Copy Skills with Affinity!

Chapter 202

Breakthrough

‘It’ ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍was a magical beast that had long settled in that area, no different from an old resident that had claimed the land as its own.

The Void Zone was originally a dark place where even sunlight could barely reach due to its regional characteristics, but the forest where ‘it’ resided was even darker than that.

Amid the ancient trees—so old their age could not even be guessed—that stretched their branches in a sinister manner, it always lurked gloomily.

-……

When it raised its body, all the surrounding creatures scattered in panic and began to flee.

In the Void Zone, where the law of the jungle was deeply ingrained, the ability to distinguish who was a predator and who was prey was directly tied to survival.

And no one would dispute that the massive magical beast that had just risen was the apex of the ecosystem ruling this forest.

-…………

And from the movements of the other magical beasts fleeing in terror, it sensed that something was different from usual.

There were slightly fewer of them than usual.

As if the forest’s attention had been drawn to something other than itself.

-……!

Its eyes narrowed.

Though, as a magical beast, it did not possess intelligence as refined as a human’s, it was still a creature capable of feeling simple emotions.

The presence of another intruder in its territory—where everything should fear only it and all attention should be focused solely on it—was enough to provoke ‘anger’ within it.

It spread its wings wide. True to its massive body, which had grown by devouring countless magical beasts, its majestic wings unfurled grandly to either side.

Then, to detect the anomaly in the forest, it shot upward into the sky.

Its body brushed against a barrier laid out by other gods, and parts of it burned away instantly, but it did not even flinch.

For ordinary creatures, this alone would have been a grievous wound that made movement difficult, but its body was one that revived endlessly, close to immortality. Such minor injuries were not worth worrying about.

It could not properly explain how powerful that was in words, but through experience, it knew that this very power was what allowed it to reign at the top of this forest.

So, whoever the intruders were, it would make them realize who the master of this forest was with this power. Thinking so, it glared around with its black eyes flashing.

It did not take long before it found what it was looking for.

-……?

The first emotion that rose was, of course, doubt.

Something was moving at an extremely fast speed.

Even among magical beasts, there were many that moved quickly, but something that fast was rarely seen even among creatures that had evolved solely for escape, abandoning combat ability altogether.

And it was not just the speed that was strange.

Everything within the trajectory of its movement had been cleanly ‘erased.’

-…………??

‘It’ blinked blankly.

If there had been signs of battle, or if it were a massive and powerful being like itself that destroyed the forest simply by moving, it could at least understand.

But this was different—like someone had drawn a picture of the surroundings and then selectively erased only the forest from it, everything was unnaturally wiped away.

It moved its eyes and detected with its own vision the one responsible for this.

It was a bizarre-looking creature.

At the very least, from its perspective—having never in its life seen ‘humans’ pulling a carriage with several other humans riding ‘on top’ of it—there was no other way to describe it.

-…….

It did not know what was going on, but if they had entered its territory, it would simply make them pay the price.

It bared its claws and fangs and growled toward them. It was a battle cry containing a warning to tremble in fear.

Only then, as if they had finally sensed its presence, the humans on the carriage all turned their heads toward it at once.

-…………??

And the moment their eyes met—

‘It’ realized something was wrong.

What was contained in those eyes was an unwavering calm.

Even when facing a magical beast of its level, there was no panic or fear, as if they had merely seen a passing ‘insect.’

They did not even regard it as an opponent to fight. As if, upon encountering it, they could simply ‘erase’ it immediately—

“Oh.”

Among them, a man with a sleepy expression raised his hand and pointed at it, and its body stiffened.

Something was ominous.

It did not know what, but it was extremely ominous.

As a magical beast whose foremost instinct was to determine whether it or the opponent was the predator, its sense of danger was exceedingly accurate.

Well.

If there was a mistake, it would be that encountering them in the first place had been the problem.

“There’s one over there too.”

At those words, the woman beside the man nodded and turned her head toward it.

Soon, her hand aimed at it.

-……!!

And the moment it saw the flames erupting from there—

It understood everything.

Why everything in the path they had passed through had been so cleanly erased without leaving a trace.

Nothing could possibly withstand such flames.

Everything they encountered would be reduced to ashes so completely that not even remnants would remain—that was why such a scene had appeared—!

-……!!!!

In the end.

