"Original Magic... [INVINCIBLE]"
The moment those words were uttered, reality seemed to shatter, and a newfound concept broke forth.
Magic on a transcendental scale was implemented, and the being called Serah Crimson ascended to the very pinnacle of said Magic.
Her body was shrouded in crimson. Her clear skin took on the color of fierce energy, and her red hair floated and flickered like flames.
It was as though she was living energy, yet beyond the realm of understanding.
As her body glimmered in such concentrated Mana that would be impossible to calculate, the power still kept rising at an unbelievable pace.
With every second, the woman was growing stronger.
Far far more powerful with the time that passed, capable of breaking any barrier, or tearing down any opponent... that was the power Serah Crimson now donned.
"I-impossible..." Gerard murmured to himself as he stared at the being before him.
It was no longer a woman.
"Let's roll! I'm going to beat the shit out of you now!"
It was more akin... to a god!
>VWOOOOOOOSSSSSSHHHHH<
Faster than his eyes could see, much less process, the god of destruction brought her fist to his stomach, giving him a blow that completely shattered his resistance and defenses.
His hard, impregnable hide was rendered obsolete in the presence of true power.
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!<
Gerard felt his body fly in the direction beyond the mountains, away from his people.
He felt relief, even though his body was assailed with unimaginable pain.
'The people won't be harmed!'
"Don't worry about them!" Serah's voice appeared again.
She gave another hit, sending him crashing among several small hills.
Everything in the area got destroyed in an instant, receiving the full brunt of the descending Beast King.
Serah Crimson, now in her Invincible state, floated above the crash site, waiting for her opponent to rise from the debris.
As stipulated, her Original Magic: Invincible allowed her to attain a state beyond the reach of humans.
Since her body was coated with such dense Mana, she was resistant to all attacks—Magic or not.
Nothing could even make her flinch at this point.
She was capable of breaking down any barrier or resistance, destroying anything she desired—Magic or not.
She was truly invincible. The perfect being who excelled at absolute offense and defense.
That was why she was revered as the strongest.
However, using this form came at a very horrible cost for Serah Crimson. It was easy to decimate her opponents with it, but there was a reason she avoided using it.
The price she had to pay was immense.
"Haa, so boring... I can't stand this!"
Yes, that's right. Absolute boredom was the consequence of using absolute power.
Being Invincible meant no one could stand a chance against you. And so, Serah, who was now at the pinnacle of existence, felt an immense solitude that no one could comprehend.
And the worst part was that she was still growing stronger with the passage of time.
"You... guff... you're strong..." A voice emanated from the scarred landscape.
Amid the smoke and rubbles caused by the earlier crash, was a being who was in the process of evolution.
"Oh? You're still alive? Impressive." Serah smiled, happy that the side effect of using her Original Magic was beginning to dissipate.
Perhaps she could entertain herself even further.
"I was wrong about you. And that's why... "
The air undulated and the thick smoke cleared instantly, revealing a new entity.
"... I'll use my full power on you."
Gerard, now a completely different being from earlier, spoke with a beastly grin.
His head was akin to a dragon, and he had ten horns on his face.
Eight wings and a tail swerved behind him. He had six arms, each having various attributes, and his skin was burning hot—seething with hot ember.
His nine eyes and beastly jaw were menacing, and the physique he donned was akin to a giant.
He was at least 15 meters in height.
"This is my Joint Transformation State: Phase 2."
No one had ever fought him in this form.
This power was one that he designed to signal his final fight. It was unfortunate that no one had appeared who was worthy of it, but now...
'I can see it! This is how I die! How utterly glorious!' Gerard thought to himself in both gratitude and glee.
"Let us end this!" The Beast King of carnage roared, increasing the destructive pressure of his Lava-like Dragon body.
His cataclysmic stomp devastated the area even further, causing his environment to surge in heat.
>BOOOOOOOOMMMMM<
He spared faster than ever, lunging at the smaller figure of his opponent.
Utilizing every muscle in his body, and every ounce of energy he could muster, Gerard was determined to fight till the very end.
"Hahaha! That's more like it!" An insane cackle burst forth from the energy-coated woman.
She also lunged at him, thrusting a blow to match his.
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!<
The explosion that spread as a result of both blows colliding spread around, devastating the mountains and hills all around.
In an instant, the slopy and rough terrain became nothing more than flatlands.
Bursts of energy in multiple folds poured out as more blows were exchanged between the two.
They moved faster and faster with every punch they threw.
Both the beast and the goddess kept throwing punches, wreaking chains of tremors and destruction around them.
Their surroundings shook with immense fervor, yet the two fighters paid no attention to anything around them.
They were both simply too immersed in their clash.
"Hahahahaha! Let's keep going!" Serah laughed, increasing her energy even more.
"Y-you monster..." Gerard growled, still pouring everything he could to catch up to his opponent's speed.
At first glance, it would have seemed like they were evenly matched. However, that wasn't the case.
Unlike Serah who was enjoying herself while growing stronger at an alarming rate, Gerard struggled to match her power and speed.
With every ounce he threw, he grew wary.
Not only were his full-powered offensive moves ineffective on his enemy, but she also seemed to return his hits with even greater strength.
It was getting more difficult for him to fight.
At the rate at which he was going, it was only a matter of time before he ran out of steam.
'This is it! This is how I go out! Yes! This is it! If it's like this, then I have no regrets!'
