Chapter 157
Crash! Clang! Boom! Fierce impacts echoed without cease. Hours had already passed since the battle began. Many were exhausted, yet quite a few still moved with vigor. The remaining Personnel gathered, blocking Amon's attack. The scene of them dodging was incredibly spectacular.
“Wow...”
Chae-rin involuntarily gasped in admiration at the sight. Now, only a small number of personnel remained to fight: those who were lucky enough to avoid Amon's attack and remained unharmed, or those with exceptionally superior skill like Vivian, Jurgen, and Yor.
Whenever she saw a battle like that, it felt like a different world. Even if it was a game, she herself couldn't make such movements, but the NPCs displayed actions that Ordinary People couldn't possibly imitate... She wondered if she would ever reach that level. It was simply astonishing.
But she couldn't just admire such a sight.
“Why on earth are their clothes burning off...”
It was quite embarrassing to watch, after all.
The flames rising from the ground covered a lot, but... it seemed that decency would be impossible.
Well, it was a realistic game, after all. That's probably why people liked it.
[Sword Aura is basic there, lol][I want to use Sword Aura too...][Hey, get rid of the fire! It's covering all the important parts!][But if you remove that, it's definitely forbidden.]
It happened as she watched the battle with the Viewers, marveling at it. Amon, who had been rampaging for a long time, suddenly fell silent. Chae-rin looked at the spot with a puzzled expression.
She wondered if he had exhausted his strength and his rampage had subsided, but... when she looked closely, it didn't seem to be the case.
He had his eyes closed, as if deep in thought.
But that was only for a moment; soon, Amon quietly murmured.
“What a pity...”
Unlike the angry voice heard until now, his tone was serious and subdued. He looked like someone who had made a decision.
“Yes, I must admit it. Even for me, in this half-formed state, it's difficult to defeat all these wretches coming at me. I can't even catch those annoying little pests in the corner.”
Amon said that, briefly pointing towards the Safe Zone. The Knights in front quickly raised their shields, thinking an attack was coming. Amon continued speaking, regardless.
“If only I could have fully descended, I wouldn't be so powerless... It's a pity, but this is my defeat.”
He had actually declared defeat. A momentary flush of relief spread across the faces of the Extermination Squad Members upon hearing his words.
Her viewers also thought the extermination was over and were starting to express their mixed feelings of regret.
However, Chae-rin felt a strange unease. From what she had observed so far, he didn't seem like a Demon who would leave so quietly. And her prediction was precisely correct.
“However, I cannot simply be defeated like this.”
Fwoosh! As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding flames surged dramatically. Even those who were injured and resting were momentarily flustered by the incredibly fierce blaze. In that situation, Amon's voice was heard once more.
“I shall now expend all the resources I have painstakingly gathered. For a brief moment, I can now wield my True Power. Go on, struggle as hard as you can.”
The flames that had reached waist-height now soared above their heads. After that, Chae-rin's vision was obscured by the flames.
*
Fwoosh! The entire world was red. The heat that filled the surroundings finally broke through my fire resistance, leaving burn marks on my skin. I grimaced at the stinging pain I felt all over my body.
“Damn it...”
I knew it felt too easy to end. He was determined to cause trouble until the very end. If his words were true, then at least one of our objectives had been achieved. At least, it meant we had prevented him from appearing in the Mortal Realm. The problem now, though, was whether we could escape safely.
“Aaaargh!”
“Haaah! Help me!”
Screams echoed from beyond the flames. They were the voices of some Extermination Squad Members who had stayed until the end and were breaking the ground.
Fire consumes everything indiscriminately. Until now, we had managed to endure with the Mages' Magic, but... now even that is useless.
First, I quickly activated my Blood Power Art, creating a thin barrier around myself.
Though it was a bit cumbersome to use, the Blood Mass actually blocked the fire quite well.
Even though I had grumbled about Neria's ability, I couldn't deny that it was a versatile and useful power. Once my body felt a bit better, I started looking around. Even though I was fine thanks to my Regeneration, there was someone I was worried about.
