Chapter 144, White Mask returns – Part three

 

With the hint he got from Alice in mind, Nick imagined a street performer controlling a spinning top.

 

When a spinning top stopped, it fell, obviously because the area actually touching the ground was too small.

However, it stood straight when it spun, and was more stable the faster it spun.

 

A skilled street performer could make it spin on top of a tobacco pipe or folding fan, or even from one end of a rope to the other.

 

This would not be possible on a wall that stood ninety degrees in relation to the ground, but it could maintain its position on an incline that was almost vertical or had a small catch.

And if something were to hit it, it would deliver a strong impact.

 

“Not moving my body on the outside, just spinning it on the inside as fast as I can.”

 

By using Heavy Body and Light Body at the same time, the parts of the body that became heavier and lighter started rotating. Nick’s body started spinning on the inside without him actually moving.

 

“O-oh…? I see, so that’s how it feels… So that’s how I kicked the wall.”

 

Nick had a wild smile on his face as he realized his experiment was a success.

 

Still, losing his balance would send him falling again. One misstep could mean death.

As Alice said, the safer option would be to stay still, but Nick still chose to act.

 

Nick closed his eyes and remembered when he was with All Martial Arts. Only the time he spent training there.

 

“Clear your head. This is it.”

 

He stepped forward and his body shifted ninety degrees.

Although he was standing vertically on the wall, his body did not move.

 

He carefully took another step, and instinctually realized he could not have two axis.

 

“Spinning tops don’t have two axises. I need to erase the rotation on my left leg and shift it to the right… Guah!?”

 

Although he noticed this, the timing was strict, and he failed.

An intense gyration was transmitted through the wall, and its recoil hit Nick’s body.

The gyration within his own body flung him away horizontally.

 

“Guwah… Ah, that was close…!”

 

He grabbed on to a branch that just happened to be growing there, and escaped death.

 

“Shifting between both legs at the same time… No, I failed because I was doing it slowly. It’s better if I do it rhythmically while jogging.”

 

Nick mumbled, and a chill ran down his spine.

Casually jogging up a cliff as one did while running for fun?

 

“I’m not a gecko or a frog dammit…”

 

Success was right in front of him, and that was what frightened him.

 

When death was almost a guarantee, he could do it without thinking, but now his chances of success drastically increased.

Learning how to walk on the wall decreased his chances of dying to fifty percent. If he died now after making it this far, it would be a foolish death.

 

“…Maybe I should hold out a little longer.”

 

The situation made him want to cry. After vomiting, his stomach was empty, and his stamina was close to being drained as well.

 

Still, he stepped forward again.

Nick did not know it at this point, but this was the true application of the stepping technique. Not moving a centimeter but creating a gyration within one’s body that provided defense against attacks from all directions without the user needing to dodge.

Gyro Movement.

 

◆

 

After finally making it out of the cliff, Nick laid flat on the ground.

 

“Nick! Hey Nick! Are you alive!?”

 

Bond ran towards him on the verge of tears, with Suisen right behind him.

 

“Hey… You’re alright aren’t you!?”

 

“I thought I was done for… What about you… How’s everyone?”

 

Asked Nick without getting up.

 

“They are alive, but the situation has taken a turn for the worse.”

 

“I have to go back…”

 

“Do not overexert yourself. It seems to me you cannot move a single finger.”

 

“Quiet.”

 

Nick objected, but Bond was right.

His words carried little weight when he lay sprawled on the ground and his limbs were completely still.

 

“Tell me more.”

 

“Karan is fighting. She’s probably alright.”

 

“Yes. He was using a very questionable technique, but Karan and Tianna should be able to handle it.”

 

Nick was relieved to hear what Suisen had to say, but Bond’s expression was gloomier.

 

“Hn? What is it?”

 

“…I felt the same energy that comes from a sacred garment.”

 

“Sacred… Eh!? Ah, guah!”

 

Nick’s shock made him try to get up, but the pain running throughout his body like electricity quickly made him collapse again.

 

“Don’t overdo it you idiot!”

 

“Sacred garment… Like White Mask? Is he alive?”

 

“Surely it is not the same person. That sacred garment was made a long, long time ago, but it was a mass produced item.”

 

“Are you saying it’s Garosso?”

 

“Most likely.”

 

“Why!?”

 

“How should I know!?”

 

“That’s not something someone that broke can buy… Agah.”

 

“Careful Nick… Surely you are having trouble even speaking.”

 

Bond’s voice was strangely quiet. He seemed to be really worried.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine… I have good news too, Alice from the Order of the Sun went there to help. And she’s the one that saved me in the first place.”

 

“Do you think one person will make a difference? We are talking about the same sacred garment White Mask wore.”

 

“I don’t know… Let’s just go back. Lend me your shoulder.”

 

Nick said to Suisen, who instead quietly picked him up.

 

“H-hey!”

 

“We’re not getting anywhere if we rely on your strength. Just to make sure, do you really want to go back?”

 

“Ah?”

 

“It’s your last chance to abandon the fight by going down the mountain.”

 

“I can’t leave now!”

 

“You’ll die.”

 

Suisen said quietly, not in a threatening manner, but simply stating the truth.

 

“…Yes, this time it really looks like it’s going to be tough.”

 

“Then…”

 

“But I’m still going, you go back. You have a kid right? I’ll bring Karan back.”

