ヒュゥゥゥゥゥゥン…

　エトランゼ・コピーの変化と同時、異常な反応を示すＥ．Ｓに対しセーフティが働いたのか、起動レバーが自動的に停止位置へと戻った。

　システムが停止した事で、周囲を染め上げていた桃色の輝きが失われていく。代わりに、己が身を水底に沈ませているような錯覚が、酷く不快な生温さと息苦しさを伴って、全身を刺激する。

　それはエトランゼ・コピーが、存在していない下腹部と、おそらくオリジナルに…彼女「達」の元となったエトランゼに刻まれていたであろう凄惨な傷、彼女「達」には存在し得ない、夥しい傷があった筈の箇所から溢れ出させる闇と見紛う漆黒の瘴気が、白紙に零れ落ちた黒のインクが染み広がっていくかの如く、辺りの空間を飲み込み始めていたからだ。

　居合わせる者達は、およそ霊感など欠片も持たぬ者であっても、身一つで飢えた大型肉食獣を前にした恐怖とプレッシャーにも似て非なる、窮地でありながら、どこか非現実めいた生命の危機を、本能に刷り込まれていく。だというのに、薄く、しかし強固な、一人として逃さぬとばかりに目に見えぬ膜と化した怖気に纏わりつかれ、体の自由を奪われていた。

　その不可解な重圧の中で動くのは、確かな我を持つ者か…それに匹敵する、強い欲望を持つ者。

（黒の霧…時折、怒りを見せたランが吐き出していた、憎悪に染まった霊気か！だがこれは、ランのものとは比較にならん程、濃度が桁違いじゃ。自らを”本物の憎悪”と称するだけの事はある…！）

　動ける者の一人であるエルザは、予想外の更に外となった成り行きに、敢えて傍観者となり動かぬ事を選び、思慮を巡らせていく。

（しかし…驚きこそしたが、これでこちらにも勝機が生まれた。この猶予、有難く使わせてもらうぞ！）

　気取られぬよう、密かに、慎重に、魔法式を多重構築する。あとは発動するタイミングを伺うだけだ。

　そして動ける者のもう一人、ドレイクが、怒りに震える怒声を上げる。

「このコピーが、希望を託されて蘇った正の感情だと…負の感情だけを独立させた存在のお前等が、何故希望などという感情を持てる！？」

『やっぱりあなたは、知ったような事を言うだけで何も解っていない。弱い人を踏みにじる事しかしないあなたには、弱い人の事なんて、何一つ解らないんでしょうね。弱い私達だからこそ、負の感情しか持たない私達だからこそ、希望を抱いた。解り易いように言い方を変えれば、この子は私達の願い、そのもの』

「ね、願い…！？」

「…思い、出したよ…本当の私を…！」

「ラン！」

　か細い声にエルザが目を向けると、今まさにボックスの中でゆっくりと起き上がる、ランの姿があった。涙と涎を、鼻水交じりの鼻血を手袋で乱雑に拭い、ドレイクを睨み付けるその目が、憔悴していながらも確かな意志の光を取り戻している事に安堵する。

「恐怖の私は死してなお続く煉獄が終わる事を願った、悲哀の私は決して救われぬ悲劇が終わる事を願った、絶望の私は逃れる術の無い苦痛が終わる事を願った、そして憎悪の私は…自分自身を、エトランゼの憎しみを晴らし、消し去る事を願った！”私達”は、負の感情だったからこそ、そこから解放されたくて、救いを願って…その願いが私を、エトランゼの希望を蘇らせたのよ！この私を使った事で、あなたの計画は失敗した、”私達”の思惑通りに！」

「失敗…ク…ククク…！そうだ、確かに失敗だ。だが、まだ終わってはいない、Ｅ．Ｓはまだ健在なのだ！お前ではなくこいつが本物の憎悪なら、今度はこいつを使えば良いだけの事！馬鹿な奴だ、態々自らが本物である事を明かし、証明するなど！！」

　目を細め、エトランゼ・コピーに掴み掛ろうと腕に力を籠めるドレイクに、ランが仰々しく指を指して続ける。

「”私”の言う通り、本当に解っていないのね。負の感情同士、同質のものなら受け入れられ、異質なものは拒絶される、それは間違っていない。ただ、私と”私達”が持つ正と負の感情は、一見相反するものだけれど、元を辿ればエトランゼという一人の女の子から分かたれた感情。例え真逆のものであっても、私が”私達”の一人である以上は同質の存在なのよ、でなければ同調なんてする筈がないでしょう？つまり…」

