Chapter 165: Berserking Snow
Chapter 165 – Berserking Snow
I took a glance at Roxy as a signal .
Telling her that we would tackle this challenge together . And lastly, to check if she’s anxious .
But there’s no trace of fear on her face as she looked back at me .
Thus I promptly tried to use 《a.n.a.lyze》 on those blood-red monsters .
[Roxy, I leave the monsters to you . ]
[Yes . ]
The arrangement was similar to when we fought the giant scorpion . Unfortunately, both Snow and Shinn belonged to Area E .
It’d be too heavy of a load for Roxy .
Next, I called out to Eris, who was standing back to back to me .
[Can you keep Shinn busy?]
[Of course I can! That means Fate will take on Snow, right?]
[Yeah, I need to snap Snow out of it . ]
[I’m looking forward to it . Until then, I’ll try buying as much time as possible . ]
Giving me a wink as she said so, Eris laughed .
[Then, what if you get beaten instead?]
[Eeee! I’m not that weak though~]
Replying to me with a sweet voice as she spun the black bayonet around, Eris proceeded to shoot at Shinn’s offshoots . The blood red liquid that stretched out like tentacles bursted one after another .
Looking at this, her training seemed to have shown some results .
[Don’t get careless . ]
[No using the magic eyes as well?]
[Considering the risk, I’d rather you don’t use it . ]
[Ahaha, maybe I shouldn’t have told you the risk . ]
[Perhaps . ]
With that, all three of us started moving at the same time .
Me vs Snow . Eris vs Shinn . While Roxy would act as our support .
There’s no other options .
[Snoooooow!]
I swung my black sword, which Snow blocked with her bare arms .
There seemed to be some sort of barrier encasing her body, one that the black sword couldn’t break through .
It reminded me of that barrier the giant scorpion employed .
Snow didn’t respond to my call as well .
『Fate! It’s like back when we fought her in the desert . 』
[That… . I thought so . ]
『Right . No other choice . That time too, we managed to pull her out of her rampage by knocking her out . 』
[This time I’m not so sure she’ll remain the same when she wakes up again, what’s with Libra’s influence and all . ]
『That’s beside the point . First of all you need to do what you have to do . 』
When fighting the giant scorpion back then, we were able to calm Snow down with Dad’s help… .
But this time I had to do it alone .
『That barrier is in the way . Let’s go with the scythe form . 』
Changing the black sword into the scythe form, I waited for the right time when Snow was charging at me again .
Now!
I attempted to cut through the barrier…
[Wha!?]
Snow suddenly stopped her advance, opting to avoid me instead .
She should be in the midst of rampage and unable to think properly . So why?
『Perhaps she instinctively sensed danger . 』
[What the… . . that’s troublesome . ]
She avoided my attack out of her instinct and reflexes . Moreover, she was able to read my movement accurately, making me miss all the time .
『She’s not an enemy to be trifled with . Are you still intending to fight her half-heartedly?』
[Even so, I don’t want to hurt Snow . ]
I could hear Greed sighed in defeat . But then he laughed heartily .
『Well said . Then, give it a try . Show me how you’ll do it！』
[Yeah, I’ll do it . ]
I held the black scythe firmly .
And then closed my eyes .
If I keep relying on my eyes, good chance that I won’t be able to hit her at all .
Therefore, I need to predict Snow’s movement by sensing the flow of her magic power . Aaron taught me how, and I’ve been practicing this for quite a while now .
Just like Eris who secretly trained on her own, I’d also been doing my best .
Actually it’s only recently I managed to hit anything during the training… but for the sake of Roxy who willingly became my practice partner, I will demonstrate it to my best here .
Also… . I still remember what I said to Dad back when we met in the desert . And Greed who witnessed the whole thing certainly knew me well .
『You… . . you are still bothered by what you said to your dad back then, aren’t you?』
[I said it to Dad, that I will take responsibility for Snow . ]
『I thought you’ve grown up a little . But you’re still a boy after all . 』
I really couldn’t refute that .
No matter what happened between us, he’s after all… . still my Dad .
Even if he stole the philosopher’s stone, and even kidnapped Raine…
Even if he was a Zodiac Knight just like Libra…
But what actually happened between him and Snow, to the point that he was willing to kill her…?
I leaped from one building to another, trying to chase after Snow who had glided away .
[Snow!]
She’s way too fast… but I was able to keep up by predicting her movement path via sensing her magic power .
I would not miss my attack this time .
Steel your heart, keep your calm . Aaron also taught me that .
When I swung the black scythe, it was aimed at where I predicted Snow would move to .
Opening my eyes again, there was Snow . Her barrier was undone by the scythe .
[Yosh . ]
『Not half bad！』
However, the real fight had only just begun .
At last I reached a spot where I could reach Snow .
Reverting back to the black sword form, Gread spoke to me as I returned him to the sheath .
『Are you sure you can make do without this me?』
[Yeah, ‘cause bare fist is the best way to convey feelings . ]
『That’s Aaron’s favorite line . 』
[That’s right!]
