Return of the Back Alley Wizard Chapter 504

Episode 504. I like it

Crack, crack!

An eerie sound resonated, like a saw scraping a dry log.

'crazy…….'

Aster swallowed his curses as the current of destruction gnawed at his bones.

It was painful.

The current of destruction that tore through the stationmaster like a sheet of paper ate away at his skin, flesh, blood, and even bones.

In that indescribable pain, Aster opened his eyes wide and looked into Shine's eyes.

'hurry……!'

Shine frowned at that gaze. Honestly, she wanted to spit out a torrent of curses right then and there.

Stab me with a sword?

'Are you saying we should die together?'

If it were a physical sword, Shine could freely adjust the gap to the thickness of a sheet of paper, but the story was a little different for the heart sword.

Above all, the sword of the mind is not drawn out like a sword from a scabbard.

But what to do?

'Tsk.'

Shine immediately entered Transcendence. The bastard had already moved. All that remained was herself. Regardless of whether she could or couldn't, since the arrow had already been fired, she had no choice but to follow suit.

And fortunately… … .

‘… … It seems possible!’

Experience is crucial. Even for a transcendentalist like Shine, the experience of extracting the "Heart Sword" from the Grimoire Workshop presented Shine with yet another possibility.

If I could only maximize my mental power, wouldn't I be able to pull out the sword of the mind like pulling a sword out of its sheath?

Originally, this kind of possibility was something that needed to be explored slowly and over time, but now there was nothing I could do.

Well then, first.

… … How can we maximize our mental strength?

If he had been an ordinary talent, he would have been stuck here.

In the first place, ‘mental strength’ was not the kind of strength that could be increased or decreased on one’s own.

However, the talent that Shine possessed was special.

Being born as a warrior did not stop at just having an outstanding physique.

Being born with a physical body is only half the battle, the true talent of a warrior includes a strong mind, a certain level of intelligence, and exceptional insight.

In other words, if Shine was born with near-perfect talent as a drone, it means this.

Not only the body… … .

‘… …even the mind.’

That you can handle all of it at your own will.

… … Shine maximized her mental power, recalling the sensation she had felt before.

At first, it was just vague. And of course, maximizing mental power? The mind isn't something that can be sensed.

but.

Someone once said this:

– Lemanga Shine's talent is probably the closest to perfection in history.

A truly devil's talent.

It was making the impossible possible.

Kik, kiiiiiing―!

'… … done.'

Shine had a gut feeling. Her thoughts expanded, as they had when she first entered transcendence, long ago. It felt different from the moment she'd forced herself to maximize her mental powers in the face of pain.

If I had to make a comparison, what I experienced when I first reached the state of transcendence was something close to omniscience.

A fullness that seems to know everything.

But now… … .

‘… … omnipotent.’

I feel like I can do anything.

Of course, it would be an illusion.

Just as not all great wizards who have reached transcendence, not all master knights, have realized the truth of mana and the ultimate meaning of martial arts.

This omnipotence is also an illusion.

but…….

'Even if it's just an illusion, it's enough for me.'

At this moment, what Shine needed was not the 'power to do everything'.

No more, no less, just one word.

That would have been enough.

Even if it's just one sword, if I can just pull out the heart sword… … .

‘… … If that is not omnipotence, then what is it!’

Shine imagined.

You have the hand of will, and you can grasp anything that is not material. If it is not material, then anything.

The important thing is 'will'.

'If I wish for a shield that will block everything, then what I hold will be the shield… … .'

If you wish for a sword that pierces everything, then I will answer by becoming a sword.

It's just a moment… … .

'… … .'

Shine's soul, transcending her body, gazed down upon the world. As if she had become a giant, she could see the entire landscape at a glance.

Even in the endlessly slow flow of time, a current of destruction sways. A wicked man who bears it with his bare body.

In a short battle, the land was scorched and the sky was covered with dark clouds.

Further… … .

'……world.'

Shine, now a giant, stood tall in that world, looking down on himself. And it wasn't long before he realized something.

How small and insignificant my body is.

and…….

‘… … This soul too.’

How insignificant it is compared to this vast, wide world.

Is ignorance bliss? Is it true that knowledge is the measure of all knowledge? Omniscience and omnipotence were mistaken illusions felt by mere ignorant and feeble mortals.

At this very moment, Shine observed the world. And lifted the curtain. A curtain forbidden to mortals… …a curtain of prohibition.

I lifted the curtain and indulged in it.

What is true omniscience, what is omnipotence?

… … That was the moment.

'… … Please, please!'

A voice came from somewhere. In the slow flow of time, it was impossible for a voice to reach my ears. This was the voice of my heart.

Shine looked at the being sitting opposite her insignificant body… …who was even more insignificant than herself.

'That wicked man.'

So desperate was the will that it burrowed into Shine's mind. Under normal circumstances, this would have been impossible. This was possible because Shine had lifted a curtain that should never have been opened.

Anyway, Shine's mind, which had been exploring beyond the curtain, returned to reality. It was at that very moment that the forbidden curtain disappeared.

Chararak―!

Shine swallowed her regret at the fleeting glimpse of enlightenment that had vanished. Surely… there was something beyond that.

‘… … Well, it doesn’t matter.’

Shine could sense it. Whatever lay beyond, once you glimpsed it, there was no going back.

So, peeking beyond that is… … .

‘… … some time in the distant future.’

