Chapter 86: Tricking the Sparklence
Be grateful?
Chiba was so angry he laughed instead.
Looking at this woman who'd been toying with him like a monkey, treating his struggles as entertainment, the fire in his heart completely burned through the string called reason.
"Fuck your gratitude!"
"Who the hell wants that?"
Chiba lowered his head and glared intently at Kaguya in the water, speaking each word deliberately.
"Since you want to kill me, then don't wait for some bullshit card collection."
"I'm standing right in front of you now, voluntarily giving up that so-called protection period."
He spread his arms wide, adopting a completely unguarded posture, his eyes full of provocation.
"Ougihoshi Kaguya, you want an opportunity? Fine, then I'll give you one."
"If you want to make a move, right now is the best chance."
"Honestly, rather than being disgusted by you playing me like a monkey in the shadows... we might as well have a real fight right here and now! Determine superiority and decide life and death!"
"Or do you actually not have the guts? Are you afraid I'll defeat you? Can't handle losing face? Is that why you've made all these excuses?"
As these words left his mouth.
The air immediately fell silent.
Only the pool water gently lapping against the shore could be heard.
The smile slowly disappeared from Kaguya's face.
She narrowed her eyes. For the first time, those violet pupils revealed genuine emotion.
It was anger at being provoked by an ant.
And also excitement at seeing prey deliver itself to her door.
"Give up protection?"
Kaguya repeated in a low voice, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger.
"Heh..."
"Hehehe..."
A low laugh spilled from her throat, growing louder and louder until it became wild laughter that pierced the clouds.
"Hahaha!! Good! Very good!!"
"You chose this yourself."
"BOOM—!!"
A terrifying air current instantly erupted with her at the center.
The entire pool of water was like being slapped hard by an invisible giant hand, shooting skyward and transforming into a torrential downpour.
Chiba was forced back several steps by this air blast, raising his hand to shield his face.
Within that sky-filling water mist.
Kaguya slowly ascended.
That school swimsuit dissipated in the light, replaced by that sacred robe bearing moon totems.
Behind her, six massive pure white wings thunderously unfurled, blocking the midday sunlight.
That pressure was no longer the previous testing—this was the true divine authority belonging to a judge.
"Since you want to die so badly..."
Kaguya floated in midair, looking down on Chiba from above, her eyes as cold as if viewing a speck of dust.
"Then I'll grant your wish."
She raised her hand and lightly grasped at the empty air.
"Reality Marble—Deploy!!"
"Moon Judgment Arena!!"
With Kaguya's declaration.
The world began to collapse.
The blue sky and white clouds were instantly covered by some blood-red color.
That luxury villa district was like a painting being burned, peeling away and shattering before Chiba's eyes.
In its place was an endless wasteland of ruins.
Broken walls and rubble, smoke filling the air.
The atmosphere reeked of sulfur and fresh blood.
Hanging in the sky was an enormous bleeding red moon.
There was no life here, no hope—only endless desolation and the chilling atmosphere of slaughter permeating the air.
This was the judge's domain.
And also... the place of終ending where only death could provide escape.
Chiba stood on a cracked stone slab, looking up at that woman who resembled a deity. He showed no fear. His right hand had already pulled out the Sparklence he'd prepared earlier.
Ougihoshi Kaguya floated in midair, the six wings behind her slowly fanning, stirring up waves of destructive air currents.
She looked down at that tiny figure below, her eyes like she was watching an ant that didn't know life from death.
"Is this your trump card, Kazama-kun?"
"A transformation device that's lost its luster? Are you planning to use it to bash my head in?"
"Try it and find out."
Chiba ignored her mockery. Instead, he tightly gripped the Sparklence, let out a great shout, and fiercely raised his arm.
"TIGA!!"
"..."
Several seconds passed.
The wind was still blowing, crows were still calling.
Dead leaves spiraled through the space between them.
The Sparklence sat there quiet as a chicken. Forget glowing—it didn't even produce a single spark.
The atmosphere became extremely awkward.
"Pfft..."
Kaguya couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. That laughter grew louder and louder until it became unbridled mockery, shaking the surrounding rubble.
"Hahahaha!! This is your 'light'?"
She clutched her stomach, nearly laughing to tears.
"Oh my, oh my, how embarrassing. Looks like even that so-called light doesn't want to answer your call at this moment, does it?"
"After all, you know what kind of trash you are yourself, right? Light? How could something like that possibly favor someone like you?"
Chiba's hand froze in midair. His expression looked terrible, but his brain was racing at full speed.
This was really awkward.
He could feel it—there really was light surging within the Sparklence. But when that light came into contact with his inner thoughts of "I'm going to kill this bitch," it instantly recoiled.
Access denied.
Why?
Chiba recalled the last time he'd transformed.
The reason he'd been able to transform ten years ago was because his mind had been completely focused on saving that girl.
That was pure protective will, so the light had responded to him.
But now, he was driven by personal grudges, by the desire to vent his fury, by the need to take down this woman who'd been playing him like a monkey.
Chiba instantly understood.
"I see."
Does this Light Giant have some kind of moral obsession?
It only responds to the will to protect, not to desires for personal combat?
This is way too idealistic!!
However...
Chiba immediately thought of another method.
In that case, to borrow this power, he needed a righteous cause.
He had to package himself as the side of justice and paint his opponent as evil that must be eliminated.
Heh, Chiba had an idea.
Isn't this just acting? That doesn't faze him.
As someone who'd lived two lives and struggled through society's great melting pot, Chiba's greatest skill was—lying.
Lying to others, and lying to himself.
Since you need righteousness, then I'll give you righteousness.
"Whew..."
Chiba adjusted his breathing. When he raised his head again, the expression on his face had completely changed.
That sinister cunning instantly vanished.
In its place was a kind of compassionate, righteous indignation.
He pointed at the surrounding doomsday ruins that Kaguya had casually created, his voice trembling as if this were his lifelong home he'd sworn to protect.
"Look at what you've done!!"
This shout was so hoarse and desperate that even Kaguya was startled.
"Huh?"
Kaguya froze.
What had she done? Wasn't this just a Reality Marble?
Chiba pointed at those background props that Kaguya had casually created, and his eyes actually turned red.
"Look at this hellish scene!!"
"You demon! For your own selfish desires, you actually destroyed this beautiful planet! Devoured so many innocent citizens and children!!"
"Those children didn't even get a chance to grow up! They still had dreams! They still had futures! Yet they were all buried by your hands!!"
"How could you... how could you do something so cruel!!"