzard woke up.
「I have caused some trouble for you, Guy. And, Velgrind, I have shown you my unsightly side and I apologize for insulting Rudra.」
She said so and lowered her head towards Guy and Velgrind.
「For Ane-sama to apologize to me, I must have gone crazy. But, I'm so glad. It would be impossible for me to tolerate that Nee-san was being controlled by someone after all.」
「It seems I have made you worry. But putting aside whether Velda is Nii-san or not, it's true that his strength is comparable to Nii-san, you know?」
「Humph. Even if it is so, if he's not Nii-san―― No, even if he was Nii-san, I won't change my mind that I have to defeat Velda. Velda is Rudra's enemy after all.」
「You're so straightforward, heh, Velgrind... I'm a bit jealous.」
The sisters threw a straight gaze at each other and confirmed each other intention.
Guy called out the two people with「Never mind that, let's end this quickly.」.
Guy had already returned to his combat form while the two were talking.
And the three of them turned their sight on the girl, who was Veldora's opponent.
The Hero Chloe―― No, towards Manas: Lucia who had taken over her body.
However――simultaneously with her blade flashed, Chloe's body split into two.
No, that was just an illusion.
The blade of will released from inside Chloe had interfered with the real world which is why such an image was shown to those in this place.
Veldora had been cut here and there, but he had not received a fatal injury.
The two sisters were relieved to see that.
Guy had his eyes glued towards Chloe――
(I see, as I expected, it had been concealed――)
A thin smile appeared on Guy's lips.
Guy had realized.
Lucia's extinction and Chloe's victory.
And so―― Just now, the fight in the northern land had ended.