"But how exactly can I free him?"
I'm willing to give the wind spirit Harp freedom, but I'm not quite sure how to go about it.
Should I just smash this capsule open?
Or perhaps, if they could tear apart the countless iron pipes connected to this capsule, they could stop the supply of whatever was flowing through them and break the seal.
It's probably providing the energy to maintain the spirit seal.
"I don't care. This device is made by combining the powers of humans to counter this spirit, but in the end it's just a bunch of unnecessary force piled on top of each other. If it can be opened even just a little bit, I can push through it with my spiritual power. All you two need to do is give me a little opening."
Is that okay?
So what's the easiest way to break the glass capsule?
Brandish your weapon...ready, go!
"Wait a second! You can't create such a difficult item to trap spirits that easily...!?"
With a crack.
Along with the satisfying sound of the capsule breaking, an incredible amount of air pressure hit my entire body.
Shog.
Bu-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba.
"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!"
explosion!?
Ultra-high-speed, ultra-compressed air comes out from inside the broken capsule!?
Really?!
The wind spirit itself was sealed inside that capsule!
It was the embodiment of nature itself...it was as if all the atmosphere from around the world was contained in that small capsule.
What would happen if I broke it?
It's as if something that has been compressed to its limit is released all at once, and the exact opposite rapid expansion begins.
It was like a big explosion...
Releasing the wind spirit from its seal was tantamount to a massive explosion?!
Moreover, I was at the epicenter of the explosion and the explosion hit my entire body...!?
◆
"...That was a close call...!"
When I came to my senses, Tamagushi was standing in front of me.
Moreover, his appearance has changed.
She was wearing a princess-like dress a moment ago, but now she looks like a female knight in shining, polished armor.
It is not a practical piece of armor that covers the whole body, but rather has an open design that exposes the chest and stomach.
Rather, it is a fantasy suit of armor that gives boys dreams.
"Brunhilde's Nightgown. It's a skill related to my vocation. When I wear it, it creates a barrier around me, increasing my defensive power."
So that's why you protected me?
Thank you, that helped!
"You really are a reckless person...! If I hadn't interfered, you would have died. Or were you relying on your own skills to withstand the attack?"
No, I didn't have any skills that would be able to deal with this.
I'm really glad Tamagushi was there.
"So you're a spirit?! You knew I'd die in an explosion and still let the seal be lifted?! What a guy!?"
"You could have gotten through this, right?"
A voice comes down from the sky.
When I looked up, I saw something vaguely human-shaped floating in the air.
The translucent spirit body is a fresh green color like fresh grass leaves, and a refreshing whirlwind blows around it.
"Uh... the wind...?"
The wind is coming back.
The wind that had stopped due to the third prince's selfish scheme began to blow again with the release of the spirits.
"Those who are favored by the spirits are born with the qualities of a hero. Such people will not die a meaningless death. Miraculous coincidences will always appear and protect their fate."
"That's so random...!?"
So does that mean it was fate that Tamagushi happened to be nearby and had some good skills, and that he protected me?
Don't just make up excuses because you were saved.
"Even if your daughter had not arrived in time, you, who received the Blast Hole's blessing, would have easily been safe. Those who receive the protection of the earth gain the strength of rock in their bodies."
Are you serious?
I looked around again.
...I can see the sky.
It seems that the underground space of Niosebuku Castle collapsed and was buried by the impact of the explosion.
It seemed like we were standing on top of that rubble.
How much air had accumulated inside over the months that had been sealed away?
Moreover, because the explosion occurred at the bottom of a well that had been dug deep underground, air was likely gushing out in one direction from underground toward the surface, just like a bullet being fired from a gun barrel.
As a result, the Niosebuku Royal Castle on the ground appears to have collapsed.
"Guh?! Arghhhhh...?! What on earth happened...?!"
The large man crawled out, turning over some rubble.
This is the third prince, Gangasurah.
As expected of someone who calls himself the strongest, he didn't die just because the castle collapsed.
Tch.
"The palace where I should reign... What?! A spirit?! How did you get out?!"
"These people helped me. It seems there are people with hearts among humans too."
"What?!"
The third prince's glaring eyes turned towards me.
Of course, I can't insert it into Tamagushi's vagina on impulse, and I can't move or hide, so my appearance is eventually exposed to the enemy.
"...Tamagushi! Did you do this?!"
However, the third prince's anger was focused on one of the two.
"You say you have no interest in the throne! And yet you get in my way like this! You vixen aaaaaaaah!!"
"Don't get me wrong. It's true that I don't want the throne. But that doesn't mean I'll just sit back and watch your rampage."
Tamagushi replied calmly.
The sexy armor that would have looked great on the packaging has disappeared, and she's back to wearing the dress she was wearing from before.
"Gangastra. You are not fit to be king. Our father was of the same mind... but as a person of our time, I cannot overlook the fact that the wrong person has ascended to the throne, causing chaos in the country and causing trouble for other countries."
"How insolent of a woman!"
"Therefore I have appointed this one. Gangasurah... I, Lord Sao, will punish you. Count your sins before the true King."
I think I've decided on the key line.
I feel like I'm starting to get a glimpse of Tamagushi's true nature, or rather his intentions, but now is not the time to focus on that.
