"Shadow!" X3
No one had expected the situation to unfold like this. Just moments ago, Shadow had actually sacrificed his own life to save them.
Everyone present believed that if Shadow had fought Kojou Akatsuki one-on-one, even with Kojou Akatsuki possessing the vitality of a Primogenitor Vampire, the one who would die would undoubtedly be Kojou Akatsuki.
Even if the legendary Fourth Primogenitor is said to be the strongest among the Primogenitors, stronger even than the Lost Warlord, by the standards of the New World he is still only SSS-class, which places him within the world's top fifteen.
Shadow, however, is in the top five.
It might look like only a ten-rank difference, but that gap represents at least two full tiers.
To clarify, being in the world's top fifteen, excluding the five absolute outliers firmly occupying the top five, does not mean there are only ten people at that level. In reality, there are probably more than twenty individuals in this tier.
After all, compatibility and counters exist in this world. If you forced a strict ranking, situations could easily occur where the seventh-ranked defeats the fourteenth, or the fifteenth defeats the seventh.
They all exist within the same tier. There may be slight differences between them, but those differences alone cannot determine victory. Counters and intelligence are what ultimately decide the outcome.
That was why no one believed Kojou Akatsuki could win. Even if he launched a sneak attack, Shadow's reaction speed should have been more than enough for him to mobilize Magical Power for defense.
Unless Shadow suddenly lost his mind and chose to take the attack with his bare body...
And it seemed Shadow really had lost his mind.
Everyone present saw it with their own eyes. When facing Kojou Akatsuki's attack, Shadow used the Magical Power he had just summoned to reinforce the room and prevent it from collapsing, while he himself chose to endure the strike with his physical body.
That decision left everyone with complicated feelings. After all, Shadow had essentially died to save them.
If he had not used his Magical Power to reinforce the walls just now, they would likely have already been crushed to death by the pressure of the surrounding seawater.
"Roar… roar… roar…"
There was no time for them to sort through those tangled emotions. After killing Shadow, Kojou Akatsuki shifted his target to them.
At that moment, Kojou Akatsuki's vampire fangs had fully extended, and there was no clarity left in his eyes. He looked like a wounded beast, and the savage aura pouring from him pressed down on them so heavily that breathing itself became difficult.
A shockwave of concentrated Magical Power surged toward them.
Compared to the Kojou Akatsuki who had fought Rudolf earlier, the one before them now was completely different.
Fortunately, thanks to the reinforcement from Shadow's Magical Power, they at least did not have to worry about the room collapsing for the moment.
Faced with the incoming attack, everyone moved at the same time.
The Holy Relic in Rudolf's hand emitted a burst of Holy Light, intercepting the attack. Koyomi Shizuka gathered all the Spiritual Energy in her body and slammed it directly against the shockwave.
Meanwhile, Yukina Himeragi lunged desperately toward Sekkarou, trying to grab the Demon-Purging Assault Spear and use Sekkarou's ability to nullify Magical Power to block the attack.
But the Magical Power shockwave moved faster than Yukina Himeragi.
Just as her fingers were about to reach Sekkarou, the chaotic surge of Magical Power had already arrived before her.
At the moment Yukina Himeragi was about to lose her life under that strike, Astarte controlled the Rhododactylos to intercept the attack.
The divine vibration waves on the surface of the White Giant activated the Magical Power array at full capacity, attempting to neutralize the incoming Magical Power.
But in the face of such overwhelming Magical Power, the system only lasted a few seconds before shutting down.
After breaking through the barrier meant to cancel the Magical Power, the unstoppable force rushed straight toward Astarte, intending to pierce through both the White Giant and Astarte herself and destroy them completely.
"I, Sword Shaman of the High God and priestess of the Lion, beseech thee. Dawn light of exorcism, spirit wolf of snowy mist, grant me the divine might of thy steel, that I may smite a hundred evil spirits!"
