Early TNG Vol. 22 Chapter 4 Part 2

Full title: THE NEW GATE

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Canon

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Racing across the sea, Shibaid and Milt were preparing their ultimate moves. Thanks to the enhancements made to their equipment by Shin, they were able to move across the surface of the ocean without having to activate any skills themselves.

Shibaid charged forward powerfully, kicking up sprays of seawater, while Milt glided smoothly over the waves with the aid of spirit arts.

With the density of bombardment having dropped, monsters that had broken through the barrier were now advancing onto the island. Although the automatic repair function had been reinforced and not all barriers would collapse at once, more and more sections were being breached like holes in moth-eaten cloth. At this rate, the barriers would soon be as good as nonexistent.

“I’m going all out from the start!” 

“Of course!”

Milt’s 『Ordgand』 and Shibaid’s 『Placid Moon 』 shone with dazzling brilliance. The sheer intensity of their radiance, visible even from afar, caused the monsters' advance to slow ever so slightly.

Milt struck first.

The glowing effect transformed into a brilliant flame, extending from her weapon like a raging beast in search of prey. She held 『Ordgand』 at shoulder level and swept it sideways, sending a fan-shaped wave of fire hurtling toward the monsters clustered around the barrier.

The flame/spear combination skill 【Shiden - Vana Agni】—a skill on par with Filma’s 【Shiden - Kagutsuchi】, which had once incinerated even an Archduke-class Miasma Demon.

The roaring flames expanded, engulfing the Hevin forces.

The wide-reaching flames, unleashed without targeting specific enemies, seemed to act with a will of their own as they consumed large swaths of the enemy markers on the map.

Fused monsters took slightly longer to burn than standard ones, but none could withstand the blaze. Even a mere brush from the flames reduced everything in its path to ash. With a skill of this tier, ordinary seawater offered no resistance—it simply evaporated on contact.

“The power’s definitely up. It’s not just training—the gear upgrades Shin did must be working too.”

Watching the monsters be utterly consumed, Milt could feel the boost in her skill’s power. Because 【Shiden - Vana Agni】 was a high-tier skill, it wasn’t easy to test casually, making it hard to gauge its full power. But with no risk of collateral damage here, she had fired it at full force from the outset.

Perhaps thanks to Shin’s enhancements, even the sparks flying off the flames carried damage properties. Seeing a Hevin ignite and turn to ash from a single ember, Milt couldn’t help but voice her surprise;【Shiden - Vana Agni】 hadn’t been this powerful before.

The sheer force and scale of the attack prompted a reaction from the monsters. Whether they were somehow sharing information or not, the number of enemies surfacing from the sea rapidly increased. No matter how powerful the skill, its effects wouldn’t last forever. The monsters appeared to be trying to suppress Milt’s attack by sacrificing their overwhelming numbers.

But Milt wasn’t alone. Into the blazing gap created by the fire stepped Shibaid.

The glowing effect radiating from 『Placid Moon』 transformed into a violent storm, reaching toward the sky. Even the fading afterglow conveyed its immense scale.

“Haah!”

Shibaid swung 『Placid Moon』 in a wide horizontal arc.

—Tri-type hybrid skill: 【Ravaging Wind Cleave】.

A tempest condensed into a blade of wind assailed the monsters trying to stem the flames.

The first to suffer were the fused variants that had surfaced close to attack Shibaid.

To Shibaid, they appeared as towering giants—but they were shredded like paper in a hurricane of invisible fangs.

【Ravaging Wind Cleave】 fused wind, earth, and spear arts into a compressed AoE attack. It combined the speed of wind with the mass of earth, further amplified by its compressed form.

Monsters caught within its reach were ground away from the edges inward like being fed into a grinder, disappearing without a trace. Though the compression effect only lasted for one swing, the power it unleashed was overwhelming. The space carved out by Vana Agni expanded even further thanks to 【Ravaging Wind Cleave】.

And it didn’t stop there—【Ravaging Wind Cleave】 amplified 【Shiden - Vana Agni】's fire.

Fire and wind had always been a compatible pair. Any magic-user in THE NEW GATE knew combining fire and wind arts boosted their destructive potential.

