If this continued, Norla would never be able to change back!
He had completely given himself over to madness, surrendering his body entirely to beastly instincts. All to defeat him.
Facing the frenzied Arno No. 1, Ruslan let out a sigh.
It was understandable that he had made such a decision after putting himself in Norla and Fujimaru Ritsuka's shoes.
But he could not do the same.
So—
"I'm going in, Norla."
Ruslan assumed a stance that Fujimaru Ritsuka found somewhat familiar.
"First Stance. Crane."
Raising Zinivosh high above his head, Ruslan slowly uttered those words.
"That's—"
Fujimaru Ritsuka's pupils suddenly contracted.
That was—Sakumura's technique!
Unlike Sakumura, he did not call down lightning. Ruslan was merely using the same technique—he had no legend of cleaving lightning from the sky like Sakumura did.
Besides, he did not need lightning.
—The god-forged flames upon Zinivosh were enough.
BOOM—!!!
Dodging Norla's whipping tail once more, Ruslan took a deep breath as his magical energy erupted—
Flames nearly blanketed the sky.
"Crane Stay—Fall!!!"
Hummm—
BAM!!!!!
At a speed the naked eye could not possibly follow, Ruslan gripped Zinivosh's hilt with both hands and brought it down upon Norla below.
—BOOM!!!
"ROAR—"
Norla let out a piercing scream.
Its nearly indestructible body had actually—been carved open by Ruslan, leaving behind an enormous gash.
Flames that did not belong to Norla burned within the wound, causing it unbearable agony.
But—
It was still not enough!
This alone was not enough to make Norla temporarily change back!
So—
Clatter, clatter—
Zinivosh vanished. What appeared in his hand was something Fujimaru Ritsuka had never expected to see.
"—Chains of Heaven!?"
Fujimaru Ritsuka abruptly rose to his feet, staring at the golden chains in Ruslan's hand, his voice filled with shock.
—Why?
Lawrence's magecraft, Oceannus's weapon, Sakumura's swordsmanship—those were