At the critical moment, Yukina Himeragi grabbed Sekkarou, recited the prayer, and stepped in front of Astarte, using its demon-purging properties to block the attack.
The Magical Power shockwave continued for dozens of seconds. Even with the walls reinforced by Shadow's Magical Power, several large cracks spread across them. The ground was torn apart, and thick clouds of dust were thrown into the air.
"Huff… huff…"
Amid the dust, once the Magical Power shockwave finally stopped, everyone except Kojou Akatsuki dropped to one knee, breathing heavily as they tried to recover their strength.
"Ugh… ah, aaah!"
Kojou Akatsuki did not give them a moment to recover. He moved again. Chaotic Magical Power stirred violently, forming swirling gusts around him. Behind him, the phantom of a golden lion appeared, growing more solid as more Magical Power poured into it.
Seeing this, deep despair filled the hearts of Yukina Himeragi and the others. Forget whether they could survive the attack. Even if they somehow endured it, the surrounding walls certainly would not.
"Damn it… why did the plan go so horribly wrong?"
A bitter smile appeared on Koyomi Shizuka's usually calm face. Deep down, she was already starting to regret agreeing to the Lion King Organization's plan.
Kojou Akatsuki would not stop because of anyone's thoughts. The golden lion behind him had fully condensed into a solid form, golden lightning arcs and blazing energy bursting from it as it locked onto them.
If that attack landed, they would die.
Just as that thought formed in their minds, a teasing voice echoed from all directions and caught Kojou Akatsuki's attention.
"Well now, isn't this…"
A black figure appeared in front of Kojou Akatsuki.
It was Shadow.
"Pretty strong, aren't you."
As his tone rose slightly, his right leg swung upward and kicked Kojou Akatsuki in the chest.
The moment the kick landed, Kojou Akatsuki vanished from where he stood. Starting from his position, a straight line blasted through the ceiling, opening a massive hole above.
Koyomi Shizuka and the others could hear continuous sonic booms and the explosive sounds of floors being pierced one after another from above. The golden lion before them, now without anyone controlling it, dispersed into pure Magical Power.
After kicking Kojou Akatsuki upward, Cid stood where he was and glanced at the people he had just saved. He raised his right hand and flicked it lightly, releasing a mass of blue and gold Magical Power.
After that, he bent his knees slightly.
Then with a loud boom, Cid shot straight upward through the passageway Kojou Akatsuki had smashed open.
Because of that movement, Koyomi Shizuka and the others clearly saw that the chest of Cid's black coat had been torn open. Through the hole, they could see his chest marked by a single red imprint. Aside from that, there were no injuries at all.
"Is that… a body like a dragon!?"
The Magical Power Cid had thrown out split into two parts.
The golden portion merged into the surroundings, stabilizing the Keystone Gate, whose foundation had been on the verge of total collapse after the battle.
The blue Magical Power rose to the ceiling and exploded, turning into countless specks of blue light that entered the bodies of Koyomi Shizuka and the other three.
As the blue light touched them, their bodies were bathed in its glow. Within that light, the stamina they had lost during the battle quickly recovered.
Yukina Himeragi stood up and stared blankly at her hands before slowly clenching them.
I feel like… I've felt this warmth before.
This comforting, healing feeling. Like a mother's embrace.
"BOOM!"
A violent explosion pulled Yukina Himeragi out of her thoughts. When she looked around, she realized she was the only one still there.
Realizing this, she quickly turned around, picked up Sekkarou, and ran out through the same passage she had used to enter.
...
After Kojou Akatsuki smashed through the final ceiling of the Keystone Gate, the momentum from Cid's kick did not weaken. It carried him upward at the same terrifying speed, launching him high into the sky.
If that speed continued, Kojou Akatsuki might have been sent all the way into outer space.
Unfortunately, there was no such possibility.
Cid, though moving later, arrived first. The black figure appeared once again in front of Kojou Akatsuki.
