NOVEL WEB Chapter 52
52. The God’s Skill Is Resonating
A spire on the outskirts of the royal capital──.
“That woman, I’ll never forgive her.”
At the top floor, Gregorio was fuming.
“It was my game with that guy, but she interfered.”
I’ll kill her right in front of Hart──.
His seething anger transformed into murderous intent.
“You’re quite enraged, human.”
Suddenly, a voice was heard.
“What is this place…?”
When he realized it, Gregorio was floating in a white space.
He remembered it.
Yes, it was just like the place where he had ‘died’ before──the place where he faced God.
Standing before him was a slender man enveloped in flames.
The God of Slaughter──Melgias.
“No matter who I’ve targeted, I’ve always killed them. No matter how strong an adventurer, demon, or beast. Hell, I could even kill a Demon Lord──”
He clenched his molars.
“Yet, I couldn’t kill him… It pisses me off!”
“Your opponent also possesses the power of a god, just like you. It won’t be easy.”
The flames enveloping Melgias flickered.
“And even skills aren’t omnipotent. There are things they can and cannot do. Just like how your power doesn’t work unless you ‘touch’ the target──his skill must also have limitations. In other words, weaknesses.”
“Weaknesses… huh.”
“If you exploit them, you can win.”
“Heh, I thought you’d finally show up, but you’re surprisingly helpful.”
“And one more thing.”
Melgias said without a smile to Gregorio, who snorted.
“The God’s skills are resonating. They amplify each other’s power… can’t you feel it? The god’s power increasing within you.”
“My power is rising…?”
The moment he murmured, his body became burning hot.
It was a surge, akin to a sexual pleasure.
A sensation like flames erupting from his whole body.
A sense of euphoria, making what he thought were limits feel limitless.
“I see.”
Gregorio grinned.
“Use it as you please. Follow your instincts, your impulses, your desires. As you will.”
“As I please, huh.”
Gregorio sneered.
“Then I’ll use it to kill. For killing, for the sake of killing, for the sake of killing──hahaha!”
Laughing loudly, Gregorio had returned to his original location.
The scene he just witnessed, was like a momentary daydream, was it a dream, an illusion?
Or had he actually met Melgias within his consciousness?
“Gregorio──”
The door opened, and two figures appeared.
Hart and a beautiful girl with golden twin-tails.
“Well, you found where I was.”
“We’re capturing you.”
“Try it!”
Gregorio sneered.
Even if captured, he had countless ways to escape.
If imprisoned, he’d ‘kill’ the prison.
If there were guards, he’d ‘kill’ the guards.
He’d ‘kill’ anyone pursuing him.
Of course, he had no intention of being captured.
To repay the earlier slight, he would definitely kill the two before him──!
※
Using the [Marker] on Gregorio, Lilith tracked him, and we came to the spire on the outskirts of the royal capital.
The safest method is for Lilith to snipe him with attack magic without being noticed.
But since he’s on the rooftop, the only way up is the stairs.
I considered having Lilith use wind magic to fly us, but the noise would alert him, making a stealthy attack difficult.
So, we have no choice but to face him head-on──.
Lilith and I climbed the stairs and opened the door to the rooftop.
We confronted Gregorio.
──Thump.
Suddenly, my heartbeat quickened.
Just facing him made my heart ache.
──What is this feeling?
A strange sensation, as if something inside me was surging.
It wasn’t like the rise of emotions like fighting spirit, anger, tension, or anxiety.
It was more like something fundamental within me was about to explode.
“[Thunder Bullet]!”
To break my puzzling thoughts, Lilith chanted a spell.
“It’s useless.”
The thunder attack magic she released was easily obliterated by Gregorio’s blue orb.
A skill that ‘kills magic.’
But that much was expected.
“His skill──no, his magic probably has limited uses. Keep attacking until his magic runs out.”
“Got it──[Fire Bomb]!”
Lilith cast a fire spell.
“Tch.”
With a click of his tongue, Gregorio obliterated it with another blue orb.
However, his expression was more severe than before.
“Four shots left, Gregorio.”
I stayed vigilant, not letting my guard down.
It might be more than six shots at a time.
“Heh, you’re so smug.”
Seven red orbs appeared around him.
“…So the six-shot limit was a lie?”
“No, it wasn’t.”
Gregorio laughed.
“But, that was until now──”
“What?”
“Melgias said something interesting. Our powers resonate and amplify each other.”
“Resonate…?”
“I’ve got the hang of it. Here, one more──[Magnum]!”
Gregorio announced triumphantly, green patterns appearing in his eyes.
A new green orb shot toward me.
“A different type of skill──!?”
Until now, Gregorio had used red orbs to ‘kill humans,’ blue orbs to ‘kill magic,’ and orange orbs to ‘kill gases’.
What power did this green orb possess──.
Anyway, all I could do was defend.
To intercept the approaching orb, I deployed [Armor Phase].
A multicolored shine repelled the green orb.
──or so I thought, but the orb changed course and exploded at our feet.
“What…!?”
“The green orb ‘kills’ solids.”
Gregorio declared.
In the next moment, the floor beneath me shattered into pieces.
I fell down to the floor below.
With my defensive skills active, I took no damage, but Lilith was left alone above.
“Watch and see. I’ll kill your partner first!”
“Damn…!”
I hurried to climb back up,
“No, you won’t!”
Gregorio’s newly fired orbs also destroyed the stairs.
This way, I couldn’t reach Lilith──.
“Now, it’s just the two of us. I’ll kill you, girl!”
Gregorio created a red orb and shot it at Lilith.
“[Thunder Bullet]!”
She tried to intercept it with a lightning spell, but the red orb advanced, unaffected by the magic.
“Lilith──!”
I shouted.
No, I wouldn’t make it in time.
The path to her was cut off.
The red orb approached her.
“Damn…!”
Lilith rolled to avoid it.
“Useless!”
Gregorio shouted.
The red orb changed its trajectory in mid-air, heading towards her again.
He could control the orb’s movement with his will!
With her stance broken, Lilith couldn’t dodge this time.
No, she would be killed──.
I watched the scene in despair.
In a flash, two emotions surged within me.
Unforgivable anger towards Gregorio.
A desire to protect Lilith.
──Thump!
My heartbeat quickened to the point of bursting.
It was the same sensation as before.
No, it was even more intense.
A surge of emotions.
Still waiting.
I won’t let it happen.
Lilith──I will protect her!