Things are getting congested.
"Well, now that I'm free, I think I'll leave. The wind is the wind because it never stays still."
"Wait! Give me your crest! I won't forgive you for running away without it!"
The third prince seems to desperately want the spirit's seal.
Already freed from the spell, he still clings to the free-spirited harp with a longing for it.
"Oh, I see. In that case, I'll give it to you."
"picture?"
"Not only did you save me, but you also exposed me to some danger. I should at least give you a reward as a token of my gratitude."
oh?
Oooohhhh?
An emerald glow on my chest?!
The howling whirlpool tore and ripped my jacket, exposing the upper half of my body.
And a crest is engraved into the green spiritual wind.
"This is the proof of recognition by the Spirit Harp... the 'Air Stigma'. Those who bear this emblem will be protected by the wind, and will be able to run faster than anyone else and soar through the sky."
"That's impossible! The one you should dedicate your crest to is not him! It's me! Engrave the crest on me! Don't choose the wrong person to serve!"
"The wind is not under anyone's control. And even more so, who would approve of someone who forcibly locks you in? It seems you'd be better off learning common sense."
And so the spirit's body thins out, like smoke blown away by the wind.
As the man himself said, the wind doesn't stay in one place.
What's strange is that I've been holding back until now.
"Now that I have been liberated, the wind will return to this land. The stagnation will be washed away, and the normal activities of life will return. If you wish, you can govern wisely with human knowledge and bring happiness to the land."
"Wait! Give me your crest! Don't defy me!"
"Farewell."
The spirit completely ignored the third prince's cries and departed as if he had never been there in the first place.
We are the ones left.
Even though it's outside and the breeze has returned, it still feels hot.
It was the heat of rage fuelled by the Third Prince.
"Ugh, uh, uh, uh...!! Gaaaaaaaahhh!!"
With an angry roar, he punched the rubble all around, smashing it into pieces.
outburst of anger.
He thrashes about like a child having a tantrum.
"Whyyyyyyyyyy?! Why isn't it going well?! I'm the king! The king of the strongest nation, Niosebuku! So it's only natural that everything shouldn't go the way I want it to! Ugaaaaaaaaaaah!"
"Well, he's not king yet, is he?"
A possible successor to the throne?
When I instinctively retorted, the third prince shot me a devilish glare…
"That's right... Why would a weakling like you be given the spirit's crest? It's absurd! You must be punished for getting in my way!!"
"I'd be honored if I could properly interfere."
"If that's the case, then I'll kill you and take your crest! Yes, that's what I'll do! Then everything will go according to plan!"
It's not that kind of system.
What is the third prince's obsession with this spirit crest?
He flexes his irritating giant body and charges towards me.
"You can't go!? Thao-sama, please avoid it! It's "Molecular Collapse"!"
"You're just as guilty, Tamagushi! You two should both return to dust!!"
The third prince intends to end the battle in one fell swoop with his special skill.
I know that in theory it's impossible to defend against, but that doesn't mean it would be easy to avoid.
If it was a technique that could be easily avoided and resolved, the number one candidate for king of the Tiger and Wolf Nation would not call it a special move.
If dodging or defending doesn't work, then take it on head-on!
As the third prince swung his fist down, I returned the blow with a headbutt!
"Ahhhhhhh!? Sao-sama!?"
「You idiot! Just get crushed!?」
The third prince's expression distorted in an instant.
"Igaaaaaaaaahh!? My hand!? My handaaaaahhh!?"
It was the third prince's fist that broke and bled.
Just like a counter punch, if you push the head of the person being hit with the right timing and speed, the fist of the puncher will also shatter.
I had heard about this before so I tried it and it worked surprisingly well.
"What?! That's impossible? How could my fist, which contains my invincible skill "Molecular Disintegration", be shattered?"
"Y-yes Sao-sama!? What exactly have you done?"
Tamagushi was also surprised and confused, and simply wondered if I was safe.
That's a bit of a question mark. No skill I have... no skill whatsoever can stop Molecular Collapse.
But, what if there were other means besides skills?
On my chest, there is a golden, shining crest...
"Huh?!" "That's...?!"
Blessing of the earth, "Ah Stigma".
It was a shining golden crest bestowed upon him by Blasthole, the spirit of the earth whom he had met in the Dwarven Kingdom.
As Harp was leaving, he said, "With the power of the earth spirit, an explosion can be easily prevented." Those words seemed to be true.
But even the most powerful destructive skill, which can erase the bonds between molecules, doesn't work.
Those who bear the crest of the earth possess the hardness of rock in their bodies, meaning they cannot be broken by any blow.
That being said, isn't it stronger than rock? It's like a crystalline diamond.
"That's impossible...!? The earth crest...!? And not just the wind crest...!?"
"By chance some time ago."
Additionally, the crimson emblem, "Pyro Stigma", also flashes.
"Three eyes?! You already have three of the crests of the Six Spirits, which are said to make you the king of the world if you inscribe them all on your body?! Who exactly are you?!"
"I'm just a slutty guy passing by, remember that."
Oh no, I had to say my catchphrase too.
Well, whether I'm cool or not, my decision to kill the bastard in front of me remains the same.
A lot has happened, but now it's finally time to say goodbye.
Are you ready?