Chapter 142: Statues of All the MANTIS

After resting and preparing for half an hour, they all finally stood in front of the big door. 

Kouro took out the Xuanyuan Sword in both hands, Ji Xuanyuan and her alter ego had come out in spirit form and sat on his shoulders.

(E/D: Alter Ego. Is that an FGO reference or is it just a coincidence.)

["Kouro, why haven't you called us again in such a long time?"] said Dark Ji Xuanyuan with a frown. 

'Sorry, I didn't have an urgent situation to call you guys. ' Kouro spoke to the two of them using telepathy. 

["Do you only summon us when it's urgent? Do you only think of us as weapons?"] Ji Xuanyuan said with a sad expression, she covered her mouth to hide her sadness. 

'No! I don't think of you guys like that! I just... I won't do it again. Sorry, I really apologize.'

As Ji Xuanyuan said, he considered Xuanyuan sword as a weapon but not the two of them. 

They were living beings although Kouro wasn't sure if calling Ji Xuanyuan and her alter ego 'Living beings' was the right word considering they were both spirits. 

Moreover, he really rarely took out the Xuanyuan Sword other than against enemies since this weapon no matter what was a Divine Key. 

Just imagine if Kouro used this weapon as a kitchen knife for cooking needs, wouldn't if he doing that be tantamount to disrespecting the two of them? 

After all, it didn't matter if Ji Xuanyuan was a hero who sealed away Chiyou, a judgment-class Honkai Beast that had devoured an island. 

Therefore Kouro would always use the Xuanyuan Sword when fighting enemies that must be eliminated or enemies that are worth fighting. 

But since it seems that Ji Xuanyuan and her Alter ego did not like this, then from now on, he will definitely use the Xuanyuan Sword in his daily life. 

["That's fine, since it seems like you've understood your mistake. By the way, where are we right now? Since you took us out it seems like you are preparing to fight a difficult enemy. "] said Ji Xuanyuan and then looked around, apart from the three girls who seemed to be Kouro's companions, she only saw an empty dusty dark room.

'Hey, Ji Xuanyuan do you know what these doors are made of?' Kouro touched the door in front of him while asking Ji Xuanyuan. 

The door was large and blue-black in color, it had a rough texture and a very high density, he already knew that this door was very hard, but now he wondered if by using Xuanyuan sword he could destroy this door. 

Wait, he almost forgot that he has the authority of [Death and life], he is sure that with this power he can destroy this wall easily but... 

Kouro glanced at Lin furtively, he was sure that if he used his authority his identity would definitely be questioned. 

["I don't know, I've never seen a metal like this..."] said Ji Xuanyuan and her Alter ego stared at the wall intently. 

'Well... If you don't know that, it's fine, anyway, now I have more important business.' Kouro then pushed the door with brute force. 

The door squeaked loudly, and before opening completely, they looked at each other before entering with wary expressions. 

Just as their feet stepped inside, the sound of jagged machinery rang out again, this time the entrance door behind them moved and closed, and blue torches appeared illuminating the room. 

They were a little confused by the sudden lighting before putting on a look of amazement when looking ahead, the room they entered was very large, but it was not this that amazed them but the several statues, several tens of meters in front of them. 

The statues numbered 14 and had a human form that looked very real, the statues were placed in a circle with a small door in the middle of the statues. 

"Who are these statues? Are they heroes?" Lin asked, she didn't recognize these statues at all. 

"I don't know either... Mhn? Kouro-kun... Do you know them?" Ragna saw Kouro standing still staring at the statues, she couldn't see his expression because of his back facing her. 

She didn't see that Kouro's current expression looked so surprised that his eyes widened and his mouth opened, he recognized some of these statues. 

Kevin... Elysia... Su... Mobius...Fu Hua... Sakura...and Eden, he didn't recognize the remaining few statues, but he was sure these statues were MANTIS. 

But why were the statues here? Did this basement belong to a certain MANTIS? 

He then turned to look at Ragna and wore a complimentary expression, "No, I'm just surprised at how alive these statues are." 

He could not tell them this unless they already knew this. 

Kouro then saw Ji Xuanyuan pointing at one of the statues with a surprised expression. 

["Hey! Look there's a Celestial along with one of those statues! Does that mean they are heroes from the past? But why don't I recognize them all?"] 

(Celestial was Fu Hua's nickname while still protecting Shenzhou.) 

Dark Ji Xuanyuan looked at the several statues before her eyes visibly widened when she saw a statue that was in a remote corner. 

She wondered if her eyes were deceiving her and even rubbed her eyes a few times to confirm if what she saw was true. 

["Hey... Kouro if my eyes are not mistaken, I seem to see your statue in one of those statues."] 

