NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 69
Chapter
‘What the…!’
Before the duel even began, Rionne’s brow furrowed at Tsukiyo’s sudden attack.
She wanted to smack that tiny head right now, but…
“Hmm.”
Looking at Enok’s eyes sparkling with interest sparked a desire to hold back. Yes, this is a good opportunity for Enok too.
Struggling to suppress her feelings, Rionne asked Enok.
“Enok, are you okay?”
“Yeah. Let’s get started.”
Rionne nodded.
The opponent was a veteran warrior from the Beastman Tribe. One of the skilled warriors who holds a title akin to High Elf among Elves.
Of course, like a High Elf, she had also reached the rank of Grandmaster, making her a tough opponent for Enok, who hadn’t reached that level yet.
‘Last time I had a grasp after fighting that Demon Race numerous times. She seems a bit off this time too.’
In a way, this duel was Enok’s real first fight with a Grandmaster. But would Enok truly be defeated? Well, who knows…
“Let the duel between Enok Estor and Tsukiyo of the Black Cat Tribe begin!”
That would be revealed in time.
*
Enok quietly observed Tsukiyo. Judging by the previous strike and the fierce spirit he sensed, the opponent was a martial artist who had reached the realm of Grandmaster. It’s better to give it his all from the start.
So, what was his current power level? In a fleeting moment of pondering, he released his full power.
Rumbling───────!!!
With the thunder, purple lightning swirled around. In the midst of that storm, Enok felt a hint of disappointment.
‘Phatos has become quite stable while forming.’
The burden on his body had significantly decreased compared to before. That meant he now had some leeway and could reach even greater heights if he pushed a little more.
[Where…?]
Eri and his consciousness overlapped. Fox ears sprouted from above his head, and five tails emerged near his backside.
Kiiiiing-!
The ring around his left eye spun, and the Ki Eye was unleashed. The pupil of his right eye elongated like a slit. The Phatos in his chest revolved, and the halo above his head also spun.
This was his stable power level. What could he do to ascend even further from here?
‘A ring.’
Currently, Enok possessed three rings. One on his eye, one above his head, and one inside his chest. The two rings other than the eye replaced the Upper Dantian and Central Dantian, respectively.
So what’s next? No need to ponder. He would also replace the Lower Dantian with a ring.
“Wow, indeed. Those tails and ears are definitely Beastman. But clearly, you must be human…”
As he locked eyes with Tsukiyo, who was staring straight at him, Enok clapped his hands together in front of his chest.
Pachutsu-!
Soon, a ring began to grow larger and take form between their parting palms. Phatos, which had been resting in his chest.
In response, the halo above his head expanded dramatically, and Enok’s body was soon enveloped by two rings.
“E-Enok…?”
Rionne’s eyes shook in realization of something odd. Enok subtly glanced away and continued his work.
Kiiiiiiing──────────!!!
The halo rotating clockwise and the Phatos rotating counterclockwise created a counterbalancing force that generated yet another ring.
“Hey, kid…? That looks a bit dangerous…”
Flash──────!!
A light brighter than the sun illuminated the arena. A small ring formed between the halo and Phatos, and soon, the three rings began rotating around a single point, forming a sphere.
[Ah.]
That wasn’t the intention. Cold sweat trickled down his back, but even a passing cat would know that stopping here would lead to a far worse outcome.
Riding that momentum, Enok accepted the united ring into his body.
Woooooong────────
The world trembles. The three talents achieved through human effort took residence in a mere human body, and the merging of the unstable essence and spirit elevated the soul to a higher plane.
But that was it. He couldn’t ascend beyond that with mere luck. With a resigned mind, Enok slowly opened his eyes.
[Hoo…]
His exhaled breath scattered into purple starlight. His vision was filled with lines. Upon realization, a ring had formed around the elongated pupil of his right eye.
[Heaven’s decree is not as good as the Three Talents; The Three Talents are not as good as the True Self.]
The will of heaven cannot compare to the Three Talents I’ve achieved, and those Three Talents cannot compare to my true self.
As he recited that chant, a burst of colorful light erupted behind Enok. Those lights spun without mixing, forming a single ring behind him, allowing Enok to float a star in his hand.
This star was the True Self. The star engraved when he reached the rank of Master, a proper expression of his own intentions in the world. Today, he finally unleashed the power he hadn’t been able to use until now.
“What, what… is happening…?”
As Tsukiyo stared in awe at Enok hovering in the air, Enok sent the star floating from his hand into the ring behind him.
Like a leaf drifting on a river, the star glimmered brightly, blending into the flow of the ring.
‘The star was shaped by the wish I had when I rose to Master.’
Enok had etched that star during a battle against the Master of the Forest, when he wished to see Rionne once more.
As the star fulfilled the most necessary wish for him, it bestowed him with the strength to overcome challenges.
The power to overcome challenges. Unlike Adolf’s gravity or Gray’s stealth, it was very abstract. Because of that, the star had always supported Enok, yet had never advanced beyond that.
So now, he sought to ascribe a clear meaning to it. The name of the star most needed for the path ahead.
[Heavenly Death]
To slay the heavens, and eventually to slay the Heavenly Death that floats above. This was the star forged for that very purpose, a dagger to keep the Heavenly Death in check until that day arrives.
[Now, let’s begin.]
Enok, perched in the air, looked down at Tsukiyo. Since it would be troublesome to kill the opponent in what was supposed to be a friendly duel, he simply retracted the power of Heavenly Death, maintaining only the form of the True Self.