As it stared at the flames rushing right up to its face, unable even to scream, the silent cry it let out became the final memory that ‘it’ left in this world.

▣

No matter what it was, things were always more entertaining when watched together.

In that sense, the ‘Aiden watching’ that Elisha and Morrigan were currently enjoying was missing one spectator.

“You’re late.”

Of course, no one would miss such a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle unfolding right before their eyes.

As if the shadows themselves were rising, darkness gathered and slowly formed before settling around them.

At Elisha’s words, as she scratched her cheek, Bailey shrugged and replied, proving that fact plainly.

“How could I possibly miss this?”

“For someone saying that, you’re quite late.”

“I had something to prepare.”

With that, Bailey walked over and plopped herself down on the table.

As far as she knew, she had only just received the report that that group had entered the Void Zone. If so, she hadn’t missed that much.

‘……Let’s see.’

She let out a snort and recalled everything she knew about the Void Zone.

The path leading to the central ‘temple’ where Wornil’s body was buried was filled with obstacles.

To be precise, there were far too many things scattered around that couldn’t simply be described as “obstacles.”

A Leviathan so massive that its mere movement was a catastrophe, an immortal that revived no matter how many times it was killed, a watcher that nullified all supernatural abilities just by being seen…….

Each magical beast derived from Wornil’s remnants possessed power that would itself be a disaster if released outside.

She didn’t know what that man was about to do, but breaking through all of those would surely require tremendous effort—

“Ah, they’ll reach where Wornil is soon.”

“…….”

“Maybe… half a day?”

Bailey stared at Elisha in silence, momentarily at a loss for words.

Her eyes clearly asked if she was joking, but Elisha simply shrugged confidently in return.

As if to say she was only stating the truth.

“……Really?”

Bailey ran a hand through her hair and spoke.

“How is that even possible?”

“…….”

“…….”

Morrigan and Elisha both answered with silence.

In truth, neither of them had a proper explanation for such a question.

“……Just watch.”

Sighing, Elisha pointed at the screen Morrigan had projected.

Inside it—

“……What is this?”

“No idea.”

Elisha held her head as she answered.

“I think there are some human kids who play like that when they’re young. Swinging oil around and setting it on fire.”

And indeed, just as she said.

What Aiden was doing on the screen was not far from that description.

Though calling it a childish prank was questionable, considering the scale was on an entirely different level.

On the screen, Aiden was moving at a terrifying speed.

Not just moving—he was running around in all directions, setting everything ablaze as he went.

“…….”

The problem was—

“……Isn’t that an immortal?”

Among the targets he had just casually burned and passed over was one of the most dangerous magical beasts Bailey had just recalled—the immortal.

A magical beast that would never truly die, endlessly reviving no matter how many times it was killed.

And yet—

It had been reduced to ashes without even being able to resist the flames they left behind.

“…….”

No, they hadn’t even seen when it died.

Because the entire screen had been engulfed in pure white flames as he passed through.

And if a monster that powerful ended up like that, there was no need to even look at the others.

Flash, flash—every time something streaked past, only ashes remained……

“……What on earth is this—?!”

Bailey clutched her head, losing her composure in a way that didn’t suit her.

Though it was rare to see her like that, Elisha and Morrigan wore similar expressions as they rubbed their faces and answered.

“……How would I know. I don’t know.”

Perhaps.

For them as well, that was the only answer they could give.

▣

From Aiden’s memory, there had been a movie about end-of-the-century bikers.

It was some kind of cult film where strange people who worshipped engines and cars competed by driving through wastelands.

Even now, he still didn’t understand why those people acted that way, but at least he fully understood why they got excited when moving at such high speeds.

“……Fast.”

“It really is fast.”

Beside him, Noel Astrea Simus replied blankly while sitting on Noel’s shoulder together with Katya Heinkel Craven.

“…….”

No, seriously.

He had already known that this person’s physical abilities grew the most explosively when a body was integrated into them, but he hadn’t expected such an intense reaction from a single enhancement.

With the priestess sisters continuously supplying firepower to Katya’s flames, and Noel’s physical abilities pulling the carriage toward the destination at maximum speed—

It was a plan he had come up with on the spot after seeing what they had done earlier.

And the result was—

“……We are breaking through the Void Zone right now, right?”

“…….”

“This isn’t pest control, right? Like exterminating bugs or something?”

Honestly, that was a fairly accurate assessment.