It Became a Time-Stop Slit-Eye - It Became a Time-Stop Slit-Eye chapter 85

85 – 85. Divine Power.

“…What on earth should I…”

Kwaaang! Kwaahh! Watching the giant’s fists and kicks aimed at Kenichi, Ichinose Hotaru, the Priestess of Fire, was troubled as the city trembled in agony.

She wanted to help them in her heart, but as a slow-footed individual, she had no confidence in dodging the giant’s attacks properly.

She could unleash divine power from a distance, but the power of the magician flying in the sky was far more impressive.

…Kwaaahhh!

Every time the giant moved, the trembling city from afar made her fearful.

It seemed unreasonable for her to intervene…

She hesitated, as it could not only be a hindrance but also a target for the giant.

What should I do to be of help?

After contemplating for a while, Hotaru resolved her dilemma by feeling the magic emanating from the giant in the distance.

“After all, there’s only one thing I’ve learned properly.”

The Priestess, Ichinose Hotaru, gathered her strength by bringing her hands together.

What she was about to do was the fundamental skill of a Priestess, an absolute value.

A ritual of purification, destroying all impurities.

Hotaru prayed to the gods.

“I implore thee, forgive our sins, O Hinokagutsuchi no Kami.”

In the city of white destruction, the spark ignited.

***

“Uryaaahhh!!!”

Kitagawa Kenichi ran around the defeated city, drawing the giant’s attention.

Then, when the giant made a careless move, Kenichi swiftly retaliated by slicing its right ankle.

How many times did they repeat this process?

Despite the tired legs from running countless distances and the arms shaking from wielding the sword, Kenichi did not stop swinging his blade.

He fueled his soul to sharpen his sword even more.

By accumulating hundreds of strikes, it inevitably became an undeniable crack.

“For the love of all that’s holy, just be severed already, you darned creature!!!”

Kenichi, with the determination that this time would be the last, firmly grasped his demon blade and swung it.

Between the dark red wounds, a crack appeared, pointing towards the giant’s ankle bone.

Another piercing strike was added.

───Swoosh.

The hero, Kitagawa Kenichi, widened his eyes.

Unlike before, where it felt like hitting a rock with an egg, this time something was effortlessly sliced by the blade without much resistance.

The boy with the sword stretched out did not step back but rushed forward.

“I said I would cut it!!!”

Finally, it was severed.

─Grrrh?

As the giant’s right foot was completely severed, its body, about to stomp on a mouse below, staggered.

With the massive size and weight of the body, once the balance was disrupted, it irreversibly collapsed.

Soon, the giant’s body leaned to the right, beyond tipping over, and collapsed entirely on the ground.

─────────!!!!!

With a roaring sound, witnessing the urban landscape crumbling under the giant’s body, Eris Betelgeuse gazed at the scene with a blank expression as the white dust thickened.

From Noble mtl dot com

If skyscrapers collapse unilaterally in the city, would such sounds and shocks be heard?

Arriving after the giant’s fall, Eris was momentarily stunned, then quickly regained her composure and smirked at the unexpected outcome.

“Well, that went quite smoothly.”

Considering the opponent’s size, she was worried, but it turned out to be much easier than anticipated.

Well, those who struggled at the bottom would not think the same way, but for her, flying in the sky and drawing the giant’s attention, all she had to do was shoot it down.

Eris Betelgeuse looked down at the ground and checked her tactics.

“Now I can easily target the back of the head.”

Although a sinister black magic protected the giant’s head, it would be removed by that fool Kenichi or another sorcerer, Sawamura Sento.

After that, it was expected to be a smooth continuation of the unilateral bombardment by the high-level mage.

The only concern might be whether the comrade under the giant’s foot was crushed or not.

“Hey, did he die by any chance?”

Eris Betelgeuse spoke to Kenichi, with whom she had already established a connection through a pre-set spell.

The fact that the spell was not broken was evidence that he was alive, but his injuries were unknown.

Even though everything seemed to be in place, there was still a slight uneasiness. Nothing in this world was absolute.

“…Are you seriously injured?”

After a moment of silence, Eris frowned slightly and asked again.

Soon, along with a coughing sound, the voice of the boy was heard.

─…Phew, thankfully not dead.

“Hey, could you answer quickly? Seriously. You have a talent for being ominously vague about things, saying who’s not a friend.”

─…Did I not just say you look like a ghost now? That’s quite rude, you know?!

“…Sorry.”

Kenichi, who had raised his voice, let out a deep sigh and then spoke seriously.

─…And, as you will soon see, things don’t seem to be going that well.