「何…まさか！」

「そう。途中で止まってしまったけれど…既にあの”私達”には、私が持っていた正の感情が、ある程度インストールされている。ほんの僅かでも正の感情を持つあの”私達”が、同じ感情を持つ同質の”私達”を複製して取り込み続けるという事は、同質の存在でありながら相反する正の感情を持った”私達”も複製して取り込んでいくって事だわ。そうして取り込んだ正の感情が負の感情同様に蓄積されていけば、やがては負の感情も穏やかになって、憎しみで永遠に負の感情をサイクルさせるなんて事も無くなる。永久機関にならなくて残念ね？」

　そう締め括り皮肉気にウィンク、ついでに心の中で「よく分かんないけど、多分」と付け加える。笑みこそ無いものの、見る者が見れば、ランの仕草にエルザの悪戯っ気のある笑みが重なって見えただろう。

　対して絶句し、怒りに打ち震えていたドレイクは、大気を揺るがす咆哮を上げた。

「ゴォアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアアア！！！！！！」

「ぬうぅっ！？」

　ドラゴン・ロアー。対竜戦の基本として対策はしていたものの、シェイプシフターの化けた紛い物といえど上位竜に近いドレイクの咆哮は、魔法による抵抗力をいとも容易く突き抜ける。魔法使いならではの強い精神力で、気絶、恐慌、戦意喪失等に陥る事は免れたとはいえ、エルザは動きを止められてしまった。エルザとは違い、何の対策も無しに直撃を受けたランを心配して、意識を向けてしまったからだ。

　ガラス張りのボックスという薄く頼りない、しかし外気を隔てる防壁のお陰か、目を閉じて両手で耳を塞いだランに異常は見られなかった。気丈にも耐えるランの様子に気を抜いた訳ではなかったが、ほんの僅かに反応が遅れてしまうのまでは避けられない。その隙を突いて三連撃の鉤爪が迫ってきていた。

　なんとか一撃目を躱し、二撃目を魔力の盾でいなすも、三撃目が魔法の盾を打ち砕いて左肩に食い込み、大きく肉を削ぎ取っていく。切り裂かれた蒼の着物が瞬く間に紅に染まり、左腕が力無く垂れ下がる。

「チィッ！！」

「まだだ…まだ終わってはいない！もう一度憎悪を正常にインストールさえすれば、正の感情などあっという間に塗り潰されるはず…そうだ、やり直せる、私の計画はまだ終わっていないのだ！諦めるものかァ！！」

「く…、往生際の悪い奴め！！」

「黙れぃ！まずは目障りなお前を殺し、出来損ないのコピーは処分だ！その後で本物のコピーを捕え、もう一度計画を再始動する！これ以上誰にも邪魔はさせん！！」

　またも三連撃。猛烈な勢いで吹き出され壁を溶かす轟炎をエアリ＝アルを真横に加速し避け、逃げ道を塞ぐように襲い来る鉤爪の間を体を捻ってすり抜けたが、更にその先に狙いすまして振るわれた唸りを上げる横薙ぎの尻尾が、エルザを壁に叩き付けた。体の奥から骨の砕ける音が聞こえ、途轍もない圧迫に内臓が押し潰される感触。

「ぐ、ぶッ…」

「クハハハハハ！さっきまでは生意気にも凌いでいたが、一度でも当たってしまえばこんなものだ。脆いなァ人間は」

　堪らず血を吐き出すエルザにドレイクが勝ち誇る。が、その余裕も一瞬で吹き飛ぶ事となった。

「勝ち名乗りは、確実に相手を仕留めた後にするものじゃぞ、愚か者め」

「死にかけた奴が減らず口を…な、何ィ！？」

　口から血を滴らせるエルザを見下ろしていたドレイクが驚愕する。顔色が分かるのであれば、蒼褪めていたに違いない。

　周囲の機器が、血を流し倒れ伏すリュートが、そしてランを閉じ込めているボックスが、強固な魔力壁に覆われていた。ランを守る為に予め張っていた魔法の盾に上書きされた、シールド・オブ・イージス―――６０秒という効果時間の短さを代償に、絶対不可侵といわれる最強無敵の最上級防護魔法。