As for the Otherworlders... I'm sorry, but to be blunt, it wouldn't matter much if they died. After all, their lives weren't worth much.
The other Adventurers and Knights were the same. They lived by the sword, so they probably had some means to protect themselves.
Even if they didn't... well, it couldn't be helped.
In this situation, I didn't have enough mental capacity to worry about those I had no particular connection with.
At this moment, my biggest concern was Neria. Although her abilities were considerable, I wasn't sure if she would be all right in this inferno with her limited combat experience.
She might even be burning fiercely in this inferno. The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
“Neria!”
Because of that, I frantically started searching for her. Pushing through the flames, I kept calling her name.
Fortunately, she was found quickly. After running around for a bit, I spotted her, still wearing her thick hood.
Her face was a bit pale, as if she had overexerted herself, but she was unharmed, with no significant injuries. It was a relief she was fine. But at the same time, a question arose.
“Why are your clothes, even your hood, completely fine?”
While most others' clothes had turned to rags, only hers remained intact. A moment of confusion arose.
Is this really inside a game? When one sees only the Minor's clothes intact, it certainly raises a reasonable suspicion. Indeed, the strictures of the game's code are a scary thing even for a company that creates High-performance AIs such as I.
*'But that's a gender-reversed world too, isn't it...?'*
Is that side a decent world that practices gender equality?
Fortunately, the question was quickly answered. She turned her head to one side and replied.
“...I copied the Magic of those Mages. That's why I could endure.”
I gaped when I heard that. I never imagined she could copy even that kind of Magic. No matter how I looked at it, her ability seemed much more convenient and better than moving Blood Masses.
Poof! As I was thinking that, she created a thick cloak and handed it to me.
“Wear this. I put on it a similar enchantment to mine. It'll make it easier to endure.”
Just as she said, once I put on the clothes, the heat that had been scorching my entire body subsided a bit. I looked at her and offered my gratitude.
“Thanks. And don't overdo it. This must be tiring too.”
“...I am a bit tired. It's my first time using my abilities this much.”
She didn't deny it; she affirmed that it was difficult. Then I noticed, her voice sounded quite hoarse. Perhaps that was one of the side effects she was experiencing.
Anyway, I had closed with this, and I confirmed she was fine. Now, the only thing left was how to overcome this situation.
Three methods came to mind. He could either endure until he calms down, break through the door and escape somehow, or finish destroying the Altar.
The first option was, of course, dismissed. We didn't know when he would calm down, so blindly enduring was tantamount to suicide.
The second was equally ambiguous. If everyone rushed in, they might be able to break through the blocked exit, but there was no telling how much damage they would sustain in that time. And honestly, I didn't want to back out after coming this far.
Ultimately, the most appealing option was the third.
“...Then I'll finish destroying the Altar.”
There wasn't much left now. Instead of bothering to endure or escape, he destroyed the last bit of the Altar. This would be faster and more efficient.
“You're going in there...?”
Of course, it would be just as dangerous. Amon was still going strong. No, as he poured out his last bit of power, he was fiercer than ever. Advancing in there could be seen as a suicidal act.
But Neria didn't seem to want to back out either, and she made this request.
“Then let's go together.” “What? Are you crazy? I told you not to overdo it. Stay here.” “Don't worry. I'll just quietly provide cover from behind. And I can still move.”
I wanted to dissuade her further, but unfortunately, I couldn't.
Despite how she looked, that kid was quite stubborn.
And honestly, she seemed like she could be quite helpful.
'Well, she’ll manage.'
I headed towards Amon with her accompanying me from behind. An Early Arrival was already near him.
“Haa... ha... What? You came here too?”
It was Nikki. Even she, with her strong Fire Resistance, had come to This Place instead of evacuating to the Safe Zone. I asked her.
“Did you see the others?” “Everyone seems to have pulled back due to burns. They said they'd prepare a bit and come right back. A few went to break the escape route again.”
It seemed some people also had differing opinions here. I gripped my spear and said.