With another kick, he knocked Kojou Akatsuki off his flight path and sent him crashing heavily toward the ground.
"BOOM!"
A massive crater formed at the point where Kojou Akatsuki landed, and the entire Itogami Island trembled from the impact.
"You should be capable of more than this. Show your full strength. Otherwise… you'll die."
Landing in front of the crater, Cid spoke calmly.
"ROAR! AAAAH!"
In his berserk state, Kojou Akatsuki had no reason left. He could not understand what Cid was saying, but he did not need to.
A mindless beast would only focus on killing the one who had injured it.
From Cid's perception, the Magical Power inside Kojou Akatsuki's body was increasing at a terrifying rate. Both its quality and quantity were rising wildly.
"Huh. Need a little time? Then I'll wait for a bit."
Seeing that Kojou Akatsuki needed some time to grow stronger, Cid used his Magical Power to pull a chair over. He sat down leisurely, crossed his left leg over his right, and calmly watched Kojou Akatsuki's power continue to rise.
He showed no concern about the possibility of things going wrong.
After all, as an Eminence in Shadow, the proper way was to crush the enemy with absolute strength while they were at their peak. That way, no one could stubbornly argue that the enemy only lost because they were not in top condition. If such talk appeared, it would mean the strength of the Eminence in Shadow had been questioned, and that was something he absolutely would not allow.
"ROAR!!!"
A vast, chaotic surge of Magical Power erupted along with a roar that echoed across the sky, signaling that Kojou Akatsuki had reached his peak.
Cid's crimson eyes fixed on Kojou Akatsuki.
How should he put it...
The legends seemed a little exaggerated. It left him somewhat disappointed.
He had fought the First Primogenitor, the Lost Warlord, once before. That battle had been extremely unsatisfying for him from the perspective of Eminence in Shadow aesthetics. In order to end the fight quickly, he had not allowed the opponent to show his full strength and finished the battle in a single move.
But based on the Magical Power he sensed back then, as long as it was used properly, the Lost Warlord would definitely qualify as SSS.
As for Kojou Akatsuki right now, purely in terms of Magical Power, he was SSS minus.
Magical Power alone did not represent everything. Strength also included skills, counters, and combat technique.
But for a mindless beast, even its greatest Magical Power was only SSS minus. That made it difficult for Cid to believe that the Fourth Primogenitor was stronger than the Lost Warlord.
Forget it. Legends being exaggerated was nothing unusual.
Just as Cid thought this and prepared to end the fight quickly, he suddenly raised his head.
A white arc streaked across the night sky. Waves of immense Magical Power spread outward, and within seconds the arc rapidly closed the distance to Cid, revealing its true form.
It was a massive black sword hundreds of meters long.
A weapon from myth.
Falling from several thousand meters in the air, combined with its enormous weight and the Magical Power contained within it, if that strike landed the entire island would probably sink.
The black sword slammed into Cid with a thunderous crash, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
Yet Kojou Akatsuki showed no sign of relaxing.
Because...
A burst of black Magical Power blew the dust away.
At the center of that power stood Cid, gripping the tip of the giant sword with one hand while looking at Kojou Akatsuki with eyes filled with battle intent.
The mindless beast had not even realized the black sword had already landed.
"Just as I thought. You're pretty strong, Kojou. Looks like you've earned the right for me to use my Magical Power."
Cracks spread from the tip of the sword.
In moments they covered the entire blade.
Then with a sharp crack, the giant sword shattered like glass.
"See? I told you that you were qualified."
After crushing the massive sword, Cid did not attack immediately. Instead, he slowly walked toward Kojou Akatsuki while casually opening the hand he had used to shatter the sword.
In the center of his palm was a thin cut, a small wound caused by crushing the black sword.
Run!
That single thought appeared in Kojou Akatsuki's beast-like mind.
Crushing a legendary weapon of the gods without even using Magical Power. That level of strength was something even a mindless beast could understand.
