Chapter 32: Maxwell’s Demon
◆ Virtual Space – Stage – Plane
The ability of the demi-god-level spirit [Maxwell], controlled by James-Szilard, is the [Molecular Motion Manipulation Ability], as the name suggests.
Simply put, it’s an extraordinary power to freely manipulate the movement of heat.
It’s not the ability to create flames or generate ice.
[Maxwell], by grasping the events that serve as the premise or cause, can even make the contradictory “burning ice sword” possible.
Szilard-san’s absolute destruction technique [Rosso＆Blu], maximizing the characteristics of [Maxwell], came flying at us from the very beginning.
I must say, that was a bit unexpected.
“Kyō-san!”
“Don’t worry! I’ll figure something out!”
“There’s still some unease!”
I somehow pull back my almost blanked-out thoughts to reality and spin my malfunctioning brain cells at full throttle.
A flash of annihilation, drawing a beautiful spiral, advances against the oncoming [Maxwell] ability.
If it hits, it’s over, and choosing to dodge is… probably not the best option.
Among spirits of the same category, [Maxwell] is a spirit with exceptionally excellent operability in its status characteristics.
And Szilard-san, as the contractor, has parameters that emphasize operability.
Against an enemy adept at precise manipulation, attempting clumsy evasions will only lead to being guided into the technique.
“Haruka! Take some distance and hide behind me! I’ll be the decoy.”
“Got it!”
So, the obvious choice for us is the [Fourth-Dimensional Defense].
To counter the unreasonable that erases everything physically, we must go even beyond that level of unreasonableness.
Dropping Eckzax to the right, I grip the handle and take a defensive stance to the left.
Expanding the guard range with the weapon, I deploy [Fourth-Dimensional Defense] while minimizing any gaps.
The approaching flash of annihilation.
My senses and instincts tremble with fear in the face of the demonic energy that annihilates everything in its path.
The disappearing roar, the space losing its color.
In the center of this monochrome world reminiscent of silent films from ancient times, I overlook my own figure being engulfed by the light of annihilation.
My body, temporarily transformed into a fourth-dimensional entity by [Fourth-Dimensional Defense], seems to somehow hold back Szilard-san’s [Rosso＆Blu].
I didn’t want to see myself kissing the absolute destruction technique, but fortunately, aside from the itching and nausea caused by the backlash of the technique, I am intact.
It’s unfortunate, but it doesn’t hurt.
There’s no room for luxury. All I can do is endure.
The only concern is the consumption of spiritual power, but they must be facing the same issue.
[Rosso＆Blu], as compensation for its overwhelming power and penetration capability, consumes a tremendous amount of spiritual power.
Even if Szilard-san is a top-class user, sustaining the release of annihilation energy that fuses extreme heat and extreme cold for an extended period is impossible.
If we adhere to the setting of Danmagi, the approximate spiritual power consumption per second is about four times that of [Fourth-Dimensional Defense].
If we continue to clash [Rosso＆Blu] against [Fourth-Dimensional Defense], it’s clear that they will eventually run out of gas somewhere.
If that happens, the tide of the battle will completely shift in our favor, but of course, they must be well aware of that.
As time passes, the flash of annihilation gradually weakens.
As expected, the surprise attack with my finishing move silenced them in a matter of seconds.
That’s right, someone who can’t even consider resource allocation properly can’t be the master of a top clan.
I wanted to shave off a bit more, but oh well.
We were in quite a dangerous situation too, but we managed to endure it somehow.
◆
“So, go and come back, Haruka. Imprint your excitement onto Shilard-san!”
Instead of a reply, a gust of wind rushes by.
At the precise moment when the enemy’s large-scale bombardment ceased, the innate swordsman sets out.
With long black hair fluttering, she speeds forward like a cool breeze through the star system.
And surrounding her are six azure skies that orbit.
A group of swords that exude a majestic aura, resembling a cluster of planets orbiting a shining star, advances with tremendous pressure alongside their master.
Like a diagram of celestial bodies, there are six circular orbits, each performing high-speed rotations.
Simultaneously, each orbit releases different secret techniques.
Six swords performing a chaotic dance of six secret techniques. Moreover, they constantly change their style and rotation trajectory with each revolution, making it impossible to deal with.
Can you believe it? She still considers this a warm-up?
Shilard-san seems to be genuinely applauding, not just smiling wryly.
“I never expected something like this… I’m impressed, Haruka. Your talent is truly like a divine and burning sun!”
“Oh no, Shilard-san, the real excitement is yet to come!”