Now that the barrier was gone, I could use my bare hands against Snow .
While being wary of her chops and kicks, I tried to find an opening…
Once, her heavy kick struck my head . My vision blurred, feeling like I almost fainted as the attack sent ripples throughout my body .
『Fate! You really sure you don’t need this Me?』
[I said it already, didn’t I?]
Greed’s call kept me awake, so I resumed my pursuit .
Yosh, here goes .
After some struggling I managed to hold both of Snow’s hands down as well as taking her back to the ground . The problem was we landed in the midst of those blood red monsters .
[What a good place to land…]
The monsters instantly went to attack me… . and at the same time, Snow too .
They shouldn’t be able to hurt us due to their inferior stats . But then, after seeing their fangs and claws, I was quickly reminded of something .
The monsters called the nightwalker . Turned crazy and controlled by Shinn’s blood, unable to die, and only driven by the desire to increase their number by infecting other living beings through bites .
What didn’t make sense was that these creature’s bite could go through Area E protection . According to Greed, it’s because of Shinn’s power .
They’re now opening their maw wide, trying to get a bite on me and Snow .
[Kuh . ]
I had to release my restraining hold on Snow to draw my black sword .
While I was thinking so, the red monsters were already upon us .
There’s no time to hesitate .
Hopefully I made it in time…
[Fai!]
While I still hesitated, that voice calling out to me brought me back to reality .
The sacred light of the 《Grand Cross》 shone forth from the ground beneath me, preventing the monsters from reaching me .
[Roxy! This is…]
I couldn’t hide my surprise . That’s because the holy light burned away the blood red monsters very easily .
These monsters were at least very strong under Area E . And yet, Roxy decimated them in but a moment .
[I also do not know why . Maybe the attack is their counter?]
[In that case, please help Eris . ]
[Yes . ]
Roxy herself didn’t know why she could… . But it may prove to be useful in the fight against Shinn . In this regard, she might even surpa.s.s the limitation of the status .
While I felt happy that Roxy could contribute more now, I once again confronted Snow .
[I won’t let you off . ]
[… . . Guhhhhh . ]
It’s a bit of a struggle, but I managed to keep her pinned on the ground .
[Stop rampaging . Snap out of it, Snow!]
She didn’t seem to listen to me, but even if I knew that, I kept calling her name .
As we struggled against each other, Snow lashed out and managed to bite into my neck .
[Ooww…ugh…]
At that moment, 《Mind Reading》 suddenly activated .
I’ve often been in direct contact with Snow since she joined our little group, but the skill never activated before . I began to suspect that, just like Myne, she had something that prevents mind reading from working on her .
So the fact that the skill successfully activated surprised me .
Snow’s hazy memories flew into my mind .
Among those, only one scene was reflected very clearly .
In that memory, Snow looked more mature than she is now . Her body was ragged and tattered with wounds .
She’s obviously heavily wounded; copious amounts of blood seeped to the ground with each step she took .
She was walking alone in the middle of a dense forest .
She finally reached her limit, collapsing near a cliffside .
The scene blurred for a while… Before being replaced by her opening her eyes to the sight of a boy .
（That’s… . . no way… . . ）
That’s impossible . I actually met Snow when I was still a child!?
This gotta be wrong! Otherwise, how come I had no recollection of meeting her?
If I met someone with such a grievous wound, I should’ve remembered very clearly .
And yet…as I recalled, I remember nothing about meeting Snow . Is this perhaps the memory that Libra mentioned before?
However, is there any benefit for Libra to fabricate such a memory?
Then was it truly Snow’s memory?
Whilst thinking so, the scene continued to play in my head .
[Are you alright?]
The boy asked Snow, but she didn’t reply . Well, I guess it’s only natural .
She was too injured to utter a word .
The boy finally realized what’s going on, and started to look as if he was panicking . That gestures… Was it truly me after all?
Snow tried to move away by wringing out the last of her strength, but the boy didn’t let her .
[You’re injured, so you shouldn’t move too much . I have these herbs I gathered for my dad, but I think you need it more urgently than him . ]
[… . . ]
Snow remained silent . But the boy wasn’t fazed by that .
He only knew that Snow wasn’t doing well from her expressions .
[Sorry . I’m not really good at this just yet . Dad always gets hurt, so I at least want to get better at treating wounds . ]
The boy covered his mouth with his hand upon looking at the wounds under Snow’s clothes . But with a determined face, he proceeded with the treatment silently .
Rinsing the wound with water from the bottle he brought, apply the herbs, then cover it with the cloth he tore from his own shirt .
[Un, this should do . I’m sorry, elder sister . I can only do this much . ]
The mind reading stopped working at that point .
The reason being Snow now powerlessly slumped in my arms . Even when I tapped on her cheek, she made no response .
『She seemed to have fainted . What a troublesome girl . What’s wrong, Fate?』
[……no, it’s nothing]
I wasn’t sure yet whether that memory was true or not .
