Ch.1201Now It’s One-On-One.

Skywalk.

A killing technique that compresses the Severing Slash to its limit using the power of Defying Fate, then releases it all at once like loosening reins, dramatically increasing both power and range for a single fatal blow.

Everything in its path was torn to shreds along with space itself, scattering into dust with a sound like a death wail.

“Kuh, huhk…!”

Except for the orc who staggered, spraying fountains of blood from his entire body.

“You reduced its power by countering it head-on? In that brief moment? Impressive, truly impressive.”

In the short gap between when my Skywalk slash broke through the stopped time and when it directly struck the enemy’s body.

In that momentary instant, Caljarat quickly assessed the situation and swung his remaining three greatswords with all his might to strike at the space-severing slash itself.

He must have tried to counter it to reduce its power since it was too late to dodge. It was the best response. Even by my judgment.

“—It would have been more impressive if you’d blocked it completely, what a shame?”

But it was meaningless anyway.

“Grrrgh…”

I was honestly surprised that he managed to counter Skywalk with his greatsword, and he even had the power of severance infused in that blade, perhaps copying me… but that was his limit.

A poorly imitated power of severance, a mediocre weapon barely holding together—how could such things properly neutralize Skywalk?

“Kuh, huuugh… kahak, kek…!”

Shattered greatsword. Arm turned to dust. Body cleanly split vertically from collarbone to pelvis, gaping open.

Though he reduced the power enough to barely avoid instant death, Caljarat’s injury was fatal—he could die at any moment.

In terms of severity, Hubrisia’s injury was much worse when she was completely split in two… but she could at least reattach her wounds through spatial fusion, right?

This one can’t perform such a feat. If he could, he would have reattached his severed arm earlier.

“De, feat…!”

And so he collapsed, spewing fountains of blood, tumbling and falling.

He’s dead. For certain.

“Kenaz.”

Still, just to be sure, I fired a beam of karma fire toward his head as a finishing blow.

– Thwack!

His head was cleanly penetrated. The fact that he didn’t even attempt to defend confirmed he was already dead.

Even if he had been barely alive, that last strike would have certainly ended him.

“…Now only you remain.”

So, only one enemy remained: the Fallen Angel.

Though that one is the most dangerous, fighting one enemy is still much easier than fighting three.

When I thought I’d have to fight three demigods, I honestly felt hopeless, but somehow I’m managing.

Rather than my own skill, it’s more that they weren’t united in purpose and ended up sabotaging each other…

…Well, all’s well that ends well. This is the situation I’d been hoping for anyway.

In a one-on-one fight, I don’t lose.

Even if the opponent’s power clearly surpasses mine. Even if I’ve consumed a considerable amount of energy.

—-

【 Interference factor life response lost. Target entity… no accumulated divinity change. 】

After confirming the death of the interference factor—Caljarat—the Fallen Angel scanned me and pointed out that there was no change in my divinity.

“Well, of course. Unlike a monster like you, it takes me some time to digest.”

This was normal for me. Rather, that’s how it’s supposed to be. It’s always been that way.

The ability to become stronger immediately after killing an enemy belongs to Hersella’s power of murder karma—in other words, the power of Vanirgand.

Since I’m still human, unlike those monsters, it takes me some time to fully digest the power gained from killing enemies.

Usually, I only feel the change after the battle is over and I’ve had sufficient rest.

In other words, there’s no change in my current fighting capacity. Instant empowerment like the Fallen Angel’s is impossible for me.

Then why did I kill Caljarat?

Why ask such an obvious question? Of course, I made the first move before the Fallen Angel could kill him and devour his divinity too.

Even if I couldn’t get stronger, I needed to prevent my enemy from becoming any stronger.

Additionally, leaving that orc alive would have meant constantly worrying about him attacking from behind, so I needed to eliminate such an uncertainty to focus on fighting the Fallen Angel.

【 Target achievement probability increased. Estimated probability 79%. 】

“Your math is terrible. Did you drop out of school?”

The Fallen Angel claimed that the probability of achieving its goal—in other words, defeating me—had risen to 79%, as if my judgment was wrong, but that’s not my concern.

I don’t believe in probabilities. Especially ones calculated by someone else, not by me punching numbers into a calculator.

“Use that boulder-sized head of yours to recalculate… no, don’t bother. Come to think of it, there’s no need to calculate.”

Taking a long, deep breath, I reconnect burst flesh and severed muscles, spreading the heat surging within me throughout my body through my blood vessels as I lower my stance.

Boiling blood, seeping steam. Muscles swelling with crackling sounds and nerves sharpening like blades.

Like a fully drawn bow, the demigod’s body, focused on a single target, trembles with immense power.

“Because you’ll be dead before it’s over!”

The next moment, I charged toward him like a fired shell.

【 Israfel, single target suppression combat initiated. 】

The Fallen Angel also responded by flapping his wings backward to create distance while gathering power.

And so our battle began.

The first and last one-on-one duel between two transcendents without any interference or disturbance since this battle started.

—-

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

Though there are differences in individual tendencies and orientations, those who have reached divinity can all be considered to have reached the extreme in terms of capability and skill.

Therefore, their battles are determined more by compatibility issues and tactical moves rather than pure differences in ability.

In other words, victory goes not to the stronger one but to the one who plays the better hand.

That’s why moment-to-moment judgment is extremely important. Whether that judgment comes from reason or instinct.

This moment is no exception.

Though it might look like I’m charging mindlessly with a beast-like roar, my mind is rotating faster than ever.

‘Space severing, time stop, Skywalk—I’ve already shown these. He’ll be wary. What I’ve seen from him was wide-area bombardment, flash explosion, and phantomization, right?’

To analyze the enemy’s abilities, strengths and weaknesses, behavior patterns, and deduce the optimal move I should make.

‘His attacks weren’t impossible to block or dodge.’

Then the first thing to confirm is two things: whether he has a means to counter my abilities, and if so, exactly how.

‘The problem is phantomization. Can I penetrate that…’

Using Defying Fate would be pointless if he phantomizes right before I cast it, leaving me slashing at nothing in stopped time. So I need to confirm the limitations of his phantomization first.

‘…Shall I test it?’

Having reached that conclusion, my combat instinct inscribed in my body derives the optimal solution and reflexively executes it.

“Kyaaah!”

A strike maintaining my charging speed. A slash delivered from the enemy’s flank after kicking off the air to change trajectory.

Two arcs of faint golden light tore through the air, racing violently.

– Swaaaash!

Severing slashes fired from two directions.

Not stopping there, I continue to change my flight trajectory and fire consecutive severing slashes. Making it impossible to dodge with simple evasive maneuvers.

‘Now, what will you do?’

You can’t dodge this with mere wing flapping. Show me whatever countermeasure you have. So I can gauge your limitations.

Will you dodge with phantomization?

Then I’ll need to think of a new attack method. It means space severing can’t break through his phantomization.

Will you respond in another way?

That would be good for me. While revealing one of his methods, I could also assume that severing slashes would work even if he phantomizes.

‘So, which will it be?’

Which one will it be?

A wait so brief it could barely be called a moment. Just before the first severing slash reached his wing, he finally showed the reaction I had been expecting.

【 Optimal response calculated. Utilizing acquired authority. 】

Not phantomization.

To block the severing slashes coming from five directions, the countermeasure chosen by Fallen Angel Israfel was—

【 Multi-layered spatial fusion, Αόρατος αργαλειός. 】

Folding and layering the surrounding space like a quilt to create a spatial distortion field that diverts the slashes in all directions.

“Wait, how can you use that…?”

In other words, it was exactly the same method as Hubrisia’s power, whom he had killed.