Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 4 - Ch. 185 - Force Devil

It was just like that moment.

It's mere presence was bringing out the latent survival instinct from within their being, causing it to rung incessantly an alarm inside their brain. The pressure crashing on them made sure they could vividly feel the breath of death literally crawling all over their body.

Their body was demanding to flee away from the monstrosity at that instant, going against their well.

I can't. No, I don't want to. I can't let my fear control me.

I refuse to die.

I must face my enemy.

There's nothing good going to come out just by sitting here hand in hand. Recall, Kujou, recall. Why did I bother to reach this height? My purpose---right. I had been chasing after clues to search my missing brother and sister in the dungeon.

There's no way I could afford to die here. I have yet to find my siblings. Giving away to despair would only prove were never meant to come true.

What was that about throwing away the pitiful self? Haa, nothing has changed about myself.  

Remember the vow---to farewell with my cowardy, crybaby self. No longer would I return to my previous self who always cared about what others think.

The current me is Kirie Kujou. A professional explorer representing Japan, the world.

The commander of the Chariot, Kirie Kujou!

A weakness inside me shouldn't---mustn't stay inside me. I must be my stronger, kinder self. A hero that others looked up to.

Recalling back, the explorer I had admired back then was also a hero. A lot more cooler hero. A lot more stronger. He  would never have run away from such a situation.

"Don't kid with meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!"

Kujou put every fibre of her being into that soul-stirring shout as she shouted at the enemy floating in the sky, staring down at them.

Perhaps it was the effect that scream came straight from her soul, she had unconsciously mixed her second inherent ability <The Tempting Words of Soul (Force Devil)> in her scream.

It was her call of soul that broke three of them---and herself from the shackle of death.

At the same time, the same scream seemed to have touched the nerves of that monstrosity. It was the repetition of last time, it was before their eyes before they could even realise what was going on.

However there was one thing that wasn't the same. Kujou had clearly understood one thing---that monstrosity's speed was in the league of its own, of the level that not even she could grasp a hint despite belonging to the cream of the corp explorer.

A monster of this league was clearly impossible for her to take out. Normally, even making a move would have been impossible.

Or at least that's how it was supposed, for the ordinary explorer.

"The same trick wouldn't work twice."

Kirie Kujou was one of the great people against whom a card once played would never be effective again. It was her being cautious, a condition she had put on herself.

"------«No More Moving»!"

Kujou shouted, her voice laced with the soul of word. Her words gained further boost from her calling ability as it gradually permeated in the surrounding and then into the monstrostiy's body.

As if someone had clicked on the pause button. Monstrosity's movement suddenly came to a halt. In that instant, it was no different from a statue, freezing itself from even blinking.

Facing an incomprehensible situation for the first time ever, and being unable to move its own body, the monstrosity finally started to show the colour of panic.

It was the ace up Kujou's sleeve.

<Force Devil>---Kujou's second inherent ability, a super skill at that, awakened from its dormancy---was able to forcefully strip away the right of an opponent's movement when in touch. However the condition was they must be in touch.

The demerit was however erased by her first-grade calling «Rippling Magician». She was able to effectively reduce the need to touch the opponent via air transmission. It was like she had turned her demerit into merit---which also why it was her ace in the sleeve.

The ability to control movement of an enemy with words alone was strong indeed. Nevertheless, when facing the opponent of higher level, just stopping their movement for several seconds was all she was capable of.

But that was enough. Her gamble paid off---the chance of victory was finally within her grasp.

Kujou's hinder that monster's movement while Tenji, who possessed the mean to harm it, swooped down with his attack.

Meanwhile, Honnou, Fuyuki and Chisato provided guard for him. They fought with all their power, not in hope to take down monsters, but to earn the chance for citizens of Mallorca to escape, even by a few minutes.

Neither of them were fools who couldn't discern their opponent's capability. There's no way they could hope to dent the enemy when not even Limey could do anything.

In that case, what they ought to do was simple. They were to earn the time. It doesn't matter how long, as long as they could earn even a few minutes. Besides, their goal just happened to coincide.

Rest of the explorers should know what they ought to do. After all, they were all the cream of crop explorer/

"It's all hanging on you, Tenji."

Kujou said and then suddenly backstepped naturally. From beside Kujou, Tenji rushed forward with a red flaming blade in his hand, a raging expression masking his face.