The Impersonating Daimaou Wants to be Hated (WN): Chapter 22

 

Chapter 22: Special Principal Language

 Despite the short distance, the hundred needles I threw at Aquim Bonvoul spread out and attacked all at once, as though to erase all the gaps.

 Even if Aquim Bonvoul were able to form a magic barrier at this close range and at this timing, the power of the curse needles, which have the property of eroding magic, would disarm it immediately.

 Even if he is the knight of light, he could not evade at such a close range, and if he had taken defensive measures, it would be impossible for him to get through this situation unscathed. Many, if not all, of the curse needles, would pierce his body.

 If there is a problem, it is that there is a high possibility that the needles that put too much effort into their indefensible nature would not be able to kill Aquim Bonvoul, who can nullify the pain caused by the curse.

 But that's okay. Because the long needles are only for breaking the defense, and the real purpose is the short, transparent, and very hard-to-see deadly needles that are flying together with the long needles.

 They incorporate a lethal formula that was elaborated through sorcery. Once it enters the enemy's body, it will go deep into the body while spreading a poisonous curse, and it can never be removed until the target died.

 This is my signature attack, which has taken the lives of various demons and sometimes even people. A knight of light with no weapons or armor can never prevent this...

"Alright."

 Aquim Bonvoul's arms seemed to shake for a moment together with the casual words, and all the large number of curse needles that were about to swallow him like a tidal wave vanished.

"…………Eh?"

 I don't understand. Why did all those needles disappear at once? No, no. They did not disappear. Because he is firmly holding them both in his hands.

"No way. Are you saying... you can grab them?"

 Unable to recover my wide-open eyes, I took a step or two backward and came to a stop, my feet hitting the sofa near the wall. I felt as if I had been smacked upside down by an unexplainable phenomenon.

 Impossible. It's impossible, right? That distance, that timing, that amount of needles all grabbed by his hands? In that split second? No matter how superior the physical ability of the Knight of Light is, it is absolutely impossible. Then is it magic? No, but what kind of magic could make this possible? The reason I was able to take out the curse needles through space was that I had set up multiple "connections" in advance.

 Even space and time-related magic are difficult to handle, but to catch all of the hundred needles thrown at high speed with his hands without any advance preparation or chanting? Impossible. If such a thing were possible, that would be.......

 I closed my eyes on the nightmarish possibility and desperately search for other possibilities. Think. There must be something, some trick.

 I know I am being somewhat evasive, but it has to be so. Because, if there was no trick in what had just happened, if it was purely performed with natural reflexes, then, at worst, Aquim Bonvoul's fighting ability could even rival that of the king.

 Floria-sama is the absolute symbol of the Kingdom of Light and the strongest individual in the Kingdom of Light. There must not be an entity that could single-handedly threatens her hiding in the heart of the Kingdom of Light. It would be nothing short of a nightmare that could lead to the collapse of the Kingdom.

 I must eliminate the man in front of me at all costs. As a resident of the Kingdom of Light, I felt a strong sense of duty. Then I suddenly realized something.

"The short... needles is?"

 The short needles that were thrown together with the long needles. Aquim Bonvoul prevented the long needles with some kind of magic, but it was not like a physical wall, but perhaps a kind of spatial transfer of the recognized object. Then, if Aquim Bonvoul had not noticed the short needles when he invoked his magic, wouldn't his magic have not reached the short needles, but were now eroding his body?

 I observed Aquim Bonvoul's entire body with faint hope. If there was a short needle stuck somewhere, I still had a chance to win. That was what I thought.

 Crunch*, crunch*. Crunch*, crunch*.

"Eh?"

 I was able to pick up the sound only because I recovered from the shock of having my strategy broken through and my consciousness turned to him to see if the short needles hit.

 Crunch*, crunch*. Crunch*, crunch*.

 As if drawn by something, my gaze turns to Aquim Bonvoul's mouth. His cheeks were slightly puffed up and his mouth was moving as if he was chewing something. He's eating?...... What is?

  Crunch*, crunch*. Crunch*, crunch*...... Gulp*.

"Fuu. That's deliciousss!!... What? You're not attacking again?

 Aquim Bonvoul tilted his head curiously. The silver hair that sways as he does so and the silver eyes that stare straight at me are all human, but to me, it looked like something horrifyingly deformed as though it was wearing human skin.

 That "deformed something" said.

"If so, I'm gonna fuck you, you know?"

"Hiii!?"

 The sheer incomprehensibility of Aquim Bonvoul's words made every hair on my body stand, and I felt like I was going to fall off my back.

