Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu (WN)

--It's important to solidify the 'Imeji' to make the ice into the shape you want.

Even when Subaru first suggested 'Ice Brand Arts', Emilia thought it was very useful, but she wasn't sure if she could do it.

''It's okay!　Don't worry!　I'm sure Emilia-tan can do it!

And I recall that Subaru gave Emilia such an anxious Emilia a smile and a thumbs up.

When I think about it now, that was also an unfounded reason - no, in Subaru's view, it was because he "liked" her, and he pushed her back.

In the process of creating the "imaged" weapons, Emilia studied a lot of painting.

Unlike singing, she wasn't very good at drawing, but even so, as she drew and drew more and more pictures with Subaru, she made solid progress.

Ram was dismayed to see Emilia drawing with Subaru and Beatrice while she studied, Otto chuckled, Frederica and Petra would occasionally mingle with her, and Garfiel would advise her to do this. Rosewall, too, saw Emilia and Beatrice drawing side by side sometimes from a distance.

Memories that Emilia thinks are very, very important and hard to let go of.

Memories that may have disappeared from everyone else, but Subaru remembers them. When I think about it, I feel a warm feeling in my heart.

'I'll turn that into a courageous, "Hey!

Driven by the feelings that were bubbling up, Emilia took the ice weapons she had created and the seven ice soldiers who were advancing with her to the front, the 'divine dragon' Volcanica.

As previously explained, the 'Imeeji' is important for shaping ice.

It is the same for the weapons, and even the ice soldiers that are created. After all, the ice soldiers were frozen in Emilia's easily-impressed form.

Early on, it was the seven Natsuki Subarus who would be fighting alongside Emilia.

'But they're more powerful than the real Subaru, and they're swifter!

Subaru is also competitive in terms of skillfulness and energy, but their construction is fundamentally different from the soldiers made of ice.

The strength of the soldiers depended on the density of mana Emilia had given them, and they could not be compared to simple ice statues. Just like ice weapons, even steel would not be comparable.

''Go!''

Following Emilia's instructions, the lead ice soldier came into range of the Volcanica.

Volcanica didn't move while leaning against the watchtower, a large pillar in the center of the first layer, and from the blow of the tail earlier, the range was six or seven meters--.

A moment later, the dragon's blue tail moved at high speed, as if it had sensed the will to cling to the pillar.

There was a strange sound that could only be described as a hole in the wind, and immediately afterwards the top half of the lead Iceman's body shattered into tiny pieces of wood. The direct hit was in the chest area, and the ice soldier's torso was smashed in half there, and the poorly-eyed Subaru-like head was blown off.

''I'm sorry!　But that means they're going after it even if it's not me.

Sorry to the Iceman for being a touchstone, but now we know exactly what Volcanica wants.

Although the 'divine dragon' has become blurred and has inadvertently forgotten about the 'test', it is still alive with the intention of intercepting the opponent who is clearly trying to face the pillar.

That, with or without life. Then there was a way to do it.

''Soldiers, please!

In response to Emilia's voice, the ice soldiers jump out to overtake the silver-haired girl.

The first one is shattered, and the six remaining ice soldiers, each one scattering in a different direction, creating a slight time gap to the central pillar.

"You have reached the top of the tower. You have reached the top of the tower, thou shalt tread on one level, petitioner of the Almighty.

Sensing the presence of the approaching ice soldier, the 'divine dragon' once again repeated his mouthpiece.

Emilia remembered the strong sense of desolation and the sadness that scratched her heart at the sight of him doing that, which is no longer a meaningless string of words, to a doll that doesn't have an ear to listen.

Even in such an appearance, Volcanica is trying to protect 'something'.

I don't know who or what it was, what it was a promise made to, and for what purpose - but

"I am Vulcanica. I am Vulcanica, and by the ancient pact, I challenge the aspirations of all those who would go to the top.

Tails waved, and two ice soldiers with their weapons at the ready were crushed in the blink of an eye.

In a spur-of-the-moment reaction, each took a defensive stance, but one was blown off from the waist down and the other one was blown off from the right half of his body, and he collapsed without being able to act properly.

Then, the remaining four bodies go to hold their tails as they try to return to their position from their attack stance.