When replicated through Ultimate-class skills, using Ancient-grade weapons and top-tier stats—the result was clear in the monsters vanishing before them.

The storm of magic wind unleashed by 【Ravaging Wind Cleave】 blended with the blaze of 【Shiden - Vana Agni】, reigniting the flames and intensifying even the drifting embers.

Notably, both Shibaid and Milt’s weapons were custom-made by Shin. 『Placid Moon』, a support character’s weapon, had built-in synergy enhancements for combined attacks. Shin had also added similar effects to 『Ordgand』 in advance.

Though these weren’t collaborative skills per se, the elemental synergy and weapon support effects caused both the damage and range to exceed levels beyond anything the two had ever known.

“Good thing we’re out at sea. Otherwise, this whole area would’ve been scorched earth.” 

“Indeed. I hadn’t expected the output to reach this level.”

Exchanging light banter, Milt and Shibaid readied their weapons again.

While 【Shiden - Vana Agni】 and 【Ravaging Wind Cleave】 had delivered devastating effects, the monsters they defeated were quickly replaced. More and more enemies surfaced from the sea, filling the cleared space with another horde.

“No wonder Shin was on high alert. Whatever we take out just gets replaced in no time.”

“Our job is to buy time until the heavy bombardment resumes. No need to rush.” 

“Yeah. We’ll pull back as soon as we get the signal.”

The plan was to fire a flare signal when the magic weapons were ready for full deployment. Druk had said it would take about thirty minutes.

So far, the bombardment was working well. Everything remained within expected parameters.

They had prepared for possible flanking forces too.

Don’t panic—just do what you can.

Facing the massive wave of monsters, Shibaid and Milt once again infused their weapons with skills.

◆◆◆◆

Three hours had passed since the battle began. At the command center on Parda Island, a faint sense of relief began to spread beneath the tension. Thanks to their extensive preparations—and the efforts of Shibaid and Milt—the situation had been progressing without any major issues.

They hadn’t yet defeated the enemy’s leader, but with calm and consistent responses, they could buy enough time. The information gathered at the command center supported that judgment.

“Don’t let your guard down, damn it!”

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Druk barked out a warning. Their enemy was one that even Shin treated with caution—there was no way things would end so easily.

When Shin had informed them that Nuva was using a strategy of sending its minions ahead, Druk had been certain—this enemy was going to try something.

(Without Shin and his party, the barrier would’ve been broken long ago. There’s no way this ends smoothly…)

Just then, a report came in from one of the watchtowers, and Druk, arms crossed, turned to listen.

“Emergency report from the northern sector! Variant-type monsters, matching the earlier descriptions, have attached themselves to the barrier! Estimated count: around twenty within visible range!”

“They’re hitting the complete opposite side of where we’re being attacked… This isn’t just random monster behavior. Do we have coordinates from the tower?”

“Communications are normal—coordinates received!”

“Good. Relay the data to the reserve units. And tell the other watchtowers to stay sharp!”

The command center quickly grew more hectic. Druk felt a small sense of relief that their communications systems were still functioning properly. Despite that, he scowled down at the map, weighing the enemy’s tactics against their remaining forces.

(I figured they’d hit another location… but just one?)

Just as that doubt crossed his mind, another staff member—visibly rattled—rushed over with a follow-up report.

“A-A new emergency update! It’s not just the north. We’re getting simultaneous attacks in the southeast and southwest. Small-scale strikes are hitting several areas not involved in the main assault!”

“Tch… They know they’ve got the numbers.”

The area under attack was too broad—there was no way the reserve forces alone could cover it all. After a brief hesitation, Druk turned to one of the staff and ordered them to contact Sety’s group, which was still on standby.

◆◆◆◆

Upon receiving the report of widespread attacks by a small number of fusion-type monsters, Sety connected with the party via 【Mind Chat】 to share the information.

“(Tiera-chan and I are thinking of taking Kagerou to deal with them. What do you think?)”

“(The enemy’s goal might be to divide our forces—or perhaps they’re trying to gauge our strength. Either way, if those fusion-types make it onto the island, the damage will be severe. The reserve forces won’t be enough to cover everything, so we have no choice but to send someone. For now, the main horde is still being suppressed by me, Milt, and the firepower of the bombardment.)”