　エルザが両手を、無事な右腕のみならず使い物にならなくなった筈の左腕までをもかざし、準備していた魔法を発動させたのだ。パックリと割けた着物の肩口から覗く、小さな刃物で付けられたような切り傷が薄っすらと残るだけの肌は、鉤爪で切り裂き抉った痕跡とは到底思えないものだった。

　エルザにとって、いや、エルザを含めた不死身であり不老不死である永久活動者にとって、この程度の傷は問題になりはしないのだ。ものの数瞬で肉体が原形を留めなくなるような損傷を受けない限り、傷など受けた瞬間から再生してしまう。痛かろうが苦しかろうが、その感覚を遮断する術に長けている永久活動者は、再生速度が追い付くのであれば即座に復活してしまうのである。「永久に活動する者」の呼び名は、ただの畏怖や揶揄で付けられた名ではないのだ。当然といえば当然だが、進んでそんな目に遭いたがる者は…居ない筈である。多分。

　そうとは知らないドレイクの驚愕が、今度はエルザに魔法を発動する隙を与えていた。

「一体どんなトリックを…ええい構うか、二度と減らず口がきけないように、次は八つ裂きにして磨り潰してやる！」

「フン、解っておらんな！システムは停止し、再起動しようとも機材の破壊は不可能となりランに危害が及ぶ事はなくなった、外野を巻き込む心配も最早無い、勝利への布石は整っておるのじゃ！」

「戯言を！」

　苛立ったドレイクが追い打ちを掛けようとするが、もう遅い。時間を掛けて無敵の盾と同時に構築されていた魔法は、既に発動されたのだ。

「ダイナミック・トルネード！」

　再び鉤爪を振り下ろそうとしたドレイクを中心に、竜巻を遥かに凌駕する暴力的な風刃が吹き荒れる。風の摩擦で生じる真空の刃は鱗に浅い傷跡しか付けられていないが、風の渦を檻としドレイクを押し留め、捩じ切ろうとする凄まじい風圧の奔流は、ドレイクの全身を軋ませていく。

「クロスブリザード！」

　間髪入れず、交差する二つの氷嵐がドレイクを襲う。風刃に乗り勢いを増した絶対零度の暴風は、灼熱を誇る鱗をものともせず凍結させ、嵐の内包する氷塊の衝撃で次々と砕いていく。まるで氷細工が爆ぜていくかのように、ドレイクの体表で数ヶ所、煌めきと共に破片が飛び散った。

「ハイドログレイブ！！」

　ドレイクの頭上に現れたうねる水流が風刃と氷嵐を突き破り、鱗が砕け散り剥き出しになった部分を貫く。吹き出す血飛沫が風を彩り、氷結の輝きに赤のコントラストが入り乱れる。

　が、致命傷には至っていない。すかさずトドメとなる次の術式を発動しようとして、

「ぐっ、ぐううううううう、がああああああああああああああ！！！」

「何！？…がはっ！」

　エルザが次なる一手を打つ前に、苦悶に呻くドレイクは暴風の檻を強引に引き裂いた。くぐもった爆発音にも似た風鳴りと共に、力及ばず内側への圧力を失った暴風が外へと解放され、またもエルザを壁に叩き付ける。

