Otherworld TRPG Game Master - Chapter 276



Chapter 276 – The Wrong Path -4

Fable Block, huh. As far as I knew, there was no such magic.

If illusion sorcerers could perform something like Fable Block, the status of the Tower of Self would not be so low. They would have been immensely popular as specialists against fable users.

Is it the power of the evil deity, then?

As my gaze shifted to the evil deity, the doppelgänger reacted with a surge of irritation.

“No, this is entirely my own technique.”

“Is that so?”

“It activates by coloring the soul with emotion. So, if you insert impurities into that emotion—wouldn’t it be possible to nullify the very activation of the transformation?”

“……..!!”

I mentally ran the calculations. Theoretically, it could work if executed perfectly.

However, there’s a prerequisite: you must know the target exceptionally well. The soul is a complex structure that no one fully understands, filled with variables.

You need to have a deep understanding of the target’s personality, values, and past, as well as the emotion that triggered the transformation and its effects.

Only by precisely guiding the transformation through blocking, rather than distorting or altering it, can the ‘transformation block’ be established.

It’s about distorting emotions based on understanding, breaking them down.

In other words.

“This is useless unless you’re attacking an ally, you b*stard.”

“There’s nothing better for punishing traitors.”

But who exactly is the traitor?

I organized my thoughts. This ‘transformation block’ won’t work on someone of sublimation level. Sublimation means the soul has been fundamentally altered by emotion.

Also, since he managed to do it, I should be able to as well. Given a little time, I could bind the Emperor’s sword form. But I doubt he’ll give me that opportunity.

In the first place, would I even have a reason to use this unpleasant technique? After a fulfilling session where we reached the ending, why would I want to bind the transformation for the precious players?

“I’ll handle the Enbus side. Mima.”

“Are you sure you can manage without the transformation? Besides, the succubus is an information life form. It will be slightly affected by the DDoS effect of the Emperor’s sword form.”

“Have you forgotten?”

Yuri Lanster tightened his black leather gloves and clenched his fist, stepping forward confidently.

“I am a martial artist. I have spent most of my life swinging my fists to avoid relying on my race’s traits. The depth of my training is not shallower than that of the academy’s boys.”

From noble mtl dot com

It was a declaration that Enbus could stand without transformation.

Yuri Lanster, with his pink ponytail flying, charged toward Namgoong Cheong-hwi, who was poised with a longsword. It seemed he intended to fight from a distance to avoid getting caught in the range of the Emperor’s sword form.

That left me and Selvier on our side.

And on the enemy side remained…

Thud, thud, thud!

The evil deity, arms full of dragon flames. And behind him, the doppelgänger was preparing illusion magic. I had to secure a victory against a clone with superior computational power.

He sneered mockingly, a smug grin on his face.

“Without a front line, what can two wizards do against you? A fake.”

I had experienced the sorrow of lacking a front line on occasion. In my battle with Rodelus, if I hadn’t manipulated the paladin’s armor into a living armor, I would have likely lost.

So, I can understand why the doppelgänger is acting so relaxed, as if it has already won. How could a combination of just two damage dealers, without a tank, possibly prevail?

But that’s a mistake, you b*stard.

I stepped forward, fists clenched. When fighting alongside Selvier, she is the rear guard, and I am the front line.

Moreover.

Fwoosh!

“The fake has quite the flair, brother. Metamorphosis, ‘Flame Angel.’”

The temperature around us surged sharply, and Selvier and I became connected by a beam of light. The cobblestones of the capital sizzled and melted under the rising heat. A hint of wariness flickered across the doppelgänger’s face.

“…I don’t know when you managed to elevate Selvier to metamorphosis level, but it doesn’t matter. Your computational ability is completely subordinate to mine. No matter how much illusion magic you use, you won’t catch up.”

“It seems you’re greatly mistaken.”

I had humbly given up the path of the fire mage to return to my true form, Yuna’s sulking aside.

But in this moment, as Selvier activated her metamorphosis and connected with me, I could fully absorb her crimson mana. In other words.

“‘Academic Flame of Courtship.’”

Ssssssssh──!

