Copy Skills with Affinity!

Chapter 14

Bestowal

"-Aha."

While everyone around fell silent at the sight of a person who had suddenly dropped down from the sky, Katya brushed her hair back and looked at Noel.

"The person you said you'd introduce me to—is it her?"

As she said that, Katya's eyes gleamed with interest.

To begin with, why had this woman become infamous under the nickname "Deathwish"?

It was because she showed interest in anyone who might be able to kill her.

"……."

And while Katya spoke those words, I slowly inched closer to Noel.

I had an almost certain intuition about the "situation" that was about to unfold.

Inside the game, there was an unspoken principle that major characters should avoid running into each other whenever possible. It was something that had to be respected.

After all, each of them had such strong personalities that, when put together, conflict was almost inevitable.

But if someone were to ask who were the absolute worst combination among them, it would undoubtedly be these two.

Lionhearted and Deathwish.

The reason was simple. In terms of "personality," their compatibility was the worst imaginable.

It was like watching a model student meet a lunatic. Neither of them could ever understand the other’s motives.

"If it's someone like Lionhearted, it might be worth looking forward to."

At that, Noel tilted her head and replied.

"-Look forward to what, exactly?"

"Would you like to try killing me?"

"……."

Noel turned to look at Katya with a blank expression, then glanced at my resigned face and slightly furrowed her brow.

Fortunately, she seemed to have figured out exactly what the "hazard" was in this situation where I had called her over because it was dangerous.

After all, within the information she knew, there was only one person who could spout such insane words so casually.

"……Are you Katya Heinkel Craven, Your Highness?"

"Yes, yes."

"I don’t recall hearing you would be visiting the Empire."

"Mm."

"I’ll hear the details at the Imperial Capital Command. You can also go through formal entry procedures there—"

"That’s enough of the lip service."

With a crackling sound, Katya flexed the joints in her hands.

Seeing her shrug off the coat she always wore and carelessly toss it to the ground—

Anyone could see she was making thorough preparations.

"Are you really not going to fight?"

"……."

Noel’s mouth shut tight like a clam.

She clearly felt dizzy from the overbearing intent pressing down without any preamble.

"If I’m going to die, I have to lay everything bare before I do. Without a fight, the premise doesn’t even hold."

But—

The moment she heard Katya spit those words out, Noel’s eyes sank heavily.

"-There are civilians nearby. Let’s stop this absurd demand."

Leaving aside the diplomatic and political problems that would arise if these two clashed—

This was a collision between one of the Holy Crown Kingdom’s most notorious monsters and the strongest living knight.

There was no way the aftermath of this fight wouldn’t cause devastation. Everyone nearby was bound to be caught up in it.

But the moment she heard that, Katya let out a derisive snort.

"So what?"

"……."

"Why bother caring about people who don’t even matter?"

On Noel’s face, fury she could no longer conceal began to surface.

This was a standoff between someone who didn’t care about anything as long as she could get what she wanted, and someone who had devoted her entire life to morality and justice. Of course there was no way their conversation could go anywhere.

It was clear enough just from the words Katya sighed out, sounding completely bored.

"Fine, then let’s do this. If you refuse to fight me, I’ll start by walking around here killing everything I see."

"……."

"After that, I’ll kill your husband right in front of you. Surely that’s enough reason for you to—"

From Noel’s body, a fierce surge of pure white Qi erupted.

For the first time since I’d met her, she showed a fighting stance brimming with murderous intent.

"—Fine."

And of course, as soon as she saw that, the lunatic let out a satisfied smile.

"That’s more like it."

With those words—

Flames bright enough to light up the night sky surged up around Katya’s body.

And then—

The two supernatural forces collided, unleashing a blinding explosion that burst forth like the dawn sun.

▣

I knew this would happen.

That was the thought floating through my mind as I hovered a few meters above the ground, as if gravity itself had ceased to exist.

Sure enough, just as I’d expected, the moment the two of them clashed, the shockwave alone swept up everything around us, sending debris scattering in all directions.

Before long, I crashed straight into the stone pavement and tumbled violently across the ground. Even as searing pain wrapped around my entire body, my mind was spinning at full speed.

♠ Main Quest

◈ Act I,

* There is a group smuggling weapons into the Imperial Capital. Apprehend them all.

* Clear Condition: Do not allow any civilian casualties.

* If you fail this quest, you will die!

The task of "resolving" the problem that had just dropped onto this place fell entirely to me.

This was supposed to be something the Protagonist should have done.