“(It’s not ideal for the defense squad, but that sounds like the most efficient option.)”

Shibaid and Milt, who were holding the front lines, agreed with Sety’s proposal.

High burst power for quickly eliminating enemies, mobility to cover wide areas, and suppression power to handle multiple foes at once—all of these were covered if Sety and Tiera launched ranged attacks from Kagerou’s back.

“(I’m staying with the defense unit. There might be some enemies that avoid the wide-range attacks and try to slip through.)”

Yuzuha, who had regrouped with the defense forces alongside Armaiz, spoke to Shin through 【Mind Chat】. She was, of course, in her adult form now.

Shin didn’t doubt the capabilities of Parda Island’s defense force, but considering equipment and stats, it made sense to have someone like Yuzuha stay behind as insurance—especially since she was solid both offensively and support-wise.

Shin also approved Sety and Tiera’s plan as a rational course of action.

“(Makes sense, given the members involved. Anyone in the defense squad have anything to say?)”

“(The captain looked a little apologetic, but no objections.)”

“(Got it. I’ll leave it to you, Sety, Tiera.)”

“(Roger that.)”

“(Leave it to us.)”

After ending the 【Mind Chat】, Sety nodded back to the defense unit members bowing toward Yuzuha, then walked over to Tiera. Tiera had apparently already explained the situation, and with a sharp cry, Kagerou returned to his original form.

The defense members tensed slightly—understandably so. Kagerou’s true form was enormous, towering over everyone. Even though they’d been told there was no danger, the sheer divine pressure he exuded made their bodies instinctively react.

That tension, however, vanished the moment Tiera leapt onto Kagerou’s lowered back.

“Alright, I’ll be joining you. I’m counting on you, Kagerou.”

With a word of thanks, Sety mounted as well. There was no saddle or harness, but thanks to her riding skill, keeping balance was no issue.

They would start with the nearest threat. At Tiera’s direction, Kagerou sprinted off powerfully.

His immense strength brought his massive frame to top speed in an instant. He did smash part of the paved road in the process, but that was considered an acceptable sacrifice.

The rushing wind made voice communication difficult, so Sety used 【Mind Chat】 to convey her plan.

“(When we reach mountain paths, I’ll create barriers in the air for Kagerou to use as stepping stones. Can you relay that to him?)”

“(Understood.)”

Shin had previously mentioned that the limitation on how many footholds he could create in mid-air had been removed, so Sety had asked to see it, and then attempted something similar herself.

Adjusting the placement and size of the barriers was tricky, and she couldn’t freely maneuver mid-air, but it was still doable to create large stepping platforms that a creature the size of Kagerou could leap across.

“Here we go!”

After confirming that Kagerou understood, Sety created large barriers for visibility.

Kagerou leapt toward them in a single bound. Since she didn’t know the full extent of his max jump, she created several platforms spaced apart so he could choose his own landing spots.

By skipping over tall mountains and winding roads, they reached the nearest attack point in just a few minutes.

All of the monsters attacking the island barrier were fusion-types—six in total.

Because the main horde was drawing the focus of the defenses, the barrier spacing on the opposite side of the island was much narrower. With the first barrier close to breaking, there was an oppressive feeling from their proximity.

When Sety passed by a watchtower, she caught a glimpse of the lookout’s face—he was visibly tense with fear.

"I'm stopping their movement!"

While on the move, Tiera took aim and activated a skill, firing multiple arrows at once.

With smooth, practiced motions, she nocked the next arrow and immediately loosed it at a different target.

Enhanced by both her skill and her weapon, the arrows flew across the distance to the monsters in mere seconds.

One of the fused creatures noticed the incoming arrows and tried to deflect them, but, before they could reach its hand—still clinging to the wall—the power imbued in the arrows was unleashed.

The water-archery compound skill 【Freezing Shot】.

The arrows exploded on impact, scattering water in every direction. The resulting spray rained down on the fused creature.

The fine droplets, almost like mist, froze solid the moment they touched the creature.