This meant I could use fire magic with minimal risk, even without overhauling my internal illusion magic production facility.

The omnipotence of this firepower! Oh, my lost attack magic…! I felt my heart swell with excitement as I shouted.

“Right now, I am the fire mage of the Red Tower. Those villains using outdated illusion magic, I shall roast you well with the power of the Red Tower’s lord, whatever your name is!”

“That’s the spirit, brother. At this rate, you might as well completely switch over…”

“…Hey!!”

In the midst of her rampage, Yuna let out an adorable lion’s roar. I wanted to scream, so I testified to my faith in illusion.

“I love illusion magic!”

“…There’s no way a demon like you can unleash this kind of firepower without risk. There must be a reason the fake is dragging its weak body out as a tank. Aim for Selvier!”

“Go ahead and aim, you b*stard; I’ll push you back with firepower!”

And then, we clashed.

—

Yuri Lanster was not tense. He had no worries.

No matter what incidents or accidents occurred, he would ultimately achieve his goals. While his innate talent, which he was born with, was a factor, the reason Yuri remained calm was something more fundamental.

The difference in performance based on emotions.

There’s a saying that those who work hard cannot defeat those who enjoy themselves. This is because there is a difference in endurance between the two.

In the face of trials, a person is chipped away, pressed hard, and in desperation, crumbles from within.

Once blinded by vengeance against the Succubus Queen, charging forth alone without seeking the mad wizard’s aid. Uncontrolled emotions lead to madness, which breeds misjudgment.

But what of those who revel in it?

It is simple to make him happy and joyful. Just love him and stay by his side. Even now, Yuna and Yuri were doing just that. With each warm relationship he nurtured, he found stability.

Thus, Selbier also closed his eyes and accepted it. Just a slight… scratch, but it seemed like it would be a plus for him.

So, no matter how much computational power one possesses, Mimah would never fall to a fake. Yuri firmly believed that.

If one is calm without anxiety, they simply do what needs to be done.

“Enbus.”

“I do not seek to condemn you. Step aside.”

“It may not reach you, but I will speak. You are being deceived.”

“Is it not you who is deceived?”

Enbus, Namgoong Cheong-hwi, stood tall, sword raised straight.

“I must ask that fake wizard about the whereabouts of the vanished vigilante group, ‘Blue Rose’! She may have a rather grotesque wall of preference for those with partners, but her righteous heart is that of a true sage.”

“……..”

“How could I step back in the face of a friend’s plight? If you have no intention of telling me where she is hidden, I will draw my sword to hear it!”

Is that so?

The fake mad wizard must have decided to exclude rather than recruit from the Rodellus side. And it seemed he had pinned that suspicion onto the real Mimah.

Even under the spell of illusion magic, Enbus’s gaze remained steady. The problem was that it was a false lead.

“If that is your reason… I will respect it. I shall strike you with heartfelt pain.”

“If you respect me, should you not step aside…?”

“I will prevent your dark history from unfolding. Come.”

“I will come without reservation. Haap—!”

Enbus shouted as he lunged forward with his longsword.

In response, I willingly offered my flesh.

Skwak—!

Did he think I would react? I see the surprise on Enbus’s face as the blade sinks deeper than expected. Is he worried? Once an enemy, he should not be startled by such things.

Yuri Lanster decided to embody the mindset of the annihilation squad. When fighting, one must not hesitate, even if grappling with family.

Drawing strength from his toes, he twisted his waist, rotating his spine through to his arm, aimed at the face.

Bang──!!

He delivers a solid blow, as certain as the amount given.

The sound of impact echoed, crisp and clear.

“Ugh…!”

“Now, stand up. Hesitation is poison, Namgung Cheong-hwi.”

“Chungpung Gyeomwol!”

“Your martial arts may be refined, but your handling of them is still immature. Your gaze is far too honest. I won’t ask you to harbor killing intent, but you must have resolve. Again.”

Bang──!!

Simple and straightforward, there’s no room for finesse. If you can evade, evade; if you must take the hit, take it; strike decisively at the right moment.

From the feel of the impact and the response, it seems a few more hits will finish this. Yuri counted silently in her mind as she swung her fist.