One day, when you can no longer find meaning in anything.

That will happen.

… … And so, with the disappearing curtain behind her, Shine grasped the air with her hand. In that grip, she caught an invisible sword.

Heart sword.

Forged with the heart, cutting the soul… … .

Shine phone Le Mans.

The ultimate meaning of martial arts pursued and ultimately completed by a near-perfect genius.

Shine cut Leodis… no, the grimoire disguised as Leodis in two with his sword. It was a clean blow that cut through the center of the body, from the crown of the head to the groin.

Yet, Aster, who was right next to him, didn't even touch a hair. It could be said that his use of the Heart Sword had reached a certain level, but Shine smiled as she casually manipulated the Heart Sword.

“Okay, now it’s your turn.”

There is no sense of omnipotence.

There is no sense of omniscience.

The soul, which had grown as large as the mental power, had now shrunk to fit the size of the insignificant body.

But, even so, there was nothing else that made me laugh.

Because up until now, this fiercely competitive world was more interesting than that lofty horizon of enlightenment.

“Insectivore―!”

“Okay, go ahead and do it!”

“Good!”

Aster smiled brightly, hugged Leodis tightly, and kicked her off. He arched his back as he bounced back.

and…….

thud!

Aster's waist arched like a bow, and Leodis' crown struck the ground.

Oh my gosh!

Blood gushed from Leodis' mouth and nose as he lay on the floor, his body slumped from the floor. His limbs trembled.

Shine frowned at the sight.

“……Did you kill him?”

“No, that’s not it.”

Aster sat up and looked at the sagging Leodis.

The hidden one was stuck.

It's stuck… … .

Aster placed his hand on Leodis's chest. No, more accurately, he placed his hand on the grimoire that was eroding Leodis's body.

‘… … Let’s see, if my prediction is correct… … .’

Earlier, when Leodis was hit by Shine's Heart Sword.

Aster definitely saw it.

Leodis's hesitation.

And when I started moving again, the movements felt somehow unnatural.

Of course, it wouldn't be strange if it was because of the shock of the heart sword, but it seemed like there was something more to it.

So, for example… … .

‘… … something like this.’

Pazuzu―

The magical power poured into the grimoire slid across the surface. At first, there was nothing unusual about it.

Because a grimoire that already has a user will not accept magical power from anyone other than the user.

But, that brief moment.

Aster's heart sank.

'I definitely got a hint… … .'

That was when.

Tsuzuke, tsuzuke―!

Aster's magic seeped into the surface of the grimoire.

What does this mean?

At this very moment, the connection between the Grimoire and Leodis had been severed. This meant that by separating the Grimoire from Leodis, the Grimoire's resistance could be quelled!

“Okay……!”

It was the moment when Aster was about to shout in joy.

“This is dangerous!”

“……Ugh!”

Aster screamed as a vicious hand grabbed the back of his head. But, regardless, Shine was still clutching the back of Aster's head, throwing herself backward.

The hand and speed were so vicious that it seemed as if the hair roots would be pulled out, but fortunately, the back of Aster's head was unharmed.

Yes, when it has fallen far enough.

Flash―!

A light flashed.

A dark, ominous black light that swallows up space.

“What…….”

Aster narrowed his eyes at the burst of light that barely stopped at the foot of the stairs. He didn't know the details, but it wasn't ordinary light.

Of course, it can't be stopped by the station master, and even if the healing light is deployed in polarity, it's impossible to survive…

Literally the light of extinction.

'If I was right, I would have died.'

Even for Aster, it was a situation that would send a chill down his spine, but Aster soon came to his senses.

Because that wasn't what was important right now.

If so, what is important?

Leodis… … No, the state of the grimoire disguised as Leodis.

Aster, still gripped by the back of his head by Shine, turned his gaze forward. The ground, swept by a black light, was hollowed out into a hemisphere, as if someone had carved it out. At its center was a grimoire disguised as Leodis.

But something was strange.

“Oh, so, you’re interfering with the liver?”

A voice that stutters and breaks.

It seemed as if Leodis had come to his senses, but Aster soon realized that was not the case.

I could tell just by looking at his eyes.

That is… … .

‘… …not human.’

So then, what is it that speaks under the guise of Leodis?

It was simple.

‘… …grimoire.’

The grimoire looked at Aster, tears of blood streaming down his face. Then, approaching with a staggering pace, he asked a question.

“Why, why, are you interfering with my work? Why, why…….”

Even Aster found it a horrifying sight. The encounter with a being disguised as human, yet in no way human, was a discomfort beyond description.

And was that the same for Shine too?

“……It’s dangerous.”

A soft voice.

But why is that?

Aster's eyes flashed. For a moment, a fleeting flash of fear struck him, but he was only momentarily paralyzed by it.

The corners of his mouth went up.

“I rather like it.”

“……What?”

Shine frowned. She looked at Aster, wondering if he was crazy. But his eyes were wide open.

“Are you thinking about something?”

Shine asked, just in case. But Aster shook his head.

“No, that’s not it…….”

“……No?”

“Could it be that the weakness I hit was more fatal than I thought?”

“……?”

Shine tilted her head, but Aster nodded with a confident look in his eyes. And he added more certainty to his own thoughts.

That makes sense… … .

‘… … It’s an eternal truth that the more scared you are, the more you talk, right?’

Suddenly having a seizure?

That's like saying you're very scared.

……maybe.