「ぬう…！力業で打ち破るとは、やはりドレイク、な、なんという膂力…！！」

「何が勝利への布石だ、この程度で図に乗るなッ、ニンゲン風情がァァァァァ！！」

　憤怒に染まった目でエルザを捉え、地を揺るがす怒号と共に吹き出される轟炎。

　しかしそれはエルザの頭上を空しく焼いただけに留まった。いつの間にか頭を後ろに引くように絡まり付いていたのは、漆黒の瘴気だ。

「キサマ…ッ！？」

『もう、これ以上…あなたの思い通りにはさせない！！』

「どいつもこいつもフザケた真似ばかり…！大人しくしていれば痛い目を見ずに済むものを！！」

　更に力を込めてその拘束を振り切り、エトランゼ・コピーに向けて轟炎を吹き出そうと息を吸い込む。

　瞬間、腰溜めに構えていたドレイクの右腕の肘から先が千切れ飛び、脇腹を大きく抉った。

　エルザが発動した魔法によって…ではない。その正体は、轟音と共に放たれた、常識外れの威力を持つ弾丸。

「ぎゃああ！！」

「間に合ったぁ！Nice Workお姉サマ、無敵に素敵ィ！」

　能天気な声、数人の足音が雪崩れ込んでくる。

「対戦車ハンドガンの名は伊達ではないわね、あの巨大なトカゲの、あれだけ硬そうな腕を吹き飛ばすなんて！違う形で出会えていたなら、キスしてあげたいくらいだわ」

「悠長な事を言っている場合か！一気に押し込め！」

　この場での最大の脅威となる存在を瞬時に見定めた、合流したメイド達による、ドレイクに向かっての一斉攻撃。胴体をアイビームが叩き、吸い込まれるように飛んだナイフが左目を潰し、ギガントの弾丸が鼻を抉り取る。攻撃から逃れようとするドレイクにエトランゼ・コピーの吐き出す瘴気が纏わりつき、動きを鈍らされ堪らずたたらを踏んだドレイクの足が無意識にボックスにかけられようとして、中に居るランが思わず目を瞑るが、ドレイクほどの重量でさえ圧潰させる事のできない魔法の盾に阻まれて、更にバランスを崩した。

「あ、あの子、小お嬢様を攫った、小お嬢様そっくりのゴーストですよ！？どうしてあの子がお嬢様の援護を…？」

「よく分からんが、今はこっちの味方に付いてくれてるみたいだ。お嬢！ブチかましてやれ！！」

　ミフィの呼び掛けに頼もしい笑みを浮かべ、エルザは親指を立てて応じてみせた。

「おう、良いタイミングで来てくれた、皆の者！褒美に儂のとっておき、奥の手を見せてくれよう！」

　先に発動した魔法と平行で時間を掛けて構築し、ありったけの魔力を篭めた術式を発動させたエルザの左手に現れたのは、激しく荒れ狂う雷の槍。槍の周囲で渦を巻く雷の帯が狂おしく唸りを上げてエルザの横顔を照らし出し、空気が甲高い悲鳴を上げる。

「天より降されし怒槌よ、我が手に集い空駆ける神鳴りとなりて、貫き、穿て！！真魔法、神雷ヴァルキュルヌス！！」

　千年前、現在の雪恋と出会った異世界事変において、発動条件を満たせず行使できなかった最大魔法、その教訓を生かして独自に編み出した、何時如何なる状況でも条件に左右されないオリジナル魔法。雪恋の「超魔法」に倣って命名したエルザの「真魔法」が、投擲された。

　雷鳴を従者に従えた横一直線の落雷を思わせる雷槍を、尻尾で無理矢理体勢を整えたドレイクが残った左腕で辛うじて受け止める。しかし、雷槍の突き進もうとする威力が勝っているのか、じりじりと切っ先が胸元に食い込み始めた。皮膚と雷槍を掴む手から煙が立ち上り、肉の灼ける臭いが漂う。

「魔法…魔法だと、キサマ、魔法使いだったのか！だが、いくら魔法とて雷の槍如き、火属性の私に対しては威力が減退する筈…！」

「一般的に魔術や魔法に用いられる四大元素とは異なる五行の理、相侮、金侮火。金の気が火の気を上回っていた場合、金は火の克制を受け付けず、逆に金が火を征する。そしてこれは儂の奥の手、おぬしが使ってみろと煽ってくれた最大火力の魔法じゃ。魔法使いの全力をナメるでないわ！！」

「ぐ…、こ、こんなもの…！！」

　雷槍を引き剥がそうと力を籠めるドレイクの筋肉が隆起し、胸元を焼いていた切っ先が、少しずつ離れていく。そうはさせじとギガントを構えたコルだったが、エルザの姿が目に入り、薄く笑って銃口を外した。

