Book Eater

Chapter 396: Goodbye, Dear Friend (2)

Kukukung...!

The magic power overflowing from both beings shook the earth. The outskirts of the crater crumbled down, and the clouds that had just formed were torn apart again. Theo’s eyes shone just before the collision. Due to his contact with the Akashic Records, he could see through a few more dimensions now. He could peek at the power of the grimoire, Gluttony, who had separated from him.

It is equivalent to the ‘me’ before entering the Akashic Records? No, the grimoire has perfect arithmetic abilities and its other functions, so I should assume it exceeds the previous me.

Gluttony was stronger than most transcendents. It couldn’t be compared to the ones they had fought in the swamp. It might be even stronger than the heavenly demon. Nevertheless, Theo didn’t feel any fear. The reason for that was very simple.

- You will regret your stupidity, Theodore Miller!

Gluttony cried out furiously and stretched out both of its palms.

Memorize. All Slots Open. Nonuple Keraunos.

This was the ultimate spell Theo had personally created. Nine Gluttony’s appeared around him. It was a level of destruction that would vaporize mountains and tear the sky. Gluttony only needed one second to complete the nine ultimate spells. Then the world filled with a pale light as the lightning assault began.

Kwarururung!

The surface of the crater, which was already ravaged by Wrath, collapsed with a loud roar. Meanwhile, the inside of the crater started to melt quickly, and the blizzard, which had raged for many years, was blown away. White lightning flashed as the atmosphere was charged with ions. Even adamantium would evaporate under the lightning assault. They turned the heavens and the earth upside down, making a strange mark.

It wasn’t a power that could be safely handled by a transcendent.

- Hmm.

However, Gluttony stared ahead with calm, dark eyes. It might be in the form of a human but dust couldn’t block the vision of a grimoire. The Keraunos had been perfectly aimed

“Knock on wood.”

There was no doubt that Theo had survived without getting hurt. Gluttony grunted when he heard the spell and realized what Theo had used as a counter.

- The lightning god’s blessing. Learning to avoid lightning from me and using it here leaves a bad taste.

Theo retorted lightly, “If you knew, you shouldn’t have used it. Isn’t it no different from knowing the answer to a problem?”

- ... If lightning doesn’t work, how about this?

Did Gluttony want to avoid talking? Gluttony ignored Theo and cast two spells, Hellfire and Absolute Zero, in response. Either great spell could wipe out an army. Theo’s reply was one word, Abraxas.

It was dangerous. Theo had a carefree expression and moved his palm one beat late. There was no proper countermeasure to Abraxas, a magic that annihilated everything in its path. It could only be hit with a similar magic or offset. The two Abraxas clashed in the middle.

Pak!

The two spells amplified each other, gouging a larger crater into the ground. It was now eight kilometers in diameter before the light from the spells’ collision dissipated.

It will come.

Shortly afterward, Theo sensed something. He sensed that Gluttony would aim for this moment. The flash of Abraxas wasn’t a real light but part of the annihilation. Creatures based in three dimensions couldn’t recognize this light with their five senses. However, the senses of the grimoires were different from life forms. If Gluttony could observe the dimensional vibrations, he wouldn’t miss the advantage of this moment.

Can it do it?

Theo’s nerves accelerated to 0.3 seconds and gave up on this thought. Gluttony wasn’t an autonomous maneuver-type grimoire. There was a clear limit to the ability to act independently from its contractor. Gluttony would self-destruct if Theo just ran around without fighting. If Theo held on until it ran out of power, would it let go of its greed?

“That would be the ideal end.”

The moment Theo mumbled and smiled…

Puhak!

Gluttony soared high into the sky and created a magic circle.

- You forgot what was on your left arm!

The shadowy body emitted a strong suction force that was neither wind nor gravity. There was only one source of the ominous pull. It was the heavenly demon’s power which was tied to Theo’s left arm—the inherent ability of the incarnation of disaster, the Absorption Star Method.

Kiiing!

Theo’s right hand shone in response. The moment the power of the Absorption Star Method was recognized, the management authority of the material world lent him its power. If he didn’t act soon, the world would dry up.

“No, I don’t need it.”

However, Theo didn’t accept the power. Although Gluttony might’ve drawn in a great deal of power through the Absorption Star Method, Theo was confident enough in his chances to win. Gluttony was about to say something when it realized it was stupid to give advice in the middle of a battle. In any case, wasn’t this a fight where one of them might die?

- ... It doesn’t matter.

A crimson magic circle expanded to cover the sky.

“Hah.”

It was ridiculous. Theo was speechless since he recognized these magic circles as the ultimate magic launcher. This was hard even for a grimoire. It was obvious that Gluttony’s body had been heavily damaged from the backlash. However, it didn’t deal significant damage to Gluttony, since it wasn’t a real body except for the left arm.

At least fifteen... If I had to guess, there are at least twenty-three spells.

Would this magic transformation have been possible during the Age of Mythology? This was the unreasonable result of adding Theo’s abilities together with a grimoire’s computing ability. From here on, Theo had to do well. If he made a single mistake, he would die.