“Yuwun Parang!”

As the sword energy surged forth like clouds in the blue sky, thick and voluminous.

Thump-!

With a thrust, she scattered the energy and used the difference in reach to stomp down, blocking his footwork, and then aimed straight for the crown of his head.

Smack!

Enbus’s eyes slightly widened. Just two more hits.

“Are you starting to feel like giving up now?”

“…No way!”

With a grunt, Enbus barely steadied his wavering feet.

He acknowledged his disadvantage with humility, as if under a spell, and pulled out his trump card to turn the tide. He cast aside his sword and reached for the heavens.

“Impressive, Sojeo, truly impressive… but I cannot give up like this. I will use my secret technique! Transformation, ‘Emperor’s Sword Form’──!!”

“…………”

The sky bore down upon him. All of nature bound Yuri Lanster, threatening her fiercely.

It was a decisive moment: could she break through the transformation or not?

—

Even with illusion magic, I was still at a disadvantage. I felt that while fighting the doppelgänger.

In the beginning, I overwhelmed it.

“‘Flame Spear’! Huh, dodging? ‘Flame Spear’!”

“…Why are you using fire magic!!”

“If you felt wronged, you should have done a class change too, you brat.”

Honestly, it was amusing how effective my hits were. Together with Selvier, I unleashed bombardments that obliterated not just points but entire areas, forcing the evil deity to stick close to the doppelgänger to block the fire magic.

But the tide of battle changed in an instant.

“Wait…?”

At some point, things went awry.

The doppelgänger, cornered and analyzing the situation, had completed all calculations and began to launch a counterattack. Illusion magic scrambled our senses.

As a result, the offensive and defensive positions had reversed. When I regained my focus, we were the ones taking hits.

“Flame Angel, Level 1, ‘Radiant Gleam’!”

“Wait, wait a minute, Selvier, don’t shoot that!”

“What?! Why not?”

“Because you’re aiming at Yul!”

Selvier gasped and turned the gun. But the direction she turned was still towards me. Instead of the doppelgänger firing all sorts of illusion magic from behind, she was aiming at my back, where I was being mercilessly beaten by the evil deity!

I couldn’t trust my senses.

Swish, smack!

I barely deflected the sharp scales and claws that swept past my face with a makeshift Tai Chi move. Then I shot the ‘Flame Spear’ at the evil deity’s eyes… but it flew off in the wrong direction.

Even as I repaired the mental barrier in real-time and conducted repeated inspections, I occasionally found myself blinded or seeing illusions. That b*stard just broke through with sheer computational power.

Why was I engaging in close combat with the evil deity? After I had attached the defensive flame spirit to Selvier, this was the result.

The evil deity, leisurely ramping up the offensive, spoke.

“You seem quite dizzy, Mima.”

“It’s frustrating and dizzying when a daughter who left home after leaving a single letter comes back to beat up her father, you brat!”

“Who’s your daughter?!”

“How long do you plan to keep this up? Are you still confused?!”

Piiing!

A burst of magical light shone from behind. The doppelgänger had fired something. There was no time to analyze what kind of magic it was.

It’s coming. Where to? From above? Or below…?

From behind. Selvier suddenly let out a shriek and turned red in the face.

“Oh, if you take off your clothes suddenly in a place like this…!”

“That’s neither me nor the doppelgänger, Selvier!”

“Was it a distraction?”

When I came to my senses, a sharply pointed scale was about to pierce my chin. I exploded from my toes to gain momentum and flipped my body.

A somersault kick combined with evasion!

My foot, tracing a crescent arc, struck the evil deity’s jaw, but with a dull thud, it was my side that broke. The evil deity was infuriatingly tough. For now, I needed to create some distance.

“‘Explosion with Added Momentum’!”

“⋯⋯The name of the spell is just pathetic.”

As a smokescreen, I propelled myself backward with a radial explosion aimed at the evil deity. From within the mist, I could hear something mumbling, along with the incantation.

“『Dragon Scale Flower (龍鱗花)』.”

Shakak, kagagagak!