Currently, Volcanica's means of interception was limited to a single strike by the tail. Perhaps it was not only a blur, but also a wobbly leg and foot.

If it was in a state where it was too lazy to stand up, it would only have to stop that tail.

'Stand firm!

Aiming to stop the movement of the tail, the three ice soldiers squared shoulders side by side.

It is not only a good idea to have a good time, but it is also a good idea to have a good time. In terms of how it works, it is similar to the whip controlled by Subaru, but its speed and power are orders of magnitude different.

The Subaru whip can be grabbed by hand by Emilia, but not the dragon's tail shot.

The 'divine dragon' unleashes a power comparable to the full force of most living creatures, with the casualness of dispelling insects.

The cleave with its tail strikes the three ice soldiers, who are sitting side by side, together. However, the intense crushing sound that should be heard did not sound here.

This is because the three hunched over ice soldiers, a wall of ice arose behind them to support them.

It's coming, if you know it's coming, there are ways to deal with it.

The corner of the ice soldier's mouth, which resembled a boy with a bad look in his eyes, rose as his entire body cracked. Then, from behind the three that had stopped the blow, the last one that had been assigned to work separately pounced on him.

The last ice soldier wielded the so-called 'stabbing crotch' weapon.

At the tip of its long spear-like hilt, there is a curved bracket attached to it that is used not to stab the opponent, but to seize him, and it is said to be called a catching tool.

The stabbing tip is used to thrust down and hold the misbehaving tail of "Shinryu" to the floor.

The tail of the stopped moving dragon is as thick as a log, even at its thinnest tip, and it's impossible to stop it with a single stab at it, and the three cracked bodies are also challenged by the stab at it.

And then, four of them were seized by the stab joints and their tails were also sealed off.

"You have reached the top of the tower. You have reached the top of the tower, thou shalt tread on one level, petitioner of the Almighty.

Immediately afterwards, there was the sound of the world being scraped away, and the four high-fiving ice soldiers were gutted.

From the waist up, the top disappeared neatly, leaving only the lower half of the ice soldier to collapse. It was the counterattack of the tails that had been blocked and taken seriously - not the claws, but the claws that did it.

Volcanica, who had been lying on the floor, waved her left paw instead of the tail.

Just like that, Emilia's ice soldiers were instantly forced to disappear.

I was almost fooled into thinking I was a slob.

'If your tail and limbs are healthy ...... already!　Why did you just pop your precious head off!

"I am Vulcanica. I am Vulcanica, and by the ancient pact, I challenge the aspirations of all those who would go to the top.

Do you understand that, my friend?

If it weren't for Emilia, it would have been even more upsetting to say.

Despite being told this, Emilia's bold spirit of challenge is unbreakable. The one that was broken is only the ice soldier, though of course it hurts a little.

''Don't worry!　It's not like we didn't know what to expect.

The shattered ice soldiers complained that they didn't die in vain, and Emilia also moved into range of the tail.

However, the ice stabbing crotch that held the tail down was still intact, and it was worth the sacrifice of the four ice soldiers. Then of course, instead of the tail, the front paws would be aiming at Emilia - but

'Both hands are shorter than the tail, right?　And,

Before its claws could catch Emilia, the ice spear passed through Emilia and approached the "divine dragon".

It was the Ice Soldier that was created again behind Emilia, in its initial position - Emilia can create up to seven Ice Soldiers, but they can be remade each time they are crushed.

In other words, the Ice Soldiers can stand up as many times as Emilia can until her strength is exhausted.

That's just like the real Natsuki Subaru.

''- Thou who has reached the top of the tower. Step on a layer, almighty petitioner.

What the hell?

The rain of ice spears from out of range rained down, and Volcanica slammed her front paw into the front of it.

It's not just a matter of time before you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.

----

Emilia stared into her purple-blue colored eyes as the shockwave halted the momentum of her predecessor.

The central pillar that Volcanica guards, its solidity is hard, and she has yet to even take a closer look at the pillar. From a distance, it appears to be no different from the other six pillars, but that judgment is also premature.

However, Emilia's main focus here is not so much the central pillar itself - but rather

Top of the tower above it!

Stepping in against the wind, Emilia kicked the floor hard on the spot.

