CRASH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Got you...!"
Ryu's gale erupted against the [Juggernaut], tearing away its left arm and slamming the monstrosity into the wall.
Whoosh—!
"!?"
THWACK—!!!!!!!!
'Damn it...!'
The price of such a massive technique was an opening. Akumo was struck in the flank by the staff, sent hurtling toward the spot where Bell lay collapsed.
THUD—!!!!
"Bell!! Are you alright!?"
Suppressing the agony through sheer mental fortitude, Akumo rolled across the ground and immediately regained his stance to check on Bell.
"Brother....!"
"First, I'll pull the bone—"
"BEHIND YOU!!!!!!!!!!"
ROAR—!!!!!!!!!!!!
"!!"
The moment of concern became a vulnerability. Despite the heavy damage from Ryu's magic, the Juggernaut—still radiating a hideous, razor-sharp murderous intent—unleashed a breath attack from its maw.
'The [Peluda]'s breath....!'
"[Silen—"
"[FIRE BOLT]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Just as Akumo was about to invoke magic to nullify the breath, Bell, fueled by superhuman willpower, completed his charge.
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The massive torrents of flame collided, triggering a violent explosion.
**
"Pant... pant..."
'The situation is deteriorating....'
Akumo barely managed to shield Bell as they were blown back by the blast.
"Are you both alright!?"
"I can still move...!!"
"Don't let your guard down! Focus on the [Juggernaut]!"
Ryu landed beside them instantly to assess their condition. Seeing the blood trickling from their lips, she knew they had sustained internal injuries from the shockwave of the explosion.
"But I must use healing magic...!"
WHIZZ—!!!!
"!!"
CLANG—!!
"Ryu...!! Take Bell and get out of here, now...!!!"
Ryu attempted to mend their wounds with [Noah Heal], but a javelin whistled toward her back. Akumo instantly raised his scythe to intercept the projectile.
SCREECH—!!!!!!!
"I'm still here, you know!?"
"I'm well aware!!!"
CLANG—!!!!!!!!!!!!
Amidst a hail of dozens of javelins, Akuo lunged with a laughing sneer. Akumo met the blade with his scythe.
CLASH—!!!
CLANG—!!!
BOOM—!!!
The scythe parrying the javelins and the sword clashing against it created a cacophony of shattering metal. Realizing a single weapon wouldn't pierce Akumo's defense, Akuo swung the Staff of Dionysus to invoke magic.
"[Divine Wine]."
SPLASH—!!!!!!!!!!!!
Vines extended from the staff like whips, and from those vines, wine poured forth, drenching Akumo in a magical intoxication.
SPLAT—!!!!
"!!"
'So the thing that's been hindering me was intoxication...!!'
Realizing the true nature of the liquid, Akumo let out a grim smile.
"Unless it's an absolute condition forced by magic...."
'It's no problem!'
A solution immediately formed in his mind, and Akumo executed it without hesitation.
THWACK—!!!!!
He delivered a roundhouse kick to Akuo, sending him flying into the path of the concentrated javelins. Buying a fraction of a second, Akumo shouted to Bell.
"Bell!!!! Use it!!!!"
"[FIRE BOLT]!!!!"
Akumo pressed his wine-soaked hand over Bell's. Bell aimed his magic directly at the puncture wound in Akumo's side caused by the bone spear.
SIZZLE—!!!!!!!!
"GAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!???"
WHOOSH—!!!!!!!!
"Ms. Ryu....!"
"I'm counting on you!!!!!"
The flames erupting from Bell's hand forcibly cauterized the wound to stop the bleeding. The fire spread to the alcohol on Akumo's body, vaporizing the wine before the intoxication could take hold.
"You people are truly insane!!!"
"HAAAH!!!!!"
Akuo, unwilling to let the process finish, swung his sword again, targeting only Akumo. Ryu, her resolve hardened, stepped forward to block him.
CLANG—!!!!!!!!!!!
'I will hold him, no matter wh—'
CRACK—!!!
"Slow."
Her skill was still leagues below Akuo's. In the moment he kicked her away, his focus shifted.
"[Energy Ball]"
Whoosh—!!!
A glowing sphere of mana hurtled toward his face.
'My vision—'
Distracted by the light and forced to jerk his head back to dodge the sudden, high-speed projectile, an opening was created.