After a brief conversation, both of them start moving simultaneously.
Shilard-san forms numerous vents in the surrounding space, firing multiple spells from there.
Beams of heat, freezing gusts of air, plasma explosions, and falling ice chunks fill the air.
Despite recently showcasing a super move like the flash of annihilation, the main wielder of the “Burning Ice Swords” continues to unleash various heat techniques without hesitation.
Oh boy, he’s really a monster.
While groaning from the recoil of the [Fourth-Dimensional Defense], I manage to move away from Shilard-san’s line of fire, just to be safe.
If a stray shot comes our way and it’s game over, I won’t be able to face it.
Even though I know there’s no way it will reach us, you can’t just stay still; that’s human nature.
I glance towards Haruka.
She is slicing through incoming heat rays with a gleaming gaze.
Slicing through heat rays. Yeah, the meaning is a bit unclear.
No matter how much of an unprecedented genius he is, there’s no logical way to cut through concentrated thermal energy.
So, the source of this extraordinary feat from another dimension lies in a different aspect of Haruka’s talent.
Soukyu, the Azure skies. The precious possession bestowed upon Haruka by the current head of the her family as the ultimate weapon to subdue the “Sword Prison Asura.”
Its effects include interference and special attacks on spiritual and energy bodies—in other words, an anti-weapon against entities that can’t be cut by physical means.
Cutting what can’t be cut, severing what can’t be severed.
The specialized attack multiplier, sacrificing versatility, was at one of the highest levels in the story.
Among users of Danmagi, it had become common practice to make kanatan the main physical attacker rather than relying on divine weapons when facing opponents vulnerable to special attacks.
After all, kanatan could even gain an advantage against that damn boss.
Aono’s secret anti-magic sword capable of slicing through spirits, fluids, or even energy itself.
Against opponents like Szilard, who relied on energy release as their main firepower, this alone could provide a significant advantage.
However, when wielded by its rightful owner, the Celestial Azure’s viciousness soared to unimaginable heights.
Why?
The answer lay in the abilities possessed by Haruka’s demi-god-tier spirit, Futsumitama.
His spirit’s characteristic was the ability to “duplicate and manipulate the swords wielded by the user,” essentially summoning and controlling copies of equipped weapons.
The replication ability of Futsumitama was extremely sophisticated.
This phenomenon was made possible not only by its status as a superior demi-god-tier ability but also by imposing a double constraint on the target of replication. Well, the background setting around this will be discussed another time.
What matters now is that the copied weapons created by Futsumitama’s power fully reproduced not only their sharpness and strength but also the divine protection possessed by the original target.
And, to put it simply, all these replicated weapons were treated as “weapons wielded by the user.”
Currently, Haruka had seven Soukyu, Celestial Azures deployed, including those she was holding herself.
Each of the seven Celestial Azures had divine protection against special attacks, simultaneously serving as Haruka’s equipment.
Seven swords with seven divine protections… You get it now?
The special attack performance of Haruka’s Celestial Azure had reached seven times the existing numerical value.
The sevenfold increase in the already ridiculously high special attack performance of the Celestial Azure, coupled with the increased divine protection, permeated equally into all the swords Haruka wielded.
Yes. This is the true essence of Futsumitama.
A bug-like technique that exponentially amplifies the divine protection and special abilities of duplicated swords by the number of copies.
A perfect combination of power, karma, and weapons forming a triple-layered cheating combo.
In the face of this perfect formation, even someone like Szilard would have no chance against a mere barrage of fire spells.
If he were to respond, he would have to unleash a massive technique on the level of “Rosso & Blu”…
But he can’t do that in the current situation, can he, Szilard-san?
The reason you were able to unleash it at the outset was because you had enough time to charge it up.
But it’s different now.
As your excitement wildly closes in, and I suppress it with suppressing fire to stop it, there’s no time to prepare for the next shot.
Furthermore, even if you were able to prepare for the next shot, my interference would come into play this time—right?
How about this position?
A position where, while avoiding interfering with kanatan’s attacks, if there’s any unusual reaction in your spiritual power, I can immediately catch up with “Leg Strength Enhancement.”
The shield that completely blocked the finishing move earlier is poised at an exquisite distance, waiting.
To tell the truth, he’s a huge obstacle.
Against the backdrop of these background players’ machinations,
the contest between Szilard and Haruka continues.
Step by step, their distance narrows.
The collision between the storm of flames and the whirlwind of blades accelerates rapidly.
“Here I come!”
“Very well, come!”
Finally, the battle between the two transitions to close combat.