 

Nick blandly mumbled, and Suisen’s face became red.

 

“That’s not what I meant!”

 

“I’m not trying to be malicious either, it’s just that I’m the leader of the party, and I have a responsibility towards them. We just have different roles”

 

“What are you saying when you’re in this state… Alright then.”

 

Suisen let out a sigh of resignation and gently put Nick down.

 

“Hn? Aren’t we going?”

 

“And do what, when you can’t even walk properly? We need to formulate a plan first.”

 

Said Suisen as she took out a blue jewel from her pocket.

It had a thin chain to make it so it could hang from one’s neck, but no other ornaments. Its design was simple, almost as if insinuating that anything else would look boorish compared to its beauty.

 

“What is that…?”

 

“Something called a Dragon King Orb that I intended to give to my daughter.”

 

“Dragon King Orb…?”

 

Nick thought he heard the name before, and quickly remembered where.

 

“…Isn’t that the thing that was stolen from Karan!?”

 

“Yes, but this isn’t the one she’s looking for. My foster father infused hers with power, but I have been infusing this one with magic energy for my daughter.

A Dragon King Orb is not a specific jewel, it’s a talisman passed on from parent to child. It can also be used as a magic item carrying magic energy.”

 

“Used as a magic item with magic energy…”

 

Nick repeated Suisen’s words as if to confirm them.

 

“If you’re bringing it out now… Is it safe to assume you want me to use it?”

 

“…It’s not like I want to, but it can’t be helped at this stage.”

 

“How do I use it?”

 

“Whisper an incantation and swallow it.”

 

“Swallow a jewel? Hey…”

 

“There’s no other option. It will disappear as the magic energy spreads throughout your body, so it won’t destroy your stomach or anything.”

 

“I-I see…”

 

“This is just in case of an emergency though. I’d rather not have to use it. It puts a lot of stress on the body, so I don’t know what will happen if someone as hurt as you swallows it.”

 

“Got it. Let’s go back. Maybe they’ve defeated him already.”

 

“That would be great.”

 

Said Suisen as she once again picked Nick up.

 

“Be gentler!”

 

“So sensitive… You’re going to bite your tongue!”

 

◆

 

Obviously, things were not going as well as Nick had hoped.

 

Once they got close enough to see the battle, what they saw was Karan trying to persevere while covered in wounds and being supported by Alice.

Garosso moved with composure, and it was clear to him that everyone would die before long.

 

Suisen reflexively tried to join the battle, but was stopped by Nick and Bond.

 

“Calm down…! We all want to jump in, but we cannot do so recklessly!”

 

“But…!”

 

“Look. Bellocchio is setting up something.”

 

“Eh?”

 

They spoke quietly and from a distance.

Suisen looked at Bellocchio after being prompted by Bond.

 

“…It’s too far to tell.”

 

“It looks like some sort of spell. Do you have any idea what it is?”

 

“We can’t even use regular magic he… Ah.”

 

Suisen remembered something.

 

“I know… He said something about it before we came here. There’s something he can only use after the boss has been defeated”

 

“Will it be enough?”

 

“That I don’t know… But I can’t imagine mister Bellocchio would do it for no reason…”

 

Suisen clenched her teeth out of irritation.

She could not stand to look at Karan, but she knew moving at this time would only invite danger.

 

“We will wait for the right time and turn it around in one second. He is only ‘playing’ now, but if we leap out and strike at him, we might just make him serious and wipe out everyone. By the way, Suisen…”

 

“What?”

 

“Does that Dragon King Orb give other people the magic energy of dragon people?”

 

“Yes, that’s right.”

 

“If we share the same general concept, we should be compatible. I will use it.”

 

Bond took the Dragon King Orb out of Suisen’s hands and swallowed it without hesitation.

 

“W-what are you…!?”

 

“Ah, y-you idiot…!”

 

Bond quietly accepted Suisen and Nick’s deadly glares.

 

“Listen. Swallowing the orb made me familiar with Suisen’s magic energy. Do you know what this means?”

 

“No, but why did you do that?”

 

“For just a short time, you two can use Union.”

 

“…What?”

 

“When Bellocchio does whatever he is doing, we will use Union to hit Garosso with all we have. This is our only chance.”

 

The light of hope lit up in Nick’s eyes, but he shook his head.

 

“No… Even if we use union, we have to get used to it. There’s no way we can use our full power all of a sudden. And you said we only have a short amount of time, right?”

 

“About five seconds.”

 

“F-five…”

 

Nick looked depressed, and peeked at Suisen.

 

“Is Union what you used to combine with Karan?”

 

“Yes, but we don’t know how it will turn out after we use it. Like what we can and can’t do.”

 

“Then we should decide what we will do beforehand, especially if what we can do is limited. Jump at him with all we have and slash him, or…”

 

Bond completed her sentence.

 

“Snipe him. That is all we can do.”

 

Nick and Suisen gulped.

They would have five seconds to perform something they had never done before.

 

“Let’s go with that throwing spear Suisen. If we both think about it while using Union, we should turn into something fit for it.”

 

“Really?”

 

“…Probably. It’s worth trying.”

 

Nick looked at Karan, fighting fiercely.

This prompted Suisen to do the same, making her grind her teeth with frustration.

 

“This is all we can do.”