- Die.

The sky was torn apart as the spells descended.

***

The battle didn’t last for much longer, but it was fearsome enough to be reminiscent of those during the Age of Mythology. Even if every expert in the material world pooled their strengths, it wouldn’t be able to hold against this firepower for ten seconds. A single lightning bolt created a cliff and a tongue of flame ate the wind in the form of a dragon. It was a land of natural disasters.

Blade of Chronos, a translucent sword shot out at the speed of light. It was a magic that sealed any time and space it touched, a technique which sealed defense magic. During the Age of Mythology, some magicians had sealed gods with this. It was a spell that Theo couldn’t use even though he knew about it, yet Gluttony seemed to have grasped the logic behind it.

「Instantaneous acceleration, one hundred and thirty two fold! 」

However, Theo didn’t panic as he constructed his defenses. If he simply moved faster than the seal, then the sealing sword would self-destruct under the barrage of spells. The translucent sword was squashed under his spells and vanished. The grimoire didn’t even wait to see the result before attacking with four ultimate spells.

Dimension Buster. Immovable Fire. Eternal Force Blizzard. Keraunos.

As space tore, the ultimate spells of three attributes came into play. This retaliatory attack was really bloody. If Theo had no answer to it, it would be a fatal blow. The energy of three attributes rushed into the space which was shattered by Dimension Buster. Theo envisioned some of his old ideas and put into action a magic he had never used before.

「 Arcane Barrier! 」

Even so, he quickly responded to the damaged space, restoring it by replacing space from elsewhere, while the three ultimate spells of different attributes were frozen at their space coordinates. It was a unique counter skill that could only be done by Theodore Miller.

Forced Harmonization.

Of course, this trick couldn’t control the ultimate magic. Additionally, the caster was an existence with unmatched computational ability, Gluttony. Theo’s actions seemed like he was just staving off the inevitable. Gluttony twisted the normal circuit and let it go.

―――――――――――!

Without the intervention of Forced Harmonization, the magic of three attributes couldn’t coexist. Once Theo’s Sorcery was lifted, the three spells trapped in the same coordinates exploded. It contained significant power. Theo took a step forward without any fear. Gluttony had cast twenty five ultimate spells. It had the initiative and would continue the one-sided offensive.

... Is that what you thought?

Theo smiled calmly and held up his right hand.

「 Tathagata’s Hand. 」

In the sky, Gluttony was grasped firmly.

- Kuk?

Gluttony’s black body froze as it was squeezed by the space around it. It tried to use space movement or time acceleration, but nothing worked. This spell had never been seen in the history of the material world! Theo revealed the trick as Gluttony watched him with astonishment.

“Don’t be surprised. It’s a one time use trick, the ability of a top-level deity that can’t be escaped.”

It was a technique used by the Great Sage Equal To Heaven. Theo himself would have no way of escaping. Meanwhile, Gluttony was using the Absorption Star Method and was treated as an eternal presence, making the binding force ten times stronger.

- A magician relying on this trick instead of magic!

Theo rolled his eyes. “Didn’t you make up for your lacking magic with the Absorption Star Method? How about you surrender? Take a look at the seal.”

- Trivial nonsense!

Gluttony fiercely shook off Theo’s goodwill.

- I will dissipate the strength of this seal. If I disassemble it with the Absorption Star Method and use it as my strength!

“So... you still haven’t seen it?” Theo appeared behind Gluttony’s back with a single space movement and reached out without hesitation.

Yin and Yang Binding.

It was Seimei’s technique, but the intentions were a bit different. Seimei had been just a piece of a soul and he had been prepared for his extinction. However, it wasn’t as difficult for the present Theo. He took a part of his soul and made it into a string, then he tied it around Gluttony’s left forearm.

Seook.

Theo cut it off just like he had cut off his own arm.

“I won’t miss this time.”

- Kuk...!

Theo personally demonstrated the magic to Gluttony. He stabbed a ‘time-binding sword’ into Gluttony’s left foot. The translucent sword trapped Gluttony in place. In truth, Theo had been able to do this from the beginning. He could have overpowered Gluttony without giving it a chance to resist. However, Theo had let this unnecessary fight go on.

“... Hey, my friend.”

It was the companion who had been with him for dozens of years, the existence that had raised the dunce of Bergen Academy to become the strongest magician of this material world... Theo had known this would happen. He was confident in this fight. Still, he arrived at this moment due to his heart. For him who had seen another dimension, his past self was nothing. Theo just mourned that the end was coming and dragged out the fight.

“...”

It wasn’t too late even now. He could sign the contract and return to the past. Sadness and foolishness burned up inside of him. Theo swallowed down these thoughts.

“I won, Gluttony.” There was remorse in Theo’s voice.

Gluttony was silent and didn’t respond for a few seconds.

-Yes.?

Before long, it replied in the same voice as always,

-... It is my defeat, Theodore Miller.