◆
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
Surprisingly, it was Szilard who made the first move.
Summoning ice dual blades from both hands and releasing pillars of fire from the special leggings on both legs,
he flies through the air as the master of “Burning Ice Swords,” applying pressure to Haruka’s flank. His response to Haruka’s formation, which puts pressure on the lateral area, is a jet-assisted high-speed three-dimensional trajectory that commands respect.
Can you believe it? That guy charging headfirst into the whirlwind of blades single-handedly, is he really a rear guard?
“If you have such a convenient ability, you should have used it to escape earlier.”
“Don’t be foolish. It would be the epitome of foolishness for talented young people like yourselves to take a step back! As a veteran, what I should demonstrate to you is not a prudent retreat, but a courageous advance! There’s life even in death! So, formidable opponent! Let’s dance to our heart’s content!”
“I see, I see. In that case… bring it on, Mister!”
The overhead double ice swords and the upward slash from the ground collide.
In an instant, the area around the two becomes a battlefield.
Flying heat rays, raging slash waves.
As they rapidly exchange their respective hands while simultaneously engaging in flashy swordplay, the monsters clash.
Haruka, matching the masters of the Five Great Clans, and Szilard, attacking with the violence of natural talent and the deadly compatibility of a natural enemy, establish a close-range battle in which they are evenly matched.
No, isn’t this dangerous?
However reserved one may be in their assessment, this is a match that will go down in history.
Wow, both of you are amazing. You’re so amazing that there’s absolutely no role for me to play!
Yes, before the fierce battle between the two, there was not a single gap for the mid-boss of the tutorial to intervene.
Their battle styles, positions, and standings — the one-on-one duel between the two, with completely different battle styles, positions, and standings — has become a ferocious battle where hundreds of spells and thousands of martial arts fly around.
Slashing, dodging, flying, shooting, running, colliding, defending, deceiving, approaching, manipulating.
As they continue to fight, exchanging countless combat commands every second, the trend of the two remains in complete deadlock for a while.
As for sword fighting, Haruka clearly has the upper hand.
Although Szilard is fighting bravely, his pure swordsmanship skills are no match for those of the Aonos.
However, Szilard compensates for this with his sheer number of moves and his adventurer experience.
He fires a strafing of heat rays before a gap can be created, even if he’s pushed back a bit.
He always maintains the upper hand with his jet-assisted three-dimensional trajectory.
He sets up a high-density barrage in blind spots and doesn’t even let the enemy get close in the first place.
—Many tricks and maneuvers are used to crush the stellar system’s advantage and cover Szilard’s disadvantaged position.
It’s truly the battle prowess of a seasoned warrior.
Even a match against an opponent whose martial arts skills are superior to those of the Master of the Five Great Clans seems like second nature to Szilard.
“Nice, Szilard. This is so exciting!”
“I’m honored to receive such praise, milady!”
As they exchange words, the two heroes exchange dozens of times more attacks and defenses.
Talent and compatibility vs. experience and hand.
Which side is stronger, and which one is more important?
The answer to that has not been clear in the past, and it likely won’t be clear in the future.
However, the decisive showdown between the two who embody those qualities will eventually be settled clearly after a long period.
“Haaa!”
Along with the pleasant sound of a slash, Szilard-san’s right arm dances in the virtual space.
After a series of long exchanges, Haruka seizes the momentary opening created by a combination of multiple feints and a composite secret technique combined with a seven-hit combo.
Szilard-san’s right arm scatters in a splash of fresh blood.
Immediately, it transforms into a bomb and bares its fangs towards Haruka, but Haruka, with minimal movements, avoids it and launches a counterattack against the one-armed Szilard-san.
The winning factor was Haruka’s high adaptability.
In the countless exchanges with Szilard-san, she analyzed his patterns of movement and, based on that, spontaneously developed a counter martial art specifically tailored for James-Szilard.
During the battle, she learned every detail of his reactions
—whether to use this angle for a slash, prioritize evasion when using this technique, choose a parry with this sword path. Learning all these minute responses and eventually developing a metatactic strategy capable of handling a master like Szilard-san on the spot is nothing short of a stellar talent, and there’s no vocabulary beyond “amazing” to describe her talent.
Her talent and even the speed of her growth are inhuman. It’s like she’s a character with game-breaking bugs.
“Hehe, hahaha! I never expected that I, facing a rookie in a one-on-one duel, would fall behind! Bravo, bravo! The future of the sakura town is bright!”
The situation looks bleak, and Szilard-san laughs satisfactorily in a circumstance where the guillotine blade is right in front of his eyes.