Hearing her words, Kouro's expression returned to normal, and then followed her gaze to see a statue that looked exactly like him. 

Ragna and the others saw Kouro walk towards a certain statue before standing before it. 

'This statue... Is it the statue of that person?' He recalled a man who had the same face as him. 

Kouro stared at the statue that looked a few years older than him, since their faces were both the same it was like a mirror reflection as if he could see himself in the future. 

Seeing him standing still, staring at a statue, Ragna and the others then approached him, they finally saw the statue that was very similar to Kouro, no, the statue's face was exactly the same as him except it looked a few years older as if it depicted Kouro in the future. 

They went back and forth staring at Kouro's face and this statue before putting on an expression of disbelief, although it is possible to have a double but isn't this already too much?! 

Wait, maybe this statue was Kouro's ancestor and he just happened to have a face similar to his? 

They tried to use logic to clarify this coincidence. 

Ragna was seen rubbing her chin and had a pensive expression, this statue reminded her of Sagaki because his face looked exactly the same as the statue. 

Now that she thought about it, the faces of Sagaki, Kouro, and the statue looked exactly the same... Are the Hanagami family's genes so strong that their descendants always have the same face? 

After calming down for a while, they then took some photos of this statue for research. 

"Thank goodness... I thought we would be fighting a very strong enemy after entering this room... Apparently not." Lin said with a sigh of relief. 

Kouro's movements stopped with only one thought in his mind, 'Damn it! Lin you've activated the Death Flag!' 

Right after he thought that the sound of footsteps could be heard from behind Kevin's statue. 

They all set up a fighting stance and wore serious expressions. 

The sound of the footsteps grew closer before they could all finally see its appearance, it was a blue-eyed white-haired little boy with a large sword in his hand. 

Ana and Lin blinked a few times before smiling fondly at the child. 

"Kyaa, so cute!!!" x2 

Kouro stared at the child for a moment before feeling familiar. 

["Intruder has been detected... Initiate a combat program... Eliminate intruder."] the child looked at them with a flat expression before raising his sword high. 

"Eh? What did this kid say?"

"You guys hurry up and dodge!"

Thoughts interrupted as he suddenly felt a strong sense of danger from the boy, Kouro quickly turned his Xuanyuan sword into a chain and pulled the two of them. 

"KYAA!"x2

And sure enough, the boy's sword was suddenly enveloped in flames before swinging it at the two of them. 

*BOOM!*

The sword's slash shattered the floor and even the wall they were standing on, fortunately, because of Kouro's decisiveness, Ana and Lin survived the attack, but because of the focus on saving them, he didn't have time to avoid the attack. 

Ragna suddenly stood in front of them and used her greatsword to deflect the attack, what a commendable deed, unfortunately... 

*Crack! *

Her sword instantly broke when it was hit by the slash even so Ragna's stance did not change, she knew that this attack could kill her, but she was not afraid! Just like that time when she protected her comrades! 

Kouro who saw that was then seen gritting his teeth as if time was slowing down, he released the chain that carried Lin and Ana then stomped his feet activating [Sprint], even so, he felt that this was not fast enough so he used [Dominator's touch] to pull Ragna before throwing her away. 

"Whaa!?" Ragna shouted. 

All this happened in less than a second. 

Seeing that the slash was in front of his eyes, he quickly turned his Xuanyuan sword into a large shield. 

*BAM!*

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Kouro seemed to be pushed backwards and even now he seemed to be sweating profusely either from the heat of the attack or from nervousness. 

He was pushed back, back, and kept going back, until he stopped with his back to a statue. 

He didn't realize that the statue behind him was a female nun in a praying pose facing him. 

Kouro's hands were visibly shaking and even blistering a little from the heat, fortunately, the slashing finally stopped. 

Still, in a defensive stance, he looked at the 'child' with a wary expression, he now remembered that the 'child' was not a living being, but an ELF (Equipment Living Form) robot, moreover the ELF had the power of the strongest MANTIS, Kevin. 

He remembered that in the future, Durandal would fight this ELF when in search of the Second Key, she fought it with all her strength and was even still injured, if he was not mistaken the ELF that Durandal fought at that time only had about 1% of Kevin's strength. 

And now that he was currently fighting that ELF, Kouro didn't know what percentage of power this ELF had and he didn't want to find out, he was now focused on thinking of ways to fight this ELF. 

["Kouro, do you have a way to fight him?"] said Alter Ji Xuanyuan looking at ELF Kevin with a serious expression. 

Kouro was seen thinking hard before asking her, 'Can your power be lent to others?'

["You can, as long as you allow people who want to borrow."]

'Good. I have a plan.' Kouro said briefed his plan Ji Xuanyuan and her alter ego. 

'...That's it, can you do it?'