"[Drawing the Blade]!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Akumo would never miss such a chance.
"[Cleave]."
**
"Akumo....!!!!!!"
The clash of techniques, separated by an overwhelming gap in raw power, created a shockwave that knocked back the dazed Bell and Ryu. Though Akumo was defeated in terms of fundamental destructive power—
CLANG—!!!!
'It didn't break...!'
Creeeak—!!
"That means it's not over yet!!!"
Unlike before, his weapon held firm. it was proof that his will remained unbroken.
".....Incredible."
Akuo stared at his own deflected sword in astonishment. Even without using a high-tier technique, Akumo's presence was entirely different from their battle on the 27th floor.
'He's not using any major skills, yet he's holding out like this?'
CLANG—!!!
CLASH—!!!
"But I suppose this is the limit!"
'If I push him further, what else will he show me...!!'
With that thought, Akuo swung his blade at Akumo's throat to deliver the trial of death.
RUMBLE—!!!!!!!!!!
""!!?""
An unexpected tremor shook the entire chamber.
'The [Juggernaut]'s wide-area spikes...!!'
CRACK—!!!
SHIIIIING—!!!!!
The [Juggernaut], whose vision was still impaired by Ryu's attack, targeted the source of the most powerful clashing energies: Akumo and Akuo.
Whoosh—!!
Naturally, the spikes would also erupt beneath Ryu and Bell.
GRAB—!!!
"Akumo...! You can't!!!"
"Hold on tight!"
Creeeak—!!
'I can't dodge with them in time...!!'
Grit—!!
Despite the sound of his left arm's bones screaming, Akumo gritted his teeth and threw Ryu—who was holding Bell—out of the spikes' range.
STAB—!!!!!
"This—"
THUD-THUD-THUD—!!!!!
In an instant, bone spikes impaled his body.
"AKUMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Ryu screamed at the sight of blood spraying from his wounds. Finally reaching his limit, the light seemed to fade from Akumo's eyes.
GRIP—!!!!
"Bell.... please, wake up...!!"
Refusing to let go of hope until the very end, Ryu shook Bell. In that moment, a sound reached her ears.
Ding—!
Ding—!
Ding—!
"!!"
'This is.... Bell's charge...!'
WHOOSH—!!
She looked down to see Bell's eyes open. They were filled with an indomitable will to win, his hand gripping his knife so hard the veins bulged.
'I will win...! I will definitely win...!'
—SKREEEE!!!!!!!!!!
Staring down the [Juggernaut] that had tormented him and his family so hideously, Bell channeled his burning resolve into the knife, condensing the flames again and again.
"!!"
'Something else is coming...!!'
Akuo's gaze momentarily shifted from Akumo as he sensed the completion of an attack far beyond expectations.
"[ARGO VESTA]!!!!!!!"
Burning away every emotion and every doubt, the boy sought to carve his own path by striking down the powerful foe before him.
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The hero's strike shattered every spike in its path and finally reached the monster.
—SKREEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The massive slash of holy fire tore through the ground, pulverizing the [Juggernaut]'s arm and tail.
"How can this be...."
'Its power is beyond calculation...!'
Akumo had burned everything around him except Ryu, trusting they could endure. That fire now spread to Ryu's heart.
GRIP—!!!!
'I won't give up....'
"[O sword that has cut through countless curses, answer my call and reveal your fangs.]"
Toward the dream of standing beside a hero, she burned her justice—no, she burned everything she was.
SHHH—!!!!!
'I will never give up...!!!'
The Green Fang responded to the elf's will.
"[My tragedy shall end with these unleashed fangs; sever the curse before me and let me finally be free.]"
Using the hero's holy fire as fuel, like the beautiful elven arrow she had seen that day, she prepared to sever the cursed monster.
GRAB—!!!
""Lævateinn""
A bow of verdant light formed in the elf's hands.
CREEAAAK—!!!!!!
The hero's arrow manifesting in the tautly drawn bow was destined to be the signal of victory, a celebratory flare for the birth of another hero.
""!!""
Bell, his eyes heavy after pouring out everything, forced them open to witness the miracle taking shape in Ryu's hands.
'Ms. Ryu....!'
Beyond Akumo's growth and Bell's heroic strike, this was a true [Leap] that defied explanation.