But when he looked around, he realized a barrier had risen at some unknown moment, trapping him and Cid together.
No.
Not both of them.
It had trapped him.
"Step… step… step…"
After several failed attempts to break through the barrier, and as Cid's footsteps drew closer and closer, Kojou Akatsuki completely lost control.
A massive amber-colored bull-headed figure appeared to Cid's left, radiating scorching heat while wielding a gigantic battle axe that swung down toward him.
At the same time, a deep red two-horned horse surrounded by crimson flames appeared on Cid's right. Its body emitted powerful vibration waves as it charged straight toward him.
Facing the attack from both sides, a smile appeared at the corner of Cid's mouth.
His left hand grabbed the blade of the battle axe.
His right hand pressed down on the head of the two-horned horse.
The fate of the black sword repeated itself.
Cracks spread from the points where Cid's hands touched them, covering their entire bodies before both Beast Vassals vanished completely.
After dealing with the bull-headed figure and the crimson horse, Cid prepared to continue walking toward Kojou Akatsuki.
But suddenly the ground beneath his feet turned into mist, causing him to lose his footing and fall downward.
At the very bottom of the mist, a massive two-headed dragon twisted into a spiraling shape waited with its enormous jaws wide open, ready to swallow Cid whole.
As Cid fell into the mouth of the two-headed dragon, Kojou Akatsuki saw the barrier starting to thin and finally let out a sigh of relief.
In the very next second, a crack appeared across the middle of the two-headed dragon's stomach. Starting from that crack, the dragon was ripped into two separate halves before dispersing.
Cid stepped out through the split and landed on the ground, which had re-formed from the mist. A silver beetle wrapped in black mist dropped into his hand. He crushed it, then continued walking toward Kojou Akatsuki.
"Roar!"
When he saw Cid coming closer, Kojou Akatsuki let out a beast-like roar. Behind him appeared a water spirit with the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a snake, like a Medusa from myth.
A mercury-like liquid spread out from beneath the water spirit's feet. It kept flowing outward, and anything touched by that silver fluid seemed to undergo a reversal of time.
The ground turned into dust.
Glass turned into sand.
Steel reverted to its state before processing.
And yet Cid stood in the flowing current, treating the mercury with its time-reversing power as though it were no more than air, walking toward Kojou Akatsuki at an unhurried pace.
By the time Cid reached him, the serpent-like water spirit had already been crushed apart by the black Magical Power radiating from Cid.
"Any more?"
Standing in front of the fallen Kojou Akatsuki, Cid asked with curiosity.
"Roar! Roar! Roar!"
Kojou Akatsuki answered with pure Magical Power attacks. They were strong, but compared to the Beast Vassals from before, they were hardly worth mentioning.
"Looks like that's all."
Cid spoke in a slightly regretful tone as he watched Kojou Akatsuki keep firing off attacks while pressing himself against the barrier, his legs constantly trying to move backward, terrified roars spilling from his mouth.
A black sphere of Magical Power appeared in Cid's hand.
He hurled it at Kojou Akatsuki.
Between Cid and Kojou Akatsuki, a giant ram made of indestructible diamond suddenly appeared, while countless jewels formed into a shield.
Unfortunately, the moment the shield touched the black sphere, it shattered.
The giant ram, pierced through by the black sphere, also dispersed.
Kojou Akatsuki kept trying to back away, but all he could do was watch as the black sphere, carrying the aura of destruction, drew closer and closer to him.
When the black sphere was only half a centimeter away from Kojou Akatsuki's face, Cid stopped the hand holding it.
Then, smiling, he spoke in a bright, playful tone.
"Big surprise!"
The black sphere of Magical Power, brimming with destructive force, instantly transformed into a blue healing sphere overflowing with life.
At the same time, a magnetic voice spoke the words:
"I am Recovery Atomic."
Blue light spread out and covered everything, including the Keystone Gate.