Still too far away to take any kind of action, either against Volcanica or against the pillar. But it's the right thing to do because she's stepping out here.

Because, the ice soldier, who is regenerating from his initial crushed state, sits back and holds his hands in place.

And because he caught Emilia's foot as she stepped in with both hands and helped her leap upward in one go.

She held her tail and drew her attention to the pillar and used the opportunity to attach herself to the top level of her main mission.

Emilia rarely does this as well, but after reaching this place, Emilia's intuition told her that what she had to reach was the top of the tower.

A great leap with the help of the ice soldier, and with that, she jumped over Volcanica's head at once and attached it to the top of the pillar. From there, if they went up to the top level in one fell swoop--

Yeah.

Immediately after, a quiet heat wave snatched at Emilia's feet as she tried to reach her fingers to the pillar.

-- No, it wasn't quiet. It was too powerful and hot, and the sound died. If the concept of sound was killed, it's no wonder the phenomenon turned silent.

Emilia's perception sensed the annihilation of the ice soldier that had unfolded in a single layer.

The one unit that had helped Emilia leap, the four that had been throwing ice spears to cover it, and the two that had been running to add stabbing crotch, all disappeared at once.

And that was not done by Volcanica's tail or front legs.

I am Volcanica. "I, Volcanica, question the aspirations of those who reach the summit by the ancient pact.

Yes, the decimation of the burning atmosphere can be heard from a mouth that does not lose only its severity.

With the repetition reaching her ears again, Emilia understood that the concept of the slain sound had come to life, and at the same time, her fingers rested on the top of the pillar.

Desperately trying to hold herself in place, Emilia looked down at the scene below.

The spreading layer, it was burning white.

Smoldering white smoke rose from various places, and the ice soldiers that should have existed were not even left behind. That much heat, that much power, that much annihilation--

-- The breath of the 'divine dragon' Volcanica burned everything away.

''My tail and limbs are fine, and I can even blow fire!

"You have reached the top of the tower. You have reached the top of the tower, thou shalt tread on one level, petitioner of the Almighty.

Okay!　Yes, sir!　Okay, I'll go to .......

Emilia's eyes widened in the middle of her reply, which was less pathetic compared to the events that had happened.

Slowly, the twin eyes of The Divine Dragon looked upwards, and the golden eyes mirrored Emilia's.

And then--.

"I am Vulcanica. I am Vulcanica, and by the ancient pact, I challenge the aspirations of all those who would go to the top.

As he said this, Volcanica stood in place, spreading her blue wings.

(▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼)

Oh, my God!

Dismissing the danger of the events below her, Emilia reached for the top of the tower in a great hurry.

In the meantime, Volcanica, who is on her feet, is trying to pull out her stabbed tail and flap her wings as she struggles to get her wings to flap.

It's going to fly.

Since it is the "divine dragon" Volcanica, it is natural for it to fly - but since Emilia had never seen a flying dragon, it was less real.

In the first place, could a creature with such a large body really fly?

'I've only seen Puck or Rosewall flying, and ......

It's inevitable that Puck, a spirit, and Rosewall, a freakish wizard, can fly.

From what I've heard, there are flying dragons called pterodactyls in the southern Volakian Empire, like earth and water dragons, and I wonder if Volcanica is treated like those pterodactyls.

Or is it a mistake to equate a dragon with a 'dragon' - or

Shit!　Heavens no!　No!　Ta!

Calling out to her, Emilia climbs to the top of the tower at the highest speed she can.

It was so fast that the open mouth could not be closed if anyone was watching from a distance, but even with Emilia's uncommon luck power, it was still one move short of getting away ahead of her.

"You have reached the top of the tower. You have reached the top of the tower, thou shalt tread on one level, petitioner of the Almighty.

It was no illusion that the voice sounded closer than it had been earlier.

It's not under the eyes that leave you behind, but rather a pronouncement from coming up to the same height.

--with both of its blue wings spread out, an unbelievable giant body hovers in the air.

The "Divine Dragon" Volcanica floated majestically, its undiminished presence in the dune sky.

From the intimidation emitted, to the cowering eyes, to the tail, to the paws, to the breath, it does not betray the fact that it is the super-class dragon spoken of in legends.

The only thing that betrayed it was...