「何をしているバレット・スコール！今撃てば、あの雷の槍が奴を貫く、撃て！」

「勝負あり、よ。もう私が手を出すまでもないわ。流石お嬢様、詰めは万全でございますね」

　コルの言葉に、ギガノフ（幼女）が訝しげな視線をエルザに向けた。

「ふ、ふふふふふ、お前の奥の手など、所詮この程度…！？」

　危うい所ではあったが、やはり自分には通用しないのだ、そう確信したドレイクの目が、あるものを捉えて見開かれる。

　エルザの右手に、今防いでいるものと同じ…いや、若干大振りの雷槍が、もう一本。本来なら先に投擲された雷槍と同等の質量であるものが、エアリ＝アルを核として発動され、増幅されたものだ。

「言ったであろう、奥の手だとな。…手は、二つあるものじゃろう？」

「な…なッ…！！」

　防げない。右腕は失われ、左腕は雷槍を防いでいる。手は離せない、新たな雷槍を防げば、先に投擲された雷槍が己を貫く。

「うぅおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおおお！！！！！」

　ドレイクが咆える。それは激高か、あるいは慟哭か。撃ち抜かれ最早形を成していない鼻先から、轟炎を吹き出した。

「真魔法、神雷クルセイドル！」

　一閃、迫る轟炎を食い破り、雷に、雷が撃ち込まれる。

　二発目を呑み込み、その威力でもって己を加速した雷槍は光速を振り切り、神鳴る雷となって掴むドレイクの手を切り裂いた。

　その光景は、まるで―――雷を杭にしたパイルバンカー。

「真・魔・法！！神鳴ケラヴィノス！！！」

　奥の手の、更なる真の姿。眩い怒涛の閃光がドレイクを貫く。

　目の眩む光の奔流が止んだ後に残ったものは、大出力の過負荷に耐え切れず機甲部から火花を散らしながらも役目を果たし、空中で制止するエアリ＝アル。

　そして、地響きを立てて崩れ落ちる、胸に大穴を開けたドレイクの姿だった。

Beeeeeeeep....
At the same time as the Etranger copy transformed, a safety went off in response to E.S. giving off a strange reaction, and the activation lever automatically returned to the stop position.
As the system shut down, the pink light illuminating the surroundings faded. Instead, her body looked like it had sunk to the bottom of the ocean, and with a very uncomfortable tepidness and choking feeling, her entire body was stimulated.

