Chapter 897: December 20th: Proof Completed
Author's Preface
It's already getting close to mid-November—isn't that a joke? It still feels like October to me.
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Two warriors face each other.
The warriors looked at one another.
The warriors saw the same thing in one another.
The warriors held different feelings within themselves.
The root of conflict is just that simple. No matter how much one sings of and strives for peace...... as long as there is an 'I', a 'you', and 'others', opinions will clash, and conflict will arise.
If there is but one difference...... it is that these two, despite fully understanding the other's position, are still fighting for a stance they cannot yield.
"..............."
On one side, a heavy, pitch-black armored knight clad in armor that eliminates all skin exposure, brandishing a massive mace as tall as himself.
"..............."
On the other side, a grotesque skeletal warrior, half-naked with more than half his body exposed to the open air, yet clad in dragon bone and brandishing a sword brimming with hellfire.
"You have no intention of changing your mind, comrade-in-arms......"
"......Unfortunately, on this matter alone...... No!"
A mutual exchange of ultimatums. These two, who perhaps could have been close friends, suppressed a painful level of mutual empathy and readied their weapons once more.
The spectators watching with bated breath erupted into murmurs.
Amidst the clashes that had taken place time and again, shadows emerged as if to flaunt the great feats of the two warriors.
At this very moment, they roared at the wavering phantom behind their rival, as if asserting that they were the more difficult and greater trial.
On one side, a grotesque four-legged dragon with a pitch-black body so dark its flesh could not be made out, far too smooth to call the functional beauty of a living creature—as though perfectly straight lines and curves drawn with tools had begun moving as a living organism—twisted its massive streamlined body and spread impossibly enormous wings.
On the other side: A deadly-bladed, durably made bipedal dragon whose body was composed almost entirely of blades, murder weapons, and martial armaments. A grotesque anomaly of providence born innately possessing the "forging" and "sharpening" that could never be achieved merely by being born into the world, standing as a phantom amidst roaring, blazing flames, raising its bladed scales.[*1]
"If I win...... I'll have you cooperate with me, compatriot!"
"No hard feelings even if you lose; get ready to cast aside your lingering regrets...... comrade-in-arms!"
A fateful feud ends only with a decisive resolution. Over a single woman, two warriors clashed. Staking their souls on it...... the names they shouted were,
"Dragon Soul Unbound......"
"True Legend Unbound Flame......"
The true names of the great dragons.
"───【Gulliver】!!"
"───【Tomahawk】!!"
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It is a weapon born from a fabrication.
A brand-new "Dragon-Slaying Weapon" sounds completely ridiculous, but it was certainly created as a "Dragon-Slaying Spear"......... and for whatever reason, it had been stuck into a giant snake like a splinter.
I pulled it out, picked it up......... reforged it with the flames of some crazy butterfly (Fire-attribute), forged it, forged it again, caused it to undergo Evolution or True Awakening...... or was it Rebuild? Whatever, anyway, I repeatedly repaired and enhanced it.
Having regained its former brilliance and heat, it played a tremendous role cutting and striking its way through Color Dragons—funny creatures less like dragons than entirely different beings that merely happened to share the exact same full name, "dragon"—and all sorts of other things, until at last it brought down an entity truly worthy of being called a "Dragon."
Thus, the weapon that had once fallen so low as to bear the name "Decayed" became "Decay-Kindled," was Repaired, was Rebuilt, took on the title Spear Flame Sword, became a True Legend......... and now, here, it has reached a form worthy of bearing that name.
"Radiant Spear Proof Areadbhair."
The proof that the hypothesis aiming for a non-existent spear had finally reached its destination.[*1]
Proclaim it on high: Brionac is a blazing, scorching flame. (Excerpt from the flavor text)
This is surely its final derivation at the current stage, the culmination of the weapon known as Areadbhair. A peak reached by building upon the great feat of striking down a True Dragon.
It's different from Dragon Destroyer Gear that merely produces a wavering dragon phantom...... the fact that it shapes a dragon out of flames means the weapon itself possesses the power to imitate a dragon.
When I checked the effect of Radiant Spear Proof, I had a sneaking suspicion, but it seems my prediction was dead on.
Dragon Destroyer Gear is operated as a set with the True Dragon Destroyer job. Because the job and the equipment are linked, it's a peaky setup where lacking either one breaks the synergy... but it provides an output well worth the restriction, namely, the ability to wield the power of the defeated dragon. That is the greatest strength of a True Dragon Destroyer.
I don't know what kind of True Dragon Garunose defeated, but looking at the effects of that shield and mace, I can sort of guess. Variable size and the ability to attract metal weapons with magnetism...... or repel them. Since almost all of my weapons are derived from ores from the Crystal Nest Cliff, you could say he's my natural enemy.
The weapon's size constantly shifting—something impossible to realize without the power of a dragon—is the greatest proof that his job is True Dragon Destroyer.
But...... that is exactly why it proved my deduction correct.
───Areadbhair's greatest strength is that it can be treated as Dragon Destroyer Gear while ignoring the job restriction.
Nii—a grin spills across my face at the sheer joy of seeing the character build I assembled around a conjecture I only half believed click perfectly into place. It feels like playing a hand with every card face-down, only to turn them over and find a royal straight flush.
"Now then......"
I have no intention of claiming this is the strongest spear, nor do I think his is the strongest shield......... so how do I pierce that Tower Shield and the defense of the man wielding it?
The answer is already in this leg.
"I'll show you, Garunose! This is the synergy of ShanFro's absolute frontline!"
Swish, I lightly tossed Areadbhair into the air. The moment its blade came falling down while tracing a circle...... I kicked it toward the enemy like a soccer ball.
Kick Arts "Revolver Kick Shot."
That weapon-kicking skill can be used on its own...... but it reveals its true power only when used by someone who holds the Kick Martial Artist job.
Pierce through, Areadbhair, just like a spear!!
Author's Afterword
Truth is, during the battle with Garunose, there was already subtle foreshadowing that he was "using Distorts Trigger while its visual effect was appearing."
Translator's Notes
- [1] Brionac and Areadbhair: Brionac is widely treated in Japanese fantasy as the name of Lugh's spear despite not appearing under that name in surviving Irish mythological texts, while Areadbhair is an attested name associated with Lugh's fiery spear. The chapter jokes that Areadbhair has become the “proof” of the “non-existent spear” Brionac.
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