"This is the worst."

The very thing I’d wanted so desperately to avoid was now right in front of me: being dragged into the main scenario up to my neck.

I wanted to run away even now. To let go of all this and flee far, far away where none of it could ever reach me.

But if I didn’t take some action—

In all likelihood—

Everyone nearby would end up dead.

Even Noel, who had come here because I "called her," would be in danger.

And soon, I would die.

"……."

To stop that from happening, I would have to somehow subdue Katya Heinkel Craven over there.

And the very first thing I had to do—

"—Hup!"

Aiden sprang to his feet and looked around at the people nearby, who were sprawled across the ground just like he had been.

Every last one of them wore the same stupefied expression. That was only natural—anyone would be dumbstruck after witnessing a clash between the two most powerful superhumans alive.

In the midst of it, what he was searching for was easy to spot.

"Hey."

Aiden hurried over and spoke to a rough-looking man clutching a box to his chest with a dazed face.

"Give me that."

The man was hugging it like some kind of family heirloom—what he held was a Hellfire Bomb.

An ultra-high-output weapon that had even caught Katya’s attention for a moment.

"Wh-why the hell should I listen to—"

The man was trying to speak in a threatening tone, desperate to maintain some semblance of menace, but Aiden cut him off with a bright smile.

"Don’t you see that?"

Aiden pointed to Katya, who was charging barehanded at Noel, who had drawn her sword.

Flames lashed out like tongues, colliding with the swirling Qi.

"Trust me. If you don’t help that knight over there right this second, we’re all dead."

"What are you—"

"The knight can’t go all out right now. Because she’s worried about us getting caught in it."

Of course, if you were comparing pure combat power, Katya and Noel were probably on equal footing. But anyone could see that the one with shackles on her strength was Noel.

While Katya wouldn’t spare a fingernail’s worth of concern for collateral damage, Noel had to fight while watching out for the civilians and Aiden.

And Katya wasn’t so much of a fool that she couldn’t tell.

Naturally, in that situation, the next move she would make was obvious.

"And that lunatic over there? She’s exactly the kind of person who’ll kill all of us without batting an eye, just because she thinks we’re in the way."

"……."

"If you don’t believe me, you can just sit here sucking your thumb until we all die together. Want to try it?"

"You’re being strangely patient, Lionhearted!"

The instant he finished the sentence, Katya’s shrill, deranged laughter erupted from behind them, like it might tear their eardrums apart.

"Is it because there are obstacles around you? Should I clear them out for you?"

"……First of all."

Noel answered in a flat, cold monotone, her expression unchanging.

"Before I put you on trial, Your Highness, you need to learn how to behave like a human being."

The longsword wrapped in pure white Qi collided with the power of The First Vow.

Again, a violent explosion burst out in all directions, lighting up the night sky.

On Aiden’s side, everyone tumbled across the ground screaming, just like before.

Even from a good distance away from where the killing blows were being traded, people were flailing through the air like scraps of paper—it was almost absurd to watch.

"Did you see that?"

"……."

Still sprawled on the ground, his face covered in dirt, Aiden said those words. The man, as if hypnotized, held the box out to him.

Aiden took the box and sprang to his feet once more, his mind’s abacus clicking faster than ever.

This was all he needed for preparation. The rest was just the tools to handle it.

At this moment, there were three things he required.

-System Message

▶ Copying ‘Qi Manipulation: Defensive Barrier.’

▶ Copying ‘Holy Enhancement: Vow.’

▶ Copying ‘Mana Arts Enhancement: Incantation.’

These were the abilities he’d acquired by using the skill copy tokens allocated to Noel, Katya, and Dunadan, respectively.

And finally—

"……."

A nauseating bitterness rose in his throat, and Aiden clenched his teeth so hard that his gums nearly burst into bleeding.

What he was about to do now was a path of no return. A one-way ticket straight to hell.

There would be no going back—until the main scenario was "over."

Even so—

If he didn’t do it, he would die.

And if he died, there were people who would mourn him.

For an instant, the faces of his family flashed before his eyes.

"Father. Sisela."

No—

He couldn’t die here.

Better to fall into hell once than to ever see those two crying.

"It looks like…I’ll be coming home a little late."

Aiden took a deep breath and felt for the revolver tucked in his coat.

The sensation against his palm was so cold, it was terrifying.

▣

Even a veteran knight who had survived the historic event known as the Alliance War—who had seen every conceivable vision of hell—

Even she could only find one word to describe the opponent before her.