That was the missing crotch area of the Etranger copy, and probably on the original... the horrible wound etched into Etranger that was "their" origin, the part of "them" that didn't exist. The pure black miasma that looked like darkness flowing from the places where the wounds would have been was like black ink spilling and spreading on white paper, and it began to suck in the surroundings.
Those who were there, even those who could no sense for the supernatural, could feel a fear and pressure as though there was a giant, hungry man-eating beast in front of them. In this situation, their instinct told them that they were in mortal danger. And though they didn't flee, a slight yet powerful shiver went through all their bodies together, like they were connected by an invisible string of fear.
The only ones who could move with this mysterious pressure, were those with a firm sense of self... Or those with an equally strong desire.
(This black mist... occasionally, Ran would let it out when she was angry, it was her spiritual energy stained with hatred! But this isn't comparable to Ran's, the difference in density is immense. This must be what they were calling "true hatred"...!)
For Elza, one person who could move, this outcome was beyond unexpected, and she wisely decided to not move and just observe.
(However... Though it is surprisingly, this gives me a chance to win. I'll thankfully use this delay!)
Without any showiness, secretly, carefully, she started casting multiple spells. Now it was just a matter of the timing of their activation.
Then one of the others who could also move, the drake, let out a howl of anger.
"This copy was given the positive emotion of hope... How could you, an independent existence of only negative emotions, have an emotion like hope!?"
'I didn't think you would understand from being told. Someone like you, who treads upon the weak, doesn't understand the first thing about the weak. It is because we are weak, because we only have negative emotions, that we embrace hope. To put it a way you could understand, she is our wish.'
"W, wish...!?"
"...I, remembered... The real me...!"
"Ran!"
As Elza looked towards where the weak voice was coming from, there was Ran, slowly getting up inside the box. Wiping away the tears and drool, and also a mix of mucus and blood coming from her nose, she glared at the drake. In her eyes were exhaustion, but also a definite self-awareness that had returned, which was comforting.
"My fearful self wished that this purgatory of continued death would end, my sorrowful self wished that this tragedy without salvation would end, my despairing self wished that this unescapable pain would end, and my hateful self... wished that I myself, Etranger's hatred would be dispelled and disappear! It was because 'we' were negative emotions that we wanted to be released from this, we wished to be saved... That wish revived me, Etranger's hope! By using me, your plan failed, just as 'we' planned!"
"Failed... he... hehehe...! Yes, it was a failure. But, this isn't over, E.S. is still here! If she, and not you, holds her true hatred, I'll just have to use her instead! You fool, telling me that you yourself is the real one, and proving it!!"
Glaring, the drake made ready to grab at the Etranger copy. Ran boldly pointed her finger at him and continued.
"Just as 'I' said, you don't really understand. It's true that negative emotions, that things of similar nature will be accepted, and dissimilar things will be rejected. But, the positive and negative emotions that I and 'we' have, may at first glance seem to be antitheses of one another, but if you look to their origin, they are emotions split off from the girl Etranger. Even we they are exact opposites, I am one of 'us', and so are existences with the same nature. Otherwise, we would not be attuned to each other, right? So..."
"What... It can't be!"
"Yes. Though it stopped midway... The positive emotion I have has already gotten installed in 'us'. It was only a little bit, but the positive emotion 'we' have has the same nature, and continues to be copied and absorbed among 'us'. As we existences with the same nature, 'we' who have an antithesis positive emotion will copy and absorb. And the positive emotions absorbed are stored, just like the negative emotions, and will eventually calm the negative emotions, and the perpetual cycle of negative emotions using hatred will eventually vanish. Too bad it can't be an eternal machine?"
Finishing it up with an ironic wink, she added in her head "I don't really know, but probably". She wasn't smiling, but looking closer, it seemed like Ran's actions had a smile like when she was playing a prank on Elza.
