“There is no time. There are 2 minutes remaining.” (Near)
“My head hu–rts! I’m bur–ning up!” (Urd)

Near informs me of how much longer until [Kamui Makiri (Divine Knife)] collapses. There really isn’t any time left. Looks like Urd is reaching her limit too.

“Damn, just a bit longer!”

Judging from black dress-san’s aura, the black jewel on her chest is probably her power source. I am aiming for it as I approach, but the fierce assault from the trees and rocks along with the walls of air are more troublesome than I expected. I can’t get close.

I thought it would all work out once the dragon and giant skeleton were taken care of, but I was being naive.

“1 minute remaining.”
“Forget defending. Near, Urd, hide behind my head.”

Near and Urd grab the hair on the back of my head and hide themselves. I ignore the oncoming wooden spears and stones and focus solely on tearing through the walls of air.

“I refuse to surrender this power, wa! With this power, I’ll have my, revenge on god, yo!”
The black dress manipulates the surrounding nature to attack me as she retreats.

“Gaaah!”
My left arm is hit while a deep wound is also gouged out of my leg, but those injuries are immediately restored. Unfortunately, the protective effect of my substitution tag is exhausted and it crumbles away.

“Khu…”
If I get a lethal injury now, I’ll absolutely die. That’s terrifying.

That sense of loss, that despair, I know the fear of death better than anyone else. But, that’s the reason why, the reason I need to keep pressing forward.

Most likely, the class representative and everyone else will be killed if I run away… but dying is scary!!

“Ah, whatever! Gotta make it!!”

Not going to freeze up from fear. Not going to run away either. And I’m absolutely not going to die.

I’m not even two meters away from the black dress. One more step and the tip of my sword will reach her.

I can win! No one will die!

“Not yet, my revenge, it still isn’t finished! [Incinerate him]!”
“!!?”

A premonition of death of an unprecedented level hits me and I instantly roll to the right. I then look to where I was standing and discover it is now bright red, almost liquid like.

“Lava? How ho…yeow!”
My gaze continues to my leg, but it’s just a lump of charcoal from midthigh. Nothing is left beyond that.

“Not yet!”
“Goshujin-sama, hold on!”

Hearing Near and Urd call out to me from behind my head brings me back to my senses.

That’s right, I still have my right leg. I can leap forward with that and…
That’s what I think, but my left leg is regenerating.

“20 seconds remaining!”
“Goshujin-sama, fight!”

I can feel 2 things stuck to the back of my neck. Near and Urd must have stuck their substitution tags on me just before I lost my left leg.

“Thanks, both of you, thanks.”

I dash for the black dress with all my might while expressing my gratitude.

“Incinerate!”
“No way!”

The true identity of that incineration is probably light. She’s manipulating it to fire off heat rays. Concentrating light must be how she created those black, ping pong ball sized dots floating before chest.

Spontaneous laser beams? That’s way too much of a cheat!

“But that doesn’t matter. I’ve got 2 substitution tags, so all that’s left is to plow through until the goal!”
“10 seconds remaining!” (Near)
“We just need to hit her with the tip of the sword!” (Urd)
“My revenge, still isn’t finished!”

I press ahead despite being burned up by the heat rays, but the black dress continues to retreat while creating walls of air.

This isn’t good. My body might not be able to endure this, but there’s no time!

“Fufufuu, looks like this is my… kyaa!”
“Eh?”

Just when I think I’m not going to make it, the black dress steps in some ivy and trips.

“An opening!!”

Due to suddenly falling over, her walls of air and heat rays vanish so I swing [Kamui Makiri (Divine Knife)] without any hesitation.

With the mental image [Tear through all the vileness!], I strike the black jewel on the black dress’ chest with my blade.

“My power! My… re… venge?”

As the black dress loses her control over light and air, the area is enveloped with dazzling light and a tempest. As I am blown away by the tempest, my tension relaxes and I gradually lose consciousness.

“Mogaa…”

Just before I pass out, I feel a rock in my mouth.

Ugh, that’s the worst…

---

T/N: Dues ex machina, but it works. Weirdly enough, Yuuki winning by dumb luck instead of skill feels a bit more refreshing than him somehow actually doing it himself.  It helps keep him more grounded as a real person instead of some impossible, will kill all, protagonist.

~Lyfe

<A Rock in my Mouth 55.1