Is he willingly admitting defeat and gracefully accepting his end?
“But—-winning the game is my privilege!”
In an instant, Szilard-san releases all the heat rays he can muster towards Haruka and withdraws from the battlefield.
With full-throttle jet propulsion, he escapes to the rear, leaving behind the figure of one of the leaders of the Five Great Clans.
In response to Haruka’s straightforward comment, “He ran away,”
she couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Yes, that’s right. That’s what James-Szilard is, a man who can choose “He ran away” in that situation.
Despite being a shooter, he boldly challenged close-quarters combat. Yet, when the situation turned unfavorable, he didn’t hesitate to admit defeat and choose escape.
So, as he declared earlier, even if he loses in a match, he can immaturely go on to win the game.
“Hey, Kyō-san. Isn’t this a bit bad?”
Haruka, sweating profusely on her forehead, points to the virtual ground that has become completely cold.
The frozen ground, enhanced by spiritual power, is so cold that it even erodes the strengthened bodies.
Since when did this place become set to such a strange temperature? Of course, it happened when Shilard-san ran away.
The sky is scorching, and the ground is icy.
It’s one of James Shilard’s large-scale techniques, a defense-avoidance unavoidable mass attack that fills the space itself with annihilation energy.
The name is [Calmi Cuori Appassionati], translated as “Between Calmness and Passion.”
This technique, on the level of [Rosso & Blu], fills the entire space with energy of annihilation, making it an all-encompassing attack.
The threat of this technique lies in its indiscriminate nature, even affecting the user himself.
After all, it’s not about coordinates but about filling the space with annihilation energy. The opponent will die, and even Szilard, with his high heat-resistant abilities, won’t get off unscathed.
Plus, he’s already lost his right arm and a significant amount of spiritual power in his duel with Haruka, so the damage risk is even higher.
But, the rewards when it works out well are immeasurable.
By filling the virtual space field with “Calmi Cuori Appassionati” and destroying it with annihilation energy, Haruka would be forced to retire.
Even with “Fourth-Dimensional Defense,” there’s no way to defend against annihilation energy when the space itself has been converted, so it’s straight to the afterlife without a chance to argue.
As for me the remaining small fry, it’s not even worth discussing.
Just apply special attacks futilely and then roast them with a simultaneous barrage of heat magic—it’s game over.
With Szilard, even if his limbs were torn off, he could aim for an easy win.
Unavoidable, undefendable, and on top of that, the opponent was stalling for time with immature jet propulsion.
Despite blocking the finishing move and winning the one-on-one duel, it was a dire situation.
It’s not funny. It’s not laughable, and it’s unforgivable.
Haruka’s glory won’t be tainted by anyone.
That’s why I—
“Haruka, try to catch up as soon as possible.”
With only those words left behind, I rush onto the battlefield.
The spells I’m casting are a double layer of “Leg Strength Enhancement” and “Time Acceleration.”
“Time Acceleration” is the first unique skill I ever learned. Its effect is to speed up the flow of time.
In game terms, it’s like adding an extra turn of action, but in reality, it’s more like being able to move in a world that’s “tens of times faster than everyone else.” That’s the most accurate explanation.
At my current level, I can move at roughly sixty times the speed of an average person.
Sixty times faster, which means that what feels like one second for others is actually a minute for me.
Combine that with “Enhanced Leg Strength,” and I’m practically unstoppable.
I become the fastest being on this battlefield,
dashing through a world where everything seems to be in slow motion.
But there’s no time to revel in my unrivaled speed.
Every moment is critical. I can’t afford to waste even a sixtieth of a second.
I must work tirelessly, seizing every opportunity.
In the current situation, where every moment counts, I can’t afford to be sluggish. If I dawdle, it’s all over.
◆
Despite running at a fraudulent sixty times acceleration, two seconds of real time have passed.
I receive a welcome heat ray from Szilard, whom I’ve finally reunited with, but I easily dodge it.
It’s impressive that he can release so many heat rays in an instant, even while setting up a major technique. But for me, it’s as slow as a yawn.
Unlike you, who have been consuming spiritual energy relentlessly since the beginning, I’ve had plenty of rest.
I can continue this top-speed mode with ease.
As I circle around Szilard, I begin to prepare my finishing move.
The skull ring on my right thumb.
Finally, it’s time to use you, you bastard.
I unleash the spiritual energy contained in the ring and announce the name of my divine revelation, the shadow of the Death God.
“Do it, .”
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he’s a interesting character i guess lol