Book Eater

Chapter 258: Receptacle of Solitude (3)

Kraaack!

Eight-Tails went tumbling head over tails. It might have not been so disgraceful if the monster had been calm enough to put up a proper defense, but it was reeling from Theo punching it straight in the face. It was even more effective since it had distributed the power of its tails across its clones.

It was far more durable than a human, but Theo’s fist could reduce a boulder to rubble. Eight-Tails trembled from the unfamiliar pain and stared at the worm that had somehow hurt it. It was then that Magic Bullet drilled into Eight-Tails’ eyes.

Kyaaaak!

No matter how strong one’s body was, one’s eyes were inevitably weak. The pain was like a heated poker burning through its head. But Theo didn’t wait for a moment as he watched Eight-Tails roll around on the ground in pain.

“Be a sword, fire of purgatory.”

Theo finished the chant for the purgatory sword that had sent the 4th stage Pride running, the application of attack magic which Veronica had used once in front of him.

“Infernal Blade!”

A flame sword was summoned, distorting the surrounding air. This flaming sword could incinerate anything in the material world. Eight-Tails instinctively sensed the danger and tried to spring away.

This was 7th Circle fire magic—highly destructive black flames. Even Eight-Tails’ regeneration wouldn’t be able to deal with a blow to the head. Theo leaped forward, flaming sword in hand.

Hwaruruk!

He didn’t need swordsmanship; he just allowed the sword to follow Eight-Tails’ movements. The flaming sword which burned everything in its way was powerful enough by itself. If Eight-Tails tried to dodge the flames, Theo would use magic or fists to obstruct it.

Kwarurung!

A lightning bolt struck Eight-Tails, freezing it for a moment, which allowed a heavy fist to land on its abdomen. This time, it spat out blood with a wail. In fact, a human would die ten times over from that blow, but it wasn’t enough to fatally wound Eight-Tails.

Theo had a grim expression on his face.

This can’t continue.

It may have looked like Theo was dominating the battle, but appearances were deceiving. Eight-Tails was recovering from every blow it was being dealt. Inferno Blade could destroy its brain in a single blow, but it was clear from Eight-Tails accepting blows to avoid coming in contact with Inferno Blade that it knew that. Moreover, not having another attack that could deal a fatal blow was becoming a problem.

Kyaaaak!

Theo lost count of how many times it had done something similar. Magic Bullet tore a hole in Eight-Tails’ arm, but the monster used the momentary gap to leap toward Theo.

It had gradually gotten used to the pace of Theo’s attacks and was starting to counterattack. Its lack of battle experience against humans was quickly being filled up, and its shamanism was quickly being honed to become more elaborate and precise.

Seimei also noticed Eight-Tails’ ability rising.

[Ohu, a technique? It was blindly using strength at first, but now it’s learned little tricks.]

Tch, is that so?

[Well, it should be able to hold on for a few more hours like this. You need to hurry. I can’t help you if it isn’t shamanism.]

It was as he said. Eight-Tails’ strength wasn’t just shamanism. It was learning martial arts and other unknown powers to become more mature. If they didn’t defeat it, they might inadvertently make Eight-Tails a perfect monster.

“Haap!”

Theo dropped into a stance and reached out with both fists.

Fairy Dance’s Direct Transmission. Four Major Hidden Techniques. Rain like an Axle.

He hadn’t used this technique before, and caught Eight-Tails off guard. His fists ruthlessly pounded Eight-Tails’ face and upper body dozens of times in one breath.

Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwa!

It was truly a shower of fists! Eight-Tails’ body was pummeled by incredible force, sending it flying back. The power of the punch was enhanced by ether, so Theo’s fist was stronger than a mace. Theo could feel flesh deforming and bones breaking under his fist, but he was amazed that Eight-Tails only suffered a few broken bones. It still wasn’t a serious injury, despite receiving the force of the second hidden technique.

Theo frowned; he hadn’t intended to just knock Eight-Tails away. He wasn’t a martial artist, but a magician. Merely pushing back his opponent away was only the beginning. In the end, the truth Theo believed in was magic.

It was theoretically perfect, but what is this?

In fact, there were other methods to destroy Eight-Tails. He could always overwhelm its regeneration with Abraxas. Yet there was a reason he didn’t bring out his original spell.

Receptacle of Solitude...

Theo had been analyzing this space the entire time, and he could tell that this spatial pocket couldn’t handle a great deal of magic. As soon as Theo used Abraxas, this pocket would be torn open, and the monsters would rush out. He didn’t know about Eight-Tails, but Theo couldn’t be assured that there weren’t other offerings in hiding.

He needed to defeat this monster without giving others a chance to escape. Thankfully, he had a solution in mind already.

Forced Harmonization!