But it’s not the time and place to feel upset . I decided to put aside the matter regarding my meeting with Snow in the past .
[In any case, this isn’t Snow’s fault . The real cause is…]
『That guy, Libra . That man has always been like that . Never to dirty his own hands whenever he could . 』
[When this is over, promise me that you’ll tell me everything about the past, okay?]
『Fine . But for now, focus on the fight . Look, Eris is having trouble there . 』
Following Greed’s warning, I turned to look at how Eris and Shinn’s fighting was going .
Certainly, Eris was under pressure .
After all, she’s fighting against numerous Shinns on her own .
[Roxy, please look after Snow . ]
[Alright . ]
She must’ve been worried about Snow . Just as I called for her, I saw her decimating numerous blood-red monsters with the holy light from her attack to open the path towards us .
[Is it working?]
[I guess? Somehow, it felt like she wasn’t actually trying to kill me . ]
[Of course . Snow-chan would not go that far . ]
Her optimism mysteriously convinced me the same . Unlike me, Roxy believed from the start that we would be able to reach out to Snow .
Patting the head of the still unconscious Snow, I got up and drew out my sword .
[From here on out, things will get more serious . Roxy should take Snow outside .
[… . . understood]
She looked somewhat disappointed .
When people belonging to Area E fight, it’ll be too dangerous for Roxy to stay around .
She believed that she’d eventually break through to that realm by forging a bond with me . But it’s not that simple .
After all, I was the one who deliberately put our relationship on hold .
I thought so as I looked at Roxy’s back as she left .
『Again with the selfish thought . 』
[You got it wrong, I was thinking about Aaron . ]
『You just don’t want her to get involved with the mortal sin skill, do you?』
Aaron was a gentle and caring person . I’m always grateful at the fact that he’s willing to help and trust me . But that aside, I also felt bothered by how significant the mortal sin skill had affected his life .
If only he didn’t bond with me, his life would’ve been more peaceful perhaps .
Imagining such a possibility…
Made me unwilling to let Roxy cross that line . That’s what I thought .
『Let me tell you this again . 』
[What is it?]
『She would never give up . You should already know that better than anyone else . 』
I know . I’m scared exactly because I know that .
『Now then, let’s go, Fate！』
With Greed’s strong urging as the signal, I joined Eris in battling Shinn .
Firstly, I cut down Shinn’s body that was about to strike at Eris .
Even when I split his body in two, I knew he’s far from being defeated . Because I didn’t hear any announcement about stat increase .
[You’re slow~ . If you come a little bit later, I would’ve been in grave danger . ]
[My bad… It took longer than I thought it would be . But where does the confidence you showed me earlier go to?]
[I think it’s obvious to see . ]
No matter where I looked, there would be a Shinn there . Not to mention the blood-red monsters .
It’s like fighting against an army alone .
Putting our backs close to each other, we struck down the incoming Shinns one by one .
[Here I thought Eris would be able to make do after all that trainings you mentioned . ]
[There is no way I could do that without relying on my magic eyes . ]
[Then I guess it’s my fault . Joke aside, I think it’s meaningless we can’t find Shinn’s main body . ]
[Exactly!]
Eris nodded after shooting one of the Shinns in between the eyebrows .
[These fellows are connected to Shinn who is somewhere in the underground . They’re just puppets . There’s really no point in killing them . ]
I was kinda amazed at her lack of tension as she said all that . I guess it’s true that our emotions gradually turn dull after living for a very long time .
Now that I think about it… Myne also had something similar . In her case, it’s her sense of taste .
[Somewhere in the underground you said…? Can you trace his magic power to find his location?]
[I can’t . Especially not in this situation . Do you think those creatures will stand still and let me be?]
Originally, Shinn was slumbering thanks to his fragmented body being scattered all over the continent . Philosopher’s stone was what humans at large called some of these fragments .
Because it took the form of a mineral instead of a living being .
Perhaps right now, he has changed shape and is controlling the offshoots and monsters from a safe place .
[He’s hogging all the huge advantages as much as possible, isn’t he?]
[Ahahaha, I guess he’s scared of us . ]
[Nn? What do you mean by that?]
[I mean he’s scared of you . To be exact, the holder of Gluttony skill . Shinn had challenged the previous holder over and over again . This is probably what he came up with to not be defeated again . ]
Eris explained all that with a combination of giddiness and pride .
[So I wonder what will Fate do now?]
[Isn’t that obvious? I’ll just have to do it like the previous holder did then . ]
[How reliable . In that case, I need to do my best too . ]
[Oii]
Eris’ eyes visible glow faintly . The tell tale sign of her activating the magic eyes .
[No worries, this one only burdens me ever so slightly . But…]
[I get it . This fight shouldn’t drag on longer than necessary . ]
[That’s right! I’ll be counting on you to keep me safe . ]
Eris began to run north .
Apparently she’s unable to fight while focusing on using the magic eyes .
So I just have to swing my sword to pave a safe path for her .