“What?”

Unable to understand the gibberish, Eris Betelgeuse furrowed her brow.

The operation was going smoothly according to plan, but what on earth is this guy saying…

She narrowed her eyes and peered into the mist, then widened them in disbelief.

“…This is crazy-!”

Just as she regained her balance, the shape of a giant half-rising from the earth mist caught her attention.

It would have been fine if that was all, but Eris, with her keen senses, detected a wave of magic and slightly unfamiliar energy.

The amount of magical energy protecting the giant’s head and neck had increased drastically, beyond comparison.

…In other words,

it meant that a ‘variable’ had occurred in the pursuit of truth by the magician who loved and hated.

──Grrr!!!

The massive variable shot up from the ground.

With a deafening scream, the giant, dispersing the mist with black flames, revealed its burning torso.

Eris Betelgeuse opened her mouth wide, observing the giant being protected by flames over its upper body.

“…This is ridiculous.”

When only the head was burning, she didn’t know, but now, perhaps due to the increased range and power of the flames, the heat reached her floating in the air.

To kill that, she would have to target the head or heart somehow, but she thought that those flames were something she couldn’t even touch or dispel.

──Grrraaah!!!

The colossal giant entered phase 2.

***

It took a long time to prepare the weapon to kill the giant – the technique.

Despite becoming quite familiar, it was still difficult to manipulate the soul, control the subtle force, and aim accurately.

She thought this would be enough, but it seemed like things had gotten quite complicated.

──Grrr!!!

The giant covered in pitch black emerged from the mist.

“…What are those guys up to.”

Sawamura Sento surveyed the rapidly changing urban situation, frowning as he muttered.

It wasn’t about mocking them for becoming stronger opponents, but from the standpoint of having finished everything, such a situation was not pleasing at all.

“There’s nothing we can do.”

She sighed and began to reshape the essence of destruction she had barely held onto.

If the opponent’s armor was thick, she just had to break or pierce through it by force.

The sorceress whispered to her soul.

“My light.”

Sharpen even more.

As she wished, the light cluster that had taken the form of a bullet transformed into a more agile weapon.

Unlike before, this time it could pierce the giant’s vital point in one go.

“Spear of Thunderous Lightning.”

It became a long and sharp spear above all.

Crackling─!

A red lightning bolt, annihilating on its way.

Sawamura Sento aimed at the giant while holding the spear that seemed about to explode.

She couldn’t hold out like this for long, but Sento waited for the right moment.

She, with exceptional intuition, knew.

“Shiki.”

He appeared.

***

“…Oh, Mother of Fire who has existed since the beginning… the touch of purification that burns all impurities.”

The miko, Ichinose Hotaru, began the ritual.

There was no altar of fire in front of her, nor any special tools to assist the ritual, but she prepared a ceremony to offer to the gods somehow.

If other followers of different deities or miko saw her, they would be alarmed.

Because the enraged deity might unleash punishment.

Nevertheless, Hotaru proceeded with the ritual firmly.

“You are the most beloved child of the gods.”

As if the words were true, she could communicate directly with the gods.

Though she had only become a miko recently, her divine power had quickly grown, and unlike others, her deity was generous even with the offerings necessary for the ritual.

The dedication Ichinose Hotaru had offered to the gods so far was sufficient with her divine power alone.

A ritual of purification.

It was her most confident area as a miko of fire.

“…For many ages, for humanity… we revere you, who brought forth destruction and purification.”

However, there was a limit to it.

It was unreasonable to light the giant flame of destruction compared to a towering skyscraper.

Hotaru felt the divine power draining from her body and her face paled in many ways.

“My power is lacking.”

No matter how beloved by the gods, she was not adequately prepared to conduct a large-scale ritual.

Even if she wore the ceremonial robe and divine tablet, which contained the eternal flame, it would still be insufficient…

“…Please bless this land-“

Those who directly worship the gods cannot live long.

This was because the subsequent cost of the ritual was often paid with life, or the sacrifice itself was offered as a life.

Gazing at the burning earth and sky, at that moment, Ichinose Hotaru made a decision.

“Grant us your blessing-“

At the moment when she was about to conclude the ritual with a pledge to offer a part of her life.

A presence approached the miko suddenly, and she clasped her hands.

It was someone who had come to keep a promise.

“Do not worry too much. If it gets tough, I will come to help.”

Hotaru looked at Ichimaru Shiki with wide eyes.

He had a more sinister and sly smile than what she had seen at school.

The godslayer offered a prayer.

“Please grant us your blessing.”

“Ah.”

And it was granted.