'All three of them...!'
Akuo turned back toward Akumo, stunned by the impossible evolution of the entire group.
"Crush everything, Akumo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Before his eyes, he saw the form of a burning, sinister scythe radiating a terrifying pressure.
'Cowardice, betrayal, violence, malice, selfishness, cold-bloodedness, even luck...'
"I'll take it all!!!!!!!!!!!"
**
Applaud the return of the King.
Thump—!
'I don't care what kind of power it is!'
Applaud the King's majesty, the ideal light that saves all, the benevolence that shines most brightly.
Thump—!!
'If it can carve my future!'
If that is distasteful, then applaud the malice that uses everything as a stepping stone for survival and victory.
Thump—!!!
'No matter how dark the power!'
If even that is rejected, then applaud the absolute strength (violence) that achieves its ideals, the wisdom (cunning) for victory, and the decisiveness (coldness) that shines through endless trials.
Thump—!!!!
'I will prove it most brilliantly!!!!!!'
And if even that is refused, then simply applaud and marvel at the luck that follows him.
""Four Perils" [Chaos]."
Smile upon the warrior taking his first step toward the King's supremacy.
**
SLASH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'If I hadn't pulled my head back, I'd be dead...!'
The scythe in Akumo's hand was no longer an ordinary weapon.
WHOOSH—!!!!!!!!!!!
'Fast!'
THUD—!!!!!!!
Akuo ducked and jumped back in shock as Akumo lunged forward, swinging the scythe of chaos. But Akumo had already adapted.
Spin—!!
Using the scythe's weight as a counter-balance, Akumo turned the disadvantage of having only one arm into an unpredictable advantage.
SLICE—!!!!!!!!!!!
'He's rotating—'
In the realm of micro-seconds, their eyes met. And Akuo saw it.
Shiver—!
One of Akumo's eyes had transformed into a terrifying, red dragon's pupil.
Tap—
""...""
Even though he blocked with the Sword of Ares, the impact rattled Akuo's entire body. He was forced back several steps, a deep gash appearing on his arm.
""...""
There was no reason to stop.
CLANG—!!!!!!
CLASH—!!!!!
BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!
SCREECH—!!!!!!!!!!!
CRASH—!!!!!!!!!!
It was a true exchange now. Offense was no longer Akuo's exclusive domain. Defense was no longer Akumo's only option.
Flash—!
"!?"
Normally, erasing one's presence or mimicking an object is called stealth.
SHRED—!!!
"!!"
SLICE—!!!
But this was Absolute Stealth. Until the very moment the user struck, it was fundamentally impossible to detect their form or presence. Akuo's back and left arm were sliced open.
"Yes, good...!!"
SHIIIIING—!!!!!!!!!!
Akuo's second slash was directed at himself, instantly mending his wounds and hardening his body.
CLANG—!!
"Pant... pant..."
Tap—!!
The distance between Akumo and Akuo was now less than ten paces. They both knew.
"This match."
"Cleanly."
""With a single strike.""
It wasn't the flashy display that had awed the Gods during the Xenos incident. It was a god-speed strike intended only to prove one's growth to the opponent.
"[Sword of Ares]."
"[Chaos]."
They called upon their weapons, gripping them tightly.
WHOOSH—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As if in response, a brilliant white light infused Akuo's sword, while a violet flame erupted violently from Akumo's scythe.
"I've received your strikes well, Akumo, Bell."
'Now, it is my turn to answer.'
Her hands no longer trembling, Ryu aimed the arrow of Lævateinn at the [Juggernaut].
THUMP—!! THUMP—!! THUMP—!!
Was it resentment for this impossible situation?
The Irregular itself, the nightmare of many, the Dungeon's cleaner and butcher—the [Juggernaut]—thrashed in a frenzy of rage and impotence.
CREEAAAK—!!!!!!
—SKREEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHHHH—!!
High-heat flames gathered in the screeching monster's maw, targeting Ryu. Yet the hero's arrow shone silently, ready to sever her nightmare.
"[Broken Curse]"
""!!""
—!!
Simultaneously, without a hair's breadth of error, everyone lunged toward each other.
SNAP—!!!!!!!!!!
The sound of something breaking was proof that the elf had overcome her nightmare—and at the same time, it signaled the King's victory.