“N-No way… What in the world is this…? Huh!? C-Cough! If it’s a challenge, I’ll accept!”
Calming her breath, Tsukiyo instinctively prepared her full power. It would be greatly embarrassing if she lost.
Swoosh-, Tsukiyo’s cat tail split in two. It took the form known as Nekomata.
The vertically elongated golden pupil narrowed as it tracked Enok’s movements.
“Let’s see if you can live up to that flashy appearance.”
『Cat Illusion – Mist』
Tsukiyo, taking a deep drag from her pipe, exhaled smoke. White mist hazily covered the area, painting it in an illusion.
Pachik-!
However, this was a bad matchup. Enok, penetrating through the illusion with his Ki Eye, appeared directly in front of Tsukiyo.
“What…!?”
He slammed his fist toward the surprised Tsukiyo. Mein Kampf. A strike mimicking Adolf shattered through the air.
Kuuuuuung────────!!
The space distorted under the force of gravity contained in the strike. Tsukiyo, twisting her body gracefully to evade, swung her claws back at Enok, who dissipated into lightning and gathered the star above his hand once more.
Gravity, surpassing Adolf’s strike, copied the very essence of the star’s power. The unstable star flowed into the ring behind him.
This time, instead of the Heavenly Death he had retracted, he forged his own electromagnetic power into a star form. Sending the star flowing back into the ring, two stars floated atop it.
[I’ve always wanted to try this out.]
The technique he had terribly failed at while staying in the Magic Tower. He pushed it a bit further, tuning the birth and demise of the star within his grasp.
『Supernova』
Creating a star through electromagnetic power and gravity, artificially ending its lifespan with an explosion.
Realizing that the little human was doing something incredibly reckless, Tsukiyo hurriedly intertwined her two tails to form a strange shape.
『Cat Sorcery – Curse Doll』
Dolls made of straw filled the space in front of Tsukiyo. The target to absorb damage was that little human… No, would he get too hurt? She quickly changed the target to that empty sky above.
──────────────!!!!
The explosion engulfed the arena. The sky, which took some damage, was shredded to pieces. Had it not been for Rionne stably defending, it would have likely destroyed the entire village where the arena resided.
Rionne raised an eyebrow, clearly irritated.
“…I told you not to do anything dangerous!”
You nodded in agreement! Just wait until this is over. I’ll give you a thorough spank!
It’s not like I’m trying to satisfy personal desires!
Just as Rionne gave a resolute nod, the aftermath of the explosion began to clear, revealing the interior of the arena.
“This crazy…! Huh!?”
[GOTCHA.]
“Nonsensical, meow!”
Before the explosion fully faded, it seemed like they had been fighting tooth and nail, Enok and Tsukiyo exchanged blows.
Enok’s frantic offensive was dodged by Tsukiyo with an eerie agility. Then suddenly, Tsukiyo’s eyes lit up.
『Cat Boxer – Claw Moon』
With a simple snap, her claws tore at Enok’s chest. Despite its appearance resembling a kitty-punch, the sheer power was ferocious.
Crack-!
Instantly surrounding himself with Ki, Enok blocked the attack and maneuvered his five tails.
“That’s…!”
Just as Tsukiyo had used two tails to replace her magic circle, Enok’s five tails intertwined to form a unique shape.
Over that, he stacked the Heavenly Carnage Thunder God Technique he had mastered, raising the magic level to its limit, grounding its representation into the form of a shadow spear.
『Blue Light Star』
A giant sun-like star ignited in the air. The ever-changing blue star was threatening in itself. But upon seeing Enok’s expression, Tsukiyo realized.
Ah, he’s planning to make it explode!
“You crazy bastard…!”
If that explodes, neither the caster nor anyone else would walk away unscathed. Despite its breathtakingly beautiful appearance, the aura emanating from that star was terrifyingly intense. It could very well lead to death.
And yet…
“I like it, meow!”
For some unknown reason, it stirred waves in Tsukiyo’s heart. With a grin stretching ear to ear, she enveloped her hands with Ki.
『Cat Boxer – Star Crusher』
This is dangerous. If the two collide, one of them will be seriously injured. Just as Rionne prepared to lunge forward,
Pik-
“Enok!?”
Enok collapsed right there, his body seemingly devoid of power.
With a shaking Rionne, she rushed to him.
“Enok…! Are you alright!?”
“Ugh…”
Enok blinked back to consciousness. Ah, I pushed it too far. But honestly, wasn’t he at least on par with an ordinary Grandmaster now?
He glanced subtly at Rionne and asked.
“…How strong is that little girl?”
Rionne’s expression crumpled as if she were about to explode. Whether from anger or disbelief, her eyes trembled, and yet, her lips began to respond slowly, determined to answer.
“…She’s a veteran warrior, so she’s not an ordinary Grandmaster.”
“Oh.”
Tsukiyo wasn’t an ordinary Grandmaster. To hold an advantage, however brief, against someone like her meant he was above the level of an ordinary Grandmaster.
With a very rational syllogism, Enok concluded and smiled contentedly.
“Yay!”
“Yay what! Enok, you. When you get home today, I’ll—…”
“You little human.”
Suddenly, Tsukiyo had approached, looking down at Enok with her pitch-black eyes. The vertically slit golden pupil grew larger, preying like a predator on its target.
“Right now, Enok is a patient, so later…”
Tsukiyo fiddled with the sleeve of her dark silk robe. A small hole had formed from a slight burn. She grinned with satisfaction and pointed her pipe at Enok.
“You, be my butler.”
This black cat girl…?