A mushroom cloud of smoke billowed into the sky, accompanied by a powerful shockwave that rippled outward.
As the smoke dispersed, an explosion rocked the area within it.
Souta relentlessly swung his weapon at Paente, undeterred by his opponent's counterattacks. Enduring the blows with his Blood Armor, Souta focused solely on pressing the attack. Since becoming the Crimson Twilight Emperor, he had tapped into the latent traits of his race, granting him enhanced endurance and resilience. However, he had yet to fully explore these newfound abilities, as Paente's relentless assault caught him off guard.
"You wretch!" Paente growled through gritted teeth, delivering a powerful punch to Souta's stomach.
Bang!
Souta was sent flying hundreds of meters away, struggling to regain his footing.
Paente, poised to pursue, found his path blocked by a torrent of flames erupting from the ground. The intense heat liquefied the earth beneath, signaling the ferocity of the flames.
"You will meet your end today!" Red Mist's voice rang out, cold and resolute.
Paente hesitated, eyeing Red Mist's airborne form. With a determined gesture, he summoned a vast forest of trees to smother the flames.
"Excellent!" Red Mist's grin belied her fierce resolve as she aimed her staff at her adversary, a magical circle forming beneath her.
[Extinction Flame Burst]!!
Before the encroaching trees could reach her, Red Mist unleashed a colossal beam of flames from her staff, aimed directly at Paente.
Paente didn't even have time to react as the beam smashed into his body, the flames drilling into the ground and turning it into a sea of melted rocks.
Boom!
Souta watched the scene unfold before his eyes, stealing a glance at Red Mist from the corner of his eye.
Red Mist looked at him and said, "Hey, Blood Lightning Monster. We don't have much time, so I'm going to hit him big this time. Try to tell your pet to finish it."
"I know," Souta replied before taking a deep breath.
Boom!
The melted rocks shot into the air as Paente's figure emerged.
"It's not enough... If you want to kill me, you need more than that," Paente said as he slowly opened his eyes.
His figure transformed once again, his two pairs of arms now holding a sharp and glistening spear. Eyes were opening across his body, each seeming to contain a huge amount of energy.
Paente pointed his spears at Red Mist and Souta. In an instant, a massive amount of energy gathered around them. The ball of energy expanded before shrinking again, then burst out like a beam.
"Die along with everyone in this land!"
His laughter echoed as the powerful ray moved at high speed.
"Now!" Red Mist shouted, and Souta jumped into the sky.
Gritting his teeth, Souta pressed both of his hands together. His artifacts floated behind him as blood gathered in front, forming several layers of shield.
Boom!!
The powerful ray collided with the blood shield. In just a second, the ray broke through three layers of shield and began slowly piercing through the remaining layers. Souta pushed both of his arms forward as his armor started to crack.
"I don't need to block it! I just need to deflect it!"
Gritting his teeth, Souta activated the monster orb and [Nebula Heart], pumping energy throughout his body. Although the [Blood Armor: Stone Armadillo] boasted great defense, it was slowly crumbling under the assault.
Red Mist watched the scene calmly as she loosened her grip on her staff.
"Only a short amount of time left before the right moment, but this will destroy him."
Raising her other hand, her body glowed as thousands of stars appeared within her. At the apex of her palm, a sphere resembling a planet materialized.
"The embers of stars... The light of the living... You shall be the world's ember..."
The glistening energy surrounded her, forming a bow. The ball of energy in her palm fused with her staff, her soul weapon, transforming it into a colossal arrow.
Boom!
The scenery shifted as stars glistened in the night sky.
Souta was slightly surprised as Red Mist's power altered the [Twilight Zone]. The red sky transformed into a beautiful night sky, though it spanned only a few kilometers in diameter.
"I didn't expect her to already know this attack," Souta thought to himself.
In that moment, Red Mist completed her preparations. Only a few seconds had passed since she began chanting.
"[Oblivion Flame Arrow]!"
With a burst of energy, Souta immediately ducked down. The massive flaming arrow surged forward, deflecting Paente's attack to the side.
Swoosh!
Paente's eyes widened as the flaming arrow engulfed his entire body.
A straight line tore through Selnes Country, spanning dozens of kilometers until it collided with the All Filter Barrier Formation, triggering a massive explosion that reverberated throughout the entire nation.
Boom!!
