"Drago Nova!!!"
Flash—!
An absurd, overwhelming surge of magicules erupted, hurtling toward Issei like a collapsing star.
Issei immediately invoked Mist Dispersion Ex. However, due to the sheer, irrational volume of energy Milim had unleashed, it took a full second for the negation to take effect.
"Even my Drago Nova can be erased?" Milim let out a wry, frustrated smile. Her breath hitched, the sheer disbelief evident in her eyes.
"Give it up, Milim. You can't win against me."
"Shut up! I haven't lost yet, Asura!"
With a defiant roar, Milim drew her sword.
Issei's expression shifted instantly. The moment that blade left its sheath, he felt a crushing pressure—a primal power radiating from the steel in her hand.
『Partner, this is bad. Really bad,』 Ddraig's voice echoed in his mind, laced with uncharacteristic caution.
"I know."
『Need a hand?』
"No... I'm not done yet."
Concentrating his mana, Issei manifested a blade of his own, weaving magic and the essence of Mist Dispersion Ex into its edge. Even so, the disparity was clear: Issei's sword reached the peak of the God-tier, but the weapon Milim held was a Genesis-class artifact.
It was a gap too wide to ignore. If he wanted to secure victory, a direct clash of blades was out of the question.
"Here I come!"
BOOM—!
The collision was so violent it sent shockwaves through the dimensional rift, threatening to tear the very fabric of their battlefield.
Issei found himself forced onto the defensive under Milim's relentless, high-speed assault. He danced on the edge of destruction, parrying and weaving through a storm of strikes until, finally, he saw an opening. Lunging forward, he bypassed her guard and pressed his palm firmly against Milim's abdomen.
Milim froze, her eyes widening in confusion at the sudden, non-lethal contact.
Issei offered a faint, triumphant smirk.
"This is my win. Mist Dispersion Ex!"
Thump—!
Milim's heart skipped a beat. In less than three seconds, every drop of her terrifying power vanished, erased into nothingness.
Her strength fled her body. Staggering, she began to tip backward, falling toward the infinite abyss of the dimensional rift. Before she could drift away, Issei's arms caught her. He pulled her into a firm princess carry and immediately began scanning the void for an exit.
Milim was in no condition to speak; the sudden depletion of her magicules had left her physically spent. She couldn't tear her gaze away from Issei. Behind those eyes, clear and brilliant as jewels, swirled a cocktail of complex emotions she couldn't quite name.
'This is the first time I've been carried like this... It doesn't feel bad. Actually... it feels even better than when Rimuru carries me.'
A small, contented smile played on her lips as she buried her face against Issei's chest. Sensing her slight movement, Issei's smile deepened, and he accelerated, leaping out of the rift.
In the capital of Tempest, Luminous, Ramiris, Rimuru, and Veldora waited with bated breath.
"I knew it would come to this. A small world simply can't contain their full power," Ramiris muttered with a bitter smile, her shoulders slumped in regret at her own helplessness.
"Regret is useless now. Besides, those two aren't the type to go down easily," Luminous replied, though her eyes remained fixed on the horizon. Her words seemed to put Ramiris somewhat at ease.
"The verdict is coming," Veldora announced, his voice dropping an octave.
Rimuru and Luminous reflexively turned, their bodies tensed in a guarded stance as a tear in space ripped open.
Issei stepped through the portal, Milim cradled securely in his arms.
"Milim!" Seeing his best friend limp and unresponsive, Rimuru's composure shattered into instant panic.
"Don't worry," Issei reassured him calmly. "I only erased her magicules until she lost consciousness. She just needs rest."
"Erasing magicules? You can actually do that?" Rimuru asked, his expression a mix of awe and bewilderment.
"I can. Though, honestly, the process is much more tedious than just erasing a person's existence entirely."
Rimuru went silent for a moment, processing the terrifying nature of that power, before nodding slowly.
"Where should I put her?"
"Follow me."
...
Northern Region, The Ice Continent.
"Good grief, that Milim... she's certainly having the time of her life with our guest from another world." Guy Crimson smirked, his eyes glinting with a hint of envy.
"...First Veldora, now Milim. That man is not to be underestimated." Velzard gazed at the sky, her beautiful eyes seemingly piercing through space-time to observe the aftermath. Though her current form appeared youthful and petite, she exuded an undeniable, transcendent elegance.
"Issei's over there playing around; I just hope he's actually doing the job he was sent here for." Tobio pouted as he looked toward the direction of Tempest.
Guy's eyebrow twitched at the casual remark. "Are you truly human? How are you even standing here in this temperature?"
"How cruel. I'm obviously human," Tobio replied.
"...No normal human survives this cold."
"You're right about that. Without my partner's help, I'd be a popsicle." As Tobio spoke, a massive black shadow materialized behind him. It was Jin, the independent avatar of Canis Lykaon.
The moment Jin locked eyes with Velzard, he bristled, growling low in his throat as if facing a supreme predator. Velzard narrowed her eyes, her expression souring.
"I don't like the way your dog is looking at me," she remarked coldly.
"Ahaha, my bad. Jin, back down."
At Tobio's command, Jin dissolved back into the shadows. Guy took a slow sip of his wine, his gaze lingering on the spot where the shadow had vanished.
"An intriguing system. I might try making one myself if the mood strikes me."
"You say the most outrageous things so casually," Tobio sighed.
"As demons untethered by age, we need something to stave off the boredom."
"Fair point. In my world, the Fallen Angel faction—the ones with no interest in fighting—are obsessed with creating Artificial Sacred Gears now. Though, the quality is obviously several tiers below the ones made by God."
Guy flicked his eyes toward Tobio, a predatory spark within them. "I'm curious about this 'God' of yours. What was he like?"
Tobio shrugged nonchalantly. "God has been dead for a long time, so I can't really give you a description."
"Dead?" Guy looked genuinely surprised.
Tobio flashed a playful, knowing grin. "Well, isn't the God of this world dead too?"
Guy took another sip of wine, showing no shock at Tobio's depth of knowledge.
"True enough. Though for some reason, that man still hasn't resurrected. Perhaps he wants to watch how the world evolves without him? It's a pain... he's left me with all the busy work down here."
To be continued...Anvanced Chapter p*tre*n.com/AgamYupi02