Encased in thick ice formed from magic, its massive body halted just as Tiera had declared.

Right on cue, Sety unleashed her magic.

Fireballs, lightning, wind blades, earth spears, ice lances, beams of light—

She launched a barrage of multi-elemental attacks, targeting each creature separately to see which was most effective.

After all, knowing an enemy’s weakness made it easier to take them down efficiently.

Since each fused creature had a different form, it stood to reason that their durability would also vary.

For the one that looked like a fusion of Corpus and seemed to have the highest level and HP, Sety fired a bolt of lightning.

If that attack did more damage than the others, it would suggest lightning was the most effective element—at least in her estimation.

“Looks like lightning works best, no doubt about that.”

The creature struck by the lightning had lost two to three times more HP than the others.

It might’ve been because it was soaked in seawater, but regardless, lightning clearly did more damage.

“…So basically, I wasn’t even needed.”

Tiera’s quiet murmur, spoken after seeing all the enemies wiped out in a single strike despite the damage differences, reached Sety’s ears.

“Hey now, don’t say that. You were plenty helpful, Tiera-chan. Come on, let’s move to the next one.” 

“R-Right.”

There was no time to talk at length.

As they moved to the next location, Sety contacted Tiera via 【Mind Chat】.

“(Hey, Tiera-chan. You think you’re still not strong enough to be of any real help, don’t you?)”

“(Uh, well…)”

The words had slipped out unconsciously, most likely.

From the tone in Tiera’s voice, Sety felt that it wasn’t guilt over being overheard—but genuine surprise at how accurately Sety had hit the mark.

“(Sorry to spring that on you. You just looked like you were losing confidence.)”

“(No, you’re not wrong…)”

“(That skill earlier—freezing their movement so my attacks could land—you made the right call. And you stopped every single one of them. Thanks to that, I could cast my spells with room to spare. You even gave a proper shout to coordinate with me. You were helpful. No question.)” 

“(I mean… yeah, but still…)”

Hearing Tiera’s hesitant reply, Sety sensed she might be touching on something that had been quietly weighing on her mind.

As she summoned a Kagerou foothold to glide ahead, she continued.

“(…Is it because you think you should’ve been able to take them out in one shot from the start?)”

Tiera twitched slightly at Sety’s pointed remark.

By this world’s standards, Tiera’s strength was already reaching the highest levels.

But the people around her were in a league of their own—High Humans who had surpassed normal limits, their powerful subordinates, and former players who had fought alongside those High Humans.

Even if Tiera grew stronger, the ceiling still seemed impossibly high.

“(It’s okay. Right now, you just can’t fully control your power yet. Shin told me about it, and I agree—your strength isn’t complete. Your mana control is still rough.)”

“(Ugh…)”

“(But that just means you still have room to grow. It took us years to get this strong, you know? If you caught up in less than a year after awakening your power, we’d be the ones feeling obsolete.)”

Sety spoke in a calm, gentle voice.

“(I get the impatience, too. I’ve felt the gap between me and Sister Schnee plenty of times.)”

“(Even you, Sety-san…?)”

Sety accidentally slipped back into her old way of addressing Schnee, but Sety noticed the shift in Tiera’s mood and kept going.

“(Right now, Sister Schnee has magic skills on par with mine and melee combat abilities that rival Filma and Shibaid. In terms of combat power, she’s a head above the rest of us support types. Sometimes I wonder if we’re even needed when she’s paired with Shin. That’s how exceptional she is.)” 

“(……)”

“(But you know, no matter how strong someone is, there are still things they can’t do alone. We may have more options than most, but we’re not all-powerful. That goes for Shin and Sister Schnee too. So stop selling yourself short. That’ll only hold back your growth.)”

The tension in Tiera’s posture eased, just a little.

Feeling she had fulfilled her role as an older peer, Sety finished in a lighter tone.

“(Besides, you get to watch them from up close. Might as well aim to catch up someday, right?)” 

“(Hehe… you’re right.)”

Tiera smiled, just enough to show a bit of ease returning to her.

Relieved to see her recovering, Sety shifted her focus to the monsters coming into view.

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