This time, he would focus on lightning. He had realized a few things about lightning in his studies and battles. First, the human body couldn’t perfectly handle lightning’s speed. The moment that Theo’s body became lightning, it would lose its substance and turn into a collection of currents, with most of the force being lost in his brain.

This was why Marquis Fergana didn’t die in a single blow.

If Theo’s blow had been truly lightning given form, Fergana’s body would’ve been vaporized. Of course, Theo’s body would also shatter, so it was a suicidal spell. He had instinctively sacrificed power for safety in that exchange.

So Theo had primarily used lightning to accelerate his thinking, or handle high speed movement. It was already plenty useful, but Theo was a magician. He had already embarked on developing more spells around lightning, especially when he could combine it with ether.

Giga Lightning X Ether. Complete Integration: Thunder Giant.

He had another name for it; Advent of the Lightning God.

Kururung! Kwarururung!

Golden thunderbolts coalesced into a twenty meter tall giant behind Theo. Oddly, the giant’s feet didn’t seem to make any impressions on the ground. But then again, lightning was weightless.

Guarrrrr?

Eight-Tails wasn’t the only one who was confused at this development. All the combatants paused to examine the battlefield’s newest arrival. The Tiger King stopped swiping at the clones, while the White Bear lifted his head from where he was pinning three clones with a giant paw.

The price for this short moment of surprise was fatal.

The human body can’t properly make lightning, but it can be copied with ether.

The true power of this unique spell was that it allowed ether and lightning to enter Theo’s brain.

Kwaaaaang!

The giant disappeared. It moved at the speed of lightning as it buried a fist into Eight-Tails’ body.

Go!

The golden giant vanished again, but this time, a golden blur appeared around Eight-Tails.

――――――――――――!!!

Its fists landed on Eight-Tails with the ferocity of a storm, as it kept throwing punches. The golden giant exceeded the speed of sound, but it didn’t create any shockwaves. Theo had no idea whether it was because fluid mechanics didn’t apply to electricity or whether the golden giant had somehow created a vacuum around Eight-Tails.

Eight-Tails screamed in enraged shock and pain. Earth flew into the air as it was pummeled deep into the ground as the thunder giant’s fists rained down on it. Every blow could pulverize mithril, and the burns left behind would scorch bone.

A hundred, no, it had surpassed a thousand blows, later, Eight-Tails was thoroughly embedded into the bedrock. Theo’s brain could only maintain the thunder giant for ten more seconds, but it would feel like ten minutes of hell for Eight-Tails.

Kyaaack!

It couldn’t escape from the torrential downpour of punches. A scream tore its way out of its throat as all its limbs shattered. In desperation, Eight-Tails curled up, wrapping all its eight tails around it in a last ditch effort to protect itself, and waited for the horrible punching to stop.

At that moment...

[Oh, I see. In that case, that technique might work here.]

... What?

Theo’s expression subtly changed.

[Listen up. So...]

The explanation was swift. Usually, Seimei would’ve taken his time, but Theo’s Advent of the Lightning God would unravel in a few seconds, so Seimei didn’t act frivolously. Theo nodded after hearing the story. He wouldn’t be harmed even if this failed.

Okay. We’ll give it a shot.

[Ohh! Leave it to this Seimei!]

Theo’s right hand rose as Seimei began speaking through Theo’s mouth.

“Alara Kalama, Uddaka Ramaputta.”

Sanskrit, the secret language of the monks, rang out. Seimei’s solution had been shamanism.

“Rajagaha, anuttara sammasambodhi, vesakha!”

Thunderbolts started to converge as the giant’s fists shone with an unknown light. The previously passive Eight-Tails started to struggle again as the thunder giant’s fists continued to land on its body. Theo didn’t know what was going on, but it was proof that it was working!

Seimei continued to move his hands as he chanted. He was using the mantra of Breaking Evil and Manifesting Good, a spell that borrowed the power of the King of Heaven who ruled over all wrongs. Although it came from a different origin than Seimei’s Art of Onmyōdō, Seimei was a master shaman capable of using all the esoteric techniques of shamanism.

Indra, the king of heaven who reigned over thunder and lightning… His lightning strikes incinerated all evil spirits into dust, and annihilated negative emotions in one’s mind.

Indeed, Eight-Tails’ tails started to scatter.

Kyaack-! Kyaaack!

Did it know that its strength was disappearing? Eight Tails didn’t stop struggling even as eight tails went down to seven, and seven went down to six. The power of the Receptacle of Solitude was falling away. When the tails decreased to five, four, and finally three, the black tails regained their color.

... Gold?

Perhaps this had been its original color. A brilliant light forced Theo to close his eyes as Seimei completed his chant.

“―Svaha!”

At that moment, golden light covered the heavens and the earth.