Volume Five: Return from the Other Shore - Chapter 482: Grande Sonata Pathetique (I)
The projection of intention, the clone of consciousness, the true essence is only the one that exists in the physical body. Everything else is equal in importance, all are highly unified forces. The world is the screen, the essence is the projector. As long as the essence is intact, it doesn't matter how many projections of intention are destroyed!
"But—is that really the case?"
A surging sound swept across, tearing apart thousands of projections with each tremor, but tens of thousands more immediately replenished them, an endless and inexhaustible force! This time, the lady used the destructive power of sound on a physical level, causing the atmosphere and even space to fluctuate wildly, with ring-shaped shockwaves gathering before her eyes, poised to strike!
"You only have one true form, a body of flesh and blood. How long can it last?"
Countless tiny cracks appeared in space, covering an area of no less than a hundred miles in the blink of an eye, and the area was still expanding. Realizing that something was terribly wrong, I immediately activated my strongest Flame Wings and fled.
"Even if you could switch places with the projection, how far could you hide? Sing the Song of Smiting Gods!!!"
Centered on her, a visible, semi-transparent shockwave spread outwards in all directions, its momentum devastating! Wherever the wave crest passed, the previously fine cracks suddenly exploded, transforming into massive fissures as thick as thousands of giant pythons. A hundred miles of space shattered under her single shout! My Flame Wings, pushed forward at maximum speed, could be described as lightning fast, but it was still far too slow compared to the collapse of space itself!
Want another round?
There's no other choice!
"Let's go all out -- Summer Blossom Fireworks!!!"
A giant Lycoris radiata blocked my path between me and the Song of Smiting Gods. This time, I didn't detonate my own body. After all, I was in a state of extreme emptiness after using Paradise Lost, so I could only pull the Lycoris radiata (life) directly from the depths of my body and detonate it. Although the power was somewhat reduced, it was enough to block it with a directional blast!
Crimson Fierce Flame burst forth in the air as two massive energies collided, merged, and ultimately neutralized each other. As the price, I was blown away by the enormous shockwave and flew for an unknown amount of time before I managed to steady myself with my Flame Wings.
Just how monstrous is this guy...? Her attack alone was enough to rival that monster's Sovereign's Grasp, and that's just her physical destructive power...
However--
"That's amazing, Mom! If the area were any bigger, I probably wouldn't have had time to move my main body out."
"Shut up!!!"
The shattered space had barely recovered thanks to the world's self-repairing mechanism when countless illusory images of girls surrounded her again, some with light laughter, others with undisguised mockery, ridiculing her futile efforts.
"I advise you not to mess with my real body. The distance between me and the projection is very far, not to mention I've already set up projections in various places as transit points to speed things up. So don't try to use such a trivial method!"
"Shut up!!!"
The lady roared, her voice like thunder echoing through the heavens and earth. Just hearing it sent a jolt through my brain, as if my brains were about to boil. This was, of course, merely a physical manifestation of the mental shock. The lady was now manipulating the mental aspect through her voice. Although her target was Givinia, I was inevitably affected as well.
But I was completely helpless. I had the powerful attack that could instantly open a canal spanning half a continent, but it was useless against the lady who was now a pure spiritual being. It was like punching cotton and not being able to exert any force.
So I had to be a spectator and earnestly pray for the victory of others.
"Go for it, Givinia!"
"Thank you for your encouragement, A Ye."
A soft voice echoed in my mind, still gentle and soothing, but now carrying a hint of urgency.
Her burden was also heavy, that's for sure.
Although she could gain the upper hand in some aspects, she was still far inferior to the Madam in terms of overall strength. So what if she could create an endless number of projections? Her only way to harm the Madam was to use the projections to gang up on her at close range, while the Madam could use sound to launch a large-scale mental attack to destroy the projections. Moreover, Givinia had to constantly transfer her fragile physical body, otherwise she would surely die if she was even slightly affected by the physical attacks that the Madam occasionally launched.
"Although you seem very angry, you are still at a fundamental and overwhelming disadvantage, aren't you?"
"You figured it out, A Ye, you have a good eye."
The phantom image of the girl in his mind flickered, as if shrugging.
"Of course you can see that, right? Even if we're at a stalemate now, the lady's strength is undeniable. Even if you're careful enough not to be killed immediately, you'll eventually be worn down."
"That's true, but even so, I don't want you to get involved, A Ye-- "
"Huh? Wait a minute..."
Countless projections vanished in a blast of sound, leaving a canyon-like rift that pierced through the surrounding space. I couldn't help but rub my eyes; for a fleeting moment, the void around her seemed... to have changed? It was as if we weren't in the high sky where spatial rifts were spreading, but rather in a bloody and desolate battlefield...
No, it's not an illusion!
"Givinia, watch out!!!"
"I told you I didn't need you to remind me!"
For the first time, Givinia's tone took on a stubborn and forceful tone. Her figure swayed and disappeared, and at the same time, all the projections began to vanish. Did she actively eliminate them? Meanwhile, the lady's furious gaze swept around, and endless sound waves surrounded her. These were not ordinary songs or music, but the sounds of clashing metal and shouts of warriors—the true sounds of the battlefield!
"War March!"
The sounds of battle spread outwards, not with the overwhelming violence of the God of Slaughter, but possessing both the powerful offensive force of sound waves and the chilling killing intent of the battlefield! The sonic waves vibrated as if an unseen army was rampaging through the land; though only sound was present, it made one instinctively feel the presence of Light Sword! But more importantly, it contained a chilling aura of slaughter; the rumbling sounds of battle were tens of thousands of times more brutal than a real battlefield, enough to instill fear in anyone who heard it—in other words, it could attack one's very spirit!
An invisible army clashed everywhere, destroying one projection of Givinia after another. Some were suddenly decapitated, some were pierced through, and some were crushed into dust. Although it was known that they were all illusions, it was still unbearable to watch. The power and explosive force of the War March were far inferior to her previous attacks. Its terrifying aspect lay in its terrifying mobility and endurance, capable of autonomously killing all newly generated projections.
The lady imbued sound with the very concept of "war," giving it both physical and psychological destructive power! If Givinia herself were to accidentally collide with it, she would be reduced to ashes!
"You think you're so good at running away, my so-called daughter? Then try running away!"
With a wave of her hand, the lady made a gesture that was clearly for conducting an orchestra, but now it seemed as if she commanded a million-strong army. Compared to her, the Revolutionary Army and the Papacy's army looked like weak children!
Several projections suddenly appeared behind the lady's head, slashing down with their hands, but the attack was forcibly stopped before it arrived, as if it were blocked by countless giant hands!
"You think I'll lower my guard? Don't be! Legion of Sound, kill and search! Pursue her true form that constantly swaps positions with her projections. As long as you destroy her faster than you create her, you'll force her out!"
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Two hundred Monthly Votes!
However, it's still at the bottom...
Finally, the son-in-law and daughter team up for a major showdown with the mother-in-law—a dramatic ethical drama unfolding at the start of the school year.
School's started, and suddenly I have so little time to write... Sigh...