In contrast, the drake had fallen silent and was shaking with rage. He let out a roar that shook the surroundings.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"
"Nguh!?"
A dragon roar. A fundamental principle when fighting against dragons, she had a countermeasure, and though it was a fake that was shapeshifted to, the roar of a drake, which is close to a high class dragon, easily pierced through the resistance created by sorcery. A wizard has strong mental powers, so she was protected against fainting, panicking or giving up, but Elza was stopped in her tracks. Unlike Elza, Ran had no countermeasure and took a direct hit from it. Elza, being worried about Ran, shifted her attention to her.
The glass of the box was a little shaky, but thanks to it being a wall separating her from the outside air, Ran didn't look to have any ill effects as she shut her eyes and covered her ears with both hands. Though she didn't lose focus upon seeing Ran enduring it, but her reaction was just slightly slowed and wasn't able to dodge. In that opening, 3 claw attacks followed.
Though she somehow avoided the first attack, and blocked the second attack with a magic shield, the third attack destroyed the magic shield and tore into her left shoulder, tearing out a lot of flesh. Her torn blue kimono was stained red in an instant, and her left arm hung limply.
"Tch!!"
"Not yet... It's not over yet! As long as I can install the hatred again normally, it should override the positive emotions... Yes, I'll start over, my plan isn't over yet! I won't give up!!"
"Kuh... You don't know when to give up!!"
"Shut up! First I'll kill an eyesore like you, then I'll deal with that useless copy! Then I'll catch the real copy, and restart my plan! I won't let anyone interfere!!"
Another 3 attacks. Aeri=al sped up, dodging the powerful flames which melted a wall instead. She twisted her body to slip between the claws coming to seal off her escape path, but he already anticipated that, spinning around with a roar to swing his tail around, which slammed Elza into the wall. She could hear the sound of bones breaking from inside her body, and feel the immense pressure against her insides.
"Guh, buh..."
"Kwahahahaha! You sure were cheeky before, but all it takes is one hit. You fragile human."
The drake touted his victory over Elza as she coughed up blood. But, that unnecessary action was blown away in an instant.
"Declaring yourself the winner is something you do after you're certain you've finished off your opponent, you fool."
"You're talking big for someone on the verge of dea... w, what!?"
Elza had blood dripping from her mouth. As the drake looked down at her, he was surprised. As if he could tell from her expression, he turned pale.
The surrounding machinery, the bleeding and fallen Ryuuto, and the box that Ran was trapped in were covered by a powerful magical wall. In order to protect Ran, she had already applied the magical shield, shield of aegis --- In exchange for a short duration of 60 seconds, it was an absolutely impenetrable, the most powerful, highest class defensive sorcery.
Elza raised both hands, not just her unwounded right arm, but also her left arm, which should have been unusable, and unleashed the sorcery she had prepared. Looking down through the gap in her kimono around her shoulder, there was only a slight cut that looked like it would have been made by a tiny knife. There was nothing that would suggest it had been torn out by his claw.
For Elza, no, for immortals who never age or die and have an undying body like Elza, an injury like this was nothing. After a few seconds, her flesh would return to how it was as though she was never injured, regenerating the moment she took the injury. Immortals were good at techniques which isolate the feelings of pain and agony. With a fast enough regeneration speed, it would be like instantaneous healing. The name "those who live forever" were not just given in awe or scorn. It's only natural, but no one would go through that willingly. Probably.
The drake, who did not know this, was shocked, and Elza took this opportunity to cast another spell.
"What kind of trick.. I don't care, this time I'll tear you to pieces and smash you flat so I don't have to hear your boasting again!"
"Hmph, you don't get it! The system is stopped, the machines to restart it are destroyed, and Ran is no longer in danger, so now I don't have to worry about anyone else getting caught in this, and my preparations for victory are in place!"
"Foolish!"
The annoyed drake prepared to finish her off, but it was too slow. The sorcery that had been started at the same time as the invincible shield, which took time to apply, had already been activated.