“Then we just need to finish this before anyone else arrives.”
As it turned out, only Manifestors remained. I briefly shifted my gaze downwards. The ground, torn apart as it was, now remained only for about 4-5 meters around him. We had reduced it so much within this huge dome. Now, if we just landed two or three more attacks on the ground, he would undoubtedly be forced to retreat.
“Neria, do you want to do it?”
I decided to give Neria the glory of the final blow. It wasn't just for her; it simply seemed more efficient.
It was much better for her to prepare Magic from a distance than for Melee Foot-sloggers like us to approach and break it. Besides, even if she used her abilities freely, everything would be obscured by the flames anyway.
It seemed like it would be enough to collapse me just from its size, even if Neria had only thrown the rock she threw at me last time.
“What do you think? Can you do it?”
“Yes.”
Neria nodded with a resolute expression. Nikki tilted her head slightly, perhaps because it was her first time seeing Neria.
“Lump of Metal.”
Soon, she began preparing her Strike. A piece of metal, similar to last time but looking much harder, was Created above her head.
She gradually increased the size of the Lump of Metal. It seemed to require more effort than last time, as her expression grew more strained with each word.
Of course, Amon wasn't just idly watching. Feeling threatened, Amon immediately threw a punch towards Neria. His fist, made of scorching flames, flew fiercely towards us.
Normally, dodging would be the standard. Honestly, given the weight of that Fireball, blocking flames with a human body wasn't easy. But this time, I intended to block it head-on. After all, I was in a position to provide Cover for Neria.
As usual, I activated my Blood Power Art, drawing out some blood. Since the battle was reaching its climax, I planned to use my abilities without holding back this time.
Crash! His fist soon slammed into my body. Even though I blocked it, I couldn't help but let out a groan.
“Kugh...!”
The fact that Flame has physical force is both an advantage and a disadvantage in situations like this. It's good that I can block it, but I have to feel both the immense weight and the heat at the same time. An unbearable pain torments my body. I draw out all the blood flowing from my body and use it to block the punch.
“This is really not easy...!”
Indeed, it seemed his words about expending all his reserved power weren't false. His weight is considerable, perhaps because his rank is King. If I don't squeeze out every last bit of strength, I feel like I'll be crushed instantly. Still, I managed to block it somehow.
Swoosh-! Nikki stepped in and severed his arm. Orange sparks lingered like an afterimage from the tip of Nikki's sword. I asked, impressed.
“Last time you shot fire from your claws, but now you can use it with a sword too?”
“Yeah, it works.”
Amon was just as surprised.
“You... isn't that Flauros's unique ability? How are you using it?”
His eyes, wide with surprise, stared at Nikki. But that was only for a moment; his eyes then turned to us.
“And you two...”
I wasn't sure who he was looking at. It could be Neria, or it could be me, since we were both in the same spot.
“You two are Manifestors as well. And of all things, you possess the King's Blood. ...No wonder you've endured so well.” “What...?”
Those weren't words I could easily dismiss. I gripped my spear and asked urgently.
“Wait, tell me more. You said 'King's Blood.' Which one are you talking about? And who is this King?”
But there was no reply.
“Heh heh, damn them all... No matter how much they want to come to the Mortal Realm, they just scatter catalysts everywhere... What? They'll die or become Demon-people anyway? But if they survive, who's supposed to clean up that mess? Damn fools...”
All that could be heard was Amon's angry grumbling. Unfortunately, it seemed he wouldn't answer even if I asked. He had completely closed his eyes and crossed his arms, as if he wouldn't struggle any further in a battle that was already over.
Soon, Neria's Strike was complete and flew towards the ground.
CRASH! Fragments of the ground scattered from the massive Lump of Metal. As the last intact piece of ground shattered, Amon seemed to have no choice. His form scattered into pieces as if he had never been there. The flames that had been scorching everything gradually subsided. The protracted battle thus came to a somewhat anticlimactic end.
“Ah.”
I let out a sigh mixed with regret, looking at the spot where he had disappeared.