Chapter 32 The Girl's Fight Continues
What is called a "spell" in the West is, in the Eastern countries, known as the technique of kotodama—the power of words.
The essence of this secret art is to allow the practitioner to manipulate magical energy according to their own will.
"I grant my mission to the lion of steel—tear it apart, pierce it, crush it with your fangs! Defeat it, annihilate it, claim victory! I entrust the battlefield to you!"
The girl gently touched, then lightly kissed the cold, gleaming metal of the sword's blade.
As a silver light shimmered on the sword—not from the material itself, nor from the sunlight—she threw it toward the ground in front of Hikigaya.
"What are you trying to do now..." Hikigaya looked helplessly at Erica and the sword planted in the ground before him.
This girl really has way too many tricks up her sleeve.
What's the point? Isn't it obvious? There's no way she could beat him.
As he was thinking this, the sword standing before him began to change.
First, the blade started to swell and deform. The demonic steel gleaming silver began to morph into the shape of a lion, and continued growing larger and larger.
But it wasn't turning into some kind of statue. The lion of steel let out a low growl like that of a real beast. Its every movement was indistinguishable from a living lion.
Except a real lion, even if it raised its head high, wouldn't be nearly two stories tall.
From the outside, with such a massive body and the sheer weight difference, it seemed Hikigaya didn't stand a chance.
Then, the giant iron lion raised its right paw and, with astonishing speed, swiped down toward Hikigaya's head.
This kind of blow could reduce a normal human to pulp. Not only would the bones be shattered, but the flesh and dirt would be so mixed together it would be hard to tell them apart.
But this strike was blocked by Hikigaya.
With an incredibly calm demeanor, Hikigaya caught the steel lion's paw with one hand. Then, with a bit of strength, he pushed it back.
The entire right foreleg of the iron lion was severely damaged in the process. The invading force caused it to swell a full size larger. Cracks ran all over its surface—it looked completely shattered.
But it immediately sprang back into action at lightning speed, attacking again—either trying to bite, or swinging its sharp claws to tear Hikigaya apart. When neither worked, it tried to slam and crush him with its steel-forged body.
Each attempt ended with Hikigaya casually swatting it away or kicking it so hard that it rolled off.
And Erica Blandelli was stunned watching this.
The Steel Lion—this magical sword—was something she had received years ago from Saint Raphael, then regarded as the strongest swordsman in Europe. It was one of the twin swords known as "The Lion and the Artisan." Though she never said it aloud, this sword held great significance to her—not just because it was a famous magical sword of Europe, but because it symbolized her own coming-of-age. She hadn't received it because of her uncle, nor the Blandelli name, but purely because she herself was recognized by someone as strong as Saint Raphael.
The other sword had been given to Liliana Kranjcar by Saint Raphael. The two girls, from different organizations, were both considered genius magicians of the Italian magic world. They were fierce rivals, but also childhood friends.
Originally, she believed that aside from someone like the Sword King, she and Liliana represented the peak of their generation's power. But the scene now unfolding before Erica left her dumbfounded.
An unknown young warrior was easily picking up the massive steel lion's body and throwing it away, tearing off its limbs without effort. Every kick he landed left deep dents in its metallic body.
Was this really a human? Could it be, as her uncle once said, that someone who focused solely on martial arts could walk farther down this path than those who practiced both magic and martial arts?
Isn't martial arts just about combat techniques?
"All right."
Compared to the stunned Erica, Hikigaya seemed completely refreshed. After venting himself thoroughly, he turned to Erica and said:
"Destroying ancient artifacts is not a good habit, Miss Blandelli. I think you need to learn to restrain your fondness for pulling out blades and guns. If you keep being so violent, you might never find a boyfriend."
Though, really, that's unlikely. With that appearance and aura, if a guy could get in bed with her, there'd probably be a long line of men willing to put up with her bad temper.
"Are you really human?" Instead of responding to Hikigaya's scolding, Erica asked.
"Just because you can't beat me doesn't mean you need to resort to insults…" Hikigaya replied. "Calm down. There are plenty of people who can't beat me. You're not alone."
"No, I don't think that's the issue." Erica looked at the scattered remains of the steel lion, her eyes regaining their sharpness. Then she chanted:
"Heart of the Lion King… you are the undying steel! Appear once again in my hand!"
She reached out toward the silver wreckage all over the ground.
The fragments, once shaped like a lion, began to shrink, then rose into the air, reassembling themselves from their shattered parts, and transformed once again.
From a lion's form, it returned to that of a sword and flew back into Erica's hand.
"I absolutely won't let anyone walk away from a duel of blades. So I'll continue to challenge you," she said, then snapped her fingers.
A spear about two meters long, made of the same material as the Heart of the Lion King, stabbed into the ground by Hikigaya's feet.
"Being defeated so easily feels humiliating. I no longer doubt your ability to summon a god. In that case, even if I die in battle, I will hold you here."
"You're seriously overthinking this," Hikigaya said. "If I were really that skilled, do you think I'd still be here humoring your nonsense? By the way, are you sure you don't have a masochistic streak or something? You seem awfully eager to get beaten up."
At the end, he looked genuinely curious.
"You really have no manners." Erica's face turned red, unsure if it was from embarrassment or anger. "Pick up your weapon. I can't bring myself to bully someone unarmed."
"You've got some nerve saying that," Hikigaya muttered. He had just picked up the spear by his feet, and upon hearing that, nearly dropped it again.
It was a genuine iron spear. Even an adult man would struggle to lift it. No wonder she was the original story's main heroine, famously known for her brute strength.
To be able to wield such a heavy spear so easily—pure monster strength. If he weren't a god-slayer, there'd be no way he could beat her.
But hey, he was a god-slayer…
The world's never been fair, right?
And for Hikigaya now, even if this spear weighed several times more, it probably wouldn't be a problem.
Though he practiced an unarmed martial art, that didn't mean he couldn't use weapons. Due to its nature, Pencak Silat emphasized using weapons to increase lethality.
He lifted the spear and gave it a light swing—the wind kicked up from the ground instantly.