CCM 72 – Yo, Just Why Do Things Happen When I start to Miss You

 

[That’s… What an amazing force…]

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I heard Kaya’s lingering voice as she looks at Em with a tinge of fear.

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[Arios-san… This presence… I can tell from it’s aura that she just became someone stronger than me.]

[……..]

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It pains me to admit it but Kaya’s certainly right.

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At the very least, compared to Kaya who’s just been training with me earlier, the malicious aura bearing down on us is quite stronger.
And as Kaya has suspected, chances are that it’s stronger as well than her or other A rank adventurers.

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–An experimental subject.

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That’s how the members of SoA’s refers to Em when they talked about her existence.

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And… Those words… It’s just too cruel.

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Just what kind of life this young and innocent girl had to go through…

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But at that moment—

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——————-

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*100% Loaded* *All sources complete*

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A message from the Goddess Dies has arrived.

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Deciphering.

Launching.

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——————–

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Familiar strings of characters then filled my view.

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Goddess Dies…

Just why did you choose to show yourself in such a moment like this…!?
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[–As we have suspected, it really has appeared.]

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Her voice resounded as the goddess that has given me tremendous ability appeared right by my side.
Her golden long hair and pure innocent eyes reminds me once again how her beauty can’t be compared to anything in this world.

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[It’s been a while, Arios-san.
Though I have to say that even for me, being allowed to meet you in cases like this is really rough and frustrating…]

[Haha… That’s true.
If possible, it would be really nice if we can just sit down and talk with leisure.]

[Hey… Who’s that woman…?]

[Pretty…]

[Ey, ain’t she look like the goddess from those fairy tales?]

[No no no no, how could that be… but yea they sure look close ey.]

[Then, does it mean that Arios-san and the Goddess-sama know of each other…?]

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Seeing the otherworldly beauty appearing right beside me, the villagers can’t help but raise a ruckus.

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Seems like the Goddess-sama has no intentions of stopping the flow of time on this one.
Well, compared to the time with the Vanitas Roar, there are significantly fewer people this time so that might be one of the reasons.

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But more importantly…

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[Goddess-sama… Are you aware of what’s happening with Em?]

[Yes.
It is just my hypothesis but her body is used as a vessel to contain a calamity.
All for the sake of that fateful day.]

[For the sake of that fateful day, you say…]

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What the.

It feels like I get it but at the same time I don’t?

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Still, I guess it wasn’t wrong to say that all of this is happening because Em’s been subjected to horrible experiments for the sake of that calamity.

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[aaaAaAaAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

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Unfortunately, I don’t have any time left to dwell on this.
I can see Em on her own is trying to restrain the force that’s consuming her body but she’s losing control of it bit by bit.

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–It’s just really hard to believe that the young girl harbours this horrendous existence while innocently living…

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[Arios-san, I don’t really have much time so allow me to fight with you this once.]

[huh…?]

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Despite the situation, I can’t help but get dumbfounded.

Is she serious? Will I really be fighting beside a Goddess?

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[…Or so I say but I already told you that this body is nothing but a projection.
As such, I will not be able to show my true powers but what I do have right now should be enough to neutralize a calamity of this level.]

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Neutralize, huh.

I see.
So that’s what we just have to do.

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You see, it’s really hard for me to point my sword and fight against Em.
But as the Goddess had said, if she could just neutralize and extract the calamity, then Em could be saved.

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[Understood.
I shall leave it to your hands, Goddess-sama.]

[Yes.
Have faith in me.]

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After saying so, the Goddess puts both of her hands forward.

Mana then revolves around her as it seems she has magic to cast.
But contrary to common spellcasting, the Goddess’ whole body is starting emit a strong brillance.

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Even I, who is practically a goof when it comes to magic, can feel it.

The tremendous amount of mana is condensing around the Goddess at this moment.

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[uAAUUAuUGAa!!!!!!!]

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Perhaps it felt the threat from the magic that the Goddess is about to use.

Em who’s now practically covered by waves of jet black aura came straight with tremendous speed right to the Goddess in a hurry.

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–She’s fast.

However… not fast enough.

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Em’s sword came crashing down which I calmly flicked away with mine.
Lock in a stalemate at a moment, I put more effort to my sword towards Em to have her weapon get flung and have her disarmed.

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[UOOoAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOA!!]

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I let my sword dance faster and faster to keep Em away from the Goddess Dies.

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[..gGahh..Gaahhh!!..]

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Em was able to keep her sword and feet right after my rain of slashes but I can see that she paid quite tremendous cost for it. 

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The young girl is clearly in pain but she forced her way on me in an attempt to extract a quick revenge.
But I won’t let her do so.

I return all of her attempts with slashes of mine with speed faster than she could have ever done.

I won’t let her seize even the tiniest bit of openings.

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If the fight drags longer, I feel like I can grow stronger just exchanging swords with her.

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[–Here I go, Arios-san!]

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But at that moment — the Goddess shouted.

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A streak of light that looked like lightning unleashes from both of her hands and immediately ensnared Em.

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[GaAaAAAAA!!]

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The young girl screams in pain but according to Goddess, this would not hurt Em.

The shriek of agony that’s coming out from her body isn’t really Em, but the calamity that was hidden inside her body.

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And after a few moments.

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[aaahh…!!]

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Em’s pitiful cry reaches my ears as something dark flew outside of her body.