"So much power..." Souta muttered while observing the aftermath of the explosion. He couldn't help but wonder if he could survive such devastation if he were in Paente's position.
Red Mist exhaled a puff of smoke, her appearance returning to normal. She glanced at Souta and said, "If what you said is true, then he'll get up. You mentioned that the only way to kill him is to destroy his body, the tree, and the roots at the barrier."
"I know..." Souta replied, bending his knees and launching himself into the sky.
Swoosh!
Red Mist's attack came too soon, but there was nothing to be done about it now. It was time to finish this.
Bang!
Souta landed at the site of the explosion, surveying the devastated landscape. Paente's body had been utterly obliterated, not even leaving behind ashes after taking Red Mist's powerful attack.
He turned his head and saw Kessa on the verge of destroying the massive tree. The only problem was the roots in the barrier. He didn't know if that woman, Erkigal, would make it.
Ohm!
The energy level slowly rose as a dot formed in mid-air. The small dot grew larger and larger until it became Paente's head.
"You really did it!" Paente said, rage evident in his eyes as he looked at Souta.
Souta took a deep breath as his armor transformed again. He changed into [Great Black Orc], boasting powerful strength among his armors.
He stepped forward, swinging the sword in his hand. A red energy blade burst out, slicing Paente's head into two.
Swoosh!
The two parts of the head were quickly reattached, seemingly unaffected by the sword slash. Paente's body continued to form as Souta attacked once again.
"You can't kill me! Hahaha!" Paente laughed madly.
As long as the roots and the tree's main body existed, he wouldn't die. He would reappear no matter what. Red Mist's attack had obliterated his body, but unfortunately, the tree and roots remained intact, allowing him to regenerate indefinitely despite his physical form being erased.
Souta narrowed his eyes, his other hand opening as blood gathered together, forming a sharp sword. Blood-colored lightning crackled across his body as he stepped forward.
[Colosseum Undead Party]!
A massive platform materialized beneath Souta and Paente. Several pillars rose as a heavy pressure descended.
"No, you will die here," Souta said in a cold tone.
At the next moment, thunderous sounds echoed as blood-
colored lightning flashed across the sky.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Souta repeatedly swung the swords in both of his hands. Each swing carried enormous power that struck Paente's incomplete body.
Gritting his teeth, he exerted even more force into his attacks.
In just a second, he unleashed hundreds of powerful strikes that caused the barrier to crack, though at the expense of rapidly depleting his energy.
Bang! Bang!
"It's time! You may not have realized it, but Red Mist's previous attack has already shattered all of your defenses and resistance!" Souta declared, raising both of his swords above his head. His energy surged as lightning crackled down onto his blades.
The moment of reckoning had arrived.
Simultaneously, Kessa's powerful roar reverberated throughout the surroundings as she unleashed a devastating attack aimed at the tree's main body, intent on destroying it.
Swoosh!!
Erkigal's gaze darted to the barrier. She held onto hope that Hoei would succeed in his task. Failure would mean their imprisonment in this place, with no hope of escape.
She sensed that Paente and the tree were on the brink of destruction. The final piece to complete their victory lay with Hoei Methal.
"It's in your hands now, Hoei," she murmured quietly, her voice tinged with urgency.
...
Meanwhile, Hoei trailed behind Ice Death and the others, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.
"The Selnes Country is on the brink of collapse... It will soon become our stronghold," Ice Death declared abruptly, coming to a halt. His gaze shifted upward, lost in thought.
"Why the sudden stop?" Poisonous Vine inquired, puzzled by the pause.
"The Selnes Country, along with the other two territories, will become the primary battlegrounds," Thousand Earth murmured, his tone grave.
"Battlegrounds?" Poisonous Vine's confusion deepened, sensing that Ice Death and Thousand Earth perceived something she did not.
"Our forces will initiate a full-scale assault. They're advancing toward the three territories," Ice Death explained, anticipating the escalation of warfare.
Hoei observed quietly from the rear, noting the distraction among the group. This presented the opportunity he had been seeking; he couldn't afford to let it slip away.
"I can do it!" Hoei's resolve solidified within him. He drew in a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come. With focused determination, he flexed his legs, propelling himself forward with all his might.
Swoosh!!
Ice Death's eyes widened in surprise as he sensed a sudden surge of energy. Reacting swiftly, he unleashed a counterattack.
Boom!!
