Chapter 198: Settling the Dispute (1)

Flashing lights! Flying debris! Black smoke rising! The sound of several explosions was so intense that my eardrums nearly burst. The kitchen was further destroyed by the time-limited magic that Seiya had set off.

「Ahhhhhhhh!? 」

「Hyahhhhhh!? 」

Celseus and I ran around the kitchen, making pathetic noises. Seiya muttered softly.

「Don’t worry. You won’t die from this explosion. 」

「Even if I don’t die, it’ll hurt like crazy if something like this hits me!! 」

「E…Exactly!! …Whattttt!? From this wall too!? 」

Time-limited magic was exploding everywhere, as if we were thrown into a battlefield in the middle of an air raid. I managed to avoid a direct hit from these explosions and looked at Leon.

…Leon remained still in one place. “Don’t move unnecessarily” …that was probably the theory used in a minefield. But Leon glared at Seiya with bloodshot eyes.

「I can’t avoid risks if I want to counterattack. 」

Breathing heavily, Leon readjusted his Electro Blade.

…What!? Did he want to attack in a situation like this!?

「The only safe place right now is where you are. 」

It was hard to believe that he had hurt his leg with the time-limited magic. He held his Electro Blade and tried to attack Seiya. However, it wasn’t a fierce attack that would kill instantly. Leon remained calm instead. Perhaps he was wary of a trap, so he didn’t go straight for Seiya, but instead made a detour to approach him.

「Seiya! Look out! 」

However, just as he was close enough to strike Seiya down, crimson flames erupted from the floor around where Seiya was standing. The flames surrounded Seiya like a barrier and spread to Leon’s body as he approached.

「Ah…How…! 」

「Of course, I had anticipated the possibility that you might come to that conclusion. 」

Leon’s armor was dyed black by the time-limited fire magic that was different from the explosions. Leon collapsed to his knees, emitting black smoke.

I was so excited that I shouted the same thing that Celseus had said earlier.

「Wow! Seiya, you’re a god! 」

「You’re saying too! 」

「But, but! 」

Seiya didn’t have an attack prediction skill like Volt Prediction. If Leon hadn’t come towards him and clashed with that time-limited fire magic, Seiya would’ve become entrapped in a campfire, with flames erupting all around him.

…But in reality, it was just as Seiya predicted! Leon came towards him and was hit by a fire spell that targeted him instead!

I was amazed at Seiya’s attack, which seemed like a prediction to an outsider. It was the result of the time-limited spell that was set up after he had predicted every possibility and Leon’s behavior pattern. In a way, it seemed to me that it had a greater impact than Leon’s attack prediction skill.

The intense flames continued to cover Leon’s body for a while without disappearing. Leon groaned in pain as he knelt on one knee, but eventually he collapsed as if he had run out of strength. He didn’t move a muscle.

「It’s not just fire magic. It uses a destruction technique, making it even more powerful. 」

Celseus raised one arm high as soon as Seiya finished speaking.

「Great, finally!! This time is for real!! 」

「Yes!! Seiya has finally defeated Leon!! 」

I was convinced after seeing Leon’s condition, who looked like charcoal. It was a fatal injury even if he wasn’t dead yet. He wouldn’t be able to move.

Just as I was feeling relieved…

「Hey! Are you okay? 」

I heard Eich’s voice from above. I looked up and saw Eich looking down from the corner of the ceiling where the floor had fallen out. Next to her were Colt and John Dae.

「I’m going down. 」

Colt said that and jumped down nimbly. Eich and John Dae landed in the collapsed kitchen a little later. John Dae immediately asked intently.

「What about Leon? Did you defeat him? 」

I smiled and gave him a thumbs up. John Dae’s face looked puzzled…

「But where is he? 」

「Where? He’s there…」

I started to tremble when I tried to point out his location. Leon wasn’t where he had been a moment ago!

「Lista!! He’s over there!! Leon is standing up!! 」

「What!? 」

My whole body froze when I heard Celseus’ voice! Leon had taken a few steps away from where he had collapsed, and he stood up even with a burnt body.

「Ho…How can he stand up in that condition…! 」

My voice trembled. Celseus spoke cheerfully, as if convincing himself that we won that battle.

「But he’s unarmed! He can’t do anything anymore! 」

Just as Celseus had said, the Electro Blade was lying somewhere away from Leon. Moreover, it broke in half after being hit by Seiya’s fire magic.

…Tha…That’s right! There was no way he could win against Seiya in that condition!

As I was thinking this, I looked at Leon…and suddenly, our eyes met. Leon grinned while looking at me.

「I…I’ll…give the victory to you guys. But…I can’t let things end like this…」

Suddenly, I realized. Leon’s eyes, who was looking straight at me, were filled with insanity!

「You witch! You’re going down with me! 」

As soon as Leon professed those words, he grabbed his right arm with his left hand! There was a mechanical noise, and his lower arm got detached! He threw away his prosthetic arm and revealed a shiny black gun barrel!

「Lista!! His right arm is a gun!! It’s dangerous!! 」

I heard Celseus’ voice slowly for some reason.

As my vision turned into slow motion, like a slideshow, I had the following thoughts.

…Ah, I see. This was Leon’s trump card.

“He’s a bit like Seiya”, I thought nonchalantly. “The bullets Leon fires will probably contain Chain Destruction, and I’ll die. But I’m glad Seiya is safe.”

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