Me!　I'm going to go above a layer, so maybe you and I aren't enemies!

"I am Vulcanica. I am Vulcanica, and by the ancient pact, I challenge the aspirations of all those who would go to the top.

The Volcanica's fury hits Emilia, who clings to the pillar as her voice is covered by a voice that she can't hear.

Gasping, Emilia bit down on her back teeth gingerly, and with the help of the 'scaffolding that never existed' there, she jumped over the slamming tail.

Nuh-uh!

Application of "Ice Brand Arts" - Instead of clinging to a pillar and clambering up, you can attach a scaffold to the side of that pillar and run up it to increase your speed.

"Will you be able to free your arms and legs too?" ...... yikes!

The twin swords of ice that he quickly drew out flicked the striking tail vigorously.

A shot swung out of the mountain, Emilia's arms went vigorously numb from wrist to elbow, and it is unlikely that she will be able to grip a new weapon for several seconds before she recovers.

But unlike the damage Emilia suffered, Volcanica only wagged her tail.

As it is, the 'divine dragon' continues to take the same altitude as the challenger, wagging its tail and trying to beat down - or rather, crush - the reckless opponent who was trying to attack the pillar.

"--

Against that looming tail, Emilia choked.

Once it's popped, I don't think I have the energy left to attach it to the pillar again. A direct hit to a tail with jagged scales on it would probably be terrible all over the place.

I can't afford to be hit by that tail attack.

You can't use your hands. But you can move your feet. And I can look up.

We have created scaffolding to go up, but it's not enough. There is a limit to how much ice work can be produced at once. We can't afford to waste the process.

Something that serves as a scaffold, but doesn't end there--

I get it!

"You have reached the top of the tower. You have reached the top of the tower, thou shalt tread on one level, petitioner of the Almighty.

Another tail shot approaches Emilia with a flash of light.

Emilia managed to avoid it with the help of an ordinary foothold. And then created the new scaffolding that came up with to the pillar and grabbed its "hand" firmly with an outstretched hand.

''Please, soldier!''

In response to Emilia's voice, the arms made of ice creaked as they were burned away, disappeared, and were recreated again, an ice soldier similar to Subaru - but only the upper half of it.

Not just a foothold, but an entity that functions as both a foothold for Emilia and a dependable ally - that is the Path of the Ice Soldier, which grew only its upper body one after another on a pillar.

Because all you have to do is grow the upper half of your body on the pillar, there is no need to create legs, so you can add more than seven of them.

After growing about ten bodies on the pillar at once, Emilia went up and up with their help.

''Ei!　Taah!　Yeah!　Hooray!

Emilia climbs to the top of the pillar, literally with the help of the icy top half of the pillar.

All the while, Volcanica tries to interfere with Emilia, but it is also the men of the pillar who interfere with her from the side.

Volcanica is trapped in the habit of defending the pillar, and she cannot leave the ice soldiers of that pillar behind.

The born ice soldiers throw their ice swords and axes at the airborne Volcanica, and the 'Divine Dragon' plays them, hunting down the pillar's ice soldiers one by one with its tail and paws.

But in the meantime, Emilia goes up and up and up the pillar - and

It's a bit of a grudge match!

Crossing over thin ice was a bit of a bold picture, but with the strength and sacrifice of the ice soldiers as the foundation, Emilia's hand finally reached the top of the column.

The top of the pillar is warped like a mouse, and it's extremely difficult to climb up from here, although you should be able to reach the top of the tower in another ten meters or so.

Even for someone who is good at mountain climbing, the situation is a struggle, but fortunately, Emilia was good at climbing trees. In the past, she had been scolded by Fortuna and Arch for working too hard at it all.

'Numb fingers are fine, this will help you ......!

Emilia regains the feel of her numb fingers and takes on the nasty pillar that warps back.

She grabs the ice soldier's hand, which grows upside down on the warp, and lifts her feet in the air to the unsteady sky. But thanks to the ice soldier's help, the climb is steady.

Now, even the Volcanica's interference--

"--

A moment later, the prank of fate slipped into a momentary lull.

'--I, Volcanica. I, Volcanica, question the aspirations of those who reach the summit by an ancient pact.