"Dynamic tornado!"
As the drake once again swung his claws down, a tornado with extremely violent cutting winds blew around him. The friction from the winds produced a vaccuum of blades that only caused minor wounds on his scales, but the vortex was like a prison, trapping the drake, and the powerful spiraling wind pressure caused his entire body to creak.
"Cross blizzard!"
Immediately after, two intersecting ice storms assaulted the drake. The cutting winds increased in power, turning towards absolute zero, freezing the blazing scales, now with shards of ice in the storm, smashing against him again and again. Like an ice factory exploding, the drake's body sparkled in various places, as shards flew.
"Hydro glaive!!"
Appearing above the drake's head, a flow of water broke into the cutting wind and ice storm, piercing the areas where the scales had been broken and fallen off. Blood sprayed, mixing in with the wind and freezing, creating a red contrast.
But, none of this was a fatal wound. As she activated the next spell that would be the finishing blow,
"G, Guuuuu, Gaaaaaaaahh!!!"
"What!? Gah!"
Before Elza could use her next attack, the Drake screamed in agony and forced his way out of the prison of wind. With the sound of a muffled explosion, the pressure directed inward was unleashed outwards, and once again Elza was slammed against the wall.
"Nrgh...! To destroy it with physical strength, w, what power, for a drake...!!"
"What of your plans for victory now. Don't get carried away so far, you human-ish thing!!"
With eyes full of rage, he saw Elza, and with an earth shaking roar, blew out flames.
However, it just burned above Elza's head. Before he knew it, clinging to back to his head, was a pure black miasma.
"You...!?"
'I won't let things go... as you wish!!'
"All of these stupid fakes one after another...! Stop this and I'll kill you painlessly!!"
Using his strength, he broke free from the restraints, and turned towards the Etranger copy and breathed in blow out more flames.
In that moment, everything past the drake's right elbow and part of his side were blown off.
This was due... not to Elza's sorcery. What caused it, along with a thunderclap, was an absurdly powerful bullet.
"Gyaaa!!"
"We made it in time! Nice work, Onee-sama, you were wonderfully wonderful!"
A cheerful voice, and the rush of the footsteps of multiple came.
"The name of anti-tank handgun isn't just for show, to blow off the tough looking arm of that oversized lizard! If you had been in a different form when I met you, I'd want to kiss you."
"This isn't the time to be talking leisurely! Jam it in!"
Instantly realizing what the biggest threat there was, the regrouped maids turned all their attacks against the drake. An eyebeam hit his body, a knife flew into his left eye like it was drawn to it, and a gigant bullet drilled into his nose. The miasma emitted by the Etranger copy enveloped the drake, who was trying to evade the attacks, and slowed his movements. The drake then stumbled and his foot landed on the box that had Ran inside. Ran closed her eyes, but its weight wasn't enough to crush the box, which still had the magic shield applied, which threw his balance off even more.
"That girl, she's the ghost that looks the same as the little mistress and kidnapped her!? Why is she supporting the mistress...?"
"I don't know, but now she's our ally. Mistress! Blast him!!"
Hearing Mifi's voice, Elza got a confident smile and gave a thumbs up.
"Oh, you came at a good time, everyone! As a reward, I'll show you my trump card!"
Alongside the sorcery she had used before, which took a lot of time to cast, she poured all her magical energy into this spell and activated it. A raging spear of thunder appeared in Elza's left hand. Surrounding the spear was a vortex of thunder that roared and illuminated one side of Elza's face, and let off a high pitched scream.
"Hammer of rage that descended from the heavens, by my hand rush through the skies with the thunderous ring of the gods, pierce, stab!! True sorcery, thunder god Valkyurnus!!"
1000 years ago, due to the alternate world incident when she met with the present day Seren, she knew she couldn't cast her most powerful sorcery without fulfilling the necessary conditions. Taking that lesson to heart, she developed her own unique way, an original sorcery that didn't depend on conditions that she could cast any time. Like Seren's "great sorcery", Elza called it "true sorcery".
The thunder lance had a thunderbolt alongside it, and the drake just barely was able to stop it with his remaining left arm by twisting his body using his tail. However, the the force of the thunder spear continued to pierce through it, as the tip started to dig into his chest. His hand burned as he grabbed the thunder spear and his skin, the smell of burnt flesh wafting.
"Sorcery... Sorcery you said, you're a wizard!? But no matter the sorcery, using a thunder spear against a fire elemental like me should reduce the effectiveness of its power...!"
"In general, magic and sorcery use the 4 elements, which are different from the 5 elements, which have counter resistances, with metal counter resisting fire. If the spirit of the metal is greater than the spirit of the fire, the metal will not be overwhelmed by the fire, but instead will counter and defeat the fire. And this is my trump card, what you tried to use just sparked my strongest sorcery. A full powered wizard isn't to be taken lightly!!"
"Guh... T, this...!!"
Trying to tear away the thunder spear, the drake's muscles tensed, and though it burned his chest, the tip ever so slightly began to move backwards. Col readied the Gigant to prevent this, but seeing Elza, she faintly smiled and pointed the muzzle away.
"What are you doing, Bullet Squall! If you fire now, that spear of thunder will pierce him, fire!"
"This is a contest. I don't need to interfere anymore. As expected of the mistress, her finisher is perfect."
Hearing Col's words, Giganov (little girl) turned a suspicious eye towards Elza.
"Ha, hahahahaha, this is all, your trump card is...!?"
The drake, while thinking that it was a close call, was now certain he was safe. Then his eyes went wide as he saw it.
In Elza's right hand, was the same thing... no, another, slightly larger thunder spear than the one he was currently protecting against. It was essentially the same as the previously launched thunder spear with the same mass, but it was cast using Aeri=al as its core, which amplified it.
"I told you, this was my trump card. ...And I have two hands?" [note: the term for "trump card" in Japanese contains the word "hand" in it, hence Elza's comment about 2 hands = 2 trump cards]
"Wh... Wha...!!"
He couldn't defend against it. Having lost his right arm, he left arm was defending against the thunder spear. He could move he hand, and if he used it to defend against the new thunder spear, the launched thunder spear would pierce him first.
"Uwaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!"
The drake rorared. Was it in rage, or was it in anguish? As it was launched, the moved blurredly fast, flames shooting from his face.
"True sorcery, Thunder God Cruseidol!"
In a flash, the flames engulfed the thunder as the thunder shot out.
Sensing the power of the second one, the thunder spear accelerated itself at light speed, becoming a bolt of thunder and shredding the hand of the drake that was gripping it.
The view was just like... a pile bunker with thunder instead of a spike.
"True-Sorcery!! Thunder God Keravinos!!!"
Finally, the true form of her trump card. Dazzling waves of light pierced the drake.

All that was left after the rushing lights stopped were fireworks coming from the armored parts that couldn't withstand the huge onslaught, signifying they had accomplished their job, and Aeri=al which was suspended mid-air.
And crashing with an earthshaking thump, the body of the drake with a giant hole in his chest.