Akashic Records of the Bastard Child Engaged to a Goddess



Holy Sword Tournament Arc II

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(POV: Akashic Records)

In the once-majestic coliseum, Lumiere lay motionless, his battered form oozing scarlet blood. The wounds on his mangled right side had begun to congeal, evidence of the savagery he had endured. His once-vibrant amethyst eyes, now devoid of light, stared up into the clouded sky, betraying a shattered spirit.

As the lingering haze of unconsciousness lifted, Isadora's crimson eyes fluttered open. Disoriented and disheartened, she tried to push herself up, her gaze immediately falling upon the elderly figure of Gallus.

The old man, undeterred, remained in deep meditation, his serenity a stark contrast to the turmoil that consumed the remnants of the coliseum.

When Isadora attempted to rise from her prone position, the weight of her desperate concern for Lumiere bearing down upon her, Gallus calmly raised a hand, halting her in her tracks.

"He is no more," Gallus intoned solemnly. "It is best you forget about him."

Isadora's frustration ignited like a roaring inferno within her. Fueled by her anger, she turned sharply towards Gallus, her tightly clenched fist crackling with an inky darkness that enveloped her palm.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!"

「Black Bullet」 (Rank C)

Swiftly, Isadora unleashed the sphere of darkness, hurtling it towards Gallus. However, the old man, still in his meditative state with eyes closed, calmly extended his palm. In a burst of supernatural energy, Gallus conjured a protective barrier, absorbing the brunt of Isadora's assault.

The barrier shattered.

Gallus rose to his feet, unfazed.

"There is no use in resisting. You will return with us to King Vyndariel."

"Oh...? Is that so?"

A mischievous smile crept across Isadora's lips, her amusement transforming into a soul-piercing laughter that reverberated through the ruins.

It was a laughter steeped in madness, unsettling and unhinged.

Using 『Relative Barrier』, Isadora conjured a translucent barrier, spanning 10m in radius, enveloping herself and Gallus within it.

The shimmering energy field hummed with power.

Gallus, intrigued and slightly taken aback, studied Isadora with a raised eyebrow, his hunched-back frame lending an air of ancient wisdom to his presence.

"I see," he mused, his voice laced with curiosity. "You possess the same ability as Lady Lirien, do you not?"

Isadora smiled mischievously as she shook her head lightly.

"Not quite."

Before Gallus could fully comprehend her words, Isadora's gaze flicked to a colossal boulder a few meters away from her. Generating a surge of power, she invoked her command, causing the massive stone to vanish instantly from its resting place and reappear, with a resounding thud, directly above Gallus.

Surprise widened the old man's eyes, but he wasted no time, reacting instinctively.

With a swift motion, Gallus extended a hand, his fingers held like a razor-sharp blade. In an impressive display of strength, he struck the hurtling boulder with precise force, effortlessly cleaving it in half. Dust and debris rained down around him, his expression unwavering.

"Interesting..."

「Black Bullet: Round Fire」 (Rank B)

Quickly, she summoned twelve converging spheres of darkness, each pulsating with a lethal energy. With a flick of her wrist, she sent the spheres hurtling towards Gallus with calculated precision.

However, Gallus, guided by his years of training and physical prowess, deftly weaved through the dark projectiles, his movements fluid and elegant. With an almost supernatural agility, he closed the distance between them in an instant, aiming to strike Isadora.

"( Hmph. He fell for it... )" (Isadora)

Using spatial manipulation, she exchanged positions with the converging spheres she had sent earlier, the spheres now hurtling towards Gallus.

In a split second, Gallus's eyes widened in shock as he found himself surrounded by all twelve spheres, unable to evade at point-blank range.

CRASH!!

BOOM!!

Isadora's emerald eyes widened in disbelief.

She was certain the her attack hit, and yet there he was.

Gallus stood, completely unharmed, his robes tattered and torn, revealing a body sculpted from enchanted metal. Muscles rippled beneath the shards of fabric.

"I suppose it's time I reintroduce myself," he said, his words laced with an imposing aura. "I am Gallus, the Fourth Seat of the Ten Battle Gods."

Isadora took a step back, shock plain on her face.