The strong shaking that occurred was caused by the Volcanica's tail slamming into the pillar. It transmitted the impact to the entire pillar, cracking the upper body only ice soldiers growing out of that pillar by the roots and shattering them all at once.

It was no exception to the warped ice soldiers that Emilia had tried to lend a hand to.

''--ah.''

The hand that grabbed her snapped off her shoulder and Emilia's body fell without support. The wide-eyed ice soldier tried desperately to stop it, but his other hand couldn't reach it.

A floating sensation, it instantly enveloped Emilia's entire body, ruining the rise of the pillar she had worked so hard to climb and trying to pretend it wasn't there one more time - it wasn't.

'Kyah!'

Emilia was supposed to fall down the height of the pillar she tried to climb, dozens of meters. However, something caught Emilia's buttocks unexpectedly quickly as she gasped at the prospect.

It wasn't an iceman. Sensibly, all the ice soldiers that grew on the pillar were crushed.

Besides, the hand that was so quick was touching something very lumpy and hard - and

Could it be: ......

"You have reached the top of the tower. You have reached the top of the tower, thou shalt tread on one level, petitioner of the Almighty.

A voice was delivered at close quarters to Emilia, who confirmed the breeze in the high sky and the feeling under her ass.

From the proximity of that voice, Emilia belatedly understood. --that she was the one who had fallen on the back of the 'divine dragon' Volcanica.

''--!　Don't just sit there!　From here.

She could also use the Volcanica as a stepping stone and attach herself to the pillar.

Emilia thought so, but a difficulty befell her that did not allow her to do so easily.

Flapping her wings, Volcanica rises, writhes, and comes to shake her off.

''--Uh, ugh!

Emilia desperately clung to the dragon's back as she endured the wind that assaulted her entire body, hard and strong.

Until now, Emilia has never felt a physical wind - each piece is large and strong, clinging to scales like a rock, but she can't hold on to it for long.

On top of that, the Volcanica is just flying free in the sky.

It's not taking a strike from its tail or a blow from its paws, much less a breath of air.

It's just flying with momentum, trying to shake off the clinging Emilia.

It was too--too much to lose to this--.

We won't be able to see them.

If she opened her mouth unwisely, her lungs could burst from the wind that flew in.

Turning over, she grits her back teeth and behind her closed eyelids Emilia thinks of the people she cares about.

She prepares her mind as if she's going to die, but she isn't.

Emilia thinks of the people she cares about because she's looking forward.

It was to get them to push her back and give her the courage to look up.

'----'

Despite being swallowed by the gale, Emilia pushes her eyelids open with all her strength.

If you don't pour all your strength into it, you won't be able to open your eyelids. In such a situation, Emilia dared to open her eyes to find a way to take advantage of the power of her purple-blue eyes without letting them lose their strength.

People tend to close their eyes when they feel overwhelmed by fear and anxiety.

But the important people Emilia has drawn behind her eyelids are the ones she looks forward to. It is at times like that that people do not close their eyes.

The eyes must be open.

To reach something, to take someone's hand, and -.

Well, that's weird.

It was a scene dominated by blue on all sides, up and down, left and right, everywhere.

This was probably due to the fact that Emilia was above the sky higher than the clouds, and the 'divine dragon' that Emilia clung to was clad in brilliant blue scales.

Other than that, everything else is passing by so fast that even Emilia's kinetic vision, which can also see the seams of the balls she throws, can't capture the world.

Therefore, what Emilia's consciousness captured was not the world outside the blue.

''- I, Volcanica. "I, Volcanica, question the aspirations of those who reach the summit of the ancient pact.

The Volcanica is flying while twisting and twisting itself.

Apparently, it is around the base of that Volcanica's wings that Emilia is clinging to. Strangely enough, the dragon isn't so busy moving its wings. Birds and insects are supposed to need the flap of their wings to fly, but the principle of dragon flight seems to be different from those.

It must be similar to the way Puck and Rosewall fly.

If that's the case--.

Rosewall was a magical ...... pack too, because it was a magical force.

I hated it, but I have never tried it on Rosewall and I don't think I will ever try it.

However, Emilia has spent much of her time with a family that she thought had been the only one she had for a long time.

She has been away from them for the past year and has often missed them very much. There were even times when I felt like crying at night, but the memories kept me going.