Absurd.

"Ha—!"

Katya charged her, her entire body wreathed in Holy Flame. So fast it felt like there was no motion between start and finish, only the result appearing in an instant.

That speed was overwhelming, but what made her vision swim was the sheer pressure of divinity radiating from Katya’s entire form.

Just watching it, the density of the flame pouring out in streams all around was so bright it confused the eye.

"Law. I make my vow."

Quietly, she offered her consecration beneath her breath.

Even with her overwhelming reserves of Qi, simple technique alone would never be enough to withstand this foe. She needed reinforcement.

"To protect the innocent."

Qi, far stronger than before, infused the regulation longsword.

Then, she swung her blade several times into empty air.

At first glance, it seemed utterly pointless to slash when Katya wasn’t even in striking distance.

But in the next moment, Katya’s body, which had been charging from far away, was suddenly sliced to pieces.

Slashes sent to "cross space itself." If you could manipulate the Qi in your blade with transcendent precision, you could pull off even such impossible feats with ease.

It was a technique made possible only because Qi, unlike other supernatural abilities, possessed an overwhelming advantage in sheer output.

But—

"—…!"

Noel clenched her teeth and twisted her body away.

Katya, her form now a mass of flame, swept past the space Noel had just occupied. Had she been even a fraction slower, she would have been caught and struck.

"That was good! I’ve never seen anything like that before!"

Katya’s appearance as she spoke was horrifying to the point of being grotesque.

Her ribs were shattered and broken in jagged stumps, her muscles torn and ragged where they’d been sliced through.

This woman had just "died" yet again.

And still, there wasn’t even the slightest sign of the smile fading from the princess’s face.

This was exactly the reason anyone who faced her could only call her absurd.

She didn’t even bother trying to dodge. She let every attack hit her square on, racking up countless fatal injuries—

And yet she never grew tired. Not a single drop of blood fell.

"But, you know—"

No—she surpassed even that.

"I still can’t—feel anything—"

It sounded almost like a sobbing scream.

The way her shrieking voice mixed with her crazed laughter made it sound as though she were smiling and crying all at once.

"I can’t feel anything at all—!"

As Katya hurled herself forward yet again, Noel let out a weary sigh and raised her sword.

‘At this rate—’

She wouldn’t be able to subdue her.

No—she herself might be the one defeated.

"……."

Noel flicked her gaze to the side.

There were still countless measures she hadn’t brought out yet.

But the problem was the safety of everyone around them.

If she truly fought with all she had, it wouldn’t be strange in the slightest if casualties resulted.

It was around then that Noel noticed "something strange."

‘…Aiden?’

She saw Aiden lugging the box in his arms, straining as he moved it inch by inch.

When their eyes briefly met while he was struggling, Aiden began frantically waving his hands in all directions.

She couldn’t be certain, but it looked as if he was telling her to "lure Katya over here."

"……."

He was definitely plotting something.

Noel gave a faint nod and threw herself in that direction.

Just as she herself had said, her opponent seemed determined to "expend" her overflowing power through endless combat. She did nothing but charge straight ahead again and again. Leading her toward a specific spot wasn’t difficult.

Like a matador, Noel slipped aside as Katya lunged again, guiding her precisely where Aiden had indicated.

And the moment she did, a deafening roar, like the sky itself was shattering, erupted as the bomb Aiden had prepared detonated.

The Hellfire Bomb was a weapon designed to bring down entire skyscrapers. Under normal circumstances, the entire district should have been obliterated.

But from the heart of the blast, a small "dome" formed in an instant.

It was similar in shape to the one Noel had created before using her pure white Qi. This time, however, it served to isolate the explosion and Katya alone inside.

‘That’s incredible.’

Noel wiped the sweat from her brow, quietly marveling to herself.

Using a defensive barrier like this was something that had never even occurred to her.

And while that application alone was surprising, what amazed her more was the durability of the dome that had withstood that explosion.

Even with the purest Qi, containing such an immense blast in such a confined space was something she herself could only do under certain conditions.

To manage it in such a short time, and without even layering consecration over it—

It had to be because the supernatural power composing the dome was of a kind unfamiliar even to her.

She had seen it once before—a blend of Qi and Holy Flame.

‘—Its output is like Qi, but its firepower resembles the Holy Flame—’

A power that seemed to have taken only the strengths from both abilities.

Because of that, while its manipulation was identical to her own Qi, its performance was practically a superior version.

"—It was a good try!"