["Sure, don't underestimate me."] Alter Ji Xuanyuan said. 

He then took a deep breath before putting on a calm expression, he glanced at Ragna and the others from afar, fortunately, other than the abrasions they were fine. 

Kouro then ran over and used all his strength against the ELF. 

*Ting!*

*Ting! *

*Ting! *

The sound of swords clashing against each other even caused sparks to appear, but even so, Kouro seemed to be pushed back and even injured every time he attacked. 

ELF Kevin has Strength, Agility, and Endurance, surpassing that of Kouro's. 

[HP: 20,600/26,600]

[SP: 6,020/8,320]

Fatigue: 23

From afar Ragna helped Lin and Ana up before picking up the black chain that Kouro had used to pull the two of them. 

But as she held the chain she suddenly heard a voice in her mind. 

["Can you hear me?"]

"Who?!" Ragna looked around in confusion. 

["Don't be afraid, I am Kouro's sword, if you don't believe me, believe Kouro, I will tell you the plan so listen carefully."] 

Although this was the first time she encountered a weapon that could speak, she didn't ask much, she knew that everyone had secrets. 

Alter Ji Xuanyuan then briefed Kouro's plan to them, ["Understood?"]

Ragna was seen putting on a serious expression before nodding, 'Understood. '

She then turned to look at Lin and Ana before saying in a serious tone, "You two, help me to distract that little boy."

"Understood!"x2 replied the two of them as they were used to the atmosphere suddenly turning serious. 

The three of them were then seen looking at Kouro who was fighting against ELF Kevin. 

The chain Ragna was holding suddenly glowed before turning into a black greatsword, but not only that her body also glowed brightly before revealing her body wearing black armor. 

'Ragna' raised her head, her eyes had turned a pale yellow color, and her expression looked cold exuding an aura of intimidation, she then raised her hand before a portal appeared taking out a large black horse and riding it. 

Lin and Ana were standing still, the two of them did not understand the situation at all, how did their leader suddenly turn into a completely different person?! 

"You two, let's start diverting that little shit." 'Ragna's' voice was firm and resounding. 

"Un-Understood!"x2

With her horse, 'Ragna' glided at high speed before her horse jumped with its legs emitting blazing flames. 

*BOOM!*

The horse fell in the middle of Kouro and ELF Kevin's fight, making them both jump backwards. 

Without looking back, 'Ragna' said to him, "I'll distract this bastard, you have to hurry!"

"Hold that for 5- no! 1 minute!"

"Did you hear that? We have to hold this asshole for 1 minute!"

Kouro retreated, he was holding a golden Xuanyuan sword with both hands, the sword was enveloped by all 5 elements in a sequence, he was about to use his ultimate attack! 

Lin and Ana who had just arrived immediately attacked Kevin's ELF with all their strength.

*Bang!*

*Bang!* 

Lin fired consecutively, but all her shots when they hit ricocheted and even the bullets were instantly destroyed. 

Ana tried to attack using a spear that had been coated with Honkai energy, but unfortunately, all of her attacks were easily repelled. 

*Ting! *

*Ting! *

Only 'Ragna's' attacks were what ELF Kevin was wary of, so it only focused on her.

But as Kouro expected, even if it was only ELF who had 1% of Kevin's strength, 'Ragna' who had been possessed by Alter Ji Xuanyuan could only fight evenly for a moment before being pushed back as the ELF learned her attack pattern. 

But that was enough, her work was only to distract ELF Kevin. 

'57 seconds... 58...59...60 seconds!'

The Xuanyuan sword in Kouro's hand had been enveloped by a strange purple flame, and the floor at his feet had been enveloped by various elements from fire, wind, lightning, earth, and ice, he was even currently activating [Power Strike].

Lin and Ana were also starting to unleash their ultimate attacks. 

Lin was taking something out of her back pocket before inserting it into her pair of pistols.

The pistols were then merged into a sort of hand cannon, after which she used all of her Honkai energy and charged the cannon, a blue light appeared on the muzzle of the cannon. 

[Exceed Charge!]

Ana grasped her spear before setting up a throwing position, she then amplified the spear using all her Honkai energy, the spear seemed to be enveloped in some kind of aura to create shockwaves in the surroundings. 

[Lance de fleurs!]

Sensing a premonition of danger, ELF Kevin suddenly wanted to retreat but was stopped because his legs had unwittingly been bound with black chains. 

"You can't run anywhere!"

ELF Kevin wanted to cut the chain but it was too late. 

Kouro raised his sword high, he stared at ELF Kevin with his eyes wide open before shouting. 

"EXCALIBUR... MORGANN!"

(E/D: I changed it from Excalibur to Excalibur Morgan. Praise me.)

*BANG!*

*SWOOSH!*

*BOOM!*

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