And the call of those memories showed Emilia hope even at times like this.

It was--.

Maybe, just maybe, you don't like being tickled, either?

Pressed open, the purple-blue eyes catch the long neck of the writhing 'Shenlong'. Underneath the chin of that, the great dragon, there is a single white scale in the midst of the dense growth of blue scales.

-- The days spent playing with the pack flashed through Emilia's mind.

'No! Leah. If you're that blistering, it will disrupt your concentration, right?

I know, Puck.

With a voice that responds, Emilia concentrates her consciousness.

Furthermore, in the strong wind, Emilia does not have the power to directly reach those white scales. However, what she learned from the pillar can be put to use, even if the opponent changes from inorganic to organic.

''--Soldier.

Beyond Emilia's consciousness, the ice soldiers appear again around the white scales.

The ice soldiers, the one born at the center of the ice soldiers, who supported each other firmly with only their upper bodies, slowly extend their hands to the white scales--.

"----?

--For the first time, Emilia heard a voice other than the 'divine dragon' rollicking.

△▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼

--Reverse scales, there is a word for it.

The word originates from an old Chinese legend, which says that the mythical dragon has only one scale on its neck that must not be touched, and it is called the Gyakusuri (reverse scale).

It is said that a dragon that is touched by the Gyakurei is enraged and will surely kill its opponent.

The word "Gyakurinu" came from this legend to describe touching a part of the opponent that should not be touched.

Of course, Emilia had no way of knowing the origins of such a different world's historical codicil.

The purpose of trying to touch the white scales on the dragon's neck was also to disrupt the concentration of the opponent, who was flying around vigorously trying to shake me off, and create an opening.

However--.

Kyah!

Emilia's heavens and earth spun around as she screamed and was thrown into the air.

However, this time the floating sensation was even shorter than when she fell on the dragon's back earlier. Taken in by the hard touch, Emilia quickly took a pass with her entire body and rolled over.

She then quickly stood up on the spot and alerted her surroundings.

'----'

With a rough breath, Emilia looks around her surroundings.

Fortunately, there is no sign of a sudden attack coming towards that Emilia. And that's no surprise. Volcanica, the target of the greatest vigilance at the moment, was much, much higher up.

''----.''

Perhaps she didn't like being touched by the white scales so much, but Volcanica was writhing in agony as she rose into the high sky.

A scream that chewed up the sky was a wooden spirit, and Emilia couldn't help but roll her eyes.

'Puck would have been happy to see you ......'

However, pleasing or not pleasing is each person's reaction.

Reminding herself not to be pushy, Emilia checked the feel of her limbs.

She was swung around a great deal by Volcanica's back, and the blood flow in her body was a little out of whack.

In some cases, the blood flow was blocked, and it could cause the brain to lose its vision because of the lack of blood flow, but Emilia was just barely able to hold out.

And after confirming this, Emilia realizes.

''-- Ah!　Here?

Looking around, Emilia's visibility is even one level higher than when she arrived at the first level.

The absence of the six pillars that should be around is proof that Emilia has reached above the tips of those pillars - in other words, this place is the highest level.

She had reached it by being swept off Volcanica's back.

At long last, to the highest level of the Pleiades Watchtower, where no man has gone before.

Oh, yes!　It was worth the effort!

And with a modest reaction to the events, Emilia clapped a hand in front of her chest and then quickly rushed to the center of the top level.

If she faltered, the writhing Volcanica would come back to her.

We have to find a 'test' to help Subaru and the others before that happens.

'Please, give me a problem I can understand: ......

Volcanica forgetting the 'test' was also a big problem, but the problem for Emilia was also whether or not she could solve the 'test' of the first level in the first place.

Fearing that, Emilia went to the center of the top layer. Then, she reached the base of the pillar that stretched from there to the heavens and opened her eyes, "Ah.

There it was. A feature that was not present in the six pillars, one level below.

There was indeed a strange feature that was only found in this top level, the central pillar.

It was--.

Whose handprint is this?

On the top level of the Pleiades Watchtower, at the base of the central pillar, was a black monolith.

And on that black monolith was stamped a handprint.

-- six, different handprints of different men and women were stamped on it.