Gallus observed her reaction with a knowing gleam in his eyes.

"You have an interesting Unique Skill. One quite similar to Lady Lirien's... instead it controlls space instead of time within a fixed point." (Gallus)

Isadora swallowed hard, her mind racing to find a way to turn the tides of this battle.

Gallus then gestured to his body.

"Allow me to introduce you to <<Grand Body Armor>>, my sacred treasure," he declared proudly. "With this, I am impervious to even the strongest magical and physical attacks."

Though fear gripped her heart, Isadora fought to maintain her composure. With a deep breath, she stretched out her trembling hands, the air crackling with tension.

"Is it wise to reveal your abilities to me?" she challenged.

Gallus bowed his head, an air of indifference surrounding him.

"It matters not," he replied, his voice dripping with confidence. "You have no chance of harming me."

Isadora's lips curled into a sly smile. "Let's test that theory," she said.

「Lightning Breath!」 (Rank A)

As if in response to her challenge, the skies above darkened, an omen of the storm that was about to be unleashed. Isadora lifted her hand, and in an instant, a bolt of lightning descended from the skies and crashed upon Gallus.

KA-BOOOM!!

Gallus let out a weary sigh, wisps of smoke trailing from his body as the lightning dissipated around him.

"There is no hope for you to best me," he spoke calmly.

"( There's not even a scratch... that was a Rank A spell... )" (Isadora)

Isadora's lips curved into a mischievous smirk.

"Oh? You're getting a little too cocky," she retorted, her crimson eyes gleaming with defiance.

"There's no need for me to boast over something so trivial," he shook his head lightly.

"I'll show you trivial!" (Isadora)

She conjured three high-speed pulsating spheres of energy, each crackling with power.

Gallus stood strong, unflinching as the spheres collided with him.

"Futile.."

But then, a deafening roar reverberated through the area as a torrential downpour of lightning rained down upon him.

Isadora's eyes widened in anticipation, but to her dismay, Gallus emerged from the storm unscathed.

He dusted off his robes with a nonchalant air, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Is that all you've got?" he asked, a hint of boredom in his voice. "I must say, it's getting rather pitiful."

Isadora's frustration mounted, but she took a deep breath, calibrating her focus. "Shut your mouth... I wasn't done yet!"

With a graceful wave of her hand, a barrage of menacing dark spheres surged toward Gallus. They collided with an explosive force, yet once again, he emerged without a scratch. He sighed deeply, a glint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.

"How disappointing," he murmured. "It appears the only thing you've managed to damage so far is the ground beneath me."

Isadora's patience wavered, a flicker of aggravation crossing her features.

"Still, you do have quite an impressive mana pool," Gallus commented.

Isadora maintained her composure, speaking in a calm, measured tone.

"Being a battle god, I'm sure yours is just as high..." (Isadora)

Gallus cracked his knuckles.

"Lady Lirien failed to mention that I may have to break a few bones to keep you in place. But don't worry, I'll make sure to do it gently."

BOOM!

Gallus dashed explosively towards Isadora.

Her red eyes flashed as she deftly sidestepped Gallus's lightning-fast dash, repositioning herself three meters away.

"( I just need to wear him down enough until I can get Master Lumiere out of here... isn't Serena meant to be our eyes in the skies, she should be seeing this... )" (Isadora)

Gallus's bravado remained unshakeable.

"Will I miss next time? I think not. You can't evade me forever," he spoke softly.

Suppressing her frustration, Isadora forced a smile.

Don't be so sure of yourself. It's unbecoming." (Isadora)

"We'll see."

Gallus charged at her once again, his movements fluid and powerful.

But Isadora effortlessly teleported four meters behind him, convinced she had eluded his grasp once more.

To her astonishment, though, Gallus swiftly pivoted, hurling a stone with expert precision.

"WHAT?!"

Caught off guard, Isadora's vision blurred for a split second as the stone struck her knee, dislocating and leaving a deep, bleeding gash.

Her cry of pain pierced through the air as she crumbled to the ground, her right knee rendered useless.

『Relative Barrier』 lost effect immediately.

Gallus stretched his arms.

"I think I should break a few more bones... just to be sure... after all, it's the seed the King wants... not you."