But there was no time to ponder it too deeply.

Even as her entire body was torn by supersonic shrapnel and her flesh was set ablaze, even though she must have "died" dozens of times in there—

Katya still glared out with that same baleful light in her eyes, tearing the defensive barrier apart with her bare hands.

"Did you really think something like this would be enough to finish—"

"I never expected it to."

Aiden’s calm voice cut her sentence off.

"That was only to ‘strip it away.’ I had to weaken you at least a little if I was going to pull the trigger."

At some point, he had stepped right up to her with the revolver in hand.

The Holy Flame that filled Katya’s body functioned as both sword and shield in its own right.

It was generated in the source of all supernatural power—the "heart."

That was exactly where Aiden was aiming.

The Hellfire Bomb was meant to briefly weaken the Holy Flame that guarded her heart like an iron wall.

And perhaps regenerating her body dozens of times in a row rather than merely once or twice had taxed even her. The flames coiling around her were visibly diminished.

"—You know."

Katya fixed her eyes on Aiden, her voice sounding honestly incredulous.

"After setting up everything so perfectly, how do you end it all by pulling out a toy like that?"

Of course.

Even after taking a direct hit from the Hellfire Bomb, she’d survived without a scratch. No matter who tried it, no small bullet could possibly inflict any meaningful damage on Katya.

Compared to that overwhelming blast just moments ago, Aiden standing there with a simple sidearm seemed downright pitiful.

But—

"Who knows."

Aiden let out a sigh and pulled back the hammer of the revolver.

"I feel like this will be enough."

At that sight, Noel felt a strange sense of déjà vu and furrowed her brow.

She’d only seen it twice before, but the impression had been burned so vividly into her mind that it was easy to define what it meant.

This was the feeling she always had right before something absurd happened around Aiden.

"Law. I make my vow."

The first consecration sank into the trigger.

Pure white Qi followed his will, flowing along his finger and sinking into the revolver’s parts.

"This unworthy soul prays."

The second vow was embedded in the barrel.

It was a skill he’d copied from Katya—a proper prayer of Vow he himself had never learned.

The flame that rose from his body coiled around the barrel like a serpent.

And finally—

"Orb, lotus, grant your radiance."

The third incantation was bound to the bullet.

It was Mana Arts he’d learned not long ago.

The final condition necessary for imbuing supernatural power into a weapon.

Of course, he still couldn’t apply a Geas, so it was only a half-finished effort.

‘This is such utter shit.’

Because of that, he was about to do something truly reckless.

The more difficult a Geas’s "purpose" was to achieve, the stronger the Mana Arts would become.

The Qi’s purity, the Holy Flame’s heat, and the Geas’s "difficulty"—those factors together determined the minimum output of each supernatural power.

Certainly, the pure white Qi he wielded was powerful. The First Vow was an ability beyond reason.

But even with those alone, it was nowhere near enough to pierce the inexhaustible source of power that monster used to corner Noel.

Unless, by some miracle, he could acquire an ability "comparable" to those two he’d copied.

Of course, that was absurd.

Compared to the "unique" skills scraped from the main scenario’s protagonists, the Mana Arts he possessed were just a nondescript ability with no special qualities.

But.

He knew one way to make it special.

※ With the Omnipotence skill adjustment, proficiency rapidly increases. An alien trait is granted.

※ Only a "unique" Geas can be specified. No other method of use is possible. However, if that condition is met, the skill will transform.

If there was one "unique" Geas that no one else possessed—one came to mind.

"In this way, I shall—"

For that reason—

The vow he was about to dedicate to the God of Ascension in this moment—

There was only one.

The one and only vow in the world.

One that, in the "original work," only a single person ever offered to Urgan.

"—Save the world."

The Protagonist’s burden.

The one who was not here.

!! System Message !!

[ ‘Universal Ability: Mana Arts’ has transformed into ‘The Savior’s Vow’! ]

[ ‘Imbuing Supernatural Power’ successful. Weapon power greatly increased! ]

Following that message—

Power settled into the bullet.

The energy that had surged through the entire revolver merged into a single force. The moment it crystallized, Aiden pulled the trigger.

-…

-…

-----!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"—You insane bastard!"

Even Noel involuntarily cursed aloud at the sheer, horrific shockwave.

A force so tremendous it was impossible to believe it had erupted from a mere revolver streaked through the air like a meteor—

And shattered Katya’s body into countless fragments.

For the first time, her blood—which had never once spilled in a single drop—splattered in every direction.