"W-wait. I'll attack. I'll attack."

 Even though I was engulfed by fear, I felt like saying to myself, "What a fool I am!". In what world is there an enemy who waits for someone to attack?

"I see. Then get on with it."

 But Aquim Bonvoul's reply defied my expectations to some extent. With his right hand on his hip and his left hand raised lightly, he beckons me to come and attack him.　

 Before I knew it, the needles I had in my hands had disappeared.

 Crunch*, crunch*. Crunch*, crunch*.

 And then I heard that sound again...... No. This is not good. In this case, I have no choice but to use my special principal language.

"Gulp*...... Oh? Your aura had changed. What, did you have a trump card or something?"

 The long needles for breaking the barrier and the short needles for ending one's life that I had used were undeniably one of my trump cards, but it seems that Aquim Bonvoul didn't think so.

"...Yeah. I'll give you a taste of what's to come."

"Ha. I'm looking forward to it."

 I knew from his previous words and actions that Aquim Bonvoul was not only trying to thwart my attacks but rather was eager to be attacked by me.

 That is why there was room for chanting it.

 As is common knowledge for magic users, there are two major means of chanting.

 One is suggestibility. By using words that work on one's consciousness, one transforms one's inner self and temporarily draws out powerful force.

 The other is called the principal language, in which certain words are used to draw more power directly from the world than one possesses.

 A mage can cause the desired phenomenon by including the chanting of the principal language for elementary magic, the knight for intermediate magic, and the king for advanced magic, and then embellishing it with words that distinguish attributes and their nature, called quasi-linguistic words.

 It was not a problem if the principal language is spoken in everyday life, but if it is spoken while the world and oneself are bound together by mana, it can have a considerable effect, and if too strong a word is used, the power drawn from it may kill the user.

 Basically, anyone with mana can draw out the power of the principal language, but there is a principal language that can only be used by those who meet certain conditions.

 That is the special principal language. And the strongest principal language that only those with power can handle is called "The Chaos of the Great Beginning".

 The power obtained from this principal language is so powerful that it cannot be matched by any advanced magic, and along with "Tears of the Maiden," it is a spellcaster's greatest trump card. However, this principal language is extremely difficult to handle, and even if the same mage chants it with the same power, the effects obtained are as different as the difference between heaven and earth.

 However, for a certain period of time, many people have died horribly just by chanting this principal language, and since then, it has only been acceptable to chant this special principal language when you are really in a tight situation.

 And now is exactly that predicament. I took a deep breath in and out. It's okay. I can do it. I can do it.

 Oh, Great Founder. Please help me.

 I started chanting with all the prayers and power I could muster.

"Oh, great chaos of beginnings. Your lineage begs. Show us your great power. You are the supreme being. Without you, there is no world, and therefore your wrath surpasses all others. Oh, raging one! You are the beginning, born of the great light. Bring forth the black thunder that now judges me and my enemies."

 Power fills up. Power fills me. A tremendous power flows into me through the special principal language, as if I could destroy myself if I make a mistake. Aquim Bonvoul did not move. For some reason, he is scratching his head in embarrassment and muttering something like, "No, don't give me a compliment all of a sudden".

 I desperately control my magic, fighting the fear of an outburst, and the feeling of greatness that comes with immense power.

 It was not something I was prepared to do. But I didn't think it was impossible, either. I endured and endured, and eventually, there came a moment when everything suddenly became clear.

 I quickly completed the chant.

"Crush its heart, [Chaos Magic: Divine Lightning, Destruction of Selfless]."

 A material attack. A physical magic that would blow up everything in this room, including me, the user, not to mention Noroliana, who was near Aquim Bonvoul. That is why I chose to attack the heart, which is the material.

 This would minimize the damage to the surroundings.

 Through powerful words, black lightning, far more powerful than I could originally handle, was generated. It became the blow of an angry spellcaster and struck Aquim Bonvoul. It was supposed to be.......

"Gaahhh!?"

 A numbing sensation suddenly ran through my entire body at the same time I released the magic.

 What in the world? My thoughts are disorganized and I can't get them together. My vision repeatedly flickered. A painful ringing in my ears. In the midst of all this, I was covered by someone.

"Hehe. Second spellcaster get."

 Then, something horrifying crawled on my cheek. Is this...... a tongue? That's! Pull yourself together, me. That's not something to be worried about. Since I am now covered by Aquim Bonvoul.

"Damn... it. Get, away. From... me."

"I don't want to."

 And with a sound, my clothes were ripped off.