Black spikes erupted chaotically from the ground all around. It seemed to suggest I should jump into the air to evade, but I feared that if I did, I would get hit by the aerial attack and it would hurt, so I acted in the opposite direction.

I wanted to keep this hidden for a little longer, but⋯⋯.

“Selvia, shoot at me!”

“Where are you, brother?!”

“Just shoot in the direction my heart tells you to!”

“『Radiance (輝瀲)』⋯⋯!”

Wuuung-! A bright red orb was fired. If it hit me, a hemispherical vortex would erupt, incinerating everything around me.

The crackling sound of burning filled my ears. The overwhelming heat swept away all of the evil deity’s barriers.

Selvia’s flames did not harm me.

Thus, firing a small sun at me was not an attack from an ally, but rather a temporary barrier.

It may seem like we were at a disadvantage. But no.

At this point, where the battle had dragged on, the doppelgänger’s chances of winning were plummeting. Yuri was tearing through the Enbus, and Yuna was almost clearing the battlefield.

If we can just hold on a little longer, we will win. Once the two of them join in, we can truly strip him of everything, even his soul. Even if that doesn’t happen⋯⋯ I have an emergency joker pick.

To buy some time, I took a breath amidst the flames and shouted.

“Hey, what the hell is going on? Why are you making a scene, and why are you so desperate to kill me, you b*stard!”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

The doppelgänger’s expression twisted in agony, as if merely thinking was painful. Those red eyes were filled with hunger.

He gritted his teeth and said.

“⋯⋯Do you remember? The time you went to the exhibition with your girlfriend. It was a replica art exhibition showcasing intricate reproductions of countless masterpieces.”

I remember.

Perhaps wanting to satisfy her intellectual vanity, my girlfriend had dragged me to the exhibition. Ironically, she complained about how boring it was, even though she was the one who insisted on going.

Regardless, I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Back then, I was certainly──

“Why do so many people flock to see fakes? That’s what I thought.”

Yes. I had my doubts.

I found it strange. What could possibly compel someone to pay such an exorbitant ticket price just to come and admire meticulously replicated forgeries?

And then.

—

“Then I thought this too… ‘Whether it’s ‘fake’ or ‘real’, the very fact that so many people have paid to come and appreciate it holds its own ‘meaning’, it comes into being.”

The doppelgänger gazed at the complex expression of the malevolent deity, the Enbus crumbling under Yuli’s blows, and Yuna, who was casting magic from afar.

Various thoughts flickered in his crimson eyes.

“I knew… that I could never become the ‘real’ one, I had known that for quite some time. I was just a tiny fragment!”

“……..”

“Yes. That’s why I wanted to possess that ‘meaning’. Even if I couldn’t become ‘real’… if I could just have the ‘meaning’ of being a ‘mad sorcerer’! So I took it. I tried to take it…!”

He screamed, acknowledging the fact that he was ‘fake’.

In that moment, a chill ran through him.

Metamorphosis is the phenomenon of the soul being dyed by the heart. Therefore, it often manifests in extreme stress situations when emotions can no longer be controlled.

And he was now facing death. Soon, Yuna Yuli would come, and she would erase his plans in an instant. He was caught in a high-stress situation.

Ssssssssh──

Black, murky, chaotic smoke that defied color began to swirl around the doppelgänger.

It was magic that couldn’t be deciphered. No, was it even magic?

Could it be?

“Your ‘performance’, your ‘mission’, and your… ‘connections’… I will gather all those fragments and become a being that ‘exists’ in its entirety. No one can stop that──!!”

It couldn’t be. If it were him, it shouldn’t be possible.

At the very least, it should be me who does it first!

“Metamorphosis, ‘Infinite Play’──!!”

A mask crackling like a mosaic appeared in the doppelgänger’s hand. I tightened my grip, cranking up the tension to its maximum.

The ability of metamorphosis tends to correlate with the caster’s level.

So, I was already terrified of what kind of absurd effect the doppelgänger’s metamorphosis, having consumed 51%, would have. But before that.

The fact that that flashy mask wasn’t mine!

The reality that the fragment had already performed metamorphosis was so infuriating and unjust that I felt like I might faint…!